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We live in a world of moving images – from cinemas, to boardrooms and to bus rides – and it's designers with visual storytelling skills who create them. A degree in Film & Video Design, gives you the essential knowledge, skills and experiences required to embark on a career designing and producing content for film, TV, games, advertising, information/education and beyond.
You will acquire broad and flexible hands-on skills in motion graphic design, digital video production, editing and postproduction, sound design, concept design, preproduction planning, cinematography, compositing and visual effects. At the same time you will explore the theory and context of design, film, TV and animation to enrich your creativity and storytelling, while working through briefs and creative processes used by industry.
In your final year you can apply for an internship in a professional motion design studio or production house, and get you the chance to work on live project work for a real world client. You will also have the chance to compliment your studies by completing elective subjects in 3D Design and Animation, Interaction Design or Communication Design. You can pick and mix elective subjects to further tailor your degree to your goals.
|Qualification Title
|BACHELOR OF Digital Media (Film & Video)
Study Options – Domestic Australian students
Full-time Blended*
Part-time Blended*
*Blended (face to face on campus plus facilitated online)
Study Options - International students
Full-time Blended*
*Blended - face to face on campus plus facilitated online (no more than a third of the course online)
Start Dates
February, June, September
Course Length
Full-time: 3 years
Accelerated: 2 years
Part-time: 6 years maximum
Admission Criteria
Year 12 equivalent with ATAR 60.
For international applications IELTS 6.0 with no skills band less than 5.5
Special Entry Requirements:
Demonstrated ability to undertake study at this level:
Payment Options - Domestic Australian students
FEE-HELP is Australian Government´s loan scheme for higher education degree courses.
It can assist you in paying for all, or part of, your course fee. Repayments commence via tax system once your income rises above a minimum threshold ($54,869 in 2016-17). Just like any other debt, a FEE-HELP debt is a real debt that impacts your credit rating.
Upfront payment
This means tuition fees will be invoiced each trimester and payment is required on or before the due date.
Course study requirements
Each subject involves 10 hours of study per week, comprising 3 hours of facilitated study and 7 hours self-directed study.
Practical assignments, research projects, presentations and reports
Sydney Campus
Torrens University Australia Ltd is registered as a self-accrediting Australian university by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standard Agency (TEQSA).
Provider obligations
Torrens University is responsible for all aspects of the student experience, including the quality of course delivery, in compliance with the Higher Education Standards 2015
Accrediting body
Torrens University Australia Ltd
Course Fees
For details, please click here
CRICOS Course Code
|Course Credits
|If you have already completed a qualification you may be able to credit this against your degree with us, even if it's from another institution. Find out more
2019 course dates for all Billy Blue classes held at our Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane campuses.
|Start Dates
|Census Dates
|Last Day
|Mon 04 Nov 2019
|25 Nov
|9 Feb
|23 Dec – 05 Jan 2020an
|Mon 17 Feb 2020
|6 Mar
|10 May
|11 May – 1 Jun
|Mon 1 Jun 2020
|19 Jun
|23 Aug
|24 Aug – 14 Sep
|Mon 14 Sep 2020
|2 Oct
|6 Dec
|7 Dec – 15 Feb 2021
The course structure comprises 8 common core subjects, 14 specialised subjects, and 2 elective subjects over Levels 100, 200, and 300, as follows:
|Level 100
|3 common core subjects
|+ 6 specialised subjects
|Level 200
|3 common core subjects
|+ 4specialised subjects
|Level 300
|2 common core subjects
|+ 4 specialised subjects 2 elective subject
To be awarded the Bachelor of Digital Media (Film and Video Design), students will need to complete 240 credit points over 24 subjects as outlined in the Course Structure above. Each subject has a value of 10 credit points
This introductory subject places design process and practice within the context of a chronological survey of major historical eras of influence. Students are encouraged to engage with the historical socio-political movements influencing design trends of each era through research and reflection. Academic skills (research, referencing, essay writing, and sentence structure) and design software skills are taught in weekly lessons. Students use the academic and software skills to document historical research and generate creative responses to the themes of historical eras
The subject introduces the student to various aspects of the elements of design, e.g. materiality, form and shape, colour, positive and negative space etc. utilised in creative problem solving. Initially students are introduced to a design development process, from the tangible to the digital; through paper model making with its inherent skills development and risk taking, then on to further digital development using newly introduced software. Concurrent, weekly, individual homework tasks focus on understanding and appreciation of materials, their many varied uses, properties and the manufacturing processes related to them. Students will make incremental progress towards choosing a material in which their individual design can be realised. The submission will include a material and colour folio. The final submission will be a model executed in an appropriate material with its function/usage contextualised with all relevant information gleaned throughout the trimester.
This subject provides an introduction to the fundamental theory and practice of interaction design. Key concepts including experience, interface and interaction are explored, along with fundamental technologies, services and platforms pertinent to the design and production of interactive digital media. Students will also investigate the social, cultural and technological frameworks that inform interaction design and identify the relationships between each.
This subject provides an introduction to the fundamental theory and practice of moving image and 3D design and production. Students will be familiarised with a basic set of tools and techniques for creating moving image sequences and 3D visualisations. Fundamental moving image, screen language and spatial design concepts are introduced, and students will use these concepts in conjunction with basic production techniques to communicate and convey narrative. The subject also introduces concept development techniques and materials specific to the development of motion and 3D design outcomes.
Design Studio 2 offers an introduction to the building blocks of creating and developing brands and is designed to give students a broad understanding of the stages and methodologies adopted in the brand development process. The subject draws on the theory and practice that sits behind brand creation. It covers the broad spectrum of brand development, values, trends and branding techniques, as well as fundamentals such as brand positioning and brand architecture. The subject also explores the relationship between branding and audiences, cross-cultural influences and shifts in consumer behaviour. Students must first understand and apply the fundamentals of branding and then go on to use that knowledge as the basis for developing and progressing a brand. This theoretical and practical subject will equip students with the knowledge and insight with which to build their own branding expertise.
