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We Love Grand Theft Auto IV – part 2 Last time I talked about Grand Theft Auto IV, I was under the impression that there was a TON of excitement ahead. Like, weeks of it! Man was I wrong. Now, I don't wanna reveal any spoilers, but I'll say this: Pegorino, you're a big jerk! In conclusion though, GTA IV is my personal favorite sandbox game ever. Even after having completed all the missions, I know I'll come back to the game just to drive around, fly a chopper, kill innocent pedestrians and explore some more. And in a fucked up way, I think I'm gonna miss Niko. Kinda like when you've just finished reading a very good novel and you realize you grew attached to the characters, even the bastards. I wish I had posted a big pro update but there's really nothing to add to what I already said about the game, except maybe that the ending was challenging to the point of being frustrating. But it's alright, the game itself is so awesome, I can forgive Rockstar Games for being a bit sloppy at the end. Oh one last but very important thing, avoid the PC version of GTA IV. And between the PS3 and the Xbox 360 versions of GTA IV, I'd go with 360 just because of the awesome downloadable content. The first "episodic pack" was called The Lost and the Damned and followed a gang of bikers. There's another pack coming called The Ballad of Gay Tony, and not much more is known about it at this point. Both packs are Xbox 360 only (so far). I'd really like to know what Sony did to deserve this… Software Video Games gay tony gta4 pegorino ps3 rockstar games xbox360 Hello Songbird… Alt Tuna Melt

Friday March 11th, 2011 Jennifer Szalai on the VIDA Debate Ever since the organization VIDA released statistics in early February showing a stark gender imbalance in the world of literary reviews, there has been a sustained conversation online about what the numbers mean and how they might be changed. Writers and editors who have chimed in include Meghan O'Rourke, Katha Pollitt, and Ruth Franklin, among many others. At Bookslut, Jessa Crispin and Michael Schaub had an extended dialogue about the issue, and Drew Johnson, as many have, wondered about his role as a reader. The subtitle of Pollitt's piece was: "If you really want more women writers, get more women editors." I happen to know a former reviews editor at one of the magazines targeted in the VIDA study, and she got in touch to add her voice to the discussion. Jennifer Szalai edited the book reviews section of Harper's from 2003 to 2010. Jen and I have been close friends since we served as Harper's interns together in the fall of 2000. Our correspondence took place over e-mail: Let's get your background down first. How long were you the book reviews editor at Harper's? And during that time, what was the general nature of the job (without addressing the gender balance in these questions yet) – how many people did you solicit vs. how many people pitched you? How much of what you assigned for review was nonfiction vs. fiction? I edited the Reviews section at Harper's for about seven years. The reviews we ran were a mix of pieces that started out as unsolicited pitches from writers and pieces by writers I solicited, some of whom were already in the Harper's stable and others whom I sought out on my own. I would get pitched a lot, and from the considerable number of very brief, two-sentence pitches I received ("Would you like a review of X? I'd like to write about it."), I had the feeling that many writers who had never written for the magazine felt that a review was somehow easier to write (and assign!) than the essays that ran elsewhere in the magazine. And I would have to tell these writers that our reviews, because of their length (3,500-4,000 words), had to be thought of as essays, which meant that the writer had to come up with an angle or an approach that would give me a sense of their argument, what they thought might be at stake. (Even among the writers I solicited, I would usually ask them to specify an angle or certain questions that they intended to explore before we'd agree on the assignment.) This meant that assigning reviews of fiction was always harder than assigning reviews of nonfiction. With a nonfiction book, one has a pretty good sense of what the book is about, and often it's mostly a matter of finding a critic who happens to have an expertise (or an intense interest) in the subject, as well as an original approach. With a work of fiction, whose ostensible "subject" makes up only part of the reading experience, I usually wanted to read an essay that revealed what happened when a particular critic encountered a particular book. This requires a lot of trust in the writer, simply because I could never be sure what I was going to get. Jonathan Chait of The New Republic wrote: "Confidence in one's opinions and a willingness to engage in intellectual combat are disproportionately (though not, of course, exclusively) male traits." Katha Pollitt, after considering notions similar to the one expressed by Chait, wrote at Slate: "There is probably a bit of truth in all these points: Women do often doubt their knowledge and abilities, and their diffidence probably explains why the pool of writers sending in pitches and proposals and unsolicited manuscripts is, at most magazines, disproportionately male." What percentage of pitches you received, roughly, were from men? And were there any general tonal differences in their approaches from the approaches of prospective women writers? A vast majority of the pitches I received were from men. In fact, during seven years in that position, I could probably count on two hands the number of women who pitched me — I'd guess that the ratio was something like nine or 10 to one. I also noticed that if I turned down a pitch from a man, he would likely send me another pitch the following week. Whereas women rarely pitched me again after getting a rejection. Tonally, no, I didn't notice much of a difference between the men and women. This is not to discount Chait's point, since the women who did send pitches might be a self-selected group — a distressingly small self-selected group — but all the prospective writers would sound pretty confident in their opinions. The statistics approach the issue from two angles: reviews written by gender, and the books being reviewed by gender. How separate or entangled are those issues to you? What do you consider unique elements of each? I suspect the issues are connected in some way, though I'm not sure whether it's as straightforward as claiming that the dearth of reviewed books by women derives directly from the dearth of reviews written by women. In fact, Ruth Franklin at The New Republic concluded that "the magazines are reviewing female authors in something close to the proportion of books by women published each year." She then wonders whether the numbers have anything to do with how "we define 'best' and 'most important' in a field as subjective as literature, which, after all, is deeply of influenced by the cultural norms in any given age." She raises the possibility that the dismal proportion of books published by women has to do with unconscious biases, but then she doesn't go so far to provide a confirmation one way or the other — an approach that, to my mind, is less evasive than it is honest. With a work as complicated as a book, whose creation and reception is dependent on so many factors, I'd find it hard to believe anyone who claimed they could pinpoint exactly why so few women were published. We should also keep in mind that Ruth's sample excluded those "books that were unlikely to be reviewed — self-help, cooking, art" — which also happen to be books that are often written by women. This connects to the question of which books are considered "important" enough to review. I do think there are a whole host of cultural norms that come into play — among them the bizarre obsession with "the Great American Novel," as well as a condescension toward certain subjects like motherhood and a young woman's coming of age — but then it's hard to see how this contributes to the gender imbalance among reviewers (though I can see how it might very well derive from it). I also wonder whether the economics of reviewing has anything to do with the VIDA numbers. Women often take on the responsibility of childcare in a family, especially if they're the freelancer with what's assumed to be the more flexible schedule, and a review requires a lot of time to oneself, for payment that would barely pay the sitter, if that. I recall one particular writer I wanted to have contribute to Harper's who took almost a year before she finally agreed to an assignment, because she had young children to care for at home. Merely anecdotal, I know, but when I was reading all of these posts about the VIDA study, I was surprised that none of those I read even brought up the economics of it. Did you ever feel the other editors at the magazine wouldn't be amenable to increasing the number of female contributors? Or were otherwise comfortable with the balance of writers skewing heavily male? The editors at Harper's always wanted to have more female contributors. But as an editor, you're juggling so many considerations at once that the gender of a writer will be one concern among many. Besides which, when assigning longer pieces and paying a relatively decent rate in this publishing climate, as many of the magazines cited in the VIDA study do, it's harder to take chances on a writer starting out, because you'll want to see clips — and if more men than women are getting published, then the pool of experienced writers will skew male. It's a vicious circle. I thought the numbers might be better for women at smaller literary magazines, which are well-positioned to take chances on unpublished writers, especially because little (or no) money is at stake. And the numbers are better, though — with the sole exception of the poets being reviewed by Poetry — they still skew male. One commenter on a VIDA post wrote: "Also, could it be that more men than women read these magazines?" I saw one page online that suggested Harper's subscribers run 62%-38% male. The same site said the New York Review of Books was 71-29, male. Do those Harper's numbers sound right to you? And does this — or should this — have anything to do with the final analysis of the VIDA statistics? If a magazine whose readership was 65-35 female had that percentage of female writers, would it be a story? The Harper's numbers sound plausible to me, though I can't vouch for their accuracy. You bring up a good point about whether this would be an issue if a magazine with a 65% female readership published two female writers for every one male, and you see that all the time — in women's fashion magazines, for instance. You also see the numbers skewed toward male writers in men's fashion magazines, and the VIDA study doesn't have anything to say about those. But it makes sense that VIDA would focus on the higher-profile literary magazines, because those magazines are where the cultural conversation takes place. Of course, this then gets into the question of why fashion is not considered as exalted as the other arts, but not having ever worked in fashion, I'm not sure I'm the person to go down that rabbit hole. Is there a solution to this problem? Do you consider it a problem? Is 50-50 a worthwhile — or procedurally realistic — goal? I go back to Ruth Franklin's TNR post, in which she wonders whether the numbers have anything to do with how our cultural norms define what kind of literature is deemed important (not to mention which issues are deemed important), because I see the problem — and I do see it as a problem — starting there. I don't believe the solution is as simple as having more female editors (which is what Katha Pollitt suggests) or having an affirmative-action-style approach to assigning pieces (another one of Pollitt's suggestions). I'd like to put forth a solution, but I'll admit that I'm still at the question stage, trying to get my mind around the bigger forces at work. I was also given a lot of encouragement and mentorship during my education and career, mostly from men, since most of my professors and most of the people senior to me were men. So I can't say that I've felt shut out. All that said, I recognize that my experience isn't borne out in the VIDA numbers. Also, I think the real challenges for women come not so much when they're starting out and they're in similar life situations (20s, single) with similar backgrounds (good schools, good grades) to their male peers; after all, girls today are often brought up with extraordinarily high expectations from their parents, and many of those girls are considered just as successful as the boys (if not more so) while they're in school. When they start actually living in the world, though, and they're no longer in such an insular environment, they might be surprised to see some palpable tendencies in the culture at large to condescend toward women's creative work — the chicks might be "hard-working" and "very smart," but, with certain exceptions, it's the dudes who are the real geniuses. And when these women find themselves having interests and experiences that are specific to women, they might be surprised to see how such interests and experiences are devalued, and must struggle to get accorded some serious respect. I don't want to get into the whole "Franzenfreude" mess, because I don't believe that Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner are trying to write the kind of literary fiction in which every sentence is considered and worried over, but I do think it's important for both women and men to be aware of these larger questions, to render them explicit, without the denunciations and defensiveness that characterize too many of our conversations about gender. reviewed by > "Pray, don't think of me as a creature who might have been something else…" "[I] played on the old-boy network like a harp." "It was just absolutely true." "The music delighted me like an expression of love."

Today the Church provides the LDS.org website in 100 languages — and has at least some materials available in several more. We are also proud of the huge body of members who have learned (somewhat) another language while serving as missionaries. Unfortunately, post-mission, this capability is mostly wasted. Returned missionaries rarely use the knowledge they have gained either for the Church's benefit or even for their own benefit (although recently the Church's online volunteer center has started trying to harness some of this knowledge). I hope I can be excused for stretching the boundaries of what might be called literary criticism today–this is one of those subjects near and dear to my heart. I am convinced that expanding the reach of the gospel requires not only building the Church, but also building local Mormon cultures that support the Church. And these local cultures will require additional material translated from English, beyond the basics provided in Church handbooks and lesson materials. Even some Mormon literature, I'm convinced, will need to be translated. Many years ago I came across the following button for sale at a conference. I like to think that Bro. Brigham would agree. Very nice, Kent! I like this very much. In my case, I had had a strong desire to learn French even before my mission, for no understandable reason. I started memorizing words from a dictionary when I was 10, and it was a bitter disappointment when we moved to a town at the beginning of my 7th grade year to learn that in that district foreign language training couldn't be had until 9th grade. I've lost the ability to speak, and even to understand spoken French because there has been no opportunity to use it for 30 years; I like to think it would come back quickly if I were in the right environment. But there isn't a week that goes by that I don't read French, very often for Church purposes (I use French genealogical records, I've translated some things for the Church History Library, I'm editing the papers of a French-speaking pioneer family, I even research stories for Keepa in French language materials.) Still don't know why French fascinated me as a child, but having it offers opportunities for spwork and service that otherwise would be closed to me. Ardis, have you considered podcasts in French? I've been trying to listen to the RFI's Journal en Français Facile, and it feels like I'm beginning to understand (cognates with English or Portuguese are quite obvious. Each episode is only 10 min. so its not much of a burden. My usable French after three years of high school instruction consisted of "Allons! Debout! Ne reste pas dans la neige," which loosely translates as "Come on! Get up! Don't just lie there in the snow!" (which I actually had an opportunity to say to a student lazing on a classroom floor). Nevertheless, I can watch a World War II movie with my wife and her knowledge of German, and be able to figure out all the dialogue that isn't subtitled. Spanish I learned as a shopping-mall Santa. "Que quieras para la Navidad? Asi do bueno? Muy bien! No llores por favor, mija!" which sort-of means, "What do you want for Christmas? Have you been good? Great! Please don't cry on the suit, kid!" More Spanish came as self defense during my days of substitute teaching. The strange thing is that, as a librarian, I will suddenly find myself speaking with a fluency far beyond my ability. The gifts of the Spirit come when you are ready to accept them, and I know that the gift of tongues is real.

The challenge comes as the project enters a critical phase. The board of Westlands Water District, the farm-water agency whose participation in the project is considered crucial to its success, is tentatively scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether to pay for its approximately $3.5 billion share of the tunnels. Other major water purchasers plan to make their decisions in late September or early October. Tunnels foes face an uphill climb as they pursue challenges on environmental grounds. In late July, Gov. Jerry Brown's administration gave the tunnels its official blessing, saying WaterFix complies with the California Environmental Quality Act and won't harm fish, wildlife or humans. Dozens of environmental groups, plus government agencies in the Delta region and greater Sacramento, promptly challenged that finding in court. Experts say lawsuits could prompt further environmental reviews or modifications but are unlikely to kill the tunnels project completely. It's unclear whether tunnels opponents can wreck the project's financing, either. DWR filed a lawsuit in late July against "all persons interested in the matter" of the tunnels' financing, in Sacramento Superior Court. The suit, known as a "bond validation action," is designed to establish that DWR has the authority to issue bonds to pay for WaterFix. Championed by Gov. Jerry Brown, the tunnels are designed to improve water deliveries to State Water Project contractors and customers of the Central Valley Project, a parallel system run by the U.S. government. The contractors would repay the debt over the next several decades. The environmental groups' court filing is a response to the state's bond suit. The groups say DWR can't issue the bonds in part because federal officials revealed last week that the project received an improper $50 million subsidy from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The U.S. Department of the Interior's inspector general said the money was spent helping Central Valley Project contractors, such as Westlands, plan the tunnels project. In their court filing Thursday, the environmental groups say the subsidy violates the state Delta Reform Act, which requires that all costs of the project be paid by those receiving water. They also say financing can't go forward while the environmental lawsuits already pending haven't been resolved. Environmental lawsuits in California can take years. The groups are Friends of the River, the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club California, Restore the Delta, the Center for Food Safety and the Planning and Conservation League. Lisa Lien-Mager, a spokeswoman for Brown's Natural Resources Agency, declined to comment on the litigation. Even if the environmental groups defeat DWR's ability to sell bonds, the project wouldn't necessarily die. South-of-Delta water agencies are considering forming a joint powers authority, or JPA, that could take ownership of the project and handle the financing responsibilities. "If DWR does not have the (bond) authority, a process would be established leading to the potential conveyance of interest in the project to the Finance JPA," the staff of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California wrote in a recent memo to its board. Metropolitan's board plans to vote Oct. 10 whether to pay for its roughly one-fourth share of the tunnels. The tunnels comprise Brown's plan to improve the Delta's fragile eco-system and improve the reliability of water deliveries to Southern California, Silicon Valley and San Joaquin Valley farmers. The state and federal pumps, located near Tracy in the south Delta, often have to be throttled back to protect fish whose numbers have been decimated by decades of pumping and other environmental woes. That allows water to flow to the ocean, leaving less for delivery to the south-of-Delta customers. Brown's administration says the tunnels, by diverting a portion of the Sacramento River's flow at Courtland and piping it underground to the Tracy pumps, would improve how water courses through the estuary and help protect fish.

Offering free WiFi and city views, Colombet Stay's Rue du plan d'agde is an accommodation located in the heart of Montpellier, just 90 metres from Opera Comedie and 300 metres from Place de la Comédie. The property is 2.2 km from The Corum and 2.3 km from Montpellier Town Hall. The apartment is equipped with 2 bedrooms, a living room, a fully equipped kitchen with a dining area, and 1 bathroom with a shower. A flat-screen TV is featured. Fabre Museum is 2.4 km from the apartment, while Zenith Sud Montpellier is 3.5 km from the property. The nearest airport is Montpellier - Mediterranee Airport, 11 km from Colombet Stay's Rue du plan d'agde. Please inform Colombet Stay's Rue du plan d'agde in advance of your expected arrival time. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly with the contact details provided in your confirmation. Please note that the check-in and key-collection take place at: 1er etage Gare St Roch / 1st floor Gare St Roch, 34000 Montpellier. Late arrival and early departure is possible free of charge by using a key collection and deposit box at Saint Roch Train Station during station opening hours only. Please contact the property after booking. They will then send instructions and the code on the day of arrival.

The Parish of Pontypridd Saint Catherine The Parish of Pontypridd Saint Catherinein the Diocese of Llandaff Downloads Notices Rotas free online Parochial Administration Handbook The Christian Faith Accounts and Reports Cymraeg yn y Plwyf ~ Welsh Language in the Parish History of St Catherine's church building Renovated Hall and Church project Stained Glass windows at St Catherine's money and giving Our vision for the parish (Mission Action Plan) safeguarding: children, youth and vulnerable adults Toddler Praise Mondays Weddings, Babies, Hire Using St Catherine's for a baptism (christening) or a service of blessing and thanksgiving Using St Catherine's for a wedding Children's mid week Club Computers class Junior church on Sundays Here is a visual way to see what St Catherine's tick…what-goes-on-in-church-summer-2020-portrait We feel as strong connection to the themes on the Old Testament book of Isaiah, of being sent by the LORD to support people on the edge of life and to bring practical good news to those who are in need. This part is especially important to us: Isaiah 61:1-3a (New International Version) and Isaiah 58: 12 (The Message) The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair… You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renew, make the community liveable again. you can follow a video of our plans where God is leading us on our facebook page here: http://facebook.com/groups/126985621952/ Our church has a strong link with the Anglican church in the Namatala district of Mbale where we support Vicar Michael and his congregation of some 300 in the slum area. We have assisted the parish with training for farming, microfinance and brick-making to help local people turn their lives around. We were part of a visit to Mbale in Easter 2015 where several different churches sent members to learn alongside our friends in Mbale. Belwo is a video of one of the partners of PONT called Jenga. In 2016, Vicar Michael from that parish visited us and in 2017 we have a large group from Pontypridd parish visiting Namatala again.

Outdoor Family Games and Toys! Get the family out to the park, backyard or beach this summer with these fun and easy family games and toys. Standing three feet tall, this giant, inflatable melon ball of fun, spouts water from four different fountains. It's the super soaker inflatable of the summer. With one end designed like a standard football and one flat end meant to bounce off walls, this training football comes right back to you when tossed. Helps young quarterbacks strengthen throwing muscles while giving reps to receivers. Ideal training aid for youth football players learning how to throw and catch a football while improving reaction time. Who said the sky's the limit? Take your fun to tropical new heights by soaring through the breeze and swaying in the wind with this kite. The gaming system consists of wirelessly connected pods called ROXs and interactive action pebbles called PEBBs. ROXs come with light and sound effects and different sensors. Place ROXs or PEBBs anywhere you want. On the floor, in a tree, around your friend. Then use the ROXs App and select one of the many games. Chase zombies, chicken or become the Ninja Warrior Master of your own backyard. The cool thing about ROXs is that you can use your imagination to set up your own game rules and mix it with your favorite toys. The Super Spinner Swing is more than a swing, it's practically a backyard amusement park ride. It swings. It spins. It swings and spins at the same time. The super safe solid seat is so comfortable, it makes the swing a great place to hang out and relax too. Comes fully assembled and everything is included for hanging from your swing set or a sturdy tree branch. Allows kids to create intricate designs and patterns outside using outdoor chalk. The kit helps kids to create complex, spiral designs using a movable orbiter tool and Crayola chalk, allowing them to layer their designs and colors. Each kit contains six stencil shapes, a spiral art unit and a range of colorful chalk to inspire children's imagination. For the park, the beach, backyard parties, camping, tailgating and more, RampShot is a sure-fire way to keep friends and family of all ages entertained and active. It's described as 'corn hole on steroids' and incorporates two ramp boards and a bouncing ball. This isn't any ordinary board though, the ramp has grooves and ridges to make the ball bounce in various directions. The game is played two on two and requires jumping, running and catching. Simply fill and load a balloon onto the slingshot and launch it over 100 feet. It takes water balloon battles to a whole new level. Comes with 100+ water balloons. Gazillion crazy wands are wacky fun. From bunny teeth to vampire fangs, these photo-booth style bubble wands are a must have for a fun time. Each set comes with two crazy wands and an 8 oz. bottle of Gazillion bubbles solution. Each NightBall comes with built-in motion activated LED's, are water resistant and even float making them the perfect sports balls for the park, beach or pool.

Teo Usuelli ( 13 December 1920 – 13 April 2009) was an Italian composer. Born in Reggio Emilia in 1920, he studied music at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan, where he was graduated in choral music and composition. During the Second World War, he had fought with the Italian partisans, then he moved to Rome, where he began his career as composer. He is probably best known for the main theme of the 1972 giallo film Amuck!, "Piacere Sequence", that was later used in The Big Lebowski, in the TV-series Spaced and in the documentary film How to Draw a Bunny. He frequently worked with director Marco Ferreri on films such as The Conjugal Bed (1963), The Ape Woman (1964), Controsesso (1964), The Man, the Woman and the Money (1965), The Man with the Balloons (1965), Dillinger Is Dead (1969), The Seed of Man (1969), and L'udienza (1972). His other film scores include I grandi condottieri (1965), Agente S 03: Operazione Atlantide (1965), The Seventh Floor (1967), Strogoff (1970), Il prato macchiato di rosso (1973), and Il solco di pesca (1976). References External links Teo Usuelli at Discogs 1920 births Italian film score composers Italian male film score composers People from Reggio Emilia 2009 deaths Milan Conservatory alumni Italian resistance movement members 20th-century Italian musicians 20th-century Italian male musicians

In spring 2008, Orange Coast College converted to a new database as part of the Coast Community College District. As a result, an "A" was added to all the course numbers (i.e., ENGL 100 changed to ENGL A100). The official transcript will show the letter "A" preceding the course number for all courses since 1989, even though the actual change did not occur until spring 2008. Completion of the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) will satisfy the lower division general education requirements of either the California State University or University of California system. The IGETC should be completed in its entirety before transferring or the student may be subject to the general education requirements of the campus to which they have been admitted. All courses must be completed with grades of "C" or better. Grades of "pass" may be used if "pass" is equal to a "C" or better, but students must be aware that there are limits to the number of units that can be taken P/NP. Courses used to meet IGETC requirements must be at least 3 semester units or 4 quarter units. IMPORTANT NOTE: Courses on this list are approved for a specific academic term. Students wishing to use a course to meet an IGETC requirement must be sure that the course is approved for the academic term in which it is taken. Courses which have been added since the original list was published in 1991 are identified with a plus sign (+) in parentheses. For example: a course with (+F95) can only be used if taken in Fall, 1995 or later. Courses which have been deleted from the list are identified with a minus sign (-) and cannot be used unless taken prior to the removal date. For example a course with (-F95) cannot be used unless it is taken before Fall, 1995. THIS LIST IS VALID THROUGH SUMMER, 2016.

There can be little doubt at this point that by cancelling the long-form census, the Conservative government destroyed our best source for the evidence it claims should guide policy decisions: opposition from across the political spectrum cried foul, but perhaps the clearest sign is that the government acted against the advice of Canada's chief statistician, Munir Sheikh, who then resigned in protest. Now, heading into a much-diminished 2011 census, Sheikh's replacement, former communications and operations assistant chief Wayne Smith, has announced that the federal government wants Statistics Canada to explore alternatives to the short form. Should we be worried? The practice of counting population goes back about as far as we can trace any government action, to ancient Egypt, Babylonia, Palestine, and China. The Roman enumeration lasted 800 years, until, with the Middle Ages, census taking in the Western world essentially died out. Oddly enough, it was revived in New France, where intendant Jean Talon personally went door to door and tallied the colony's 3,215 settlers, in 1666. Census methods have grown more sophisticated since then, but the principle remains the same. The advantage of accounting for every citizen is that you don't need to worry about random error, which occurs when you make statistical inferences about the whole population based on a sample. But in recent years, there has been growing concern about another fundamental flaw. In the United States, where enumerators may visit reluctant households up to six times, the census cost nearly twice as much in 2010 as in 2000. The price tag for the UK census has almost doubled over the past decade as well. Increases have been less extreme in Canada—while the 2006 census cost $567 million, this year's is budgeted at $660 million—but Canadians are generally becoming harder to count. We screen our calls; we are home at odd hours; and more of us live in apartment buildings, which are difficult for census staff to access. And some people are more difficult to reach than others. On The West Wing, staff pointed out that black citizens are most likely to be missed and whites more likely to be counted twice, thereby framing the head count as a violation of civil rights. In fact, many marginalized socio-economic populations, as well as young men, are vulnerable to under-representation, and increases in such non-random error are coming just as we're asking more of our census data. We want policy to respond to our immediate needs, e.g., schools to open where there are more children, transit systems to serve growing neighbourhoods; we need estimates that reflect a rapidly shifting demographic picture. As a result, many countries are rethinking their censuses. Of the twenty-seven European nations that conducted a traditional census in 2000, seven had switched to some alternative by 2010. And the UK may be next. A project called Beyond 2011 is bringing together data users and methodologists to recommend alternatives: "All options are on the table," says Beerten. While it's much too soon to talk specifics, one possibility is France's "rolling census," which produces annual estimates by sampling large municipalities every year and counting small ones exhaustively once every five years; or a permanent population register of the sort used in many European countries. In this model, citizens are required to report address changes to the register, which may also link to administrative data the government has obtained through, for instance, licensing or benefit plans. Ultimately, there is no ideal approach, only the best approach given the particularities of the population being measured. Interestingly, just three weeks before Wayne Smith's announcement, one of his top demographers, André Cyr (joined by head of media relations Peter Frayne), seemed confident that the best way of measuring Canada's population is the short form. So what happened? While Frayne now says Statistics Canada "independently initiated plans to examine options" last fall, it looks in many ways like another rash top-down decision, perhaps reflecting the opinion of prominent Fraser Institute economists that government simply shouldn't be in the business of collecting data. Right out of the gate, Smith suggested that a population register is "not very likely," and highlighted instead the American model, with a head count every ten years and a rolling survey, like the American Community Survey, between census years. But the acs is more like our erstwhile long form, not meant to estimate population, which means Smith is merely advocating a less frequent head count. Over the year-long review period, it may be difficult to distinguish between spin and the kind of legitimate inquiry into census methodology being implemented across Europe. In this context, it's worth knowing that when statisticians from these countries talk about what's been happening in Canada, they adopt the hushed, sympathetic tones of an acquaintance who knows you are grieving. Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal provided hundreds of millions in stimulus funds during the Great Depression, most notably for infrastructure projects. But roughly 1 percent of the total package went to the Federal Writers' Project, a massive undertaking that employed over 6,500 writers, historians, and librarians at its peak. Participants, among them John Cheever, Studs Terkel, Saul Bellow, and Zora Neale Hurston were tasked with creating a comprehensive portrait of America "as it was," with a focus on regional histories, folklore, and a significant collection of slave narratives. From 1935 to 1943, they produced hundreds of volumes, including books of more than 500 pages on every state in the union. Despite its great ambition, the project drew much criticism: its focus on poverty was controversial; and director Henry Alsberg was forced to step down amid accusations of communist sympathies. Many readers lamented the inconsistent quality of the writing—even Cheever himself, who said his work editing the New York guidebook consisted of "twisting into order the sentences written by some incredibly lazy bastards." Today much of the series can be found in the Library of Congress, if you're willing to sift through 1,086 boxes to find the good stuff. Has Nova Scotia put its treasure hunters—and the bounty they seek—at risk of extinction?

Sometime this spring the city of Bend will begin work on a major new sewer line largely outside current city limits north of town. To ensure that the project moves forward smoothly, city officials are asking the City Council for the right to use eminent domain to create easements for the new line, if they're necessary. The city has the right to do that. The law allows it to condemn property it needs for projects that serve a "public purpose," and it would be hard, probably impossible, to make a case that expanding the city's sewer system is unnecessary. City councilors will consider a motion on the subject Wednesday. The sewer line will allow development of land in Juniper Ridge as well as land outside city limits but within the city's urban growth boundary. That means the argument, if there is one, is likely to focus on what the city has said it's willing to pay and what a property owner thinks is enough for a temporary construction easement and, generally, a smaller permanent one. If the two sides disagree, the city can take the property, the county can sue the private owner in circuit court and a jury makes the final decision on an acceptable price. That's the sometimes ugly, generally most expensive way to get the easements the city needs, and it's a way that should be used only as a last resort. Both property owner and city must put lawyers to work if the matter ends up in court, and that's expensive. While the city could be required to pick up the tab when all is said and done, there's no guarantee that will happen. The law gives government a fair amount of power when it comes to questions of eminent domain, and with good reason. But good sense should tell city officials that using that power should be a last resort, not something they should do because it's quicker than negotiating an outcome that works for both sides.

Download "Stepping Outside the Box: Some Additional Thoughts Part II Robert Brooks, Ph.D." 5 Robert Brooks, Ph.D. 5 motive (this often occurs when one steps outside the box since others are not prepared for the change). But soon the climate of his department became noticeably more positive, more productive, and even more relaxed. He added, The culmination was when my staff made me a surprise birthday party, something they had never done before. And each person wrote me a really nice note. So in ending here s a little extra credit homework assignment during the summer months. Define one area in your life that you would like to change and then step outside of the box as you view the problem from a new perspective and consider new solutions. Try one and don t be concerned if it s just a small step. Have fun. If the solution doesn t work think of another one (von Oech mentioned the seventh right answer). And feel free to write and share your experiences with me. It will certainly help me to discover new ways to step outside the box. Have a wonderful summer. NEW DRIVERS HOW TO TAKE THE ON-THE-ROAD SKILLS TEST KELLY MANNING: Welcome to DMV Infocast, an audio production of the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. This is Kelly Manning, Infocast Editor. 2015 GACTE SUMMER CONFERENCE COBB GALLERIA CENTER Middle School Strategies & Projects Position Your Students (Literally) to Have Fun and Learn in Your Classroom Do you want to bring your classroom to life? My name is Jim Felstiner and I graduated from the University of Toronto, Factor- Inwentash Faculty of Social Work in 1961. Telling the Kids about Separation and Divorce Ruth A. Peters, Ph.D. Re-engaging Students: Using a student s time off in ways that pay off! Students Meet The Principal and Guidance Counselor. Welcome to Silver Lake Intermediate School! Jade Education Award Story: Smart Loan Strategies Page 1. This is Jade. IDS was thrilled to begin 2014 by completing our 100th custom office! Look inside to see what amazing dental offices we ve been creating over the last few months as we work towards our next 100 offices!

"Maria! Did you see what happened? You shouldn't be playing match-maker! Our strange neighbor isn't even a believer and Oscar, our brother, is vulnerable!" Tony can't wait to begin correcting his wife after the last guest leaves. Oscar's interest in Estelle is the perfect excuse for him to vindicate his extreme separatist views. His perspective comes from his damaged psychology and an unmet need for protection as a child but being in deep denial of his broken state, he is able to twist many scriptures to suit his need for safety from the dangerous other. Maria knows this about her husband but for years, her efforts to help him look within and face his problems rather than project them onto others have been unsuccessful. Maria's answer is soft, "Tony. All I did was invite two lonely people to a dinner party. It's up to God, Estelle, and Oscar after that. They are mature adults, Tony." "Estelle isn't a Christian, Maria! It's wrong for Oscar to become involved with her and you…you set him up to sin!" Maria squelches the urge to criticize in retaliation, "Tony, I can't control everything and neither can you. Maybe Estelle will find faith in Jesus and maybe God will use Oscar to lead her to Him. It's up to the Holy Spirit, not you or me." Tony is exasperated as he always is when he can't force his control in a situation that causes him to feel threatened, "Maria, I love you but you are so naive when it comes to people and what they are capable of! I know first-hand what kind of evil lurks in the heart of a woman like… like that Estelle! I don't want that… that poison infecting my daughter or my friend! How can you trust like that!" Maria pauses from clearing dishes and sternly gazes into her husband's red, flustered face, "I trust God, Tony. Do you?" Tony answers by turning on his heel and fleeing from the room. As the rain begins to pour, Tony's rage gives way to feelings of utter helplessness, not unlike the pain he knew as a small boy who had no father. A boy who had no one to protect him from the mother who should have kept him safe but instead abused him and shared him with women more demented than herself. Heroin is a cruel god that demands even the sacrifice of the faithful's children. "Oh Jesus! Please, help me learn how to be a real man…help me figure out what that means. I'm failing everyone who depends on me…and I'm failing You…" Tony being fully submerged in his secret inner world, forgets how far he's come since Jesus came into his life and is overwhelmed by his stock-piled, emotional pain. As if crying with him or for him the rain intensifies, soaking him to the bone and threatening to drown him. Lots of anguish in this piece, Pam. Well written. I could feel the emotion. Abuse victims don't grow up to be cute and cuddly. Often, they are obnoxious jerks but they are still human beings. Thanks for reading, D. I value you input. Yes and as child abuse consists of many layers it takes time to reach the core of the onion. Truth and the power of personal choice can change everything. It's very hard to reach someone like Tony but I believe it is possible. Lots of anguish bottled up will always end in a disaster if care is not taken. God piece. Yes, it can create a inner hell that a person carries with them always. Pam I'm keeping your trip and the doctors and specialists in my prayers. Thank you, Jim. I appreciate you and I'm praying for you too. I will keep you posted. Wow! You are taking us down an emotional rabbit hole bit by bit. I have a strange suspicion you were a bit of a Tony in the past. For myself, I was not abused but I definitely identify with the angry side of Tony. It took years for the Lord to work that anger out of me.

