RALEIGH, N.C., June 1, 2017 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Sokal Media Group announces signing of McKinney Dodge RAM Chrysler Jeep & McKinney Mazda. McKinney has been an enterprising automotive influence over the past 18 years, serving the South Carolina Upstate area. Over the years the group has grown to offer 6 major brands including Dodge, Ram, Chrysler, Jeep, and Mazda.
With a growing business comes the need to help manage all aspects of marketing, advertising, and public image. That’s why in June of this year, McKinney hired Sokal Media Group as its agency of record. Beginning in June 2017 Sokal Media will launch new websites for this store, create new and engaging advertising campaigns, and assist in many other areas of dealership business.
With headquarters in Raleigh, N.C. and offices in Morrisville, N.C., Sokal Media Group is the area’s largest advertising agency focusing on automotive advertising. Sokal Media Group is dedicated to growing business for their clientele through multiple marketing and advertising services.
As a full service agency they manage the entire project from start to finish. They execute everything from media buying, radio and television production, ad design, direct mail, search engine marketing, website design, website maintenance, and many other products.
"I'm excited to work with Mr. McKinney and his entire team," said Mark Sokal, CEO of Sokal Media Group "McKinney has been a major player in South Carolina and I am honored that they chose us to represent them. I'm eagerly anticipating getting started."


Chameleons in Madagascar previously thought to all belong to a single species have actually turned out to be 11 separate ones.
Chameleons are famous for their ability to disguise themselves, adapting their hue through nanocrystals in their skin, actively tuning to reflect light differently. One of the most famous masters of this disguise is the panther chameleon, first described in 1829, and native only to Madagascar.
According to research published over the weekend in the journal Molecular Ecology, this chameleon has kept another trick in its skin. It's not a single species of chameleon. It's 11.
A team led by Professor Michel Milinkovitch of the University of Geneva, in collaboration with Professor Achille Raselimanana of the University of Antananarivo, wasn't looking for new species. Instead, the team was looking for genetic keys that might indicate how the panther chameleon achieves its extraordinarily broad colour palette.
They were basing the research on the notion that colour variations in panther chameleons seem to be based on location: some panther chameleons are a vivid blue, such as those from the island of Nosy Be, while others from different regions can be red, orange or green.
"It's always the same thing when you go to do science, you have an intuition that there may be something interesting, but you don't know what," Professor Milinkovitch told CNET's Crave blog. "I got interested because I am also doing a lot of genetics and I thought it was an interesting species in terms of geography."
The team members collected blood samples from 324 individual chameleons, during two expeditions of three weeks each. They also photographed the chameleons. They then sequenced the mitochondrial and nuclear DNA of each chameleon, analysing the data based on the hypothesis that colour and pattern variations are regional, comparing the blood samples against the photographs.
What the team found was that colour and patterning, as well as geography, corresponded with the genetic lineage of each chameleon's species, with very little interbreeding, if any. Using mathematical analysis, genetic lineage could be successfully gauged visually about 85 percent of the time. The result indicates that each location-specific population may need to be considered a discrete species.
"I wasn't expecting so much structure," Professor Milinkovitch said. "I wasn't expecting 11, that was a lot! I was expecting maybe three."
The next step will be for taxonomists to study and describe the animals according to classification guidelines, but there is still work for Professor Milinkovitch and his team -- determining the genetic basis for the colour variation.
"Genetic data that tell us about interbreeding and non-interbreeding; if an animal has more blue or more green, there is now a genetic basis for it," he said. I would like to understand the genetic determinism for these colour variations. Do the colours have regional adaptive values?"
The research also means that conservation approaches to the animals may need to be reconsidered, with each species managed separately.
"When you manage biodiversity, really there is a lot of management because forests are being destroyed at a really high rate in Madagascar. Chameleons are distributed across all of the north Madagascar, and if that's a single species, you manage that in a specific way," Professor Milinkovitch explained.
"If a portion of the forest is destroyed, you might say, that's all right, because it's all one species. Eleven species are handled very differently, because they are geographically restricted, if you destroy a patch of forest, you might destroy a species."
The island of Madagascar is one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, but it is also under threat from human activity. Deforestation and logging destroy the habitats of many species, driving them to extinction. The team hopes that this discovery will help raise awareness of the conservation efforts in the region and save the lives of animals there.
Edit May 28, 2015, 8.44am AEST: Added Professor Milinkovitch's comments.


Telegraph journalist Chris Knapman heads to Sweden where he learns how to drift a Corvette supercar in the snow.
In 2004, Michael Schumacher took his Ferrari Formula One car around the famous tarmac of Silverstone in a record time of 1min 18.739sec. Fast forward eight years, substitute Schumacher for me, the F1 car for a 500bhp Corvette and the tarmac for a frozen lake, and what time passes as acceptable?
Four minutes and 15sec apparently. Or at least, that's according to Mattieu Perot, who has been given the unenviable task of tutoring me in the ways of driving a high performance car around Silverstone on ice.
Perot is an instructor with Laponie Ice Driving in Arjeplog, Sweden, a place that brings a whole new meaning to the term “snowdrift”. Our playground is a vast frozen lake located about 50 miles from the Arctic Circle, which every winter is converted into a series of high octane tracks by Perot’s boss, Eric Gallardo.
Gallardo uses these tracks, which for 2012 include a full-size replica of the home of British motorsport, to teach customers the finer points of on-limit car control in a completely safe environment.
When Gallardo set up shop in 2005, he used BMW 320s to train eight drivers the finer points of on-limit car control. But as time has gone on, so the popularity of the school and the company’s ambitions have grown; by 2012 the prosaic BMWs have long since been ditched in favour of a fleet of 23 high-end sports cars including Porsches, Mitsubishi Evos and Corvettes, and the number of clients has grown to about 400.
In the meantime, the circuits carved into Laponie’s 750-acre section of the vast frozen lake have increased year-on-year so that there are now nine, ranging from circular skid pans of varying sizes to two full-size replicas of Paul Ricard and of course Silverstone.
To cope with the demands of oversteering on ice, each vehicle is fitted with a tougher front bumper and what is effectively a big ski bolted to the front of the car so that it won't be damaged should you run into a snowbank (with temperatures frequently falling below -20C on the lake, a normal plastic bumper would shatter on impact). In addition, all of the car’s fluids, including the oil, are replaced with alternatives capable of withstanding the low temperatures, and the standard tyres make way for studded versions made in Lapland.
Fancy tyres or not, we begin with a few spins on the smallest of Laponie’s handing circles as I become accustomed to the way the 600 studs in the ‘Vettes rear boots claw at the icy surface below. But then, as if by magic, I get it, and am able to judge steering and throttle to balance the car in a constant 40mph drift as if it were the easiest thing in the world.
“OK, now let’s try something more difficult,” says Perot, pointing me in the direction of Laponie’s biggest loop. At 600 metres in diameter, this test requires far higher levels of concentration, not to mention a lot more speed. But the principles are the same, and with Perot’s Clarkson-esque bark of “more power! Power, power, POWER!” it’s not long before I’m up to speed and able to hold a constant fourth gear drift around the circuit for laps on end, settling at a steady 75mph real speed, with the wheels spinning faster still. It’s a surreal experience, and hugely satisfying.
Which brings us to Silverstone, Lapland style. Laponie has carved into the lake both the pre-2010 Grand Prix circuit and the new, shorter formation, but it’s the former I know best so that’s what I opt to complete. That 4min 15sec target time doesn’t sound too daunting – the first corner is open enough to carry some speed and linking the Maggotts and Becketts complex together isn’t so different from drifting around the small circle earlier in the day.
But when I reach the Hangar Straight I realise that the one thing I haven’t done all day is drive in a straight line. And never has driving in a straight line been quite so terrifying, as the Z06 scrabbles and scratches for grip on the icy surface, wheelspinning deep into fourth gear and requiring constant manipulation of steering and throttle to maintain a straight line. It is, quite frankly, terrifying, not least because dropping off the narrow icy central section will result in being pulled into the snow.
My first run down the long straight yields 103mph before I’m back in my newfound comfort zone of a long drift around Stowe. Then it’s hard on the power again, the Corvette snaking wildly as I negotiate Vale and Club before the ultra-fast left-hander at Abbey.
The slowest corner on the circuit, Brooklands, is devilishly tricky as the weight of the big V8 motor causes the car to understeer at anything much above walking pace, despite the studded tyres. “The best way to turn here is to keep the steering wheel straight,” says Perot. What sounds confusing in theory is even more difficult in practice as my every instinct says to turn into the corner before applying the power, but doing so results in too much oversteer and a slow exit.
As I finish lap one the clock shows a disappointing 4min 25sec. I need to be more committed, especially down the Hanger Straight.
So it is that on lap two I fix my eyes on the horizon and press the throttle as hard as I dare, instinctively easing off and reapplying power as the rear wheels fight for grip. The result is a peak of 124mph, which just feels astonishing on this surface. It’s a good lap until I reach Brooklands, at which point I slide hopelessly wide once again. The result: 4min 20sec.
By lap three my concentration is fading. Precise drifting requires you to look where you want to end up, rather than where you are, but when everything - the track, the snowbanks and even the sky - is white, focusing into the distance is much harder than it sounds. Somehow my fatigued mind holds it all together, and I finally nail Brooklands, braking, turning in, straightening the wheel and blipping the throttle resulting in a neat – and crucially fast – exit from the corner.
As we cross the line I know I won’t go any faster today. It’s this lap or nothing. “Four minutes, 14,” says Perot. I whoop and holler as is if I have just won the British grand prix, the sense of achievement immense.
Technically challenging and, at times, just plain scary, extracting a supercar’s performance on ice is a driving experience like no other. It might also just be the most fun you can have on four wheels.
In a season that will most likely only last until the end of March, that’s a huge blow for what is regarded by its customers as the ultimate driving experience. But even when mother nature’s not playing ball, there are a few tricks that can help prepare the lake for the driving season. For example, any fresh snow that falls on the lake serves only to insulate it. Remove the snow and it will help the ice to freeze. In addition, drilling holes in the ice to let water reach the surface will help more ice to form, this year to about 40cm in thickness, under which the lake itself is another six metres deep.
It goes without saying that preparing all of this, let alone running the cars and employing top level instructors, is not the work of a moment, and thus the chance to drive at Laponie isn’t what you’d call cheap. Prices, including accommodation, food and flights from London start in the region of £1,200 for a three-day course. Just don’t forget to pack your long johns.


