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UPPANOTCH
Danon and Hosannah combine science with sociology to bring the caliber of hip hop UPPANOTCH. Danon is a Queens native with a sharp tongue capable of decimating a speaker. You can feel his life experience in his rhymes, and he’s gifted in everything from the art of story telling to straight lyrical spitfire: “could take six bars, make it an anthem- F the SOURCE I want my face on the moon, like Ralph Kramden- these ain’t delusions of grandeur- hat tilted like black panthers, the flow is chemotherapy- guess the beat is the cancer.” Hosannah was born in England , and came to New York in ’83. Raised by hip hop, the kid is slick with the gift. The word play is ridiculous- pay attention, you might miss su’m Hosannah finds a way to hold the track hostage- he’d rather surround it than be on top of it: “Link subjects through rough text- pen a curse on a scroll and have the verse plaguing listeners I provide the spirit through words that grasps parishioners and make em give ten percent of they folds to buy innocence…” Danon and Hosannah use different rhyme styles and techniques to touch your eardrums. Both are also accomplished in the academic world, Danon has a JD and Hosannah is a PhD candidate, which inspired them to start a non-profit named Uppademics which works with youth to incorporate fundamental principles of academic fields such as law and engineering with artistic expression in an effort to help bridge the gap between artistic passions and academic goals.
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Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe painted a very reassuring picture of what Nestlé is doing (or not doing) to address the products in it's supply chains which come from destroyed forests. His statement has been prominently displayed on the Nestlé homepage since the AGM where our activists at the meeting - and all of you supporting the campaign online - ensured that palm oil was a main focus of the agenda.
Brabeck yet again proclaims Nestlé's concern and commitment to protecting rainforests and peatlands in Indonesia - and yet again - doesn't announce any action that would go far enough to save them. (For a more detailed point-by-point explanation of Mr Brabeck's response click here.)
In his statement Mr Brabeck tries to shift most of the blame onto the biofuels industry - another user of palm oil - but just because biofuels is another increasing threat to rainforests does not mean Nestlé can continue to ignore it's own contribution to the problem. Although Nestlé has canceled direct contracts with Indonesian palm oil supplier - and forest destroyer - Sinar Mas it continues to use palm oil and other products from Sinar Mas via third party suppliers such as Cargill.
Brabeck addresses Cargill specifically in his statement, saying that Nestlé has sought 'assurances' about its palm oil supplies - "Cargill has informed us that Sinar Mas needs to answer Greenpeace’s allegations by the end of April. They have indicated that they will delist Sinar Mas if they do not take corrective action by then." There are only three days left in April.
If Cargill misses this deadline, or does not delist Sinar Mas as expected, what will Nestlé do? Cargill cannot claim that Sinar Mas is not involved in forest and peatland destruction in Indonesia. Even as I write we have fresh evidence that Sinar Mas subsidiary PT BAT is clearing rainforest bordering orang-utan habitat in Central Kalimantan.
What is the largest food and drink company in the world to do? Let's ask them.
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Day: October 6, 2019
These Arizona petrified wood bookends are made of wood about 150 million years old. This wood was buried beneath silt in the sea, causing the wood to be replaced by silica minerals, etc. Causing its gem hardness and rainbow colors. These bookends are covered in felt on two sides so the will not scratch surfaces. […]
BEAUTIFUL PETRIFIED WOOD POLISHED FULL ROUND SLABWITH BARK — 13 X. YOU WILL RECEIVE THE EXACT ITEM THAT IS PICTURED. THIS PETRIFIED WOOD SLAB IS BEAUTIFUL. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE ASK. The item “BEAUTIFUL PETRIFIED WOOD POLISHED FULL ROUND SLAB WITH BARK -13X. 75 X 11″ is in sale since Sunday, September 29, […]
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Big Little Lies, adapted from Aussie author Liane Moriarty’s book of the same name, cleaned up at this year’s Emmys, taking out a handful of accolades, including Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie, Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie and Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie.
However, it’s not so much the incredible acting that deserves a standing ovation (OK, it does), but rather what this series – and the women in it – do for reaffirming the strength of modern girl power.
Allow us to digress...
Big and little friends on screen and off...
Reinforcing the power of the female “tribe”
Big Little Lies is about a lot of things; domestic violence, sexual assault, bullying, but it’s also about friendship. Madeline’s tenacity in defending Jane when her son, Ziggy, is accused of hurting Renata’s daughter, Amabella [sic], is one small proof that women do actually rally around other women.
Just because.
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^^Hmmm. Funny that...
Deeper than that, this notion of a friendship tribe reaches further than the fictional town of Monterey, through our TV screens and into the very hearts of the actresses leading the show.
As Laura Dern put it when she won her Emmy: "I share this with my tribe of four ladies, I feel very proud to be reflecting fierce mothers and women finding their voice..."
If teaming up, as women, to speak to, encourage and empower women, doesn't make for a deserved-to-be-celebrated, and much-needed, power posse, we don't know what does...
It also speaks for “fierce mothers and women” trying to find their voice
Whether the light shines on Jane’s experience with post-traumatic stress disorder after she was raped, or the crippling self-blame Celeste lives with as a victim of domestic violence, Big Little Lies encapsulates just a few of the very real, and frightening, realities women are faced with every single day.
And what better time to air these truths then now? A time when decisions are still being made for women by men (ahem, President Donald Trump). A time when one in five women in Australia alone have suffered at the hand of physical and even sexual abuse at the hands of their partner.
Not only that, but as Big Little Lies shows, this kind of violence does not discriminate; it can impact anyone from any family, any race and any socio-economic background.
Including someone who may hide it behind affluence, privilege and beauty. Someone like Celeste.
As Nicole explained in her winning speech...
"Sometimes when you’re acting you get a chance to bring a bigger message… We shone a light on domestic abuse."
"It is a complicated, insidious disease. It exists far more than we allow ourselves to know. It is filled with shame and secrecy."
"By you acknowledging me with this award, it shines a light on it even more."
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Army seeks consultants to review Fast Track DPR
Subsequently, the KP Sharma Oli administration made a fresh decision to build the project by mobilising the government’s own resources
Jul 5, 2017-
The Nepalese Army has invited applications from Nepali consultants to review the detailed project report (DPR) for the planned Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track prepared by an Indian consortium which lost the bid to build it. The proposed 76-km expressway will link Kathmandu with Nijgadh in the southern plains. The government has appointed the Nepalese Army to develop the project. According to the notice published on Tuesday, the army is looking for three experts—one geotechnical expert or geologist with experience in slope stability, one bridge engineering design expert and one civil engineer having experience in overview of highway planning and design, road survey and slope stability analysis.
It is not known whether the army will use the DPR prepared by the Indian consortium consisting of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) Transportation Networks, IL&FS Engineering and Construction and Suryavir Infrastructure Construction. “We are yet to decide whether we will purchase the DPR. We will reach an appropriate decision,” said Brigadier General Jhankar Bahadur Kadayat, spokesperson for the Nepalese Army. He refused to provide further details about recent developments in the project. Kadayat even denied that the army was looking for consultants to review the DPR.
A high level committee formed under the vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission (NPC) had suggested to the government to build the project itself using the DPR prepared by the Indian company to save time and expense. The committee submitted its report to the government last February. Last December, the government scrapped the agreement made with the Indian consortium to build the expressway. It decided to hand over the road project to the army in May.
The Indian consortium was named the successful bidder, and in February 2015, the government signed a memorandum of understanding with it to build the expressway. Subsequently, negotiations began between the government and the firm.
However, questions were raised over the intention of the then government led by Sushil Koirala after it decided to offer the potential builder a minimum
revenue guarantee of up to Rs15 billion annually if traffic failed to generate adequate profits. At that time, the government had also proposed to extend a loan to the Indian developer at a subsidized interest rate, drawing criticism from all quarters. Amid the controversy, the Supreme Court issued an interim order in October 2015 against the plan to award the project to the Indian consortium. The project then ground to a halt due to confusion over who would build it. Subsequently, the KP Sharma Oli administration made a fresh decision to build the project by mobilising the government’s own resources. The Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government gave continuity to the plan. A Cabinet decision in December to terminate past agreements and decisions cleared all obstacles for the government to build the project on its own.
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On Nov 1, 2012, at 12:02 AM, Dimitri Glazkov <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hi folks!
>
> While you are all having good TPAC fun, I thought I would bring this
> bug to your attention:
>
> https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=19562
>
> There's been several comments from developers about the fact that
> Shadow DOM encapsulation is _too_ well-sealed for various long tail,
> but important use cases
What are these use cases? I did not seem them in the bug.
<http://w3cmemes.tumblr.com/post/34633601085/grumpy-old-maciej-has-a-question-about-your-spec>
> In other words, the information that could be accessible (no security concerns, for example) is not. One has to use
> hacks to get at the truth.
>
> Here's a simple strawman (copied from bug for easy reading):
>
> 1) There's a 3-position switch on each shadow DOM subtree: public,
> private, isolated.
Is there any special behavior associated with these three settings besides what is in the other numbered points?
>
> 2) There's a mechanism in place to flip this switch (specifics TBD)
Who gets to flip the switch? Can a "private" subtree still be accessed via the element it is attached to by simply marking it "public"? That would make "private" useless if so. It seems like whoever creates the shadow DOM should be able to make it "private" in an irreversible way. Without knowing the mechanism it's hard to judge if that is the case.
In cases where a browser implementation provides a built-in shadow DOM, it seems particularly necessary to make it irreversibly private.
>
> 3) the element.shadowRoot property points to the top of the tree
> stack, or null if the subtree at the top is in "private" or
> "isolated" setting.
>
> 4) <shadow>.olderSubtree points to the older subtree in the stack or
> null if the older subtree is in "private" or "isolated" setting.
>
> 5) ShadowRoot.host points to the shadow host or null, if the subtree
> is in "private" or "isolated" setting.
>
> 6) The "isolated" setting essentially means that there's a new
> document and scripting context for this shadow subtree (specifics
> TBD). Watch https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=16509 for progress.
That seems like a whole separate feature - perhaps we should figure out "private" vs "public" first. It would be good to know the use cases for this feature over using "private" or something like seamless iframes.
Cheers,
Maciej
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SOLEZ
The EC white paper for Transport, adopted in 2011, underlines that Urban Areas are responsible for about a quarter of CO2 emissions from transport, and 69% of road accidents occur in cities.
Europe has clear and challenging goals to ensure sustainability of transport in urban areas: halve the use of ‘conventionally-fuelled’ cars in urban transport by 2030; phase them out in cities by 2050; chieve essentially CO2-free city logistics in major urban centers by 2030.
design, development and pilot application of innovative ICT-based services and solutions supporting low-emission zones and other access restriction policies, by contributing to reduce the negative side effect of these interventions.
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Aggrieved students of the Ambrose Ali University (AAU), Ekpoma in Edo state -allegedly burnt down a departmental building to register their displeasure after their results were released and they found out they had failed massively.
Below is what a witness posted:
"This is a burning office in AAU Ambrose Ali University. It happened today around 1 am. This isn't the first time this is happening. And it always happen wen results are out. The students felt the lecturers gave them bad result on purpose. And they burnt the whole department building with everything in it. The departments involved are civil engineering and philosophy. Microbiology and education were also burnt to the ground."
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Accelerating Translational Research
Accelerating Research through Community Engagement and Advocacy Leadership
Genetic Alliance and Sage Bionetworks are accelerating drug development through community engagement and advocacy leadership in translational research. Our goal is to revolutionize the translational research paradigm through consumer activism. We do this by providing consumers and advocacy leaders with the tools and information needed to empower informed participation in research.
What is translational research and why is it important?
Translational research is the process by which the fundamental biological insights generated through basic research are transformed into products that improve human health. Translational research promises to reduce the burden disease places on affected individuals, their caregivers, and communities. The products of translational research will improve all aspects of healthcare, including earlier diagnosis through genetic testing, better management of disease with superior biomarkers, and improved treatment options via novel, more individualized therapies. Translational research is essential if we as a society are to realize the promise of a healthcare system that is affordable, sustainable, and accessible to all.
Empowering Participation and Fostering Collaboration in Translational Research
Public participation and widespread data sharing are critical for the future of translational research. The public is the chief stakeholder in biomedical research, assuming the majority of the risks involved in clinical research and realizing the greatest benefit from new therapeutic discovery. However, beyond donating clinical samples and data, few mechanisms exist to engage research participants in the research process. Data, after it is generated, resides with the clinical trial sponsor. Although the technology exists to enable broad data sharing, clinical data is rarely reused. Data sharing, when it does occur, is governed by ethics and institutional review boards that cannot possibly account for the preferences of individual research participants.
We believe that research participants should be allowed to manage when and how their clinical data is used. The technological platforms need to allow research participants to govern the use of their data exist. Genetic Alliance is committed to educating the public on the importance of data sharing and creating meaningful mechanisms for engaging participants in research. And although collaboration is not the norm in biomedical research, Genetic Alliance is partnering with other organizations committed to greater openness to pave the way for greater data sharing in research. To learn more about these topics and how Genetic Alliance is empowering public participation and fostering collaboration in translational research, click on the links below.
On April 15-16, 2011 SAGE Bionetworks, a nonprofit organization committed to creating an open access integrative bionetwork, hosted their annual Congress to reflect on the progress of the past year and discuss the changes that will need to be made in the coming year. Genetic Alliance President & CEO Sharon Terry helped lead the working group on public engagement. View footage of the 2011 Sage Congress.
The Clinical Trial Comparator Arm Partnership (CTCAP) is a new public-private partnership lead by Sage Bionetworks and Genetic Alliance. The goal of this partnership is to compile an open repository of datasets from the comparator arm of clinical trials.
Genetic Alliance is also a founding member of the Archipelago To Proof of Concept in Medicine (ARCH2POCM) public-private partnership pioneered by Sage Bionetworks. ARCH2POCM is a public-private partnership that seeks to organize an open access scientific and clinical network for taking high risk/high reward disease targets through to clinical validation of mechanism.
Registries and Biobanking
In addition to empowering research participants, Genetic Alliance has also developed tools to help advocacy groups take on a more active role in translational research. In 2003, we launched the Genetic Alliance Registry and BioBank (GARB) to provide disease advocacy groups with the platform and technology needed to build and steward their own registries and biobanks. GARB was founded on the principle that advocacy-run registries and biobanks would initiate, accelerate, and transform translational research. Click here to learn more about GARB.
Learn More About How Advocacy Organizations Are Impacting Research
Disease advocacy organizations play an enormously important role in translational research. Although disease advocacy groups traditional focused on providing services and public education, advocacy groups are taking on a leadership role in directing research with increasing frequency. What was once novel is now the norm. Advocacy contributions to research include running registries and biobanks, generating research hypotheses, offering advise on study design, reviewing grants, and directly funding research. To learn more about how disease advocacy groups are accelerating translational research, click on the links below.
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01574-4320
—
Capucine Yellow Deep
Five generations of chemists in the Blockx family have been working since 1865 to perfect the Blockx Oil Colors. Today they are still ground on stone rollers and mixed with poppyseed or linseed oil, and no additives or fillers whatsoever.
This color contains the following pigments:
PR149—Perylene Red
Pigment Type
organic, anthraquinone
Chemical Name
n/a
Chemical Formula
C40H26N2O6
Properties
Perylene Red is a moderately intense, semi-opaque, medium red pigment, appearing somewhere between a Cadmium Red and a Cadmium Deep Red hue. It has excellent brightness and tinting strength. Its partial transparency makes it useful as a glazing color.
Permanence
Perylene Red has good lightfastness and permanence. Its tints may darken after extended exposure to sunlight. It is not considered suitable for exterior use.
Toxicity
Perylene Red has no significant acute toxicity. Its long term hazards are currently unknown.
History
Perylenes have been used as vat dyes since 1912, but they were not manufactured and sold as pigments until 1957. For artists, they are a replacement for historic colors that were made with berries, and are significantly more lightfast.
Alternate Names
PR101—Red Iron Oxide
Pigment Type
Chemical Name
Chemical Formula
Fe2O2 or Fe2O3 • H2O
Properties
Red iron oxide varies in hue and transparency, depending on hydration and slight impurities. Indian Red is a slightly duller, deep brick hue with a bluish undertone. It is very dense and opaque, with excellent tinting strength and covering power. It is dependable when mixing with all other permanent pigments and yields good flesh tints when mixed with Zinc White. It is the synthetic version of PR102, which is a pigment made from earth reds, or natural red iron oxides, and the names applied to PR101 and PR102 often overlap. The synthetic red iron oxides have mostly replaced natural red iron oxides and are brighter, stronger, finer, and more permanent. Indian Red is the highest grade bluish shade. Light Red, English Red, and Venetian Red are yellowish shades. Mars Violet is a dull and subdued bluish or purplish oxide.
Permanence
Red iron oxide is very lightfast with excellent permanence.
Toxicity
Red iron oxide has no significant hazards.
History
Natural red iron oxide comes from the mineral ore hematite, called bloodstone by the ancient Greeks from the word hema, meaning blood. It is one of the oldest pigments, has been used by every major civilization, and was an important mineral for medieval alchemists. It was not widely used in artists' materials until the 17th century and was not produced in large quantities until the 18th century.
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A coalition of plastic industry trade associations will today commit to doubling plastic packaging recycling rates by 2020, as part of a campaign designed to limit the amount of plastic waste being sent to landfill.
The Plastics 2020 Challenge has been organised by the British Plastics Federation, PlasticsEurope and the Packaging & Films Association, which together represent around 5,000 firms from across the plastic industry.
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As we prepared for moving on to Burkina Faso, our final destination on this incredible journey, it was time to focus once again on the purpose of the trip:
. . . . .to contribute to our world an energy and wisdom that seems most needed at this time in our collective experience – feminine energy and feminine leadership, and – to deepen my relationships with three women whom I have come to know and to love – Claudine, Weub and Betty.
I have to say – it took me while to comprehend the irony of this intention – in contrast to the actual events that confronted us as we arrived in Ouagadougou, the capital of this West African country. You will see what I mean as this story unfolds. I invite you to reflect on the many meanings and sources of power.
In the photo above Claudine stands beside weaving looms at the site where she is gradually having a building constructed that will house AProFEn, the NGO she and other professional colleagues founded and which she has been leading since 2004. She describes her objective in this way, “My intention is to build worldwide active awareness through sustainable projects and programs led by women for women.”
However, it was only on the 8th day after we arrived in Ouagadougou that we had the opportunity to spend much time with Claudine as our arrival in Burkina Faso coincided with a revolution in that country. This BLOG post will focus on our first 7 days in Burkina Faso. A following post will share our final day.
On Tuesday, October 28th we arrived in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, about 2:00 in the afternoon. Knowing before we made our decision to proceed with our plans – that there was “political unrest” in the country – in no way prepared us for what we were about to experience. Claudine met us at the airport and drove us directly to her office at the World Health Organization, explaining that this was the only place where she knew she could provide cold water for us to drink. The streets were deserted. Government offices, schools and universities were closed for the week, as were banks and most other businesses, large and small. The Marketplace was empty. Yes, it was tense, almost like everyone was holding their breath.
The Burkina Faso Parliament was scheduled to vote on Thursday, October 30th, on a Constitutional Amendment initiated by President Blaise Compaore that would enable him to be elected to as many as three more five-year terms. His claim that he needed time to build strong institutions only angered the people in Burkina Faso, who have seen no improvement in their country during the 27 years Compaore has already been president. Burkina Faso is ranked 181st out of 187th on the United Nations Human Development Index. http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/table-1-human-development-index-and-its-components
On Wednesday, despite the tensions, Claudine was able to pick us up and take us for lunch – a chance for “catch up” conversation and thinking through plans for our time in Burkina Faso, recognizing that flexibility would be essential and that forces beyond our control would be playing a big part in our lives during this part of the trip.
On Thursday we were advised by both Claudine and the US State Department, as well as the staff at our Guest House – to “stay put.” The State Department terminology: “Shelter in Place.” Thousands marched in the streets protesting the planned Parliamentary vote scheduled for 10 AM.
One of the other travelers staying at the Guest House, Christopher, a videographer from the University of Rome, was in Ouagadougou to document a conference on African Innovations in Agriculture. The conference was cancelled. He was there. He had a press pass. So at 5:00 on Thursday morning he, and a local professional with whom he contracted went out to see, and record, what was going on in the city.
Around noon they returned, Christopher was quite shaken. Some protesters had insisted he take his camera and be at the front of the march, which was not what he wanted to do – and did not do. As he reviewed his videos, however – and shared them with those of us at the Guest House – he settled and continued to go out each morning for several days. One protester he interviewed explained that Compaore had been president ever since he was born and was only interested in expanding his own power, not in helping to address the high prices, low wages, lack of jobs and persistent poverty in their country. The young man (60% of the population of this country is under 25 years of age.) said, “I am a father.” We need a new leader. I do not want to leave this problem to my son’s generation to solve.” Thousands and thousands of citizens marched to demonstrate their commitment to a change – a different kind of power.
The picture below, from an article by Penelope Starr, author for UN Dispatch, reveals the magnitude of the protest.
Determined to stop the Parliamentary vote, protesters burned the Parliament Building, a hotel where Parliament members were staying, the national assembly building, cars, tires, and other targeted locations.
On Saturday – Claudine, and her daughter, Djamila, came to our Guest House, and, with Djamila driving, took us out to see some parts of the city. It was relatively quiet, though the damage from Thursday was evident. We hoped by the next day we could go to the village in Bouslin where Claudine and her colleagues work with the local women providing training on sanitation, health, and economic matters.
However, by Sunday – the question of who would take over the government of this country prompted chaos and more rallies, At one point both a former leader of the Opposition and the former Defense Minister turned up at the state broadcasting headquarters, separately- each to announce that s/he would head the transition government. Shortly after they arrived, gunfire broke out and both the staff and protesters ran away. Because there were also rallies at other cities outside of the capital, it was not safe for us to go to the village of Boulsin. This was a major disappointment for me as Claudine and I had hoped to explore the possibility that women in this village could learn from Alaffia how they formed a Cooperative in Togo. The folks in that Cooperative provide shea butter that is used by Alaffia in producing a variety of cosmetics in their plant in Olympia. Though more challenging to do this using email and SKYPE rather than face-to-face, we will continue to examine this possibility. “Shelter in Place” remained the instructions of the day.
Monday – Jim and I ventured out to visit the Artisan center. This delightful place houses a vast variety of African crafts – such as metal work, baskets, woven scarves, leather - with the artists doing their work on site. Though the curfew had been changed to 10:00 PM – 6:00 AM, the airport remained closed. Turkish Airlines cancelled our flight – - no word to us, the travelers. Other airlines changed their flights from night arrivals and departures to mid day – because of the curfew. Turkish Airlines did not. I will avoid this airline in the future. We found them completely unresponsive, basically leaving us stranded in Burkina Faso. A week after we had returned to Seattle, Turkish Airline flights to Burkina Faso were still cancelled. Jim was able to get a ticket from Ouagadougou to Addis Ababa and then on to Istanbul, Los Angeles and Seattle.
Tuesday was abusy and very meaningful day. We consolidated many of the activities Claudine had planned for ten days – into this one day: lunch with Edith and Josephine who were part of the Conversation, and Frankline, a recognized young African leader who Claudine was chosen to mentor, a visit with the Cultural Affairs Officer at the US Embassy, a visit to the future home of AProFEn and a visit to Claudine’s home where we had the pleasure of meeting the rest of her family
Wednesday we left for airport around 9:30 – to begin our long (40 hours from the time we left Burkina Faso until we arrived in Seattle) and, thankfully uneventful trip home.
Look for more about Tuesday’s events and a story of real leadership, and a different form of power, on the next BLOG post.
About Barbara
Barbara Spraker, an educator, is a catalyst for transformation. She is passionate about drawing out and amplifying women's power. Barbara teaches in the Center for Creative Change at Antioch University Seattle and has led capacity-building workshops for women for more than 20 years.
Recent Posts
About This Blog
The story about women and our place in the world, the one we tell ourselves, the one history describes, the one that holds the assumptions that influence decisions and interpretations all around the world - that story was written by men. Our responsibility - and our opportunity - is to create our own story! Read more >
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In this volume of the Infiltrator
Production Pileline, we will go through the process of setting up
materials, lights and render passes in preparation for final
compositing.
We will begin by learning how we can
optimize our high-resolution geometry to use our system memory more
effectively. This will allow for more efficient, stable rendering,
especially if you are working on a 32-bit system with limited
resources. From there, we will take some time to set up materials for
the various portions of our ‘Infiltrator’ spider and then we will begin
the lighting setup. We will use an image-based-lighting approach to
achieve a high level of realism and to ensure that the lighting on the
CG spider matches the live-action plate. Finally, we will learn how to
use Render Passes and Render Layers to output our final renders in a
way that will give us a tremendous amount of control over the final
result whenever we get into our final compositing phase.
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5 Simple Statements About Benefits Of Hiring An SEO Expert Explained
5 Simple Statements About Benefits Of Hiring An SEO Expert Explained
Very good Search engine optimisation consultants are chargeable for funds, not website traffic. That means they basically live of their analytics, examining the info they’re viewing then utilizing that to make a internet site that not merely ranks effectively, but that converts. At the conclusion of the day, that’s the purpose of all this.
Greater online search engine visibility is usually critical to boosting visits to your website, which can lead to enhanced model awareness and higher revenue and profits.
Outsourcing products and services from SEO Experts In Portland is the only option. You’ll be able to employ experts who know almost all the things about Website positioning. The individual or agency shall have set in adequate time to ensure that them to grasp this Website positioning craft.
You should have the special ability to set aside portion of one's valuable the perfect time to this endeavor. To be a subject of reality, in the event you’re a very chaotic individual, then it shall be quite extremely hard for one to carry on maintaining with the components of Search engine optimization.
One of the best approaches to find a respected company is always to go through consumer critiques and testimonies. Usually, you can find these opinions correct on the corporation’s site, but It's also possible to change to sources like Yelp, Foursquare, Google, and also other Experienced Web-sites To find out more about the ordeals that clients have had with them prior to now.
To start with off, just in case you’ve currently recognized The good value of World wide web advertising and marketing as remaining A part of the majority of your organization marketing and advertising strategies on line, You then must have realized how difficult it’s for the one who’s model-new attempting to learn all the significance of using Web optimization solutions.
You’ll also be much less Check Out Your URL pressured about how your internet site is executing in look for because you’ll hold the know-how that a group of pros are dealing with it to suit your needs.
SEO is the ideal method of raising the visitor traffic to a corporation's Site or social networking webpage. Whenever a particular solution or form of solution is searched on-line by way of any search engine, a variety of answers are shown on the monitor. For a certain business enterprise to point out earlier mentioned Every person else is done by way of Web optimization and by an expert.
One among the biggest advantages of outsourcing is entrepreneurs could have an array of businesses to select from. They're able to carefully opt for a search engine optimization advisor that should match their requires.
Studying a totally new talent could find yourself complicating all your recent small business products and finally hurt your online business.
Let’s mention a lot of the read review largest benefits that accompany hiring an Web optimization enterprise to operate with you on your website, And just how outsourcing your Web optimization will help help your rankings, improve your qualified prospects and customers, and lessen your All round internet marketing expenses significantly.
By appointing an exterior Website positioning firm to perform your Search engine marketing, you gained’t really have to faucet into precious inside employees means to apply, keep track of and maintain updated with Search engine optimisation traits. This allows you to deal with the principal functionality of your enterprise.
my .02 but some thing we use to “sell” our have organization….and this works so dang very well for us and our clients….
But now each and every business has Level of competition, and Search engine optimization has become important to get to potential prospects or prospects.
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Why We Need Better Tests for Concussions Ken Willis wrote a wonderful series of articles in the Daytona Beach News-Journal entitled NASCAR and Concussions: An Old Problem, a New Concern. He starts with Dale Earnhardt, Jr., but touches on the long history of drivers now suffering the effects of hard…
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The Evolution of the Stock Car ADDITION: If you are more comfortable with Portuguese, check out this translation by Artur Weber and Adelina Domingos – and thanks to them for being interested enough in my work to do the tough job of translation. While many fans decried the look of…
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Driving Concussed This week brings the return of Jeff Gordon to the track, but under conditions I’m sure all of us wish were otherwise. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is out again (and will be next week) with “concussion-like” symptoms. Concussion, like many medical problems, is a chronic injury — meaning that it can…
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Concussions were big news in a week where no one actually got one. NASCAR announced a new policy on concussions : Starting in 2014, all drivers will be required to have a baseline test at the start of the season. NASCAR will be using the ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment Test)…
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I was lucky enough to speak with Dr. Mark Lovell, an innovator in neurocognitive testing inbetween talks at a conference he was attending. Dr. Lovell came to my attention as the developer of the ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment Testing) test, which was one of the tools used to evaluate Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s concussion.
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We all know that concussions are caused by hits to the head, but what actually IS a concussion and why is one forcing Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to step out of the car and effectively take himself out of the running for a championship?
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Are you living your dream?
When I was a little girl, my mother would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Of course, I wanted to be a singer or an actress or dancer, but most of all I wanted to be a mommy. And I used to tell my mother that when she got old I would take care of her.
Have I been able to live my dream? Well, you could say that I have. I had four little girls of my own, and when my dear mother was dying (only in her 70’s) I helped take care of her the last month of her life. Perhaps that was a love commitment more than a dream.
My childhood dream has not been my only one. I have had several over the years, as I’m sure you have. As we grow we learn new things and try our hand at them. I sewed clothes, made toys and crafts and quilts, tried sketching and painting, wrote poetry, and dreamed dreams. I took voice lessons but I’m shy and nervous about public singing. I dance but mostly when I worship the Lord in the privacy of my home. And the acting? Uhh, No. 🙂 But I keep returning to writing – ministry things, poems, stories, plays, songs, articles, blogging.
Again my dream is to be a writer and author of children’s books. Having accomplished NaNoWriMo, perhaps by sheer determination, then shouldn’t I be able to write a book for children, perfect it for publication, and stick with it until that happens?
But what do you do when life happens, when the time you had which didn’t seem to be enough is now split in half? How do you see those dreams fulfilled?
How do you choose what to sacrifice and what to push to the forefront?
It is a challenge in which, so far, I don’t feel I’m succeeding. With all the reading I try to do, my writing is taking a backseat. With the book reviews and author interviews I committed to, my newsletter publishing is delayed. But do you see the connections? In some way they are all to do with writing, so I haven’t completely left it behind, I just need to discover my balance. What I must do is trust the Lord to lead me in all of these things in my life. If I’m meant to continue them all then He will show me how.
Then there are the unexpected things that crowd in. I gave my piano to our oldest daughter who loves to play. She told me Tuesday that the movers will be here Thursday morning. That meant today’s time was devoted to rearranging things for the piano to be maneuvered around in order for the movers to get it up the stairs and out to their truck. This also means there will be more space for my stuff! 😉 Such as more books? Umm, maybe for all the fabric I have. (Yes, I love fabric too, which is intended to be listed for sale on my business website.)
Do I have too many irons in the fire? Too many interests and not enough focus? Too many ideas and not enough ‘stick-to-it-iveness’? Or maybe I dream too big? – forgetting I’m only one person and nobody else will be interested in my dreams – so I live a little of this one and a little of that one.
I don’t ever stop dreaming.
What about you? Are you a dreamer of dreams? Are you living your dreams? Or have you given up on them?
7 responses to “Are you living your dream?”
I don’t like to think in term of “dreaming too big,” Lynn. All dreams are important.
Perhaps you can decide on what amount of time you can set aside for writing each day. Would a half hour work, fifteen minutes? Would it be possible to get up a bit earlier mornings and head right to the computer? What I’m saying is, a little bit of time working toward your dream is better than none. I hope you are able to strike a balance. Good luck!
Perhaps “dreaming too big” isn’t really the issue, I’ll have to think on that.
Maybe I could schedule fifteen minutes a day, perhaps in the evenings. I think my problem is that once I start writing and it’s going well, I can’t (or hate to) stop, so I put off starting in wait for the ‘right time’. I don’t want to lose the momentum or the flow of ideas and I’m afraid that if I have to stop then I won’t get it back. Am I not giving myself enough credit?
Thanks, Laura. 🙂
Oh Lynn, I am so much a dreamer, and as you know have had (and am experiencing) those roadblocks that seem to stand in the way of our dreams, particularly writing dreams. Some things can’t be helped, and I’m trying hard to understand that people don’t understand how one small request can cost a whole day of writing time. I have succeeded in carving out more time (and placing boundaries) in a few ways. First, I’ve allowed myself to do less. I accept help when it’s offered (even though I feel guilty), we added caller ID to our telephone service so I don’t answer the phone during writing time unless the call is from one of our parents, I decline morning (my writing time) activities, and my husband went to bat for me with his family to try to help them understand about my writing time. The caller ID is the BEST thing I’ve done this year about increasing writing time and it’s very inexpensive.
To add to your “to do list” Lynn, you won my give-away book for April and I need to know if you prefer Colleen Coble’s book or the John Grisham YA book. Just reply to this post and I’ll send the one you prefer. I have your address. Fond regards, Sue.
Hi Sue, I have not made it to the ranks of writer that you have, so I take it a whole different way. I don’t save time for ‘writing time’ as it is not a major part of my life – especially with everything else going on right now, so maybe that is the problem. I’m not going to get there if I don’t take it more seriously. Perhaps I am cheating myself.
Your methods of ‘carving out more time’ are good. Boundaries are necessary, although I have always had a difficult time with that one since I often don’t feel my time is only mine and so allow it to be for whomever speaks for it. I think I have a lot to learn yet, or is it ‘relearn’?
I was surprised that I won your April book! Thank you. I sent you an email, sounding very unsure as to which I would prefer, so I read some reviews on each title. Now I think Colleen Coble’s book would be fine. I like the occasional visit to another era, and this books seems to fit that bill. 🙂
Okay, too much going on in my brain! If not too late I am allowed to change my mind, right? 😉 It is difficult to choose since I don’t know these authors yet, but since Grisham’s book is YA, that may be of help to me in my own writing. If I may I will accept that one instead, please accept my thanks, Sue.
I am so much a dreamer of dreams that it is my tag line. (see my website http://www.darlenefoster.ca) I have never given up on my dreams and never will. I have had many roadblocks to be sure but that burning desire to live out my dreams has always been there. I teach this to the youth at risk and the unemployed I work with as I belive in it so passionatley. It never ceases to amaze me how dreams do come true and often when you least expect it or in a way you never imagined. never stop dreaming is my motto. You can see that I love this post!! Thanks Lynn
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COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Residence Safety Expertise
If you presently use power adapters or power plugs with 2 or 3 retailers, then it’s best to consider changing them with energy strips, ideally with inbuilt surge safety options. ^ Glover J. D., Sarma M. S., Overbye T. J. (2010) Power System and Evaluation 5th Version. Plan to spend at least $40 to $50 for a high-quality surge protector with basic AC protection, and as much as $100 for one of related high quality with additional features resembling video and broadband Web ports.
When power fails, the inverter reverses operation, changing the battery`s DC output to AC energy. Nevertheless, the cost of one-on-one protection can turn into a damaging factor as the community grows. Most lively energy protection gadgets additionally provide at least minimal passive protection.
Simplicity: Units must minimize protection circuitry and equipment. Robert uses the Falcon Electrical 2 kVA SG-series UPS Plus proven in Determine sixteen-18 to protect his whole office servers and desktop programs. This won’t keep your laptop up and working without end, but it provides enough time to save your work and properly shut down your laptop.
This 12 months, the folks of Iowa have a chance to guarantee their proper to restore their equipment—like tractors, farm gear, digital gear, and even cell phones. Differing UPS applied sciences are usually not the one variable within the energy-protection image. Our objective at Computer Power Options is to make sure that we provide you the most reliable, superior and cost effective power safety resolution to match your requirementsprecisely, now and for the longer term.
BPSs differ within the quality of the facility they provide, how much power they can supply, and for a way long they’ll supply it. BPSs also situation the utility power to guard equipment against spikes, surges, drops, brownouts, and electrical noise.
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A rare breed that DOES exist, but is often grossly misrepresented and the term frivolously and wrongly used.
True rock chicks in the 21st century are nearly impossible to find unless you search underground, where they create and play music in bands you've never heard of in places you'd never think of going unless you, yourself, also happen to be a true rocker or an open-minded music hobbyist. Despite being obscure in this way, there are many talented rock chicks in this hidden rock&roll playground who play their instruments well, belt a tune amazingly, and make you move and groove like any band with a penis.
