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The C.B. Stubblefield statue has now been defaced. What's at Stake The memorial for C.B. Stubblefield and Stubb's Barbeque was the latest target of vandalism, at least that's been reported. The statue and area are a location where live music really took off in the Hub City. The disrespect shown with these markings is just unforgivable. It Will Not 'Just Rub Off' The person who took this picture actually tried to rub the substance off and it's not chalk. I was also told the same thing by another person who was tasked with cleaning up some of those roadside art pieces. These markings are causing deep problem on this art, some of which is on loan and must be repaired before returning. He Has Struck Before This person has tagged the aforementioned roadside monuments, mailboxes, tornado ruins and the Buddy Holly statue. This person is not unlike the Wet Bandits from Home Alone. He or she will eventually be linked to a lot of vandalism by this signature tag. It Just Looks Trashy You wouldn't want someone to scratch this into your car hood or even soap your car windows like this. It's also incredibly disrespectful when marked on statues of real human beings. It's just not a good look for the City of Lubbock. It's Not Okay to Deface Something in the Name of Jesus Since this isn't the first time I've written about this, let me say that it's not okay to tag something regardless of the message. If someone tagged a statue with "Save the Planet" or something like that, more people around here would be losing their minds. It Could Be a Felony at This Point With the man hours it's taken to attempt to clean these pieces of art, I could see how a good prosecutor might stack up the charges to make this a felony. The Suspect It's my guess that the vandal is a homeless person who may be suffering from a bit of a mental problem (just due to the weird locations). I hope whomever it is getting some help and will be instructed that this is not a good way to express his or her faith. 2 Stellar Examples Of Lubbock People Being A-Holes Weird Lubbock Stuff From Amazon More From Lonestar 99-5 FM	[]
Tags Posts tagged with "Alan Rosenberg" Alan Rosenberg F. William Studier By Daniel Dunaief People around the world are lining up, and in some cases traveling great distances, to get vaccinations to COVID-19 that will provide them with immune protection from the virus. An important step in the vaccinations from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, the two messenger RNA vaccinations, originated with basic research at Brookhaven National Laboratory in the 1980’s, close to 40 years before the pandemic infected millions and killed close to three million people. At the national laboratory, scientists including F. William Studier, Alan Rosenberg, and the late John Dunn, among others, worked on another virus, called the T7 bacteriophage, which infects bacteria. T7 effectively corrupts a bacteria’s genetic machinery, turning it into a machine that makes copies of itself. From top graphic, the T7 virus uses RNA polymerase and a promoter to start a process inside a bacteria that makes copies of itself; researchers use copies of the promoter and the polymerase to insert genes that code for a specific protein; the mRNAs are injected into our arms where human ribosomes make COVID-19 spike proteins. Those spike proteins train the attack dog cells of our immune system to recognize the virus if it attempts to invade. Back in the 1980’s, Studier and Dunn in BNL’s Biology Department were trying to do something no one else had accomplished: they wanted to clone the T7 RNA polymerase. The use of this genetic region, along with a promoter that starts the process of transcription, enabled scientists to mimic the effect of the virus, directing a cell to make copies of genetic sequences or proteins. The BNL researchers perfected that process amid a time when numerous labs were trying to accomplish the same molecular biological feat. “Although there were several labs that were trying to clone the T7 RNA polymerase, we understood what made its cloning difficult,” said Alan Rosenberg, who retired as a senior scientist at BNL in 1996. The patented technology “became the general tool that molecular biologists use to produce the RNA and proteins they want to study.” The scientists who worked on the process, as well as researchers who currently work at BNL, are pleased that this type of effort, which involves a desire for general knowledge and understanding before policy makers and funders are aware of all the implications and benefits, led to such life-saving vaccinations. “This is an excellent example of the value of basic science in that the practical applications were quite unanticipated,” John Shanklin, Chair of BNL’s Biology Department, wrote in an email. “The goal of the work Studier and his team did was to understand fundamental biological principles using a virus that infects bacteria. Once discovered, those principles led to a transformation of how biochemists and biomedical researchers around the world produce and analyze proteins in addition to providing a foundational technology that allowed the rapid development of mRNA vaccines,” he wrote. Shanklin described Studier, who recruited him to join BNL 30 years ago from Michigan, as a mentor to numerous researchers, including himself. Shanklin credits Studier for helping him develop his career and is pleased that Studier is getting credit for this seminal work. “I am tremendously proud that the basic research done in the Biology Department has been instrumental in accelerating the production of a vaccine with the potential to save millions of lives worldwide,” Shanklin wrote. “I couldn’t be happier for [Studier] and his team being recognized for their tremendous basic science efforts.” Steve Binkley, Acting Director of the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, acknowledged the importance of the earlier work. “The fact that scientific knowledge and tools developed decades ago are now being used to produce today’s lifesaving mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 is a great example of how the Department of Energy’s long-term investments in fundamental research at our National Laboratories can improve American lives today and into the future,” Binkley said in a statement. Studier explained that his interests were more modest when he started studying this particular virus, which infects the bacteria E. coli. “T7 was not a well-studied bacteriophage when I came to Brookhaven in 1964,” Studier, who is a senior biophysicist Emeritus, said in a statement. “I was using it to study properties of DNA and decided also to study its molecular genetics and physiology. My goal, of course, was to understand as much as possible about T7 and how it works.” In an email, Studier said he did not realize the connection between his work and the vaccinations until Venki Ramakrishnan, a Nobel-Prize winning structural biologists from the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK, told him. “I am pleased that our work with T7 is relevant for fighting this world-wide pandemic,” Studier wrote. “History shows that some of the most useful discoveries come from basic research that could not have been predicted.” While BNL is one of 17 Department of Energy facilities, it has conducted scientific research in numerous fields. Several translational achievements originated at BNL, Shanklin wrote, including the thalium stress test for evaluating heart function, the development of Fluoro Deoxy Glucose for Positron Emission Tomography and the first chemical synthesis for human insulin, which allowed human insulin to replace animal insulin. As for the effort that led to the T7 discoveries, Studier worked with Parichehre Davanloo, who was a postdoctoral fellow, Rosenberg, Dunn and Barbara Moffatt, who was a graduate student. Rosenberg appreciated the multi-national background of the researchers who came together to conduct this research, as Moffatt is Canadian and Davanloo is Iranian. Rosenberg added that while the group had “an inkling” of the potential usefulness of the processes they were perfecting, they couldn’t anticipate its value over the next 40 years and, in particular, its current contribution. “Nobody really understood or thought just how widely spread its use would be,” Rosenberg said. “We certainly had no idea it would be an important element in the technology” that would lead to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations.	[]
News and Analysis of scarce coins, coin markets, and the coin collecting community #50 A Weekly Column by Greg Reynolds I have been asked why markets in rare or very scarce U.S. gold coins have not dramatically increased as the value of gold bullion (the price of the metal itself) has soared over the past year and has reached record highs, above $1500 per ounce! One sophisticated collector-dealer is puzzled that rare coin prices have not even returned to levels that prevailed during the incredibly hot period from 2006 to the middle of 2008. Indeed, during July or early August 2008, a long boom in rare coin markets peaked. Current prices are 10% to 30% lower than those levels, for most scarce or rare coins. I. Recent Prices The market price of one ounce of gold was around $1153 on April 23, 2010 and more than $1507 on April 22, 2011, according to In April 2009, and also in April 2008, gold was around $900! At some point in the Spring of 2006, it was near $560! So, the gold bullion price increased more than 30% in twelve months, more than 67% in twenty-four months, and around 80% in five years. The CU-PCGS index shows rare U.S. gold coins trending downward in price over the last twelve months, especially during the first three months of 2011. My research suggests that this is not true. In my column of March 16, I wrote about Changes in Demand for Rare U.S. Coins So Far in 2011. I concluded that prices for rare, or at least scarce, silver and gold U.S. coins were, more or less, the same as these were in the beginning of last year. I did then find, though, that rare or at least scarce gold coins have been rising in value in 2011, though just slightly. Now, in late April, John Albanese reports that “rare gold coins are about 5% higher than a year ago.” Albanese was the founder of the NGC in 1987 and he started the CAC in 2007. While I have no reason to doubt that CAC approved rare gold coins are at least 5% higher, on average, my impression is that prices for rare or very scarce U.S. gold coins in general are about 2% higher on average. II. Generic Gold Beginners often confuse generic gold with rare date gold. Consider that 1927 Philadelphia Mint Double Eagles ($20 gold coins) are very common, well over a half million 1927 Double Eagles exist. Thousands are available that have been PCGS or NGC certified as grading MS-64 or MS-65. In contrast, 1927 San Francisco Mint Double Eagles are very rare. The Denver Mint Double Eagle of 1927 is a Great Rarity. Most collectors of Double Eagles will never see a 1927-D in their respective lifetimes. I feel fortunate to have been able to examine six. Philadelphia Mint Double Eagles of 1924 and 1928 are even more common than those of 1927 and are of interest more to speculators than collectors. Generic U.S. coins are true coins, though, not bullion products. Investors find markets for generic gold coins to be puzzling, and tend to buy either bullion products or truly scarce U.S. coins instead. Consequently, markets for generics are dominated by players in ‘the game’ and their clients. There are quite a few dealers who specialize in generics. Many such dealers speculate with their own funds or those of their clients. Speculative frenzies in generics tend to follow paths of their own, apart from bullion markets and markets for rare coins. As a result, generic gold coins can go down in value when gold bullion rises. Demand for generics is also a function of marketing programs by investment firms that promote generics. The premiums that generics bring over their respective bullion (metal) content may fluctuate tremendously, especially during time periods when gold is volatile, but at other times as well. While the price of gold bullion has risen 30% over the past year, prices for many, widely traded generic U.S. gold coins have actually fallen. III. Demand for Gold Bullion The main question here is why changes in demand for gold are not matched by changes in demand in rare or at least significantly scarce U.S. gold coins. It makes sense to reflect upon the reasons why people buy gold bullion. By gold bullion, I am primarily referring to common one ounce ‘coins’ and non-antique, nearly pure gold bars of various weights that are sold and/or produced by widely recognized entities. It is typical for a government produced bullion product to be designed to meet the legal criteria for a coin, yet these are not considered to be coins by most coin experts. American Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, and Australian Nugget, gold ‘coins’ are all bullion products. People may ‘invest’ in gold though paper or electronic means by buying shares of entities that hold gold or are otherwise involved in markets for gold. I contend, though, that price changes are primarily driven by the trading of gold in physical forms, via bars and one ounce ‘coins’! Curiously, Scott Travers asserts that recent price increases in gold bullion are largely a result of demand by people who are not taking physical possession of the metal. “The increase over the last twelve months is not being caused being caused by people going to coin or precious metals dealers,” Travers reports. Scott is an accomplished author, a rare coin expert and an investment advisor regarding tangible assets. “Over the last twelve months, much of the demand for gold is coming from Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), governments and hedge funds,” Travers finds. “This kind of move takes really big money, serious money, a whole new generation of buyers,” Travers continues. “New investors are comfortable investing in gold bullion without holding the physical metal,” While Scott recommends that gold bullion investors take possession of their gold, as a physical metal, Travers wonders if this “new generation might be right” about trading gold via paper or electronic means? Why do people buy gold bullion, in one form or another? It is traditional for people to invest in gold when they are concerned that the currency of their respective nations will substantially fall in value. (I am not providing investment advice in this column and I am not implying that investments in bullion will be profitable.) Why has gold risen from $1150 to $1500 over the last twelve months? The U.S. Federal Government does not seem to be getting a handle on the annual budget deficit and is not implementing a plan that will substantially reduce the aggregate Federal debt. Investors are concerned about the power of the United States and the temptation for present or future administrations to effect polices that will result in more than a little inflation. Travers points to “a global currency crisis and multi-trillion dollar deficits.” Gold buyers have an “anticipation of inflation.” Travers expects inflation in the U.S. to reach the neighborhood of “12½% within three years.” In my view, political instability and recently emerging conflicts in the Middle East are the primary reasons why the price of gold has increased so much over the last six months. The President of Egypt was pressured to resign by a domestic uprising, as was the President of Tunisia. The President of Yemen is currently negotiating with opponents of his regime and may be willing to resign. There have been aggressive political demonstrations in Saudi Arabia. An anti-government uprising in Bahrain is more important than many people realize as the Fifth Fleet of the U.S. Navy is headquartered in Bahrain. This fleet is widely viewed by the citizens of the U.S., and of other affluent industrialized nations, as a stabilizing force in the region, one that insures a steady supply of oil. “There is an outbreak in people, and organized political groups, favoring democracy,” John Albanese notes. “There is a lot of uncertainty. It could all work out in the Mid East or it might not.” It is too early to predict the outcomes of conflicts in the Middle East. John asserts that “there is a perception that the U.S. can’t do much about the situations in the Mid East. People think that the U.S. has less power and [American] investors are concerned about the ability of the U.S.” to influence events, Albanese points out. I believe a central factor is that the NATO air offensives against the forces of the loony Libyan dictator are, so far, disappointing. The forces of the Libyan Government appear to have, at least for a time, turned the tide against the rebels. It would be a disaster for a Libyan dictator to, in some sense, be able to claim to have defeated the U.S., France and other NATO allies. While the rebellion will probably be successful, the uncertainty and the possibility that the Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, may prevail has contributed to an increase in gold bullion prices. According to the Wikipedia, in the 1970s and 1980s, “Much of the [Libyan government’s] income from oil, which soared in the 1970s, was spent on arms purchases and on sponsoring militancy and terror around the world.” Support for this point could easily be found in academic books written by experts. Gaddafi has been the dictator of Libya since 1969 and is widely regarded as potentially being a danger to the U.S., Britain, Saudi Arabia, and U.S. political or business interests in the Middle East. “People buy gold when they are afraid,” Albanese emphasizes. “People are worried about their savings. They are scared of the U.S. losing position in world leadership; people are worried about the U.S. Dollar collapsing or just falling much further,” John says. Albanese ties the increases in the price of gold bullion with “global uncertainty” and he also emphasizes that some people buy gold because others are doing so. Kris Oyster believes that “the reason rare coin prices are down or static is that many people are selling rare coins to get on the metals train, even at a loss in some cases.” Oyster is the managing director of numismatics for the Dallas Gold & Silver Exchange. “Everyone is in a frenzy to buy gold and silver,” Kris declares. On the “surge in precious metals prices” over the “last year,” Bob Green, likewise, asserts that “typically, when the market goes up [a great deal], everyone wants to get on board, generally in the final stages of a bull market,” Green explains. “This is by no means a phenomenon, as it takes place cyclically, and many industry old timers have seen this ‘jump on the bandwagon investing’ during our careers,” Bob reveals. Green is the president of Park Avenue Numismatics. John Albanese finds that “a lot of people are buying gold and silver just because prices are going up, like the Internet stock bubble in 1999 and 2000.” John believes that bullion prices could sharply decline at some point in the not too distant future. Travers disagrees and Scott argues that “there is not a bubble” in demand for gold bullion. Because of government budget deficits, and the fact “many people in India, China and elsewhere in the world are now buying gold,” Albanese does not think that gold will fall to previous lows. Even so, John suggests there are plausible scenarios that would result in gold and silver bullion prices falling substantially in the near future. “A year from now, if there is less unrest in the Middle East,” a better situation in Japan, “lower gas prices,” and “a reasonable deal among U.S. politicians about cutting the deficit” people would be much less scared; gold would fall and prices for rare gold coins would probably go up,” Albanese imagines. I emphasize that the economy of the whole world is substantially dependent upon oil flow from the Middle East. Instability and brewing conflicts in the Middle East have spurred investors to buy gold. In sum, it is a tradition to acquire gold when investors are concerned about economic growth, the costs of war, and unfavorable shifts in the balance of political power. Situations in the Middle East, however, could turn out well for the U.S. and other capitalist democracies. A stable, peaceful democratic regime could replace that of Gaddafi in Libya. Real, positive reform could occur in Bahrain and even in Saudi Arabia. Upcoming governments in Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen may prove to be helpful in promoting peace, democracy and economic growth. IV. The Demand for Rare Coins Why are investors in gold bullion not also buying rare U.S. coins? Perhaps this is not a logical way in which to pose a core question. Investors in gold bullion and buyers of rare U.S. coins are two, very different groups of people. There is some overlap. Even the overlap, however, may be misleading; an investor in gold may also be a collector of rare U.S. coins. Most investors have little knowledge of rare U.S. coins. More people are interested in gold in general than in rare U.S. gold coins. Most investors are aware of the traditions cited above regarding the purchase of gold. For more than two thousand years, investors have been accumulating gold for such reasons. Many buyers of gold are not U.S. citizens and are not interested in U.S. rare coins. The Central Bank of India purchased a large quantity of gold bullion in 2009. In 2011, citizens of China, India and Brazil have been buying startling quantities of gold. Furthermore, Russians, Germans, Africans, and people in Latin America, have been buying gold as well. People throughout the world are concerned about the budget deficits of the U.S. and British national governments and about political instability in the Middle East. It is testimony for the strength of markets in rare coins that rare coin prices did not fall much during the severe recession that started in 2008. If analyzed within the framework of the overall U.S. economy, rare coin markets were very strong during the recession and in the current problematic economic climate. Rare coin markets “had a mini-crash in late 2008,” Albanese remembers. Rare coin prices “were not falling 40% to 80% like they did in other recessions. Prices were down 20% to 30%.” Furthermore, while “1991 was a disaster for the economy, it was not as bad as 2008,” John says. Coin prices fell more in the early 1990s than they did in 2008 and 2009. According to Albanese, the rare “coin market crash of 1980” led to prices for many rare coins falling from 60% to 90%!” “In March 1980, quarters of the 1880s in superb mint state, sixes and sevens [by current CAC standards], were bringing over $20,000 [each] wholesale. In August 1982, such quarters were selling for around $2,250,” Albanese recollects. This is an example relating to his larger point. It is important to stress out that the price run-ups in 1979-80 and 1989-90 were more intense and of greater magnitude than the price increases in rare coins from 2006 to the middle of 2008. In comparison to the rare coin market booms of 1979-80 and 1989-90, the rare coin market boom of the 2000s was longer and price increases took more time. Moreover, there was not a significant increase in the number of collectors in 1979 or in 1989. From 1998 or so to early 2008, there was a boom in coin collecting. Many non-investing collectors, and 75% collector-25% investor types, joined the coin collecting community between 1998 and 2008. There is now a larger base of collectors. (Please see my piece on The rise in the number of collectors of rare U.S. coins and the importance of the PCGS & the NGC.) V. Collector-Investors? The demand for rare U.S. gold coins is dominated by collectors. Certainly, most collectors are, at least in small part, investors. When it comes time, for whatever reason, for coins to be sold, the sellers usually wish for buyers to pay substantial amounts. Importantly, however, collectors of rare coins do not view coins in the ways that investors view stocks, commercial real estate, or bullion. A rare coin buyer who is 75% collector, and 25% investor, would like to make a profit from his hobby, yet may be primarily interested in the cultural pursuit of coin collecting. After all, a coin buyer who is 75% collector would be someone who enjoys acquiring coins. The opposite would be someone who is 25% collector, 75% investor, who would think often about prices and profit opportunities. Even such a ‘25% collector,’ however, would likely be gaining satisfaction from the pleasure and/or cultural aspects of coin collecting. Collectors are concerned about buying coins that they like and coins that are prized within the coin collecting community. Coin collectors are more concerned with traditions of coin collecting than traditions in investing. Coin collectors are often focused upon completing sets or on buying coins that have been traditionally regarded as being significant in the history of coin collecting. (Please see my three part series on Collecting Naturally Toned Coins; click here for part 1.) For most collectors, investment issues are a secondary consideration. VI. Rare Gold Coins & Gold Bullion There is a minimal relationship between prices of gold bullion and prices of rare gold coins. Sometimes, increases in the price of gold will push prices of some very scarce gold coins upwards, especially coins in very low grades or those that have serious problems. Generally, rare U.S. gold coins sell for much more then the value of their respective bullion content, so called ‘melt value.’ I contend that the prices of the overwhelming majority of rare gold coins are not substantially affected by changes in the price of gold bullion. ©2011 Greg Reynolds 1. I think I generally agree with your point that rare gold coins are not substantially affected by changes in the gold price. On the other hand I think it all depends on how rare the coin in question is and how much of a current premium it has to the current gold price. Lets say the current gold price is 1000 per ounce and the current selling price for a rare gold coin is 1500. When if the gold price gets to 3000, it seems obvious to me that the rare coin will now have to sell for at least 3000 which would be a doubling in its price. So maybe the affect on price depends on how large the current premium really is. If the premium is in the smaller ranges and not too far away from the current gold price then maybe one can expect more dramatic price effects. 2. Hi there, just became aware of your weblog via Google, and found that it is truly informative. … Many other folks will benefit from your writing. Cheers! 3. The question discussed in the article is indeed a very important one. The price of gold is most likely not affected by the coin markets. The demand for coins (bullion and numismatic) is too small in order to have any effect on the price of gold. That price of gold is mostly determined in the so called “paper gold” market. Buying gold during times of zero or potentially negative interest rates is a non-brainer. However, buying numismatics or rare coins is a risky proposition during times of rising gold prices. When gold was trading at $400 per ounce, paying 100% premium on a rare US coin was not a big deal as the total purchasing price at $800 was withing the discretionary budget limits of most people. However, when the gold price rises to $3,000 per ounce (as some people predict), then a premium of 100% increases the price of that rare coin to $6,000. That is a sum which not many people will be able to afford. Low gold prices were signs of economic prosperity which led to high premia for numismatic coins. Rising gold prices with stagnating incomes will necesserily lead to a compression of premiums on rare gold coins. For that reason, it is not a good idea to load up on rare coins. The majority of capital allocated to gold should be in bullion where the premium is at most 3% – 4% or less. Rare coins should be purchased only in few numbers as the premium on these coins will disappear when the gold price starts to rise dramatically. The correct strategy to buy rare coins is to start buying most popular bullion and then to wait until the gold price rises substantially. Sell the bullion and buy rare coins as the premiums will be small when gold prices are high enough.	[]
Simple Way to Make Any-night-of-the-week Juicy Mango Parfait Hello everybody, welcome to our recipe site, looking for the perfect Juicy Mango Parfait recipe? look no further! We provide you only the perfect Juicy Mango Parfait recipe here. We also have wide variety of recipes to try. Before you jump to Juicy Mango Parfait recipe, you may want to read this short interesting healthy tips about Your State Of Health Can Be Affected By The Foods You Choose To Eat. You must remember your parents telling you to make sure you eat your vegetables, that is because this is very important for a healthy and balanced body. Along with possessing a variety of vitamins and minerals, you will in addition find that some vegetables also have potassium. As an example, broccoli has a lot of potassium to supply you with your daily recommended allowances. Something else you might like to try is the next time you make a salad try working with spinach as opposed to your traditional lettuce as you will discover that there are a lot more nutrients that can be found in those leaves. By simply following some of the suggestions above you will see that you’ll be living a healthier life. Also if you eliminate all the unhealthy food that you should not be eating anyway, you may find that you could end up living a longer life. We hope you got insight from reading it, now let’s go back to juicy mango parfait recipe. To cook juicy mango parfait you need 14 ingredients and 8 steps. Here is how you achieve it. The ingredients needed to cook Juicy Mango Parfait: 1. Use of Whole egg custard:. 2. Get 2 tbsp of Cake flour. 3. You need 1 tbsp of Corn starch. 4. Provide 2 tbsp of Sugar. 5. Take 100 ml of Milk. 6. You need 1 of Egg yolk. 7. Take 1 dash of Vanilla essence, kirsch (if you have it). 8. Prepare 500 ml of Whipped cream. 9. Prepare 1 of Egg white (for meringue). 10. Provide of Toppings:. 11. You need 1 of ~1 Yellow mango or Pelican mango. 12. You need 2 of tablespoonsx number of servings Corn flakes or Oatmeal. 13. Take 1 of lotsx number of servings Vanilla ice cream. 14. Take 1 of remaining 150ml Whipped cream. Instructions to make Juicy Mango Parfait: 1. Make the custard cream. Add the cake flour, corn starch, and sugar to a microwave safe container, mix, and stir in the milk a bit at a time. Microwave at 600W for 1 minute.. 2. At this point it won't be thick yet, so mix and microwave it for an additional minute. The edges will be a bit hard, so stir with an egg beater until smooth.. 3. Next, mix in the egg yolks, whipped cream, vanilla, and kirsch, and place the bottom of the bowl in an ice water bath to get rid of the residual heat. Whip the egg white, and make the meringue while you wait.. 4. Add the meringue that has been whipped to the point where peaks form (egg white) into the cooled custard, stir, and it is done. Let it sit to cool.. 5. Whip the remaining whipped cream. Cut the mango into bite-sized pieces (about 1cm cubes).. 6. Place the corn flakes, mango, custard, ice cream, and whipped cream into a cup or glass.. 7. You can add it in whatever order you like! As long as it tastes good!! Adding in more mango and corn flakes will add to the special feeling of the treat.. 8. I went all luxurious and loaded tons of it into a huge cup!. Start your day with a Mango Parfait … it's simple to make and so delicious! Today is the first Monday of April, and that means it's time for another edition of my monthly series, Motivation Monday. For me, healthy living is all about motivation. Mark Dodson captures the sunshine of the tropics in his gorgeous mango parfait recipe. The whipped, mousse-like texture of the parfait is both rich and indulgent, while the coconut sorbet makes a refreshing counterpoint. If you find this Juicy Mango Parfait recipe useful please share it to your friends or family, thank you and good luck.	[]
Life and Personal Tech and Culture Unpopular Opinions We’re in the middle of a global pandemic. There’s no shortage of news about what’s going well and what isn’t. Even then, every now and then, something pops up on the various news channels that makes you stop and think. One of these things is how Amazon recently fired 2 employees for speaking out against the company — and I have seen one of the Tweets that, apparently, “broke the camel’s back” — it was a proclamation that the employee was making a contribution towards the well-being of the various warehouse employees on Amazon’s roster that, allegedly, aren’t being taken care of and are being forced to work in life-threatening conditions. This is not something that all of us are unaware of — just this week, France compelled Amazon to only deliver/process orders for essential items as investigations revealed that a lot of warehouse employees were having to break social-distancing rules for the sake of shipping bottles of wine or other luxurious items like Nintendo Switches. In what sounds like verbal retaliation, Amazon has responded with a threat that it would completely stop its operations in France. This kind of corporate behavior has become so normal and acceptable over the last 2 decades that the unpopular opinion now is to actually take a personal stand over issues that don’t align with personal values. When governments force better citizenship, they’re maligned. When private individuals do as much as voice their opinions outside of work in their private time, they’re found guilty of violating social media rules in the workplace. While most people don’t go beyond the short-term impact of such punitive action against upholding a person’s identity and values, the long term impact is tremendous. People, evolutionally, have an urge to spread and validate their inherent values. While financial compensation and social acceptance is a way to successful limit these urges, these feelings have a way of boiling over and causing more harm than necessary. In this hyper-connected world where all of our communications, down to where we are moving and which web pages we’re clicking on is traceable back to us, and is ultimately consequential to our work place and social acceptance, it becomes that much important to separate our humanity from our workplace obligations. To that end, we need to go back to how we expressed our opinions in the early days of the Internet, and where what we said or expressed was countered in a non-personal, reasonable manner. This was especially true at universities and schools. We all had a webpage or two, where we expressed our thoughts, our plans, and ultimately, journaled our life and experiences. There were no repercussions for questioning politics or expressing an unpopular opinion that went against the University administration. At most, you would be referred to an independent ombudsman (person?) whose goal was to help both the parties. Contrast that to now — people, especially those with good jobs at multinational organizations, seldom find the time or build a place to express themselves using their true identity. There have been countless instances of those that did so not recovering from the repercussions for a very long time. In fact, the bigger the company, the higher the chances of never being accepted anywhere else, and the greater the risk. This is not how it’s supposed to be. The more people avoid free expression, the more they flock to echo chambers that have the ‘other person with nothing to lose’ voicing their opinions that they could only look at for re-affirmation, but have no way to refine or to dilute towards the less radical. The algorithms at work tend to make this echo chamber ever bigger, and the same companies that ‘enable’ this ‘free expression’ build internal mono-cultures that dampen real expression by their own employees. Those that continue to operate free blogs and voicing free opinion do so under the pretense of having nothing to lose, which is often a result of opting not to work for these companies or to de-prioritize career advancement in the traditional sense. After all, shouldn’t the top executive at Amazon be, in fact, supporting their warehouse workers and thanking the blogger instead of ignoring any punitive action taken against them by the company? There is glimmer of hope that the world after this latest pandemic would be the world that uses the forced pause to reflect upon the values that make us human. Already, governments are stepping up efforts to better calibrate compensation for the delivery and healthcare workers according to their real contribution to the society. The world could certainly do with more equity and equality. And more than anything, we need to make space for the unpopular opinion, for more often than not, the opinion is a result of having spent time pondering over things that no one else deemed necessary, or because someone had the courage to go against the grain.	[]
Unlike film, live theater is an anti-naturalistic medium in which character is mainly illuminated through speech and movement. All history, and most especially the history of the 20th century, argues against placing ideas in the saddle and allowing them to ride mankind. Too often, they end up riding individual men and women into mass graves. Charles Ives was writing radically innovative music, but nobody performed it, and nobody knew about it. Tom Stoppard, the English-speaking world's brainiest playwright, thinks that British audiences have grown too dumb to understand his plays. Not only are most of our citizens fathomlessly ignorant of the glories of American literature, a fast-growing percentage of our students are no longer taught much about any works of American art, be they novels, paintings, symphonies or ballets. It's certainly no secret that American students are taught less and less about the canonical literary masterpieces of the past, and there is no shortage of people who believe that what little they're required to learn in school is still too much. Few of us boggle - though we should - at the fact that Louis Armstrong sang and played trumpet with similar panache, or that Leonard Bernstein and Benjamin Britten were equally adept as composers, conductors and pianists. Useful though they are, the vast majority of dictionaries and encyclopedias are poker-faced pieces of work that stick to the facts and present them as soberly - and unstylishly - as possible. As late as the early '50s, jazz was still, for the most part, a genuinely popular music, a utilitarian, song-based idiom to which ordinary people could dance if they felt like it. The first play I ever saw - I was in junior high school - was a high school production of Noel Coward's 'Blithe Spirit,' which seemed to me absolutely magical. The script of a play is not a finished product: It's a set of instructions. Critics at their best are independent voices; people take seriously their responsibility to see as many things as they can see, put them in the widest possible perspective, educate their readers. I really do think of myself as a teacher. In the early days of jazz, it was ensemble music: everybody playing all together. Nobody really stood out. Copland was one of the first American composers to forge a truly modern style of American classical music while also making use of American popular music - including jazz. Copland was the first important American classical composer to go to work for Hollywood. Most 'Monty Python' fans are, of course, baby boomers, who have long been a nostalgic lot and are growing more so as they totter toward old age. Whether they know it or not, most American playgoers owe an incalculably great debt to translators. Were it not for their work, comparatively few of us would be able to enjoy the plays of Chekhov, Ibsen or Moliere. What's the funniest play ever written? I used to think it was 'Noises Off,' but now that I've seen 'The Liar,' I'm not so sure. No translation can possibly be perfect. Every production and every performance is a different path up the mountain, and nobody ever makes it all the way to the summit. I believe deeply that jazz is still a very vital music that has much to say, not just to eggheads, or whatever the musical equivalent of an egghead is, but to ordinary people. I feel quite confident that audiences on both sides of the Atlantic are growing 'dumber,' if what you really mean to say is 'less culturally literate.' Nobody reads a reference book to be amused, much less charmed. I can remember - barely - when Elton John was still a good songwriter, or at least capable of writing good songs. I loved music from earliest childhood - from as long as I can remember. Most of us remember Nat King Cole as a vocalist. His warm, grainy baritone is still so closely identified with such familiar ballads as 'Stardust' and 'The Christmas Song' that it's hard to imagine anyone else performing them. A critic is not a creative artist, is a commenter, a midwife of creativity, but not creative himself. Anna Deavere Smith's new one-woman show bills itself as being about health care, but the truth is that 'Let Me Down Easy' is mostly about the grimmer subject of death and dying. Life usually tells the best stories - but sometimes it takes an artist to show us what they mean. There's a playwright named S.M. Berryman, Sam Berryman, who wrote these kinds of social comedies. They are actually extremely sharp and still quite provocative. Everybody in America was talking about TV early in 1949, though comparatively few Americans owned a set of their own. I became a professional musician and played all kinds of music. I played bluegrass, I played classical music, and for many years, I played jazz. Samuel Beckett's estate will not license productions of his plays that are not performed as written. The wonderful thing about theater as an art form is it's a purely empirical art form. It's all about what works. And every show, every production, is created anew right from the moment you go into the rehearsal hall. I suspect that most playgoers don't understand how inexact a science literary translation is. Even the simplest of lines may lend itself to multiple renderings. David Cromer, from Chicago, I think is the most gifted young director in America. No cowboy songs, no hoedowns. It's a more serious piece. Yet every bar of 'Appalachian Spring' is clear, clean, tonal, intelligible - great music that anyone can grasp at first hearing. The smaller newspapers probably won't have any critics at all. Maybe that's not such a bad thing because there's a certain level of seriousness that you can't get with a small newspaper for critics. What is true of ballet is no less true of the other lively arts. Change is built into their natures. You watch a performance, and then... it's gone. A play is not a play until it's performed, and unless it's a one-person play that is acted, directed and designed by the author, many other people will be deeply involved in the complicated process that leads to its performance.	[]
Search results for "Spit, saliva" bugwak [búgwak] v 1To spit out, spurt, spout, blow a large volume of liquid from one's mouth (as of after gargling etc.). luwa Ingbugwak nida sa ako kag tubi sa ida yuba. He spouted at me the water in his mouth. syn: buga 2. (sem. domains: - Flow, 2.2.3 - Spit, saliva.) 2Vomit, spew (as of a joking term). (sem. domains: - Stomach illness, 2.2.3 - Spit, saliva.) hidlon [hídlon] 1adj Dry throat. uhaw (sem. domains: - Hungry, thirsty, 2.2.3 - Spit, saliva, - Mouth.) 2vi To have difficulty swallowing because the food is all dry (as after eating dry food and needing water to drink); to desire liquid for a dry throat. To feel something is very hard to swallow. Nahidlonan sida sa ida paning-ugto nak puro uga-uga. She had difficulty in swallowing all the dry food she has for lunch. (sem. domains: - Disappointed.) ruya [ruyâ] 1n Spittle; spit (as of the saliva that has been spat out by someone somewhere). (sem. domains: 2.2.3 - Spit, saliva.) 2vbt To spit out; to expectorate (as of getting rid of betelnut juice, cigarette, phelgm). láway Aruyaan ka nako pag indi kag tungon it pagagit-agit. I’ll spit on you if you’ll not stop teasing me. (sem. domains: 2.2.3 - Spit, saliva.) 3n To spit somewhere, on something. (sem. domains: 2.2.3 - Spit, saliva.)	[]
What do green chiles taste like? New Mexico green chile flavor has been described as lightly pungent similar to an onion, or like garlic with a subtly sweet, spicy, crisp, and smoky taste. The ripened red retains the flavor, but adds an earthiness and bite while aging mellows the front-heat and delivers more of a back-heat. Are green chiles hot? Green peppers have a medium to hot spice level and are one of the most common ingredients found in Indian cuisine due to their smoky flavor. What do canned green chiles taste like? Tasters thought it was “just right,” with a “full-flavored peppery taste.” These chiles also added a “nice little kick” to the bean dip with their “pronounced zing,” which set them apart from the rest of the lineup. Are green chiles hotter than jalapenos? A major difference between green chiles and jalapenos is their heat. Heat varies, depending on the chili variety, weather and growing conditions, but in general, jalapenos are significantly hotter than green chiles. Is green chilli hotter than red? Green chillies are no less hot than red, in fact their pungency is about the same. What does differ is their sweetness, with green chillies offering a more bitter flavour profile. What is the mildest green chili? Poblano Chile (1,000-1,500) These medium-sized dark green peppers are about as mild as chiles get. Once dried, they become a dark reddish-brown color and are known as Ancho Chiles. Are diced green chilis spicy? Young green chile peppers packed while they are still tender and mild in flavor for a robust kick of flavor and little heat. Ortega’s signature roasting process piques the flavor for an authentic Mexican taste. Our chiles are sure to spice up any meal! What kind of chiles are in canned green chilies? Typical types of chilies packaged as green chilies are Anaheim (New Mexico chile), Poblano, or Pasilla, which are generally the milder types of chilies. Are chillies and peppers the same thing? A pepper is a member of the genus “Piper” while chilies are members of the genus “Capsicum.” The berries in plants of the Piper genus contain piperine, a chemical associated with a biting sensation. Although peppers are often referred as “hot” or “spicy” chilies are even spicier. Are green chillies good for you? Green chillies are rich in vitamins A, B6, and C, antioxidants, calcium, zinc, and iron. That means your skin, eyes, heart, lungs, digestion, immunity, and bones are going to stay in their best form if you include green chillies in your diet. Are diced tomatoes with green chilies spicy? Add some kick to the kitchen, but not heat, with Ro-Tel Mild Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies. Ro-Tel Mild Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies is the one-of-a-kind blend of vine-ripened tomatoes, zesty green chilies, and spices that people love, but with a little less heat. What is green chile sauce? This sauce combines tangy tomatillos with roasted chiles. If you are unable to get fresh tomatillos, omit the 1/2 teaspoon salt and use 1 (11-ounce) can tomatillos, rinsed and drained, plus 2 tablespoons lime juice. Which chilli is less spicy? 05/9Byadgi Chilli, Karnataka Byadgi chillies are one of the most popular chillies in India and are named after the town of Bydagi, which is located in the Haveri district of Karnataka. They also an essential part of Udipi Cuisine. The chilli offers a great shade of red colour to the curries, and is not very spicy. Does green chili turn red? The green chiles turn red as they ripen. In general, fresh and/or roasted chiles are green and dried chiles and dried chile powder are red. In any case, they start green—when many people harvest and roast them—and turn red as they ripen. Are green chillies just unripe red ones? Simply put, no. Not all green chillies turn into red chillies. All chillies, are however, green during their first stages of development. On ripening, they turn red. Which pepper is mildest? The mildest peppers such as sweet bell peppers and cherry peppers are at the bottom of the Scoville scale. In the middle are peppers like Serrano, yellow hot wax peppers, and red cayenne peppers. At the hottest end of the heat scale are the Habanero and the Scotch Bonnet. Which pepper is the sweetest? Red peppers are said to be the sweetest and juiciest bell peppers. They are fully ripe and the most mature. Since they are fully ripe, they contain more nutrients than the other peppers (including vitamins A and C). What are long skinny green peppers? Chilaca Peppers Can diced green chiles substitute? You can substitute a fresh, green bell pepper. Add some hot sauce if you want heat. It will be fine. Before you add it, taste it to see how hot it is and add to your recipe to taste…..that is, the amount you think adds flavor but doesn’t overpower the other ingredients. Are canned green chiles good for you? Green chilis are low in calories, virtually fat-free and rich in nutrients that can enhance your health, including vitamins A, C and K and the phytonutrient capsaicin. If you have a chronic digestive disorder like irritable bowel syndrome or heartburn, however, spicy foods like chilis may exacerbate the symptoms. What are diced green chillies? “La Preferida Diced Green Chiles are mild but very flavorful. … Roasted green chiles are commonly used in Mexican dishes such as enchiladas, chiles rellenos, chili verde, chilaquiles, and even guacamole. Their mild flavor makes them ideal for a variety of dishes. Are poblano peppers the same as green chile? Poblano peppers are beautifully mild green peppers that impart a deeper, smokier flavour than comparable green bell peppers. Compared to Indian green chilies, Poblanos are extremely mild, about 1000-2000 scoville units per pepper compared to 15,000-30,000 scoville units for a green chili. Is Rotel with green chilies spicy? Add a spicy note My family loves the spicy Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes With Green Chilies. It has a little heat. Can I use salsa verde instead of green chiles? If you’re in a pinch, you can also substitute a can of green chiles with Salsa verde. Your dish will likely have more heat and liquid content and less texture, so adjust your other flavors and ingredient amounts accordingly. Are chillies healthy for you? We now know that chillies are also a good source of antioxidants. Forty-two grams of the spice would account for your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, although admittedly that would make for a pretty strong curry. They are also rich in vitamin A, as well as minerals such as iron and potassium. Why are chilis spicy? The answer is capsaicin, a chemical in the pepper. When you eat a pepper, capsaicin comes in contact with pain receptors in your mouth. These pain receptors sense heat. When capsaicin activates the receptors, they send a message to the brain telling it you have eaten something hot. Are jalapenos peppers or chillies? Jalapeno is a type of chili pepper that is medium in size and shape and is the pod-type cultivator of the species. A full-grown, mature chili is about 5-10 cm long and is usually hung down with a body of smooth, round, and firm flesh of 28-30 mm wide. Does eating green chillies burn fat? Also, foods that release saliva while chewing help in proper digestion of the food, thus eating green chillies aids in digestion. Helps in weight loss: Since green chilli helps in burning the excess fats of the body, it helps in weight loss and thus increases the metabolism of your body. What are the disadvantages of green chilli? Side effects: • Stomach irritation and diarrhoea. If consumed in high quantities, green chillies are spicy and can also lead to irritation and burning sensation in the stomach, leading to even diarrhoea. … • Skin irritation. … • Ulcers. … • Should be avoided by diabetic and piles patients. Which is better red chilli or green chilli? Green chillies are definitely more healthy as compared to red chili powder. Green chillies have higher water content and zero calories which makes them a healthy choice for those who are trying to shed some pounds. Is the mild Rotel spicy? It says right on their site that the mild is not as hot as the original. 15 of 17 found this helpful. Do you? YES, it’s a good bit spicier. Is diced tomatoes with green chilies the same as Rotel? Canned Green Chilis The original Rotel recipe includes diced tomatoes and zesty green chilies, with a nice blend of spices that add heat and character to every dish. Chili pepper is an important ingredient when you are substituting for Rotel since it provides a heating element. What is in a can of Rotel? What is Rotel? Ro*Tel is canned, diced tomatoes and diced chili peppers. It is an ingredient often used in soups, sauces, queso, and casseroles. It’s a convenient way to add extra flavor to recipes that require diced tomatoes. Is salsa verde green enchilada sauce? The main difference between green enchilada sauce (verde sauce) and salsa verde is that enchilada sauce is cooked, and salsa verde is raw. Enchilada sauce also requires liquid (either stock or water), but salsa verde ingredients are simply blended together and eaten as is. What is green chile sauce made of? Although buying sauce at the store is quicker, the taste is no comparison for homemade. To make this Green Chile Sauce Recipe you’ll need: Unsalted butter, onion, flour, chicken broth, green chiles, garlic, salt, and cumin. What is green chilli sauce made of? Green chilli sauce is an inherent element of Indo-Chinese food culture. It is a hot condiment made primarily with freshly chopped green chillies and flavoured with vinegar and a dash of garlic. What are Indian green chillies called? Indian Green Chili Peppers Hari Mirch is the Hindi word for green chili, where “Hari = green” and “Mirch = chili”. Fresh, slender Indian green chiles are used in curries, stews, pickled or eaten raw as a condiment. The white spongy membrane of the green chili near the seeds, also called placenta, carries that heat. What is the hottest green chilli? Top 10 Hottest Peppers In The World [2021 Update] • Carolina Reaper 2,200,000 SHU. … • Trinidad Moruga Scorpion 2,009,231 SHU. … • 7 Pot Douglah 1,853,936 SHU. … • 7 Pot Primo 1,469,000 SHU. … • Trinidad Scorpion “Butch T” 1,463,700 SHU. … • Naga Viper 1,349,000 SHU. … • Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia) 1,041,427 SHU. … • 7 Pot Barrackpore ~1,000,000 SHU. Which green chilli is spicy? You will find these chillies in two varieties. The small dark green ones are spicier and the slightly longer light green ones are less spicy. You can pick either variety depending on how hot you love your dish to be.	[]
The Fear of Anger The fear of anger is more destructive than anger itself… We get so worried about angering others, or letting others make us angry. But that’s silly, because anger is just one of the many emotions we experience on a daily basis — like sadness, happiness, excitement, anxiety, dread, hope, etc. What’s worse than becoming angry is repressing your anger. Just like any other negative emotion, it hurts. But we shouldn’t be so terrified of pain! Pain, just like our wide spectrum of emotions, is a natural part of life. It has a purpose and function. Just because it’s uncomfortable doesn’t mean you should push it away — actually the opposite. But the ironic part is that the suppression of anger is actually more painful than anger itself in the long run. Anger is painful for a moment, but then it is followed by release. We teach people how to treat us so if someone keeps provoking you then you need to demand respect. People will continue to keep doing what you allow them to get away with. You do have a say in how someone is treating you. 4 responses to “The Fear of Anger” 1. You are right! And people who repress their anger end up being angrier and bitter… you may have spared others from your fury but they’re suffering from your grumpiness and lack of enthusiasm due to repression. Hahaha. I sound like I know a lot about this 😁 Liked by 1 person 1. Exactly, I’m so glad you understand! Ironic, right? And same here hahaha, I definitely bottle it all up more than I should… I think it mainly comes down to the societal expectations to always be calm and cheerful. Liked by 1 person Leave a Reply You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change ) Twitter picture Facebook photo Connecting to %s %d bloggers like this:	[]
Traveling Luck for Malinovka Kirovskaya Oblast', Russia Russia flag Alternatively known as Khomyaki The timezone in Malinovka is Europe/Moscow Morning Sunrise at 05:32 and Evening Sunset at 17:14. It's Dark Rough GPS position Latitude. 57.7656°, Longitude. 51.6011° Satellite map of Malinovka and it's surroudings... Geographic features & Photographs around Malinovka in Kirovskaya Oblast', Russia WikipediaWikipedia entries close to Malinovka	[]
Dreams About Hurting You might be shocked to find out that hurting our loved ones in our dreams is a fairly common theme. Even thoughts these appalling actions that wouldn’t remotely cross your mind in our waking life, it doesn’t really make sense why we would hurt people or things we love in our dreams. Well it turns out that whenever we repressed or deny our emotions they tend to rare its ugly head in our dreams in some of the most bizarre ways. Our own inability to expresses how we feel ends up turning the tables on us and delivers us a vivid nightmare. What do we tend to hurt in our dreams? • our own children • a baby • cat or dogs • someone you love • hurting your husband • random someone Reasons why hurting dreams occur Emotions are part of who we are; however, many of us have a difficult relationship with negative emotions. These feelings often get repressed; the tendency to avoid uncomfortable feelings such as fear, guilt, pain and shame. Repressed emotions is our brain’s way of protecting our minds from painful situations. Article: Identifying Your Emotions In Dreams This built in defence mechanism still collects these unwanted negative thoughts, behaviours, feelings and emotions; but unfortunately the unconscious mind never forgets and displays these images in our dreams. Signs You’re Repressing Emotions • you believe negative emotions should not be expressed. • your inability to express painful feelings • avoiding negative thoughts by distraction, and using substances, binge eating, watching tv, playing computer games, or overworking • unable to understand what triggers your emotions • trouble expressing your own angers and frustrations Dreaming of hurting our own children Trust me you are not alone if you dream about hurting the ones closest to us. The children we love and cherish. So why does this happen? Since two people do not share the same life experiences these dreams could unfold for many different reasons. For example, if you were to watch the news or hear about a story of abuse than it is quite possible these rejected feelings appear in our dreams mirroring what you absorbed. It is hard for normal people to comprehend the lowest form of human behavior, but we are also human beings that are capable of such actions. Sometimes our own frustrations and demands in our lives tends to turn the tables on the ones we love. Hurting Our Kids in our dreams mirrors our own inability to express our emotions or handle the daily stresses. Alternatively, hurting our kids could be correlated with spanking your child and feeling guilty, or perhaps relates to trauma from your childhood. Article: Healing Your Inner Child Dreaming of hurting animals meaning Dreams about hurting animals might occur for several different reasons. One reason might be related to cognitive dissonance – mental discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. For example if you love your animals, but eat burgers that are made from a cow it might express these conflicting beliefs. Alternatively, hurting dogs or cats in your dream could be related to your own unconscious emotions, traits, behaviours that can emerge as both masculine and feminine. Dreams of hurting someone you love? Women who dream of hurting their husband could be related to your agreeable personality. Agreeableness is a personality trait that can be described as cooperative, polite, kind, and friendly. But this does not mean you feel anger and aggression as well. It could be possible that your inability to express how you feel or be more assertive in your relationship will unfold by Hurting Your Husband In Your Dream. Notify of Inline Feedbacks View all comments	[]
Fifty years ago, Singapore, the tiny city-state in southeast Asia, was only a swamp where half a million people lived. Now, five decades later, Singapore has become one of the most successful economies in the world with one of the largest currency reserves and a per capita income that exceeds those of most European countries. What is the secret behind this succes? Singapore therefore serves as a role model to many emerging economies, including China and Vietnam. ‘We have created a first world oasis in a third world region’, says Singapore long time political ruler and autocratic leader Lee Kuan Yew. In this fifty minutes profile on Singapore, Backlight takes an in-depth look at the city state and has an exclusive interview with its founding father Lee Kuan Yew. Now that our Western economic model has proved its vulnerability, Backlight reconsiders its orientation and investigates how we as Westerners can learn from other economic models. Taking Singapore as an example: what is the secret behind its success? In search for the answers to these questions a Backlight crew visited a number of political, financial and business leaders. Among them American super investor Jim Rogers, former CEO Kees van Lede, Lee Kuan Yew and Kishore Mahbubani. Director: Shuchen Tan Research: William de Bruijn Production: Judith van den Berg, Nellie Kamer Editors in chief: Doke Romeijn, Jos de Putter, Henneke Hage	[]
Flying RC Gliders and the International Hand Launch Glider Festival armsoar bamf discus launch glider I first saw a DLG at a park in 2007 while still living in London. There's something magical about throwing a model into the air with your hands, seeing it climb high into the heavens, and coming in gently for a hand-catch. Soon after, I purchased a Longshot, a popular beginner's model at the time. When I moved to the US in 2008, I brought my hobby and continued flying DLGs for fun until my first competition in 2011, the Red Rocks Challenge event in St George, Utah. adrian red rocks challenge Okay, that's great, but what does that have to do with PurpleAir? DLGs have provided me with the fundamental skills to make PurpleAir a reality and the connections to help PurpleAir grow. The building blocks When I started flying DLG competition events, I noticed two deficiencies: firstly, the organizers did not have the support software to allow them to plan and execute events efficiently, and secondly, DLG enthusiasts did not have an easy way to practice for competition tasks by themselves as it required a separate timer to assist. I've been interested in learning how Java programming works and decided to create an Android app called F3K Master that simplified the running of these events for organizers and allowed enthusiasts to self-practice competition tasks. F3K is the official DLG event classification under the world air sports organization, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. F3K Master became very popular with organizers and enthusiasts worldwide, which motivated me to continue refining my Java skills to improve this app. One important thing that makes DLGs so exciting is the physical aspect of throwing the model into the air, and enthusiasts practice launches to gain an advantage in competition. While there were ways to track your launch heights for practice through an altitude sensor plugged into the model, nothing on the market allows the user to get real-time altitude data. With nothing available, I took the opportunity to learn hardware design and C++ to create the Bluetooth Open Altimeter (BTOA). The BTOA captures the launch heights from inside the model and sends the information to your cell phone, allowing you to adjust your throwing techniques and model settings to find improvements quickly. f3k master and btoa When I wanted to know how the air quality was affected by the gravel pit in our town of Draper, I looked for an air quality sensor that provides real-time data, and I couldn't find one available. So I went to work and used the Java, hardware, and C++ skills picked up from these projects and created our first air quality sensors and real-time air quality map. If I were not involved with DLGs, I would not have had the building blocks at my disposal to attempt the PurpleAir air quality sensor project. Finding the right partner Thomas Lee of ArmSoar first contacted me as he was organizing DLG competitions in Asia and wanted to use F3K Master to streamline their events. ArmSoar is a world-leading DLG design, manufacturing and retail company. They create many of the DLGs flown worldwide, and I became a US distributor for ArmSoar to help make these DLGs more accessible to enthusiasts in the US. thomas armsoar Later in 2016, as we started purchasing laser counters and other electronics in volume, we spent a lot of valuable time sourcing all the different components and dealing with the myriad of suppliers—time which better used to improve the sensors and grow PurpleAir. It clicked in my head to see if Thomas was interested in helping us source these components from Asia. Since late 2016, Thomas and ArmSoar have sourced many critical parts used in all the PurpleAir air quality sensors. While PurpleAir has been growing steadily, we wanted to add some fuel to the fire (figuratively, no PM2.5 emitted!) with a revamped marketing team. Having always been impressed with ArmSoar's marketing, I reached out to Thomas earlier this year, and as luck would have it, he was setting up ArmSoar Media. This new division focuses on digital media and marketing for direct-to-consumer eCommerce clients, and PurpleAir became their first client. Within the first three months, we have experienced sales growth beyond expectations. Without DLGs, I would not have met Thomas and his team at ArmSoar, who have allowed us to focus on innovating and making PurpleAir air quality sensors. International Hand Launch Glider Festival Last week was the 27th annual International Hand Launch Glider Festival (IHLGF), held in Poway, California. The IHLGF is the largest DLG event in North America and draws many participants worldwide. This event is infamous for challenging flying conditions that push pilots beyond their comfort zones and remains one of my favourite weekends every year. The camaraderie between pilots, the push to keep improving, and the sheer enjoyment of hanging out with friends for a few days in the Southern California sun encapsulate what DLG flying is all about. purpleair international hand launch glider festival group photo To show my appreciation for DLGs and the IHLGF, PurpleAir has sponsored Saturday's on-field pizza dinner this year. The IHLGF hosts a not-so-silent auction to sell products donated by sponsors like ArmSoar. The proceeds go to the United States F3K team going to the World Championships, and this year PurpleAir has matched dollar for dollar the first $1,500 generated in the auction. purpleair international hand launch glider festival 2022 While I don't have as much time as in the past to fly DLGs, I am forever grateful for how the hobby has helped shape PurpleAir and will continue to enjoy it until I can no longer throw a plane in the air. If you have been curious about DLGs and the joys of RC soaring, you can check out the following resources: ArmSoar YouTube Channel RC Groups - Hand Launch Glider forum Leave a comment Please note, comments must be approved before they are published	[]
November 17th, 2013 Get the poster Release Year: 2011 Rating: 6.7/10 (2,690 voted) Director: Aleksandr Sokurov Writers: , Official Website: Official site [Japan] Release Date: Filming Locations: Barrandov Studios, Prague, Czech Republic Box Office Details Budget: €8,000,000 (estimated) Technical Specs User Review Rating: 7/10 Film review: Faust (Director: Alexander Sokurov) Be warned: Do not expect Goethe's Faust. While acknowledging the most famous adaptation of the Faust saga and using some lines from Goethe's text, this is entirely Alexander Sokurov's vision. The final instalment of a tetralogy about power (the other parts having featured Hitler, Lenin and Emperor Hirohito), Faust is far removed from the well-known drama about the knowledge-seeking explorer of ultimate truths we have come accustomed to associated with the name. The things this Faust, although a scientist, is looking for, are much more basic. At first he is little more than a hungry beggar trying to get food and money. Later he craves for Margarethe whom he regards as little more than a desired sex partner. There is nothing Faustian about this Faust who believes neither in God nor a soul and has discarded knowledge along with the other two. When he disembowels a corpse in the opening scene, he no longer expects to find anything, he does it out of little more than boredom. And even if he did find something: He wouldn't really care. This is an aimless Faust - and because of it a restless one. He is constantly on the move, less concerned with where he is going than getting away from wherever he is. A driven wanderer, not a determined searcher, frantic, harassed, as if on the run. Sokurov's camera stays with him, mirroring his hectic movements and creating a rhythm very much its own. This not at all metaphysical search is conducted at an ever- increasing speed, threatening to swallow up the protagonist. It begins to slow down when he meets the usurer, a grossly disfigured man who is Sokurov's version of Mephisto. But as Faust is much reduced in grandeur so is the devil's agent, a miserly moneylender and pawnbroker, nothing more. As Faust meets the usurer, the frantic pace eases into something of a ghostly dance as Faust, properly fed, turns his desire on Margarethe. When he succeeds, all comes to a stop: Drenched in angelic light, there is a moment of complete arrest, time stands still, and we just see their faces in total forgetful bliss. But it can't last. And it doesn't. Repeatedly, lines from Goethe's drama are spoken but as the film advances more and more of Faust's words end up uttered - and often ironically altered - by the usurer. They sound hollow at best and are, at worst, exposed as nothing but beautiful nonsense. The meaning we seek - and believe to find - in Faust, it has long departed, if it ever existed. The soulless universe Faust proclaims - Sokurov gives it its face: This is an ugly world, inhabited by ugly or at least strange people - memorable: Hanna Schygulla as the usurer's "wife" - bizarre but unquestioned happenings and no good whatsoever. There is a pale, sometimes blinding light over this universe, shapes get distorted in what appears to be the world of a dream, a nightmare. Who is the dreamer? Faust, the "devil", we? All appearance of any sort of "reality" vanishes after Faust finally succeeds in his wooing of Margarethe. Faust finds himself and the usurer in a barren landscape remnant of Goethe's Faust 2, he meets the dead but there is nobody living. In a final act of childlike defiance he stones the usurer, however, he doesn't die. Faust doesn't need him anymore - they have long been one and the same. As Faust wanders off, he has become an unthinking pleasure seeker, the polar opposite of Goethe's explorer and man of action. Sokurov has created a visual and atmospheric universe very much his own. The images seem covered with a yellow-greenish patina, in their paleness they embody the lifelessness of those dream creatures, those walking dead. Distorted figures and shapes help propel the film more and more into a dream state, yet the world Sokurov conjures up - whether "real" or not - is fully consistent. At times it feels like being inside a Hieronymus Bosch painting, it is a dirty, ugly, primitive, dying world. There may be no other living director who is capable of creating such a distinct and thoroughly convincing vision. Yet this strength is also the weakness of his film. The deliberately placed shock moments, the total refusal to create any believable character, the strict adherence to a counter-reality totally removed from anything we know, helps close this universe hermetically. We may get a glimpse of it but it is like looking from the safe distance at something disgusting. So fascination is replaced by disgust, what first seems like a revelation becomes annoying, and in the end this whole story turns to a modestly shocking horror tale that leaves the viewer cold. What remains, his a visually stunning, almost revolutionary piece of film making that perfectly reflects its subject: it lacks a soul. Holiday BlockBusters at AllPoster! Holiday BlockBusters at AllPoster! Comment on “Faust” Name : Upcoming Film Releases\|Movie Posters	[]
Individual Coach For Operating and various Physical Education Undertakings Bodily coaching is a complex process. It essentially includes the standard and Main muscles of the human body. In addressing these muscles, an individual should pay unique consideration to correct implementation of exercises. Even very simple and useful workouts like strolling and working need suitable sort in execution. Rigorous physical exercises will not be merely powerful in putting stress into muscles and Therefore creating the aspects of your body bulkier. When not executed the ideal way, bodybuilding functions can be harming. You most likely have listened to about individuals who incurred injuries when jogging. wounds are unavoidable specially when an individual is too pressured to accelerate the manifestations of perfect Actual physical education and weight reduction success. A lot of people make the mistake of Placing the body into excessive exercise while in the hope that doing so would Raise physical endurance, power, and In general physique. Therefore, authorities advise Actual physical trainers, specially people that're new into the action, to hire individualized trainers. Particular trainers are individuals who would be willing to attend to the personals requirements throughout training sessions. You will need the correct assistance and recommendations of A non-public teacher for making certain your straightforward action (like functioning and walking) would make ideal and focused consequences to your body. Personalized trainers are experts who are well-informed and able about helping folks to correctly execute workouts. By their enable, Harmless and successful progress systems can be attained. They're accredited to supply assist to physical exercise trainers inside of or every now and then exterior the premises with the gym. These are expert from the common Actual physical instruction ideas and may also response queries about suggested diet program and nutritional supplements. There is a need to have to interact a specialist personal trainer when you find yourself new to physical coaching and weight loss. A few people today even seek the services of personal trainers for lengthier duration so they could be ensured that every visit they make into the gymnasium will be productive. They might seek advice from concerning the way to make even the simplest workout routines like going for walks and managing tick. When employing a private coach, it's essential to Make certain that the person is holding applicable credentials or qualifications in excess weight or Actual physical coaching. Some trainers are even furnished with expected college levels, placing them entirely authority to deal with pertinent troubles and inquiries. Some people today employ the service of non-public trainers established within the trainers' Bodily glimpse. A personal trainer, for some, need to be buff and will possess an awesome human body that would serve as a task or simple model. That way, the coach would've credibility when speaking about regimens and exercise Online Work Out strategies. Having said that, some specialists explanation that The premise on physical seem of individualized trainers is insufficient. You'll find attractive and muscled personalized trainers that have accomplished your body from fantastic genes or maybe the intake of steroids. Superior own trainers would always supply the alternative of Performing along with a Dr. By that, the coach would work out that what ailments the physical trainer is enduring, and he will be able to style and design exercise routines that would be suit for The client. Even basic exercise sessions like strolling and running ought to be very well timed, created, and qualified for ideal and safe benefits. Leave a Reply	[]
Scammers Busted in Multi-Million-Dollar COVID Welfare Fraud After Posing with Money Stacks (Brad Polumbo, Foundation for Economic Education) A group of scammers in New York City allegedly ripped off millions from the state’s super-charged pandemic welfare system. They were busted after (rather foolishly) posting pictures of themselves with massive money stacks on social media and now face prosecution. “A group of young men is accused of ripping off $2 million in COVID-19 relief funds by stealing personal information from people in the assistance program, funneling their money to personal bank accounts, and withdrawing the cash at banks in Brooklyn and Queens,” Fox Business reports. “The scams began last June and continued through April.” The scammers’ target was the state’s unemployment benefits system. These scammers in New York only got caught because they were particularly, erm, flagrant in their criminal activity. They made multiple unusually large withdrawals at ATMs, triggering monitors, and openly posted the huge influx of cash on social media. I wish I could tell you that this story was just a one-off. But countless similar examples of rampant fraud have emerged during the government’s massive “emergency” spending spree. The expansion of unemployment benefits alone has lost a truly astounding amount of money to fraud. report shows that the federal government has potentially lost up to $200 billion in taxpayer money to scammers ripping off the system. For context, that’s equivalent to $1,400 lost per federal taxpayer. (There goes your “stimmy” check!). Taxpayers have every right to find such flagrant waste of our money frustrating and demand accountability. But there’s a bigger-picture takeaway here, too. When politicians are making the case for their next big spending plan, they’re quick to emphasize the upsides, real and imagined, but never mention the ugly realities that will accompany another blowout spending binge. The truth is that when it comes to big government, fraud, waste, and dysfunction are baked into the cake.	[]
A Love Letter to Berlin Why is Berlin like it is? Why is there so much techno? Why is there a nightclub where you can have sex? And it’s not illegal. Why are people so unafraid to be themselves? And why are the streets so wide, and the ceilings so high? I don’t have all the answers, just the questionsContinue reading “A Love Letter to Berlin”	[]