This subject continues the exploration of the theory and practice of interaction design for digital media. The subject covers core research and concept development methods for interaction design. Students will focus on interpreting and structuring information content for interactive non-linear presentation and delivery, and will also focus on visual aspects of interface design and the ways in which visual design affects end-user experience.
This subject introduces the foundational theory and practice of motion graphic design and live action camera production. The unit introduces basic skills in concept development, asset creation, 2D animation and compositing suitable for motion graphic production.
The process of developing a live action video piece is also introduced, from pre-production through to post-production, and including fundamental sound design principles. Students will gain basic skills in camera-based production including basics of lighting, sound recording and editing.
This subject develops foundational skills in 3D design and animation. Students will undertake character and set design and development exercises, and will generate animated 3D graphic elements. In this way students will develop foundational skills in the principles and techniques of modelling, texturing, lighting and animation required to produce digital 3D characters, environments and props. The subject also explores key concept development stages typical to common 3D design briefs and projects.
This subject develops foundational skills in drawing, visual perception and exploration. Students engage with the practice and theory of various drawing modes, including life and environmental drawing, in order to enrich the concept development process. In addition to developing general visualisation skills students will also work in concept development forms specific to specialist areas of digital media practice.
The subject introduces business practices such as costing, time management, value engineering and general models of monetising and valuing output typical of a variety of design industries. Case study analyses' of a typical design industry business practices, domestic and international, acquaint students with the differences and similarities that exist. Students learn about contractual agreements, and where appropriate become familiar with international shipping and distribution terms as well as an introduction to design copyright laws. Initial overview of time allocation practices and the creation and understanding costing terms such as: Bill Of Material (BOM) /Scope of Work / Deliverables used in typical projects is followed by application. Students plan a project from start to finish through to the development of an appropriate project management plan for their particular industry such as time management charts with typical dependencies highlighted and costed.
This subject explores the theory and practice of live action camera-based moving image production. The subject introduces an expanded set of production planning concepts and techniques for video production. Creative and technical aspects of working with cameras, lighting and sound are explored in greater detail. The investigation of film, TV and media theory and history is continued with an emphasis on enrichment of the idea generation and concept development process. Students will also explore the use of video editing and post-production techniques to communicate mood, narrative and information.
This subject explores the theory and practice of motion graphic design. Idea generation and concept development techniques for motion graphic sequences are explored and practical and conceptual skills in asset creation, kinetic typography, 2D animation and compositing are developed. The history of motion graphic traditions such as broadcast and film title design are investigated as a means of enriching the design process.
The aim of this subject is for students to develop and employ their digital skills to answer to, and present a design outcome whilst developing collaboration skills. The project outcome focuses on the digital application of the design solution. This can be by means of 3D printing of the prototypes and/or digital augmentation of a physical 3D environment or 2D document. The construct of this subject is "Problem Based Learning*" (PBL). Students work in groups towards the digitised solution. In allocated groups students bring their individual knowledge and skills back to their groups for discussion and sharing. During these collaborations students benefit from the knowledge and skills of the other group members. The PBL process is staged in 3 sets of 8 steps and students are assessed on their
1) collaboration skills; 2) individual research skills; and 3) group project solution reached at the end of the subject. *Problem-based learning (PBL) is a method of learning and teaching which allows students to focus on how and what they will learn. An unfamiliar problem, situation or task is presented to the students (by the lecturer or tutor) and students are required to determine for themselves how they will go about solving the problem. This usually occurs through small group work and allows students to utilise their prior knowledge in the topic area and identify the gaps in their knowledge as they attempt to solve the problem. PBL is a student-centred approach to learning that encourages students to be self-directed, interdependent and independent as they attempt to solve the set problem.
The aim of this subject is for students to develop and employ Major specific skills to discover and define a design problem followed by the development and delivery of an outcome whilst employing collaboration and negotiation skills. Every individual works towards prototypes, instigated and critiqued through group collaboration. The construct of this subject is "Problem Based Learning*" (PBL). Students work in groups towards an individual solution as a result of critique and research as a basis for PBL. In allocated groups, individual knowledge and skills are brought back to the groups for discussion and sharing. During these collaborations students benefit from the knowledge and skills and critique of the other group members. The PBL process is staged in 2 sets, students are assessed on their 1) collaboration skills; 2) individual research skills; and 3) individual project solution reached at the end of the subject. *Problem-based learning (PBL) is a method of learning and teaching which allows students to focus on how and what they will learn. An unfamiliar problem, situation or task is presented to the students (by the lecturer or tutor) and students are required to determine for themselves how they will go about solving the problem. This usually occurs through small group work and allows students to utilise their prior knowledge in the topic area and identify the gaps in their knowledge as they attempt to solve the problem. PBL is a student-centred approach to learning that encourages students to be self-directed, interdependent and independent as they attempt to solve the set problem.