(HawaiiNewsNow) - Homeowners and building professionals are invited to learn more about what makes a home green at the Windward High Performance Building Green Expo Saturday, May 12 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ko'olau Ballrooms in Kaneohe.
Sponsored by RevoluSun, Mokulua Woodworking and Archipelago Hawaii, the free expo in the ballroom features more than 30 green building vendors who will educate homeowners on different products and services that can be used to create a high-performance home.
Meanwhile, homeowners can pay for six workshop presentations focusing on design, building, solar energy, landscaping, LEED certification and National Green Building Standards (NGBS) certification. Tickets for the workshops with lunch included are $20 presale, or $25 at the door. For tickets, call 808-263-8891 or visit their website.
Mike Fairall, Principal RME of MOKULUA High Performance Builder (HPB), said "high performance home building is more than greening your home, it's a combination of sustainability, green, healthy and durable. It truly is the essence of the green building concept; an evolving formula for creating the most efficient end product taking into consideration regional climate qualities and site specific details. Its maximizing design, planning, construction and livability, it requires a knowledgeable team and a client who has high standards but is financially conscience. A high performance home is a well planned and successful investment for any homeowner who wants an optimal return on investment for the life of their ownership. "
Archipelago Hawaii, MOKULUA HPB and RevoluSun completed the first NGBS Gold Certified home in Hawaii located in Kaneohe. "At the open house / expo held for the Kaneohe home, the attendees found the setting to be more intimate and less overwhelming" said Tiare Cowan, president of Archipelago Hawaii, "which led to the idea of creating the Windward High Performance Building Green Expo".
When approached about the idea of the expo, RevoluSun embraced the idea. "As Hawaii's leading solar company, we strongly believe in educating potential clients about the intricacies of solar because an educated homeowner makes the best decisions," said Eric Carlson, RevoluSun principal. "This new expo provides a wonderful opportunity for Hawaii homeowners to learn about the many ways they can make a smaller carbon footprint, ultimately protecting our aina."
Senator Pohai Ryan and Representative Cynthia Thielen will host the event. Ryan said, "We live on a beautiful island and it is our responsibility to take care of it. The way to do that is to be educated on how we can save our natural resources".


A 50-year-old Edmonton man faces multiple charges for allegedly driving into his domestic partner in a casino parking lot. Police say they are not releasing the man’s name to protect the identity of the woman and her family.
A 50-year-old Edmonton man faces multiple charges for allegedly driving into his domestic partner in a casino parking lot.
Police say they are not releasing the man’s name to protect the identity of the woman and her family.
The 44-year-old woman was found seriously injured Monday at 12:35 a.m. in the parking lot of Century Casino at 131st Avenue and Fort Road.
Police said she remains in critical but stable condition in hospital.
Edmonton police previously said they received a report that the couple “was involved in a dispute” when they left the casino.
The man allegedly hit the woman with a vehicle, then fled. He was arrested later by police. He has been charged with aggravated assault, hit and run causing bodily harm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and dangerous driving causing bodily harm.


ELEANOR P. LABROZZI PHOTO All month, Sylvester Manor has been offering free Saturday morning farm programs in the Windmill Field during CSA pickup hours, 9 to 11 a.m. This week visitors can stop in for a quick pickle demo and worksongs.
JON BURKE PHOTO | Ten Strings and a Goat Skin, from left, Rowen Gallant, Caleb Gallant and Jesse Périard.
Islands tend to be great places for creating musicians. Especially isolated islands where long traditions and even longer winters feed the creative energy.


“We are super excited to bring Mr. Noel on board and look forward to a great program being continued here at Southern School of Energy and Sustainability,” said Southern athletic director Crystal Massenburg in a statement.
Noel replaces Kendrick Hall, who stepped down in July after five seasons as the program’s coach.
Southern went 19-8 last year and reached the third round of the state 3A playoffs. In the 2015-16 season, the Spartans went 22-4 and reached the 3A East semifinals (fourth round).


Rasmus Kofoed in the garden.
Will King-Smith and liquid nitrogen.
Will King-Smith making dill rocks.
Rasmus Kofoed and table-side plating.
The Restaurant at Meadowood’s annual 12 Days of Christmas guest chef series is winding down. Here at Inside Scoop, we’re reviving our own tradition of individually tracking each night’s charity dinner — and the exploration of cuisine from the chefs from around the world, through their words and their food. You can check out past years here: 2012, 2011 and 2010. And catch up on this year’s prior dinners here.
It was fitting that on the same day that the American team for the 2015 Bocuse d’Or was revealed to be coming from the French Laundry, just a few short miles from Thomas Keller’s flagship, Rasmus Kofoed cooked dinner at the Restaurant at Meadowood.
Kofoed is the chef and owner of Geranium in Copenhagen, which sits at #45 on the World’s 50 Best list and carries two Michelin stars. But he is also somewhat of a badass when it comes to the culinary competition realm, and the Bocuse d’Or in particular. He was captain of the Danish culinary team for seven years, winning the Bocuse d’Or bronze medal in 2005, the silver in 2007 and finally reaching the top with the gold medal in 2011. He’s got technique down pat, and for the Meadowood dinner, he reportedly only brought one ingredient from Europe: woodruff powder.


WARSAW - Joyce A. Maule, 74, died at 6:55 p.m. Sunday, March 25, in Lakeland Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, Milford. Survivors include her husband, Jack; sons, Jeff Maule of Syracuse and Jon Maule of North Webster; four grandchildren, Jessi, Tyler, William and Chelsea; and six great-grandchildren. Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in North Webster United Methodist Church. Friends may call today in Mishler-Eastlund Funeral Home, Syracuse, and one hour before services in the church Thursday.


To resolve the water shortage in cities is an imperative task that affects economic and social development, daily life, as well as the country's modernization drive and long-term development, said Vice-Premier Wen Jiabao.
The vice-premier made the remark at a national conference on water supply, water conservation and water pollution, which was convened by the State Council in the nation's capital from September 25-26.
Wen urged local governments at different levels to recognize the importance of the issue and to ensure that cities achieve sustainable development through the sustainable utilization of water resources.
China is short of water resources, with its per-capita water resources accounting for one fourth of the world's average, according to Wen. Water shortage has hampered the development of many Chinese cities, he said.
He urged people to give top priority to saving water by readjusting the industrial structure, by promoting water-conservation technology, by strengthening water usage controls and pushing forward the reform of water pricing.
He also called for resolute measures to control water pollution, while making greater efforts to increase channels of water supply for cities in a rational and scientific manner.
The media should play an important role in creating greater awareness among the public about water shortages, he said.


The country's telecoms agency announced a set of measures around the implementation of the new Internet protocol.
The Brazilian telecommunications agency Anatel announced that Internet operators will provide IPv6 addresses to consumers from 1 July as part of a set of initiatives to move faster to the new standard.
With the depletion of IPv4 addresses in Brazil announced last June, local policymakers have increased the pressure on network operators to migrate quickly to IPv6, the next-generation protocol for Internet networking.
The adoption of the new protocol in Brazil will take place in a way that is "transparent to the user" and the two protocols will still coexist, Anatel said. The agency has also put together a working group to oversee the migration.
From July, all new users must have an IPv6 address provided by Internet operators. Those still using IPv4 devices will also be entitled to apply for a public IP that isn't shared with other users.
As well as solving the issue of IPv4 address exhaustion, IPv6 adds a number of additional features in areas such as mobility, auto-configuration and overall extensibility, supporting a much wider range of devices that can be directly connected to the Internet.
As part of the new migration push, Anatel is also requiring IPv6 addressing for all new Internet-enabled devices manufactured and sold in Brazil from 2016 - before reaching final consumers, such products require Anatel's technical certification.
In Brazil, some 68 percent of providers have migrated to IPv6, according to data from NIC.br, the body that oversees the distribution of Brazil's IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. But client equipment such as modems and routers still needs to be upgraded, so that will require a gradual transition that should be ongoing until 2018.
Currently, Brazilian organizations can only get a maximum of 1024 IPv4 addresses every six months. This comes from the 2 million addresses which will be used to support the transition to IPv6. After that, there will be one final allocation of 2 million IPv4 addresses that can be provided to new companies in limited batches.
Companies have been dragging their heels on the issue of IPv4 exhaustion for years. According to Anatel, what has been hampering progress of the IPv6 migration in Brazil is the chicken-and-egg situation between operators and content generators - Internet portals, social networking platforms, search engines - over who should start migrating to the new protocol.
With the new deadlines, the agency believes that the deadlines imposed to the providers will mean that content generators will start working on it.
Currently, major Internet players such as Facebook and Google already operate with IPv6 content, as well as local companies such as portals UOL and Terra.


It’s no secret that actress Sophia Bush has a huge heart, especially when it comes to animals. In her most recent act on behalf of all things great and small, she recently rescued an adorable seven-week old blue pit bull named Griffin.
Griffin and his siblings, a litter of eight, and their stray mom were set to be euthanized, but luckily the shelter Wags and Walks, a pit bull rescue facility, stepped in and saved the bunch. I guess you could say Bush fell in love with Griffin and couldn’t resist taking him home.
This isn’t the first time Bush has adopted dogs. She has two other pit bull rescues named Penny and Patch. “They’re the loves of my life,” Bush told PEOPLE in a 2011 interview.