Automotive Grade: On‐board Grounding Contact and Shield‐can Clip Designed and tested to withstand conditions common in the auto industry. Automotive-grade means the parts are PPAP-ready (Level 3). Double-check the operating temperatures to ensure they meet your requirements. Please check the automotive-grade parts from the link below. Connecting a GND layer of PCB with multiple points on a chassis can be expected to suppress radiation noise. Can be used under high temperature at 150ºC. SMT grounding contact for engine compartment PCB. Spring mechanism capable of withstanding 10 million deflections caused by engine vibration. SMT-type EMC grounding contact for PCB’s in engine compartments. Unique dimple design allows for continued eletrical contact. Automated mounting applicable fixture “On-Board Clip” for shielding can. Multi-point GND is provided to shielding can and reinforced shielding performance. KGS America’s On‐board Grounding Contact and Shield‐can Clip are used in a wide range of application field	[]
Blue-collar Heroes: An Ode to the Ordinary By Ash Bishop Joseph Campbell really had something with the Heroes’ Journey. It was a small part of his larger discovery that many stories throughout time share the same plot and character elements. He made some remarkable connections about all types of characters. Take, for example, the trickster Loki, who appears in Norse mythology in the 12th century, and yet shares multiple common qualities with Coyote, a myth of the Maidu peoples in North America. Somehow, despite being separated by thousands of miles and hundred of years, the myths share multiple commonalities – both characters helped create the world, caused all sorts of mischief, and then destroyed their own creation. Think Bugs Bunny with the powers of a god. Bow. Bow to me. You’re probably very familiar with Campbell’s specific formula for the hero, even if you don’t know you are. The hero is usually born special, but he lives a relatively normal life until he hears the call to adventure. This call usually comes in the form of an ancient wizard, be it Gandalf strolling into the Shire, Dumbeldore sending an owl, or Morainne Damodred showing up in random villages side-by-side with her Aes Sedai. Put another way, if something weird happened around the time you were born and a handful of years later, someone that looks like Ian McKellen is trying to get ahold of you… you’re probably destined for great things. Over the course of his journey, the hero goes on to perform various feats, eventually overthrowing an evil father figure, disrupting the status quo and saving the world. I suppose my first exposure to Campbell’s myth was also the first movie I ever saw, an under-rated little art house flick called Star Wars. Luke is squarely on that pre-defined hero track. He has an unusual birth. Torn from his twin sister, his mom dying, he’s forced to hide from his dad, an evil paternal force corrupted by great power. For a while, Luke is living the ordinary life of a farmer, until the kindly old wizard Ben Kenobi comes strolling over the sands of Tantoine to offer him the call to adventure. Maybe it was because the story has been told thousands and thousands of times, but even as a youngster, I found Luke very boring. The fact that he was destined for greatness, literally chosen from birth to fulfill his destiny, made the whole thing a fait accompli. There was no dramatic tension. Everybody watching understood that Luke would defeat his evil vader and triumph. But you know who wasn’t boring? Han Solo. Han had no preset destiny. He was pretty ordinary, just trying to make a living using his wits, a cramped smugglers pit beneath his floorboards, and enough questionable ethics to shoot first. We didn’t have any guarantee that Han would survive, much less succeed. He may even decide to walk away from the whole experience just moments before the big climatic battle starts. Han is a different kind of hero, one not fully defined by Campbell’s various systems. He’s not the offspring of a god comingling with a mortal, he doesn’t crash land in a field in Smallville, Kansas, and he didn’t survive an attack in the cradle by he-who-shall-not-be-named. A lot of folks classify Han as an anti-hero, but I’m going to give him another title, with a nod toward his tendency for not-so-romantic employment. I’m going to call him a blue-collar hero. One of the reasons I love Philip K. Dick’s Dr. Bloodmoney is there’s absolutely nothing special about his main character, Stuart McConchie – unless you really like stereo systems. Stuart could definitely sell you one heck of a stereo system. The closest he gets to saving the world is a conversation he has with his friend Ella Hardy: Stuart: “The war sent me back ten years. It set us all back. I’m just where I was ten years ago, and that’s not good enough.” Scratching his nose, Hardy said, “What did you have in mind?” “Maybe I could find a mutant potato that would feed everybody in the world.” “Just one potato?” “I mean a type of potato…” Hardy said, “Maybe you could locate an intelligent bean.” “I’m not joking about this,” Stuart said quietly. Choose ‘n one Philip K. Dick’s novel takes place before and after a nuclear incident. Once the bombs drop, Stuart effortlessly transitions from his job selling hi-fidelity stereo equipment to selling traps specially designed to stop mutated household pets. More importantly, he uses his salesman’s observational skills to take the proper measure of the forces jockeying for control of the post-apocalyptic world. Despite never being offered a red or blue pill by an old wizard named Morpheus, Stuart grinds away at his job, keeping his head above water while facing nuclear annihilation, environmental disaster, and even villains armed with supernatural ability. He adapts to his new environment, managing to squeak by with just his limited set of skills. Dick was a master of the blue-collar hero, crafting a famous one in Blade Runner’s Rick Deckard, as well as the less well-known but equally wonderful Bob Arctor from A Scanner Darkly. My own novel spends a lot of time with these types of ordinary, blue-collar types like Han, Stuart, Rick and Bob. One of my main characters, Russ Wesley, struggles to even find employment. He moves from town to town, restless, unable to find his place or purpose. Russ isn’t just NOT destined for greatness, he had trouble graduating high school. I’ll let him explain it: …Russ’s father had given him nearly the same advice, ‘avoid responsibility as much as you can’. Of course, Russ’s father was better at taking that advice than anyone Russ knew. As a consequence, he hadn’t been around for most of Russ’s life. When he was around, he’d permitted Russ to do whatever he wanted. He’d taught Russ how to gamble, how to pickup girls, and even how to roll a joint of marijuana, but he’d never cared much how Russ did in school, nor was he willing to help when Russ found himself struggling with homework. In fact, he’d called high school ‘a waste of good time and energy’. Russ stayed in contact with his mom, but his parents had never married, and his life of wandering had separated him semi-permanently from any information about his dad. Knock it off, Chronos Obviously, bad fathers are a staple of Campbell’s formula as well – sometimes they even eat you, like the titan Chronos. But Russ’ father did something arguably worse than try to kill him. He ignored him, failing to imbue Russ with a sense of right and wrong, or any sense of purpose, leaving Russ’ heroic impulse totally untapped. For these and various other reasons, Russ has gotten off the starting line a little bit later than everybody else, and now he’s scrambling to catch a break. I find myself naturally drawn to this type of character; folks who tend to do their jobs wearing loose-fitting jumpsuits. To use video game terms, they’re off the rails, free to wander an open-world and succeed, or fail, on their own merits. Sometimes they’re just trying to keep the Vipers and the Raptors up and running so someone else can fight off a Cylon attack. Sometimes they’re unlucky enough to stumble onto a parasitic alien onboard a salvage ship. Sometimes they don’t even make enough money to take a vacation, so they have to hire a company to implant the memory of a vacation into their minds, wholesale. Of all the genres, sci-fi lends itself best to this blue-collar story. The milieu naturally devalues human life. Cities are over-crowded and environmentally suspect. People are struggling to get by in a civilization so technologically advanced and impersonal its forgotten its original function, which is to protect its citizens. The blue collar hero faces dual, almost paradoxical, obsolesce. At any time they can be replaced by the millions of citizens they live alongside, but also via the constant encroachment of an advanced, robotic workforce. Overcoming this environment and the absence of a preset destiny is what makes the blue-collar hero’s sacrifice all the more authentic. In the soulless wasteland of the sci-fi milieu, we find ordinary characters whose journey is the toughest — and whose ability to rise up and help others means the most. Leave a Reply	[]
The Far-Reaching Effects of Pay Disclosure Laws By Kathleen J. Jennings ( Photo by Alexander Mils on California and New York recently passed laws that require employers to disclose a salary amount or pay range for advertised positions. Colorado, Washington State, and New York City already have these requirements, and Connecticut, Maryland, and Nevada require employers to give job candidates salary information during the hiring process or upon request. One of the stated goals of these laws is to reduce gender and race discrimination in wages by helping applicants and employees enter into wage negotiations with valuable information. These laws can have other, more far-ranging effects. Pay transparency can reveal potentially discriminatory patterns in wages, resulting in EEOC charges or Equal Pay Act claims. Or they may reveal that your company’s wage scale is low in comparison to competitors–which may lead to an exodus of some of your employees seeking more money. This wage data can even be useful to unions in their organizing efforts; one of the selling points of a collective bargaining agreement is a completely transparent wage scale for bargaining unit members. One thing that employers should do, regardless of whether you are in a state that has one of these laws, is to conduct regular internal wage audits. Are employees being paid similar amounts for similar jobs? If there are large disparities in pay among employees in the same job, are there legitimate business reasons for them? And how does your pay scale compare to those of your competitors or neighboring businesses? Are you losing good employees because you have not addressed your pay scale in recent months? Keep in mind that even in the absence of pay transparency laws, you cannot prevent employees from discussing their wages with each other; to do so is a violation of the National Labor Relations Act. (And check your employee handbook to see if there is a rule that prohibits employees from discussing their wages with one another. If there is, remove it now.) Copyright 2022 by Kathleen Jennings	[]
you're reading... Deep Stone, Geothermal Therapy, LaStone Geothermal Deep Stone Therapy Coloured marble cold stoneMy new cold stones for Deep Stone treatments. They are so beautiful. Geothermal Deep Stone Therapy is essentially deep tissue massage using hot and cold stones to treat and normalize tight and inflamed muscle tissue. Instead of using hands, knuckles, fingers and elbows to work deeply into the muscles and release the tensions, the stones are used to perform the same job. With a result that is 10 times as effective as hands would be. First the tissue is warmed up and relaxed with hot stones. The area feels nicely warm and comfortable and many tensions evaporate like dew before the sun. Various techniques are used to further encourage relaxation of the muscles. Warm is after all much more pleasant than cold, so the more we can do with warmth, the better. This is generally speaking as there are specific cases where hot stones won’t provide good results or might even be a bad idea. This is one of the reasons why the therapist must go through proper training in geothermal therapy. Once an area is warmed up, the cold is used to work on specific areas and muscles. After the heat the cold feels wonderfully refreshing. As cold is sedative, you can work much deeper and effectively. The discomfort is markedly less than it would be during normal deep tissue massage. The stones serve as a tool which allows the therapist to work much more intensively than she possibly could with her fingers, and in a shorter time. Different shapes and sizes of the stones allows the therapist to do specific work on practically all muscle groups in the body. The cold allows the therapist to go deeply into the tissue and get to those areas where most never go. The cold is only applied for short periods of time, only as long as it takes to draw out that excess heat in the muscles and cool the particular area down. One stroke of cold stone roughly equals ten strokes by hand, so an area is worked on less than it would be during a normal massage. More isn’t necessary. Once the cold is removed, the body sends a fresh supply of warm blood to the area, which is full of oxygen and nutrition. This speeds up and aids the body’s own healing process. The different techniques used in Deep Stone create amazing results. The combination of hot and cold flush the system, and the deep cold massage releases those stubborn tensions in the body. The client will leave the table feeling great. He has an increased range of motion and muscles which are relaxed and normalized. There’s no pain the day after, at most only a light soreness. Deep Stone is a great massage therapy technique, which is effective and gentle at the same time. Reblog this post [with Zemanta] About Pia Poulsen Comments are closed.	[]
Diros Cave Beneath the Mani soil lies an unspeakable beauty, the most beautiful lake cave in the world. The Diros cave is an underground river and formed of two main parallel corridors with several secondary. The exploration started in 1949. The cave consists of stalactites and stalagmites, and was formerly a land, but over the centuries the water level went up from the sea. In front of the cave is the beach of Dirou, with crystal clear, turquoise sea and pebbles, which makes you want to swim in its waters.	[]
Discovering the Meaning of Reincarnation This World and Spiritual World The soul spends far more time without a body than it does in a body Some people may say, “There is no such thing as the invisible world,” but it does exist, it’s just that it is invisible to our bodies. When we die and our souls are separated from our bodies, it becomes obvious that our world, which is invisible to our eyes, is our true world. You will think, “Oh, come to think of it, there was a time when I was born on the ground and lived in my body.” The time spent in the other world, not in the body, is much longer for the soul, and in the whole history of the soul, the time spent living in this world with the body is really very short. Even the gods of the heavenly world live in eternity as souls For example, even high-level spirits, who are called the gods of various religions, are no different from us in that they are beings who live in eternity as souls themselves, just like us. However, such great spirits that are close to God are not born on the ground as often as we are. They have life on the ground and are reborn only in order to fulfill their mission. The higher level spirits are all in leadership roles on the earth, so even though they may have different personalities and roles, they do not bicker with each other or exclude each other. In the so-called invisible world of the other world, the world of the higher dimensions is called the heavenly world, and yet, for example, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Moses and Mohammed live together as friends in the heavenly world. They all understand each other’s roles in the heavenly world, so they have respect for each other and are always thinking about how to promote the spiritual growth of people on earth. They know that they are not God, but the original God is the energy of love itself that fills the universe, and that the God of the universe is one, so in guiding the earthlings, they say, “We are not God, we are children of God just like you, just a little bit senior to you,” even though they have been guided by a God-like figure in the past. We are in reincarnation for the purpose of soul evolution and development Generally speaking, it is hard to say how long it takes to be reincarnated in this world from the other world because it varies from person to person, but I think that most people come into this world once every few hundred years. Some people are born again immediately after they die and return to the other world. This is determined by the individual’s own free will, but of course, it is also a matter of timing and the demands of the age. Some people are born again every few thousand years, while others may not be born for tens of thousands of years. In other words, we all have been reincarnated in this world over and over again in different times and countries, and we learn about love through various experiences and experiences on the ground, and we do reincarnation with the goal of evolving and developing our souls. A part of your soul has entered the body and is gaining life experience It is said that the soul that resides in the physical body is generally about 10% of one’s soul. It is said that only a hair’s worth of soul energy is dwelling in the body of a great high-level spirit, but in any case, most of your soul energy is still in the other world. The consciousness as the soul that resides in our body is called ‘consciousness’ or ‘surface consciousness’, but the other 90% of our consciousness remains in the other world as ‘subconsciousness’. In other words, a part of our soul is separated from our soul and enters our body to live our daily life. When the soul in the body returns to the other world after the life on the ground, it becomes one with your own soul that was left in the other world, and you can fully share your life experiences, lessons and realizations on the ground. In this way, the memory of the soul is accumulated and utilized as soul power in the next life and beyond.	[]
Building a Defense For Shoplifting Charges in Gwinnett County When building a defense, one of the first things a Gwinnett County shoplifting attorney will do is send a letter to the store to ask if they preserved any video of the incident. Usually, there is not even a response from the store but it is still important to send. This might seem like it would be something that is easy to do, but so many times even the prosecuting attorney’s offices have trouble getting the video from the stores. This is important, because the prosecutor must prove that the person intended to commit the theft and that they made some act in furtherance of that theft. Therefore, if the loss prevention officer says he saw a person walk around the store with a pair of socks, and the person put the socks in their pocket, that can be an act in furtherance. However, if the video shows that all the person did was walk around the store with the socks in his hand and never put them in their pocket, then that might defeat the requisite intent of the shoplifting, specifically the required act in furtherance of it. Initial Steps of Building a Defense One of the first things the defense will want to do is to send a letter to the store to preserve any video and to actually give them a copy. Even if the stores do not send the video, which they often don’t, the letters can be shown to the prosecution to get their assistance or used at trial when cross-examining the loss prevention officers. They may say they captured a video but did not bring it, by bringing up the fact they got a letter from the defense asking for it can be powerful at trial. Also, the defense wants to get the police reports and any witness statements. An attorney will also talk to the prosecuting attorney to see if there is a possibility to resolve the case through paying restitution or other steps. What to Look for in an Attorney If you are choosing an attorney the most important factor to consider is whether or not that attorney is experienced in handling that type of case. You want a criminal defense lawyer who has experience with the specific crime you are facing. For example, you want a bankruptcy lawyer if you have to handle a bankruptcy, and you want a shoplifting lawyer if you’ve been charged with shoplifting. The second most important factor is that it be a local attorney. A local, Gwinnett County attorney should know what defenses might work with a certain judge, what certain judges will want to hear in mitigation, and what they will not want to hear. This is important because it allows the defense to create a stronger defense specifically geared toward the prosecutors and judges.	[]
“King Makers” Keller and Haaland Endorse Davis, Benton And Romero Over Other Democrats For City Council Alienating Many Democrats Albuquerque Democrats Mayor Tim Keller and Congresswoman Debra Harland released a joint video endorsing Democratic Albuquerque City Councilors Isaac (IKE) Benton and Pat Davis for another term to the Albuquerque City Council and newcomer Ane C. Romero in the District 4 City Council race. The joint endorsement has raised more than a few political eyebrows, especially among Democratic activists. The Debra Haaland endorsement in particular appears to be nothing more than a political payback to Pat Davis who endorsed her when she ran for congress. You can view the full video here: In the video endorsement, both Mayor Keller and Congresswomen Haaland proclaim that Benton and Davis have been tremendous City Councilors and are in the best positions to move Albuquerque forward and stating “With the right leadership we truly can come together to be the best city we can be.” Keller has been in office for 21 months and Haaland has been in office 7 months, but they both think they know Davis and Benton have done such great jobs for the last 4 years that they need to be reelected. Democrat Isaac (Ike) Benton is the District 2 City Councilor and was first elected to the council in 2005. Benton is a retired architect and avowed urbanist. Benton’s city council district includes a large area of downtown Central and the North Valley which leans left and is heavily Hispanic, yet he has shown more loyalty and cooperation with Republican causes than Democratic causes on the City Council. Benton ran unopposed in 2015. Democrat Isaac Benton has 4 Democratic opponents: Steve Baca (D), Joseph Griego (D), Robert Raymond Blanquera Nelson (D), Zack Quintero, (D). Connie Vigil is also running as an Independent. Nelson and Quintero have been political activists in the Democratic Party. Democrat City Councilor Pat Davis was elected to the Albuquerque City Council on October 6, 2015 to represent District 6. District 6 encompasses the International District, Mesa Del Sol, Nob Hill, Southeast Heights, and the University of New Mexico. Last year, Davis ran unsuccessfully for US Congress in the First Congressional District. Davis withdrew from the race when he polled at 3% and could not raise the money to run a viable campaign. Before Davis withdrew from the congressional race, Davis had no problem accusing the then Democrat front runner former US Attorney for New Mexico Damon Martinez of being a “racist”, which was an absolute lie. Pat Davis endorsed Debra Haaland who went on to become elected to congress. Democrat Pat Davis has only one opponent: Gina Naomi Dennis a progressive Democrat, who is an attorney, a neighborhood activist and was a Bernie Sanders delegate to the Democratic Party National Convention in 2016. District 4 Race District 4 has 4 candidates who qualified for the ballot and running to replace Brad Winter. Those candidates are: Brook L. Bassen, Athena Ann Christodoulou, Ane C. Romero, Hailey Josselyn Roy. Winter has endorsed the sole Republican running who is Brook L. Bassen. The endorsement of Ane C. Romero was somewhat muted but none the less was made over other Democrats. “We stand with Ike” proclaimed Keller and Haaland in a joint endorsement of Benton. Hopefully, Keller and Haaland will stumble and fall flat on their faces with their endorsements of Ike Benton and Pat Davis. This is what you call political payback given the support Benton and Davis gave to Keller and Haaland when they were running for office themselves. Too bad. There are 3 very qualified and deserving Democrats running against Ike Benton and one solid progressive Democrat who is running against Pat Davis. Both Keller and Haaland consider themselves “progressive democrats”. Their endorsements of Benton and Davis are ill advised and should have never been made, but they obviously want to act as “king makers” over the other Democrats. Keller in particular has now alienated two potential Democratic City Councilors whose votes he will need in the long run if his chosen two of Davis and Benton are not reelected. Isaac Benton and Pat Davis have acted more like Republicans and not the progressives they proclaim to be within the Democratic Party. They both have voting records that are more Republican than Democrat with their support of the disastrous ART Bus project and supporting final adoption of the ABC-Z comprehensive plan, now known as the Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO). To be blunt, both Isaac Benton and Pat Davis need to voted out of office and be replaced with true progressive democrats. Davis has never apologized to former US Attorney Democrat Damon Martinez for calling him a racist when he ran for congress. Debra Haaland for her part had no problem with Davis calling Damon Martinez a racist and tolerated it and allowed it on her campaign letter head. Keller now ignores Davis calling Martinez a racist even though he hired Damon Martinez as a policy writer for the Albuquerque Police Department. Both Davis and Benton proclaim to be “progressive democrats”. However, the Benton and Davis City Council voting records say otherwise. During the past four years, Albuquerque has suffered from record breaking high crime rates and the ART bus project without either Benton nor Davis even trying doing much to improve things, at least not until now when they want to be elected again. There are at least 8 egregious specific votes Isaac Benton’s and Pat Davis’s that reveal the true voting record as going against core Democratic principles: 1. Councilors Benton and Davis voted repeatedly for the disastrous ART Bus project that has destroyed the character of Route 66. Both refused to advocate to put the ART Bus project on the ballot for public approval. Benton and Davis voted to spend federal grant money that had yet to be appropriated by congress. The ART Bus project has been a total disaster resulting the destruction of the character of Route 66. ART has a negative impact on Central resulting in several businesses going out of business. Many central businesses and Nob Hill businesses, no longer exist because of the ART Bus Project. 2. Both Benton and Davis voted to use $13 million dollars in revenue bonds to pay for the ART Bus project. The revenue bonds were not voted upon by the public. It was reported that the Albuquerque City Council borrowed over $63 million dollars over a two-year period to build pickle ball courts, baseball fields and the ART bus project down central by bypassing the voters. The $65 million dollars was borrowed with the Albuquerque City Councilors voting to use revenue bonds as the financing mechanism to pay for big capital projects. 3. The Albuquerque City Council plays a crucial oversight role of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) including controlling its budget. Benton and Davis did nothing when it comes to Albuquerque Police Department (APD) reforms and never challenged the previous Administration and the former APD command staff in any meaningful way demanding compliance with the Department of Justice (DOJ) consent decree reforms. Each time the Federal Court appointed Monitor presented his critical reports of APD to the City Council, Benton and Davis remained silent. Both declined to demand accountability from the Mayor and hold the APD command staff responsible for dragging their feet on the reforms. Both Benton and Davis have failed to attend a single one of the federal court hearings on the Court Approved Settlement Agreement (CASA). 4. Both Benton and Davis voted for the city ordinance amendments requiring equal pay for woman but failed to demand more. The amendments to the equal pay for woman ordinance sounded good and look good on paper but accomplished very little. The truth is that the equal pay for woman ordinance only applies to city contracts and those who do business with the city. The ordinance is voluntary and gives preferential treatment on city contracts to those who voluntarily comply. The equal pay for woman ordinance should apply to all businesses licensed to do business in Albuquerque, it should be mandatory for all businesses and enforced by city planning that issues business licenses and could be made so by the city council. 5. When he served on a task force to overhaul Albuquerque’s public fiancé laws, Pat Davis declined to advocate meaningful changes to our public finance laws making it easier for candidates to qualify for public finance. The only change both Davis and Benton agreed to was increasing the amount of money candidates get and not the process of collecting the donations to qualify and not expanding the time to collect qualifying donations. The lack of changes to the public finance laws favors incumbents like Davis and Benton and they have taken full advantage of it. 6. Davis advocated for enactment of the Healthy Workforce ordinance by voters which would have mandate the pay of sick leave by employers and was always there for a photo op with those organizations who pushed to get it on the ballot. However, both Benton and Davis never demanded the City Attorney’s office enforce the existing Albuquerque minimum wage ordinance, even when workers were forced to sue their employers. Davis and Benton claim to be in favor of increasing the minimum wage, but they have never demanded the Mayor nor the City Attorney to enforce the current city ordinance enacted by voters with a 2 to 1 margin. 7. On July 2, 2018 Democrat Mayor Tim Keller vetoed the $2.6 million economic development package that would help Topgolf to construct a $39 million entertainment complex at the site of the former Beach Waterpark. Benton and Davis went along with the City Council voting 8-1 to give the incentives after a 9-0 veto override Keller’s veto of a resolution expressing the city councils support. A few weeks later, Both Benton and Davis again voted to override Democrat Mayor Keller’s veto of the funding. Rather than give the new Democrat Mayor the benefit of the doubt, Benton and Davis voted to overturn the veto, but never once voted to overturn a veto of the previous Republican Mayor. 8. The most egregious votes by Benton and Davis was that they voted for the final adoption of the ABC-Z comprehensive plan which will have long term impact on our neighborhoods and favors developers. The enactment of the comprehensive plan was a major priority of Republican Mayor Berry and the development community pushed hard for its enactment before Berry left office. The ABC-Z project rewrite was nothing more than making “gentrification” an official city policy and the “gutting” of long-standing sector development plans by the development community to repeal those sector development plans designed to protect neighborhoods and their character. Benton, a retired architect knew better but refused to intervene on behalf of neighborhood interests. What people should be sick of are Democrats acting and talking like Republicans especially after they get elected to positions like City Council and Mayor and arguing that they are being “nonpartisan”. Both City Councilors Isaac Benton and Pat Davis will say that they have done a great job as City Councilors by acting “non-partisan” and they needed to cooperate with Republicans to get things done, even though Democrats now hold a majority of 6-3 on the City Council and even though the Mayor is a Democrat. There is a significant difference between cooperating and working with other elected officials from the opposite party and then being hypocritical and going against your own basic political philosophy of what you believe to be true and then turning around and acting and voting against that what you claim to believe in. What would be disappointing is if Davis and Benton are elected again saying they are Progressives Democrats when in fact they vote like conservative Republicans. Mayor Tim Keller and Congresswoman Debra Haaland should have kept their egos desiring to be “king makers” and their endorsements to themselves. Keller and Haaland have now alienated the other very qualified Democrats running and their supporters they both will need for any reelection bid. This entry was posted in Opinions by . Bookmark the permalink.	[]
It is no secret that everyone wants to stay healthy and look younger. Unfortunately, the aging process is inevitable. But, there are ways to slow it down. Science has shown that there are certain things we can do to help us age gracefully. How to Be Healthy? Stay Properly Hydrated Many people don’t realize the importance of staying properly hydrated. Not only does it keep your organs functioning properly, but it also helps your skin look its best. Drinking enough water each day will help you avoid these problems and keep your skin looking young and healthy. In addition to keeping your body fit and toned, exercise has also been shown to have numerous anti-aging benefits. It can help improve circulation, increase collagen production, and even help to protect your brain from age-related damage. So make sure to include regular exercise in your routine if you want to stay healthy and look younger for longer Water is essential for our bodies to function. Every single cell in our body needs water to work properly. Water flushes out toxins, provides essential nutrients and lubricates our joints. Water quality and safety are also vital to your hydration, according to water treatment pros at The water you drink must be pure and free from harmful impurities for it to be beneficial to your health. Otherwise, the water you drink may end up doing more harm than good. When we are dehydrated, our bodies can’t function optimally. When we lack hydration, our skin can become dry and wrinkled. We may experience fatigue, brain fog, dry skin, and headaches. Dehydration can also lead to more serious health problems over time, such as kidney stones and urinary tract infections. The best way to prevent dehydration is to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. Aim for eight glasses of water per day, or more if you are active or live in a hot climate. You can also get your daily dose of water by eating fruits and vegetables with high water content, such as watermelons, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Also, limit your alcohol intake. While moderate alcohol consumption has been linked with some health benefits, such as a lower risk of heart disease, too much alcohol can have the opposite effect. Drinking too much alcohol can lead to a number of health problems, including liver damage, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of cancer. It can also make you look older than you are. Eat a Healthy Diet What you eat has a direct impact on your health. Eating a healthy diet can help reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It can also help improve mental health, memory, and sleep quality. In addition, eating healthy foods will help you maintain a healthy weight, maintain equilibrium in your body processes, and give your skin a healthy glow. So, what should you eat if you want to stay healthy and look younger? Aim for a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. Limit processed foods, sugary drinks, and red meat. And make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Eating a healthy diet doesn’t have to be difficult or boring. There are many delicious recipes that use healthy ingredients. And you can always add your own personal touches to make them even tastier. Exercise Regularly Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health. It reduces your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Exercise also helps improve mental health, memory, and sleep quality. Most adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, such as brisk walking or swimming. You can also break up your exercise into shorter bouts throughout the day. For example, take a 10-minute walk after lunch or ride your bike to work. In addition to aerobic exercise, adults should also do strength training two or more days per week. Strength training helps build muscle mass, which can help reduce the risk of injuries and improve your overall health. There are many ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. You can join a gym, take a fitness class, or even workout at home. Find an activity that you enjoy and stick with it. Remember, even small amounts of physical activity can have a big impact on your health. Get Enough Sleep Sleep is vital for our physical and mental health. When we sleep, our bodies heal and repair themselves. Sleep also helps improve brain function, memory, and mood. Unfortunately, many of us don’t get enough sleep. A study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that 35% of adults in the United States get less than seven hours of sleep per night. This can lead to a host of problems such as fatigue, anxiety, weight gain, and depression. To get the most out of your sleep, aim for seven to eight hours per night. Create a bedtime routine to help you wind down before sleep and avoid watching television or working on your computer in bed. By following these three scientifically proven tips, you can stay healthy and look younger for years to come. Leave A Reply error: Content is protected !!	[]
Is ArcGIS Server connection with Oracle Instant Client encrypted? 09-17-2021 02:24 AM New Contributor II Hi everyone, I am trying to figure out if the connection stablished between ArcGIS Server and Oracle Instant Client is encrypted or if theres is a way to do so. The following article (Configuring Oracle Database Network Encryption and Data Integrity) mentions there is an encryptation taking place between Oracle DB and Instant Client, and that it is possible to set different algorithms of encryptation modifying sqlnet.ora file, I want to know if it is possible to do the same with the communication between ArcGIS Server and Oracle Instant Client? Is there such an encryptation between these two as if we are talking of http and https communication? If yes, does ArcGIS Server support it? Thank you! 0 Kudos 2 Replies Occasional Contributor II 1st, I don't know the answer to your specific question. I would like to share some thoughts though on low latency considerations for IT and ArcGIS Enterprise optimization. 1. Any introduced latency to communication between applications and data stores is bad. 2. Encryption and decryption introduces data manipulation and increases latency. 2a. Suggest, instead of encrypting a single communication path from RDBMS to ArcGIS Enterprise you evaluate your entire LAN/WAN information protection and information assurance posture and choose the most limited data manipulation plan that meets your organizational goals without the "overhead" of individual connected resource encryption if you can. Very generally speaking, firewalls, network hardware encryption and software security monitoring and encryption is not a GIS Enterprise's friend. Quite required for overall information protection and assurance absolutely. Impact to overall Enterprise GIS architecture and service performance. Also absolutely. Want to see for yourself? If you have the resources, set up ArcGIS Enterprise in a secure isolated environment without any add on security components and measure the difference in performance compared to that most of us are constrained to use in a production environment. MVP Esteemed Contributor In general, ArcGIS Server simply relies on the underlying database client configurations for making the connections to databases. The same client configuration that will work on a machine for ArcGIS Desktop will work on a machine for ArcGIS Server. 0 Kudos	[]
OpenIG 3.1 is now available… API Protection with OpenIG: Controlling access by methods OpenIGUsually, one of the first thing you want to do when securing APIs is to only allow specifics calls to them. For example, you want to make sure that you can only read to specific URLs, or can call PUT but not POST to other ones. OpenIG, the Open Identity Gateway, has a everything you need to do this by default using a DispatchHandler, in which you express the methods that you want to allow as a condition. The configuration for the coming OpenIG 3.1 version, would look like this: "name": "MethodFilterHandler", "type": "DispatchHandler", "config": { "bindings": [ "handler": "ClientHandler", "condition": "${exchange.request.method == 'GET' or exchange.request.method == 'HEAD'}", "baseURI": "" "handler": { "type": "StaticResponseHandler", "config": { "status": 405, "reason": "Method is not allowed", "headers": { "Allow": [ "GET", "HEAD" ] This is pretty straightforward, but if you want to allow another method, you need to update the both the condition and the rejection headers. And when you have multiple APIs with different methods that you want to allow or deny, you need to repeat this block of configuration or make a much complex condition expression. But there is a simpler way, leveraging the scripting capabilities of OpenIG. Create a file under your .openig/scripts/groovy named MethodFilter.groovy with the following content: * Distribution License 1.0 (the License). You may not use this file except in compliance with the * License. * Copyright 2014 ForgeRock AS. * Author: Ludovic Poitou import org.forgerock.openig.http.Response * Filters requests that have the allowedmethods supplied using a * configuration like the following: * { * "name": "MethodFilter", * "type": "ScriptableFilter", * "config": { * "type": "application/x-groovy", * "file": "MethodFilter.groovy", * "args": { * "allowedmethods": [ "GET", "HEAD" ] * } * } * } if (allowedmethods.contains(exchange.request.method)) { // Call the next handler. This returns when the request has been handled. } else { exchange.response = new Response() exchange.response.status = 405 exchange.response.reason = "Method not allowed: (" + exchange.request.method +")" exchange.response.headers.addAll("Allow", allowedmethods) And now in all the places where you need to filter specific methods for an API, just add a filter to the Chain as below: "heap": [ "name": "MethodFilterHandler", "type": "Chain", "config": { "filters": [ "type": "ScriptableFilter", "config": { "type": "application/x-groovy", "file": "MethodFilter.groovy", "args": { "handler": "ClientHandler" "handler": "MethodFilterHandler", "baseURI": "" This solution allows to filter different methods for different APIs with a simple configuration element, the “allowedmethods” field, for greater reusability.	[]
The Best Easily Available Immune Boosters During The Pandemic Our skin and mucous membranes are inhabited by a variety of microorganisms, and whether you become ill is determined by your immune system. With an immune system condition recently passing COVID, and a strange after COVID-like second round, I find it so important to do our best for our immunity, like never before. I am sharing some of the best immune enhancers you could use in these crucial times. Our Immune System The immune system is an interactive network of cells, organs, and proteins that protect your body from harmful viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Although our genetics and DNA are a given, besides maintaining a healthy lifestyle, boosting your immune system with tailored supplements is essential today. It is best discussed with a professional you trust, and one who can give you an in-depth analysis of the state of your body, measure, and follow up changes. Many times we follow our gut or research findings on what’s best for us to take supplements. Not all of us can afford expensive specialists, and multiple tests to find what we should take. But if you go twice or three times to a specialist, I believe you could get a quite thorough picture of your body. Still, you would need to invest a bit more for tests like a detailed food allergy test, a detailed antibody test, and a detailed blood test if you do it privately. Affordable, Detailed Tests Needed Trouble is, since most of us don’t do detailed tests, we don’t always have an idea of the best matching supplements and quantities for us! And what our body can truly utilize to immunize us! As long as healthcare and our salaries don’t have a common ground, we will suffer more from illnesses, even though they will always be present. So the best thing one can do today, find out at least the basic supplements you could support your immune system with! Immune Boosters You Could Use You can use plants, herbs, vitamins, and minerals to prevent and control infections due to their antimicrobial and immune-boosting properties. However, caution should be exercised in strengthening the immune system: immune-boosting herbs containing essential oils are extremely effective! You mustn’t take them in higher doses than your body needs! We often think we do the right amounts but this couldn’t be further from the truth, after my research. If you take herbs, it is best to consult with a professional on how to exactly take them. As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t take different strong herbs together for longer periods, only in repeated courses with breaks!! Here are several important immune boosters that are easily accessible to anyone: Ribwort Plantain Syrups available in pharmacies and shops in my country aren’t that useful in my experience. So instead of the bottled who-knows-what-inside version, try to strengthen your immune system with homeopathic ribwort, or perhaps even better, purchase it from a trusted herbalist. There’s an old genuine man who has some herbal tea shops where I live. He grew up cultivating herbs for their healing properties. Learned it from his ancestors. He highly recommends sipping ribwort plantain tea made of fresh tea leaves that he sells in paper bags, that introduce the herb, its healing benefits, and exact advice on how to take it and for how long. This herb is one of the most important ones now with all the infections around, it helps to cleanse your lungs by getting rid of tough mucus I heard as no medicine does. Can be quite useful during a pandemic! A modern supplement which are soluble fibers from the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and plants. Known as good immune supporters, they can prevent infections by increasing useful chemicals. They may also lower the risk of heart disease as well as high cholesterol levels. Among other conditions, they are used for diabetes and eczema as well. Research shows that one of the biggest benefits of echinacea is its positive effect on recurrent infections. A 2012 study found that it could play a major role in prevention after the people who took echinacea were less likely to get a common cold. A study from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine showed significant immunomodulatory activity in echinacea. Dozens of human studies have shown that echinacea stimulates the immune system, among other things, especially in acute upper respiratory infections. You could take it as a herbal capsule, drink it as tea, or it is also available in homeopathy, favored by many. The elderberry berries and flowers have been used as medicine for thousands of years. Even Hippocrates, the father of medicine, knew that the plant was key to strengthening the immune system. Elderberry has been used to treat colds, flu, allergies, and inflammation. Studies have also shown that it can protect the immune system from colds and flu. What’s more, using elderberries in the first 48 hours after the onset of the disease, reduced the duration of influenza and relieved symptoms much earlier. Colloidal Silver In ancient times, silver was used to stop the spreading of diseases as a wide-spectrum antimicrobial agent. According to research in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, the colloid can significantly inhibit the growth of pathogens under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. You can use it against colds, viruses, and bacteria in small doses internally, or to cure wounds and infections on your skin. Beware, silver can be toxic in large quantities or if taken for long periods! You should , this supplement needs extra care! Since ancient times, ayurvedic medicine has relied on ginger’s immune-strengthening ability. Ginger can help prevent the accumulation of toxins in the organs due to its heating effect. Among its additional properties are that ginger can cleanse the lymphatic system, the network of tissues and organs that helps to get rid of toxins. Ginger root and its essential oil can treat a wide range of diseases due to its beneficial immune support and anti-inflammatory effects. What’s more, ginger’s antimicrobial properties are useful in the treatment of infectious diseases. Astragalus root Astragalus is a larval host plant, multitudes of butterflies rest on it when it’s blooming. It has a very long history of strengthening the immune system and being used as a drug. Its root has been used as an adaptogen for millennia in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Adaptogenic plants harmonize how some endocrine glands and the immune system function. According to the American Journal of Chinese Medicine, astragalus-based treatments have significantly reduced the toxicity of certain drugs (in chemotherapeutic treatments). Researchers concluded that the astragalus extract is beneficial for the immune system and protects the body, especially the digestive system from inflammation, also useful in cancer prevention. Probiotics are useful bacteria that help digest nutrients, detoxify the colon, and support the immune system. They may be particularly needed if the balance of the intestinal flora is overwhelmed, following antibiotic treatments which can cause digestive disorders. At the end of the treatment, the useful bacterial strains can recapture their place in the digestive system and restore their normal functioning in your body. Show More	[]
COVID-19 and the Construction Industry Going Head to Head cranes at a construction site At the time when the pandemic broke out globally, the construction industry was doing rather well globally. There were no shortages of developments and projects that construction companies had to worry about. Housing projects, condominiums, commercial buildings, roads, and infrastructures, name it. The construction industry was in full swing. Architects and designers had their hands full between minor home renovation projects to multi-million-dollar corporate projects. Companies such as SFab Engineering, which supply building materials, and other similar businesses were doing pretty good. Contractors were busy fulfilling contracts for the private sector and government projects. And then COVID-19 happened. The Pandemic Dilemma COVID-19 has put a grinding halt to almost every known industry and has plunged many corporations and companies to one of their most challenging times. Contractors all over the world had to quickly adapt to the changes brought about by the lockdowns and other COVID-related restrictions which made their jobs a lot tougher than it already is. When the lockdown season started, contractors had to temporarily put a stop to their work and send everyone home until further notice. The local and federal governments had to figure out effectively restart the economy while keeping public health and safety a top priority. Once there was an ease in COVID protocols and folks were allowed to resume business operations, under certain conditions, of course, contractors had to do their best to try and complete existing projects and find ways to keep their workers safe on-site, comply with government protocols and travel restrictions, and deal with interruptions in the supply chain as well as project delays. But resiliency is one of the construction industry’s strengths. People in the industry won’t let a thing like the global health crisis get in their way. We’re talking about some of the most creative and resourceful people on the planet. They have come up with ways to adapt to the current wave of changes that are taking place around them, like the following: Greater collaboration and more thoughtful contract restructuring Because the pandemic happened so fast, everyone was caught off-guard by its devastating effects on trade and commerce. Contractors, designers, and suppliers had to make quick adjustments to the way they operated. Contract restructuring had to be done as they evaluated what will no longer work under these new circumstances. Each player recognized that minimizing the passing of risks to the next player is now a thing of the past and that if the industry were to survive, they had to do away with it and work together to achieve the common goal of delivering quality projects and keeping construction sites going. men at a construction site Management of supply chain When the pandemic hit, there was an immediate disruption to the global supply chain as factories across several industries were shut down with some having been repurposed to help in the recovery efforts against COVID. There was a massive shortage not just in manpower but also in supplies and materials. At this time, many contractors are finding paying suppliers early as a critical part of the game and have proven to be quite effective thus far. This allows smaller subcontractors and suppliers to quickly mobilize and help ease their cash flow challenges. Another option that’s being observed right now is diversifying their supply chain and refraining from having many of them concentrated in one area. Limited liquidity but having a strong balance sheet Because the pandemic caught us all by surprise, not everyone was prepared for it financially. Contractors learned quickly from this and worked on a tighter financial management system where even if they are limited in their cash-on-hand, a strong balance sheet will allow them to move money around more efficiently and purposefully with a very minimal margin for error. Moving forward, as the industry expects to have quite a healthy project pipeline in certain regions, especially projects involving infrastructure, public confidence will eventually be brought back into the sector. Innovation and technology Lastly, as industries adapt to the changing times by fully utilizing technology, the construction industry is not too far behind. The use of technology has been widely observed on construction sites for several years now with the use of high-tech equipment and machinery, especially drones. Drones have proven to be a valuable addition to the industry, especially now, as it allows contractors to safely transport materials and equipment from one end of the site to the other, monitor the project’s progress and on-site safety, and other things that can be done remotely. Contractors will continue to use technology to their advantage as long as it keeps them productive and their workers safe. As the pandemic continues to loom over us, the new normal will continue to evolve. We’re living in unprecedented times so there are no known rules other than the ones we’re making up along the way. As an industry, construction might face new challenges that will require quick adaptation but it will continue to remain relevant and will eventually recover the momentum it had pre-pandemic. Share this post: Scroll to Top	[]
Can you lose Citizenship Canada? As of 2017, there is still only one way a Canadian citizen can lose their citizenship without voluntarily renouncing it and this only applies to naturalized citizens. If you were born in Canada since February 15, 1977 you cannot lose your citizenship, you can only renounce it. Can citizenship be revoked in Canada? Canadian citizenship can be revoked if you are a dual citizen (have at least one other citizenship) and will not become stateless if your Canadian citizenship is revoked. Canadian citizenship can only be revoked for convictions for immigration or terrorism-related offences. How can a person lose their Canadian citizenship? There are only two ways you can lose your citizenship: renunciation. revocation. Losing Canadian Citizenship 1. Naturalizing as a citizen in another country; 2. Serving in the military of another country; 3. Failing to reside in Canada for a specific period of time; 4. Failing to affirm your citizenship after a certain time abroad. Can you lose your citizenship? IT IS INTERESTING: Where is the largest flow of international migrants from? Does Canada allow dual citizenship? Can Canada deport citizens? The Immigration authorities cannot deport a Canadian citizen, unless their citizenship is revoked, which can occur in limited circumstances, such as: misrepresentation, terrorism, treason, and foreign spying. What happens if you stay longer than 6 months in Canada? Canada eTA: exceeding your six month limit How long can snowbirds stay out of Canada? Generally, you are allowed to stay in the U.S. for up to six months without a visa (more about this later) so long as the border agent allowing you in feels you have the wherewithal to support yourself, that you intend to return to Canada within that six month limitation, that you do not intend to stay in the U.S. … Does Canada know when you leave the country? Yes, Canada knows when you have left the country. Can a permanent resident in Canada be deported? As per the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, permanent residents can be deported from Canada for several reasons. Any permanent resident of Canada who commits a crime can face deportation and risk losing their PR status. In many situations of serious criminality, they may also end up losing their right to appeal. IT IS INTERESTING: Why did France immigrate to Canada? Does Germany allow dual citizenship with Canada? The German law on citizenship mandates that German citizens who voluntarily apply for and accept Canadian citizenship will automatically lose their German citizenship if they have not been granted a permission to retain the German citizenship prior to becoming Canadian. Can the government take your citizenship away? What is it called when a citizen voluntarily gives up his citizenship? denaturalization. the process through which naturalized citizens may involuntarily lose their citizenship. Can you get deported if you are a citizen? Can I lose my citizenship if I divorce? You Divorce but are a Naturalized Citizen Population movement	[]
Start a new topic POIs position updated very slowly on Android Hello there, we've recently noticed that the SDK seems to have a rather noticable delay when updating POIs drawn in the AR view when the phone is moved. If the user rotates let's say 90 degrees, it takes about 5 seconds for the POIs to slowly move into view. The devices that were used to test were two Samsungs, S9 and S8 so preformance shouldn't really be an issue, while it works great on a iPhone 6. Please let us know if this is a known issue and if there's something to be done about it. Thank you! Could you please share the version of our SDK you are working with? Hello there, we're using the version 7.2.1 <plugin xmlns="" Hello again, since we're getting no replies, and your framework cleary doesn't preform as expected, how can we get our money back? This is the third issue I posted, and none have been solved. 1) iPhone X support, which still hasn't been implemented, but luckily I found a workaround. 2) My previous post where, even with hard-cased coordinates, my POIs do not display in their correct positions. ( 3) This issue, where there hasn't been a reply in 8 days. As commercial customer you're entitled to create support tickets - in the community forum the answers might take longer to answer - depending on severity, effort for investigation, priority, ... I wil send you a seperate email on how to work with support as paid customer. We're on it to answer the question about the POI misplacement. Login or Signup to post a comment	[]
iPads, Data Collection, Management, and Organization The focus of this session was on building a deeper understanding of utilizing iPads in early years contexts. Implications for classroom management, organization, data collection, and other related features were explored and discussed. Participants received instruction for troubleshooting possible roadblocks and curating resources related to iPad use within early years settings.	[]
Real Estate and Construction Slowdowns Affecting the Medical Industry I had an interesting conversation regarding the housing markets effect on a seemingly non-related industry… the medical industry, specifically high tech surgical and hospital supplies. Most would claim the medical industry may be somewhat immune to the current economical crisis. That people will get sick and need medical attention. That factor might not be what makes medical industry professionals and corporations the greater portion of their profits after all. It is a fact that when the housing market takes a dive, so goes the number of injuries and in-turn surgeries and hospitalization. For instance, take the Florida housing industry and also the Florida medical industry… when homes are not being built and roads are not being developed or maintained, there are less onsite construction injuries (an obvious one). Nevertheless, due to the decreasing number of construction projects throughout the country, there are less construction materials being transported daily on our highways and roads, therefore, there are less accidents on the roads. Bad accidents happen when roads are being used to their full capacity and with the general public driving less due to the current economical crises, our roads are actually safer and the number of deadly accidents has declined. CEO The one benefit to the current economical woes is that we are not being injured as often. Life threatening vehicle accidents on our apparently insufficient highway system is down, therefore, the continuous need for major life saving surgeries, hospitalization and expensive medical / surgical supplies and technologies is down. The real estate boom was actually a huge factor in the expansion we have seen in medical industry over the past decade. Medical supply sales, medication TV advertisements and the huge branding campaigns where all funded by the income generated by the higher number of construction related injuries and road accidents. This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published.	[]
The Yankee Chaplain’s Looted Library The plantation of Josiah Collins, Somerset Place, on Lake Phelps in Washington county was looted by invading Northerners; General James Johnston Pettigrew was born and buried at nearby Bonarva Plantation — the area is named Pettigrew State Park. Bernhard Thuersam, Chairman North Carolina War Between the States Sesquicentennial Commission "The Official Website of the North Carolina WBTS Sesquicentennial" The Yankee Chaplain’s Looted Library: “Many years after the war, Dr. Joseph G.D. Hamilton happened to run across [General Robert F.] Hoke and his son-in-law at a restaurant in Raleigh. As the men sat together on the porch before dinner, Hoke rested quietly, gazing off in the distance.	[]
March 13, 2020 Slewing bearing is usually a huge of bearing with particular structure that could bear integrated load just like axle load, radial load and overturning load. It combines support, rotating, transmitting, fixed, sealed, anti-corrosion and other functions into one product. Trusted in lifting machinery, construction machinery, transmission machinery, mining and metallurgy machinery, medical devices and radar, deliver, wind power and various other industries. Slewing bearings can be divided into many types according to their distinct structural forms, such as several point contact ball slewing bearing ,one row cross roller slewing bearing, twice row contact ball slewing bearing, 3 row roller slewing bearing etc. Each type has different qualities according to its style and structure, so that it is suitable for specific applications. For example Single row four stage speak to ball slewing bearings will be simple in structure, however they can bear weighty radial load, and may also bear a number of axial and overturning loads. However, when the mechanism has substantial requirements on the precision and rigidity of the bearing, or the bearing needs to meet the zero clearance or harmful clearance operating circumstances, the cross cylindrical roller slewing bearing would be the correct choice. Therefore, when selecting slewing bearings, the next aspects should be considered: · Precision When the situation of precision is to choose the dominant parameters, we usually choose the cross roller slewing bearing because it has smaller clearance and higher accuracy. · Load The size of load is probably the critical indicators in deciding the bearing size of slewing bearings. They works extremely well in an array of applications where in fact the load size and direction may change. · Operating temperature In most cases, the allowable operating temperature of a slewing ring depends mostly on the isolation gasket and the sealing materials used for lubrication. The allowable functioning temperature ranges from -25 to + 70°C. If slewing bearings are required to operate at extreme temperatures, please contact our engineer . · Vibration For applications involving vibration, pre-loaded four-point get in touch with ball slewing bearings and cross cylindrical roller slewing bearings are available. · Turning speed Four-point contact ball slewing bearings produce less friction than cross-cylindrical roller slewing bearings, so the four-point contact ball slewing bearings also have higher rotational speeds. · Seals Sealing is essential to the overall performance of slewing bearings. Skilled seals found in slewing bearings offer good protection against dampness and pollution, and make certain that grease plays an important function. If slewing bearings work under extreme circumstances, such as contact with drinking water, vacuum, corrosive contaminants or radiation, please speak to our technical engineers for specific solutions. Kaydon slewing bearings Kaydon slewing bearing solutions are ideal for: Optimal economy in a given envelope dimension Heavy-duty applications requiring significant load-carrying capacity Models where precise positioning is critical The unique requirements of wind generators Kaydon’s slewing bearings provide a wide variety of alternatives for the most demanding specifications in a variety of applications, including: Aerospace and defense Heavy equipment Industrial machinery Medical systems Oil & gas Renewable energy Semiconductor manufacturing equipment Log in to access 3D models, CAD data files, and engineering software Forgot password? \| Register Bearing selector The Kaydon slewing bearing selector permits you to search our standard slewing bearings by part number or bearing requirements. Effects contain load charts and downloadable 3D drawings.	[]
1. [Noun]: a person who announces the changes of steps during a dance; "you need a fiddler and a caller for country dancing" 2. [Noun]: an investor who buys a call option 3. [Noun]: the person initiating a telephone call; "there were so many callers that he finally disconnected the telephone" 4. [Noun]: someone who proclaims or summons in a loud voice; "the callers were mothers summoning their children home for dinner" 5. [Noun]: the bettor in a card game who matches the bet and calls for a show of hands 6. [Noun]: a social or business visitor; "the room was a mess because he hadn''t expected company" 7. [Noun]: the person who convenes a meeting; "who is the caller of this meeting?" 8. providing coolness; "a cooling breeze"; "`caller'' is a Scottish term as in `a caller breeze''" 9. fresh; "caller fish" Similar words to 'caller' 1. fresh 2. cool Try another search! English4.today Podcasts	[]
All banks and ATMs in Hankinson, ND, United States More than 1 Bank branches and 7 ATMs in Hankinson, North Dakota are conveniently located near you. Find the nearest location to open a CD, deposit funds and more. Get driving directions for every branch or ATM location in Hankinson. Write a review to rate bank branch. Get customer phone numbers, opening hours for every Bank branch or ATM in Hankinson. Popular ATMs and banks in Hankinson	[]
Swing Out Sister 1992 COVER vs ORIGINAL: ‘Am I The Same Girl?’ The song, “Am I The Same Girl?”, was originally recorded by Barbara Acklin in 1968 American songwriters Eugene Record (1940-2005) and William ‘Sonny’ Sanders (1939-2016) wrote the R’n’B song “Am I The Same Girl?” in 1968 for soul singer Barbara Acklin (1943-1998). Released in December, it reached No.79 on the US singles chart and No.33 on the R&B chart in January 1969. However, producer Carl Davis (1934-2012) didn’t much care for Acklin’s vocal, so had it removed and replaced with a piano! The song was retitled “Soulful Strut” and released by jazz instrumental group Young-Holt Unlimited the same year, this time going to No.3 in America and selling over a million copies! If you thought you’d had enough of “Am I The Same Girl?” in 1969, then the song wasn’t done yet. Britain’s Dusty Springfield (1939-1999) recorded her version in August and took it to No.43 in the UK and No.75 in Australia, although the single, thankfully, was not imposed upon the American market this time around. “Am I The Same Girl?” was ‘rested’ for a number of years, but it resurfaced in 1992 when British duo Swing Out Sister recorded it for their third album “Get In Touch With Yourself”. Released as the lead single in April, it reached No.21 in the UK and No.45 in the US as well as topping the Adult Contemporary chart and reaching No.5 in Canada. By far, the most successful incarnation of the song yet. But which one is the best? BARBARA ACKLIN’s original, YOUNG-HOLT UNLIMITED’s instrumental, DUSTY’s cover or SWING OUT SISTER’s modern classic? cover vs original	[]
Wild Wig-Ripping Bar Brawl Spills Out Onto Manhattan Street – NBC New York What to Know • The chaos started with one person railing against the bartender for being asked to leave; people caught it on video • But there were other women in the bar and they didn’t like being filmed; they asked for the videos to be deleted and were refused • That’s when the all-out brawl erupted; people are seen piling on, tugging each other in the vestibule leading to the bar as fists fly Authorities are investigating a wild wig-yanking brawl that started in a midtown Manhattan bar and spilled onto the street, where bodies were slammed into walls, hair was pulled off and screams echoed in dark streets. No arrests were made in the fight, which happened shortly before 3 a.m. Thursday at Faces & Names Lounge and Bar on 54th Street and Seventh Avenue. The NYPD confirmed to News 4 it had no arrests in this case but provided no other details on the crazed violence that unfolded. Witnesses said it started when a bartender told someone to leave the establishment. The person then allegedly attacked the bartender. A group in the bar purportedly came to the bartender’s defense, while yet another group was recording the exchange. The first individual ran off after that. But the women defending the bartender allegedly disliked that they were being filmed, told the people who took the video to delete it, and when they were refused, the all-out chaos erupted. The street footage looks like something out of a movie; people are piling on, tugging each other in the vestibule leading to the bar as fists fly. One woman shoves another against a wall, slamming her head into it as punches are thrown. The bartender tries to intervene. At one point, all that can be seen are hands flailing. Someone eventually ends up on the floor, the fight breaks up, wigs are re-assembled. There’s a brief Round II. After a bit more scuffling, one more push and some choice words, police arrive. Some people leave at that point, others stick around to talk to the cops. Eventually, everyone left. No injuries were reported. Source : Nbcnewyork	[]
Career Development What Does an Analyst Do? Find out what an analyst does, how to get this job, and what it takes to succeed as an analyst. Analysts are professionals who work in a variety of fields, from science to business to government. They all have one thing in common: they use their knowledge and training to analyze data and information, looking for patterns and insights that might otherwise go unnoticed. Analysts may focus on any number of topics or industries—they may study consumer behavior, market trends, financial performance, etc. Regardless of the subject area, analysts must be able to quickly and effectively parse large amounts of data and find meaningful insights within it. This requires strong analytical skills as well as an ability to communicate these findings clearly to others. Analyst Job Duties Analysts have a wide range of responsibilities, which can include: • Preparing reports on findings and recommendations for management based on analysis of data • Conducting research to identify new opportunities in the industry or new ways to improve existing products or services • Monitoring competitors’ activities and responding to new offerings by competitor companies • Resolving problems with existing applications by testing them on different platforms or modifying them to meet the client’s needs • Investigating complaints from customers regarding product defects or poor service • Designing and conducting experiments to test new ideas or theories in an area of interest to an organization or academic field • Creating models to help predict the outcomes of certain events or conditions in order to make decisions about future actions • Conducting surveys or polls to gather information about public opinion on issues such as politics or social concerns • Developing new business plans or strategies for existing businesses Analyst Salary & Outlook Analyst salaries vary depending on their level of education, years of experience, and the company size and industry. They may also earn additional compensation in the form of bonuses. • Top 10% Annual Salary: $112,000 ($53.85/hour) The employment of analysts is expected to grow much faster than average over the next decade. Employment growth will be driven by the continued need for business analysis across all industries and organizations. Organizations will continue to hire business analysts to improve efficiency, productivity, and quality. Analyst Job Requirements To become an analyst, you may need to have the following: Education: Most employers require analysts to have a bachelor’s degree in a field such as business administration, finance or statistics. Some employers prefer candidates who have a master’s degree in business administration (MBA). Analysts can also earn a post-baccalaureate certificate in business analytics. These programs typically take one to two years to complete and include coursework in business strategy, data mining, data analysis and business intelligence. Training & Experience: Analysts often receive on-the-job training to learn the specific processes and procedures of their new role. Training may include shadowing current analysts or learning from a supervisor. Training may last for a few days or a few weeks, depending on the company and the analyst’s role. Certifications & Licenses: Certifications prove an analyst’s knowledge and help advance their career. An analyst can earn varying levels of certifications as their experience level progresses. Analyst Skills Analysts need the following skills in order to be successful: Technical skills: Analysts use technical skills to gather and interpret data. They may use software programs to analyze data and create reports for their managers. Technical skills can also help analysts troubleshoot technical issues with computer programs, software or hardware. Communication skills: Analysts communicate with a variety of people, including coworkers, clients, managers, clients and other stakeholders. Effective communication skills can help you convey information clearly and build trust with others. You can use your communication skills to help you collaborate with others on projects and to explain complex financial concepts to clients. Problem-solving skills: Analysts solve problems every day, so it’s important for them to have strong problem-solving skills. They use these skills to find solutions to technical problems, financial problems and other issues that arise in the workplace. Research skills: Analysts use research skills to gather information about a company’s products, competitors and the market in general. They use research skills to find information about the company’s history, its leadership and its financial status. They also use research skills to find information about the market in general, including market trends and consumer preferences. Business acumen: Business acumen is the ability to understand the financial aspects of a business. Analysts need business acumen to understand the data they’re analyzing and make accurate predictions. Business acumen can also help you understand the reasoning behind a company’s actions and how those actions might affect the company’s future. Analyst Work Environment The work environment for analysts is usually in an office setting, although some travel may be required for meetings or to visit clients. They typically work a standard 40-hour week, although overtime may be required during busy periods or to meet deadlines. The job can be stressful, as analysts are under pressure to provide accurate and timely information and recommendations. They must be able to work well under pressure and meet deadlines. Analyst Trends Here are three trends influencing how analysts work. Analysts will need to stay up-to-date on these developments to keep their skills relevant and maintain a competitive advantage in the workplace. The Growth of Digital and the Internet of Things The growth of digital and the internet of things is having a major impact on the analyst profession. As more and more data is collected, analysts are needed to make sense of it all and provide valuable insights to businesses. This trend is leading to an increased demand for analysts who have experience with digital technologies and the internet of things. By understanding how these technologies work, analysts can help businesses make better use of the data they collect. More Focus on Data Science As data becomes increasingly important in business, companies are placing greater emphasis on data science professionals. This is because data scientists are able to extract valuable information from large sets of data that would be difficult for other professionals to understand. As data becomes more important, analysts will need to develop skills in data science in order to remain competitive. They should focus on learning how to analyze data and find patterns that can help businesses make better decisions. Big Data Becomes Even Bigger Big data is becoming even bigger as more and more businesses rely on it to make decisions. This means that analysts who are able to understand and interpret big data will be in high demand. Analysts who are able to understand big data will be able to help businesses make better decisions by providing them with the information they need to make informed decisions. In addition, analysts who are able to interpret big data will be in high demand by businesses who want to understand what their data is telling them. How to Become an Analyst An analyst career path can be a great way to start your career in finance. As an analyst, you’ll have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects and learn about different areas of finance. You’ll also develop important skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork. The best way to get started on this path is by getting a degree in finance or accounting. Many companies also offer internships for students who are interested in pursuing an analyst career. Related: How to Write an Analyst Resume Advancement Prospects There are many different types of analysts, but they all have one thing in common: they use data to make decisions. Data analysts collect and interpret data to help their organizations make better decisions. They may work in a variety of industries, including healthcare, finance, marketing, and manufacturing. As an analyst, you may start out working in a junior role, such as a research assistant. With experience, you can move up to a senior analyst position. In some organizations, you may also have the opportunity to move into a management role, such as a data analyst manager or a business analyst manager. Similar Jobs What Does a Delivery Driver Do? Back to Career Development What Does a Firefighter Do?	[]