Good examples of rock chicks include but are not limited to: Heart; Bassist D'arcy Wretzky of The Smashing Pumpkins; Lead guitarist of The Runways Nancy Wilson; Guitarist Orianthi who Carlos Santana himself once stated that, were he to pass the torch to any guitarist in the world, she would be it. Because of this he has endorsed her. Drummer Vox Peggy O'Neill of the garage punk band The Gories; Lead singer of Jefferson Airplane Grace Slick; Guitarist Great Kat (aka Katherine Thomas)-- who is known for her extremely technical shredding. Also the ultimate, perhaps most widely acknowledged female rocker to date: Janis Joplin.
Another thing worth noting is Rolling Stone's 2003 Greatest Guitarists of All Time; Joni Mitchell and Joan Jett were listed as two of the most talented rock guitarists in history. Not surprisingly, they were the only females to make the list.
Chris and I went to a show the other day at (insert obscure dive bar/venue where only true rockers and open-minded musical hobbyists choose to go) and saw this really hot rock chick who played the guitar like a pro.
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Product Management, Growth, Emerging Technologies
Product + Human
Definitely not a robot.
Anne is a human and product manager, in that order, focused on growth and emerging technologies with a degree in engineering from the University of Michigan. She is passionate about the practical human aspects of technology and building AI and blockchain products rooted in the realities of the human experience. She is also an Emerging Tech Correspondent for Tech 2025, a platform and community for learning about, and discussing emerging technologies such as AI. Anne is the Lead Product Manager at OpenLaw (ConsenSys), a legal tech start up centered around document automation and smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. Additionally, she serves on the Rutgers University Big Data Certificate program Advisory Board.
Passionate about sharing her experience and journey, Anne speaks about emerging technologies, ethics, and career at conferences, on panels, and university lectures. Hue Tech Summit, Write/Speak/Code, and Morgan State University’s first blockchain course are a few of her speaking engagements from 2018.
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This is a community maintained page and does not represent official World of Warcraft history or occurrences. Information and events here are for community documentation of server particulars, history, or opinion.
Hotfix (2010-02-10): "As part of our continued efforts to balance the World of Warcraft player population across all realms, we will be converting one of our lower-population European PvP realms -- Vek’nilash -- to a Normal PvE realm. For players on Vek’nilash, we will be offering free Character Moves to alternate PvP realms both before and after the conversion takes place. This will allow us to continue to support healthy communities on the realms and help new players transition easily into the community.The conversion will take place on February 10, with the Character Moves opening on January 27 and lasting until March 10. Upon being converted to Normal PvE, Vek’nilash will be given the “New Players” flag to ensure an influx of players over the coming weeks."
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The Conformal group contains the Poincare group. Typically, if you take a representation of a group and then look at it as a representation of a subgroup, the representation will be reducible. I often hear that CFT's cannot have particles, and I have some understanding of this since $P_\mu P^\mu $ is not a Casimir of the conformal algebra. However, I would think reps of the conformal group should still be reducible representations of the Poincare group, and thus have some particle content.
Is it known how to decompose representations of the conformal group into reps of Poincare? Can we understand it as some sort of integral over masses that removes the scales of the theory? Are there any significant differences between reps of Poincare appearing in reps of the conformal group and the usual representations we are familiar with from QFT?
I'd appreciate any information or a reference that treats this thoroughly from a physics perspective.
You can have a look at the discussion here physics.stackexchange.com/q/77222. The summary is that a generic irrep of conformal group decomposes in an integral of Poincare irreps. There are exceptions, free scalar/fermion in any dimension form an irrep of Poincare and conformal algebra. Maxwell, i.e. massless spin-one is conformal in 4d
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JohnSep 26 '13 at 16:31
1 Answer
1
Reps of the conformal group are still reps of the Lorentz group, that's correct. The operator content of a CFT contains scalars, currents, tensors, spinors etc. However, just because you have a local operator $\phi(x)$ or $\psi_\alpha(x)$ doesn't mean you have bosonic (resp. fermionic) particles in the theory.
Let's recall what we mean by "particle". It's an excitation of the vacuum. In a free theory, for example, we write a bosonic field $\phi$ as
$$\phi(x) \sim \int e^{ipx} a^{\dagger}(p) + c.c.$$
so acting on the vacuum you get a linear superposition of modes $$|p\rangle = a^{\dagger}(p) |0\rangle.$$ By acting several times with $\phi$, we can construct multi-particle states $|p,q,\ldots\rangle.$
There is a more general way of developing the particle picture, and that's through the spectral representation,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A4ll%C3%A9n%E2%80%93Lehmann_spectral_representation or sec. 7.1 in Peskin-Schroeder.
This means that you write the propagator as
$$ < \phi(x) \phi(0) > \; = \int_0^\infty \rho(\mu^2) \Delta(x,\mu^2)$$
where
$$\Delta(p,\mu^2) = \frac{1}{p^2 - \mu^2 + i0}$$
in $d=4$ dimensions. $\rho(\mu^2)$ is called the spectral density and encodes which states contribute to the two-point function. It can be calculated as (see Wiki or Peskin-Schroeder)
$$\rho(p^2) = \sum_{\text{states } s} \delta^d(p - p_s) |\langle s | \phi \rangle|^2$$
with the sum running over all states in the theory and $p_s^\mu$ is the 4-momentum of state $s$. If you have a free boson with mass $m$, you can derive that
$$\rho(p^2) \sim \delta^d(p^2 - m^2).$$
Peskin-Schroeder plot a typical graph of $\rho$ for an interacting theory in Fig. 7.2. There, you will have a bunch of other terms for $p^2 > m^2$ as well, when $\phi$ overlaps with heavier states.
Anyway, back to CFT. In a free CFT (d = 4), the two-point function is given by
$$<\phi(x)\phi(0)> = \frac{1}{x^2}$$
and we have the spectral representation
$$ \rho(p^2) \sim \delta^4(p^2)$$
which we interpret as there being a single massless excitation.
But a generic scalar operator in CFT has some anomalous dimension $\delta$, so the two-point function will be
$$\frac{1}{x^{2+2\delta}}, \quad \delta > 0.$$
In that case, you get
$$ \rho(p^2) \sim (p^2)^{\delta-1}$$
which is continuous. You asked if "we [could] understand it as some sort of integral over masses that removes the scales of the theory?" - and you see that it's indeed what happens, in a quantitative way. There is no scale, only a parameter $\delta$ controlling the power-law scaling of the contribution of each state. As a consequence, there is no discrete set of states with a well-defined energy: $\phi$ just creates a big, scale-invariant blob of states.
That's essentially why people make a difference between "fields" and "operators". Superficially, both look the same: they are reps of the Lorentz group and generate the Hilbert space of the theory. However, in a normal QFT, fields give you particles and you can do scattering. Generically, in a CFT the operator don't have particle-like excitations, so we need to use a different term - "operator". A field in QFT is of course a local operator, but a local operator in CFT isn't necessarily a field.
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I think most of us have started bakc at school, I’ve just started my seocnd week, though it feels like longer. On this subject I wanted to talk about routines. I think we all get into them, I’m very percise about mine, usually, on normal days. Come home, snack, homework and catching up on Haunted History, TV and computer, maybe see Hunter, eat dinner, shower, pill at 9pm, bed at 9:30. (yes I take a sleeping pill, and I hate it! Can’t find a natural thing that works for me 😡 ) What kind of routines do ya’ll get into, or do you just not?
Other then that, this last weeks been ok. I’ve had one test in every class in the past week and have another test in atleast two classes friday. Yuck. But I am enjoying the year, it’s not too bad.
Yesterday, Hunter (note he hates country music) went to Black Top Boogie with me!! Best of all, he actually enjoyed himself!!! Then he took me to Pinnacle Mt. and we hiked up to watch the sunset. It was so wonderful 🙂 I highly suggest sunsets for every couple, cause it’s amazingly sweet and magnificent to watch together. I’ll have pics whenever I get my camera out of his car XD.
Today I recieved my senior portraits in the mail! For the casual portraits, I chose to wear lolita. 🙂 I actually wore my yellow vintage skirt from Savannah, GA. and my off white ruffle blouse from Forever21. I also took my white lace parasol for my prop. In retrospect, I wish I had taken my leather bound Lewis Carol collection as a prop as well, but I hadn’t thought of it. I think the photos came out wonderful. 🙂
Since my last post, I’ve also coloured my hair. I don’t have any photos to put up yet, but I will. What colour you ask? Black! Jet black, with a kind of modified Hime cut 😀 I love it.
Until next time,
*kisses*
Princess Raelynn
I forgot to take a photo of my outfit, but today I went school shopping! All new clothes for an all new year! 🙂 Here’s the pictures, I’m not in most of them, but only because my tri-pod is broken and the lighting in BOTH of my rooms is horrible! Anyway here we go :
^^The part that looks purple is actually maroon, looks nice 🙂
I also found this picture on my camera 🙂 My baby loves me 🙂
-He stole my headband and looked almost as good in it XD I love him so much
For as long as I’ve been into Lolita and Princess Styles, I’ve been working on getting together a brand of my own (called Belle la Vie), handmade, jewelry. (and maybe later clothes?) I’ve gotten more so dedicated to this goal recently! 🙂 My newest idea are fairytale themes. Apples, roses, books, etc. I’ve dabbled with cupcakes and candies, but they seem so done to me. They’re everywhere, aren’t they? Of course all of these things are just in toddler stages (and growing steadily!), but I wanted to knwo if anyone wanted to give some feedback?
Other then that, just wanted an update to say I am a live, getting ready for school, and working on something that I’ll reveal to ya’ll soon 🙂
*kisses*
Princess Raelynn
“IDC if it’s your religion, it’s ugly.”
Generally that’s what I’ve been seeing on Lolita Secrets. It. Sickens. Me. I understand stateing a point and giving criticism. Isn’t that what so many Lolitas look for online, criticism? But saying that an outfit is ugly, especially dissing a religion? I say that is over stepping a line. I’ll be the first to admitt that a head wrap looks different and, if not in the right colour, can look not-so-great, but it’s not my place to say that it’s ugly. I honestly think many girls in the pictures I’ve seen can pull it off rather well (see above for example.)
I’ve also seen the argument “Lolita is fashion, not religion.” the Get-your-religion-out-of-my-Lolita arguement. That too bugs me. Yes, Lolita is fashion. The head wrap (I only use this example because I’ve seen the most drama about it) isn’t fashion. These beautiful women are not adding it as an accessory, they’d wear it at any other time as well. It is part of who they are. What is Lolita if not a way to express yourself? What is any fashion if you cannot express yourself as who you are? Would we attack a Jewish person for wearing a star of david with Lolita? No? Lets get a bit more controversial. What about a pagan?
I am a Pagan. I will announce that loudly and proudly if ever asked. The only reason I’ve not posted it on here before is that I respect the barrier of fashion and religion. Just because I know and respect the boundries does not mean I’m not going to wear a triquatra or, heavens forbid in my bible belt home, an pentacle with my Lolita. Lolita is part of me. Paganism is part of who I am. The writer, the Cherokee. These are all equal parts of me. If I want to wear a pettit coat with a pentacle and feathers, then I should have the right to without being told I look ugly. Fashion, Lolita specifically (in my opinion), is supposed to be something to bring people together. If the lovely lady above didn’t wear her head dress, nor I my pentacle, nor a Jewish girl her star, nor a Christian girl her cross, could we not all admire a new print or lace quality? Why should a piece of cloth, a necklace, a pendant, a belief, why should it stop us from incouraging eachother and being together as Lolitas?
Just My opinion. Have an arguement? Comment. Nothing rude please. If you disagree feel free to say so politely.
❤
Princess Raelynn
*Though/Question of the day*
Why does it seem the Lolita community is so catty?
I’m home! Back in the lovely heat of Arkansas, and sick as a dog. I have Tonsilitus and some European strand of Strep, yay for me! *note sarcasm* As of last night, I’m on bed rest, soft food diet, and limited talking, just gives me time to blog and catch up! 🙂
As far as the trip went, it was amazing! The travel blog, fell through. I didn’t have daily access to a computer, nor did I have time to keep a journal to retype at home. It was a very rushed trip at the begining, but totally worth it! Hampton Court Palace, Tower of London, Normandy, Eiffel Tower, Sanders Field, Amsterdam, Herbourn, and the Swiss Alps, to name a few, were amazing! Scoul, Switerland was by far my favorite town we visited (for living in), though Paris was my favorite vaca spot! I didn’t see the BTSSB shop, nor did Hunter, must be hard to find, oh well, life goes on 🙂 I was so happy to get this chance, but I think I’m happier to be home. I’ll get pictures up later, right now I think I’ll take a nap. “Rest and hydration,” the doctor said, he forgot to say that my men would be waiting on me hand and food. 🙂 I love them so.
❤
Princess Raelynn
In lolita, it seems, there’s such a fuss over brand. I admit it, I’ve even kicked myself for not having a single piece of brand. But to be honest, I don’t like many brand as much as I do off/indie. I like Meta and Victorian Maiden, but I also like Dear Celine and Rose Melody. This isn’t to say I don’t like AP, Baby, etc. because I certainly do, I just don’t like them as much. Perhaps I prefere off-brands because you don’t see their items as often, which makes them unique. I also think they have less complicated design and work less to please the world. Perhaps I’m just a silly, out of the norm Loli, but that’s just how I feel. Now, because I’m bored, I’m gonna post some of my favorite dresses, etc.
❤
Princess Raelynn
<<HERE>>
I really like the gauzy look of this one. Looks almost Nymph or Fairy princess-y 🙂
<<HERE>>
If you look at the fabric in the bigger pics it’s just so cute! Almost emo-cons!
The poor baby had to stay in the nursery. No one but the mommy and daddy got to hold him before the started IVs and heating lands and tests :(.
So maybe I should be shot for how late this is, but oh well. On June 5th, 2010 my newest nephew was welcomed into the world! After some scarey labor problems mommy and the 6lbs 1oz, 21 in Blade Konner are just fine! I’m so happy to finally welcome him into the world! Sadly I have to leave him only 6 days after him being born, but I’ll be back in 20 days! I just wanted to throw all that out there and let ya’ll know that I’m all happy! 🙂
BTW, I also have my travel blog made. I made it on Blogger so I can see how it operates and if I like it. Most of my favorite blogs are currently hosted there, since Miss Lumpy recently moved (and is loving it), I figured I’d try it out and see what I think. So far I don’t like it, but after a bit of toddling, I may switch, all depends on what I can figure out. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TRAVEL BLOG!!
*kisses*
Princess Raelynn
Starting this Friday, I’ll be gone for three weeks. I’m going with the People to People Student Amabassador group to Europe!! We’ll be going to England, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. I’m so excited and really plan on making a website or blog about my trip. As part of the program, we keep “Travel Journals” but I plan to keep another journal to post to the new website/blog when I return, as I don’t think I will have access to a computer often. Sadly there will be no lolita on this trip (and no BTSSB in Paris 😦 ), but this’ll still be a ton of fun and I’ll have loads of pictures!!
This is really a dream trip to me, but I’m so very nervous. Yes, I’m excited (who wouldn’t be?). But I’m also scared. This will be my longest time away from home, plus, I’ll be in new countries that may or may not speak my language. Though I have the group leaders there, I still have to be more responsible at home. Daddy won’t be there to make me get up or to make sure I don’t forget anything in the hotel room. I think I can step up though, so this should be fun. 🙂
I’m going to try to get another Behind the Fashion up before I go, Miss Rosie, author of The Ugly Duckling, is currently working on completeing her answers. 🙂
Well, I don’t know what else to talk about, so I’ll go start packing (and seeing what else I still have to buy). I’ll talk to all of ya’ll again about the first of July (after I rest and get good american food, or maybe japanese… ^-^)
*kisses*
Princess Raelynn
Today on Tumblr, I saw the above photo. It was originally posted by Milky Chuu, it definately made me smile. And as the last line says, I decided to give it a go.
I will fight boredom with action, ideas, and creativity. I will fight boredom with writing, girl’s days, and reading. I will fight the stereotype and broken ideas of women. I will fight boredom by helping others and myself, at the same time. I will fight the the winter blues with apple cider and baking through the afternoon. I will got for walks and take new adventures in the summer sun. I will fight boredom with spontinaity. I will write letters by hand and carry, at least, one book every where I go. I will break free of the mold society has made for me. I will act silly and never fear what others think. When friends and family become bored I will drag them on walks and adventures, and they will have fun. I will fight boredom in my own way and be only me.
——
As for the series, I promise my next post will be a new lovely lady’s answers! I’m just waiting to recieve the photo 🙂 So keep checkin back 🙂
*kisses*
Princess Raelynn
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First up, there’s Messages in Cloud, a feature that synchronizes messages between devices across multiple devices. Delete a message on one device, and it’s gone on all the others. While newer messages will be stored on the device, older messages will be offloaded to iCloud to save on storage space.
Another feature that makes a return is AirPlay 2.
iOS 11.4 Public Beta 1 (Image: ZDNet/Apple)
AirPlay 2 is an update to the AirPlay wireless standard that Apple has been using since 2010. The new update adds multi-room audio, HomeKit integration, and a raft of other audio-related improvements. AirPlay 2 debuted almost a year ago at WWDC 2017, and while it was present in early betas of iOS 11.3 and tvOS 11.3, it was later removed.
Also in the iOS 11.4 public beta is the HomePod stereo pairing, but since this requires a yet-to-be-released HomePod update, there’s no way to test it.
Also, the release includes support for Apple’s new ClassKit framework, allowing developers to add support for the upcoming Schoolwork app to their own apps.
If you want access to the public beta, you need to sign up. You can do that here. Before you go any further, you might want to look at my list of precautions and caveats related to running beta software on your iPhone. While you can easily roll back from running the beta, it’s possible for the beta to cause havoc in the meantime.
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If you no longer have coins because you pay for everything with your credit cards this free BlackBerry Storm and BlackBerry App is for you. Although we didn't flip-out over this particular app. It does let you flip a coin when you don't have one!
Nickel Buddy makes games, of course they would like to promote their games so they are offering this free coin toss app.
To play Nickel Buddy Coin Toss press a key or tap the screen (on Storm) to flip a coin. The animated coin randomly lands on heads or tails. It also displays number of heads or tails results.
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LaFourchette, part of the TripAdvisor group, is a pure player company & the European leader of online booking for restaurants. We are an innovative & fast-growing company building a unique community of members to transform the way people dine out!
LaFourchettes goal is to become the #1 app for online restaurant booking in the world.
Why join us?
You are passionate about technology & comfortable in an international & agile environment? You're ready for the challenge of a SaaS service for several thousand customers & B2C interfaces for millions of users? Are you ready to invest in a company whose entire service is subject to heavy use & is present in a dozen countries, to accompany its rapid growth? You want to build reliable back ends & operate scalable services that power the leader of online restaurant booking?
You will join a dynamic & agile team located in Paris in a quickly changing environment. You will be involved in an international organization that empowers its employees, cares about their career & values sharing.
Job description
As part of the Product Design team, you will participate in the design & evolution of our cross-platform products for restaurant-goers & restaurant owners.
As a product designer, you will work with Product Managers, Dev Leads & other Designers to create a pleasant, consistent, results-driven experience across our different platforms: mobile apps, web mobile & web desktop.
As a Product Designer, your core responsibilities are to:
Understand our users & our product
Gather our users needs & wishes
Understand the market & context of dining
Understand our product features & its constraints
Understand what brings value for our users & our business
Define, with our Product Owners, the future of the Dining experience
Define the interaction workflows on different devices (mobile, desktop, tablet)
Own one of our design projects & together with the Product Manager, define the vision & design values of it
Design
Sketch early low-fi prototypes for cross-device experiences
Help in the creation of a consistent style guide for our interfaces
Build & design high-fidelity prototypes
Work side-by-side with developers during the integration
Evaluate
Through an iterative process, test & refine your concepts
Animate qualitative & quantitative user tests
Based on users feedback, provide recommendations for future iterations of your designs
REQUIREMENTS
At least 6 years of experience in design.
At least 1 successful experience designing on a mobile-first approach
A solid portfolio of the different aspects of Product Design: From concept to final product.
OUR TEAM WILL LOVE YOU IF
You excel at creating fine-tuned experiences
You love all things design & are not afraid to share the love
Youre not afraid of presenting & defending your design concepts at all levels of the organisation
Youre always looking for new & upcoming trends in design
You fight for good design
Youre like fish in the water working with an agile methodology
Youre not afraid of finding the right tool for the job when it comes to design
OUR MUST
You already manage the tools of the trade: Sketch, Axure, etc.
You can work in English with our international partners
When applying, please add a resume/portfolio that represents your experience in all aspects of product design you know (From user research to pixel-perfect UI design)
What we offer ?
Being part of hyper growth digital player, headquartered in Paris, with strong international presence & with a winning company culture (balance long-term perspective with accountability, leverage learning & innovation, increase internal cohesion, build a caring environment)
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EA’s Gibeau: free-to-play and sub-based titles can coexist
EA labels president Frank Gibeau believes subscription-based games are here to stay in some capacity, but it depends on the the type of game being developed.
Speaking with Kotaku, Gibeau said free-to-play or subscription models aren’t grouped into an either-or category.
“I think subscription is just one way delivering content,” Gibeau said. “In the case of Battlefield Premium, we have a million-and-a-half subscribers and that’s moving along nicely. At the same time, other types of products like Star Wars are probably better positioned around having a free-to-play model.
“With Star Wars, you have a broad-based IP that pulls the widest possible audience, we can bring in a large number of people. I think we’ve been fairly upfront with the fact that we course-corrected on Star Wars because we felt like we were fighting too many headwinds in the marketplace and it needed to be repositioned to fall with what customers were telling us.
“Frankly, when we made the switch, one of the big things that we were concerned with was that the existing subscriber base would freak out. And there will be a subscription layer. If people prefer to pay through subscriptions, they can do that.”
Gibeau said both free-to-play and sub-based titles can and will coexist going forward, but with EA it’s ultimately “bout what kind of game we’re building and then we’ll figure out the business model.”
SWTOR goes free to play in November.
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.
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CSO
Late last month I put together a list of environmental bills that were going to come up in the Virginia General Assembly for the 2017 session. I would like to go into more detail on the bills related to Alexandria’s combined sewer system, and provide you with some updates on those bills.
The City of Alexandria has an outdated wastewater management system. Their combined sewer system, which collects both wastewater and stormwater for treatment at Alexandria Renew, is prone to overflow events during periods of heavy rainfall. Overflows discharge millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River- up to 70 million gallons per year, according to the Potomac Riverkeepers. Raw sewage discharged into the Potomac River negatively impacts water quality and wildlife; causes major public health risks; and exacerbates nutrient pollution in the Chesapeake Bay- a watershed that the state of Virginia has pledged to clean up, through the EPA-mandated Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint.
Two of the original bills in the 2017 legislative session -House Bill 1423 and Senate Bill 819- targeted discharges from the City of Alexandria’s combined sewer overflow (CSO) system.
House Bill 1423, was first referred to the Committee on Commerce and Labor, has since been referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources (on 1/19). This bill calls for the Department of Environmental Quality to identify CSO outfalls that discharge into the Potomac River and lay out actions to bring these outfalls into compliance with federal and state laws by July 1, 2027. This bill would directly target Alexandria’s CSO Outfall Site 001.
Senate Bill (SB) 819, introduced by Senator Adam Ebbin (who represents part of Alexandria) called for the City to complete an assessment of needed system improvements and discharges from Alexandria Renew’s outfall sites to the Potomac River watershed by January 1, 2029. Failure to do so would cause the State Water Control Board to hold off on renewing the Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for this wastewater facility. This bill was stricken from the docket of the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources on January 12, before it could reach the Senate floor.
Senate Bill 819 seems to have been scrapped in favor of stronger regulation. On January 12, the same committee that killed SB 819 introduced a new bill, which would require the City of Alexandria to eliminate all discharges of sewer into the Potomac River watershed by July 1, 2020, with severe financial penalties enacted for failure to comply. The committee ultimately adopted a substitute (on 1/19) to bring to the Senate floor, lengthening this timeline to 2025.
The City of Alexandria needs to update and reconfigure its combined sewer system to eliminate overflow events, and it needs to do so sooner than the timelines laid out in the recent House and Senate bills if Alexandria is serious about improving water quality and decreasing public health risks. The City of Alexandria released their Long Term Control Plan Update late last year which lays out how they will deal with this issue, but the timeline for this plan is also too long. Many of the proposed fixes would not be fully implemented for at least another 15 years. The DEQ still needs to approve this plan and the City must finalize funding. The Long Term Control Plan Update is several steps away from being put into motion.
The first wastewater treatment facility in the City of Alexandria was constructed in 1956; a combined sewer system existed long before that. This discharge issue is one that has been occurring for decades. It is time to eliminate all discharges of raw sewage to the Potomac River.
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Very few teams have the distinction of Pro Bowl linebackers playing side by side in their defense. The Bears have that in Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher. What they have at the other linebacker spot, however, is less distinguished or settled going into this years draft.
The Bears
Briggs, Urlacher and Hunter Hillenmeyer gave the Bears a bedrock linebacker corps through much of the decade. But injuries gradually slowed Hillenmeyer until concussions in the 2010 preseason all but ended his career.
Nick Roach and Pisa Tinoisamoa combined over the last two seasons to give the Bears solid replacements for Hillenmeyer. But both of them had knee issues and have not settled the position the way Hillenmeyer did.
Brian Iwuh at 6-0, 239 pounds played well in limited opportunities and is an ideal roster fit with his special-teams prowess. Rod Wilson has worked passably as a backup but didnt secure a spot with his opportunities and will be 30.
A complicating element in the overall is that the Bears have major money tied up in Briggs and Urlacher and both are 30-plus. The nature of the cap is that the organization cannot afford to lavish another huge contract on the position group, particularly at the one spot that is frequently a two-down player.
Need: The roster is too thin at linebacker. Roach is a longshot to be back and Tinoisamoa missed four games with injury down the late-season stretch. The position will be addressed but not before the middle rounds of the draft unless a gem falls to the Bears in the second or third.
The 2011 draft
Von Miller from Texas A&M is one of the single highest-graded player in the entire draft and will not last past the first five picks, more likely the first three. The situation after that takes on an interesting dimension, because the proliferation of 3-4 defenses has more teams looking for one type of linebacker, primarily a pass rusherhybrid defensive end. The Bears are set in their 4-3 scheme and looking in an entirely different direction.
The 3-4 teams are helping us with our linebackers, said GM Jerry Angelo. Probably the guys we like are not onhalf the boards in the league, and that will help us. Like in the old days, 3-4 teams could get their pass rushers in the fifth, sixth round, and sometimes in free agency, because nobody was playing that scheme. In part, it's helped us defensively, I think there are more linebackers for us, that we can get later, if we choose to go in that direction, and even in free agency.
From my vantage point, that's probably the most fertile position on the board for us, in the mid to later rounds and free agency. We'll be able to find players to come in here with the traits that we're looking for.
The Best Bets:
(Again leaving out the very obvious elite, in Von Miller since he will have no relevance in the Bears draft.)
1. Martez Wilson, Illinois His Combine raised his stock appreciably and if he somehow lasts until the Bears turn in the second round, this could be a surprise pick as the best-available and possible successor to Urlacher.
2. Bruce Carter, North Carolina Another potentially excellent fit in a 4-3 but an ACL problem cost him the Combine and he comes with health risks. Like Urlacher, a converted safety.
3. Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina Has played both outside and inside and may be a better fit at MLB. Overshadowed by some teammates but from a very solid program.
John "Moon" Mullin is CSNChicago.com's Bears Insider, and appears regularly on Bears Postgame Live and Chicago Tribune Live. Follow Moon on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Bears information.
Bears looking into Teryl Austin’s past for clues on how Lions will scheme vs. Matt Barkley
Bears looking into Teryl Austin’s past for clues on how Lions will scheme vs. Matt Barkley
The adage “play the man, not the board” seems somehow appropriate for what the Bears are doing to prepare for the Detroit Lions behind quarterback Matt Barkley.
“The man” is Detroit defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, and the Bears have been scouting him as well as his defenses, beyond just Bears games, beyond this season and last, taking in his 2014 Detroit season when Austin prepared defenses for Jay Cutler and Jimmy Clausen.
How did Austin scheme for rookie Carson Wentz when the Lions played (and beat) the Philadelphia Eagles? How did he structure is defense to stop a rookie Teddy Bridgewater when Detroit played Minnesota? (Not very well, apparently, since the Vikings won both games and scored 54 points combined in the two games).
While the John Fox Bears staff went against Austin’s Lions defense twice last year, Cutler was the Bears quarterback. When the Bears beat Austin and the Lions two months ago, it was with Brian Hoyer.
Now the Bears quarterback is Matt Barkley, who has fewer NFL games played (seven) than Cutler has NFL seasons (11), Hoyer (eight), too, for that matter.
“Different defensive coordinators attack young quarterbacks differently,” said offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains. “Some guys blitz, some guys play a bunch of zone. This group on defense there, they have a really good defensive coordinator, they're really smart, they do a bunch of stuff. On the back end, they run all the coverages.
“As a game, we'll have to make adjustments as the game goes and see what their plan to come out is early.”
Coaches and players may talk about how they prepare for a scheme irrespective of which opposing quarterback, running back, linebacker or whatever they will be facing. But in fact, preparations start with who is orchestrating the opponent’s offense or defense – play the man, not the board.
A risk can be out-thinking yourself trying to anticipate what a coordinator will do. The first point, Loggains said, is to start with your own strengths.
“We definitely look at that,” Loggains said. “As you go in the league long and longer, you face these guys, you see them in crossover games. We always know how a guy attacks a rookie quarterback or attacks a young quarterback, a veteran, or, in Matt's case, a guy who hasn't played as much.”
Evaluations of Barkley’s performance will broaden, particularly now that he is on tape for defensive coordinators to scheme for and scout. And while they are watching Barkley, the Bears are watching them.
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Email – From Novelty to Nefarious
How a revolutionary technology was usurped for evil, and what we can do about it
Since its inception, email has gone from a novelty, to a necessity, to at times a nuisance, and now, to downright nefarious. “You’ve got mail” has somehow turned into “You’ve got malware.” Email has become and remains to this day the number one vector for distributing cyber threats. So how did we get here?
Novelty – You’ve Got Mail!
It all started in the 1970s, when the first electronic messages were sent. At first only in the realm of computer scientists and academics, Queen Elizabeth sent her first email in 1976. It wasn’t long before email hit the mainstream in the 1990s. And soon, there was even a hit movie centered around it. (Who could forget 1998’s ‘You’ve Got Mail’ starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks?)
Necessity – #1 Means of Doing Business
Today, it’s hard to imagine life without email – especially when it comes to doing business. While personal communication via email has sometimes given way to newer methods like texting and social media, email is still the number one tool for business communication. Studies have shown that the average professional receives over 120 emails a day.
Nuisance – First Came Spam…
The world was clearly thrilled about email – including, unfortunately, those with less-than-pure intentions for it. The first spam message was sent in 1978 before email even became widespread; and by the 2000s, the U.S. government had to enact laws to control the deluge of unsolicited emails. To this day, spam still accounts for roughly half of all email sent worldwide.
Nefarious – One Vector, Many Attacks
But, of course, nuisance spam is no longer our main concern. Over the years, email has been the conduit for far more serious attacks. Threat actors soon realized that email could be used not only to coerce people into buying things, but also to trick them into handing over proprietary data, downloading malware on corporate systems, siphoning money out of their company, and so on.
This one vector has given rise to many different types of threats. According to ESG, 7 out of 10 organizations feel that email security has gotten more difficult over the past two years.
One of the earliest forms of email-based attacks came in the form of mass-mailing worms. For example, the ILOVEYOU virus spread like wildfire over email in 2000. Millions of targets around the world opened malicious attachments that overwrote files on their computers. The worm continued spreading by sending copies of itself to other users in the victims’ email address books.
The 2000s also saw the rise of botnets (large groups of computers taken over and controlled by attackers to carry out cybercrime), which further proliferated spam and other attacks.
Phishing and Business Email Compromise
Shortly after email became nearly ubiquitous in the 1990s, we also began to see the first instances of phishing. Phishingrefers to the use of bogus emails disguised to be from trusted entities. Phishing emails are sent to unsuspecting users to entice them to give away confidential information or click on malicious links/files. Even the most sophisticated users continue to fall victim to these attacks. Industry reports indicate that more than 90 percent of successful cyberattacks stem from phishing.
The attack method has further evolved as well, with spear phishing now being used to target specific companies or individuals through more personalized emails. And some attackers go so far as to use business email compromise (BEC) to fool high-value targets such as CEOs and CFOs into wiring money or sending sensitive information to them. According to the FBI, BEC caused more than $12.5 billion in losses over 4.5 years.
A sample phishing email
Ransomware
Speaking of money, we should all be more than familiar with ransomware by now. Instead of just stealing data from systems, ransomware encrypts it and holds it hostage until victims pay a ransom to get it back. Users merely have to click on a link in an email, or open a malicious attachment, to launch the attack. By 2021, businesses will fall victim to ransomware every 11 seconds.
Malicious Cryptomining
2018 saw ransomware be overtaken by cryptomining, which arose as the year’s most prominent online money-making scheme. Through malicious cryptomining, attackers infiltrate networks using email or other methods, and use companies’ IT resources to generate cryptocurrency. It has become a popular attack method because it doesn’t require any cooperation or even knowledge from victims to make money.
However, it should be of concern to organizations since it can cause problems with resource constraints, power consumption, network performance, and regulatory compliance. Additionally, the presence of malicious cryptomining on a network can point to security holes that could also be exploited by other attackers.
Email Extortion
Perhaps most nefarious, threat actors have recently taken to using email to distribute a variety of extortion-based attacks. In one type, sextortion, attackers claim to have evidence (such as a sexually explicit video of the target), and demand money in return for not distributing it.
Despite the empty threats and lack of actual evidence, victims have been tricked into sending these extortionists large sums of Bitcoin. Even more insidious, attackers have also gone so far as to use extortion threats to distribute fake bomb scares, i.e., “we have placed a bomb in your office building, but if you pay us, we will not detonate it.”
Developing a Multi-Layered Email Security Defense
Besides all largely stemming from email, the above attacks have another thing in common: there is no single technology that can stop them. As with all types of security today, protecting against email-based threats requires a layered approach. Cisco Email Securitygateways include several layers of defenses for inbound and outbound mail. They protect against threats in email text, links, and attachments with technologies such as:
Antispam
Antivirus
Encryption
URL analysis
Sender reputation
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Advanced authentication
Cisco offers additional cloud security services including:
Advanced Phishing Protection – Uses machine learning to protect against deception-based threats. The technology learns identities and behavioral relationships to become intelligent and prevent costly breaches. It can also automatically remove malicious emails from users’ inboxes to combat wire fraud or other advanced attacks.
Cisco Advanced Phishing Protection
Cisco Domain Protection – Protects your outbound communications so your organization does not inadvertently become the attacker. Using the DMARC standard as the most effective method, Cisco Domain Protection provides visibility to identify and eliminate sources of illegitimate email. It can prevent phishing and other malicious emails from being sent using your domain.
Advanced Malware Protection (AMP)– Malware protection is a critical component for thwarting email-based attacks. Cisco AMP for Email Security analyzes emails for threats such as zero-day exploits hidden in malicious attachments. Once a file crosses the email gateway, AMP continues to watch, analyze, and record its activity. If malicious behavior is spotted later, AMP sends you a retrospective alert so that you can contain and remediate the malware. This continuous monitoring and visibility reduces time to detection, as well as the impact of attacks.
Multi-Factor Authentication– Duo Security, now a part of Cisco, verifies user identities, provides visibility into every device, and enforces adaptive policies to secure access to all applications. This helps protect individuals’ credentials from being stolen and shared via phishing attacks, reducing the risk of a data breach.
Cisco Threat Response– By providing automated integration across several Cisco security products, including Email Security, Cisco Threat Response (CTR) serves as a foundation for fast, efficient incident investigation and response. It aggregates threat intelligence from Cisco and third-party technologies, as well as Cisco Talos, into a single interface to dramatically streamline security.
Cisco Threat Response
Cisco Email Security can be delivered via an appliance, virtual, cloud, or hybrid model to adapt to your organization’s needs. It can also help secure organizations moving to cloud-based email platforms like Microsoft Office 365 and Google’s G Suite.
Less Menace, More Miracle
Predictions show that email will continue to be a necessity in the foreseeable future. Our goal at Cisco is to help make it less nefarious, and less of a nuisance, to restore its reputation as one of the most game-changing innovations of the 20th century.