Happy Data Privacy Day! Are you doing anything special to keep the sensitive information stored on your computers safe and sound?
Do you know what sensitive information is maintained by your company, where it is stored and how it is kept secure?
Do you have an incident response team in place ready to respond 24/7?
Are management teams aware of security, privacy and regulatory requirements related specifically to your business?
Have you completed a privacy and security audit of all data collection activities, including cloud services, mobile devices and outsourced services?
Are you prepared to communicate to customers, partners and stockholders in the event of a breach or data loss incident?
I believe I know which one they would take (backed up by research, albeit with a small sample size), which makes me think that data breaches are just like cockroaches. If you see one, there are bound to be hundreds lurking around somewhere where you can't see them.
So, while there's not a whole lot I can do about the cockroaches, there is something we can do about the data breaches. We can force them out of those comfy little dark holes they so love to hide in via data breach laws.
Is the Sony Breach Worse than Others?


A three-year-old girl of Egyptian nationality plunged to her death from the fifth floor of a building located at Airport Road in Abu Dhabi.
The girl fell from the balcony of the living room of her family flat when her aunt was sleeping in the other room.
It is reported that the same child was rescued in December when Abu Dhabi police received a call that a child was about to fall from the window of her parents flat.
The Abu Dhabi police team rushed to the flat and broke the main door and rescued the girl before falling in the street.
They also discovered that she was alone in the flat and her parents were at work.
The baby girl identified as Maryam, is the only baby of her parents, reported Emarat Al Youm.
Meanwhile the Major General Nasser Lakhraibani Al-Nuaimi the secretary-general of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Chairman of the Higher Committee for Child Protection in the Ministry of Interior expressed his sadness and added it was an unfortunate incidents.
He stressed that Abu Dhabi Police is confronting this phenomenon, by giving priority to raising the awareness of the children of the dangers of windows and balconies.


New Core i7 models incl. i7-2960XM Extreme Edition coming Q4.
Doing what they do best, CPU World has fished out some fresh details on an expansion to Intel's range of mobile processor offerings. A new ULV (ultra low voltage) 32nm Celeron M model has just been released, The Celeron 787, and also four new Core i7 chips.
The Celeron 787 is just a little single core chip which clocks in at 1.30GHz with a single thread, 1MB of L3 cache, a 17W TDP and carrying a price of $107.
As for the four new Core i7s, these are scheduled to debut in Q4, comprising three quad-core variants and a dual-core one. The quad core models include the i7-2960XM Extreme Edition, i7-2860QM and i7-2760QM, with the dual-core being the i7-2640M.
Looking at individual specs, the i7-2960XM EE runs at 2.7GHz with a Turbo frequency of 3.7GHz, sporting 4 cores/8 threads with 8MB of L3 cache and a 55W TDP. The Core i7-2860QM 4 core/8 thread chip runs at 2.5GHz (3.6GHz Turbo), again with 8MB of L3 cache and a slightly lower 45W TDP.
The Core i7-2760QM (also 4 cores/8 threads) has a frequency of 2.4GHz (3.5GHz Turbo), carrying 6MB of L3 cache and a 45W TDP, while the only dual core variant in the Core i7-2640M has 4 threads, runs at 2.8GHz (3.5GHz Turbo) with 4MB of L3 cache and a 35W TDP.
All four Core i7 models include Intel's HD 3000 graphics core running at 650MHz (1300MHz Turbo speed). Pricing is yet to be disclosed on these models.


The Ruebel Hotel on Main Street in Grafton was advertised as the "finest commercial hotel in Jersey County." The hotel, built circa 1884, contained 32 rooms and did a good trade when salesmen roamed the county. The hotel is open for business. Vintage postcard from the collection of Leo M. Springman.If you have old photographs in good condition of interest to Our Past readers, please e-mail them to ourpast@s24532.p831.sites.pressdns.com or send them to Our Past, The Telegraph, P.O. Box 278, Alton, IL 62002. Include information about the photo, the year it was taken and identify individuals if possible. Please avoid vertical photos. Photos will be returned.


New board members are being sought for One NorthEast, the regional development agency.
It is responsible for promoting economic development, enterprise, and regeneration.
Four candidates are being invited to apply to join the agency's board. They should have a proven track record in business, the voluntary sector, or a local authority or have knowledge or experience in rural issues.
Board members will spend about two days a month on agency business and will receive an annual salary of £7,775.
* More information about applying for the posts is available by telephoning 0191 260 4450.


NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Cornerstone Capital Group ("Cornerstone"), an SEC-registered investment advisor that pursues financial returns alongside social impact by incorporating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) analysis into portfolio design, today announced the appointment of Kristin Frank to its Board of Directors. Frank, recently named President and Board Director at AdPredictive, a software company delivering the industry's first outcomes-driven customer marketing intelligence platform, is a highly seasoned industry thought leader and transformational executive who brings with her more than 20 years of global business experience.
"We are absolutely delighted to have Kristin Frank joining our Board. Kristin's exceptional leadership in the media industry, her deep expertise in digital media, and her innovative excellence in technology and distribution will add tremendous value to our organization," said Erika Karp, Founder and CEO of Cornerstone. "At Cornerstone, as we strive to optimize both financial and social impact, we know that Kristin will set a high bar for the stewardship and scaling of the company."
Frank has built, transformed, led and scaled successful businesses. Most recently, she served as Chief Operating Officer at MTV where she managed revenue, strategy, and operations for a $1.8B portfolio. She spearheaded the brand's turnaround, brand reinvention, digital innovation, and market growth.
"I am honored to join Cornerstone's Board of Directors and be part of its mission to integrate sustainable finance across the capital markets," stated Frank. "This is an exciting time to join Cornerstone, as it continues to stand out by demonstrating an incredible commitment to impact investing and sustainability."
Previously, Frank was EVP at Viacom Music and Entertainment Connected Content Division, where she doubled revenue by transforming consumer product, data, engineering and content. Prior to this position, Frank was General Manager for MTV and VH1 Digital where she doubled traffic to its digital platforms. She also acted as Chief Operating Officer of LOGO TV where she launched and built a powerful new media business.
Additionally, Frank serves on the Board of Directors of Brightcove, and Gaia. She also served on the Board of Gaiam and completed its sale to Sequential Brands in 2016. Frank was recognized by Variety as one of the most powerful women in cable and top women in digital.


These words came from one of the captivating speakers at a seminar about exoneration of the wrongly convicted ring true.
Because we do live in a nation where the fundamental rights of individuals are paramount, where every individual serving a prison sentence either plead guilty or was found guilty by a jury of ordinary citizens.
These fundamental rights include the right to receive all favorable evidence in advance of the trial, to confront and cross examine all witnesses, and to be represented by counsel throughout all proceedings, including appointed legal counsel at no charge if the defendant can’t afford one.
The profound sense of fairness, wisdom and enlightenment of our nation’s forefathers who crafted the framework for this system was remarkable, making us unique among all nations.
Still we know, despite all the safeguards and procedures in place designed for fundamental fairness in the administration of criminal justice, our system is not perfect, nor will it, nor any other system in the world, ever be.
The outstanding work of the non-profit Innocence Project has confirmed this in recent years.
Founded in 1992 at the Yeshiva University School of Law, the Innocence Project has a full time staff, plus relies on the work of students at the school.
Mostly through the use of DNA evidence, which has become a significant tool in the criminal law in recent years, the Innocence Project has brought about the exoneration of more than 300 individuals wrongly convicted and imprisoned for serious crimes in America.
These cases have provided insights into the primary causes of wrongful convictions.
Tops on the list is eyewitness misidentification.
Next is: “Please point him out to the jury for us.” Even for an event that happened a number of months ago, where the witness may have seen the perpetrator only briefly, and hasn’t seen him in the months since, there is never a doubt that the witness in the courtroom is going to point to the defendant with all of the certainty and conviction of God himself.
DNA evidence has revealed that such evidence, while always powerful, has been proven unreliable again and again.
Another common factor in wrongful convictions is junk science, often-times couples with corrupt or incompetent “experts,” and zealous prosecutors who may be willing to seek a conviction with such evidence that, while powerful to a jury, lacks legitimacy.
Common junk science evidence has included hair follicle analysis, dog sniffing evidence, bite mark analysis, and other such evidence that may never pass recognized scientific muster, but is allowed in court and is persuasive to the uninitiated, even though lacking in legitimate probative value.
Informant, or “snitch,” testimony is another.
Jails and pretrial detention facilities are teaming with informants who are always happy to report and testify to false jailhouse confessions of their fellow inmates to secure leniency for themselves.
Finally, and quite surprisingly perhaps, in about 25 percent of DNA exoneration cases, innocent defendants were convicted after making false admissions or confessions.
“How can this be?” one may ask.
For someone who has never endured hours of intensive and intimidating police interrogation, the thought that anyone would admit to a heinous crime they did not commit seems implausible.
However, for an insight into the known phenomenon of false confessions under police interrogation, go to www.freeryanferguson.com, and view the 10-minute video of excerpts of the actual police interrogation that led to two convictions in that case. The video can be found under the menu entitled “the case.” You may find it enlightening.
And so while our best and fairest criminal justice system on planet Earth -- and it is -- is not without its problems, the people at the Innocence Project are doing outstanding work at correcting injustice, and making it just a little bit better.


Blue bottle jellyfish, which is also known as the Portuguese man-of-war, spotted across the beaches of Mumbai attacked more than 150 people. The floating terror created panic and fear among the people at Girgaum Chowpatty, Aksa and Juhu beaches in Mumbai, India in the last few days.
What Makes the Beautiful Blue Bottle Jellyfish Scary?
Blue bottle jellyfish is a venomous marine creature that has long tentacles, and if it comes in contact with humans can deliver a sting that can be extremely painful.
Many people were injured and left in pain after the deadly jellyfish attacked them. The venomous sting can kill fish, but not humans.
The Portuguese Man-of-War (blue bottle jellyfish) belongs to the Physaliidae family and is usually found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. These toxic creatures float on the surface of the ocean, therefore, during strong winds, they are easily driven onto the shores.
How Can We Spot these Deadly Blue Bottle Jellyfish?
These toxic blue bottle jellyfish can be spotted on shores during monsoons due to strong winds and currents. The blue bottles are siphonophores, a colony of marine organisms which has a gas-filled bladder while other siphonophores have swimming bells similar to jellyfish.
Here are some simple remedies to treat the pain after being stung by the venomous blue bottle jellyfish.
New research from NUI Galway and the University of Hawaii at Manoa has identified the best way to treat a sting from the lions mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata).
University of Southern California researchers have captured on video the exact process through which proteins in the brain move throughout the neuron cells.
While fighting fatigue and jellyfish stings on her fourth attempt to cross the Florida Straits from Cuba without a shark cage, Veteran US athlete Diana Nyad edged toward Florida.
Gel containing tiny magnetic particles can help to Control Cell Proteins which play a key role in pain management, finds a new study.
Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis/ringworm of the foot) is a fungal infection of the feet.