The Runaway Brides is an enjoyable collection with tales of seven brides who, rather than be forced into arranged marriages, seek to make their own choice of grooms. The antics of Josey Middleton made me laugh out loud. Her story was fun and lighthearted. Bernadine faced very difficult circumstances fleeing Ireland. Amy must marry to save her family home but at what cost? Delia wants to use her freedom to help others. Georgiana changes her name to escape her father's scheme. Callie goes from the shores of Lake Erie to Dallas, Texas in search of her future. Emily Pembrooke ran away with a stranger but could she trust him? Each story was different, but all were good. I really enjoyed each one. I received an ARC copy of this book from Barbour through NetGalley. This is my own opinion. The women in this latest Barbour Bride Collection did not fail to disappoint with their strong will and refusal to settle despite 19th-century societal norms. It is difficult to pick out a favourite story because each story has its unique elements and helps the reader understand the times that they lived in. For instance, Delia McClure's story Legacy of Love highlights the plight of the Exodusters and The Irish Bride, the lesser talked about discrimination about Irish immigrants. Overall, the Runaway Bride Collection is a comforting pick for a cosy reading day or night. This is another wonderful Brides Collection from Barbour Books. I really enjoyed reading the seven stories of seven strong willed woman that didn't give in but stood for what they believed was the right choice for them. I enjoyed every story in this book. Thank you Barbour Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. This is my honest opinion. This is an absolutely charming collection! The authors have done a splendid job of packing wonderful stories into small packages with these novellas. Each story is short enough to read in a sitting yet still contains a complete and satisfying story. And with 7 stories, this book is a great value. I highly recommend this collection. This well-written collection of historical romance novellas features tales of runaway brides who find love on the run. I have read many novella collections and this is by far the best collection. There was no hit or miss with the stories. Each story held depth despite the length. I enjoyed reading each tale and found myself reluctant to put the book down to go to bed. Barbour Books always collects the best authors for their anthologies and The Runaway Brides is no different. There are nine stories in this book and each of the stories include a bride being forced into an unwanted marriage by family members (most usually the fathers). The grooms are either totally unknown to the bride or are in some way detestable to the brides. The circumstances are so bad that the brides take matters into their own hands and sneak away the best way they can, some as mail order brides, some as women looking for jobs, some as nannies and caretakers. BUT while they are running away from someone, they are running to what they know will be a different life, they are just not sure how it will play out. This is a five star book, two thumbs up, and the fastest train out of town. The Runaway Brides Collection will keep you on the edge of your seat from the very beginning of each story and until your Turing the last page of the last story! Each hero and each heroine ask themselves the question "is this what I really want? Come with them on the ride of your life to discover just what will make these couples find their way back to each other! A unique collection of stories by different authors. I enjoy these collections because they provide not only great short reads, but also the opportunity to discover new-to-me authors. This one did not disappoint as I didn't recognize a single author, however I will now be looking them up as I enjoyed reading their works. Historical romances that take new approaches to love in the past. While you are enjoying the romances you also pick up historical tidbits that you might not know. Such as, "Did you know that there were all black towns built after the end of the Civil War?" I seriously cannot get enough of these books! Georgiana's story was admittedly my favourite! I always look forward to seeing a new collection - this one just made me laugh a lot more than normal! Props to the writers. A wonderful collection of seven Christian, historical romance stories that are sure to give you hours of enjoyment. Each story has its own version of runaway brides, or couples that elope. I enjoyed them all and I'm sure that you will too! The Runaway Brides Collection by various authors is a fun read about brides who are hesitant to commit. The seven stories are set in the 1800's. Each story is unique and some are laugh out loud funny at times. Some of the brides must decide if an arranged marriage is for them or choose to find love instead; for others the decision is much more serious as to saving their family from financial ruin or marrying someone they barely know. I enjoyed this book and really felt the pain of some of the brides as they made really difficult decisions. In some cases, it was choosing between two men and in others it was simply not wanting to marry at the present time. All of the stories had characters who were very realistic and reacted as one might expect considering the circumstances. I give this book a solid 5 of 5 stars. It is very engaging and will appeal to a wide audience. There is romance along with a bit of mystery and adventure in the various stories. A great collection about runaway brides and each story has its own fun twist to this. Seven amazing stories by seven great authors, though a few of them were new to me. I loved each of the short novella's and found myself having trouble putting the book down. The Runaway Brides Collection is a delightful read. From the determined heroines who find themselves in binds of all sorts, to the heroes who help the runaway brides in their predicaments, to the endearing secondary characters, this collection is well worth reading. Every novella earned a four star or higher, which, for me, is rare when reading collections. I was also introduced to authors I'd not heard of before, which hooked me on their writing. This is a fun collection, and one I definitely recommend reading! I'm not a huge fan of romance stories and generally a collection like this is really hard for me to get through. HOWEVER, this one was an exception! Each author did a great job of creating characters and story lines that were entertaining. Each one had a unique twist that made it fun to read. I keep trying to figure out which one was my favorite. It was either The Groom She Thought She'd Left Behind or maybe A Day Late and a Dollar Short,or maybe The Elusive Heiress. Such a hard choice! If you enjoy historical romance with some lighthearted moments you should enjoy this collection. Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Such a fun historical read. And I love the different stories from some of my favorite authors as well as a few new ones for me that were absolutely wonderful. It was a lovely collection and so enjoyable. I love historical fiction and this really filled the bill! Such a great set of stories! I received an ebook copy from NetGalley and Barbour Publishing. All thoughts are my own. Amy Fairbourne wanted to wait for Love. After the civil war she just wanted to find the right man. Rita Gerlach brings us along for the ride as her search gets bumpy! Delia McClure enjoyed helping the poorer families, but her father groused that she would bankrupt his small general store. Terri J. Haynes brings to life the struggles of the poor families Delia hopes to help. Josiah wants to move West and start fresh in Kansas. The idea sparks a fire in Delia's heart too. Georgiana Price was a spoiled headstrong determined girl. Once she found out what her betrothed really thought, she set out to run away. Noelle Marchand takes us with her as she hides out and changes her life. Callie Webster was all set to be a mail order Bride. Her Uncle Roger had left her no other alternative when he insisted she wed an old man, older than her late father! Vickie McDonough weaves the story of what happens when her plans go seriously awry! Emily Pembrooke was on her way to be married to a man she had corresponded with to save her family home. Darlene Panzera carries us along as she changes her mind and all sorts of mischief ensues! Josey Middleton got off the train expecting to see Everett Kane waiting to marry her. Well, not exactly her, her sister was the one who started the correspondence but soon lost interest and Josey had continued in her name. Jenness Walker leads us through a story of misunderstanding, miscommunications and mistakes. Deanie Devane escaped the horror of the Irish famine, but could not reconcile herself to the horrible things her father had done to make that possible. Renee Yancy brings us along through her trip across the ocean where a tough man in her American Uncle makes life in the new land a struggle. These Inspirational Historical stories will warm your heart...after they stop it a time or two! Well worth the read. The Runaway Brides Collection is a delightful gathering of historical fiction. Various authors, familiar and new, contribute their work. Stories of great variety with a common theme. Great for romance fans. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review. The Runaway Brides Collection will warm your heart...after they stop it a time or two! Well worth the read. From the determined heroines who find themselves in binds of all sorts, to the heroes who help the runaway brides in their predicaments, to the endearing secondary characters, this collection is well worth reading. I was also introduced to authors I'd not heard of before, which hooked me on their writing. Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley. Seven Short Stories 4.6* - These are not full length novels but are complete in themselves, they are very clean (not even a kiss is allowed in two of the stories). From This Day Forward by Rita Gerlach 4* - set just after the end of the Civil War. Amy unexpectedly meets again the only man to have peaked her interest from before the War but he didn't fight on the side she expected. Can they have a future? Legacy of Love by Terri J. Haynes 4* - It is not until the day of her wedding to another man that Delia realises she is in love with her friend Josiah. Talk about leaving things to the last minute! The Elusive Heiress by Noelle Marchand 4.5* - Georgiana goes on the run rather than be married for her dowry, she hopes if she can stay ahead of her father for seven months when she will become 21, she can then live on the inheritance from her grandmother. Whilst in the city of Denver she discovers God and that a business acquaintance of her father is more interesting than he had seemed in the past. A good read. A Day Late and a Dollar Short by Vickie McDonough 4.5* - To escape an arranged marriage, Callie chooses to be a mail order bride however on arrival in Texas she finds her bridegroom has up and married another woman. So instead she agrees to look after a mute 5 year old girl, with a view to marrying the girl's father after a two week period. Then her original bridegroom returns and wants her back! The Groom She Thought She'd Left Behind by Darlene Panzera 5* - Emily has second thoughts about marrying a man she has never met and flees from her wedding - only she doesn't realise that the man who helps her escape is actually her bridegroom. A lovely sweet and romantic story. My favourite in this collection. The Flyaway Bride by Jenness Walker 5* - A series of missed meetings and misunderstandings dog the romance of Josey and Everett. A highly entertaining story. The Irish Bride by Renee Yancy 5* - Fleeing from the horrors of the potato famine, and the injustices committed by her dead father; Deanie travels to Boston where her uncle plots to steal her inheritance. Loved the inclusion into the story of P.T. Barnum and General Tom Thumb. This is such a good collection of stories about run-away brides. Each bride has her own unique story. All are ladies of faith and character. These are shorter stories, but each seem to be complete in itself. These clean and sweet stories with no foul language are entertaining reading. Another great collection from Barbour by some good authors. I thought the Runaway Brides Collection was a most enjoyable book to read The collection is From this day forward by Rita Gerlach, Legacy of love by Terri J Haynes, The Elusive Heiress by Noelle Marchland, A day late and a dollar short by Vickie McDonough The groom she thought she'd left behind by Darlene Panzera, The flyaway bride by Jenness Walker, and The Irish bride by Renee Yancy. All great stories I can't wait to read again and again. You too will want to read them again and again. I received an ARC from Barbour Publishing, Inc via Netgalley for my honest review. I truly enjoy this collection. Each author did a great job and together make a beautiful book. Amy and Rory got a second chance. Deliah and Josiah have an opportunity to start a legacy. Georgina and Henry are one of those unexpected, didn't see that one coming story. Callie seems to be left in the wrong place, but God had another plan for her. Emily and Christian's story is a wonderful story. Josey fall in love with a letter and many things happen. And finally, Deanie has a second chance in a new land with a lost love. If you like good Christian historial fiction books, with many twists, funny situations, a bit of drama, a lot of romance, faith, and a beautiful end. I must say, this book is for you.

Italian Seacoast By Carol Oneill Hilltop villages, undulating coastline, and glittering sea…Italy. Paintings have no beginnings or endings… no prefaces, introductions, epilogues. What you see is what you get… the exploration of the painted world. Exploring this world involves theory and practice which come together in the realm of emotion. I attempt to investigate this connection and the social nature of the materials themselves. Other works by Carol Oneill About Carol Oneill Carol O'Neill is full time painter living and working in the Boston, MA area. Her abstract work ranges from oil to acrylic with mixed media on canvas. Carol's work concerns itself with non-linear aesthetics rather than narrative themes. A love of poetry and literature have been a profound source informing these images. "By painting sensations, I try to get under the skin of appearances by signifying a closer scrutiny of meaning." See Carol's portfolio here

Embassy of the Federated States of Micronesia Consular FSM Citizen Information For Guests & Visitors Embassy Holidays Consulate Office Websites About the FSM FSM at a glance What the FSM Knows About the Omicron Variant of COVID-19, How the FSM is Responding to It, & Best Advice for Citizens (Get Vaccinated, Get Boosted) By FSMPublic InformationPosted December 1, 2021 PALIKIR, Pohnpei—On November 30th, 2021, the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) received a briefing from the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding a new COVID-19 variant of concern named Omicron. This release intends to describe what the Government knows about the variant, how the Government is responding to it, and the Government's best advice for citizens at this time. First reported in South Africa (though not necessarily originating from there) on November 24th, 2021, which aligned with a steep increase of COVID-19 infections in recent weeks there, the Omicron variant has already been detected globally in the Kingdom of Belgium, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries. As of this release, it is unknown whether the Omicron variant is more transmissible (i.e. can spread more easily from person to person) compared to other variants, including the Delta variant which is otherwise presently responsible for the vast majority of COVID-19 cases globally. Preliminary evidence suggests that there may be an increased risk of reinfection with Omicron (i.e. persons who previously had been infected with COVID-19 could become reinfected more easily with the Omicron variant), though it will require more time to confirm Despite uncertainties, it is reasonable to assume that the currently available COVID-19 vaccines remain effective at their primary purpose of preventing death and lessening the risk of severe disease. The COVID-19 vaccine mandate remains in effect, i.e. all FSM citizens residing in the FSM must take the COVID-19 vaccine. Persons who received their second dose of the Moderna vaccine six months ago or longer are encouraged to receive a booster dose. Persons who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine two months ago or longer are encouraged to receive a booster dose. There are enough vaccines in the FSM for every person to become fully vaccinated and to receive a booster dose. Approximately 72% of all adults aged 18 years and up are fully vaccinated, although the Government estimates the real vaccination rate—based on population changes since the 2010 Census—may be closer to 79.8%. The Pfizer vaccine for children aged five years and up is physically present in all FSM States and available for citizens in the States of Yap and Kosrae. The FSM National Government is advised that the States of Chuuk and Pohnpei intend to begin offering vaccines for children in January 2022. After repatriation flights to Pohnpei on December 1st, Kosrae on December 6th, and Chuuk on December 15th, the Nation will temporarily pause on repatriation activities until January 2022. It is projected that by the time repatriation activities continue, the global community will know significantly more about the Omicron variant than is known today. For the most part, repatriation protocols and processes will remain the same, inclusive of a 10-day pre-quarantine in Guam complete with two (2) PCR-based tests to determine if an individual is infected or not, to be followed by an in-country quarantine of between 7-14 days depending on the FSM State a person is being repatriated into (e.g. Pohnpei State mandates a minimum of 7 days, Chuuk State mandates a minimum of 14 days). In-country quarantine experiences also include multiple PCR-based tests. It is proven that currently, available PCR tests will detect the Omicron variant as COVID-19 positive. Historically, only persons aged 18 and up must be fully vaccinated to be considered for a repatriation flight into the FSM. In 2022, this will change; all persons aged 5 and up will need to be fully vaccinated. The FSM National Government continues to work diligently with the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in preventing COVID-19 from entering the Nation, and in mitigating its impact in the event the virus appears in the community. "The most important thing for any citizen or resident of this Paradise in Our Backyards to do," said President Panuelo in a statement, "is to get vaccinated if you haven't already, and to get a booster dose to strengthen your protection against COVID-19. I was recorded on video getting my first dose of the Moderna vaccine in December 2020, and my second dose in January of 2021. I intend to be recorded again when I take my booster dose on December 9th, 2021, in partnership with the United States Embassy Kolonia during their booster doses campaign drive. The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and the COVID-19 vaccines are effective." FSMPublic Information Dr. Perpetua S. Konman Declared Official & Certified Winner of the FSM Special Election FSM Actively Experiencing Extensive Saltwater Inundation in High & Low-Lying Islands; State Governments Encouraged to Request Assistance, if Necessary; Citizens Encouraged to Document the Event 1725 N St NW Site Visit Stats: Copyright © 2021 Embassy of the Federated States of Micronesia. All rights reserved

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package org.apache.zeppelin.service; import com.google.common.collect.Lists; import com.google.common.util.concurrent.ThreadFactoryBuilder; import java.io.IOException; import java.net.MalformedURLException; import java.net.URL; import java.nio.file.Files; import java.nio.file.Path; import java.nio.file.Paths; import java.util.List; import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService; import java.util.concurrent.Executors; import javax.inject.Inject; import jline.internal.Preconditions; import org.apache.commons.io.FileUtils; import org.apache.zeppelin.conf.ZeppelinConfiguration; import org.apache.zeppelin.dep.DependencyResolver; import org.apache.zeppelin.interpreter.InterpreterSettingManager; import org.apache.zeppelin.rest.message.InterpreterInstallationRequest; import org.slf4j.Logger; import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory; import org.sonatype.aether.RepositoryException; /** * This class handles all of business logic for {@link org.apache.zeppelin.rest.InterpreterRestApi} */ public class InterpreterService { private static final String ZEPPELIN_ARTIFACT_PREFIX = "zeppelin-"; private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(InterpreterService.class); private static final ExecutorService executorService = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor( new ThreadFactoryBuilder() .setNameFormat(InterpreterService.class.getSimpleName() + "-") .build()); private final ZeppelinConfiguration conf; private final InterpreterSettingManager interpreterSettingManager; @Inject public InterpreterService( ZeppelinConfiguration conf, InterpreterSettingManager interpreterSettingManager) { this.conf = conf; this.interpreterSettingManager = interpreterSettingManager; } public void installInterpreter( final InterpreterInstallationRequest request, final ServiceCallback serviceCallback) throws Exception { Preconditions.checkNotNull(request); String interpreterName = request.getName(); Preconditions.checkNotNull(interpreterName); Preconditions.checkNotNull(request.getArtifact()); String interpreterBaseDir = conf.getInterpreterDir(); String localRepoPath = conf.getInterpreterLocalRepoPath(); final DependencyResolver dependencyResolver = new DependencyResolver(localRepoPath); String proxyUrl = conf.getZeppelinProxyUrl(); if (null != proxyUrl) { String proxyUser = conf.getZeppelinProxyUser(); String proxyPassword = conf.getZeppelinProxyPassword(); try { dependencyResolver.setProxy(new URL(proxyUrl), proxyUser, proxyPassword); } catch (MalformedURLException e) { // TODO(jl): Not sure if it's good to raise an exception throw new Exception("Url is not valid format", e); } } // TODO(jl): Make a rule between an interpreter name and an installation directory List<String> possibleInterpreterDirectories = Lists.newArrayList(); possibleInterpreterDirectories.add(interpreterName); if (interpreterName.startsWith(ZEPPELIN_ARTIFACT_PREFIX)) { possibleInterpreterDirectories.add(interpreterName.replace(ZEPPELIN_ARTIFACT_PREFIX, "")); } else { possibleInterpreterDirectories.add(ZEPPELIN_ARTIFACT_PREFIX + interpreterName); } for (String pn : possibleInterpreterDirectories) { Path testInterpreterDir = Paths.get(interpreterBaseDir, pn); if (Files.exists(testInterpreterDir)) { throw new Exception("Interpreter " + interpreterName + " already exists with " + pn); } } final Path interpreterDir = Paths.get(interpreterBaseDir, interpreterName); try { Files.createDirectories(interpreterDir); } catch (Exception e) { throw new Exception("Cannot create " + interpreterDir.toString()); } // It might take time to finish it executorService.execute( new Runnable() { @Override public void run() { downloadInterpreter(request, dependencyResolver, interpreterDir, serviceCallback); } }); } void downloadInterpreter( InterpreterInstallationRequest request, DependencyResolver dependencyResolver, Path interpreterDir, ServiceCallback<String> serviceCallback) { try { logger.info("Start to download a dependency: {}", request.getName()); if (null != serviceCallback) { serviceCallback.onStart("Starting to download " + request.getName() + " interpreter", null); } dependencyResolver.load(request.getArtifact(), interpreterDir.toFile()); interpreterSettingManager.refreshInterpreterTemplates(); logger.info( "Finish downloading a dependency {} into {}", request.getName(), interpreterDir.toString()); if (null != serviceCallback) { serviceCallback.onSuccess(request.getName() + " downloaded", null); } } catch (RepositoryException | IOException e) { logger.error("Error while downloading dependencies", e); try { FileUtils.deleteDirectory(interpreterDir.toFile()); } catch (IOException e1) { logger.error( "Error while removing directory. You should handle it manually: {}", interpreterDir.toString(), e1); } if (null != serviceCallback) { try { serviceCallback.onFailure( new Exception("Error while downloading " + request.getName() + " as " + e.getMessage()), null); } catch (IOException e1) { logger.error("ServiceCallback failure", e1); } } } } }

Buggy Whip Shot in Tennis Have you watched any of Rafael Nadal's buggy whip forehand before? How cool are them? "I want to imitate him", someone says'. Do you share the same curiosity? Would you like to try it yourself and stun your opponent in the next game? Then if you do so, read this article and be the star at the next game. I will discuss what buggy whip forehand is, how to do the shot, injury concern. And of course, you'll see how Rafael Nadal does this shot step by step, so you can try to imitate him. What is the buggy whip shot tennis? The buggy whip shot is a forehand shot hit in the same way you hit the forehand however the movement of your hand doesn't finish on the opposite upper shoulder but goes vertical as Nadal sets the example on this. The opponent that pushes you to use this shot is the one that doesn't give power to the ball and used slice to slow down the ball and make it very low bouncing. In these situations, the player can go under the ball and generate power with the buggy whip shot as you don't have to finish over the opposite shoulder (the movement would be difficult to complete) but you can easily do it vertically. The buggy whip forehand grip For the buggy whip forehand the grip choice can be between Eastern and semi-Western. In the first case a lot of legends of tennis such as Pete Sampras and Roger Federer set the example. So is still possible to use the buggy whip forehand on the run however it is the way it finishes that changes slightly between the Eastern and Western forehand. With the Eastern forehand grip when you run over the ball the strings of your racquet will face towards the side while with the semi-Western forehand grip the strings will face up. How to hit a buggy whip a forehand The most important thing to remember when doing the buggy whip forehand is that you are trying to use the momentum of your arm to create energy and power. Since you are on the run during this shot, you won't be able to use the torso energy for the shot, mostly relying on your arm. The fundamental in the shot is that you still brush up the back of the ball so you can create enough spin to make your opponent in a difficult position to return your buggy whip. Below the order you should follow in the preparation and execution: Hit it in an open stance Make contact between your lead foot and back foot, trying as much to be a little bit late in the hit Aim to start your racquet in its normal, high position Swing up at the ball Past your opposite ear Finish over your playing shoulder, not the opposite as in the normal forehead Nadal's buggy whip shot analysis The Nadal's buggy whip shot is one of the best in the circuit and it's a very powerful arm for him to use. We try to analyze how he does and when he uses it. Rafael Nadal, one of the best tennis players in the history of sport, winner of 22 Grand Slams uses this technique to generate as much spin as possible from his shot. His buggy whip shot is a system of defensive play developed during the years. He applied it against players who tend to play slides and slow shots without giving power to the balls. Nadal by doing this is giving the ball a lot of power and return it with a fast movement of: Reach the ball with a bit of delay and keep the racquet below the ball level Make contact with the ball and focus on reaching the maximum speed in the movement low to high with his swing Limit the space to accelerate and swing over his head Buggy Whip Forehand Injury Concerns There are some concerns on the potential injury in this shot. First, you shall consider how trained these athletes muscle is. You can't simply go the court and try this shot as it's not as easy as a normal forehand, but it takes a lot of strength on your legs and knees. Start to do it in slow motion as the shoulder this way isn't as much affected. In juniors and seniors not enough trained the buggy whip forehand can cause serious injuries on the shoulder and even wrist if not trained. So, do your warm-up and start with the slow motion movements for the arm and legs before moving to the full buggy whip forehand. To sum up the buggy whip shot is used when you want to produce maximum speed while using minimum movement. It is used to create top spin and make it difficult to return for the opponent. The shot, in order to be to be successful has to be prepared and executed several times in order to make sure your technique is perfect. The best players to take examples from for the buggy whip shot are Dominique Thiem and Rafael Nadal. They use it more often than other players in the circuit but also most effectively. People Also Like: Tennis Forehand For Seniors Inside Out Forehand in Tennis Windshield Wiper Tennis Forehand

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Buckhead Capital Management 3330 Cumberland Boulevard Suite 650 Contact : Jonathan Smith Email : info@buckheadcapital.com Web : http://www.buckheadcapital.com Buckhead Capital Management Information Type of organization : Limited Liability Company Taxable Assets Managed ($Mil) : $512 In-House Research : 95 % Socially Responsible? : Yes Pershing $100000 Buckhead Capital Management History Buckhead Capital Management is a mid-sized investment boutique headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The firm was founded in 1994 and manages value portfolios across the market capitalization spectrum. Clients include both high net worth individuals and institutional investors. The firm currently offers All Cap Value, Small Cap Value, SMID Cap Value, Diversifed Value and Large Cap Value equity products. Buckhead Capital Management also manages fixed income and balanced fund portfolios. Buckhead Capital Management is 100% employee owned and its only business is investment management. Buckhead Capital Management is located at 3330 Cumberland Boulevard, Suite 650, Atlanta, Georgia 30339. Client Service : 1 Operation : 1 Buckhead Capital Management Personnel Mr. Walter Dupre CFA Email: wdupre@buckheadcapital.com Mr. DuPre serves as a Portfolio Manager and member of the Value Equity Investment Team. Prior to joining Buckhead Capital Management, he was the Managing Director of the Southern regional office of Prudential Capital Group, which was responsible for the management of a portfolio of $2.5 billion in private debt and equity securities. Previously, Mr. DuPre worked for Prudential Investments in Newark, NJ. Mr. DuPre received his B.A. in English and American Literature from Brown University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. He is a CFA Charterholder, is a member of the CFA Institute, and a member of the Atlanta Society of Financial Analysts Mr. Matt Reams CFA Email: mreams@buckheadcapital.com Mr. Reams serves as a Portfolio Manager and member of the Small and SMID Cap Investment teams. Prior to founding the Small Cap Value product at Buckhead Capital Management, he was a Portfolio Manager at Montag & Caldwell Investment Counsel in Atlanta, Georgia. At Montag, Mr. Reams was a voting member of the investment management team and co-managed the mutual fund department serving over 300 institutional clients and $3 billion in assets. Previously, Mr. Reams was an investment consultant for a national consulting firm and an equity analyst for a Midwest investment counseling firm. Mr. Reams received a B.A. degree in Religion and Philosophy from Furman University. He is a CFA charter holder, a member of the CFA Institute, and the Atlanta Society of Financial Analysts. Mr. John Swanson Email: jswanson@buckheadcapital.com Mr. Swanson serves as a Portfolio Manager on the firm�s All Cap Value, Diversified Value and Value Equity investment teams. Prior to joining Buckhead Capital Management, he was a member of Smith Barney�s Investment Consulting Group, where he was responsible for working with institutional and high net worth clients on investment policy statements, asset allocation and manager selection decisions. Previously, Mr. Swanson worked for NationsBank Capital Markets advising community banks on asset/liability management. He received a B.S. in Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance from Auburn University. Mr. Ralph Jenkins CFA Email: rjenkins@buckheadcapital.com Mr. Jenkins serves as a Portfolio Manager on the firm�s Fixed Income and Balanced account investment teams. Prior to joining Buckhead Capital Management, he was a Partner, Portfolio Manager and Director of Fixed Income at Invesco Capital Management. Mr. Jenkins began his investment career at C&S Investment Counseling, Inc. and has more than thirty years of investment experience as an analyst and as an equity and fixed income portfolio manager. He received a B.B.C. from Auburn University and a M.A. in Finance from the University of Alabama. Mr. Jenkins is a CFA charterholder, a Certified Investment Counselor, a member of the CFA Institute, and a member of the Atlanta Society of Financial Analysts. Mrs. Kathryn G. Stratton CFA Email: kstratton@buckheadcapital.com Ms. Stratton serves as a Portfolio Manager on the firm's Fixed Income and Balanced account investment teams. Prior to joining Buckhead Capital Management, she was a Partner and Portfolio Manager with Invesco Capital Management, specializing in fixed income, equity and balanced fund management for institutional clients. Ms. Stratton began her career with the Bank Investment Securities Division of Bank of America, and has more than fourteen years of investment experience. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Vanderbilt University. Ms. Stratton is a CFA charterholder, a member of the CFA Institute, and a member of the Atlanta Society of Financial Analysts. Mr. Jonathan Smith Securities Trader Email: jsmith@buckheadcapital.com Mr. Smith serves as the firm�s equity trader. Prior to joining Buckhead Capital Management, he was a senior trader in the Managed Accounts group for Invesco Capital Management. Previously, Mr. Smith was a Corporate Reorganization Analyst for Deutsche Bank and a Performance Analyst in the Managed Accounts group for J.C. Bradford & Company. He holds a B.A. in Finance from Middle Tennessee State University and an M.B.A. with a concentration in Finance from Georgia State University. Mr. Timothy Daughtry Researcher/Analyst Email: tdaughtry@buckheadcapital.com Mr. Daughtry serves as a Research Associate at Buckhead Capital Management. Prior to joining the firm he graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology where he received a B.S. with honors in Management and a concentration in Finance. While an undergraduate he worked as an intern in investment management at Edge Capital Partners and as an intern in business valuation at Adams Capital. He also served as a Director for the Georgia Tech Student Foundation Investments Committee where he was responsible for researching equities and managing the student endowment portfolio. He anticipates taking the CFA Level I in June, 2012. Mr. Matt Boden CFA Email: mboden@buckheadcapital.com Mr. Rick Nelson Email: rnelson@buckheadcapital.com Buckhead Capital Management Product Name Value Equity:Privately Managed Accounts Small Cap Value:Privately Managed Accounts Intermediate Fixed Income:Privately Managed Accounts Government/Credit Fixed Income:Privately Managed Accounts 1 - 3 Year Fixed Income:Privately Managed Accounts

Earl Swavey – "Trained To Kill" Album | Rosecrans Ave. "Trained to Kill" is the latest release from artist Earl Swavey that contains an epic West Coast sound in 15 tracks that has no skips. Setting the tone for the album with his opening track "Freestyle", listeners are greeted with Swavey's catchy flow & amazing storytelling elements. Within his tracks, he paints vivid pictures of his past & current life experiences, from life lessons to the fun that may arise he's unapologetically transparent. With features from NuttyBoy6200, Yhung T.O. (SOB x RBE), Vonnie, Rob Vicious (Shoreline Mafia), & TinyE, each artist adds their own perspective alongside the theme that Swavey speaks on. From the struggles, gang life, & trapping; nobody is exempt from being called out & put in their place. With production from Low the Great, Ron-Ron, Paupa, & DJ Banks to name a few, the project plays into the persona that Swavey carries for himself. With his unique tone & versatile ways of taming any beat, it's a must listen. Stream it below!