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"No, but I'll be better after a hot shower and a change of clothes. Maybe some dinner? Anyway, let's get out of here." Steve musters his dignity and straightens up as best he can. He's still pale but he at least looks ready to walk around again.
With the bottle in one hand, Konrad firmly secures the cork onto the waterskin in in the other as he takes another sip of rum, and falls in with the others. "This Avatar certainly thought of everything to prepare you. We can respect them for that much, whatever they may be up to here."
"Yeah, we went to City Hall to try and get some information about the Werewolf's victims, and things just fell into place with the Administrator. We agreed to follow up on those once we were done here."
He's silent for a moment, before adding - "Other than that, we're bone dry on leads about Fedler and Breeze."
The young woman raises an eyebrow but says nothing. She nods and keeps walking down a narrow alleyway. Thirty seconds later, the party reaches one of the main streets. The streetlamps illuminate the empty road before them, allowing Steve to deactivate his ring of light if he wishes to. Nadzieja spots a group of armed warriors at the end of the street; she crosses her arms and waits for them to approach.
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The Toyota Prius Two receives a minor styling update for 2012, as well as new standard features. Outside, styling updates include standard LED taillights and running lights, plus new 15...
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The Toyota Prius Two receives a minor styling update for 2012, as well as new standard features. Outside, styling updates include standard LED taillights and running lights, plus new 15-inch wheels, as well as a redesigned front fascia, bumper and headlights. Other standard exterior features include heated power mirrors and a rear spoiler with a centered LED light. Inside, the Prius Two gains a new display audio system with a 6.1-inch touchscreen as a standard feature. The new touchscreen display is part of a 6-speaker AM/FM audio system, which includes a CD player, USB port, input jack, Bluetooth and audio streaming. Drivers can also use the display to view vehicle information and customize vehicle settings. Other standard features for the Prius Two include automatic climate control, a tilt/telescopic steering wheel, remote keyless entry, a Smart Key system, a 60/40-split rear seat, and power windows and door locks. Cloth upholstery comes standard, with 6-way manual adjustment for the driver's seat and 4-way adjustment for the passenger.
Power for the Prius Two comes from a fuel-efficient Hybrid Synergy Drive powerplant, which includes a 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder gas engine and an electric motor. The gas engine produces 98 hp, which increases to 134 hp when combined with the electric motor. Combined torque tops out at 153 lb-ft. The powerplant links to an electronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) and posts fuel economy numbers of 51/48 mpg. Seven airbags, including a driver's knee airbag, also come standard, along with Toyota's Star Safety System, which includes enhanced vehicle stability control, traction control and antilock brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution. Hill Start Assist, another standard feature, aids the driver when starting from a full stop on a hill.
The 2012 Toyota Prius Three displays an updated exterior design and comes equipped with a number of new standard features, including a new 6.1-inch display audio system and an upgraded ...
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The 2012 Toyota Prius Three displays an updated exterior design and comes equipped with a number of new standard features, including a new 6.1-inch display audio system and an upgraded Smart Key entry system with push-button start and illuminated entry. The new audio system gives owners voice and touchscreen access to a 6-speaker AM/FM audio system with a CD player, USB port, Bluetooth and audio streaming, as well as navigation, HD radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, text-to-speech capability, a backup camera and Toyota's new Entune system, all of which come standard. The Entune system, which is similar to Ford's SYNC system, integrates with the driver's smart phone via an app and enables drivers to search for restaurants and stores, shop for movie tickets and check sports scores, traffic and weather. Other standard features for the Prius Three include automatic climate control, a multifunction tilt/telescopic steering wheel, a 60/40-split rear seat and power windows and door locks. Cloth upholstery with manually adjustable front seats also comes standard.
New exterior features for the Prius Three include a redesigned front fascia, bumper, headlights and LED taillights. Other standard exterior features include heated power mirrors and 15-inch alloy wheels. Power comes from Toyota's fuel-efficient Hybrid Synergy Drive, which consists of a 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder gas engine and an electric motor. Working together, the gas engine and electric motor produce 134 hp and 153 lb-ft of torque. The powerplant links to an electronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) and posts fuel economy numbers of 51/48 mpg. Among the standard safety features are 7 airbags and Toyota's Star Safety System, which includes enhanced vehicle stability control, traction control and antilock brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution. Hill Start Assist, another standard feature, aids the driver when starting from a full stop on a hill. The Prius Three rides on 15-inch alloy wheels.
The mid-level Toyota Prius Four receives a number of new standard features for 2012, as well as updated exterior styling. Outside, the Prius Four displays a redesigned front fascia, bum...
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The mid-level Toyota Prius Four receives a number of new standard features for 2012, as well as updated exterior styling. Outside, the Prius Four displays a redesigned front fascia, bumper, headlights and LED taillights. In addition, auto on/off headlights join the standard equipment list, which also includes heated power mirrors and 15-inch alloy wheels. Inside, new standard features include SofTex upholstery, heated front seats and an 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat. The Prius Four's new 6.1-inch audio display, which drivers can access by voice or touch, integrates the vehicle's numerous audio and entertainment systems, including the 8-speaker AM/FM audio system, CD player, navigation system, HD radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, text-to-speech capability, backup camera and Toyota's new Entune system, all of which come standard. The Entune system integrates with the driver's smart phone via an app, enabling drivers to search for restaurants and stores, shop for movie tickets and check sports scores, traffic and weather, among other activities. Also new for 2012 are upgraded JBL GreenEdge speakers and a JBL amplifier, which are designed to draw less electricity. Other standard interior features for the Prius Four includes front seatback pockets, automatic climate control, a multifunction tilt/telescopic steering wheel, a 60/40-split rear seat and power windows and door locks.
Toyota's fuel-efficient Hybrid Synergy Drive powers the Prius Four. It consists of a 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder gas engine and an electric motor, which produce a combined 134 hp and 153 lb-ft of torque. The powerplant connects to an electronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) and posts fuel economy numbers of 51/48 mpg. Standard safety features include 7 airbags and Toyota's Star Safety System, which incorporates enhanced vehicle stability control, traction control and antilock brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution. Hill Start Assist, another standard feature, aids the driver when starting from a full stop on a hill.
As the top-of-the-line Prius available for 2012, the Prius Five comes well-equipped with a wide range of standard features. It also displays an number of exterior updates for 2012, incl...
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As the top-of-the-line Prius available for 2012, the Prius Five comes well-equipped with a wide range of standard features. It also displays an number of exterior updates for 2012, including a redesigned front fascia, bumper, headlights and LED taillights. Standard exterior features for the Prius Five include LED headlights with auto-off and headlight cleaners, foglights, power mirrors, a rear spoiler and 17-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the 6.1-inch new audio touchscreen integrates the vehicle's many tech and entertainment features, including navigation, HD radio, SiriusXM satellite radio and backup camera, as well as an AM/FM/CD audio system with 8 JBL speakers and a JBL amplifier, all designed to draw less electricity. Other standard features found in the Prius Five's roomy cabin include SofTex upholstery, heated front seats with seatback pockets, 8-way power-adjustable driver's seat, automatic climate control, multifunction tilt/telescopic steering wheel, and power windows and door locks. In addition, the backseat splits 60/40 to expand the Prius's 21.6 cubic feet of storage space.
A Hybrid Synergy Drive provides power for the Prius Five. It consists of a 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder gas engine and an electric motor, which combined produce 134 hp and 153 lb-ft of torque. The powerplant, which connects to an electronic continuously variable transmission (CVT), posts fuel economy numbers of 51/48 mpg. Standard safety features include 7 airbags and Toyota's Star Safety System, which incorporates enhanced vehicle stability control, traction control and antilock brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution. Hill Start Assist, another standard feature, aids the driver when starting from a full stop on a hill. Optional features for the Prius Five include an Advanced Technology Package, which adds an HDD navigation system, a heads-up display, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, a pre-collision system and a Lane Keep Assist system.
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Tuesday, October 1, 2013
For a Special Friends Birthday
I won the challenge at Pollycraft last week and with my prize I bought the fabulous Mega Bundle of all the new images since the store reopened. I was a Pollycraft fan from before and so happy to see them reopen and the new designs are just so much fun and so I thought I'd play along with their latest challenge with one of their images.
I decided to go with a twisted easel style card, it is super easy to do and just gives a little extra "twist" to the display of the card.
This little cutie just makes me smile :) I fussy cut her out and added another head to give more dimension. I added Stickles to the flowers for a little more sparkle, what Birthday Girl doesn't like a little bling?
I hope you like this and be back tomorrow for a new card for Inky Impressions
Katie
I love doing easel cards and completely agree they really do make for a great display. Pollycraft is a new company to me but you've convinced me I need to go check them out....love the image.Thanks so much for sharing your sweet card with us this week at HIMCR!hugs--RobertaHiding in My Craft Room Design TeamQueen Bee Paper Crafts
What a fun card! You have coloured that girl so pretty. Your use of dies is just gorgeous just like the colour combination! You are going to make someone very happy with that card!!! Thank you so much for playing with us at Cheery Lynn Designs and 613 Avenue Create this week good luck hugs Amy ;-)
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Over 200 colleagues and guests gather in celebration of Olympic journalism in Rio
RIO DE JANEIRO, August 8, 2016 – Around 100 members of the media were joined by Olympic Champions, partners and guests on Monday morning as a new chapter in the celebration of Olympic journalism was written at the iconic Tokyo2020 Japan House at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Journalists who have covered 10 or more Olympic Games in careers and an outstanding dedication spanning over three decades, were honoured with limited edition Rio 2016 replica torches provided by AIPS Gold Partners and official Olympic merchandiser Honav.
A LOOK TO TOKYO 2020
Olympic hammer throw champion from Athens 2004 and bronze medalist from London 2012, Japan’s Foji Murafushi welcomed journalists to the Tokyo 2020 Japan House, the home of the next Games, and hailed the powerful role of the media within the Olympic movement.
“I am honoured to be here and welcome so many members of the media who are crucial to the very existence of the Olympic Games, whose next home will be Tokyo in four years’ time. I look forward to welcoming everyone here to Tokyo, where we will continue the celebration of the Games and its outstanding coverage.”
“Tokyo will have five new sports on the program in 2020, which means so many new stories to tell,” the 2011 World hammer throw champion said.
AIPS President Gianni Merlo delivered his initial speech by thanking Honav and Tokyo 2020 for their support and by congratulating all the veteran journalists present and underlining: “Here in Rio we have faced some serious matters and our hope is that Tokyo2020 will deliver a more journalist-friendly Games. Our important role is not even considered in Agenda2020.”
OLYMPIC LEGENDS
Four-time Olympic gold medalist, winner of eight World Championships gold medals, and the holder of both the world and Olympic records in the 400 m, one of the mostly highly regarded Olympians in the world, Laureus Academy member Michael Johnson was just one of the champions that honored veteran journalists at the Tokyo 2020 Japan House, explaining that media was a crucial pillar of the Olympic Games.
“We are here to celebrate journalists for their contribution to the Olympics, and the effort the put in to bringing the Games to the public around the world,” the US sprinting legend and Olympian said.
Johnson also explained the crucial role of Laureus in sport, which, in celebrating excellence, harnesses the positive power of sport for good, foremost in tackling society’s most pressing challenges around the globe.
MEDIA SUPERHEROES
The first journalist to be called to the stage was Italian veteran sports photographer Giuliano Bevilacqua of The World of Sports Agency who is covering a milestone 25th Olympic Games in Rio (13 Summer and 12 Winter). He was presented with a Rio 2016 replica torch by one of the most highly regarded Olympic veterans – HRH Prince Albert II of Monaco, who competed in both Summer and Winter Games spanning over decades himself, and who highlighted the dedication and passion of the media.
Bevilacqua explained that the passion for the Games has led to superhuman efforts, especially for photographers.
“Being a photographer at the Olympic Games, finding the right position, the right angle for a shot all while carrying around all of our equipment is one of the most enduring practices there is. We are superheroes of our own. Having covered the Games and done this, for so many years is something to be proud of,” Bevilacqua said.
SAPPORO 1972
Germany’s Hartmut Scherzer, honored on Monday for having covered 21 Olympic Games, has been working as a freelance sports journalist for over 50 years.
“Being here and being recognized by AIPS for my coverage of the Olympics makes me proud. My first Games, were in 1964, and I hope that God will give me the gratitude to be in Tokyo in 2020. Then the circle of my life in Olympic journalism closes after 52 years.”
Scherzer also revealed his most memorable Olympic moment out of the countless he has been a part of.
“I was the one who had to tell Karl Schranz that [IOC president] Avery Brundage had kicked him out of the Olympics in Sapporo in 1972, because he was a professional. In those days the problem was whether you were a professional or an amateur and Brundage hated professionals. I was the one who got the news from my agency – United Press International. When Karl Schranz came down the slope from training, I told him ‘Karl you have to go home, no medals’.”
These are the stories, and those who tell them, that AIPS, as the International Sports Press Association has committed itself to honouring at every Olympic Games to come.
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Husband and wife Twitch team RemySetGo are getting ready for a 72-hour nonstop live stream of Hyrule Warriors beginning 1am (PDT) on September 26. During those 72 hours, the duo will show you all the ins and outs of the new crossover.
Throughout the marathon, they’ll also be giving away codes for the Nintendo eShop to some lucky viewers. The live stream is appropriate for all ages, making this a great opportunity to enjoy Hyrule Warriors as a family. Be sure to tune into their Twitch page this weekend and join the Hyrule Warriors celebration.
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Product Description
HHI Lecture # 3 DVD – Supplements, Algae, Herbs, and Homeopathy
A guide to supplements and their benefits. Also alternative options to complete the needed consumption that our human body requires.
Located in West Palm Beach, Florida, the Institute has been the premier leader in the field of natural alternative health care and education since 1956. The center was founded by visionary and humanitarian Ann Wigmore and is now currently led by Brian and Anna Maria Clement. Hippocrates has taught generations to draw the power to transform the quality of their lives from their vast inner resources. The institute’s goal is to reawaken the total consciousness within ourselves and allow us to realize that good health and free will is every person’s birthright, and that life free of disease and needless pain is our human legacy. The Hippocrates philosophy is dedicated to the belief that a pure enzyme-rich diet complemented by positive thinking and non-invasive therapies, are essential elements on the path to optimum health.
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But is the upfront discount worth the risk the phone might be stolen, have security flaws or not work correctly?
Here’s a look at the key factors in deciding whether buying a used cellphone is right for you.
Cost savings
For some people, carrying around a $600 gadget that’s easy to lose, break or have stolen is unsettling. For others, it’s simply unaffordable. Here’s a sample of how much you could save on a popular used smartphone. These examples compare phones for sale from Apple and Verizon with phones on online marketplaces Gazelle, Glyde and Swappa.
Used prices of popular smartphone models, Verizon network
iPhone 6 (2014) 16 GB silver
iPhone 5 (2012) 16 GB black
Samsung Galaxy S5 (2014) 16 GB black
Samsung Galaxy S4 (2013) 16 GB black
Apple Store
iPhone 6 (2014) 16 GB silver: $649.99*
iPhone 5 (2012) 16 GB black: not available
Samsung Galaxy S5 (2014) 16 GB black: not available
Samsung Galaxy S4 (2013) 16 GB black: not available
Verizon online store
iPhone 6 (2014) 16 GB silver: $649.99
iPhone 5 (2012) 16 GB black: not available
Samsung Galaxy S5 (2014) 16 GB black: $599.99
Samsung Galaxy S4 (2013) 16 GB black: $499.99
Verizon (2-year contract)
iPhone 6 (2014) 16 GB silver: $199.99
iPhone 5 (2012) 16 GB black: not available
Samsung Galaxy S5 (2014) 16 GB black: $199.99
Samsung Galaxy S4 (2013) 16 GB black: $49.99
Gazelle
iPhone 6 (2014) 16 GB silver: $559 — good
$629 — like new
iPhone 5 (2012) 16 GB black: $209 — good (out of stock)
Samsung Galaxy S5 (2014) 16 GB black: $379 — good
Samsung Galaxy S4 (2013) 16 GB black: $224 — good (out of stock)
Glyde
iPhone 6 (2014) 16 GB silver: out of stock
iPhone 5 (2012) 16 GB black: $171.75 — good
$280 — excellent
Samsung Galaxy S5 (2014) 16 GB black: $309.75 — excellent
Samsung Galaxy S4 (2013) 16 GB black: $291 — excellent
Swappa
iPhone 6 (2014) 16 GB silver: $598 — good
$600 — mint
iPhone 5 (2012) 16 GB black: $190 — good
$225 — mint
Samsung Galaxy S5 (2014) 16 GB black: $310 — good
$355 — mint
Samsung Galaxy S4 (2013) 16 GB black: $190 — good
$219 — mint
*Price is for unlocked, 16 GB SIM-free version; no prepaid Verizon version is available. Full-price T-Mobile version is also $649.
Notes: We compared phones tied to Verizon’s network because it’s the nation’s largest carrier and because Glyde doesn’t sell unlocked phones. All prices are from the companies’ websites on Feb. 16, 2015. Some phone models were not available in all conditions (e.g., good, excellent). Swappa’s “mint” is the equivalent of Gazelle’s “like new” and Glyde’s “excellent.” Glyde also offers phones in “acceptable” and “certified” condition.
A $30 to $50 discount might not be worth the risk when buying a preowned $650 device, but saving $400 on an older but still perfectly functional iPhone seems like a bargain. Prices are constantly changing as supply fluctuates; track them for a few weeks and you might snag a deal. Glyde will even email you when the phone you want drops to the price you want.
Fluctuating supplies also mean you might not find the color or memory size you want. You might prefer a “good” phone for a steeper discount, but find only “mint” devices for sale. Or your preferred model might be sold out.
More On Smartphones:
Functionality
Any phone you buy — used or new — could have broken components or be a complete dud.
But unlike a new phone, a used phone may no longer be under warranty.
Besides, warranties won’t cover common used-cellphone problems such as ordinary wear and tear, batteries that won’t hold a charge and accidental damage.
Minimize your risk of buying a phone with functional problems by using a reputable seller with a buyer-friendly return policy.
Other than eBay, which presents buyers with such a complicated used-cellphone marketplace that we won’t cover it here, the main used cellphone marketplaces are Gazelle, Glyde and Swappa.
Glyde and Swappa act as intermediaries between buyers and sellers. That means it’s up to the seller to be honest about the device’s condition. However, both sites protect buyers with rules against selling junk devices.
Glyde doesn’t release your payment to the seller until you’ve received the phone and approved its condition. You have 72 hours to make sure it works and is in the condition described. If not, you return it and get your money back.
Swappa manually reviews all listings but relies on PayPal’s purchase protection policy, which allows buyers to open a dispute if a seller misrepresented the item’s condition.
Gazelle buys used cellphones directly from consumers. It runs each phone through a 30-point functional and cosmetic inspection and sometimes refurbishes devices to bring them up to par.
Security risks
One worst-case scenario when you buy a used smartphone is that it’s loaded with malware. Hackers can then use your phone to steal banking credentials, secretly send text messages to premium numbers they own or sign you up for costly premium services, says Ondrej Krehel, managing director of LIFARS, an international cybersecurity and digital forensics firm.
Krehel advises lowering your risk by performing a factory reset and erasing the phone’s internal storage as soon as you receive it.
A factory reset returns the phone to its original state, Krehel says. Search online for the device name and “factory reset” and follow the instructions.
Reputable used-cellphone vendors do this step for you or instruct sellers to do so.
“All devices we sell are data-wiped and restored to factory settings,” says Alyssa Voorhis, Gazelle’s senior tech analyst. “This process removes both the personal data of the previous owner and any nonstandard software, like malware, running on the device.”
What about buying a stolen phone? Consumers have bought used phones that seem to work, and then are reported stolen and deactivated.
Once you receive your phone, check its electronic serial number (ESN), mobile equipment identifier (MEID) or international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) number to make sure the phone isn’t locked.
Find your phone’s number in the settings menu or behind the battery, then check it for free online at Swappa (though the results aren’t guaranteed) or for $2.99 with CheckMEND, an online service that checks data from the FBI, insurers, retailers and cell carriers for problems that could prevent you from using your phone. Besides being stolen, the phone could be reported lost or a former owner could owe the carrier money.
For iPhones, also use the Check Activation Lock Status tool on iCloud to make sure the previous owner disabled Find My iPhone.
How we make money
Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. Bankrate is compensated in exchange for featured placement of sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. This compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear. Bankrate.com does not include all companies or all available products.
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Named in honor of the poet Michael Adams, the Michael Adams Poetry Prize aims to cultivate and inspire poetry while celebrating Lafayette’s commitment to community arts
A note about Michael Adams:
Michael Adams was a founding board member of ARTS!Lafayette and longtime member and chair of Lafayette Cultural Arts Commission as well as a talented poet. Mike was a talented poet as well as a dedicated leader in the arts in Lafayette. He had a passion for poetry, the arts and community. He was an intelligent, thoughtful and guiding force for many. He had a huge heart and was a stellar volunteer. He lost his life to cancer in September 2013; this contest is named in his honor.
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Pages
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
SAD ride
I’m beginning to think Geoff has just about had enough of Juneau. It’s strange, because we have so many things going for us here: Three times the annual rainfall of Seattle; more days of 40-mph-plus winds than Chicago; constant temperatures in the 30s from March to February. And no roads out! Clearly, he’s just not looking on the bright side.
That said, it has been a rough month - and isn’t looking to become any better. I haven’t seen the sun since Utah, going on three weeks now. The daylight has whittled itself down to about six hours - and even those hours are only marginally brighter than pitch black. The continuous precipitation has been mostly wet snow and sleet - some rain - and the wet weather creates conditions that make it impossible to keep all parts of the body warm while cycling. IMPOSSIBLE. I am especially having a hard time with my butt cheeks. (Which doesn’t make any sense since my backside is the best-insulated body part I have.) And so even I, who fears long exposure to direct sun the way some people fear frostbite, am beginning to feel a little SAD.
Thursday is winter solstice. I am hoping to do a long ride on the shortest day, but it will be interesting to see how much I can endure. I headed out today in sideways rain for a quick ride before work. I really only had about a 45-minute window to spare, but even that felt like it was going to be too long. The rain blew due north, so I decided to head into it going out and let it push me coming back. I took the road south.
Skirting the narrow strip of road that divides the channel and the mountains, I watched the disorienting dance of whitecaps as they swelled and exploded on shore. As I passed the sheer cliffs, I had to swerve to dodge giant blocks of transparent ice - the remnants of icefalls now gushing brown water. The manuevering was no small feat as sideways rain stung my eyes to the point of blindness. And just when I started to wonder if my 30 minutes of indentured service southward was up yet, a spotted the strangest glimmer of yellow light.
When the rain began to let up, I realized that I wasn’t hallucinating. Amid the liquid crush of gray in every direction was a tiny patch of clear sky. Streams of sunlight pierced the billowing clouds, casting spotlights on the churning water. I felt my legs surge with energy as I pedaled toward the clearing. I stopped looking at my watch and began to crane my neck at orange highlights on the trees, until I passed the sign that read “End of Road 1,000 Feet.” And there, drifting over a pile of dirt-crusted snow, was my own little sunspot.
And so I stopped, climbed over the berm, and stood there, quietly, watching the clearing crawl south and not paying attention to the fact that, 40 minutes into my ride, I was flirting with late arrival at work. It didn't matter. If the road kept going, I would have followed that sun spot all the way to Ketchikan.
Tomorrow, sunrise will happen 8:45 a.m. and sunset is planned for 3:07 p.m. I hope to stay out that entire time. Forecast calls for “70 percent chance of snow with accumulation of 2 to 3 inches, west winds 25 mph, high of 33.” Wish me luck. Seriously.
5 comments:
It is pretty nasty out there. I did bum a ride home rather than bike on Tuesday after two different people warned me about getting blown off Brotherhood bridge when crossing it. Good luck finding some good juju to keep the spirits up--it does get better from here on out. And there is already about an inch of new snow this morning at the UAS campus!
The plows have finally gotten a decent job of most shoulders around town, but the ice sheet is pretty sketchy on parts of Egan for sure.
I'm amazed how thrashed my riding gear has gotten this year--I think it has been espcially, uh.. .challenging, and you are doing some great rides!
In southeast, they call those holes in the sky "sucker holes" because you think it might clear up and then Mother Nature closes the hole right back up. Can't you just imagine her saying, "Gotcha, SUCKER." Hang in there. The sunny days in Juneau make it all worth it!
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Read the best essays and adventure reports from the first six years of this blog in one convenient eBook, available in all electronic formats. Your purchase helps support future "Jill Outside" adventures.
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Managed a six-figure diversified portfolio that has experienced at least 20% annual growth over the course of seven years. Conducted company research and analyzed profiles, identifying a number of startups that have yielded significant returns. Monitored account activity online.
Investment Analyst, 1989 – 1994Hoover Associates, Portland, OR
Prepared investment analyses for clients, including several with more than $500M in total assets under management. Communicated with sell-side analysts and company management. Assessed economic trends. Selected and monitored investments in bonds, banks, automotives, and biotech.
EDUCATION :
University of Oregon, Eugene, ORM.B.A., Finance, June 1994
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18th C. Bronze Krishna – Dancing Child
Unique Dancing Bronze Krishna, 18th Century, India
Beautifully bronze Krishna as the dancing child, made in the technic of “lost form”. An unique piece from the 18th Century.
Krishna is one of the most widely revered and most popular of all Indian divinities, worshipped as the eighth incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu and also as a Svayam Bhagavan (supreme god).
Excellent condition – see photo.
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Breadcrumb
Band Names and Logos
It seems like it shouldn't be that import but when you consider most of the successful brands, often the name of the product is second to the shape of the logo itself. A prime example is the golden arches. You see those two yellowish gold interlocking arches and you know instantly what that means. With the internet and success of instragram and emogis, we are increasingly becoming more visually triggered by symbols than words.
To use a local success story, when you see the tribal S, you know instantly that it's Slipknot. Just like if you are a Punk Rocker if you see the DK you know it's the Dead Kennedys or if you see the Skank Kid it's the Circle Jerks. Sometimes it isn't even an illustration or symbol but the font of the lettering like the Misfits.
Picking the Band Name
This is always a struggle. You want something that is creative and fits the image of the band but not one that has been used by a number of other bands over the years. Not only because of the issues with copyright but also when your fans seek out your music. My band the Have Nots has struggled with this to a degree. There are about 20 Have Nots out there but only one of them has had any real success, the one from Boston. The confusion happens when you try to find us on Streaming services because there is a number of Have Nots on there listed as one artist. This isn't the other Have Nots fault, it comes down to how the streaming services list the artists based on name only or outside "verified" sources or claim the artist name.
When it comes down to the legal side of band names, who was first to use it and who is the most successful. The only real time this will ever come up is if a band comes after you or you move on to a national market. The reality is that two regional small bands with the same name are not going to cause confusion or dilute the value of the brand. However, if there are two bands with the same name and one is a huge national touring act and the other is a regional band, there is a chance that this could cause confusion and affect the larger band's value in the market. In most cases, the larger band will contact you and ask that you cease and desist. If you, in fact, were first or have success in the market, you may ask for compensation to stop using the name or changing names. Most cases unless they can prove that you had knowledge of the other band using the name and intentionally profited from the uses of the name, you shouldn't end up being sued. For example, if you start a band called Guns and Roses or Rolling Stones, it would be hard to argue that you didn't know there was a successful band by that name.
So, this brings us to an ongoing trend, to avoid having the same name as another band, many bands will come up with names that have 5 or 6 words. This might be great at avoiding the issue above but it has its own problems. The first being will people remember the name in the first place. For example, People may remember The Postmen but they may not remember, The Postmen that Cross on the Right Side of History Delivered the Mail. Not only will you drive Promoters and Venues crazy as they try to add that name to posters but also putting it on the Marquee. Plus your fans are going to grow tired of saying your long name everytime they talk about your band. So, in the long end, everyone will shorten the name to The Postmen.
Another thing to consider is different spellings or the uses of symbols instead of letters. For example, with the Have Nots I should have used Have Nøts with the not symbol aka ø instead of o. Another approach is replacing like sounding letters and the best example would be Korn instead of Corn. Another option is some form of short hand like instead of Swimmers use SWMRS. Understand with these methods you are often relying on your fanbase to get it but it can make an impression.
It is also important to consider what is going to fit on posters, ads, handbills and marquees. A good rule of thumb is an even number of letters or numbers and it's best if it's under 10. The length of the name effects a lot of things including whether you will be listed on the marquee and what size your name will be on printed material. Also, it will affect your name being listed on event pages and elsewhere on social media. There is a limit on the number of characters that can be used in the title of most event pages and limits on posts. If you have a name that is 35 characters long, it just won't fit and will need to be shortened or simply not used. You should also consider this when you are creating social media pages. If someone is tagging you in a Twitter post or elsewhere there is a limitiation and your username is long, they may avoid it in favor of someone else because of lack of space.
Designing Band Logo
I know what you are thinking, "I'm a musician and not a visual artist." and that might be true but a logo can be very important to creating a brand image for the band. In some ways, it might be more important than the actual name of the band and remember how much time you spent coming up with that. Like any project having a logo that fans can easily recognize will increase response.
Now it doesn't have to be complicated or super artistic. It might be as simple as a block font that you use on every poster maybe with a mascotte or image that represents the band. The key is that it's clean and can be used in a lot of different formats including posters/handbills, social media pages, recorded releases, stickers, tattoos, patch, etc....
Pick a font that can be seen and read easily. I know that sounds like a given but you would be surprised how often I will not use a band logo because it is completely unreadable from a distance. I use the 10-foot rule in most cases. Meaning that from 10 feet it can be read and easily recognized This can be hard with bands that have long names, so when designing the layout consider the words that are most important in the band name and increase the size of them. For example, if your name is 'Blah Blah and the endless Blahed'. 'Blah Blah' should be larger font and 'and the endless Blahed' should be smaller. Seeing Blah Blah should trigger your fans to who is playing.
Avoid confusing fonts or overly busy fonts. Yes, I know that there are styles of music that part of their sub-culture is impossible to read fonts. However, when you have five of them on a poster, it really just looks like ink blocks or fancy border style designs. Even if you print and hand out thousands of handbills, if they can't read the name, they will not know the band.
Logo Sizes
At some point, you are going to be submitting to Promoters/Venues or using this logo in a number of different projects. Having the correct layout, file type and a large enough file size is important. I personally will avoid using a logo file for a number of reasons including it being low quality, not the correct background, or it doesn't fit the poster's theme.
Most posters that I design are 22x34 inches or 1584x2448 pixels. The reason is that you will get a much cleaner and sharper image when it is printed on a 11x17 poster. So when submitting logos or using a logo yourself for print, it is a good idea that the logo is at least 2000 wide and/or 2000 tall. The results will be much better if the file has to be scaled to something smaller.
With images that are being used online, anything beyond 1080 will unneeded. In fact, some social media platforms and websites will reject larger image files. With most websites these days the image will be resized to a set width or height maximum. I was going to list the most common sizes but Facebook, Google, and Twitter seem to change them on a regular base.
Logo Shapes
There are two common shapes that should work with most posters, printed material and online. The square and the rectangle. Two example would be the full name straight across in a rectangle and the name in two lines in the form of the square. I would suggest both not only for posters but for social media. Usually, there is a square for your main logo and then a rectangle for the cover or banner photo.
With printed material both have their advantages based on the style and content. The reality is that sometimes it simply comes down to how much space there is and what is going to make the most impact. Sometimes, one version fits and the other will not work.
File Type and Alpha Please
Any image file will usually work but the most common are jpg. Also, you can use a pdf but in most cases, it will need to be converted to png or jpg to be posted online. Also, I have had issues with pdf files not converting easily, not opening or opening completely messed up. Most printers will swear by pdf files but jpg can easily be used. The other issue with pdf files is that Adobe can be very restrictive about what you can do with the file outside of their own programs which cause a whole new set of headaches. JPG and PNG are a great deal more universally used(as in just about every image you view online) and can be opened easily regardless of the device or it's OS.
Alpha or clear background is important. If you are submitting a logo to be used on a poster or other printed material, a colored background will limit the ability of the designer to place the logo easily into the poster design. Having an alpha background just increases the likelihood that your logo will be used because it can be placed over different backgrounds and easily layered in the design. If it has a solid background it will limit where it can be placed because it might block area of the background. If you have a logo that's curved or has large negative space, it will take up a lot of room. Yes anyone that has the proper program can often easily convert the background to alpha but when you have outlined letters or shading of any kind, this can turn into a huge time-consuming mess. Remember that the image needs to be a pdf or png file. JPG will, in fact, fill in the background usually in white when it is saved.
Colors
A number of different color options are not a bad idea. However, for print, I would stick to the basics and have a white one and a black one. The reality is that they are to the two colors that will stick out the most on a poster. I tend to make posters with a light background and dark font or dark background with a light font. The contrast makes the font pop and more noticeable. Though it is easy to create a negative of just about any image, the outcome can be odd sometimes and not create the best results.
How Many Different Logos:
Well, that depends on a lot of things but I really suggest that if an artist outside of the band is designing it that you ask for at least the following:
White single line rectangle with alpha background at least 2500 pixels long
Black single line rectangle with alpha background at least 2500 pixels long
Colored single line rectangle with alpha background at least 2500 pixels long
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Sociable
Monday, April 29, 2013
Small Swarm of Light Earthquakes at Salton Buttes Volcano in Southern California
Look for the cluster of blue dots at the end of the big lake on the left margin of this map. Those are today's earthquakes at Salton Butte volcano.
Today there has been about 45 small earthquakes at the Salton Buttes volcano, in Southern California. This is a normal thing for this particular volcano, for it is still an active volcano as listed by the USGS. There is magma right below it, with a pipe being at about a mile down, and a magma body 4 to 6 miles down, and about 20 miles long. Most of the volcano is buried under thousands of feet of silt, sand, mud and mudstone. A live fumerole exists in what is called the Mud Pots, the Mud Volcanos or humorously the Mudd Trolls.
I visit this volcano all the time, and even photographed and filmed country singer Brian Shotwell here. The earthquake map is by the USGS, and photos by me.
About Me
Award winning filmmaker.
I write about geology, aerospace and also a novel series called the Diablo Diaries, featuring a whacky character named Prince Stephan. Also I produce and direct film, both feature and documentary. Working on a documentary about the eastern California rifting zone, and co-produced the movie Defcon 2012.
Serious publishers, agents, producers or serious questions, please E-mail us at: [email protected]
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Sunnyside Warehouse Burns Down
An incredible blaze broke out at a Sunnyside factory last week with billowing black smoke high into the sky that could be seen as far away as New Jersey at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
The fire seen from a passing 7 train last week.
According to an FDNY spokesperson, the custom woodshop, New York Custom Interiors, located at 43-34 37th St. was victim to a five-alarm fire that brought in 50 firetrucks and 200 firemen. Four firemen were injured and three were transported to a nearby hospital. The FDNY had the fire under control by 11:22 p.m.
Michael Walsh, a craftsman at the woodworking shop, takes the train in from Yonkers every morning. That fateful Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m., he was stunned to see from a few blocks away that 37th Street was blocked off by police.
Three hours later he was still waiting a couple of hundred feet away from the burned-out warehouse on the corner of 37th Street and Queens Boulevard, hoping that his $5,000 drafting table with machinery attached was by some miracle spared. “If it is, I can take it and work anywhere,” he said.
“They’re really good people,” Walsh said of the owners. “They know how to treat you. It was one of the last real custom shops in New York that do it all by hand.”
Walsh said the family-owned and operated business had been around since 1969.
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Tzatziki Sauce
A stable of gyros, cucumber sauce is something I find myself almost always keeping in my fridge. It goes wonderfully with pita bread, chicken, beef, and lamb.
More often than not, I make this recipe by taste. I strongly suggest that you do too! Just remember that the flavors get stronger when they’re allowed to sit in the fridge, so make the sauce ahead of time for optimal taste.
You can use greek yogurt, yogurt, or sour cream as the base for your sauce. If you use ordinary yogurt, then you will want to drain it for optimal consistency. If you're using greek yogurt or sour cream, skip ahead to prepping your cucumber.
To drain your yogurt, let it sit in a colander over the sink or a bowl to collect the liquid. If the collander's holes are too big, cover them with a paper towel.
Peal and de-seed your cucumber. If you like chunks of cucumber in your sauce, you can then just chop it finely by hand. If you are like me and don't actually much like cucumber, then you might want to chop it up in a food processor.
Add the cucumber to the yogurt, and then season it with dill, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste.