The bombs start again. Israel, as if on a timer, begins to pulverize Gaza. The bombs strike from one end of the country to another, a warning against the protests that have been ongoing for a year. There is a shudder from Gaza, phone calls to friends who say that they are fearful that this bombing run will escalate. Nothing is beyond Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, who will use these bombs as an advertisement for his campaign to be reelected as Israel goes to the polls on April 9. The phone lines carry the sound of scared children and anxious adults, a building demolished, the warplanes shrieking overhead.
In January of last year, the Palestinian journalist Ahmed Abu Artema sat at his computer in his home in Rafah (Gaza, Palestine). He had just returned home from a walk in this 365-square-kilometer (141-square-mile) enclave that sits on the Mediterranean Sea. There is a hint of paradise in Gaza -- the sea on one side, the citrus groves on the other. But the entire piece of land -- populated by 2.2 million Palestinians -- is hemmed in by the Israeli occupation. The land is dotted with barbed wire fences and ditches, with armed guards on alert to shoot where and when they will, and the sea is patrolled by Israeli naval vessels, which routinely stop and arrest Palestinian fishermen. Paradise is encircled by barbed wire and gunboats. Abu Artema decided to write a plea.
"No one stopped the birds," he thought during his walk as he saw a flock of birds fly across the perimeter fence. The Israeli occupation, he felt, "clips my wings" and "disrupts my evening walks." What if a Palestinian from Gaza decided to "see himself as a bird and decides to reach a tree beyond the fence," he mused? "If the bird was Palestinian, he would be shot."
So, this journalist -- a father of four young children -- wrote the following simple question: "What would happen if thousands of Gazans, most of them refugees, attempted to peacefully cross the fence that separated them from their ancestral lands?" The answer, plainly, was that they would be shot.
In 1976, the Israeli government announced the seizure of 20,000 dunams of land in the Galilee. The government declared a curfew so that it could proceed with the land theft without protest. It miscalculated. Pressure grew from below, so Tawfiq Ziad -- the mayor of Nazareth (the largest Palestinian city inside Israel's 1948 lines) -- called for a general strike. The strike on March 30, 1976, was almost total, with the Israeli State reacting to it with ferocity. The land was seized, but March 30 became a monumental day, Land Day, an annual commemoration of the struggle against the Israeli occupation.
Abu Artema's plea made in January 2018 became real on March 30, 2018, when the Great March of Return began. The initial plan was to start the protests on Land Day and then continue until May 15, the day to commemorate the Nakba or the expulsion of the Palestinians from their homeland in 1948. But the energy opened up by the Great March of Return could not be contained. This protest, held each Friday, began with 30,000 Palestinians on Land Day in 2018 and continues with tens of thousands of Palestinians each week.
When Abu Artema took to his Facebook page, he would not have been able to drink water -- even if boiled -- from his tap. That month, the Palestinian Water Authority warned that 97 percent of Gaza's water was undrinkable because of high levels of sewage and salinity. It was lucky that Abu Artema was able to get on Facebook. Gaza only gets power for about four hours per day. The Israelis blame the Hamas government in Gaza for these problems. Such a story is only possible for someone with no memory.
In each of the punctual bombings of Gaza since Operation Hot Winter (2008), Israel has targeted Gaza's power plant and its water sources (wells, water towers, sewage pipelines and sewage treatment plants). Millions of dollars of damage are done to Gaza's infrastructure, which then cannot be repaired because Israel prevents materials from entering the enclave. Because of the Israeli bombings and Israeli embargo, Gaza, the United Nations has found, will become "uninhabitable by 2020."
It is no wonder the Great March of Return has seen such large crowds, so many people -- including children -- coming to the fence each week despite the Israeli snipers and the tear gas. Palestinians set up tents out of range of the snipers so that they could feed the protesters and heal them. The destruction of infrastructure put a heavy burden on Palestinian women, which deepened their political commitment and brought them to set up and work in these encampments.
Medical personnel and journalists would be on hand, thinking that their professions gave them immunity. It did not. The Israeli snipers fired at them: two journalists were killed, 184 journalists injured; three medics were killed, 181 medics injured. Hind Khoudary, a journalist, said that her work has been "more than [a] nightmare. I would have never imagined I would see people shattered into pieces."


Most of the state was expected to have drier than normal conditions this season, with drought possible.
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — Irrigation districts in the upper Yakima Basin — where a drought has been declared — are hoping for enough mountain precipitation this spring to stave off any serious water rationing.
Gov. Jay Inslee issued a drought emergency for the upper basin after the Bureau of Reclamation reported a water forecast of only 74 percent supply in that area this season, one percentage point below the 75 percent that triggers such a declaration. The declaration allows irrigation districts and biologists to seek funds for closer monitoring and quicker initiation of drought relief programs.
The latest forecast drastically contrasts with early March, when this year's basinwide supply was predicted to be 90 percent of normal — an amount that hardly would have impacted farmers and fish.
But expected mountain precipitation didn't arrive in March, which caused the snowpack to fall further behind what is considered normal this time of year in the upper basin, said Chuck Garner, river operations supervisor for the Bureau of Reclamation.
"We had projected to get 80 to 85 percent precipitation in March," he said. "But when we went through March and didn't get what we predicted — we only got like 22, 23 percent — that dropped our prediction."
Irrigators and biologists are hoping for more precipitation in the right areas and that the weather remains relatively cool through the remainder of spring, said Perry Harvester, regional habitat program manager with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
"All eyes now are really on how the snowpack comes off and some of the smaller tributaries where headwaters didn't get much snowpack," Harvester said. "The later that snowpack comes off, the better for fish, irrigators and everyone through the end of the season."
Irrigators and biologists welcomed the drought declaration because it enables funds to be allocated for immediate monitoring and planning, as well as a quicker response to water shortages.
The state Department of Ecology has requested an additional $2 million in relief funds this year in the event of a drought.
Such a response would be twofold — it would 1) launch water exchange programs to help growers with inferior water rights subject to rationing, and 2) divert water to parched streams for fish survival.
Examples of those programs include farmers leasing water from superior water right holders willing to part with some of their supply for a price and diverting water to parched streams for fish, said Urban Eberhart with the Kittitas Reclamation District.
Many growers have emergency drought wells they can pull from, but there are rules to follow when doing so, and mitigation fees must to be paid offset any impacts to river flows, Eberhart said.
"But that is something that needs to be in place in order for farmers to pull water to keep their crops alive," he said. "If this declaration wasn't in place, we would not be able to set up quickly enough."
Helping fish survive drought includes programs modifying fish channels to provide easier pathways for migrating fish to return to spawning areas, trucking juvenile salmon and steelhead across areas impassible due to hot weather and low flows, and temporarily suspending fishing in critical areas where fish are likely to become too stressed from drought conditions, Harvester said.
"They'll be so exhausted they'll be less likely to recover because oxygen (in the water) is so low," he said.
Only getting about 70 percent of water supply is something most growers can deal with so long as the supply doesn't decline too much below that, said Ric Valicoff, president of the Roza Irrigation District board.
"They've done this many times in the past," he said. "They know how to handle a low water year. It's when you get down to the 30 and 40 percents is when people start scrambling."
That happened in 2001 and more recently in 2015, when the Roza district leased about 4,600-acre-feet — a cost of about $1.15 million — from farmers with superior water rights in the Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District. Emergency state funding paid for abut half the cost, said Roza district manager Scott Revell.
The leased water supplied the district for eight days, but that wasn't enough to avert a temporary shutdown, Revell said.
Leasing water this year may not be as viable as farmers have less idle land this year, Valicoff said.
"It's going to cost us a lot more money (to lease water) than it has in the past," he said.
At this time, water supply across the entire Yakima Basin is predicted to be 77 percent of normal, with the upper basin facing a lesser supply of 74 percent.
Part of the problem is that the lower and mid basins have seen more mountain snowpack than the upper basin in recent years.
Some are optimistic cool weather will hold and more precipitation is on the way.
"Right now it's snowing above 4,500 feet, and it's not warming up to the point where it's going to come off right away so it's looking good right now, Garner said.
Harvester said he's optimistically cautious. He points to the 2001 drought, when May temperatures reached 100 degrees, "which resulted in a drastic loss of snowpack and compounded drought situations later," he said.
Temperatures are expected to remain below normal — with lows in mid-30s and highs in the mid-60s through next week before warming up slightly above normal with temperatures reaching the high 60s, according to the National Weather Service in Pendleton, Ore.
"We've got weather right now that could be putting down snow in the high elevation — we don't know," Valicoff said.