This subject develops and extends skills in live action camera-based video production, with a focus on storytelling and cinematography. Concept development and preproduction techniques such as scriptwriting and storyboarding are emphasised as crucial components of moving image story development. At the same time students develop skills in pitch preparation and presentation for video projects. Cinematography principles and techniques including moving camera shots are explored, along with lighting and sound design, in order to enrich students' moving image storytelling vocabulary.
This subject introduces the theory and practice of compositing and visual effects (VFX). A history of visual and special effects in film and TV production is covered as a means of exploring both the technical developments in this field and the new storytelling possibilities accompanying these developments. Students develop practical skills in fundamental compositing techniques such as chromakeying, rotoscoping, tracking, stabilisation and matchmoving. Students are also introduced to the challenges of balancing the creative and technical aspects of visual effects work by undertaking a project in response to a brief.
Here for good. We believe society is best served when our students, faculty, and our entire organisation use our collective skills and experience to create positive and lasting change. Our students and graduates are improving lives and making our world better. Our institutions are providing the critical skills, knowledge and support to help make this happen. Social Enterprise is an exciting theoretical based subject driven by the desire to create positive change through entrepreneurial activities. By providing students with a framework to understand business model generation and the skills to source, evaluate, and measure opportunities, Social Enterprise empowers students to conceptualise, develop, and propose new ventures that focus primarily on social change for good. In addition, this subject helps students understand and analyse different entrepreneurial business strategies, as well as incorporate theoretical discussions on major trends and issues in the social economy.
This subject develops further practical and conceptual skills in motion graphics, reinforcing and extending skills in idea generation, asset creation, kinetic typography, animation, compositing and sound integration for motion graphic design. The subject also focuses on the design and development of 3D assets and animation for motion graphics, and the integration of motion graphics elements with live action footage, as a means of expanding students' motion design vocabulary.
This subject develops practical and conceptual skills in compositing and visual effects. The subject focuses on managing and working within a small visual effects production team. Students are required to design and manage the production of their own original effects sequence, and also to contribute as a team member to a project led by another student. The subject also expands on compositing methodologies suitable for the integration of live action and computer-generated 3D imagery.
Students will be offered the opportunity to work within a professional design studio experience for an extended period of time. It encourages students to build long-term relationships with the design industry and exposes them to the rigour of applied design practice while building their confidence in adapting to new environments. It also provides a context in which to enhance their communication skills and work collaboratively in a professional arena. Students will be matched to an appropriate mentor at the placement site and monitored by an academic in the discipline of study.
In this subject students will research and develop self-promotion materials in preparation for employment. Students will be expected in this unit to review, revise and edit their existing body of design work. They will be expected to frame and deliver this work with an emphasis on self-reflection and identification of a personal brand and value proposition in relation to a chosen design industry sector.
This subject addresses new and emerging technologies, methods and practice within the motion design field. Students investigate specific current examples of emerging practice within the field, assess their potential applications and appraise their creative and commercial potential. Students gain practical experience in the adoption of new concepts, processes and techniques through the completion of a research project. The subject also requires students to critically reflect on, document and communicate a research process and findings to a motion design community of practice.
The elective subject can be taken from levels 200 or 300.
The elective subject can be taken from levels 200 or 300.
*Elective rules:
If you have previously studied or worked in the design industry, you may be eligible to receive course credit that can potentially shorten the length of your Billy Blue design course. Read more about recognition of prior learning.
Billy Blue College of Design has recognised pathways to help you gain entry into the Bachelor of Digital Media (Motion Design) based on the criteria you are able to meet. Explore your pathway options.
We offer several entrance pathway options for students who have not completed a High School Certificate or equivalent. Entry can be achieved by undertaking the Diploma in Digital Media Design (pathway criteria applies), and on successful completion of the Diploma you can then credit this study towards completion of a degree. Mature aged students (aged 21 or over) are also welcome to apply directly to Billy Blue based on work experience and an existing portfolio. Read more about recognition of prior learning. For more information on any of these pathways please ask a Course and Careers Advisor.
We use the latest industry-standard software in all our courses. This changes all the time as industry standards and software programs evolve. Contact us for more information.
Yes, you must bring your own laptop to class. This is part of our commitment to preparing students for the mobile work practice of the 21st Century. There are also some workstations and design software on campus.
Yes if you are an eligible Australian student you can defer your future fees. International students need to pay each trimester in full before it starts. Learn more about fees here.
"I think one of my most fun and successful projects so far during the Digital Media Design course was creating a 'how to' video. I decided to film an instructional video on how to pick up women – except the host was an intoxicated bricklayer who was literally picking up women and throwing them over his shoulder. It was a little bit cheeky and controversial and gained many laughs. At Billy Blue we are always encouraged to think differently, which really appeals to me."
2013 Graduate
Digital Media Design
Billy Blue College of Design courses are delivered by Torrens University Australia Ltd, ABN 99 154 937 005, RTO 41343, CRICOS 03389E. | Privacy Policy
Do you have questions about studying with Billy Blue at Torrens University?
Lisa is our Torrens virtual assistant who is ready to help you with your enquiries. Available via Facebook Messenger.CHAT NOW