Make it ahead of time to let the flavors mix in the fridge before serving!
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Doubling down for offshore adventure
Published on February 19th, 2019
After a hard-earned third-place finish in IRC Class 3 in the 2015 Transatlantic Race, the Prospector team is back for the 2019 edition with a new boat, many of the same crew and an itch to better their performance from four years ago.
The team led by Paul McDowell, Dr. David Siwicki and Larry Landry, and Marty Roesch – and managed by Landry and McDowell – is one of five returning entries from the Transatlantic Race 2015 which extends from USA to England.
Landry, McDowell and Siwicki, along with three others, entered the 2015 race with a Farr 60 as a challenge to themselves. They’d been racing with and against each other for many years and were eager to add the transatlantic passage to their collective sailing passport.
The passage was as ocean passages go—some of the most white-knuckle, nerve-rattling moments the “hobbyists” had ever experienced opposite calm seas and beautiful sunsets unobstructed by land.
Successful racers with offshore experience, they had never charged hard in 30-knot winds and six-foot seas in a pitch-black night, and that’s what they encountered in the first 24 hours of the race when they blew out both the A5 and A6 asymmetric sails.
“That first night in the Gulf Stream, we blew up two kites partly because we weren’t smart enough to take our foot off the accelerator,” said Landry, the navigator. “There were some scary moments.
“We had a soft sail up in 35 knots of wind and couldn’t figure out how to take it down because we weren’t rigged for a letterbox takedown. A minute later the problem became academic because we broached and the sail blew to a million pieces.
“The boat will tell you when to back off. When it’s hard to drive and the driver is hunting to keep it on its feet, the boat is telling you to step it down.”
There were more nights like the first two throughout the 11-day passage, and in the midst of the mayhem McDowell frequently felt the weight of leading a crew of 16 in such challenging conditions.
“This is my hobby, and it was enormously stressful for me and the other owners,” said McDowell. “The whole trip was very windy. We blew up all our spinnakers early and that pressured us into a situation where we had to find as much wind as possible to keep the speed up.
“Occasionally it was more than we bargained for. When it’s super windy conditions with big breaking waves going downwind, if you have a jibe broach and a guy goes over the rail… you have to be careful. There’s a lot of pressure on me and the other owners.”
After completing the first Prospector program in mid-2016, the group planned to take some time off. Then a 68-foot grand-prix racer hit the market. Seeing an opportunity not to be missed, Landry, McDowell and Siwicki doubled down and decided to continue their offshore racing adventures.
Prospector “Mk. II” is a Mark Mills design that was originally built in 2008 at New England Boatworks. Since purchasing the boat in 2016, they’ve posted some very respectable results in high-profile events such as the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Pacific Cup, Puerto Vallarta Race and the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Given the right conditions, Landry believes they can chop three to four days off their 11-day passage in 2015.
“This is an amazing boat, but very, very different,” said Landry. “The new boat is an F1 race car compared to the Farr 60. She also was an amazing boat, but was an older design. The new boat is one of the last mini-maxis built strong enough to sail offshore. It’s going to be a wetter ride, but should be faster too.”
“The new boat is a completely different animal, both more and less frightening at the same time,” said McDowell. “The older boat went 12 knots no matter which direction it was pointed. With the new boat, we can plane at 18 to 20 knots. It’s tons of fun, but noisy and water is everywhere.”
In preparing for the upcoming Transatlantic Race 2019, crew safety is the first item addressed. Each crew member is allowed to bring a dry bag for personal clothing, which consists largely of base- and mid-layer underwear. The temperatures get cold in the North Atlantic. They’re equipped with top-of-the-line safety harnesses, each with an AIS beacon, foul weather gear and sea boots. They are “kitted-up” as the racing rules dictate, or watch captains demand.
“Each watch captain is allowed to call for full gear whenever he sees fit,” said McDowell.
Landry and McDowell both agreed that a significant lesson learned from the first Transatlantic Race was knowing when to back off the accelerator.
In the first 24 hours they’d blown out two of their most important off-wind sails, sails that would be needed later in the race given the routing predictions. The A5 was eventually repaired and put back into use, but the A6 was completely blown apart. They’d unnecessarily handicapped themselves at the start of a long passage.
To aid with deceleration, the Prospector team has fitted a third reef point, fitted with reef locks, on their mast and boom. During the Transatlantic Race 2015, they found that a third reef with J4 and/or genoa staysail was a fast setup. They’ve also practiced and refined the “letterbox” takedown method, where a soft sail is retrieved between the loose foot of the mainsail and the boom.
This allows the sail to collapse in the lee of the mainsail, affording more control as it is wrestled belowdecks through the main companionway. Finally, when the conditions are really hairy, they’ll limit the number of drivers to only the most experienced and their stints at the helm will be limited to 20 or 30 minutes to keep them as fresh as possible.
As they enter the final months of preparation for the race, which is scheduled to start June 25 off Newport, RI, Landry couldn’t be happier with the growth of the program.
“I generally characterize us as a collection of friends who are good amateur sailors. We’re vastly more experienced now by virtue of what we’ve done. It’s all about the magnitude of the challenge. From the seamanship involved to the challenge of optimizing the boat and the camaraderie that develops with the crew. It’s all a fantastic challenge.”
McDowell refers to offshore racing as “voyaging; it’s a great escape,” he said. “I like the aspect of long distance racing where you’re self-sufficient. If there’s a problem, no one comes and gets you; you can’t call it quits and sail into a nearby harbor. You have to get the boat there yourself. I like that aspect.”
That’s an aspect that has drawn many of the 24 entries to the Transatlantic Race 2019.
Background: The Transatlantic Race 2019 starts June 25 for the 2,960-nautical-mile course from Newport, R.I., to Cowes, England. The race is organized by the Royal Yacht Squadron, the New York Yacht Club, the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Storm Trysail Club. Pre-start activities will take place at the New York Yacht Club’s Harbour Court clubhouse in Newport, while awards will be presented at the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Cowes Castle clubhouse on the Isle of Wight.
The race is a direct descendant of the first great transatlantic ocean race, which started from New York Harbor on December 11, 1866. The 2019 edition will be the 31st transatlantic race organized by the New York Yacht Club with the fleet to start off Castle Hill Lighthouse.
Related Posts
Launched in 1997, Scuttlebutt provides sailing news with a North American focus. Look for the latest information to be posted on the website, with the highlights distributed Monday through Friday in the e-Newsletter.
We hope you love our new site! But for those who need your fix of the old Scuttlebutt, you can visit the old site, for a limited time. You can also visit our Google+ page.
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- Take Back the Tech! campaign starts targeting Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
Take Back the Tech! campaign starts targeting Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
Jul 21 (Take Back the Tech!)
PRESSSTATEMENTFORIMMEDIATERELEASE
What are you doing about violence against women? That’s what we are asking Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. We invite users to join the campaign beginning 21 July to demand answers and action.
Women visit social media sites more often than men and spend more time on them. Women send more tweets and share more posts. Women drive content, advertising and engagement, but by simply showing up on these platforms, they also face violence, with little support on the part of companies that profit from women. In more than 4,000 cases of cyberstalking reported to Halt Online Abuse since 2000, 70% of victims were female.
These sites have made some effort to respond to user concerns, but they haven’t done enough, especially for women outside of the narrow scope of the US and Europe.
“Our research and our work with women around the world has shown us that many social media platforms do not respond adequately to women facing violence online. With this campaign, we want to amplify women’s voices on this issue and find solutions that work,” explains Sara Baker, Take Back the Tech! campaign coordinator.
Through mapping activities and research, many cases from all the world have been collected that show the continuum between offline and online violence against women that these social media platforms companies are not addressing informedly, consistently and seriously enough. Some of the cases speak for themselves:
A 16-year-old girl agreed to be photographed naked by her ex-boyfriend. A few days later, the pictures were published on his Facebook account and the news circulated in the community: Everyone knew about it. His family told him to remove the photos to which he replied saying he did not post the photos, and suspected that someone hacked his Facebook account. The girl believed that he was lying but could not prove it.
A student teacher was subjected to hacking and photomontage in a pornographic video labelled with her city and occupation. On two occasions, she was accosted by men on the street who said they had seen her naked. One of her friends contacted the porn website and had the video removed; however, there are still images of her circulating on similar web pages.
The life of this 13-year-old girl was turned upside down when her older sister’s boyfriend began to sexually harass her and threaten her by cell phone, ultimately abducting her. For three months, she was deprived of her liberty, beaten and sexually abused. When she was finally able to escape, she and her mother registered a complaint for kidnapping and corruption of a minor with the prosecution service. The latest news was that the aggressor had not been found.
We need to promote transparency and safe spaces. So we are targeting the big three. We want Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to take a clear stand on violence against women in their terms of service, and to engage with diverse civil society to find solutions for safer platforms.
Take Back the Tech! calls all users to take action in demanding these changes starting 21 July. Users can participate in the following ways:
• Asking: “What are you doing about violence against women?” Use our questions and tweets to request more information from these companies under #WhatAreYouDoingAboutVAW.
• Rating: Use our report card format to rate social media on various aspects related to violence against women. We’ll compile all user report cards and share the results.
• Demanding: Tell these companies what you want. Share your solutions. We’ll follow up by sending them crowdsourced ideas they can put into practice.
Find more information and digital content in our campaign kit, use #WhatAreYouDoingAboutVAW and follow @takebackthetech for the continuing conversation. If you want to interview some of our team members and partners or need more information please contact us at [email protected].
About the Take Back the Tech! campaign
Take Back the Tech! is a collaborative campaign to reclaim information and communication technologies (ICT) to end violence against women (VAW). The campaign calls on all ICT users – especially women and girls – to take control of technology and strategically use any ICT platform at hand (mobile phones, instant messengers, blogs, websites, digital cameras, email, podcasts and more) for activism against gender-based violence.www.takebackthetech.net/
About the Association for Progressive Communications
The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) is an international network and non-profit organisation founded in 1990 that wants everyone to have access to a free and open internet to improve lives and create a more just world. www.apc.org
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A CNN program that featured Charlotte's Web cannabis in 2013 brought increased attention to the use of CBD in the treatment of seizure disorders.[64][65] Since then, 16 states have passed laws to allow the use of CBD products (not exceeding a specified concentration of THC) for the treatment of certain medical conditions.[66] This is in addition to the 30 states that have passed comprehensive medical cannabis laws, which allow for the use of cannabis products with no restrictions on THC content.[66] Of these 30 states, eight have legalized the use and sale of cannabis products without requirement for a doctor's recommendation.[66]
Although the science is still unclear on the subject, cannabis oil is being considered as a natural cancer treatment as well as cancer preventer option because it may decrease the size of tumors and alleviate nausea, pain, lack of appetite and weakness. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved cannabis as a treatment for cancer or any other medical condition, but research shows that it has some anticancer properties.
Hempseed is considered by leading researchers and medical doctors to be one of the most nutritious food sources on the planet. Shelled hempseed is packed with 33% pure digestible protein and is rich in iron and vitamin E as well as omega-3 and GLA. A recent report funded by the Canadian government states that hemp protein comprises 66% high-quality edistin protein, and that hempseed contains the highest percentage of this of any plant source. Unlike soy, hemp is not genetically modified, and it doesn't contain the anti-nutritional qualities commonly found in soy.
The truth is that no one knows precisely what any of these molecules are doing to us. It is a case of finding the effects first and working backwards to understand the mechanisms. “There are a number of possible transmitter systems that CBD could act on,” says McGuire. “And it’s not 100% clear which ones are critical for anxiety, or psychosis or schizophrenia. But [the antipsychotic effect] is a different mechanism from existing treatments, which is a big deal because existing treatments aren’t working.”
Hempseed is considered by leading researchers and medical doctors to be one of the most nutritious food sources on the planet. Shelled hempseed is packed with 33% pure digestible protein and is rich in iron and vitamin E as well as omega-3 and GLA. A recent report funded by the Canadian government states that hemp protein comprises 66% high-quality edistin protein, and that hempseed contains the highest percentage of this of any plant source. Unlike soy, hemp is not genetically modified, and it doesn't contain the anti-nutritional qualities commonly found in soy.
Selective breeding of cannabis plants has expanded and diversified as commercial and therapeutic markets develop. Some growers in the U.S. succeeded in lowering the proportion of CBD-to-THC to accommodate customers who preferred varietals that were more mind-altering due to the higher THC and lower CBD content.[55] Hemp is classified as any part of the cannabis plant containing no more than 0.3% THC in dry weight form (not liquid or extracted form).[56]
In order to create a system where oils can be provided to patients when the original prescription is expressed in grams of dried product, each Licensed Producer must provide an ‘Equivalency Factor’. This allows you to see how much oil you can purchase to be in line with your prescription and ensures that you do not go over your prescribed allowance. For example, a 60ml bottle of Blueberry Lamsbread Cannabis Oil, which has an equivalency factor of 12 ml of oil to 1 gram of dried cannabis, will use 5 grams of your possession limit.
You can rub CBD oil on your skin or drop it under your tongue; you can eat it as a sugarcoated gummy or drink it as a Goop-approved cocktail. There's evidence (some scientific, plenty anecdotal) that it helps with epileptic seizures, opioid addiction, PTSD, arthritis, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, chronic pain, and much more. If you believe the hype, CBD can do just about anything for your physical and mental health — and it won't get you high as a kite.
Since then several other so-called endocannabinoids and their receptors have been discovered. Scientists have come to recognize that endocannabinoids interact with a specific neurological network—much the way that endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine do. Exercise, Mechoulam notes, has been shown to elevate endocannabinoid levels in the brain, and “this probably accounts for what jogging enthusiasts call runner’s high.” These compounds, he explains, apparently play an important role in such basic functions as memory, balance, movement, immune health, and neuroprotection.
Cannabis Oil produced and sold by "dealers" can have many contaminants and many times will have minimal amounts or no THC or CBD in them at all. Most of the time cannabis oil available on the street should be avoided for medicinal uses such as treating cancer. It's always better to make your own oil or to have someone you trust make your oil. This helps assure a very pure, high quality oil is obtained. If you know who made your oil, you can better know what you are getting in your oil.
Hi Diane, how did you go on with the CBD oil please. If it worked how long before you saw any results. I'm scared of flaring everything. Nerve damage across buttocks from a surgeon who found the nerve stuck to the bulge during a laminectomy operation and prised it off. I haven't sat for 5 years and getting worse. A muscle in my buttock is now throbbing constantly and causing pain to the muscle above. I've only started taking it today but the muscle pain is still as painful. Does it take a while for it to work. Only started on low dose to see what happens. Thank you Lyn
Then one day in 1963 a young organic chemist in Israel named Raphael Mechoulam, working at the Weizmann Institute of Science outside Tel Aviv, decided to peer into the plant’s chemical composition. It struck him as odd that even though morphine had been teased from opium in 1805 and cocaine from coca leaves in 1855, scientists had no idea what the principal psychoactive ingredient was in marijuana. “It was just a plant,” says Mechoulam, now 84. “It was a mess, a mélange of unidentified compounds.”
The seizures started in May 2013 when she was six months old. Infantile spasms, they were called. It looked like a startle reflex—her arms rigid at her side, her face a frozen mask of fear, her eyes fluttering from side to side. Addelyn Patrick’s little brain raced and surged, as though an electromagnetic storm were sweeping through it. “It’s your worst possible nightmare,” her mother, Meagan, says. “Just awful, awful, awful to watch your child in pain, in fear, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”
Last year, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released a nearly 500-page report on the health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids. A committee of 16 experts from a variety of scientific and medical fields analyzed the available evidence — more than 10,000 scientific abstracts in all. Because so few studies examine the effects of CBD on its own, the panel did not issue any findings about CBD specifically, but it did reach some conclusions about cannabis and cannabinoids more generally. The researchers determined that there is “conclusive or substantial evidence” supporting the use of cannabis or cannabinoids for chronic pain in adults, multiple sclerosis-related spasticity (a kind of stiffness and muscle spasms), and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The committee also found “moderate” evidence that cannabis or cannabinoids can reduce sleep disturbances in people with obstructive sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, chronic pain and multiple sclerosis, as well as “limited” evidence that these substances can improve symptoms of Tourette’s syndrome, increase appetite and stem weight loss in people with HIV/AIDs, and improve symptoms of PTSD and anxiety.
Hi, I have had spondylolisthesis since age 11 which left me with extreme nerve pain...restless leg syndrome. Had 3 spinal ops and also had hip surgery 2 years ago. have asthma and hypothyroidism. I can deal with everything else but this nerve pain is insane. Used Gabapentin for 9 years and now its not in the market in Nairobi, Kenya where I live. Am on Lyrica, which is not working. I started Cbd oil in August but now found my body has become immune to the effects of pain releif I was getting. Can anyone suggest what strength oil/cbd supplement I should aim for? Currently am making flapjacks with weed, have one every night but this makes me high which I dont want. I still wake up in pain at night, please help.
There is a lot of excitement about hemp oil these days. There is also a lot of confusion. While many people have heard of hemp oil, they aren’t exactly sure what it does. Or whether or not it contains THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Will hemp oil make you “high”? If you use a hemp oil supplement are you breaking any laws? The following are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about hemp oil.
Unfortunately, due to strict FDA laws, I am not legally able to say that CBD will help with your husbands specific condition, however I can direct you to some literature to help you better understand what CBD may offer. I have attached links below. As far as strength and dosage goes, tinctures and concentrates are absorbed the fastest since it goes directly into your blood stream; the dosage on these can be measured and controlled. Capsules take a little longer to enter your body since it goes through your digestive tract, these are also measured and controlled. I would recommend reading through our page on dosing as well to get a better understanding.https://cbdoilreview.org/cbd-cannabidiol/https://cbdoilreview.org/cbd-cannabidiol/cbd-dosage/I hope these help :)
If you just don’t have the time or inclination to take supplements every day, but you still want to experience the potential benefits of CBD, this Hemp Oil CBD Patch from Pure Ratios could be just what you’re looking for. With little fuss or need for specialist know-how or equipment, simply apply a patch to the target area and enjoy a slow-release 40-mg serving of CBD that will last for up to 96 hours.
Canabidol™ Oral Capsules deliver 100% Cannabis Sativa L. from specifically bred industrial hemp plants containing high potency Cannabidiol. Each CBD capsule contains all the Cannabinoids, terpenoids, essential oils and all the other compounds of the cannabis plant. A packet of 30 capsules contains 15,000mg of Cannabis Sativa L. and 300mg of CBD (Cannabidiol) Each capsule contains 500mg of Cannabis Sativa L. and 10mg of the active ingredient CBD
To name just a few: Animal research and small-scale human studies have pointed to CBD's anti-anxiety and anti-inflammatory properties, NPR reports. A study is underway to see how CBD helps patients with PTSD and alcohol use disorder, and another is exploring how CBD might help curb drug cravings in people with opioid addiction. Cannabinoids like CBD may also be effective at treating cancer-related side effects, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Though very rare, some people report side effects when using hemp oil. These side effects include low blood pressure, dry mouth, slowed thoughts, lightheadedness, and sedation. Animal studies have not found any toxicity issues with using CBD. In fact, a study in 2006 found that "the available clinical data suggest that CBD can be safely administered over a wide dose range." As always, because there aren't long-term safety studies, you should always check with your health care provider before starting hemp oil.
After seasonal harvests of specific cultivars, these high-CBD hemp crops are put through a specialized solvent-free extraction process to yield a hemp oil that is naturally high in cannabidiol. This pure hemp extract is then tested for safety, quality, and cannabinoid content before being exported to our processing facilities in the United States. Importing any cannabis or hemp product into the United States is a complicated and serious task, so we leave nothing to chance before our high-CBD hemp oil makes its journey across the Atlantic Ocean.
FDA DISCLOSURE Representations regarding the efficacy and safety of Rosebud CBD have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA only evaluates foods and drugs, not supplements like these products. These products are not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease. Click here (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22625422) and here (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18728714) to find evidence of a test, analysis, research, or study describing the benefits, performance or efficacy of CBD Oil based on the expertise of relevant professionals. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Always check with your physician before starting a new dietary supplement program. The Cannabidiol (CBD) in Rosebud CBD is a natural constituent of industrial hemp plant and grown in the United States of America. Rosebud CBD does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act (US CSA).
Affiliate Disclosure: There are links on this site that can be defined as affiliate links. This means that I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you purchase something when clicking on the links that take you through to a different website. By clicking on the links, you are in no way obligated to buy.
Medical Disclaimer: Statements in any video or written content on this site have not been evaluated by the FDA. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product. Representations regarding the efficacy and safety of CBD oil have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA only evaluates foods and drugs, not supplements like these products. These products are not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease. The material on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your physician before beginning any supplement program.
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I’m just catnapping Daddy…
I was just catnapping Daddy, I’ve been waiting for you in bed already dirty wearing my poopy pale pink panties. I need you to help me play and stretch my tight pussy and ass with your thick hard cock! I love when you come into my bed and get me nice and poopy and filthy like your little girl to be! Approximately 40 minutes of playtime! #538
2 reviews for I’m just catnapping Daddy…
Hi, I love it so much to see when you are masturbating so hard, what a wonderful movie… you are simply the BEST !!! Greetings, Rain.
5 out of 5
kamper – June 2, 2016:
WOW this clip is off the chain absolutely sensational. I love how she leaves a massive wet spot on the bed which she creates from her squirting pussy,the fact that she lays in her shitty wet spot for the duration of the film makes this clip standout.
She loves what she does and you can tell that none of it is faked,nothing worse than a actress showing signs of disliking what they are doing and only doing it for the $
I love how she keeps her panties on the whole time and her masturbation is amongst the best on here…i have to say she is def’ one of the best scat stars on here,this clip is nice and long too so you get enough eye candy for your money and it has excellent picture quality. No stop squirting is fkn amazing here and excellent messy spots everywhere,i love the whole waking up in bed messy part too. So much amazing shit is going on in this clip.
Please make more like this and next time just use pain white and tight fitting satin,silk or nylon panties. 10/10 :))
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
2 reviews for I’m just catnapping Daddy…
Hi, I love it so much to see when you are masturbating so hard, what a wonderful movie… you are simply the BEST !!! Greetings, Rain.
5 out of 5
kamper – June 2, 2016:
WOW this clip is off the chain absolutely sensational. I love how she leaves a massive wet spot on the bed which she creates from her squirting pussy,the fact that she lays in her shitty wet spot for the duration of the film makes this clip standout.
She loves what she does and you can tell that none of it is faked,nothing worse than a actress showing signs of disliking what they are doing and only doing it for the $
I love how she keeps her panties on the whole time and her masturbation is amongst the best on here…i have to say she is def’ one of the best scat stars on here,this clip is nice and long too so you get enough eye candy for your money and it has excellent picture quality. No stop squirting is fkn amazing here and excellent messy spots everywhere,i love the whole waking up in bed messy part too. So much amazing shit is going on in this clip.
Please make more like this and next time just use pain white and tight fitting satin,silk or nylon panties. 10/10 :))
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
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I always thought it was funny that they call this day “The Epiphany of the Lord.” It makes it sound like it was Jesus having a major eye opening moment or discovery, when actually it was Jesus being discovered by the wise men. It also makes me think giggly thoughts about what would be an epiphany to an infant (i.e. “Whoa, these pink soft things that keep waving in my face actually belong to me!” or “Milk!”). This, along with my belief that Jesus was incontinent for the first couple years of his life (leading to my favorite title of Mary: The Woman Who Potty Trained God), shows my Low Christology. If I were the High Christology type, I’d be one of those people who thinks Jesus popped out of the womb already able to walk & talk, but refrained from demonstrating his abilities out of consideration for Mary & Joseph’s nerves. No, really, that’s a real thing. Totally didn’t make that up. At all. And this is why I love theology, because it is the most fascinating, ridiculous, profound thing all at once, which is beautiful.
Now you know the kind of things that go through my head.
In other news, I have decided this winter that one of my Very Favorite Things In The Whole World are fleece lined tights. Those things are like snugly, cuddly magic, especially when I can tuck them into my new favorite boots – black leather, lace up that could go either granny or combat boot depending on how you work it, and sleek enough that my ankles still look nice. This morning I was very grateful for them as I kicked through ankle-deep snow cleaning the car off before I could head in to work. Ironically, the best fleece lined tights I’ve found are sold at the for-profit thrift store over on the East side of town by where my favorite Aldi’s used to be. They’re up in the front corner, by the counter full of slightly more tasteful (or at least potentially valuable) costume jewelry, and the racks of purses hanging from the ceiling that might or might not be actual designer goods. Though I shouldn’t mock – that’s the store where I bought a Kate Spade handbag for $3, and a Vera Wang sweater for $4. It makes me wonder if the people who buy things full price know that if they just waited a little, they could get the same thing at a roughly 99% discount. It also makes me almost incapable of shopping at malls. When you’re used to paying less than $5 for your jeans, the price of buying them new is stomach turning.
And now that we are officially on the 12th Day of Christmas, I can tell you that I’ve decided that Christmas smells like clementine peels and balsam fir. But only if you’ve just peeled the clementine.
Like this:
St. Rufus of MetzOver two years ago, I wrote a post about how I destroyed a Moka coffee pot by leaving it on the burner while I went to help my neighbor jump his car. This is only one of a series of Moka pots I’ve destroyed in various ways, which is why I think maybe I shouldn’t use complicated machines (does a Moka pot really qualify as a machine?) when I’m caffeine deprived. The neighbor and the neighbor’s car survived the experience just fine. I would see him and his family every once in a while, and we’d say hi. When the windows were open in the summer, sometimes I could hear his wife trying to get the kids out the door in the morning. The guy gave me a nameless bad feeling, so I didn’t go out of my way to be any more friendly than politeness demanded. But we were neighbors.
Wednesday morning when AP and I were leaving for work, we noticed that there were several news vans from the major local tv stations parked around our corner. We couldn’t see anything much going on, so I assumed that something must have happened at the hospital on the corner. It made me curious, so on my lunch break I checked out their website. What I found out was horrible.
Apparently my neighbor had been abusive towards his girlfriend (I guess they weren’t married after all) for some time. Very late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning, things came to a head. He shot her in their bed, killing her, and then tried to kill himself. All of their kids were in the home at the time. It was one of the children who called 911.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard of situations like this on the news, in books, on tv shows. I’ve even had to call the police myself when a man who lived next door to me decided to start beating on his girlfriend. I’ve helped employees who were victims of abuse find help to recover. I know the signs of abusive relationships. But none of that struck home as hard as watching the news segment, and seeing the back of my own home behind the police cruisers.
Lately it seems like there has been a lot of bad news. The woman who usually sits next to me in choir has missed a couple of weeks because her son in law just died after a long, excruciating illness. Someone I care about found out that the cancer they beat a few years ago is back for Round 2. None of it is really my bad news, but still. My usual autumn asthma has been especially brutal this year, which wears me out, makes me worry and grieve for these things more.
But there are good things too. Flo just got engaged. Next April The Duchess will be giving us another niece or nephew to dote on. Pippi is back in Dayton, and little by little moving in to our place. After months of no news, there has been a spate of articles about the kidnapped Nigerian girls I’ve been praying for, some tragic & awful, but some cautiously hopeful. At the least it gives me hope that these girls have not been forgotten, which means they still have a chance. So I’m choosing to remember those things, and I’ll keep praying.
I have exactly ten minutes to blog before I have to go get changed for my after-work yoga class (Related: I do not understand how my body can hurt like I just spent a whole weekend dancing after only one hour of yoga), so I thought I’d share a little niece-cute with you.
This is Little Bug, completely flummoxed by me trying to get her to smile for the camera when she is clearly engaged in far more important things, namely eating chocolate dirt cake. Seriously, who interrupts chocolate eating just because they want you to smile? Who does that?
Um, well, apparently I do. But I won’t do it ever again, Little Bug, I swear!
Like this:
One of my favorite things about the parish I attend is their choir. They sing both enthusiastically and well (two things that do not always go together). Plus, they sing really good music, throwing in pieces from The Messiah, or a little something by Bach, you know, just for kicks and giggles. I inquired about joining the choir back when I first started going to St. Anthony’s, but gave it up when I found out they rehearsed on Wednesday nights. At the time Wednesday nights were sacred to swing dancing, and doing anything else was unthinkable. But things change. The unthinkable happened, and I found myself staying home on Wednesday nights more than I went dancing. Still for a long time I wasn’t willing to completely give up the idea of going dancing, which would be implied if I actually signed up for another commitment on the same night.
Then last October I suddenly found myself in a hospital bed getting a blood transfusion and contemplating what was to be the first of two surgeries. I decided then that when (not if) I got better, I was going to join the choir. It took me a little longer to get there than I had hoped, but one Sunday in August after 10am Mass, I made my way up the windy stairs to the choir loft, and informed the choir director that I wanted to be one of them. She told me that was lovely, rehearsals started the first Wednesday after Labor Day, and she would see me then. She did see me then, and every Wednesday since.
I’ve been singing with the choir for three Sundays now, and I absolutely love it. Everyone else has been in the choir for approximately forever. The lady I sat next to my first day told me she had been in the choir for 34 years, and had been in the youth choir before that. She moved to another city about half an hour away, but she’s still in choir. Because everyone has been there for so long, the issue of where you sit and what hymnal you use is a Very Big Deal. Right now I am allowed to sit in the front row because the lady who usually occupies that seat is out sick for a while. She’s expected back any Sunday now, and then I will have to move to a seat in the 2nd row, which is open because its previous occupant is now dead (this or extreme ill health seem to be the only way that anyone ever leaves the choir). The hymnal I use has the initials MAI on it. I was given to understand that it was ok for me to use that book on a regular basis, since MAI has retired from the choir. However, if she ever comes back to sing with the choir for a special occasion, it’s her hymnal, and she gets it back. I find all of this rather hilarious, and I kinda hope she does come back, just so I can meet the woman who really owns my hymnal. I wonder where she sits?
Since the choir has been singing together for so long, they have a huge repertoire of songs under their belt. So rehearsal for them is usually not so much about learning the songs as refreshing everyone’s memory. At our first rehearsal, they passed out a piece by Bach. We breezed through it a couple of times, the choir director corrected a couple of little things, and then announced that we would be performing that one on Sunday. We did, handed the sheet music back in, and haven’t seen it since. There are a few things we see more than once, usually the pieces by modern composers who are overly enamored of throwing extra sharps in every once in a while just to make sure the choir is still awake (we give their names on the cover narrow-eyed looks, like a sort of choir loft voodoo). All this means is that I’m sight-reading about 90% of the time, especially on the basic hymns, which we usually don’t rehearse at all. After all, we’ve all sung them 1000 times, right? Except this is the choir version, which has parts you’ve never seen before, and you’re expected to sing that, not the melody you could sing in your sleep. This is when belonging to a family who thinks Happy Birthday should be sung in 10 or 11 part harmony comes in really, really handy. So I do apologize for butchering the alto part the first time through I Am The Bread Of Life last Sunday – it took me a run through or two to get it down.
So, you know, I’m having the time of my life. And it’s going to get better. Last week I got an email from the choir director asking me if I might perhaps have any interest in cantoring. And, well, yeah! The schedule is already set between now and December, so it won’t be for a while. But when it comes, it will be awesome.
Remember how last year I was all, “I need a new coat! Let’s go fabric shopping!” Then I saw the design above, fleece fabric went on sale at Fabric Mart, and suddenly I was the proud owner of lots of fleece and a new pattern. A weekend or so later I cut out lots of patterns at once, hoping to shove them through in the manner of a high-efficiency sewer or similar. (I know. You can stop laughing now.) The pieces were folded on one of my dining room chairs for a while, then tied into a bundle and shoved into a corner of the sewing room. After a while the bundle got taken upstairs to my bedroom (I think I thought I would work on it while I was sick), and tossed from place to place whenever it was getting in the way. Every once in a while a sleeve or coat front would try to make its escape, and I would shove it ruthlessly back into the bundle. And that’s how it stayed for quite a while.
However, cold weather can be quite motivating. Last week I untied the bundle for the first time in a year, and looked over the directions. That was when I realized how truly criminally easy this would be to put together. Sunday evening I sat down with my sewing machine, sewed the thing up, and tried it on. Lo and behold, it is really excessively cute. I should have taken a picture (because you need more badly lit pictures of me in my dining room). It still needs pockets, a little seam finishing, and a way to keep it closed (I’m thinking a couple of really big snaps), and then I will have a new light winter coat. Hurrah!
The other day, I saw this really cute vintage kitchen print titled The Breakfast Autocrat, which led me to looking up the essay by Oliver Wendell Holmes that it’s referencing. The subtitle of the piece is “Every Man His Own Boswell,” and Holmes quotes himself as saying, “It is a capital plan to carry a tablet with you, and, when you find yourself felicitous, take notes of your own conversation.” I kinda love that. It makes me want to start another blog called I Am My Own Boswell, or maybe just My Own Boswell. Maybe one day….
52 Foods posted a list 15 Hors D’oeuvres For Fall, and now I’m thinking about how fun it would be to throw a Dinner Party again. The Crispy Spice Brined Pecans look especially good. (Also brining nuts? Who knew!) So do the Chevre Devils, though God knows I’m a sucker for anything with goat cheese. I might have to dust off the good china and start writing a guest list.
So the other day I was chatting with a friend, and we agreed that the weather was way too gorgeous outside to be inside working. We decided that there should be an official It’s Too Pretty Outside To Work Day, a discretionary holiday where you could call in one day a year, no questions asked. Justification would be a print out of the weather report.
Then we decided that the companion holiday should be the I’m Too Pretty To Work Day, for those really, really good hair days when you know your gorgeousness would be wasted at the office. It would also be a discretionary holiday, maybe only one every two years. The only requirement would be that you have to come in and take a new badge picture that day. So if your hair really wasn’t all that good, you just have to live with the consequences.
One of my favorite books in the world is Bellwether by Connie Willis. If you haven’t read it, you should. Just this last week I found myself describing it to a friend like this:
It’s like this cross between sci-fi that’s actually about science and mad cap screwball comedy, with a shot of romance. It’s all about trends and chaos theory and how fashions get started and how to survive acronym ridden corporate culture. It also features the worst administrative assistant in the world named Flip.
Sarah Whittle, coral stitch: You can use different thread thicknesses or change the angle of the knot to give different effects. Coral stitch can be used on straight or curved lines as well as being used as a textured filling stitch. When using as a filling stitch place the knots into spaces between the knots of the previous row .
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Graphene Materials
(MIT Graphene Roll, MIT)
A material supreme: How graphene will shape the world of tomorrow - MIT researchers find that graphene can function as a superconductor.
What are Graphene and Graphite?
Grapene:
[Graphene Flagship]: Graphene - a single layer of carbon atoms - may be the most amazing and versatile substance available to mankind. In simple terms, graphene is a two-dimensional atomic crystal made up of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. Due to its unique combination of superior properties, graphene is a credible starting point for new disruptive technologies across a wide range of fields.
Graphene is the thinnest compound known to man at one atom thick (a million times thinner than a human hair), the strongest compound discovered (between 100-300 times stronger than steel), the lightest material known (with one square meter weighing approximately 0,77 milligrams), and extremely flexible.
It is also impermeable to molecules, and is highly electrically and thermally conductive – graphene enables electrons to flow much faster than silicon. It is also a transparent conductor, combining electrical and optical functionalities in an exceptional way.
Graphene can be thought of as a giant molecule that is available for chemical modification, with potential for a wide variety of applications, ranging from electronics to composite materials.
It is also relatively cheap to produce in comparison with other materials.
Graphite:
Graphite is a naturally-occurring form of crystalline carbon. It is a native element mineral found in metamorphic and igneous rocks. Graphite is a mineral of extremes. It is extremely soft, cleaves with very light pressure, and has a very low specific gravity. In contrast, it is extremely resistant to heat and nearly inert in contact with almost any other material. These extreme properties give it a wide range of uses in metallurgy and manufacturing.
In 2013, the European Union made a €1 billion grant to be used for research into potential graphene applications. In 2013 the Graphene Flagship consortium formed, including Chalmers University of Technology and seven other European universities and research centers, along with Nokia.
Biomedicine:
[AZO Nano]: "Graphene is a material formed from carbon in a honeycomb structure with one-atom thickness. It provides distinctive optical, thermal, electronic and mechanical properties. The material can be manufactured into sheets, flakes and graphene oxide to provide a variety of applications to the field of biomedicine.
Current research is developing practical applications of graphene for use in drug delivery, as a material for building biosensors, as a potential antibacterial agent and as a scaffold for tissue engineering."