\section{Introduction} Meta has nearly 3.71 billion (monthly) active users worldwide, with billions of pieces of content shared by users every day \citep{metaearnings}. While most content is benign, a small share---e.g., hate speech, promoting terrorism, or graphic pornography---violates the platform's community standards. Thus, a key goal is to promptly remove such content. Determining whether a piece of content is policy-violating is a difficult decision that often requires manual review, making it challenging to scale to Meta's prolific content streams. As of December 2021, over 2 million pieces of content are reviewed per day by around 15,000 human reviewers across the globe~\citep{fbspam}. Clearly, manually reviewing all content is infeasible; thus, Meta relies heavily on risk models (based on machine learning or handcrafted rules) to flag potentially violating content pieces. A subset of this content is deemed unambiguously violating and is automatically removed; the remainder undergoes manual review (see Fig.~\ref{fig:flow}). \begin{figure} \centering \includegraphics[width=0.95\textwidth]{Figures/System_Diagrams_KDD_meta_logo_v3.png} \caption{Decision Flow Diagram for Content Moderation. This paper describes how we optimize reviewer capacity by prioritizing within the subset of potentially policy-violating content flagged by many risk models (circled in blue).} \label{fig:flow} \end{figure} \begin{figure} \centering \includegraphics[width=.8\columnwidth]{Figures/bandit_Approach_meta_logo.png} \caption{Centralized Bandit Approach for Content Moderation. The bandit algorithm dynamically aggregates the outputs of many different violation-specific risk models to learn a prioritization ranking that maximizes integrity value.} \label{fig:bandit} \end{figure} To maximize the amount of violating content removed given a fixed supply of human reviewers, we dynamically prioritize content likely to have wide reach and high severity (quantified by a metric called \emph{integrity value}; see Section~\ref{sec:problem}). Initial efforts designed separate risk scores for different content violation types (e.g., one for violations of the nudity policy, one for hate speech, etc.), allocating a fixed, pre-determined reviewer capacity to each type~\citep{wpie}. However, this strategy was unable to adapt to the nonstationary and quickly varying violation trends---i.e., violating content constantly changes in appearance, focus, and wording. Exacerbating this issue, users trying to post violating content are adversarial, attempting to evade detection. Thus, the performances of the different risk models are constantly changing. Models require significant expertise and effort to retrain and can only be updated periodically, and new risk models are frequently added for emerging trends---e.g., to capture the use of emojis in discussions of English football to detect a recent wave of racist comments directed at black football players \citep{BBC}. Thus, Meta moved to a single holistic ranker ``Whole Post Integrity Embeddings'' (WPIE), a pretrained universal representation of content across modalities and violation types~\citep{ wpie, halevy2022preserving}. It resulted in significant performance improvements in production~\citep{wpie, wpieperf}, and is the baseline our work improves upon. An important drawback is that, although more accurate overall, it lacked precision for specific types of violations compared to the risk model tailored to that type. Furthermore, while it was periodically retrained to handle evolving trends, it did not incorporate sufficient exploration of new violation types to ensure sufficient responsiveness to new trends. To address these challenges, we have designed and deployed a bandit approach that combines the full set of available risk models into a single risk score; importantly, it \emph{calibrates} the scores to prioritize ones with higher quality, doing so \emph{dynamically} to respond to new trends (see Fig.~\ref{fig:bandit}). A key challenge is \textit{bandit feedback}: we only observe the true severity of a piece of content when it is reviewed by a human. Thus, we must actively explore different types of content to obtain ground truth data on the accuracy of different risk models. Finally, the scale of the problem imposes constraints on the techniques we can leverage---we must ensure that our system can assess a large number of content every minute for potential violations under computational cost and latency constraints. In detail, we use a nonstationary, batched contextual bandit that treats the various risk models as features for predicting severity. We address two key production-related challenges that differ from existing approaches. First, for a given piece of content, our prediction of its reach (and therefore potential prevalence) evolves over time as it is viewed and shared by users. However, traditional bandit algorithms assume that features are static. We incorporate the bandit into a queuing framework, where the queue priority is determined by both the predicted severity as well as the velocity of its predicted reach. Second, we must incorporate new risk models (i.e., features) seamlessly despite the fact that we cannot retrain our severity predictions online due to production constraints. Together, our approach effectively learns an estimate of severity that dynamically adapts to changes in the environment despite production constraints. Our approach has been deployed at scale at Meta, increasing the top-line metric of Integrity Value (which quantifies the impact of removing violating content accounting for severity and potential reach) by 13\% compared to the previous WPIE approach. \paragraph{Related Work.} AI has become a promising strategy for ensuring content integrity~\citep{halevy2022preserving}---e.g., natural language processing is widely used to identify abusive language, hate speech, and cyber-bullying~\citep{nobata2016abusive, zhong2016content, hosseinmardi2015detection, djuric2015hate, burnap2016us, chen2012detecting, gamback2017using, ma2016detecting, van2018automatic, noorshams2020ties}. Our work addresses this problem using contextual bandits, which has previously been applied in settings such as news article recommendations~\citep{li2010contextual} and personalized healthcare~\citep{bastani2020online,tewari2017ads}. Building on the Upper Confidence Bound (UCB) algorithm~\citep{auer2010ucb, chu2011contextual}, our bandit incorporates techniques to handle nonstationarity~\citep{besbes2014stochastic} and batched predictions~\citep{perchet2016batched,gao2019batched}. We also address several novel practical challenges. First, we propose a simple approach to compute uncertainty online, dramatically improving scalability. Second, our approach can dynamically incorporate new risk models that increase the dimension of our contexts. \section{Problem Formulation} \label{sec:problem} \paragraph{Content arrival process.} We assume content arrives sequentially. At each step $t$, content $c_t$ arrives, and we observe its features $x_t=\phi(c_t) \in \mathbb{R}^d$; each feature is the output of a model that predicts the real-valued risk of $c_t$ for a given violation type (e.g., hate speech). These features are built by various teams at Meta, and range from machine learning algorithms trained on reviewers' historical labels, to simple classifiers based on regular expressions to flag violating phrases. Each piece of content receives $d$ predicted risk scores (from each of these models), which are then concatenated to form $x_t$. \paragraph{Manual review decisions.} Next, our system must decide whether to have a reviewer label $c_t$. We formalize this process as a one-armed bandit~\citep{woodroofe1979one}, where the arm is the action \[a_t=\mathbbm{1}(\text{mark }c_t\text{ for manual review}),\] and $\mathbbm{1}$ is the indicator function. That is, pulling the arm corresponds to having a reviewer manually examine $c_t$, and not pulling it corresponds to leaving the content up without review. \paragraph{Objective.} There are several desiderata when assessing the risk of violating content. For instance, we wish to prioritize content that has a high likelihood of violation, but we also wish to prioritize content with more severe violations (e.g., terrorism or child nudity). Additionally, we wish to prioritize content that is likely to receive a large number of views. We use the \emph{Integrity Value (IV)}, which quantifies the value of taking down a piece of violating content, as our key metric of interest. At a high level, IV of a piece of content has the form \[ IV= (\text{predicted future views} + \text{constant}) \times (\text{severity}) .\] The additive constant is tuned to sufficiently prioritize nonviral but violating content with high severity. Future views are predicted dynamically using past viewership trajectories of similar content by similar users. We fit a Hawkes process, which is effective at capturing ``self-exciting'' phenomena such as viral content on social media~\citep{haimovich2022popularity}. Severity is a real-valued function that maps every possible policy violation type to a non-negative real number. The system level IV is defined as the sum of the IV of all the content sent for human review. Once a piece of content is flagged for human review (i.e. $a_t=1$), a human reviewer determines its severity $y_t$. We define $y_t=0$ for non-violating content. If $y_t>0$, then we remove the underlying content and reward the underlying risk model (see Section~\ref{sec:algorithm}). \paragraph{Practical challenges.} We briefly describe several practical challenges our algorithm must deal with; see Section~\ref{sec:implementation} for details. First, we must handle \emph{content lifetime}---rather than make an immediate decision, we can defer the decision to a future time step (e.g., when more reviewers are available); however, there is a cost of leaving violating content up for a longer period of time. Second, since the algorithm must run in real-time on a huge volume of content, it cannot involve overly complex computations. Third, we must handle \emph{nonstationarity}---violating content changes form over time, meaning older data may not be representative of the current content. \section{Bandit Algorithm} \label{sec:algorithm} \paragraph{Risk prediction model.} We describe our algorithm for deciding whether to flag each $c_t$ for review. Na\"{i}vely, we could flag $c_t$ if any of its risk scores $x_{t,i}$ are positive---i.e., construct an overall risk score $\hat{y}_t=\max_ix_{t,i}$ and take $a_t=\mathbbm{1}(\hat{y}_t>0)$ (our implementation uses the predicted risk scores to prioritize content rather than making isolated decisions; see Section~\ref{sec:implementation}). However, different risk scores may not be directly comparable. To address this problem, our algorithm rescales the different risk scores according to some parametric function $f_\beta$, which we refer to as \emph{calibrating} the set of risk models: \begin{align*} \hat{y}_t=\max_if_{\beta_i}(x_{t,i}), \end{align*} where $\beta_i\in\mathbb{R}^k$ are rescaling parameters for risk model $i$. We choose $f_{\beta}$ to be piecewise linear: \begin{equation}\label{eq:piece_wise_linear} f_{\beta_i}(z)=\sum_{j=1}^k\mathbbm{1}(z\in B_j)\beta_{i,j}z \end{equation} for each $i$, where $B_j\subseteq\mathbb{R}$ are bins over the space of risk scores. For simplicity, we have assumed that the bins are identical across different risk scores $i$, but in our implementation, they actually depend on $i$; roughly speaking, they are chosen based on quantiles of the observed scores $\{x_{t,i}\}_t$. Our goal is to learn the unknown calibration parameters $\{\beta_i\}$ to make effective labeling decisions. \paragraph{Parameter estimation.} Next, we describe how to estimate $\beta_i$ given a fixed dataset $\{(x_t,y_t)\}_t$. In this setting, we can estimate $\beta_{i,j}$ for each risk score $i$ and bin $B_j$ independently, since it is a linear model: \begin{equation}\label{eq:linear_model} y_t=\beta_{i,j} x_{t,j}+\epsilon_{t,i,j}, \end{equation} for some $\sigma$-subgaussian noise term $\epsilon_{t,i,j}$. Thus, we can estimate $\beta_{i,j}$ using linear regression: \begin{align} \label{eq:beta_update} \hat\beta_{i,j}=\Big(\sum_tx_{t,j}^2\Big)^{-1}\Big(\sum_tx_{t,j}y_t\Big). \end{align} In addition, our implementation uses a heuristic where for the parameters $\beta_i$ for risk score $i$, we only train on a top $\alpha$ quantile of examples $\{x_{t,i}\}_t$ in terms of magnitude, where $\alpha$ is a hyperparameter. Importantly, this strategy only depends on the relative magnitude of risk scores given by scoring function $i$, so it is not affected by the fact that different risk scores $x_{t,i}$ and $x_{t,i'}$ are incomparable. \paragraph{Upper confidence bounds.} A key challenge is \textit{bandit feedback}: we only observe the true severity $y_t$ for content $c_t$ when $a_t=1$. Thus, we must actively explore different types of content to obtain labels to estimate $\beta_i$. Intuitively, we mark content for review either when its label can provide information towards better estimating some $\beta_i$ (exploration), or when it is likley to be violating (exploitation). In particular, we use UCB~\citep{auer2010ucb}, which chooses arms based on an \textit{optimistic} estimate of its rewards. It maintains both a point estimate $\hat{\beta}_{i,j}$ of $\beta_{i,j}$, and an upper confidence bound for this estimate: \begin{equation} \label{eq:ucb_def} \mathbb{P}[\hat{\beta}_{i,j}+u_{i,j}\ge\beta_{i,j}]\ge1-\delta, \end{equation} where $\beta_{i,j}$ are the ``true'' parameters, $\delta\in(0,1)$ is a confidence level, and the probability is taken with respect to the randomness in the examples used to train $\hat\beta_{i,j}$. For our model, we can take \begin{equation} \label{eq:ucb_bias} u_{ij}=\sigma_{i,j} \cdot \sqrt{\frac{\log(1/\delta)}{\sum_tx_{t,i}^2\mathbbm{1}(x_{t,i}\in B_j)}} . \end{equation} The denominator is an estimate of the covariance restricted to samples in bin $B_j$, and the numerator scales the bound to provide a high-probability guarantee. Finally, $\sigma_{i,j}$ captures the noise variance; in practice, it is unknown, so we estimate it as the empirical standard error of our linear regression estimate. Also, as we rely on a fixed window of training data, we use a fixed choice of $\delta$ (whereas standard bandit algorithms reduce $\delta$ over time). Finally, for content with features $x_i$, we \textit{optimistically} estimate its severity to be \begin{equation} \label{eq:final_optimistic_estimate} \hat y_t=\max_if_{\hat\beta_i+u_i}(x_{t,i}). \end{equation} Our full algorithm is summarized in Algorithm \ref{alg:bandit}. \begin{algorithm}[t] \caption{Basic Bandit Algorithm}\label{alg:bandit} \begin{algorithmic} \State Initialize parameters $\hat\beta_i$, uncertainties $u_i$ \For{$t\in\mathbb{N}$} \State Observe content risk scores $x_t=\phi(c_t)$ \State Choose action $a_t=\mathbbm{1}(\hat y_t>0)$, where $\hat y_t = \max_i f_{\hat\beta_i+u_i}(x_{t,i})$ \If{$a_t=1$} \State Mark $c_t$ for review, and observe true severity $y_t$ \State Update parameters $\hat\beta_i$ using \eqref{eq:beta_update}, uncertainties $u_i$ using \eqref{eq:ucb_bias} \EndIf \EndFor \end{algorithmic} \end{algorithm} \section{Implementation Challenges} \label{sec:implementation} \paragraph{Content lifetime.} A key challenge is that content actually persists on the platform for an extended period of time. Thus, we can revisit negative decisions $a_t=0$ at future steps---e.g., reviewers may become less busy, making it worthwhile to review the content; alternatively, the IV of the content may increase since it scales with viewership, which is time-varying. Rather than make a binary decision, our algorithm instead maintains a pool $C_t$ of all currently available content on time step $t$. In this formulation, time steps correspond to events where a reviewer becomes available (rather than where a new content arrives on the platform)---e.g., multiple pieces of content may be added and/or removed from $C_{t-1}$ to obtain $C_t$. Also, note that the action space is now the content $c_t^*$ to review on step $t$ rather than whether to review content $c_t$. Na\"{i}vely, we could review content with highest predicted severity/IV: \begin{align*} c_t^*=\max_{c\in C_t}\{\max_if_{\hat\beta_i+u_i}(\phi(c))\}, \end{align*} where the term inside the brackets is the predicted severity of $c$. However, a key insight from the literature on job scheduling is that the optimal policy allocates jobs with the highest \emph{rate of change} first, known as the \emph{$c\mu$ rule}~\citep{cmu}. Adapting this rule to our setting, we prioritize content based on its estimated \emph{rate of change} in IV. \paragraph{Real-time parameter updates.} Meta evaluates a very large volume of content for potential violations every minute. To ensure that we can dynamically adapt to new violation trends, we update our parameter estimates once every 5 minutes. For scalability, we use online updates to our parameter estimates rather than re-computing them from scratch. Specifically, let $XY^t_{ij} = \sum_{t} y_t x_{ti} \mathbbm{1}(x_{ti} \in B_j)$ and $XX^t_{ij} = \sum_t x^2_{ti} \mathbbm{1}(x_{ti} \in B_j)$ be the running numerators and denominators computed until time $t$ in \eqref{eq:linear_model}. We can compute the terms $XY^t_{ij}$ and $XX^t_{ij}$ online as follows: \begin{equation} \begin{aligned} XY^{t+1}_{ij} &= XY^t_{ij} + x_{t+1,i}y_{t+1}, \qquad XX^{t+1}_{ij} = XX^t_{ij} + x^2_{t+1,i}. \end{aligned} \end{equation} Therefore, $\beta_{ij}^{t+1}$ can be computed online as the ratio of $XY^{t+1}_{ij}$ and $XX^{t+1}_{ij}$. Next, let $N_{ij}^t = \sum_{\tau<t} \mathbbm{1}(x_{\tau,i} \in B_j)$ be the number of labeled content pieces until time $t$ by ranker $i$ that belonged to bin $j$. Then, we can compute the standard errors online as follows: \begin{align*} (\sigma_{ij}^{t+1})^2 = \frac{N_{ij}^t}{N_{ij}^{t+1}}\Big((\sigma_{ij}^t)^2 + y^2_{t+1} + (\beta_{ij}^t)^2 XX^t_{ij} - (\beta_{ij}^{t+1})^2 XX^{t+1}_{ij}\Big) \end{align*} This strategy reduces the number of queries to our database from tens of thousands to a single look-up. \paragraph{Nonstationarity.} An important challenge is that violation trends are highly non-stationary, since users may learn to evade detection, and since Meta regularly updates its community standards. Thus, we exponentially downweight older, less representative content: given a discount factor $\gamma$, we weight training examples by $\gamma^\tau$, where $\tau$ is the number of hours since the content arrived. We compute the reweighted variants of $XX^t_{ij}$ and $XY^t_{ij}$ as follows: \begin{equation*} \begin{aligned} XY^t_{ij} &= \sum_{\tau} \gamma^{t-\tau} x_{\tau,i} y_{\tau},\qquad XX^t_{ij} &= \sum_{\tau} \gamma^{t-\tau} x^2{\tau,i}. \end{aligned} \end{equation*} Similarly, we compute $\sigma_{ij}^t$ and $u_ij$ as follows: \begin{equation*} \begin{aligned} \sigma_{ij}^t &= \sqrt{\frac{\sum_{\tau} \gamma^{2{t-\tau}}(y_{\tau}-\hat{\beta}_{ij}^tx_{\tau, i})^2}{\sum_\tau \gamma^{t-\tau}\mathbbm{1}(x_{\tau,i} \in B_j)}}, \qquad u^t_{ij} = \sigma_{ij}^t \cdot \sqrt{\frac{\log(1/\delta)}{XX^t_{ij}}} . \end{aligned} \end{equation*} Finally, we altogether remove content beyond a window $\tau\ge\tau_{\text{max}}$. \paragraph{Adding new features.} Another way to address nonstationarity is to add new features (i.e., risk models). One example is the recent use of emojis in a wave of racist comments directed at black football players immediately after the UEFA European Football Championship final~\citep{BBC}. Here, the key indicator of violating content was the use of a particular set of derogatory emojis (which were benign outside this context). Retraining existing risk models to identify such new trends is often time-consuming, slowing down our response to fast-moving violation trends. Instead, we quickly deployed a specialized risk model that flags any content including both these emojis and football discussion, combining it with sentiment analysis to estimate the violation likelihood. We have developed infrastructure to quickly launch such handcrafted rankers. In particular, our bandit algorithm quickly learns the effectiveness of this new risk model via exploration. If a violation trend is short-lived, it will also quickly learn that the new risk model's utility has decreased, and will downweight it accordingly. Subsequently, we have observed substantial improvements in the turnaround time for flagging and removing new variants of violating content. \paragraph{Interpretability.} A key advantage of our approach is interpretability: it is easy to understand why certain piece of content is flagged for review, since we can point to the risk model responsible for high severity. This ability helps debug potential issues when there are unexpected increases in a certain type of violating content. \section{Deployment} \label{ssec:deployment-details} Our approach has been deployed at scale at Meta. One challenge was how to choose hyperparameters, which can significantly affect performance~\citep{bietti2018practical}. To do so, we developed a simulator based on a rolling 30 days of historical data. We chose UCB (which outperformed Thompson Sampling) based on the simulator, as well as $\delta$ (the confidence parameter) and $\gamma$ (the discount factor). Further, using simulations we established the significant IV gains that our approach would have as compared to the existing approach in production for a large range of number of jobs processed (exact scale of number of jobs has been anonymized) as shown in Figure \ref{fig:sim_iv_gain}. \begin{figure}[htb] \begin{center} \includegraphics[width=0.50\textwidth]{sim_plot_v4.pdf} \caption{Relative performance of the Centralized Bandit approach} \label{fig:sim_iv_gain} \end{center} \end{figure} Internal A/B tests were run between 9th August, 2021 and 20th August, 2021, spanning a large number of jobs and reviewer hours. Further, the experiment was run across multiple language based markets including Indonesian, Turkish, Portuguese, German, Thai, Korean, Mexican, Hindi, Japanese, Romanian, Dari, Filipino, Urdu, Burmese, Pashto, Hebrew and region based markets including Australia and North America. There were three markets we removed from the test midway due to world events (Dari, Pashto and Urdu). Results in these markets were hence excluded. The A/B test consisted of 1,184,526 jobs being reviewed based on the control algorithm and 963,908 jobs being reviewed based on the bandit algorithm. In these tests, the bandit approach was compared to the existing approach used in production before ours, called \emph{Whole Post Integrity Embeddings (WPIE)}~\citep{wpie}. WPIE uses a single ranker across different violation types based on a pretrained universal representation of content for integrity problems; WPIE itself significantly improved IV compared to an initial strategy that used fixed allocations for different risk models~\citep{wpieperf}. These tests have demonstrated a statistically significant 13\% (0.9\%, 25.2\%) lift in IV (with a fixed capacity of human reviewers) compared to the WPIE (The values in the brackets indicate 95\% confidence intervals). To maintain the same IV as our bandit, WPIE would need approximately 780,000 additional people-hours per year of human reviewer capacity. Finally, an important advantage of our approach is the ability to seamlessly handle new features that capture novel violation trends. \section{Conclusion} We have described our system deployed at Meta for identifying and removing violating content from the platform. Our system employs a bandit algorithm to dynamically adjust calibration parameters across a set of risk models. In an internal A/B test, our system outperformed the existing approach, WPIE, by over 13\% in terms of IV with a fixed capacity of human reviewers. As of December 2021, our system flags over 2 million pieces of content for review per day by over 15,000 human reviewers across the globe~\citep{fbpolicy}. Our work demonstrates that bandit algorithms are a promising strategy for addressing issues in deploying machine learning systems in highly nonstationary environments. \bibliographystyle{unsrt}

KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS Events, trends, issues, ideas and independent journalism about health care and health in Kentucky, from the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky Observing 'Dry January' can bring lasting benefits, studies show Photo illustration for The Washington Post by Linnea Bullion People who observe "Dry January," abstaining from alcohol during the month, often drink less the rest of the year and show "striking improvements in their health," Anahad O'Connor of The Washington Post reports. The observance "is widely viewed as a temporary test of willpower — followed by a return to old drinking habits when the month ends. But according to research, that's often not what happens." Studies in the United Kingdom have shown that people who participate in sobriety challenges "frequently experience lasting benefits," O'Connor reports. "Often, they drink less in the long run and make other sustained changes to their drinking habits that lead to striking improvements in their health and well-being." One possible reason: a month "provides opportunities to form new habits — like turning down alcohol in social settings, which in the long run can be empowering. And taking a break from alcohol can trigger immediate health benefits, like weight loss, better sleep, and a boost to your mood and energy levels, which can reinforce the new habit." Richard de Visser, a psychologist at Brighton and Sussex Medical School in England, who has studied the phenomenon, told O'Connor, "It becomes a reinforcing message instead of a punishing message. Instead of public health people wagging their fingers and saying, 'Don't drink, it's bad for you,' people do it and say, 'I didn't realize how good I would feel.' They often don't realize how much stopping drinking will improve their sleep, or their concentration, or even just their levels of energy in the morning." But 11% of participants have a rebound effect, drinking more afterward. The observance was started 10 years ago by Alcohol Change UK, a British nonprofit that has a website where you can sign up to get support, also available via a mobile app. "Last year, 130,000 people globally signed up to participate in Dry January," OConnor reports, offering other "tips that could increase your odds of success:" Do it with a friend. Find a new favorite drink that has no alcohol. Track how much money you save (which you can do on the app). "Manage your triggers; instead of meeting your friend at a bar after work, suggest going to a movie, taking a long walk, or having dinner at a restaurant instead." UPDATE, Jan. 2: The New York Times recommends non-alcoholic wines. Jan. 3: The Courier-Journal offers tips on how to be "sober curious" and still have fun. Posted by Al Cross at 11:32 AM No comments: Labels: alcohol, holidays, newspapers CDC's Kentucky risk map looks about the same as last week, but Beshear says 'Covid is definitely increasing' and counsels caution Beshear points to graph showing increases in share of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus. By Al Cross The latest Centers for Disease Control map of Covid-19 risks in Kentucky is about the same as last week's, but "Covid is definitely increasing," Gov. Andy Beshear said at his weekly press conference, before the map was released. "We're seeing that holiday bump," Beshear said. "I don't want to call it a surge [but] this is a real bump and cases obviously are under-reported," because of home testing. He said some people who test positive at home don't report their infection because they are vaccinated, feel good and are likely protected from serious disease. Pointing to graphs showing more new cases by week, and positive results of lab-analyzed tests for the virus, the governor said, "When you come and you get the full PCR test by a professional, you're pretty positive you've got something pretty serious." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map The latest CDC map, based on new cases and hospital data, shows two fewer counties at high risk, 15, and most of them were a West Kentucky cluster that has been orange on the map for weeks. Medium-risk counties, in yellow, still number 42, and there are 61 low-risk counties, in green. In high-risk counties, the CDC continues to recommend that you wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask in public indoor spaces, and if you are at high risk of getting very sick, consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public where you could be exposed. If you live in a medium or high-risk county, the CDC advises those who are at high risk of getting very sick to wear a well-fitting mask when indoors and in public and to consider getting tested before having social contact with someone at high risk for getting very sick and consider wearing a mask when indoors when you are with them. Beshear advised those who are "immuno-compromised" to mask up when they go out. "I see people now being very accepting of folks in masks, and that's where we need to get to," he said, advising the non-compromised to think ahead: "You might have something coming up you don't want to miss." Perhaps even more important, he said, "If you feel sick, don't go to work. . . . Don't send sick kids to school. If we do[n't do] just those two things we'll continue to do better and better against Covid." CDC map; to enlarge any image, click on it. The CDC has another map, mainly for hospitals and researchers, that shows transmission levels. Most counties are at a high level, shown in red,, and most of the rest are at a substantial level, in orange. State officials say the orange, yellow and green map should be used as guidance for preventive measures. Beshear also counseled precautions to prevent the spread of influenza, saying "The flu remains very serious and still very high in Kentucky. We've confirmed eight Kentucky children have died from influenza this flu season." He said only one was vaccinated and some were "co-infected with other viruses, and Kentucky is part of a national surveillance to see if strep infections are playing a role in higher-than-usual deaths of children. Like Covid-19 vaccines, the flu vaccine is more effective at preventing serious disease than infection. "It will really help if you get the flu," Beshear said. The other respiratory illness threatening children, RSV, "does appear to be declining, thankfully, but it's still contributing increased hospitalizations of children," Beshear said. Some pediatric beds in the state have opened up, he said, "but there are still a lot of kids in the hospital, and we don't want to see that." Also on the health front, Beshear asked Kentuckians to donate blood at the Kentucky Blood Center, which is running short of most blood types and needs 400 donors a day across at its eight locations in Pikeville, Corbin, Somerset, Lexington, Frankfort and the Louisville area. Posted by Al Cross at 7:11 PM No comments: Labels: children, governor, immunization, pandemic, public health, respiratory illness, vaccination, vaccines Kentuckians' sense of well-being, as measured by analysis of Gallup polls from 2008 to 2017, was second lowest in U.S. Kentuckians' sense of well-being from 2008 to 2017 was the worst of any U.S. state except West Virginia, according to a research paper that uses polling data to compare life satisfaction, enjoyment, smiling and being well-rested along with the negative affects of pain, sadness, anger and worry. The research also looks at 163 other nations, and ranks them along with U.S. states. In those rankings, Kentucky is 89th, just below Russia and Uruguay and just above South Korea and Belgium. West Virginia is 101st, just below Sri Lanka and just above Mauritania. The research is being done by economics professor David G. Blanchflower of Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and the University of Glasgow in Scotland, and social-science professor Alex Bryson of University College London. It is published as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research, a nonprofit organization that says it is "committed to undertaking and disseminating unbiased economic research among public policymakers, business professionals, and the academic community." The researchers write that their four positive measures aren't just the flip side of the negative measures: "It seems they are, at least to some extent, measuring different things. . . . The implication is that we might need more than life satisfaction alone to obtain a robust assessment of state rankings on well-being." The four negative questions in the Gallup Inc. polls asked respondents if they had experienced physical pain, sadness, worry or anger "during a lot of the day yesterday." The four positive questions were: Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from zero at the bottom to 10 at the top. Suppose we say that the top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. If the top step is 10 and the bottom step is zero, on which step of the ladder do you feel you personally stand at the present time? Did you experience the following feelings during a lot of the day yesterday? How about enjoyment? Did you smile or laugh a lot yesterday? Now, please think about yesterday, from the morning until the end of the day. Think about where you were, what you were doing, who you were with, and how you felt. Did you feel well-rested yesterday? Kentucky's highest rank among the states and nations, 62nd, was for enjoyment the previous day. It ranked 71st in the ladder of life, 88th in smiling or laughing, and 138th in being well-rested. Among the negative questions, with stronger responses resuilting in a lower ranking, Kentucky did best with anger, ranking 80th. It was 103rd in pain, 113th in sadness and 118th in worry. The top state in the rankings was Hawaii, followed by Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Alaska and Wisconsin. The bottom 10, starting with No. 41, were Rhode Island, Nevada, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Arkansas, New York, Kentucky and West Virginia. Labels: health rankings, mental health, pain, polls, recreation, sleep, wellness Robert Slaton dies at 81; was a catalyst for many health projects, including Passport Health Plan and Kentucky Health News Robert Slaton, Ed.D. Robert Slaton, a health-care consultant and former Kentucky public-health commissioner who was a catalyst for various health-improvement projects in the state, including Passport Health Plan and Kentucky Health News, died Dec. 27 after suffering a stroke a few days earlier. He was 81 and lived in Louisville. Slaton, who had master's degrees in education and social work and a doctorate in education administration, was state health commissioner in 1978-79, then ran the Public Service Institute at Kentucky State University and was external-affairs administrator for Trover Clinic, now Baptist Health Deaconness Madisonville, his hometown, from 1983 to 1989. While at the University of Louisville, he was Gov. Brereton Jones' special assistant for health-care reform, executive director of the university's primary-care center, executive director of the Medical School Practice Association and executive vice president of University Health Care, retiring in 2007. As primary-care director, Slaton was part of a small group that planned, developed, and implemented Passport Health Plan, which started in 1997 and became a national model for managed care of Medicaid patients. As a member of the national advisory board of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky, he was the catalyst for funding of the institute's Kentucky Health News by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. Sitting with Institute Director Al Cross and then-Foundation President Susan Zepeda at a Kentucky Chamber of Commerce luncheon in 2010, he said, "Al, you ought to ask Susan for some money." When Zepeda asked what the money would be for, Cross (who had no idea the proposition was coming) replied that the goal would be improving health coverage in Kentucky news media. The foundation continues to fund Kentucky Health News. Slaton later chaired the advisory board, helping the Institiute develop a strategic plan. He was a member of the foundation's Community Advisory Council and chair of the chamber's Health Care Policy Council. In 2018, he won the Russell E. Teague Award from the Kentucky Public Health Association for his achievements and contributions to public health. "Throughout his career in both public service and as a health-care consultant, he provided a politically savvy perspective and an astute management style that enabled institutions and organizations to make significant headway in policy change to improve the health of Kentuckians," his obituary says. "Robert always believed that health care was a right, not a commodity, and he worked very hard in a variety of settings to help move it in that direction." As health commissioner, "He demonstrated an understanding of social and structural determinants of health that was ahead of its time," the obituary says. "Robert was a consensus builder and a natural organizer who was described as generous and down-to-earth. His talents included problem solving, strategic planning, and organizing a group of people to get a project done. He was proud that over his career he had helped young staff members develop beyond what they thought they could do. He could often see what needed to be done before most people, and he could handle personalities and egos to bring about change in organizations. Robert focused much of his career on building linkages and coalitions between different groups. This was eased by his genuine rapport with people. Robert's strategic planning skills, insightful opinions, and wise counsel were valued by many leaders in the business, nonprofit, and political world." He was co-author of two books about management, From Green Persimmons to Cranky Parrots, and Caught in the Middle Management. At the time of his death, he was working on a book about his mother's life, based on the diaries she kept for decades. As he moved into assisted living, Robert was already making plans for his next book, stories of his colorful adventures as a parole officer in Western Kentucky in the 1960s. He was a delegate to the 1992 Democratic convention. Slaton is survived by five adult children, Andrea, Lyle, Tom, Danny (Elizabeth), and Mike (Jake), and three grandchildren: Thia, Henry, and Lila. He is also survived by his companion, Mary B. Bradley, and her two children, whom he very much thought of as his own: Lizi Hagan and Clay McClure. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. ET Saturday, Dec. 31 at Pearson's, 149 Breckenridge Lane, Louisville. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. ET Dec. 30 at Pearson's. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Down Syndrome of Louisville, the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, or the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues. Labels: books, governor, health care, health care access, health journalism, health reform, managed care, Medicaid, obituaries, politics, state government, universities Parents in 21 more counties get CPR kits for infants, for total of 32; hundreds still available, with money from health insurers The CPR Anytime® training kits are given to parents. Three times as many Kentucky counties will get cardiopulmonary resuscitation kits for infants, funded by the Kentucky Association of Health Plans, representing health-insurance companies in the state. The American Heart Association is delivering the life-saving CPR kits to health-care facilities to give to new parents. Each kit includes an inflatable mannikin and video that teaches infant CPR in as little as 20 minutes. The initiative, launched in May 2022, has provided 3,000 kits to neonatal intensive-care units in 11 counties. A $150,000 grant from KAHP is funding 4,350 more kits, nearly 2,500 of which have been distributed in 21 counties: Bath, Bell, Boyd, Casey, Clark, Estill, Floyd, Garrard, Harlan, Hyden, Jackson, Johnson, Madison, Montgomery, Nicholas, Perry, Pike, Powell, Rockcastle, Rowan, and Warren. "Rural communities often face a critical shortage of health-care professionals," said Ashley Sokoler, AHA's Kentuckiana director. "That's why it's so important to make CPR training available to new parents in rural areas and provide the healthcare facilities they visit with the resources needed to implement training without causing additional strain on their staff." Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare providers interested in requesting kits can contact AHA Kentuckiana Community Impact Director Tracy Monks at tracy.monks@heart.org for information. Posted by Al Cross at 12:00 PM No comments: Labels: children, emergency medical service, health insurance, infants, neonatal care New coronavirus cases in Kentucky jumped 40% last week; state's increase over last two weeks ranks second among states New York Times graphs, from state data, adapted by Kentucky Health News; click image to enlarge Kentucky recorded 40 percent more new coroinavirus cases last week than the week before, despite the Christmas holiday that probably limited reporting. The state Department for Public Health's latest weekly report showed 8,920 new cases, or 1,274 per day. The previous week's total was 6,376, or 911 per day. The share of people testing positive for the virus rose to 12.23%, up from 9.85%. That's an increase of 24 percent and does not include at-home tests. Ky. Dept. for Public Health map, adapted by Ky. Health News The New York Times ranked Kentucky's rate of new cases over the last seven days ninth among the states, with a 44% increase in the last two weeks, second only to Michigan's 55%. Tennessee was redder than Kentucky on the Times' county-by-county map, but none of its most populous counties had high new-case rates. Kentucky's high-rate counties were also rural. Those with new-case rates more than double the statewide rate of 14.54 were Leslie, 40.5; Crittenden, 37.3; Simpson, 31.5; Rowan, 31; Bath, 30.9; Johnson, 29.6; and Lyon, 29.6. In recent weeks, the state has reported more new cases of influenza than coronavirus cases. Kentucky's weekly flu report for the week ended Dec. 17 had not been posted by 7 p.m. Tuesday, but the page said it would be coming soon. Among the new coronavirus cases, only 10.6% were in Kentuckians 18 or younger. The state attributed 45 more deaths to Covid-19, bringing Kentucky's pandemic toll to 17,670. Kentucky hospitals reported 405 patients with Covid-19 Monday morning, up from 370 a week earlier, with 49 in intensive care (up 7) and 16 on mechanical ventilation (down 4). The current surge of the coronavirus in China increases the risk of a mutation that could overcome current vaccines, report Aniruddha Ghosal and Laura Ungar of The Associated Press: "Every new infection offers a chance for the coronavirus to mutate, and the virus is spreading rapidly in China. The country of 1.4 billion has largely abandoned its 'zero Covid' policy. Though overall reported vaccination rates are high, booster levels are lower, especially among older people. Domestic vaccines have proven less effective against serious infection than Western-made messenger RNA versions. Many were given more than a year ago, meaning immunity has waned." Labels: flu, influenza, pandemic, public health, respiratory illness As he leaves public office, Dr. Anthony Fauci says the biggest change in public health has been the normalization of falsehoods Dr. Anthony Fauci (Associated Press photo by Alex Brandon) As Dr. Anthony Fauci retires after five decades in public health, he says he worries that lies and misinformation are creating a "profoundly dangerous" time for science and the public. "Untruths abound and we almost normalize untruths," Fauci told The Associated Press. "I worry about my own field of health, but I also worry about the country." Fauci has made the same point in several other exit interviews. In August, he said on MSNBC, "There's no much lying going on over there that people accept it as part of the norm," and when lots of people accept it as truithful, "that is the beginning, I believe, of the destruction of our democracy." In December, he told ABC News, "Misinformation and disinformation is really hurting so many things, including people's trust in science. It becomes very difficult to get people to fully appreciate the truth of what's going on — which will ultimately impact how we respond, in this case, to a pandemic, like Covid-19." AP notes, "Fauci, who turned 82 on Christmas Eve, has been a physician-scientist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for 54 years, and its director for 38 of them. Because he candidly puts complex science into plain English, Fauci has advised seven presidents, from Ronald Reagan to Joe Biden, about a long list of outbreaks -- HIV, Ebola, Zika, bird flu, pandemic flu, even the 2001 anthrax attacks." Fauci said his policy has been to "stick with the science and never be afraid to tell somebody something that is the truth -- but it's an inconvenient truth in which there might be the possibility of the messenger getting shot/ You don't worry about that. You just keep telling the truth. That's served me really quite well with one exception that, you know, the truth generated a lot of hostility towards me in one administration." AP sums up: "As the world enters another year of Covid-19, Fauci still is a frequent target of the far right -- but also remains a trusted voice for millions of Americans. . . . The public did struggle to understand why some of his and others' health advice changed as the pandemic wore on, such as why masks first were deemed unnecessary and later mandated in certain places. Fauci said one of the pandemic's lessons is to better convey that it's normal for messages to change as scientists make new discoveries. "That doesn't mean you're flip-flopping," he said. "That means you're actually following the science." Labels: misinformation, pandemic, politics, president, public health Opinion: U of L Health should repay all its state loan, not just half By Jim Waters Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions The University of Louisville Cardinals men's basketball squad gave its fans a timely stocking stuffer Dec. 14 with the team's first win of the season, beating the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at the KFC Yum Center. U of L's health-care system should follow suit and offer taxpayers some Christmas joy by fully repaying the $35 million borrowed from the Commonwealth under the auspices of needing the money to purchase Kentucky One Health's assets, including Jewish Hospital. The money was neither needed nor used for these purchases. In previous columns, we urged lawmakers to "invite the university to either pay for this project out of its already-flush-with-cash pockets or seek a loan from the private sector." Kentucky's taxpayers "should be outraged that U of L lobbied heavily for this loan even though the university is flush with hundreds of millions in cash and is more than capable of making this acquisition without one red cent from Frankfort's coffers," we opined. But taxpayers' voices were drowned out by the Santa-sized claims of former U of L President Neeli Bendapudi, who doubled down on her assertions that the loan was "vital" to purchasing the additional facilities and that there was no other way for the university to absorb Kentucky One Health's operating losses. Documents obtained by the Bluegrass Institute Center for Open Government reveal that not only was U of L capable of acquiring the funds to make needed improvements to the previously faltering Kentucky One Health system without the government loan, but that the monies were used for a variety of capital purchases, including upgrades to the system's emergency medical records platform, computer replacement/remediation and even a new roof at Jewish Hospital. Such outlays can improve a hospital's ability to provide quality care, but were they so "vital" that UofL needed a subsidized, partially forgivable taxpayer-backed loan from state government to purchase them? "Partially forgivable"? This health-care giant is only required to pay back half the loan even though the enterprise reaped year-over-year total operating revenues of $2.2 billion while holding more than $1 billion worth of total assets during the most recent fiscal year, according to audited financial statements obtained by the Center for Open Government via the open-records law. In their annual report to the Legislative Research Commission, officials indicated they anticipated paying back "the obligated portion of the loan" ($17.5 million) ahead of schedule. Bluegrass Institute Visiting Policy Fellow Andrew McNeill instead urges the company to "meet this moment by respecting Kentucky's working families and taxpayers who ponied up for what has proven to be an unnecessary loan" by going beyond what's statutorily required and repaying the entire loan. New U of L President Kim Schatzel, whose administration officially begins in February and who has extensive business and private sector experience, should appreciate what a welcome gift that would be for the Commonwealth. Perhaps she could help spread some needed holiday cheer by voicing her own support for full repayment. McNeill wrote in a letter to Interim Joint Appropriations and Revenue Committee members that such a gesture "would make an immediate and positive impression with Kentucky's taxpayers, especially those from outside of Jefferson County." Posted by Al Cross at 9:59 AM No comments: Labels: General Assembly, hospitals, legislature, open government, state budget, state government, universities, University of Louisville More than 1/3 of Kentuckians are enrolled in Medicaid. How many in your county? How many kids? What are their big health issues? Screenshot of health portion of Cabinet for Health and Family Services report on Clay County Most Kentuckians probably don't know much about Medicaid, but for more than one in three people in the state, it is a lifeline. In some counties, more than half the residents are Medicaid beneficiaries. But Medicaid runs somewhat under the radar, because many Kentuckians frown on the receipt of public assistance -- even though Medicaid benefits come only with demonstrated medical need. Medicaid is a combined federal-and-state program, created in 1965 by the law that created Medicare. Originally it was for the very poor, the disabled and the pregnant, but in 2014 expanded to households with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level because then-Gov. Steve Beshear embraced the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. The federal government pays 90 percent of the cost for people covered by the expansion, and about 72 percent of others' costs. The state pays the rest, which means Kentucky taxpayers put billions of dollars a year into it. It's not the sort of program that needs to run under the radar; if we are paying the freight, we need to know what's in the haul, and it helps to know it at the local level. That's easier now that the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which runs Medicaid in Kentucky, has posted monthly Medicaid enrollment reports on its website. These county-by-county reports are more useful than the annual reports that the cabinet circulates more more to show the local impact of its programs. The Medicaid figure on those reports is the number of people in the county who received Medicaid benefits at any time during the program's fiscal year (April to March). That number overstates the rolls at any particular time, because many people go on and off Medicaid each month. For example, the Fiscal 2022 report for Clay County, one of the nation's poorest, shows 15,922 total beneficiaries in the year, but only 12,815 in the month of June. That is still 62.6 percent of the county's estimated population of 20,484. That said, the annual reports provide much more information about Medicaid than the monthly reports; among other things, they: Break down Medicaid enrollment into types of enrollees: traditional, expansion, children in foster care, and "presumptive eligibility," people who have been enrolled during the pandemic without all the usual checks for eligibility, under legislation passed by Congress. Starting April 1, states will have to start running all the usual checks, and many people will no longer be eligible. In Clay County, for example, 2,842 presumptive eligibles were on the rolls in fiscal 2022, or 18% of the total enrollment. Give the number of children who were beneficiaries at any time during the year; in Clay County, 4,612 kids were helped by Medicaid in fiscal 2022. Give the top five diagnoses for adults and children on Medicaid, which can vary widely from year to year. In another poor county, Clinton, the top five diagnoses for adults in fiscal 2021 were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, unspecified illness, opioid dependence and diabetes, in that order. In fiscal 2022, they were hypertension, Covid-19, contact with and suspected exposure to Covid, myopia (nearsightedness) and "other fatigue." Give the top five procedures performed on beneficiaries and the top five medications prescribed for beneficiaries. In both Clay and Clinton counties in the last two fiscal years, the most-prescribed drug was naloxone, which reverses the effect of a drug overdose. Show the number of health-care providers who served residents of the county and the total they were paid. For example, in Clinton County in fiscal 2022, residents were served by 48 providers who were paid $33 million; $14.3 million of that went to local providers. Show the number of newborn screenings and other figures on programs for children, including the percentages of foster children who had an official goal of adoption, and the number with other official goals, such as reunification with their birth families. The annual reports give much information on programs other than Medicaid, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (once known as food stamps), behavioral-health services (including syringe exchanges), other services by local health departments, health-insurance assistance, child-care assistance, child-support enforcement, social services (such as meals, home care and other services to seniors), and funding of Family Resource and Youth Service Centers, which serve public-school students and their families. The reports also list the number of cabinet employees working in each county. Labels: adoption, blood pressure, diabetes, drug abuse, federal spending, foster care, health insurance, Medicaid, mental health, needle exchanges, overdose, pandemic, state budget, state government Poll of rural Americans finds them more aware of, and more willing to discuss, opioid problems; 47% still see stigma Morning Consult graph: 2017 and 2022 responses to question about access to care. Click to enlarge. Rural Americans say they are more aware of, and more willing to talk about, the opioid problem in the nation and their communities than they were five years ago, according to an online poll of rural adults sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union. Sixty percent said adults are more aware of the crisis than they were five years ago, and 77% said they would comfortable having a conversation about opioids, but 47% said there is stigma or shame associated with opioid abuse in their community. Rural adults increasingly regard drug addiction as a disease. Asked if addiction to opioids is a disease or is due to a lack of will power or self-control, 57% said it's a disease and 21% said otherwise. In 2017, the numbers were 46% and 26%, respectively. Likewise, 78% said someone can accidentally or unintentionally get addicted to opioids; five years ago, 71% said that. The poll found that more rural adults than five years ago believe there is a higher rate of opioid misuse in rural communities than in urban and suburban areas), and 48% said they know someone who is or has been addicted to opioids or prescription painkillers. Asked if they had taken an opioid or prescription painkiller without a prescription, 5 percent said yes. The same percentage said they had abused opioids or prescription painkillers or been addicted to them. Asked how comfortable they would feel talking about that, 70% said they would feel very or somewhat comfortable discussing it with friends, 52% with siblings and 46% with parents. Beyond their immediate families, most said they would be not too comfortable, or not comfortable at all. The margin of error for that subsample of 110 people is plus or minus 9.3 percentage points. The error margin for the whole sample of 2,010 rural adults is 2.2 percentage points. The poll was conducted online Oct. 6-13 by Morning Consult and the results were weighted to reflect gender, age, race, ethnicity, census region and education. The results are available from Farm Bureau here. Farm Bureau and NFU, long rivals in representing farm interests, "have consistently worked to publicize and compile useful material to help address rural stress, mental health challenges and opioid misuse," they said in a press release. NFU President Rob Larew said, "We must continue to reduce the stigma to connect our loved ones with health care and treatment they may need. I thank AFBF for being a teammate on this project, and the survey results show what is possible when farm organizations work together." Labels: drug abuse, drug treatment, drugs, families, mental health, narcotics, opioids, poll, polls, rural health, substance abuse, substance-use disorder Kentucky again 43rd in America's Health Rankings, scoring lowest in behavior and health outcomes, high in having a care provider By Melissa Patrick After not ranking states for two years due to the pandemic, America's Health Rankings again placed Kentucky among the 10 unhealthiest states, ranking its healthiness 43rd, the same slot it had in the last rankings, in 2019. Kentucky has found itself among the bottom 10 unhealthiest states since the rankings were first released in 1990, with the exception of 2008, when it ranked 39th. The rankings by the United Health Foundation are meant to help state leaders determine health benchmarks that can help them inform actions as they work to improve the health of their communities. The report examines a number of measures that influence health, broken into four categories: social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, behaviors, and health outcomes. Kentucky ranked lowest, 46th, among states in the behaviors category. Two measures in this category show that Kentucky adults don't get enough exercise, with only 15.3% of them saying they meet the federal guidelines for exercise in the past 30 days and 30.5% saying they didn't get any physical activity beyond their regular job in the past 30 days. For these measures, Kentucky ranked 49th and 45th, respectively. In the same category, Kentucky continues to have some of the highest teen birth rates in the nation at 23.8 teen births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19; the national average is 15.4. In rankings that put the highest numbers at the bottom, Kentucky ranked 45th for this measure. Likewise, the state also continues to be a national leader in vaping and smoking, ranking 48th for adult use of electronic cigarettes and 45th for cigarettes (again, with higher numbers at the bottom). The rankings say 9.3% of Kentucky adults reported using e-cigarettes and 19.6% said they are regular smokers. Kentucky also ranked 48th in sufficient sleep, with 39.6% of adults reporting that they get, on average, fewer than seven hours of sleep in a 24-hour period. One of the Kentucky's better rankings in the behavior category was 11th for fruit and vegetable consumption. In the health outcome category, Kentucky ranked 45th. With higher numbers at the bottom, it scored in the bottom 10 states for drug deaths (49th), frequent mental distress (45th), non-medical drug use (41st), premature death (46th), frequent physical distress (48th), multiple chronic conditions (48th) and obesity (48th). Though Kentucky ranked among the worst states in health outcomes, it does have a low prevalence of excessive drinking (fifth, with lower numbers at the top) and a low racial disparity in premature death (sixth). In social and economic factors, the state ranked 39th, with some of its worst scores in food insecurity (42nd), adverse childhood experiences (46th), access to high-speed internet (44th) and volunteerism (46th). The good news in this category is that Kentucky ranks fourth in the percentage of students who graduate from high school in four years and eighth in the difference between the high school graduation rates of white students and the racial/ethnic group with the lowest rate. In the clinical-care category, where it ranked 31st, Kentucky was in the bottom 10 states for dental visits (49th), flu vaccinations (42nd) and preventable hospitalizations (47th). Kentucky did not get any top-10 rankings in clinical care, but got top-20 rankings for its number of primary-care providers (16th), percent of uninsured population (13th), colorectal-cancer screenings (20th) and having a dedicated health care provider (13th). The physical environment category was the state's highest ranking, 15th, largely because it ranked first in two categories: drinking water violations and water fluoridation. Posted by Melissa Patrick at 11:22 PM No comments: Labels: cancer, drug abuse, electronic cigarettes, exercise, food, health insurance, health outcomes, health rankings, nutrition, obesity, sleep, smoking, teens, vaccination, vaping Critical access hospitals, which turned 25 in 2022, are vital to providing health care in rural areas; Kentucky has 28 of them Update 1/3/2023: This story has been updated to correct the number of Critical Access Hospitals in Kentucky to 28. Critical access hospitals celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2022. The designation was created to ensure the financial viability of the nation's small, rural hospitals. Kentucky has 25 28 of them, and at least one health official says they may be more important now than ever. "I could even make the argument, they're more important today than they were 25 years ago just simply because the stress and strain that's been put on the healthcare system in general gets tougher every year," said Hal Clark, vice-president of the Kentucky Hospital Association's solutions and member-services group. Barbourville ARH Hospital serves mainly Knox County. Barbourville ARH Hospital CEO Charles Lovell also pointed to the value of CAHs, noting that during the pandemic they had to turn offices into patient rooms because there were so many patients and larger hospitals couldn't accepts transfers. More recently, he said, they have been near capacity because of respiratory illness. "We are the lifeline for many of those patients," he said. "I just want people to realize that even though critical-access hospitals are smaller hospitals inside, we're not smaller in the care and the quality of care that we provide." The CAH designation came about after the closure of more than 400 hospitals during the 1980s and 1990s. The legislation that created the designation, spearheaded by Montana Sen. Max Baucus, was aimed at reducing the financial vulnerability of rural hospitals and improving quality, while also improving access to health care by protecting essential services for rural communities. Two key requirements for a CAH is that it have no more than 25 acute-care inpatient beds and be more than 35 miles from another hospital, with some exceptions. In return, CAHs are reimbursed at 101% of the costs reported to Medicare for inpatient, outpatient, laboratory and therapy services, as well as post-acute care in the hospital's swing beds, which are beds that allow for the care of acute patients as well as those who need skilled, longer-term care. Lovell also spoke about how important expansion of the Medicaid program has been to the viability of rural hospitals. More than 400,000 Kentuckians gained health insurance coverage through Medicaid after the state expanded the program in 2014 to people who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level, under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. "We, as hospitals, are fortunate that Kentucky adopted Medicaid expansion," Lovell said, calling it a "financial windfall" because it led to more of their patients having health insurance. He said 80% of the Barbourville hospital's revenue comes from Medicare and Medicaid. Clark, of the hospital association, called CAHs "an absolutely critical piece of the puzzle" when it comes to taking care of rural Kentuckians and said the state would be in a tough position without them. "If those hospitals were to close, in an under-served, very rural part of our state, then patients that needed to access health care are going to have to drive very long distances to receive care," he said. "That could mean the difference between life and death for some people. And so it's very important that those services remain viable and remain available to people in rural parts of our state." Further, he said, transportation remains a huge barrier to getting care for many Kentuckians in rural areas and CAHs provide much needed services close to home. These small hospitals are also important economic engines in their communities, Clark said. Hospitals are often one of the largest employers in rural communities, with some of the best-paying jobs. Rural hospitals continue to experience financial, operational and staffing challenges, and whether they have one patient or 25, they must remain fully operational, said Lovell. But Lovell said his hospital is not considering converting to the new "rural emergency hospital" program that allows hospitals with 50 or fewer inpatient beds to convert to outpatient-only service. "As health care evolves, we may have to look at things differently," he said. "But we all want to be around 25 years from now." Clark said none of the qualifying rural hospitals in Kentucky are actively pursuing then new option, but KHA has encouraged them to be aware of the program and to know it is an option going forward. Emily Baumgaertner of The Washington Post wrote recently about the program, "The government's reasoning is simple: Many rural hospitals can no longer afford to offer inpatient care. A rural closure is often preceded by a decline in volume, according to a congressional report, and empty beds can drain the hospital's ability to provide outpatient services that the community needs. But the new opportunity is presenting many institutions with an excruciating choice." Posted by Melissa Patrick at 1:19 PM No comments: Labels: critical access hospitals, health care access, rural hospitals Risk of Covid-19 increased last week in Ky.; booster vax rate low; exercise can thwart severe cases; long Covid can be deadly The federal Covid-19 risk map showed more Kentucky counties at medium and high risk of transmission than last week, and the number of counties at low risk dropped to just over half. "Covid-19 does appear to be increasing following the Thanksgiving holiday so it's important that if you haven't gotten your booster that you do that," Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday at his weekly briefing, held before the latest risk-map was released. He said current data shows that fewer than 11 percent of Kentuckians who are eligible to get the updated Covid-19 booster shot have gotten it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest risk map shows 17 Kentucky counties at high risk of transmission, a number that has been creeping up since early December when 10 counties were reported to have high risk. Such counties are shown in orange on the map. Counties with high risk of transmission last week include the same cluster of counties in Western Kentucky from the last two reports; the other high-risk counties were scattered: Butler, Simpson, Monroe, Harrison, Robertson, Rowan, Johnson and Pike. Medium-risk counties, shown in yellow, increased to 42, up 15 from the week prior, and the number of low-risk counties, shown in green, dropped to 61, down from 78 the week prior. Exercise can protection against Covid-19 Besides vaccinations, boosters, social distancing, keeping your hands washed and wearing masks in public places, a study has found another way to protect yourself from severe Covid-19: exercise. The study looked at how exercise affected coronavirus outcomes in nearly 200,000 adults in Southern California. It found that people who worked out at least 30 minutes most days were about four times more likely to survive Covid-19 than inactive people, Gretchen Reynolds reports for The Washington Post. The study, published this month in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, "found that exercise, in almost any amount, reduced people's risks for a severe coronavirus infection. Even people who worked out for as little as 11 minutes a week — yes, a week — experienced lower risks of hospitalization or death from Covid than those who moved about less," Reynolds writes. The data in the study was collected before widespread coronavirus vaccines were available, but Robert Sallis, a senior author of the study, told Reynolds that he thinks the results would be similar among vaccinated people: "It is such a simple, inexpensive way to protect yourself." It's also important to test for Covid-19 if you have symptoms, before and after traveling for the holidays and before visiting indoors with immunocompromised or vulnerable individuals. Toward that end, the Biden administration has restarted a program that allows every household in the country to receive four free Covid-19 test kits. These at-home tests can be ordered at CovidTests.gov. This is the third round of free kits the administration has made available. People who have difficulty accessing the internet or need additional support placing an order can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to get help in English, Spanish, and more than 150 other languages, 8 a.m. to midnight ET any day. More information is at https://www.covid.gov/tests/faq. Dogs can detect Covid-19 at mass events Another study published this month found that dogs trained to detect Covid-19 infection by smell correctly identified individuals with active infections at concerts with a specificity of nearly 100% and a sensitivity of 81.58%. The study used eight dogs of various breeds who were trained to detect positive Covid-19 samples. The dogs were presented with sweat samples from 2802 concertgoers at four events in Germany organized for the study. Each participant had been tested for Covid-19 with both a rapid antigen test and the more reliable PCR test, but the researchers, dog handlers and dogs did not know the results. Most of the human participants were vaccinated against Covid-19, but this did not affect the dogs' ability to detect active infections. "Our results demonstrate that scent-detection dogs achieved high diagnostic accuracy in a real-life scenario. The vaccination status, previous infection, chronic disease and medication of the participants did not influence the performance of the dogs in detecting the acute infection," the researchers write in BMJ Global Health. "This indicates that dogs provide a fast and reliable screening option for public events in which high-throughput screening is required." Long Covid can be deadly A study by the National Center for Health Statistics "found that more than 3,500 Americans died of long-covid-related illness in the first 2½ years of the pandemic," The Washington Post reports. "While those deaths represent a small fraction of the 1 million deaths from the coronavirus, they reinforce the danger of ignoring the lingering symptoms that many patients say their physicians have dismissed." CDC data show that women are more likely than men to develop long Covid, but the study found that men accounted for a slightly higher percentage of long-Covid deaths, the Post reports: "Most of the documented long-covid deaths occurred in older people, with adults between 75 and 84 years old accounting for almost 30 percent of the deaths, closely followed by adults 85 and older." Labels: pandemic, public health, research, vaccinations Kentucky to get $53 million from Walmart settlement to fight opioid epidemic; money to be split between state and local governments Walmart Inc. photo Kentucky will get more than $53 million from Walmart as part of a $3.1 billion, 50-state settlement for the retailer's role in the opioid epidemic. "The commonwealth is among the states hardest hit by this scourge," Attorney General Daniel Cameron noted in a news release. In 2021, Kentucky lost 2,250 residents to overdose deaths, and 90 percent were related to opioids. The release does not mention the 50-state settlement but its last paragraph says Cameron "worked closely" on it with attorneys general of 17 states. Walmart's release says it reached agreements with all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and three other U.S. territories. "Walmart believes these settlements are in the best interest of all parties and will provide significant aid to communities across the country in the fight against the opioid crisis, with aid reaching state and local governments faster than any other nationwide opioid settlement to date, subject to satisfying all settlement requirements," the release says. "Walmart strongly disputes the allegations in these matters, and these settlements do not include any admission of liability." Cameron's release says the "agreement resolves allegations that the company contributed to the opioid epidemic by failing to implement appropriate policies, procedures, and controls relating to the dispensing of opioids at its stores." Under state law, half of the money will go to local governments and half will go to the state. It is scheduled for distribution in 2023. Added to the $478 million in opioid settlement funds that the state has already been allotted from a $26 billion global settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors, the settlements provide more than $531 million to fight the opioid epidemic. The terms of the settlement are "substantially similar" to those in the $26 billion settlement reached with opioid distributors Cardinal Health Inc., McKesson Corp., AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp. and Johnson & Johnson, says the release. It requires "robust oversight to prevent fraudulent prescriptions and flag suspicious prescriptions," CNN reports. Labels: drug abuse, drug treatment, local government, opioids, recovery, state goverment, substance abuse, substance-use disorder After Russell County school employees were educated about adverse childhood experiences, suspensions dropped by half Russell County (Wikipedia map) Suspensions of elementary-school students in Russell County have dropped by half since 2019, when teachers, staff, counselors, and bus drivers began getting intensive training on the effects of childhood trauma on students' mental and physical health, reports Nadia Ramlagan of Public News Service. "More kids report feeling safe, cared for, and feel they 'belong' at school," Ramlagan reports, citing the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which provided a grant for the project. The foundation's senior policy and advocacy officer, Amalia Mendoza, told Ramlagan that rural communities face challenges in reducing behavior problems from adverse childhood experiences. "We're talking about toxic stress, we're not talking about just any adversity," Mendoza said. "There's really that kind of stress that is ongoing, and that can produce changes even in the brain and in the immune system." According to the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, nearly 40% of American children have had at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE): neglect or abuse, living with someone with a drug, alcohol or serious mental-health problem, the death of a parent, or exposure to violence or discrimination in the home or community. Tracy Aaron, director of health education for the Lake Cumberland District Health Department, told Ramlagan that adverse childhood experiences have been linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and mental-health problems in the 10-county district. "If you look at the data that backs up ACEs," she said, "we have a very high rate of poverty, we have teen pregnancy. Substance use is an issue." Russell County School Supt. Michael Ford told Ramlagan that schools can't fix family problems, but can remove barriers that affect academic performance and provide spaces where students see de-escalation, self-care and effective problem-solving techniques, and healthy relationships. Ford said, "We want our kids to be resilient, right? Number one, we want to prevent anything that we can help prevent. Kids, regardless, are going to have ACEs, but ACEs do not have to hold them back." He said successful strategies in the district include parent and grandparent training on how to build kids' resilience, increasing support for school counselors, and changing discipline policies. Labels: children, education, foundations, grants, philanthropy, schools, trauma Ky. Covid-19 cases up 22% last week; flu kills 31 more, including several kids; doctors worry about diseases and weakened seniors Dr. Dan Goulson As Covid-19 cases in Kentucky rose 22 percent last week and influenza killed 31 more Kentuckians, including three more children, physicians encouraged Kentuckians to follow tried and true public-health measures and to get their annual flu vaccine and updated Covid-19 booster shots. The doctors from Lexington's three largest hospitals urged people to protect themselves and others during the holidays, with a special warning to protect the elderly, who are being affected differently from Covid-19 these days. "It's not too late," said Dr. Dan Goulson, chief medical officer for CHI St. Joseph Health. "You can see some benefit from the vaccine within a few days. And so, if people are questioning whether they want to get the vaccine, they should get it and not convince themselves that it's too late." Dr. Mark Spanier Dr. Mark Spanier, chief of emergency medicine at Baptist Health Lexington, said about Covid, "We're seeing a lot more generalized weakness in the elderly . . . profound weakness leading to falls, leading to hip fractures, leading to just generalized stability, which can lead to other infections, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and other more serious things for the elderly." Spanier encouraged seniors who are getting progressively weaker to get tested for these diseases, even if they don't have respiratory symptoms. "If you get in that shape, make sure you seek medical care," he said. Goulson said it's important to remember that flu, Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which is most dangerous to seniors and infants, are spread by droplets produced when we talk, cough, laugh and sing. "That means that if you're sick, the best thing to do to help keep other people from getting sick is to either mask or to isolate or both … and if you're not sick and need to protect yourself, the best thing to do is to mask and to maintain social distancing," Goulson said. Dr. Gena Cooper Dr. Gena Cooper added frequent hand washing to that list, for both adults and children. "Those are all the things that still make the biggest difference, and are often the things you can individually control," said Cooper, emergency medical director at Kentucky Children's Hospital at the University of Kentucky, Goulson acknowledged that vaccines don't keep everyone from getting sick, and that sometimes creates skepticism, but said it's still important to get the shots because they keep people from getting sick enough to require hospitalization. He pointed to two Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studies, released last week, that found the new bivalent Covid booster shots are more effective at reducing risk of hospitalization than boosters of the original version. The updated booster targets both the Omicron variants and the original virus strain to offer broader protections. One of the studies showed a 45% lower risk of hospitalization among people who had gotten the updated booster, compared with people who received two to four doses of the original vaccine and received their last shot 11 or months earlier. The other study showed a 73% reduction in hospitalization among people 65 and older who had gotten the latest, updated booster, compared to those who had gotten two to four doses of the original vaccine. Studies have also found that the flu vaccine prevents severe illness for both adults and children, with a recent study showing that it reduces children's risk of severe life-threatening flu by 75%. Cooper, of the children's hospital, noted that while RSV rates are declining in Kentucky, the virus is still infecting Kentucky's children and most strongly affects those younger than 2. She said she calls RSV "the mucus monster" because it creates so much mucus, which young children especially have trouble clearing from their respiratory system. She encouraged parents to use a bulb syringe after inserting a drop or two of nasal saline in each nasal cavity to help suction the mucus at home, especially before meals and at bedtime. She added that cases of flu and RSV had "almost flip-flopped" at the children's hospital, which is good news because there is a vaccine to protect children against the flu. The three physicians said their hospitals are almost full, but said that shouldn't deter a person from seeking medical care if they need it, recognizing that there may be increased wait times or the possibility of being cared for temporarily from the lobby or in a hallway. Spanier encouraged Kentuckians to seek care for minor illnesses, such as cold symptoms, at their doctor's office and to seek care in an emergency room "if you have any doubt that you might have something more serious going on." He noted that emergency rooms are generally less busy in the morning. He also encouraged Kentuckians to us a pulse oximeter at home to assess their oxygen level and to help determine if they need emergent care: "If you're getting down to 90 [percent] or below, you definitely need to be seen in an emergency department." Flu deaths spike; six children die recently The state's latest flu report shows that flu activity in Kentucky remains high, but decreased 13% from the prior week's report. State Department for Public Health graph In the week ended Dec. 10, the state reported 6,240 confirmed cases of the flu, down from 7,192 the prior week. The total number of confirmed cases this flu season is 29,341. Most cases continue to be in people 20 and younger. The report said the flu has killed at least 57 Kentuckians this season, three of them children. Of those deaths, 28 were reported in week ended Dec. 10 (27 adults and one child). Since that report was compiled, the state has "reported six new, flu-related pediatric deaths, including three in the past week," said a press release from Gov. Andy Beshear late Monday afternoon. "This toll already meets the prior record for the highest number of pediatric influenza deaths ever reported in Kentucky in a single flu season. The prior record was established during the 2019-2020 flu season, when six children died of influenza." As of Dec. 20, the state reports that six children total have died from the flu during the current 2022-2023 flu season. The state Department for Public Health said none of the children who have died this season had received a flu shot. "We are urging our families to get vaccinated as soon as possible to get protected from contracting the flu and Covid," Beshear said. Health Commissioner Steven Stack said, "This current flu season is on track to be the worst in Kentucky in at least 10 years. The flu vaccine is the single best way to protect you and your loved ones against the flu and reduces the risk of becoming dangerously ill or spreading disease. Unfortunately, fewer than 40% of Kentucky children have received their flu shot this season. It is imperative that every Kentuckian take the essential steps to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities." Several Kentucky counties saw 100 or more confirmed cases in the week ending Dec. 10, including Barren, 169; Boone, 413; Boyd, 109; Campbell, 220; Daviess, 171; Fayette, 276; Floyd, 184; Grant, 162, Jefferson, 1,170; Kenton, 573; Muhlenberg, 100; Perry, 116; Pike, 318; Warren, 122; and Whitley, 111. Covid cases up 22%, but hospital numbers stable In the week ended Dec. 19, the state Department for Public Health reported 6,376 new coronavirus cases, an average of nearly 911 per day. That's 22% more than the week before, when the state was averaging 745 per day. Of last week's cases, 13% were in people 18 and younger. The state attributed 45 more deaths from Covid-19, bringing the state's pandemic death toll to 17,625. The share of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus in the last seven days was 9.85%, up more than a percentage point from the prior week's rate of 8.63%. The figures do not include at-home tests. Covid-19 hospitalizations have been stable for two weeks in a row. Hospitals reported 370 patients with Covid-19 Monday morning, a decrease of 18 over the prior Monday; 42 were in intensive care, down three; and 20 were in need of mechanical ventilation, up one. The weekly new-case incidence rate was 16.08 cases per 100,000 residents, up from 15.82 the week before. The top 10 counties are Calloway, 37.7 per 100,000; Crittenden, 37.3; Caldwell, 37; Monroe, 30.9; Leslie, 30.4; Carlisle, 30; Lyon, 29.6; Simpson, 29.2; Spencer, 27.3; and Powell, 26.6. The New York Times ranks Kentucky's incidence rate 31st among the states, with a 21% increase in cases in the last two weeks. Labels: epidemiology, flu, hospitals, influenza, pandemic, public health, respiratory illness, seniors, vaccinations Big, real-world study confirms Covid-19 shots provide much more protection than natural immunity, especially against death Vaccines give significantly more protection than natural immunity against Covid-19, especially against death, according to one of the first large, real-world studies comparing the two forms of immunity. The study found that to be true of all age groups in protecting against death, hospitalizations and emergency department visits. "The lower death rate of vaccinated individuals was especially impressive for adults ages 60 years or older," said a press release from the Regenstrief Institute at the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which did the study. "The data raises questions about the wisdom of reliance on natural immunity when safe and effective vaccines are available," the release said. Vaccinated people had a higher rate of Covid infection than individuals previously infected (6.7% to 2.9%), but the vaccines "protected against severe disease while natural immunity did not confer the same benefit," said Dr. Shaun Grannis, the study's corresponding author and vice president for data and analysis at the Regenstrief Institute. The release said, "The all-cause death and hospital-admission rates for vaccinated individuals were 37 percent lower than the rates for those with natural immunity acquired from previous Covid infection. The rate of ED visits for all causes was 24 percent lower for vaccinated individuals than for the previously infected." Gannis said, "This large population study of the entire state of Indiana should encourage individuals everywhere to get themselves and their children vaccinated and not rely on natural immunity. As vaccinated individuals were more likely to actually get Covid than those with natural immunity, the lower death rate of vaccine recipients who develop Covid appears to be due to vaccination and not to a tendency for risk-averse behaviors, such as mask-wearing, hand sanitizing and social distancing." The study analyzed data on pairs of vaccine recipients and people with prior infections, matched by age, sex, dates of initial exposure to the vaccines or the virus itself, and Covid risk scores as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data came from the Indiana Network for Patient Care, one of the nation's largest health information exchanges, as well as death reports from the State of Indiana, the release said. The study is important because previous studies didn't look at emergency-department visits, hospitalizations and mortality for non-Covid reasons, said its first author, Regenstrief Institute Research Scientist Wanzhu Tu, Ph.D. "Our work confirms that mRNA vaccines have kept people out of the ED and the hospital as well as lowered the likelihood of death from any cause. And we saw this pattern in every age group." The study, SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization and death in vaccinated and infected individuals in Indiana USA, November 2020 - February 2022, is published in the American Journal of Public Health. Labels: hospitals, immunization, pandemic, public health, research, vaccination, vaccines How to manage your mental health in the holiday season By Dr. Gopalkumar Rakesh Assistant professor of psychiatry, University of Kentucky For many, the holiday season is not always the most wonderful time of year. With work and school deadlines quickly approaching, holiday shopping expenses piling up, and back-to-back large social gatherings, this time of year can eventually take a toll on one's mental wellness. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a study showed that 64% of people with mental illness report holidays make their conditions worse. In a separate study conducted by the American Psychological Association, 38% of people surveyed said their stress increased during the holiday season. Photo by Tommaso79, Getty Images / iStock Plus Increased stress can cause symptoms of physical illness, depression, loneliness and more. If you or a loved one are experiencing increased stress this year's holiday season, here are some tips to help make your season a bit jollier. Manage your time: Remember that your priorities still matter, and procrastination is not your friend. Putting off important projects can cause unwanted stress. Be sure to prepare ahead of time if you have important deadlines approaching to ensure that you do your best. Try making a schedule of when you will work on your projects and do your holiday prep to make sure your schedule is balanced, productive and not rushed. Set boundaries: Communicate your limits as early as possible to friends and family so that everyone is on the same page. It is okay to say no to social obligations that may be too stressful. Choosing to set boundaries surrounding stressful conversations on topics that may be contentious in a family setting may also be advised. Take care of yourself: The holiday season is not only about spoiling those you love but making yourself a priority as well. Fight seasonal depression by staying on top of your sleep and exercise schedule. If you can, work near a window throughout the day to get as much sunlight as possible. Even adding bright holiday lighting throughout your work or engaging with mindfulness apps on your smartphone can help boost your mood. Seek support: Check in with a local support group or friends who understand what you may be going through. Surrounding yourself with people who feel similar can help combat feelings of loneliness. If you or someone you know needs additional support, reach out to your therapist if you have one, talk to a mental-health professional or contact your primary-care physician. Additionally, if you or a loved one are experiencing a suicidal crisis or mental distress, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (formerly the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) to access free and confidential support 24/7. Labels: behavioral health, depression, holidays, mental health, stress Governor wants firm guidelines on how to spend opioid settlement money, now up to $842 million; Cameron appointee says no About us, and republication Kentucky Health News is an independent news service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. For details, contact Al.Cross@uky.edu. Republication of any KHN material with proper credit is hereby authorized, but if the republication is longer than a news brief we ask that it contain the first sentence of this paragraph. For our site that features articles of lasting importance, go here. COVERING HEALTH: A News Workshop ADVOCACY AND DEBATE HEALTH COVERAGE RESEARCH THE OBESITY CRISIS: our reports Local editorials Thinking About Health columns (Rural Health News Service) KENTUCKY HEALTH LINKS Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky Kentucky Health Facts Coalition for a Smoke-Free Tomorrow Sorting Through the Smoke: Covering Tobacco and Health Kentucky Medicaid Tracker Health Literacy Kentucky Ky. Health Policy Institute Step It Up, Kentucky! Kentucky Voices for Health Alec Foust Bruce Maples Melissa Patrick Observing 'Dry January' can bring lasting benefits... CDC's Kentucky risk map looks about the same as la... Kentuckians' sense of well-being, as measured by a... Robert Slaton dies at 81; was a catalyst for many ... Parents in 21 more counties get CPR kits for infan... New coronavirus cases in Kentucky jumped 40% last ... As he leaves public office, Dr. Anthony Fauci says... Opinion: U of L Health should repay all its state ... More than 1/3 of Kentuckians are enrolled in Medic... Poll of rural Americans finds them more aware of, ... Kentucky again 43rd in America's Health Rankings, ... Critical access hospitals, which turned 25 in 2022... Risk of Covid-19 increased last week in Ky.; boost... Kentucky to get $53 million from Walmart settlemen... After Russell County school employees were educate... Ky. Covid-19 cases up 22% last week; flu kills 31 ... Big, real-world study confirms Covid-19 shots prov... How to manage your mental health in the holiday se... Rep. Guthrie, in line to head health panel, says p... Two studies, one of seniors and the other of all a... Ky. respiratory roundup: Hospitals filling; Covid-... How to not pick up pounds during the holidays, and... Medical cannabis bill will start in Senate; sponso... 58% of Kentucky adults say the pandemic is over fo... Federal audits reveal widespread overcharges, othe... New cases of the flu outnumber new cases of the co... Flu has killed 27 adults and two children in Kentu... Beshear says health decisions based on Kentuckians... UK's Sanders-Brown center is among first sites to ... Number of Ky. counties with high and medium Covid-... Too many pregnant Kentuckians and babies in 'mater... Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky's new five-year ... As flu cases surge in the state, CDC and infectiou... E-cigarette maker Juul Labs to pay Kentucky $14 mi... Epidemiologist says the dreaded triple-demic is he... Covid-19 hospitalizations, positivity rate and new... Flu cases in Kentucky keep rising; at least one ho... After 30 years of hiding it, a small-town mayor sa... Bogus anti-vaccine video goes viral, says a FactCh... Taxpayers pay malpractice awards involving federal... Pandemic stress caused premature aging in teenager... Building trust in public health for the next time:... Ashland hospital system, with 465 beds, is now par... 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Think 'Digital Marketing methods', and you might first of all think of SEO, Google Adwords and Social Media Marketing. There's no doubt that they're exceptionally powerful tools when managed correctly. However, neither comes close to touching the response rate of the method that's most tried and tested of all. Best of all, it's one which in most cases is absolutely free to use. We're talking about e-mail marketing. And we're masters at it. e-mail might seem like yesterday's news, but we've shown businesses just like yours how effective it can be, time and time again. e-mail is personal: If you're on social media like Facebook, you're basically in a public space. Trying to get your message heard can be a bit like shouting on a crowded street. But e-mail, on the other hand, is where we connect personally with people. Getting your message heard there is like having a chat with a friend. e-mail is universal: Absolutely every potential online customer uses e-mail. Some use it more than others, and some mightn't particularly like it – especially at 5 p.m. on a Friday when they're trying to get out for the weekend! However, they all check it regularly: every day, every hour, or every few minutes. On the other hand, they could go days without going on to social media, or maybe they don't use it at all. That means that e-mail marketing is by far the most effective way of getting your message in front of these people. e-mail is detail: This is the big one. With an e-mail marketing campaign, you play by your own rules – not Facebook's or Google's. You can include as much detail as you want, in the way you want to. That's what really hooks the customers, and converts their interest into sales. We'll get the content, length, and tones of your e-mails right for you. An expert copywriter will talk through the proposed content of your e-mail with you. We will identify and prioritise its key points: any special offer, new product or service offered, etc. We craft succinct content for your newsletter to draw attention to these key points. Then we point the reader to the full details on your website, where making a purchase or a product inquiry is just one more click away. We write an attention-grabbing subject line for your e-mail. This will make people want to open your mail and read its content. We consistently achieve e-mail open rates and click-through rates that are higher than the industry average across sectors including Retail, Travel & Transportation, Beauty & Personal Care, eCommerce, and more. We can get you that level of engagement too, to deliver you more inquiries, more customers, and more sales. Talk to us about e-mail marketing today.

Shasheen Shah Home About Approach Speaking Clients Blog Contact Born in 1900: A Matter of Perspective For a small amount of perspective at this moment, imagine you were born in 1900. When you are 14, World War I starts and ends on your 18th birthday with 22 million people killed. Later in the year, a Spanish Flu epidemic hits the planet and runs until you are 20. Fifty million people die from it in those two years. Yes, 50 million. When you're 29, the Great Depression begins. Unemployment hits 25%, global GDP drops 27%. That runs until you are 33. The country nearly collapses along with the world economy. When you turn 39, World War II starts. You aren't even over the hill yet. When you're 41, the United States is fully pulled into WWII. Between your 39th and 45th birthday, 75 million people perish in the war and the Holocaust kills six million. At 50, the Korean War starts, and five million perish. At 55 the Vietnam War begins, and it doesn't end for 20 years. Four million people die in that conflict. Approaching your 62nd birthday you have the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold War. Life on our planet, as we know it, could well have ended. Great leaders prevented that from happening. As you turn 75, the Vietnam War finally ends. Think of everyone on the planet born in 1900. How do you survive all of that? A kid in 1985 didn't think their 85-year-old grandparent understood how hard school was. Yet those grandparents (and now great grandparents) survived through everything listed above. Perspective is an amazing art. Let's try and keep things in perspective. Let's be smart, help each other out, and we will get through all of this Unknown Source All Categories emotional mastery process emotional mastery process (emp) emp interview ocean triggers © 2023 Coherent Strategies LLC

package com.github.dozermapper.osgitests; import com.github.dozermapper.core.DozerBeanMapperBuilder; import com.github.dozermapper.core.Mapper; import com.github.dozermapper.core.el.ELExpressionFactory; import com.github.dozermapper.core.osgi.OSGiClassLoader; import com.github.dozermapper.osgitestsmodel.Person; import org.junit.Test; import org.junit.runner.RunWith; import org.ops4j.pax.exam.Configuration; import org.ops4j.pax.exam.Option; import org.ops4j.pax.exam.junit.PaxExam; import org.ops4j.pax.exam.spi.reactors.ExamReactorStrategy; import org.ops4j.pax.exam.spi.reactors.PerClass; import static com.github.dozermapper.osgitests.support.BundleOptions.coreBundles; import static com.github.dozermapper.osgitests.support.BundleOptions.optionalBundles; import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals; import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull; import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue; import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.junitBundles; import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.options; @RunWith(PaxExam.class) @ExamReactorStrategy(PerClass.class) public class CoreKarafContainerTest extends AbstractDozerCoreOsgiContainerTest { @Configuration public Option[] config() { return options( // Framework karaf4ContainerConfigOptions(), // Bundles optionalBundles(), coreBundles(), junitBundles() ); } @Test public void canMapUsingXMLWithVariables() { Mapper mapper = DozerBeanMapperBuilder.create() .withXmlMapping(() -> getLocalResource("mappings/mapping-with-el.xml")) .withClassLoader(new OSGiClassLoader(com.github.dozermapper.osgitestsmodel.Activator.getBundleContext())) .build(); assertNotNull(mapper); assertNotNull(mapper.getMappingMetadata()); Person answer = mapper.map(new Person("bob"), Person.class); assertNotNull(answer); assertNotNull(answer.getName()); assertEquals("bob", answer.getName()); } @Test public void elSupported() { assertTrue(ELExpressionFactory.isSupported()); } }

Boknafjorden er en fjord i Rogaland fylke i Norge. Fjorden deler fylket i Nord-Rogaland og Syd-Rogaland, hvilket har forringet udviklingsmulighedene i fylket stærkt. Af den grund er der planlagt en tunnel under fjorden, Boknafjordtunnelen. Håbet er, at den skal binde fylket sammen i fremtiden. Kommunene Kvitsøy, Rennesøy, Finnøy, Tysvær, Bokn og Karmøy ligger i eller ved Boknafjorden. Side- og delfjorde fra kysten mod indlandet Indløb Karmsundet Skudenesfjorden Kvitsøyfjorden Boknafjorden Mastrafjorden Boknasundet Talgjefjorden Hervikfjorden Skjoldafjorden Grindefjorden Nedstrandfjorden Forasundet Vindafjorden Krossfjorden Yrkjefjorden Vatsfjorden Sandeidfjorden Sandsfjorden Lovrafjorden Hylsfjorden Saudafjorden Jelsafjorden Erfjorden Fjorde i Rogaland Rennesøy Kvitsøy

package uk.co.orangefoundry.tfl4j.cyclesuperhighway; import org.junit.Test; import uk.co.orangefoundry.tfl4j.DataBasedTest; import java.util.List; import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse; import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull; public class CycleSuperHighwayServiceTest extends DataBasedTest { CycleSuperHighwayService cycleSuperHighwayService = new CycleSuperHighwayService(mockServer); @Test public void getAllHighways() throws Exception { setMockResponse("data/cycle/all.json"); List<CycleSuperhighway> results = cycleSuperHighwayService.getAll(); assertNotNull(results); assertFalse(results.isEmpty()); } @Test public void getOne() throws Exception { setMockResponse("data/cycle/single.json"); CycleSuperhighway result = cycleSuperHighwayService.getOne("RMP-006"); assertNotNull(result); } }

Nick Scott started his career at Lloyds of London in the early 1970s. From there he moved into advertising as a copywriter with Darcy McManus and Masius. Following a ten year period in Andalucia to develop a family and redevelop an olive estate, he returned to London in the 90s and worked as a partner at T.Hoare and co., a major mining, oil and gas broking firm in the city. He is currently finishing a novel. Dear old England. What a wonderful country we live in. Change and decay in all around I see. Europe is in a state of near-collapse. From Coleen Rooney to Kenmare Resources – It's a Buy!