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Your social insurance partner
We are one of the largest social insurance organisations in Switzerland, and offer all types of mandatory insurance in the 1st and 2nd pillars. Our expertise means that we can provide you with a competent and individual advisory service on all matters relating to social insurance. Since 1948 (for the Compensation Fund) and 1974 (for the Pension Fund) we have been applying our experience and know-how to offer you tailor-made pension solutions.
Our range of clients covers the whole spectrum of businesses, from SMEs to large corporations. We make it our priority to meet each and every one of our clients' needs and requirements to the highest standards. Companies from all around Switzerland and in numerous sectors rely on the services provided by our Compensation Fund and Pension Fund.
We now offer an additional online payroll system that can also be used for the capture of working hours and for personnel and document management.
You will find all important forms in our Downloadcenter; please contact us should you have any questions.

subset: commoncrawl


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Chances are you've heard about the benefits of hot water with lemon before.
Although some experts claim that it's not the miracle health drink you're hoping for, there are still many health benefits of starting your day with a cup of hot water and lemon.
Lemons contain something called a flavonoid compound, which helps to boost your immunity and can even protect you against cardiovascular disease and cancer, says registered dietitian, Sue Mah.
"Research shows that hot water can actually extract this beneficial flavonoid, which makes it easier for your body to absorb the lemon's flavonoid compound even better," she explains.
The Right Way To Make Hot Water With Lemon
In order to get the full benefits of hot water with lemon, make sure you let the lemon soak in boiling water for at least half an hour, Mah recommends.
For this reason, try including hot water with lemon into your morning routine by making the drink as soon as you get out of bed. Once you're ready, your lemon water should have been steeped long enough to for full benefits, plus it would have cooled down enough to drink comfortably.
If you've tried hot water with lemon before and it's really not your thing, try adding a slice of the tart yellow fruit to green tea. The lemon will help you absorb the antioxidants in green tea, according to research conducted by Sunkist.
Hot water with lemon is also an effortless way to add more vitamin C into your diet, since just two tablespoons of lemon juice contain 20 percent of your daily vitamin C requirement.
Plus, when it comes to colour psychology, lemons are a great way to add some positivity into your day. "Yellow hues are associated with joy and playfulness and a sense of fun, so lemons really are just a great way to brighten your mood," says registered dietitian and Best Health columnist, Abbey Sharp.
Do you drink hot water and lemon in the morning? Let us know!


text: I guess the only question is what type whould be best? Are there any models of J's that won't fit a 5-string and do the passive ones also work with an active preamp? Also does anyone know of a preamp company that makes a similar preamp to the one found in the thumb neckthru's (ie. passive switch, 18volt, etc.)?


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Southern California has seen a series of firsts since motorized rental scooters began flooding streets and sidewalks last year, including the first collision with a driver and the first scooter sent to a watery grave in the Venice canals.
On Wednesday, Los Angeles officials reported another: the first conviction for scooting under the influence.
City Atty. Mike Feuer said his office had secured a misdemeanor conviction against Nicholas Kauffroath, 28, who was riding a Bird scooter on a sidewalk in West L.A. when he knocked a pedestrian to the ground and scooted away to a nearby apartment building without stopping to render aid.
When police officers found Kauffroath, Feuer said, his blood-alcohol level was measured at .279, more than three times the legal limit.
Kauffroath pleaded no contest to one count of operating a motorized scooter while under the influence, and one count of hit-and-run, officials said.
Kauffroath, who did not return a request for comment, was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay a $550 fine, Feuer said. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim, complete a three-month DUI program, and stay off scooters while drinking.
"Drinking while operating a vehicle, a bike — or a scooter — is not only illegal, but can lead to serious injury or worse," Feuer said in a statement. "This conviction demonstrates our office's continued effort to enforce our drunk driving laws and make our streets and sidewalks safer."
Los Angeles prosecutes thousands of misdemeanor DUI cases each year, but this is the first involving a motorized scooter, said Feuer spokesman Rob Wilcox.
The thousands of Bird and Lime scooters that have appeared in Los Angeles and Santa Monica since last year cost $1 to rent and 15 cents per minute to ride. Riders use the companies' apps to find scooters nearby, and scan codes on the handlebars to unlock them.
Before customers can ride, they are required to confirm that they will not ride while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or medication.
California's laws against operating a vehicle while impaired are most commonly applied to drivers. But the restrictions also apply to motorcycles, bicycles and motorized scooters.
As the scooters have become more popular and migrated to more areas of the L.A. basin, police officers say they have anecdotally observed an uptick in collisions between scooter riders, drivers and pedestrians.
"They're becoming more frequent, certainly," said Det. Connie White of the Los Angeles Police Department's West Traffic Division. This month, she said, the LAPD created a code that will allow officers to track scooter collisions, similar to how bicycle crashes are tallied.
Earlier this month, a 25-year-old man rode a scooter into a LAPD drunk-driving checkpoint in West Los Angeles and failed a field sobriety test.
The TMZ write-up of the incident reminded riders that a scooter is a motorized vehicle, adding: "This concludes your Sunday Funday bummer."
For more transportation news, follow @laura_nelson on Twitter.


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British Isles: England. General and early coalholes, 1: South West, Devon, Exeter, 2: London, 3: South East, 4: East Anglia, 5: East Midlands, 6: West Midlands, 7: North East, 8. North West.
France, (also pages for Aquitaine, Brittany, Champagne and Ardennes, Languedoc-Rousillon, Loire and Centre, Midi-Pyrenees, Normandy, Caen, Paris, Pont-a-Mousson).
Germany, (also pages for: Hansa towns, Kulmbach).
Luxembourg, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria.
Southern Europe: Italy, International Manhole Cover Museum, Portugal, Spain: pages for Andalucia, Asturias, Cantabria, Castille, Catalunya, Extramadura, Galicia.
Eastern Europe: the Baltic States and Russia, Greece, Turkey, the Balkans (Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia), Czech Republic and Slovakia, Hungary (also page for Budapest), Poland, Romania.
Outside Europe: Japan, Morocco, Central America, Trinidad
In the small town of Comacchio, a little south of Venice, the International Manhole Museum put on a display in 2006. It gathered together examples of manhole covers from across Europe, revealing the civic pride in street furniture which exists in many towns and cities, and providing visual evidence of the work of many local industries.
International Manhole Museum display
Since learning of an exhibition of rubbings of coalhole covers in London in the 1960s we had retained an interest in such items of street ironmongery and were now inspired to seek out unusual examples of manhole covers during our travels. We have discovered that many of the early products of local foundries are increasingly being replaced by standard covers manufactured by foundries which are not necessarily even in the same country. In addition many manhole coveres are being stolen for their scrap metal - among many other places this happened in Alençon, Normandy, during 2010. It seems that in many parts of Europe our survey is recording aspects of the street scene that are fast disappearing.
Ian and Jill Maxted
Together with fire, agriculture and the wheel, the efficient distribution of clean water and the safe removal of foul water are basic requirements for a civilised society. The techniques of water supply were highly developed by ancient civilizations across the world, for example in Rome or Sri Lanka, but largely fell into decline in medieval times.
Modern water supply and sewerage systems are a product of the increasing urbanisation brought about by the industrial revolution in the 19th century. Mechanised foundries were now able to cast water mains and manhole covers. The laying of water mains and sewerage systems for a large town, such as Bazalgette undertook for London in the 19th century, was a major engineering achievement, of which municipal authorities were justifiably proud, and inscriptions record the unveiling of reservoirs, pumping stations, fountains and in many cases the local authority even put its mark on individual manhole covers. It is therefore sad that local manhole covers are being increasingly swept away by the dull uniformity of the products of major foundries such as PAM-Gobion, whose products are to be found all over Europe.
The purpose of this website is to record some of the individual products of local municipalities and foundries before they are replaced, and to encourage local authorities to take more pride in the provision of these vital but hidden services, perhaps by commissioning special designs to enliven the local streetscape. In some countries such as Scandinavia, Germany or Hungary this practice is widespread, but it is an example that could be followed elsewhere.
Last revised: 17 March 2016