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Golfbettingtipster.com
- European & PGA Tour Previews
Golf Betting System Preview
Archive
Following feedback from
visitors to our main
golfbettingsystem.co.uk website we've started to publish our
pre-event data and analysis for the PGA and European Tour events that we
cover. The final selections and tips are still published over on the main
site, however here you'll find course and event history information that you
may find useful. The content on this page will fill up over the course of
the 2014/2015 season and will provide a quick reference for future events
when played on the same course.
Our archive of predictor
models is available on
golfbettingsystem.com and contains a full year's worth of old
predictor models.
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Egyptian Dreams
The love affair of Probability with the Egyptian theme continues with its latest mobile slot, the Egyptian Dreams slot game. Watch out for symbols of the Egyptian culture which are in stark contrast with the usual card symbols from 10 to Ace. Placed beautifully on the 5 reels, they are a visual splendour that’s going to captivate you on the small mobile screens.
Fulfill your Egyptian Dreams with the lucky WILD’s
An Egyptian themed mobile slot without the queen Cleopatra showing her power can’t be imagined. Acting as the mobile game’s wild symbol, she is a power to reckon with both in the base game and the bonus games. The other Wild symbol also supports her in the WILD “Stays until it Pays” feature.
Not surprisingly ALL positions with a WILD Cleopatra or WILD symbol which are not part of a winning combination remain WILD for the subsequent spin with the Same Line and Stake values. If you change either the Stake or the Line values, the WILD positions will be HELD, if they were NOT part of a winning combination during the preceding spin played at that LINE and STAKE.
Adding a bit of mystic and allure to the game is the presence of the Anubis, Bird, Boats, Pyramids, Sphinx and Leopards. Shining light on the grand winnings that can be yours is the scattered Lighthouse symbol. 3 or more of them will trigger the Free spins Bonus game. The 10 free spins can be re-triggered.
If the free spins are re-triggered, the new spins will start with only the 5th reel symbols covered by the 3x bonus symbol. You can get your hands on the gold, as all the 3x bonus symbol and the Wild symbol which are not part of the winning payline will remain WILD during the free spins.
You can enjoy the trip back to the ancient times with this Egyptian Dreams mobile slot. A lot of dreams are going to be fulfilled when you bag the games jackpot of upto 750 times the staked bet. Plan this trip from anywhere and at any time while on the move!
Vegasmobilecasino.co.uk is operated by ProgressPlay Limited of Suite 1258, 28/19 Vincenti Buildings, Strait Street – Valletta VLT1432 – Malta. ProgressPlay is a limited liability company registered in Malta (C58305), that operates under a Class 1 on 4 license [number MGA/CL1/857/2012 issued on 16th April 2013] & [number MGA/CL1/957/2014] issued on 19th April 2014 & [number MGA/CL1/1141/2015 issued on 16th December 2015] issued by Malta Gaming Authority and is licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, License Number 000-039335-R-319313-008. UK persons wagering via the website are doing so in reliance on the license issued by the UK Gambling Commission. Gambling can be addictive. Play responsibly.
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I would do this but the security around Davis Mothan AFB is really tight. I would have to take the picture directly in front of the checkpoint, something they might not take too kindly too. I know there are some active service members on here who could get a better pic.
LOL being the guy who they send out when people take pictures I'm sure i could've easily gotten away with some pictures that would've blown everybody's mind, too bad i didn't see this sooner. and yes i am at DM
I'm at Santa Cruz beach this weekend, came across this on the boardwalk and thought of you.
hahahahaha omg its deep fried everything!!! although i don't eat sweets much i'm very curious in trying these staff.. girlfriend and I agreed that we will come to the US next summer.. hopefully we can make it
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Q&A with Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint is one of those guys whose genius means everything to the relative few who recognize it. Name a hit to come out of New Orleans since the '50s and he's had his hands in it, from "Working in the Coal Mine" to "Lady Marmalade." His songs have been covered all over the place, most infernally by Herb Alpert, whose version of "Whipped Cream" lives forever as a Dating Game theme. His new collaboration with Elvis Costello, The River in Reverse, hits record stores this month.
EC: Allen and I worked together twice in the '80s, but I hadn't, to my shame, kept in touch. And then after Katrina, we were all in New York, and Allen and I had both been invited to play in a couple of benefit shows. We ended up on the same bill that week, and I think the idea of making a record together certainly occurred to me. And so Allen and I started discussing it.
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ESQ: Allen, you're in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but in the nonperformer category.
AT: Yes, I think that's pretty accurate. My life hasn't been performing; it's been in the studio.
EC: Well, I'd argue with that definition. If you listen to the records that Allen's produced, I mean, he's all over them. His piano is really, really dominant on most of those records. And as an arranger and songwriter, he's someone who knocks me out every time.
More From Esquire
ESQ: How much of the record was inspired by New Orleans and Katrina?
EC: We want to hit people's hearts where that's appropriate. I think that there are things The River in Reverse says that can stand to be said. Yet some of the songs that have the most impact are songs of Allen's from a while ago that have come into their moment. Songs like "Freedom for the Stallion" and "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?" -- suddenly they have a resonance now.
AT: This recording will far outlast any effects of Katrina. This is a whole lot of love, heart, and soul. It just so happened to be done in the season in which Katrina had a part. No, this music will be around forever, but not Katrina.
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Jumeirah villa burglary gang lose appeal against 3-year sentences
DUBAI // Three out of a four-member gang convicted for burglaries have lost their appeal against three-year sentences. The gang, made up of an American, a Colombian and two Mexicans, broke into unoccupied homes in Jumeirah, prosecutors said. One Mexican was acquitted while the other three were found guilty and sentenced to three years in […]
DUBAI // Three out of a four-member gang convicted for burglaries have lost their appeal against three-year sentences.
The gang, made up of an American, a Colombian and two Mexicans, broke into unoccupied homes in Jumeirah, prosecutors said.
One Mexican was acquitted while the other three were found guilty and sentenced to three years in jail each by Dubai Criminal Court.
In July last year, they broke into an empty villa and stole jewellery, a number of diamond sets and other valuables worth Dh1.5 million.
The four faced charges of armed robbery, trespassing and damaging property, which they denied in both the criminal and appeals court.
One was also charged with aiding and abetting but he was found not guilty of all charges against him, while his co-accused were convicted of all charges.
Details of other burglaries were not revealed in court.
One gang member was also convicted of multiple additional charges, including forging an Abu Dhabi Airport stamp on a Spanish passport, which he was intending to use to flee the country. Another related to forging the passport by adding a false stamp and by falsifying its personal data page.
He was also convicted of damaging a police patrol car and endangering the life of a police captain by running him over with his car.
The 36-year-old Jumeirah villa owner, from India, left the country on July 1 for a one-week visit to his homeland and, when he returned, he saw the lock to his door was broken.
He found his home in a mess and he checked the safe and found it had been forced open and all the valuable items inside it stolen.
He called police and, two days later, he was called into a police station, where he was shown the jewellery that was stolen from his house.
The defendants were tracked down through the rental car they drove to the villa.
“We found them living in a flat in Sharjah. During the raid, two were at the flat while the third came in the middle of it, driving a rented Range Rover,” said an Emirati police captain, 33.
He added that the driver crashed into a police car and tried to run over another police captain.
He said the third defendant fled on foot but was arrested.
“The fourth gang member was arrested the next day, on July 9, as he tried to exit the country,” added the captain.
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FAQ
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Where is the ISK Tirol?
The International School Kufstein Tirol is located in the buildings of the University of Applied Sciences in Andreas-Hofer-Straße 7, 6330 Kufstein. Access to the school can be gained via the entrance in Krankenhausgasse.
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Catholic and international private school – what does this mean?
We are a private catholic school, privately funded and independent. The private foundation of the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol is the body maintaining the school. The archdiocese of Salzburg is our cooperation partner. ISK Tirol is under the supervision of the Austrian educational authority. We are an Oberstufenrealgymnasium (special type of upper-cycle academic secondary
school) with public status. Students are taught according to the Austrian curriculum and the International Baccalaureate Organization curriculum.
We are a cosmopolitan meeting place for different beliefs and cultures. ISK Tirol is committed to the Christian humanistic tradition. Our students are expected and encouraged to think deeply about varied ethical and moral matters, to find answers and to take responsibility for themselves and others in all of life’s situations, also in a global sense. In this respect ISK Tirol sees itself as an international catholic school, as a place of learning, open to all motivated adolescents, independent of their origins and religious affiliations.
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When does ISK Tirol open for admission?
Classes at ISK Tirol will start with the 2015/16 school year in September 2015.
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Are all of the subjects taught in English?
English will be the common denominator of language diversity. The students will steadily increase their English language skills. English will be the predominant language of instruction, with the exception of the other languages being taught (German, Spanish and French).
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Who should attend ISK Tirol?
In principle all adolescents from 14/15 years of age who are interested in languages, science subjects, creative subjects, business and economy and information technology are welcome to our school. The school, free of all social boundaries, is open to all students, independent of their origins and religious affiliations.
As a prerequisite applicants must have successfully completed their previous schooling and should enjoy speaking English. Applicants should be dedicated and highly motivated to obtain the International Baccalaureate, an internationally recognized school leaving certificate with English as the language of instruction, and the Austrian Zentralmatura, the Austrian equivalent to A-levels or a high-school diploma.
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What advantages do students expect to gain from studying at ISK Tirol?
An education at a denominational, private IB World School with English as the language of instruction and an emphasis on the sciences, embedded in a modern university campus with all its facilities (sports hall, library, cafeteria, service center, etc.)
Individualized learning and the promotion of individual talents and gifts
Day school (lunch provided) with supervised care for students
A school free of social boundaries which offers reductions in tuition fees based on financial situation and a scholarship system
An innovative curriculum with a forward-looking approach: languages – sciences – creativity – business and economy – information technology in the global society
English is the common denominator of language diversity (German, Spanish and French)
The International Baccalaureate and the Austrian Zentralmatura are school leaving certificates which allow students access to national, European and international universities
Flexibility in selecting teachers. Our classes are run by highly qualified and highly motivated teachers with a wide range of experience. Our teaching staff also includes native speakers.
The ISK Tirol teachers act as coaches, hand in hand with the students, to ensure that the students’ needs are met.
The ethical and moral values and character building at this private catholic school are based on Christian humanistic ideals.
Our school aims to promote international and intercultural thinking and practice. Students are encouraged to demonstrate the character traits outlined in the IB Learner Profile.
Students are early on encouraged to develop scientific and research-oriented work methodologies.
The school aims to establish cooperation with commercial enterprises and post-secondary education institutions.
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What is the admission procedure at ISK Tirol?
1st Step:Applicants must submit the completed application form to the school.
2nd Step:Applicants must complete the standard admission procedure:
Personal interview (headmaster, parents, student)
Applicants will be invited to attend a talent assessment (this is not an exam).
3rd Step: Applicants are informed of the outcome and the admission procedure is completed.
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What is the tuition fee at ISK Tirol?
€ 585 per month. Students may apply for a reduction in tuition fees based on financial situation or for a scholarship.
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What curriculum does the school follow? What school leaving certificates does ISK Tirol offer?
ISK Tirol follows the IB World School curriculum and has a strong emphasis on the sciences. English is the language of instruction. The curriculum includes all of the usual subjects including natural science subjects, IT and optionally music or visual arts.
The school has an innovative curriculum with a forward-looking approach: languages – sciences – creativity – business and economy – information technology in a global society
English is the common denominator of language diversity (German, Spanish and French)
The International Baccalaureate and the Austrian Zentralmatura are school leaving certificates which allow students access to national, European and international universities.
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Does the tuition fee include lunch?
Yes, ISK Tirol students can eat lunch together in the cafeteria of the University of Applied Sciences. The cafeteria provides freshly prepared, high-quality meals that are included in the tuition fee.
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Does ISK Tirol offer financial support?
Yes, students may apply for a reduction in tuition fees based on financial situation or for a scholarship. ISK Tirol is a school without social boundaries. For further information visit our website (Financial Support) or contact the school administration.
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Industrial PU Polyurethane bar Rod ,Using injection molding to produce process , Hardness arrange from 45 shore A to 98 shore A , Diameter arrange from 20mm to 350 mm , all specification can be custom . PU polyurethane rod as as a cushion with anti-pressing or shock absorption and heavy load parts , can be an ideal anti-pressing products .
Polyurethane bar rod Feature :
1.abrasion resistance
2.oil resistant
3.Good elasticity
4.electric insulation and shock-buffer
5.aging resistant
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Application :
1. Widely used for metallurgy industry
2. mining industry
3. petroleum industry
4. automobile industry
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6. general machinery equipment industry etc
Service commitment:
We have been adhering to the business philosophy of “Quality for keeping going ,Credit to win the world” committing itself to providing extensive customers with quality services ,we still can Provide Technical Product support for customers.
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Plan your trip with us!
Sri Lanka at a glance
This tropical island nation is located in the Indian Ocean in South Asia, where it has a remarkable history traveling back to the birth of time, and nature’s beauty remains abundant and un-spoilt.
Only few in the world can offer the traveller such an astonishing combination of stunning landscapes, pristine beaches, captivating cultural heritage and unique experiences within such a compact location. Within a mere area of 65,610 kilometers lies eight marvelous UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 1,330 kilometers of coastline – much of it painted by pristine beach, fifteen national parks showcasing an abundance of wildlife, nearly 500,000 acres of lush tea estates, 250 acres of botanical gardens, 350 waterfalls, 25,000 water bodies, to a culture that extends back to over 2,500 years.
This is an island of magical proportions was once known as Serendib, Taprobane, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, and Ceylon. With Endless beaches, timeless ruins, welcoming people, herds of elephants, killer surf, affordable prices, fun trains, famous tea, flavorful food, newly gained peace and improved infrastructure Sri Lanka had been repeatedly named the next tourist destination worth all the investments.
Fuelled by piles and piles of compliments as the best tourist destination in the world and with years of war behind it for good, Sri Lanka is rising and its time you make a visit.
Discover refreshingly new Sri Lanka!
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Earpieces: types, purpose, characteristics
2016
19
Nov
##
the Vast majority of headsets for listening to audio tracks or simply headphones are wired. They consist of radiators (have direct contact with your ear), plug for connection to sound source (usually a 3.5 mm mini jack) and the wires that connect both nodes. This arrangement has good sound characteristics, but often uncomfortable to wear and is noticeable to everyone around. In situations where discretion is paramount, it is better to use a wireless headset, such as from the Belarusian company MicraBY.
what feature?
Audio track that is played through headphones, can have different content, meaning and, so to speak, the level of secrecy. For example, if a person listens to music audiobooks, learning materials have to hide he has no reason and it is possible to do a wired headset.
the Situations when it is not desirable to see around headset, abound in everyday life without even touching the spheres of law enforcement. For example, the same exam where the crib will not blow over, and take it anyway. Based on the stated conditions, the earpieces must meet the following requirements:
the
the
first, the absence of any wires, that is, the use of technology the transmission of data through bluetooth;
the
second, minimization of the size of the headset, to when it is placed in the ear, it remained invisible to others;
the
thirdly, the presence of a special antenna module, which is usually worn under clothing and provides the connection between the earpiece and the base station (e.g., smartphone).
Classification
All the existing models of the micro can be divided into two groups depending on the form and method of signal conversion:
the
Capsule. Have a conical or similar shape. Resemble normal vacuum in-ear headphones, more precisely, that part of them which is directly placed in the ear. Overall size in length can vary depending on the model, but in principle is within. Have a built-in membrane that converts electromagnetic vibrations, and thus transmits sound;
Magnetic. Are miniature cylindrical magnets (dimensions rarely exceed 1-2 mm), devoid of any electronic filling. They are placed deep in the ear canal with the help of special devices. The principle of operation is based on the excitation of electromagnetic waves.
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It’s been a wild ride in the wonky world of telecommunications policy.
Not long ago, the fight over Web users’ rights and the rules for the expanding world of mobile wireless barely made front page news. Now the always simmering battle has only grown between Beltway civil rights groups and netroots advocates who fall on opposing sides of the debate over AT&T’s proposed $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile.
At the heart of that debate is a question about how entrenched corporations can and should be in the work of advocates who rally on behalf of low income, communities of color, and other marginalized groups. And it has already prompted the high-profile resignation of the leader ofGLAAD, one of the nation’s largest gay rights groups.
Jarett Barrios resigned from his tumultuous tenure as the CEO of GLAAD last weekend amid growing external criticism over his support of the AT&T/T-Mobile merger. After a confusing set of circumstances in which Barrios submitted comments to the FCC first opposing and then supporting the merger, he was publicly accused of turning GLAAD into the industry’s “astroturf” movement, presumably in exchange for the company’s financial support.
Several civil rights groups, including the NAACP and National Urban League, have also supported the merger and have strenuously denied accusations from their netroots critics that they, too, were swayed by AT&T’s philanthropy.
Barrios has yet to issue a public statement since his resignation. When reached by Colorlines, GLAAD board co-chair Roxanne Jones said only, “We expect at our next board meeting set for Wednesday to reach a conclusion on all issues, so that Mr. Barrios can begin to help the board manage transition and bring on his successor.”
Barrios’s resignation came just one day before the official end to the open comment period for and against AT&T’s controversial bid to take over T-Mobile. In total, over 2,000 comments were submitted by unions, civil rights groups, and consumers who all weighed in on how the merger will transform the industry.
An Old Fight–Over Money
The hostility between beltway civil rights groups who support the merger and netroots advocates who oppose it certainly isn’t new, and neither are the allegations of astroturfing.
During last year’s contentious debate over the FCC’s approval of net neutrality rules, the debate seemed to reach a head when Art Brodsky, director of communications at advocacy group Public Knowledge, wrote a blog post criticizing civil rights groups’ opposition to Web rules.
“Perhaps the saddest part of the whole affair to date is the role of groups representing minority populations. For whatever reason–whether they believe what the Big Telecom companies tell them or not–many organizations seem to land on policies that hurt their constituencies and fall into ludicrous traps one suspects are not of their making.”
Those groups did not take kindly to Brodksy’s criticism. Sylvia Aguleria of the Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership and the NAACP’s Hilary Shelton wrote a joint letter to Public Knowledge President Gigi Sohn asking the group to repudiate the comments. Part of that letter read:
To make the blanket assertion that minority groups “fall into ludicrous traps” when taking positions on policy is to claim that minorities, and the groups they form to advocate on their behalf, are incapable of intelligently participating in sophisticated debates. Such statements are irresponsible, prejudiced and lack qualification.
Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush notably joined the fray during his failed bid to become the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communication and Technology. Wired reported that former ColorofChange.org executive director James Rucker had written a letter to Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi opposing Rush’s candidacy.
“I have grave doubts that Congressman Rush is capable of being an honest broker on important telecommunications matters,” Rucker wrote. “AT&T, America’s oldest and largest telecommunications company, has long been one of the larges donors to Congressman Rush’s campaign committee and leadership PAC.”
Wired later reported that Rush had received over $78,000 over the course of his congressional career from AT&T. Rush responded:
I will not allow the Silicon Valley funded ColorofChange.org group, which purports to “strengthen Black America’s political voice” through the Internet, to call into question my integrity and honesty to lead the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet as its Ranking Member. The notion that this Silicon Valley controlled group should have the only word on what is in the best interests of people of color is foolish. When an organization rents a Silicon Valley glass house, they ought to be careful about throwing stones.
But the allegations haven’t stopped. Recently, Politico reported that AT&T had lined up support from “a slew of liberal groups with no obvious interest in telecom deals–except that they’ve received big piles of AT&T’s cash.” In total, AT&T’s corporate giving branch, the AT&T foundation, gave $62 million in 2009 to charities and non-profit advocacy organizations, including $1 million to the NAACP and $50,000 to GLAAD, according to Politico. That report followed a similar one in the Los Angeles Times last year.
Both reports fueled the long-held suspicion of some netroots and consumer advocacy groups who have been at odds with telecom companies’ growing power. [Colorlines.com’s publisher, the Applied Research Center, is allied with some of those campaigns.]
“When you give national civil rights groups millions of private dollars, there’s no firewall strong enough to keep that money out of their policy,” Malkia Cyril, executive director of the Center for Media Justice, told the Times.
Civil Rights Groups: It’s About Jobs, Not Money
But is following the money enough? That’s the question that ArsTechnica asked last year. And for the civil rights groups who support the merger and receive donations from AT&T, it isn’t.
“I think that it is extremely disrespectful and marginalizing to communities of color that when we take a position on any large business deal, the automatic reaction is that we’ve been bought out,” said Lilian Rodríguez López, president of the Hispanic Federation, which submitted a letter in support of the merger with 14 other Latino advocacy groups. “We need to argue the merits of the issue–what works, what doesn’t work–rather than attack groups who make the arguments.”
And for the Hispanic Federation, those issues fall largely into two categories: jobs and broadband deployment.
Lopez argues that the merger will save jobs and extend AT&T’s worker protections to T-Mobile employees. The overseas* based T-Mobile has long been vehemently anti-union, and the Communications Workers of America have strongly backed the deal as well. Lopez also argues that AT&T has the infrastructure to quickly make good on the promise of broadband expansion to the country’s underserverd rural and communities of color.
The NAACP also insists that its support of the merger has to do with its merits, not AT&T’s donations. “A lot of organizations have provided support to us throughout the years,” said Hilary Sheldon, the NAACP’s policy director. Sheldon cited donations from Google, Verizon, Ford, and Wachovia. “We’ve never hesitated when someone is doing something wrong and discriminatory to sue them.”
Sheldon cited the NAACP’s 2009 lawsuit against Wachovia, one of its corporate donors, during the financial crisis as proof that it isn’t afraid to take on its funders. “We recognize that we’re the big dog, and we’re a big target,” Sheldon said of the criticism surrounding its position.
Job creation is a central talking point for groups who support the merger. Sheldon said that his group was first approached by the Communications Workers of America to support the deal because of AT&T’s commitment to spreading its unionized workforce to T-Mobile employees.
“We asked tough questions about maintaining high levels of union oversight, and their commitment was to expand the protections that are so important to us to employees who are working [at T-Mobile],” Sheldon said. “That is what the NAACP is all about.”
CWA, which represents more than 700,000 workers in communications, media and manufacturing, also filed 25 pages of reply comments to the FCC on June 20. In those comments, representatives from the union argued against opponents’ claims that broadband expansion is not a merger-related benefit and wouldn’t help to improve service. Most prominently, CWA argued that the deal would strengthen employee rights and dismissed claims made by its competitors. “Sprint has a long history of hostility to union organizing and trampling workers’ rights.”
Testing the Talking Points
In a recent email to its members, ColorofChange.org wrote that “groups that support the merger use strikingly similar arguments to support their decision–and sometimes have used identical language.” ColorofChange is pointing to documents submitted by the National Urban League and the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network. Both letters are dated May 31 and do indeed use similar language in arguing that the merger will help black workers and Web users.
The two organizations jointly filed seven pages of reply comments on June 20 in which they argued that the merger would help create jobs and help stop the hemorrhaging of jobs among African Americans. The comments cite the 2010 black unemployment rate–16 percent–along with a 2009 San Jose Mercury News report that African Americans made up less than 2 percent of computer workers in Silicon Valley as evidence that the merger would help workers of color.
Based on our due diligence, we have now reached the definitive view that the merger deserves to be approved. In reaching this conclusion, we recognize that the proceedings have just begun. As thoughtful public policy advocates we are prepared to modify our position should clear and convincing evidence call into doubt the basic assumptions which informed the conclusion we are setting forth in this letter today.
Neither the National Urban League nor the National Action Network responded to requests for comments before this article was published.
In its opposition to the merger, ColorofChange.org wrote that AT&T should be “applauded for their commitment to diversity in hiring” and acknowledged that the company’s workforce is indeed unionizing. But the group contended that these issues have nothing to do with the merits of the proposed deal. “Mergers almost always lead to layoffs, as the merging companies seek to eliminate redundant jobs–and there’s no reason to expect that this merger will be any different.”
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vision
notes
FOUNDER AND CEO OF GRUPO INSUD
Together with my wife Silvia, a Doctor in Biochemistry, we established our first company in 1977:
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In the Agribusiness area, the Group produces high quality grains, milk, meat and solid wood through companies Garruchos Agropecuaria and Pomera Maderas, and owns Los Murmullos, a ranch specializing in the improvement of bovine genetics.
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A view of Amsterdam: the Herring Packers Tower (Haringpakkerstoren) and
The New Town Tavern (de Nieuwe Stadsherberg)
Oil on canvas : 81 X 112 cm
Signed with monogram “JS” lower left
Frame : circa 97 X 127 cm
In short
Jacobus and his younger brother Abraham both specialized in marine painting: realistic Dutch harbour views and fictitious Italianate ones. Abraham is the better-known of the two.
I found similar compositions of this view of Amsterdam in a drawing from 1670 by Jacobus, in a canvas painting by Abraham from 1682 and in two vertical paintings, signed by both artists from 1685 and 1687. Our painting, sadly not dated, seems to the best and most elaborate of these.
Both the Herring Packers Tower and the New Town Tavern do not exist anymore; they were destroyed in the 19th century.
About Jacobus Storck
Dutch painter
Amsterdam 1641 – after 1692 Amsterdam
Marine painter.
Signed works known between 1664 and 1687.
Member of a family of Dutch painters.
Only a few paintings are known by his father, the Amsterdam painter Jan Jansz. Sturck (he had been born in Wesel in Germany), who later changed his name to Sturckenburch. His three sons, all painters later called themselves Storck or Sturck.
There are no surviving works by the eldest son, Johannes (1629/30 -1673). Abraham Storck (1644 – 1708), the youngest, was the best known of the three brothers. Abraham and his elder brother Jacobus were versatile artist, renowned for their marine paintings, topographical views and Italianate harbour scenes.
Their river and coastal scenes were greatly influenced by Ludolf Bakhuysen in the pictorial treatment of sky and water. Abraham and Jacobus also absorbed influences from other well-known Amsterdam marine painters, notably Willem van de Velde the Younger and Jan Abrahamsz. Beerstraten. The Beerstraten and Storck families were close friends and distantly related by marriage.
Abraham employed many assistants in his studio, often signing and touching up their works. In his paintings prominence is given to the vessels; their large silhouettes fill a greater part of the composition.
Jacobus surpasses his younger brother Abraham in the painting of architecture : he is more accurate and pays more attention to this kind of detail. His palette, which emphasizes the pastel shades, is more delicate than that of Abraham, and a characteristic of his is to paint the water in symmetrical ripples. His pictures are frequently fairly large.
Jacobus is recorded in Amsterdam in 1670, but his works suggest he soon afterwards travelled in Germany. Circa 1670 Jacobus Storck travelled along the Rhine, probably accompanied by his younger brother Abraham. He crossed the border at Schenkenschans and travelled South towards Bonn, Mainz, Worms, Speyer and Aschaffenburg. Some preparatory drawings and paintings by Jacobus made after these are known from this trip.
He probably died soon after 1688 after which date he is no longer listed as a member of the Amsterdam guild.
At the end of the 17th-century, many Dutch artists turned away from the styles and subjects of their home country. Like several other marine painters, Jacobus and Abraham Storck regularly painted views of Italianate, Mediterranean ports which mixed fantastic and realistic elements, depicted in the crystal-clear colours of Italian art of the period. Such scenes anticipated the popular 18th-century Italian capriccio.
About our painting
Our painting represents a view of Amsterdam with the in 1829 destroyed Tower of the Herring Packers (de Haringpakkerstoren) and left of it in the background the New Town Tavern (de Nieuwe Stadsherberg), destroyed in the second half of the 19th century.
This view was painted from the Singel, from close to the New Haarlem Lock (de Nieuwe Haarlemmer Suis) in NE direction towards the River IJ.
The Stiftung Weimarer Klassik und Kunstsammlungen in Weimar (Thuringen, Germany) holds an interesting drawing by Jacobus Storck. It is signed and dated 1670. Its viewpoint was taken a it more from the W., so that one sees a larger part of the river IJ and of the bridge between the Prince Henry Quay and the New Town Tavern.
In 1682 Abraham Storck painted almost the same view as ours, on a slightly smaller canvas. It looks like it has been cut at the top. The composition is not at nice as ours, as the yacht at left is shown in another position, thus lacking the view on its superbly painted transom.
Jacobus and Abraham Storck painted together twice a not so elaborate vertical composition with the Haringpakkerstoren, in 1685 and in 1687: the first one was with Gallery D. Katz in Dieren, Holland in 1953, the second one is in the Amsterdam Historic Museum.
About the Haringpakkerstoren
The Tower of the Herring Packers (de Haringpakkerstoren) stood on the corner of the Singel and the Prince Henry Quay (Prins Hendrickkade). The medieval tower formed originally the NW angle of the rampart of Amsterdam. It became the centre of the quarter of the herring industry of Amsterdam. The packers and their inspectors would regularly meet in the tower.
On 17th century views of Amsterdam one sees three similar towers. All three had at the start of the 17th century (circa 1607) received a graceful spire, probably after a design by Hendrick de Keyser I.
- de Haringpakkerstoren and the Jan Roodenpoortstoren (which also stood along the Singel, but closer to the town centre) were both destroyed in 1829. Their restoration and maintenance were in those days considered too expensive for the city of Amsterdam.
- the Montelbaanstoren, along the Oude Schans, still exists.
About the Nieuwe Stadsherberg
The New Town Tavern (de Nieuwe Stadsherberg) was built in 1662 on an oak jetty on the River IJ. In the second half of the 19th century this part of the IJ was filled up with a large island holding Amsterdam’s Central Station.
Town Taverns offered lodging to those travellers who could not enter a town before sunset, when its gates and its harbour were closed.
About the Dutch herring industry
Herring can be considered the patriotic Dutch fish. Its obvious importance to the Dutch laid both in the Dutch diet and in the Dutch economy.
Do not forget that in those days meat was expensive and that on Fridays and during Lent one could not eat it. Preserved fish, especially salted herring, was a cheap and acceptable alternative.
Dutch salted herring was considered the best in Europe. It has been calculated (Hochstrasser 2007, P. 38) that in the second half of the 17th century the Dutch fishing industry and its ancillary trades employed about 450.000 persons, while some 200.000 worked in agriculture and about 650.000 in other industries.
Large fleets of ships fishing for herring, so-called herring busses, were regularly accompanied by Dutch warships, especially during times of war or tension with the United Kingdom or with France. These fleets left Holland at the end of May. Most of the “Dutch” herring was caught in the waters of NE Scotland, along the Shetland Islands, and later in the fishing season also in the E waters of England, off Yarmouth in Norfolk and Lowestoft in Suffolk.
Herring were cleaned (the heart, gills and entrails were removed), salted (preferably with Portuguese salt) and put into (oak) barrels at sea. In the Dutch harbours the herring packers would open these barrels and check the quality of its content. If necessary the operations would be started all over again. The bad, rotten fish would be properly disposed of.
About the yacht at left
The small ship at left is called a yacht.
A Dutch yacht was a not too small (17 – 20m), fast, manageable, richly decorated, luxury sailing ship used by the Stadtholder (princely yacht), members of the States General (States yacht, “Staatsiejacht”), of the West or the East Indies Company (WIC and VOC yacht), certain towns (Amsterdam for example) or admiralties (admiralty yacht). In fact yachts were conceived as smaller versions of Dutch East Indiamen, commercial ships used by the East Indies Company. Typical of these ships and of the yachts was their flat transom (“spiegel”), decorated with a coat of arms.
Dutch yachts remained very popular for some two hundred until the end of the 18th century, not only in Holland, but also abroad in England, Germany and Sweden. It is thought that some two hundred yachts were built in Holland during that period for domestic and foreign clients.
Stadtholder Frederic Henry (1584 –1647), the successor and half brother of Prince Maurice, possessed a complete fleet of yachts: a large war yacht used at sea, a smaller one for the numerous Dutch inland waterways, several sail- and horse-drawn yachts for canals and even a smaller play yacht (“speeljacht”).
Why should you buy this painting?
Because it gives a detailed, colourful view of the buzzing Dutch metropolis of Amsterdam in the 1670s or 80s, where all layers of society meet. A rowing boat with fishermen is about to cross rich people who will board their yacht, moored at left; on the quay, at the foot of the Haringpakkerstoren, people are strolling among the herring packers.
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耳が聞こえないので、呼ぶときは、近くにいるときは肩とか背中を軽く叩いてください。会話のすべてが筆談です。
よろしくお願いします★
読者モデルやってるが、大阪でフリーモデルやっております。
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The model is done in Japan.
When I call it because I am deaf, I am light, and please swat a shoulder or a back when there is it near.
All of the conversation is conversation by writing.
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| 1,076 |
Results tagged ‘ Jim Tracy ’
Haven’t heard much substantial regarding the Pirates today, as impending deals with free agent pitchers Scott Olsenand Kevin Correiaare at a standstill and awaiting physicals. Neither is likely to be done by the time everyone departs the Winter Meetings on Thursday. But they should be finalized not long after.
A few thoughts/notes/pure speculation/analysis regarding other activity today:
It’s unknown if the Pirates’ acquisition of two starting pitchers will push the club to start focusing more on other needs than on adding starting depth. On the other hand, you can’t have too much starting pitching. And neither Olsen or Correia are exactly coming off banner years, so the Pirates would do well to keep looking for additional options.
The Pirates are still in the market for a right-handed hitting first baseman or right fielder. Matt Diaz, who was non-tendered by Atlanta last week, seemed like one option that could be a good fit. However, Diaz seems to be a target for a lot of teams, so the Pirates might be squeezed out of a shot at him.
Josh Willingham, who the Nationals are making known is available in a trade, is another interesting name. Willingham would cost some money — he made $4.6 million last year and is arbitration eligible for the third time this offseason. He would also only be guaranteed to stay for one year, which could be a turnoff to the Pirates. But he has some pop, and if the Nationals need to clear some salary room for their big offseason spending plans, they might be willing to give up Willingham for not so hefty a return. Just a thought.
Former Pirates hitting coach Don Long was in Orlando on Tuesday interviewing to be the Mets’ hitting coach. I’d imagine that had something to do with Jason Bay, who credits Long with turning him around in 2008.
A report surfaced not long ago saying that talks were heating up between the Orioles and Rays for a Jason Bartlett - Nolan Reimold swap. If that comes to frutition, that would take Barlett off the Pirates’ list for potential shortstop upgrades.
After what we all saw at Wrigley Field on Monday night, it’s pretty remarkable that Capps missed only two games.
***
Apparently, whatever is going on with right-hander Tyler Yates (right elbow inflammation) must be more serious than the Pirates are letting on. After having a round of tests earlier this week, Yates is going to have some more tests now, according to Russell.
Not much more was said on his status, but it’s not sounding like he’s going to be back pitching real soon. He is eligible to come off the DL on Sunday, but there is still no timetable for him to begin his return to pitching program.
***
With Yates out indefinitely, then what about Tom Gorzelanny? Asked Russell if there was an urgency to get Gorzelanny back in the Triple-A rotation and it sounds like the Pirates could make a decision to send the lefty back to Indy pretty soon if there is not an opportunity for Gorzelanny to get some innings in. He last pitched on Monday.
“We’ll look at it,” Russell said. “We don’t want to go too long. He’s done some throwing and it’s been more than one inning, so we feel like he’s been stretched out enough. But at some point we have to make a decision. He’s done a nice job, but I think as an organization we’d like to see him do that as a starter now – take that intensity and start. He hasn’t pitched in three days. If it goes too much longer than we’ll have to get him out to where he can get back on his rotation.”
***
Your update on reliever Craig Hansen will have to wait a bit longer. I’ve been told we’ll be getting work on his latest rounds of test results later this evening. Hansen supposedly had tests done earlier this week as well, but the results of those have not yet been released either.
That said, I’m not sure the prognosis is great. Doctors have had a hard time identifying why Hansen is being bothered by neck/back spasms.
***
And some other odds and ends…
Former Pirates manager Jim Tracy is back managing again. The Rockies fired manager Clint Hurdle earlier today and promoted Tracy, who was the Rockies’ bench coach, to the managerial helm.
Righty Ian Snell threw a side session off the mound at PNC Park to work specifically on his delivery out of the stretch and at throwing inside to lefties. The side session was more intense than a normal in-between starts one is.
The Pirates have traded Double-A infielder Anderson Machado to the Cubs for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Machado was with the Major League team during Spring Training, but was with the organization solely to provide some Minor League depth.
The Pirates have signed RHP Scott Nestor as a Minor League free agent. Nestor has been assigned to Double-A Altoona. Nestor was most recently in the Phillies organization.
The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.
| 5,481 |
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| 728 |
SERVE India
Reaching the Unreached.