Ann About Town was provided with permanent makeup services from Sheila Bella; please note that all opinions are my own. Have you ever considered getting permanent makeup? I did for years; but I was afraid of the pain, and wasn't sure where to go or how to research it. So let me tell you about my experience with permanent makeup–I had my eyebrows "done" recently; and am so happy with the results! When I was growing up, wearing makeup was a big thing for girls. We all wanted to look older (imagine that!), and thought makeup would help. I grew up in the days of bright blue eye shadow and super-thin, high-arched eyebrows. So, unfortunately for me, I plucked and plucked until I had that thin, thin line. Here's the thing–no one told me they weren't going to grow back very well. In fact, when I finally let them fill in–they didn't. My eyebrows were full of holes and splotches (as you can see in the before video below). I also found out that aging, hormone imbalances, allergies and over-plucking all can lead to eyebrow thinning and loss. Permanent Makeup to the Rescue! So I started thinking about permanent makeup as an option to fill in my eyebrows; lots to think about there because, well it's permanent (or nearly so)! It also sounds kinda painful, doesn't it? Then I wasn't sure where to go or who to talk to about getting it done AND having my brows look natural. Shelia Bella Makes it Easy! No caffeine, no alcohol, no plucking. The morning came and I have to admit I was more than a little nervous; but everyone was so friendly and reassuring. They applied the numbing cream and then introduced my to my new little friend. My eyebrow stylist measured and marked my face, all while asking what kind of brows I was looking for. That was a question I hadn't really considered! She showed me some pictures and we talked about it,all while she colored in "brows" with a marker–so we could see what looked good, and if I'd be happy with the shape. Next came the color choice–again, something I had never even considered. So the stylist mixed up a color and applied it; wiped it off and mixed a little more, then asked me what I thought. It was at this point I remembered to mention that although my hair was red, I would be changing it to a honey blonde in the next couple of months…more mixing and then we both agreed she had found a good color. Finally, we were ready to transform me from "brow-less" to beautiful (in a manner of speaking). While the procedure was painful (imagine small needles poking and scraping across your eyebrows–OUCH!), squeezing the little yellow ball does help; so does closing your eyes and imagining not having the aggravation of applying and re-applying brow makeup every day! After allowing the ink to set for a bit, they videoed my big reveal. What do you think? Once they were all finished, I was given a set of instructions–no picking, no plucking, keep them dry for a couple days and protect them from the sun; and was also provided with a small container of grape seed oil–to moisturize and help with the healing process. After the scabs had healed, I went back for a scheduled touch-up–to fix in any spots that might have been missed or needed filling in. Everyone heals a little differently, so sometimes the ink might spread differently than planned. Sheila Bella also recommends an annual color boost to help my brows keep their shape and freshen up the color. No problem! I'm so happy with my results that I'll do what they suggest. You can find more info about Sheila Bella on their website here, on Facebook, Instagram, or by contacting them directly. They offer permanent makeup for the brows, eyeliner and lips. So if you're in the market, I highly recommend them! Very cool! Looks terrific. I have a friend who has her eye liner done and redone. I am too chicken. I thought I'd be too afraid too; but it really wasn't bad at all. I don't know if I could do the eyeliner though–so close to my eyes. But I'm extremely happy with the results for my eyebrows! It's not as bad as it sounds. I had the micro blading done and survived (I wasn't sure I would because I'm a chicken), but it was pretty easy–and I'm so happy with the results! I've often wondered about this because I have no eyebrows to speak of on the outer half of each brow (I know this can be a symptom of thyroid disease, but that's not the issue for me). I appreciate you sharing your experience–and it's good to know they "sketch" what it'll look like before doing the permanent version (I've wondered about that, too!). They made it wonderfully easy! I just wish I had done this sooner! I'm sure you can imagine how good it feels to not have to worry about re-applying brows after sweating/swimming/even just rubbing my face! My brows are not identical at all, I always wonder about this stuff. Mine either; one is higher & shorter. They evened them out mostly, but we decided to keep one a little higher just because no one's face is perfect & it gives me a little "character.

· Use strong passwords. Choose passwords that are difficult or impossible to guess. Give different passwords to all accounts. · Make regular backups of critical data. Backups must be made at least once each day. Larger organizations should perform a full backup weekly and incremental backups every day. At least once a month the backup media should be verified. · Use virus protection software. That means three things: having it on your computer in the first place, checking daily for new virus signature updates, and then actually scanning all the files on your computer periodically. · Use a firewall as a gatekeeper between your computer and the Internet. Firewalls are usually software products. They are essential for those who keep their computers online through the popular DSL and cable modem connections but they are also valuable for those who still dial in. · Do not keep computers online when not in use. Either shut them off or physically disconnect them from Internet connection. · Do not open e-mail attachments from strangers, regardless of how enticing the Subject Line or attachment may be. Be suspicious of any unexpected e-mail attachment from someone you do know because it may have been sent without that person's knowledge from an infected machine. * Regularly download security patches from your software vendors. If you get an email that has an attachment (usually there is a paperclip symbol next to the name) don´t open it! Attachments can have viruses which will hurt your computer. If you don´t know the person, delete the email right away. If you do know the person, use a virus scan program first to be sure it is safe. One of the most overlooked items of care for your computer is your mouse. It is important to remove the mouse ball every month or two and clean with warm water, take a Cutip and clean the rollers inside the mouse, most people don't do this step and is probably where most problems exist. You will be able to control your cursor much easier after a good cleaning of the mouse. Code that makes sense to two people is more likely to be correct than code that makes sense to one. If you an a colleague made a practice of reading each other's code, it is likely that both of you would be repaid by spending less time debugging your work.

Here at 1on1 Rider Training we offer you a complete training package to suit your needs and to guide you through every stage of your motorcycling adventure. All our courses are designed around you and your timescales. We are a small team of instructors both full and part time. With a combined teaching experience of over 80 years! Our ladies and gents team can offer a wealth of knowledge to help with your training requirements. " Amazing bike training enjoyed it so much and they made life so easy I've sent all my mates there! " "They are a fantastic bunch and couldnt sing there praises enough If you ever want to learn to ride." " Great people who all have a passion for what they do. Makes for a brilliant place to learn. Very highly recommended." "Jen is the most fantastic bike trainer ever and I owe the fact that I can now ride to her , she was amazing, every minute was enjoyable , I couldn't have done it without her help! " "Fantastic friendly and down to earth, I wouldnt have passed my DAS if it wasnt for Jenny, I recommend Jenny and Martin to every motorbike enthusiast I meet!" " The most helpful, supportive and friendly trainers possible. A huge thank you to Martyn and Jenny - I'll see you in a year to sort out my full licence! Highly recommended!" "Thank you guys for getting a very nervous person through the day. Have learnt so much and you have given me the confidence to carry on. Great day, thanks again " Your Driver's License Is Just A Click Away!

Palmarès Club Real Sociedad: 2018-2019 Individuale Campionato europeo di calcio femminile Under-17: Golden Boot 2013 Note Altri progetti Collegamenti esterni Calciatrici della Nazionale spagnola

Microloxia menadiara är en fjärilsart som beskrevs av Thierry-mieg 1893. Microloxia menadiara ingår i släktet Microloxia och familjen mätare. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life. Källor Mätare menadiara

In the wake of the publicity raised by the four stateless Mu Pa team members and the decade-long struggle of paper airplane maestro Mong Thongdee, the issue of Thailand's stateless people is getting some much-needed government attention. A seminar into the issues say that reforms are needed in the nationality verification process to ease complicated bureaucratic procedures and solve the problem of officials' bad attitude toward stateless persons. These suggestions were presented at a seminar yesterday by academics, experts, media and activists, who have been involved in problems surrounding stateless persons and nationality issues. The forum was held in Thammasat University. National Human Rights Commissioner Tuanjai Deetes said from her long experience working on nationality issues for stateless persons, the biggest problem obstructing efforts to register nationals is the negative attitude toward stateless persons by local officials and the slow and complicated bureaucratic procedures. "I understand that the duty of verifying the nationality of stateless persons belongs to the local administrative authorities, who already have many jobs. So many of them see this task as unnecessary and it may cause them trouble later," Tuanjai said. Meanwhile, Nattaya Waewveerakput, social news editor at Thai PBS, said we also need the liberalisation of related laws and regulations, because Thai society is facing the major challenge of an ageing society and we need these young and capable people to push our country forward. Also at the seminar, many young stateless persons, who were born in Thailand but do not yet have Thai nationalities, shared their difficult experiences. They complained about not being able to travel freely, not having access to universal health care and losing out on opportunities to further their studies and finding a job. Among the young stateless persons was Thailand's paper aeroplane champion Mong Thongdee, who was promised a Thai nationality as a reward for representing Thailand in a paper aeroplane competition in Japan nine years ago. He is still a stateless person. Although many of them were born and raised in Thailand and have a strong sense of being Thai, these people have been finding it difficult to register as Thai nationals due to the absence of birth certificates and problems with bureaucratic procedures.

The primary purpose of this role is to provide second line of support assistance to client users experiencing problems with supported software and hardware. This is a client faceing role at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Skokie, Illinois. Identifies and resolves desktop/laptop hardware problems. Initial network troubleshooting and determination of appropriate escalation path. Resolve and work proactively on virus issues and initiatives. Assists in new system deployments/loading appropriate software as needed. Responsible for incidents escalated from first line of support. Write support documentation for customer and/or departmental use. Provides suggestions and information on projects that should be undertaken by the department. May provide first-line technical support handling calls, in order to provide time-of-call resolution to calls whenever possible. May manage projects as assigned by the Manager. BA or BS degree preferred or other relevant combination of training and experience. 2-4 years experience in an desktop support environment preferred. Healthcare environment experience is preferred. May be required to work off hour shifts or be assigned to an on-call rotation. Thanks for applying for the position of Desktop Support Analyst - level 2 with Allscripts Healthcare through Dice.

Show Related Q&As CNA to LPN Programs: Degrees and Training Where in Pennsylvania Can I Take CNA Training Classes? Which Schools in Kansas Offer CNA Training Programs? Which Minnesota Schools Offer CNA Classes and Training? Find schools in Indianapolis offering CNA training programs. Learn about program requirements and get admissions and tuition information for a CNA education in Indianapolis. Schools offering Nursing degrees can also be found in these popular choices. Do you want to become a CNA in the Indianapolis area? As a CNA student, you will learn the medical skills and techniques necessary to gain entry-level work in the nursing field and pass the state's licensing/competency exam. Read below to learn about local schools providing CNA training. There are at least three programs in the Indianapolis are that meet state requirements for a training program to become a certified nurse assistant (CNA). Programs lead to the competency exam required in order to earn licensing as a CNA in Indiana. Depending on the school, a training program may be completed in one semester, six weeks, or two terms. Admission requirements, due to the clinical element of such programs, may include a background check, drug screening, tuberculosis test, and/or physical exam. Ivy Tech's Health Care Support program offers a patient care certificate. This program teaches you to provide basic patient care, while also preparing you for certification as a nurse aide. Once you complete the training, you can qualify to take the CNA certification exam, the dementia care certification exam and the Home Health Aide skills assessment. You can also use this program to prepare for the pursuit of an associate degree in a health-related field. J. Everett Light Career Center is a learning center that offers career training to high school students and adults. The health occupations program teaches you 48 patient care skills through classroom studies and clinical rotations. You'll learn about infection control, anatomy and physiology, medical terminology and human development. It includes the option to apply for unpaid internships to demonstrate your skills and obtain hands-on training. Upon completion, you'll be prepared to take the Indiana CNA competency exam. Located 38 miles from Indianapolis, the Columbus campus of Ivy Tech Community College offers a CNA training program that teaches you to provide basic health care needs to patients. Upon completion of training, you'll be prepared to take the certification examination. The curriculum for the CNA program includes classroom studies and a clinical portion that provides you with hands-on training. You can find a CNA program preparing you for your career through classroom and hands-on laboratory work from Ivy Tech Community College (both Central Indiana and Columbus campuses) and J. Everett Light Career Center.

Modular Visitor Pattern ======= During the development of the Naylang debugger, the need arose to integrate it with the existing architecture. Specifically, it was important to take advantage of the existing evaluation behavior and build the debugging mechanism _on top of it_, thus avoiding the need to reimplement the evaluation of particular AST nodes just so that the debugging behavior could be embedded mid-processing. This left two possibilities: Either the evaluator was modified to include the debugging behavior, or the debugging behavior was specified elsewhere, and then somehow tied with the evaluator. Even though the first possibility is much easier to implement, it had serious drawbacks affecting the maintainability and extensibility of the evaluation engine. Since the debugging and evaluation behavior would be intertwined, any time a change had to be made to either part, extensive testing would be required to ensure that the other engine did not suffer a regression. Even with these drawbacks this was the first approach taken when implementing Naylang, with the intention of factoring out the debugger behavior later on. When the core debugger behavior was implemented, the refactoring process started. During the refactoring process, a new programming pattern arose. This new pattern allowed for the development of completely separate processing engines, each with its own set of behaviors, that could be composed to create more powerful engines. After some experimentation, this pattern yielded great results for implementing the Naylang debugger, and showed promising potential for implementing further features of the language. Description ------- This pattern takes advantage of the very structure of Visitor-based interpreters. In this model of computation, every node in the AST has an `Evaluator` method associated with it, which provides implicit entry and exit points to the processing of every node. This gives the class that calls these methods total control over the execution of the tree traversal. Up to this point, this caller class was the evaluator itself. However, the key to this technique is to take advantage of the intervention points and the extra control over the execution flow and insert arbitrary code in those locations. This code pieces could potentially do anything, from pausing the normal evaluation flow (e.g. in a debugger) to modifying the AST itself, potentially allowing for any new feature to be developed. This pattern is most comfortably used with classes that implement the same methods as the original class, since that will provide with a common and seamless interface with the rest of the system. The following sections explain different variations in the pattern, and provide examples based on how Naylang would implement the debugging mechanism with each of the variations. ### Direct Subclass Modularity The most straightforward way to implement a Modular Visitor is to directly subclass the class that needs to be extended. This way, the old class can be replaced with the new subclass in the parts of the system that need that functionality with minimal influence in the rest of the codebase [@liskov1994behavioral]. By directly subclassing the desired visitor, the implementer only needs to override the parts of the superclass that need code injected, and it can embed the normal execution flow of the application by calling the superclass methods. Figure 5.1 demonstrates the use of this specific technique. In this case, the instantiation of the visitors would be as follows: ``` proc createExtensionVisitor() { return new ExtensionVisitor(); } ```  #### Example In Naylang, this would translate to creating a direct subclass of `ExecutionEvaluator`, called `DebugEvaluator`. As is described in [Debugging](#debugging), the aim of this class is to maintain and handle the current debug state of the evaluation (`STOP`, `RUN`...), and to maintain breakpoints. Assuming the previous mechanisms are in place to handle state, the only capability required from the debugger is to be able to **block the evaluation** of the AST at the points where it is required (e.g. by a breakpoint). As previously described this can only happen in _stoppable_ nodes, and therefore only the processing of those nodes need to be modified. For this example, assume that only `VariableDeclaration` and `ConstantDeclaration` nodes are stoppable, and that we need to add processing **both at the beginning and at the end** of the node evaluation to handle changing debug states. To implement this, it is sufficient to override the methods that process those nodes, and to insert the calls to the debug state handlers before and after the call to the parent class. Every other processing would follow its flow as normal. ```c++ class DebugEvaluator : public ExecutionEvaluator { DebugState _state; public: // Override the desired function virtual evaluate(VariableDeclaration &expression) override; } void DebugEvaluator::evaluate(VariableDeclaration &expression) { // Call to the debug mechanism beginDebug(expression); // Call superclass to handle regular evaluation ExecutionEvaluator::evaluate(expression); // Call to the debug mechanism endDebug(expression); } ``` #### Discussion This version of the pattern is the most straightforward to implement, and has minimal impact in how the visitors are used and instantiated. However, it is the version that most limits the modularity of the evaluation system since as more visitors get added to the class hierarchy the inheritance tree deepens considerably. This oftern will result in an unmaintainable class hierarchy with very little flexibility. ### Composite Modularity As a way of solving the rigidity issues posed by the previous version of the pattern, this second version transforms the pattern to use _composition instead of inheritance_, as it is usually preferred by the industry [@compositionoverinheritance]. In this technique, what previously was a subclass of the extended class is now at the same level in the class hierarchy. Instead of calling the superclass to access the implementation of the main visitor, the extender class _holds a reference_ to the main class and uses it to call the desired evaluation methods. Obviously, since the main visitor is not being extended anymore, **all of the methods** it implements will have to be overriden from the extender class to include _at least_ calls to the main evaluator. Figure 5.2 demonstrates an implementation of this pattern. In this case, the instantiation of the extension is as follows: ``` proc createExtensionVisitor() { super := new MainVisitor(); return new ExtensionVisitor(super); } ```  #### Example There is little to be changed from the previous example in terms of code. The only necessary changes are to adapt the class declaration of `DebugEvaluator` to hold an instance of `ExecutionEvaluator` instead of inheriting from it, and to change the call to the superclass inside the evaluation methods. All of the methods implemented by `ExecutionEvaluator` must be overriden by `DebugEvaluator`, to include at least calls to `ExecutionEvaluator`. Lastly, `DebugEvaluator` needs to have some way of obtaining a reference to a valid `ExecutionEvaluator` instance, be it by receiving it in the constructor or by creating an instance itself at startup. ```c++ class DebugEvaluator : public Evaluator { DebugState _state; // Note that it will accept any subclass of Evaluator Evaluator *_super; public: // Obtain a reference to the desired evaluator DebugEvaluator(Evaluator *super); // Override from Evaluator this time. virtual evaluate(VariableDeclaration &expression) override; virtual evaluate(NumberLiteral &expression) override; // ... } void DebugEvaluator::evaluate(VariableDeclaration &expression) { // Call to the debug mechanism beginDebug(expression); // Call ExecutionEvaluator to handle regular evaluation _super->evaluate(expression); // Call to the debug mechanism endDebug(expression); } void DebugEvaluator::evaluate(NumberLiteral &expression) { // Only need to call the normal evaluation _super->evaluate(expression); } ``` #### Discussion The Composite Modularity method simplifies greatly the class hierarchy by moving the composition of visitors from the subclassing mechanism to runtime instantiation, creating wider, more shallow class hierarchies. However, this also means that the desired composition of visitors must be explicitly instantiated and passed to their respective constructors (e.g. via _factory methods_ [@compositionoverinheritance]). This problem can be circunvented by having the extender class explicitly create the instances of the visitors it nedds directly into its constructor. This can be a solution in some cases, but implementors must be aware of the tradeoff in flexibility that it poses, since then the extender is bound to have only one possible class to call. Lastly, another great drawback of this technique is that it forces the extender class to implement at least the same methods as the main visitor implemented, to include calls to that. This might not be desirable in extensions that only require one or two methods to be modified from the main class. ### Wrapper Superclass Modularity This final version of the Modular Visitor Pattern tries to solve some of the issues with the previous two implementations, while having minimal tradeoffs. Specifically, it aims to provide a system that: - Is flexible enough to allow for a shallow inheritance tree and composability, and - Only requires a visitor extension to override the methods that it needs to override, and not be conditioned by the class it is extending. One way to accomplish these goals is to define an intermediate layer of inheritance in the class hierarchy such that all the default calls to the main visitor are implemented in a superclass, and only the relevant functionality is implemented in a subclass. Roughly speaking, it consists on **grouping together** extensions that need to intercept the execution at similar times, and **moving all the non-specific code to a superclass**. This way, it is the superclass that has the responsibility of handling the main evaluator instance. Figure 5.3 demonstrates an implementation of this pattern. In this case, the instantiation of the extension is as follows: ``` proc createExtensionVisitor() { super := new MainVisitor(); return new ExtensionVisitorA(super); } ```  #### Example Following the previous example, it is possible to define a superclass that bundles the behavior of "executing code before and after evaluating a node". Let us call that class `BeforeAfterEvaluator`. This class has the responsibility of implementing calls to the regular evaluation and providing interfaces for the `before()` and `after()` operations. ```c++ class BeforeAfterEvaluator : public Evaluator { protected: Evaluator *_super; public: BeforeAfterEvaluator(Evaluator *super); virtual evaluate(VariableDeclaration &expression) override { before(&expression); _super->evaluate(expression); after(&expression); } // ... virtual void before(Statement *stat) = 0; virtual void after(Statement *stat) = 0; } ``` Having done that, we can transform `DebugEvaluator` to be a subclass of `BeforeAfterEvaluator`, and thus inherit the regular calls to the main evaluator. We can then override the processing of `VariableDeclarations` to include calls to `before()` and `after()`, and implement those methods to include the debugging behavior: ```c++ class DebugEvaluator : public BeforeAfterEvaluator { DebugState _state; public: // Override the desired function virtual void before() override; virtual void after() override; virtual evaluate(VariableDeclaration &expression) override; } void DebugEvaluator::evaluate(VariableDeclaration &expression) { before(&expression); _super->evaluate(expression); after(&expression); } ``` #### Discussion This is by far the most flexible method, and the one that offers the best tradeoff in terms of ease-of-use and flexibility. However, it requires a great amount of setup effort in order to make it easy to add new subclasses, and therefore it is only worth it for projects that plan to use visitor composition extensively. Applications ------- This visitor design pattern has a myriad of applications. The main benefit is that it allows to extend the functionality of an intepreting engine without needing to change the previous processings. It permits the addition of both semantic power to the language (e.g. by creating a type checking extension, or an importing system) and extralinguistic tools (such as the debugging mechanism) with minimal risk to the existing processing core of the language. **Further research is necessary**, but this technique could lead to a way of **incrementally designing a language**, wherein a language implementation could grow incrementally and iteratively in parallel to its design and specification, safely. It is not hard to imagine the benefits of having the most atomic parts of a language implemented first, and more visitor extensions are added as more complex features are introduced to the language. As mentioned previously, this idea of a fully modular language has been developed in several academic works where the use of monads was suggested [@jlsthesis]. This approach, when applied specifically to Visitor-based interpreters, allows similar levels of flexibility while maintaining the approachability that a design pattern requires.

I think the eye of the storm is a good metaphor for my mood right now. Yesterday I handed in a Literature Review and then this afternoon I had my Japanese speaking exam, which was only 5 minutes long (though I put in quite a bit longer than that preparing for it!) It feels good to have those assessments off my shoulders. Next week will be nice due to the bank holiday on Monday, so there won't be any classes. But there won't be any time for resting, as the following week will feature 2 essay hand-ins and an exam. So although this feels like the nice quiet bit, I intend to do as much work as possible before I hit the turbulence of the final few weeks. And then I'll be gliding free into the calm, open sky of the summer break. It's been a good year, and although one part of me is pleased as I approach the end of my first year, a greater part will be slightly sad to think that it's already gone. Don't tell anyone, but I think I'll miss the commotion of university during the summer, like a storm chaser longing to get back into the fray. ← Where did second year go?!

Tag Archives: Colin Farreel Newt Scamander is about to make the 20s roar. (2016) Fantasy (Warner Brothers) Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Carmen Ejogo, Dan Hedaya, Jon Voight, Gemma Chan, Ron Perlman, Zoë Kravitz, Faith Wood-Blagrove, Jenn Murray, Peter Bretmeier, Kevin Guthrie, Ronan Raftery, Josh Cowdery, Ellie Haddington, Johnny Depp, Anne Wittman. Directed by David Yates J.K. Rowling is a household name and for all the right reasons. A single mum living on the dole at one time, she wrote a fabulous book about a boy wizard named Harry Potter that while ostensibly for children was also well-written enough that adults got into it too. Seven books later, she was a billionaire and the wealthiest woman in Britain save for the Queen herself. Admirably, she gave much of her wealth away, returning it to the government whose assistance allowed her to survive while she wrote her books. Their investment in her paid off. One of the textbooks that Harry Potter studied at Hogwart's was Newt Scamander's bestselling textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He even had his own Chocolate Frog wizard card. So how did he get to be so famous? Rowling – who wrote the script as the first of five movies – set this some seventy years before the Potter films and across an ocean. Scamander (Redmayne) arrives at Ellis Island in New York City in 1926 en route to Arizona. Newt is a magizoologist – an expert in magical creatures. He is carrying a ratty old suitcase with him, one with a latch that just won't stay closed. Inside his TARDIS-like case is a whole ecology where specimens of the various creatures he has collected are residing. Some are being relocated to places where they have a better chance of surviving. None of them are allowed in the United States. Rather than having a Ministry of Magic, the wizards in the New World are governed by the Magical Congress of the United States of America – MACUSA for short. They have recently emerged from a battle with the evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Depp) and they are a bit by-the-book these days. When Newt's case is accidentally switched with the case of Jacob Kowalski (Fogler), an aspiring baker and No-Maj (the American equivalent of a muggle, or person without magical skills), chaos ensues as several creatures escape. Demoted MACUSA agent Tina Goldstein (Waterston) arrests Newt for being an unregistered wizard but when the case he is carrying is revealed to have baked goods in it, he is released. Tina and Newt end up joining forces to re-capture the beasts with the assistance of Tina's sister Queenie (Sudol) who has precognitive powers, and Jacob. However, with Chief Auror (magical investigator) Percival Graves (Farrell) hot on their trail, they need to find the creatures quickly. But that's not all that's going on. A malevolent magical force has been wreaking havoc on the city and there is a society of No-Maj activists led by Mary Lou Barebone (Morton) and her abused son Credence (Miller) and daughters Chastity (Murray) and Modesty (Wood-Blagrove) are helping to create an atmosphere in which the magical community is feeling threatened. Keeping the existence of wizards and witches may no longer be possible when Newt's beasts begin to make their presence felt. This has been justifiably one of the most hyped movies of the year and certainly one of the most eagerly anticipated. Does it measure up with the Potter franchise? Well, yes and no. From a sheer spectacle standpoint, the beasts themselves are entirely magnificent. Yates has also created a very living and breathing jazz age New York City and in many ways that's being overlooked by those praising (and a few damning) the film. The environments both magical and real are visually compelling and inviting. Part of the issue is that while millions are familiar with Hogwart's and the world of Harry Potter, in essence Rowling is starting from scratch. The Wizarding World is distinct and different from the world being built in the Fantastic Beasts series. Sure, they name-check Albus Dumbledore (and he is due to appear in the second film of the series) and of course Scamander himself is name-checked in the very first Potter film but there is little overlap. Therefore there is a ton of exposition so the movie feels turgid at times. Fogler as Jacob felt far more sympathetic and heroic to me than Redmayne did. Of course, Scamander is somewhat socially awkward and tends to isolate himself from people and wizards, being more comfortable around animals. Still, Redmayne is rather bland in his portrayal of the wizard and my attention is less on him than on Jacob who has no magical skills but has a ton of heart. His romance with Queenie is sweet and touching and the most emotional moment in the film belongs to Fogler and for my money, that is the moment that will stay with me from this particular movie. While I've been perhaps a little overly critical of the movie, don't think for a moment that this isn't sheer entertainment. Yates is a veteran at creating magical spectacles and the movie retains the feel of the later-stage Potter films that Yates directed. Hopefully the succeeding movies won't need to set up as much backstory and be able to just tell the story at hand. REASONS TO GO: The fantastic beasts are enchanting as are the special effects. Fogler steals the show. The place and period is nicely captured. REASONS TO STAY: Redmayne is actually rather vanilla here and doesn't seem capable of bearing the weight of the franchise on his shoulders as Radcliffe did. There is a ton of exposition here which slows down the pacing. FAMILY VALUES: There is some violence of a fantasy nature. TRIVIAL PURSUIT: The grey and yellow scarf that Newt wears is a nod to his origins as a member of Hufflepuff house at Hogwart's. COMPARISON SHOPPING: The Spiderwick Chronicles NEXT: Loving Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 1920s, Alison Sudol, bakery, bank, Carmen Ejogo, cinema, Cinema365, Colin Farreel, Dan Fogler, Dan Hedaya, Eddie Redmayne, Ellis Island, escaped creatures, Ezra Miller, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, fantasy, Films, Gemma Chan, Harry Potter, Hogwart's, J.K. Rowling, Johnny Depp, Jon Voight, Katherine Waterston, magic, movies, New York City, precognitive powers, reviews, Ron Perlman, rules, Samantha Morton, Warner Brothers, witches, wizards, Zoe Kravitz | Leave a reply

Isuuga and her sister Kasuuga departed the party with their arms linked together like the thin chains that adourned their hair. Isuuga patted her younger sister's arm and offered her a calming smile, a tickle in her heart almost felt like affection. It couldn't be anything but her body remembering times before she had become one with the golden light of the Anghniel. It has been well documented that those who passed through the Weilvog and returned with eyes the color of the sun were without emotion. Something that they often mentioned that they were glad to give up in passing jokes. Isuuga swallowed some air and looked about the city, the upturned eyes of the strange little people with beards sent a shiver down her spine. The men, the women, even the children all had facial hair of some sort or another. If she were a person that could still feel, then she would be gripped with a kind of fear that she stood as a danger to the dwarves. That she may injure their feet underhoof or knock them down if she wasn't diligent in keeping track of where they were at all times. She muttered soft prayers that she wouldn't bring harm unintentionally on their way to find the halls that housed the Lanh of Khalenthel. Kasuuga seemed to share a similar sentiment, reaching up with her other hand to itch the scars of where her ears had been cropped, something she did when she feigned nervousness. She hadn't become accustomed to this sort of body yet, it felt too light, as though she'd float away if she so much as breathed in a bizarre way. She kept her eyes downturned as they passed in front of the gates of Khalenthel they used to come into this pile of rocks. So many rocks around, she wondered if the ceiling of the mountain with vertical lines of white sediment dotted with gems would collapse and come crashing down. She could almost see it happening, like a stage play in smoke. See-through dwarves running like scuttering ants as see-through boulders crashed down atop of them. She closed her eyes a moment and shook her head, keeping this vision to herself. Imagining that her sister didn't know her secret. But with all sisters, secrets seemed to speak louder than confessions. Isuuga did not pry and instead let Kasuuga daydream along the walk, saying nothing to one another. Together they came upon a doorway with a red striped curtain held open by a stone hook in the shape of a ram's horn. They prodded their heads into the lodge-like room with a hearth and several cloaks on the wall hanging over pairs of musty old boots. It reminded the two of them of the tavern they had just left the night before. Almost in a place of honor there were rows and rows of hoods without cloaks beneath them, many of which were made of fur and dagged at the edges with tears and ornaments of bronze upon each, held behind yet another curtain. A glassy black curtain of a sheer delicate silk with trim along the floor and embroidered runes that made words. They dare not enter the room. They nearly fled for propriety when their eyes shifted to a hook with a fur cloak that was far wider and far longer than its brothers. The spare of that wretched exile they had to put their faith and trust in in order to gain safe passage to the sea. Why the beautiful Abbess had called for her by name, and said that at the half moon, five days from this moment, that exile would be integral to the survival of the eynnil people. The Abbess, the alabaster Abbess, with an apron studded with jewels that may as well have been made of pure starlight, gifted with prophecy, seemed to follow in spirit with this party. Isuuga could almost hear her breath, muttering to herself about the half-moon day. What would she say, if she saw them there? In the dusty mountain amid the soot-stained folk born of rocks. What would the Vaniaal say, the leader of all faithful eynnil in this world, who has prophesized every major event in this lifetime and was so close to attaining the great age of 2500. His health had been stronger than ever, yet the Abbess spoke grimly of his death, always. Isuuga suspected her sister to have the gift of prophecy from a young age, how she'd stare at walls and at clouds and seem thousands and thousands of meters away. Should the Vaniaal pass into the next life, would Kasuuga be next to be chosen? It was said that the Vaniaal came into his good power after having a dream the exact moment his predecessor passed. Modern Lanhs would hand rear children gifted with prophecy, who could turn their eyes to the future, and lead the eynnil people into enlightenment. Isuuga kept something close to excitement to herself. From the mountain scout's hall they walked on, passing no shortage of food service slots in the wall. Taverns and eateries, bakeries and markets, places where people traded their wares. They smelled fresh bread together and reminisced of times long ago when their mother would give them herbal oil on toast as a treat. Through the legs of people, a gaggle of children scampered and played with wooden swords. They were so puny yet had whiskers on their cheeks. They knocked over a barrel of milk and nearly spilled it in the middle of their play. Their caretaker bounded after them, holding up their apron of ruffles and stripes threatening to curse them with silly-shoes if they didn't settle down. The child at the head of the group raced headlong into Isuuga's leg. They fell back with an oof while Isuuga stumbled in her path. She glanced down her cheeks at the child missing both of their front teeth. The child laughed and laughed, waving their sword and making lunges and jabs at Isuuga and Kasuuga, who failed to see the humor in their style. The matron caught up with the leading child, making the other children scatter like little bugs, she picked them up and said that their misbehavior would get them another four hours of cleaning up the school room. She turned to the two priestesses with a sheepish smile and beads and ribbons in her beard, apologizing to them and attempting to reason that they were just orphans. Perhaps she thought that they would be annoyed, or even angry, but the only thing that coursed through either of the priestesses was indifference to them. They merely exchanged words, accepted an apology from the child who now had their ear held by the orphan matron, and left the food hall. Quietly counting the number of taverns, they saw along the way. Too many, nearly double the number in Brinorion. At the edge of the food hall was another group, a group of women who fawned over an item belonging to their friend. A medallion with a gleaming red stone in its center. They squealed and sang little songs together. She boasted that she would be wearing flowers in her hair upon the day of their ceremony, and that this stone of hers would be adorning the hilt of her sword next time she was called to war. Her friends took turns touching her midriff and asking about her imminent babe. She seemed all the more excited to speak of her child who felt as strong as oxen and that there may yet be another warrior in the mountain. She grinned with all her teeth and even offered the priestesses a nod in greeting. Kasuuga couldn't help herself but to stop amongst the group of women and crouch down at their level, Isuuga permitted her younger sister to flutter away and even give a blessing upon the bride and mother to be that her life will be long and her child healthy and mild of manner. They thanked her with stuttering words but whispered amongst themselves how a dwarven child of good parentage could ever be mild. They sat together and, with combs and great smiles, brushed the pregnant woman's hair. Isuuga called her sister back so that they may leave this area and walk on. The Lanh, much like any touch of the light of the Weilvog, was as hard to find as a flea in the sand. Farther down the corridors they came across a procession of sorts, a great ladder was stood almost vertical, and a woman clad in mourning clothes ascended toward the ceiling with a jewel not unlike the one set to adourn a bride's sword. The tears that rolled from her cheeks had an ever-increasing distance to fall as she climbed higher and higher. Set beside the ladder was a handled platform, carried by laborers, upon which laid a lump under a sheet. The cloth over his face was bright and patterned. Passersby would lean in near the laborers and study the cloth. Some shook their heads, some offered condolences to the immediate family. Evidently one of the laborers was his daughter, the other his brother. Isuuga assumed to herself that the woman climbing the ladder was his wife. The presumed wife had a hammer on her belt and proceeded to affix the jewel into the night sky made of stone hanging over the city. Each jewel a symbol of someone who lived and passed here. Clusters belonging to families sat close together like night pictures. It was only in passing that Isuuga and Kasuuga saw this, though the last thing they laid their eyes on, as they glanced over their shoulders at what was undoubtedly none of their business, was the wife returning to the ground and letting her braided hair down and cutting it off at the nape of her neck. Kasuuga mentioned something about funerals, Isuuga forgot about it as quickly as she had heard it. Through a pale archway was a far more tempered and more beautiful place in this city. Nobility dwelt here. Homes bursting from the walls with pillars and columns like the rays of the sun. The ground was a mosaic and well kept. Yellows and whites and blues inlaid in the floor made of glass that felt as though it would crack under the priestesses' weight. The rays created by these homes, stacked up atop one another with arguably handsome, if simple, dwarves living there, converged around a great blue and white arch. The arch stood before two identical armies of guards in plate armor, with shields and weapons all their own. They protected a throne upon a platform whereupon there stood the king of Khalenthel with his family. They also engaged in play, his numerous children had toys and figurines, some showed off to the guards, one in particular was being picked up and swung around by his father. They lingered here to watch and only departed once they had attracted the sideways glance of a guard who cleared her throat and brushed her fingers in her beard. Immediately outside of the nobility's district was a great band of ratty old homes with ratty sorts of people living here. Isuuga disliked this band shaped ring around the king's neighborhood. Yet the end was in sight, there was a beautifully crafted sign at the end of this corridor lined with folk playing card games for money. The Lanh of Khalenthel was here, standing proud with beautiful flags and curtains. Surely the Abbess here would accept the two priestesses in for the night. Give them a bed to sleep in so that they would not be forced to sleep upon the same floor where these dirty folks sat and sniffled and brushed the dirt from their hair. Their skin was sickly pale, nearly as colorless as the white stone which built up the noble district. With their eyes downturned Isuuga and Kasuuga wove amid their games and their bodies. Being stopped along the way by hands touching their robes and pulling on them asking for alms. The priestesses did not oblige for they had no pockets inside of which to keep things that they may just give away. They weren't that sort of priestess. The only one that had successfully made them stop and listen for moments was a human child with a bruise on his cheek. All he asked of them was for them to look at his riding swine figurine. They obliged and studied it, giving kind enough words that it was a fine figurine. They did not mention its missing leg or how it was pocked with holes as though a dog had been chewing on it. While they were used to upturned eyes upon them from children, they could not wait a moment longer to move inside of the Lanh of Khalenthel. They were greeted by another woman, who looked strikingly like the orphan matron. Curled hair around her cheeks, a short beard, and eyes like shiny boot buttons. She didn't have the same accent as nearly every other person that they had seen that day. She sounded as though she'd come from somewhere near the ash lands. Kasuuga looked to her older sister and quietly wondered if there were any settlements of dwarves in that area. They were allowed to bathe and eat, being afforded fine wine made of honey, bread with oil and more honey. They performed ceremonial processions throughout the almost alarmingly small Lanh, helped clean windows, swept down the stairs, and even scrubbed the dust stained curtains before they were shown to a room of floor cushions and blankets where they sat against the wall and feigned that they were asleep. A long quiet "night" of meditation, interrupted once by the Dwarvish Abbess who had peered into the room to say goodnight, passed by. The mountain rumbled and breathed her hot air down their necks and made the entire stay terribly uncomfortable. How any other Eynnil could sleep here was a mystery. But no one from the traveling party came to this place. Isuuga and Kasuuga only assumed that they had followed the poor examples of the sordid scout and slept outside of one of the many taverns and eateries in this city. They returned to the party after the morning bells had rung, with rations of safe food made by the Abbess' skilled hands. Along the way, they were joined by the exiled scout and a strangely familiar-looking eynnil who seemed to get it in her head that she was joining this company. The clothes she wore were of this mountain. They did not trust either of them.