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Yes, Virginia, there is a St. Valentine.
The Mounties took 10 hours to realize that Robert Dziekanski was in the Vancouver International
The darling of the New New Left, Barak Obama, stepped in a pile while trying
Happy Birthday today to John Palmer, the mind behind EclectEcon. If you have not read
As I noted with the Greywater Guerillas, the Hawaiian mass transit situation and the ongoing
A long predicted increase in antibiotic resistant superbugs is here. According to the latest research:
< ul> Mukasey. Democrats are insisting that Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey be "independent" of


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An article was released by Pew Research highlighting the top 10 demographic shifts happening right now. While I won't go too indepth on everything, I do want to discuss a few of the top issues brought to light.
PS: You can check out the full list by clicking on the link below:
10 demographic trends shaping the U.S. and the world in 2017
The demographic findings are very interesting and cover Millennials, Baby Boomers and the global shift among generations. For starters, in 2016, "there were an estimated 79.8 million Millennials (ages 18 to 35 in that year) compared with 74.1 million Baby Boomers (ages 52 to 70). The Millennial population is expected to continue growing until 2036 as a result of immigration." This means that for the first time in a while, Baby Boomers are no longer the largest population in America.
The big reason is immigration. There are three points in the Millennial population that many people (particularly in the Political sphere) over look.
- Immigrants are the driving force behind workforce growth in America: According to Pew Research "Without immigrants, there would be an estimated 18 million fewer working-age adults in the country in 2035"
- Children born to immigrant mothers is having a positive impact on the overall birth rate of the US
- The U.S. unauthorized immigrant population fell in 2015 to below recession levels, and the share of Mexicans within this population declined. This means that illegal immigration is, and has been dropping for some time. So do we really need a wall if immigration is already nearing record lows?
It also looks as if immigration will change over time as well. According to the article "Globally, babies born to Muslim mothers will outnumber babies born to Christian mothers by 2035 – largely driven by different fertility rates." This means that over time, the religion of Islam may in fact be the majority religion throughout the world. In addition it is also very likely that the future of American immigration is religion focused with Muslims leading the way instead of Mexicans.
Another fact that is not on the demographic chart, but one I believe will be a future issue is the increase in Artificial Intelligence. To me this is the most under prepared for change for the future of our world that will do more to impact demographics than anything else over the next 50 years. But for now, the focus is changes and growths in all ethnic populations outside of whites / Europeans.


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You are not alone. You are not to blame, and with help you and your baby will be well.
Click Here to Find Local Doctors and Maternal Healthcare Specialists
These are local doctors and maternal healthcare specialists who are experts in treating pregnant and new mothers just like you. Thank you to Postpartum Progress for putting this list together.
Remind yourself:
- I am a good person
- I am a good mother
- This is not my fault
- My symptoms are treatable
- I deserve to feel better
Disclaimer: Jenny's Light is not a health care provider. The content of this website serves to provide peer-to-peer support. The information included is for educational and advocacy purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or psychological condition. Please consult your healthcare provider for individual advice regarding your own situation.


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It seemed to be a successful Green Festival in Seattle. I of course, was overwhelmed by the groups and such, And also by all the green building products and suppliers. I volunteered to work at the S.c.a.l.l.o.p.s. (Sustainable Communities ALL Over Puget Sound)booth. It was fun to spend a rainy day with like minded people coming together to spread their words and organizations!
There were a lot of "Green" Building companies and products - of course I wanted them all. There was also eco friendly pet products, vegans, PETA, (no I didn't tease or feed the peta people) as well as campaign and political issues. Even Dr. Bonner's soaps were there giving out samples of soap. I can't really say there was any of what I would call "greenwashing as all the companies involved were arguably already green.
Some of them had interesting products I haven't seen in person before like this large wooly pockets wall planter
One of the fun things at the S.C.A.L.L.O.P.S booth was a face painter. Here a young lad is getting made up like his favorite animal.
Of course some big old bald guy had to get his shiny bald forehead painted too
Deep Fried SpaghettiOs
4 days ago


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Hi! Now it's finally time for me to show you my projects made with the C'est Magnifique August kit – a really beautiful kit that brings lots of smiles and love!
Here's my first project – a mixed media book. I have filled it with striped pages and several backsides from the emballishment packaging. For this project I used products from the Main Kit, the Embellishment Add-on, theMixed Media Kit and the Flower Add-on.
Have a great day!