London mayoral candidates, from left, Roger Caranci, Joe Swan and Matt Brown.
Judging by the questions posed at Wednesday night’s mayoral debate at King’s University College, what matters to Western University students is what matters to other Londoners, too.
Thirteen of the 14 candidates for the city’s top office fielded questions about jobs, development, the police budget, food banks and accessibility for the disabled during the debate, the format of which left little room for spontaneous outbursts.
Dark-horse candidate Paul Cheng repeated his well-worn message that city hall should be run like a business. “It’s not black magic. It’s no different from any other organization around the world,” he said during the introductory round, when each candidate was asked to enumerate the qualities setting them apart from the pack.
Noting the capacity crowd of 425 made the debate the best-attended so far, Ward 7 Coun. Matt Brown emphasized his plan for the Forest City’s future. “I have a vision that’s a 20-year vision for this community,” he told the assembled students and ordinary Londoners.
At one point in the evening, former councillor Roger Caranci tried to compliment the debate’s organizers. He was cut off and told pointedly to stick to the agreed-upon format.
After he had been admonished, Caranci went on to say he “made no bones” about the fact he loves development and would not apologize for his ties to the industry.
Indeed, several candidates were drowned out at different points by applause from the crowd — the cue indicating the audience knew they had gone over time.
“Take your seat,” the event’s moderator emphatically told developer Arnon Kaplansky when he, too, tried to deviate from his allotted time.
Asked what distinguishes him from the other mayoral hopefuls, Ward 3 Coun. Joe Swan reminded the audience he has served on council for 20 years and has extensive experience running the city.
He also repeated his pledge to hold property taxes to a 1% increase on average over four years before the sound of loud clapping prevented him from continuing.


The time-share hotel-apartment building proposed in the Burns Square area is not a hotel after all.
The city ruled today that a time-share hotel-apartment building proposed in the Burns Square area is not a hotel after all, so developer Al Hochstadt is going to have to come up with something else to build there.
It is a victory for neighbors who opposed the project, and were angry that a clause in the city�s downtown plan meant that the five-story building would not require a vote from the City Commission.
In a letter sent to Hochstadt Friday afternoon, Timothy Litchet, the city�s planning and building director, wrote that the project was an ever evolving concept, and it was difficult for city planners to understand what the developer was trying to build.
In April, the developer changed plans, stating that he intended to sell ownership interest of each of the 173 units. As a result, the city ruled the project was no longer a hotel.
�You represented that each unit would be for the exclusive use of a miniumum of 26 families,� Litchet wrote in his letter to the Palm-Beach based developer.
The distinction is a key point for the project.
If it is a hotel, the developer could have built 173 rooms in a five-story building.
But all that would change if the project is composed of time-share units, or spaces reserved for multiple owners for two-week periods.
Under one scenario, the city code would allow only 28 units on the land.
Hochstadt has 15 days to file an appeal with the city. The city�s planning board would hold a hearing and decide whether to hear the developer�s case.
Another option is for the developer to try to convince city officials to change the city's zoning code to allow for a broader definition of a hotel.
Hochstadt could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.


Rheinhold Rau, a German-born taxidermist who regarded it as his moral duty to reverse the extinction of the quagga, a zebra-like animal, has died. He was 73.
The South African Museum, where Rau worked for more than four decades and well into his retirement, confirmed his February 11 death but gave no cause.
Hamish Robertson, director of natural history at the museum, said that the efforts inspired by Rau to breed the quagga back into existence would continue thanks to support from the South African National Parks board.
Rau came from Germany to Cape Town to work as a taxidermist at the museum in 1959.
His fascination with the quagga started after he remounted a stuffed specimen at the museum.
While removing the skin, Rau discovered dried blood and muscle tissue—material that preserved DNA, the genetic blueprint for life.
The quagga—whose name was adapted from an imitation of the animal’s call—inhabited South Africa’s Karoo desert until well into the second half of the 19th century, when it became extinct.
It differed from other zebras mainly in having stripes only on its head, neck and front portion of its body, and in being brownish, rather than white, on its upper parts.
DNA analysis eventually proved that quaggas were a subspecies of the plains zebra, which inhabits Africa, and not a separate species.
This meant quagga genes could still lurk in plains zebras.
Using funds raised privately from donations, Rau scoured game reserves in South Africa and neighbouring Namibia for plains zebra that looked most like quaggas.
He said he was driven by a desire to put right a terrible wrong.
He was the driving force behind the Quagga Project that in 1998 released 14 zebras, specially bred to look as much like the quagga as possible, into the Karoo National Park.
The theory was that by bringing selected individuals together, and so concentrating the quagga genes, a population should emerge that would be closer to the original quagga population than existing plains zebra would be.
The involvement of the South African National Parks authority boosted the project. Dozens of foals, with names such as Rebecca, Butch, Luke and Zephyr, were born.
In January 2005, the most quagga-like foal to date was born in the second generation of the selective breeding programme. The striped area of its body was reduced and the stripes themselves were narrower and fainter than usual.


Figure 11. Paired cerci of male Mormon cricket, dorsal view. Drawing by Ashley B. Gurney.


Soldiers from the Aviation Captains Career Course here traveled to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. to visit the training site of the historic Doolittle Raiders of World War II as part of their course curriculum Feb. 15.
Fifty-eight Soldiers prepared in advance to present their research on various topics to the group during the "staff ride," as they toured points of interest at Wagner Field, Eglin Air Force Base, and the US Air Force Armament Museum.
While previous staff rides involved an infantry museum, Ken Tilley, historian for the US Army Aviation Center of Excellence planned this event to focus more on Aviation history, and the students rose to the occasion with the quality of the research they presented, he said.
"The students teach it, I facilitate," Tilley said. "They did a fantastic job, better than I expected."
Staff rides are intended to "take students to a battlefield where Soldiers can portray the roles of all the major players, walk the terrain, tactics, maneuver--all the things that you learn in the military, and look at a previous battle and see how it was done," Tilley said.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of America's first offensive attack on Japan, a one-way mission of 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers with 80 aircrew, commanded by Lt. Col. James Doolittle, that took off from the USS Hornet, for a long overwater flight to Japan.
The air raid, which followed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in December of 1941, raised morale in America and set events in motion that changed the course of the war in the Pacific during World War II.
To help Soldiers prepare for the staff ride, Tilley provided access to a collection of first-hand account, oral history interviews to use in their research.
He also arranged to have US Air Force and Navy historians on hand during the event to provide the Joint perspective, including about aircraft carriers.
The group made three stops on the tour.
At Wagner Field Soldiers stood on the runway where the top-secret, two-week training initiative was conducted in March of 1942 in preparation for the Doolittle Raid on Japan. They marked off 500 feet, the total distance the Army Air Forces fixed-wing aviators had to get airborne from an aircraft carrier.
Inside a World War II era maintenance hangar on Eglin Air Force Base, the Soldiers learned about the maintenance and modifications that were made to the Army B-25 Mitchell airplane.
At the US Air Force Armament Museum Soldiers viewed a B-25 airplane on display, a replica of the lightweight "Mark Twain" bombsight tool designed by a Soldier that was used for releasing ordnance, and a 500-lb. bomb.
"We could relate a lot of what was done in 1942 to today. They had to use critical thinking skills, they had to adapt, and they had to change the way they did things. Army Aviators worked with the Navy, and today we're in as (much of a) Joint environment as we've ever been in," Tilley said.
For Aviators to have a staff ride that provides an opportunity to make correlations between Army Aviation then and now is "needful," according to Chief Warrant Officer 4 Christopher Braund, an instructor of military history at the Warrant Officer Career College, who helped plan the event.
"This is filling a void by giving them a history lesson that applies directly to their heritage," Braund said. "What Aviators do today, to include performance planning, fuel calculations, and the risk assessment process, those things directly apply in their environment today as they did then. They cannot get that correlation on a ground-centric staff ride."
"The daring and courage Army Aviators have today is exactly what we had in 1942, and what's expected of them today is the same thing that was expected of Army Aviators in 1942," Braund said.
Braund said he hopes to expand the Aviation-focused staff rides in the future to include students in the Warrant Officer Advanced Course here.


Call it a humanitarian battle of the bands.
First, the British billionaire Richard Branson said last week that he would organize an aid concert for Venezuela this Friday night — on the Colombian side of a border bridge where urgently needed supplies are being blocked by shipping containers on the orders of Venezuela’s embattled president, Nicolás Maduro.
Then Mr. Maduro’s government said on Monday that it would stage rival concerts over the weekend on the Venezuelan side of a different border bridge, where thousands of desperate Venezuelans have recently crossed into Colombia to escape the economic and political crisis at home. Venezuelan officials also promised to deliver 20,000 boxes of government-subsidized food to Cúcuta, the Colombian city that for most of the migrants is the start of a long and uncertain journey by foot.
The rival events further complicate a tense scene at the border that may have significant implications for the future of Venezuela, where two men are claiming the presidency simultaneously.
On the Venezuelan side, there are soldiers, militiamen and missiles sent by forces loyal to Mr. Maduro, whose legitimacy was challenged in January when the opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, declared himself interim president during major antigovernment protests.
On the Colombian side, there are news camera crews and trucks full of supplies. Yet Mr. Guaidó and other opposition leaders have not explained how the aid will reach Venezuela, saying that sharing their plans would be a security risk.
On Monday, President Trump delivered his sharpest warning yet to Venezuela’s military authorities, telling a crowd in Miami that they would “lose everything” by remaining loyal to Mr. Maduro and refusing to allow in emergency aid from the United States, from Colombia and from Venezuelans abroad that has been stockpiled along the border. The Trump administration and Mr. Guaidó have declared Saturday the deadline for getting humanitarian aid into Venezuela.
Mr. Trump said members of the Venezuelan military would find “no safe harbor, no easy exit and no way out” if they did not accept Mr. Guaidó’s earlier offer of amnesty to any of them who were found not guilty of crimes against humanity. “We seek a peaceful transition of power, but all options are open,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Maduro, who is no longer recognized by the United States and roughly 50 other nations as the Venezuelan president, has vowed not to let the American aid enter his country. He was quoted as saying on Monday that 300 tons of aid would arrive by air from Russia two days later.
He added that his government had paid for the Russian aid shipment, along with aid from China and Turkey.
Now the dueling music events are deeply entwined in the larger battle over who has the authority to help ordinary Venezuelans deal with life-threatening shortages of food and medicine.
The goal of Mr. Branson’s event, Venezuela Aid Live, is to raise $100 million online for humanitarian aid and to “bring global attention to this unacceptable and preventable crisis,” as the event’s website says.
The A.P. reported that the lineup for Venezuela Live Aid, to be held on the blocked Tienditas International Bridge on the outskirts of Cúcuta, included the Mexican band Maná and the Dominican songwriter Juan Luis Guerra, along with the French-Spanish producer Manu Chao and the Spanish songwriter Alejandro Sanz. It quoted Mr. Branson as saying that all participating artists would perform for free.
Any international artists who accept Mr. Maduro’s invitation to perform may face harsh criticism.
Last year, a Turkish celebrity chef known as Salt Bae faced withering attacks on social media after serving Mr. Maduro an extravagant meal at his Istanbul steakhouse.
“I don’t know who this weirdo #Saltbae is, but the guy he is so proud to host is not the president of #Venezuela,” Senator Marco Rubio, the Florida Republican who has led the United States government campaign against Mr. Maduro, wrote on Twitter at the time.
The chef, whose real name is Nusret Gokce, later deleted footage from Instagram that had shown him preparing lamb chops for Mr. Maduro and his wife.
An earlier version of this article misspelled the surname of a journalist. She is Patricia Garip, not Garipa.