Red and White wedding arbor swag. The arbor swag starts off with assorted greenery along with Red, Blush and white Roses, Dahlias, Hydrangeas, Queen Anns lace, smaller red and white filler flowers and crystals. All the flowers are made from High Quality realistic silk and they are gorgeous. The swag is flexible and can be used straight across or on the corner of your arbor. I also can make matching swags that can be used as tiebacks on your arbor to add a finished touch. If you also need pew decorations at the ceremony they can also be made to match the arch flowers. Take the swag to the reception and add it as your Head Table Centerpiece. The swag measures approximately 6' long,.

Novelty Senior Citizens' are again sponsoring a Wreaths Across America ceremony in Knox County. Wreaths may be purchased for any veteran buried in the county, or nearby. They may be purchased as "grave-specific"--to be placed on a particular veteran's gravesite, or "cemetery-specific"--to be placed on any veteran's grave in a particular cemetery. Please send money ($15 per wreath) and information (if grave- or cemetery-specific) to Marsha Pinson, PO Box 65, Novelty, Mo 63460. Deadline for us receiving money is October 31, 2018. Wreaths will be delivered in December, prior to the Dec. 15, 2018 ceremony.

JEWEL WARE Tributes pour in for longtime Wayne County Commissioner Jewel Ware after her death WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – Tributes are pouring in following the death of Wayne County Commissioner Jewel Ware. Myself, as well as my colleagues, we are absolutely devastated by the sudden loss of our dear friend colleague Jewel Ware Wayne County Commission Chair Alisha BellWayne County Commission Chair Alisha Bell said Ware was more than a politician, but a champion for the people. Michigan Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (MI-14)I was saddened to hear of the passing of my friend and colleague, Wayne County Commissioner Jewel Ware, who died this morning unexpectedly from a heart attack. Jewel Ware was first elected to the Wayne County Commission in 1994 and served as Commission Chair from 2003 through 2008. Wayne County Executive Warren EvansCommissioner Ware was a champion for the people of Wayne County. Wayne County commissioner calls for ban on chokeholds, additional police training County commissioners unanimously adopted the resolution which also calls on the Michigan legislature to provide additional funding for police training. Require officers to de-escalate situations before using force. Ban officers from shooting at moving vehicles. Require officers to be trained to identify and recognize those who have mental and physical disabilities. Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan Legislature and Michigans Congressional delegation, as well as other law enforcement and elected officials. Abandoned industrial buildings in Detroit are riddled with potential contamination click to enlarge Anonymous tipsterInside an abandoned building on Detroit's east side. Sharon Buttry, of the Hamtramck Community Initiative; and Sam Alasri, of the Yemeni American Political Action Committee. Several abandoned industrial buildings on Detroits east side are riddled with potential contamination,has learned.Old industrial equipment is scattered across several vacant buildings on Miller and Selkirk Streets near Mt. There is too much going on in this one small area, endangering families in our neighborhoods. The eight-bill package would stiffen civil and criminal penalties for companies and their leaders who contaminate the air, water, or land with harmful pollutants. metrotimes.com

MV: The age of Youth in Islam, is crucial. A turning point for many, and the years where you find your identity-or loose it. The hardest part of all, is making the right friends and having the right influences. This post is probably one of the most personal reflections I will have ever posted. Its basically a reflection of my past and how I became who I am today. How I found my identity. I wasn't too social as a child. Being an only child for 9 years and not to mention, I was bullied in school. I didn't have too many good friends or you could "real" friends besides a couple. Because of those reasons, I had almost no confidence, I considered myself a loser at times and thought that others thought the same. It was hard growing up, alhumdollilah though, it could have been a lot worse. It was then that my Mom decided to put me into a madarsa (or Quran education classes) at Medford Masjid, New York. I can't thank Allah (swt) enough to bless me with my mother, as it was then that I started to build more confidence, good friends and my identity. At first, it may be extremely obvious, but I was really against going (as most likely any other 12 year old would be). The whole thought just bugged the heck out of me. It wasn't the whole idea of learning the Qu'ran, it was the whole "meeting new people" and having to deal with them almost everyday (Monday-Thursday) deal that turned me down. Most of all, like any kid, I thought it be boring. However, your mother is almost never wrong. It was a clear factor of changing my life and it was the beginning of the whole new world I was going to be introduced to. Most of the kids at the madarsa were from really good environments and so they were of really good nature. The friends I made at Medford madarsa are still one of my good friends of today. I was slowly building confidence but there was still one thing I had left to find, and that was my identity. After a few years, it was then that one of my good friends approached me about joining an "Islamic Youth Group" or better known as, the Muslim Boys Youth Group. "We have these youth group meetings at Selden Masjid Fridays at 6, you should come." At that point in time, I was more confident and I did have more courage, but one of my biggest enemies was laziness. I just didn't feel like going, or taking my time out to join the group. My friend asked every week, and my response was always, "Yeah I'll try to come." On a fair note though, I did want to go, but it just never crossed my mind sometimes and I would forget. In around the 6th time he asked me to come, I told myself, "Don't be a jerk, just go, see how it is, don't let your friend down again." And so I went and just like that my life changed. I remember the first meeting was just pure awesome. Each week we would meet for around 2 hours and we would have a small Islamic talk that would relate to the youth with a toast of basketball. My friend, who was also the ameer (leader) of the group did amazing lessons that he would always somehow relate to the youth. Slowly, I felt myself build a solid confidence in myself. The one thing I loved about the group was that no matter who you were, or how much of a nerd you were (in this case, being me) you were never made fun of. Everyone was treated as equals, no one laughed at you if you said something stupid or acted a certain way. I found really good friends (some of the members were the same from the madarsa) who started out as being friends and then became my brothers. I also learned a really important lesson, you could still have fun and be a good Muslim (not that I'm honoring myself, but from observing the other youth). In an Islamic thought, I was saved from making bad friends and being pulled into a bad environment. Many of the youth these days are into drugs, alcohol, adultery and God knows what else, but alhumdollilah I was saved because of the Muslim Boys Youth Group. Without it, I would have been lost. After a few years, I was alhumdollilah given the position of leading the group. In the years following to my leadership, I was almost in grasp of my identity, but not completely. For those who have been in a leadership role, you know its a lot different then just being a member. You see the group in a broad sense, almost like looking at the vast sea from far away, instead of being the fish that swims in the ocean. I faced many hardships and learned that being the leader was not easy. But the best thing was, I found my identity. I learned from my past and leadership role that I had a duty to play, a part of the whole. I wanted to be a person who could help other youth come to the Masjid and help build confidence in them. I wanted them to find a solution and help find their identity. After moving from the city I grew up in, in New York, I moved to the Dallas area just last year. In order to help further achieve my goals, with the help of the community and Allah (swt), I was alhumdollilah able to establish a youth group in Frisco, Texas. May Allah (swt) help other youth find their identity, Ameen. MashAllah I enjoyed the read. I have two younger brothers and it helps me to understand the psyche. I very much believe Islam should be present in a child's life no matter how religious the family environment is overall. JazakAllah for sharing your personal experience. May Allah SWT reward you and keep you on the straight path. ^Thanks for the kind comments Sister Rabia. Wa Iyyakum, Ameen and for you as well insh'Allah. I read your article and feel very proud of you. All the credit goes to your mother who took the time and tried her best to make sure you become a successful person. Thanks a lot, appreciate it. Jazakullah khair.

Great investment property, 5 bedroom, 2 baths. Selling As-Is needs alittle TLC. Residential acreage with 19 acres of farm and woods. Tillable land with some low land. Great place to build your dream home. Conveniently located just minutes to downtown, hwys, and shopping.

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We live in a world where navigating the ever-changing landscape of healthcare is difficult, especially alone. This month's CenterStage features Bill Hester discussing how to navigate that landscape more efficiently and effectively. Bill provides the insiders advantage on how to select an advisor, the relationship that should be developed between you and your advisor, and the services and opportunities Forté can provide. Employee benefit packages are expensive. It's never been more important to find a benefit advisor who understands how to develop a strategy to make the best use of your budget. Benefit consultants do more than assist in the selection of benefit plans. An experienced benefits consultant can put together a benefits package to attract and retain top talent, increase tax savings, encourage wellness and even increase revenue. Forté delivers unmatched, quantifiable outcomes. The services provided can affect people in all walks of life, which is why it's a top priority to have advisors, like Bill, on hand and ready to help. There are a few questions you should be asking when searching for a new benefit advisor. First, do they have the knowledge and resources to provide you with compliance advice relevant to state and federal laws? If your advisor does not operate within these laws, you may incur significant penalties. Avoid this by choosing a thorough, knowledgeable advisor. Forté goes above and beyond by having a local and national compliance department separate from one another to ensure every plan is legal and viable for our clients. Secondly, do they look for a reasonable, customizable cost of services? Forté is transparent about payment in relation to services and adjusts payment options to a clients' needs. Some clients choose to pay through the premiums of a product, while others prefer to pay a flat-fee. There's also an option for building a per employee per month payment plan. Be sure your benefits advisor is being transparent about their fees and offering you sufficient payment options. Are they readily reporting on the performance of your benefit plans? You should always feel as though you are the highest priority to your advisor. Your advisor should be reporting on your plan regularly, adjusting tools where needed and keeping you in the loop consistently. Are they a one-stop shop? For all the money that you invest in benefits, you should not have to pay MORE money for other services. Find a benefit advisor that can support all your needs or will negotiate and navigate the outsourcing for you. Can they talk the talk AND walk the walk? Not only can your benefits advisor provide you with all the resources you need, but they understand how to execute your plan and use each resource. "This is especially important at Forté," says Bill. "We want our clients to know we don't just have everything they need. But that, we can EXECUTE it, too." Forté provides a 360° Perspective™ on the strengths and weaknesses of your short and long-term benefit strategies. Through this unique process, Forté delivers an actionable and meaningful blueprint for your future, while providing access to valuable resources that ensure efficiency and accountability. Your benefit advisor should be able to deal with any and all current and potential problems that may arise, while establishing and maintaining a engaged, meaningful relationship. If you have any questions or are interested in learning more about Forté, please contact Bill Hester at 817.347.9138.

On April 27 and 28, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will once again host a test of the FIA ​​World Rallycross, which this year will be closer than ever. The World RX of Catalunya presents this 2019 the Hot Wheels RX Stars Race, a test of Carcross with the presence of great local pilots such as Pol Espargaró, Gerard Farrés, Dani Clos and Cristina Guitiérrez. The date of one of the most important events in the annual calendar of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is approaching: the CatalunyaRX. Five years ago, the Catalan track hosts one of the most attractive motorsport competitions, as it is a very dynamic event due to its competition format. In the World RX of Catalunya on April 27 and 28, 2019 you can see up to 80 different races corresponding to the second round of the World RX, the first appointment of the Euro Super1600 and the RX2, in which Albert Llovera will participate. As well as the support race of the CatalunyaRX, the Hot Wheels RX Stars Race of Carcross. In addition, the southern area of ​​the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will host the first round of the Spanish Drift Championship (Open Slalom Drift). Great stars from the world of Catalan and Spanish motorsport will also compete in the CatalunyaRX 2019. MotoGP rider Pol Espargaró, dakar drivers like Gerard Farrés and Cristina Guitiérrez and ex-F1 driver Dani Clos will climb a Carcross to enjoy a very competitive race. amusing in the rallycross track of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Each year the World RX of Catalunya has held a Carcross race to give local pilots the opportunity to compete in the home world championship. This year, he has been given a lap and great drivers from home will also have a leading role. The World RX of Catalunya is more than a race weekend. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will have a fan zone where you can perform activities related to motorsport, simracing, stores and Monster shows among others. Tickets for the CatalunyaRX are available on the web www.catalunyarx.com from € 30, also with promotions for families, groups, young people and discounts for different groups.

Courtesy Photo When the annual Thespian and music awards program was held at Cardington-LIncoln High School, Katie Haught was named the Most Outstanding Thespian and also the outstanding band performer winning the John Phillip Sousa Award. In photo: Tracy Williamson, left, Thespian advisor, Katie Haught and John Brehm, music director. Courtesy Photo Cardington-Lincoln HIgh School Thespian Award winners made during a special program by Tracy Williamson, advisor (left )winners were, l-r: Zach Lee, Morgan Robinson, Cameron Longstreth, Destiny Williamson, Jared Haught, Katie Haught and John Brehm, music director. Straight A's: Lilly Grooms, Makenna McClure, Alicia McElwee, Jacob Long, Joshua Queener, Zach Burton, Liam Chandler, Esther Elliott, Clayton Fisher, Khyla Jones, Kaitlyn Leonard, Jane Perry, Morgan Robinson and Zach Lee. Academic Letter Award: 9th grade: Tatyana Artrip, Spencer Benson, Maxton Congrove, Mikayla Conrad, Jordan Deskins, Lilly Grooms, Marissa Hall, Mariah Hershey, Olivia Jones, Megan Leonard, Quinn Maceyko, Mayson Martin, Makenna McClure, Alicia McElwee, Kameron McQuillen, Sydney Ray, Cade Ruehrmund, Sydney Schuman, Kaeli Tracht, Sydney Vaught, Sarah Waters, Brooklin Whitt, and Maxwell Yocco. Choir/and Band: National School Choral Award: Joe George; John Phillip Sousa Award: Katie Haught. The full length version of this story can be found online at www.morrowcountysentinel.com. Evelyn Long is a correspondent with the Morrow County Sentinel and can be reached at wlong2@columbus.rr.com.

Podcast: Newton County Buck Gross 183 Inches Brad Gill | November 4, 2019 Dylan Kirkley, of Covington, has killed a deer that would make any midwestern hunter proud. His Newton County 17-pointer, only the second buck he's ever killed, grossed 183 inches. "This is the second year we had him on camera," said Dylan. "He showed back up in July (2019), and then he just disappeared for like two months. We didn't know what happened. I believe it was the week before dove season when he showed back up." Dylan and his buddies bowhunt, and one of his friends did see the deer one time in bow season. "We went bowhunting for him a few times," said Dylan. "It was one of those things where you go and you get down out of the stand, and 20 or 30 minutes later he was on the camera, and it would be dark. He was messing with us pretty much. [iframe style="border:none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/11870813/height/360/width//thumbnail/yes/render-playlist/no/theme/standard-mini/tdest_id/1553768″ height="360″ width="" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen] "A friend of mine saw him early one morning. It was too dark to do anything with him, but he could tell what it was," said Dylan. "We saw him two times out of the stand in rifle season and couldn't get a decent shot on him, and we didn't want to take a chance on it, so we just waited him out." On the afternoon of Oct. 27, Dylan was in a tower stand with his buddy Josh Skaggs, of Covington, and they were overlooking an old, grown-up bean field. Around 6:30 a group of does showed up in the field. "He tapped me on the leg and said, 'I see some horns coming out of that bottom down there,'" said Dylan. "I got my glasses on him and looked, and it was him. I really didn't know what to do. It was a long shot, so we waited and waited until he came up and bumped those does, and once they ran off, he just milled around eating some acorns out there on the edge of the field. He was quartering away from us, and I said we're just not going to do it right now. We waited a few more seconds, and he turned broadside and gave us a good opportunity, and I took it." Dylan was shooting a 6.5mm Creedmor, a caliber that has been growing in popularity in recent years. "We get within 100 yards of him, and his horns are sticking up out of the grass. We knew we had something pretty special there. He got bigger the closer we got," said Dylan. Dylan's 183-inch deer will not be in Truck-Buck, but he will be having it officially scored after the required 60 days of Boone & Crockett drying time expires. It's still unclear if the buck will score better as a typical or non-typical. Get After The Latest Episode Donald Jarrett Shares His Latest Turkey Hunting Strategy Talking Life On The Back Page With Daryl Gay Podcast: Talking Deer Management Hunter Tells Full Story Of Oconee National Forest Buck, 22 Inches Wide Podcast: Talking With Scott Hodges Podcast: 158-inch Bartow County Bow-Kill Tags Out Lady Hunter Podcast: Georgia Duck Forecast 2019

Alipay is the preferred payment choice for Chinese consumers and there's a growing demand for retailers across Europe and the United States to start accepting the mobile payment method trusted by millions. Payworks has made the integration easier than ever, giving you more reason to make Alipay a part of your Point of Sale solution. Through a simplified integration process, you can enable your merchants to accept Alipay within minutes! Through the Alipay SDK, Alipay transactions can readily be processed. Integrating the latest payment technologies enhances your Point of Sale to a modern solution and guarantees the best system for merchants and their business. Through the white-label solution from Payworks, Acquirers can deploy a modern Point of Sale system with the latest payment acceptance technologies, including Alipay, in their own brand. This saves time on both integration and certification and gives you full access to SDKs which allow you to easily work with third party integrators. Acquirers looking to implement Alipay acceptance into their solutions can count on the powerful technology from Payworks to seamlessly integrate into existing POS systems. Why your POS needs Alipay?

import { number_type, string_type } from '../../constants'; import { emit } from '../../emit'; import { create_tuple_type, is_tuple_type } from '../tuple-type'; it('should return correctly', () => { expect( emit( create_tuple_type({ types: [string_type, number_type], }), ), ).toMatchSnapshot(); }); describe('is_tuple_type', () => { it('should return correctly', () => { const element = create_tuple_type({ types: [string_type, number_type], }); expect(is_tuple_type(element)).toBe(true); }); });

I am planning on entering Laos from Chaing Rai. Is there a direct bus route? Or do I have to make any transfers? I am planing on visiting (with only a weeks time) Luang Prang(3 days), Viang vang (3 days) and Vientiane (2days). From there I am going to Hanoi, Vietnam. The biggest problem so far is entering from Chaing Rai and exiting from Vientiane into Hanoi. Once in Luang Prabang it's simple enough to catch a bus down to Vang Vieng and ditto from there to Vientiane -- both of those trips are around 6 hours. Vientiane to Hanoi ... Well Vientiane is on the Thai border so it's practically as far away from Hanoi as you can get in Laos. The only option if you have time restraints is to fly, which is expensive. If you're planning to do this whole trip overland then you should rearrange it. In my opinion one week is not enough time to comfortably go from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng to Vientiane when factoring in the travel days. "Luang Prang(3 days), Viang vang (3 days) and Vientiane (2days)" Does this include travel time? Because Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang by bus and/or boat will take 2-3 days, then bus to Vang Vieng up and over the mountain pass about 7 hours, then to Vientiane another 4+ hours. So factor this in and you're left with 1-2 days in each place. Still worthwhile but get real about slow transport in Laos. "The biggest problem so far is entering from Chaing Rai and exiting from Vientiane into Hanoi " No real problem, you just have to be patient and allow time for delays and adversity (welcome to the 3rd world). Getting over the bridge at Chiang Khong is fairly straightforward, then take the next bus or boat heading to LP (12-hour bumpy bus, 2-day slow boat, or 7-hour speed boat). From Vientiane to Hanoi you can either take the 24-hour hell bus (arrives at border in the middle of the night then sits there for hours until border opens, with no food drink toilet explanation etc.) or bite the bullet and grab a 1-hour flight. To second what DLuek said, one week is not enough time to cover Chiang Rai to Vientiane . You would spend almost all that time in transit. For one week I would suggest you can take the slow boat/bus from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang , spend all your available time in Luang Prabang including day trips, then fly to Hanoi. Or fly Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang, spend a rushed few days there and in Vang Vieng, then fly Vientiane to Hanoi. I would personally recommend the first option because even the second option packs in a lot into one week. If I were you, I would listen carefully to the advice of DLuek, Captain_Bob, and SoManyMiles above. All three have travelled the routes you propose extensively, know their way around Southeast Asia with a backpack, and understand perfectly how slow travel is in Laos and how much time it takes to move around. Your trip has a built-in time constraint, so you can't change that, but what you do have control over is your itinerary. Think carefully about either flying from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang to give yourself extra time in Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng ; or skipping Vang Vieng and Vientiane so you can fly directly from Luang Prabang to Hanoi. Otherwise, like the others suggest, you will be too rushed to enjoy yourself and will only have time for the most pedestrian look at Luang Prabang. I hope that helps. Good luck and have a wonderful time. Cheers.

Impact of drugs counselling by an undergraduate pharmacist on cardiac surgical patient's compliance to medicines. Open heart surgery is a procedure which warrants patient education about the complexity of drug regimens and lifestyle modifications. Patient nonadherence is likely to have a considerable negative impact on the patients' quality of life post-cardiac surgery. Objective: To evaluate the impact of pharmacist intervention on patients' adherence to medication and lifestyle changes. Method: This case-controlled study was conducted at the Cardiac Surgical Ward and Outpatients Clinic of Mater Dei Hospital, Malta. Eighty consecutive patients who underwent coronary artery bypass or heart valve surgery were interviewed on their day of discharge using the 'Past Medical History Questionnaire'. The patients were then randomized to receive pharmacist intervention or usual care. Those who received intervention (40 patients) were given a chart with pictorial explanation of the time of day together with a colorful photograph of each tablet prescribed. This group of patients was also counselled to comply to oral analgesia and exercise and also on the avoidance of alcohol and smoking during the recovery period. The control patients received usual care without the pharmacist intervention. All patients were re-interviewed eight weeks after discharge using the 'Assessing Patient Compliance Questionnaire'. Any differences between the control and experimental groups were analysed using Chi-square, Three-Way Cross tabulation One-Way ANOVA and Two-Way ANOVA tests using the SPSS software version 17.0. Results: A statistically significant difference between the two groups in the mean percentage compliance was registered following pharmacist intervention (p<0.05). Patients in the experimental group had a higher mean percentage compliance score (88%) than patients in the control group (66%). Conclusion: The statistically significant difference in the mean percentage compliance between the two groups following pharmacist intervention shows conclusive evidence of the advantage patients gain when offered this intervention. The pharmacist intervention provides patients with sufficient information to help them achieve optimal benefit from the medication prescribed. Keywords: Pharmacists. Medication Adherence. Cardiac Surgical Procedures. Malta. 1. Operating Theatre Activity for 2009. Operating Theatre database, Mater Dei Hospital, 2010. 2. Cebeci F, Celik SS. Discharge training and couselling increase self-care ability and reduce post discharge problems in CABG patients. J Clin Nurs. 2008;17(3):412-420. 3. Theobald K, McMurray A. Coronary artery bypass graft surgery: discharge planning for successful recovery. J Adv Nurs. 2004;47(5):483-491. 4. Meyer K, Laederach-Hofmann K. Effects of a comprehensive rehabilitation program on quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure. Prog Cardiovasc Nurs. 2003;18(4):169-176. 5. Insull W. The problem of compliance to cholesterol altering therapy. J Intern Med. 1997;241(4):317-325. 6. Krueger KP, Felkey BG, Berger BA. Improving adherence and persistence: a review and assessment of interventions and description of steps toward a national adherence initiative. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2003;43(6):668-678. 7. LaRosa JH, LaRosa JC. Enhancing drug compliance with lipid-lowering treatment. Arch Fam Med. 2000;9(10):1169-1175. 8. Haynes RB, Ackloo E, Sahota N, McDonald HP, Yao X. Interventions for enhancing medication adherence. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;(2):CD000011. 9. Masoudi FA, Baillie CA, Wang Y, Bradford WD, Steiner JF, Havranek EP, Foody JM, Krumholz HM. The complexity and cost of drug regimens of older patients hospitalized with heart failure in th United States, 1998-2001. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(18):2069-2076. 10. Fredericks S, Ibrahim S, Puri R. Coronary artery bypass graft surgery patient education: A systematic review. Prog Cardiovasc Nurs. 2009;24(4):162-168. 11. Suls J, Wan CK. Effects of sensory and procedural information on coping with stressful medical procedure and pain: a meta-analysis. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1989;57(3):372-379. 12. Al-Rashed SA, Wright DJ, Roebuck N, Sunter W, Chrystyn H. The value of inpatient pharmaceutical counselling to elderly patients prior to discharge. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2002;54(6):657-664. 13. Gabriel M, Gagnon JP, Bryan C. Improved patient compliance through use of a daily drug reminder chart. Am J Public Health. 1977;67(10):968-969. 14. Katz MG, Kripalani S, Weiss BD. Use of pictorial aids in medication instructions: A review of the literature. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2006;63(23):2391-2397. 15. George J, Elliott RA, Stewart DC. A systematic review of interventions to improve medication taking in elderly patients prescribed multiple medications. Drugs Aging. 2008;25(4):307-324.

ECG stands for electrocardiography and refers to an examination method in which the electrical activity of the heart is measured. The so-called heart action is thereby derived via electrodes and recorded in the form of curves. Based on this, the doctor can judge if the heart is functioning properly. Pigment spots (hyperpigmentation) are brownish discolorations of the skin. The dark areas of the skin are created when special cells in the skin release more of the skin pigment melanin in certain areas. Pigmented spots are usually harmless. However, many people find it unpleasant and cosmetically disturbing. Already in ancient times juniper was used for healing purposes. It has a diuretic and antispasmodic in gastrointestinal disorders. Applied externally, it can relieve rheumatic complaints. Read more about the medicinal and spice plant juniper and the juniper berry effect! Product overview Juniper healing power Application Side effects Application instructions Sources of supply What is the healing power of juniper? The lacrimal gland produces most of the tear fluid that is supposed to protect the eyeball from dehydration. The tear fluid has a high salt content and also bactericidal properties. If there are too many tears that can not be overcome by the draining tears, they flow over the lower edge of the lid. Vitamin B6 is involved in central metabolism processes, for example, in the conversion and incorporation of proteins, in the construction and protection of nerve connections and it supports the immune system. The body can not produce the water-soluble vitamin B6 itself, which is why it has to be fed through the diet. Many people think of melissa quite soon to Melissengeist - especially to the still popular today Klosterfrau Melissengeist. It is a product that does not have a good reputation among many medical professionals. The reason: melissa spirit contains up to 79 percent alcohol. The harmful effect of alcohol - according to many experts - surpasses the positive effects of the melissa spirit.

An important piece of London Street Art by artist Stik has been stolen from a Dulwich location. It was one of three panels situated on the side of Mrs Robinson, a homeware shop on the corner of Lordship Lane and Blackwater Street. The shop owner had turned over the space on the side of the building as a place for street artists to exhibit their work. The painting by Stic was an interpretation of 'Mrs Moody and her sons' by Thomas Gainsborough and was a part of the Dulwich Festival and Dulwich Picture Gallery's 'Baroque the Streets' programme earlier this year.

Four scenes from the life of St. Peter of Verona, also known as Peter Martyr, are depicted in frescoes at the Portinari Chapel, at the Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio, Milan. One of these shows an incident from his life in which he exorcised a possessed statue of the infant Jesus and the Blessed Mother, complete with devil horns. There is very little information about the incident. One study of miracles attributed to Peter indicates that his reputation as an exorcist was secondary to the healings attributed to him. Maybe the painting was meant to encourage him?

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Whether you're just getting started with travel blogging or you're looking to lift your existing blog and grow your following, having the best resources on hand can help you research more effectively, make the most of your travel budget, and take your blog from hobby to pro. Get immediate updates when airfares change with these five popular airfare tracking and comparison websites. Simply enter which cities you'd like to track flights to, to receive email alerts when a cheap flight comes up. Learn how to maximize your air miles with The Points Guy – a site dedicated to helping frequent flyers use their hard-earned loyalty points and airline miles to fly first class and stay at luxury hotels for "less than the cost of a coach ticket and a hostel bed". Finding the right accommodation option can be time consuming, but these sites are designed to help you quickly and easily compare prices and user ratings and reviews to make the best choice for your next trip. Looking for a trusted global provider of travel insurance? World Nomads covers people from more than 150 countries, offering medical and evacuation cover, 24-hour emergency assistance and cover for a large range of adventure activities. They also offer travel scholarships every year for people looking to further their experience in travel photography, travel film and writing. Learn how to create and maintain a successful and lucrative travel blog with Travel Blog Success, which covers topics such as telling effective stories, leveraging social media, writing and publishing an ebook, and creating pitch letters. If you want to create a sustainable business, check out Nomadic Matt's The Business of Travel Blogging Course, which is written by a best-selling author and successful blogger for wannabe adventurers. Learn how to create a strong brand, create content that people actually want to read, sell affiliate products and avoid common mistakes. MatadorU teaches beginner through advanced-level students how to produce travel media through writing, photography, and filmmaking. Their courses include the fundamentals of travel writing and photography, film making, advanced travel writing and more. The websites of official tourism boards can be goldmines for bloggers – particularly if you're considering travel to a country you don't know much about, or you're looking for visa and visitor information. The below isn't a definitive list of all destinations you may be interested in, but it offers a good starting point with 50 popular options.

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The following are public holidays in Uruguay. Only 5 of these holidays (January 1, May 1, July 18, August 25 and December 25) imply a mandatory paid leave for workers. Most of the other days are only observed by schools and some public sector offices. Moveable holidays According to Uruguayan Law 16,805 with modifications of Law 17,414, the holidays declared by law, subject to the commemoration of them, follow the following scheme (whose commemoration as "moveable holidays"): If coincide on Saturday, Sunday or Monday will be observed in those days. If occur on Tuesday or Wednesday, will be observed on Monday immediately preceding. If occur on Thursday or Friday shall be observed on the Monday immediately following This will not occur with Carnival and Tourism Week, and corresponding to January 1 and 6, May 1, June 19, July 18, August 25, November 2 and December 25, which will continue watching on the day of the week that may occur, whatever the same. Independence Day Historian Leonardo Borges argues that Independence Day, celebrated on August 25, does not reflect the actual birth of the nation. When the independence of the Brazilian Empire and the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata was signed on August 25, 1825, Uruguay remained part of Argentina, the Banda Oriental. Borges says that "[I]t seems like nonsense" to establish August 25 as Independence Day. Ana Ribeiro, Undersecretary of Education and Culture, argues that all such dates are arbitrary, and points out that Bastille Day does not celebrate the determining date of the French Revolution. The Treaty of Montevideo, signed on August 27, 1828, and ratified on October 4 of the same year, after the Cisplatine War, granted independence to Banda Oriental, which became Uruguay. References External links Uruguay Holidays Events in Uruguay

Katadiano en basque ou Catadiano en espagnol, est un quartier dans la commune ou contrée d'Anda faisant partie de la municipalité de Kuartango dans la province d'Alava dans la Communauté autonome basque. Référence Voir aussi Liste des municipalités d'Alava Localité en Alava

This room is located in the new hotel building. It's a comfortable and stylish suite consisting of a living room and a comfy bedroom. A perfect choice for families with children. This suite will fulfill even the most sophisticated requirements! The total surface area of this room together with the bathroom amounts to 34 m2.