Clara of Cesfati: Slayer of Kings – Dave Bailey Clara of Cesfati: Slayer of Kings “Please, help! Someone help me, please!” Clara sighed and pulled back from Donatello. She had been so close to kissing him. Trying to work up the courage. Clara had sensed for a few days now that he wanted to kiss her, too. But so far, he hadn’t made any moves on her. She had sat down beside him and leaned in closer to see what he was drawing in the dirt. Just waiting for him to look up at the right angle. And boom! She had been ready to plant one on his perfect lips. But as soon as he heard the cry for help, good ol’ boy Donnie had leaped up and raced off to the rescue without so much as a backward glance. “C’mon, Clara!” he shouted as he raced around the corner of the building. “Let’s go see what’s going on. Someone needs our help.” Clara sighed and stood up. She angrily scuffed up what he had been drawing with the toe. “Why was she like this? Nothing else really scared her. So, why couldn’t she work up the nerve to just tell Donatello the truth? The worse he could do would say he wasn’t interested. Right?” Clara thought to herself as she followed that gorgeous knight around the corner. Donatello was already up in a tree with a kitten in his hands. He pet the tiny creature gently with his huge hands to calm it down. Then he tied his cape around in front of him to make a sling for the little reddish-gold ball of fluff. The young girl with long, dark hair clapped gleefully and jumped around as he scrambled back down with her pet. Before Donatello even had a chance to turn around, the child had already grabbed onto his leg and hugged him gratefully. “Thank you, Donnie. Thank you. You saved Zolapia. She couldn’t climb down and I was scared she was going to fall.” the girl exclaimed breathlessly. “Hey, calm down there, Lady Assunta. She’s a cat and climbing trees is what cats do. They like to be up high where they can see everything.” Donatello said gruffly as he wiped a tear from her eye. “Don’t cry, little lady. She’s safe in your arms.” The young girl squeezed her cat tightly and sniffed as she nodded up at Donatello with a smile. “Okay. I won’t. It’s just that she’s still so small. I thought she might not know how to stay safe up there. And it scared me.” Donatello patted her head roughly and then pushed the child back toward the castle. “Better get her back safely inside. If you stay near the tree, that little kitten is going to want to climb it again. Next time it will go up even higher into the small branches I can’t climb.” Clara smiled at Donatello when he noticed her standing there. “You’re too nice, Donatello. I would have told her just to wait for it to come back down on its own.” He just smiled and shrugged as he tried to untie the knot he had made in his cape to form the sling around his neck. Clara stepped in close to help and brushed her fingers against his as she untied it with her nimble fingers. She didn’t back away after finishing and smiled invitingly, hoping he would take the opportunity to kiss her. Donatello cocked his head and looked at her questioningly. But before he could say anything, they heard another loud scream. The shrill, blood-curdling scream of something terribly wrong. It sounded like her friend, Filomena. This time, it was Clara who took the lead in running around the corner. Filomena was bent over at the threshold of the building. As Clara got closer, she could see someone’s boots just inside the door. She rushed forward and pushed past Filomena to get inside. The body of Abramo, her friend and a member of the group, lay on the floor in a pool of blood and vomit. Tears welled up in her eyes as she bent down beside him. Donatello stood up as she came in. Licked his finger and wiped it off on his pants as he stepped back for her to take a look. Clara circled Abramo’s body before kneeling beside him where Donatello had been. “What happened, Filomena?” she finally managed to ask. “I didn’t mean to. It was an accident.” Filomena wailed as she stood up. “Please! You have to believe me. The baron will punish me for this.” Donatello was standing behind Filomena. She turned to him and fell on his chest, sobbing. He held her up and demanded to know what had happened. “I had just made a plate of food and set it down on the table. I went out to wash my hands. Abramo came in and teased me by saying he was going to eat it. I told him he’d better not or else I would kill him. But it was just an expression. Just a manner of speaking. When I came back, I found him like this.” the distraught girl wailed. Emanuela and Lino came racing around the corner just then and wanted to know what was going. They were shocked when they saw Abramo lying on the floor. Lino fell to his knees beside his friend’s body. “No, no, no!” he moaned. “I don’t believe it. I was just talking with Abramo a short time ago. What happened?” Emanuela was one of the smartest of the bunch and liked to make sure everyone knew it too. She kneeled down for a closer look at Abramo’s face. “It looks like he might have been poisoned,” she said. Emanuella stood up and walked over to the table to look at the plate of food. She didn’t touch it. Emanuella picked up a fork and poked at the meat and potatoes, sliding them around as if looking for something. Then she picked up the plate of food and walked toward the door. “Where are you going?” Donatello asked. “Throw it to the pigs. If they die too, then we know it was really poison in the food.” “Who could have done this?” Lino asked angrily. “I swear it wasn’t me.” Filomena continued to sob. “I shouldn’t have left the plate there. If he hadn’t eaten it, then Abramo wouldn’t be dead.” Clara grabbed the sobbing girl by the shoulders and looked her dead in the eye. “Listen, stupid girl. It’s not your fault. That poison was meant for you. If Abramo hadn’t eaten it and died, then you would have. You would be the one lying on the floor right now.” Filomena’s face turned pale as the realization of what Clara was saying meant to her. Then she really started to bawl up a storm. “But why? Who would want to kill me?” Filomena finally managed to say. “C’mon, Filomena. We’re all assassins,” Lino said. “We’ve all killed people. It could be any number of people wanting to exact revenge. Besides, you know that all assassins are eventually betrayed.” Filomena’s face puckered up, and she started to cry again. “But I’m not really an assassin. I’m more like a spy. Why would someone put poison in my food?” “Whoa! Wait. Hold on.” Clara managed to blurt out. “What do you mean we’re all assassins?” Lino stepped forward and stopped right in front of her. “Look, I’m sure you suspected it. You just joined our group here these days. You haven’t been initiated yet. But we invited you for a reason. You didn’t just think we’re a regular group of knights in shining armor. Did you?” Clara nodded. She looked at Lino, Filomena, and Donatello. Filomena blushed and looked down. Donatello shrugged and nodded in acknowledgment. “You don’t think we fight battles and let the bad guys walk away, do you? We’re an elite group of assassins. Our job is to kill the bad guys before they can do bad things. We prevent their evil deeds.” Lino said so sincerely that Clara almost believed him. “So, the Baron just tells you to kill people and you do it?” Clara asked incredulously. Lino nodded and added, “And we get paid handsomely for it while we’re at it. You don’t think we live in a castle and are this well off just doing normal knight tasks. Did you?” “Yes, I just thought we were going to do normal knight things, like protecting the Baron and his castle,” she responded, still in shock. Clara’s mind raced as she processed all of this information. Lino tried to apologize and gloss over what he said, but she wasn’t paying much attention. Remembering everything that had been said when she had received orders to come to the Baron’s castle. No one had ever mentioned anything about becoming an assassin. “Look, I’m sorry to break it to you this way. I know it probably doesn’t sound very good. The Baron should have been the one to tell you when he was ready. He would have made it sound better. I just thought you had an idea. I didn’t know you were so naive.” Lino rambled on apologetically as Clara’s mind raced. “Wait! Where’s Emanuella?” she asked, stopping Lino mid-sentence. “She was just taking the food out to the pigs. She should have made it down to the pigpen and been back by now.” Clara rushed out the door and raced down the path toward the pigs. Clara was there. Lying face down in the dirt. About ten paces away from the pens. Blood and vomit surrounded the area where she had fallen. The plate of food on the ground. The potatoes and meat scattered around. None of the pigs had even eaten any of it. They could smell it though and all pushed against the fence, trying to squeeze their snouts through to get the food that had rolled close to them. Clara threw herself down beside Emanuella and shook her. She rolled the girl over and shook her shoulders while yelling for Emanuella to get up. “No! No! No! This can’t be happening,” she screamed as Lino, Donatello, and Filomena came up behind her. “What? How did she die?” Lino gasped. “Did she eat the food on the way down here?” Filomena sobbed. “I could have cooked her more food if she was hungry.” Lino rolled Emanuella over and pulled her hair up, looking for wounds or anything else that could have killed her. He gave up in disgust and tossed her hair back down. He stood up and asked Filomena, “How much food did you put on your plate? Is it all here?” Filomena looked and threw up her hands. “I don’t know. It looks like it. But I didn’t count each potato and slice of meat. I just put in the amount that looked like enough on my plate.” She picked up the fork and began scooping the meat and potatoes back onto the plate. “It looks like the same amount. Minus the dirt and twigs that are mixed in.” Filomena took the plate of food over and chucked them into a deep pit, where the maidservants threw trash that the pigs couldn’t eat. She pushed the cover back over the top of the pit and turned the rest of the group. “Well, that’s gone. Now, nobody else will die from it.” Filomena said, brushing off her fingers. “Just need to make sure you throw the rest of the food away, too,” Lino growled. He picked up Filomena’s body and turned to walk back to the building. Clara fell into step behind him. She glanced over at Donatello, who was leaning against a tree. He just shrugged. “Comes with the territory. Welcome to the team.” He said gruffly. They followed Lino back up to where they had left Abramo. Lino turned back and scowled at them. “Aren’t you gonna bring Emanuella?” he asked Donatello. “No way!” the big man retorted. “No telling what’s killing them. It might be contagious.” “It’s obviously poison,” Lino growled. “Someone poisoned them.” “But Emanuella wouldn’t have eaten the food. And neither did Filomena.” Clara pointed out. Lino let Filomena’s body down to the ground. He stood up and got in Clara’s face. “And just how do you know what did or didn’t kill them.” “I don’t,” she replied. “You know what I think, Donatello?” Lino asked. “I think Clara poisoned them or did something to kill them.” “What?” Clara said in shock. “No, way. I just got here. I didn’t even know them. Why would I kill them?” “Exactly,” Lino growled in her face. “You didn’t know them, but you were paid to kill them. To kill all of us. I’ll bet you, that you and I are next, Donatello.” Lino looked over at Donatello. Clara took a step back from Lino and glanced at Donatello, who shrugged. “I guess you could be right,” Donatello said. “What?” Clara exclaimed. “I can’t believe you two seriously think I had anything to do with this.” “Lino is thinking logically,” Donatello said without blinking. “You show up and our team starts dying off one by one.” “But, but I was over there with you while you were drawing in the sand. How could I have killed any of them?” she exclaimed. “And besides, they obviously weren’t poisoned by what they ate.” “Right! So, you do know. Which means it was poison on the plate or utensils. When they touched the plate or fork, the poison was absorbed into their bodies.” “You’re crazy,” Clara replied hotly. “I had nothing to do with this. And that doesn’t make sense either. Why didn’t Filomena die when she first put the food on the plate then. She should have died before Abramo.” Lino looked at her and smiled grimly. “That means the poison was on the silverware. Right? You sure know an awful lot about what happened or should have happened for someone who claims to not know anything.” He took a step back and pulled his sword. “I think you did it, and I’m going to kill you before you have a chance to kill me or Donatello.” Lino feinted with his body and Clara leaped back. He jabbed his sword in her direction. Clara knocked it aside with the protective armor around her forearm. Lino pulled back and came back in for another attack. He swung the sword toward her neck. Clara ducked and pulled back. “C’mon, Lino. You’re not thinking straight. I didn’t kill anyone here,” Clara yelled as she continued to move down the path toward the pigpen to stay out of Lino’s range. She kept yelling for him to stop, but he came swinging. “Help, Donatello,” Clara yelled. Donatello just shrugged and leaned up against a tree in his typical lazy slouch. He licked his fingers again and slid his hand back inside his pocket. Then pulled an apple out of the other pocket and took a bite. Clara screamed in frustration. She was close to the pigpen and couldn’t keep backing away. “I’m gonna pull my swords and fight back, Lino,” she screamed in frustration. “I don’t want to hurt you.” “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. You’re just saying that so Donatello doesn’t suspect you. Now, you’re going to try and kill me while making yourself look innocent.” He kept swinging and stabbing until Clara’s back was against the pigsty. Finally, Clara felt like she had no choice but to pull her own swords to defend herself. “You asked for it, Lino,” she murmured softly. “I really don’t want to hurt you, but I’m not just gonna stand here while you try to kill me without fighting back.” Clara blocked his first swing and took a step forward. Lino stepped back to get enough range to swing again, and she blocked it as well, continuing to move him back toward Donatello. Lino had never seen her fight before. She had been caught up in getting situated since she arrived and hadn’t yet been to any of the training sessions. So, he seemed caught off guard that she really did know how to fight back as well as she did. After he collected his wits about him, Lino switched tactics. Instead of coming straight toward her, the furious knight tried faking her out using fancy footwork and fast attacks. But it wasn’t anything new, or that Clara wasn’t already used to seeing. She continued blocking his swings with the sword in her right hand. Occasionally, Clara used the sword in her left hand as well. What Lino didn’t know was that the woman he was fighting was left-handed. And that the sword that she held in her left hand was actually five inches longer than the other. Clara blocked and parried his clumsy swings and blows. It surprised her at how bad of a fighter Lino was. Somehow, she had expected more from this elite team of knights that they had sent her to join. Eventually, she grew tired of deflecting his blows and evading his swings. She went on the offensive and took a few swings and jabs of her own just to tire him out quickly and let him see she wasn’t one to be trifled with. Lino was soon panting and took a step back to catch his breath. He held his sword in front of him, as if waiting for her to strike at any moment. “Take it easy, Lino. Can’t you see that I’m not trying to hurt you? You’re the one who attacked me. Just put your sword down and we can figure things out.” she said. “Mmm-hm,” he nodded. “Then you’ll kill me when I’m not expecting it, just like you did to all of my friends over there that are dead.” “Of course not,” Clara said as she flipped the sword over to slide it back into its sheath. Lino took advantage of the movement, thinking that she was off guard. He leaped forward to attack her with a wild swing. Clara didn’t bother to flip the sword back up. She simply turned to the side and blocked his blow with the sword still pointing down. Then brought the point of her left sword up against his throat. “I’m not trying to kill you or anyone else,” she said adamantly. “If I were, I would kill you right now, but I’m not. So, back off.” Lino sighed and took a step back. Then suddenly rammed his head forward and running the tip of her sword through his throat. Clara jerked the sword back. But it was too late. The cut was too deep. Lino gurgled and turned before falling to his knees. Donatello was standing just behind him. The realization that Lino had been shoved into the sword by the other man behind him made Clara’s head spin. She was horrified at the thought. Not Donatello, the gentle giant she had wanted to kiss earlier. “What did you just do, Donatello,” Clara gasped. The tall, broad man shrugged. “Doing you a favor. He would have tried to kill you later. Now, you’re safe and you don’t have to worry about it.” “No, no, no! What is this? This is madness. The baron is going to think I did this.” she gasped. “Don’t worry about it, little bird. The baron isn’t going to do anything about this. Trust me. Let’s just get this mess cleaned up and get everyone back inside.” Donatello picked up Lino’s body and slung it over his shoulder. Then bent down to pick up Filomena. “Why don’t you go ahead and grab Emanuella,” he ordered. “No,” she exclaimed. “We can’t just act as if nothing happened. What are you doing?” Clara followed Donatello back up toward the building. He tossed the bodies he was carrying onto the floor beside Abramo like sacks of potatoes. He turned to go back outside. Clara blocked his way, still demanding to know what was going on. The big man shoved her aside and went back toward the pigpen to pick up Emanuella. Clara kept trying to block his path, but Donatello walked around her and made his own way. The idea that he was responsible for their deaths still seemed difficult to grasp. She couldn’t believe that Donatello would have done such a thing. Finally, she just blurted it out. “It was you! Wasn’t it? You killed them.” “Duh!” Donatello said with a shrug of his shoulders. “Was it really that hard to figure out?” “What?!” Clara screeched, as if she couldn’t believe it. The truth was that she didn’t want to believe it. The idea that she had actually liked this guy and wanted to kiss him earlier was infuriating. Clara couldn’t believe that she had been so deceived by him. “Hey! Listen. I’ve got nothing against you.” Donatello said softly. “I know you didn’t even really know them and weren’t a part of this group. So, if you can let it go, I’ll let you live. Okay.” Donatello stood in front of her with his palms in front of his chest, as if trying to keep the peace. But she could tell by his stance that he was braced for an attack. “Why did you do this, Donatello?” she asked. “I can’t tell you now. But in time, you’ll find out,” he said with a gentle smile. “No, you tell me. Or else I’m going to tell the baron right now what you’ve done.” Clara said as she pointed to the door. He just shrugged and gave her that same goofy, stupid smile she was beginning to hate. “Fine,” she said, and turned to leave. “Hey, wait,” Donatello said. “I’ll tell you everything.” Clara turned back to face him. He tossed something in her direction from a towel in his left hand, and she instinctively reached out to catch it. As soon as she caught it, she realized what it was. A fork. Just like the one that everyone else touched before dying. She dropped the fork as fast as she could. Donatello just stood there, grinning at her. He held a towel in his left hand and licked the fingers of his other hand. “The poison wasn’t in the food. It was on the forks.” Donatello said as he tossed the towel onto the table. “You and Lino didn’t touch them. But I have to admit that it was fun watching you fight him. You’re a pretty good fighter. Too bad you couldn’t just play along and join me. You would have been a great asset to my new team.” “But why?” Clara asked. She took a step forward and felt her legs going numb. “I know you liked me. Wanted to kiss me. I like you too. Wanted to kiss you back. But that would have been too cruel knowing that I was probably going to have to kill you too.” Clara eyed his pocket. Whatever he had been licking on his fingers must be some kind of antidote. Every time he had been near one of them, she had seen him licking something off his fingers. “Well, then kiss me one last time before I die. Making a dying girl’s dream come true.” Clara said softly as she stumbled toward Donatello. She wrapped one arm around his neck and the other around his waist to support herself. “No, no, no, my dear. Can’t kiss you now. Sorry.” Donatello said as he let her slide down to the ground. He was nice enough to hold her arm and support her as she slid to the floor, which gave her enough time to slip her hand in his pocket to grab the vial that was there. “What are you going to do with us?” she asked. Donatello turned to pick up Filomena’s body and set her on top of the table. Clara popped the top off of the vial and gulped it all down. She noticed Donatello licking it off his fingers in small doses. But he did it several times and hadn’t even directly touched the poisonous objects himself. She could feel the poison working in her system. Shutting her down, and she needed to clip the effects fast. Clara hoped she wasn’t taking too much that might actually have the opposite effect. Darkness came on fast. Clara knew she was going to pass out and didn’t know if she would ever wake up again. The vial started to slip out of her fingers and she had enough sense to shove it clumsily into her pocket before losing consciousness. The last thing she saw was Donatello stacking the rest of her friends onto the table and shoving furniture underneath as if it were an oven that he was going to light up. Then she was out. Donatello finished shoving everything that would burn underneath the table. He picked up Clara’s body gently and carried her over to the table. Then set her on top of her friends’ bodies. He caressed her face gently before turning to leave. He slipped his hand into his pocket for another dose of antidote, but the vial wasn’t there. Donatello quickly ran his hands over all of his pockets and searched the floor. He couldn’t find it anywhere. He nervously brushed off his hands and hoped he already had enough antidote in his system to fight off the effects of any of the Strasinth Futhorax they had given him to pull this off. The person who had given it to him claimed they were only a messenger. They delivered the money they had promised him, as well as the poison. There was another small vial wrapped in paper that let him know it was the antidote. Unfortunately for the messenger, he must not have known about the powerful effects of the poison, because he had died before Donatello left the room. He never did say who had sent him, so Donatello didn’t even know who had hired him to do this job. He felt bad poisoning this group. He had actually come to like them in his own way over the past three months of working and living with them. But it was what it was. Most everyone who entered his line of work knew that they would get a taste of their own medicine someday. Even Donatello knew that someday, someone somewhere would seek revenge for someone he had assassinated. They would attack. He would try to defend himself. But they might be just a little bit faster or a little bit stronger. Then they would manage to get the upper hand over him, just like he had to so many others before him. After that, his life would be over. So, in the meantime, Donatello just wanted to make as much money as he could and live as well as he could until his time came. Clara came to with the smell of smoke filling her nostrils. She coughed and gagged as she struggled to sit upon a pile of bodies underneath her. Clara didn’t recognize any of them. She looked around but didn’t recognize where she was. Flames were licking up along the edges of the hut and racing along the thatch roof as smoke curled up through the eaves. Heat along her back made her turn around and she realized flames were licking up from under the far end of the long table where she was sitting as well. She leaped onto the floor, away from the flames, and turned to pull the others off the table as well. But then she realized they were dead. Her head felt heavy and foggy, as if she were thinking through a cloud. She couldn’t recall where she was or why she was here. Or for that matter, even who she was. The smoke filling the room was getting thicker and the flames coming down the walls. The girl knew she needed to get out of there, and fast. She looked around for the door, but that side of the building was covered with the most flames. Clara raced toward the back end of the building and checked each of the rooms. A small window in the corner farthest from the burning flames seemed like her best option. She raced across the floor and leaped through it, not knowing what might be on the other side. Fortunately, she was on the ground floor and she landed safely in the grass. Clara lay there for a moment, looking up at the building being consumed by flames in front of her. She stood up stiffly and checked her body for cuts or broken bones. But other than bad stomach cramps and the fogginess in her head, everything seemed fine. Clara moved up along the trail toward a large castle-like building in front of her. Other buildings had caught fire as well and were burning around her. She could see bodies lying on the floor in some of them. Clara knew there was no point in trying to save them from the fire. They were too far gone. When she arrived at the castle doors, she could see men on the far side of it fighting desperately for their lives along the top of the walls. Clara looked down at her armor and the swords at her side. She felt the cape blowing gently in the wind and flapping against her side. Clara flipped it around and looked at the crest embroidered in it. She didn’t recognize it. Clara couldn’t remember what it represented or why she was wearing it. She must be a part of whatever group was inside the castle and defend it. She could see they were under attack. But she had no idea why or what they were even fighting for. She pushed open one of the wide-double doors and looked inside. Maybe someone inside here would recognize her and could tell her who she was. She stepped inside and waited a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness inside. Slowly, she made out a few silent shapes scattered along the floor in the back. She made her way carefully toward the back where they had conglomerated. They seemed to have been coming from the other room, running this way, when they fell dead. Clara entered a large dining hall. There were dead people everywhere. Lying across the tables. Fallen on the floor from where they had been sitting. They all held their forks in their hands, or their forks were on the floor where they had fallen as well. She felt no sadness or pity for them. It felt as if she were in a dream observing everything that was going on, yet completely detached from everything taking place around her. A long, loud scream made her move quickly across the large dining hall and out the far door. She moved quickly and silently down the long hallway. Moving deeper into the darkness. She checked each room on her way down, but they were either empty or if there was someone there, they were already dead. She came to the end of the hallway. Clara looked right and then left. Everything dark and silent. Whoever had screamed was probably already dead, so there wouldn’t be much sense in searching each of the rooms down these long halls for them. Clara turned to return to the front door and help the members of her crest. Whoever they may be. Perhaps one of them could tell her who she was and what was going on if they survived this attack. Just as she turned, though, her ears picked up the sound of someone’s voice coming from one of the rooms down to the left. It sounded as if they were yelling or arguing loudly. Clara moved down the hallway quickly in the direction she had heard the sound. The yelling had stopped, and everything went silent again. She moved from door to door, putting her ear up against each one. Then the shouting began again, farther down the hall. This time, Clara moved swiftly but silently down the hall without having to stop at each door. When she arrived in front of the door, the yelling stopped. Clara stood to the side as she leaned up against the wall in case someone came out. The voices were speaking quietly now. She waited until they picked up again so that they wouldn’t hear her lift the latch. Clara pushed the door open slowly as she held her breath in the hopes that it wouldn’t creak. She peeked through the widening crack in the door until she could see what was going on inside. “That’s how it’s going to be, Baron. And don’t forget that we have your daughter. So, if you don’t comply, well, let’s just say that if Lady Assunta lives, she’ll probably be so ugly no one will ever want to look at her again, much less marry,” a tall, broad man said with a dull, wicked laugh. The Baron roared and struggled against ropes that bound him to a chair in the center of the room. He attempted to kick at the man who stood in front of him and mocked him. Clara noticed that the tall man who was standing was also wearing a cape with the same crest that she had on hers. She pondered that for a moment. Why was this baron here? Wouldn’t the castle be his, she thought to herself? So why would someone with the same crest as her have him tied up? She stepped forward into the room and waited for the men to notice her. She didn’t want to get too close to either of them until she had a chance to assess the situation and understand what was going on. The Baron noticed her first. His eyes squinted and darkened when he noticed her standing there. “You are a part of this too, Clara? I knew I shouldn’t have trusted either of you two newcomers.” The Baron growled. His eyes flicked over to the other man and said, “I thought you said you killed the rest of the group, Donatello?” The woman processed this information. He called her Clara. The other man’s name was Donatello. Both names seemed familiar. However, her head still felt too foggy to remember what that meant or who they were. Donatello whirled to face her. He frowned when he saw her, as if trying to understand what she was doing there. “Clara! What? How?” he mumbled. “No one survives the Strasinth Futhorax. Oh, wait! I get it now.” The large man suddenly slapped his head and guffawed loudly. “Okay! I get it now. You stole my vial of antidote. Didn’t you, you sneaky little thief?” Clara said nothing. Her foggy head reeling with all this new information. This man poisoned her? Was that why she couldn’t remember who or where she was? She waited for him to continue to see what else he had to say. “Clara? Hello! Are you okay?” he asked, snapping his fingers in her direction. “I don’t remember anything,” she finally said honestly. “I don’t remember who I am or what I’m doing here?” “Really? Oh, that too bad, Clara! I’m so glad you’re alive, though. You don’t remember when we almost kissed this morning? I was drawing in the sand and you leaned in for a kiss. But then Lady Assunta screamed because a cat was up in the tree. And I climbed up to pull it down.” Clara shook her head. Digging deep. Trying to remember something. To recall anything from earlier. “What are we doing here?” she asked. Donatello said, “The Baron here brought you in as part of his team of assassins. We were making preparations to kill the king of Pelarese. You were the lynchpin of our team. Does any of this ring a bell?” “Of course it doesn’t, Clara. We didn’t tell you about your part. To pull it off and make it seem convincing, we never told you what we were doing and what your role was to be. That way everything would seem believable and convincing during our mission.” Clara looked from one to the other in disbelief. “Are you kidding me? I’m not an assassin,” she said to Donatello. “Not yet,” he replied, pointing to her swords. “But you are an excellent fighter. Just like when you killed Lino with those swords earlier today.” She pulled a sword from her sheath and felt the weight of it in her hands. Clara saw some dried blood on the tip of it that ran down the edge of the blade. She swung the sword in her hands. The weight felt good, almost natural. She slid it back into her sheath, but kept her hand on the hilt in case she needed to use it again. “Look, this is great that you’re here,” Donatello said, taking a step forward. Clara took two steps back quickly and pulled her sword again. “Whoa, calm down. I’m not going to hurt you. This is a good thing. We have a second chance now. I wanted you to join me. Remember?” Donatello asked. “And I refused, so you poisoned me. Does that sound about right?” she retorted. “Hey, look! It is what it is among us assassins. It’s kill or be killed. Just like you killed Lino.” “Why? Because he was working with you?” “No, but he thought you were to blame, and he attacked you. You beat him so easily. We know that you have what it takes to join us. You’re a survivor. Just look at you standing here now.” Clara looked over at the Baron. “So, what’s the new mission now?” she asked. “This,” Donatello said, pointing around them and stopping at the Baron. “The King of Pelarese was willing to pay more than the ol’ Baron here was. All I had to do was take down the castle from the inside while his men stormed the castle walls. It wasn’t even that hard with the Strasinth Futhorax. And by the sounds of it, we’re winning outside as well.” Donatello walked around the Baron toward the open window overlooking the courtyards and the wall where the sounds of battle echoed. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly. “I’m sorry it had to come to this Baron. But I did warn you of the dangers of attempting this mission before we started.” “But you betrayed us by telling the King of Pelarese of our plans.” “Oh, no! You can’t blame me for that, Baron. The king has spies everywhere. He learned of your plans from someone else. A man approached me and told me that our mission was already doomed. They offered me a handsome sum to assist them from the inside. I would have been killed if I had refused to take part. This would have happened with or without my help. And well, you know what they say about assassins working for the highest bidder.” “Fine! Let me go and I’ll pay you ten times what they are offering. In fact, you can have all my wealth if I can escape with my life.” “Hm, sorry. I don’t think that’s a valid offer, Baron. You no longer have any wealth. As soon as King Pelarese breaks through those walls, he will claim all of your treasure for himself. Part of our deal was that I deliver you to him, dead or alive. I get paid more if you are still alive, though, which is why I have you tied up. And as long as you cooperate, I will make sure Lady Assunta is taken care of. So, just sit still a little longer.” Clara listened to them talking. Trying to process everything as fast as her foggy brain could think. She tried to remember who the King of Pelarese was. Clara tried to decide whose side she should be on, which was difficult without her memories. Right now, all she knew was that she wanted to stay alive. But a fight broke out and push came to shove, Clara didn’t know if she should continue to fight for her crest or against it. Was the Baron wrong for trying to kill the king of Pelarese and use her as part of his assassination team? Or was he right in what he was doing, and she was with them for a reason? She wanted to go back to her room to see if she could find anything to jog her memory, but at the moment, Clara couldn’t even remember where her room was. She reached inside her pockets to see if there was anything there. Her hand brushed against something small, hard, and cold. Clara’s slim, nimble fingers wrapped around it and pulled it out. A small vial. Donatello had said something about his antidote. Suddenly, a rush of memories hit her. Not much, but enough that she remembered what had happened from the time she had woken up earlier that day. Abramo, Emanuella, Filomena, and finally Lino. She remembered Donatello pushing Lino into the tip of her sword. She couldn’t remember anything before that yet, but she knew enough to realize that Donatello must pay for his crimes against her friends. Donatello was still looking out the window. She pulled a dagger and stepped forward. Clara slid the blade between the cords that bound his hands and motioned for him to remain silent. Then placed the dagger in his hands. The Baron continued to sit on the chair as if he were bound to it. Clara stepped to the side and coughed loudly. She bent over and grabbed her head as if she were in excruciating pain. Donatello swiveled in her direction and came over to assist her. “Come, Clara. Lie down here on the bed. The poison is powerful. It may still be affecting your body. Do you have any more of the antidote or do you remember what you did with the vial?” She stood up and shook her head. Donatello turned to help her walk toward the bed. When they passed the Baron, the furious, vengeful father stood to his feet and ran the blade of the dagger that Clara had given him into the small of Donatello’s back. Sliding it up between the joints of his armor. The fact that the Baron hired assassins didn’t mean that he did not know how to kill himself. He immediately removed the blade and plunged it in higher up the man’s back. Aiming for his heart. By the time Donatello reached his hands behind his back, the Baron had already withdrawn the blade. This time he drove the dagger in from the side. Once again, aiming for his heart. Twisting the blade to inflict as much damage as possible. Donatello fell to his knees with a loud groan. The Baron stepped in close and ran the blade deep along his throat from ear to ear. Then he took a step back and pushed Donatello’s head forward. The large man fell slowly forward and hit the ground with a loud thud. A pool of blood flowing from his throat built up around him. The Baron turned to thank Clara profusely. “Come on! There’s no time to waste. We must find Lady Assunta and get you both out of here.” They found the girl in her room. Locked in her closet with the cat. She hugged her father and told him that Donatello had locked her in there. The Baron went to look for his wife but soon returned with a silent shake of his head that she was dead without Lady Assunta knowing. “Come, there is a secret passageway that we can use to escape. It leads out to the river,” the Baron said breathlessly as he bustled them along the corridor toward the secret entrance. Clara nodded and motioned for him to go on. She didn’t trust him as far as she could throw a brick of gold. He might try to kill her so no one would know where he had gone. “I’m going back out to help defend the walls and stop the king of Pelarese,” she said. “No, that’s foolishness and madness. You will die. Your duty is to protect my daughter and I. Escort us to our king in Barlegnano. We will raise up an army and make Pelarese pay. I will richly reward you for your courageous services.” “It’s okay!” Clara said quietly in the silence of the dark hall. “I have a plan. After you leave the passageway. Hide somewhere close to hear me call. If my plan works, you can return. If not, I will escort you to the king.” “What if you die or get wounded?” The Baron asked. “Don’t be so pessimistic, daddy,” Lady Assunta said with a serious look on her face. “She’s going to be fine. Think positive.” “I’m a practical man, honey. I can’t afford the luxury of daydreaming and fantasies.” The Baron said gravely. Clara smiled at the young girl and brushed her cheek. “It’s okay, Lady Assunta. Your father is a wise man and only thinking of a backup plan to keep you safe. If I don’t show before the moon comes up over the horizon, then continue your journey without me.” She watched as the Baron and his daughter let themselves down into the secret passageway. Clara helped close the trapdoor behind them and threw a rug over the top so no one would see it. Then Clara raced back to the room where Donatello lay. She felt along his body for where he kept his vial of poison. She found a glass vial similar to the antidote tucked away safely in his side. It was wrapped in a small cloth bag with a drawstring. She held the vial up to the light and shook the clear liquid around. The symbol of a Pelarese dragon etched into the glass. Clara could see a small white wick with a brush at the end. It wasn’t what she had expected at all. She had expected it to be some kind of powder, but it made sense that they had diluted it in some sort of liquid that the human body could absorb. Clara jumped up and raced down to the Baron’s study, where he kept some of his most prized possessions. He had once been a mighty warrior himself when younger, and achieved many glorious victories. Now older and well along in years, he served as the king’s counselor and right-hand man. And the Baron loved to tell stories about his conquests. Everyone knew about his achievements. The Baron kept the rewards and prizes that they had given him for his achievements in his study to show all who came to visit him. That was when he got his chance to retell his stories and brag about his former conquests. But there was one, in particular, that was the envy of every king on the continent of Vicetone. It was the Eye of Scafallo. The Eye of Scafallo was a large, legendary Wolloitine set into a base of precious metals that had been encrusted with other jewels surrounding it. Wolloitine a bright red stone that glowed in the dark. It had been given to the Baron after he helped the King of Scafallo defeat a dragon that had terrorized the land for almost an entire year. The people of Scafallo and been so grateful that they were willing to give him anything he wanted. It was the only thing he asked for and they gave it gladly. So, Clara knew that if the King of Pelarese or any of his men broke in here, this would be the first thing that they would come looking for besides the Baron himself. She opened the vial carefully and brushed the sides and base of the Eye of Scafallo completely. Clara also brushed poison from the vial onto two other objects in the room as well. They looked like they would draw the enemy’s eye. She made careful note of which objects had poison on them so that she could be sure to tell the Baron not to touch them when he returned. On second thought, Clara got to thinking that it might not be such a great idea to just leave it there. The first men to come in would touch it and die. Then the king and none of the other men would touch it. She knew she needed to come up with a better plan. Just then, she heard a loud splintering roar. She glanced out the window and saw the men of Pelarese were breaking through gates. They had killed most of the people with Donatello’s poison. The few that survived and fought valiantly, but there were too few left to hold them off. Clara ran down to the kitchen and grabbed a large gunny sack. She raced back up to the Baron’s study and threw the bag over the Eye of Scafallo. Clara knew she had to be astute if she wanted to kill the king. If she simply walked out and handed it over, he would be suspicious. She had to find a way for them to catch her and make them feel like they were taking it from her. The gate was open and the army of Pelarese streamed through into the courtyard. Clara ran down to the front door as if she were trying to get away. She waited for some of the men to see her before running back through the kitchen and out into the yard, where she threw herself up against the wall. The two men running after her never stood a chance. They didn’t even know what hit them. They raced out the door and stopped when they didn’t see her. Clara ran them each through with a sword at the same time. They fell to their knees and began to topple forward. Clara grabbed the smaller one by the collar and untied his cape. She quickly undid her own and threw his cape around herself. Then she picked up the bag with the Eye of Scafallo in it and tossed it over her shoulder. There were knights and soldiers everywhere as they swarmed the castle looking for the Baron. Clara walked through them unnoticed to the gate. She saw the king standing beside his horse in the center of the courtyard. “Find me the Baron! And bring all of his treasure out there to me.” the king shouted to the men running around. Clara watched from the side as the men cleared the castle room by room. They stuck their head out the windows and yelled before throwing stuff out into the courtyard to the king. The men standing outside would pick it up and bring it over to the king. The king kicked at a few items to roll them over with his boot for a better look, but he didn’t reach down to pick anything up. She knew it wouldn’t do any good to walk over and simply throw the Eye at his feet. “Remember not to touch any of the forks,” the king shouted. “The forks have been poisoned. Everything else should be fine, but be careful.” Clara knew she needed to act fast before they made it to the study and found out that some of the Baron’s treasures had been poisoned. She began walking across the courtyard toward the gate. The king was less than twenty paces away. She could feel him watching her. “Hey! Hey! You there with the bag. Where are you going? What do you have there?” he shouted. She glanced at him and kept walking a few more paces to make him suspicious. He yelled for her to halt and took a step in her direction. “Come here! You aren’t stealing from me, are you? Let me see what’s in your bag.” Clara stopped and turned slowly. She tried to look as nervous and suspicious as possible. Her hands shook as she slid the bag off her shoulder. “No, of course not, your royal highness,” she let her voice quaver. “A woman dressed up as a knight using our crest?” he asked. “Methinks you are trying to flee with some of me treasures. Come here, lass.” The king took another step forward. The surrounding knights remained relaxed and at ease, thinking she was just a maidservant dressing up like them to escape. She stepped forward and made a point of clutching the gunny sack tightly, as if she didn’t want to give it up. “What have we here, little lady?” the king asked. “Uh. Um. Just some food, sir,” Clara replied, letting her voice tremble slightly at the end as if she were going to cry for having gotten caught doing something bad. “Food? Huh? That looks too heavy to be food. Let me see what’s inside. Don’t worry. If it is, we’ll let you go. We’re not here to kill the women and children.” Clara continued hanging on tightly to the bag. She closed her eyes, willing herself to shed a tear. But none came. She wasn’t as good of an actor as she would have liked. Clara took a deep breath and opened her eyes. “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know what’s in the bag. They gave me orders to escape with it.” she said quietly. “Please don’t be angry with this humble servant.” “Ha! I knew it wasn’t food. I could tell by the way you walked that you looked awfully suspicious. Go on and open the bag. Let’s see what you’ve got there.” Clara opened the bag a little so he could get a glimpse of what was inside. “What in the name of Scafallo?!” the king exclaimed as he grabbed the gunny sack from her hands. “No wonder. You were trying to sneak away with my treasures, you thief. I’ll have your head for this.” “Please, sir. I was just following orders. I’ll do anything. You claimed this castle, so now I’ll serve you.” Clara begged, getting down on her knees. The king kicked at her and ordered her to get back as he reached inside the gunny sack to pull out the Eye of Scafallo. With his hands around the base, the king pulled the gunny sack down around the shining jeweled object until everyone around him could see the exquisite piece. A soft, red glow illuminated the king’s face as he pulled it close and kissed it. “It’s more beautiful than I could have imagined,” he whispered. The knights crowded in around him to touch it and place their hands upon it. “Yes, men!” the king said. “Absorb its power. Legend says that all who rub it receive power to rule. I am not greedy. I will share its power so that together we may grow and expand our kingdom.” The king extended it out to the knights, who came running from all directions. They lined up to rub it and kiss it as their king had done. “We’ve made a complete search of the castle, my lord!” one of the last knights to struggle out of the castle said as he came running forward. “But the Baron is nowhere to be found.” The king scoffed and said, “No worry. Let the outcast vermin run for his life like a coward. He is at this very moment fleeing to his king in Guiples. We will deal with him after we conquer all of Barlegnano and take down the Castle of Guiples. It will be a long and arduous fight, but now that we have the Eye of Scafallo in our possession, we shall prevail!” The men cheered and jumped around the courtyard. The king coughed and brought his hands down weakly. Knights around him mistook his gasping for weakness and quickly grabbed the Eye of Scafallo from him. They passed it on to others and grabbed the king to hold him up. The knights gathered in closer and reached out to touch it. They continued to dance and chant madly as they passed the poisoned object around the crowd from hand to hand. “Death to the Baron! Death to our enemies! Barlegnano shall fall before us as we ride toward Guiples!” Clara had been on her hands and knees before the king the entire time, with our hands on the hilts of her sword. Ready to pull them at a moment’s notice to strike death to the king and those around her. Willing to fight to the death and lay down her life for the Baron and his castle. But with the way things were going, it didn’t look like she would even have to lift a finger. Every man in the courtyard had rubbed their hands on the Eye of Scafallo at least twice. She backed away slowly from the men still dancing around her. They didn’t seem to notice yet that the king was down on his hands and knees with his face in the dirt. The knights closest to him staggered around him before falling to their knees. Clara stood up and walked through the men to the outer edges of the party. Some of the men stopped dancing when they noticed the king wasn’t moving. They rushed to surround him, leaving Clara alone near the wall. She leaned up against the wall to watch events unfold. One by one, men began to fall to their knees beside the king. Others simply toppled over where there stood. Their companions tried to support them and pull them back up, but soon fell over themselves. Finally, the last man standing fell over onto the pile of men who had already died around them. The Eye of Scafallo buried underneath a mass of poisoned flesh. Clara pulled her swords, just in case any of the knights weren’t quite dead yet, and tried to attack her. She stood on a pile of rubble by the looking over the circle of dead and dying knights before her. Their bodies lit up by the flames of the burning huts and homes around them. She hopped down from the mound she was standing on and walked around the group until he spotted a familiar red glow shining up from underneath someone’s lifeless arm. Then picked up the gunnysack and tossed it back over the Eye of Scafallo to return it to its place in the Baron’s study. The few remaining survivors who had managed to stay hidden came out to the courtyard because of the silence. They looked at Clara in awe as she walked past them into the castle. Clara lit a torch and opened the escape hatch to make her way down the tunnel toward the Baron. He was surprised to see her so soon. At first, he was suspicious and refused to return to the castle because he thought she was setting a trap for him. When she finally convinced him that everything was under control, the Baron and Lady Assunta followed him back up to the castle. He stood at the door of the courtyard in complete and utter astonishment. “I’m flabbergasted,” was all the Baron could say for several minutes as he walked around the courtyard cautiously, as if he expected someone to jump up and attack him any minute. Clara told him the entire story of everything that had transpired. He didn’t seem very pleased that she had chosen to poison his beloved Eye of Scafallo. In the end, though, he admitted that it had been the only thing that would have caused the now-dead king of Pelarese and all of his knights to throw caution to the wind and all want to touch, bringing down their downfall so swiftly. “I’m absolutely astounded,” he kept saying over and over as he walked around the courtyard. “I don’t know how to thank you. You saved me. You saved my daughter. You saved my castle. And quite possibly, you’ve saved the entire kingdom.” The Baron insisted on knowing how she wanted to be rewarded, but Clara just shrugged as if it were no big deal. She had come from a small, humble family in Cesefati which was a small city to the north. She had just finished her training and started her career. All Clara wanted was to be successful in life. She had been an active tomboy and a good fighter. So joining the military ranks seemed to be her best shot. She had quickly worked her way up the ranks to where she was now. Clara felt good about what she had accomplished so far. So she wasn’t really sure how to answer the Baron. She wanted a better life for her family. But Clara wasn’t sure what would be a proper reward for someone of her status. So, she asked for some time to think about it so that she could consult with people she knew and trusted. The Baron agreed. He even proposed a marriage, which shocked Clara. “Marry me, Clara. My wife is dead. Lady Assunta needs a mother who can protect her. Half of everything I own will be yours.” “I am flattered,” she replied, even though it didn’t seem like that exciting of a reward for her. Sure, the wealth would be nice. And even though the aging Baron had probably been quite good-looking in his prime, he wasn’t exactly the kind of person who Clara had grown up imagining she would marry. “Thank you for your kind offer, sir,” she finally managed to reply after the shock of his words wore off. “Although, I’m not sure that I would be the best choice to meet the demands of a Baroness. I come from a humble family and have never been inside a castle before. I’m not sure I would know how to behave myself before all the fine lords and ladies. Besides, I think I’m better fitted for the open fields and fighting battles. Surely, there are many other beautiful ladies properly trained to fulfill the duties you desire.” The Baron patted her gently. “Of course, my dear. I understand. Don’t worry. We’ll think of an appropriate way to reward you for your faithful services.” Clara giggled giddily with excitement and nervousness. “Well, now I know that you brought me to join your team of assassins. Since I’m the only one left, I guess you’ll just have to put up with me.” He laughed loudly and said, “Yes, you are the best assassin I have ever hired. Clara, the assassin who eliminated the army of Pelarese and its king without ever even drawing her sword.” She smiled as the Baron and those around him began calling her “Clara the Slayer of Kings”. The Baron ordered the men to repair the gates and the women to clean up the castle. He had them fix up the largest and best guest room in the castle for Clara. “Yours, for as long as you chose to stay here with us. Once we fix and clean up the mess around here, you’ll ride with me to give your report to the king, Clara the Slayer of Kings.” “Since I’m the last, living person who will ever touch the Eye of Scafallo, I guess I’ll hold its power forever.” “Only until someone else with the antidote will be willing to take that risk,” the Baron replied. “Which I’m sure won’t be long till they try. I’ve had people trying to steal it from me ever since I first acquired it.” “Well then, I guess we just better not tell them by what poison the King of Pelarese and his royal army really died. We can call it by the name of some other poison.” Clara said. “I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard for people to guess what kind of poison was used since it was so deadly. But don’t worry, by time we make our journey to the king, news of your feat will have traveled the entire land to a hundred kingdoms. Each person who retells it will embellish it and make it sound even more incredible. Before the story of your victory reaches the farthest lands, there will be a hundred different versions of how you killed the King of Pelarese and his indomitable army.” “Hm! So, it’ll be Clara the Slayer of Kings, who defeated an entire army with her swords. I like that version.” she said with a grin. “Oh, that one. And the one where Clara the Slayer of Kings defeats them with a snap of her fingers. And another where they all keel over dead when Clara the Slayer of Kings looks in their direction. And so on and so on and so on. Every bard will add his own spin to the tale, and every minstrel will twist it to fit his song. All we have to do is not tell them the authentic version.” The Baron instructed every one of the survivors to never tell the true story of what had happened that night. They could tell any version they wanted, but he made them swear to never tell of the actual events. “And the bonus is that anyone else who tries to steal my precious Eye of Scafallo is in for a nasty surprise.” “Yep! That’s for sure. They’ll all be shouting, ‘It’s the Eye of Scafallo’ in the thrill of the flight before dropping dead.” “Ha! Yes, and you will be the last known survivor who stalks her prey in the night after touching us all with the Eye of Scafallo.” They both liked the sound of that. “I can’t wait to hear the songs they write about you,” the Baron said as he looked around his study. “I’ll just have to place it up high and out of reach so that none of my friends or family brushes against it by accident. Somewhere that a person would have to work really hard to get to it if they wanted to steal it.” “Well, let them try,” Clara said. “If they come, I’ll kill them. I will slay them all. And I will protect you and Lady Assunta as long as I have breath.” Dave Bailey	[]
✓ Fast Processing ✓ Great Discounts & Offers ✓ Easy EMI Facility \| Apply for Credit Card now! What is Credit Card Limit The term credit card limit refers to the maximum amount that can be borrowed on a credit card at any given time. This limit is decided by the credit card issuing authority and differs for each person according to their credit scores. It is communicated at the time of issuance and remains the same until the bank deems a change is necessary. It is essential to be aware of your credit card limit to ensure your expenses don’t overshoot. Borrowing more on the card than your card limit can have a negative impact on your credit score. A reduced credit score hampers your creditworthiness and your chances of securing a loan at favourable terms in the future. How to Increase Credit Card Limit If you are a dependable user who spends wisely and pays the bills on time, the bank will reach out to you to increase your CC limit. However, if you need more funds, you can initiate the process. You can visit the bank or raise a request through net banking to increase your credit card limit. If you are wondering how to improve your credit card limit, here is a list of things you can do. • Submit Income Increase Proof In case your income has increased, you can offer your latest payslips to the bank as proof and request to increase your credit card limit. • Clear Your Dues Try to be regular with your payments to help increase your credit score so that the bank considers you for a credit card limit increase. • Bank Loyalty You can also opt to hold on to a credit card for a longer duration so that the bank reaches out to you to increase the maximum limit of credit card • Reduce Fixed Debts Work towards reducing your debts, such as personal loan EMIs, home loan EMIs etc., as this would create a positive impression on the bank. • Keep Credit Utilisation Low You must ensure that your credit utilisation ratio, i.e., the amount borrowed against the credit available, is low as it improves your credit score. Try to maintain a credit utilisation ratio of 30% • Apply for a Credit Card You can apply for a new credit card with a higher credit limit and use one or both cards for transactions. Factors Considered by Banks in Deciding Your Maximum Credit Card Limit • Annual Income A higher income indicates a better repayment capability. If your income is in the higher bracket, the chances are more that the bank would offer you a higher credit limit. On the other hand, the total credit limit would be low against a low income. • Age Your spending capacity increases as you age and gain responsibilities. As a result, you may be eligible for a higher maximum credit card limit. • Current Debt Amount The amount of money you borrowed in the past but are yet to repay has a negative impact on your credit score. As a result, if you have availed excess credit in the past but have been unable to repay, the bank would reduce your credit limit. • Employment Status If you have been employed in your current organisation for a significant time, it indicates that you have a stable job and regular pay. As a result, the bank may consider your application for a higher credit limit. An unstable job and no fixed pay cheques can negatively affect the maximum credit limit. • Credit Score Your chances of getting approved for a maximum credit card limit increase if you have a high credit score since this reflects good repayment behaviour. • Credit History If there is no credit history and credit score to your name, and you have applied for your first credit card, the bank might consider giving you a card with a low credit limit as it is unaware of the risk involved. Similarly, if you have a good credit score and a stellar credit history, the bank may be comfortable offering you a card with a higher credit limit. How to Check Maximum Limit on Your Card To check the limit of credit card, you can opt for any of the following means: 1. Check Credit Card Limit Through Net Banking If registered with the bank’s net banking service, you can check your credit card limit by following a few easy steps. • Step 1: Visit the bank’s net banking portal • Step 2: Use your credentials and log in to your account • Step 3: Go to the credit card section • Step 4: Select the credit card for which you want to check the limit • Step 5: Click on the 'View account summary' option • Step 6: Your credit card limit will be mentioned in the credit card account summary. 2. Checking Credit Limit Through SMS You can also check the limit of your credit card by sending an SMS to your bank, using the keyword in the approved format, from your registered mobile number. You will get an instant reply from the bank with details regarding your credit card limit. 3. Checking Credit Card Limit Through Customer Care A credit card limit check can also be done in real time by calling the concerned bank's credit card helpline number and placing a request with a customer care executive. After verification, the executive will communicate your credit card limit to you. About Credit Cards Credit Cards & Related to Credit Cards Resource Centre FAQs on Credit Card Limit ✔️How is my credit card limit decided? The credit card limit is decided based on the yearly income, age, current debt amount, available credit, employment status, credit score, and credit history. ✔️Is it good to increase my credit card limit? If you tend to borrow more on your credit card, it is better to increase the credit card limit. It will lower the credit utilisation ratio and hence improve your credit score. ✔️How much is the credit card swipe limit per day? The credit card daily limit is set by the bank and can be modified by you based on your expenses and the total credit card limit. The credit card swipe limit per day or the credit card daily limit is the total amount that you can borrow on the card in a day. ✔️ What is the difference between the total credit card limit and available credit card limit? While total credit card refers to the total amount one can borrow using a credit card, the available credit card limit is the available money based on the bank account balance. Overall, if the entire available credit card limit has been used, the total credit card limit is reached. Most banks deny further transactions in this situation. ✔️How does your credit card limit affect the credit score? Credit card limit affects credit score because higher credit limits result in lower credit utilisation. Consequently, a lower credit utilisation ratio would translate to a better credit score.	[]
Friday, October 14, 2016 Bathroom rants and camps in Jamestown (September 26) by Rachel On Monday, September 26, we went to Jamestown. The first thing we did was go to the bathroom. I got stuck in the first stall! With an automatic toilet! I hate automatic toilets! With regular toilets you can open the door and then flush, if you're scared of bathroom stalls and toilet sounds (which I am)! After banging on the door it finally opened. Then we walked to the Native American tribe camp. All of the stuff outside was hands on so we could touch anything: pelts, feathers, beds, turtle shells. I loved everything about the camp! Inside one of the houses Outside one of the houses Benjamin "sleeping" on a bed Checking out some arrows Miriam holding a deer leg grinding corn Zoë going into one of the houses Miriam tried to climb up into a bunk bed, but the ladder sticks were too far apart. I touched most of the pelts, including a fox pelt, which, by the way, was super soft! There was a game where there were some feathers attached to a corn cob, and you had to throw it into a target. It was a super fun game, and even life was hard, it would be fun to live in a Native American camp! Rachel making it through the hoop Miriam making it through the hoop checking out an in-process burn-out canoe standing in the canoe (mom said we could not sit in it because it was all charcoal) Zoë with some charcoal on her face (That isn't all we did, but I just wrote about this). 1. Very interesting. Thank you for writing, Rachel 2. So does Zoe have a tail (the picture of her going into one of the houses)? And I hate automatic flush toilets, too! There is one in the library that flushes like THREE TIMES, always unexpectedly, and I wish it would let me finish first! 3. My nephew hates the automatic toilets too. Sorry you were stuck in the bathroom stall. I enjoyed reading about your time at the Native American camp.	[]
Can Cbd Oil Make You Pee More (2022) Can Cbd Oil Make You Pee More (2022) Does CBD cause you to use the bathroom frequently? Yes, cbd can make you vomit. Cbd is believed to control gut motility which triggers digestive activity. Cbd’s relaxing effects on nerves could play a part in this, as well as the antioxidants in cbd could be a contributing factor to more frequent and more regular stool movements. There’s more to it than this, however. Can you safely take CBD oil every day? Can CBD aid in relieving the pain of bladder? In sex and sex, abdominal pain that Interstitial Cystitis generates may be nearly impossible to bear. However, many people have experienced an improvements in IC symptoms with the help of CBD. What should you expect when you begin using CBD? CBD reduces muscle tension, eases discomfort, and can even help reduce anxiety, which means you’ll likely be feeling extremely relaxed and tired. Don’t worry about it, however. The majority of patients report that symptoms of fatigue disappear once you reach the 3-week mark however if they do not then try reducing your dosage or telling your doctor about it. What do CBD affect you? What is the recommended dosage of CBD oil do I need to consume? To determine how many drops of CBD oil you should consume it is recommended to begin with the standard dosageof two to three drops 3 times per day. You can raise the amount or the amount of drops you take if you don’t notice any effects over the next few days. What supplements are good to treat an overactive bladder? They include hachi-mi-jio-gan, gosha-j and buchu. They also include cornsilk, horsetail, and cleavers. Capsaicin and Resiniferatoxin have greater promise in the treatment of pelvic pain syndromes rather than for OAB. Utilizing complementary medications to treat OAB is not a success. Can CBD oil ease the pain in your pelvis? Lowers pain and discomfort from pelvic floor problems Based on Reeves, CBD can help to relax and soothe those pelvic floor muscles. “It also has a vasodilating effect,” claims Reeves. “It helps blood flow come into that area, [and] that further supports muscle relaxation.” What are the negatives to using CBD oil? Although it’s generally well-tolerated CBD may cause adverse reactions, including diarrhoea, dry mouth decreased appetite, fatigue, and drowsiness. CBD may interact with other medicines you’re taking, like blood thinners. Another reason to be concerned is the ambiguity regarding the quality and dose of CBD in the products. What is the reason you place CBD oil on your tongue? What amount of CBD oil do you need to consume to start? If you’re taking an edible product or an tincture that contains CBD isolated, Martin A. Lee suggests 25 milligrams as an initial start. Then, you’ll be able to increase the dose, exactly as Healthline advised: “starting with the lowest dose and gradually working your way up is the best way to go”. What is it that makes CBD oil cause me to feel strange? Gastrointestinal issues and nausea are quite frequent side effect of CBD oil. It can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness and other signs of digestive issues (think what you’d feel when you eat something that didn’t agree with your preferences). Some people aren’t able to take in CBD oil properly. What is the best time to consume CBD oil? We suggest starting with doses of 5mg, three times a day, and then increasing your dose gradually throughout several weeks, making sure you keep your daily dose below 70mg. Take a look at our guide on CBD dosages for more detailed information. Can I make use of CBD oil to lubricate my car? Can You Use CBD Oil as Lube? People who feel uncomfortable in sex might be enticed to try using CBD oil to lubricate. However, when it comes to the health of genital organs it is recommended to make use of products specifically designed for this use. Utilizing CBD oils or tinctures on their own is usually not recommended. Can CBD cause yeast infections? The findings of a new research study suggest that marijuana use can lead to potentially life-threatening mold and fungal illnesses, particularly for those who suffer from immunodeficiency. Previous research has revealed that cannabis plants are vulnerable to mold and fungus growth. How much CBD do I need to take to treat pelvic pain? In the case of edibles, a 10 milligram dose, either TCH or CBD is a reasonable amount and can be adjusted by small doses, 5 mg each until desired effects. It is recommended to begin by creating their own edibles in order to regulate the amount. The most powerful is oil, which happens to be the strongest type of cannabis. Can I drink water following the intake of CBD oil? This is the reason we’re here today . There must be a solution to the question “should i drink water after taking cbd?” If you smoke cbd, drink it by mouth, or apply it topically, it’s perfectly safe to drink water as normal without altering absorption. What happens if you ingest CBD oil? If you consume CBD the substance travels through your digestive tract and the body will automatically begin to break it into smaller pieces. The process can be reduced by mixing CBD with other ingredients, such as fats or the MCT carrier, however the effect is tiny. Does CBD oil cause tooth discoloration? In the absence of saliva, it can cause gum disease and tooth decay. Desineralization of your enamel similar to smoking tobacco, cannabis can cause staining to your teeth. But, it could go one step further , and demineralize the enamel of your teeth, which makes it that difficult to whiten your teeth. What time should I consume CBD Oil morning or night?	[]
The main advantage of renting a tent to host a graduation or birthday celebration is the dimension of the event. Your guests will be able to experience the feeling of being in a grand scale once they walk into the marquee or tent for your party due to the way the huge roof draws your attention upwards. The atmosphere of your party will be enhanced by an air of grandeur creating the illusion that your guests are being in a huge space or in a function room. If your event is scheduled to begin during the day it will let plenty of sunlight into the tent's roof. the marquee tent that illuminates the entire inside of the location.If you want to hire venue tents for rent visit for tent rental service. tent rental service A few marquees for parties even feature windows on their sides, and also the possibility of opening up an end completely, which allows more air to circulate, when the weather is sunny and creates a hot environment. A large entryway helps to create a warm atmosphere for guests. Marquees and tents for parties provide the greatest degree of customization as far as layouts as well as the furniture and fixtures you will have at your celebration. If you require staging for a DJ or band equipment, or even a dance floor space for entertainers or guests ,you can also rent them easily.	[]
Hoppa till innehåll Fusion performance of shirabyoshi in Gothenburg, Sweden mars 31, 2012 Dust falling, Rain falling, premiere 4th of April 2012 Choreographer Ami Skånberg Dahlstedt creates a performance (premiere April 4th, Gothenburg) investigating class and gender of historic female street performers Shirabyoshi, who, trained in music, dance and poetry, performed dressed like men with sword, long hakama pants and a tall hat. How did they move? How did they manage their ambiguous position belonging both to the streets and the court? They could easily be replaced and thus lose social position, home and income. Ami is exploring the border between modern dance expression and the classical, ritual Japanese Buyo dance. Two musicians/composers contribute their perspectives to the performance: Kumiko Nonaka (Kyoto) constantly widens the range and outreach of the noh-kan flute, bringing intimate knowledge and new melodies to her audience. Palle Dahlstedt (Gothenburg) combines studies in Noh music with advanced Western composition training and state-of-the art electronic music research. The objectives are to create an artistic synthesis, to bring it to a new audience and to show how these old artistic expressions can live – not only as a conserving museal craft, but as a powerful part of contemporary artistic expression. The performance is played at the dancestage Tredje Våningen in Gothenburg, Sweden. 4/4 at 19h, 11/4 at 19h, 12/4 at 19h, 14/4 at 15h, 17/4 at 13h, 2/5 at 19h, 4/5 at 19h, 7/5 at 13h, 9/5 at 19h, 11/5 at 19h Photo from rehearsal in Gothenburg. From left: Kumiko Nonaka, Ami Skånberg Dahlstedt and Palle Dahlstedt call: 0702-721771 or e-mail to: [email protected] or buy directly at: www.tickster.se Ansluter till %s %d bloggare gillar detta:	[]
How To Install Flat Trim On Kitchen Cabinet Doors? Can you add trim to cabinet doors? STEP 4: CUT INSIDE MDF TRIM PIECES FOR CABINET DOOR Once both side pieces are attached, you can add the inside trim pieces. After cutting the trim pieces, take them back to the cabinet door and see how they fit. If the trim piece is too big, cut a little bit more from the MDF. What is the trim on top of cabinets called? Crown molding is decorative trim that is added to the top of your cabinets. The benefit of installing crown molding is that it draws the eye upward, showcasing the elegance of your cabinets. Crown molding can either bond with the ceiling or allow for space above the cabinet. How do you install cabinet filler strips? 3. Optional but preferred to remove any saw tooth marks: run a portable planer down the filler strip for a perfect edge. 4. Clamp the filler strip to the cabinet using a cabinet claw or cabinet clamp. What is cabinet refacing? You might be interested: Question: Kitchen Ceramic Sink How To Install Faucet? How can I make my kitchen cabinet doors look better? Lay door fronts flat on ground or against wall. 1. Prepare Doors for Painting. Identify each cabinet and its corresponding door with painters’ tape marked with the same number. 2. Add Decorative Molding. Using a miter saw, cut decorative molding to size, then miter edges. 3. Prime Surface. 4. Spray on Porch and Deck Paint. Leave a Reply How To Install Kitchen Curtain Rods?	[]