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Therapist Referrals
Children's Speech and Rehabilitation Therapy services families across Nassau County and is always looking to refer cases to dedicated and motivated professionals to work with infants and toddlers and their families. We offer referrals in the following disciplines: Speech Therapy, Special Education, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Vision, Audiological Evaluations, Psychologists, Social Workers and Nutritionists. Potential therapists must be able to provide proof of current licenses and/or certifications. Bilingual skills are a plus.
Please note: If there is an emergency and you need to reach us at a time that no staff are in the office, please be aware that we check email and cell phones periodically. Jana can be reached on her cell at (516) 318-0477 or by email email@example.com.


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June 22 Dolphin Survey
Click here to learn more about field report - hawaii Field Report - Hawaii
Over the past month, the research team has spent most of its time in the office. Very windy weather conditions have prohibited us from doing odontocete (toothed whale) surveys, as it is very challenging to spot dolphins if there are whitecaps on the water. However, we finally had a break this past weekend and spent two days on the water, conducting surveys and collecting marine debris. We were delighted when we had a rare sighting -a pod of spotted and spinner dolphins interacting together! The team collected a number of photographs for our photo-ID catalogs. A good thing that we made the most of those good weather days, because the wind has picked up again and we are now back in the office awaiting our next opportunity to get back on the water.


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by edyn
A new design-led aparthotel brand is to be launched by SACO, the Serviced Apartment Company. Intended to combine the design elements of a boutique hotel with the convenience of service apartments, the Locke brand – named after the philosopher John Locke - will be designed to reflect the culture of the neighbourhood in which it is located. The first Locke property will open with 168 apartments on London's Leman Street in Aldgate in October 2016, with further properties set to be launched across the UK and Europe from 2017.
More about edyn


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Every once in a while there comes a day where behind the scenes improvements need to be made to the site to make sure our readers, vendors and sponsors have the best experience possible. Today is one of those days!
But don't worry, I have a lovely wedding for you from the archives. And this French Flea Market inspired wedding is sure to please. Here are just a few images. To see the whole wedding, please click here.
Photographer: Sean and Amanda Photography * Event Designer: Juli Vaughn Designs * Reception Venue: Summerour Studio * Submission via Two Bright Lights
Again, to see the full wedding, please click here!
Thanks for stopping by!


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, to we send email then you must click to confirm link, If you don't see email, please check spam/junk folder.
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Leading international chefs and the pioneers of the f&b business also teach at MSA


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Vulvar cancer is cancer of the vulva (the external female genital organs, including the clitoris, vaginal lips, and the opening to the vagina). Vulvar cancer most often affects the outer vaginal lips. Less often, cancer affects the inner vaginal lips, clitoris, or vaginal glands.
Vulvar cancer usually forms slowly over a number of years. Abnormal cells can grow on the surface of the vulvar skin for a long time. This condition is called vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN). Because it is possible for VIN to become vulvar cancer, it is very important to get treatment.
Having vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia or HPV infection can affect the risk of vulvar cancer.
Risk factors for vulvar cancer include the following:
- Having vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN)
- Having human papillomavirus (HPV) infection
- Having a history of genital warts
- Having many sexual partners
- Having first sexual intercourse at a young age
- Having a history of abnormal Pap tests (Pap smears)
Possible symptoms include:
- A lump or growth on the vulva
- Changes in the vulvar skin, such as color changes or growths that look like a wart or ulcer
- Itching in the vulvar area, that does not go away
- Bleeding not related to menstruation (periods)
- Tenderness in the vulvar area
The following tests and procedures may be used:
- Physical exam and history
- Biopsy
Four types of standard treatment are used:
- Surgery
- Laser Surgery
- Wide local excision
- Radical local excision
- Ultrasound surgical aspiration (USA)
- Vulvectomy
- Skinning vulvectomy
- Modified radical vulvectomy
- Radical vulvectomy
- Pelvic exenteration
- Radiation Therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Biologic Therapy
Content was created using EBSCO's Health Library. Edits to original content made by Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice.


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A few things include some significant pitfalls. With the high level of security and calm gave by this site, the strolling separation to comforts endure a shot. We don't see much pleasantries close to The Crest. The closest real pleasantries focuses are situated at either Valley Point Shopping Center or the Redhill Market region. Separation? 600 meters. What's more, that is the immediate line remove that we are discussing. Include a few reroutes all over and the strolling separation will effectively wind up plainly 700 to 800 meters. An over ten minutes' walk will be required to get to both of these spots. For staple goods shopping, a vehicle is certainly required on the off chance that you don't wish to carry every one of your basic needs back by walking or even from the transport stops along Alexandra Road. For drivers, there are numerous spots inside a short drive. You get the Alexandra Food Center, IKEA, Brickworks Food Center, Tiong Bahru Plaza and Great World City.
To put it plainly, the shortage of enhancements inside short strolling separation is something purchasers should consider in the event that they don't expect to drive or possess an auto.
Transport (MRT/Busses)
Redhill MRT is very some separation far from The Crest Condo Prince Charles Crescent. We appraise it to be no less than 500 to 600 meters away by walking, comprehensive of an overhead scaffold crossing. Ascentia Sky and The Echelon will likely piece the most direct way to Redhill MRT and this will stretch out the stroll to the higher end of 500 meters.
Registering utilizing a 4km/hr strolling speed, it is no less than a ten minutes' leave. Hope to have a sound walk regular on the off chance that you require the MRT for your day by day transport needs!
From Redhill MRT, it is a simple two stops to Outram Park Interchange in the east bearing or three stops to Buona Vista Interchange. The focal Raffles Place and City Hall MRT stations are additionally inside a short 4 and 5 MRT stops away. To put it plainly, Redhill MRT is exceptionally helpful for MRT suburbanites. For The Crest's inhabitants, the issue is the long stroll there in any case!