Pop star Prince did not leave a will, his sister has revealed in court documents.
The papers, filed in state court in Minnesota, show Tyka Nelson has petitioned for a special administrator to oversee the star's estate.
The rock legend, aged 57, was found dead in an elevator at his Paisley Park Studios compound in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota last Thursday.
The size of Prince's fortune is unclear but includes $27m (£18m) in property.
Nelson is Prince's only surviving full sibling and stated in the papers that immediate action was necessary to manage her brother's business interests.
Prince is on course to dominate the UK charts this week, as mourning fans rush to buy his music, while the Hollywood Reporter claimed over three million of his songs and albums had been bought in the US since his death.
A private memorial service was held for the rock star on Saturday, attended by about 20 of his closest friends and family.
Following the service, drummer and frequent Prince collaborator Sheila E confirmed there were plans to turn Paisley Park into a museum, akin to Elvis's Graceland.
Thousands of fans have flocked to Paisley Park, the First Avenue nightclub, and other sites made famous by Prince since his death, while tributes have come from Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake and President Obama, amongst others.


This small program is geared for small IT departments that want to maintain a history of support calls and resolutions. You add software and hardware to the database. Enter support call description, error message and resolution. Search for similar previous incidents. Attach any document to the incident so you can reference it later.Version 090828 includes Expanded Hardware Section.


Portland Timbers fans have made the trip north for the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinals where they are behind enemy lines for the their team's pivotal game against the Seattle Sounders.
Here's a look across social media at the photos being taken by Timbers fans (and some Sounders fans, just to set the scene, of course) on the road, in Seattle and a few fun ones from folks in Portland and around the state of Oregon who are enjoying match day and hoping for a win from their team.
Here are a few images from Chris Stephens (@PDXAnalyst on Twitter) on the ground in the Emerald City. Stephens is one of several fans who made the trip to Seattle for the Timbers battle with the Sounders.


In the wake of a sudden rise in child begging in the recent past, especially in the city of Colombo and its suburbs, the police have decided to initiate special raids to arrest those who forced children into begging, the Police Headquarters announced yesterday .
Police Media Spokesman DIG Priyantha Jayakody said during 14 raids conducted during the last three months, 18 children were taken into custody and produced in courts.
“Eleven boys, seven girls who were engaged in begging were arrested during the raids. Four of them were sent to children's probation homes. The remaining 14 were handed over to their parents on a Court bond,” he said.
I can remember making same statement years ago.Nothing happened so far. We are not consistent in any regulations. This will survive on for two weeks and then back to square one. Wait and see.
All forms of begging should be banned. Specially near traffic lights and public conveyances. Some of the beggars are disabled or feeble to avoid accidents and the driver gets into trouble for no fault of his. This was proposed earlier and as usual no action has been taken.
How do you prove that this child belongs to this parent or blood relative???Hora Birth Certificate.... NO. Need DNA testing to prove paternity of guardianship.
Oh, That is a live proof to say that the cost of living has been up trend after the present government came into power and poor fellas are starving. The government should understand this real situation of the country and the society. People are suffering a hell of a lot.
Did they learn it from our former Minister of Finance?
And what will arresting children achieve?? Taking CHILDREN to Court? Under 16 they are a minor in Law.


This isn’t the way to stick it to corporate America.
A Zuccotti Park protester threw a violent fit in a McDonald’s yesterday after employees refused to give him free food.
Fisika Bezabeh, 27, ripped a credit-card reader from a counter and threw it at workers at about 2:30 a.m. at the Mickey D’s at 160 Broadway, a bathroom spot for protesters.
No one was hurt by Bezabeh, who has been seen hanging out with protesters in the occupied park, police sources said.
He has been charged with criminal mischief.


The results are clear despite the smoke: junk food sales go up when pot’s legal.
Potato chip, cookie and ice cream sales all increased in Colorado, Oregon and Washington as recreational marijuana became legal in those states, according to a recent study.
Specifically, chip sales increased 5.3%, while cookie sales climbed 4.1% and ice cream purchases increased 3.1% in the aftermath of legalization, professors from the University of Connecticut and Georgia State University determined using monthly retail scanner data from 2006 to 2016.
“The increase in sales starts at the time of the legislation becomes effective,” said the findings, published in Social Science Research Network. Afterwards, the snacking spurt decreased slightly for ice cream and chips, but not for cookies, according to the results.
“A widespread urban myth is that marijuana consumption is associated with the so-called munchies, namely an irresistible urge to consume large amounts of snack or junk food, such as ice cream, cookies, candies, and the like,” the researchers wrote.
A widespread urban myth is that marijuana consumption is associated with the ‘munchies,’ an irresistible urge to consume large amounts of snacks.
In fact, when researchers at Boston University looked at current offerings at national chains like McDonald’s MCD, +0.15% Wendy’s WEN, +1.41% and Burger King QSR, +0.05% and compared them to menus from the 1980s, the calorie counts had climbed noticeably, they determined.
The calories are rising even as chains and food manufacturers try to also introduce more healthful,plant-based options amid America’s continuing obesity epidemic.
Fast food and snack product giants like Yum! Brands YUM, +0.11% Frito-Lay PEP, -0.62% and McDonald’s could not be immediately reached for comment. SNAC International, a snack food industry trade association, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


The Majestic Star Casino docked along Lake Michigan in Gary.
Proponents of a bill that would allow a Gary casino to move to a land-based location lauded the proposal for its economic development potential but opponents say it would “destabilize” the Northwest Indiana’s gaming industry.
The Indiana House of Representatives’ Public Policy Committee heard testimony on the first of two bills that would allow one of Gary’s casinos to move to a site near the Borman Expressway and shift a second gaming license to Terre Haute, allowing the city to redevelop the Buffington Harbor area.
Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson said every day she hears about potholes, vacant buildings, crime and a need for jobs — and what’s needed to deal with those issues is resources. Freeman-Wilson said the proposed bill would not just create new revenue and economic development opportunities around a new land-based casino, but also from the proposed redevelopment of Buffington Harbor.
Gary “misplaced” its casino operations, Freeman-Wilson said.
“This is not the highest and best use of the land in Buffington Harbor,” Freeman-Wilson said.
“The state cannot afford to make a misstep with this bill,” Taillon said.
The proposed policy would reward a casino operation that has made little investment and cause “inequitable” and “unfair” changes to the state’s gaming rules, Taillon said.
The Indiana Senate, in February, passed the bill by a 38-11 vote.
The city is eyeing land near the Borman Expressway as a potential site to move the Majestic Star. Last year, Freeman-Wilson pitched the idea that moving that casino would be more beneficial to that business and create new opportunities at Buffington Harbor.
Gary officials also are planning for a potential intermodal shipping and transportation facility in Buffington Harbor that would require the Majestic Star Casino to relocate elsewhere in the city.
The bills, if passed, would allow Spectacle Entertainment, which is poised to buy the Majestic Star, to take the second license and move it to Terre Haute.
County Councilman Charlie Brown, a former state representative, said Gary pioneered the push for the casinos in Indiana, and it is now pushing to allow for the state’s first land-based casino. Brown said moving a casino to a land-based location near the expressway would create economic development opportunities Gary needs.
Brown said it’s possible that other communities will ask for the same opportunity in the future, and it will be up to the Legislature to decide if that is warranted.
“I am opposed to the expansion of gaming because that is what it’s reduced to,” said East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland.
Copeland said East Chicago and others have followed the rules and stayed within the guidelines set by the state. Copeland said people say that moving the Gary licenses will give the state more revenue, but Indiana already has $2 billion in the bank.
If the casino moves, the real people who will be hurt are the workers in East Chicago and other communities.
“Let’s not do irreparable harm to the every-day Joe,” Copeland said.
The Indiana Gaming Commission this month approved the sale of the two Majestic Star casinos to Spectacle Entertainment.
Majestic Star LLC has held one of the Gary gaming licenses since the state first allowed the boats to open in 1990s. The Majestic Star company later bought the second license from Donald Trump, who first opened a neighboring Gary casino operation.
Spectacle in November announced it would acquire the Majestic Star, though at the time had not disclosed the sale price. Spectacle took over operators at the two Gary casinos last week.
Spectacle has said that regardless of what the Legislature does with the proposed bills, it will move ahead with reinvesting in the Majestic Star’s current casinos.