A Modern Mystic Musings on life, work and contemporary spirituality Early Sunday morning riff The Poet The Poet I’ve gotten to the place I’ve heard many artists describe and there’s no return. Once the terror of trying to express oneself is met and overcome, the compulsion to live takes over. Is there any difference between the addict and the artist? How many artists have gone mad trying to express the inexpressible? I crave being alone to create my art, which apparently is my life. I may express myself in words on a page. Or perhaps through the lens of my inexpensive camera. Sometimes it is by putting two friends together who really hit it off. Again and again I find myself having a moment, being right here, awake to something new arriving. When did I quit being passive, waiting for life to enter me? Why do I choose to wake with the birds most days, stalk my life like a cat it’s prey? How did I come to understand that it’s all play? Like arriving on the deserted island, blue skies, warm sand, luscious fruit for the picking and nothing to distract except the fragrant salt breeze. And even here, a sense of being trapped. A longed-for freedom, barely savored, when suddenly I realize that they’re not coming to rescue me! I will never see a ship on that horizon. And the panic returns. Temporary insanity! Here I sit, alone on my beautiful island. Author: Carrie Ure 2 thoughts on “Early Sunday morning riff 1. What I like and discovered for myself about art is the more one tries to define it … the more elusive its meaning becomes until it eventually disappears and finds fullfillment by merging with life. 2. That is a beautiful and accurate description of my life. Leave a Reply WordPress.com Logo Twitter picture Facebook photo Connecting to %s	[]
CULTURAL IDENTITY (icons) 1, ebook (Intro version) The concept of CULTURAL IDENTITY examines the role that icons play in a culture, using Big Understandings such as “Icons represent our past;Icons don’t have to be real, solid things; they can be a symbol of things that contribute to the character and culture of a culture. For example, a name, face, picture, building or even a person…” PLUS Essential Questions such as, “What is the difference between a hero and an icon?” and “What are the criteria for an icon? E.g. can humans be icons?” PLUS a choice of creative thinking activities, assessment tools etc. Using the highly-praised “Inquiry Learning with Concepts” model, this unit offers you a wealth of meaningful activities to lift your students’ learning and to build on students’ interests and individual understandings. As H Lynne Erickson says (2007), “Using topics and facts as a support rather than as a final destination, will truly lift academic and teaching standards.” Your Cart	[]
How do I check if Ubuntu is 32 bit? Sharing is Caring I’m really excited that there’s an increasing number of Linux questions on Yahoo! Answers. “I want to install the new Ubuntu or some other Linux distro. How do I check if I can run 32bit or 64 bit on a computer already running linux?” Actually, this should be really easy on your Linux box. 1. Open up the terminal 2. Type uname -m If you see i386 or i686 then your current hardware is 32 bit. If you see x86_64 then your current hardware definitely supports 64 bit software. Sharing is Caring	[]
Product Catalog Get mail on new products Glucose, Maltose and Maltodextrin Production Line • Glucose, Maltose and Maltodextrin Production Line • Glucose, Maltose and Maltodextrin Production Line • Glucose, Maltose and Maltodextrin Production Line • Glucose, Maltose and Maltodextrin Production Line Item Code: Features: • Description Glucose, Maltose and Maltodextrin Production Line . Brief Introduction Use different kinds of refined starch, such as corn starch, wheat starch or cassava as raw material to produce malt dextrin or glucose by the methods of acid hydrolysis or enzyme hydrolysis. Acid hydrolysis is easily to produce some colorful material or non-fermentable sugar, because of adverse effect, in practice this method is stopped. We provide plants with enzyme hydrolysis to produce glucose or malt dextrin. Theoretically, when DE value is less than 20%, i.e., reducing sugar contents is less than 20%, it is called as malt dextrin. But in daily use, the separation is not very clear. . Process description ⅰ. Liquefaction Glucose amylase used for saccharifying is kind of exoenzyme, hydrolysis from substrate molecules non-reducing end. In order to increase the chance of maltogenic amylase, speed up the reaction of saccharifying, it is necessary use а-amylase make the macromolecular glucose hydrolyze into maltodextrin and compound sugar. But the crystalline structure of starch particles has strong resistance of the enzyme. For example, the speed proportion between bacterial a-amylase hydrolyze starch particles and the hydrolyze starch is 1:2000. Because of this, it is not allow amylase directly act on starch, so starch milk need to be heated first, then the starch hydrate and expand, past and destroy their crystalline structure. (ⅰ). Gelatinization and aging If the starch milk be heated into certain temperature, the starch particles begin to expand, polarized cross is disappeared. With the temperature is higher, starch particles continue to expand to several times bigger or scores times bigger than original volume. As particle expend, crystalline structure disappeared, volume expand, particle contact each other, become into gelatinous liquid. Even stop the stir, starch is no longer deposit, this phenomenon is known as gelatinization. Generated sticky liquid is known as starch paste, this phenomenon temperature is the gelatinization temperature. Starch aging is actually the gelatinized starch intermolecular hydrogen bond has been broken and rearrange to form a new hydrogen bonding process is a complex crystallization process. (ⅱ). Liquefaction Liquefaction has many methods, the most ideal way is the jet liquefaction, from the various factory’s production conditions, when the vapor pressure ≥0.8Mpa, choose the high pressure steam jet liquefaction process; when steam pressure ≤0.5Mpa, choose low pressure jet liquefaction, the jet liquefaction process is divided into the once enzyme process and two times plus enzyme technology. If generated glucose and fructose syrup product, take potato as raw materials to do enzyme process. Take corn wheat starch, if the starch quality is good(protein ≤0.3%), think of adding one time enzyme ,which is easy, save steam, liquid color is light apply to one enzyme. If the starch of corn or wheat with low quality(protein >0.6-1.0%), add this kind of starch, easy to aging and easy to produce insoluble starch granules, so the protein content of raw material should be high, and apply to two times plus enzymatic, can be completely liquefied. ⅱ. Saccharifying When the liquefaction is finished, quickly adjust the solution’s PH to 4.2~4.5, at the same time cooling down to 60ºC, then add saccharifying enzyme, keep the temperature 60 ºC. Keeping stirring to prevent uneven saccharifying, after reaction, After inspection with anhydrous alcohol and find that there’s no maltodextrin, adjust the PH value to 4.8-5.0, and heat the solution to 80ºC, keep the temperature for 20 minutes, and then to filter. Store the liquid in filtered solution into the storage tank, keep above 60ºC temperature for further use. ⅲ. Filtering After starch saccharifying, DE could be up to 98% (varies as per the configuration and customer’s requirements), but the starch hydrolyzed, it also takes insoluble impurities and ashes, fat, protein and so on, meanwhile in the procedure of hydrolysis, add some impurities, if we add acid, may bring inorganic salt, add enzyme, bring protein, in the procedure of decomposition, generate amylose and oligose, generated 5-HMF in the secondary reaction and other colorful materials and so on, they are need to be refined, so to improve the quality of glucose and quality of finished products. Therefore after saccharifying, it is necessary to make filtration. After inspection with anhydrous alcohol and find that there’s no maltodextrin, stop Saccharifying, adjust PH4.2~4.5 to 4.8~5.0, and heat up to 80ºC, keep for 20 minutes, then start filtering. There’re different kinds of filtering ways: plate and frame pressing filter, rotary vacuum drum filter, membrane filter, and centrifuge etc. Balancing the operation cost, investment, and quality of product, we normally use plate and frame pressing filter. ⅳ. Decoloring Decoloring the saccharified liquid of enzyme method is normally to adjust the PH around 4.8, The enzyme is kind of protein itself, the solution’s PH is close to the protein isoelectric point, there is many suspended substances, many factories first use drum filter, which is made by diatomite pre-coating, or add used active carbon filter to remove the protein, fat and impurities, then do decoloring. The color of the saccharified liquid with enzyme method is light, we normally use twice decoloring with active carbon, and then do Iron Exchange (IX). Or sometimes not use active carbon for decoloring, but drum filter directly and then go for Iron Exchange. In our process, decoloring is mainly made by plate and frame pressing filter. To improve automatic control level and the operation environment, some western manufacturers use candle filter, which is consist of many filter tubes or sticks, such as DDS Filter (increase thickness), it is cylinder container or closed square container, inner has micro-filter, which is made by mental or ethylene. Before filtering, the liquid is pumped from the bottom of filter. The impurities stay in the filter, clean filtered liquid is pressed out from the top filter tube. When the filtering speed is low, please stop filtering, back wash them and then start filtering again. ⅴ. Ion exchange (IX) With the exchangeable ions on the functional groups fixed on three-dimensional network skeleton, changing ion concentration and other environmental conditions, so that it can repeat reversible exchange with external ion, and make the ion separation, replacement, concentration, removal of impurities and chemical catalytic purpose. The ion exchange resin skeleton structure is fixed, reversible exchange is only done on the functional groups, so it can renewed and used thousands of times. But there is loss of material as they aged. The difference between ion exchange and other agent is that ion exchange material can be renewed many times, the service life is long, so to simplify the production process, shorten the production time, improve product quality, increase the efficiency and reduce costs. After exchange, hydrogenates resin is changed to sodium resin, and loss resin exchange ability. If put the resin into high concentrated (around 5%) strong acid (regenerating agent), such as hydrochloric acid, therefore the hydrogen ion concentration is high. because of the difference of the concentration, it is easy to exchange sodium resin into hydrogen ion, recover the exchange capacity, this is regeneration process. ⅵ. Evaporation and concentration Depend on processing requirements and technology, there’re different types of concentrator, such continuously evaporation or batch evaporation, once evaporation or multi times evaporation. The typical evaporation has two types. The traditional type consists of two evaporator: one multi-effects (normally 3 or 4 effects) evaporator and one single effect evaporator. A lot of factories are using twice evaporation, first evaporator concentrate the dilute glucose solution to 45-60obx with three or four effects falling film evaporator, and then use a single effect evaporator to make the solution to 72-85obx. In the single effect evaporator, the feeding might be continuous, but discharge has to be in batches. We are using once evaporation these days. It works very well for glucose with enzyme method, and could make the final product up to 85obx or even higher. The initial solution of enzyme method is normally around 35obx. The energy consumption is much lower compare to traditional process. ⅶ. Crystallization Crystallization is the process that makes the liquid into solid and separate the solid. It is also the most important method to get purities. Crystallization is the most important procedure in crystal glucose process. It directly influences the product quality and product yield. There’re different kinds of crystallization for glucose process. The process is kind of complicated, mainly relating to product quality and product yield. Here to describe the process as below: (1) Once crystallization process The liquid is to be crystallized directly after concentration, and then discharge the mother liquor directly without circulation. The equipment of this process is simple, and the quality of the product is good, but the product yield is low, normally, just around 50%. It applies for the factories which utilize the mother liquor for other applications. Sometimes, we circulate the mother liquor to increase the yield to be around 80%, but the quality of product is not very good. (2) Twice crystallization process In this process, most the mother liquor from the product separation flows back for first crystallization after decoloring and Iron Exchange processes. The wet crystal after separation is only used as the material of second crystallization or for the industrial applications. The mother liquor is mostly reused, so quality from first crystallization is poor. But from all the system, the final product is from secondary crystallization, the quality is much better. Most of the materials are recovered and the product yield is high. This is most the important process to produce glucose for pharmaceutical applications. (3) Anhydrous glucose production line This process is one kind of twice crystallization process specialized to produce anhydrous glucose. The quality of the product is very high. Part of the mother liquor is to be used to produce low quality glucose, or used for other applications. ⅷ. Separation and drying (1) Separation The mixture after crystallization contains particles of crystal and un-crystallized liquid (usually called mother liquid or greens), it is necessary to separate crystal glucose particles from mother liquor by centrifugal separator. Load the liquid mixture and then rotated it by the centrifugal force, then the crystals are threw from the mother liquor into the basket and been discharged. (2) Drying Glucose drying machines include drum dryer, air stream dryer, and fluid bed dryer etc, some factories are using spray dryer to dry the high concentrated glucose solution directly to powder. The drum dryer is rotating drum with steam jacket, drum has certain slope, glucose can be added from one side, it is slow flows in the barrel about 5r/min, such as 1000*5000mm drum dryer, with the capacity of around 10t/d. Air dryer is the most common glucose drying machine, which consists of air heater, blower, air pipes, and cyclone etc. The separated glucose should be crashed first, and then brought up by the heated hot air flow. In the airflow dryer, the air inlet temperature is around 70-75ºC, while the exhaust temperature is around 30~35ºC, and the airflow speed is around 20m/s. Assume the air tube diameter is 400mm, length is 18m, air velocity is 8000m3/h, air pressure 4900Mpa(500mmH2O), the production capacity is around 10t/h. Fluid bed dryer is another type of airflow dryer. The hot air flow up from small holes of at the bottom of fluid bed, so the glucose on the perforated plate are fluidized. The air flow absorbs moisture, separate the fines in the cyclone, and is exhausted. The product is then dried. In order to guarantee the product quality, it is necessary to add cold air device device at the second part, so to reduce the temperature of dried glucose. It is the best to reach few degrees above the room temperature. Then these’s no caking after packaging. Please make sure the cold air is dehumidified, so the dry glucose will not absorb moisture from the air. Spray drying is not common for glucose process. The product is very sticky, so cloth bog filter cannot work. The product is also very fine, the collection rate of cyclone is relatively low. Anyway, we have made some special designs to increase the performance. Even spray dryer is not recommended, but if customer prefers using spray dryer, or the process requires only spray dryer, we could also make special designs. Drying section is very important part in glucose production line. All product contact parts and inlet processing air contact parts should be made of quality stainless steel, and all inlet air should be purified to high class. ⅸ. Maltodextrin production Maltodextrin is divided into three main classes: MD100: DE value,%(m/m)≤10 MD150: DE value,%(m/m)≤15 MD200: DE value,%(m/m)≤20 (MD is the abbreviation of maltodextrin). There’re three main characteristics to identify the quality of maltodextrin: Appearance: white or very light yellow powder, no visible impurities. Smell: with special smell of malt dextrin, without foreign smell. Taste: no sweet or slight sweet, odorless, without other taste. We normally use specially designed spray dryer after concentration for maltodextrin productions. Our special design saves working space, increases heating efficiency, the cleaning is easy, and the investment on workshop is low. ⅹ. WIP (Washing In Place) Different level of WIP system are provided on customer’s request Ⅲ. Special Features of Our Design Compare to traditional technology which is still supplied by a lot of suppliers in the world, our design has the following special features: 1. Enzyme dosing and inactivation: Traditional once enzyme once dosing process will generate much more oligose, more insoluble ingredients. We are using twice dosing system to improve the quality of product. Compare to the normal processes, our design of enzyme inactivation is very good for protein solidification and uniform dispersing of starch. 2. Jet cooker: Easy control and low steam pressure are the special features of our design. Instead of control the steam pressure, we are using the liquid level to control the jet cooking process. It is quite difficult to keep the steam supplying pressure very stable, while it is simple to control the liquid level. We have two kinds of jet cooker for option: low pressure cooker and high pressure cooker. With low pressure cooker, the steam pressure required is only around 2bars. So it is very easy to utilize waste steam. Even for high pressure jet cooker, the steam pressure required is also quite low compare to traditional technology: we are using 6bar while traditional technology normally requires more than 10bars. 3. Liquefaction: multi-laminar flow tanks ensure the uniform liquefaction with the same temperature and same processing time. This is very good for the next process, saccharifying. 4. Concentration: one evaporator to achieve high brix, low steam pressure required and energy saving are the main features of our process When the required product with high brix, traditional technology consists of one 3 or 4 effects falling film evaporator and one single effect evaporator. The problem is that the steam consumption of the single effect evaporator is very high, and the quality of the product is low. We are using one evaporator with 4 or 5 effects, sometimes 6 effects to make the final product of 85 brix or even higher. The steam pressure required for traditional multi-effects falling film evaporator is normally more than 6bars, while we are using less than 3bars, even 1.5bars steam could also work. Our design also focuses on energy saving. With our 5 effects falling evaporator, it only consumes around 0.15kg of steam to evaporate 1kg of water. 5. Our filtering and decoloring arrangements are specially design, so to have very clear product. 6. De-odor pole is provided after Iron Exchanging pole 7. All the waste steam, water and heat generated from the plant are considered to be utilized. 8. Spare tanks are considered, so we could keep the production non-stop while change product. Notes: This kind of plant are made based on customized design. Not all the features are provided with all designs. The real configurations should be made as per the Contracts or Agreements signed. Other Products	[]
15 Best Instagram meme accounts Instagram meme accounts The simplest definition for an Instagram meme account is “A funny picture, video, or phrase that people can share on the Internet.” Nowadays, the Instagram platform is the best tool for your better mood. Memes on Instagram are so popular that many people create Instagram memes accounts not only to improve your mood and feelings but also to make money on Instagram. It is quite the right way, isn't it? Why are Instagram meme accounts so popular today? The first thing is the immersive content. It is an easy way to get great satisfaction and a better mood. Just scroll the amusing profile, about 1 minute of view, and that's all! A smile is guaranteed for you and maybe a ”like” for a post. The second is that the majority of popular memes are aimed at the Millennials audience, a massive part of the world population. So, popularity is gaining rapidly. The third thing is that a post of memes is a universal sharing of experiences. The humor and nostalgia are two components that connect people. Meme sharing with your friend is a way to remind you of the good things or the things that you have experienced together. Finally, money. More recently, people did not think that this social platform could be the primary source of income. Now it is becoming more and more common. Influential people and page administrators can earn millions of dollars from advertising and promotion on their meme´s post. A like plus another like, etc. and, as the result, the popularity of the account is growing in front of the eye! Let's look at the best meme accounts 1. 9gag. 54.2 million followers 9gag instagram meme account “9GAG: Go Fun the World” is the first to see when opening this funny Instagram meme account. The meme account started his life in 2008 due to a small and fun project with the help of the co-founder Ray Chan in Hong Kong. At that time, Hong Kong people did not use Facebook, so the meme account in Instagram started to gain more popularity. According to Ray Chan, the memes are full of rage comics content, but the meme's creators do not make anger but show it in a funny frame. 2. Memezar. 21.2 million followers Memezar instagram meme account The account is full of different content memes that sometimes are very rude and offensive. The content includes funny video clips, episodes from various movies with witty captions, and culture content. Let me name it as the account of grim humor. Memezar is a private account, so you have to request access, and only after acceptance can you enjoy and observe its content, but it's one minute's work. 3. Daquan. 15.6 million followers Daquan meme account The well-known icons and social media persons such as Drake, The Weeknd, Kevin Hart, etc. are just a small part of followers of this funny meme Instagram account. So, what is the reason for such popularity of one of the meme accounts? Dakwan is a fictional character that has become an icon of pop- culture in social media. The founder, the most amusing Instagram meme pages, remainы unknown, but some sources tell us that he is a 23-year-old producer of content from Canada. He did not expect to get popularity, but his screenshots memes about family life, sports events, especially basketball, and other joking content. 4. Fuckjerry. 15.5 million followers Fuckjerry Instagram account The primary audience and followers are Homelanders, who are interested in pop culture.The history of Fuckjerry started in 2011 when the first Instagram account was created by Elliot Tebele. Nowadays, the company known as Jerry Media is the result of the account work. The company is known as the developer of the What Do You Meme game and JAJA Tequila. It also has a Jerry News account. 5. Sarcasm_only. 15.2 million followers Sarcasm_only feminist page Quite a feminist page at first glance, but it is not so; there is a male contingent too, who is interested in a typical female problem. So, an excellent chance to understand each other better in this controversial world. Stresses, household problems, work-related and daily problems, and women's inner feelings are the prominent meme's content that attracts millions of followers. Say even more: the fans and followers created boards on Pinterest, where you can laugh at the best memes Instagram. 6. HoodClips. 11.3 million followers HoodClips instagram memes profile Amusing, funny, strange, sometimes even inexplicable videos about African – American culture. In 2019 this Instagram memes profile was nominated as the most comic page on Instagram. The content is refreshed every day, which attracts more followers. 7. TheFatJewish. 10.8 million followers TheFatJewish extraordinary memes The base of one of the most extraordinary memes is created by Joshua Ostrovsky, a co-founder of TheFatJewish account. He is well known on social media as usually scandal fat jew and nude one on his memes. His first funny memes were created in 2013. It was a video about his exercise training bike class of homeless Manhattan people. 8. Ladbible. 9.8 million followers Ladbible memes account The publication and memes are so popular not only on Instagram but also on facebook. This memes account is the opposite of a female Sarcasm_only account. The joke and memes are about sports, male problems, car and drinking themes, and relationships with girls. The primary audience is the young one. 9. Imao. 8.9 million followers Imao video meme profile Laughing My Ass Off (or LMAO) is a classical video meme profile that can live up to its name. Among meme accounts, this profile is full of jokes about everyday people's lives. Simple, easy to understand humor will not leave you indifferent. 10. barstoolsports. 8.8 million followers barstoolsports daily situations memes Do you want to relax with daily situations memes? I think- yes, so, let's follow the Barstool Sports with epic and amusing situations even from your everyday life. Caution! The videos are often too joking. 11. pikavids. 5.5 million followers pikavids memes How about delightful animals? It is the right place to enjoy friendly animal content that will make you smile. 12. Whitepeoplehumor. 4.4 million followers Whitepeoplehumor extremely joking account The extremely joking account was designed by Kevin Flynn to post fresh and old-school memes is the main aim of the best memer alive author, so let's follow the account in which you immerse yourself in a world of individual posts. 13. Kookslams. 1.5 million followers Kookslams meme content Surfing, dogs, persons who fall off the boards are the main components of this meme content. “Curated kook slammage” will demonstrate to you the clumsy techniques of falling into the water, and it will not make you scared but smiling. 14. dyrak_of. 407k followers dyrak_of meme content One of the representatives of fool humor. But it is the stupidity of jokes that makes accounts so popular today. It does not indicate any degradation globally, but people sometimes just want to relax and think about nothing. Humor prolongs life! 15. Tunefullymusic. 352k followers Tunefullymusic meme account The meme account does not have a million followers, but I should mention it in this Top because it is an unusual way to improve your mood. The content is based on music set in funny videos, and as a result, it is even the funniest videos with amusing dances or memes. The reason for blocked accounts The popularity of memes as part of some modern youth culture has led to the emergence of a vast number of instagram meme accounts on the platform; thus, it is often “suspect” meme accounts of poaching the content of other people. Instagram administrate says that these accounts are blocked after their policy violations. Memes in Stories You can find not only the freshly posted content but also in profile Stories, but you should hurry up because there is the probability for you to run into Instagram deleted story due to the duration of Instagram Stories. Meme posting To post funny memes for Instagram meme accounts is quite a difficult case. You should follow a particular plan or strategy while creating and posting memes IG. Try to design your own unique meme style and don't copy the other memes because there is a profile with rights reserved content, so it will be illegal to copy and paste the other person's memes in your profile. Another thing is a public profile, not private, giving you more chances to get more interested followers. Don't get stuck on likes; just create something you like and adore. Share it	[]
How Much Does Weight Loss Surgery Cost? weight loss surgery-2Being overweight or obese can be expensive. Think of the time and money you’ve spent on your weight loss journey up until this point on special foods, supplements, exercise equipment, garments, gym memberships, etc. Don’t forget to consider any health or medical expenses you might have incurred due to having excess weight, especially if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, or other medical conditions. All of those things can really add up and make losing weight without medical intervention expensive. One key consideration for many potential weight loss surgery patients is cost. Bariatric surgery is a great option for individuals who have had limited success with alternative weight loss measures, such as dieting, exercise, and lifestyle management. My New Beginning offers a variety of medical weight loss options, including surgery and medications. Consider the following information about weight loss surgery and its costs to make the best-informed decisions regarding your situation. What Determines the Cost of Weight Loss Surgery? The price of weight loss surgery for an average patient is between $17,000 to $26,000, according to The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). There are many components, such as the patient’s overall health, coexisting medical concerns, medical history, BMI, weight loss goals, etc. that contribute to the overall costs of medical weight loss treatment. Fees for anesthesiologist, medications, clinic location, surgeon’s expertise, and follow-up treatment should also be taken into consideration. The most influential factor on cost is the type of procedure. There are several weight loss surgery options for obese patients to use to achieve their ideal weight. Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery reduces the size of the stomach to decrease feelings of hunger and increase fullness to prevent overeating and additional weight gain. It is a minimally invasive procedure that is performed with laparoscopic techniques. The stomach’s size is reduced by dividing it into two sections and revising the digestive tract. Altering the original shape and orientation of the stomach and intestines reduces the amount of food or portions sizes that the patient can comfortably consume. The surgery also changes the way and amount of food and nutrients are absorbed. Duodenal Switch Duodenal switch is another medical option that surgically alters the shape, size, and capacity of the stomach and intestines. During the procedure, the surgeon removes three-quarters of the small intestines and a portion of the stomach. Duodenal switch patients are unable to eat large portion sizes because their stomachs have a smaller capacity for food. Also, the surgery decreases the length of time and path that food spends traveling through the digestive system. The duodenal switch procedure is one of the more effective weight loss surgeries available. It also has fewer post-operative diet and personal care restrictions. Da Vinci Robotic Surgery Weight loss options at My New Beginning include robotic-assisted bariatric surgery. This procedure incorporates the use of the state-of-the-art da Vinci Robotic Surgical system to modify the digestive system using extremely precise laparoscopic techniques and surgical precision. The stomach is reduced to a small tube to prevent the consumption of large meal portions. Unlike alternative bariatric treatments, smaller and fewer incisions are necessary to successfully perform the procedure. Patients find that recovery from da Vinci Robotic assisted weight loss surgery is more manageable and quicker because they experience less pain, discomfort, bleeding, and scarring. There are fewer complication risks as well. Gastric Band Gastric weight loss surgery or gastric band requires the surgeon to bind the stomach with an inflatable band/sleeve to reduce the patient’s stomach size. The band is adjustable and may be altered periodically throughout the patient’s treatment or weight loss journey, depending on their health and other considerations to help them reach their ideal weight. The band is not permanent, making it a convenient option for those who are still on the fence about surgery, but ready for medical intervention to help them lose weight. Because there is no surgery involved, gastric band surgery is usually performed as an outpatient procedure. Bariatric Revisions There are circumstances that can yield less than desirable results or unexpected complications from previous weight loss surgeries. Revisions made via surgery are sometimes necessary to correct issues from previous procedures, such as ulcers, band displacement, or hernias that prevent patients from their desired results and ideal size. Revision surgery can also be performed on patients interested in converting to another type of weight-loss treatment in order to optimize the results of their treatment. An Investment for Weight Loss Success weight loss surgery costWhen breaking down the cost of weight loss surgery, it helps to consider expenses related to recovery and results maintenance. For optimal results and longevity, patients should adhere to appropriate nutritional guidelines, and make appropriate lifestyle and behavioral changes. Maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle after bariatric surgery may come with additional costs, but the overall price tag is nominal. Weight loss surgery is a worthy investment that can transform your size, health, appearance, and life. Healthy Living and New Beginnings With Bariatric Surgery Weight loss surgery may seem expensive. Yet, when compared with the lifetime expense of being obese or overweight, many patients consider it an investment that easily pays for itself many times over. A healthier, active, and more productive lifestyle and optimal health are possible with weight loss surgery. My New Beginning weight loss patients receive professional medical support and nutritional guidance to help them achieve success in their journeys. Contact us today at (214) 324-6127 if our weight loss surgery programs are right for you and receive a detailed cost analysis.	[]
Why Do Succulents Turn Purple? Did you know that there are more than 70 colorful succulents? The most common type that we know of and often see in movies, as well as gracing the tables in a small pot (the size of a hand), is a cactus. One of the best things about succulents is that they can grow outdoors and indoors. Succulents have certain features that aid in their survival. It’s a misconception that they can survive in a dry and hot environment without withering. Exposing your succulents to proper sunlight, less water, balanced soil, etc., is important. If you are buying a plant for the first time, we recommend getting one that can easily grow indoors. A few choices in this category include the Penda plant, Pencil Cactus, Jade Plant, Purple Crassula, and Christmas Cactus. As mentioned above, some succulents come in purple color, which can make it difficult for you to find out if your plant’s health is deteriorating or not. In this case, the purple shade will turn dark, which will be clearly noticeable. You can further confirm if the change occurred by closely inspecting the succulent. Succulents Changing Colors Succulents usually change color when they are under stress. They produce a pigment called anthocyanin that turns them into purple or blue. Another pigment called carotenoids turns them into yellow or red. Lastly, chlorophyll is responsible for the green color. Since our focus is on the color purple, the pigment responsible for the change in your succulent is anthocyanin. However, it protects your succulent from overexposure to sunlight and temperature stress. According to a study published in the Flower Research Journal, a succulent placed under direct sunlight changes its color in just 4 weeks because of an increase in anthocyanin. While succulents in partially shaded areas grew as well, they were no match for the former plant. If your succulent changes its color, you need to find out its type to know if this is common or not. For example, the leaves of Hens and chicks turn purple from the tips in summer. This is nothing to be worried about. However, if your Echeveria changes color, it is probably under stress. In this case, you must ensure your succulent is not overwatered and exposed to direct sunlight. If the purple color starts to turn black, you need to take action immediately because this indicates rot. Worry or Not to Worry Succulents change their color from green to yellow, red, or purple. Sometimes, you will even see a hint of pink and blue in them. When your plant is under too much stress, the content of chlorophyll lowers, giving more room for the pigment to spread. As a result, the green color fades away, and the leaves turn purple. This color change is natural, and there’s nothing to worry about. In fact, some people love it because the bright color makes the plant look unique. Succulents usually change color as they grow. Your plant will look different in summer and winter. The important thing to focus on is the process of photosynthesis. As long as you have a watering schedule and your plant is getting the right amount of sunlight and shade, you don’t need to worry about the purple color. The damage can be fixed immediately if the color is caused by stress, such as too much sunlight and lack of water. You will need to pay extra attention to your succulence for the first four weeks, and your plant will look healthy again. The internal damage is severe if the color changes from purple to black. Reviving a plant after an infestation can be difficult. You can trim the plant and cut off the dead leaves if the rot hasn’t reached the roots. Replanting the succulent usually works, but if the stem is compromised completely, you are better off disposing of it instead of wasting time trying to give it life. Reasons Behind Succulents Turning Purple Now that we know that the main reason behind a succulent turning purple is stress, let’s take a look at what causes it: Underwatered or Overwatered In summer, succulents need more water than in winter and fall. How much and many times you should water the succulent depends on its type of soil and environment. Signs Your Plant Is Turning Purple Because of Overwatering • Brown tips • Yellowish leaves and stunted growth • Leaves feel mush, soft, and moist to touch • The pot has standing water • Leaves fall when they are touched The first thing you need to do to nurse your succulents back to health is to stop watering them. As desert plants, succulents easily adapt to low levels of water. If you can’t recall whether you have watered your succulent or not, wait for at least two days and then water it. The rule of watering is that soil needs to be completely dry. Typically, succulents can survive for 8 to 10 days before they need watering again. To find out if your succulent needs watering, do the finger test. Insert your finger up to the second knuckle into the soil and if it comes out dry, water your succulent. Signs Your Plant Is Turning Purple Because of Underwatering • The soil is super dry • Leaves are crispy, curling, and discolored • Leaves and stems are shivering • The plant does not look vibrant anymore • The leaves are shedding too fast If your succulent is placed indoors, it might not need much watering. However, at peak times in summer, water your plant after every five days. The finger test will help you come up with a watering schedule, which will prevent overwatering. Tips to Stop Your Succulents from Turning Purple Provide Sufficient Sunlight Succulents love indirect sunlight. They enjoy the warmth of the sun and the coolness in the shade. If your succulent is changing color, it is getting too much sunlight. Keep changing its position until you are sure the purple color is not a sign of stress. Provide Appropriate Temperature Succulents don’t like the cold. In winter, the plant dries out fast and cannot go through the photosynthesis process. Succulents grow best at 25°C to 12°C. So, ensure your plant is safe indoors when the first cold breeze starts. Have the Right Soil Mixture Succulents have a different soil mixture than other plants. One that contains all the necessary nutrition for survival and growth is cactus mix soil with organic compounds, such as rocks, sand, etc. You can buy the soil from a store or make your own by mixing equal amounts of soil with volcanic rocks, coarse sand, pumice, and pebbles. Do not use your standard garden soil as it may cause your succulents to have stunted growth. Make sure the soil is mixed properly because if it is not, the roots won’t be able to breathe. As a result, they will stop growing and change your succulent’s natural color to purple. Water Carefully As we said earlier, a succulent’s water needs depend on its size and species. You can decide how much water you should give your plant based on its height. Your watering schedule should also focus on how to water the succulent. Target the stem base and soil. Avoid watering the upper plant parts, including the leaves and flowers. Water gets absorbed by the roots, whereas wet leaves can attract pests. The Pot Should Have Good Drainage If your succulent is placed indoors in a pot, ensure it has drainage holes underneath. Choose terra cotta pots over plastic ones. The former aids in the absorption of water and prevents overwatering. How to Prevent Stress in Succulents The color purple is caused by stress, which can be good and bad. If your succulent is receiving the appropriate amount of sunlight and the tips of the leaves are turning purple, you don’t need to worry. However, if the color is spreading and you see signs, such as the ones we have mentioned above, you need to take immediate action. Here’s what you should do: • Call a nursery and learn what you can about your succulent • Move your succulent to a shaded area • Do not water your succulent until the soil has completely dried out • If you see any signs of pests, such as openings in the stem and white fuzz at the base, use a mixture of Neem oil and water to clean your plant. Final Thoughts A quick search online will reveal that succulents changing their color to purple isn’t something to be concerned about. However, if the color happens to be blue, red, or black, you need to act immediately. Several things could be wrong with your cactus, such as overwatering, underwatering, pests, lack of appropriate fertilizer, too much direct sunlight, etc. The best way to keep your succulent in its natural state is to expose it to equal amounts of sunlight and shade and give it the right amount of water. Leave a Comment	[]
Albert Camus Thursday, December 5, 2019 Get in the way of ruthless people and it's gonna get you killed. - The Wheels of Cady Grey (Cady Grey Mysteries #1) by Paul L. Arvidson "This is a great unusual book for adults and older teenagers alike.Quite 'direct' and with twists and turns, it's not your usual teenage novel and certainly has an interesting and strong heroine." Lorraine, Goodreads Published: August 21st, 2019 Cady Grey is invisible. One of the 'perks' of being in a wheelchair. Sometimes it's better that way, 'specially when you're a sweary, spitty teenage girl who's main aim is getting through high-school in one piece. "Cady, with spark, snark and enthusiasm will capture your heart in such a way you will want her to be your best friend. She is a voice, hero and visibility for a young disabled generation, a guide for us all and a mystery to solve". Take advantage of this free novella on Bookfunnel! Chapter One Cady Grey lay nose down in the soil, the wheels of her chair spun above her, the weight of the chassis pinned her down. Rain fell in great big drops all around her. She couldn't move her legs at the best of times, but she was sure her right shin was broken. She was too stunned to feel much of it yet. Everything was one great bruise. Her head felt muzzy, she must have banged it. Along with everything else. Petrichor: the smell of rain after a dry spell. WTF, Cady. Where did that come from? The subconscious can properly fuck with your head sometimes. She opened her eyes. Eye. Grass and soil close up. Some kind of edging stone, with a smear on it. Something trickling from her fringe down her nose on the right-hand side. For a moment, it felt comfortable. Like being held down by a massive duvet or hugged tight in a huge embrace. She could just go to sleep. And… BAM, here came the pain. Cady clenched her jaw, at least that wasn't broken. Her lips were sticky, she could taste metal and salt. The right shin: definitely broken. But good news, she could feel her toes: they hurt like hell too. Head. She couldn't pull her focus to that yet, all too stabby. Somehow she knew if she let herself focus on that too much, she'd pass out again. And that would be bad. Really, really bad. Shit. Shit. SHIT. Focus on something Cady. Noise. What was that noise? Straining, laboring. Something's gonna break. Mechanical? Not exactly, electro-mechanical. Chair wheels, running full tilt, with nothing to grab on. Flailing like a beetle on its back. The chair must’ve been sat on its arm, with its controller bent backward. Well, that was going to burn the motor out and no mistake. She spread her awareness out, slowly. It wasn't far from the controller and it wasn't broken. She shifted her weight from her hips to her right arm. Too much weight on her to get free, but she could move her hand. The whole chair arm was twisted out of shape. She could see along the profile of the chair that plastic engine cover had snapped loose, spilling its wiry intestines onto the grass. Man, this chair was fucked up. Dad was going to be so pissed at her. She felt for the chair controller joystick. The golf ball she always had on the top of it had gone. Lost in the crash. Just a metal stick left. She pushed the metal stick into the soil, back to its neutral position. The skree-ing noise stopped. Good. Quiet now. Not quiet. Ringing in her ears and rain sploshing. She must’ve been lying where a puddle was gathering, because her legs felt wet. Tic… tac… tic… Was that in her head? She'd dreamed about that before. Was she concussed? Another part of her brain was waking up. Her hind brain, home of warnings, of fear, of fight or flight. But she couldn't fly. Her wheels were broken. …tac…tic …tac Now she knew. That noise. Bad brain, slow brain, now it was catching up. TicTac. A noise and a person. Bad. Bad person. It spooled out of her like an old broken film reel, images yammering from her brain on fast forward. Flash—the glint of a gold ring on someone's little finger. Insincere smile. Not him. Flash—the joy of the chair lights springing into life when she’d flicked the new switch, Dad was the best. Not Dad. Flash—bright flash, muzzle flash, ringing noise. There, that was it. Flash—flash—flash, but only one bang? Ears overloaded in a confined space. Certainly a bang first time. Ears still ringing now. A short time ago, then. Tic… tac… What was that noise? Getting slowly louder, slowly closer, that was important. It was an odd noise, a stupid noise. A WTF noise. A lazy noise, a rhythm noise, like a metronome. Tic… tac… Like blues. A walking blues. That was it. Everything. Tic… the noise was walking. Tac… the sound of those stupid segs on the man's shoes. Tic… the man: greasy hair and arrogance. Tall, Thames estuary accent. Tac… dots tattooed on his knuckles. Something black, metal held firm in his hand. The smell of oil. Tic he was coming. For her. Tac… and he was going to kill her. Tic… tac… Bill had called him TicTac. Shit Bill. Where's Bill? Something made her not want to think of that. The rear brain. Fight or flight. No flight. There was another one. What was it? Fight, flight and— Tic… tac… Freeze. That was it. Fight, flight or freeze. The air filled with noise. Her chair back jerked. That noise. Bang never quite seemed to describe that noise. It filled her ears with loud. Even out here, face down in the grass. And an echo, off every hard surface of the building behind them. The town hall. No flash this time, with her face in the grass, but at least that meant she couldn't see what was coming. No wait, it also meant the chair body was between him and her. Something from deep inside her chair was fizzing. "Oh, there you are," the voice dripped arrogance. She hated that voice, "don't go anywhere, will you? Oh, wait, you can't!" "Fucker," was all she could manage in return, but with her face in the grass, she could hardly hear herself. Tic. Tac. Tic. Tac. "I don't really want to do this, you know?" he said. God, he loved the sound of his own voice. He laughed—harsh, echoing. It rang off the walls. Harsher somehow than the shock of the gun. The gun. He really was going to kill her. How many rounds had he fired? Could she remember? There was something stopping her recall. Flash, flash, flash… What was it? Flash, flash, flash… Bill. Bill falling, falling, shouting out. Shit. Bill. How many rounds? One just now, three at… Three from before. One before that? So… one left? Did guns even have six rounds in them these days? How did she need to know this? But one. One was plenty. Tic. Tac. Tic. Fight, flight or freeze. Her Dad always said, ‘you never really know which you're going to do until something bad enough happens.’ Something so bad that your insides have already turned to water and your brain is racing in six different directions at once. And you're going nowhere. "Here I come, Cady! Time to pray." He couldn't be serious? Pray? No, this cocky shit-bag would be all about that, wouldn't he? Bang, bang. Oops, sorry I killed somebody. That's okay though, right God? Bit of absolution 101 and off we go again. Tough job being a killer, but someone's got to do it. God says it's okay. Tic. Tac. Tic. Tac. "Nothing come to mind? Let me choose then. Seems fitting." Cady struggled under the chair. Her arm flailed, she couldn't move it too far, besides, the chair in the way was the only thing saving her. Even if all he saw was her hand, if he shot it off that would kill her plenty quick enough. "Bastard," she growled into the soil. "Oh, now. Do you want your last words on this earth to be a curse?" But before she could answer, "I've thought of one, how about this?" Good God this guy could talk. At least being shot would be a relief from his voice. "As I lay me down to sleep… do you know that one Cady?" "Oh, yeah, that's great." Keep him talking, probably too late now anyway. No-one here, he could talk all he liked. She was delaying the inevitable. "I pray the Lord my soul to keep." She heard the metallic chick-chak of the gun being cocked. "If I should die before I wake.” Cady got a whiff of excited sweat and gun, oil. She wriggled, her left arm was free. That was both arms now, maybe… "I pray the Lord, my soul—" He leaned over and stood on her left arm at the wrist. "A- ah, stay still." She felt the metal of the gun rustle in against the base of her skull and press there. "I pray the Lord, my soul to take…" But no one's year began that badly, right? Grab your copy of a thriller unlike any other! About the author: Author's Giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway Bea LaRocca said... Great cover and synopsis! This sounds like an unique and thrilling read. Thank you for sharing the book details. Paul Arvo said... Thanks for having me! Great looking site round here :O Paul Arvidson Laura said... This sounds thrilling and the cover is perfect! magic5905 said... Sounds good. Bridgett Wilbur said... Great cover. Paul Arvo said... Ooh, for reference people, the cover is by the awesome @betibup33 They do the covers for my SFF stuff to, so talented! Paul Arvidson Anna Josefin Bergman said... Sounds great! CCAM said... Welcome on my TBR list, Mr. Paul L. Arvidson! Paul Arvo said... Thank you CCAM x Let me know how you get on! All the best,	[]
Your Cart is Empty Selina Raye 3 min read Selina Raye - Pocket Sport Tell me a little bit about yourself? How did you get into fitness? For the last ten years I have spent a lot of time travelling for work. I would say through that, I developed an unhealthy lifestyle when it came to food, sleep and work. I found it difficult to switch off. It was only when I moved back to the UK from the UAE in 2018 that I decided to focus more on my physical and mental health. I was introduced to fitness through my friend, who then pushed me into her fitness community. At first it was about having an escape but then it soon became a lifestyle. How has Covid been? Has it impacted your job? I've always worked in sales and marketing in hotel development and design. Usually for bigger companies. But over the course of this year, I found that a lot of friends who had smaller businesses were struggling a lot. I had floods of questions from them and even strangers on how to get exposure and push their online market. So, I started to push their business and promote them on my own platform. And then I thought, why don't I just make something to promote everybody? So I started a consultancy called Raye Consultancy with a community page called London Circle. Start-up businesses are really passionate about their journey and can't really afford for it not to work, so It’s been so rewarding to be able to help them. How has 2020 impacted your mental or physical fitness? I’m still on a journey of trying to develop my physical and mental health. It’s taken a little bit of time, and I've learned a lot of things along the way. This year has been hard with the gyms being closed. I feel like getting up and going to a fitness environment and being surrounded by that type of energy just shapes your day. Having to push yourself at home just isn’t quite the same. It’s hard to create purpose for your day without actually going out and getting it. What are you favourite activities? Exercise and not? Music is definitely an escape for me. So I enjoy listening to music, and going to concerts. In terms of fitness. I’ve been spending a lot of time at a boxing gym. What’s different about that environment is everybody is an athlete. They train in such a different and unique way. So recently, I've been trying to push myself with things that are not related to my weight training. For instance, skipping has been a thing I’m trying. Skipping in the boxing way is very specific and quite difficult. I used to think I was quite coordinated until I started! What is something you picked up this year that has been beneficial to you? I like to do one wellness thing in the evening. So it could either be meditating, stretching, or visualisation. I also love listening to audible books or music to wind down. Go-to healthy meal? Avocado Toast for breakfast Go-to unhealthy meal? Oh, I love chicken wings! If you could go anywhere you’ve never been, where would it be and why? I'm planning to go to Tulum for my 30th! I’ve never been there. I have a year and a half to give myself enough time to go. We need to be able to travel by then! Favourite place in the world? I’m torn! I’d say the Caribbean because I spent a lot of my childhood there. But I also love Italy. I’ve been many times but each time it’s something different. If you were an animal what would you be? I want to say I’m free spirited, so maybe a bird. But I think I'd probably be an alpaca because of my curly hair! What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone looking to embark on their own fitness journey? Find a community! Start small, it could be two, or three of you in a friendship group. Or when you start going to a gym on a regular basis, you'll end up speaking to people and networking. I think it just changes your life really. What’s next on your journey? Any goals you’re focusing on? Community and networking has been so important to me and I feel it’s where London lacks a little. So I think building events around that would be a goal of mine. This year that is obviously difficult because of Covid, but that is definitely what I want to do in the future. Also in Blog Pocket meets Poppy - Living with Ulcerative Colitis, re-gaining body confidence post surgery and showing the world positive body diversity. 4 min read When Poppy reached out to share her experience of living with Ulcerative Colitis and her recent life changing surgery, we immediately wanted to meet her and help her on her mission to help others. Poppy's mission is to encourage conversation by sharing her own experience to help others re-gain their body confidence and show the world positive body diversity. Pocket meets Zooki - The daily supplement routine you can look forward to 4 min read Ensuring that we are providing our bodies with enough essential nutrients is an important factor for our daily body function as well as when exercising. We caught up with nutrition brand Zooki to get the inside scoop on all things Zooki and how we can best aid our bodies to ensure optimum health and functionality. Recovery and the Importance of Mindset with Ria Gandhi - Pocket Sport Recovery and the Importance of Mindset with Ria Gandhi 3 min read After hearing about her recent injury, Team Pocket caught up with Personal Trainer and Coach Ria Gandhi to discuss the importance of rest, recovery and mindset.	[]
Bricks and ruled paper (a short story) Two authors were discussing about their writing methods and specially, about the paper they used to write in. The first writer (let's call him Phil) used to prepare himself ruled paper sheets, because -he argued- it was the only method to know exactly how the rules were spread across each sheet, so he could control the height between lines, the amount and exact tone of the ink used to print the rules, etc. The second writer (called Rube) used to prepare the ruled paper but he gave up quickly and decided to just buy ruled paper notebooks, so that he could concentrate on the actual writing instead of the rules alignment. At the end, Phil's home-made sheets were just quite messy and didn't look as professional and serious as Rube's one. Rube was always able to deliver the books on time, while Phil spent hours and hours improving his custom made method for drawing rules and making sure it was efficient and fast. Often the method failed and he had to restart from scratch. No wonder Phil's father was a very weird architect which believed in making his own bricks. He took it with lots of dedication and pride but was only able to finish a couple of buildings in his life. Going up the family tree, Phil's grandfather was a mechanic which absolutely defended the need to build oneselves' wheels and tyres and re-engineer their design with every new patron which came to his little workshop. Phil thinks Rube is a pretentious arrogant guy trying to impress women in any of the multiple social acts which he can attend (as he's got lots of free time thanks to just using conventional ruled paper when writing), and would like to be able to say this to the entire world but he's just too busy drawing lines in order to do any actual work at the end.	[]
“India should focus on branding its software business” al ries 2Vivek Kaul Al Ries first rose to fame in 1972 when he wrote a series of three articles on a new concept called “Positioning” along with Jack Trout. In 1981, the Positioning book was published and has since sold well over 1 million copies. The book has sold over 400,000 copies in China alone. The two authors also wrote Marketing WarfareBottom-Up MarketingHorse Sense and The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing. Al is also the co-founder and chairman of the Atlanta-based consulting firm Ries & Ries with his partner and daughter, Laura Ries. Along with Laura he has written bestsellers like War in the Boardroom and The Origin of Branding. In this interview he speaks to FirstBiz on how countries can go about branding themselves. Can countries be branded like products? It depends on the size of the country. The bigger the country, the harder it is to brand. The smaller the country, the easier. Brand USA, a partnership between the travel industry and the U.S. government, is planning a $200-million campaign to attract tourists to America. The theme: “United States of Awesome Possibilities.” That’s a ridiculous idea. On the other hand, take a small country like Kenya. What is Kenya’s major tourist attraction? Wild animals from lions to elephants to giraffes. So how would I brand Kenya? “The world’s largest zoo.” How is branding a country different from branding a product? It’s essentially the same as branding a product. So how to you brand a product? Narrow the focus. BMW narrowed its focus to “driving” and became the world’s largest-selling luxury-vehicle brand, ahead of Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, Cadillac and Lincoln. What makes Singapore different from every other country in the world? Housing. 80 percent of the residents of the country live in apartments, not houses. As the world’s population continues to increase, more and more people are going to have to live in high-rise apartment buildings. Here’s how I would brand Singapore: “City of the Future.” Can you give us examples of countries which have branded themselves well? I know of only two, both small countries. Guatemala, a country in Central America, is branding itself as “The heart of Maya country.” An ancient civilization, the Maya have left hundreds of imposing temples scattered throughout Central America. But the country that has the most temples and other historic sites is Guatemala. (I once suggested the country change its name to Guatemaya). The other is Grenada, a country in the Caribbean sea, which is branding itself as “The Caribbean the way it used to be.” In other words, without all the fancy high-rise hotels for tourists. How can a country go about branding itself? The basic principle is to narrow the focus. But that’s extremely difficult for a large country. That’s why a large country should forget about branding the country. It should brand its major city instead. Instead of branding America, we should brand New York City, the one city most tourists to America want to visit. Turkey is a large country that is trying to brand itself with a silly slogan, “Turkey is ready.” A better direction is to brand Istanbul as the best place in the business world for a global headquarters. Could you elaborate on that? Consider a company with representatives in the major cities on six continents: Johannesburg, London, Mumbai, New York, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Sydney. Now where should a company like this one hold it corporate meetings? Istanbul. Here are combined mileage statistics for a single representative from each city attending a potential global meeting held in these major cities. Sydney . . . . . . . . 58,784 miles Johannesburg . . . 58,676 miles Sao Paulo . . . . . . 50,846 miles Mumbai . . . . . . . 49,450 miles New York . . . . . 46,342 miles Shanghai . . . . . . 44,925 miles London . . . . . . . 42,472 miles Istanbul . . . . . . . 40,411 miles And it’s not just location that gives Istanbul an advantage. Companies like to hold meeting in “neutral” locations, so that local representatives don’t dominate the meetings. Istanbul is not a European city. Istanbul is not an Asian city. Istanbul is a cosmopolitan city with roots in both continents. And how would you brand Istanbul? Crossroads of the world.” Sometimes it’s a good idea to compare yourself with another country or another location. Jamaica is a small country in the Caribbean, but it has mountains and waterfalls similar to Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean which is a major tourist attraction for Americans. Here is how we would brand Jamaica: “The Hawaii of the Caribbean.” Most people think New Zealand is a country. But it’s also an island. Actually, it’s two islands. The North island and the South island. Here is the slogan we developed to brand New Zealand: “The two most-beautiful islands in the world.” Any other examples? Colombia is a country in South America that has had a lot of civil wars. But Bogota, the capital, sits on the natural trade route from North America to South America and would make an ideal location for foreign companies to establish their South American headquarters. Furthermore, Bogota sits on top of the equator, but at 8,000 feet above sea level. As a result, warehouses need no air conditioning and no heating all year long. Our proposed branding slogan: “Air conditioned by God.” Would you suggest that when the reputation of a country is clear and positive, products that are made in that country carry an extra credibility? Every country has a “natural” position established by decades or centuries of publicity. Germany is “engineering.” France is “wine.” Italy is “fashion.” Switzerland is “watches.” Japan is “automobiles.” America is “computers.” India is “tea.” So when you brand a product, it can be helpful to relate your product brand to the country’s position. For example, I met once with the CEO of a Swiss company developing a new automobile brand. Does an automobile from Switzerland make any sense, he asked me? Sure, I said and I have a headline for your first ad: “Runs like a watch.” What does India need to do to brand itself well? What sort of Indian products will it help sell? The first decision to make is, Do we want to build a brand to attract tourists or to attract business? You can’t do both. Potentially, India can have a great tourist business, but the current visa situation is seriously undermining that possibility. So I would suggest India focus on business, rather than tourists. What type of business should India focus on? Darjeeling tea is one possibility. But it would take forever to broaden the territory covered by the Darjeeling “tea gardens.” A better possibility is “computer software.” India has three advantages in software. First of all, India turns out more college graduates than any other country in the world. Second, computer software today is primarily developed in the English language which put countries like China at a serious disadvantage. Third, wage levels in India are lower than in most developed countries. Then, too, opportunities are opening up in software because the market is fragmenting. Microsoft is not nearly as dominant as it once was. Also, the raft of new electronic products (smartphones, tablet computers and many more to come) will continue to generate strong demand for software. How can a strong country brand help companies and brands originating from that country ? Many brands take advantage of this idea by including the name of their country or city in their logotypes. Paris is known for cosmetics and L’Oréal is a leading French cosmetics company. The company’s logotype says: L’Oréal Paris. And the Lancȏme logo also includes the name “Paris.” In one of the columns that I read on country branding it was suggested “ Brands across the board from particular countries can command higher prices than those from other countries, simply by virtue of the strength of the country’s brand.” Do you believe in that? Could you give us examples on the same? The best example is Switzerland which has a monopoly on expensive watches. A quartz watch made in Japan and sold in America for $500 or so will keep better time than a mechanical watch like Rolex that sells for $5,000 or $10,000. So why do people pay thousands of dollars for a mechanical watch? Because it’s a Rolex from Switzerland. The same is true for wine from France. Fashion from Italy. Spain is the world’s largest producer of olive oil. But Spain doesn’t have the same reputation for olive oil as Italy. So much of Spain’s olive oil is shipped to Italy and then sold on the world market as “Olive oil from Italy.” The interview originally appeared on www.FirstBiz.com on March 7, 2014 (Vivek Kaul is a writer. He tweets @kaul_vivek) Narrow your focus al ries 2Al Ries A rising tide lifts all boats. But a falling tide does the most damage to those boats that are poorly anchored. In high-growth times, when things are going well, management ignores the marketing function. Why get involved when everything is upbeat? When things are going bad, the first thing management does is to get involved in marketing activities. If sales are turning down, no CEO is going to ignore marketing. This is the worst time for management to be involved in marketing. They don’t have the knowledge and experience to figure out what needs to be done. In fact, their instincts are wrong. They know they need to increase sales in order to survive, so their first thought is to expand the brand. That’s exactly the wrong approach. A downturn exposes the weakness of also-ran brands. In order to survive in a down economy, a company should narrow its focus in order to strengthen its brand, which ultimately can increase sales. Great Wall Motor is a good example of this principle. In the year 2009, the company marketed trucks, passenger cars, minivans and SUVs, using nine different model names. Then the company decided to focus their resources on a single model, Haval, using the strategy, “The most-economical SUV under 100,000 RMB.” (Roughly $13,000 at the time.) Last year, Great Wall Motor sold more vehicles than any other Chinese automobile company. Furthermore, they made more net profits than the next four Chinese automobile companies combined. The question is why does this happen? If you’re the CEO of a major corporation, chances are good you are a left brainer. Before you make a decision, you want to be supported by facts, figures, market data, consumer research. If you’ve a job in marketing, chances are good you are a right brainer. You often make decisions by “gut instinct” with little or no supporting evidence. It couldn’t be otherwise in a creative discipline like marketing. A logical, analytical left-brainer generally won’t take a right-brainer seriously whether the economy is up or down. In China, for example, consumers saw passenger cars as “prestige” vehicles and trucks and SUVs as working vehicles for the lower class. So if you are a logical thinker, you would want to focus on passenger cars. But a right-brainer is a holistic thinker. He or she sees the big picture. And the big picture in China back in 2009 was that every other automobile manufacturer was going to focus most of their resources on passenger cars. That’s why the better strategy for Great Wall was to do the opposite, focus on SUVs. At the same time, low-growth times can actually benefit market leaders because it makes them relatively stronger than their weak competitors. Take the automobile industry in America. The recession of 2006 to 2008 bankrupted General Motors and severely damaged Ford. But it improved the position of imported brands like Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. What should weaker competitors like General Motors have done? As a general principle, they should have narrowed the focus of their brands. General Motors’ leading brand, Chevrolet, has 18 different models. What’s a Chevrolet? It’s a large, small, cheap, expensive car or truck. That’s a weak position that can cause serious problems in low-growth times. On the other hand, Toyota is the No.1 car brand in America. Mercedes-Benz is the “prestige” leader and BMW is the “driving” leader. They all did well in the downturn. A weak brand may continue to exist in a rising economy. But not when the economy turns down. So marketing managers who manage a weak “also-ran” brand should “narrow the focus” of their brands in order to strengthen their positions. As a starter, for example, Chevrolet should have divested itself of its truck business and concentrated on cars, preferably entry-level cars. General Motors has a truck brand called GMC that sells trucks only. That brand could be strengthened by the addition of the Chevrolet truck models as well as the Chevrolet model name for trucks, Silverado. Look at the automobile market in Russia. Lada, the market leader, sells just six models yet has a market share of 17 percent. Chevrolet on the other hand markets 11 different models, but its market share is just 7 percent. Chevrolet’s leading model is Niva, an SUV made in Russia that has generated a lot of favorable interest. The model is often on back-order, with waits of two or three months. If I were running Chevrolet in Russia, I would focus all my resources behind the Niva model, much like Volkswagen did with its Beetle model in the United States. You are going to see the same things happen in smartphones. The rich will get richer (Samsung and Apple) and the poor will get poorer (BlackBerry, Motorola, Nokia and others) unless they do something dramatic like narrowing their focus to strengthen their brands. Companies are like plants. Overtime, plants expand in every direction so a good gardener trims them back from time to time. Companies need to do the same. Keep cutting back on products and markets that are not performing well. Narrow the focus to both strengthen the core brands and increase their market share. Look at the smartphone category. Apple basically markets one new model to replace an existing mode which is then discontinued. Yet the last time I checked, its competitor, BlackBerry, markets 15 different models. Which company is more successful? But narrowing focus is easier said than done. Listen. Most CEOs we have dealt with take the position that they know what marketing strategies are best for their companies. They don’t want marketing managers to tell them what to do. They want marketing managers who will execute their strategies. That’s why they seldom take the time to ask marketing managers for their advice and counsel. Most times, marketing managers have to force their way into boardrooms in order to present their ideas. I’ve been in those meetings. And it’s obvious that the chief executive and his or her staff has already made their minds up on what strategic directions to take. They just attend the meetings to placate marketing managers who often wind up frustrated. Also, during low growth times, companies end up with metric madness. If you run a company by the numbers, you’ll eventually run the company into the ground. You might be successful in the short term, but never in the long term, as the financial crisis demonstrates. The banking industry is a good example of an industry run by the numbers. And yet the banking industry was the one industry that did the worst in the recent recession. Left-brain managers are verbal, logical and analytical. Nothing wrong with that, as long as management also takes the remedy to counteract its overemphasis on mathematics. Almost everything about marketing is the opposite of the typical manager’s approach to running a business. Marketing is illogical and definitely not analytical. Marketing is intuitive and holistic. We’re concerned, however, that this message is being ignored by the marketing community which seems to be drifting from right to left. From a right-brain approach to a left-brain approach. The hot topic among marketing managers today is ROI, return on investment. Another mistake that some companies make during recessions or low-growth environment is that they introduce cheaper versions of their existing brands. Packard was the leading luxury car brand in America for many years. But during the depression in the 1930s, Packard started selling relatively inexpensive vehicles. Its major competitor, Cadillac, kept it prices relatively high, although selling far fewer vehicles than Packard. As a result, Packard is long gone and Cadillac is still alive. I don’t know enough about Indian corporations to make specific suggestions, but as a general rule, if a company is losing market share or losing money, it needs to change its marketing strategy. That runs counter to the normal thinking which is (1) The strategy is right, but (2) It’s the execution that is wrong. So chief executives tend to react to trouble by firing lower-level managers in charge of executing corporate strategy. Then too, if a company changes its corporate strategy, it can reflect unfavourably on the chief executive. From an ego point of view, that’s a strong reason to focus on execution rather than strategy. Also, there are few other things remembering. Does it make sense to launch new products in a low growth environment? Yes and no. Yes, it’s a good time to launch new markets for a market leader. Its competitors are weakened and are less likely to have a good response. No. It’s a bad time to launch new products for a company that’s not a market leader. That drains resources from the company’s core business. Also, its worth remembering while launching new products that advertising today doesn’t have the credibility to launch new products. Only PR has that credibility. Regardless of the environment, companies should start with PR and then switch to advertising after the new product or brand has achieved some recognition among consumers. Our philosophy is: PR first, advertising second. To conclude, the one message that marketers need to remember in times of low growth is to narrow your focus. (Al Ries is a marketing consultant who coined the term “positioning” and is the author of such marketing classics (along with Jack Trout) as The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing and Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind. He is also the co-founder and chairman of the Atlanta-based consulting firm Ries & Ries with his partner and daughter Laura Ries. Along with Laura he has written bestsellers like War in the Boardroom and The Origin of Branding) The article originally appeared in Business Today in the edition dated January 19, 2014 (As told to Vivek Kaul) Story of a home-grown David: How AAP trumped the mighty Vivek Kaul One of the fundamental rules of forecasting is to make as many forecasts as possible and then publicise the ones you get right. On August 4, 2012, I wrote a piece on Firstpost, in which I compared what would become Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) to a disruptive innovation. The term disruptive innovation was coined by Clayton Christensen, who happens to be a professor of strategy at Harvard Business School. He defines it as “innovations that transform an existing market or create a new one by introducing simplicity, convenience, accessibility and affordability. It is initially formed in a narrow foothold market that appears unattractive or inconsequential to industry incumbents.” A great example of a disruptive innovation is Micromax. Micromax and a host of other Indian phone makers built up significance presence in the smartphone market, while the biggest player Nokia was busy elsewhere. Bharti Beetel, which produced India’s first landline phones which had buttons on them, did not wake to the opportunity of the mobile phone market. This despite the fact that its sister company Airtel was India’s biggest mobile phone service provider. RCA, America’s leading radio company, did not see the rise of battery powered pocket transistors which were first made by Sony in 1955. Sony changed the way the world heard music by launching the Walkman and the CDman. But it handed over the digital music player market on a platter to Apple and other companies. Sony did not capture the mp3 player market because it feared that it would play havoc with all the music rights that it owned. When it comes to low cost airlines Southwest Airlines first woke up to the opportunity. None of the bigger players in the market like Pan American, British Airways, Lufthansa, Delta etc, saw the opportunity at that point of time. Even in an Indian case, a rank outsider Indigo has captured the low cost market, instead of incumbents like Air India and Jet Airways, which continue to make huge losses. There are scores of such examples in business, where the biggest player(or players) in the market has been rattled by a new player. AAP is a similar disruptive innovator. In the August 2012 piece, I had said that what “works to the advantage of disruptive innovators is the fact that the major players in the market ignore them initially and do not take them as a big enough force that deserves attention.” And this works to the advantage of the disruptive innovator, which can quietly keep doing its thing. The bigger player is not interested because the market that the disruptive innovator is catering to is too small for them to take seriously. Take the case of smartphones. Smartphones have been around since the late 1990s, but they only took off in the last few years. Hence, Nokia never got around to take them very seriously. When Sony first launched pocket transistors they catered primarily to teenagers. This led to RCA ignoring the market, because the bigger market was elsewhere. Apple’s first personal computers were targeted towards the youth, leading to the existing players who manufactured minicomputers ignoring the market completely. Along similar lines, the Bhartiya Janata Party and the Congress, looked at AAP as a party which catered to the frustrations of the middle class. And given that the middle class in this country does not care to vote, the existing political parties felt that there was no point in paying attention to what the AAP was upto. In fact, Sheila Dikshit, the chief minister of Delhi for the last fifteen years said so in several interviews. In an interview to the Open magazine published in early November, Dikshit said that “he(i.e. Arvind Kejriwal, the National Convener of the AAP) is not even on our radar.” In a rally without referring to Kejriwal, she even called him ‘barsaat ka keeda’.In another interview to Tehelka, Dikshit said “My reaction to the Aam Aadmi Party is nothing..absolutely nothing.” By the time Congress woke up to the threat from the AAP, it reacted the only way it could, by ordering a probe into the foreign funding sources of the party. The Bhartiya Janata Party also woke up around mid October, six weeks before the election, and decided to project Dr Harshvardhan as its chief ministerial candidate. As the India Today reported on the issue “Highly-placed sources in the BJP have told indiatoday.in that the party wanted to go into the elections with a leader who had a clean image and that made it go with the doctor.” The only possible explanation for this change is the fact that the BJP came to realise slightly late in the day, that the AAP was no pushover. Hence, it had to project a chief ministerial candidate with a clean image. And this got Dr Harshvardhan into the picture. The fact that it wasn’t taken seriously by its opponents allowed the AAP to go about building itself right from scratch in Delhi. The results suggest that what the AAP has managed to do in a small span of a little over a year is unprecedented. No other political party established right from scratch has ever won the number of seats that it has, since independence, in its very first election. On various discussions that happened across television channels yesterday political analysts brought up the example of NT Rama Rao. NT Rama Rao stormed to power by winning the January 1983 assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh. His Telgu Desam Party won 199 out of the 294 assembly seats. In comparison, AAP’s performance looks pale. But its worth remembering here that NT Rama Rao was the biggest Telgu film-star at that point of time. He may have been contesting elections for the first time, but everyone in Andhra Pradesh knew who he was. And given how crazy Andhra Pradesh was and continues to be about cinema, NTR did not have to start right from scratch like AAP did in Delhi. Some others also compared AAP’s success to the defeat that Mamata Banerjee handed out to the Left Front in West Bengal in 2011. While what Mamata did was huge, it is worth remembering that it took her almost three decades to do that. And when she moved out of the Congress Party to form the Trinamool Congress, a large section of the Congress Party moved with her. This meant that there was some sort of organisation that was present at the ground level when Mamata seriously thought of taking on the Left parties on her own. When the success of AAP is looked at with these factors in mind, it really is unprecedented. Another point that comes out here is what marketing gurus Al and Laura Ries make in their book The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR. In the last few decades the biggest brands have been made through public relations and not through advertising. As Al Ries told me in a October 2008 interview that I did for the Daily News and Analysis (DNA) “Almost all of the recent brand successes have been public relations (PR) successes, not advertising successes…In its first 10 years, Starbucks spent less than $10 million (total) on advertising which is a small amount in a country of 300 million people. The Body Shop has never advertised. Yet recently, L’Oreal paid $1.1 billion to buy the company…Red Bull today is a worldwide brand with $3.3 billion in annual sales, yet the company does little advertising. Same is true about Google, Facebook, Twitter, which are now some of the biggest brands in the world.” In fact, the success of AAP is a very good example of the same. The party did not have enough money to go through the conventional advertising route of advertising on television and in newspapers. They came up with innovative ways of advertising which did not need a lot of money, like getting their volunteers to stand with banners of the party at strategic traffic points. They also advertised on autorickshaws, which was a cheap and effective way of reaching a large number of people. In fact, they got spectacular coverage in the media by exposing corruption in business and crony capitalism. Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP were on the front pages of newspapers all over the country, for fairly long periods of time, over the last one year due to this. In the end, this strategy was overused, businessmen cracked the whip and finally a large section of the media stopped covering there exposures. The door to door campaign in Delhi that it carried out was also a spectacular public relations exercise. As I said earlier, the big boys never really took the AAP seriously. They asked all the practical questions. Where would the AAP raise all the money to fight an election? How would they be able to put an effective organisation in place, in such a short period of time? How would they manage to achieve all that we have achieved in the last sixty to hundred years, in a period of one year? The party did this and a lot more. It raised money directly from people, something that has been unheard of in Indian politics. The party also innovated when it came to reaching out to people, something expected from a disruptive innovator. It organised small mohalla sabhas attended by a few hundred people at a time, all across Delhi. Of course, existing political parties used to large rallies, did not see much worth in organising events where at best a few hundred people turned up. The AAP also used social media very effectively when it came to drumming up support, something no one other than Narendra Modi, has tried to do. The question is will the AAP be able to replicate its success in Delhi through other parts of the country? The answer is not simple. The incumbent politicians would like to believe that it will be very difficult for the AAP to play the game of caste so important in large parts of the country. But what should give them hope is the fact that the larger political parties are still not taking them seriously. A senior BJP leader said on NDTV India yesterda that comparing BJP with AAP was like comparing “ Raja Bhoj with Gangu Teli”. Another BJP leader challenged them to win even a single seat out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharasthra. This tells us that the incumbent politicians are still not taking AAP seriously and feel that they will find it difficult to replicate their success outside Delhi. How successful AAP is outside Delhi, only time will tell us. To conclude, AAP’s spectacular debt in Indian democracy was best summarised by anchor Punya Prasun Bapai on Aaj Tak yesterday, when he said “ Jhadu, Tiranga Ke Saath Lehra Raha Hai”. The article originally appeared on www.firstpost.com on December 9, 2013 (Vivek Kaul is a writer. He tweets @kaul_vivek) What Nokia could have done to prevent its fall nokia-logo Vivek Kaul Companies like human beings have a limited lifespan. Professor Richard Foster of the Yale University estimates that the average lifespan of a company listed in the S&P 500 in the United States is only around 15 years now. This has fallen from around 67 years in the 1920s. Why has the lifespan of companies shortened so dramatically in the last 100 years? Marketing guru Al Ries and his daughter Laura have an explanation in their book War In the Boardroom. As they write “The biggest mistake of logical management types is their failure to see the rise of a new category. They seem to believe that categories are firmly fixed and a new one seldom arises.” The most recent example of this phenomenon is Nokia. The company was the largest seller of mobile phones in the world until Samsung overtook it in 2012. Even now it sells nearly 15% of the world’s mobile phones, but has only 3% share in the lucrative smart phone category. Despite being the largest player in the market, Nokia did not see the rise of smart phones. In fact, this lack of foresight allowed brands like Micromax and Karbonn to rise in the Indian market. Nokia’s failure is not surprising, given that the history of business is littered with many such examples. RCA, America’s leading radio company, did not see the rise of battery powered pocket transistors which were first made by Sony in 1955. Sony changed the way the world heard music by launching the Walkman and the CDman. But it handed over the digital music player market on a platter to Apple and other companies. Some of the biggest minicomputer companies did not see the rise of the personal computer. None of the big airline companies around the world thought there was a market for low cost airlines, until Southwest Airlines walked away with the market. Closer to home, Hindustan Lever (now Hindustan Unilever) did not believe that there was a market for a low cost detergent. Nirma captured that market, though to its credit Hindustan Lever fought back brilliantly with its Wheel brand. Bharti Beetel, changed the entire landline market in India by selling phones which had buttons on them. But by the time it entered the mobile phone market it was too late. So why do established companies fail to see the rise of a new category? Clayton Christensen, a professor at the Harvard Business School has offered an explanation for this, in the research that he has done over the years. Established companies have a way of doing things (their existing resources, processes, profit model, value proposition they offer and so on). Anything new that comes along threatens that status quo. Take the case of Sony. The rise of digital music threatened the vast music catalogue that the company owned. And if it launched a digital music player, people would simply copy music instead of buying it. Kodak was the first company to make a digital camera. But it did not take the concept seriously because any camera that did not use “photo films”, threatened the ‘existing’ business model of the company. What also happens at times is that the initial market is too small. Smartphones have been around since the late 1990s, but they only took off in the last few years. This ensured that Nokia did not take the new category too seriously because there was money to be made elsewhere. Christensen feels that the only way big companies can be serious about the rise of new categories is to create a separate organisation within the organisation. He gives the example of IBM, which was the only big company around to benefit from the rise of the personal computers(PCs). IBM set up a separate organisation in Florida, with the mission to create and sell PCs successfully. The organisation had its own engineers and its own sales channel, and thus did not threaten IBM’s existing way of doing things. When minicomputers went totally out of fashion in the late 1980s, IBM was the only big company around to compete in the PC market. The moral of the story is that big companies in order to survive need to keep making small bets, which are not a part of the existing organisational set up, and see what works. The column originally appeared in the Business Standard Strategist dated November 11, 2013 (Vivek Kaul is the author of Easy Money (Sage, 2013). He can be reached at [email protected]) ‘By introducing cheaper iPhones, Apple will lose its high end position’ al ries 2Al Ries is a marketing consultant who coined the term “positioning” and is the author of such marketing classics (with Jack Trout) as The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing and Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind. He is also the co-founder and chairman of the Atlanta-based consulting firm Ries & Ries with his partner and daughter, Laura Ries. Along with Laura he has written bestsellers like War in the Boardroom and The Origin of Branding. In this interview he speaks to Vivek Kaul on why by introducing a cheaper iPhone, Apple will lose its position at the high end. And conversely, it won’t sell very many inexpensive phones because of competition from Chinese and Taiwanese companies. Apple has come with a low cost iPhone 5C to appeal to the price conscious consumer. Is it a strategy that is going to work? Yes and no. The strategy will generate additional sales of the iPhone 5C, but in the long term it will damage the iPhone brand. You have been of the view that extensions tend to cheapen the brand. Will something like that play out in this case? Yes, it will definitely cheapen the brand. Why do you say that? Here’s what normally happens when a new category develops. Apple pioneered a new category called “touchscreen smartphones” with its iPhone brand. Initially, the new product was a big improvement over existing keyboard smartphones like the BlackBerry. This made the iPhone one of the most successful new products ever launched. At one point, it made Apple the world’s most-valuable company. Then competitors entered the market, especially Samsung. Over time, the two brands (Samsung and iPhone) became quite similar, but consumers preferred the iPhone. Because the iPhone is a better brand. Not a better product. The next development, a development that happens to every new category, is that the category divides into two categories. One at the high end and one at the low end. Any brand that tries to both ends of the market is bound to suffer. Can you give us any examples? Cadillac once was the largest-selling luxury vehicle in the American market. Then it tried to broaden its market by introducing lower-priced vehicles. Today, Cadillac is not considered in the same category as Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. These three brands each outsell Cadillac by a wide margin. It won’t happen overnight. But long-term, we believe the same thing will happen to the iPhone. By introducing cheaper iPhones, it will lose its position at the high end. And conversely, it won’t sell very many inexpensive phones because of competition from Chinese and Taiwanese companies. By launching a cheaper version of the iPhone, Apple seems to have started following Samsung’s strategy of having smart phones at various price points. If it’s a strategy that works for Samsung why can’t it work for Apple? After all Samsung has 31% of the smartphone market and Apple has only 14%. The smartphone market is only six years old. It’s early on in the development of the category. IBM was the first company to introduce a 16-bit, serious personal computer. For several years, IBM had 50 percent or so of the personal-computer market. But because of line extension, IBM’s market share gradually declined until it was less than 10 percent of the market. And so, IBM threw in the towel and sold its money-losing business to Lenovo. Will the same thing happen to Samsung? Perhaps. But it all depends on how smart the competition becomes. If competitors develop narrowly focused brands at the high end and narrowly-focused brands at the low end, Samsung will be the ultimate loser. Some analysts are of the view that a cheaper iPhone would cannibalize sales of the expensive models. Would that be the case? And even if that is the case isn’t it better that Apple cannibalizes its own sales rather than let someone else do it? Certainly some cannibalization will take place. But Apple could have used a better strategy than line extension. It could have introduced a cheaper iPhone with a different brand name. Take Toyota, for example. Rather than introduce an expensive Toyota, the company introduced the Lexus. At one point, Lexus was the largest-selling luxury vehicle in America. Currently it’s the No.3 brand. When a category diverges, it is much better to cover the diverging category with separate brands rather than by line extending the company’s existing brand. When I interviewed your daughter Laura a few months back she told me very clearly that “long-term, we see Apple as the leader in the high-end smartphone category and Samsung the leader in the “basic” smartphone category. Apple would make a mistake in introducing less-expensive smartphones. That would undermine its position at the high end.” Do you see that playing out now? Or would that be too far fetched a statement to make? That was an astute statement, but apparently Apple management didn’t take Laura’s advice to keep the brand focused at the high end. A brand needs to stand for something to become successful in today’s competitive environment. What’s an iPhone? Is it a high-end phone or a low-end phone? A brand can be successful at either end of the market but not at both ends. A growing view seems to suggest that Apple has lost its ability to innovate after the death of Steve Jobs. Would you agree with something like that? Yes. No brand can appeal to everyone. Steve Jobs famously said there are some customers he doesn’t want. (He was commenting on why Apple wouldn’t introduce a netbook, or inexpensive laptop computer.) Can you give us other examples where extensions have cheapened the brand? Motorola introduced a $1,400 cellphone called “StarTAC” that rapidly became a very popular high-end cellphone brand. Then the company introduced cheaper versions of the StarTAC phone which undermined its high-end position. (We worked with Motorola at the time and pleaded with them not to introduce the less-expensive StarTAC phones.) Today, Motorola is just another cellphone brand without much of a position. Mercedes-Benz used to be known as the world’s leading high-end automobile brand. But the company keeps introducing low-end models that undermine its high-end perception. Today, BMW outsells Mercedes-Benz on the global market. On a slightly different what do you think of Microsoft taking over the telecom business of Nokia. Nokia has lost out on the smart phone market. Will Microsoft’s taking over help them in capturing a greater market share in the smart phone market? Microsoft would have to create a new smartphone category to kickstart the Nokia brand. (Much like Apple did with the touchscreen smartphone.) But that’s incredibly difficult to do in a category that has had so money spent on research & development. Microsoft is unlikely to profit from its Nokia investment. But there’s a larger point to be made. Every company needs a focus for the same reasons that every brand needs a focus. How do you explain that in the context of Microsoft? Microsoft is a “software” company. It should not be trying to get into the hardware business. That unfocuses the company and makes it very difficult to manage. Look at Apple, a company focused on selling hardware only. Sure, the company needs software developers to create its hardware products, but that’s a different matter. Look at Apple’s competitors in the American market. Both Dell and Hewlett-Packard are hardware companies trying to get into software and services. And not very successfully. Last year, Dell’s profit margin was 4.2 percent versus Apple’s 26.7 percent. And last year, Hewlett-Packard lost $12.7 billion. The interview originally appeared on www.firstpost.com on September 12, 2013 (Vivek Kaul is a writer. He tweets @kaul_vivek)	[]
What’s Wrong with “Chappaquiddick,” the Movie Culture Watch tags: Ted Kennedy, Chappaquiddick, Mary Jo Kopechne Mel Ayton is the author of two books on presidential protection – Hunting The President – Threats, Plots and assassination Attempts – from FDR to Obama (Regnery, 2014) and Plotting To Kill The President – Assassination Attempts – From Washington To Hoover (University of Nebraska Press/ Potomac books, 2017).A new paperback edition of his book The Forgotten Terrorist – Sirhan Sirhan and the Assassination of Robert F Kennedy, with a Foreword by Professor Alan Dershowitz, will be published in 2018. Amongst the many inferences in the new movie about the 1969 Chappaquiddick tragedy are the following. Most writers who have researched the incident believe they are either true or partially true: Kennedy had been drinking alcohol on the night of the accident and had been a reckless driver responsible for the death of Mary Jo Kopechne when he drove his car off a bridge on the island of Chappaquiddick. Kennedy tried to cover-up his recklessness and attempted to escape blame by pretending he was at his hotel in Edgartown, on Martha’s Vineyard, at the time of the accident. Kennedy had asked his companions, Paul Markham and Joe Gargan, to take the blame. However, the damning theme of the movie involves the notion that Kennedy had allowed a girl to suffocate in an air bubble in the car because he failed to seek help from the emergency services. Scuba diver John Farrar, who recovered Mary Jo Kopechne’s body from the partially submerged vehicle, maintained that it was likely an air pocket had allowed her to survive for a period of time after the accident. He believed Mary Jo had died, not from drowning, but asphyxiation. Farrar commented on the small amount of water which had been expelled from Mary Jo (although he never considered the possibility that water was expelled during the body’s extrication from the vehicle). Farrar also maintained the buoyancy of Mary Jo’s body indicated she had not drowned. Farrar described Mary Jo’s hands as “claw–like,” gripping the bottom of the well of the rear of the upturned car. He said that she had been frantically attempting to seek the last pocket of air in the vehicle before she succumbed and that she could have been alive for “at least an hour” after the accident. He said Mary Jo could have been rescued had Kennedy made an emergency telephone call after driving off the wooden bridge. Dr.Donald Mills, who examined the body at the scene, pronounced death by drowning. (He added that a light pinkish foam exuding from Mary Jo’s nose also indicated a classic case of drowning because the foam is produced from a resulting pulmonary edema.) However, Farrar’s conclusions that she died by asphyxiation appeared to be confirmed when the undertaker, Eugene Frieh, who observed Mills’s examination of Mary Jo’s body closely, said he did not see any great outpouring of water from the body and the water he did see appeared to come from the deceased’s stomach. Frieh later asked Dr Mills to change the cause of death from drowning to “asphyxia.” However, it is clear that Farrar’s understanding of death by drowning is misleading. In a significant percentage of drowning – between 10% and 20% – a reflex action restricts the larynx and prevents much water from entering the lungs. In most of these victims the laryngospasm relaxes some time after unconsciousness and water can enter the lungs causing a wet drowning. A small number of victims maintain the seal until cardiac arrest. This is called a dry drowning. Therefore Frieh and Farrar were unaware that a limited amount of water in the lungs could still be consistent with drowning. Farrar also said Mary Jo had “positive buoyancy” when she was removed from the car. He believed this proved she died by suffocation rather than drowning. This conviction has been repeated by most writers on the subject. As Farrar maintained, “If it didn’t sink, it didn’t drown.” This assertion is a myth. Farrar’s theory of buoyancy may be consistent with a drowning in a lake or river but it is not necessarily true when it comes to saltwater. The specific gravity of a human being is close to the gravity of sea water. A dead body will float in salt water if the lungs are mostly full of air at the time of death, as in the case of a dry drowning. Additionally, the bodies of women are more likely to float than men in such cases as women’s bodies have less fat, less muscle and lighter bones. The opinions of most medical experts who have researched this case are that Mary Jo died of drowning. As Werner Spitz, who was Director of the State of Maryland Medical Examiner and worked closely with the Kopechne family, stated, “There is no question in my mind she inhaled water.” There are additional reasons why Farrar’s theory should be rejected. Kennedy’s friends Paul Markham and Joseph Gargan, who had been enlisted by Kennedy to rescue Mary Jo in the hour or so after the accident, did not observe any movement inside the car when they dove repeatedly in the dark and murky waters to extricate her. If she had still been alive it is reasonable to assume she would have assisted her rescuers. During Markham’s and Gargan’s attempts to rescue her she made no sound, no thrashing movements in the water and no attempts to make bodily contact with her rescuers. And three of the car’s windows had been forced in, making it unlikely that an air pocket would have been trapped, especially as the strong current would have filled the car quickly with water. It is also reasonable to assume that Mary Jo would have attempted to escape had she been alive rather than wait to be rescued. And if an air pocket had indeed been present, medical opinion has demonstrated that Mary Jo would have succumbed to hypothermia in the strong and cold Labrador currents. By the time it took for Kennedy to have travelled to the cottage and returned with help Mary Jo would have died. Criticisms of Kennedy’s behaviour after the accident should also consider the senator’s mental state. According to Dr Max Sadove of the University of Illinois Medical School, an expert on the effects of shock: “No one knows what his own breaking point is. It is different at different times for different people.” Dr Robert Watt, trauma specialist at Cape Cod Medical Centre, examined Kennedy and reported that the Senator had suffered: “a half-inch abrasion and haematoma over the right mastoid, a contusion of the vertex, spasm of the posterior cervical musculature, tenderness of the lumber area, a big spongy swelling at the top of his head.” Dr Watt diagnosed concussion. Later Kennedy was examined by Dr Brougham at Cape Cod Hospital where he underwent X-ray examination which showed a straightening of the cervical vertebrae. Dr Brougham diagnosed acute muscular spasm, confirming cervical strain. Both doctors said that Kennedy’s mental confusion had a definite physiological reason. According to Gargan, Kennedy, on the way to the ferry, was rambling and verbalizing irrational thoughts, which were consistent with someone suffering from shock. Kennedy’s behavior was not unusual for a person who had experienced a tragedy. Shock causes people to disassociate themselves, temporarily, from threatening circumstances. Despite the many accusations over the years that Kennedy had always lied about what happened on the night of July 18, 1969, a telling story by Joe Kennedy’s nurse, Rita Dallas, may give insight into the stark and simple fact that Kennedy had been telling what he believed to be the truth all along. On Saturday July 19, after Kennedy returned to Hyannisport from Martha’s Vineyard, he told his father the news. Dallas reported that Kennedy said: “Dad, a girl was drowned. I stopped by at a party Joe was having for some of our girls from the office. One of them wanted to catch the ferry and get back to the motel on South Beach. I said I’d take her but I turned off the road and my car went off the bridge into the tidal pond. I got out, Dad, and I tried to save her but I couldn’t. I guess, after that, I went to pieces. I walked back to Joe’s and then we drove back to the bridge. He tried to get her out, too, but he couldn’t. I must have gone a little crazy, Dad, because I swam across to Edgartown. I left the scene of the accident, and things aren’t good because of that.... But I want you to know that I’m telling the truth.” Edward’s father, Joe Kennedy, was confined to a wheelchair after having suffered a severe stroke in 1961. He did not have the power of speech. However, according to family members, he was mentally astute. It is inconceivable that Edward, who loved his father dearly, would lie to him in the knowledge that his father’s health was failing and could succumb to death at any time. comments powered by Disqus	[]
[PubMed] [Google Scholar] 25 By \| May 1, 2022 [PubMed] [Google Scholar] 25. that AHNAK is definitely lost in cells expressing active CAPN3. Conversely, AHNAK accumulates when calpain 3 is definitely defective in skeletal muscle mass of calpainopathy individuals. Moreover, we demonstrate that AHNAK fragments cleaved by CAPN3 have lost their affinity for dysferlin. Therefore, our findings suggest interconnectivity between both diseases by exposing a novel physiological part for CAPN3 in regulating the dysferlin protein complex. Intro Muscular dystrophies comprise a heterogeneous group of inherited degenerative muscle mass disorders characterized by progressive muscle mass losing and weakness with variable distribution and severity. Since the finding of dystrophin, a large number of Rabbit Polyclonal to NF-kappaB p65 genes either associated with, or linked to, various forms of muscular dystrophy (MD) have been recognized. Limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDs) are a genetically heterogeneous group of main myopathies showing progressive weakness and losing of the muscles of the pelvic and shoulder girdle, and ranging from severe forms with onset in the 1st decade with quick progression to milder forms with later on onset and a slower program. Three different major disease mechanisms are growing for LGMD: a structural defect in the muscle mass membrane, muscle mass membrane repair deficiency and problems in sarcomere redesigning, cytoskeleton structure and cytoskeleton-membrane relationships. Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type Amitriptyline HCl 2A (LGMD2A; OMIM# 253600) or calpainopathy is considered the most frequent form of recessive LGMD worldwide (1C3). The gene responsible for LGMD2A and coding for calpain 3 (CAPN3; OMIM# 114240) was localized by linkage analysis to the chromosomal region 15q15.1C15.3 and subsequently recognized by positional cloning (3). To day well over 350 unique pathogenic mutations in the calpain 3 gene have been described according to the Leiden Muscular Dystrophy database (http://www.DMD.nl/CAPN3). Calpain 3 is definitely a skeletal muscle-specific member of the calpain superfamily of non-lysosomal, Ca2+-dependent cysteine proteases (4). Several cytoskeleton components were identified as partners and substrates for calpain 3 linking its function to the rules of cytoskeleton structure and cytoskeletonCmembrane relationships (5,6). Deregulation of sarcomere redesigning due to lack of proteolysis of substrates by calpain 3 was consequently postulated like a mechanism of LGMD2A pathogenesis (7), which emphasizes the importance to identify calpain 3 substrates. One of the LGMDs in which a secondary reduction of calpain 3 can be observed is definitely LGMD2B (OMIM# 253601). Mutations Amitriptyline HCl in dysferlin (DYSF; OMIM# 603009) do not only cause LGMD2B, but also Miyoshi myopathy and distal anterior compartment myopathy (8C10). Dysferlin is definitely suggested to play a key role in muscle mass membrane restoration, defining a new pathogenic mechanism in MD (11). Amitriptyline HCl However, the precise biochemical function of dysferlin remains unfamiliar. Myoferlin, a homologue of dysferlin, is also indicated in the plasma membrane, and in addition found at the nuclear envelope (12). By co-immunoprecipitation experiments, we previously shown that calpain 3 is in complex with dysferlin (13). In addition, we showed the C-terminal website of AHNAK nucleoprotein (AHNAK; OMIM# 103390), a novel Amitriptyline HCl partner of the dysferlin protein complex, can interact with the C2A website of dysferlin and myoferlin and that AHNAK redistributes to the cytoplasm with dysferlin during muscle mass regeneration (14). As both dysferlin and AHNAK are implicated in membrane restoration and maintenance, this may suggest a previously unrecognized part of calpain 3 in muscle mass membrane homeostasis. AHNAK (also called desmoyokin, MW 700 kDa), located on human being chromosome 11q12C13 (15), consists of three main structural areas: the N-terminal 498 amino acids, a large central region of 4300 amino acids with multiple repeated devices, most of which are 128 amino acids in length and the C-terminal 1002 amino acids (16). A second AHNAK nucleoprotein-like protein, AHNAK nucleoprotein 2 (AHNAK2; OMIM# 608570; MW 600 kDa), located on chromosome 14q32, was recently identified by a search for homologous sequences in the human being genome (17). AHNAK-deficient mice display no obvious phenotype, and it is speculated that AHNAK2 can compensate for the loss of AHNAK (17). The exact biological function of AHNAK is largely unfamiliar. ?/? mice (30). It was suggested that calpain 3 functions upstream of the ubiquitinationCproteasome pathway Amitriptyline HCl to release myofibrillar proteins and provide them for proteasomal breakdown. In the present study, we provide evidence that calpain 3 activity promotes turnover of AHNAK in cell tradition and in skeletal muscle mass. Thus, in the future, it is essential to establish whether AHNAK is definitely ubiquitinated after calpain 3 cleavage in skeletal muscle mass. To day, three major pathological mechanisms have been suggested for MD. Membrane disruption, caused by mutations in proteins of the dystrophinCglycoprotein complex, is a well established pathogenic mechanism in a large group of MD (31). Besides this membrane fragility, problems in membrane restoration caused by mutations in dysferlin have been identified as second pathological mechanism (11). Recently, a new pathogenic mechanism, deregulation of sarcomere redesigning due to the mutations in calpain 3, was suggested as the.	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The Right Fit: Nicholas de Monchaux’s “Spacesuit: Fashioning Apollo” December 14, 2011 • By Rosten Woo NOT LONG AGO, I SPENT AN AFTERNOON inside Biosphere II, a 3.14-acre vivarium designed as an experimental "self-contained" ecosystem. Biosphere II hosted two missions — the second aborted in 1994 — in which scientists lived in the dome for a period of two years and six months respectively, in the end learning more about the effects of voluntary human confinement than ecology. The ambitiously named structure (Earth being Biosphere I) was repurposed as a kind of laboratory and tourist attraction. Best known today as the inspiration for the Pauly Shore movie Biodome, the destination offers guided tours of thinly conceived ecosystems: a salty, brackish pond with a wave machine stands in for the ocean; huge vents cut into the site's floor supply an arid desert with a warm breeze. Most impressive are the building's soccer-field-sized "lungs": structures outfitted with rubber diaphragms that stretch to accommodate the expansion and contraction of internal air over the course of an Arizona day. Today, Biosphere II is mostly compelling as a thought experiment — one that you can walk around in. It seems unlikely that the simulated ocean will yield particularly useful experimental data, but as an art project or a philosophical provocation, it's pretty powerful. What does it mean to build a whole world? One inside of another? Standing in a constructed desert gazing through glass at a larger, surrounding desert, it's easy to start thinking about insides and outsides, about the membranes that at once separate atmospheres and contain them. Spacesuit , architect Nicholas de Monchaux's wonderful material history, is mostly about these membranes. The book begins with that iconic photograph of Buzz Aldrin's figure against the surface of the moon — along with a simple question: "Why is this spacesuit soft?" For an answer, de Monchaux finds it necessary to look as far back as 1783, pulling in examples from fields as far-flung as computer simulation, psychopharmacology, haute couture, and the work of Gil Scott-Heron. De Monchaux has constructed Spacesuit (maybe slightly too cleverly) as a series of layers, each corresponding to the 21 layers that comprised the A7L space suit of the Apollo missions. The author revels in finding curious details from the material history of the world, and Spacesuit bursts with dinner-party fodder: Did you know that the U.S. government's documentation of the Bikini Atoll nuclear tests created a worldwide film shortage? Or that the Apollo mission's computer-backup system was crafted into a binary pattern that was then physically woven into ropes? And that only seamstresses could be called upon to do this work properly? While some of the above content might qualify as pure trivia, Spacesuit hews mostly to a consistent theoretical concern similar to that of Bruno Latour's urban-planning potboiler,Aramis, or the Love of Technology. In that book, a graduate student attempts to discover who "killed" Aramis, the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system proposed and abandoned in 1980s Paris. Though the protagonist's detective work, in the end, proves inconclusive, Latour unveils a novel's worth of actors, motives, and backstories — illuminating not only fears about personal transit technology, but also urban planning, electioneering, and gender and racial anxieties. Both Latour and de Monchaux treat material history — the affordance of different gauges of rubber, for example, or the turning radius of a train — as completely of a piece with anthropological or sociological concerns: What kinds of documentation did NASA require? What were a train manufacturer's project management protocols? But where Latour's Aramisends in a bureaucratic black hole, Spacesuit is, at its heart, a sunny California story of techno-optimism. Spacesuit © Ed Emshwiller, Courtesy of the Emshwiller family De Monchaux, a professor of architecture at UC Berkeley, begins his story in the 18th century with France's state-sponsored hot air balloon flights, the discovery of the atmosphere, and the varieties of "air" found at different altitudes. As investigators began freezing, dying, and experiencing oxygen deprivation in the upper atmosphere, the idea of an "outer limit" to the sky began to take shape. What is "space" but a way to describe the area just beyond one's natural reach? As de Monchaux deftly shows, how one defines space is largely contingent on one's own concerns, and on one's own institutional (as well as physical) position. For astronomers, de Monchaux tells us, space might mean 5,000,000 feet of altitude, "where the atmosphere would offer no distortion to a star's thin stream of light." For rocket engineers, spacecould mean the altitude of 100,000 feet, "where the atmosphere no longer restricts the expansion of gases and a rocket's engine." For aviators, space is where air no longer supports winged flight — some 250,000 feet above earth. To a doctor, it might begin at 15,000 feet, where humans need oxygen to survive longer than a few hours, or at 35,000 feet, where "a pressurized environment is necessary to avoid eventual unconsciousness and death." (This typology makes a nice complement to artist Amy Balkin's project Atmosphere: a wall-sized field guide to the layers of the earth's air, proceeding from ocean level to exosphere and touching on the relevant ecological, regulatory, political, and ideological forces that come into play at each altitude.) This last definition of space — an airless, depressurized environment hostile to human life — drives most of the "suiting" in Spacesuit. How did we develop technologies to, on the one hand, make space suitable for the human body, and, on the other, to make humans suitable for space? This suiting can take various forms, from developing drugs for astronauts (suiting the human body for space travel) to the Russian-doll-like engineering of the "fit" between the human body and the space suit, the space suit and the space vehicle interior, and the vehicle and so-called space. The space suit is necessarily a hybrid technology, and its ancestors are many and varied: "Something is made of something else," de Monchaux explains, both in terms of material, but also structure. He writes: A space suit is made out of a flight suit, a Goodrich tire, a bra, a girdle, a raincoat, a tomato worm. An American rocket ship is made out of a nuclear weapon, and a German ballistic missile; a "space program" — a new organization with new goals — is made out of preexisting military, scholarly, and industrial institutions and techniques. De Monchaux takes special interest in describing the development of what he calls "knowledge cultures": ways of making, understanding, and communicating facts about objects. These include not just the internal bureaucracies of garment corporations, but also the procurement procedures of government contractors and subcontractors, the media, and the habits and lore of seamstresses. Always at play in the book is the interaction between the material facts of a prototype suit's performance (How does it suit the pilot? Is it comfortable? What mobility does it afford?) and how that information can be assimilated and made actionable by individuals and teams embedded in complex networks. Although de Monchaux observes a rough chronology throughout, many of the histories in Spacesuit feel like vignettes. For instance, we hear the tale of Wiley Post, a one-eyed pilot intent on proving the technological superiority of airplanes over dirigibles. Post invented the pressurized flight suit in order to withstand the high altitudes his ambition demanded; he set out to break the speed record for a round-the-world flight set by the zeppelin (a feat he eventually accomplished in seven days and eighteen hours, breaking the previous record by almost two weeks). We also get stories about the origins of cybernetics (the science of regulatory systems) and psychopharmacology. One chapter describes Manfred Clynes and Nathan Kline working to "suit" schizophrenics to their environment using Thorazine and how similar drugs were imagined to regulate astronaut sex drive. De Monchaux also digresses, at length, about Christian Dior's New Look and the production of the "fashion system," introducing a way of thinking about a network of material production that necessarily included designers and goods, magazines, photographers, writers, and consumers. The role of clothing in an image economy returns as a primary concern in Spacesuit — in a discussion of the Apollo mission as a television event. The narrative heart of Spacesuit is the story of Playtex, the women's undergarment manufacturer. The company, known at the time as the International Latex Corporation, triumphed over the more politically connected, engineering-driven Hamilton-Standard to win the Apollo lunar space-suit contract. It plays out like an after-school special: ILC's team, a motley group of seamstresses and engineers, led by a car mechanic and a former television repairman, manages to convince NASA to let them enter their "test suit" in a closed, invitation-only competitive bid at their own expense. They spend six weeks working around the clock — at times breaking into their own offices to work 24-hour shifts — to arrive at a suit solution that starkly outperforms the two invited competitors. In open, direct competition with larger, more moneyed companies, ILC manages to produce a superior space suit by drawing on the craft-culture handiwork and expertise of seamstresses, rather than on the hard-line culture of engineering. The ILC workshop was a hybrid endeavor: Producing new forms required new skills and habits. Space suit contract in hand, ILC now had to adapt to NASA's engineering culture. Though ILC seamstresses were hand-making each suit to order based on the astronauts' measurements, the rigorous specifications of the space suit took the craft to an extreme unknown even to couture: "Tolerances allowed for sewing — less than a sixty-fourth of an inch in only one direction from the seam — meant that yard after yard was sewn to an accuracy smaller than the sewing needle's eye." Modified treadles allowed the workers to punch a single stitch with each footfall. To curb the use of pins (just one of these misplaced in a suit's lining could render an entire suit useless), numbered pin-sets had to be checked out at the beginning of each day and returned each evening as a complete set. Once each part of the suit was produced it also had to be described — made intelligible and traceable by NASA, whose bureaucracy was ill-equipped, to put it mildly, to comprehend or regulate an object like a garment. Because each suit and each component of each suit was designed for a specific astronaut, mountains of paperwork followed. Every alteration to the suit required NASA to register the garment as a new object, a complication worthy of a Borges story. Yet the suits, de Monchaux says, were never actually constructed according to engineering drawings. The drawings were always descriptive, not prescriptive: produced after the fact. To fit into NASA's engineering system, ILC had to essentially reverse-engineer construction documents of each space suit after they had already been produced. This seemingly small detail points to the vast blind spots across different cultures of making and knowing, and de Monchaux happily points out the appealing irony: The very image of NASA's technical triumph, the most iconic image of the space race, is in fact a "throwback" — more craftwork than Kraftwerk. If administrative cultures and professional traditions were one kind of constraining force on the form of the space suit, the global forces of popular culture and Cold War politics were another. One of Spacesuit's running themes is the production of images as tools for persuasion. The space suit's outermost physical layer is just as in-between as any other part of the suit, mediating between a public's expectation of what the future ought to look like, and the technical requirements of the human body. This amount of detail given to image is fitting for a subject that was, as much as anything, a protracted media campaign. De Monchaux writes, "From the perspective of Kennedy's knowledge of the media's power in the Cold War, the entire effort to go to the moon should be rightly understood as an elaborate apparatus for the production of a single television image." (Here is a good place to note that Spacesuit is itself dense with beautifully reproduced images, photographs, technical drawings, and media ephemera.) This attention to public perception in the design of flight-and travel predates the space race: The first pressure suit built in the U.S. was used in Air Hawks, a science-fiction feature film, just weeks after it was manufactured. The transatlantic pilot Wiley Post, in a self-performing cameo, wore the suit in the film. Space suits, like flight suits before them, are constantly modified to conform to expectations of what a garment-of-the-future might look like, hastily painted with metallic silver paint prior to public viewing. Then there is the considerable stagecraft involved in the development of NASA control rooms, the CBS soundstage, and the special effects involved in the television production of the Apollo moon landing as a media event. Walter Cronkite's set, embedded with a dozen screens, was designed by Douglas Trumbull, the visual effects supervisor for Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. A model was built on a treadmill in the CBS studios in order to produce simulations of the moon's surface; these simulations were then composited with four other images to create an image of the Eagle landing in its approach trajectory. And these images were in turn interwoven with footage from multiple TV studios, Houston's mission control, and the Apollo itself. The end result: a completely choreographed 31-hour media event viewed by 528 million people (15 percent of the world's population at the time). It is an astounding portrait of cooperation (or collusion) between government and media. One that now appears almost touchingly naïve in its transparent weaving of government and media goals. De Monchaux can't resist telescoping out to more traditional architectural topics: world's fairs, Bucky domes, control room architectures, the visual display of data at the Houston control structures, and the intriguing but ultimately spurious notion forwarded by Hubert Humphrey that "the techniques that are going to put a man on the Moon are going to be exactly the techniques that we are going to need to clean up our cities." You get the sense from these wayward rays of illumination that, for the space race and its effect on architecture, media, and the design of cities, an enormous amount of research has yet to be done. But what is an architecture professor doing writing about clothing, or outer space, at all? For de Monchaux, the layer is more than a structuring metaphor for his book: it's his preferred way of understanding architecture, as a mediation between a thing and its environment. The book flexes inwards and outwards, presenting the world as a series of layers with no center, and no final periphery — just a series of mediations. The history of the space suit helps us think in new ways about the problem of "suiting" and adaptation. It shows us how other disciplines have arrived at solutions to these problems. Just as NASA overcame its own institutional biases by accepting a design solution from an underwear manufacturer, de Monchaux argues, architecture must mind its blind spots as well. By taking the space suit as a topic, then, de Monchaux stakes a claim for architecture as a wider pursuit — one that does not presuppose buildings. In the same period as the Apollo space suit's production, architecture was undergoing changes of its own. Technical professions like engineering came to develop more and more of what might be thought of as the real machines for living: standardized components, HVAC systems, tempered glass — the real architecture. This is the problem that Reyner Banham, who championed everything from the automobile to clipboards and the relationship between potato chips and dip as objects worthy of serious consideration, treated in his 1960 essay "Stocktaking." "Architecture, as a service to human societies," Banham wrote, can only be defined as the provision of fit environments for human activities. The word "fit" may be defined in the most generous terms imaginable, but it still does not necessarily imply the erection of buildings. Environments may be made fit for human beings by any number of means. Banham's essay addressed the problem of innovation from without: How could architecture absorb external influences without losing its cherished identity as a professional, classical discipline? The answer, which Banham suggests and de Monchaux would clearly endorse, is to construe architecture more broadly — as building for the future in all kinds of ways. Banham quotes Charles Eames's 1959 Discourse at the RIBA on the future role of computing in architecture: Yet, in this circumstance I have described, and in these tools that I have described, I see and feel something which is a real continuity in the architectural tradition ... The real planning, the real architecture, and building of the future, is going to be built with something similar to these tools, and part of these circumstances. My plea is that it fall under the head of that great name, architecture, which embraces it. Rather than seeing architecture maintain itself through tradition, it must sustain itself by absorption: bring the outside in.	[]
American Thinker: Biden’s Hateful Rhetoric Against Americans Presents Sterling Opportunity The Democratic party has been engaging for many years now in a purge of conservatives in the media, the military, and in academia. Last week President Biden, in a surreal speech, expanded the purge to the citizenry who dare to have opposing viewpoints, especially calling out Republicans who want to make America great again claiming that they are an extremist threat to the foundations of the republic. In this article from American Thinker, the author says it is an opportunity for conservative voices. Whenever political leaders lose all political capital due to their misgovernance and have no real issues to base their campaign on, they often resort to focusing on the symbolic — usually referring to “the soul of the nation.” This happened before in the U.S., it happened in India, it happened in the U.K. and it happened again in the U.S. This is most typical of the left. Instead of being humble and conceding their mistakes, they attack voters for thinking of voting against them while overlooking the myriad catastrophes they presided over. They often blame their opponents for what they are guilty of — bigotry, violence — and then end with the “soul” plea. Biden delivered his “soul” speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The manner of delivery was unhinged; he frequently waved his fists aggressively. His voice was hoarse, perhaps owing to recent bouts with COVID-19, giving the speech a scornful tone. Biden spoke flanked by uniformed Marines, while his backdrop was bathed in blood-red hues making it look ominously like a hellscape. Twitter video screen grab. His speech was a sequel to his recent addresses, where he claimed that he doesn’t respect MAGA Republicans and that MAGA philosophy is like “semi-fascism.” Biden called for Americans to “unite behind the single purpose of defending our democracy regardless of your ideology.” But Biden added a caveat that this doesn’t apply to “MAGA forces” — i.e., all those scores of millions who voted for and intend to vote for MAGA candidates. Biden said that “too much of what’s happening in our country today isn’t normal.” Biden is right here, but the blame for this lies on him. Never before have government institutions been hijacked and misused to target political opponents. Never before has a virus been misused to impose lockdowns that infringe on the right to freedom of movement and the right to earn a living. Never before have vaccines been mandated, causing people to be fired from their jobs or suffer from health issues. Never before has the U.S. government demonized its own citizens, calling them domestic terrorists. Never before has the U.S. government set up a “Disinformation Governance Board” that sits in judgment of the utterances of citizens. Never before has the U.S. been subjected to prolonged disinformation campaigns, the Russian collusion hoax, the Ukraine call hoax, and now the insurrection hoax. Never before has the U.S. had a president whose cognitive abilities are so impaired that he struggles to read off a teleprompter and causes citizens to wonder who is in charge. Biden continues by claiming that the Republican Party is “dominated, driven, intimidated by Donald Trump” and his supporters, calling it “a threat to this country” because “they refuse to accept the results of a free election.” Perhaps Biden forgot the Russian collusion hoax concocted by the Democrats that baselessly attempted to delegitimize the results of the 2016 presidential election. It was the Democrats who refused to accept the results of a free election. Perhaps Biden forgot that big media and Big Tech suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop scandal prior to the 2020 election. A recent poll shows that nearly four of five Americans believe that “truthful” coverage would have changed the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Perhaps Biden forgot about Mark Zuckerberg spending $419 million to infiltrate sacrosanct electoral infrastructure of the 2020 elections and push for mail-in voting. Perhaps Biden forgot that 69% of voters nationwide cast their ballot non-traditionally — i.e., by mail and/or before Election Day for the 2020 election. Mail votes are highly vulnerable to fraud. Biden also alleged that the “MAGA forces” are aligned with white supremacists, violent extremists, and other undesirables. Perhaps Biden forgot violent Democrat extremists threatening Supreme Court justices and vandalizing Catholic churches, pregnancy centers, and the offices of pro-life groups. There was an assassination plot against Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Biden also accused “MAGA Republicans” of seeing a country consumed in “darkness.” Perhaps Biden forgot that his misgovernance is the sole cause of darkness. The open borders have caused an influx of illegal aliens, some of whom are violent criminals. More than 4.9 million illegal migrants have crossed the southern border. The smuggling of illicit drugs across the border is a regular occurrence. There were an estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths in the United States during the 12-month period ending in April 2021, an increase of 28.5% during the same period the year before. Inflation is at a very high 8.5 percent, causing the price of essential items to skyrocket. The price of fuels continues to be high. The crime wave is ravaging the nation, and Democrat judges refuse to prosecute misdemeanors such as drug possession, driving offenses, disturbing the peace, shoplifting, larceny, domestic violence, etc. None of the Biden-backed initiatives such as the Inflation Reduction Act or the infrastructure bill or his climate initiative or pardoning student loans will reduce people’s suffering. In fact, wasteful spending will make inflation worse. Biden’s “gun safety” red flag laws allow instant confiscation of guns on mere suspicion. This endangers lives, especially considering the crime wave. Thus, not only has Biden taken the nation into darkness, but his misgovernance will blacken the darkness even further. Biden perfunctorily claimed that “not every Republican, not even a majority of Republicans, are MAGA Republicans; not every Republican embraces their extreme ideology.” If that were indeed the case, and the MAGA movement were just a small minority, why did Biden base his entire speech on an insignificant minority? This was an attempt to distinguish between the Good Republicans (Lincoln Project, Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, and company) versus the Bad Republicans (Trump and the MAGA GOP). The truth is the “Good Republicans” are useful idiots, who will instantly become bad if they dare to run against Democrats. Most Americans disapprove of Biden; that number is likely to rise after his hateful rhetoric. The purpose of the address was to demonize, dehumanize, and otherize Donald Trump and his supporters, which would justify any kind of persecution by government agencies. This also creates grounds for the Democrats to reject the outcome of the midterms should the GOP, particularly the MAGA GOP, win by a landslide. They could claim to stand against fascist forces. The Democrats have broken every immutable norm in recent times; they already attempted to overthrow the 2016 election; they could very well do this for the midterms. But there is a silver lining. Despite claims that the speech would be apolitical, Biden delivered a campaign speech. However, it wasn’t for the Democrats. It was instead for the Republicans and Donald Trump. Even personnel from Democrats’ mouthpieces such as CNN and the Daily Beast weren’t impressed…(continues) Townall: Biden Calls for More Gun Control/Bans From Townhall comes Biden Uses the Parkland Anniversary to Call for Three Major Gun Control Moves. As predicted, the Democrats are using the third anniversary of the tragic shooting in Parkland, Florida to call for stricter gun control laws. President Joe Biden issued a statement on Sunday calling on Congress to “enact commonsense gun law reforms” “This Administration will not wait for the next mass shooting to heed that call. We will take action to end our epidemic of gun violence and make our schools and communities safer,” the president said in a statement. “Today, I am calling on Congress to enact commonsense gun law reforms, including requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers who knowingly put weapons of war on our streets. We owe it to all those we’ve lost and to all those left behind to grieve to make a change. The time to act is now.” While Biden was on the campaign trail back in 2019, he called for a registry for magazines and so-called “assault weapons” – what the rest of us call AR-15s – that are currently in circulation, in addition to an outright ban on new production. On his campaign website he promised to implement those changes, as well as pushing red flag laws, which allows family, co-workers, teachers and colleagues to petition a court to take away a person’s firearms without due process. Oh, and he wants to make sure all firearms moving forward are “smart guns,” meaning no one can pull the trigger unless their DNA matches the pre-programed information (you can thank James Bond for the idea). Smart guns have not only logistical nightmares but there’s also the privacy concerns surrounding DNA. When Harris was running for president she threatened to sign an executive order on gun control if Congress didn’t pass “common sense gun laws” within the first 100 days of her being president. Specifically, she called for an Assault Weapons Ban, universal background checks and prosecuting Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs). Harris has made gun control one of her top two legislative priorities throughout her time in the Senate. And once she hit the road to campaign for president in parts of flyover, she suddenly became a gun owner (as if 2A advocates wouldn’t notice her aim at the Second Amendment). It wouldn’t be surprising if these two come out of the woodwork and flat out say Biden will sign yet another executive order if Congress doesn’t pass sweeping gun control laws in the first 100 days. Democrats are so focused on “making history” that they’re willing to do whatever’s necessary for their legacy sake, including signing yet another EO. And you know they’ll word it like “Congress failed to rise to the moment” or “we asked Congress to honor the victims of gun violence by passing much needed reform and they didn’t rise to the occasion.” The Asia Times: First Comes a Rolling Civil War A Trump supporter argues with counter protesters in St. Paul, Minnesota, November 7, 2020. Photo: Tim Evans/NurPhoto via AFP Pepe Escobar at The Asia Times writes about the near future in First Comes a Rolling Civil War. Welcome to the New Resistance The Fox News/ New York Post angle is particularly enticing. Why are they suddenly supporting Biden? Way beyond internal family squabbles worthy of the Successionsaga, Rupert Murdoch made it very clear, via the laptop from hell caper, that he has all sorts of kompromat on the Biden family. So they will do whatever he wants. Murdoch does not need Trump anymore. Meanwhile, talk of a New Resistance is spreading like wildfire. So what will Deplorables do? In the meantime, what will imperial Big Capital do? The Automatic Earth: Biden IS the Swamp I can understand why various people don’t like Trump. I don’t understand anyone who thought Biden was actually a good candidate. This Automatic Earth article says it all – Biden IS the Swamp. Summit News: Biden Campaign Manager – “Under No Scenario” Will Trump Be Allowed to Declare Victory From Summit News, Biden Campaign Manager: “Under No Scenario” Will Trump Be Allowed to Declare Victory Joe Biden’s campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon has asserted that, “Under no scenario will Donald Trump be declared a victor on election night.” The quote was tweeted by New York Times national political reporter Shane Goldmacher. The comment was made shortly after the Trump campaign issued a mass email asserting that the Biden campaign was planning to rig the election by not accepting defeat. “They have no say in that process,” commented Jack Posobiec. “It is not ok for a campaign to delegitimize election results like this, regardless of which party is doing it.” Meanwhile, Twitter has also reiterated that it will place warning labels on tweets that “make claims about election results before they’re officially called.” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro also publicly indicated that his state won’t be releasing final election results until three days after election day. “I could care less what Donald Trump says, we will count these ballots in a proper way to be certified,” said Shapiro. As we previously highlighted, pro-Biden analytics firm Hawkfish previously asserted that it’s likely President Trump will appear to have won in a landslide on election night but may lose after mail in ballots are counted, which “will take days if not weeks to tally.” Big Tech, Democrats and the mass media have all repeatedly insisted that Trump will not be allowed to declare victory on the night, regardless of the Electoral College count. Kunstler: Biden and Media – Bleeding Out See also: Pat Buchanan: A Biden Family Special Prosecutor in 2021? American Mind: What Happens if No One Wins? This article at The American Mind discusses what happens to the Presidency if no one clearly wins the election – What Happens if No One Wins? This article was co-written with Robert J. Delahunty, a law professor at St. Thomas University. Conservatives and liberals agree on few things, but one of them is that the country may well see an election crisis this year. All of the ingredients seem to be present: a closely and bitterly divided electorate; the threat of violence and disruption on Election Day or after; and the unusual circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this essay we provide a short roadmap through the main legal and constitutional issues that could arise if Election Day fails to result in a clear winner of the presidency, identify opportunities for political mischief, and explain why the weight of the constitutional structure favors President Donald Trump in a contested election. Unusual Circumstances A crucial fact in this year’s election is that, largely because of COVID, an unprecedented number of voters will vote by mail. According to the Washington Post, 84% of the electorate, or 198 million eligible voters, will be able to vote by mail this year. In the 2016 election, roughly 25% of the votes were cast by mail. This year, as many of half the ballots may be mailed in. Republicans tend to prefer voting in person while Democrats tend to prefer absentee balloting. In the swing state of North Carolina, Democrats requested 53% of the absentee ballots and Republicans 15%. A July poll reported that 60% of the Democrats in Georgia, but only 28% of the Republicans, are likely to vote by mail. Counting mailed votes could make a decisive difference on Election Day. In the 2012 election, Barack Obama bolstered his winning margins substantially in swing states like Florida, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania through overtime votes. Hillary Clinton picked up tens of thousands of overtime votes in 2016, though not enough to win. Last April, over 79,000 Wisconsin ballots arrived after election day (and were counted by court order) in a state that Trump carried in 2016 by about 23,000 votes. In Michigan’s August primary, 6,405 ballots missed the deadline and were not counted; Trump carried that state by 10,000 votes. In one plausible scenario, Trump appears to be the winner on the morning after Election Day, but a “blue wave” begins in the days and weeks after, and Biden claims a belated, overtime victory. Both Democrats and Republicans have sought either to enlarge or restrict the opportunities for absentee voting. A massive amount of litigation is already taking place. At last count, 279 Covid-related election cases are currently underway in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico—and that tally does not include other litigation over other election issues. Vote-counting problems—and the litigation they will generate—do not end once deadlines are decided. States must match signatures on ballots to those on voter rolls and verify that each ballot is valid. Although some key states permit pre-Election Day verification, others do not. Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan were among the latter. “Real problems will emerge here,” Karl Rove has warned, “especially when there’s a big increase in mail-in ballots over 2016.” In Pennsylvania, for example, 84,000 people voted by mail in the 2016 primaries; in 2020, 1.5 million did. In the best of circumstances, matching signatures on mail-in ballots to those on file with the state (from voter registration, ballot applications, or the DMV) is not, to the untrained eye, an easy task. Repeated and time-consuming challenges to the verification process will delay a final, official count. The Electoral Count Delayed election results could mean much more than the inconvenience of waking up on November 4 and not knowing who is President. They could trigger a constitutional crisis that would shake the country to its foundations. An old federal statute, the Electoral Count Act of 1887, establishes deadlines for the states to report their official results and for the 538 members of the Electoral College to meet. The latter date this year is December 14, or 41 days after Election Day. The state deadline this year is December 8. The date is a safe harbor: if a state reports in time, Congress will accept its electors. The Act provides that if “any controversy or contest” remains after December 8, Congress will decide which electors—if any—may cast their state’s votes in the Electoral College. Delays in counting the votes could well encroach on the December 8 deadline. State legislators and governors might come under mounting pressure to designate electors on their own if the popular vote remains incomplete, especially if there are allegations of fraud or abuse. Article II of the Constitution provides that “each state shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress.” The time when state legislatures directly appointed electors themselves are long gone: since the 19th century, states have delegated that power to their voters. But as the Supreme Court noted in Bush v. Gore, a state “can take back the power to appoint electors.” The constitutional question is not whether but how a state legislature could reclaim the appointment of electors. States have provided by statute for the selection of their electors by their voters; therefore it one might argue they may only resume that power with a second, superseding statute. On the other hand, the Constitution specifically designates state legislatures, rather than the executives or a combination of the two, to choose the electors. A state legislature might argue that a past legislature-and-governor cannot constrain its discretion to choose electors today. Is it likely that state legislatures in battleground states could reclaim their constitutional power before the December 8 deadline looms? Probably not. While Republicans control the state legislatures in six key battleground states, only two of those states also have Republican governors (Arizona and Florida). In four other contested states Republicans control the legislature, but Democrats control the executive: Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin. Only if the Constitution allows state legislatures, acting without the governor, to choose the electors, could those states cast electoral votes in a disputed popular election. But there is another scenario in which the state legislatures could designate electors if litigation held up a definitive accounting of the popular vote. This requires a closer look at the Electoral Count Act. The Act contemplates a post-election period in which states have the opportunity to resolve any “controversy or contest” in accordance with their pre-election law through “judicial or other methods or procedures.” Once this process has reached a definitive conclusion or “final ascertainment,” the governor is then to certify the electors. But the Act presupposes that all such controversies or contests have run their course before the governor submits the certified list of electors. What if December 8 is at hand and the controversies are still going on? Another provision of the Act could come into play. If a State has held an election on November 3 “and has failed to make a choice” by the December 8 deadline, the Act declares that “the electors may be appointed on a subsequent day [after Nov. 3] in such a manner as the legislature of such State may direct.” That failure could arise from fraud, uncertainty, ongoing recounts or litigation. In those circumstances, a state could be said to have “failed” to make a choice, and its legislature could pick the electors. That analysis presumes, however, that the Act is constitutional. The founders anticipated the possibility that the Electoral College would fail. In fact, they may not have foreseen political parties that would present the same presidential candidates in every state. Instead, several Founders seem to have thought that the states would often propose local favorites, that the Electoral College would reach no majority in the face of multiple candidates, and that the election would have to go to a backup procedure. No candidate may win in the Electoral College for less noble reasons as well. Suppose states send electoral votes that—even if certified by the governor—remain under question, whether because of fraud in the vote, inability to count the ballots accurately under neutral rules, or a dispute between branches of a state government. While the Electoral Count Act appears to create safe harbors for a state’s report of its Electoral College votes, the Act itself might prove unconstitutional. Under the 12th Amendment, “the President of the Senate [i.e., the Vice President] shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates [of the electoral votes of the states] and the votes shall then be counted.” Left unclear is who is to “count” the electors’ votes and how their validity is to be determined. Over the decades, political figures and legal scholars have offered different answers to these constitutional questions. We suggest that the Vice President’s role is not the merely ministerial one of opening the ballots and then handing them over (to whom?) to be counted. Though the 12th Amendment describes the counting in the passive voice, the language seems to envisage a single, continuous process in which the Vice President both opens and counts the votes. The check on error or fraud in the count is that the Vice President’s activities are to be done publicly, “in the presence” of Congress. And if “counting” the electors’ votes is the Vice President’s responsibility, then the inextricably intertwined responsibility for judging the validity of those votes must also be his. If that reading is correct, then the Electoral Count Act is unconstitutional. Congress cannot use legislation to dictate how any individual branch of government is to perform its unique duties: Congress could not prescribe how future Senates should conduct an impeachment trial, for example. Similarly, we think the better reading is that Vice President Pence would decide between competing slates of electors chosen by state legislators and governors, or decide whether to count votes that remain in litigation. The Role of the House If the electoral count remains uncertain enough to deprive either Trump or Biden of a majority in the Electoral College, then the 12th Amendment orders that “the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President.” Our nation barely avoided that outcome 20 years ago in the 2000 Florida recount and has only used twice it in our history (in 1800 and 1824). So if the disasters described above occur, then the Constitution gives the power to choose the President to the House. So it seems like Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats would get to pick the winner. But not so fast, said the framers, who feared congressional control of the executive. Rather than allow a simple majority vote, the Constitution requires that the House choose the President by voting as state delegations. If the House decides the Presidency, Delaware would have the same number of votes as California. This unusual process makes sense in light of the larger constitutional structure. The Framers rejected the idea that Congress should pick the President, which they believed would rob the Chief Executive of independence, responsibility, and energy. They wanted the people to have the primary hand in choosing the President, but mediated through the states, because they also feared direct democracy. Thanks to Republican advantages among the states (rather than the cities) the current balance of state delegations in Congress favors Republicans by 26-23 (with Pennsylvania tied). If today’s House chose the president, voting by state delegations, Trump would win handily. But there is another twist. The 20th Amendment to the Constitution seats a new Congress on January 3, but does not begin the term of a new president until noon on January 20. The new Congress chosen in the 2020 elections, rather than the current Congress, would choose the President. Even though Republicans currently have a majority of delegations, Democrats have narrowed the gap—after the 2016 elections, Republicans had held a 32-17 advantage in state congressional delegations. If Democrats can win one more congressional seat in Pennsylvania and then flip one more delegation, they could achieve a 25-25 tie in the House. Then the election would require political bargaining of the most extreme kind for the House to resolve a disputed presidential election. First Constitutional Backup Suppose the House cannot agree, which could well happen given the polarization of our politics. The Constitution even provides for this. If the House splits 25-25 between Trump and Biden, then the 20th Amendment elevates the Vice President-elect to the Presidency. Under the 12th Amendment, when the Electoral College fails, the Senate chooses the Vice President. Unlike the House procedure, the Senators each have one vote, meaning that under the current balance in the upper chamber, 53 Republicans would choose Mike Pence to effectively become the next President. But, as with the House, it is the Senate chosen by the 2020 elections, rather than the 2018 elections, that will choose the Vice President. On November 4, we may well learn who will win the Presidency—because control of the Senate is also at stake. Suppose that this November, Democrats take three Senate seats—those in Arizona, Maine, Colorado, and North Carolina, while losing Alabama—and the Senate divides 50-50. Could Pence, as the sitting President of the Senate on January 3, break a tie in the Senate in his favor to make him Vice President on January 20, 2021, and hence President due to the inability of the House to break its own deadlock? It appears that this is the case; Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution says the Vice President “shall have no Vote, unless [Senators] be equally divided.” It does not restrict the Vice President’s tie-breaking vote to some functions of the Senate but not others. In those extreme circumstances, Pence might recuse himself, but the Constitution would not require it. Second Constitutional Backup Suppose then the House, Senate, sitting President, and even Vice President Pence decide that he should not use that tie-breaking power. Then the Constitution’s backup system for the Electoral College will have failed. That still leaves a second backup system. Article II of the Constitution states that in “the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability” of both the President and Vice President, Congress can declare “what Officer shall then act as President” until the disability ends or a new President is elected. Don’t forget that word, “Officer,” because it may make all the difference. Under the current federal succession statute, Congress decided that congressional leaders should assume the Presidency. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sits first in line, followed by the President pro tem of the Senate, currently Chuck Grassley. From there, the line of succession continues to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and then the other cabinet members. But, as Yale law professor Akhil Amar persuasively argued in 1995 (at the prospect of Newt Gingrich becoming President should Congress impeach Bill Clinton!), this part of the federal succession statute likely violates the Constitution. Notice that Article II requires that the Presidency pass down to an “Officer.” The Constitution generally—but not always—refers to “Officers” as members of the Executive Branch. Further, the Incompatibility Clause of the Constitution prohibits Members of Congress to hold executive office. Neither Nancy Pelosi nor Chuck Grassley can become President. Mike Pompeo would become President—an outcome so unusual, so unexpected, it just might fit our bizarre times. The American Mind: “They’re Not Gonna Stop” Senior analyst for homeland security and counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy Kyle Shideler writes at The American Mind They’re Not Gonna Stop, referencing a quote from Kamala Harris in regards to rioting. The deal with the devil is made. Kamala Harris is determined to see it through. Everyone beware because they’re not gonna stop. They’re not gonna stop before election day in November, and they’re not going to stop after election day. And everyone should take note of that…they’re not going to let up—and they should not. And we should not. Kamala Harris It would seem that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden have now made explicit what was always implied in their campaign: as Joe becomes less and less compos mentis, the Democratic proposition on the table becomes, in the words of the candidates themselves, a “Harris-Biden administration.” So it behooves the American people to be as clear as possible not only about who Biden is, but who his VP (read: replacement) pick really is. Both Biden and Harris have recently issued tepid, nonspecific calls for an end to ongoing street violence. They don’t really mean it of course, which is why they couldn’t bring themselves to explicitly name Black Lives Matter or Antifa as the perpetrators and organizers of the ongoing civil unrest. The reality is that Biden has no ability to fulfill this promise. The nature of extortion requires the victim have some reasonable assurance that you really can keep his store from burning down. But Biden could not call off the dogs even if he wanted to, as his own vice-presidential candidate has already told us. In her June 18 interview with Stephen Colbert, Harris committed the classic “Kinsley gaffe”: she accidentally said something she knew to be true. She knows that the BLM “protests” (i.e., the deadly riots) will not stop, even after the election. “Everyone beware,” She told Colbert with an uncomfortably massive grin that seemed oddly incongruent with her words, “because they’re not gonna stop.” When, as expected, they did not stop, she and her running mate were forced onto the defensive. Harris warned against confusing ”peaceful protests and peaceful protestors” with “those” persons—conspicuously unidentified—who are “looting and committing acts of violence,” such as burning down family businesses and executing innocent Trump supporters, crimes conspicuously unnamed. Rather than singling out Antifa and BLM for condemnation, Harris instead mentioned “the shooter who was arrested for murder,” namely Kyle Rittenhouse, who defended himself from imminent murder at the hands of Antifa criminals. Harris left no doubt as to how her remarks were to be interpreted. “The reality,” she claimed, in a characteristically bald-faced lie, “is the life of a Black person in America has never been treated as fully human.” Translation: America, not Antifa, deserves the greater blame. Just a week after Harris’s Kinsley gaffe, CNN’s Don Lemon warned that the riots were not polling well and needed to come to an end. That a CNN anchor believes the BLM/Antifa insurgents burning cities from Portland to Kenosha care about how their violence impacts the media’s preferred candidate goes to show how self-deluded some have become about our dangerous and revolutionary situation. But Harris herself clearly has no such delusions, and she’s already made her choice. The Democrat vice presidential candidate’s background as a prosecutor made her so unpalatable to the Democrats’ radicalized base that she failed to pick up a single delegate during her own presidential bid. Sanders’s delegates in California even vocally opposed Harris getting the VP nod. But just three days after the Minneapolis 3rd police precinct was burned to the ground by BLM/Antifa rioters, “Kamala the Cop” called for donations for the bail fund responsible for springing alleged murderers, rapists, and rioters from behind bars. Senator Bernie Sanders—whose own campaign workers threatened violence if he were not nominated—recently confirmed Harris’s view when he intimated that the campaign to pressure the Democrat ticket further leftward would continue well after the election: “the day after [Biden] is inaugurated we are going to rally the American people to make certain that we implement the most progressive agenda in modern American history.” It seems like bold talk for Sanders, whose own primary bid was headed off after establishment Democrats fled to the perceived safety of Joe from Scranton. But note that despite agreeing to settle for Biden, the establishment Left still finds the streets of their Blue cities awash in revolutionary violence. Sanders is on to something, as was ex-Black Panther Angela Davis when she wagered Biden could be “most effectively pressured” to do what she and her comrades want. Biden, who has held government power for over half a century and was the author of the 1994 Crime Bill, and Harris, a former prosecutor, are turning over the policy agenda of their prospective administration to revolutionaries and insurrectionists who viscerally despise them, in hopes that those Marxist brownshirts will threaten the American public into electoral submission. This may be one of the most cynical quid pro quos in modern political history: You give me position and prestige, I’ll give you power to terrorize the American people and eat them alive. It would certainly not be the first time that a sclerotic elite disastrously misjudged their own ability to harness revolutionary energy to their advantage. The nature of revolutions is inherently cyclical: always turning inward on itself, picking up steam. The cycle of revolution continuously winnows down and purges the least radical among the ranks. As Lenin wrote in his 1903 What is to be Done?, “the opportunist rearguard will be ‘replaced’ by the genuine vanguard of the most revolutionary class.” Of course, Lenin was speaking about infighting within the Russian Social Democrat Party, and it would be twelve long years before that he achieved his victory. But his logic was sound. It is ultimately the hardest of hard-core revolutionaries who win intraparty fights during revolutionary periods. And after many failed attempts, this time the revolutionaries may have found their moment—much to the chagrin of Biden and Harris, who definitively epitomize “rearguard” and “opportunist,” respectively. Having invited into their midst genuine revolutionaries—desirous of their ability to organize, their enthusiasm, and ultimately, drawn to their willingness to project power through violence—Biden and Harris are beginning to see there is no going back. The Democrats—win, lose, or draw—are the BLM/Antifa party now. The party of tearing down statues and launching public struggle sessions against innocent restaurant patrons. As a vandal in Portland helpfully recorded, the BLM/Antifa insurgents will happily proclaim that “Liberals Get the Bullet Too.” But for Kamala Harris and today’s modern Democrats, ousting Trump and getting to cling—however briefly—to that brass ring of power is worth it. Even though one day, the name being purged will be their own. Like drug addicts, Democrats promise they can quit their craving for political violence any time they want. But every few decades, they have a relapse. This time, they’re not gonna stop—until they O.D. International Man: Six Reasons Why the Wrong Party Will Win the Most Important US Election Since 1860 Doug Casey at International Man writes his thoughts on the 2020 election in Six Reasons Why the Wrong Party Will Win the Most Important US Election Since 1860 The upcoming election may be the most important in US history. At least as important as that of 1860, which led directly to the War Between the States. In 2016 I believed Trump would win and placed a money bet on him. This time I’m not so sure, despite Trump’s “incumbent advantage” and the fact the Democrats could hardly have picked two worse candidates. • The Virus • The economy • Demographics • Moral collapse of the old order • The Deep State • Cheating The consequences of a Democrat victory will be momentous. Let’s look at why it’s likely. 1. The Virus Despite the fact COVID is only marginally more deadly than the annual flu, and the fact it’s only a danger to the very old (median death age 80), the hysteria around it is changing the nature of life itself. It’s proven much less serious than the Asian flu of the late ’60s or the Hong Kong flu of the late ’50s. And not even remotely comparable to the Spanish flu of 1918-19. None of those had any discernable effect on the economy or politics. COVID is a trivial medical event but has created a gigantic psychological hysteria. The virus hysteria is, however, a disaster from Trump’s point of view for several reasons. None of them have anything to do with his “handling” of the virus—apart from the fact that medical issues should be a matter between a patient and his doctor, not bureaucrats and politicians. First, the virus hysteria is severely limiting the number and size of Trump’s rallies, which he relies on to keep enthusiasm up. Second, more people are staying at home and watching television than ever before. However, unless they glue their dial to Fox, they’ll gravitate towards the mainstream media, which is stridently anti-Trump. People who are on the fence (and most voters are always in the wishy-washy middle) will mostly hear authoritative-sounding anti-Trump talking heads on television, and they’ll be influenced away from Trump. Fourth, in today’s highly politicized world, the government is supposed to be in charge of everything. Despite the fact there are thousands of viruses, and they’ve been with us thousands of years, this one is blamed on the current government. Boobus americanus will tend to vote accordingly. 2. The Economy Keeping his voters at home is one thing. But the effects the hysteria is having on the economy are even more important. The effect of COVID on the economy should be trivial since only a small fraction of the relatively few Covid deaths are among people who are economically active. Presidents always take credit when the economy is good and are berated when it’s bad on their watch, regardless of whether they had anything to do with it. If the economy is still bad in November—and I’ll wager it’s going to be much worse, despite the Fed creating trillions of new dollars, and the government handouts—many people will reflexively vote against Trump. In February, before the lockdown, there were about 3.2 million people collecting unemployment. Now, there are about 30 million. So it seems we have over 30 million working-age people who are . . . displaced. That doesn’t count part-time workers, who aren’t eligible for unemployment but are no longer working. Worse, the public has come to the conclusion that a guaranteed annual income works. This virus hysteria has provided a kind of test for both Universal Basic Income and Modern Monetary Theory—helicopter money. So far, anyway, it seems you really can get something for nothing. An important note here: Trump—whatever his virtues—is an economic ignoramus. He’s supported both helicopter money and artificially low-interest rates since he’s been in office. But especially now, because he knows it’s all over if today’s financial house of cards collapses on his watch. I’ll wager that, out of the 160 million work-force Americans, 30 million will still be out of work by voting day. The recognition that the country is in a depression will sink in. The virus hysteria was just the pin—or sledgehammer, perhaps—that broke the bubble. But that’s another story. What’s for sure is that the average American will look for somebody to blame. As things get seriously bad, people will want to change the system itself, as was true in the 1930s. The only economic bright spot for Trump is the stock market. But it’s at bubble levels. Not because the economy is doing well, but because of the avalanche of money being printed. Where it is in November is a question of how much more money the Fed will print, and how much of it flows into the stock market. Even then, there’s an excellent chance it could collapse between now and the election. For reasons I’ve detailed in the past, the economy is now entering the trailing edge of a gigantic financial and economic hurricane. The Greater Depression will be much different, longer-lasting, and nastier than the unpleasantness of 1929-1946. And people vote their pocketbook. Bill Clinton was right when he said, “It’s the economy, stupid.” If stocks fall, it will compound this effect. A high stock market just gives the illusion of prosperity. And, at least while stocks are up, contributes to the atmosphere of class warfare. Poor people don’t own stocks. 3. Demographics Since the gigantic political, economic, and social crisis we’re in will be even more obvious come November, people will want a radical change. Since that—plus lots of free stuff—is what the Democrats are promising, they’re likely to win. But there are other factors. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), and people like her, are both the current reality and the future of the Democratic Party—and of the US itself. She knows how to capitalize on envy and resentment. The Black Lives Matter and Antifa movements have added the flavor of a race war to the mix. Racial antagonism will become more pronounced as whites lose their majority status over the next 30 years. For the last couple of generations, everybody who’s gone to college has been indoctrinated with leftist ideas. Almost all of the professors hold these ideas—as well as high school and grade school instructors. They place an intellectual patina on top of emotional, fantasy-driven leftist ideas. 4. Moral Collapse There’s now a lot of antagonism toward both free minds and free markets. A majority of Americans appear to actually support BLM, an openly Marxist movement. Forget about free minds—someone might be offended, and you’ll be pilloried by the mob. Forget about free markets—they’re blamed for all the economic problems, even though it’s the lack of them that caused the problem. The idea of capitalism is now considered undefendable. It used to be pretty simple—the Republicans and the Democrats were just two sides of the same coin, like Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Traditionally, one promoted the warfare state more, the other the welfare state. But it was mostly rhetoric; they were pretty collegial. Now, both the welfare and the warfare state have been accepted as part of the cosmic firmament by both parties. The difference between them is now about cultural issues. Except that polite disagreement has turned into visceral hatred. The Dems at least stand for some ideas—although they’re all bad ideas. The Republicans have never stood for any principles; they just said the Dems wanted too much socialism, too fast, which is why they were always perceived—correctly—as hypocrites. Antagonism between the right and the left is no longer political or economic—it’s cultural. That’s much more serious…(continues) Pat Buchanan: Is Biden Ceding the Law-and-Order Issue? From Pat Buchanan, Is Biden Ceding the Law-and-Order Issue? So it would seem. “Republicans Use Law and Order As Rallying Cry” was the top headline on The New York Times’ front-page story on Vice President Mike Pence’s acceptance speech at Fort McHenry Wednesday night. The Wall Street Journal Page One headline echoed the Times: “Pence Accepts Nomination as GOP Puts Focus on Police.” In his address, Pence charged Biden with sinning by silence in failing to denounce the rioters, looters and arsonists who have for months attacked police and pillaged Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Kenosha and other cities. Said Pence: “Last week, Joe Biden did not say one word about the violence and chaos engulfing cities across this country. “Joe Biden says that America is systemically racist, and that law enforcement in America has… ‘implicit bias against minorities.’ When asked whether he’d support cutting funding to law enforcement, Joe Biden replied, ‘Yes, absolutely.’ “Joe Biden would double down on the very policies that are leading to unsafe streets and violence in American cities. … You will not be safe in Joe Biden’s America.” Now, it is inexact to say Biden would “defund” the police. When the big agenda item of Black Lives Matter was first raised, Biden rushed to say he would reform the police and increase spending. And, late Wednesday afternoon, probably after seeing an advance of Pence’s speech, Biden tweeted from Delaware about the chaos that has engulfed Kenosha since Sunday night’s police shooting of Jacob Blake: “Needless violence won’t heal us. We need to end the violence.” Biden’s belated and tepid condemnations of the riots and pillaging of America’s cities by “peaceful protesters” gone rogue night after night testifies to the dilemma in which he finds himself. It is three months since George Floyd ceased to breathe under the knee of that Minneapolis cop. But it is also three months to the election. And the political tide is turning, visibly and hard, against the arsonists and anarchists conducting the nightly rampages against cops across America. The weariness of the public with the riots is palpable. The claim that these are but the understandable excesses of “peaceful protests” is getting stale. And the reaction against the riots and ruin in the Black communities, for whom they are allegedly being conducted, is growing. Black leaders in urban areas are saying we want good cops, but we also want more cops to protect our people from gun-toting gangbangers who are running up rising weekly kill rates. Tuesday, video surfaced of a mob of radicals surrounding, berating, cursing and threatening a woman at a D.C. diner. Her crime? She had refused to submit to demands she raise her fist in a Black Power salute and proclaim, “Black Lives Matter!” “White silence is violence!” screamed the mob. It looked like a training exercise for aspiring Nazi Brown Shirts. First, the big mandate — “Defund the police!” — has backfired. The Biden media daily testify to its unpopularity by insisting Biden never endorsed it. Where police department budgets have been cut, shooting and homicide rates have soared. And Biden’s refusal to endorse the mandate tells you what Democrats’ polls are telling them. The police bill passed by Nancy Pelosi’s House featuring restrictions on chokeholds has been ignored by the Senate, and Republicans do not appear to be suffering for having ignored it. The smashing of statues, which has escalated from Columbus to Catholic missionaries and saints, to Confederate generals and statesmen like Lee, Jackson and Jefferson Davis, to the four presidents on Mount Rushmore — Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, TR — is now seen even by liberal elites as excessive. The mega-demand of BLM and its collaborators — reparations for slavery and segregation — is not wildly popular. Yet, reparations, which ultimately involves trillions in wealth transfers, is an issue on which Biden will have to choose between the Bernie-BLM-AOC wing of his party and the Scranton Democrats among whom he was raised. The decisive question: The Republicans have chosen. They stand with the cops. Zero Hedge: Pelosi Says There Should Be No Presidential Debates From Zero Hedge, “I Don’t Think There Should Be Any Debates” Says Pelosi, Calling Them An “Exercise In Skullduggery”. In order to protect Biden who has recently come under fire for exhibiting symptoms of dementia, top Democrats have been coming up with any reasons to avoid a Presidential debate. Nancy Pelosi has just joined the chorus of prominent Democrats trying desperately to avoid placing Joe Biden in front of the proverbial firing squad in a debate with President Trump. Pelosi said that Trump was “disgraceful” when he ‘stalked’ Hillary Clinton during the 2016 debate by walking near her, and that he will probably “act in a way that is beneath the dignity of the presidency.” “I think he will also belittle what the debates are supposed to be about. And they’re not to be about skulduggery on the part of somebody who has no respect for the office he holds, much less the democratic process. “I don’t think that he should dignify that conversation with Donald Trump.” Pelosi then suggested that each candidate could hold separate ‘conversations’ with voters, saying: “Let that be a conversation with the American people, not an exercise in skulduggery.” Pelosi is far from the first Democrat trying to avoid a Trump-Biden debate. As Rick Moran wrote via PJMedia earlier this month: * * Democrats around the country have begun to pressure the Biden campaign to call off all debates with Donald Trump due to the coronavirus pandemic, they say. In truth, the reason they don’t want Biden to debate Trump is that they don’t think Trump will play by their rules. The president would take over the debate and make it about what he wants, not what Biden wants. Democrats are also worried about Biden’s mental stamina and his ability to remain engaged for an hour and a half during a debate. Trump has a knack for exaggeration and hyperbole that Democrats don’t like. It’s very effective in debates and Biden would spend most of his time on the defensive. Automatic Earth Blog: Are The Tables Starting To Turn? …according to a Zogby Analytics poll, Trump’s job approval numbers are now at record high levels. And I know polls -and pollsters- can be biased, and so can the press quoting them, but to see three in a row, Reuters/Ipsos, Rasmussen, Zogby, all reporting similar movement, may still be significant… Medium: Why Trump Is Likely to Win Again Freelance writer Thomas Greene has written a piece at titled Why Trump Is Likely to Win Again. While I believe he gets some things wrong (like a lot of people do believe H. Clinton is a criminal), I agree that voter anger over elected representatives and un-elected bureaucrats who have been captured (and corrupted) by the system is the primary fuel keeping the Trump engine running. The Bronx of my childhood was a paradise. My street ran parallel to a section of the old Croton Aqueduct, by then long disused, which we kids called the Ackey. Along its banks grew trees and bushes and wild flowers forming a ribbon of thicket in which we played, and through which we “hiked.” We were always in the street. We learned our games and rhymes by word of mouth, from older to younger. We chose our adventures and settled disputes among ourselves. We played stick ball and ringolevio and skully, red rover and stoop ball, and a deliciously sadistic variety of Johnny on a pony. We raced about on noisy cheap skates with metal wheels. In this urban sanctuary I grew up safe, loved, happy, and unmistakably working class, yet somehow I slipped away. I was reared to become an ironworker or electrician, but I managed to pass through a posh New England liberal arts college and end up a tech journalist and author. I’ve worked unsupervised, chiefly from home, since the 1990s. Most of my relatives and old neighborhood friends hate people like me. And I don’t blame them. Most are lifelong Democrats, yet they voted for Donald Trump, and will again, and I can’t blame them for that, either. Let me explain. My career is the product of an economic revival engineered by the center-right New Democrats of the Clinton era and subsequent administrations. I’ve observed the tech industry for two decades; it’s a job, but it’s hardly work: I’m a nerd; I like science, technology, and medicine. Right now, I couldn’t be more comfortable in lockdown. Amazon supplies my dry goods while a friendly driver brings my groceries. My family and I are safe. No one comes near us without a mask. I control my environment; I choose the people in whose presence I’ll work, if any. I can smoke and drink on the job if I please. So long as I honor my deadlines and file clean copy, no one has anything to say about it. Tech’s been good to me. But the guy I was expected to become walks beside me like an imaginary friend I never outgrew. I think about him often — daily, if I’m honest. He commutes by bus, encountering irresponsible louts who refuse to mask up. He worries about it, too. His wife, who had earned a second income, is at home supervising their kids. He lives by the lunch buzzer and the punch clock. If there’s music where he works, it’s amplified by cheap, overdriven speakers and the genre will suit him only by chance. The temperature and ambient noise and lighting were calibrated by industrial psychologists. He can’t evade disagreeable co-workers. He’s paid far less than a family wage, but he’s got no health coverage or pension. He endures daily uncertainty about his family’s needs. Why should he not hate me? I would hate me if I were him. He and millions of others failed to thrive in the tech economy, but that was a feature, not a bug. Blue-collar Americans were never going to adapt, despite the assurances of New Economy cheerleaders, many of whom were in government. Factories closed and data centers opened. Dotcom outfits traded on nothing more than an online presence, which somehow made sense to us. The New Democrats exalted capital both tangible and intellectual, and devalued labor, as if they’d been old-school Establishment Republicans. They fawned over Bill Gates and Eric Schmidt, Steve Jobs and Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Andy Grove the way one imagines Calvin Coolidge gushing about Rockefellers and Morgans, Vanderbilts and Astors. A high-tech meritocracy would lead America in a better direction, and the need was urgent. The Old Economy was failing, undeniably. It was time to re-formulate it with a progressive veneer: no more dirty factories or pollution; NAFTA would ship that mess abroad. America would subsist on green energy, outsourcing, financial services, the sacrament of e-commerce, and high-tech gadgets: a middle-class Valhalla governed by upper-middle-class trustees from the best schools. There would be no need for troublesome relics like labor unions; the virtuous nature of technological progress would itself ensure quality jobs and dignity for workers. Plentiful consumer credit would replace the family wage and health-care benefits. Blue-collar America would suffer collateral damage, but too much was at stake; it would be a necessary sacrifice. And of course we’d be gentle; we were Democrats and nerds, after all. Big Tech was hardly the sole disruptor, but the New Democrats fell for, and amplified, Silicon Valley’s specific flavor of empty promises wrapped in technobabble. “Delivering the ____ of the future,” they said. We got e-this and i-that and smart everything else. It had a wholesome ring and implied that Richard Feynman and Carl Sagan were finally in charge. The progressive, sciency veneer gave cover to other mega-rackets with less compelling legends, enabling them to fleece their workers and consumers too. Soon everyone was delivering the ____ of the future. The Democratic Party divorced its industrial, unionized base and married its Silicon Valley mistress. It had once believed in collective bargaining. It had once believed that workers were an essential part of a healthy economy and worthy of respect. There was a time when a US president, like Harry Truman, might entertain a labor activist, like Walter Reuther, amiably in the Oval Office. But the Party had fallen hard for its tech darlings and began to dream of a meritocracy based on steadily-increasing knowledge, intelligence, and creativity that would lift us all toward self-realization as we bathed in the restorative glow of our screens. In other words, Democrats put their faith in social vaporware. Old-Economy workers would be “rehabilitated,” language implying that they might be more intellectually challenged than unlucky. “Euthanized” would be a more honest word. The former lower-middle and working classes would listen to two decades of meritocratic cant while their standards of living would fall steadily with no ground floor in sight. They were never a priority. The candidate Barack Obama spoke to blue-collar America. He campaigned on change that would rejuvenate careers and restore dignity. Working Americans in the swing states doubted that Hillary Clinton even knew they existed. They saw Obama as a last hope and supported him enthusiastically in the 2008 primaries and later in the general election, but he soon proved to be a disappointment. He, too, fell in love with Silicon Valley and Wall Street and neglected the people who needed him most. And they punished him: he won fewer states in 2012 than he had in 2008. People like the alternate me felt cheated by a guy who rocked a Brooks Brothers suit and talked a great game, then gave the Tech and Finance sectors everything they wanted and more. Educated people from the best schools trusted Big Tech outfits because educated people from the best schools ran them. Elites imagine each other to be virtuous because they imagine themselves that way. Technology giants were understood not as hardy sprouts but would be treated instead with princess-and-the-pea levels of delicacy, thanks to a superstitious fear that it might all be brought to grief by, say, forcing companies with hundreds of billions in share value to tolerate an employees’ union, offer a minimum wage adequate for a decent life, or pay tax proportional to their reliance on public goods. No one bears greater responsibility for the lack of empathy toward Old-Economy workers that led to Donald Trump’s victory than big-name Tech darlings and the New Democrats who coddled them, then openly ridiculed their own voter base: the people Hillary foolishly nicknamed “Deplorables;” that is, the millions of disappointed Obama voters who would happily have voted blue if they’d had confidence that the party would respect them, welcome them, and acknowledge their needs. But the New Economy is a gated community, shut firmly to them, whose most strenuous boosters have been the Clinton, Bush, and Obama Administrations. Old-school, working-class Democrats are unwelcome in the party they built. No one wants them tracking mud through the salon. Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the swing states the same way Barack Obama had: by characterizing her as disdainful toward blue-collar Americans. It was a potent message among those who once had seen decent wages in return for honest work, lately reduced to Walmart greeters and Uber drivers. Humiliated by a labor market in which they had nothing to trade, the former working class understood that they also had nothing to lose. Liberal democracy and its supporting institutions shed their veneer of sanctity when dead-end employees can aspire only to dead-end management gigs. Call them “associates” and “technicians” all you want; they know who they’ve become and what others think of them. They are why Trump won in the swing states; he was propelled to victory by disillusioned Obama voters. They gleefully chanted “lock her up” not because they thought Hillary was an actual criminal, but because they knew what her election would bring them: four or eight more years of economic and social stagnation to top off the twenty they’d already been through. They elected Donald once and they will try to again. He is scornful and vicious. He despises openly. He snarls and barks. He will make a pig’s breakfast of everything he touches, but here’s the thing everyone misses: educated elites will feel the hardship he causes more acutely than the millions of workers who have already adapted to pittance wages, dead-end careers, and chronic disrespect. They’ve endured two decades of it; they can cope. They’re betting that liberal snowflakes like me can’t. Trump will not be defeated by educating voters, by exposing his many foibles and inadequacies. Highlighting what’s wrong with him is futile; his supporters didn’t elect him because they mistook him for a competent administrator or a decent man. They’re angry, not stupid. Trump is an agent of disruption — indeed, of revenge. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has positioned him as a tragic force-multiplier on a scale that few could have predicted, and the result is verging on catastrophic. Still, that might not be enough to prevent his re-election. Workers now sense that economic justice — a condition in which labor and capital recognize and value each other — is permanently out of reach; the class war is over and it was an absolute rout: insatiable parasites control everything now, and even drain us gratuitously, as if exacting reparations for the money and effort they spent taming us. The economy itself, and the institutions protecting it, must be attacked, and actually crippled, to get the attention of the smug patricians in charge. Two decades of appealing to justice, proportion, and common decency have yielded nothing. I’d rather not see four more years of Donald, but I understand the impulse to use him as a cat’s paw. Joe Biden is only moderately attractive to swing voters. He’s got longstanding ties to the financial and consumer-credit rackets, and many of his senior campaign people are former lobbyists, industry flacks, and banking alums. He’s a New Democrat at heart: too much like Hillary and too little like the Barack Obama we thought we were voting for in 2008. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders appeal to the Obama 2008 → Trump 2016 electorate, not Biden, and not the domesticated Obama of 2020 who will be campaigning for him. I doubt that Obama can draw enough of his old swing voters back to the Democratic Party. They were his constituency once, but he let them go and now his transformation into a New Economy aristocrat is complete. He could even be a liability to Biden, who seems more down to earth than today’s Obama. The New Democratic Party and the flashy economic colossus controlling it are a seductive pair. We saw this as Obama spoke on 30 July 2020, eulogizing the late US Representative John Lewis. The former president and Columbia University and Harvard Law School graduate promised us that one day, “when we do finish that long journey toward freedom; when we do form a more perfect union — whether it’s years from now, or decades, or even if it takes another two centuries — John Lewis will be a founding father of that fuller, fairer, better America.” Thus did our first black president signal that he might condone two more centuries of racial and social injustice so long as the meritocracy continues to treat him and his family right. He and other high-minded elites are thinking fine thoughts and beaming positive energy to ordinary Americans from the metaphorical gated community swaddling the rich, progressive class. No uniformed weasel will dare kneel on any of their necks, we can be certain. There will be no eviction notices, no local food pantries, no paltry unemployment checks for them. These people have no clue what’s going on in the workaday neighborhoods of American cities and in our towns and rural communities, and they’ll be pleased to keep it that way. Why should the victims of the New Economy not despise the system, and the people tending it, so intensely that they would vote Republican again? Why would they not hope that Donald will cause so much damage that America will be forced to make a fresh start? For them, stability equals stagnation while chaos might bring opportunities. Elections are decided in the swing states. We know how Massachusetts and Mississippi will vote. The battle will take place in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virgina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Colorado, and it will be decided by Obama-Trump voters. They haven’t forgotten that, during two decades’ time, Democrats exported their jobs and rewarded them with gigs. The question is, will their resentment overcome their reluctance? They might fear Donald’s destructive potential, but they’ll be inclined to vote for someone who has been wrecking the political and economic system that cut them down from working class to working poor with no hope of escape. Donald has a solid chance of winning. For Democrats, the only path forward is behind: the Party must welcome, and actually represent, employees whose lives and labor and services are valued as essential contributions to society. The former working class won’t be satisfied until they see Bill and Hillary, Barack and Joe enact an auto-da-fé through the streets of Washington accompanied by a dreary huddle of bankers, VCs, bond traders, and Tech CEOs in quest of a genuine catharsis in which the pain of their guilt and self loathing swells and burns and finally grows so unbearable that they literally curse themselves and beg to be forgiven. If candidates Biden and Harris, and the wider Democratic Party, fail to recognize and renounce the worst elements of the high-tech, financialized New Economy they’re in bondage to, and neglect to reach out to Obama-Trump swing voters with genuine understanding, compassion, and respect — not to mention actual, regulatory solutions — Donald might well be elected again, exactly as he was in 2016: by swing-state Democrats who have had enough. Alt-Market: Election 2020 – The Worst Case Scenario Is The Most Likely One Brandon Smith at Alt-Market talks about this year’s Presidential election and what may happen in Election 2020: The Worst Case Scenario Is The Most Likely One Well, Boot is back again, this time writing about how he thinks Donald Trump will try to “hijack” the presidency in 2020. I continue to predict that the plan is to destroy the US as we know it and blame conservatives in the process. With so many elites inhabiting Trump’s cabinet, this outcome would be easy for them to engineer. That said, the end game is not in the hands of the elites. It’s in the hands of conservatives. Viktor Shokin To which Biden replied: “I agree.”	[]
#226: Top 10 Reasons Why Most Online Businesses Fail August 22, 2018 One of the great things about the world wide web is that it makes starting an online business accessible and affordable for more people. The downside is that many people jump in and start an online business without a clear plan or idea of what they want to do. Unfortunately, this means that it is fairly common for online businesses to fail but the good news is: there are steps you can take to avoid becoming another failed online entrepreneur. I share the top ten reasons businesses fail and share actionable advice on how you can avoid those mistakes. I share the four criteria a business idea needs to meet before you move ahead and begin implementing your idea and explain why a business model and business plan are crucial to your success. I also explain why I believe your mindset is the most important piece of the puzzle. [tweetshareinline tweet=”“If you run a business without measuring anything, it is unlikely to be successful because what we measure, we focus on.” – Sigrun” username=”sigruncom”] In This Episode of The Sigrun Show: • Why I believe the failure rate of online businesses is higher than traditional businesses • The four criteria your business idea needs to meet • Why your business model needs to include the right combination of products and prices • How your business model should serve you • Why having a business plan is crucial to your success and what it should include • How your business plan can help you decide what to focus on • Why you need to know how to measure success in your business • The importance of knowing your unique selling proposition (USP) • How knowing your USP makes you better at communicating with your ideal client or customer • Why it is important to focus on every stage of your funnel • The benefits of mastering your launches • Why you need to master launches before you begin to automate • Why you should invest in tools for your business • The difference between an investment and a cost • Why I believe your mindset is the most important piece of the puzzle 4 Criteria of a Successful Business Idea: 1. You need to love what you do and be passionate about it. 2. It needs to be something you are good at (your zone of genius). 3. There has to be a need for what you are offering. 4. Someone needs to be willing to pay for it. Resources Mentioned: Access Your Free Plan Your Profits Success Guide Are you avoiding making a business plan or don’t know where to start? I can help you quickly and easily create a business plan that suits your needs and enables you to build a profitable business that you love. Download your free Plan Your Profits Success Guide today and get started! Please share, subscribe, and review on iTunes Follow ME	[]
Chocolate Cake Glazed Donuts These Chocolate Cake Glazed donuts are so amazing... Now imagine dunking them in milk or more CHOCOLATE! Yields 8 doughnuts Chocolate Cake Doughnuts 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar 1 1/4 cup (160 grams) all-purpose flour 1/4 cup (20 grams) cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1/2 cup (115 grams) sour cream 1/3 cup (78 ml) milk In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the egg, vanilla, melted butter, sour cream, and milk until thoroughly mixed. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag (or large kitchen bag with the corner snipped off). Fill the depressions in the prepared pan with the batter until 2/3 full. Alternatively, if appearance does not matter, you could spread the batter into the pan using an offset spatula, but this results in more unevenly shaped doughnuts. Bake the doughnuts for 15-18 minutes, or until puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, before transfering to a cooling rack to cool completely. Vanilla Glaze 1 cup (125 grams) powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 tablespoons milk Spoon the glaze over the cooled doughnuts, allowing any excess to drip off. The glaze will take 10-15 minutes to set, depending on the thickness. Previous article How to make Twix™ Cookie Bars	[]
Your wetsuit guide Wetsuit! If you’ve never participated in a water sport before you may be surprised at the diversity when it comes time to go shopping for one. Each sport has its own specifications based on the types of movements that are most common and the conditions you encounter. Unless you happen to already have a suit that you use for diving and can’t spend the money for another, it’s best to buy a sport specific wet suit. The biggest thing to consider when you are shopping is the water temperature where you surf. Just behind that is how your body responds to cold. People’s bodies actually vary about a degree on each side of the 98.6 F/37 C average, and if you normally run hotter or colder than most people you want to take that into consideration when shopping for your suit. TROPICAL CLIMATE: Only the biggest ice queens need a wet suit in tropical climates. If your feet are constantly being used as refrigeration devices then you may want a spring suit (the wet suit equivalent of a T-shirt and shorts), but for most people the priority will be oodles of sunscreen. SUB-TROPICAL CLIMATE: Typically you will need a wet suit only in winter. For most people a spring suit in winter with a thickness of 2-3mm will be all that you need. But if you run cold you will probably be better off with a full suit of the same thickness. TEMPERATE CLIMATE: Now you are entering the two wet suit zone. For spring and fall you will want a spring suit about 2mm thick. For summer you want a bikini. And for winter you will want a full suit that is 3mm thick. COLD CLIMATE: This climate generally means year round wet suit use. You will also need to invest in thicker wetsuits, from 3-5 mm depending on the specific water temps and how well you tolerate cold. You may want to spring for the additional cost of sealed seams so less cold water will get inside you suit. Most surfers will also be using booties and quite a few also be wearing gloves and a hood. Remember that places with warm air temps can have cool water temps, ocean currents and air currents can yield some extreme differences between the two. EXTREME COLD: Only for those that are surfing when there is snow on the beach. For those that wish to join the ranks that surf in artic or sub arctic water. The cost of the dry suit that you need to participate in this extreme area of surfing should only be an outlay for the most extreme surfers. Now you have an idea of what type of suit or suits you need. So when you are in the store trying them on, how should they feel? The principle behind the function of a wet suit is that a thin layer of water is trapped between the suit and your skin. The water is then heated by your body and insulates you. You want the suit to be snug enough to hold just a thin layer of water in and just loose enough to allow movement. You do not want a loose wet suit. So if you lose weight you will want to buy a new one. Don’t let anyone working on commission try to push you into the wrong suit. Do a full stretch test on the suit, just like you did with your board shorts. Go through the motions you use when surfing. It the suit binds in any way or tugs, try the next one. Remember that when the suit is water logged it will be significantly heavier than when dry. Also, don’t listen to anyone that tells you the suit will stretch. It won’t. Even if you are completely vigilant about washing your suit it will harden and become stiffer over time because of the salt water. Unlike your favorite pair of sneakers there will not be a break in period. The best way to go shopping for your first wetsuit is to go with a more experienced surfer. They know what you need and don’t have a vested financial interest in your choice. When you are buying your first wetsuit because you are just learning it’s a good idea to go the economical route. If it turns out that the sport is not for you, you can sell your board for a small loss, but your wetsuit is pretty much a write off. So wait until you are sure that you will stick with it before shelling out $500 for the premium wetsuit. When you are not in the water there are two things to consider with your wetsuit. Cleaning and transportation. It is absolutely necessary to clean your suit in fresh water after every use. It is best to dry it in the shade. Drying it in the sun will break down the rubber the same way it destroys your windshield wipers. Putting a wet wetsuit in your car without having something to hold it in will do two things, give a funky aroma to your car and over time cause rust. Save yourself the rust damage and your friends the nasal damage and keep a watertight container in your car for your wetsuit. Return from Wetsuit to Surf Gear page	[]
Deep learing for edge computing.pdf (275.6 kB) Download file A survey of Deep learning at the Edge computing Download (275.6 kB) posted on 27.04.2022, 04:32 authored by Nicanor MayumuNicanor Mayumu Deep learning is revolutionizing machine learning application domains such as big data analysis, computer vision, and natural language processes. Deep learning is a subset of machine learning that make use of Neural Network(NN) with many processing layers and parameters. This consumes a lot of computing power and memory during the training and testing phases. A common approach to overcoming this computational limitation of deep learning is to use cloud resources. To do this, data to be processed need to be transferred from the source to the cloud. Cloud-based big data processing presents many challenges as the amount of data continues to grow and the data processing requirements differ. Edge computing has emerged to solve these challenges. This article explores how deep learning is used in edge computing and discusses some of the common challenges that have arisen so far. Email Address of Submitting Author Submitting Author's Institution Central South university Submitting Author's Country	[]
Hey America! Same Team! Coaching soccer for kids in the five-to-nine-year-old range is a real challenge in the US, mostly because they don’t grow up watching professionals playing on television. It’s easy to spot the kids who have, because they know one of the key fundamentals of play: if you don’t have the ball and someone else on your team does, it’s your job to move into space so you can draw off defenders or receive a pass. I’ve done a lot of coaching over the years, and I can tell you from direct personal experience that spreading out into space is not intuitive for American kids, because at these ages, everyone wants time on the ball. We even call it ‘playing bee-ball’, because they gather around the ball like a swarm of bees. What’s worse is that the more athletic kids will run up behind the least skillful members of their team when they happen to get the ball, and take it away from them. When that happens, you’ll inevitably hear me yelling “Same team!!” from the sidelines. They know that means they’re doing something wrong, because I’ve drilled it into their heads during practice: if you steal the ball from your own team, you’re not only demoralizing your friends, you’re actually being counter-productive: soccer is won and lost through effective team play, and there’s nothing less team-like than getting in close to your own teammate and taking the ball from them. And this brings us to the subject of this post and this piece: for the last twenty-five years or so in the US, we’ve been playing bee-ball with our politics. There are a lot of reasons why, but the larger point is this: regardless of which political party you’re affiliated with, or whether you consider yourself conservative, liberal, or something else, we’re all on the same team, and right now, we’re playing to lose. There are lots of examples of self-defeating behavior you can see in this piece, but it doesn’t really matter which side you’re on, so long as you can grok that we’re being pulled into bee-ball by people who thrive on chaos and destruction in America. So here’s some free advice to my fellow Americans: play like you’re on the same team! Give your friends on the opposite end of the political spectrum a break, even when they spout off nonsense, and get open for a pass by asking them how they’re doing, and if they’re under any unusual pressure or stress lately. Tell them you care about how they feel and that their feelings are understandable, even if you don’t agree with everything they’re saying. Warn them that people who are just like them are being targeted by extremists who want them to adopt fringe ideas and beliefs, and if they fall to realize they’re being subject to conversion, they might end up stealing the ball from their own team before they even realize what’s happening. Post Script: I had the vision for this piece over a year ago, and decided to try writing the blog post about it first to focus my thinking. It’s taken quite a while to finish, and I was hoping we wouldn’t need it by this point in time, but we’ve still got work to do.	[]
CBD Terpenes Oil Buy CBD Oil Online Hemp flower naturally expresses hundreds of different types of oils. Some of these oils, including flavonoids and terpenes, are also present in other plant species. Cannabinoids, however, such as CBD, are unique to Cannabis sativa, so they aren’t found anywhere else in nature. Research into hemp has mainly focused on c Wondering what terpenes are and what their role in CBD oil is? In this article, we cover the most commonly found terpenes in CBD products, explain their therapeutic properties, and their contribution to the entourage effect. Responsible in particular for the smell of CBD flowers, terpenes are natural compounds that we will address the purpose and benefits Top 13 CBD Oil Terpenes Explained—What Terpenes Are & What They Do Research into hemp has mainly focused on cannabinoids up until this point, but recently, scientists have also become intrigued by the terpenes present in hemp flower and their potential benefits. While some terpenes are found in almost every hemp cultivar, each strain of CBD flower has a different terpene ratio, and certain rare hemp terpenes are almost impossible to find. In this guide, we’ll tell you what terpenes are and explain how they add to your Secret Nature CBD flower experience. What are terpenes? Terpenes are aromatic oils found in mature Cannabis sativa buds. Each terpene has a unique aroma and flavor, and research into terpenes suggests that these oils may offer potent benefits aside from smelling and tasting good. Some studies, for instance, suggest that terpenes may have antioxidant effects , which means they might boost the effects of cannabinoids. Many terpenes have been used in Eastern medicine for thousands of years, which lends credibility to their use in medical applications. What are terpenes in CBD oil? Some types of CBD extract, such as full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oil, preserve the terpenes that are naturally present in CBD flower. When present in CBD oil, terpenes add natural flavoring. Terpenes in CBD oil also provide some degree of added aroma, but the delicious smells that terpenes offer are not as noticeable in CBD oil form as they are in CBD flower. One notable exception is live resin CBD extract, which preserves both the flavors and aromas of hemp terpenes almost perfectly. It’s also possible to reintroduce isolated cannabis-derived terpenes into full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or isolate CBD products after they are formulated. What do terpenes do? While research into the effects of hemp terpenes is still in its infancy, thousands of anecdotal testimonials suggest that these compounds significantly alter the effects of CBD and other cannabinoids. Certain terpenes, for instance, appear to cause CBD flower to become more energizing, and other terpenes may induce a restful effect. The separation of cannabis strains into “indica” and “sativa” phenotypes might have been the result of a taxonomical error , but these categories effectively describe the varying effects that different terpene profiles exert. Research continues to indicate that it’s the terpenes in hemp flower that make a strain either indica or sativa—not the cannabinoids. Do terpenes get you high? While certain terpenes, such as caryophyllene, appear to interact with the cannabinoid receptors in the brain, there is no indication that terpenes cause an intoxicating effect. Like CBD, CBG, CBN, and all of the other cannabinoids aside from THC, marijuana terpenes appear to be non-intoxicating, which means they won’t get you high. What are the health benefits of terpenes? Each terpene has a different chemical composition, which means that the health benefits of terpenes are extremely varied. Most, but not all, terpenes appear to have antioxidant effects, and other terpenes might express antifungal, antibacterial, or even antispasmodic properties. How to use terpenes As producers of the planet’s finest hemp products, the Secret Nature team is well aware of how to extract terpenes and how to dilute terpenes. For most hemp users, however, it’s only necessary to know how to consume terpenes, not how to prepare them. The best way to use terpenes is to consume these beneficial oils in CBD flower or in a different kind of full-spectrum CBD product. Terpenes have the best effects when they are used in combination, and it also appears that these oils are more effective when combined with cannabinoids. You can also use terpenes in their isolated forms. Just as it’s possible to isolate cannabinoids, it’s also possible to isolate terpenes, and we use isolated cannabis terpenes in our Hemp Flower Nectar tincture for flavoring and increased benefits. If you want to use terpenes specifically for their beneficial effects, however, full-spectrum hemp products are the way to go. List of terpenes found in hemp Hemp contains dozens of different terpenes and the exact terpene profile that hemp contains varies from strain to strain. In the following list, we’ll introduce you to 13 different CBD terpenes. Some of these terpenes are found in almost every Cannabis sativa cultivar, and others are relatively rare. Let’s dive in: 1. Pinene Also found in pine trees, pinene has two forms that each has distinctive, piney scents. Pinene is one of the most common terpenes in hemp, and it appears to have antioxidant benefits. 2. Humulene Humulene is an earthy terpene that is also found in the hops used to make beer. You can find this terpene in various tree species, and it has been used in Eastern medicine for centuries. 3. Caryophyllene Caryophyllene is one of the most common terpenes found in hemp, and it’s also the only terpene known to stimulate the CB1 and CB2 receptors in the brain. Also found in black pepper and other spices, caryophyllene has a spicy, peppery aroma and taste that’s reminiscent of cloves. 4. Ocimene Ocimene is relatively rare in hemp, but it’s very common in various flower and herb species. This terpene appears to have antiviral and antibacterial properties, and it has woody overtones that combine with light, sweet notes to create a unique aroma. 5. Limonene Limonene is very common in sativa-dominant CBD flower strains, and this terpene has a powerful citrus aroma that resembles lemon zest. Chemically, limonene is very similar in structure to CBD, and this terpene is unsurprisingly found in every type of citrus fruit. 6. Linalool Linalool is the reason that lavender smells like lavender, and scientists believe that this terpene could even be responsible for lavender’s sleep-promoting effects . Linalool is also an antioxidant, and it appears to have mood-balancing benefits 7. Myrcene Every strain of Cannabis sativa contains at least some myrcene, and in most strains, myrcene is the dominant terpene. While most hemp strains only contain tiny concentrations of other terpenes, myrcene molecules are often present in relatively high quantities, and this terpene has a musky, earthy aroma. Myrcene is also found in thyme, lemongrass, hops, and mangoes. 8. Terpinolene Terpinolene is present in an odd mix of plants including citrus fruits, mint species, parsnips, and juniper. It’s hard to pin down the flavor profile of this elusive terpene—one moment, it smells like citrus, and the next moment, it smells like flowers. Most hemp experts agree, though, that terpene is an essential component of the energetic buzz that sativa-dominant strains provide. 9. Sabinene Sabinene is a rare terpene that’s present in Norway spruce, carrot seeds, and black pepper. This terpene has a spicy, woody aroma, and it appears that sabinene has antioxidant and antibacterial properties. 10. Phellandrene Phellandrene is hardly ever found in hemp, but it’s readily available in various plants including water fennel, parsley, cinnamon, dill, ginger grass, and pine trees. This terpene is commonly used in cosmetics due to its high absorption rate, and practitioners of Eastern medicine have used phellandrene for centuries. Phellandrene has a woody, minty aroma with traces of citrus. See also Leaf And Flower CBD Phyto-molecular Oil 11. Borneol While commonly used in Chinese medicine under the name “moxa,” Borneol hasn’t received much attention in the Western world until recently. This terpene is extremely rare in hemp, but it appears that borneol has powerful analgesic properties that complement its sharp, herbal aroma. Borneol is also found in camphor, mint, and mugwort. 12. Isoborneol Isoborneol has the same molecules as borneol, but they are arranged in a different structure. This terpene is found in the same non-hemp plant sources as borneol, and it has a similar aroma. While borneol smells more like mint, however, isoborneol smells more like cinnamon. Like borneol, isoborneol is very rare in hemp cultivars. 13. Phytol Phytol has a grassy aroma, and it is extremely rare in cannabis. When present, however, it appears that phytol provides potent antioxidant properties. This terpene is also present in green tea, and in the pharmaceutical industry, phytol is used to synthesize vitamin E and vitamin K. Best Terpene-Rich Secret Nature Flower Strains Each Secret Nature flower strain has a different taste and aroma due to the terpenes it contains. In this section, we’ll introduce you to three of our most popular strains and show how the terpene profiles in Secret Dream, Papaya Nights, and Dough Boy help explain their unique effects: Secret Dream Secret Nature Secret Dream is like Blue Dream but without the THC. This sativa-dominant hybrid strain has a terpene profile that’s relaxing and invigorating at the same time, and Secret Dream has a light color profile that’s accompanied by a thick layer of frosty trichomes. Strain details • Sativa-dominant • 19.1% CBD • 20.1% total cannabinoids • Organic, indoor-grown, and hand-trimmed Top terpenes • Myrcene • Caryophyllene • Alpha-pinene • Terpinolene • Humulene Papaya Nights Papaya Nights is proof that terpenes have benefits that go beyond their mere effects. Due to its unique terpene profile, this sativa-dominant strain smells amazing, and Secret Nature Papaya Nights buds are so frosty you can hardly see the green underneath. Strain details • Sativa-dominant • 19.7% CBD • 21.5% total cannabinoids • Organic, indoor-grown, and hand-trimmed Top terpenes • Myrcene • Caryophyllene • Humulene • Alpha-pinene • Linalool Dough Boy Dough Boy is a hybrid strain, and this cultivar’s unique mix of myrcene, pinene, and linalool terpenes provides it with a taste and aroma that’s just like cake batter. This strain produces big, dense nugs, and like all Secret Nature flower options, Dough Boy is lab-tested and ships in a hermetically-sealed tin. Strain details • Hybrid strain • 20.5% CBD • 21.8% total cannabinoids • Organic, indoor-grown, and hand-trimmed Top terpenes • Myrcene • Alpha-pinene • Linalool • Beta-pinene • Limonene Enjoy the most impressive CBD flower terpene profiles today At Secret Nature, we take great pride in our organic, sustainable cultivation processes. Terpenes only express themselves to their fullest extent when hemp flower is grown to perfection, which is why Secret Nature flower is the dankest and most delicious hemp bud you can find. Aside from our top-shelf hemp nugs, we also take great care to preserve the terpenes in our other products. From our Hemp Flower Nectar tincture to our Live Resin Hemp Badder, we afford terpenes the respect they deserve by only including full-spectrum hemp extract in our products. Some of our products even contain live resin, which is even more delicious and terpene-rich. It’s time to experience everything that terpenes have to offer. Pick a Secret Nature flower option from the list above to get started today, and save 15% on your first order with the coupon code Secret 15. Terpenes in CBD: What They Are, Benefits, & Effects CBD oil is just one of the plethora of natural products containing terpenes. In fact, you don’t need to be familiar with cannabis to consume terpenes — they are present in virtually any plant out there, including herbs, fruits, and vegetables. Terpenes are a scientific name to describe aromatic compounds that we all interact with within our everyday lives. For cannabis and terpenes, abundance and diversity are the names of the game. But did you know that terpenes are more than just about aromas and flavors? They can also interact with THC and other cannabinoids to create a phenomenon known as the entourage effect. Most of the time, terpenes are included in a CBD extract. Sometimes, however, hemp companies separate and reintroduce them to the end product to create different ratios and make a broad-spectrum product or enhance the efficacy of CBD distillates. Wondering why terpenes are so important for CBD oil? Why are they suddenly on everyone’s tongue? Below you’ll find the answer. What Are Terpenes? There are over 500 phytochemicals in cannabis, about 140 of which are known as terpenes. Terpenes are highly volatile, aromatic compounds found in all plants — not only cannabis. However, as we’ve mentioned earlier, cannabis is particularly abundant in these molecules. Terpenes are responsible for how these plants smell and taste. Every time you waft a fruit, herb, or vegetable, or when walking around the garden — you come into contact with terpenes. Several hundreds of terpenes have been identified globally, and over 100 of them have been linked to hemp plants. However, only a few terpenes occur in hemp in concentrations significant enough to be important for our health. The main reason why people have become interested in terpenes is the extra health benefits they come with. Researchers have been investigating their therapeutic potential for decades — concluding they have much to offer regarding our physiological and emotional well-being. As a matter of fact, aromatherapy has been used for centuries due to its holistic, natural effects. Are Terpenes the Same as Terpenoids? You may often hear people using the words “terpenes” and “terpenoids” interchangeably — are they right? The short answer: no. Terpenes and terpenoids have slightly different chemical structures. Terpenes are found in living cannabis plants in their trichomes (hormonal glands) located on the surface of their flowers. Terpenoids start to form when you dry and cure the herb. These two processes change the molecular makeup of terpenes. Terpenoids are commonly combined with other natural ingredients to create perfumes, essential oils, and spices. Researchers suggest that terpenoids can lower, increase, or change the potency and duration of the effects induced by cannabinoids aside from giving the buds their unique fragrances and flavors. Simply put, the effects of CBD are modulated by terpenes; otherwise, they would be bland, and its benefits weakened. Are Terpenes Safe? Terpenes are generally considered safe. These organic substances can have a range of positive effects on our health. For instance, they can indirectly increase dopamine levels, positively affecting our mood; terpenes are also known for their stress-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties on top of being able to enhance the therapeutic properties of cannabis. That being said, research has yet to confirm whether these therapeutic effects of terpenes are clinically significant. Some people can also be allergic to specific terpenes. Although these compounds don’t trigger allergies themselves, they can do it upon air exposure, so if your nose gets runny after interacting with certain aromas, it may indicate allergies. The Most Abundant Terpenes in CBD Oil Terpenes are known for providing cannabis plants with appealing aromas. Still, at the same time, they also contribute to the entourage effect, increasing the therapeutic potential of other CBD and other cannabinoids. That’s the primary reason why most people choose full-spectrum CBD over isolates. Full-spectrum CBD comes from the whole plant, reflecting its original phytochemical profile. Here are the most abundant terpenes in CBD oil — with their health benefits explained. As you can guess by the name, limonene brings the fragrances of citrus fruits. It’s typically found in the zest o citruses, such as lemon, lime, and orange. Limonene has energizing, stress-relieving, and anti-fungal properties; medical researchers have also found it can act as an anti-irritant and improve cannabinoids and other terpenes . See also Highline Wellness CBD Gummies You can find pinene in pine needles as well as in a selection of citrus fruits. In Chinese folk medicine, terpene is an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and bronchodilating agent. Myrcene is another common terpene in cannabis. It has a pungent, earthy, and fruity fragrance. Despite being the smallest terpene, it can make it easier for cannabinoids to penetrate the brain-blood barrier — increasing their potency. It also acts as a muscle relaxant and can cause drowsiness in high doses. The scientific literature mentions myrcene as an antibacterial compound that can also reduce pain . If your cannabis strain has a floral smell, it’s probably high in linalool. This terpene is commonly found in chamomile and lavender. Hemp companies often use it in topical creams and ointments for its soothing scent and calming effects . You can find beta-caryophyllene in cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, and broccoli. It’s one of the most promising terpenes in terms of their therapeutic effects. It’s also known as “the dietary cannabinoid” because it can similarly interact with cannabinoid receptors to cannabinoids. This mechanism enables beta-caryophyllene to reduce pain and inflammation . Bisabolol is a fragrant terpene that offers calming effects. It is found mainly in chamomile, but it also occurs in high concentrations in a less popular plant — The candeia tree in Brazil. This terpene is widely used in the skincare space due to its anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties . Terpineol smells similar to trees, lilacs, and lime blossoms; it is also present in many exotic fruits. This terpene is often used to infuse lotions and perfumes. Terpineol has potent anti-oxidative properties, according to scientists . This terpene is underlined by notes of apples, roses, and citrus fruits. It commonly occurs in tea trees, lemongrass, and jasmine. Research suggests that trans-nerolidol demonstrates potent antifungal, antiparasitic, and sedative effects . Benefits & Effects of Terpenes in CBD Terpenes offer a wealth of health benefits on their own. However, they can also modulate the effects of cannabinoids, including CBD and THC. Humans have evolved to consume cannabinoids, and the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is soundproof that. Both cannabinoids and terpenes can interact with the receptors in the ECS to help the body maintain homeostasis — biochemical balance between all systems and organs. This unique synergy between cannabinoids and terpenes is known as “the entourage effect” or “the ensemble effect.” How Terpenes Contribute to the Entourage Effect The entourage effect has been studied by scientists since its introduction in 1998, when Raphael Mechoulam, the father of cannabis research, discovered that whole-plant extracts could produce more pronounced therapeutic effects than every compound from these extracts used in isolation. This concept was further elaborated on by Dr. Ethan Bud Russo, a neuroscientist, and cannabis expert, in his work “Taming THC: Cannabis Synergy and Phytocannabinoid-Terpenoid Interactions.” The entourage effect assumes a unique relationship between cannabis, terpenes, and flavonoids in cannabis. When the said molecules are consumed in the form of dried flowers or as an oily extract, they enhance the efficacy of CBD and THC while mitigating potentially unwanted reactions. The entourage effect isn’t unique to terpenes. For example, CBD is known to counteract the psychotropic potential of THC, which may prove useful for people who are sensitive to high doses of the latter. CBD can be used to balance the intoxication from THC, resulting in a more clear-headed sensation. THC, in turn, can amplify the anti-inflammatory and relaxing effects of CBD when introduced even in small doses. Simply put, whole buds and full-spectrum extracts are believed to work better than their broad-spectrum or isolate-based counterparts. Another interesting study on this phenomenon found that cannabis strains with equal or higher ratios of CBD to THC can improve the plant’s therapeutic potential up to 4 times as much as THC alone . The study’s authors concluded that taking twice the amount of a THC isolate had no impact on its therapeutic effects except that the high was dull and more trippy — triggering anxiety and paranoia more often than even the high-THC strains. How to Use CBD Terpenes Terpenes aren’t as appealing on their own due to their low potency. However, they can make a significant difference when added to a CBD product. They are usually infused into CBD oils to provide it with desired fragrances aside from modulating the effects of CBD and other cannabinoids. Manufacturers add terpenes using a process known as fractional distillation. Here’s how they do it with CBD oils and vape pens. Add Terpenes into CBD Oil After CO2 extraction, the hemp extract contains all naturally occurring compounds in hemp. The product can be left unfiltered and sold as “raw CBD oil” or undergo fractional distillation. True to its name, this process isolates individual compounds and places them in different chambers to be reintroduced to the final product. There are two reasons why hemp manufacturers go for fractional distillation. First, it helps them keep the amount of THC below the legal 0.3% threshold; the manufacturer can precisely infuse the amount of THC they’re looking for. Second, this process helps capture the more fragile terpenes that would otherwise degrade during decarboxylation and filtration. Once these steps have been taken care of, the manufacturer can reintroduce terpenes to the final formula. CBD Vapes with Terpenes Adding terpenes to CBD vapes is easier than doing the same with CBD oil; you can actually infuse your CBD vape liquid with terpenes at home. Just make sure that you have a high-quality CBD liquid, thinning agents such as vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol, and your favorite terpenes. Experts say it’s best to use a 1% terpene solution to achieve the desired flavors and sweetness. The carriers should make the maximum of your solution; the second place is CBD, and then you can start adding terpenes. Final Thoughts On Terpenes And Their Role in CBD Products Researchers and phytopharmacologists interested in the health benefits of cannabis have been investigating the influence of terpenes on cannabis extracts for decades. Terpenes are more than just aromatic molecules. In fact, they can considerably affect the therapeutic profile of your CBD oil. There’s still a lot to discover when it comes to the relationship between cannabinoids and terpenes. Still, these compounds are necessary if you want to experience the full benefits of cannabis. That’s why you won’t find single-molecule herbs. They’re always accompanied by supportive ingredients like terpenes. Which terpenes do you like the most in CBD oil? Do you prefer citrusy notes, or are you into floral and earthy hints? 1. Sun, Jidong. “D-Limonene: safety and clinical applications.” Alternative medicine review: a journal of clinical therapeutics vol. 12,3 (2007): 259-64. 2. Salehi, Bahare et al. “Therapeutic Potential of α- and β-Pinene: A Miracle Gift of Nature.” Biomolecules vol. 9,11 738. 14 Nov. 2019, doi:10.3390/biom9110738 (1) 3. Jansen, C et al. “Myrcene and terpene regulation of TRPV1.” Channels (Austin, Tex.) vol. 13,1 (2019): 344-366. doi:10.1080/19336950.2019.1654347 (2) 4. Buchbauer, G et al. “Aromatherapy: evidence for sedative effects of the essential oil of lavender after inhalation.” Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences vol. 46,11-12 (1991): 1067-72. doi:10.1515/znc-1991-11-1223 5. Gertsch, Jürg et al. “Beta-caryophyllene is a dietary cannabinoid.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America vol. 105,26 (2008): 9099-104. doi:10.1073/pnas.0803601105 6. Maurya, Anil K et al. “α-(-)-bisabolol reduces pro-inflammatory cytokine production and ameliorates skin inflammation.” Current pharmaceutical biotechnology vol. 15,2 (2014): 173-81. doi:10.2174/1389201015666140528152946 7. Zengin, Hatice, and Ayse H Baysal. “Antibacterial and antioxidant activity of essential oil terpenes against pathogenic and spoilage-forming bacteria and cell structure-activity relationships evaluated by SEM microscopy.” Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 19,11 17773-98. 3 Nov. 2014, doi:10.3390/molecules191117773 (3) 8. Silva, Marcos P N et al. “Antischistosomal activity of the terpene nerolidol.” Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 19,3 3793-803. 24 Mar. 2014, doi:10.3390/molecules19033793 9. Russo E. B. (2011). Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects. British journal of pharmacology , 163 (7), 1344–1364. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01238.x (4) 10. Boggs, D. L., Nguyen, J. D., Morgenson, D., Taffe, M. A., & Ranganathan, M. (2018). Clinical and Preclinical Evidence for Functional Interactions of Cannabidiol and Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol. Neuropsychopharmacology: official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology , 43 (1), 142–154. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2017.209 (5) See also Koi CBD Oil Nina Julia Nina created CFAH.org following the birth of her second child. She was a science and math teacher for 6 years prior to becoming a parent — teaching in schools in White Plains, New York and later in Paterson, New Jersey. What are the terpenes used for in CBD? We’re hearing more and more about CBD oil and how it’s being used by people suffering from a variety of health issues, including anxiety, insomnia, or illnesses like multiple sclerosis or fibromyalgia. An important component of cannabis plants, and plants in general, that promotes this therapeutic aspect are terpenes. Terpenes, elements present in cannabis but not psychoactive like CBD, offer impressive health benefits. In the botanical field, terpenes are a defense system to prevent plants from being eaten by herbivores or damaged by high temperatures. They also attract pollinators such as bees For humans, different terpenes have different effects and health benefits. Every plant has a unique blend of terpenes and every human will react to them differently. In this article, we will find out what exactly terpenes are and why they are so important. Finally, we will look at the most well-known terpenes, their benefits and their use What are terpenes? Terpenes are volatile compounds found in plants and responsible for their aromas. We encounter terpenes every time we smell a flower or taste fresh fruit. They are all around us. The purpose of terpenes is to protect the plant they inhabit, while giving it a unique aromatic specificity. Terpenes are one of the reasons why there is such a wide variety of cannabis plants, with different tastes and aromas. Some terpenes are very powerful and can have therapeutic functions. There are several hundred different terpenes in the world, and more than 200 have been identified in cannabis plants. There are surely many more to be discovered. However, only a few terpenes in industrial hemp are concentrated enough to be considered significant. We will detail some of them in this article Terpenes in CBD oil In order to understand their usefulness in CBD oil, we must first differentiate between terpenes and terpenoids. Terpenes are the natural compounds in the flower or bud of the cannabis plant. Terpenoids, on the other hand, are terpenes that have been chemically modified. The process of drying and hardening a cannabis flower leads to the formation of terpenoids. For example, Full Spectrum CBD oil will contain terpenes because the entire cannabis plant is used in its production. On the contrary, CBD isolate will not have any because it is pure CBD. Many of the plant’s natural components are lost during production, including other cannabinoids and terpenes. To remedy this, some manufacturers add terpenoids to supposedly enhance the effects of CBD. Scientists have been studying the properties of terpenes for some time now and have come to an important conclusion. Hemp cannabinoids (like CBD) work more effectively in the presence of terpenes, rather than when isolated on their own. This suggests that full spectrum CBD products would be more effective in a physiological sense. More studies need to be conducted to better understand the full spectrum of CBD and the benefits of terpenes on the body. So if you’re looking for a CBD oil that contains a range of beneficial and natural terpenes, you’ll opt for a full spectrum product You can find high quality Full Spectrum Premium CBD on our 321 CBD French store. The benefits of terpenes in CBD Terpenes are very important in cannabis because not only can they tailor the experience of CBD oil users, but they can also enhance the effects of the main cannabinoids. Many users find CBD oil with terpenes more beneficial than a distillate or isolate product. Also, each terpene has its own set of benefits. For example, oils high in linalool and myrcene, two terpenes known for their mild and relaxing properties, are effective for sleep. CBD oils with terpenes like limonene and caryophyllene can be used to help provide energy and increased levels of concentration Terpenes therefore offer incredible therapeutic functions: anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, analgesic, antimicrobial etc. It is impossible to list all terpenes and their benefits in one article. However, we can distinguish the most well-known ones and their benefits. The 5 terpenes to know in CBD Myrcene terpenes are among the most common terpenes associated with hemp. They have a rich, earthy, herbal scent. Although it is the smallest terpene in cannabis, it can produce powerful relaxing effects on the body, leading to feelings of drowsiness. As for its health benefits, Myrcene has antibacterial and analgesic properties. Another very common terpene in hemp is Linalool. It is a compound that has a floral and delicate aroma, common to many plant species (including lavender). As for the effects of terpene Linalool, some brands add it to their topical product line for its lovely scent, which is commonly used in aromatherapy. Linalool works effectively on sleep and anxiety. The terpene Limonene is commonly found in the peels of citrus fruits, especially lemons. It is also a crucial terpene in many hemp extract products, and adds a wonderful boost in terms of the flavor and aroma profile of a CBD oil. Limonene is known to have antifungal properties. It can also improve mood, reduce inflammation and curb anxiety. Adding Limonene to CBD oil can increase the absorption rate of other terpenes. Pinene terpenes are found in pine needles. But they are also found in several distinct strains of hemp. Pinene is also found in a number of conifers, as well as in some citrus fruits. It has a distinct aroma, and its presence is immediately recognizable in a variety of CBD products. It has been mentioned in traditional Chinese medicine for its therapeutic qualities. It can be used as an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and bronchodilator. One of the most abundant terpenes of all, Caryophyllene is found in cloves, cinnamon and black pepper, as well as in hemp. It offers a woody, spicy aroma. The most intriguing feature of this terpene is its ability to interact with the endocannabinoid system in the same way as cannabinoids. In addition, it can produce analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. How to choose your CBD oil with terpenes? When choosing your CBD oil, first make sure that the product has been tested by a laboratory and has a valid certificate of analysis. This will give you a better chance of knowing if it contains terpenes, and if so which ones. The CA or CoA is a certificate of analysis that includes a phytocannabinoid profile listing the levels of CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids, as well as the terpenes in the product. It is the most important tool for determining the quality and purity of a CBD product Overall, it’s clear that terpenes are essential not only in hemp, but also in a countless variety of plants and their essential oil extracts. Terpenes can give an extra boost to any hemp product. To check out our terpene-rich product lines, visit our French CBD store. How useful was this post? Click on a star to rate it! Average rating 5 / 5. Vote count: 1	[]