Thank you for continuing to pray for John in India. He has been busy, as usual! He has been hearing very encouraging reports from all of the places the team visited in Jan, all softening hearts to the Truth. We are so grateful! Please continue to pray for John for wisdom & the Lord’s clear guidance for many decisions that are coming up concerning the land sale, the teacher training school, & the purchase of a fishing boat for one of the fishing villages that was affected by the cyclone.
Thank you for praying! We are so grateful for you all!
His joy, Love,
The Nanda’s
Thoughts on our trip from another team member, Cassidy…
Our last meal together in India the team went around the table and shared one highlight and one challenge of our time together. This was difficult, as so often the highlights are little moments that are significant, yet hard to put into words. Little connections with the Indian people where I felt understood, and there was a recognition between two people despite the language barrier and limited time. When the sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and grit of India would wrap around me and I marveled at how God created these different cultures intentionally to glorify Him. Details that were worked out in such perfect timing that I wondered how some people don’t see God, when He is right in front of us, all the time. Laughter and love the team shared that is unique, and like India, so hard to explain.
With this disclaimer, one highlight that I will try to put into words is the church’s growth I’ve seen span over the four times I’ve been able to serve in India. On my first trip to India, in 2007, we visited a remote tribal village to support a pastor that would ride his bike along a winding, pitted, dirt road to share Biblical promises with these villagers. I remember visiting that primitive village, and while the people were welcoming, there was a hesitance that comes with unknown people and unknown teaching. I remember sitting on beds the people had hauled out of their homes while we taught about the story of Jonah to a crowd of men, women, and children that listened intently. This year we went back to that same village to attend a pastors training conference that was being held in their church to help equip local pastors that would hike into the mountainous tribal areas to preach the gospel to people who have never heard it. We witnessed more than 10 baptisms at the conference, sang songs of praise together, listened to teaching from each other, and shared a meal at the church with around 100-150 men, women, and children that were involved in the conference. The village felt like a completely different village.
There are other stories like this. Of churches I remember praying over while they were still a shell, waiting to be finished and filled, that this year we sat through a packed church service with all these brown faces of brothers and sisters of Christ staring back at us. Or children we’ve seen get bigger with each year run to greet us and then lead the songs of worship in church services. Or widows, that seem to get tinier each year, hobble out to great us and hug us goodbye. God is alive in India, and I can’t wait until the day that the global church will be able to worship our King in one tongue, as one body.
There were challenges as well, mostly what God was teaching me and working out in me. But since this is getting long, I think I’ll share those another time.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for praying for us over these last several months and for your continued support as we start preparing for next year’s young adult trip. It is a wonderful, humbling thing to have complete assurance that we are wrapped in your prayer and love through all of this.
| 3,804 |
13 Arrested And 6 Injured After Protest In Portland
The Portland Police Bureau estimates that around 1,200 demonstrators had gathered at the height of the demonstrations on Saturday.
SHOW TRANSCRIPT
Thirteen people were arrested in Portland on Saturday after a confrontation between far-right extremists and anti-fascist counter-protesters.
Multiple far-right groups converged in the city for a rally. They included the Proud Boys, which has been deemed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. They were met by counter-protesters from the anti-fascist group, Rose City Antifa, leading to altercations across downtown Portland.
Officers seized a variety of weapons — including bear spray, knives and poles — from demonstrators. Law enforcement declared a civil disturbance at one point. Six people sustained minor injuries over the course of the demonstrations, one of which required hospital attention.
President Donald Trump commented on the protest in a tweet early Saturday morning, saying there was "major consideration" to naming Antifa an "organization of terror" and that Portland was being "watched very closely."
This isn't the first time Portland has seen demonstrations between far-right and anti-fascist counter-protesters escalate into violence. The groups previously clashed in late June, resulting in multiple injuries.
The Portland Police Bureau estimates that around 1,200 demonstrators had gathered at the height of the demonstrations on Saturday, with over 700 officers enforcing security.
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Decayed cadavers can also be used to depict death; in mediæval Europe, they were often featured in artistic depictions of the danse macabre, or in cadaver tombs which depicted the living and decomposed body of the person entombed. Coffins also serve as blunt reminders of mortality.
Less blunt symbols of death frequently allude to the passage of time and the fragility of life. Clocks, hourglasses, sundials, and other timepieces both call to mind that time is passing, and frequently contain memento mori mottoes themselves. Similarly, a candle both marks the passage of time, and bears witness that it will eventually burn itself out. These sorts of symbols were often incorporated into vanitas paintings, a variety of early still life.
Certain animals such as crows, cats, owls, vultures, and bats are associated with death; some because they feed on carrion, others because they are nocturnal.
Images of life in the afterlife are also symbols of death. Here, again, the ancient Egyptians produced detailed pictorial representations of the life enjoyed by the dead. In Christian folk religion, the spirits of the dead are often depicted as wingedangels or angel-like creatures, dwelling among the clouds; this imagery of the afterlife is frequently used in comic depictions of the life after death.
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This restaurant is very close, within walking distance to our hotel. Enjoyed a very good supper here. Typical Applebee's fashion. This chain is about the same no matter where you are. A mid range priced, typical menu, however all of us were very pleased with our food & drink. Was a bit later than supper hour, service was a bit...
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We like to eat here because it's close to the hotel where we stay. Started out with Blue Moon's. We both had the new wood fired grilled meat. My wife had the chicken bowl with mashed spuds and I had the thick cut pork chop, cooked medium. Everything was fantastic.
We decided to have a sit down dinner before going to the movies. I had not been to an Applebees in 10 years as I am not normally a fan. The hostess seated us promptly and the waitress came to the table within 5 min of our arrival. The menu had quite a few different options. I choose something bland...
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This is like Applebees everywhere in the USA (or at least ones that I have been to) with same set up, same menu and same general ambience – clean, decent menu, reliably pleasant food but all a bit boring and repetitious.
Here the food was as expected – nice but without being anything special (perhaps what you might expect from...
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I don't really like Applebees that our main courses are not very flavorful however their desserts are to die for. For example I have the apple pie hence the reason Applebees and I really enjoy the pie it was creamy it was very sweet and perfectly season.
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| 2,373 |
PPI vs. DPI: what’s the difference?
Though the terms DPI (dots per inch) and PPI (pixels per inch) both describe the resolution (or clarity) of an image, they’re not the same thing. PPI describes the number of square pixels that show up in an inch of digital screen (usually between 67-300). DPI, on the other hand, is a printing term referring to the number of physical dots of ink in a printed document.
Still not clear? There’s no shame in feeling lost on the DPI/PPI subject; the world seems to have conspired to make it as confusing as humanly imaginable. Among other reasons, this is largely a result of people (and some software manufacturers) using the two terms interchangeably.
Not to worry—by the end of this article you will have a thorough understanding of these terms and should feel comfortable enough to smugly correct any misuser of the terms. (And explain to them why they’re wrong! Because everyone loves that.)
Pixels Per Inch (PPI)
—
We’ll start here because, if you’re a designer, your primary concern is going to be PPI. DPI, which we’ll discuss next, refers to a technical aspect of printing devices that doesn’t directly concern you — it’s the print shop’s domain.
People say “DPI” when they really mean “PPI” all the time — so much so that it’s become an established convention that you have to put up with (Apple, Microsoft and Adobe have all been guilty of this improper usage). The important thing to know is whether someone talking about DPI really means PPI. Read on and you will.
PPI’s digital basis
First off, what is a pixel? It seems rudimentary, but for many the confusion begins here. Pixel stands for “picture element”. It’s the smallest physical element of a digital display device that the eye can discern.
Zoom in close to the photo on your computer screen and you’ll see them: rows and rows of tiny little squares. These are also the smallest addressable unit of a digital image.
In fact, pixels are actually made up of “sub-pixels” — red, green and blue light elements that the human eye cannot see because additive color processing blends them into a single hue which appears on the pixel level. But this fact is not directly relevant to designers.
Confusion point: Regrettably, some manufacturers refer to these sub-pixels as “dots” because they are (roughly) analogous to the CMYK dots of a printer, which function in a similar way but by subtractive color processing (more on this later). These manufacturers then boast of the “DPI” of their screens. If you see this, ignore it! It is an annoying misuse of terms and probably an attempt to overcharge you.
Note that pixels are physical things of a fixed size (albeit not a standard one; different devices have pixels of different shapes and sizes, the smallest known being a microscopic 11¼ μm).
Hence, the number of pixels per inch (PPI) on your screen is a fixed quantity — not something you can adjust by typing in a new number somewhere. Most LCD monitors are in the neighborhood of 67 – 130ppi.
If you’re only going to look at an image on a screen, its PPI doesn’t matter because the PPI of your monitor is already fixed. So next time someone tells you to upload images to a website at 72ppi because that is “web resolution,” you can tell them that they have simply added a ridiculous extra step.
Unless they are concerned with visitors taking the images from the website and then printing them, the PPI doesn’t matter. A 72ppi image and a 3,000ppi image will appear exactly the same on screen.
What you need to understand: PPI and a printed target
So we’ve established this much: setting PPI only matters for printing — the transfer of a digital image onto a non-digital surface. “But wait…” you say, “we’re talking pixels per inch, but printing paper doesn’t have pixels!” Yep, it’s confusing. Read on.
In the printing process, all the physical pixels that composed the image on screen are translated into little squares of different hues on paper. Obviously these are not pixels in the sense of the light-emitting mechanical device but “pixels” in the more abstract sense of a square picture element (we’ll use quotes around this abstract usage from now on to help keep things clear).
What does this mean? “Pixels” on paper have no fixed size. If you increase the size of your image by 300%, the “pixels” on the paper will become three times as large, resulting in a bigger but more rough-looking image.
And how do you increase or decrease print-out size in this way? By adjusting the number in the PPI (or, depending on your software, DPI) field.
Suppose you have a 300 x 300 pixel image. If you set the PPI to 10, this is going to make the print out relatively large: at 10 pixels per inch, it will be 30 x 30 inches (300 divided by 10 is 30). If you set the PPI to 300, this is going to make the print out relatively small: at 300 pixels per inch, it will by 1 x 1 inches (300 divided by 300 is 1). Make sense?
Takeway: Think of the PPI input as a way to adjust the physical size – not the resolution – of the eventual print-out. Decreasing the PPI, thus increasing the size of the printout, may seem to produce a lower quality image because the pixels are larger and more visible.
But remember, this is only a relative gauge of quality; if you were to stand further away, the image would appear as clear as it did before. The absolute resolution of the image has not changed; there are still as many “pixels” relative to the picture as there were before. So the way to increase the resolution of an image is to produce an image with more pixels, not increase the PPI.
Note: simply re-sampling an image at a higher number of pixels (inputting a new number into the pixels field after the image is already made) is generally not a great way to go about increasing quality, because the computer will likely cram the image full of pixels in weird places.
Dots Per Inch (DPI)
—
Printers do not reproduce an image by tiling pixel squares directly on top of one another. Rather, they reproduce an image by spitting out tiny dots consisting of a mix of four colors, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (black), which combine to create a range of hues by the subtractive color model. There is bound to be some space between these dots, and this is what DPI measures: their density.
For example, if you are printing a 150ppi image at 600dpi, each “pixel” will consist of 16 dots (600 dots/150 “pixels” = 4 rows of 4 dots per “pixel”).
This matters to the client because, as a rule of thumb, the higher the DPI, the better the image’s tonality and the smoother its color blending will be (it will also use more ink and take longer to print, so keep that in mind for personal home printing). 150dpi is generally considered the minimum standard for high quality photographic reproduction in books and magazines. Newspapers often use 85dpi and the effect is clear: individual dots are visible and some detail is lost. Billboards go as low as 45dpi, but you can’t tell because you’re typically viewing from very far away. Typical dot matrix printers are capable for 60 – 90dpi, inkjet printers 300 – 600dpi, and laser printers 600 – 1,800dpi.
Note: higher dpi does not necessarily equate to higher quality because there is no standard dot size or shape, meaning that one manufacturer’s dots might look as good at 1200dpi as another manufacturer’s dots do at 700dpi. Anyway, that’s not really your problem.
Takeaway: DPI is just a technical aspect of an individual printer, like the pixel resolution of your computer monitor. As a designer, you have no control over this. All you can do is recommend your client to a professional print shop and have the shop, which will know the specifications of its machines, take over from there.
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Any comments?
Displays are usually specified in MDPI, HDPI, XHDPI, XXHDPI – 160 is the logical density for MDPI devices, right? A Nexus 5 is specified with 445 ppi, which should or could be the same as 320 DPI / XDPI or 480 / XXHDPI? Is there any formula to convert ppi into dpi?
Image based on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhszwkcay2A
Thanks.
Modern Retinas have a density of 400ppi, my old notebook just 100ppi.
There is a rule out there that says to store images (for Retina) twice the size of the original Web image. Example: Image width = 1.000px.
1.) Is my understanding correct, that for iPhone6+ (400ppi display) you would need to store width = 4.000px?
2.) How will this large image (kB and px-size) be scaled to the right size on each device, automatically?
studio5
Feb 26 2013
Actually dpi/ppi DOES have an impact on the screen.
If you create a PDF with images of identical pixel extents but differing ppi metadata the result is a mess of different sized pages.
To see an image at its best it must be displayed at a pixel per pixel match… on a Macpro super retina 13″ for example this requires a ppi resolution of 227. Otherwise it will interpolate.
The latter is a real problem to do with the pixel doubling of the Retina solution which to prevent teeny tiny icons and so forth is treated for much of the time as a 1440×800 monitor with the applications graphics then pixel doubled.This really messes up video. If you want to zoom 1:1 on a video player on a Macpro retina…all I can say is good luck. This is proving a nightmare in my work. As far as I know there is no way to add ppi data to video and no player would recognise it if there were.
PDF stands for Portable Document Format. As it stands today, it is used
so that regardless of what platform you viewed it on it would still be
accessible (not pixel perfect but accessible). Originally it was
primarily used in desktop publishing, ie; print purposes. The fact that
it can be viewed on screen does not detract from its original core
purpose in printing. It is merely a nicety to user experience. So
although you are right about viewing pdfs on screen, you are still
incorrect about PDFs being an exception because you are ignoring its
core purpose for use in printing. In which case PDF is not solely for on
screen, which is what the article said. “If you’re only going to look at an image on a screen, its PPI doesn’t matter because the PPI of your monitor is already fixed.”
studio5
Feb 26 2013
Jim I repeat. Create a sequence of images of matching resolution, lets say 1929×1080 but set their DPI differently, some 72dpi some 300. Use adobe acrobat pro to assemble a PDF of these.
Now view the result in multiple operating systems. The result is a disaster. You have to match dpi across all images.
.
We are long past the era where PDF’s are used with the primary purpose being to print. PDF’s are open and used just about everywhere now as yet another reading medium. I don’t print off my 1300 page ebooks. Sometimes I am lucky and can get them as an epub or similar open-format originally intended for reading. However PDF’s are also commonly used because very rarely will you find a device that doesn’t have either Adobe reader or a free pdf reading alternative.
Drew Goldsberry
Feb 26 2013
Converting images to web optimized is really more to reduce the size of the image to 72 at the size you need to make it so the client can download the image quickly. This is not a worthless step, serving only what is needed not what is available can provide a better user experience. Nice post had some really great content- Web Developer
I suggest you try for yourself; make an image 72dpi and another 3000 dpi. Check the file size. It is the exact same. You are not providing a better user experience, you are indeed just adding an extra unnecessary step. The DPI/PPI setting only tells the printer how big you wan’t to print the image. If the image is shown on the web, it doesn’t matter the slightest.
Drew Goldsberry
Feb 26 2013
The assumption in my previous post was you were using the image inside a website. For instance I have space for a 400px wide image and i am starting with a 2000+ wide pixel image. I could allow the browser to resize the image for me or i could send a 400px wide 72 dpi image. Both would achieve the same effect the difference is the browser does not need to load the large image if it is only 400 px wide for instance. I understand where the confusion is i was not clear on my post.
Yes re-sampling an image without keeping the dimensions the same will result in the same size image.
Johan Dahl
Feb 26 2013
I’m not sure you understand. Serving a 2000+ wide pixel image would indeed be bad, since it would undoubtedly be of bigger size than a 400px image. BUT, the DPI doesn’t matter when it comes to web images. You don’t need to set your 400px wide image to 72 DPI (it can be anything). The DPI of that image is totally irrelevant when it comes to displaying it on the web.
Александр Компанец
Feb 26 2013
How can the DPI of an image be changed? Article says “DPI is just a technical aspect of an individual printer”.
At the same time author says “the PPI doesn’t matter” (not DPI but PPI). He says you may do your site using 3000 PPI images and it wil look the same. It will. But the size of that images will be too large.
Johan Dahl
Feb 26 2013
No it won’t. The size of the image will not change at all, which is easy to test for yourself! I suggest you do that.
Александр Компанец
Feb 26 2013
Got it! PPI affects only printed image. If we don’t change the resolution it will take the same disk space. Thank you. Really didn’t know that we may leave the resolution while changing PPI setting.
This bothered me as well, and it looks like the responses to this comment just muddied the waters. If you take a large image that is set at 800 pixels wide x 300 pixels hight at 300 ppi it will be a large file. In order to post the image online the convention is to reduce the ppi to 72 for bandwidth purposes.
I understand the argument but it over-complicates the situation. Most images have a set ppi when you open them in an image editing software like Photoshop, and this should be the frame of reference.
Mitch Gohman
Feb 26 2013
Actually a lot of people confuse this topic. I had trouble wrapping my head around it the first time I examined it. And now with retina displays (device pixels) – it ramps up the confusion.
It used to be that screens would have a resolution close to 72 pixels per inch. Physical inches. Nowadays, since people can set there display resolution to whatever they like, this is no longer valid (been over 30 years). 72 PPI is, however, a convention that people have been following for years as a result. But it actually doesn’t impact the file size. An 800×300 pixel image at 72 ppi is the same as a 800×300 pixel image at 300 ppi. Each image contains the same number of pixels. The only difference is when you go to print. PPI = printed pixels per inch.
The only semi-valid argument I have discovered in working with images for web, is that when you set the document to 72 PPI, and you work with Fonts – the font conversion of POINTS, is the same size as pixels (12 pts = 12 pixels). Because 72 points in print is equal to 1 inch. You could also just change the font settings to use pixels instead of points in Photoshop (or editor of choice). And not have to deal with the conversion at all.
At the end of the day – wether you set your document to 72 ppi or 300 ppi – it won’t make a difference. I always tell my students to use 72 ppi just to follow the convention and call it day. in other words, it doesn’t change the price of tea in China – and most people won’t get it any way. It also helps when working with others who do not understand this trivial fact. When you give them a file – they expect it to follow conventions. The agreed approach. When it doesn’t, you may spend more time trying to explain why it does not matter, than actually working on the website. 🙂
At the same time, when people get this misconception -it elevates their understanding of the files they are managing.
John Marovino
Feb 26 2013
Great article Alex . well written and badly needed. There’s so much confusion over a topic that shouldn’t be that complicated. Thanks.
You can add Amazon into the list of major companies who just can’t seem to grasp the difference between PPI and DPI. I’m having a discussion right now with Amazon reps who swear when you go into Photoshop and alter an image’s resolution that you’re changing its DPI – even though it says right there on the resolution screen that you’re changing the PPI. It’s not like it’s hidden. The words “pixels per inch” are right there next to the resolution entry box.
Hi there, I need some very basic advice – I am not a designer, but I came across this post because I am trying to make a photobook via Mixbook, and I looked up their help section to make sure my photos don’t print poorly. I have some photos I am trying to use that I have no digital copy of, so I was planning to scan them and edit them in photoshop, which I have never really used before.
Anyway, this is what the help section says: “For best print quality, photos should be at least 4MB at 300 dpi. The maximum file size at this time is 15MB.”
So, in photoshop I cannot see any way to edit DPI, which doesn’t surprise me after reading this post. But now what I am confused about is, how to I achieve these recommendations? Do they mean PPI? And what does the file size have to do with the print quality? Can I change that?
First, when you open a new document. Below “Height” and “Width” is an option for “Resolution”. That’s where you should edit your DPI (although Photoshop calls it “Pixels/Inch”).
You can also make changes later on by going to: Image > Image Size and edit the resolution there. Keep in mind that, because these are not vectors, you won’t be able to make the image larger or increase the resolution without some shrinkage or pixelation. The best plan of action is to start from the beginning with the size and resolution you want.
Roman
Feb 26 2013
so just to be clear, your own concept of ppi vs dpi is now backwards? In your article you claim that DPI is a physical aspect of a printer (which it is, it is the physical limitation a printer has to print an image) but now you say that by changing the resolution in photoshop (which photoshop calls Pixels/Inch, which is correct) you are actually changing the DPI. So do you yourself now not know which is which?
99designs
Feb 26 2013
Hi Roman,
We find that often when print shops request a certain “DPI”, what’s actually meant is PPI (via Photoshop). The standard for photo print shops is 300PPI resolution to print in good quality, which we assume is what was asked of Rachael. We’ve edited our response for clarification.
Tracy
Feb 26 2013
I am very confused. I am trying to create a large mural for a client. If I purchase the images through Shutterstock at their largest size say 330dpi and I need to print the mural and roughly 10′ x 10′ with a minimum of 72ppi it will be blurry so I am told. Is there a calculation I can use to determine how many dpi I need in order to achieve a clear image at 10′ x 10′ with 72-100ppi?
OK. I wanted to submit a photo to my school magazine. They requested that we submit the photo by e-mail as a 72dpi image, and if they want to print it in the magazine, they will ask us to submit to them the 300dpi image. So do they really mean ppi and not dpi? Is dpi something the school magazine would have to manipulate with the printer? Also, is Photoshop the only way to change dpi/ppi? Does a DSLR camera allow you to change that in its settings somewhere?
Check out ImageMagick (if you are not shy around the command prompt or ‘terminal’ depending on your OS).
On windows (and possibly linux if you have Mono) you can also look into Paint.NET. It is a free tool that lets you alter information about images (such as re-sampling the image, altering the DPI/PPI, etc).
Certain tools that attempt to show you what something would look like printed (because monitors are very rarely, if ever, going to print an image the same size your monitor displays it at) will use the DPI/PPI to actually ‘print’ the image (and it’s surrounding text/objects) to something such as a PDF or other transferrable media; to do so, it has to mimic a printer and will take the DPI of your image into effect.
This also can be seen when using web-tools to ‘create’ your own business cards, ‘design’ your own t-shirts, etc.
Also, some tools, will take into consideration the DPI/PPI in attempts to display the image at (or as close to as possible) to what you would see if you printed it, in effect emulating the printer.
arbee
Feb 26 2013
This is a very good article, but I do have a question. You say…. “If you’re only going to look at an image on a screen, its PPI doesn’t matter because the PPI of your monitor is already fixed. So next time someone tells you to upload images to a website at 72ppi because that is “web resolution,” you can tell them that they have simply added a ridiculous extra step.”
I understand that it won’t make any difference to viewing the image, however does it make a difference to the file size?
of course they’re will be different in size, because more pixels = more size.
James
Feb 26 2013
Except that, with JPEGs, compression varies the number of pixels (file size), but not the size of the image on a display! Trying to explain this stuff to normal human beings is impossible!
BourbonAndCoke
Feb 26 2013
Pixels exist on your monitor, not in a JPEG file. Compression has nothing to do with this subject. A 1000px X 1000px image is still 1000px X 1000px with or without compression.
James
Feb 26 2013
Correct in principle, but a heavily compressed JPEG will be unrecognizable on a screen or a printed image, as the compression removes some of the details. Once compressed, those bits of data are gone, and the file is smaller, although it would still appear the same size displayed on a screen.
BourbonAndCoke
Feb 26 2013
Well, correct in fact and in practice as well! Your comments are also true, but JPG compression is a distinct issue from the topic of this article and comments. The way Adobe labels and presents the DPI/PPI/resolution options is what I think adds greatly to the confusion about the issue and has for years. It took some real headaches when I was starting out to figure out how the different settings actually worked.
The funny thing is, right now, for the past week, I’ve been editing images for use on a client’s e-commerce site, and changing the ppi to 1600 (!) on each image, because that’s what the customer insisted on. I told him once that this is an unnecessary step that doesn’t affect anything. He looked at me with a blank stare, so I said “o.k.! 1600 it is!”
BourbonAndCoke
Feb 26 2013
Fail. There will not be a difference in size, which is the whole point of this article. Changing a Photoshop setting from 72 ppi to 15000 ppi will make zero change to the image. The two images are identical, the same, not different, not larger, not bigger file size, not more pixels, not “of course.”
Karl
Feb 26 2013
Of course it does. Open any image in Photoshop and change it from 72 ppi to 15000 or whatever. You get a larger image, more pixels, bigger file size, all of that.
BourbonAndCoke
Feb 26 2013
You get a larger image, more pixels, bigger file size, etc. if you have the option “resample” (resize) checked, in which case Photoshop calculates what the width and height need to be in order to *print* at the so-called “resolution” you’ve set. That resizes the image accordingly. But that scenario does not apply here because you’ve added a second consideration by explicitly telling PS to resize the image. What I’m saying is that changing the PPI *without* resizing the image will result in an identical image. Same file size, same dimensions, “all of that.” 🙂
Karl
Feb 26 2013
You’re right. And Galih was also right, considering that Photoshop resamples the image by default. So you must tell it “explicitly” that you don’t want to resize the image. What a disappointment. I was thinking I could turn my lousy 5 MP phone pictures into glorious high-res 30 MP images, so I don’t have to buy a fancy camera.
BourbonAndCoke
Feb 26 2013
Before you give up hope, consider that I started an all-digital studio/event photography business in 1999, paying $1000 for *1MP* Kodak camera, and I made prints as large as 20″ x 30″ for store displays (after much PS work) when even 8″ x 10″ was a stretch. I wouldn’t be as concerned with the image size as I would the overall quality of the camera on your phone, since they’re often pretty lousy. But test it out! Take your best shot, interpolate it as you need to, and get a test print at Walmart. When I started that business there was ONE place in town to get photographic quality digital prints, and an 8″ x 10″ would cost you $20. You don’t have it so bad!
Shraddha Rathi
Feb 26 2013
Thank you ever so much for the information.
Resolved my problem …well at least I realized that I really don’t have a problem when the publisher asked for different resolution files for web post!
Thank you again
Thanks very much! But I am a little confused about it. I interpreted your information as PPI is an affair of the computer monitor manufactures’, whereas DPI is an affair of printer manufactures’, so it seems there is nothing concerned with us users. It is right? So could if we change the PPI/DPI of some picture file? And I am concerned with one thing, how to determine the pixels of a certain size of letters?
So should I export a digital image in a similar amount of PPI as the printer will use DPI?… Or does that not matter as long as it’s not exported with a too low DPI?
For example; If I know a print will be made at 300dpi, and I have an image exported at 480ppi, is that a problem?
A chart can be a bit tough since there are a variety of types of screens available (smartphone, tablet, laptop, TV, monitor, etc) all at different sizes. Figuring out the PPI of a screen is basically a math equation.
First to clear up the terms:
For screens, display resolution refers to the number of pixels on the screen itself, how many pixels high vs how many pixels wide. Display size is the physical size of the screen in inches. So the relationship between PPI and resolution means that PPI (pixel density) depends on the total number of pixels the screen has (display resolution) within the physical measurements of the screen (display size).
The formula is a bit complicated, but there are handy calculators available like these: http://kingscalculator.com/en/other-calculators/pixel-density-calculator
janet
Feb 26 2013
Coming from the print world, dots in printing are a fixed size, and only variable in how many appear per inch — determining the degree of image detail.
I suppose that’s a way of looking at it, like cells that make up the body.
Bennett Haselton
Feb 26 2013
I learned some useful information here but I think this is still potentially confusing unless you clarify something right at the top: There are *two different* definitions of “PPI” being used in the article.
When you refer to monitor PPI, you’re talking about the physical pixels per inch of monitor space (something that can’t be changed).
When you refer to the PPI of an image file, you’re talking about a file attribute that is a directive to the printer (not the monitor) telling it how many pixels per inch to use when printing the file (which of course can be changed).
Your first couple of paragraphs are referring to the PPI of the monitor, but then the first time you say “its PPI doesn’t matter,” that’s the first usage of “PPI” that refers to the PPI attribute of an image file.
The complete explanation as I understand it, is:
– There is the PPI attribute of a monitor as described above
– There is the PPI attribute of an image as described above
– By default, when an image is displayed on a monitor, there is a 1-to-1 mapping between the logical pixels of the image and the physical pixels of the screen, because this is the optimal display. But they are not *definitionally* the same, and you can change this by changing the resolution of your display.
– A display screen is supposed to ignore the PPI attribute of an image file completely. For two images whose pixels are identical, but one is set to 300 PPI and the other is set to 150 DPI, they should be displayed at the same size on the screen by default. But when you print them, one will be twice as large as the other.
Converting pictures to net optimized is de facto a lot of to scale back the dimensions of the image to seventy two at the dimensions you wish to create it that the shopper will transfer the image quickly. this can be not a manky step, serving solely what’s required not what’s accessible will give a more robust user expertise. Nice post had some extremely nice content- net Developer
With one very painful exception to all this, Microsoft. PowerPoint and Outlook both read the DPI of the file and use that when insterting graphics. I’ll drop you one life line, use 96dpi when making graphics for emails in Outlook.
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UN Report Examines Media Coverage of Kenya Elections
November 01, 2009 06:38 AM
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One month ahead of general elections in Kenya, a new report claims that government-controlled broadcast media are favoring President Mwai Kibaki in their coverage. As Derek Kilner reports from Nairobi, President Kibaki is locked in a tight race with challenger Raila Odinga.
The report, by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Strategic, a local public opinion research firm, examines the quantity and quality of coverage of the different parties and presidential candidates by radio, television, and print media.
The report finds that, for the most part, the major candidates have received similar amounts of coverage. While the candidate receiving the most positive coverage varied between media outlets, the report found that negative coverage was consistently less for President Kibaki than for Odinga.
The coordinator of the UNDP election assistance program in Kenya, Margie Cook, tells VOA that television and radio coverage of the president by government-run Kenya Broadcasting Corporation is a cause for concern.
"The findings are showing that generally the KBC and, to a lesser extent, the Citizen Group are disproportionately favoring the government and the incumbent with their coverage over and above the other parties and candidates," she noted.
Cook says another troubling finding is the use of ethnically divisive language by smaller radio stations.
"Coverage on community-based radio stations which use vernacular language and are ethnically-based are often using language that incites racial hatred and incites tensions between the different ethnic groupings," she added.
Support for Kenya's political parties tends to be based more on ethnic allegiances than on political ideology, and can fuel tensions between tribes. President Kibaki's Party of National Unity, for example, is dominated by Kenya's largest tribe, the Kikuyu, while Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement has its base among the Luo tribe of Western Kenya.
Related Stories
It?s exactly one month and one day before Kenyans go to the polls on December 27 to choose their next president. The election has been preceded by an unprecedented number of opinion polls, to the extent that one local newspaper wrote that Kenyans could know who their next president will be even before polls close on December 27.
The latest poll was released over the weekend. George Waititu is managing Director of the Steadman Group, one of the leading polling agencies…
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Don Felipe nació en el año 1814. Salió de su país natal a recorrer los mares en el año 1828, es decir, a la edad de 14 años. Navegó hasta 1836, fecha en que se radicó en Montevideo, y falleció en esta capital el 2 de agosto de 1889, a la edad de 75 años. Filip Luksic, a Croatian Merchant sailor who arrived in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1840. -------------------- The first Lussich that arrived to Rio de la Plata was Don Felipe, who came as a sailboat bosun English. He settled in Montevideo, after having traveled the world, as crew on British ships. He was home, marrying here with Doña Carmen Griffo, an Italian citizen, born in the Mediterranean coast, in a town called Vado, near Savona. The couple had twelve children, four of whom died young. The eight survivors were three women and five men. The three women died unmarried. The five men, called Antonio D., Joseph B., Manuel, Henry B. and Arthur, were vast family leaving offspring.
Don Felipe Lukšić arrived in Montevideo in 1836. As brought some capital, he built here a ship cabotage, which, soon to be dumped into the water, was snatched by General Garibaldi, who in front of a legion, had great preponderance in the government of the time. There were several efforts made by Don Felipe, in the sense that his ship returned to him or pay him what he had taken. He ordered to build another of the same characteristics, determined to settle permanently in Montevideo, and carve out a future here thanks to the tenacious, persistent effort. The second ship followed the same fate as the first,-without any refund or compensation. The two boats were auxiliaries of the fleet under the command of Garibaldi fought battle in the Rio de la Plata with Argentina Squadron, commanded by Admiral valiant Don Guillermo Brown, English heart Argentine nationality.
With the staff of a dozen small boats port traffic, intended landing of merchandise and products of the country, Don Felipe Lussich founded in 1844 that turned the house shipping later under the name Felipe Lussich and Sons, the that once numbered more than a hundred sailing and steam units, and reached to be the first company in lanchajes, trailers and salvage of South America.
After 72 years of existence in the hands of the same family, the company Lussich passed in 1916 the property of the State, as a result of the nationalization of port services and the evolution operated in navigation in general, and in particular local traffic.
The company Lussich in his long acting, saved hundreds of lives and more than a hundred overseas ships. So she and her courageous crew were decorated by the governments of England, Spain and France.
After Don Felipe arrived at the Rio de la Plata his brothers Anthony and Vincent.
The two formed also home in Montevideo and had several children. Antonio Lussich was father of John Lussich, a prominent writer and journalist, who died prematurely in Buenos Aires at 21 years of age.
Two other brothers of Don Felipe, Don Antonio and Don Vicente, very young settled in Melbourne, Australia. Other brothers and sisters of the Lussich that did not come to Rio de la Plata, remained forever in the Adriatic.
Don Felipe was born in 1814. He left his homeland to travel the seas in 1828, ie at the age of 14. He sailed until 1836, when he moved to Montevideo, and died in Havana on August 2, 1889, at the age of 75. Filip Lukšić is your second cousin's wife's third great grandfather. You
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Location:
The Setup:
Evelyn and I were visiting Nana and Grandpa, and I knew I wanted to get a shot of Evelyn with Pallas. They spent the day uneasy around eachother - Pallas barking loudly at everything, and Evelyn with the squeals and grabby hands. Once Evelyn (finally) went down for her afternoon nap, Pallas felt brave enough to come over for a sniff.
(Edited 2011-11-08 16:31: I posted this to Instagram and liked the effect on there better than the original one.)
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Shropshire Diamond Jubilee Pageant - A Memorable Day
The sun shone for HM the Queen yesterday when she attended the Diamond Jubilee Pageant at RAF Cosford. Everyone must have breathed a sigh of relief that just for one day, the rain was going to hold off long enough to allow a glimpse of summer and to enable people to have an enjoyable and memorable day.
We had taken a trade stand, and after a bleary eyed, very early start (we were at Cosford for 6.45am setting up the stand!) our stall was looking cheery and colourful with blue and silver balloons, bunting and giveaways in the form of teddy bears, animal themed bookmarks, pens, pencils and sweets. In addition, we had blue and silver cupcakes displayed on Jubilee style cake stands, and it wasn’t long before children were making a beeline for our table!
Just before noon we could see people starting to look skywards (which makes everyone else do the same!) and in the distance a helicopter could be seen approaching – the Queen had arrived! Soon the crowds were making their way over to the roadside where, after a short wait, they could see the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh drive past, heading for one of the hangers where they were to meet dignitaries and have lunch.
At 1.30pm the Pageant started, and the Queen watched a ‘Reignbow’ procession as the people of Shropshire commemorated the six decades of the Queen’s reign.
It was fantastic to see everyone, adults and children alike, having such a wonderful time, and the service personnel at RAF Cosford did an amazing job co-ordinating the day. It will no doubt be a day that everyone who was present will never forget.
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Hope on the Halfshell
Hope on the Halfshell
And then there's the oyster, an unlikely superhero that has recently been enlisted to help save the bay. Because a single oyster filters up to 40 gallons of water a day simply by dining on plankton, oyster reefs create massive natural filtration systems. "They function like kidneys for the bay," says Ray Grizzle, research professor of zoology at UNH.
Not so long ago, the Great Bay estuary was loaded with oysters—more than 1,000 acres of them. Today, there are barely 100 acres left, the population decimated by disease, pollution, and over harvesting. But Grizzle and Ray Konisky '03G, marine conservation ecologist for The Nature Conservancy's Oyster Conservationist Program, are on a mission to restore the humble mollusk--as are some 58 local "oyster sitters" who have volunteered to help reestablish the population.