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We invite you to celebrate the joy of the season with us! All are welcome!
Sunday, December 20 – Our annual Christmas Pageant showcasing our talented youth. Join us for worship and the pageant at 10 a.m.
Thursday, December 24 – Candlelight Christmas Eve Service. Join us for an all ages appropriate worship service at 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 27 – Sunday worship beginning at 10 a.m. with guest preacher, Rev. Bill Obalil.


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|Click to see in Amazon
Most people will know Jo Nesbo's books through his very popular Harry Hole series. This time Nesbo has written a standalone thriller "The Son" (Sonnen in Norwegian) which IMHO equals if not surpasses his best Harry Hole thrillers. It is a pretty long and complex read and some of the violent parts may not be to everyone's taste.
Sonny Lofthus idolised his father, Ab, who was a police officer. At an impressionable age Sonny is faced with the apparent suicide of his father after admitting charges of corruption. His mother turns to alcohol and takes an overdose of pills. Left alone Sonny goes off the rails and becomes a drug addict. At the age of eighteen he confesses to murders he didn't commit in return for a promise from gangsters of a constant supply of drugs while he is in prison.
During the 18 years he has been in prison, despite his addiction, Sonny has become a charismatic and calm figure who other prisoners come to for absolution of their sins. One day a prisoner with terminal cancer makes a confession admitting that Sonny's father was murdered. This triggers off a major change in Sonny so that he can take vengeance on all those who had a hand in his father's murder. His main problem is that he is in prison, is a drug addict and has never lived outside as an adult.
While the main storyline is about Sonny it is also closely connected with the life of Chief Inspector Simon Kefas, who was a close friend of Ab Loftus. After Ab's death Simon's potentially brilliant career investigating fraud and corruption came to an end because of his addiction to gambling. Simon is now a reformed man and a dedicated leader of the homicide squad. On the home front his wife is rapidly losing her eyesight and Simon will do anything to save it. Along with a new female partner Simon investigates the death of a prison chaplain which drags him into looking at a range of crimes that eventually impact on Sonny's search for vengeance.
This is not a short read or sometimes a very comfortable read. At times it is extremely violent, gritty and noir. While there are corrupt gangsters and officials, drugs and multiple murders there are also characters that you can really care about. Sonny is an enigmatic character, at times innocent, loving, kind and compassionate and at other times violent and dangerous.
Nesbo has written a thriller with lots of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat (actually I went back and revisited parts of the book to be able to really appreciate the writer's skills). He is able to turn on all kinds of emotions - but it is the killing spree that is the engine that really revs the story along. Despite that there is one aspect of the dramatic ending gives some hope for the future.
This book demonstrates Jo Nesbo's talents at writing top class thrillers. This will undoubtedly be a top candidate for one of the best thrillers I have read in 2014.
My thanks to The Reading Room and the publisher for an Advanced Reading Copy of this book for an honest review.


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BSF Projects
BSF Fabrication
BSF Mobile Cranes Pty Ltd
BSF announces a new division devoted to Design and Construct projects
BSF and our project partners have been awarded a High Commendation in the Buildings - Small Projects category for the Outdoor Stage @ HOTA.
BSF has earned a Construction Category 3 rating under the National Structural Steelwork Compliance Scheme - the first Queensland fabricator to achieve this level of certification.
The SCA provides compliance certification for the supply, fabrication and erection of structural steelwork in Australia for general structural fabrication and bridges designed to AS 5131.
BSF has achieved Gold Band membership status for the fifth year running having demonstrated company-wide environmental awareness and engagement and continual improvement and initiatives in relation to energy efficiency.