Pascal (unit) From formulasearchengine Jump to navigation Jump to search {{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst\|\|$N=Use dmy dates \|date=__DATE__ \|$B= }} {{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst\|\|$N=Refimprove \|date=__DATE__ \|$B= {{#invoke:Message box\|ambox}} }} Template:Infobox Unit The pascal (symbol: Pa) is the SI derived unit of pressure, internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and tensile strength, defined as one newton per square metre.[1] Pressure is a measure of force per unit area. It is named after the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. Common multiple units of the pascal are the hectopascal (1 hPa ≡ 100 Pa) which is equal to 1 mbar, the kilopascal (1 kPa ≡ 1000 Pa), the megapascal (1 MPa ≡ 1,000,000 Pa), and the gigapascal (1 GPa ≡ 1,000,000,000 Pa). On Earth, standard atmospheric pressure is defined as 101.325 kPa. Meteorological barometric pressure reports typically report atmospheric pressure in hectopascals, [2] corresponding to about 0.1% of atmospheric pressure. The main corresponding imperial and US customary unit is the pound per square inch (psi); in the context of meteorology, the inch of mercury may also be encountered. The pascal can be expressed using SI derived units, or alternatively solely SI base units, as: Where N is the newton, m is the metre, kg is the kilogram and s is the second. Template:SI unit lowercase Template:Pressure Units The unit is named after Blaise Pascal, the eminent French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher noted for his experiments with a barometer, an instrument to measure air pressure. The name pascal was adopted for the SI unit newton per square metre (N/m2) by the 14th CGPM in 1971.[4] Standard atmospheric pressure is 101325 Pa = 101.325 kPa = 1013.25 hPa = 1.01325 bar = 1013.25 mbar = 0.101325 MPa = 760 Torr[5] = 14.696 psi. This definition is used for pneumatic fluid power (ISO R554), and in the aerospace (ISO 2533) and petroleum (ISO 5024) industries. In 1985 the IUPAC recommended that the standard for atmospheric pressure should be harmonized to 100,000 Pa = 1 bar ≈ 750.06 Torr. The same definition is used in the compressor and the pneumatic tool industries (ISO 2787). The Unicode computer character set has dedicated symbols (U+33A9) for Pa and (U+33AA) for kPa, but these exist merely for backward-compatibility with some older ideographic character-sets and are therefore deprecated. The pascal (Pa) or kilopascal (kPa) as a unit of pressure measurement is widely used throughout the world and has largely replaced the pounds per square inch (psi) unit, except in some countries that still use the Imperial measurement system, including the United States. Geophysicists use the gigapascal (GPa) in measuring or calculating tectonic stresses and pressures within the Earth. Medical elastography measures tissue stiffness non-invasively with ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging, and often displays the Young's modulus or shear modulus of tissue in kilopascals. In materials science, megapascals (1 MPa = 1 N/mm2) or gigapascals (1 GPa = 1 kN/mm2) are commonly used to measure stiffness or tensile strength of materials. Examples of (approximate) Young's moduli for several common substances (in gigapascals) include nylon at 2–4; hemp (fibre) at 58, aluminium at 69; tooth enamel at 83, copper at 117, steel at approximately 200, and diamond at 1220. The pascal is also equivalent to the SI unit of energy density, J/m3. This applies not only to the thermodynamics of pressurized gasses, but also to the energy density of electric, magnetic, and gravitational fields. Other, older units of measure occasionally used for pressure are millimetres of mercury (Torr) and millimetres of water (1 mmH2O = 9.80665 Pa). In the cgs system, the unit of pressure is the barye (symbol ba), which is equal to one decipascal. The older kilogram-force per square centimetre corresponds precisely to 98.0665 kPa,[6] but it is often rounded off to 100 kPa in practice. In the former mts system, the unit of pressure is the pièze (symbol pz), which is equal to one kilopascal. In measurements of sound pressure, or loudness of sound, one pascal is equal to 94 decibels SPL. The quietest sound a human can hear, known as the threshold of hearing, is 0 dB SPL, or 20 micropascals (20 millionths of a pascal). Airtightness testing of buildings is measured at 50 Pa or Template:Convert of water.[7] Hectopascal and millibar units {{#invoke:main\|main}} Meteorologists worldwide have for a long time measured atmospheric pressure in bars, where one bar was originally equivalent to the average air pressure on Earth; the bar was divided into a thousand millibars to provide the granularity that meteorologists require. After the introduction of SI units, many preferred to preserve the customary pressure figures. Consequently, the bar was redefined as 100,000 pascals, which is only slightly lower than standard air pressure on Earth. Today many meteorologists prefer hectopascals (hPa) for air pressure, which are equivalent to millibars, while similar pressures are given in kilopascals in practically all other fields, since the hecto prefix is rarely used. Since official metrication, meteorologists in Canada use kilopascals (kPa),[8][9] although in some other countries hectopascals are still in use.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16] As of 17 November 2011 the hectopascal is used in aviation as the altimeter setting. 1 hectopascal (hPa) ≡ 100 Pa ≡ 1 mbar. 1 kilopascal (kPa) ≡ 1000 Pa ≡ 10 hPa ≡ 10 mbar. See also Notes and references Template:SI units	[]
7 Impressive Health Benefits of Ragi - Advertisement - Ragi, also known as finger millet (Scientific: Eleusine coracana), is a nutritious, delicious cereal. It is widely used by Indians to cook dishes like ragi java (malt), roti, and chapati. Ragi contains plenty of nutrients and minerals that offer many health benefits. Especially white ragi has a higher amount of nutrients and minerals than brown ragi (1). health benefits of ragi Health Benefits of Ragi 1. Improves Bone Health Calcium is an essential mineral for our bone and teeth. According to the FDA, our body needs 1000 mg of calcium per day. Ragi boasts a lot of calcium, which may improve your bone health (2). It provides 344 mg of calcium per 100 grams, which is 35% of the recommended daily intake (RDI). 2. Helps Control Blood Sugar Levels Ragi has a moderate glycemic index (GI). Hence, it is a good choice for people with diabetes (3). - Advertisement - Also, research shows that high-fiber content in ragi may help reduce post-meal blood sugar levels (4, 5). 3. Helps Relieve Constipation Ragi is a great source of dietary fiber. It provides 3.6 grams of fiber per 100 grams, which is 15% of the RDI. Fiber regulates your bowel movements and relieves constipation. Additionally, the fiber in ragi may promote weight loss by keeping you full and satisfied for longer. 4. Helps Fight anemia Iron is essential for our red blood cells. Iron deficiency may lead to anemia. Ragi is incredibly high in iron. 100 grams of ragi provides 3.7 mg to 6.8 mg of iron. Therefore, regular consumption of ragi may help you prevent anemia. 5. Rich in Protein Ragi is rich in protein. It provides 7.3 grams of protein per 100 grams, which is 14.6 % of the RDI. - Advertisement - Protein boosts your metabolism and helps build and repair muscles (6). 6. Boosts Immunity Ragi possesses antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Also, it contains a decent amount of zinc. Zinc is an essential mineral for our immune function. Additionally, zinc may help speed up the wound healing process (7, 8). 7. May help to lower blood pressure Ragi is very high in potassium and minerals. It provides 408 mg of potassium per 100 grams, which is 9% of the RDI (9). Potassium may help reduce blood pressure by eliminating the negative effects of sodium intake. - Advertisement -	[]
Event-centric Search and Exploration in Document Collections Jannik Strötgen; Michael Gertz (Nominated for Best Student Paper) Textual data ranging from corpora of digitized historic documents to large collections of news feeds provide a rich source for temporal and geographic information. Such types of information have recently gained a lot of interest in support of different search and exploration tasks, e.g., by organizing news along a timeline or placing the origin of documents on a map. However, for this, temporal and geographic information embedded in documents is often considered in isolation. We claim that through combining such information into (chronologically ordered) event-like features interesting and meaningful search and exploration tasks are possible. In this paper, we present a framework for the extraction, exploration, and visualization of event information in document collections. For this, one has to identify and combine temporal and geographic expressions from documents, thus enriching a document collection by a set of normalized events. Traditional search queries then can be enriched by conditions on the events relevant to the search subject. Conditions can be efficiently evaluated using index structures for the temporal and geographic components. Most important for our event-centric approach is that a search result consists of a sequence of events relevant to the search terms and not just a document hit-list. Such events can originate from different documents and can be further explored, in particular events relevant to a search query can be ordered chronologically. We demonstrate the utility of our framework by different (multilingual) search and exploration scenarios using a Wikipedia corpus. A Large-Scale Comparison of Methods for Determining Topical Similarity for Scientific Documents Mario Lipinski; Wolf-Tilo Balke; Bela Gipp Bibliometrics is an important topic for establishing document similarity in building up digital libraries and retrieving documents from large digital collections. However, there is a wide variety of techniques to measure document similarity and an actual compari-son of different methods proves difficult: since many methods are rather similar, the choice of the respective evaluation corpora and the used ground truth may strongly influence each method’s per-formance. Since there is no established gold standard to evaluate competing methods in terms of their respective precision and recall, comparisons are mostly performed over small collections only. In this paper we conduct a large-scale comparison of text-based and citation-based similarity measures for a broad class of scientific documents from the area of bio-medical research taken from the PubMed corpus. Using the respective MeSH classifica-tions as ground truth our results prove that although text-based similarity measure show superior performance over more hetero-geneous collections, citation-based methods are still valuable for corpora with certain characteristics. Concept Chaining utilizing Meronyms in Text Characterization Lori Watrous-Deversterre; Chong Wang; Min Song For most, the web is the first source to answer a question formulated by curiosity, need, or research reasons. This phenomenon is due to the internet's ubiquitous access, ease of use, and the extensive and ever expanding content. The problem is no longer the need to acquire content to encourage use, but to provide organizational tools to support content categorization that will facilitate improved access methods. This paper presents the results of a new text characterization algorithm that combines semantic and linguistic techniques utilizing domain-based ontology background knowledge. It explores the combination of meronym, synonym, and hypernym linguistic relationships to create a set of concept chains used to represent concepts found in a document. The experiments show improved accuracy over bag-of-words based term weighting methods and reveal characteristics of the meronym contribution to document representation.	[]
Jump to content Amanda Feeser Content Creators • Content Count • Joined • Last visited • Days Won Amanda Feeser last won the day on January 20 Amanda Feeser had the most liked content! About Amanda Feeser • Birthday 06/11/1977 Contact Methods • Website URL Profile Information • Gender • Location United States Recent Profile Visitors 484 profile views 1. Currently reading Tigana. It's much more accessible and easier than I built it up in my mind. 2. It's funny that you mentioned the rest thing because I have learned through the years that rest feels lazy to me UNLESS it's a goal, and then it feels like I'm accomplishing something by doing nothing! It's all about my mindset for getting things done! 3. I usually can't read multiple books in the same genre because I start to get things confused. I usually have multiple books going, but they are not anything alike or I'll just get things confused. Right now I am reading too many all at the same time and I'm working on getting that down and trying to keep it manageable! 4. This is so interesting. I haven't ever thought of doing something like this, but I was just sitting down to try to plan out some kind of weekly reading plan for February. I think that'll help me stay more on task and not always feel like I'm sprinting through my reading. I think this is a really cool way of doing it. If you don't do what's on the list, do you have a backup plan or is it pretty easy to stick with what you've planned?? 5. I've read The Eyes of the Dragon and I three Dark Tower books.... so, not a ton of his fantasy, but I think almost all of his stories have fantasy elements. I'm also just a fan of King in general, so I'm sure I'll like it. I'm currently reading Insomnia and I'd definitely call it fantasy... he even has the fates in it from mythology. 6. I just saw this earlier today and the premise sounds so good. I am always here for Stephen King writing fantasy... always! 7. I feel like I rate books on the higher side. I have written a book and I know what it takes to just write a short (kind of crappy) book, and it's still a ton of work and worrying and decisions and time and it's just hard. So, I won't give a book below a 3 unless I really disliked something about it. And really then, I'll just DNF it and I never give ratings to book I didn't finish. So, that being said... I rate strictly on my gut feelings when I'm done. I would love to hate a system where I give points for different elements and then add those up and have a consistent, trackable rating, but I just don't. I don't re-read, so it's not like I'll give a book a 5 if I want to re-read it. I just really think about how it made me feel. Did I enjoy the journey, did I learn something from the characters about myself, did I enjoy where the characters went and how they grew, did I have fun? If the answer to any of that is yes, then it's probably going to get a 5. Does that mean that there are some 5 stars in my list that I probably would mark as a 4 once I have some time to think, sure... but I always like knowing that I went higher rather than lower for the rating. 8. I don't know how many of you are planners, but I am. I think I started planning in a rebellious way because I grew up in a house that had no plan. My mother worked as a beautician out of our house, so she was able to pretty much set her hours, but that also meant that she didn't have a set time to start and end work. She just worked when she had clients (which was pretty much all the time). Anyway, so we had no real schedule. We didn't plan for big trips because we didn't take any. We didn't even plan for weekend vacations because we didn't take any. I think that because of that, I learned that if I don't plan things and put them down on paper or on an online calendar, then they don't get done and I don't get to go places and explore like I want. So, I'm a planner. That was a lot of words to get to the point, but that also kinds of sums up my whole life. Anyway, I wanted to talk about some of the future plans that I have for my person life (lots of movement happening around here this year), and some thoughts/ideas that I've had for my YouTube channel. I try to focus on one thing a month/quarter if I can. Sometimes things overlap, but not always. Here is a breakdown of my year. January - Move my body more ---Batch my content so I can focus more on my clients. February -Go to sleep! ---Solidify my batch week and establish this as a habit. March -Price turns 18! (Waco trip) ---Prep for April plans April -Don't start anything NEW! ---Do one video a day (a month in my reading life) May -Get house ready to be packed/get Price's stuff separated ---Rest from April and dream/also batch for June June -Move to Alabama/Move Price to Arkansas ---Stay Consistent with videos July -Unpack and settle in/establish new places for all appointments ---Get batch week back where I want it and set up office for filming location August -Prep for Disney/move Price into dorm ---Batch any extra videos that need to be done for Sept. September -Disney Trip ---Do nothing new October -Rest and Recharge ---Rest and Recharge November -Thanksgiving in Arkansas/Chyna's wedding ---Prep for 2023 December -BIG client month/Chyna moves to South Dakota ---Do NOT do Vlogmas! Okay, that's it. My word of the year is MOVE. I want to move my body, we are moving from TX to AL, my oldest son is graduating High School and moving to AR for college, and our daughter is graduating college, getting married, and moving to SD. So, lots of moving this year! Also, this makes me realize even more that at the end of this year, I'm only going to have one kiddo in my house. It is bittersweet because I love watching them grow and go out on their own and at the same time it is a profound sadness to say goodbye to a piece of your heart. And you can tell yourself that it won't be as bad as you think and they will still be able to call and everything else, but it just isn't the same. The little background noises that they make just existing in the same space as you aren't there anymore and as much as you try to fool yourself into thinking a phone call is almost as good as them being home... it's just not true. So, most of all this year, I'm going to enjoy the time I still have with my Price. He was my miracle baby and the one who made me a momma, and he'll take a huge part of me with him when he goes. Well... now that I've made myself cry, my work here is done. I was excited to do a blog post when I realized we could, but I had no idea what I would talk about. It was nice to get all my thoughts out like this because I hadn't thought through every month like that before. I liked it. Thanks for indulging me and providing this space to get all my thoughts out. 9. Thanks for saying it's on Kindle Unlimited. I'll add it to my list and check it out! 10. I usually don't care. I started out reading romances (paranormal specifically), and those are usually ongoing series with over 20 books in them, but I never really paid attention until I got to fantasy and realized there were a few really popular series that hadn't been finished (and probably won't be). I still read the Kingkiller Chronicles (Name of the Wind) before I knew that it was an unfinished series, and I loved them and I loved the characters, so I'm okay with what I have and where I am with any series that isn't finished. Plus, I'd never be able to figure out what to put on my TBR if I had to find out if it was a series and if it was finished, so maybe my decision is based on some laziness on my part as well! 11. We have about half of the days covered in the month so far! 12. I've got you down with the name of the story. I just added you to the spreadsheet. Thanks for joining in! If you want to pick another one, we still have plenty of days left! 13. You picked two that I absolutely love!! Thanks for joining in! 14. It totally sucks that you have COVID and really felt bad on your birthday... the good news is that I just learned that Alexander Hamilton shares a birthday with you, so that's awesome! (It also probably means that I'll remember your birthday forever now too!) My birthday is the 11th too... just June! I do hope you are feeling better even though I see that 8 hours ago you still didn't feel good. I'm so sorry. 15. Yep... I'll be there. I can't wait! • Create New...	[]
The Undeniable Ruth Rotating Header Image August 23rd, 2011: When Bullied Students Should Turn to the Police (cc) apdk from Flickr When I think of bullying in schools, I think about kids being shoved into lockers, being tripped in the hallway, and getting swirlies in the bathroom. In high school, these bullies face detention if theyâ€™re caught; but in the real world we call this â€œassault.â€ In the real world, people go to jail for this. We want schools to be safe and we entrust teachers and administrators with protecting students.Â Unfortunately, that doesnâ€™t always happen.Â Sometimes they make excuses for problem students.Â Sometimes they ignore the problem, despite receiving reports of bullying and pleas from victimized students and their families. At that point, students canâ€™t rely on the schools for protection, and they should report all incidents involving physical violence to the police. Why should students go to the police instead of suing the school for not fulfilling their obligation to protect its students? The obvious reason is that it wonâ€™t stop the bully in his/her tracks; being arrested will. Suing the school takes a lot of time, energy, and money.Â Additionally, the victims of bullying that Iâ€™ve met werenâ€™t interested in making money; they just wanted the harassment to stop.Â Reporting the violence to police is a faster, more efficient solution. When I was in high school, it seemed like studentsâ€™ options for recourse ended at the principalâ€™s office.Â It makes me wonder if todayâ€™s victimized students know that they have options besides dropping out if their school wonâ€™t protect them.Â The school wonâ€™t tell them â€“ a school that wonâ€™t protect its students probably doesnâ€™t want them to seek outside help either.Â Itâ€™s up to the advocates to provide the necessary information and support to these students. Enhanced by Zemanta	[]
Originally shared by FREE SOPHIA Church hopping #12 It’s not evident as to how or when to go to a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) service. Besides their name being on the front of the building, there are NO other signs ANYWHERE. Their three phone numbers called at “open” times just ring and ring. The website leads you to the international website and is quite confusing. It seems the Mormons want it that way, for secrecy or for their protection they want to do it THEIR way. YOU MUST BE INVITED. We’ve been to a myriad of diverse churches now, racially and culturally, many within a mile or so from my home. All of us live next door to one another, see each other at the gas station and grocery stores every week but on Sundays we are worlds apart. A few months ago, several strange crimes happened in my community all within days of each other and all unrelated. One of the crimes was a murder of an 18 year old Mormon woman. I don’t watch the news or read the newspaper so I get to avoid most bad news but these crimes, being local, were hard to avoid. The young woman was actually “slain” very near my good friend’s home. It wasn’t until a few weeks later that “something” told us to visit her church, and that’s where we went yesterday. A Mormon friend had told us a little about the LDS church, including: NOT to give them our information (they’d adamantly try to convert us), women HAVE to wear skirts and that services universally began at 9 a.m. and Sunday school etcetera followed. So Jann, Melody and I were there at 8:55 a.m. uninvited. It was a cold day especially in a skirt and I was terrified to be there, making it even colder. (I’ve been asking myself why I was afraid to go to this church. Was it because it was unfamiliar and so different than what I was used to? Was it because of what I had heard and seen on TV about Mormons and their strange history? I’ve finally discovered that I was so fearful of being in that place because I am a very sensitive and intuitive person and something just felt wrong there.) We entered one of the unmarked doors and snuck in. To our surprise, there were no greeters, nothing to sign in on and no one even looked at us! People were milling around in this solemn sanctuary and we found our seats (right in the middle of it all!) on the “back pew”. We would eventually learn that we had come to the area stake conference that Sunday, where they would acknowledge their new missionaries. Behind the back pews the separating wall of the gymnasium was open and there were hundreds of metal folding chairs lined up that would eventually be filled with visitors from other wards (wards are what they call their churches) in the area. The unornate sanctuary had plain white side walls with a hanging office clock as the only decoration. The entire front wall was a lovely dark wood though with a huge pipe organ that wasn’t being used, that area reminded me of a courtroom. [See picture.] So we sat there petrified (at least I was!), still amazed that no one had spoken to us. We expected Jann, always the rebel, to be asked to leave at any time for wearing PANTS. We watched as people slowly came in and found their seats and as the choir (of all ages) practiced. No one smiled, I’ll never forget that. At one point, Melody looked at me- her face white as a ghost and yelled in her whisper that she felt something on her left side and it was suddenly ice cold. I quickly put my hand on that side of her body recognizing that this probably meant that an unembodied (and often earthbound) spirit was next to her. I felt the unexplainable frigid air that hovered next to Melody. It continued for a few minutes, then just went away. I think we both felt like it was the soul of the murdered young woman. Clearly she led us there, but why? Not long before or after that I noticed a tiny white feather on my lap! Knowing that this was often a spiritual sign, I immediately thought: “Angels!”, smiled and gave it to Jann. A few seconds later, I looked down and saw ANOTHER tiny white feather. I pointed it out to Jann (who still had the first feather I gave her) and we both just looked at each other with shocked wide eyes. I couldn’t make this stuff up! This was the only church hop location where we had experienced anything supernatural, so far. (Unless you count all of the angel orbs in the herchurch photos.) I found that to be especially poignant. More and more parishioners entered and began squeezing into the pews. A couple of the women wore name tags with “Sister” before their names. According to we are ALL family, especially if you go through the special steps at their separate holy temple. Skirted women accompanied their husbands who were all wearing white button-up shirts. It was like a time-warp into the late 1960’s; I thought even the men’s haircuts were peculiarly retro. It had that Twilight Zone feel and I remember thinking that they might be aliens. Assuming one young married woman’s white Spanks were showing, I later realized that I had actually seen her special Mormon underwear when she chatted with her friends in front of us. (I later read that both Mormon women AND men were expected to wear these long, white “garmies” embossed with secret Masonic symbols at ALL times. According to the LDS “culture teaches [women] that we belong to men, to God” and that their bodies are just a tool.) Obediently pregnant women and children were everywhere. Several speakers would later mention the term: “eternal family” many times. I was grateful that I didn’t bring my “eternal family.” Like many churches we’d been to, there was no childcare during this main service and there were A LOT of children as I guess is greatly encouraged. Although it was often hard to hear with restless children and babies cooing, I think it is the easiest way for children to learn their parents’ culture and to feel a part of the community. (They highly emphasize the importance of family and believe that if you pass all of the upper tests at the big Temple, you and your family will be eternally sealed together. Someone also informed me that this also means that you and your first wife and family will eventually get your own star to live on. I’m not sure what happens to your other 47 wives or their children at that point.) And as we know from Catholicism, large families ensure the foundation of a good pyramid scheme. Finally, an important-looking council of Anglo men entered, two of which walked around and shook everyone’s hands. (The congregation had a sprinkling of other ethnicities, a couple of which were African American which I find interesting especially since the Book of Mormon teaches that African Americans “are descended from an evil race of people cursed with dark skin.” according to African Americans are also not allowed into the priesthood, but Anglo men are at the age of 18.) This pale male council finally sat in pews behind the podium, they gave the room an extra creepy heaviness. Then the big wooden side doors were loudly closed and I thought for a second Jann, Melody and I were in danger. But, after sitting there for almost an hour, the LDS all-aged choir began. Still NO smiling from the congregation or from the singers; they all seemed beat DOWN. Speakers mentioned many times that theirs’ was the way to peace and joy, but I didn’t see anything joyful. (Maybe it is joyful once you get your own star, I don’t know.) The sad music, bless their hearts, was unenthusiastic and as monotone as possible. One of the male council leaders, who reminded me of Jim Carrey playing a Mormon, smiled constantly but that was it. No one applauded when the choir finished. The Jim Carrey smiley guy rose and gave announcements including a list of names of the 45 new recruits that would now be full-time missionaries. (Traditionally missionaries were 18-year-old men, but I hear now they allow women to do some part-time local missionary work.) This was followed by a family of six singing a song about Jesus being their savior; they were actually VERY talented but still no one smiled or applauded. Then two females gave their testimonies about what it’s like to be Mormon: the first was a Hispanic teenager, the second was the MURDERED WOMAN’S MOTHER. Now, this was exactly 6 weeks to the day after her murder. We knew nothing of what was going to happen during this church service, and I never expected to see or hear about the victim’s family. But THERE she was up at the pulpit in front of us all. Her mother spoke for a while about how family togetherness was important and that her daughter had told her that their family road trips were her favorite. It wasn’t for a few minutes into her speech that I realized who she was. All she really spoke about was the family trips and she was exceptionally unemotional. Another woman, the red-faced wife of the area (or “stake”) president was tearing up. After the girl’s mother finished, she went back to her seat in front, facing the congregation. No one patted her on the back or put their arm around her. I found this very cold and inhumane. The head priest guy began (only men are allowed into the priesthood or allowed to do any of the rituals because; “The Lord wants it that way.”). He commented on what the murdered woman’s mother had said. He added a story about how the young woman had made a care package for her postal carrier just days before her death. This head priest genuinely seemed good and kind; he continued his sermon about charity as in being loving of one another. He told of how he had once been slightly encouraged by an elder when he was a young missionary. I couldn’t help but think he was born into this belief system and was just ignorantly going along with what always was. The white-haired stake president (who I felt was glaring at me in my form fitting Betsey Johnson dress from across the room the whole time!) and his wife also eventually spoke and I was about as bored as I was frightened. When the choir director asked us to stand and sing another hymn, I grabbed my friends and we ran out. I was so relieved to be outside, not caring how cold it was outside because it felt warmer to me than the inside of that congregation. We stopped and chatted for a minute, but I nervously kept looking back up at the building like they were going to come after us. A father and his young son also came outside, neither of whom looked at us. It was all surreal. So, why were we led to this specific church and did that deceased woman want us there to learn something? Definitely. I felt like Eliot in the movie E.T., where he lets all of the frogs out of the jars in the science class, I wanted to do that for those unfortunate and trapped people. That poor woman looked like I did at 18 and was kind and trusting; she was abducted from the Walgreens I drive by every day. Was her completely male-led ward keeping her ignorant and trusting? Was she an innocent victim born into a subculture that keeps their women barefoot and pregnant slaves and tells them that’s the only way to get Heaven? Did she let her murderer into her car because she was taught to do whatever men told her to do? Was she warning me that this could have happened to me? Was the fact that her murderer was African American more ammunition for them to cling to their racist faith? Probably. May I speak for her, if only to enlighten one Mormon woman. Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published.	[]
OrangeRX Receiver halts after short time I posted a while ago about problems getting the OrangeRX DRX R618XL receiver working. After more investigation, it turns out that the OrangeRX receiver does work, but only for a short period if time (20-30 seconds), before getting “choppy” (working intermittently), and then cutting out completely. The only way to recover is to unplug/replug the receiver to power cycle it, at which point the same thing happens. This seems to happen faster/more if I am moving the sticks (and controlling servos) rather than leaving them down/neutral. It seem to take longer if the rover is not armed (servos not moving/drawing power), but does happen after several minutes. I realized this after trying a different receiver - Power Up RD810 - which works as expected (with the small annoyance of not persisting in PPM mode between shutdown/restart, requiring manual configuration every time.) With the RD810, I can see the Radio Channels changing as expected and cat /sys/kernel/rcio/rcin/ch2 is ~1102 with the throttle low and ~1974 high. Servos also move as expected. This leads me to believe the Navio2 hardware, software, and setup (servo power etc.) are all fine. (In the short times when the OrangeRX receiver is working, it’s values are ~1053 and ~1893 respectively.) My best theories for why the OrangeRX would behave like this are 1) Overheating (it does feel rather warm to touch) 2) Timing issue with the ppm framerate getting our of sync 3) A bug in handling 6-ch frames vs. 8-channels 4) Some functionality of the receiver where it stops outputting if it receives the same inputs for too long. Given the above behavior of the issue occurring faster when the servos are moving, yet the nothing going wrong for extended periods of time with the RD810 receiver moving the servos, I am led to believe the problem is either with the OrangeRX receiver itself, or some complex interaction with the receiver and the servo busses. If so, there’s not much that can be done here, other than document it so others can be aware and not waste their time debugging. Other Info: -ArduRover 3.3 -Spektrum DX6i transmitter -Servo rail draws 0.4A @ 6V -Testing with two micro-sized hobby servos on outputs 1 and 3 which draw <0.25A combined. Hi Daniel, Thanks for all this work and for sharing the results with us. It seems you’re right and the issue is related to the receiver. Did you try to reach out to OrangeRX support? I also hope this report will be useful for other users.	[]
In the Octo Senior Level, students learn how to organize his chess pieces and use different strategies to gain an advantage over his opponents. They will learn how to analyze the game with multiple moves ahead. They will be asked to think about their accurate alternative moves and choose the best one in the game. The coach will analyze and present students with some classic games to illuminate the chess tactics and patterns used in these games. The level is recommended for the students with a USCF rating from 900 to 1200 or at an equivalent level. There are exact eight students in this group. Octo Classes	[]
The Crown Finally Pardons Alan Turing His pardon comes into effect today on Christmas Eve. Source: BBC 31 thoughts on “The Crown Finally Pardons Alan Turing” 1. firefly, P.S. I do realize you weren’t arguing in favor of the laws that penalized Turing. I was just using it as a launchpad to illustrate the ethics/morals divide. Nothing personal. 2. firefly, “I asked (and ask again): should fathers be allowed to rape their young daughters or sell them into sexual slavery because we are too wary of making moral judgments and writing laws that reflect those moral judgments?” Your question is a giant false equivalency and illustrates the fundamental schism between morals and ethics. Rape and slavery are crimes with victims who have not consented to either rape or slavery. They are both immoral and unethical as they harm others. Homosexuality is a normal expression of human sexuality for a statistically significant minority of the human race. So long as their sexual activity is consensual and that consent is valid, it is not unethical and ergo should not be illegal. These are objective standards and objective standards are the basis of ethics. It is their choice and it impacts you not at all. It neither breaks your leg, steals your property or makes you literally insane. To use the force of law to stop their behavior is to limit their freedom because you feel “uneasy”. Sorry! You have no right to be made uneasy by the world. In contrast, morals are a subjective choice. If you think homosexuality is immoral? Don’t practice it. But by attempting to enforce your subjective morals on others, you are trying to substitute your subjective judgement for theirs and in the process take their rights from them (specifically the right of free association). Your subjective morality is attempting to do an ethical harm. You would make people victims of systemic oppression simply because you don’t like what they do. All because you feel “uneasy”. The law isn’t all about you. It’s about everyone’s rights, even the rights of people you don’t approve of. Even the rights of people who are actual criminals in the ethical derivation of the term. Law cannot be based in a subjective choice of beliefs – which may or may not be rational or even rooted in reality – and be both just and effective in the long term. The proper basis for laws is ethics (objective standards) not morals (subjective belief). Keep your morals to yourself, in your home and at your place of worship (if you have one). That is the proper place for them. They have no business in the law. Or did the whole “judge not lest ye be judged” bit of the book of Matthew escape you? If you truly believe that homosexuality is immoral? Put your faith to the test. It isn’t for you to sort out here on Earth. If it is truly immoral and all your beliefs are true, then those naughty homosexuals will all get sorted out by your God in the end now, won’t they? Or do you think you can do a better job than an omnipotent omnipresent being who is unconfined by the rules of physics in rendering judgement based on morals? Why that would be vanity and pride. If you truly believe what you claim, you should be content and have faith that God will sort it all out in the long term. If your God is truly almighty, I’m pretty sure he/she/it doesn’t need firefly’s help to get the job done. In the mean time, there is no victim in consensual homosexual behavior. There is no wronged person party to the transaction who needs legal intervention. There is only two people having sex in way you don’t approve of. And quite frankly? As long as they aren’t humping your leg, it’s none of your business. OS’s grandson is a really good kid. Sharp as a razor too. I hope he never has to face some of the bigoted stupidity and ignorant intolerance this world can dish out. 3. This is a disturbing story. This man helped save the British from the Nazi’s and he was treated like a dog. Knighthood would not be enough for this sad soul. 4. Posthumous. That says it all. That and a buck and a quarter will buy you a cup of coffee. 5. This, clearly, was a horrible decision by the British government in power at that time. But, if we don’t make decisions and/or laws based on morality or science, what SHOULD we use as a basis for lawmaking, Professor Turley? As I wrote under the Sister Wives column, human decency, respect and fairness are all a part of morality. What would you substitute? If there is a bad law, should we have no laws? If there is a bad prosecutor, should we have no prosecutors? If there is a bad cop, should we have no cops? Professor Turley: You apparently wish to do away with morality and/or science as a basis for lawmaking, so I ask you to tell us what you would make the basis for lawmaking? The law that castrated Alan Turing was clearly bad; should there be no laws about human behavior? 6. Why do you say that The Crown pardoned him? Who specifically issued the pardon? Parliament, King, Queen, weeny Prince, Prime Minister? 7. I do not get the sister wives thing. Is that some thing from Harkers Island in North Carolina? 8. Ah, yes….. This is kind of like the church for giving Galileo 400 years later… 9. But who is going to pardon those who charged, tried, convicted, and castrated Alan Turing? 👿 10. Yet another in a long line of glaring hypocrisies perpetrated by the state, as if a pardon 60 years after the fact will set the record straight and absolve those involved in the destruction of a human being because of his sexual preferences. 11. It is amazing o me the level of hatred (fear?) towards those who are homosexual:better to hurt your own country and the world then accept the genius and contributions of someone because he/she gay. OS Congratulations to him! 12. Up until just recently, the US military & intelligence system was jerking clearances and firing interpreters who spoke fluent Arabic and other middle eastern languages. I don’t know what their policies are now. My grandson (Gene H. has met him) is finishing up a degree with a combined major in computer science and Japanese. He became a Japanophile and Sinophile while still in Junior High, so taught himself Japanese and has pen pals in the Orient. His iPhone and iPad are all programmed in Japanese characters. He can write and edit program language in Japanese. He graduated from high school with a 4.2 GPA–I had never heard of anyone pulling off that hat trick, but there you have it. He never made it a secret he is gay, because he never had to stay in the closet–we are an accepting family. Wonder if there is a chance the government would hire him now? 13. Alan Turing was a great man destroyed by the hypocrisy of the system. Just as Oscar Wilde’s nobleman lover escaped prosecution, the British upper class riddled by homosexuality punished a representative few while remaining in their own deep closets. 14. Sick Limeys…. It’s a sad state of affairs when one is demeaned for who they are rather than what they stand for….. The light of day…..takes forever…. Yep, that sounds like something a rational government would do. And in this country we yell so loudly at the “barbarian” nature of muslims. Is there a mirror anywhere? 16. I just read up on the circumstances of Turing’s death, and from what I read it appears that whether he actually committed suicide is rather murky. You can read about it here: Aside from that, though, what irks me most about this “pardon” is that it’s ridiculous to pardon someone who didn’t do anything wrong. What Turing deserves is an apology. And of course, in that sense it doesn’t matter how great his contributions were, although they do make his prosecution look even more pointless and vindictive than it otherwise would. 17. We know well today that, while younger people are more accepting of homosexuality, it wasn’t until the Eighties that homosexuality was removed from the DSM and it was then a powerful tool of extortion and blackmailn by KGB agents toward intelligence employees – in fact, Alan Turing was turned in by a lover who burgled his house and who was threatened by Turing of being thrown in jail. The purge effectuated under Reagan in the NSA was less justified and the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy only served to fire able gay servicemen and -women while convicted felons were enlisted to fill their places. But I agree: Turing deserved a knighthood, not a castration, and Klaus Fuch, who was really a spy for the Red and who provided them with the H bomb, was better treated by the British authorities. 18. The “pardon” reflects the arrogance/stupidity of our leaders. Look at the the lynch mob calling for Snowden’s head – it was Mr. Snowden who brought the NSA’s abuses to the public’s attention and put pressure to restore the 4th Amendment. In 60 years, the grandchildren of those demanding Snowden’s head will arrange some feel good pardon and garner publicity for acknowledging the wrongs done earlier. Comments are closed.	[]
Stick with the WOW! There is some fascinating work out recently in the October Journal of Consumer Research by psychologists Kimberlee Weaver, Stephen Garcia, and Norbert Schwarz in which they illustrate something they call the “Presenter’s Paradox”. What they’ve discovered, through a series of documented studies, is that the final perception formed by someone on the receiving end of a presentation tends to be an AVERAGE of the information rather than an additive approach to the individual components (which would lead to a higher valuation). What does that mean? Well, basically it’s clinical proof of the old adage “less is more”. In many ways it seems irrational, but also head-slappingly obvious. Rankings of value go down when products are “bundled” to look more costly, or gift with purchase is offered, or a job candidate continues to rattle off excessive qualifications. It seems that offering more would be perceived as valuable, but because the receiver is unconsciously averaging the high value item (say an iPod) with the low value item (like a free song) they reach a final impression of lower total value. Ronnie has always known this intuitively, and we’ve had a few…discussions…over the years about what and how much we are showing to a client. She has NO qualms about culling the old or weak designs from a portfolio and shelving any piece, even new work, that doesn’t measure up. One might assume that if a client is looking for a snowman, then the more snowmen you show them the better chance you have. Not so. What happens is people tend to automatically average out what they are shown in the pitch or presentation, so if you show them three great pieces, the “great” impression remains. If you show them three great pieces, 4 OK pieces and maybe a couple not so good pieces – they are left with the perception that everything was just OK, and you have significantly lessened the impact of your best work. So what can you do? First, consider the showing of your portfolio to be a singular event, not a collection of individual pieces. If you are including items that are not your best work , realize that they are dragging the client’s perception of your best work down to a lower level. Say you assign a 1 to 10 ranking to every piece in your portfolio – when you add them up would the average land above 7? Maybe above 8? If not, dump the crap. This goes for any submissions you may make as well. Average is over, mediocre is done and typical is out. Learn to be ruthless – if you are tentative about a piece, pull it. Shoot for 10. Sing Me An Art Licensing Song We’ve been covering a lot of territory lately; woke up yesterday in Nashville (kinda sounds like a country song…), our last stop on a big swing that took us up through the Carolinas, across Tennessee, down through Atlanta and back to Florida. Contrary to what one may think, this Fall down time between the shows is also a great time to visit your clients on THEIR turf – most of the new product is underway and they are not wrestling with pre or post show art planning. If you really want understand their end of the business, there is no better way than a walk through the factory or warehouse. We also find these trips very energizing from a creative standpoint – nothing like exploring a few acres of a busy textile plant to get you thinking about your product. Sounds weird but it’s true. We also managed to spend a couple days in Ashville absorbing music and art (it comes from all points there), and then a few more days in Nashville exploring “Music City”, the history of country music and the current honky-tonk scene. Why tell you this, and what does it have to do with art licensing? Well, everything. Ours is a business in flux, much has changed in the last few years and no one can really be sure where it will end up even in the near future. Message and connection have supplanted the pretty picture in our business, and artists who can offer a new and innovative viewpoint will have the greatest success. The A+B=C path just isn’t working anymore, so I think it can be beneficial (necessary?) to take a step back from that and think in more general terms about living a creative life – how is it done in other disciplines, what does it entail, how does one succeed, how did other people do it? You don’t need to write a novel, sculpt from stone or sing rock-a-billy to appreciate the struggles and successes of the artists who HAVE done those things – however I can guarantee that the more you learn about their craft the better you will become at yours.	[]
Growing Pains: A Poetic Journey of Growth The bedrock of coaching is awareness—an awareness of an individual’s current state, where they want to progress, and the steps necessary to achieve the change. Growing Pains—a poetic journey of growth—is unique in its use of poetry to bring various issues to the fore. This increased awareness allows the reader to consider whether they need or want growth in this area and provides pointers on how to move forward. With its accessible language and varying tones of both humor and hard-hitting realism, it is a book that is relevant to a wide and diverse audience. --Bola Shasanmi Purchase this title at any of these retailers:	[]
Why is saving water important? Why is saving important? Water is all around us isn’t it? Rivers, lakes, the sea you swam in on holiday or live near to. There seems to be an endless supply. So why do people keep telling us we need to save as much as possible? After reading this, do make sure to check out the free water saving devices available in the UK, that will really help in the conservation of water. We’ve pulled all the resources together in one place, so you don’t have to spend time trawling through the internet! You’re certainly not on your own if you think this. According to SES Water, 1 in 4 people admit to taking water availability for granted, with no idea how much water they use daily. 67% feel they can’t use less water than they already do. However, a study by the Water Regulation Advisory Scheme (WRAS), reported by WWT, found that people in the UK underestimate how much water they actually use by 55%. An average household uses 350 litres of water a day yet people estimate they only use 157 litres a day. The problem is we do take things for granted. To be totally honest I didn’t realise the exact extent of this issue until I started researching everything below. I was 1 of the 4. If you have been thinking about saving water but not sure why you should be then this post is for you. It certainly opened my eyes to the nature of the issue we are facing. The information has also led me to look at my own habits when using water. I now know why there are so many campaigns and people telling us to save water and you will too. It will answer the questions like: • Will water actually run out? • Why isn’t there enough water for everybody? • How will saving water help me? • Why is it important to save water anyway? • What are water companies and government actually doing to save water or are they just relying on us? For a summary of this article please see the blog post Why is water conservation in the UK important? This post will provide a detailed account of why you need to be taking action now rather then later to cut back the amount of water you waste. It will give you the real reasons so that you can truly understand the scale of the crisis we could be facing. Hopefully it will give you a new perspective, just like it did me. I now realise that this is not just a “nice to have” campaign being flaunted, it is quite a real problem. Read on, I will explain more. We all know that water is an essential part of life. We need it daily to live and perform vital functions in the body. Plants need water to grow and in turn, we get to eat the plant direct or the organism which ate the plant. It really is an extremely important substance. The earth is made mostly of water, approximately 71%. This water is constantly being recycled in a closed loop, water cycle system, therefore being a finite source. Being moved from the atmosphere, to the earth and back again in a constant rotation. The amount of water on Earth will always remain the same, we don’t lose it and we don’t create more. This has happened for billions of years and apparently it is realistic that the water you washed with this morning has at one time come into contact with a tyrannosaurus rex! In the UK it seems very unlikely that we wouldn’t have water available to us, doesn’t it? It’s always there when we turn on the tap or flush the toilet so why would we need to think about it not ever being there when we want it? Well, the fact is that less than 1% of the earths water is usable to us! The rest of the water is stored in the sea, frozen in icecaps and floating around in the atmosphere. Out of the low percentage of freshwater available for human use, a massive 70% goes toward growing food and raising animals. Therefore, there is only a limited amount of freshwater available for other purposes. What about the vast seas and oceans? Sea water can’t be used directly to provide drinking water as its salt content is too high and the processes to remove the salt come at a huge financial cost. There is also a large energy requirement and environmental impact of the desalination of sea water. The heat from the sun naturally does this in the water cycle, turning the sea water into gas through evaporation and leaving behind the salt. From an environmental point of view, by looking to use sea water you would be taking a natural habitat away from the world’s marine creatures and organisms. The occasional use of sea water is of course an option that gets looked at, but would the negatives of such a large-scale operation outweigh the positives? But it’s always raining in the UK, how can there be a problem? It doesn’t rain as much as you may think when compared to some places around the world which may surprise you. SES water suggest that “London receives less rainfall then cities such as Rome, Miami, Sydney and Barcelona. If you divide the rainfall per person, we have less than Morocco and Turkey. South-east England receives 50% less rainfall than the rest of the UK.” Image courtesy of SES water https://www.waterplc.com/pages/savingwater/EDC-HowTo/ Key point: Although there is a vast amount of water on earth, and this never changes in volume, there is only a certain amount of usable water available at a certain point in time. It all depends where in the water cycle it is. What issues are there going to be with water availability? When rain falls, nearly 50% goes back to the atmosphere through evaporation or gets used by plants. A process known as evapotranspiration. The rest (effective rainfall) is available in surface water or ground water. The problem is that the availability of the water is dependent on where it is in the water cycle. Just because it was drinking water one minute, does not mean that it will get back to that stage for a very, very long time. The water cycle does not occur at a pace which will be able to cope with the demands that will be placed over it in the coming years. Ground water makes up about 30% of England’s drinking water supply, in 2017 abstraction in around 28% of groundwater bodies were not at a sustainable level (Environmental Agency) Climate change We’ve heard or read about it in the news. Climate change is at critical levels. We’ve noticed the changes in weather ourselves over the years. We’re getting dryer summers which can lead to droughts. There are also wetter winters that bring about the potential for flooding. The hotter summers means a greater amount of evaporation of water back into the atmosphere. That means there is less on the ground for abstraction when it is required, especially in times of drought. Flooding due to increases in sudden heavy downpours, where lakes, rivers and reservoirs cannot cope and burst their banks, means that essential water is lost, a supply that was available is lost, and it causes structural and environmental damage. The irregularity of rainfall makes it very difficult to plan for water availability. A sudden drought or heatwave and the need for water goes up dramatically. This is predicted to happen more and more with climate change. There is also a case for consumers taking action now so that money is not wasted on putting in infrastructure which may not be needed if predicted changes in temperature etc. are more favourable than that which are predicted. Tree planting is a vital step in combating climate change however if more trees are to be planted in the UK then they will also place an increased demand on already limited available water to survive. Population growth The population is growing, and with a growing population comes more demand on resources. The Office for National Statistics states: “The UK population is projected to increase from an estimated 65.6 million in mid-2016 to 69.2 million in mid-2026.” “The UK population is projected to pass 70 million by mid-2029 and be 72.9 million in mid-2041.” As you will read below the rates of abstraction of water are already at levels which are not sustainable. A growing population, demanding more water in an instant, will only worsen this. Energy generation Creating energy is a major use of water. Not only this, if we use more water than needed (i.e. we waste water) there is a need for heating water that isn’t required. This not only costs in bills, but creates more carbon to produce the energy to heat the water. The increasing population means an increase in energy demands. This can be offset by using more eco-friendly methods of energy production, but again is not a quick fix option. Changes in land, rivers and wetlands use All these new people on the earth are going to need to live and work somewhere. Therefore, ground that was available to abstract water from is being replaced by bricks, mortar and tarmac. Water in our lakes, wetlands and water courses protects the environment. This means that increasing the abstraction of water would have a negative effect. In a report from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) it quotes that The Water Industry National Environmental Programme suggests that to help the environment it is estimated that over 700 Ml per day less water is abstracted. Leaks and losses of water 3 billion litres of water was reported in 2017 to be lost each day through leaks. Water companies are looking into this more and more and getting results. The economic regulator of the water sector in England and Wales, Ofwat, state that if companies do not meet their leakage targets they can take action against them. It is fair to say that when you read this, you may be less likely to save water, thinking it’s their problem not yours. However, this needs to be a dual action approach as there are still significantly large amounts of water wasted at the consumer end that can be avoided. Fixing a leak can take a while due to planning work to be carried out and redirecting water so that supply is not affected. It isn’t a quick fix solution. We know that leaked water will eventually return to the water cycle, but it adds to abstraction pressures and wastes the energy used in pumping, treating and cleaning it again. It is also important to note that it is impossible to eliminate leaks completely. Like most other things, over time pipes are prone to wearing out and suffer damage from the external environment. For example, from ground movement, freezing temperatures or very dry weather and the impact of traffic on the roads. The extent of the problem Key point: the demand for water is outweighing the ability to supply at the rates it’s being demanded and this is only going to get worse if things don’t change. The demand needs to slow down by not wasting what’s available at a given point in time. So why is there now an issue when there hasn’t been in the past? Well as stated, we are now at a level where the available freshwater can’t be turned around quick enough for the increasing demands. The infrastructure and processes of getting water are at unsustainable levels. A report from Water UK states that there could be a significant deficit in water availability by the 2040’s (Just over 20 years from the time of writing). Sir James Bevan, chief executive of the Environment Agency has been quoted by the BBC as saying: “in around 20 to 25 years, England would reach the “jaws of death – the point at which, unless we take action to change things, we will not have enough water to supply our needs” In 2018, the Environmental Agency stated that If we do not increase water supply, reduce demand and cut down on waste there may be serious water shortages by 2050. This includes not enough water for people, businesses, farmers, wildlife and the environment. There is a 25% chance that over the next 30 years a large number of households and businesses will have their water supply cut off because of a severe drought. There are already areas in England which are classed as being seriously water stressed so placing further pressure on these areas could prove disastrous. The areas classed as being at a “serious level of water stress” include the east, south east and south of England. Affinity Water who cover one of the water stressed areas state that: • By 2080, in their area, it is predicted that climate change will reduce their supply of water by 39 million litres a day. • Due to population increases, there will be approximately 1.8 million more people in their supply area by 2080, putting further strain on their resources. • Between July 2016 and April 2017 the area received 33% less rainfall than the national average. However, their customers in the South East use more water daily – 152 litres per person per day, which is higher than the national average of 140 litres per person per day According to the Environment Agency, in 2016 almost 9500 billion litres of fresh water was abstracted, enough to cover greater London in nearly 6m of water (height of a 2 story house!) At the present time there are very few places across England where additional water is available as the current levels of abstraction are at the same point as demands. Therefore, any increased demands will place very high stress on our already unsustainable levels. Yes waste water is returned during the water cycle because, as stated above, water is not gained or lost, it is constantly recycled and has been since before prehistoric times. However, the problem is that the water returning can be a long way from where it can be abstracted again. There is also the increased cost of time and energy required to make the water safe again, a process the water has been through already. The waste may also return straight to the sea, making it unusable pretty much straightaway. Waterwise highlights that the water industry produces 1% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions, whilst SES water states treating water and getting it your tap takes a lot of energy and it produces 5% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Differences could be due to the date of publications. However, reducing the amount of water waste which needs to be retreated, can help the planet battle climate change. What needs to happen for better water conservation? “Being water-efficient is using the appropriate amount of water required to carry out a specific task” – Water Efficiency Strategy for the UK It is recommended that water companies can make implementation of water metres compulsory by 2030’s as this gives an idea of how much water is being used at consumer level. DEFRA suggest it’s estimated that if leakage was reduced by 50% and people decreased their consumption to 100 litres per day there would be enough water for more than an additional 20 million people by 2050. The current average per person per day is 140 litres in England, 150 litres a day in Scotland and 145 litres a day in Northern Ireland (Waterwise). Water companies are striving to achieve this target and showing progress. What are water companies doing? Of course, infrastructure needs to be looked at and improved regarding how companies collect, treat and distribute enough water. As stated, there is also the issue of leaks. Including educational programmes and giving away free water saving devices, these are examples of what water companies are currently doing on their side of things: Affinity Water – They send out more than 100 people finding and fixing leaks each day. They have committed to reducing leakage by 14% – 27 million litres per day by 2020 – equivalent to the water in 11 Olympic size swimming pools. They have invested in a new network of pipes to make it even them more resilient to leaks, as well as allowing for greater distribution of water between communities. Cambridge Water – They can rapidly identify if there is a leak within their network of metered zones. They have teams of leakage technicians who are dedicated to looking for leaks all over their supply area. They have installed special automated equipment at key points in the main network, so that they are able to regulate the pressure of the water. By doing this they are able to reduce the stress put on pipes which minimises the risk that a main will burst. They replace around 1% of their mains network each year to reduce the chance of material degrading. Dwr Cymru (Welsh Water) – They have 450 people out working to locate and fix leaks. They’re spending an extra £1.5 million a week to make improvements across Wales, Herefordshire and Deeside. Southern Water – In their Water Resources Management Plan for 2015-2040 and Business Plan for 2015-2020, they have committed to reducing leakage to 86 million litres of water a day by 2020 and to 75 million litres a day by 2040. They have proposed to save an extra two million litres of water each day by repairing and replacing pipes that lose treated water from their 13,900 kilometres of distribution network. Thames Water – Although battling with the fact water pipes in many areas of London and some parts of the Thames Valley are still among the oldest in the UK, they plan to save 34 million litres of water a day by 2020. They have replaced and repaired 103km of mains pipes and invested £1.1 billion on improving their infrastructure. The original Victorian, cast iron mains are old and more likely to leak or burst. They’re replacing the oldest, leakiest pipes first with tough new plastic ones. What have government been doing? The UK government since 2015 have been striving to encourage water conservation from both a supply and demand level. The document titled “Water conservation report – Action taken and planned by government to encourage the conservation of water” highlights these and includes the following: • Building regulations (part G) have been updated so that new homes must be built to a standard of 125 litres per person per day, with an optional standard of 110 litres per person per day in water stressed areas. This means architects and contractors need to make sure that any plumbing and appliance that enters a property is water efficient. • A national framework has been devised to make sure that there is a twin track approach to managing water supplies. This means on a supply side making better the infrastructure for gaining, transporting and stockpiling more rainwater. On the demand side reducing leaks, conserving what we have and harvesting water more efficiently. • Water Companies have to provide government with 5 yearly business plans on how they intend to promote water efficiency and reduce leaks. Ofwat have been set the challenge of managing the water sector in combating water efficiency issues. • The creation of a 25 year environment plan which sets out to reduce the amount of water people use and further reductions of leaks • DEFRA and the water sector have consulted with Waterwise to develop a Water Efficiency Strategy for the UK which sets out a plan to help people, homes and businesses to become more water efficient. • Opening up the retail market for water means that consumers can now choose which supplier they want to go with. This means that price is a factor in a water companies offering as a lower price of water will attract more customers. For prices to stay low, companies need to promote water efficiency so that they can meet demand without losing money. This has led to greater promotion of water efficiency by companies. • The Secretary of State in 2018 has become more active in making sure that water companies are tackling leakage issues. So, it’s over to us; me and you! You’ve just read what is happening from a water company and government level. But what can we all do as consumers to do our bit to make sure water doesn’t run out before it is available for use again? Changes in infrastructure takes time, but there are things we can be doing straight away to help the cause. Although there is a lot to be done through infrastructure, we the general public, can do more to be water efficient. The average person in England uses 140 litres a day and a lot of this is wasted rather than all of it being used. Taps left on, more water than required gushing through the tap and other overuses of water are all things we can help with. It will mean lower energy bills from less heating of the water and also lower water bills as because the water company doesn’t need to treat the water so much, the savings are passed to the customer. Key take away from this post: • Although water makes up the majority of the world, there is a very small percentage that can be used for daily consumption. • Out of the small percentage only half of this is accessible as freshwater. • The amount of abstraction of water has now reached unsustainable levels. The demand is outweighing the supply capabilities. • It is predicted that we will not have sufficient water supplies by 2050 at these current rates • Reasons for shortages include climate change, increased population size, types of energy creation, land use and waste. • Key targets are for water companies to reduce their leakage by 50% and for individuals to reduce their consumption to 100 litres per day (down from 140 litres per day) to neutralise any scarcity. We have time to do our bit to help elevate this. Long term, water companies and government need an overhaul of current practices, but these things take time. In the immediate, carrying on to long term, we can all do our bit to help out. The next time you are boiling the kettle, brushing your teeth, flushing the toilet or using water in the garden, hopefully you will have this article in mind. It certainly has been an eye-opener to me and hopefully you too? Make sure you visit our “How to conserve water – the ultimate beginners guide” blog post for 32 top tips you can easily do to start saving water today. To work out how much water you are using in your household and how it compares to the rest of the UK, see our water saving calculators blog post. Be sure to regularly visit our save water, save money, reduce waste blog category to keep up to date with all things related to water conservation. We can all do something immediately to help. What will you do first? Comments are closed here.	[]