Restoring oyster beds is painstaking work. It starts with clamshells—100 tons of them—trucked in from a Rhode Island seafood processor, cleaned and dried, and then loaded onto a barge. Next, a 150-horsepower pump rigged to a power hose blasts shell across the water in 50-foot swaths, covering the muddy bottom, creating a starter home for baby oysters, which need a solid surface to cling to as they grow. The idea is that, with a head start, the mollusks will rebuild a reef, creating a giant natural water-filtering machine. It's slow going, though. It's taken five years to build just 15 acres.The citizen oyster program provides just a fraction of the oysters for the restored reefs, but the program is growing and has been such a success that each season concludes with an awards ceremony. The good-natured competition can be fierce, with awards for Best Survival Rate, Greatest Number of Oysters in One Cage, Cleanest Oysters Ever, and, of course, Biggest Oyster.
Great Bay oyster farmer, Steve Weglarz '83, hauls oysters from the water with his family on a November afternoon. (Photo credit: Larry Landolfi)
On the menu for the 2013 ceremony were Cedar Point oysters grown by Steve Weglarz '83, one of about 10 oyster farmers who have recently set up shop in Great Bay—and become part of the restoration team. High-density farms, explains Konisky, where thousands of mollusks grow suspended in a relatively small space, could become an important supplement to reef rebuilding efforts.
A few weeks after the awards ceremony, on a raw November afternoon, Weglarz and his four kids are standing at the edge of the bay hauling oyster gear from the water. It's the last task of the season before winter settles in. To the west, just below the spot on the opposite shore where the sun is slipping from view, 200,000 oysters stacked in two dozen 4-foot high "condos" float in the icy brine, ready to wait out the winter in hibernation. Weglarz's three boys, Dylan, Jake, and Liam, untangle ropes and buoys, pulling bits of sea lettuce from the empty condos, then strap the gear to the trailer. Back home, they'll repair and rig the equipment for spring, when the boat will go back in the water, and it'll be time to start working the farm again. Little sister Mia grabs a mesh bag, empty of oysters and in need of cleaning. "I feel some real responsibility to take care of this planet," says Weglarz, who hopes that his oyster farm will play a small part in the ongoing effort to "save our shores" and that he himself will be part of another group of determined citizens banding together to change history. If we do it right, he hopes, his own children will find a better bay waiting for them when they grow up.
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Henry Greene Puzzle Table
This original design is from the mind of the Greene brothers and was our inspiration to make something truly different. As a result, we have made two versions of this 63" round table that expands to 80" round.
Firstly, this is a Quarter-Sawn White Oak table with a sturdy ”Arts and Crafts” base.
Secondly, it has a Classic Greene and Greene design that mirrors its original “Cloud Lift” base detail.
The concept of a round-to-round table is not a new idea. The United States Patent Office has many design patents issued, dating from the mid 19th century to more recently. In addition, self-storing leaves have been around for a hundred years. What we are offering is combining all of these features in 100% solid construction.
The more dramatic “Fletcher Table” with its intricate mechanism is priced at more than $50,000. Our table is significantly less, about $11,500 to $16,000 depending on the material you select. We offer our table in solid Quarter Sawn White Oak, Hard Maple, Cherry and Mahogany. Custom inlays are also available per your request.
At your request, we can also build our table with up to 14 standard 12” extension leaves, which can add up to 168 inches to your table.
*Product picture may not reflect actual price. Please use pull down (when available) to determine your price. Colors and finishes may vary depending on your monitor.
Click wood samples to see the different finish options.
Red Oak
1/4 Sawn Oak
Cherry
Elm
Walnut
Hard Maple
Character Hickory
Hickory
Hand Hewed Cherry
Brown Maple
Wormy Maple
Character Walnut
Hand Hewed 1/4 Sawn Oak
Mahogany
Pine
Henry Greene Puzzle Table
Stock# DRRR6080GG
Quantity:
Dimensions
63" - 80W x 30H x 63" - 80D
Product Weight
350 lbs.
This original design is from the mind of the Greene brothers and was our inspiration to make something truly different. As a result, we have made two versions of this 63" round table that expands to 80" round.
Firstly, this is a Quarter-Sawn White Oak table with a sturdy ”Arts and Crafts” base.
Secondly, it has a Classic Greene and Greene design that mirrors its original “Cloud Lift” base detail.
The concept of a round-to-round table is not a new idea. The United States Patent Office has many design patents issued, dating from the mid 19th century to more recently. In addition, self-storing leaves have been around for a hundred years. What we are offering is combining all of these features in 100% solid construction.
The more dramatic “Fletcher Table” with its intricate mechanism is priced at more than $50,000. Our table is significantly less, about $11,500 to $16,000 depending on the material you select. We offer our table in solid Quarter Sawn White Oak, Hard Maple, Cherry and Mahogany. Custom inlays are also available per your request.
At your request, we can also build our table with up to 14 standard 12” extension leaves, which can add up to 168 inches to your table.
American Made Furniture
We've helped people furnish their homes for almost 70 years and we understand the importance of creating the perfect atmosphere. Whether its an inviting bedroom set or a richly appointed Amish made dining room set, we can help you make an informed decision and you can rest assured that we offer the best in quality and affordable prices.
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China cracks down on building projects in anti-graft move
2 Min Read
BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Tuesday ordered a five-year suspension of the construction of new official buildings, state media reported, in the latest move by President Xi Jinping to crack down on extravagance and pervasive corruption.
A man rides an escalator near Shanghai Tower (R, under construction), Jin Mao Tower (C) and the Shanghai World Financial Center (L) at the Pudong financial district in Shanghai July 4, 2013. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
The decision was “made in accordance with the country’s frugality campaign”, official news agency Xinhua said.
Some structures built in violation of regulations had tainted the image of the Communist Party and stirred vehement public disapproval, the agency said.
“The directive called on all party and government bodies to be frugal and ensure that government spending goes toward developing the economy and boosting people’s wellbeing,” it added.
The ban also covered “glitzy structures” built as training centers, hotels or government motels, it said.
Numerous scandals in recent years have centered on extravagant expenditure on new government buildings by officials, often in poverty-struck inland regions.
Some local governments have embezzled poverty-alleviation and disaster-relief funds to build for themselves offices and other facilities that sometimes resemble high-end resorts.
Xi, who took office in March, has made the fight on graft a key objective of his administration, and the party has already targeted everything from the use of government cars to liquor served at official banquets.
Corruption is so bad it could hurt the party’s grip on power, Xi has warned although so far few high-level officials have been caught in his dragnet and the party has shown no sign of wanting to set up an independent graft-fighting body.
Similar orders in the past to rein in construction of over-the-top government buildings have had little apparent effect.
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Economics relates to every aspect of our lives, from the decisions we make as individuals to the structures created by governments and firms. Thinking like an economist can help us all make better choices. With exam-style questions and specific skills practice, this revision guide helps students build their knowledge and understanding of economic theory, giving them confidence to achieve their potential in examinations. Answers are at the back of the book so that students are free to self-study.
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Treacherous ice caused chaos on roads in North Yorkshire as freezing temperatures hit parts of the region.
Bystanders and off-duty officers were called into action as police dealt with at least four serious ice-related vehicle incidents by 9.45am yesterday (Sunday).
Police were first called to Saltergate, in Pickering, when a car left the road after skidding on ice at about 7.30am.
An off-duty police officer helped at the scene, and a woman involved was taken to hospital with back pain.
At around the same time, North Yorkshire Police said a Renault Twingo car left the road and rolled into a field off the A170 between Pickering and Thornton-le-Dale.
A passing member of staff at the force stopped to help at the scene until officers arrived and no-one was injured.
Elsewhere, a bus became stuck on ice in the road on the roundabout at Kirby Misperton at about 9am yesterday.
A police officer, staff from Flamingo Land and a local farmer all helped to get the bus moving and grit the road without incident.
Just minutes later, a flipped onto its roof after skidding on ice in Acres Lane, Helmsley, at about 9.45am.
The driver suffered hand injuries, police said, and the road was closed while the vehicle was being recovered.
Meanwhile three vehicles collided with a wall on Fletton Road, Norton at about 12.30pm yesterday, after encountering a large amount of black ice on the road.
No-one was injured.
Inspector Martin Dennison, of the Ryedale Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: ““It was a busy morning for officers on Sunday, and we’re very grateful to community-spirited members of the public who stopped to help those involved in collisions.”
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Please Note:The products shown in photos have been professionally painted. Color swatches are for informational purposes only and may differ from the actual merchandise. Colors on your screen are also affected by monitor settings and browser.
HG 1/100 XXXG-01H2 Gundam Heavyarms Custom
Top Connections
The Shooting Weapons! There are no Army Knife in Gundam Heavyarms Custom EW.
Heavyarms is a fitting name for something that can't even keep its limbs upright. This thing really can't hold up the dual gatlings because of the polycap joints. Do yourself a favor ...
Heavyarms is a fitting name for something that can't even keep its limbs upright. This thing really can't hold up the dual gatlings because of the polycap joints. Do yourself a favor ...
Here’s an HG kit of the new version of the Gundam Heavyarms as it appears in the Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz OVA. Includes two different versions of the face (one half-covered by a clown mask). It of course also features two big double-barrel Gatling-style guns that can be gripped in the hands or mounted on the backpack. A dozen places on this model open to reveal missiles ready to fire. Other details are typical of Bandai HG kits: Molded in color, snap-assembly, polycaps and foil stickers for detail colors. Unpainted Trowa Barton figure, too.
Heavyarms is a fitting name for something that can't even keep its limbs upright. This thing really can't hold up the dual gatlings because of the polycap joints. Do yourself a favor and mod this thing to have proper arms, along with the two holsters on the back of the kit, as those can't hold them up either.
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Heavyarms is a fitting name for something that can't even keep its limbs upright. This thing really can't hold up the dual gatlings because of the polycap joints. Do yourself a favor and mod this thing to have proper arms, along with the two holsters on the back of the kit, as those can't hold them up either.
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Pick Up Review
This thing really can't hold up the dual gatlings because of the polycap joints. Do yourself a favor and mod this thing to have proper arms, along with the two holsters on the back of the kit, as thos ...
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Pages
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Nonexperimental Quantitative Research
1. The number of police officers and the number of crimes are positively related.This relationship is:
a.A causal relationship
b. A direct relationship
c. A probabilistic causal relation
d. A spurious relationship
2. A research studies the relation between early reading and later school achievement. She decides that a potentially extraneous variable in the relationship is IQ. In developing her groups for her study, she pairs each child who was an early reader with a child of the same IQ level who was not an early reader. The control technique she used was:
a.Holding the extraneous variable constant
b.Statistical control
c.Matching
d.Random assignment
3. Partial correlation analysis involves:
a.Examining the relationship between two or more variables controlling for additional
variables statistically
b.Including only one group in a correlational analysis
c.Matching participants on potential confounding variables
d.Limiting the sample to individuals at a constant level of an extraneous variable
4. The directors of a graduate program in educational research wish to see what types of jobs their graduates take after they finish their program. They randomly sample students from the program and have them fill out questionnaires with items asking about the types of jobs they have had. They also are asked to describe the roles they play in their current positions. This project is best described as having what kind of objective:
a.Descriptive
b.Predictive
c.Explanatory
5. When research is done to test hypotheses and theories about how and why phenomena operate as they do, then the primary purpose of such research is:
a.Descriptive
b.Predictive
c.Explanatory
6. The variable the researcher matches to eliminate it as an alternative explanation is called a(n) _________ variable.
a. Matching
b. Independent
c. Dependent
d. Partial
7. Which of the following is not a longitudinal design?
a. Panel
b. Cross-sectional
c. Trend
d. Both a and c are longitudinal designs
8. The positive correlation between teachers’ salaries and the price of liquor is _________.
a. Spurious
b. Due to a third-variable
c. Nonspurious
d. Both a and b
9. Which of the following is considered a special case of the general linear model?
a.A variable
b. Partial correlation
c. Analysis of covariance
d. Both b and c
10. When a researcher starts with the dependent variable and moves backwards, it is called ________.
a.Predictive research
b.Retrospective research
c.Exploratory research
d.Descriptive research
11. The method of working multiple hypotheses refers to a technique for identifying rival explanations.
a. True
b. False
12. GLM refers to which of the following?
a.General Logit Model
b.General Limited Model
c.General Lab Model
d.General Linear Model
13. The post hoc fallacy is ____.
a.Making the argument that because A preceded B, A must have caused B
b.Making the argument that because A preceded B, A and B must be correlated
c.Making the argument that because A preceded B, they cannot be correlated
d.None of the above
14. Which one of the following is not a step in nonexperimental research?
a.Determine research problem and hypotheses
b.Analyze data
c.Interpret results
d.All are steps
15. If a research finding is statistically significant, then ____.
a. The observed result is probably not due to chance
b. The observed result cannot possibly be due to chance
c. The observed result is probably a chance result
d. The null hypothesis of “no relationship” is probably true
16. Which of the following is/are necessary condition(s) for causation?
a. The relationship condition
b. The temporal antecedence condition
c. The lack of alternative explanation condition
d. All of the above
17. Which of the following independent variables cannot be manipulated in a research study?
a.Gender
b.Ethnicity
c.Intelligence and other traits
d.None of ht above can be manipulated in a research study
18. __________is a form of explanatory research in which the researcher develops a theoretical model and empirically tests the model to determine how well the model fits the data.
a.Causal modeling
b.Predictive research
c.Descriptive research
d.Exploratory research
19. Nonexperimental research in which the primary independent variable of interest is categorical is sometimes called_____________.
a. Causal-comparative research
b. Correlational research
20. Which approach is the strongest for establishing that a relationship is causal?
a. Causal-comparative
b. Correlational
c. Experimental
d. Historical
21. Which approach is the strongest for establishing that a relationship is causal?
a. Causal-comparative
b. Correlational
c. One CANNOT say without additional information (i.e., it could be either depending
on how well the researcher established the three necessary conditions for cause
and effect)
22. _______ is the most commonly used technique for controlling for extraneous variables in nonexperimental research.
a. Matching
b. Holding extraneous variables constant
c. Statistical control
d. Static control
23. It is best to use the method of working multiple hypotheses when _____.
a. You are finished with your research
b. You are planning your research study
c. You are hoping to publish your already obtained research results
d. None of the above
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Exploring the Intersection of Efficiency and Librarianship
Deciding Between Priorities
There is a common question I encounter in my Efficient Librarian presentations that can be best synthesized as this: How do I decided between different priorities?
The default resolution that many people fall to is an attempt to decide which item is most important. While this can be helpful, adjudicating importance can be too subjective and imprecise. A better guide to resolving this question was recently presented on the Getting Things Done blog. In the post, senior coach Kelly Forrister framed a few different factors to consider.
1/ Context is first since it will always be required to do what you want to do. For example, if your computer is required to write an email, but you don’t have it with you, then you can’t take that action. If being @Home is required to mow your lawn, but you’re not home, you can’t take that action.
2/ Time available is also a limitation in that if you don’t have the time to take an action, it won’t matter if it’s high priority or not. If you only have ten minutes, but you need an hour to take an action, that will eliminate some choices.
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Smart Trends in Air Conditioning Will Boost Performance
Cooling season will soon be upon us again, and with it, the need to save energy and boost your HVAC performance. How can you get the most out of your air conditioning this year? Here are a few important trends in air conditioning to look for.
Options for Upgrading Air Conditioning
Smart thermostats – The thermostat is the key to your HVAC system. The better you can control it, the better you can control everything else. Smart thermostats have the ability to learn your cooling preferences and adjust them accordingly. They can sense automatically which rooms are occupied and which aren’t so they only send air where it’s needed. Plus, they’re WiFi enabled, so you can be alerted immediately to any air conditioning issues, and check and adjust the settings remotely.
System integration – Another way thermostats are becoming smart is by integrating with other systems to know when cooling is or isn’t needed. If the lights are on in a particular spot, that means someone is occupying that room/area and air conditioning is needed there. On the other hand, if the alarm is armed, then it’s a safe bet no one’s around, and the A/C can turn itself off.
Smart power grids – Not only are new technology trends making it easier to save energy by yourself, they’re also making it possible for the power grid itself to help you save energy and boost performance. Especially during the summer, power companies tend to encourage their customers not to run major appliances during peak hours when everyone else is running them in order to avoid overloading the grid.However, with the rise of wind power, there are also periods of surplus energy. Wind is difficult to predict, and the energy it produces can’t be stored. So suddenly, without any forewarning, a grid will have extra power. A smart grid can communicate with the houses and buildings on it to let them know when these surplus periods are so they can run their HVAC system and other major appliances more cheaply.
Learn more about air conditioning trends from the pros at United Air Conditioning, or give us a call today at 727-531-0496 to schedule an appointment!
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Articles...
The International Human Rights Day comes and goes every year. Human Rights activists talk of torture of under trials in police custody. They talk about human beings being subjected to medical experimentation without their conscious knowledge. They discuss socially relevant subjects like violence against women, child abuse, trafficking or exploitation of child labour in TW countries. But the lot of the community of eunuchs is largely ignored even by their own. It is also true that at every stage of their existence, their rights to live and work like normal human beings are violated with impunity.
The term eunuch – hijra – that we commonly use to mean a ‘sexless’ person has been defined in the dictionary as a castrated man. A hermaphrodite is a creature possessing both the male and female organs. A transvestite is a person who chooses a sex other than the one he/she is born as. Facts tell us that neutralized neutral-sex persons are a rarity. The hijra population in India has a well-defined group structure and regional affiliations with a group head. Though Balucharaji is their Goddess and they revere Ambe Mata, there are religious demarcations. Most of them identify with the female sex. Within the eunuch community, incest is absent. Most of them have worked as prostitutes at one time or another. Serena Nanda’s research shows that some persons labeled hijra in India are both prostitutes and celebrants of rites of passage.
Hindu epics, puranas and mythology are replete with the courageous feats of true hermaphrodites who, within these scriptures, have always been referred to as the ‘third sex.’ “But after the Arab attack in the eighth century, castration of males in order to put them on specific jobs began on a large scale” writes S. N. Ranade [1]. Centuries ago, guards to king’s harems were castrated to ensure that no co-habitation between royal wives and guards took place. This led to the creation of the ‘third sex’ – the castrated eunuchs. But it was not the end of the story. These sexless wonders realized that perversions did exist in society. Many males found them distractingly attractive. And the potential ‘femme fatale’ was born.
Hijras have a recorded history of more than 4,000 years. Ancient myths bestow them with special powers to bring luck and fertility. Despite this supposedly sanctioned place in Indian culture, hijras face severe harassment and discrimination from mainstream people in society, are not allowed to have any organized source of income, and from the police that arrests them for begging, one of the few sources they have of eking out a livelihood.
Are Hijras born or made? The term hijra is often translated as "eunuch" and the archetypal hijra is raised as a man and undergoes ritual removal of the genitals to become a hijra. However, anthropologist Serena Nanda [2] explains that many hijras come from other sexually ambiguous backgrounds: they may be born intersexed, be born male or female and fail to develop fully at puberty, or be males who choose to live as hijras without ever undergoing the castration procedure. The cultural category "hijra" appears to be a magnet for a variety of sexual and gender conditions: ambiguous sexual anatomy, impotence, infertility, homosexuality, and others, which may not have an analogue in Western cultures. Nanda writes that the crude surgery is done by dais (country nurses) whose ‘training’ is based solely on experience. The eunuchs call this ‘operation’ nirbaan meaning ‘mukti’ because the act suggests a ‘transition’ of the person from one ‘life’ to another. Indian legal statutes do not permit such forced castration of males and therefore, there is absolute secrecy around the act of ‘nirbaan.’ The operation is always conducted between three and four before the crack of dawn, while it is still dark, and no one else but the dai-maa and her assistant is present for this ‘ceremonial’ ritual. The whole act is given the colour of a religious ritual like the acceptance of deeksha for a better life in the next birth purely in order to veil the essential barbarity and brutality of the custom and make it seem both acceptable and ‘natural.’
In 1990, Dr. B.V. Subramaniam [3] of the Surat Medical College wrote a paper based on his research on the making of a eunuch. The study reported that most eunuchs in India were the result of forced castration. The method adopted for the surgery is crude, unscientific, threatening to the health of the patient and done in the most unhygienic conditions. The genitals of a normally born male baby are slashed off with a knife dipped in boiling oil. After dressing the wound, a nail with a string attached is tied to the waist and drilled into the stump, which would, with medication and time, begin to look somewhat like a female crotch. In cases of castration, Subramaniam’s paper says that breasts develop because the seat of the male hormones – testicles – has been removed. When the female hormones take over, the growth of secondary sexual characteristics, such as growth of facial hair, is restricted. So, also the regular change in voice. Castrated or not, eunuchs are sexually active. As they cannot form intimate relations within the parameters of either acceptable or aberrant behaviour due to lack of takers, they take to prostitution. Because of their indiscriminate sexual lives, Subramaniam warns that they are possible carriers of the HIV virus. Gully No. 1 of Shuklaji Street, a notorious red light area of Mumbai, is an almost exclusively eunuch preserve.
Legal Hassles and Police Torture Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person". Article 6(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which India is a party, states: "Every human being has the inherent right to life. Law shall protect this right. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life". Article 4 of the ICCPR states that this right cannot be waived "even in times of public emergency threatening the life of the nation". Unlawful and extra judicial killings clearly contravene the right to life. The Indian government ratified the ICCPR in 1979. By ratifying an international treaty which enshrines the right to life, India is obliged not only to respect that right in principle, but also to ensure it is not violated in practice. The ICCPR imposes a clear duty on states to investigate alleged violations of the right to life "promptly, thoroughly and effectively through independent and impartial bodies.”
What kind of life are these Articles talking about? Isn’t the quality of life more important than its quantity even for people marginalised by the mainstream as the lowest of society where the word ‘human’ is under question? Is it a life of dignity where a person can stand tall with his/head in the skies? Or is it a life of humiliation, insult, oppression and neglect by the family, media and establishment given legitimacy by the legal system? The violence a hijra faces from the police is traced to the 1897 Amendment to the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871, subtitled: “An Act for the Registration of Criminal Tribes and Eunuchs,” equating at one stroke, all criminal tribes with eunuchs who are not criminals either by birth or by vocation. Under this law, the local government was required to keep a register of the names and residences of all eunuchs who were “reasonably suspected of kidnappings or castrating children or committing offences under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.” This section is mostly used, or misused, to ‘deal’ with the hijra community as well as homosexuals in India. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code criminalizes “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal,” even if it is voluntary. The law, which is traced back to colonial ideas of morality, in effect, presumes that a hijra or a homosexual is engaging in “carnal intercourse against the order of nature” this making this entire class of one of the most marginalised communities vulnerable to police harassment, arrest and torture by the police at any given time and place under any excuse.
In a sudden police raid on a Bhandup (a Mumbai suburb) brothel more than 15 years ago, many of the prostitutes were eunuchs. When rounded up and taken to the local police station, they were found to have deep gashes, cigarettes stubbed on their arms, scars of regular beatings and lashings. The police too, are no less. All eunuchs must pay hafta to the police or risk being beaten up. They are rarely employed in regular jobs, though many would like to lead normal lives. They fight among themselves for clothes and money when the time to share the booty comes. They have no grudge against normal human beings because they accept their sexual identity as ‘destiny’, which, as we all know, is not quite true. How can castration be destiny?
After a long struggle, the eunuch community has succeeded in a small measure by convincing the bureaucracy to allow them to enter “E” in forms, data-base sheets and other official documents like passport application forms on the NET in the place where they have to enter their ‘sex’ instead of the routine “M” or “F” which does not apply to them.
The Hijra Identity Ranade [4] interviewed hijras thrown out of their own eunuch groups in Delhi because the Delhi eunuchs refused to be interviewed by him. Since they were already ostracised by their own groups, these eunuchs were more forthcoming in their statements than group members generally are. Among 100 such ostracized eunuchs Ranade interviewed, 76 said they were castrated, 13 said they had genitals of either sex, that is, genetically born hermaphrodites and 11 were transvestites – woman’s mind trapped in a male body. Or, vice versa – a male trapped in a female body. Of the 100, 51 said they were males and 49 said they were female. Not one of them said they were neither male nor female. True hermaphrodites of either ‘sex’ that is, people born with one testicle and one ovary are a rarity in real life. The Report mentions the existence of what is known as pseudo-hermaphrodite.
Medical science states that hermaphrodite ‘males’ are those born with testicles only and some sexual characteristics of a genetically born female, but no ovaries. Hermaphrodite ‘females’ on the other hand, are born with ovaries and with some sexual characteristics of the male sex but no testicles. Ranade insists that most eunuchs in India are castrated males. Pseudo hermaphrodites, both ‘male’ and ‘female’ are not very many while true hermaphrodites can be counted on one’s fingertips. Because of their ‘unique’ biological feature and their sparse number, true and natural eunuchs command a lot of respect among the eunuch community. Parents of such groups almost voluntarily hand over their offspring to eunuch communes or to institutional care. Ironically, these institutions themselves are discovered to have handed these children back to the eunuch community all over again.
Living in a society intolerant of deviant behaviour, hijras, mostly poor and illiterate, look upon themselves as cursed for the sins of their past life. There is no definite count of the hijra population in India. Estimates range between 100,000 to over one million. Though mostly gay or transvestite, hijras believe they are sexless persons, neither male nor female. Most of them lead a life of penitence and austerity, though not necessarily of abstinence, and practice bizarre rituals to win from God their one great wish: to be born as man or woman in their next life. The story goes that after a eunuch dies, the others of the group give the dead body 27 beatings with their slippers so that the person is never again born a eunuch. Once employed by sultans to guard their harems, the hijras, literally hermaphrodites, but mostly eunuchs or castrated males, live today on the fringes of society, ostracized yet accommodated, occasionally venerated for their supposedly magical powers.
The hijra community is very similar in function to the Hindu Caste System. It is a community unto itself, a sect within themselves, united like the family system. There are seven nation-wide communal households known as gharanas for the most part in cities throughout Northern India. Each has its own history and rules of behaviour. Each household is headed by a nayak who appoints a guru or a preacher trained to protect the community members, whose disciples are referred to as chelas or students and traditionally amount to about five per guru. Before entering the community, the hijra has to live in satla (female attire) and observe the community for at least a year [5].
Eunuchs and the Media The media, instead of helping their cause, has hampered it almost irreversibly by projecting them either as a dark and sinister group of people with criminal instincts, to be avoided at all costs, or as the laughing stock in films, and rarely with empathy and humanity. The hijra community is a close-knit one, their ways and habitat kept secret from even the closest of neighbours who nurse more hatred than fear for them but prefer not to show it. Only the odd beggar who sleeps on the pavement across the road from a hijra colony seems to envy their deviant existence. They appear to care little for social acceptance but have enough sensitivity (though their manner does not reveal this) to hate being ridiculed by 'straight' people. Many of them have turned to crime and prostitution. “But once they reach a certain financial status, I have observed that they leave such work” said Dr. Uday Sheth of Mumbai who treats five eunuch patients a month on an average. Yet, none of these elements have been used as plot, theme or subject in Hindi cinema. Only in Mani Ratnam's Bombay did one get to see the secularity and the tenderness of a hijra and the empathy she reveals towards little children. In a touching scene in Bombay, a hijra offers shelter to the two little twins of Arvind and Monisha Koirala. In effect, she saves their lives. She is not bothered about the communal identity of the kids as she lets them know. And then, we know that Mani Ratnam has made his point: a hijra can be a good human being only if we let her show this goodness. Kalpana Lajmi empathised with a hijra forced to live within the mainstream through her film Darmiyaan. In Jodhaa Akbar a hijra, instead of hamming up the usual comic role, was portrayed as a trusted lieutenant of the female lead.
But that is where the empathy begins and ends, with the film. Once the film has lived out its life in the theatres, the ‘dedicated’ filmmaker turns his/her creative back on this much ignored, abundantly humiliated group of humanity. When the original eunuch on whose life Pooja Bhatt’s Tamanna was based, died a tragic death in Mumbai, the filmmaker hardly turned a hair. Her work was done. He was the subject of an unusual mainstream film, which bagged for its producer, a National Award. What more did the filmmaker want?
Organizational Efforts at Prioritizing their Needs Susan Hema, an associate of the All-India Eunuchs' Welfare Association formed in 1993-94, said that the organisation aims at raising the lot of the hijras in the country. Ruth Lor Malloy, a Chinese Canadian who was in Mumbai some years ago, helped publish a 32-page booklet on hijras authored by "Meena Balaji and Other Eunuchs of India." The book is called Hijras: Who we Are. Around the mid-Eighties, the then vice-president of the Hijra Kalyan Samiti, a then-28-year-old Shama, said “we are sick of our traditional means of livelihood – singing, dancing for baksheesh or being reduced to sheer beggary in trains and on streets. I am not pleading for sympathy. I want a change in social attitudes. I want it as a matter of right, rights which other members of society normally have access to.”
Since 2006, the government has employed hijras in the state of Bihar as tax collectors, singing loudly about the debt outside the defaulter's premises until they are shamed into paying up − one of the most effective tax recovery methods ever used in India. Yet for many hijras the method of making ends meet is prostitution [6].
B.R. Shetty of Mumbai, a former banker, when he was 45 in 2001, employed a group of eunuchs to help him recover the dues of his credit society. Shetty’s Unique Recovery Services housed in Matunga in Mumbai, played a significant role in recovering bank loans and other such lending from reputed financial institutions in an unabashedly different manner. Shetty’s eunuch employees go about their task diligently, at times creating an ambience of light humour and fun. This has been more effective than other threatening tactics. Afraid of being ridiculed by these thoroughly uninhibited groups, people who shy away from payment decide to pay back their loans within a reasonable time span. Shetty devised this unique plan with the help of suspended former Mumbai deputy municipal commissioner G.R. Khairnar. Shetty firmly believes that eunuchs are better equipped with the power of persuasion than traditional debt collectors. Thanks to Shetty’s enterprise, at least some of the three-lakh eunuchs of Mumbai now have a chance to earn a decent livelihood. The firm today has redefined the lives of Meena, Venkatesh, Francis, Priya, Karishma, Shabnam, Dilnaz, Neetu and many more. These ‘agents’ were also a part of Khairnar’s rescue team for minor girls, active in Kamathipura, the city’s prime red-light area.
A eunuch from Cheeta Camp near Mankhurd in Mumbai said that there should be a separate education provision for eunuchs so that they are not forced to beg for a living. “Trained eunuchs like us enjoy the fruits of labour rather than take to begging. But there are many among us who choose the easy way out. It is time to shake them out of their old habits. Education is the first step,” she said. The DAI Welfare Society of Mumbai caters exclusively to eunuchs across the city. DAI has provided a plot of land to eunuchs for a housing society of their own. It also has a planned programme to provide employment to some 60,000 and odd eunuchs in the city. It is also has a project on paper to set up an ashram for aged eunuchs who are too feeble to earn their livelihood.
Conclusion: Yet, It is difficult to warm up to this strange creature we meet in the train or on the streets, with exaggerated gestures, a low-cut blouse sans breasts, a voice so raucous and manly and a manner so obscenely revolting that our immediate response is to shy away in disgust. We silently fume at this person’s gumption in demanding – not asking – not requesting – not begging, mind you – some money in exchange for a package deal in blessings – sukh, paisa and beta. But for this strange species of humanity, who happen to be eunuchs more by design than by birth or accident and rarely by choice, nothing is what seems to be. When a section of human beings becomes a cliché of our making, never mind the pressures of our social conditioning, it is time we questioned their claim to be treated only as normal human beings who can love and hate, construct and destroy, as strongly and as powerfully as ordinary mortals can.
References [1] Ranade, S.N.: Social Welfare Report, Ministry of Social Welfare, Government of India.
[5] Reddy, Gayatri: A descriptive analysis of the role of Hijras in pre-colonial India with respect to the religions of Islam and Hinduism versus their current role in present day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Paper, 2005.
[Photo] Photo taken by the V C Ajilal at Varthamaanam Malayalam daily.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shoma A. Chatteri won the second prize in Human Rights Defence Essay competition 2008 for this essay. She is a freelance journalist and author based in Kolkata, India. She holds a Ph.D. in History and writes prolifically on ciinema, gender issues, human rights and child rights for around ten Indian print media and electronic publications. She has authored 16 published books till date and has been writing for 30 years.
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It’s amazing in that he shows true World Tour quality surfing, but it’s confusing in that he’s sitting at an uncharacteristic 92nd place on the ‘QS. But I wouldn’t get comfortable with that ranking for too...
With countless laughs and premium sunscreen application from the Cheesy fella, ridiculously technical airs and general surfboard wizardry from the one who refuses to use a traction pad, and precise surfing and little-sister vibes...
Kieren Perrow’s career on the World Tour came to a disappointing and painful halt at the 2013 Pipe Masters, when he dislocated his shoulder and had to be pulled from the water. The following year, Kieren assumed...
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Saturday, October 9, 2010
Truman Bentley, Jr. newsletter
(3219 Carden Dr. Columbus GA 31907-2143) Not sure what Bentley, Jr. wants to officially call this thing (at one point he toys with the name “Zero Human Population Newsletter”), and not sure if he’s still doing it, as the constant flow of thick envelopes I received for a year has slowed down (I last got one mid-summer). And more importantly, I don’t know what the heck this is! Like all great “kook”-style manifesto/diatribe/handouts this densely-packed single sheet Xerox is single spaced, cut-n-paste graphic aided, and has hints of paranoia, megalomania, xenophobia, and other words ending with vowels. Yet Bentley also seems to be a very smart dude who is perhaps parodying these tropes. His humor is always evident, and when he gets all power mad he uses hyperbole and absurdity, declaring things like, “TRUMAN is GOD,” The NEWSLETTER is a HOLY CULT,”“Love is only for TRUMAN. He is the KING, THE PRINCE, GOD-FUHRER MAGI of all life.” He also seems to be far from an outsider, having enough knowledge of fluxus and dada to dismiss the movements. And for a serious cult leader he makes lotsa nutty pop culture references to things like the Three Stooges, The Avengers TV show, Spongebob, and Mayberry RFD. And his biography is so murky he almost seems fictional. Does he work at a Florida restaurant called Snacky’s Shack? Does he make a cable access show? Does his daughter go to a posh elite religious school? Was he the best worker at a pizza place in college? Is he a car expert, helping promote car shows or races? Is he KING? But saying all that, if it turned out he isn’t “real,” and this is some kind of hipster joke I would be shocked, because Truman Bentley, Jr. works so hard and is so dedicated that this is a true work of art, passion, drive, and some kind of genius. s he created a film?Whatever this thing is I will always respect it, and encourage folks to send a couple bucks his way for a sample, if only for one densely packed page commencing with one of my fave opening passages ever: “CONTINUED FROM ANOTHER NEWSLETTER:------CAT FOOD. The main SPACE ALIENS have heads that are CATS”
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Kirsten Joy Weiss Turns Slickgun Range into Bowling Alley (VIDEO)
Trick shooter and all around Slickgun girl Kirsten Joy Weiss takes to the range, turning it from shooting alley to bowling alley with some shell casings and an AR-15.
Weiss uses empty casings as stand-in bowling pins, taking aim at a cluster of .223 shells for a fun little game focused on accuracy. Weiss encourages viewers to try their own version of the game, changing up the difficulty level by increasing distance from the casings, increasing the spacing between the makeshift pins and using smaller empty casings.
Using the same concepts as bowling, Weiss shoots a strike and a spare. Check out the video to add some fun to your range day escapades.
The post Kirsten Joy Weiss Turns Slickgun Range into Bowling Alley (VIDEO) appeared first on Slickguns.com.
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The iPad Needs Norman Mailer, and The Paris Review
Over a year ago
by Lea Carpenter
News of Norman Mailer via his widow’s memoir makes us want to remember all the things he wrote—and said. Like this: “A novel, at its best, really is an imaginary construction . . . that occasionally is written well enough so that it exists in people’s minds . . . as something they can use . . . Madame Bovary is of immense value to any married woman who is unhappily married and contemplating an affair.” You can access complete audio of this interview here thanks to The Paris Review, a publication whose history—and deep relevance to literary culture—reminds us why we need writers in our lives. When Apple staffs editors to create cool literary apps, this is the place they should start.