McBride's Fire Chief counts back the years Published on : January 25, 2011 Published by : The Goat McBride's fire chief David Hruby has handled explosives on aircraft, charged into burning buildings and kept his team's spirit high throughout his 30-year career. He was recently awarded one of Canada's highest honours for a career in firefighting for his work as a fire chief in McBride since the 1980s – the federal Fire Services Exemplary Service Bar. Hruby had a precocious start in firefighting at the age of 14 in the junior fire fighting program in Wisconsin where he grew up. The experience led him to create the junior fire fighting program in McBride many years later. From 1969 to 1974, he worked in the US Navy as an aviation mechanic, and all members were part of the fire suppression crew. He says the most challenging educational time spent was on the Aircraft carrier Ticonderoga working with aviation fuels and explosives. "In the last 30 years there have been many trying situations and calls," Hruby writes in an email. "Each call is challenging in its own right. The decisions made can literally be life or death decisions, so the training and experience have to just kick in and solve each situation as it comes. That is the joy of the job." After leaving the Navy, he continued to work in fire services in various parts of the U.S. until he moved to McBride in 1980. His wife Rosemary says they came to Canada to get back to a small town way of life. They took a July 4th vacation and came up to this area just "on a lark." "We fell in love with the area and the people," she says. The service station was for sale – so they made an offer, bought it, packed up and moved north. At the time they moved to the Robson Valley in 1980, the fire department served only the Village of McBride and had only one truck. In 1984 the fire department became a regional one under the Regional District of Fraser Fort George and the service area stretched from just the village to a service area of five road miles. Rescue service was added in the late 80s. With careful budgeting, the trucks have expanded to three service units today, known far and wide by their signature flames on the hood. Martina Wall has been a firefighter for nine years and has known Hruby her entire life since he and her dad were good friends. "We're kind of one big family at the fire hall so it's like he's part of my family," she says. She says he is always wanting the 28-member crew to get as much training as possible and make sure they are on top of their work, but he doesn't forget about fun. "He's compassionate," she says. "He's always making sure everyone's doing ok and dealing with things how he should." Hruby received his award at the Christmas appreciation supper held in November in McBride. The award was presented by his friend and fellow Fire Chief Bryant Kemble. Fire chief for a day Junior firefighter program hooks new recruits Controlled burn gets out of hand Valemount Fire chief celebrates 30 years Firefighters lauded for saving a home Alpine Coaster proposed for Valemount Meet Valemount's new bylaw enforcement officer

Windham moves into tie for 1st in division with win PETER KOIVA Nov 6, 2012 at 12:01 AM Nov 6, 2012 at 6:03 AM Windham's goal was simple heading into Monday night's game against Waterford: Defeat the Lancers and move into a three-way tie at the top of the Eastern Connecticut Conference Medium Division. WILLIMANTIC — Windham's goal was simple heading into Monday night's game against Waterford: Defeat the Lancers and move into a three-way tie at the top of the Eastern Connecticut Conference Medium Division. The Whippets looked to be well on their way to doing just that when Christian Clarke took the second play from scrimmage 72 yards to the end zone, but it took three interceptions by Issiah Santiago, a second Clarke touchdown and a touchdown grab from Dakota Fleming to seal a 21-15 victory over Waterford. The game was moved to Monday because of a storm. Key interceptions by both squads highlighted the first half. Santiago picked off two Seth Hoagland passes, the first one in the end zone. The second gave the Whippets the ball on the Lancers' 15 with a 7-0 lead. The Waterford defense came through with a key stop, though. Christopher Jones made an interception and brought the ball back to the Waterford 3-yard line. The Lancers marched 97 yards, capping the drive with a 44-yard strike from Hoagland to Kyle Willoughby with less than 2 minutes in the half. Bishme Sheppard punched in the conversion to give Waterford an 8-7 lead at the half. Sheppard had 71 rushing yards at the break, and Clarke racked up 107 yards on eight carries for the Whips. A Clarke interception got Windham rolling in the third, giving the Whippets the ball on their own 46. Eight plays later, Clarke rumbled in from five yards out to give the Whippets a 13-8 lead. Clarke ended the day with 174 yards on the ground. Waterford (5-3, 3-1 ECC Medium) lost a fumble on its next possession, giving Windham the ball back. Dakota Fleming capped the seven-play drive by taking an Alex Beaudreault 29-yard pass into the end zone for a 21-8 lead. "The difference in the game was the beginning of the third quarter," Waterford coach Mike Ellis said. "We got the ball. We need to come down and punch one in and instead we turn the ball over and let (Windham) score." The teams traded turnovers in the fourth with Waterford capitalized with 7:38 on the clock after a Kyle Willoughby pick. Hoagland went to air on the first play following the turnover, connecting with Willoughby for a 46-yard touchdown. Waterford (3-5, 1-3) got the ball back in the final seconds, but the Lancers' hail mary attempt ended up in the arms of Santiago. "Our defense stepped up and played tough," Windham coach Brian Crudden said. Windham has a much-needed bye week coming up. "We do have our fair share of nicks, so it will be our healing time," Crudden said.

Zalesie Śląskie () – wieś w Polsce położona w województwie opolskim, w powiecie strzeleckim, w gminie Leśnica. Historycznie na Górnym Śląsku. Od 1950 miejscowość znajduje się w województwie opolskim. Zalesie Śląskie leży na wschód od Leśnicy. Historia Miejscowość została po raz pierwszy wzmiankowana w dokumencie z 1223 roku jako "Zalese". Przyznano wówczas klasztorowi w Czarnowąsach prawo pobierania dziesięciny z Zalesia. W 1223 istniał w Zalesiu drewniany kościół. Później zbudowano kościół murowany, z którego gotyckie prezbiterium z około 1400 roku zachowało się do dzisiaj. Kościół ten był przebudowywany w latach 1812–1815 przez Karola Heintze z Ujazdu. Nazwa miejscowości w różnych dokumentach na przestrzeni wieków różnie była pisana. W 1376 Zalesie jest wzmiankowane jako "Zales". W 1418 roku – "Zalis" podobnie w 1475 roku w łacińskich statutach Statuta Synodalia Episcoporum Wratislaviensium. Notowana w 1534 roku - "Sales", w 1571 roku – "Zalesny", w 1581 roku – "Zaless", w 1757 roku – "Zaleze", w 1845 roku – "Salesche" i "Zalesie". W latach 1935–1945 wioska nosiła urzędową nazwę Gross Walden. Od 1783 Zalesie posiada własną szkołę. W 1934 roku wybudowano w Zalesiu dworzec kolejowy na nowej linii kolejowej łączącej Kędzierzyn-Koźle ze Strzelcami Opolskimi. Dzisiaj jest to połączenie kolejowe zamknięte. Na terenie wsi odkryto znaczną liczbę (ponad 7000) srebrnych monet w glinianym naczyniu, pochodzą one prawdopodobnie z 1278 roku. Plebiscyt i powstanie W 1910 roku 1530 mieszkańców mówiło w języku polskim, 5 w językach polskim i niemieckim, natomiast 49 osób posługiwało się jedynie językiem niemieckim. W wyborach komunalnych w listopadzie 1919 roku 243 głosy oddano na kandydatów z list polskich, którzy zdobyli łącznie 7 z 12 mandatów. Podczas plebiscytu we wsi uprawnionych do głosowania było 1003 mieszkańców (w tym 96 emigrantów). Za Polską głosowało 606 osób, za Niemcami 367 osób. Miejscowość była silnym ośrodkiem polskiego życia narodowego w powiecie strzeleckim. W 1919 r. mieszkańcy założyli tu oddział Towarzystwa Gimnastycznego "Sokół", a także Polską Organizację Wojskową Górnego Śląska. W Zalesiu Śląskim toczyły się walki w ramach III powstania śląskiego. 5 maja 1921 roku wieś został zdobyta przez baon strzelecki Pawła Dziewiora z Podgrupy "Harden". W ramach Bitwy o Górę św. Anny w dniach 21-23 maja o miejscowość toczyły się ciężkie walki. Po stronie powstańców zaangażowany był głównie baon rybnicki Musioła, przy wsparciu części sił pułku zabrskiego Pawła Cymsa, a następnie przez pododdziały pułku katowickiego Rudolfa Niemczyka, wspomagane przez samochód pancerny Roberta Oszka. Ostatecznie wieś została zdobyta przez Niemców 4 czerwca, co otworzyło im drogę na Sławięcice, Kędzierzyn i zagłębie przemysłowe. Na lokalnym cmentarzu znajduje się mogiła powstańcza. Widnieje na niej napis: "WIECZNA CHWAŁA BOHATEROM POLEGŁYM W POWSTANIU ŚL. POD GÓRĄ ŚW. ANNY W ROKU. 1921. GULA I INNI". Liczba mieszkańców Zalesia Śląskiego 1845: 1.100 mieszkańców 1910: 1.584 1996: 1.468 2005: 1.363 2006: 1.348 2007: 1.319 2008: 1.291 2009: 1.289 Zabytki Do wojewódzkiego rejestru zabytków wpisany jest: kościół par. pw. św. Jadwigi Śląskiej, z poł. XIV w., l. 1812-15. Przypisy Bibliografia "Polskie działania specjalne na Górnym Śląsku. 1919-1921", Zyta Zarzycka, Warszawa 1989, s. 164-165. Linki zewnętrzne Zalesie Śląskie w archiwalnych tytułach prasowych

Q: What would client receive through Squid when request timeout after it had received a header "200 OK" As I know, squid would send a 504 gateway timeout when request timeout. But what if the client has already received a response header 200 ok. I mean when the response data is sent back in chunked encoding. For example: header "200 ok" body part "a" body part "b" body part "c". After receiving "200 ok" and "a", request timeout happen, what would squid do this time, would it send a 504 gateway timeout back to the client ? If so, can the client received this header "504 gateway timeout" since it has already received a header "200 ok" A: If the connection times out mid way through the request, you will not get a 504 error.

John Bradley on Game of Thrones Season 8: "We genuinely wanted it to be great!" Game of Thrones Season 8 wasn't everyone's cup of tea. The season finale divided the fan base into two. One was satisfied with the ending, the other demanded a season remake. Some blamed the absence of George R. R. Martin's next instalment of books. While some blamed the showrunners' piqued interest to launch a Star Wars feature film trilogy with Disney's Lucasfilm. Even the show's alum Emilia Clarke gets why fans were f**king p***ed about the final episode. Her co-star, John Bradley (Samwell Tarly), has often defended the finale, and says making it a controversial one was never in their minds. In a recent interview with NME, Bradley said, "We were never going to please everybody. People had invested too much. We genuinely wanted it to be great. We genuinely thought it was going to be great. We were really proud of it. We weren't arrogant enough to think: 'Oh we'll just put it out there and they'll swallow it'. We only ever wanted people to like it… I was really disappointed." He continued, "The fan reaction was so fierce and vociferous, when people think of Game Of Thrones, they have a sense of disappointment because they didn't like the finale. I'd like it to be seen as a complete body of work… Those great moments are not going to be forgotten and they shouldn't be dimmed or taken away from because the ending wasn't to your liking." Do you think John Bradley's reaction to Season 8 criticism is valid? Tell us in the comments below! "This Is Us will have a better ending than Game of Thrones", according to Sterling K. Brown Jóhannes Jóhannesson (Lemoncloak) compares working on Game of Thrones and Vikings: Valhalla

Author: Basil Fernando Pick Year 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 Pick Month Colombo, Human Rights, justice, Peace and Conflict, Reconciliation, Transitional Justice Desmond Tutu: The Man Who Revived the Moral Universe Archbishop Desmond Tutu who passed away this week will be counted among the great human beings who contributed to the political transformation of his own country and a person who revolutionised the… Basil Fernando on 12/29/2021 Colombo, Constitutional Reform, Politics and Governance The Need for People's Participation in Constitution Making A fake constitution alters the rules of logic that are the basic foundations of a good constitution. The change of logic leads to irrationality. The spread of irrationality into public institutions creates… Basil Fernando on 12/26/2021 12/26/2021 Colombo, Human Rights, justice, Politics and Governance Downgrading Human Rights Commission No Remedy for Victims The recommendation to downgrade Sri Lanka's Human Rights Commission (HRC) from Grade A to Grade B by the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights,… Colombo, Human Rights, justice, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Transitional Justice The Constitutional Roots of the Problem of Disappearances There is a bagful of tricks that Sri Lankan governments have been using when it comes to the issue of revealing the truth and providing justice to the families of the disappeared.… Colombo, Human Rights, justice, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance One Country, One Law; No Law Enforcement, No Law President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's appointment of Presidential Task Force mandated to implement the One Country, One Law concept, headed by radical monk Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera, is a clear indication that another period of… Colombo, Constitutional Reform, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance Beware: The Third Readymade Constitution is Coming Soon Professor G.L. Peiris has announced that the drafting process of the Constitution is over and that the text is ready. He said that it was to be presented to the Parliament in… Proposed Amendment to Criminal Code is a Grave Setback for Human Rights The proposed Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure Act No. 15 of 1979 will open up a Pandora's box of serious abuses. In essence what… Colombo, Human Rights, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Post-War, Reconciliation, Transitional Justice New Mechanisms Required to Ensure Justice for the Disappeared Today of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances "Sri Lanka has the world's second-highest number of cases registered with the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.… Colombo, Political philosophy, Politics and Governance From Fantasy to Nightmare: The Myth of Absolute Power After many years of being a politician in various capacities, J.R. Jayewardene had come to the conclusion that if he could rule all by himself without any restraints, he could do a… Colombo, Politics and Governance People's Resilience and Judicial Independence The people of Sri Lanka, like those in several other countries, are learning that their past could cost them their lives and the lives of their loved ones and those of many… SLPP: One Year of Non Governance As the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is reaching its first year of governance, which some may call non governance, the question that may be in the minds of many is where… Colombo, Human Rights, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance A Cruel Government Supports Torture by Opposing Preventive Law An amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure allowing the Magistrates to visit places of detention has been turned into a political issue by a section of the government and by some… Colombo, justice, Politics and Governance Release of a Convicted Murderer Raises Fundamental Questions The release of the convicted murderer Duminda Silva is a reckless act that will have lasting consequences on the social organization of Sri Lanka and the social consciousness of the Sri Lankan… Office on Missing Persons and the Zero Policy on Justice One of the issues that demonstrated the approach of the Sri Lankan authorities to the problem of enforced disappearances can be discovered in a study of the narrative of the Office on… Colombo, Constitutional Reform, Human Rights, justice, Politics and Governance, Post-War Won the "War" but Lost the Law Calling a civil conflict or a civil war, a war itself, is very misleading. Wars are fought with external enemies. However, civil conflict or a civil war is a fight that takes…

mohamed-nohassi-odxB5oIG_iA-unsplash.jpg Princeton Online's Princeton Online's January Newsletter pp-slider-greatyear.jpg stuart-5-19.jpg Princeton Online's Schools Guide knight-architects-9-19.jpg Home Improvement Guide Princeton Online's Home Improvement Guide Princeton Online's Family Guide hmorris-osteria-procaccini-pizza-dining.jpg Princeton Online's Dining Guide Princeton-Center-Dental-Aesthetics5-19.jpg Princeton Online's Health Guide pso-rossen-milanov-music-director.jpg Princeton Online's Entertainment Guide callaway-henderson-1-21a.jpg Princeton Online's Real Estate Guide pu-concerts-neighborhood-project-slider-01-20.jpg Non-Profits Guide Princeton Online's Non-Profits Guide jhynes-hiking-biking-sourland-cycles-6807.jpg Princeton Online's Shopping Guide Events for Thursday November 1, 2018 Displaying Results : 1 - 10 Total Results : 10 Gentle Yoga at The Community Well Thursday November 1, 2018 Thursdays in November (except Thanksgiving), 9:15-10:15 am This four-week series is designed for those who wish to improve their strength and flexibility with a gentle yoga class suitable for all ages and physical abilities. Many of the yoga postures will be done either seated or by using a chair or other props to assist students in stretching safely and mindfully. This is a perfect beginning yoga class that is also appropriate for pre or post natal women or those working with injury, limited mobility, or who prefer a softer, gentler approach to yoga. No materials or previous experience necessary. Grab a friend, co-worker, neighbor or relative and come check it out! Register at https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=565962&stype=-8&sTG=24&sVT=13&sView=day&sLoc=1&sTrn=100000009 Pricing: Drop-in: $13/class; 4-week series: $49 Meeting of the 55-Plus Club of Princeton "What happened 13.8 billion years ago?" will be the topic of a presentation by Paul J. Steinhardt, Albert Einstein Professor in Science; Professor of Physics and Director of Princeton Center for Theoretical Science at Princeton University, at the meeting of 55-Plus at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, November 1, at the Jewish Center of Princeton, 435 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ. Everyone is welcome. Admission is free, with a $3 donation suggested. http://www.princetonol.com/groups/55plus Our Military Veterans: Stress Busters and Self Care, Carrier Clinic Carrier Clinic will continue its year-long series of behavioral health and addiction-related webinars on November 1 with the presentation "Our Military Veterans: Stress Busters and Self Care" in recognition of the men and women who have served in our armed forces. Veterans Day 2018 will be observed nationwide on Sunday, November 11. Kathleen McClain Glynn, LCSW, LCADC, will present valuable information and helpful strategies for veterans and their family members to cope with stress during the lunchtime session from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. McClain Glynn will also review the public and private resources that are available for our veterans. McLain Glynn is a residential therapist at Sunflower House, East Mountain Youth Lodge, Carrier Clinic. Sign-up is free. Register online at https://carrierclinic.org/webinars/ Kidsbridge Humanitarian Award Celebration - Trenton Country Club 201 Sullivan Way, West Trenton - - www.kidsbridgecenter.org Marie Blistan, Lori Danko, Kris Muse, and New Jersey Advance Media will be honored. Information Session - LifeTies 1901 North Olden Avenue, Suite 44, Ewing - 609-414-2083 - www.lifeties.org Learn about how to become a mentor to at-risk youth. Call or email dyates@lifeties.org to register. I Am Not a Witch - Princeton Garden Theatre 160 Nassau Street, Princeton - - www.princetongardentheatre.org Following a minor incident in her local village, 8-year old girl Shula is accused of witchcraft. After a short trial she is found guilty, taken into state custody and exiled to a witch camp in the middle of a desert. A small, magical film that features a superb performance from its young lead. I AM NOT A WITCH is a shining example of the new wave of film coming out of Africa. Public Meeting - Marquand Park Foundation Historical Society of Princeton, Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, Princeton - - Discussion of plans for a children's aborteum at Marquand Park. The planned arboretum will be a place where children ages 5 to 15 can learn through hands-on experiences about the environment, how trees grow, and about the collection of tree specimens in the park. For more information email marquandparkfoundation@gmail.com. Train Station Series: Cool Women Poetry Reading - Hopewell Train Station 2 Railroad Place, Hopewell - - www.sourland.org The nine-women poetry critique and performance group reads three rounds of poems about the Sourlands. $5. Register. Brian Wilson: Greatest Hits Live - State Theatre New Jersey See legendary singer-songwriter, composer, record producer, and co-founding member of The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson along with long time bandmates Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin in a greatest hits concert event! Brian Wilson is a Kennedy Center Honors recipient, a Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, and a multiple-Grammy Award®-winner. As a member of The Beach Boys, Wilson was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and honored with The Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. Argentine Tango - Viva Tango Suzanne Patterson Center, 45 Stockton Street, Princeton - 609-948-4448 - www.vivatango.org No partner necessary. Beginners welcome. $15. 2021 Jan Today

All GAC members are expected to compete for the Club and details of fixtures can be found on the main blog page or the calendar in the sidebar. Club coaches and officials always need support to be able to run many of the matches. Parents and other spectators are encouraged to volunteer to help with duties – no experience necessary! Please speak to your Coach to find out more. During the winter season, there is usually Cross Country training with coach Dave Eldridge between 09:00-10:00 at Bellmount Tower (near Belton House). Everyone meets at 9 am at the car park on Five Gates Lane just below the tower. See here for a map. This is for all ages, and parents of younger runners can join us running or walking around the woods at the same time. Please check the calendar to the right to see whether training is on – other events will sometimes mean training has to miss a week. In the summer, Dave may organise training in the grounds of Belton House. Details will be added to this page at the appropriate time.

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US demands Vietnam's release of activist after severe sentence The US Embassy, in Vietnam, on Wednesday, called on local authorities to release an activist after the woman was handed a 14-year jail sentence on a vague charge. The US Ambassador to Vietnam, Ted Osius, expressed his concern after Tran Thi Nga was, on Tuesday, sentenced to nine years imprisonment and five years of house arrest for "anti-state propaganda." "The United States calls on Vietnam to release Tran Thi Nga and all other prisoners of conscience. "They should allow all individuals in Vietnam to express their views freely and assemble peacefully without fear of retribution,'' the U.S. ambassador said in a statement. The Ha Nam Provincial People's Court said the 40-year-old activist, who is a Vietnamese citizen, was charged with having "accessed the internet to post a number of video clips and articles" that were described as anti-state propaganda. Nga was arrested on January 21 in her house. She has campaigned against labour rights abuses, trafficking, police brutality and land confiscation, and has participated in environmental protests. Vietnam has made some positive steps on human rights over the past few years, the statement said. However, clampdown on dissidents has been "deeply troubling" since 2016. Vietnam is a single-party communist state and has outlawed dissent against the government. A 2016 Amnesty International report listed 91 prisoners of conscience in the country, but the government denies holding political prisoners. (NAN) Segun Adio Niger Delta: Osinbajo berates interventionist agencies over underdevelopment Fayemi consoles with Pa Fasoranti's over daughter's killing Ekiti govt to return schools to missions by September Indonesian Parliament approves law to chase tax evaders overseas India probes food with lizard served on passenger train Lebanon's Hezbollah faces tough terrain in border battle Osinbajo commissions road in Delta Creeks, hails Okowa Academic Advancement: FUOYE to become a dual mode university Facebook faces financial crisis as U.S. govt. imposes N5bn fine S. Korea asks Japan to lift export curbs We invested N900bn on power in 4 years – Osinbajo Passengers stranded at Abuja airport Ben Dunno, Warri Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has lamented the slow pace of development along coastal settlements...

Q: date formatting from MySQL I have a serious problem dealing with data from MySQL. I insert the date upon form submission via php using NOW() and it is inserted into a table with field date. Upon retrieval from the db, I will like to subtract from a given say 10 hours, and once at zero a function is executed. But my conversion does not seem to work as I keep getting errors. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! code: //retrieval from db $sql = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `objectives` LIMIT 0 , 30"); while ($data=mysql_fetch_array($sql)) { $data['obj_date'];//2014-04-06 echo date('Y-d')- $data['obj_date'];//0 } A: try it like this, as you can't subtract 2 dates as you're doing in php you have to use strtotime to change the dates into timestamps, then you subtract these 2, then you calculate what you want to get... <?php //$data['obj_date'];//2014-04-06 //Difference in seconds $difference=strtotime(date("Y-m-d")) - strtotime($data['obj_date']); //Calculate number of days echo ($difference/86400).' days'; A: First of all, you should use mysqli_query and mysqli_fetch_assoc. Code: $date = date('h:i:s A', strtotime($data['obj_date'])-36000); // minus 10 hours

In a number of places David Lewis has argued that the problem of temporary intrinsics1 rules out the possibility that objects endure through change2. Lewis maintains that to account for temporary intrinsics3 we should say that objects do not endure through change, but rather perdure4. I disagree; Lewis's arguments do not demonstrate that an endurance theory cannot accommodate temporary intrinsics5. Footnote 2: Most recently Lewis argues this in "Lewis (David) - Rearrangement of Particles: Reply to Lowe"; and in "Lewis (David) - On the Plurality of Worlds" pp. 203-205. Footnote 4: I follow Lewis's terminology here; see "Lewis (David) - On the Plurality of Worlds", p. 202.

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Excuses: 3 reasons Chelsea board are right to feel annoyed at Conte By Ian Foran After a decent start to the title campaign, the Chelsea fans here in the Transfer Tavern are starting to get a little disgruntled. Having scraped past Watford, after three matches and suffering back to back defeats in the league, some of our punters say morale is low at Stamford Bridge at the moment. Our landlord pointed out that Antonio Conte has not been a happy man since the transfer window and it seemed he'd push past his own problems and started to steer the Blues in the right direction as they climbed up the table in the league. There's an increasing fear that that the Italian is going to follow the same path has the man before him did, following winning the league, Jose Mourinho had a horrific season and ended getting the chop before Christmas. Indeed, right now, our Chelsea regulars can only see it going the same way as the board are starting to show signs of frustration according to the Sun. With that in mind, here are three reasons why the board should feel annoyed at this moment… Related Items:Alvaro Morata, Antonio Conte, Diego Costa, Fernando Llorente, Jose Mourinho, Romelu Lukaku, Stamford Bridge, the Blues Tottenham Hotspur: Loads of fans were impressed by Gedson Fernandes' debut Tottenham Hotspur: ESPN's Steve Nicol criticises Heung-min Son following Watford draw Tottenham Hotspur: Jose Mourinho hints he is looking for a new striker this month Article title: Excuses: 3 reasons Chelsea board are right to feel annoyed at Conte

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Cristian Manuel Insaurralde (born 20 July 1991) is an Argentine professional footballer who currently plays for Estudiantes RC. Honours Club América Liga MX: Apertura 2018 References External links Profile at BDFA 1991 births Living people Argentine footballers Argentine expatriate footballers Association football forwards Sportivo Belgrano footballers Club Atlético River Plate footballers Quilmes Atlético Club footballers O'Higgins F.C. footballers Cerro Porteño players Club América footballers Newell's Old Boys footballers Unión de Santa Fe footballers Estudiantes de Río Cuarto footballers Liga MX players Chilean Primera División players Argentine Primera División players Primera Nacional players Paraguayan Primera División players Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Chile Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Mexico Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Paraguay Expatriate footballers in Chile Expatriate footballers in Mexico Expatriate footballers in Paraguay People from Resistencia, Chaco Sportspeople from Chaco Province

CITTADELMONTE.INFO Citadel of PDF - download books and PDF docs without any ads cittadelmonte.info Environment Becoming Jane Pdf BECOMING JANE PDF Discussion guide developed by Heartland Truly Moving Pictures to accompany Becoming Jane, a. Truly Moving Picture Award-winning film. A Truly Moving. Article Environment and Planning D: Society and Becoming Jane: The making Space , Vol. 33(5) – and unmaking of Hanford's! The Author(s) . Becoming Jane Jacobs Peter L. Laurence Penn Press Jane Jacobs is universally recognized as one of the key figures in American urbanism, and The Death. Author: LILLIA SKALICKY Language: English, Spanish, Arabic Country: Vanuatu Genre: Health & Fitness Uploaded by: ARLEEN Becoming Jane - Teacher's notes 1 of 3. Teacher's notes level 3. Teacher Support Programme. Summary. The story, set in , is about young Jane Austen. PDF | Online facilitation influences successful completion of online courses. Facilitators walk a tightrope between providing sufficient student support and. Becoming Jane Script - Free download as Word Doc .doc), PDF File .pdf), Text File .txt) or read online for free. Please note that ebooks are subject to tax and the final price may vary depending on your country of residence. Jon Spence's fascinating biography of Jane Austen paints an intimate portrait of the much-loved novelist. Spence's meticulous research has, perhaps most notably, uncovered evidence that Austen and the charming young Irishman Tom Lefroy fell in love at the age of twenty and that the relationship inspired Pride and Prejudice , one of the most celebrated works of fiction ever written. Becoming Jane Austen gives the fullest account we have of the romance, which was more serious and more enduring than previously believed. Seeing this love story in the context of Jane Austen's whole life enables us to appreciate the profound effect the relationship had on her art and on subsequent choices that she made in her life. Full of insight and with an attentive eye for detail, Spence explores Jane Austen's emotional attachments and the personal influences that shaped her as a novelist. His elegant narrative provides a point of entry into Jane Austen's world as she herself perceived and experienced it. Thus, ABSS researchers found themselves charged with quantifying the unknown, with making the ambiguous concrete. In the thousands of interviews they conducted, the ABSS team asked survivors to relive the moment of the explosion, to recall the exact position of their bodies in relationship to walls or rooftops that could have provided potential shielding from the blast and its associated radiation. First, the initial years of the ABSS were conducted during the American occupation of Japan, intensifying an already problematic power dynamic between American researchers and Japanese study subjects. American Science and the Survivors of Hiroshima, Many survivors had substantive reasons for keeping their experiences to themselves. Furthermore, while it was possible for epidemiology to make connections between exposure and illness in certain cases, the more subtle, long-term impacts of radiation such as genetic mutation were nearly impossible to detect GAO, Given our estimates of the radiation dosages involved, it has. Neel et al. Exposed Japanese bodies, reincarnated as bodies of data, were thus used to justify nuclear industrial expansion—to recommend investment in peaceful uses of the atom and to calm fears about above ground nuclear testing. Uncertainty became a management tool in and of itself, a means for generating political and economic value. As both peaceful and military applications of nuclear technology expanded in the early years of the Cold War, the U. Radiation scientists and practitioners should use Reference Man as the basis from which further adjustments can be made to suit individual situations, as appropriate. As the Committee states, The fact that Reference Man is not closely related to an existing population is not believed to be of any great importance. Reference Woman, for example, need but emerge from his carefully calculated rib. First, it fails to acknowledge the obduracy of the regulatory structures in which Reference Man is applied. The physical infrastructure of nuclear industry is similarly intractable. They cannot be continually demolished and rebuilt to account for biomedical discoveries or changes in worker population. Many policy documents acknowledge, however, that it would be inappropriate to use only the male body to estimate radiogenic risk, when women are Rather than simply adopting a standardized female body as the basis for risk calculation, however, policy makers engage in what they consider a suitable compromise: Indeed, this multi-sexed version of Reference Man informs much of U. So too, the U. Though the hermaphroditic Reference Man has female reproductive organs, the rest of his body is male. Society and Space 33 5 physiological parameters. The amount he urinates, the fat content of his body, the percentage of water in his cells—each calculated using data for a male body—remains the same. It uses a language of equality to create what remains an unequal regulatory framework. This is problematic for a number of reasons, most notably because the health risks associated with nuclear industry are not borne equally by all people, and an average masks this uneven distribution. Therefore, policies that rely heavily upon biological parameters in determining risk, ignore and thus reproduce the greater structural inequalities of exposure-related illness. Of course, it is this simplicity—this abstraction from the lived experience of exposure—that makes the nuclear body politically useful. Indeed, building the nuclear body has required untangling exposure-related illnesses from the social and spatial relations that give them meaning. Because it was designed to be applicable in every radioactive environment, the nuclear body itself is profoundly a-spatial. Critical geographic scholarship has long rejected the notion of a placeless body, pointing instead to the co-constitutive relationship between humans and their daily, lived experiences in space Cresswell, ; Massey, ; Nast and Pile, This dissonance between data and lived experience is problematic for Native American tribes surrounding the Hanford site. Though in the U. This not only underestimates tribal risk on a practical level by ignoring exposure from activities like wild food harvesting and spiritual ceremonies, but it also renders structural inequalities between the suburbs and the reservation invisible. This means that tribal members might hypothetically not only receive more exposure [than suburban populations] but might also be more sensitive to that exposure. As Harper et al. So too, risk frameworks that position humans and the environment as distinct and separable units, miss the integration of culture, environment, and body critical to tribal identity and practice. In voicing these concerns, Harris and others are participating in a larger national debate about race, industrial contamination, and the politics of scale. Since its inception, the Superfund program has drawn criticism from environmental and health activists who argue that remediation policies fail to address the raced and classed geographies of exposure. At the same time, the EPA faced pressure from regulated industries that claimed that Superfund actions were overly protective and lacked consistent and replicable procedures Nakamura and Church, Society and Space 33 5 translate the particularities of place and person into a set of nationally recognized standards and procedures. Based on a template indigenous person who engages in statistically calculated traditional activities, tribal exposure scenarios often evoke normative categories of Native American identity. Clutching a doll in one hand, the child looks over her shoulder, while her elder stares solemnly across the water. In another example, the same stock image of a Native American has been placed against a backdrop of evergreen trees and purple sky. Briefcase in hand, the woman cocks her hip to one side while the man looks at her and smiles. Set against a white backdrop, they are encircled by other stock images meant to represent the trappings of suburban life: Harper et al. However, to communicate the cultural and temporal distinctions that form the heart of their critique, tribes must speak in a standardized language that Superfund legislation can understand. Both are active, outdoor lifestyles, and are consistent with the reasonable maximum exposure RME 12 approach to baseline risk assessment. In each of these documents, the intimate moments of daily life are given new meaning through statistical translation. So too, bodily functions become forms of evidence in disputes surrounding remediation planning. In a series of letters, tribes and agencies negotiate this cultural politics of breath. Society and Space 33 5 hour work day. What they did, particularly the Umatilla, is the breathing rate that they chose was from a soldier digging a fox hole, so they were breathing heavy continuously. Becoming Jane Script | Jane Austen In qualifying the heavily breathing Native American body as not physiologically possible, the EPA ignores the calculative anomalies and uncertainties in its own human template. So too, this statement undermines the notion that Superfund reforms can address the structural inequalities of exposure. Once a Native American experiences excessive exposure, in other words, he or she becomes impossible. Thus, arguments about indigenous breath are but a proxy for much larger stakes. A noun of action, it is the process of reversing damage and setting right, of mending what has been broken. Plutonium production at Hanford has created a multi-millennial waste stream that will long outlast the United States and its regulatory policies. Moreover, at a global scale, building and testing atomic weapons have spread contamination worldwide infusing the entire biosphere with trace elements of the bomb. Remediation is complete, once it has made contamination livable by fashioning subjects that can survive in the post-nuclear future. Thus, in her becoming, Jane embodies a social ontology of nuclear survival. As her calculated body and regulated days inform remediation planning, she remakes the very meaning of trauma and recovery in the atomic age. The Department of Energy does not actually expect future humans to maintain the same exact body weight each day of their adult lives, nor does it imagine a society of obsessive compulsive individuals that only eat their fruit in fractions. Rather, the numbers that delimit Jane are informed by the laws of statistical error—the notion that mathematical order extends to the very edges of human behavior Porter, By living her life in remediated space, then, Jane articulates the conditions of life itself. She creates the social and environmental order necessary to justify risk-based nuclear remediation. In this article, I have examined several epistemological frames through which we have come to understand nuclear life. Of course, this recognizability is unevenly distributed—some lives are understood as more livable than others Butler, Indeed, as I have demonstrated in this article, the nuclear body has been produced through a marked erasure of certain injuries, exposures, and lifeways. Thus, in drawing the bounds of radioactive safety, nuclear science and policy have created a human proxy that cannot truly identify the people it purports to protect. As such, seeking change does not simply mean expanding the nuclear body to include more individuals in its particular embrace, but to consider how the very act of its framing has depended upon distributing recognition and protection unevenly. Acknowledgements I extend heartfelt gratitude to Erin Collins, Jake Kosek, and the three anonymous reviewers whose insights and suggestions have greatly improved this piece. Many thanks as well to thank you the members of U. Society and Space 33 5 feedback on an earlier draft of this article. Finally, I would like to thank the many Hanford community members who have shared meals, stories, and conversations with me over the past decade. Notes 1. Subsistence Farmer Jane is one of eight statistically- calculated human types competing for future use rights at Hanford. Hanford Natural Resources Trustee Council, 3. Superfund is a federal program administered by the Environmental Protection Agency designed to assess and remediate abandoned hazardous waste sites in the United States. Established in by the Comprehensive Environmental Response and Liability Act, the program enables the EPA to facilitate cleanup at these sites—either by engaging in remediation activities directly or by compelling responsible parties to perform the necessary cleanup actions. Department of Energy the responsible party and the Washington Department of Ecology to design and fulfill cleanup requirements through the Tri-Party Agreement. The U. This data set also informs the U. Continuum Illustrations: This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using our website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy. It looks like you are located in Australia or New Zealand Close. Visit the Australia site Continue on UK site. Visit the Australia site. Joining me in Hampshire, my father is preparing us both for holy orders. I understand you've visited Hampshire, Mr Lefroy. Last year. Almost three hours. Mr Austen, you're devilishly handsome. A kiss, a kiss. Becoming Jane Script Been there. Lefroy, there's a Tahitian Love Fest on at White's. Seen it. Done that. Or did it do me? Wh-wh-wh-what is a Tahitian Love Fest? I humbly beg your pardon, sir. Theft of one pig is a crime, heinous to be sure, but two pigs You and your kind are a canker on the body social. And cankers are cut out. Transportation for life. Therefore, order is kept because we have Consider myself. I was born rich, certainly, but I remain rich by virtue of exceptional conduct. I have shown restraint. Your mother, my sister, became poor because she did not She married my father because she loved him. Yes, and that's why you have so many brothers and sisters back there in If you aspire to inherit my property, you must prove yourself more worthy. But what do we find? We find dissipation wild enough to glut the imaginings of a Hottentot braggadocio. Wild companions, gambling, running around St James's like a neck-or-nothing young blood of the fancy. Well, you're going to need that because I'm teaching you a lesson. Can you? Thank you. I think you two quite the prettiest sisters in England. Mr Fowle will be enchanted. San Domingo is half a world away. He'll forget me. Look at the memory you're giving him tonight. His heart will stop at the very sight of you or he doesn't deserve to live. And, yes, I'm aware of the contradiction embodied in that sentence. You look wonderful. Well, hello, John. It's very good to see you. Leave your brother alone. Have you heard? My father's nephew is staying with us. From London. For lateness? Hat off, George. Hat off, Father's ready. The family is always moving in great ways and small. Firstly, the small. Henry is back from Oxford with his degree, - thank goodness. And our friend John, my new student. Then the great. Cassandra, who is forsaking us for her brother Edward and his family at the coast whilst Robert voyages to the West Indies with Lord Craven's expedition. Miss Austen, I understand you will be favouring us with a reading? Oh, please, Miss Jane. Oh, yes, Jane, do. Please, Jane. And he's more than welcome. Join us, sir, join us. Green velvet coat. Vastly fashionable. You'll find this vastly amusing. Damn it, man. Well, you may expect to have me pleased from time to time. Well done, Jane. Well done. She speaks so well. Well, excessively charming, I thought. Well, accomplished enough, perhaps, but a metropolitan mind may be less susceptible to extended, juvenile self-regard. Well, thank you. We're both very proud. Careful there, old fellow. Fine piece, Mr Lefroy. Handled a gun before, have you, Tom? There's some very fine country round about. Very fine. A walk. Miss, I Mr Lefroy. Yes, I know, but I am alone. Oh, come! Becoming Jane Austen What rules of conduct apply in this rural situation? We have been introduced, have we not? What value is there in an introduction when you cannot even remember my name? Indeed, can barely stay awake in my presence. These scruples must seem very provincial to a gentleman with such elevated airs, but I do not devise these rules. I am merely obliged to obey them. Yes, well, others have detected more. It is celebrated. A novel, perhaps? Being poor, insipid things, read by mere women, even, God forbid, written by mere women? I see, we're talking of your reading. Was I deficient in rapture? In consciousness. It was It was accomplished. It was ironic. My lords, ladies and gentlemen, the Grand Vizier's Flight. May I have the pleasure of this next dance? Oh, no, we're so late. Take care. Oh, thank you, Tom. I am mortified. I practised, but it won't stick. What a lovely pair they make. Ah, Sister. What do you make of Mr Lefroy? We're honoured by his presence. You think? He does, with his preening, prancing, Irish-cum-Bond-Street airs. Well, I call it very high indeed, refusing to dance when there are so few gentleman. Where exactly in Ireland does he come from, anyway? Limerick, Miss Austen. I would regard it as a mark of extreme favour if you would stoop to honour me with this next dance. Ah, then your country reputation depends on my report. This, by the way, is called a country dance, after the French, contredanse. You judge the company severely, madam. Gives me leave to do the same, sir, and come to a different conclusion. But you are above being pleased. And I think that you, miss, what was it? I think that you, Miss Austen, consider yourself a cut above the company. You, ma'am, secretly. Was it twice? Careful, Jane, Lucy is right. Mr Lefroy does have a reputation. Presumably as the most disagreeable What is she trying to say? On your toes, gentlemen. No singles. MAN 1: MAN 2: Run for more. I never feel more French than when I watch cricket. Is he out? I begin to suspect you're flirting with my brother, cousin. Flirting is a woman's trade. One must keep in practice. Well played, Tom. We're depending on you. Best of luck! John Warren! Good luck, Mr Warren. John never was very good, though. Run, Warren, run! Quickly, hurry! Jolly good show! You're out. You're gone, Mr Warren. Prodigious, Tom, prodigious. On your way. Same again, Tom. Well done, Mr Warren. It's a terrible wicket. I hope you're not too disappointed, Miss Austen. Four more to win, Wisley. Who's next? Come on! She can't WOMAN 1: WOMAN 2: Move in! Go easy, Tom. MAN 3: Be gentle, Lefroy! Bowler's end! Move yourself, you lout! One more! Go, go, go! You might also like: EBOOK GRATIS SUNSHINE BECOMES YOU ILANA TAN Not out. Bad luck, Lefroy. She was so good. She was raised by brothers. Time for a swim, I think. Well played, Henry. Come on, let's go! You think not? Natural enough at Love and sense are enemies at any age. Lucy would marry him tomorrow, and what a terrible husband he would make. I suppose you mean his reputation. Experience can recommend a man. I've been looking through your book of the wood. Mr White's Natural History. It is too disturbing. Take this observation. What shall we call it? The history? Condemns you to it and your writing to the status of female accomplishment. If you wish to practise the art of fiction, to be the equal of a masculine author, experience is vital. I see. And what qualifies you to offer this advice? I know more of the world. Enough to know that your horizons must be By a very dangerous young man, one who has, no doubt, infected the hearts of many a young But why? Vice leads to difficulty, virtue to reward. Bad characters come to bad ends. But in life, bad characters often thrive. Take yourself. A novel should somehow reveal the true source of our actions. Well, it seems to me, sir, that your hero's very vigorous feelings caused him and everyone connected with him a great deal of trouble. Ah, well, if the book has troubled you All sorts of trouble. Laverton Fair. Vastly entertaining. Monstrous good idea, Jane. Yes, Miss Austen, not exactly your usual society, I'd say. Show a little imagination, Mr Lefroy. And freedom, the freedom of men. Do not you envy it? But I have the intense pleasure of observing it so closely. Now, there's a fool, to go to it with a professional. Yes, a vastly fashionable pastime in London. Beating a man to a pulp. What are you doing? Make way! Coming through. Five shillings on the gent. Who will take it? You, sir? That's the ticket. Have that. Go on, hit him! Come on, Lefroy, hit him, man! Come on, Lefroy! Up, sir. I'm afraid it's damn low water with me. NIKKI from Minnesota Also read my other articles. One of my extra-curricular activities is red rover. I do love exploring ePub and PDF books courageously . SECOND CHANCE JANE GREEN PDF HOW TO BECOME A STRAIGHT A STUDENT PDF JANE PORTER PDF LADYBIRD PETER AND JANE EBOOK BECOMING A SUPPLE LEOPARD PDF HANDBOOK OF SEMIOTICS PDF MALAL NOVEL UMERA AHMED PDF XCELSIUS TUTORIAL PDF PROPOSAL PTK EKONOMI SMA EBOOK PSA CLASS 11 EBOOK TUBE BOOK YOUTUBE ER ANJOS E DEMONIOS EPUB BENGALI ASTROLOGY PDF