Gluu Pronounciation Gluu Description Gluu publishes free open source Internet security software that universities, government agencies and companies can use to enable Web and mobile applications to securely identify a person and manage what information they are allowed to access. Using a Gluu Server, organizations can centralize their authentication and authorization service and leverage standards such as OpenID Connect, UMA, and SAML 2.0 to enable federated single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication, and web and API access management.	[]
The Importance of Krav Maga Gun Defense in Today’s Society The Importance of Krav Maga Gun Defense in Today’s Society To the individuals who live in calm areas, it could be challenging to envision themselves in a circumstance where they encounter a firearm. In any case, the individuals who live in those midtown regions where wrongdoing is the thing to address definitely know that having the option to incapacitate an assailant with a firearm and moving away as quick as you can is a significant method for guaranteeing you stay alive long enough to see your next birthday. All things considered, regardless of whether you live in an evidently protected area, this is no assurance that you won't wind up in a circumstance where you might have to confront an outfitted assailant. For that reason taking illustrations justifiably that show how to deal with such circumstances is extremely gainful. Krav Maga weapon protection strategy is one procedure that many have tracked down 6.5 creedmoor ammo when the need emerged. Krav Maga is a battle framework brought to Israel in 1948 by previous eastern European grappler and fighter Imi Lichtenfeld. Imi was a Hungarian Jew who needed to escape Europe at the level of against Semitic exercises. He joined the Israeli military and prepared different officers in the workmanship that became known as Krav Maga. This framework was powerful to such an extent that it was subsequently proposed as a public self protection framework for all Israelis to be educated in schools. Throughout the long term, the outcome of the framework separated to different regions of the planet and today it is utilized as the reason for most self preservation preparing. There are numerous methods associated with Krav Maga some of which are straight punches and kicks generally focusing on pieces of the body that will guarantee that an assailant is killed as quick as could be expected. Another method that has acquired a ton of interest is the firearm protection strategy. This might be halfway because of the ascent in the quantity of firearm wrongdoings recorded consistently. Barely a day passes without insight about a murder. It is either guardians battling with weapons or youngsters brushing their companions' heads off. Ideally, taking a class in Krav Maga weapon protection procedure ought to assist the vast majority with figuring out what should be done when confronted with a firearm. There are four fundamental methods with regards to Krav Maga weapon safeguard: Escape the line of fire or divert the line of fire Attempt to control the weapon Send off a counterattack Incapacitate assailant When gone after with a weapon, Krav Maga propose that you surrender your assets assuming the assailants request it. In the event that subsequent to taking your assets they actually keep on annoying you, it very well might be an ideal opportunity to act. In most firearm assaults, almost certainly, the assailant will request that the casualty set up their hands. As per Krav Maga, the casualty shouldn't answer quickly to this request. They ought to postpone a piece to add a component of shock which can give them an opportunity to make a counterattack. Likewise, Krav Maga generally requires its clients to survey their environmental factors in case of an assault. This isn't just to search for a getaway course however in the occasion of a firearm assault, it is a method for evaluating on the off chance that there are whatever other people who might be placed in danger. Helen is a refined author and blogger with long stretches of involvement as an independent essayist. She composes on a wide scope of themes that incorporate self preservation, excellence and wellbeing. Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published.	[]
Skip to main content How Do I Report an Issue? How Do I Report an Issue? It is always best for end-users to report an issue to the building manager first, they will engage the Integrator for your building. If there is a need to engage directly with BluB0X on an issue there are two options depending on your needs and the urgency for a quick response. 1. Send email to for general support issues. for Professional services. Both will generate a support ticket with BluB0X and an automatic response with the tracking number will be sent back. 2. Call BluB0X Support line (844) 425-8209 ext.2. During normal business hours you will get a live response from BluB0X Support. After hours please leave voice mail. 3. If you want to let us know about a documentation issue please send email to	[]
My son, Jace, spent his 23 birthday in prison last Monday. He was surrounded by me, my boyfriend Jim, and the love of his life Vicki. V, as we call her, flew a thousand miles to be with him on that difficult day. I was so very thankful to her. We laughed, we cried, we drank soda, ate vending machine food, and played games while our asses ached from the uncomfortable chairs, until the guards said ‘Time to go’. It was the best I could do for him. And yet, even stuck in prison for a ‘thought crime’, most consider him ‘lucky’. How fucked up is that? The truth is this state is prison happy. They jail runaways. Wait what? Kid is unhappy at home so….lets see how happy he is in a detention center? There is talk from some current state candidates of jailing homeless people. Wouldn’t it just be easier to create a penal colony?!? But hell – there are a number of states just as bad, not that there is any redeeming value in that. And we all know the US doesn’t just lead the world in incarcerating their own people, it blows the other countries away! More than Russia? More than China? How is that even possible? ‘Land of the free’? But, like I said, Jace is ‘Lucky’. Washington state has two prisons with high concentrations of convicted ‘sex offenders’. And that makes sense since these felons are often the target or others. Murdered a family of five? Nah, you’re just misunderstood. But joe there, he ‘Raped a child!’. Doesn’t matter whether its actually true or not – he’s scum. It is the states legal obligation to protect their prisoners. After all – these men are stripped of liberty. They cannot defend themselves in any reasonable way we would think of, they are truly captive. A friend of ours heard today that their son will be heading to Coyote Ridge. He is a victim of a police created, victim less ‘thought crime’. Coyote Ridge does not have a large sexual offender population. The prisoners there are allowed to form gangs. Sexual offender prisoners get regularly moved out of that prison due to abuse by other inmates. Why would the state purposely send someone into that environment? Are prisoners no longer allowed even the basic sense of someone being responsible for what happens to them? Our heart goes out to our friends and their son. We are hoping for the best and supporting them in any way possible. Please take a moment to send them a prayer, warm thought, or positive vibe to assist them with this development. 3 thoughts on “Moving Along…. 1. Happy Be-lated Birthday, Jace!! Yes, “Land of the Free” is a joke. It’s really bad when people working in the system straight out tell you that there is no such thing as “innocent until proven guilty”; that it’s a very normal thing for innocent individuals to be convicted and even be sent to prison (It happens all the time); and then they treat you like you are stupid for not knowing that or not believing it. Then, finally, they show you that it’s very real and true (by doing it), and it’s very easy for them to do. This is more like land where it is very easy for people with self-interests only (don’t care about anybody but themselves) and even have ill intentions for others, can get into positions where they have great power over others and can easily abuse people like they like to do, because it is very easy for them to get away with it. Pray that you are never targeted by any of these sick individuals we have working in our system. Unfortunately, there are many, and they continue to be protected because of their positions. 2. Happy Birthday Jace I Love you too. So much it hurts on days like this. But what keeps me going is I know that you have what it takes to make it through this. Your Mom poured her love into you the day you were born, and has cherished you ever since. You are truly blessed and have the love and support of family and friends along with intelligence, strength of character, endurance and humor to get you through tough times. I can’t wait to see you on the other side, time is flying! 3. My son spent his 23rd birthday along with his 22nd and 24th in a federal prison in Colorado, the closest one to Spokane with the required programs. He will become a free man in a few days just shy of his 26th birthday. Incarceration wounds the one convicted and all of his or her loved ones. Leave a Reply You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change ) Twitter picture Facebook photo Connecting to %s	[]
Jack Ma (China's richest man): This Is Gonna Be the Future \| BUSINESS ADVICE Show Video Jack mom there, you know there's still quite a significant, digital divide out there. Nearly. 4 billion people not yet connected, and so. That leads whenever, there's a discussion, among policymakers and, others about e-commerce. Leads. To a question mark as to whether, the. Expansion, of e-commerce may. Primarily, benefit, the advanced countries, and the countries that are less, developed, in this regard what's. Your thinking and your experience, in that regard yeah. My, belief is ecommerce. Is the. Future, and e-commerce. Is, going. To replace a lot of traditional. Way of doing business, people. Say in the past 20 years with. Poor, logistic. Terrible. Payment, terrible. Connection, of the Internet in the world the. Stute ecommerce, grow like this, for. Our platform. Allowing. China in the past 15, years, people. Say I know largest, a no credit system, no financing, no this and all that even that last. Year, our, selves. On our, platform, it's more than. 750. Billion, US, dollars GMB, cells it's, almost breaking. Number, 21, countries GDP. Only. 20 years imagine, without. A. Perfect. Logistic, system without, a perfect. Payment, system without, blockage. In technology, they grow like this what, if the next 20 years where. All the technology, ready when, all the government, and, organizations. And entrepreneurs are ready they, think this is a lifestyle. This, is the way young. People live and it's. Going to be the future so, ecommerce, is not for big company, ecommerce. Is not for the developer, the country's ecommerce. Is. For developing, countries for, young people, and small, business because in the past days young. People don't have chance to compete small. Business, they, don't have chance to compete with the big, companies and, developing. Countries don't, have chance to. Imagine, that country like China can can. Grow like this I think a pelo a few, years ago I went there. That. Day I remember I went to ask where. People. Were demonstration. Right. I was happened, to be there people hated, the e-commerce and southerner. There's a young. The. Pulu young man said I. Using. Internet, and I, sold my pollute, products, to, New, Zealand Australia. Which, I never thought in my life could do it with the Internet so, it. Would be the future because. Young, people love it, anything. Young people love it, it. Has the future, that's. My point okay thanks. Roberto. Acevedo you, just came out last month of a important, ministerial. Meeting in Buenos. Aires, and. There was a lot of discussion, maybe some of the most discussion, about any topic, as far as I could tell was about e-commerce tell, us a little bit about how, the multilateral, community, views this. Issue well. I think I. I, agree entirely what what has been said about the potential, of e-commerce. I think. This potential, as far, as cross-border. E-commerce. Is concerned. Business-to-consumer. There, is a lot of potential to be realized, it's, still in the very early stages, it, we are crawling, this. Is we're still a baby there's. A lot, to be done, so, and. I think that, this. Potential. Of. Cross-border. E-commerce. Needs. The, feedback. Of the, international, community, and. It's not going to be government's alone governments, are known are not going to do it they, need the feedback from the people on the ground they need people like Jack Ma big, company, big platform, and. Rags-to-riches. And. Others. Participating. Together because, they are the ones who understand, the problems they're the ones who, see the challenges, they are the ones who see where, the bottlenecks, are. Governments don't government. Still have rules and regulations that apply to the 20th. Century trade that's. Gone That's, going to disappear. So. We have to have the means to have this conversation and, that's why in Buenos Aires I was very excited to launch this initiative with. Ewt. P and, with, the web, which. Will bring together not. Only governments. But also the. Private sector, academia. Everybody. Sitting, together to figure out the way forward if, we cross our arms. Ecommerce. Is going to be the. Exclusivity, of the big companies of the, big guys because, they're the ones who can go through this myriad. Of bureaucracy. And tons. Of papers that you have to fill in hi, trade costs, if you want to make it inclusive and, that's. Where. Governments. And communities win. We. Need to make it simpler we need to make it more expedited, that is, the conversation that we have to have without it it's going in the wrong direction. Let. Me broaden the, the frame of the discussion for a moment you. Know here during this week in Davos. One. Of the top. Issues for debate is where. Trade, policy, is going are, we going to seek additional. Restrictive. Measures. Are. We seeing potentially. More rivalry. Among trading, bloc's and Jack. You have family. Famously, said I think I read once that. When, trade stops war. Begins, how. Do you see the. Evolution of, this debate and what, role do you think the, e-commerce. Industry. Can. Play in helping matters. Yeah. I think. It is, impossible. To stop, the trade. The. World needs trade trade. Is supposed, to way to, solve wars if, the. Trade stops, the world starts, this is always our belief trade. Have. To have, to be changed, and WTO. Has done, great, job in, the past, years in, order to making. Sure the, world understand, each other being, in order to making sure the, trade is the opportunity, for everybody. But. I think, today. The. World has changed because, of the new technology, I, was. Able to say in the future there, will be no mating, China, no made in America. No mating Pulu it's going to be mating on the internet a young. People connecting, each other online in. The future no matter you like or don't like, we will enable every, young people every small business to. To, by global, sell. Globally and, deliver. Globally, and pay. Globally, and travel. Google global it just to maybe with a mobile phone even, without a with, a passport this. Is the trend nobody. Can stop it so, protectionism. And, globalization. I think globalization, is a great thing you. Should not occur the baby before even the baby was born today. Globalization. Is a growing, pain and, there. Were there it's so easy to launch a trade war, but. It's so difficult to, stop the disaster of this war and I'm. Scared, and I, concerned, I don't, think the world should have, the you know don't, use trade. As. A, weapon, use. A trade, as the solution, to solve the problems, when. You're suctioning the other country, it. Is your assumption those, small, young small, business young people, they, will kill just, like you're bombing somewhere, civil civilization. Uske so we, believe we should using, the internet, using e-commerce. Encourage. Young people the, more trader we have the more business, will come up there, are hundreds, of ways to solve the problem but there is only one reason the one if you want to launch a trade of war it's easy but, I will say it takes about thirty years to fix that pain so, my. View is we. Should. Not have a trade war and we. Have a plant of ways to, solve the problem and third. We. Should not let the. World global, trade controlled. By 60,000. Big companies, we. Should make in technology. Policies. To. Encouraging. 6 million, or 16. Million or 60, million business, then can get benefit. From small, business from, small business like entrepreneurs. From Philippine they can sell globally they can buy globally, this is the future and it. Works. So. You know much of the response. To, debate. About rising. Restrictions. Is that, we need to make our economies, more inclusive, and I. Guess I would open it up to the panelists, to talk, a little bit about how they think. This. Aspect. Of Commerce he. Enabled, commerce, and investment, can, help make. The economy more inclusive, make trade more progressive, or inclusive. Anyone. Care to comment, yes Prime Minister I would, say from the point. Of view of a government, first. Open. Markets I totally. Agree just. Yesterday the. TPP, was agreed, without. Us, but. There are other 11, countries already, agreed. To have free, trade among themselves with. Try facilitation. With, investment. Facilitation. And helping. Each other so that's very important, so some, countries, may think that, reducing. Trade Is good for them but for us, many. Of us are we, are very happy to have trade and cooperate, and, most. Of us are in the Pacific, area. So we believe that we can increase, the possibilities, of our SMEs. Second. I think. We have to make easy. For. Our friends, to, have. Digital. Knowledge. So we have to build capacities. We. Have to provide, services, through internet so, for example in our country we have Peru, dot, got like. Our. Main. Instrument. To connect with SMEs. So they can have easy, registration. Paying. Tax. Access. To. Platforms. Of credit. Facilitating. The payment. Processors. And reduce, the cost, all. The administrative. Procedures. Should, be reduced and then we can help them to be there, and. Of course give information, on what, are other countries which, we train, have. Us, information, that they will need to get, into the other country, so I think we. The. Government has to help our. Enterprises. To be promoted, otherwise, it. Will be this. Market taking but the, big large, e-commerce. Retailers. And we don't want that we want them to be moving. As you said, with. Other small. Firms all together, so this is something that we can, have user, friendly. And. Keeping. People, in touch with each other and the. Government should be the tre facilitator, in this case. So. In the perspective of a social entrepreneur, I represent. Hundreds. Even thousands, of artisans, who are in poverty and when you are marginalized. And when you're vulnerable it comes, with a lot of burden it comes, with a lot of gaps so, the technology, definitely is, a gap Logistics, absolutely. Infrastructure. Internet service definitely. But, also one of the biggest things that we realize is education, so. When. We, were starting just as an example we. Asked our artisans, to, source. For animal, print lining for our products, because we're in fashion now so we have to think, fashion-forward, so. They, sourced. Animal. Print lining and they came back to us with Winnie. The Pooh, spider-man. And. We. Were very. Shocked but at the same time we realize that even if we speak the same language, we don't necessarily understand. Each other and now. The technology is really fast there are lots of people who could get left behind so. I believe, we have to empower the entrepreneurs. So that they can be the bridge and the connectors, to, communities. Who are in poverty because ecommerce has the potential to link, them to the market definitely, but, also to lift them out of poverty, we have such a big opportunity in our hands now so, we need to empower those who can make those connections. Director-general. We've. Just heard a list. Of very practical constraints. As. I understand it Therese you. You sell, 90 percent of your activity. Domestically. Ten percent export and presumably. Part of the reason for that ratio is that you are encountering, a number of very practical, constraints. We, know in the multilateral framework, in the WTO, we don't yet have specific. Obligations, and rules in, detail, in this area and even, 20% of regional trade agreements don't. Have a full-fledged, set of. Cooperative. Frameworks, and rules in this area can. You reflect a little bit about how you see our, initiative. As. An opportunity, to move the ball forward while. The formal, negotiating, process kind of catches up to what's happening on the ground in the market yet, I have to say this conversation. Is already, happening, in the WTO, to, some extent, one. Big, element. Of this conversation is the digital divide we. Still we know that about four billion people still don't have access to the Internet. Small. Developing. Countries, don't, have the infrastructure, they don't have sometimes even electricity, so, it's difficult to bring them on board I. Can, Only imagine the kind of logistical. Difficulties, that, exist in the Philippines with so many islands, and artisans. In different places so, this. Is a big challenge and I think you cannot think of e-commerce, without, thinking of how, to integrate, the small the poor countries, into this equation as well so it's not something that you do only domestically, you have to think it globally, so, another. Important, thing that in the WTO, we're trying to figure out is which. Are the. Main. Challenges. Which are the ones that we have to address first because when you begin a conversation about e-commerce it. Very, quickly, covers, one. Thousand, different aspects. It's, difficult, to attribute priorities. And say let's, let's take this first step let's, do this first and. Just. Now in Buenos Aires we had more than 70, countries signing. Up a declaration. That they, will discuss the issue of e-commerce they will try to set up a conversation. That could lead in the future to, negotiations. I think, this initiative, of. Enabling. Ecommerce. By the web the WTO, and and, and Edom UTP, will. Allow, us to frame, the conversation that, is going to happen because, otherwise, people are, going to sit around the table and they, won't know what to do because, there will be so, many things to handle that, they will get lost in the forest so, we need to figure. Out the priorities, the challenges, and that can only come if. You talk to the private sector if you talk to the operators, the people who face the challenges, otherwise. We're, going to be lost and that's what I hope this initiative, will deliver Jack. You know you're you, have a. Rapidly. Mushrooming. Business. And. Indeed by, 2020, it's been estimated that e-commerce will, want to be a trillion dollars or more in value. Yet. You're spending time in doing what Roberto just talked about which is to be part of a process to, get very, concrete, discussions, between private. Sector Not. Just your firm but many other firms and, governments. To try to improve the enabling environment there, tell, me why you want to allocate, your. Precious time to that type of endeavor yeah thank you I think this, is what this initiative about, this is we are very excited about partner. With wef and WTO, to promote, the ewt, peacock electronic, world, trade, platform, or, electronic. World, tourism. Platform. We, think tourism, because, of the cross, border of tourism, is going to bring a lot of business, opportunity. For small business, but. Let me think this it's, very important, for private sectors and public. Sectors to have a dialogue, to discuss I, respect. A. Acevedo's. I, positive. Thinking, today. A lot, of regulators. Worry. Too much oh my god you got a security, you don't have enough this enough dad you know you worried this worried that, when. You worry it comes you, don't worry it comes, right. You, like it it come if you don't like it comes. Many. Years ago 17. Years ago when I study Commerce in China people say hey China, even don't have a PCs why you have a ecommerce, well. Then. We'd never nobody, expect, China suddenly have become a country with so many mobile, phones. Which. Is easier, to build a roads or build, a mobile system, buuuut mobile, system, is much easier, than build up the roads and infrastructures. I, remember. 1994. In the winter night in Beijing, a group. Of experts. Of IT, and. Internet. Expert, I was confused. 1994. There's internet, experts, gathered. Together think, about how, to regulate. Internet, I was. In. That meeting and, then. After, like two hours debating they, have a lot of worries. So. 20 years passed all. The things those people worried never come up all, the things they don't worry about all come up. Let. Me tell you one thing the comp commerce, is, changing. The way we do business as, I. Said the, traditional, business is B to C in the. Future is it, to be consumer. To business most, of the things are tailor-made in the, past all, the traditional, cross ball the business is goals, through, containers, in the, future, most, of the business work goes through packages. So. The, rules and laws who, have a huge, change. Today. From. China, to. Russia even. Through is there's 1 million package, from, China to, Russia and without, even consider how many package from Russia to China but even, 1 million packages, from China to Russia per day think, about it. Four, years five years ago we. Launched, a campaign. Only. 80,000, packages, from China Russia the, whole Russian post of the system crashed today. One, minute no problem. Government. Is learning people. Are learning ancient, producer learning, when. There is a demand there's, a way so. I think. Government. Should not think about how to, regulate, the, way government, think about regulate, is the. Way they think about 30 years ago when. I talk a lot of government, offices the first thing, they think about is hmm, how can i regulate I hope. Next the city years the first thing to think about how. Can I help. What. Shall we change to. Making sure our young people, our small. Business our trade, can, in and out. Smoothly. This. Is the positive thinking, so, I sat, in Argentina. Whether. You like it would. Do it you, don't like it we, would do it right because. This. Thing is coming. And the. Hope of making this thing good is work, with young people work, with the smart government offices. Organizations. Let's, push let's talk anything. Coming up don't worry there, is a way if you. Are not smart there, are smart people there. This. Is my belief so. That's the spirit. Bottled. In one piece. Of, what this initiative. Is about it's. You know there are a series of practical, obstacles, as you just described, a payment, see signatures, consumer. Protection. Customs. Logistics. And what not these, are not solely the province of regulation, I think is your point and so the process that you've just articulated so, well is a very practical solution in one and I'm. Happy to say a Prime Minister that there early discussions, between the initiative, and the. Pacific Alliance and the, inter-american Development, Bank of potentially, supporting. Such a very practical process, in, the region and I just want a signal appreciation. And give you an opportunity to talk about how you see the. Pacific Alliance moving, forward in this regard I, think. The Pacific, Alliance, which. Is growing now because not on we are not only for. Up right, now we're gonna be ate very, soon because. Canada, Australia. Singapore. And, New, Zealand. Probably will, be joining the. Pacific Alliance is. Another way to address the issue with cooperation, and, learning. Across. Each, other because. It's very interesting the processes, each country, can bring, given. Their own experiences. So. This. Is an interesting way to address, the issue in. As. You mentioned, young people, are the ones who are creating, the new things you know I can, remember my, daughter. Teases. For, her graduation as a business. Professional. Was. Trading. Art to. Internet and she, prepare. Special. Application, where you can trade art for, young people which, is so hard to get in the galleries, and they are so expensive you know so, these young people, are creating, things and I'm sure young, people across all. These, countries can create this, development, because these young people, are the Millennials. Are the ones who I'm pushing, ahead, our. Trade, in just, a couple of years Peru growth, in, terms of, e-commerce. When. Grew. Like. Almost. 300 percent in, couple, of years and we think this process will be still growing, 30 percent each year min, as a minimum, so, it's because. These young people are moving in that direction, we. Are improving. Broadband. And, we, have to work all together in, creating, these spaces of, growth. Among. Ourselves. Thank you we've reached the end of our time will, you join me in thanking with, appreciation. The great panels we've had here today. That. Audience. I wish, everyone a good, remainder, of the day. 2018-03-07 15:05 Show Video Awesome! :D Thanks for uploading The Law Of Attractionnnn -- Learn how it actually works without the New Age mumbo-jumbo, and how to use it to create amazing results. https://t.co/Q0jQT6oDcu?WdOZYJVMcussf Trade can calm the world ,you totally right buh for Europe and America they ain't trade between Africa buh to cause war and innocent soul just to get a free resources from Africa...... Dylan D. Gillis perhaps I will believe you... That's our government, once savvy digital entrepreneurs and independent small business owners like myself rise to economoic freedom, we will treat all humans as equals. No longer will there be large corporations controlling how commerce works. Have hope my friend. I love Jack ma Globe world is the answer for all people! Brain storming Change is coming every moment be ready. Other news	[]
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Enroll in Course / Matricúlate en el Curso Most people want to be successful, live the life they want, and achieve their goals. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Is your life how you want it to be? Are you achieving your goals every day? The answers to these questions are connected to the decisions you make every day. Success doesn't happen overnight. Failure and success are processes determined by the decisions you make each day. For many, making the right decisions can be a difficult process and even lead to the loss of resources, if they do not know what decisions to make. For others, this process may be easier, but unfortunately, it often leads them to quickly be out of focus. For this reason, having clear priorities and making decisions based on them is key for your success. Would you like to have better results despite the current circumstances? Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone, face challenges, and live each day according to your priorities? 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She is the Executive Director and Founder of the organization's "LEADINFORCE LLC" and "Liderazgo Hispanoamericano ©"; She is a Global Leadership Consultant; as well as Executive Director of the "John Maxwell Team ©" and Professor at Miami Dade College. She is the author of "Leadership and Culture." Dr. Sáenz is originally from Colombia and currently lives with her family in the United States. For more information about LEADINFORCE and Dr. Sáenz, click the following link: leadinforce.com/about-dr-saenz Frequently Asked Questions / Preguntas mas Comúnes When does the course start and finish? You can start the course upon registration. It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish. My advice is that you study a session per day and that you do not stop until you are living your priorities. How long do I have access to the course? What if I am unhappy with the course? We would never want you to be unhappy! 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Wednesday, July 28, 2010 Advising CMS Rev. Mike said... Ann, it's ironic that such a recommendation would come from Rhonda, who certainly served on her share of them, given the way she was treated by the BOE when she was last up for reappointment to the Citizens' Capital Budget Advisory Committee. (You may recall that they smeared her service as not having adequately represented their interests after the CCBAC declined to rubber-stamp the BOE's 2007 capital request and characterized her as a "bond opponent" even after she lost her race against Larry Gauvreau because she supported the 2005 bond referendum.) However, my personal experience has been that such committees yield mixed results. They exist in order to provide political cover for the boards appointing them, which means that if they like what you tell them, they do it; if they don't not only do they ignore your recommendations, they make sure to remind you that you are just an appointee, not an elected official, who has "accountability to the voters." (sic!) Publius said... Ann, I'm not sure it will be easy to convince average people that CMS, the Board and Gorman are interested in what they have to say. In the past this hasn't appeared to be the case and average folks in Charlotte have not had "real" representation. With apparant "short" voter memory and no voter input on the selection and retention of a superintendent the board members tend to ingore what people want and, in fact, in many cases what they promise to try to do in their campaigns. Anonymous said... I think most people believe any citizen advisory panel to CMS is little more than window dressing. I can't think of an example where the views of any advisory panel were heeded in any meaningful way. White folks and bright folks of all colors continue to flee CMS. That should be all the citizen advice the board needs, yet it is completely and totally ignored. I never thought I'd live to say this, but I believe CMS should be abolished and some-any?-other method should be tried to educate our young people. Anonymous said... An new advisory board is not the priority as I see it, and I sense Gorman is setting into motion the agenda based on the 2014 plan already in process. I am guessing the immediate drive for CMS and for all of NC, as well documented in the Wall Street Journal, is to get some decisions made for the September announcement of the "rise to the top" national competition for fed funds. So far public meetings are doing nothing but revealing polarizing attitudes about access to education. Good neighborhood schools don't want to be compromised in their achievement and populations but are desperate for resource attention from the district, Magnet parents want the promises of their specialized programs AND their own transportation, some expect diversity should come first and they give the impression that they deserve or are owed it. If you truly care about an advisory committee, its input and ongoing monitoring of the district, there needs to be a representation and inclusion of official community corporate and civic support, not just parents and friends of, to address how to best serve achievement needs. There needs to be a way to bridge communications and resources beyond just getting the bus here and there and gathering an auditorium of emotions together, to get teachers and classes where they are needed and wanted. And how about active partnering for sponsorship, tutoring, mentoring and funding from charlotte corporations, technology firms, churches, national service organizations, between feeder schools, between high schools, etc.? It is time to get actionable relationships in place - any other "committee" at this point needs to be one where concrete relationships are forged, regardless of where schools are and which ones make the cut (which, in my humble opinion, has already been decided...). Unknown said... This comment has been removed by the author. Anonymous said... CMS doesn't want input from parents and citizens in the community. They act like they do but in reality they don't. All one has to do is remember when Larry Gauvreau was on the School Board, who in my opinion, had the most in your face, tell it like it is common sense approach to managing the system. He, along with Kaye McGarry, were fought at every turn by the same lame Democrat members of the Board. Do you really think Gorman and the rest of the Board give a rats patootie about what I think or anyone else? Many people have asked me time and again to run for school board and I always say no. For two reasons, one, my work schedule wouldn't permit because of my traveling but the main reason is I wouldn't last two seconds on the board dealing with the likes of Tate or White, who both live in a virtual fantasy land and are so far out of touch it's pathetic. Thank God Leake and Dunlap are off the board. The only problem there is they now have the authority to actually vote on spending and wasting our tax dollars. Pamela Grundy said... One way I've thought that CMS might get focused family input is by setting a goal that 85 percent of parents in a school's attendance area will choose that school. Many of CMS's neighborhood schools have poverty levels well above those among families in the neighborhoods that are assigned to them, because so many families opt out of "undesirable" schools. What kind of improvements would it take to bring those families back -- to satisfy the group of parents with the highest expectations (and thus raise standards across the board)? CMS has rarely addressed this question seriously. Attempting to do so would require the system to look beyond test scores and toward the essential components of a quality, well-rounded education. Anonymous said... What kind of citizen advise does CMS need after Trent Merchant informed me he isn't interested in my unsolicited comments after 6 years as a CMS parent, volunteer, former PTO president (outside of CMS), former certified public school teacher and adjunct professor who currently substitutes and volunteers at a CMS school 22 miles away from my house because I love the school even though neither of my children attend it? You can't be serious. OK, Ann, maybe you are. My unsolicited comments.... In the name of "inclusion" and "diversity", I think CMS needs several small(er) district citizen panel committees micro-focused on specific educational issues. Each committee would include parents with children in CMS, in private schools, in charter schools, in home schooling programs and/or anyone else who is knowledgeable, has experience with and cares about education not just in our community but across the United States. According to a featured article in this week's TIME magazine, U.S. 15-year-olds rank below Mexico in math skills. How pathetic is this? TIME also suggests that including and tapping into outside agencies and people who are not entrenched in bureaucracies associated with U.S. public schools over long summer breaks might improve overall education and help close achievement gaps between underprivileged children and their more privileged counterparts. For example, the all-inclusive Y (formerly known as the YMCA), supports a summer Starfish reading program for children who are struggling with literacy skills. The data suggests it is a successful program - at least this is what I was told before being hit up for a charitable contribution. Public schools, private schools, parochial schools, charter schools and home schooling are hear to stay - each with advantages and disadvantages. Simple as that. "Your" schools? How about "Our" schools. Anonymous said... I concur with most here, that CMS is only interested in public input so that they can say they sought it. Dr. Gorman has his plan, he does not deviate from it, and the Board supports it. If y'all want true public input you need to change the composition of the board, not necessarily to change its politics. Larry Gavreau accomplished little by his knee jerk opposition, but by choosing members who will take their roles more seriously than simply serving as a rubber stamp to a Superintendent who is being allowed to treat CMS as one big laboratory. Anonymous said... The really sad, pathetic fact is that school districts across the country have been experimenting and dealing with the same garbage in/garbage out rhetoric from "Drs. of Ed.D." for over 40 years. They have yet to advance our education system much beyond where it was then. Take a look at the crime statistics on the CMS website and see how many students have been expelled. Virtually none yet there are many violent crimes committed in schools. Until CMS gets tough with kids and their parents and also puts teachers where they are needed and fire the ones who refuse to go to certain schools, we will still be mired in the muck we have been in for decades. Anonymous said... I previously volunteered as a reading buddy for a local elementary school; a very worthwhile commitment and a very definite eye-opener. The ONLY professionally dressed individuals at this school were the volunteers. I was SHOCKED at the overall unkempt appearance of the teachers. And I was totally dismayed at the librarian's interaction w/ students. She was abrupt, terse to the point of rudeness--a below par role model, period. CMS must raise its hiring standards, enforce a dress code, & hold teachers accountable for workplace behavior. Many teachers choose their profession for all the right reasons. Hiring positive role models will not cost CMS one extra dime. Anonymous said... I have 4 CMS children and have had mixed results working with the BOE. In some instances their responses to me personally have been downright rude(from current BOE members). They are completely out of touch as to what is going on in the halls and classrooms. I volunteer daily at my kids' schools and have some great feedback/ideas for the board and my school's principal but I am tired of banging my head against the wall. Parents, get involved in your child's education, show up at school and see what's really going on and make some noise. Larry said... In other words the old people they had required them to put their hands up their backs and throw their voices to make sure the right things were being said. Now with the new technology they can do it with robotics and it can be programmed so that it seems all lifelike and just like that hall of Presidents in Walt Disney World. CMS takes the Delphi Technique to an art form. Hey I will come and work for free and tell you the real truth CMS. Anonymous said... Try asking some teachers. But be careful. They are already very busy. And the busy ones are the ones you want to ask. Anonymous said... Based on these comments and so many of the the other blogs and the methodology of the superintendent, the disbandment of the BOE is in order. The "leadership" disregards the BOE and has set forth an agenda no matter what evidence to the contrary exists. Consensus is still a dirty word for the BOE while reality continues to erode confidence,support, and population from CMS. As others have said repeatedly, why bother if they aren't listening now? Anonymous said... My God, let teachers do their job and stop overburdening them with mindless programs, test prepraration and constant threats. CMS is afraid to check on teacher morale because they fear the results they will get. Dr. Gorman is more concerned with pet projects than about the people who work for him. Perhaps Bill Gates will hire him to work at Microsoft. Anonymous said... Does the board know how to do its job???? From what I see the Superintendent is giving them orders instead of them advising him. Anonymous said... CMS's biggest problem is its sheer size. It is ridiculous to think that a system this big with a large urban population and a large suburban population is manageable under one administration. The biggest complaint I'm hearing on this blog is that no one is listening to problems and complaints. That's because there are too darn many problem and complaints--more than 9 board members can handle, more than the administration can handle. I know, I know--we've been over this before--the state is not about to let districts break up. But at what point will everyone finally say "We've had enough bureaucracy--just give us our communities back!" Anonymous said... --->>>CMS's biggest problem is its sheer size. It is ridiculous to think that a system this big with a large urban population and a large suburban population is manageable under one administration.<<<--- The size of CMS is not the issue. It's the fact they don't have the management skills to run it. They have already split the district into "learning communities", which are a total joke. If Wal-Mart can run the biggest retail operation in the world from Bentonville, Arkansas, then we should be able to run CMS from one central location effectively. Until we get educators out of the business of running CMS, we will continue to be mired in the same garbage we have been in for over 40 years. maberman said... The main thing that occurs to me in reading all of these posts is that, to a far greater degree than twenty or thirty years ago, you don't have to know anything about the subject matter or have much of a brain to voice your opinion to the masses alongside the people who do. It makes intelligent discussion of solutions, weighing pros and cons, a lot harder. Personally, I think that CMS could use help with searching out ways to teach more effectively with the resources it has. Right now, the current model in the classroom is not working, particularly with poor kids. Kipp and Montessori, among others, seem to show that elementary students could benefit from innovation. There are other approaches that could be tried with little risk. CMS also could possibly use citizen help devising a method that would assess and reward teacher success without being overly rigid in a way that penalizes teachers who accept challenges and in a way that provides incentives to succeed in challenging classrooms, but without paying teachers extra for just showing up in challenging classrooms. Those are some thoughts. Anonymous said... I don't think you can equate the running of school systems with the running of a corporation like Wal-Mart. Every Wal-Mart is essentially the same, with perhaps a little tweaking to suit individual communities (i.e., more warm weather clothes for stores in the south, more snow gear for stores in the north). The corporate model serves each store well. But within a large school system like ours there are far too many variables among schools and communities to run every school the same way. Students can't just be treated like little cogs in a well oiled machine. I think there is much more buy-in for a community and much more flexibility within individual schools if they are being run from a smaller model, one where administrators know and understand their particular community and its needs. Can you name a large school system anywhere that is effectively dealing with all the many issues inherent in large systems today? Do you know of any such system that doesn't have a churn every few years, declaring that this time they'll get it right? I believe you will find that administrations last much longer in small systems (and of course there are many fewer administrators). And it's not uncommon for principals in those systems to remain at a single school for decades--knowing the history and family of most of the children who comes through the schools' doors. I think that makes a huge difference! One of the reasons the Achievement zones did not live up to expectations was because of politics. The status quo folks would not accept more autonomy for those zones because they were geographical and had not been gerrymandered for socio-economic and racial "diversity". If those zones could have become quasi individual districts I think they may eventually have made a difference in the public's perception of CMS. wiley coyote said... Anonymous said... You obviously have no clue about Wal-Mart and how they operate. I do, as they are my company's largest account. I can assure you Wal-Mart would see the CMS operation as a gnat in the scheme of things. The Feds actually look to Wal-Mart for help regarding data. Education is not rocket science. The major problem lies with educators themselves and the government - Feds, state and local. Too much minutia from these groups paralyze the system. Until we get beyond operating school systems around FRL numbers and whining about high poverty areas (which CMS has no control over beyond the boundaries of any school) we will never advance public education any farther than where it has been for decades. Mike Grant said... Is there any other model of running a school system other than a superintendent and BOE? I have read several accounts of City of New York. The mayor's office runs that school system but that seems to be more like running a reelection. Anonymous said... leave the politics and business models out of education. It's an apples and oranges debate and one of the reasons people become dismayed by the education process. Walmart would not put a store in a location where nobody could afford to shop. Yet, schools have to put buildings where people are not going to achieve at a level that makes people happy ie is profitable. The school equivalent of Walmart would only include those students who could afford the product, leaving us with only high-performing students and schools. Most countries subscribe to this model and have test scores that look real good compared to those in the U.S. Only thing is, most of them are educating a very small percentage of school age children while the U.S. tries to educate everyone. Anonymous said... No disrespect intended, but most people who say things like 'teaching is not rocket science' couldn't last a day in a classroom. I do agree 100 percent with you though on how damaging it is to education when districts focus as much time and money on demographics and FRL numbers as they do on subject matter. My two cents: Schools are not for-profit businesses, so they rankle business types. Schools should not be social experiments, so, if run properly, by their very nature they will upset social activist types who want our school buildings to somehow, magically represent all the things racially, socially and socialistically that our neighborhoods, cities, and states do not. Schools are not daycare facilities, so they rankle parents who become stressed because they have to pay for someone to watch their kid when school is not in session (think snow day; or summer) Schools, in their current model, are built to fail. The only way they won't is if they upset those who will cry foul the loudest if things are done properly. wiley coyote said... Anonymous said... I was married to an elementary school teacher for 12 years in a prior marriage so I believe I do have insight into just what teachers deal with on a day to day basis. My "rocket science" comment is correct in that teaching itself is not what is hard, it's all the other garbage associated with it. I didn't parse the comment out enough to state that. Teaching taken as a whole in the environment that has existed for 40 years? Yeah a teacher needs a space suit to protect themselves from the bombardment of parents, educators, unruly kids, local, state and federal laws in order to do their job effectively. Anonymous said... I worked in a district where school board members ate lunch at some point during the school year at all of the schools for which they were 'responsible'...for starters! CMS board members don't have a clue of what's going on at 'their' schools. Which gives the impression that they don't care. Gavreau, never visited my kids' school, nor has Lennon...yet. You don't need this committee or that committee IF board members took ownership and pride in the districts they are representing. Do they ever look at data for 'their' district? Do they look at teacher turnover rates at their schools? Graduation rates? School clubs? The board members don't know what questions to ask or what to look for in successful schools. Therefore they follow Gorman's lead. They want to be his friend and not his boss! If I were independently wealthy, I would run for school board. We would have neighborhood schools, fewer programs and more teachers, and accountability! Anonymous said... The Equity Committee has to be abolished. It has been taken over by a special interest group that wants to stop magnet programs (see how far they got this year), wants to stop giving parents options that better suit their children, and wants education eliminated in the successful schools till those students drop to the level of the high poverty schools. They are ugly elitists who like those in Washington know what is better for us that we do. We have now learned from 3 decades of busing and 1 decade of home schools that the achievement gap is not the gap. The gap is parenting and no school effort will fix that.	[]
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A Wastewater Plant Update A Wastewater Plant Update from John Adams on Vimeo. By 5.20.14, vendor Trane had a contract to plan for a waste-digester importation project and a energy-savings contract. Those deals were worth over a million dollars combined. On 5.20.14, Whitewater’s Wastewater Superintendent offered an update on various wastewater related projects at this plant. 132. Wastewater Superintendent Tim Reel (Reel) begins a discussion of a waste-digester program with a slide that says “Digester Biogas Feasibility Study” but declares that “I won’t say that word up there tonight” (video clip @ 11:10). Hard to tell what to make of his remark: does he think the topic is controversial, or does he think that it’s not (and so he’s teasing about the implications of a waste importation plan)? Either way, how professional is his delivery? 133. Reel mentions a meeting on April 10th about the digester, and says there have been others, all well-attended (“I want to thank Chris and Cameron and all those that attended” @ 11:17). Who else was there? Did Reel or someone else take notes? 134. Reel mentions other meetings with Trane, Donohue, Black & Veatch or others (April 25, May 7). Who was at those meetings, and did anyone take notes? 135. Reel mentions that he met with Trane on 5.20.14 (that day) on a meeting with Trane on market surveys, etc. Did Reel or anyone take notes at that meeting? 136. Reel mentions that he had discussed a performance contract with Trane. Does Reel have a professional background in contract review? What is Reel’s educational and professional background? 137. Reel’s describing discussions about financing, contracting, and marketing. What experience does Reel have in any of these fields? 138. Reel contends (in this presentation) that he’s on a fast track to get federal money for the project (it would be about one-fortieth of the cost if the total project costs of $20,700,000). Is the receipt of that small percentage, or any percentage, of federal money an adequate justification for the fiscal, economic, environmental, health, and business cultural changes that waste importation will present for Whitewater? 139. For all these meetings, how did Reel’s relationship with Trane develop for Whitewater? What does how the relationship with Trane developed say, if anything, about Wastewater Superintendent Reel’s understanding and management of a large project? Council Presentation, 5.20.14 Tomorrow: Studies.	[]
With Christmas quickly approaching us and the dread of debt for all the Christmas presents, food, decorations and much more. Why dont you take a step back and have an affordable and eco-friendly christms this year with the help of technology? Which is not only great for the environment, but great for your wallet too. LED Lights Did you know the LED lights use up to 95% less energy than traditional bulbs? LED lights convert 95% of their energy into light and only 5% into heat, whereas fluorescent lights convert 95% into heat and only 5% into light! LED lights also draw much less power than traditional lighting. A typical 84-watt fluorescent lightbulb can be replaced with a 36 watt LED bulb. Using less energy reduces the demand from power plants and therefore decreases greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to this, LED lights have a better quality of light distribution and a longer lifespan. LED bulbs can last up to 100,000 hours. Due to all of the above factors, this means that LED lighting is cheaper in the long run and better for the environment. LED lights are no more expensive either, you can pick them up in the form of fairy lights for a couple of pounds. You can use these to decorate your tree with this year and not have to worry about the strain of them on your electricity bill. Go Online Another way to use technology for an eco-friendly Christmas would be to go online. There are two main things that you can choose to do online that may really help you this Christmas. Firstly, you can buy E-Cards online or create your own and send them to your receivers inbox. The point of doing this is so that you save money on unnecessary packaging. You can also do your Christmas shopping online. This could be your presents or your food shopping, resulting in you saving on car emissions. Saving on heating One way to save on your heating over Christmas would be by using a Smart Thermostat. You will need to pay for the initial thermostat and its installation but once this has been installed it will forever save you money. You can control the thermostat from your Smartphone, you can control which rooms you would like the heating on and at what time. You can then also purchase extra sensors which can be put on doors and this will enable the heating to turn on in a room once that door has been opened. By setting schedules for your heating you could save up to £130 a year. One product we recommend for this would be Hive Active Heating Smart Thermostat. Smart Power Strips So you may not have heard of Smart Power Strips before but they really are an amazing asset for saving electricity. Many devices you may think are completely off when switched off but they are not, they are in standby mode and are still using power. A Smart Power Strip looks similar to an extension cord but the benefit of it is that it shuts off all power to the devices. It works by preventing power to the electronics when they are plugged in. The benefit of using a Smart Power Strip is that you won’t need to spend the time unplugging all of your devices in order to save energy and money, the Smart Power Strip does that automatically for you. Gifting for tech lovers So you want to stay eco-friendly this Christmas but you have a family member or friend who is a massive tech lover? Well, there are many products out there made from sustainable materials that may be ideal. For example, you can get energy-efficient computer monitors. The PowerSensor display line by Phillips has great monitors made for this purpose. If you move away from the monitor then the screen can detect this and will go into power saving mode, this reduces the amount of electricity it draws by 80%. All of the above factors could really help you to save money on your home this Christmas whilst being eco-friendly!	[]
Victorian Transgression, Transgender & Attribution The hugely popular twitter account @HistoryInPics received a nice publicity puff when Alexis Madrigal wrote about the account in The Atlantic the article was all about the great new spirit of a couple of teenagers running their business. But the article did not mention the ways in which their business was built on copyright violation, sometimes presented false histories and generally produced little of value. A much better article, provoked by the Atlantic, was posted on the Wynken De Word blog: It’s history, not a viral feed. Here the author thoughtfully explains what is wrong with the feed. The lack of attribution and basic helpfulness to source images and also the ways in which false history is so easily pushed and becomes accepted truth. Yes, the images do create an interest. But they do not allow any further discussion beyond “cool image”. The learning experience is snuffed out before it even has a chance to begin. Let me demonstrate: Today this cool image was re-tweeted from the account @historyepics (an account similar to @HistoryInPics). It was entitled Victorian Transgression victorianJudging by the content the image is old enough to be in the public domain and therefore free to re-use. But it could also be a new photo done in an old style which would mean that the right to reproduce is limited and this could very well be copyright violation. Even if the photo is free to use the lack of attribution is very unfortunate. The picture is still the picture. It is intriguing and lovely. But what does it mean? Who are the people in the photo? Why are they wearing those clothes? Are their linked arms to be seen as intimacy and acceptance? Or maybe mutual support? Without any knowledge of the background we can only speculate as to what the image means. Is this a photo of a Victorian transvestites? Is it just a joke (a Victorian lolcat)? Are the couple going to a fancy dress party? Or is this a transgender couple? Is it the result of a wager? Maybe it’s a theatrical image? Is it a protest against social conformity to unreasonably rigid gender roles in Victorian society? Or is it just photoshop? If this photo is as old as it seems then it is in the public domain and can be spread without any information. But this legal right does nothing to support our learning in general and our knowledge of the specific situation. If only we had a database containing vast knowledge… Yes, I googled Victorian Transgression and found nothing about the photo. But I did come across these other images. This time they were from Pinterest. And this What does it all mean? Is this a useful addition to the knowledge of gender roles in Victorian society? Or is it just shallow eyecandy for us to like and ignore? Without knowing what the picture represents I cannot use it in other settings (like lectures). I could be helping in the creation of false history. Without attribution (even to a incomplete source) the barriers to actual knowledge and understanding of what we see is to high. All we have is an image that appears across our screens. The reality of the image can only be replaced by our own subjective interpretation without any recourse to facts. The reproduction of content, without sourcing it, takes the knowledge out of its context and makes it one dimensional. Only by showing sources can the onlooker be assisted to a better understanding. To @historyepics & @HistoryInPics and their ilk who make social media shallow, I say: Images without context is not history. I doubt they care, but I do.	[]
Remakes are nothing new. From the silent era onward, filmmakers have returned again and again to the same stories, re-interpreting them and updating them either for the sake of modernization, to expose them to a broader audience or to just make more money. We modern film geeks tend to roll our eyes and groan cynically when a new remake comes down the pike, but the fact of the matter is that when done right there are few things as satisfying as a seeing a story we love get a good cinematic spit-shine. Remakes are a part of the grand tradition of storytelling and cinema history, and love them or hate them, they’re here to stay. But in the last decade, the term “remake” has become something of a dirty word, and as a result Hollywood spin doctors and internet journalists have given us the new terms “reboot” and “re-imagining”. Do these terms actually have meaning, or are they just empty buzzwords? The mission statement of this ongoing column will be to answer that question by comparing an original film to a re-do and determining if the newer version fits one of the following definitions: Remake: A straight re-telling of a story for the purpose of updating it for a contemporary audience, or making it accessible to a different culture or region. Reboot: A course correction done with the purpose of restarting a franchise. A reset. Fealty to the original story or film is not a priority. Re-Imagining: A re-telling of a story, but only in the broadest sense. Characters and some story elements may be retained, but mostly plot and story have been repurposed. I also will make a judgment call on which version is superior. Some controversy may ensue. The story: One fateful Halloween night a troubled young Michael Myers murders his teenage sister after witnessing her having sex. Fifteen years later, the now grown Michael escapes from the asylum in which he was under the care of an impassioned therapist, Dr. Loomis. Donning a featureless mask, Michael returns to his hometown of Haddonfield and continues the Halloween murder spree he began fifteen years earlier by targeting a group of teenage babysitters. One of the babysitters, Laurie Strode, isn’t content to be Michael’s victim, and while she fends off Michael’s ceaseless and nearly inhuman attacks, Loomis races against the clock to find Michael and bring him down once and for all. So what’s the deal? : When it was announced that Robert Zombie would remake John Carpenter’s seminal slasher film, horror fans freaked the fuck out, and not in a good way. Zombie had earned some horror cred with House of 1,000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects, but Carpenter’s Halloween was untouchable; a sacrosanct text that was not to be defiled. There was an inherent irony in this of course; the sanctity of Halloween had been violated over and over in the form of inarguably inferior sequels, some of which (Halloween 4 & 5 for instance) were little more than remakes of the original themselves. How much damage could Zombie possibly do? As it turns out, quite a lot. Now before we dig in, my thesis here isn’t to condemn Zombie’s re-whatever. That has been done countless times already; you are one mouse click away from finding a scathing review to reconfirm your negative feelings about the film. But it has to be said that there is a fundamental misunderstanding of the original concept at the core of Rob Zombie’s Halloween in that he tries (and fails) to give an explanation to why Michael Myers is a soulless killer. That runs antithetical to the point of Carpenter’s film; that Michael represents unexplainable evil and is an avatar for the faceless homogeny of suburban life. By making him the damaged spawn of a redneck family you’ve traded what makes Michael unique in the pantheon of slasher icons. In Halloween 2007 Michael is no longer then enigmatic “Shape”, he’s just Leatherface but less geographically isolated and without a penchant for long pig. On that level it cannot be argued that Rob Zombie’s take on the material is an unmitigated failure. The film itself has script and structure problems; dividing the story into three distinct sections makes for a jarringly paced film, with the final third being the only part of the movie that could actually be called a “remake”. Michael’s stalking and killing of the teenagers follows the same basic structure as Carpenter’s only done at three times the speed and with three times the grunge. It isn’t an incompetent bit of stalk n’ slash filmmaking, but it isn’t particularly good either. Zombie knows how to stage a compellingly brutal scene, but he doesn’t seem to understand suspense, and suspense is the cornerstone on which the original Halloween was built. One cannot help but feel that Zombie was the wrong man for the job here, and in fact had he been tasked with either the Texas Chainsaw or Friday the 13th remakes, he would have fared much better. He at least would have come up with something more compelling than Marcus Nispel’s competent but uninspired hackwork of those tales. As my plot summary illustrates, the broad strokes of these two films are the same. So, Zombie’s Halloween must be a remake, right? Well, not so fast. True, by many standards it can be seen as a straight remake, especially in that last third. The characters all have the same names, the basic story is the same – ergo, remake. But there are some things to consider here. First of all, though the character’s names remain the same, I would argue that none of them are really the same characters as in Carpenter’s original. We’ve discussed the difference in Michael himself, but everyone — from Laurie to Loomis to Sheriff Brackett –are completely different people. It goes beyond Zombie’s “rednecking” of Michael’s family (a family we know virtually nothing about in Carpenter’s film); he basically keeps only the names and throws anything recognizable in terms of characterization right out the window. The characters here serve the same basic plot function, but that is it. You are left wondering why Zombie chose to reference the original film at all. To me, the reworking of these details is the real “tell” as far as where Zombie’s head was at when he made this movie. We horror fans understand that at their core, most slasher films are essentially the same. Every slasher film is a de-facto remake. So to take the title “Halloween” and make something that is so thematically far-removed from the original is to essentially make a completely different slasher film. In truth, Zombie’s Halloween owes just as much to films like Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer, Texas Chainsaw and any handful of 70’s exploitation films as it does to the original Halloween. Aside from some basic iconographic bullet points, it is a total re-working, especially by slasher film standards. It is this double-edged sword that forms the basic division as to where people generally stand with the 2007 version. Those who like it like it because it is different. Those who hate it hate it because it changes everything that makes the original work. I feel that this central conundrum is key in identifying Rob Zombie’s Halloween as a remake, reboot or re-imagining. Remake? Sure, but really only in basic concept and the structure of the final act. Reboot? Yeah, but I honestly don’t think Zombie saw it as a franchise re-starter, even if the producers did and even though he would return to direct the bat-shit sequel, which in my opinion is his true vision of a “Halloween” film. To me, this movie sits most comfortably with the label of re-imagining because it is so radically reworked. The intention may have been to remake Halloween, but in the end, for better or worse, what Zombie delivered was in the truest sense a re-imagining. And Michael Myers hasn’t been the same since. Verdict: Re-Imagining. Which is the superior version?: On a day that I’m feeling generous, I might call Zombie’s film a “noble failure”, but on a less generous day I’d call it a “piece of shit”. Certainly in comparison to Carpenter’s classic it’s a trifle, but I can see the pleasures it has to offer to those who enjoy Zombie’s particular brand of mayhem. But I mean, c’mon, Halloween 1978 all the way. Up next: Let the Right One In vs. Let Me In	[]
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Golden Core announce new album "Fimbultýr" Though they're both still under 18, the norse doom duo Golden Core seem to have been on the scene for ages. With 100% dedication and a musical vision unlike anything we've ever heard, we are proud to announce the release of their new album "Fimbultýr" out November 1st! The album will be released on both vinyl and CD and is up for pre-orders here: Fysisk Format shop	[]
Choosing a Generator For Your Home What is a Generator? Generators are standby devices that can supply electricity to your home during power outages. During a power outage, it allows you to continue to operate essential appliances such as refrigerators, computers, heating, and cooling systems and lighting. Choosing a generator Home generators can be either portable or stationary. They run on a variety of fuels including, gasoline, diesel, natural gas, propane, and oil. Generally, gasoline portable models are less expensive to purchase. However, they typically have shorter run times because of the need to refill the tank, if used constantly. And if you've lost power due to wide spread outages or severe weather conditions, gas pumps may not be operational. Natural gas, with its constantly available supply, tends to be the more reliable for stationary models. The main differences between stationary and portable models are in their connection and activation. A portable unit has to be moved to your location, filled with fuel and then connected to the fuel line, manually started then connected to your load requirement. Portable units allow for easy storage when needed. A stationary unit can start immediately and is usually already wired to the home and the fuel source. When choosing which type of generator, consider how much space you have for the unit; a stationary unit may require a concrete pad. Generators usually come in sizes that range from an output of 1 kilowatt (kW) to over 100 kW. Choosing a fuel type Your choice of fuel should be determined by the fuels available in your area. The more remote your location is, the bigger the concern for having available fuel will be. As mentioned earlier, gasoline, diesel, fuel oil and, to an extent, propane, have limited availability and delivery in extreme circumstances. Natural gas can also be limiting if you are not connected to their distribution system. Wired Systems If your generator is intended to supply only a portion of your home's electrical load, make a list of the equipment you want to power in case of a power failure: appliances, lamps, furnace blower motor and the like. Compare the total wattage of the equipment to the total wattage output rating of the generator and do not exceed it. Call your local Mister Sparky® electrician to install a stationary generator or perform a generator service. We'll ensure that all wiring and equipment comply with local, state and federal laws or codes, and adheres to the rules and regulations of your local utility. For more information, call Mister Sparky at (800) 906-4577 today!	[]
Banana Chocolate Caramel Cake I love revisiting recipes that I created years ago and love even more when they are still strong delicious successes. Back in February 2009 I created a cupcake recipe for my Sisters birthday that I featured on the first edition of this blog. I probably didn’t have a lot of money at the time and was just creating things by what I had in the pantry. The result was a delicious fudgy cupcake that was full of flavor. The flavors being chocolate, banana and caramel. A few weeks ago when I was in full party planning mode for Napa Cab’s 2nd Birthday party I came across this recipe. I quickly remembered that the flavor combo was interesting and tasty. Cupcakes weren’t what I wanted though, so instead of baking in individual cupcakes, I split the batter between 2 round cake pans and made a 2 layer cake! This cake is not your typical airy cake, it has a more fudge dense consistency. That being said you can slice thin slices and serve upwards of 20 people from one cake because it’s sweet and rich. how good is that Banana Chocolate Caramel Cake Write a review 1. 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 2. 1 teaspoon baking soda 3. 1/2 teaspoon salt 4. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 5. 1/4 cup cocoa powder 6. 1 stick unsalted butter 7. 1 cup brown sugar 8. 2 eggs 9. 3 bananas, mashed 10. 2/3 cup buttermilk 11. dash vanilla 12. 1 cup diced store bought caramels, about 20 caramels. Toss the caramels with flour after diced. 1. 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 2. 3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar 3. 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream Caramel Drizzle 1. 1 1/2 cup brown sugar 2. 1 1/2 cup heavy cream 3. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 1. Sift dry ingredients together, set aside. 2. In a bowl mash the bananas and add the buttermilk and vanilla. 3. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer with a paddle. 4. With the mixer on low add the eggs one at a time, mix to incorporate. 5. Alternating between the dry and wet ingredients add them to the mixer until all incorporated. Toss in the diced caramel bits. 6. Divide batter between 2 round cake pans, bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Caramel Sauce 1. Combine all ingredients in a pan over medium high heat. 2. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Boil for 10 minutes or so until it is thickened and can coat a spoon. Cool slightly before using, you want it warm enough that it will pour nicely but not hot where it will melt the buttercream. Make the Buttercream 1. In a bowl of mixer cream the butter and then slowly add in the powdered sugar. Keep adding powdered sugar until you get the right consistency, drizzle in some warm caramel sauce just enough that the buttercream has a subtle flavor of caramel. Sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon sea salt for a salted caramel flavor. 1. I like this cake to be organic and not perfect, so I don't frost the sides, plus it has enough sweetness it doesn't need more frosting. Add 1/2 the buttercream as the filling, top with second cake and then spread remaining buttercream on top. Drizzle cake with the caramel sauce, as much or as little as you'd like. 1. Dice the caramel candies, each caramel should be cut into 8, and then toss with flour. The flour will make them less sticky and also will help incorporate them throughout the cake. 2. Wrote up recipe in a rush, If I missed anything please contact me! Shaun Myrick Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published.	[]
1. Owners 2. Connected Services 3. What else can you do with MyT Multimedia? What else can you do with MyT Multimedia? Speed Camera Alert Community-based speed camera alerts. You’ll never get caught out by a speed camera again. With our technology, Coyote and Cyclops, you’ll always know when you are approaching a speed camera, and you can even support the community by declaring a new speed camera. Google Street View Know what you’re looking for before you get there. With Google Street View, you can see a 360 view of your final destination, so you can visualise the location and find it easier. Smartphone Integration With support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Stay connected while in your Toyota with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You can connect your smartphone, play music and use your favourite smartphone apps on the dashboard display. Fuel Stations Refuelling has never been easier. Find fuel stations based on your preferences—whether that’s price or the particular company you have a fuel card with. You can choose to fill up at your destination, en route or wherever’s closest to your current location. Find parking nearby, at your destination or on your route. Make your choice depending on the price, the parking company or its distance from your current location.	[]