Mailer was part of the unique family of authors and editors corralled over time by the iconic Review. Their website is a candy store, and it includes the complete DNA of Literature/Paris ReviewInterviews Archive. Select any excerpt; they’re all brilliant. Here is part of the latest to arrive online, in which Chinese writer Ha Jin addresses the differences between English and Chinese:
English has more flexibility. It’s a very plastic, very shapeable, very expressive language. In that sense it feels quite natural. The Chinese language is less natural. Written Chinese is not supposed to represent natural speech, and there are many different spoken dialects that correspond to the single written language. The written word will be the same in all dialects, but in speech it is a hundred different words. The written language is like Latin in that sense; it doesn’t have a natural rhythm. The way people talk—you can’t represent that. The accents and the nongrammatical units, you can’t do it. You can’t write in dialect, like you can in English, using a character to represent a certain sound, because each character has a fixed meaning.
When the first emperor wanted to unify the country, one of the major policies was to create one system of written signs. By force, brutal force, he eliminated all the other scripts. One script became the official script. All the others were banned. And those who used other scripts were punished severely. And then the meanings of all the characters, over the centuries, had to be kept uniform as a part of the political apparatus. So from the very beginning the written word was a powerful political tool.
The real revolution in literary publishing begins once Apple captures the experience of connecting with minds like these, to produce a truly new “system of written signs.” It will not be simply, for example, Ulysses-for-the-screen but rather the application of a Joycean mind to a new kind of story. Products coupling sexy technology with novelistic “imagination” will retain their utility (Flaubert and the housewives); they will also be powerful pieces of art.
Big Think Edge helps organizations get Smarter Faster™ by catalyzing conversation around the topics most critical to 21st century business success. Led by the world’s foremost experts, our dynamic learning programs are short-form, mobile, and immediately actionable.
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Demand for oil in the United States outpaced China last year for the first time in 15 years, according to oil giant BP's annual energy report, Reuters reported Monday.
"Oil demand in the United States grew at the fastest pace in the world in 2013, outstripping China ... as the globe's top economy reaped the benefits of a shale boom," Reuters reported. Read the full story here.
BP released its 63rd annual "Statistical Review of World Energy" on Monday (June 16).
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Mike Rios recall, Moreno Valley, California (2012)
Contents
An effort to recall Mike Rios from his position on the school board of Moreno Valley, California was launched in March 2012.[1] The recall effort fell short in October 2012.[2]
Reasons for recall
The Democratic Club of Moreno Valley organized the recall effort. The effort was launched in response to attempted murder charges against Rios stemming from a February 2012 incident in which Rios allegedly shot at two men.[3]
Rios faces 35 felony charges including 11 counts of rape, pimping and pandering involving six victims, including two underage girls. Rios also faces two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of dissuading a witness in connection with the February shooting. Rios claims the charges against him are false and that his enemies are engaging in a “political assassination on me.” Rios was originally held on $250,000 bail, until he made bail and was released.[4] Under state law, Rios is allowed to remain on the school board unless convicted of a felony. On April 10, 2012, the school board unanimously agreed to censure Rios. The board also voted to seek a restraining order against Rios and requested his immediate resignation.[4]
The embattled school board member's trial began on January 31, 2013.[5] Rios faces accusations that he ran a prostitution ring out of his home in 2011 and 2012. A witness in the trial said Rios approached her on the street, gave her a school district business card, and recruited the witness to "gather girls and sell them." Some of the girls who were allegedly involved in the prostitution ring were minors. As the trial continues, Rios continues to attend school board meetings and vote on board issues.[6]
Path to the ballot
Recall organizers needed to submit the signatures of 15% of the 61,500 registered voters in the Moreno Valley Unified School District, or about 9,225 signatures. In late October 2012, recall organizers announced that they had fallen short of the signature requirement, having only gathered 500 signatures.[2] Rios continues to serve on the school board.[5]
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InSights from thought leaders
With Syria’s crisis now into its fifth year and no sign of a solution in sight, hope is dwindling for many refugees. Feelings of uncertainty about the future are compounded by miserable conditions, fuelling a sense of despair and desperation.
Deepening poverty, aid shortfalls, feeling unsafe, lack of educational opportunities, and limited livelihood opportunities leads to loss of hope; and the numbers of migrants and refugees continue to rise.
This is smart aid at its best. And at a time when there is much talk about voter anxiety on America’s role in the world, lawmakers have actually worked together on these issues. This Congress has not only made these programs stronger, but Republicans and Democrats alike clearly recognize how American foreign assistance is transforming communities abroad—and impacting our security and economy here at home.
Reliable funding for CVE programs is hard to come by, and donors have generally failed to coordinate their contributions and embrace the experimentation that experts argue is essential to reaping the full benefits of CVE programs. The result is that the world’s increased attention to violent extremism has not produced CVE programs that are as effective as they should be. These problems have some clear solutions, and donors should embrace them quickly
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Developer Community
Developer Blog
Using logstash to Push Metrics to Graphite
One of the cool things we do on the Cloud Databases operations side of the house is come up with statistics that can help us gain insight to hardware performance to identify issues with systems. We use some really cool tools, but one of the most versatile tools we work with is logstash. The goal of this article is to get you started pushing metrics with logstash that you may already collect to Graphite. Along the way, I'll be showing you how to get started with logstash, test your configuration locally and then start pushing your first metrics to Graphite with some different examples along the way.<!-- more -->
Openjdk or a form of modern java installed
Sysstat package installed
A functional Graphite installation
In this tutorial, our carbon cache listening endpoint for Graphite is 10.10.10.10:2003. For help installing Graphite, see the links section below. Our host running logstash is going to be named "MYHOST." We were collecting system statistics with Sysstat and we decided to leverage the fact that we already have metrics being collected.
To get started using logstash, you'll want to start by grabbing the monolithic jar file:
This contains the logstash code and all the plugins provided by the base logstash configuration. You can extend logstash with Ruby plugins too, but we'll cover that some other time. The logstash configuration has three possible sections: input, filter and output. Here, we'll explore input types exec; filter types split and grok; and the Graphite output filter.
Back in the early logstash days, I got started testing my configuration by making a wrapper script. As it turns out, this was very similar to the guide to getting started with logstash that you'll find in the links section at the bottom of this post, but they cover far more functionality that we're not concerned with. So with that said, this is the abbreviated version of that getting started guide, but with a wrapper script for testing; it reduces typing and ensures repeatability.
First, let’s set up our logstash environment. Let’s create a directory called "logstash" in /opt, download the monolithic jar, and create a couple of files that help with the testing. To the code!
Since extra GNU utility calls are cheap and executed in the same subshell, we can manipulate any output into something we can easily push through logstash. Here, we only output the load average stats found in /proc/loadavg with the awk statement. Note: in our input section we set a logstash "type" which sets the @type variable. The logstash type and tag fields let you target specific sets of data with your filter and output sections. Next, the grok filter plugin is used to describe common patterns in unstructured data using the "%{SYNTAX:SEMANTIC}" form. The “syntax” is the type of data you're grabbing (ex: NUMBER, INT, WORD) and “semantic” is the name of the field. The namedcapturesonly parameter makes the grok plugin only store the items we specified to capture instead of any extra items that grok may naturally collect. Grok is ultra powerful and shines when you're pulling data from logs, however, in this case we're using it to grab our one-minute, five-minute and 15-minute load averages.
Let’s run it with the new config; hit CTRL+C to break out of the shell script and stop running logstash:
The example config file is exactly the same as before with the exception of the output filter; now it's pushing data to our Graphite endpoint. We're grabbing the "system-loadavg" type, and we are creating an array of metrics. We use a built-in variable @sourcehost set by logstash to set up the Graphite metric scope for this particular host - notice that we're only setting the metric scope and value. Then logstash will use the @timestamp when it pushes out each metric pair to Graphite. Assuming your Graphite install is functional, we could then pull data from our URL: http://10.10.10.10:9000/render/?target=hosts.MYHOST.loadavg.1m
Some of the tools we use for system metrics are sar and sysstat. We track things like disk performance and network performance. Here's and example configuration file that logs network statistics from sar:
The input section is the same concept as before but we're running a sar report and pruning the extra stuff like column headers. The filter section first passes our system-netstats through the split filter – this splits common multiline data and hands each line through the logstash data pipeline individually. The grok filter is then used to name each field in the input, and the output section creates an array of scope and value data pairs for our graphite endpoint. We can pull one of the stats collected for device eth0 with the URL: http://10.10.10.10:9000/render/?target=hosts.MYHOST.netstats.interfaces.eth0.rxpck_s
As you can see, logstash has some great functionality that allows us to grab data and pass it on to Graphite. Using GNU utilities, you can leverage existing data collection through daemons such as sysstat and start collecting some great statistics and generate graphs with Graphite.
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Migrant workers in Addison County work under cloud of mystery
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By JOHN FLOWERS
MIDDLEBURY — Ana Solis desperately wants you to know who she is.
But she can’t tell you.
As one of the estimated 500 migrant workers now toiling on farms throughout Addison County, Ana Solis (not her real name) must be content to work in the shadows of a milk stall, or risk running afoul of loosely-interpreted federal immigration laws that would require her and her family’s deportation to Mexico.
“I like this country and the economic opportunity available here,” said Solis, who with her husband has worked on the same Addison County farm for the past three years.
“But there are times when we feel like prisoners,” she added, as she bounced her American-born, 16-month-old daughter on her knee. “We have the right to work, and nothing more.”
Solis and her family are typical of a largely Hispanic, clandestine workforce that is critical to Vermont’s agricultural economy. But federal laws do not currently recognize long-term work assignments for migrant laborers.
These workers risk deportation every day to work at tough, monotonous farm jobs that pay about $7 per hour and that most Vermonters simply don’t want to perform these days. The workers’ plight — and that of the farmers for whom they are toiling — has given rise to a growing debate in Vermont about whether state and federal lawmakers should reverse course and make it easier, rather than more difficult in this post-9/11 era, for foreign laborers to legally fill agricultural jobs in the Green Mountain State.
“Our farmers didn’t turn to illegals as a first choice; it was a last choice,” said Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Kerr. “They’ve been forced into it by economic necessity.
“On this issue, the feds are acting as though agriculture was not important,” Kerr added. “The only thing wrong with this picture, in my mind, is Congress and its unwillingness to deal with reality.”
That reality, according to Kerr, includes approximately 2,500 migrant workers who are employed on farms throughout Vermont. Together, those workers have a hand in processing more than 50 percent of the milk generated in the state each year, according to a 2005 Vermont Agency of Agriculture study.
“Now, any dairy farm that is of good size has Hispanic labor,” said Peter Conlon of Agri-Placement Services, a company that assists farmers with their Hispanic workforces. “I firmly believe the (Vermont) dairy industry was at a point of crisis, due to the labor shortage here.”
Current federal law requires farmers to view and record their migrant workers’ green cards and I-9 forms, according to Kerr.
And that’s where the employers’ obligation ends, he said.
“The law states clearly that it’s not the employer’s responsibility to confirm the legitimacy of the (migrant worker’s) documents,” Kerr said.
As a result, some of the documentation invariably proves to be fake. Still, most farmers dutifully send their workers’ information in to the appropriate federal authorities, which deduct the necessary taxes from the workers’ paychecks. Those deductions include Social Security taxes, benefits the migrant workers will never collect. And with millions of illegal workers in the nation, those uncollected Social Security taxes add up to a tidy sum, giving federal authorities some extra incentive to look the other way, according to some migrant worker advocates.
“It’s one of the country’s dirty little secrets,” said one local advocate, who wished to remain anonymous.
Anonymity is the name of the game for farmers and migrant workers who want to maintain what has been a win-win employment arrangement. The farmers get an affordable stream of hard working laborers to do vital chores Americans don’t want to do, while the migrant workers send home wages that are more than double what they could be earning for comparable work in their native lands.
“It’s worked out very well,” said one Addison County farmer who owns a 450-cow herd that has been tended by three Hispanic migrant workers since 2001.
“You just don’t find the local labor force to be as hungry for work,” added the farmer, who wants to remain anonymous.
The farmer said his foreign workers are pleased to do 10.5-hour shifts in the milking parlor. It’s monotonous work that doesn’t attract locals, particularly in an era when the unemployment rate in Addison County is hovering in the 4-percent range.
“To find someone to run a marathon shift is very difficult,” the farmer said. “But these (migrant workers) do it, and they refuse to take a break.
“I don’t see a time when we could be independent of this labor force, honestly.”
He said his workers usually go back to their native countries after around 18 months — unless their exit is hastened by police and/or officials from the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
Kerr estimates a foreign farm worker is deported from Vermont about once every six months.
“Statistically, the Vermont State Police have bent over backwards… in not hunting these people down,” Kerr said.
Yet farmers spoke of cases in which migrant workers have been flagged by authorities while driving in cars with bad plates; after accidentally placing 911 calls; and even while purchasing a bus ticket to return home. Migrant workers have spent upwards of a month in INS holding facilities in Boston waiting for deportation, according to Susannah McCandless, a Clark University graduate student who has been studying the migrant worker phenomenon in Addison County.
SOME MIGRANT STATISTICS
McCandless was part of a team that in September unveiled the “Addison County Health Needs Assessment” report, which chronicles the needs of local migrant workers.
Team members interviewed 31 foreign workers on 18 farms in the county. Some of their findings indicated:
• 55 percent (17) of the respondents said they worked more than 10 hours a day, while only 52 percent (16) said they took a day off each week.
• Farmers provide lodging to their workers and give them rides to the store around every week or two.
• Most migrant workers feel culturally and legally isolated. Many are reluctant to leave the confines of their mobile homes, for fear of being discovered and deported. That means the majority of foreign workers go without medical care, the study found.
“They … have had a variety of colds, flus and work-related aches throughout their bodies, but none were important enough to talk with their patrón,their boss,” The study reads. “In more than four cases, workers who did not have a day off shared with us their desire for one, at least every once in a while, they would say humbly, ‘but I don’t know how to ask.’”
• Only 50 percent of the workers interviewed had received immunizations in their youth, while even fewer, 13 people, had received a tetanus booster as an adult. A little more than 50 percent of the workers (17) had ever received dental care during the previous one to 20 years.
McCandless hopes the study sheds light on the difficulties facing migrant workers. She looks forward to a time when the workers feel more free to move about and become part of the community.
“Our goal is to end this climate of fear,” McCandless said.
THE PERSON BEHIND THE NUMBERS
Ana Solis believes the fear will dissipate with greater understanding between foreign laborers and their American hosts. First and foremost, she wants people to know that she and other migrant workers are not terrorists.
“Someone may find me a threat, but I am not,” Solis said. “I am hard working, and I pay my own way. I would not harm anyone.”
Solis and her family have worked at the same Addison County farm for three years. She estimates her family is earning 80 percent more than what they could be pulling down in their native Mexico.
She wants to return some day, but for now, “to imagine myself back in Mexico is to imagine a life of even harder work and difficult economic straits,” Solis said. “It’s easier, in terms of my vision for the future, if we stay here.”
She looks forward to brighter days, but for now, Solis, her husband and her daughter will stay close to the farm on which they work.
“We go out for only the most necessary things,” Solis said. “If I go into a public place, I feel like I’m under surveillance.”
Like Solis, Raul (not his real name) rarely leaves the Addison County farm at which he arrived a few months ago. He works six-and-a-half days per week, and sends money home to his wife and their two children in Mexico.
“It’s hard, especially if one of them gets sick, I can’t do anything except telephone them,” Raul said.
He misses his family, Mexican culture and the freedom to shop for what he wants at stores.
“We can’t buy beer or cigars, because people are always asking for identification cards, and we are nervous about showing them,” Raul said.
That said, state officials want Congress to make changes to the nation’s immigration laws to recognize Vermont’s need for year-round migrant workers for its farms.
“I believe the answer is immigration reform at the national level — perhaps a guest worker program that the president and others have suggested — something to make it possible for foreign citizens to take jobs that local workers are not interested in,” said Gov. James Douglas, a Middlebury Republican.
Douglas said he would support a year-round extension of what is now a seasonal workers’ program that allows Jamaicans and other foreign nationals to help out with the county’s apple harvest each fall.
Kerr has proposed a “state identification card” that would include the name and picture of the migrant worker, along with the address, phone number and name of his or her employer.
But recent efforts to loosen restrictions on year-round migrant workers have thus far stalled in Congress.
FEDERAL LEGISLATION
As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., lobbied successfully last March for legislation that would allow foreign dairy laborers to work on visas for up to three years, with an opportunity to adjust to permanent residence. The legislation, passed by the Senate as part of a comprehensive immigration reform bill, would also direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State to produce a “North American travel card,” only good for use between the United States and Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.
House leaders, however, declined to go to a conference committee to reconcile the separate House and Senate immigration reform proposals. That means both initiatives will die by the end of the year unless a compromise bill is passed, according to Leahy spokesman David Carle.
“The current situation is a hardship and a hassle to everyone, and we need practical solutions,” Leahy added. “House leaders, for now, have blocked any further progress on comprehensive immigration reform, but many of us on both sides of the aisle in Congress are ready to join together next year to try once again to fix this problem.”
FARM WORKER HEALTH
Meanwhile, members of the Addison County Migrant Workers’ Coalition (ACMWC) are working with local lawmakers on drafts of bills that would:
• Direct the Vermont Department of Public Health and the Medicaid Division of the Agency of Human Services to establish a preventive health care program for all workers in the agricultural sector (citizen and non-citizen alike) that would guarantee such things as access to preventive health care; an immunization program and immunization registry for all farm workers; and health education to farm workers in their own native language.
• A guest worker program that would “help to stabilize the agricultural sector of Vermont and end the climate of fear currently operating in our communities.” That program would extend migrant farm workers “agricultural ID cards,” entitling them to five-year visas, eligible for renewal. The program would also open the door for workers to apply for permission to bring members of their immediate family to join them after six months.
Proponents of the bills said funding for the health care services could come from a portion of the FICA taxes now deducted from migrant workers’ paychecks.
“Most of these workers are paying taxes, and this is health protection,” said Cheryl Mitchell, former deputy secretary of the Vermont Agency of Human Services and a member of the ACMWC. “Most doctors are now stepping up to the plate and providing free care. It seems only fair to hospitals and physicians that if they are providing that care, they ought to be reimbursed for it.”
Ana Solis and other migrant workers will be watching, from afar, legislative attempts to improve their lots in life.
“Personally, I think for all of us, that is what we are hoping for — a permit to be legal; to be free to participate in society and to come and go to our own country,” Solis said. “We would like the opportunity to develop ourselves as we would want, to have the same capacity as other human beings.”
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British Muslim cleric guilty of inciting murder
February 7, 2006
By Michael Holden
LONDON (Reuters) – The most prominent British Muslim cleric
to stand trial on terrorism charges since the September 11,
2001 attacks on the United States was found guilty by a London
court on Tuesday of 11 counts including inciting murder.
Egyptian-born Abu Hamza al-Masri was also convicted of
stirring up racial hatred and possessing a handbook “of use to
terrorists.” He could face life in prison.
The incitement to murder charges stemmed from sermons he
delivered to his followers, mostly in the late 1990s, when his
Finsbury Park mosque in North London was seen as a hotbed of
radicalism, attracting followers from all over Europe.
Among those who worshipped there were convicted
“shoebomber” Richard Reid, who tried to blow up an airliner
over the Atlantic, and “20th hijacker” Zacarias Moussaoui, now
fighting the death penalty after pleading guilty to conspiracy
charges related to the September 11 attacks.
Hamza, who lost both hands and an eye in Afghanistan, is
still wanted by the United States on charges of trying to set
up a “terrorist training camp” in the state of Oregon.
The Finsbury Park mosque helped earn the British capital
the nickname “Londonistan” among European security services who
felt Britain was too tolerant toward radical Muslim clerics.
In addition to the cases of Reid and Moussaoui, the mosque
was a base for Kamel Bourgass, convicted last year in a
conspiracy to launch chemical attacks with the poison ricin,
and British suicide bombers who flew to Israel to attack a bar.
But despite immigration cases that tried to strip him of
British citizenship for supporting Osama bin Laden, and high
profile raids on the mosque, British police never tied any of
those criminal cases directly to Abu Hamza.
A police source said before the verdicts were announced at
the Old Bailey court: “We don’t think that it’s a coincidence
but we don’t have any evidence (to link Hamza to them) or he’d
be facing a charge of directing terrorism.”
“To say he’s divorced from operational terrorism activity
would probably be wrong. We’re not saying he’s the leader of
global jihad but he is definitely part of that movement.”
| 2,279 |
A Date He’ll Never Forget: Why men equate adventure with happiness
Let me show you how to use that to your advantage when attracting his undivided attention.
One of the worst poisons men have brought upon is the boredom of a cubicle and a monotonous daily routine.
Men were not meant to live that way.
Have you ever been to a zoo and seen an elephant confined in a small indoor area during the winter, with a shackle around one ankle that drags the heavy chain a few inches back and forth as he sways in a sickly rhythm of boredom?
It’s kind of like that.
The sad part is, many men feel a desire for something more, but they don’t consciously realize what they need. They are only aware of a sensation of discontent.
Sometimes this discontent emerges as irritability. Sometimes it brings a feeling of apathy and mild depression.
He wasn’t meant to live that way.
As a result, any spark of adventure you bring into his life will be like a cool breeze on a sweltering summer day. There are a thousand ways you can bring this concept to life. Allow me to present just one to stimulate your imagination.
Janet sat down across from Jeffrey, flashing an adventurous half smile as the waiter seated her. Jeffrey had a sinking feeling as he considered whether Janet might be a little too excited for a first date, maybe a little desperate.
But as he watched her settle into her chair, he sensed something else. He adjusted his first impression from excited to happy. She seemed happy.
Jeffrey realized he had held Janet’s gaze for a second too long before stammering for a way to begin a conversation. He stifled the impulse to ask what she was so happy about.
“Shall we have a contest?” He could tell she intended for him to take the bait before she would go on, so he obliged her, “Do you always start conversations this way? What kind of contest are you talking about?”
“A contest to see who can come up with the craziest, yet still realistic scenario for the rest of our evening after dinner.”
Janet leaned in slightly with a mischievous smile on her face, “I’d rather get to know you while doing something fun. If in the process of getting to know each other we realize we really don’t click, at least we will have a good story and some fun to show for an evening out.”
Jeffrey considered her proposal for a moment, wondering if she was serious. He was surprised that her easy way of openly talking about the possibility of not clicking actually made him feel more relaxed and ready to enjoy her company.
“And how do we actually do this?” he asked.
Janet shrugged with a casual tone, “If an idea pops in your head while we’re having dinner, just write it on your napkin. When we’re finished eating we’ll lay both the napkins face-up and decide which one would make for the best story or the most fun.”
This particular scenario could go a hundred different ways. How it plays out in real life will depend largely on your particular personality.
The point is Jeffrey will never forget this date. Regardless of what happens next, this couple is enjoying the adventure of endless possibilities.
Janet introduced those endless possibilities into Jeffrey’s mind. She created a link in his mind between her presence and a break from the mundane rituals of life.
If this doesn’t seem all that exciting to you, consider that you are not a guy. Men think differently.
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Coverage: Highlights every evening on BBC Two, ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra; in-play highlights and text commentary on the BBC Sport website
India's Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, and Australia bowler Mitchell Starc, are the best players in the world - according to a BBC Sport survey of world cricket's captains.
With eight of the world's top nations in England and Wales for the Champions Trophy, we asked the one-day captain of each competing nation to vote for their top three batsmen, bowlers and wicketkeepers in world cricket, taking into account all formats.
Completing our survey on behalf of their team-mates, captains were not allowed to vote for players from their own country and their top selection would be worth three points, their second selection two points and their third selection in a category one point.
Australia, Bangladesh, England, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa all took part but, despite repeated attempts to get their responses, India and Sri Lanka did not meet the deadline.
The verdict, however, was conclusive...
Arise, King Kohli
India right-hander Virat Kohli averaged 76 in Test cricket in 2016
For years, cricket fans bickered over the relative merits of Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, but now there are a number of run machines who can realistically lay claim to being the best in the world - the likes of England's Joe Root, New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Australia's Steve Smith.
Two of those other number one votes went to South Africa's dynamic run machine AB de Villiers, with New Zealand's Kane Williamson earning the other.
England and Australia captains Joe Root and Steve Smith earned two nominations each for third place.
Analysis by BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew: "Kohli is the most unflappable chaser of runs there's ever been. I don't know how he does it. He never shows any anxiety or pressure when chasing totals, when the pressure is actually really on. It's extraordinary.
"He has a calculating mind that allows him to switch off from everything that's going on around him and just bat. I don't think there has been anyone else like him for his ability to chase runs."
Starc head and shoulders above the rest
Mitchell Starc won the Allan Border medal for Test player of the year in Australia earlier this year
The most convincing winner in our survey was Australia's left-arm quick Mitchell Starc. Four world captains had him as their first pick, with the other (Australia couldn't vote for him, remember) having him second to South Africa's Dale Steyn.
Chris Woakes received the solitary third-place vote for an England bowler, while Starc's fellow left-armer from New Zealand, Trent Boult, was a popular pick for second and third place (receiving four nominations).
With six-wicket hauls on three continents in Test cricket, 27-year-old Starc is now the spearhead of an impressive Australian pace attack also including Josh Hazlewood (one vote for third place), Pat Cummins and James Pattinson.
Analysis by BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew: "If there's swing around, Starc moves the white ball. He's got great pace and a searing yorker. He's got all the attributes for a one-day fast bowler. He knocks people over and is particularly brutal with the tail. He's definitely the standout fast bowler in the world."
He does have a rival for his crown, though, with South Africa's Quinton de Kock earning just as many nominations - although, crucially, not as many first-choice picks.
England's Jos Buttler was a popular choice, while his team-mate Jonny Bairstow also received a vote.
This category was a two-horse race though - and World Cup, World T20 and Champions Trophy winner Dhoni, in fitting style, was triumphant.
Analysis by BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew: "I don't think he's necessarily the best wicketkeeper, but it's the all-round package that he brings. The innings he played in the 2011 World Cup final was astonishing. He hits the ball in unusual places with a lot of bottom hand. I also like the way he plays the game. He's a positive cricketer. He would never claim to be a great keeper, but he's more than fulfilled the job he's been asked to do."
Are the captains right?
Who gets your vote? Pick your top three batsman, bowlers and wicketkeepers in world cricket - only players nominated in this survey are available - and share it with your friends and on social media, using #bbccricket.
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Green Cove Springs, FL January 22, 2010 – The third week of competition at the 2010 Jacksonville Winter Series got in full swing this afternoon with the $5000 Open Jumper Classic being won by Lebanon, Ohio’s Wilhelm Genn, as both owner and rider, piloting the brilliant mare Happy Z.
Wilhem Genn on Happy Z (click for larger image)
Presented by Farm House Tack, the Jumper Classic served as a prelim to Saturday evening’s featured event, the $25,000 Marco Family Foundation benefitting H.O.R.S.E. Therapies, a nonprofit therapeutic equine program to air people with special needs as well as military personnel in the Horses for Heroes and Wounded Warriors programs. This week’s course designer Buddy Brown of Stanford, CA got a good gauge of the talent on hand while the competitors learned how tough grabbing that prize money would be with only 6 clean first rounds. Genn was the only rider to bring two mounts into jump off runs, Chantal for owner Laura Ryan-Barnaclo and his own Happy Z. Despite some fierce competition the afternoon’s glory belonged to the popular chestnut Happy Z whose winning time of 33.025 simply couldn’t be caught. “She’s very much like a fine wine- better with age.” a happy Genn proclaimed.
Finishing in second place was teenage phenom Samantha Schaefer riding Sugar Ray –owned by Schaefer- to a clear time of 35.980, third place to veteran rider-owner Mary Lisa Leffler taking Gerona 92 to a clean time of 37.000, fourth place went to Wisconsin based Denise Wilson aboard the Blue Gate Farm entry Life is Life with a clean time of 40.194, and completing the top five was Indiana’s own Erin McCabe as rider-owner of Midnight Hour finishing with 4 faults in a quick 33.825.
Samantha Schaefer on Castle (click for larger image)
As evening fell the lights of the covered arena seem to shine extra brightly for rider Samantha Schaefer as the 16 year-old received top marks in the $10,000 Jerry Parks Insurance Group Hunter Classic. The number one horse of the evening was Castle, owned by Ashley Toffolon and piloted by Schaefer with a first round score of 169.500.
In all, 22 horses competed on the course designed by Paul Jewel of Lambertville, New Jersey. The class consisted of two sections, with amateurs and juniors jumping 3’6” while professionals had an option of 3’6” or 3’9” fences depending on the horse’s level. The layout of 10 fences required strenuous efforts of both horse and rider with its bending and broken lines throughout the course. Judges Sue Ashe, William Sparks, and Chris Wayne presided over the scoring, returning only the top 12 pairs for round 2.
Schaefer is no stranger to winning this Classic- in 2007 she won aboard Lyle, the 17-year old German Warmblood then owned by Stephanie Keen and in 2008 with Lazy Sunday, a 9 year-old Zangersheide owned by Keli Colby at the time. Schaefer has made transitioning from being one of the nations most acclaimed pony riders to a top junior rider look effortless, but will be the first to say it’s only through daily hard work that she’s stays in the upper rankings. Sixth in the order, Castle and Schaefer finished the first round strong with combined judges’ score of 168. “I was very confident coming into the class with him [Castle] because I knew he would go right around, if anything it would just interest him a little bit and maybe spark him up a little, because he’s a really quiet easy going horse.” Schaefer said of the 11 year-old Dutch Warmblood, who along with both owner Ashley Toffolon and on occasion Schaefer train with Andre Dignelli of Heritage Farm in New York.
Regarding their round one ride Schaefer admitted, “I needed a lot of lead changes in the first class and I should have asked him in a few places to land on the correct lead, so that may have made it not quite as smooth.” Those who know Schaefer well will state she is always far more critical of her rides than any judge, as evidenced by the duo’s scores. “But in the second round he landed on every lead so it all flowed really well. He kind of glided around- real nice! He’s really good at this type of class because he’s brave and just awesome!” Schaefer added. The pair’s second round score of 177 was added to give a total score of 345. As things progressed Schaefer’s biggest competition became herself.
Corvet Z a 12 year-old Zangersheide gelding, also ridden by Schaefer and owned by Manhattan Mortgage Co., Inc. actually led the first round with a score of 169.50. “He’s just coming off of a little vacation and he was just great! In the second round I got a little excited at the last jump and he just nicked it a bit but overall he was really nice.” Schaefer said of her second place winning mount that finished with a combined total of 334.50. “I really have to thank Don Stewart for all his help! And Kim Stewart…and Andre…it’s really a team effort and I’m the fortunate one who benefits from them all.” a beaming Schaefer said.
Schaefer has become a master of balance, both in and out of the saddle as she juggles the pressures of high school and a full competition schedule with the appearance of ease. She explained, “I attend a special school that is a self paced type, when I’m not showing I do a lot more. I’m in a classroom about 3 hours a day and some online class work. It’s scheduled for me, which is really good because I have a structure to follow that’s well organized. I work really hard late fall and early winter to get ahead and now [show season] I have two classes to finish up while I’m here.” After the Jacksonville Winter Series the precocious Schaefer will take a week off to relax at school before heading to compete in West Palm Beach.
Official results for the $10,000 Jerry Parks Insurance Group Hunter Classic were:
The Jacksonville Winter Series continues through February 7th with classes Wednesday through Sunday beginning at 8AM until about 5PM except for special events on Saturday evenings at 7PM. Admission to the shows is free – parking at special weekend events is a $5 donation, which goes to support local charities.
For more information or results on the 2010 Jacksonville Winter Series please visit http://www.classiccompany.com/ or call the show office at 904-284-1579.
The North Florida Hunter Jumper Association five week 2010 Jacksonville Winter Series will run from January 6th – February 7th, 2010. This will be the 16th year of the annual Winter Series, which has donated over $900,000 to local charities over the years, including the Clay County 4-H and has an annual economic impact of over $16 million to the surrounding community.
The first week of competition, the Jacksonville Kick-Off, runs from January 6-10, 2010. It is an “AA” nationally rated horse show and will feature a $10,000 Jumper Classic.
Perhaps the most exciting of the weeks is the second week of competition. The Jacksonville International will be held from January 13-17, 2010. It is an “AA” nationally rated horse show that also boasts the $125,000 Green Cove Springs CSI-W. The $25,000 Welcome Class will be held on Friday, January 15th and the $100,000 World Cup Qualifier Class will be held on Saturday, January 16th. These two classes will draw a large and very exciting field of national and international Olympic riders and their mounts. A children’s carnival, rides, pony rides and a petting zoo will be offered to entertain the young and young at heart during the day. Admission is free with a $5 donation for parking. All proceeds from the day’s events will benefit the Clay County 4-H Foundation.
The Jacksonville Mid-Winter, January 20-24, 2010 follows with its own attractions, including “AA” nationally rated hunters and jumpers. The highlight of the weekend will be the $5,000 Welcome Class to be held on the afternoon of Friday, January 22nd in addition to the $25,000 Marco Family Foundation Grand Prix on Saturday, January 23rd that will benefit Horses for Heroes and the Wounded Warriors Programs. Cedar River Seafood will cater a reception for Exhibitors and Sponsors prior to the event. A string of pearls generously donated by Beard’s Jewelry and cufflinks generously donated will be auctioned off to raise money for the worthy causes. The $10,000 Jerry Parks Hunter Classic will be held the evening of Friday, January 22nd. This Hunter Derby type class is always spectacular to watch in the big covered ring under the lights!
The Jacksonville Winter A to Z ~ January 27 – 31, 2010 features “AA” nationally rated hunters and jumpers, a $5,000 Welcome Classes to be held on the afternoon of Friday January 29th in addition to a $25,000 Grand Prix to be held the evening of Saturday, January 30th. Exhibitors and sponsors will be treated to an Exhibitor Party on Saturday evening preceding the Grand Prix in addition to a Pizza Party Luncheon on Saturday during the day at the rings.
The series concludes with the fifth week, the Jacksonville National that runs from February 3 – 7, 2010. It also features “AA” rated hunters and jumpers. The final $5,000 Welcome Class will be held on the afternoon of Friday, February 5th and the final Grand Prix will be held on the evening of Saturday, February 6th.
All events are held at the Clay County Fairgrounds on SR 16 W in Green Cove Springs, FL. Each week of competition draws approximately 550 to 600 horses, which is the full capacity of the show grounds. Our exhibitor base draws heavily from North Florida and South Georgia and the entire East Coast. It includes international riders from approximately 25 states, three provinces of Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, Columbia, Ireland and Mexico. We are very proud to be chosen one of the only 12 shows in America to host a World Cup Qualifier.
Sponsors are in front of a very qualified audience for each of the five weeks and are in very good company. Some of our sponsors include, but are not limited to the following: Glen Kernan Golf & Country Club, Hodges Boulevard Development Group, Inc., Ring Power, John Deere, Mac Paper Company, Greene Hazel & Associates, the Marco Family, SKANSKA USA Building, Inc., Arlington Toyota, Auld & White Constructors, Inc., The Gift Horse, Pat’s Nursery, Ronnie’s Wings, Top of the Reef, Rick Baker’s RV Sales, Clay County Tourist Development Council, The Bruning Foundation, SunBelt Springs Water, Woody’s BBQ, Bridlebourne Stables, Baptist Primary Care, James D. Hinson Electrical Company, Jerry Parks Insurance, Diamond D Trailer Sales, Corrigan Trailer Sales, Canadian National Railroad, Six Mile Marina, Club Continental & Cedar River Seafood.
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The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the people involved in a stabbing at St. Charles Towne Center in Waldorf at 6:30 p.m. March 30.
When officers got to the mall, an investigation revealed that a 21-year-old man and a friend were in the upper level of the mall when two men approached them. One of them pulled a knife and stabbed the victim. The victim ran to the parking lot. He was flown to a hospital, where he was treated and released later that evening. A surveillance photo of the suspect was obtained from a nearby store and shows a man in a green/gray pea coat and dress shoes with two other people, a man and a woman. Detectives want to identify all three of these people.
Police believe the man in the coat stabbed the victim.
He is described as black, 18 to 20 years old, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds. He has a dark complexion with facial hair and long dreadlocks that hang down to his mid-back.
There were two people in a store with the man who police would like to identify as possible associates.
The first is a black male, 18 to 20 years old, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, light complexion, with facial hair and shoulder-length dreadlocks pulled back. He was wearing a black T-shirt with yellow graphics on the front, black jeans, and black and white athletic shoes. He might have tattoos on his arms.
The second possible associate is described as a black female, 18 to 20 years old, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a light complexion and dreadlocks pulled up into a bun. She was wearing a jean jacket, a white top, red pants and tan boots. She had a large brown purse and a small cellphone purse.
Police say she might be the girlfriend of the man who stabbed the victim.
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