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Q: cant upload files through DRF my model.py class HNUsers(models.Model): USERTYPE = ( ... ) GENDER = ( (u'M', u'Male'), (u'F', u'Female'), (u'O', u'Other'), ) f_name = models.CharField("Full Name", max_length=100, null=True, blank=True) first_name = models.CharField("First Name", max_length=100, null=True, blank=True) last_name = models.CharField("Last Name", max_length=100, null=True, blank=True) . .. . . . More fields my views.py @api_view(['POST']) @permission_classes((permissions.AllowAny,)) def user_api_v2(request): """ This method returns ..... """ if request.method == 'POST': data = JSONParser().parse(request) print(data) try: user = HNUsers.objects.get( Q(username=data['username']) | Q(email=data['email']) | Q(mobile_number=data['mobile_number'])) return Response({"message": "User exists" }, status=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST) except HNUsers.DoesNotExist : serializer = UserSerializer_v2(data=data) if serializer.is_valid(): serializer.save() #return Response({'success': True, 'id': user.id, 'username': user.username, 'city': user.city, 'country': user.country, 'full_name': user.full_name, 'email': user.email, 'profile_img_url': user.profile_img_url}, status=status.HTTP_201_CREATED) return Response({"message": "User created"}, status=status.HTTP_201_CREATED) # return Response(serializer.errors, status=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST) MY serializer.py class UserSerializer_v2(serializers.HyperlinkedModelSerializer): first_img = serializers.FileField() class Meta: model = HNUsers fields = [ 'hnid', 'email', 'mobile_number', 'f_name', 'date_of_birth', 'gender', 'country', 'city', 'first_img_url', 'username', 'first_img', ] While I can create new user without uploading image but I want to upload the file with it . If I try to upload file POSTMAN response with the following error JSON parse error - 'utf-8' codec can't decode byte 0xff in position 1124: invalid start byte" Here is the POSTMAN error A: Use MultiPartParser for parsing multipart HTML form content, which supports file uploads. @api_view(['POST']) @permission_classes((permissions.AllowAny,)) @parser_classes([MultiPartParser]) #add parser class def user_api_v2(request):

I suspect many areas of the country have not seen the lows in housing prices. As with other goods and services, in the long term housing prices are subject to the laws of supply and demand. Right now there is lots of supply and not much demand, which implies a future decrease in prices. Available housing is still overabundant, with a 10+ month supply, and it will continue to worsen. In a few cities, like Detroit, there is an oversupply that will not be matched by demand because of migration from the area. In most places, the oversupply can eventually clear, either through price declines or increases in demand. Interest rates are at generational lows, which means mortgage costs are relatively low. That's already priced into the current market, so unless interest rates decline further, this will not increase demand. The US population continues to grow and form additional family units. Eventually this will require additional housing. However, many families have substantial elasticity on when a new household is formed. Children return to parental homes after college; roommates rent together for longer periods before taking separate residences. Parents go and live with their children. Over the long term, this will boost demand for housing, but the long term can, and I think will be, several years out. The ill-conceived $8,000 tax credit for new homebuyers frontloaded demand. Any first-time home buyer who was close to being ready to buy a house had an $8,000 incentive to close the deal before the end of June. People who might have bought houses later in the year, or even in the first few months of next year, accelerated their plans to make an earlier purchase. The credit was ill-conceived because it did not change demand a whit; it only moved it forward and rewarded one lucky class of home buyers at the expense of future taxpayers (not at the expense of current taxpayers since no taxes were raised to pay for the largess). Job growth is paltry, and wage growth for those employed is also low. Foreclosures continue and are starting to include those who negotiated revised terms with their banks. The percentage of homeownership for the 75+ age cohort has increased since the housing bust. This suggests deferred listings. This group may be unwilling (at least for now) to sell their homes at prices they perceive as "too low." Eventually, death, morbidity or decreased financial circumstances will force these sales. When that happens, more inventory will dump onto the market. Not all current inventory is being counted in the supply figures, particularly in the condo market. This takes two forms. Rentals are replacing sales as developers hope to generate sufficient cash flow to hold off creditors until the market turns around, when they can again sell at a profit. I recently read reports indicating entire developments in some cities stand empty and unlisted. Furthermore, houses in the midst of repossession may be abandoned but have not yet reached formal listing. While Congress recently extended unemployment benefits, that extension did not increase the time jobless benefits are paid. With the dismal job creation, more families are running out of those benefits as their unemployment has extended past the limit for payments. Many of these families will be forced to move. Lastly, builders continue to construct new units. They are sitting on expensive land with mortgages that must be paid or they too will be foreclosed. Many of these builders are in survival mode and will build smaller houses with less expensive accoutrements in order to meet lower price points (and appear to be decreasing prices.) While they may hope to earn modest returns on these houses, their real economic drive is to reduce debt burdens by selling parcels. I suspect those with deep pockets can find some very attractive deals on raw land currently—which undercuts the market price much the same way distressed sales depress the prices for all completed homes. As housing prices continue to tumble, Congress may consider a second round of support. I don't think anything will pass, but the possibility will keep first-time buyers on the sidelines. Why buy now when prices continue to decline and it's possible the government may throw money at you later? A grim picture, indeed. This too shall pass. Eventually the continued weakness in the housing market will flush the remaining weak owners and builders from the system. Once that is done, housing prices will stabilize and start to rise. Just don't hold your breath.

The narrow space between atheism and superstition! When being a scientific mind-body icon one has to expect two forms of enemies or critics throughout lifetime apart from personal envying individuals. The first one is skeptics. Skeptics is grounded on a sound atheistic base with concepts of eliminative materialism in science which emerged to combat the church during the age of renaissance in which it urged it's people to believe that the disorders came either due to wrath of God or devil procession. They consider mind doesn't exist except as neurochemicals and neurons! In other words imposing it's followers to believe man as a mechanical machine. In order to prevent religious infiltration in science they realised that the existence of mind has to be rejected or suppressed in order to destroy the credibility of every religion. So the very emerging idea of existence of mind as separate but integrated with neurons like the idealistic neuroscience is a threat to atheistic philosophy of physicalism in neuroscience. In sum, they wanted to totally replace mind with matter. The second one is the religious fanatics and extremists in superstition. Almost all major religion wants to make you believe in superstitious demonic possession in order to explain each and every simple and complex mental phenomenon with devil possession when in fact that can be well explained with neuroscience. They madly wants you to believe in it in order to be a member of their cult and to satisfy their unscientific voids with reassurance in religion rather than science and utilize you for their personal and monetary interests with exorcism and black magic. They don't want to explain mind-body interaction with neuroscience or psychosomatic medicine instead they want to explain everything with devils and demons! In sum, they wanted to replace and integrate the mind with demons and devils. This is my lifetime experience of witnessing a collective traumatic memories of cults with aethistic obsession and demonic obsession, who are so much distressed and disappointed with a revolutionary mainstream branch of psychosomatic medicine and epigenetics in medicine and psychology. Whoever adopts this path in advance should be mentally and emotionally prepared for the worst and dirty experiences with demonic obsessed and aethistic obsessed cults. This path is not so easy…. except for those who are found with curiosity and conviction with a definite purpose for the benefit of humanity to combat diseases and disorders in the mind-body continuum. Verily this is a middle path that you will not regret even beyond your grave.

After spending recent years researching the differences and similarities between art and science, Claudia Volders continuously searches for a way of expressing the conflicting interests between art and science. A new way of development with which art and science complete and strengthen each other. By focusing on paintings very consciously, she aims to create an inspiring concept in the future, that can be experienced by the scientist as well as the artist. The layers in the paintings visualize the bridge between the developments of both areas of research. The first layer of charcoal represents the complexity and quantity of our time. There is an incredible amount of detail. Sometimes you are on an island, than you are in a web, and other times you can see clear connections. Our contemporary society has a way of flooding us with information, flashes, loneliness, colourless. It is a way that came to be because technical resources have grown enormously too and perhaps even become more complex. The concept of technology and general development goes beyond our comprehension. This can be digested up to a certain point, but in the meantime connections will have to be searched for. Connections between areas of knowledge have to be made. The need to create an overview from time to time is present. The second layer represents these connections and the overview hanging above the complexity. A contrast can be detected between natural and geometrical shapes. This contrast visualizes the differences among people's characters. The earthly and the spiritual people. Both groups will have to develop the new look on society.

European Central Bank officials say economy remains weak FRANKFURT - Top officials at the European Central Bank say economic growth remains weak though they see a few upbeat signs after the U.S. and China moved toward lowering trade tensions. Recent data point to "a stabilization in euro area growth," according to an account of the Dec. 12 policy meeting released Thursday. It was the first policy meeting under new ECB head Christine Lagarde, who succeeded Mario Draghi on Nov. 1. But members of the 25-person governing council still see "continued weak euro area growth dynamics." The big concerns remain developments outside the 19 countries that use the euro. The eurozone depends heavily on trade and manufacturers in the region have been hard hit by uncertainty over the outcome of U.S.-China trade negotiations. The possibility of new tariffs, or import taxes, has cast a shadow over investment plans and the fate of the intertwined supply chains in the global economy. The U.S. and China signed a deal resolving some issues on Wednesday but global tensions over trade remain largely unresolved. The ECB foresees modest growth of 1.1% for the eurozone this year. Service companies and construction activities have helped support growth while manufacturing of goods such as autos and industrial machinery remains in a recession.

ANX | How will I receive my verification code? How will I receive my verification code? Once you have submitted your documents, our customer support team will review the documents. If the documents are assessed as valid for application, we will send the verification code to you via traditional post or SMS. For applicants that are Hong Kong or Macau residents, verification code will be sent via SMS to the mobile number provided in the application. Please ensure the mobile number you provided is correct. For Overseas applicants, verification code will be sent via traditional post to the residential address provided in the application, which might take up to 2 weeks to be sent to your registered address. Please ensure the address you provided is correct. Once you received your verification code, please login to the ANX website and navigate to the 'VERIFY' page via 'SETTINGS'. Submit the unique passcode as instructed to complete the verification process.

About - Komixx Entertainment Established in 2007, Komixx Entertainment is an independent film and TV production company holding a significant portfolio of original and adapted rights. Headquartered in London with offices in Los Angeles and Perth WA, Komixx is the kids and young-adult division of the Komixx Media Group, acquiring, developing and producing feature films and TV series for the kids to young-adult audience comprising the "connected audience". In the increasingly cluttered and fragmented screen entertainment marketplace, Komixx is creating content for this iGeneration who have grown-up with digital and mobile delivery of on-demand and linear programming. They are familiar and comfortable with interpreting the wealth of information conveyed by digital social media and use it as their principal selection tool for content consumption. As a key challenge, Komixx has worked hard to build creative strategies which mirror the global ambitions of the SVOD and online-audio broadcasters. In selecting projects for an audience with fast evolving tastes and preferences, Komixx places great emphasis on trend analysis, evaluation of social and behavioural patterns and in-depth audience research. Supported by this information, each production is developed with creativity at its heart and wrapped with a strong commercial and financial strategy. Working both with original ideas and book adaptations, Komixx brings to screen imaginative, character-driven stories and creative concepts with an enduring, global audience appeal. Edward Glauser Group CEO and Producer With over 18 years in the private equity and international investment banking sector, Ed has accumulated significant financial experience in large corporate and private institutions. At business accountancy firm, Baker Tilly (now RSM), he delivered specialised structured finance support to the media, entertainment... With over 18 years in the private equity and international investment banking sector, Ed has accumulated significant financial experience in large corporate and private institutions. At business accountancy firm, Baker Tilly (now RSM), he delivered specialised structured finance support to the media, entertainment and sports industry group. For over five years he worked on financing numerous film and TV productions, stage shows and live events. He established a broad network of media industry contacts and gained detailed broadcast and distribution sector knowledge and international production experience. In 2001, he established European Arts & Media (EAM), an intellectual property rights management business providing corporate finance services to the entertainment media industry based in the UK, Ireland and Switzerland. With the ambition of getting directly into production and rights ownership, Ed co-founded Komixx Media Group with Andrew Cole-Bulgin and Richard Randolph in 2007. Ed is principally responsible for determining strategy and direction for Komixx and planning and implementing international growth. He also oversees group-wide corporate financial management, production financing and management of the creative rights portfolio. Working together Ed and Andrew hold joint responsibility for creative direction of Komixx and the selection and development of projects with Head of Development, Melanie Halsall. Ed fulfils the role of either Producer or Executive Producer across all Komixx projects. Andrew Cole-Bulgin Head of Film & TV Andrew possesses over 25 years' experience in the media industry with senior roles at Thames TV and international advertising agency, D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles. With the benefit of his experience he established Connexus, a successful sponsorship and research agency in 1997. The company delivered bespoke... Andrew possesses over 25 years' experience in the media industry with senior roles at Thames TV and international advertising agency, D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles. With the benefit of his experience he established Connexus, a successful sponsorship and research agency in 1997. The company delivered bespoke television and live event sponsorships plus commercial research and evaluation to many blue chip companies including, The Premier League, Volvo Ocean Race, Renault Cars, Pepsico's Tropicana, British Airways, L'Oreal, Lancôme and Glamour Magazine. In April 2007, he teamed up with Edward Glauser and launched Komixx Entertainment. Together, they went on to form a 50/50 joint partnership with Random House Group Ltd and Random House Children's Publishers, the world's largest English-language children's book publisher, and a company within the trade book publishing division of Bertelsmann AG. Within this joint venture company, called Random House Children's Screen Entertainment LLP, Andrew is Partner, Head of Film & Television. Melanie Halsall Melanie heads up the company's scripted development slate, sourcing projects, creating and developing new ideas and working with new and established writing She has over 20 years' experience within scripted development and production through a variety of roles within the BBC, Fremantle Media and Ealing Studios, spanning kids, YA and prime time. For Komixx, she has adapted and developed for television the books Itch, Dog Loves Books and Stanley, additionally taking the roles of writer and producer on Itch and executive producer on Dog Loves Books and Stanley. She is currently developing, adapting and creating a number of exciting new projects. Melanie is a voracious reader, has an encyclopedic knowledge of TV drama, is a theatre addict and loves cinema from all over the world. She holds a PG Diploma in Script Development from the National Film and Television School; she was a WFTV mentee in 2017 and is a member of BAFTA. Managing Director & Head of Global Production Amanda Morrison has worked in the content industry for over 25 years. She has unique working knowledge within both the traditional and new media content production markets. Her experience includes online content, television, film, itv, live performance, visual art and interactive media production across a range Amanda Morrison has worked in the content industry for over 25 years. She has unique working knowledge within both the traditional and new media content production markets. Her experience includes online content, television, film, itv, live performance, visual art and interactive media production across a range of technology platforms. Amanda is a new media pioneer, working for NTL (UK) within the founding management team that launched the world's first digital interactive services. She has held various management roles with large media companies, produced independent content for distributors and broadcasters and delivered large-scale technology infrastructure projects. Amanda is the founding Chair of Sunset Studios Ltdin Perth, Western Australia and previously Chaired the Board of The Centre for Interdisciplinary Artsand pvi Collective Ltd. She is an every-house member of Soho Houseand holds a BA, Arts Managementfrom WAAPA and in 2011 completed the International Institute for Television Leadership– Asia Australia Media Executive Leadership Program. Michael Shyjka Head of Production Finance Michael owns up to having worked in the filmed entertainment finance sector for more than 20 years both in various financial institutions and the industry itself, and as such has witnessed and been part of its evolution into the business that it is today. His film finance career began in 1995 as a Senior Manager at the British merchant bank Guinness Mahon ("GM"), then owned by Bank of Yokohama, where the team was considered to be a lynchpin of the UK film finance sector. His first film finance feature was "American Buffalo", based on a David Mamet play and starring Dustin Hoffman and Dennis Frantz. At the time, the team's major clients included the producer and director team of Merchant Ivory. The GM team's prominence then came to the attention of the major French bank Societe Generale ("SG") who wanted to establish an Entertainment Finance specialist team at its UK office. Michael was one of the GM team chosen to set up this operation and joined SG in 1998. Quickly establishing itself as the go-to operation within the UK, it forged working relationships with Canal Plus, Aardman Animations, Working Title and Merchant Ivory among others and as well as completing many single picture project financings it also entered the world of slate financing deals, library acquisitions and entertainment sector LBOs. After eight years, having been promoted to Director Michael was in 2006 again approached to bring his experience in single picture projects and slate financing to the then recently created unit at Allied Irish Banks Capital Markets in London. While there, he executed the team's participation in slate financing deals for Summit Entertainment (the world-leading independent film Sales Agent and Distribution Company) and TWC Asia as well as a number of single picture projects. In late 2009 Michael was then contacted by the CEO of Ingenious Investments and asked whether he would join Ingenious to supplement their already best-in-class capability, and in his five years there as an Investment Director was head of a number of funds both EIS and SEIS-based and also established a senior debt film finance fund for Ingenious whose cornerstone investor was a high profile fund of funds. In 2014 he was ready for his next challenge: to work as a freelance consultant and was engaged by a number of companies in the film and TV sectors, including Komixx, with whom he has worked since early 2015. In late 2018 he was invited to join the permanent staff of Komixx as Head of Production Finance and as such is responsible for sourcing, negotiating and executing the finance on all of Komixx's projects. Richard Randolph Head of Animation Production Richard is a BAFTA award-winning producer, possessing over 25 years' experience in children's television and animation. In 1984 he helped set up and run Ealing Animation, with the studio producing a raft of programmes for all major terrestrial broadcasters in the educational and entertainment markets. As producer, Richard was responsible for assembling the creative teams and managing the finance and schedules for all the programmes, spanning small graphic 'stings' or long running series, including the pilot for Bob the Builder. In 1993, he was awarded a BAFTA in the Best Children's Television Programme category. He went on to receive several BAFTA nominations and another four BAFTA awards for children's entertainment. Richard has worked at all levels of children's television, and has gained a precise understanding of the family entertainment audience. He joined Komixx Entertainment in 2007 to develop the company's creative slate of programmes. Lucy Verity Associate Producer and Post Supervisor After completing a degree in Film and Television at Murdoch University Lucy started her career in Perth in post-production, moving to Sydney in 2001 to run a successful production company servicing many of the world's leading advertising networks. The company built an impressive collection of awards including two... After completing a degree in Film and Television at Murdoch University Lucy started her career in Perth in post-production, moving to Sydney in 2001 to run a successful production company servicing many of the world's leading advertising networks. The company built an impressive collection of awards including two Cannes Lions and NY Festival awards. She produced branding campaigns throughout Australia and overseas for companies such as Qantas, Visa Card, Land Rover and Procter & Gamble. After a successful career in advertising production Lucy moved in to long form within the development office of Production Company Goalpost Pictures where she assisted across a slate of projects. Lucy's credits include Goalpost Co-ordinator on the second series of Cleverman (ABC/Sundance), feature film Upgrade directed by Leigh Whannell and the Foxtel series Fighting Season. Returning to Perth in 2018 she was delighted to meet Amanda Morrison and start work within the Komixx Entertainment Australian office where she works in Development, as Associate Producer and Post Supervisor across the slate of work. Roslyn Park For several years Ros immersed herself within the independent film sector, producing numerous films during 2014-2018; all were selected for festivals both Nationally and Internationally. Festival awards include: LA Shorts Film Festival, West End Film Festival (Brisbane) and the Melbourne Independent Film Festival. In 2007, following 15 years in London working in the corporate and banking sectors (Qantas, Cox Insurance and UBS Investment Bank), Ros returned to Perth, Western Australia. Ros joined Radiance Entertainment in early 2017, for two series for the History Channel (Foxtel) – "Turning Point" and "End of Empire". In 2018 Ros worked with Good Thing Productions for the feature film "Below". Later that year Ros met with Amanda Morrison and Lucy Verity and was invited to join the Australian Komixx Entertainment team located at Sunset Studios, set within the Sunset Heritage Precinct in Perth, WA. Ros' experience in the film & tv industry is varied and includes: production/post production coordination, accounts, travel coordination. She is a member of Professional Filmcrew WA and WIFT WA (Women in Film & Television); was a WIFT WA mentee in 2018. In addition to her work with Komixx Entertainment, Ros also manages Sunset Studios. Heather is a West Australian feature film and television writer. Her experience includes writing for the ABC ME children's series Itch, based on the book series by Simon Mayo, as well as working in the script department as script editor. Heather worked in the script department as coordinator for season one of the... Her experience includes writing for the ABC ME children's series Itch, based on the book series by Simon Mayo, as well as working in the script department as script editor. Heather worked in the script department as coordinator for season one of the ABC drama series The Heights, and has had experience in a number of writer's rooms including Matchbox Picture's The Heights, Easy Tiger's one-hour drama series Doctor Doctor, and on a number of projects with Factor 30. In 2017 Heather undertook an internship with Studio Canal in their Sydney offices working within the Sales, Acquisitions and development team. On the feature side, Heather previously worked with Australian Production Company WBMC developing feature film concepts for their slate. Her feature The Last Drop was the recipient of Screenwest's West Coast Visions fund, while her second feature, One More Shot, is currently in development with Truce Films. In 2015 Heather was inducted into the Scripted Ink Pathways Program for her feature script Another Time. Audience is everything Stories that are unique and important Willingness to remain open to new ideas and partners Continually visualise innovation and experiment with technological advancement The heart of what we do Collaborative audience participation

Welcome Home! This Beautiful Bungalow Has The Old Charm With A Modern Flare. Featuring Crown Molding, High Baseboards And Hardwood Floors! Kitchen Has Easy Access To Lovely Covered Porch/Sunroom That Opens To The Over Sized Mature Private Backyard! Detached Garage For All Of Your Toys. Bedrooms All Feature Hardwood. Basement Is Large With Workshop, Office And Living Area. Cozy Up To Fireplace In The Winter Months!

Looking for suggestions on a slim powered subwoofer I can put in the back of my 17 doublecab sport. I don't mind removing the back storage panels but don't want to take out the Child Safety Restraint hooks. Here's my install. 2 sets of JL Audio C5 650 components JL Audio C5 650 Evolution Car Audio Speakers 1 JL Audio XD700 5 amp JL Audio XD700 5 Amplifiers Car Audio Amps & Amplifiers Wiring Adaptor plates for front speakers JL Audio 8W1v2 4 subwoofer to put in JBL sub box.

Just in time for his 70th birthday, Iggy Pop has tried his hand at jazz. The veteran rocker works with Jamie Saft's trio that is completed by Steve Swallow and Bobby Previte, to sing three songs on the group's latest release, "Loneliness Road." The news about the new direction comes as both a shock, and not a complete surprise. Iggy Pop is known for his moody, often clattering, always original rock. Pop's musical output is enmeshed in other realms of popular culture. The movie "Trainspotting" features Pop's "Lust for Life," "Nightclubbing" and "The Passenger" in pivotal scenes. Even a cursory listen to these songs reveal that Pop is well-versed in the dynamics of rocking out. The singer was a member of the Stooges from 1967 to 1974. By 1977, Pop was releasing solo albums and continuing to make iconic music. The question remains though: How did the singer go from rock to jazz without creating any fusion work in the process? When I first learned of Pop's foray into jazz, I thought it would sound like rock music with jazz elements mixed in. That is not what happens on Pop's latest project. For starters, this is not Pop's project alone. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Pop admitted to a lifelong love of music that was "…quieter, maybe more introspective." With this jazz project, that is exactly what the musicians produce. From all accounts, it seems that Pop and the jazz musicians had mutual associations with someone in the recording industry. The jazz musicians passed along a message that they wanted to work with the veteran rocker. Pop agreed. The result is jazz; maybe not what people expected of him, but it is jazz nonetheless. Further, true to form, Pop manages to surprise audiences with a number of approaches he takes to music. The instrumentation is sparse. Behind Pop's deep, ragged vocals, a bass produces a sound both groovy and filling. The piano is bright without being strident, and the drums tap rhythmically before giving way to rolling fills that add texture to the song. The song is a piece of advice. The lyrical interest comes from the unusual rhyme scheme–which I had not expected at all. The point seems to be that you can do any number of things, including one activity that earns the song its explicit label, but "don't lose yourself." Elsewhere, "told" and "explode" complete a rhyme scheme and that bit of invention was not the only example of creativity. The slower pace of the song, the irreverent humor, and Pop's almost Tom Wait's style of singing make this is an interesting track. Certainly the advice might be worth taking. Pop surprises on "Don't Lose Yourself." It is emotional and captivating, and it is real jazz.

Q: How can I hide the upper left health bar? I'm desperate to know how to hide this health bar, it just appears from nowhere, and I tried all keys possible but it still remains: How can I hide the upper left health bar? A: Simply click the character face at the bottom right, the health bar will disappear!

Arcadia's Forums » News » Members » Are they filming? Are they filming, because, Arcadia said that they are working on a "project", on youtube. And she says it has taken her 2 years to figure out. yeah she did say that. I remember also. she said this when she was on the Naruti-Online forums. and that was 4 years ago. omg. I do remember that! she said she was going to do a video, but it turns out it's a "project", wtf?! 4 Re: Are they filming?

The book is a compilation of contributions by many well-known personalities. The main essay is by Santosh Desai. Other contributors include Rajdeep Sardesai, Harsha Bhogle, Shyam Benegal, Shobhaa De, Sylvester DaCunha and Alyque Padamsee.

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Forrest is a BCU 4 star paddler, ACA open water advanced instructor, ACA SUP instructor, Alaska Kayak Guide and has his 200 ton Master's ship license. In addition to keeping the OOC ship headed in the right direction and running efficiently, he is an avid outdoorsman and kayak/SUP racer. He also helps coach water polo, plays a mean guitar and can cook up a tasty oyster on the half-shell. What do you need to go Whitewater Kayaking? There are a lot of things to consider when you are making a decision regarding your next kayak PFD (Personal Flotation Device). The most important of course are going to be fit and comfort. It is important that your PFD fits properly to ensure that when you are in the water it is not riding up and interfering with your breathing, vision and your ability to move in the water. Comfort will be depend on how the PFD is cut and proportioned and the PFD's material. While fit is a function of not only the cut of the PFD but the shape of the paddler as well. Kayakers are the most demanding of all the PFD users so manufacturers like Kokatat, Stohlquist and Astral have been leading the way to create performance PFD's that have been focusing on fit and functionality in a variety of environments. Kayaking PFD's have a strong emphasis on cut to allow for greater mobility and they do so by minimizing the material in and around the shoulders and mid section. Touring PFD's will be equipped with an array of pockets, lash tabs and knife garages to effectively and efficiently carry equipment. These PFD's will generally cover more surface area on the paddler to keep the thickness of the jacket down. White Water PFD's will be a bit more compact, in that they will sit higher up on the paddlers torso covering less surface area to allow the paddler even more mobility through the midsection to lean forward/back and side/side. Because the material is now condensed into a small area the flotation will be a bit thicker. White Water PFD's will generally have less and smaller pockets. Note: It is okay to mix and match. I use a white water PFD when I am touring because I prefer the fit and cut. We are all different shapes and sizes. Short or tall, Man on Women. The good news is there are a wide variety of cuts and configurations for both Men and Women. One of the most common questions we get from perspective buyers is: "what is the difference between and Men's and Women's PFD"? The difference is a women's PFD will not only be scaled down a bit in sizing but there are also subtle differences like smaller arm holes that will keep the PFD from "riding up". Some smaller statured gentleman prefer ladies PFD's for this reason. That being said it is important to try your PFD on and adjust it properly. To properly adjust and fit your PFD you need to follow a few simple steps. One: Before you put the PFD on loosen all of the straps. Tighten the straps on your shoulders, on the sides of the PFD and the strap around the bottom. Once all of the straps are snug place your thumbs underneath the shoulders of the PFD and gently pull up. If the PFD is able to slide up on your body more than an inch with little to no effort then continue to make strap adjustments. If you are still unable to keep the PFD anchored on your person try a different one. Since there are so many body types and shapes out there you may find that it takes a couple of tries to find the right jacket for you. What should you be comparing when choosing a PFD? Pockets - Paddlers who are may be planning multi day adventures tend to gravitate towards PFD's with a lot of pockets allowing them to easlity access piece of gear like a compass, radio, GPS, signal Mirror, Granola Bar etc...Here are a couple examples of top selling PFD's that offer a lot in the way of storage. High Back?: How your boat is configured will also have an impact on which PFD will work best for you. Does your boat have a back rest or a higher seat back that extends up past the rim of the cockpit? If so, a high back PFD is a good option to prevent the sometimes uncomfortable fit and overlap that can occur between the PFD and the seat back itself, If the back of the PFD is in contact with the seat back the PFD is also more apt to ride up, making for an uncomfortable day out on the water and a raw chin. Materials: The exterior of the PFD is usually either rip stop nylon or cordura. The rip stop nylon will help to keep the cost of the PFD down but is a bit more prone to fading and degrading overtime. Cordura is material that is much more rugged, so it provides much more durability and color last. Gaia™: This foam is based on an organic nitrile compound. It is relatively eco-friendly thanks to being PVC- and halogen-free, plus it does not include CFCs. It is softer than PVC foam and effectively resists cold and heat. Gaia is easy to clean and resists most chemicals, petroleum products and humidity. Its low apparent density reduces weight without performance loss. Kapok: This comes from the fluffy fiber surrounding the seeds of the kapok tree (also known as a ceiba tree). Kapok is resilient, very light and buoyant, but it is highly flammable. It resists water and is more durable than foam. Kapok fibers do not leach out over time or lose buoyancy. When retiring a kapok vest, the kapok fiber can often be recycled in your compost. PVC: Polyvinyl-chloride foam is inexpensive, durable and widely used in PFDs. It is strong, and it is resistant to oil, chemicals, flames, sunlight and weathering. Because it contains both chlorine and oil, it is not readily recyclable. Flat water Paddling: Examples of this genre would be, fishing PFD's, High back PFD's, and Touring PFD's. These guys will offer a bit more in the way of coverage, ie they tend to cover more of your torso. This allows the manufacturer to flatten of the flotation for a thinner PFD but the high amount of coverage can be a bit of a hindrance in more dynamic environments These life jackets also have a bit more of a utilitarian feel. Lots of pockets and lash tabs provide the paddler with a lot of space and solutions to keep gear close and accessible. Dynamic Paddling: These PFD's are purpose built to offer the most technical fit.T hey are preferred by whitewater paddlers, coastal paddlers and SUP'ers (Stand Up Paddle-Boarders). Often times these PFD's will have a more gracious cut through out the shoulders and be designed to sit relativity high up on the paddlers torso as to not impede movement forward and backward, side to side or rotation. Because these PFD's often come in smaller packages the flotation tends to be a bit thicker which can be an issue for folks who are performing re-entries such as the paddle float rescue. For those who are in leadership rolls or who have had the training to perform rescues either on flat-water, in whitewater or in the surf there are rescue specific Type V PFD's which are configured and reinforced for the stresses of those applications. If you have questions in regard to choosing your next PFD, please don't hesitate to call us at (360) 297-4659 we are always happy to help.