Momentum seems to be building among House Democrats to raise questions regarding the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) proposed fiduciary rule.
A letter circulated last week asks the DOL to make what the Democrats call “improvements” to the rule. Originally signed by nine House Democrats, that number has since grown to 90 lawmakers, Eric Harris, press secretary for Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., said today. Moore has spearheaded the effort.
The DOL is accepting comments until the end of the day Thursday, and expects to publish a final rule likely early in 2016, observers have said.
Barbara Roper, director of investor protection for the Consumer Federation of America, which supports a tougher rule, said several of the letter signers have outright opposed a fiduciary-only rule in the past. She said the suggestions proposed in the Democrats’ letter could be easily adapted by the DOL.
Thus far, the fiduciary-only fight has pitted Republicans against the DOL and the White House, which claims retirement investment advice is costing Americans $17 billion annually. The GOP is working to defeat the rule on several fronts, and courting Democratic support is one avenue.
Roper added she is “cautiously optimistic” that the rule will be finalized.
“DOL isn’t going to back down unless Congress makes them, in my opinion, and we see less and less Democratic support for any such efforts,” she said.
The Democrats emphasized that they favor a fiduciary only rule – with modifications.
“We believe the department could accomplish the goals of the (best interest contract exemption) using a less prescriptive and more principle-based approach to implementation,” the letter states.
The lawmakers also said the rule should permit specific investment examples in investor-education materials, and should not restrict access to annuities.
Meanwhile, a DOL spokesman said that a formal letter has not yet been received, while adding that letters such as this are an important part of every notice and comment rulemaking. He noted that "members of Congress understand how important it is to ensure their constituents are receiving retirement investment advice that is in their best interest."


Politics “Will you please stop the Adani coal mine?"
Politics IT’S one of the sweetest perks in the tax minimisation game.
Politics Women on average retire with $113,000 less.


RBL Bank, a mid-sized private sector bank, has appointed Yes Bank's Jaideep Iyer as Head of Finance, Strategy and Investor Relations.
A seasoned banker, Jaideep joins RBL Bank from Yes Bank, where he was the Group President and Deputy CFO.
Last year, Iyer had taken a sabbatical from Yes Bank for personal reasons.
In his career spanning over 20 years in the financial sector, he has worked across verticals such as finance, strategy, investor relations, corporate banking & financial markets.
Iyer holds a Masters in Business Administration from IIM Ahmedabad and a bachelor’s degree in Engineering.
Simultaneously, the bank has also appointed Deepak Ruiya as interim CFO in place of outgoing CFO, Naresh Karia.
Deepak was heading Financial Control function in the Bank and he is a Chartered Accountant with 15 years of work experience.


The Volunteer Center Serving Howard County, a member of the Community Emergency Response Network (CERN), will hold a volunteer mobilization center exercise from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the central library, 10375 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia.
The exercise will test plans to process members of the community who may want to volunteer after a disaster and refer them to agencies and organizations in need of assistance.
About 90 people have been trained to help in this process, but more are needed.
The exercise is being conducted in cooperation with CERN, the Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, the Howard County Library and organizations to be activated in case of disaster.
Help is needed with "haunting" presentations in the house and the field.
Volunteers are also needed to staff a help line and to assist at events.
More than 100 health fair volunteers are needed to help with flu shots and balloons at Cafe 50+ and with the speaker series, exhibitor check-in, transportation, elevators, cleanup and other tasks. A free lunch is included.
Information: Paula Blackwell, 410-992-1923, Ext. 14, or info@firnonline.org.
Patapsco Valley State Park is seeking volunteers to staff visitor centers, lead interpretive programs, guide nature walks, host camps, care for animals, maintain trails, work on publicity and publications, garden, take photographs and help with general maintenance.
Volunteers are needed to help the park trail crew maintain trails from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow (National Public Lands Day).
Volunteers, ages 12 and older, should take gloves, sturdy footwear, a hat, water, safety glasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, snacks and any emergency medications.
Registration is requested. Trail work will not be done if it rains.
Information: Larry Martin, 410-465-3287.or e-mail lmartin @dnr.state.md.us.


Netanyahu apparently calculated that the electoral upside from the speech outweighed the diplomatic fallout. Friday an Israeli official said Boehner's invitation had been regarded as bipartisan.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits at a military outpost during a visit at Mount Hermon in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights overlooking the Israel-Syria border on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be flying into a stiff political headwind next month when he lands in Washington to address a special joint session of Congress on Iran.
Political commentary in the US media has been especially critical, and some Democrats are hinting they’ll boycott the March 3 speech by the Israeli leader. At home, his political rivals in an election to be held two weeks after the address are accusing him of trashing US-Israeli diplomatic relations by siding with the Republican-controlled Congress against the Obama administration.
But Mr. Netanyahu has been undaunted, insisting Thursday that it’s his duty to travel anywhere to sound the alarm over a nuclear deal being negotiated with Iran.
So was his acceptance of an invitation from US House Speaker John Boehner, and the corresponding snub to President Barack Obama, reckless or politically shrewd?
Netanyahu’s decision, Israeli analysts say, reflects a calculation that the electoral upside from a high-profile speech on Iran to receptive lawmakers outweighs the fallout from the uproar over the setting of yet another low point in six years of chronic estrangement between the two administrations.
Deputy Foreign Minister Tzahi Hanegbi, a member of Netanyahu's Likud party, appeared Friday to acknowledge some concern the planned speech was angering Democrats, saying Speaker Boehner's invitation was presumed to have been bipartisan. But he gave no indication the prime minister was changing his plans.
In a campaign in which the opposition Labor party would like to focus the debate on socio-economic issues on which Netanyahu is vulnerable, the address to Congress allows him to keep the spotlight on his strengths: national security and his efforts to block a nuclear Iran.
“He’s smart enough to know that as long as the debate is on those issues on which he is considered to be strong, he doesn’t care. If, two weeks before the election, he is seen as defending the world and Israeli interest from Iran, it doesn’t matter if the Americans will chase him away,” says Aviv Bushinsky, who served as a spokesperson for Netanyahu during his 1990s premiership.
Even so, it could prove a risky strategy. Israeli-US relations are seen by many here as an existential component of the country’s national security, and political analysts say that the issue has the potential to swing Israeli voters between left and right.
In 1992, Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir of Netanyahu’s Likud party lost to Labor’s Yitzhak Rabin because voters were unhappy that President George H.W. Bush had frozen some financial assistance to Israel over the building of new Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
At an election debate hosted by the Times of Israel, Michael Oren, Netanyahu’s former ambassador to Washington who is now campaigning against him, said the Israeli leader had crossed a line and should deliver the speech on Iran at another venue.
“You don’t intercede between the White House and Congress or between the two parties,’’ said Mr. Oren, who spent four and a half years in Washington and is running in a centrist party.
For now, however, neither the criticism nor the sense of crisis has nudged the needle. In the last week, Netanyahu’s Likud moved from trailing Labor to nudging out into the lead, a seeming confirmation of his strategy. In a focus group of first-time voters conducted by the online news website Walla!, only three of 19 participants were aware of the uproar.
Relations between the Obama and Netanyahu administrations got off to a rocky start in 2009 when the US pressed Israel for a settlement freeze and the prime minister bristled in public. Then in 2010 Israel's government embarrassed Vice President Joe Biden on a visit to Israel by announcing plans for a new Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians claim as their future capital. And ties frayed further in 2012, when Netanyahu hosted Republican candidate Mitt Romney in what was widely seen as an unprecedented intervention in the US presidential campaign.
Today, with the liberal newspaper Haaretz reporting that Israeli diplomats in the US are cabling dispatches critical of the negative fallout from the planned speech, analysts say a new low in ties has been reached.
“What is happening here is almost a meltdown of the relations as we know it. Netanyahu flagrantly violated one of the most sacred fundamentals of the relationship: keeping Israel as a bipartisan issue,” says Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli consul general to New York.
Though the estrangement of the two leaders with divergent world views isn’t expected to negate their nations' close security, defense, and economic cooperation, Mr. Pinkas warns that the contaminated ties could trickle down to other bilateral relationships. He says the visit to Congress will embolden Israeli critics within the Obama administration, and will fuel accusations that Israel’s allies in the US – particularly American Jewish groups – are pushing Washington into a more hawkish position toward Iran. To the rest of the world, it looks like Iran had driven a wedge between the allies.
Will speech ring alarm bells?
Weighing in Netanyahu’s favor politically is the fact that Israelis tend to hold President Obama in low esteem. Despite approving extra funding for Israel to build rocket interceptors that protected Israeli cities from missiles fired from Gaza, many are skeptical of his administration's approach to peacemaking and see him as naïve toward the Middle East. This lowers the political costs for Netanyahu in a head-to-head clash.
But as March 3 gets close, it’s unclear how heavily these costs may weigh on Israeli voters. US Jewish leaders have said they believe the speech is a bad idea. After the White House announced that Mr. Obama would not be meeting with Netanyahu, Mr. Biden’s attendance at the joint session also became uncertain. If Democrats make good on threats to skip the speech, the spectacle of an Israeli prime minister speaking to a Congress shorn of lawmakers might ring more alarm bells back home in Israel.
Politics Voices Did Congress just make the US-Israeli relationship even more partisan?


But lately, that hasn’t been Tri-City. The Dust Devils (6-12) suffered their eighth loss in the last 10 games and fourth in a row at home.
Spokane gradually built its lead, starting with a run in the top of the third. Brandon Garcia doubled to lead off the third. One batter later, Garcia scored on a bouncing single up the middle to make it 1-0.
The Indians pushed that lead to 2-0 two innings later, as Janluis Castro hit a leadoff single in the fifth. Garcia drew a one-out walk, and Saquan Johnson hit into a fielder’s choice, forcing Castro at third. Garcia advanced to second on the play and scored on Chris Garia’s slow single to right field.
Tri-City starter Johendi Jiminian was haunted by the leadoff batter all night, allowing the lead man to reach base in five of his six innings he began. Two of those came in to score as Jiminian fell to 0-2, giving up three earned runs on eight hits.
Yohander Mendez (1-1) was efficient for Spokane, allowing an unearned run in the fifth on just three hits over five innings to lower his ERA to 1.02.
The Dust Devils, who dropped nine games behind Everett in the NWL North Division, scored their only run when Mike Tauchman reached base on an throwing error by third baseman Cam Schiller to lead off the fifth, and headed to second when the ball skipped past first baseman Barrett Serrato.
Tauchman then scored on a single to right by Wilfredo Rodriguez, who finished 3-for-4.
Magliaro, Kern and Trent Daniel combined for four scoreless innings in relief of Jiminian.
Michael Benamin went 2-for-4 for Tri-City. Alec Mehrten, the NWL’s leading hitter who carried a nine-game hitting streak into the game, went 0-for-4.
w Tri-City right-hander Ryan Warner will face Spokane right-hander Collin Wiles at 7:15 p.m. today at Gesa Stadium. ... No heat-related injuries were reported during Monday’s game, according to Gene Tolley, the Dust Devils’ first-aid supervisor.


We're fans of this fresh and fun zip-up iPad sleeve.
If you consider your MacBook a modern-age typewriter, this decal is perfect for you.
This snap-on iPhone case will protect your phone in fine, vintage style.
This canvas messenger bag is the perfect size for your laptop and a few other essential items.
Available for 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros, this case boasts a gloriously retro screen print design.
If you're looking for something a little different, this unique case features a photo of the creator's own vintage typewriter.
Suitable for smaller laptops, this cover will protect your device while making it look very cool indeed.
This funky case can be tailor-made to fit Kindle, Nook and Kobo e-readers.
Zingy colors and a great graphic make this an eye-catching skin for your iPad.
Finally, we've a super-classy case for you with this gorgeous, embossed leather laptop sleeve.
On this day in 1868 American inventor Christopher Latham Sholes patented the "Type-Writer." As it became the first commercially successful model, Sholes has since gone down in history as the creator of the machine — as well as the QWERTY keyboard.
To celebrate this influential invention and the iconic looks of the vintage machine, we have found 10 tech cases that feature fantastic typewriter-influenced designs.
Take a look through our hand-picked selection of items. Let us know in the comments below if you would consider paying homage to the humble typewriter with such an accessory.


Eleven people were killed when the Mahindra Scorpio vehicle in which they were travelling in skidded off the road at Rahninala near Rohtang ,Manali.
The victims include three children,five women and three men including the driver.
The accident took place on Wednesday night but it was reported on Thursday when people spotted bodies in the gorge.
The ill fated SUV was in its way from Manali to Pangi, Chamba.The victims are yet to be identified.
The rescue was on to find the survivors.


Thread: Whats the best Socket 939 mainboard?
Perfeably a newer model board and I'll need SLI.
Re: Whats the best Socket 939 mainboard?
The DFI LanParty ULTRA-D SLI is the best board for overclocking with the widest array of options. It is not an easy board to set up, but when set up properly, it is amazing.
In my opinion, the MSI K8N NEO4 Platinum SLI is the easiest board to setup and run and more user friendly than the DFI. However, the DFI will overclock a little higher than the MSI.
I would call the MSI board the best beginner's board and the DFI the best advanced user's board. If you know your stuff, then DFI is most certainly the best way to go.
Last edited by casecutter; 11-11-2005 at 06:23 AM.
The DFI LanParty ULTRA-D SLI .
They also have a newer "Infinity" Model, to my knowledge, just missing al the "bling" and some minor features.


An introduction to the world of Black Panther and Wakanda (VIDEO).
Are You a Newbie Excited for Black Panther? Here’s a Primer.
When Black Panther arrives in theaters on Feb. 16, comics fans will be familiar with the clandestine African nation of Wakanda, a world they’ve been visiting in books for decades. Many filmgoers, however, will be encountering this bold new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time. In this video, we’ll help catch you up to speed with the Black Panther and his legacy, from his first battle with the Fantastic Four more than 50 years ago to the themes that have shaped his stories in the decades since. We’ll also cover some of the creators who have shaped his world and introduce you to a few of the characters you’ll get to know in the film, so you’ll be more than ready to immerse yourself in Ryan Coogler’s beautifully rendered world of Wakanda come opening weekend.
Read more about Black Panther in Slate.


The new season of tvN’s variety show “Sound of Grazing Grass” is returning on Monday at 8:10 p.m.
The autumn edition of the show is joined by popular comedian Park Na-rae and Hwang Chan-sung from the boy band 2PM, as well as a young farmer Han Tae-woong, who is a 16-year-old but carries himself more like a 61-year-old.
Han’s mature mannerisms lightened the mood during the showcase Monday, which was held at CJ E&M Center in western Seoul.
Han sang a trot song, a genre mostly for older people in South Korea, and told the press that he had not known about the group 2PM until the filming of the show.
Comedian Park who newly joined the show said she is familiar with the farm life as she grew up with her grandmother on a farm in South Jeolla Province up until the age of 8.
On a lighter note, Park revealed she cannot stand chickens, drawing laughter during the showcase.
Hwang, who also starred in the first season, said he felt so comfortable filming the show that he often forgot that the camera was rolling.
When asked which member of 2PM would do well on the show, Hwang chose Jang Woo-young, citing his competitive nature.
The cast said they often took a nap as farming itself is physically challenging but assured the show would be full of fun.


Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, the top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, center, is joined by, from left, House Republican Conference chair Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., as she talks about the bipartisan border security compromise needed to avert another government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, today. Granger was a member of the committee that worked out the compromise.
WASHINGTON >> It’s not just about President Donald Trump’s border wall.
Trump has proposed a pay freeze for civilian federal employees, but the measure would guarantee those workers a 1.9 percent increase, according to No. 2 House Democrat Steny Hoyer of Maryland. The military got a 2.6 percent increase in legislation that passed Congress last year.


Germany is a country in central-western Europe. It is a federal parliamentary republic with a population of 82 million people – the most populated country in the European Union.
The loosely connected German states, which were part of the Holy Roman Empire, were unified in 1815 after the establishment of the German Confederation. And later became a nation state under the Prussian German Empire, which was replaced by the democratic Weimar Republic after its defeat in the First World War. In 1933, the Nazi Party seized control in Germany and came under the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler, and resulted in the Holocaust.
Following the Second World War, Germany was divided into four zones, controlled by the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union. Three of these merged in 1949 to for, the democratic West Germany, while the Soviet zone became the socialist East Germany. In 1961, they were divided by the Berlin Wall, but after the collapse of the Communist government of East Germany, the two were officially united in 1990.
The Reparations Agreement was signed between Germany and Israel in 1952. Under this, Germany acknowledged its responsibility for the Holocaust and agreed to compensate those persecuted by the Nazis, and transferred $845 million worth of goods to Israel. A military partnership was also established, under which Germany supplied arms and military aid to Israel. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were officially established in 1965.


Join Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, located off Hwy 17 South on Danielsiding Loop Road, Richmond Hill for a Weekend of Deliverance, Stanford L. Anderson, I., Pastor.
Saturday, August 7th, Rejoice in the Lord! Music Ministry Anniversary Celebration, 6 PM. Michael Walthour, Minister of Music.
Sunday, August 8th, 10 am, A Powerful Worship Service with Guest Preacher, Bishop Victor S. Couzens, Pastor of Inspirational Baptist Church, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Healing, Restoration, Financial Breakthrough, Impartation of the Word. An Experience for the Entire Family!
For more information, visit C.M.B.C. live on the web at calvarymbcexperience. org For a Weekend of Deliverance!


The Naira on Monday depreciated further against the dollar at the parallel market, according to reports.
The Nigerian currency exchanged at N380 to the dollar, from N378 it traded on Friday, while it exchanged against the Pound Sterling and the Euro at N495 and N415, respectively.
At the Bureau De Change segment of the market, the currency exchanged at N378 for the dollar, N490 for the Pound and N413 against the Euro.
It, however, appreciated at the interbank segment as it closed at N316.37 from N319.70 it posted on Friday.
Meanwhile, traders at the market said that the scarcity of the greenback was stifling activities at the market.
They urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to intervene in the foreign exchange market to ensure greater stability of the naira.


Our devices have a never-ending hunger for power – it’s their single greatest failing, in a time when they can do incredible things but still only last around a day of solid use in the best-case scenario. But Mophie has made a name for itself providing extra juice for your devices, and now they’ve got a new Powerstation XL model that packs a crazy 12,000 mAh, which can charge some smartphones up to eight times over.
Mophie’s Powerstation XL isn’t reinventing the wheel, it’s just making the wheel a lot bigger. Even design-wise, it resembles previous Mophie power pack devices, with a rubberized black top and bottom ‘sandwiching’ a silver wraparound rim. A button on the side will light up an LED indicator to tell you how much juice is remaining (to the nearest quarter), and two USB 2.0 ports on the top can charge up to two devices simultaneously, while a micro USB input is used to fill it back up once it’s empty.
The sandwich look is simple, good and a nice fit with Apple products, with which I’m generally using the Mophie Powerstation XL. Plus, the whole thing feels terrifically well-built, and you can imagine that if you pop the lid, it’ll be tightly packed edge to edge with battery cell units. Mophie’s backup batteries feel like they can survive a fall, which is more than you can say for a lot of the lower-priced models it competes with.
And the Mophie Powerstation XL also works as advertised. I used the partial charge it came with to fully reenergize a Nexus 5, HTC One and Nvidia Shield before it exhausted itself, and subsequent charges have managed to serve up multiple charges to my iPhone 5 while also topping up an iPad Air on the run. Plus, in terms of charge retention, you can easily have the XL in a bag for days without it losing a single dot of its energy meter to dissipation.
Mophie does good retention, and good overall life of the bank itself, which is why they can get away with asking for $130 for a backup battery and someone like IOgear charges a lot less. The XL is brand new, so I haven’t had the opportunity to test its longevity yet, but the Powerstation Pro I’ve had now for a couple of years still seems not to be noticeably diminished vs. when I first bought it.
The bottom line is that if you need serious backup juice in a relatively small package that’s bound to be reliable, Mophie’s latest delivers. It’d be great if someone made a smartphone that eliminated the need for such a thing, but until then, at least there’s the Powerstation XL.


A young girl must use her wits to escape a spirit world inhabited by imaginative creatures, both benign and sinister, in this Academy Award-winning masterpiece.
The screenings are presented in partnership with the local bookstore Kinokuniya, which will have a pop-up store at the theater. The Saturday night show will be subtitled, and the Sunday afternoon show will be dubbed.