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Written by Joe Janes
8 of 365
Trey Vanbetheysen III, late 30s - early 40s
(Lights up on Trey. A thin, pale man in dark clothing. A black mock turtleneck and a dark tweed sports coat. He sits at a small table with a cup of Starbucks coffee. He is speaking to someone in the direction of the audience. There is more than just a slight sir of superiority about him.)
TREYYou want to know about my life in the theatre. Well, what shall I tell you? Currently, Trey Vanbetheysen III's plate is full and overflowing. The food on my plate is messy, expressive and busy. But I love it. Relish it. Wouldn't trade any of it. There are theater people in Ethiopia who don't get to do half of what I do. The biggest leg of mutton I'm trying to gobble up is a dramatic play I wrote and will direct starring one John Malkovich. A brilliant story masterfully woven. It really pushes the envelope. My intention is to push the envelope. In fact, it's titled, Pushing the Envelope. It's about a Depression-era Italian immigrant farmer with no arms. He must get an envelope to the post office to be stamped and mailed. As he struggles pushing the envelope along a dirt road and to the city with his nose, he reveals the mystery and pathos and sheer brute angst that is his life through a series of gripping monologues. What does the envelope contain? Is it a check for the bank to keep his farm from being foreclosed? Is it a love letter to his wife in Rome begging her to come to small town Midwest America? Is it his last will and testament as we discover he his dying from a terminal disease? We are led to believe it is the RSVP to a wedding invitation. His own daughter's wedding. His dream is to give her away, but he cannot because he has no arms, you see. The stuff guts are wrenched from. It's not a tearjerker; it's a tear gusher. Tears will gush from their ducts and flow like a burst damn from audience to stage. In the end, after three engrossing hours – the first hour, completely silent, by the way - he finally arrives at the post office, knees bloodied, nose and chin shredded by dirt and stone, only to discover it's a national holiday and the post office is closed. Columbus Day. Who was also Italian. Oh, delicious irony. His son will never get that college tuition and will end up a struggling farmer like his father. Oh. Could you not tell anyone that last part? I didn't ruin it for you, I promise. It's all in how the story is told any way. It's like Shakespeare. You know how they're all going to end, but you enjoy the journey just the same.
No, no, no, no. …You're not in theater, are you? He can't just carry the envelope in his mouth. Don't you see? It's all monologues. He needs to speak. Plus, it's called Pushing the Envelope, not Mouthing the Envelope. I suppose he could carry it for the first hour, but then it wouldn't be a whole hour. Probably best just to leave art to the artists.
PTE will put me firmly on the map. My forte, what I have a reputation for, is musicals based on tragedy. 9/11, Bhopol, Chernobyl, Katrina. I wrote Titanic – The Musical, but not the one that you may have heard of. Mine was an improvement on that one. I saw it and said to myself, "Trey, this is shit. You can do better. And I did." My first act ends with a stirring emotional upheaval via a duet between the iceberg and the hole in the boat. (sings) We weren't meant to be/But how can we resist/Steel and ice at sea/We should not exist!...A twist of fate/ A twist of steel/A destined date/The captain's wheel - spi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ns out of control… Too Andrew Lloyd Webber? I get that a lot. Hell, I'll take the comparison. Puts me in good company.
You may have heard about one I wrote and almost starred in about Johnstown – the great flood of 1889, called Merrily We Drown. It was optioned and workshopped for Off Off (off) Broadway. Ultimately, the investors didn't have faith that we could effectively pull off the title song and closing number, the grand finale. All the townfolk and a few of their horses, underwater, dead, singing and synchronized swimming while being swept away in a funnel. Esther Williams meets Our Town meets The Wizard of Oz meets an equestrian show. Brilliant. Some day. Some day.
My longest running production here in Chicago was a remount of a musical extravaganza I created in college. Myself and a few of my gang o' thieves remounted it here in the old Zebra Crossing space. A time travelling sci-fi musical murder mystery starring Anne Frank called Panic in the Attic. It's one of the few tragic-based musicals in my cannon that has a happy ending. Anne escapes from the Nazis in her time machine and lands in America in the 80's, changes her name to Winona Ryder and falls in love with Christian Slater. They live happily ever after. Sorry, I get a little choked up when I think about PITA.
Pushing the Envelope? Well, baring any complications, we hope to go into production in the fall. Right now, we're waiting for Mr. Malkovich to get back to us on the script. I have it on good authority that the play is in his mailbox at the Steppenwolf and he is aware of its existence. Confidentially, I've heard he can be a handful to direct, but I'm not worried. I'm not afraid to direct via iron fisting. I'm not afraid of Sir John Malkovich. I once told Dustin Hoffman I thought his work was shit…I call it as I see it. He ignored me. Or didn't hear me. It was a crowded room. Music playing.
So, you see, with the demands of my theatrical life, I need a flexible schedule. Your health insurance is also very attractive to me. And, I'm not sucking up to you here; I really do enjoy your coffee. Lord knows how many thousands of dollars a year I have given to your fine corporation. Least you could do is throw me a little bone of employment. You'd never have to worry about me running out of black mock turtleneck shirts.
(He gets up and readies to leave.)
Well, do let me know. I have other people who have expressed interest in my services. Oh, and – this is in no way a bribe, you have very striking eyes - if you are interested in theater, I could get you up on the stage in one of my productions. You won't even have to audition. (confidentially leans in) Malkovich will need an understudy.
(Lights fade)
Thank you Beata and Jenny for contributing to the cause. I still need to raise $880 to reach my goal of $1,000. All the money goes to 826-CHI, an educational non-profit. Any amount you can donate is welcome and will make a difference. You can support the cause by sponsoring my and my 'stash Zed by clicking HERE. Thanks.
Thank you Beata and Jenny for contributing to the cause. I still need to raise $880 to reach my goal of $1,000. All the money goes to 826-CHI, an educational non-profit. Any amount you can donate is welcome and will make a difference. You can support the cause by sponsoring my and my 'stash Zed by clicking HERE. Thanks.


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Farmers whose debts waived need not repay loans, says Punjab CM Amarinder
The chief minister said the process of loan waiver, as announced in the budget, will start within two months.punjab Updated: Jun 29, 2017 19:45 IST
Assuring an early notification to implement the recent budget decision, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday said the farmers whose loans have been waived stood immediately exempt from repayment of their debts.
Addressing a meeting of various farmers' organisations in Chandigarh, Singh said the process of loan waiver, as announced in the budget, will start within two months.
He had in the recently-concluded budget session of the assembly announced total waiver of entire crop loans up to ₹2 lakh for small and marginal farmers (up to 5 acres), and a flat ₹2 lakh relief for all other marginal farmers, irrespective of their loan amount.
He had said the move will benefit a total of 10.25 lakh farmers, including 8.75 lakh farmers up to 5 acres.
The CM added that his government will continue to pressure the Centre for implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission, on which all the farmers unions had expressed consensus as the "only "real long-term solution" to the problems of the peasants, an official spokesperson said.
He added that his government was committed to waiving the loans of the farmers, even though the state's debt burden had turned out to be "much higher than anticipated".
A cabinet sub-committee has already been formed to speak to the 'arthiyas' (commission agents) to resolve the issue of non-institutional loans, the chief minister said, responding to concerns expressed on this count, the spokesperson said.
Capt also reaffirmed Punjab's inability to share river water with other states, claiming that if Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal comes up, then 10,000 acres of southern part of the state would "go dry".
He advocated continuous dialogue to resolve the festering issue and said Punjab's water will not be allowed to be diverted to other states and a committee under the finance minister was working continuously to solve the problem.
Besides loans waiver, other issues discussed by the kisan unions who participated in the meeting included fixation of price of crops on recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report (MSP should be at least 50% more than the weighted average cost of production), as well as compensation of ₹10 lakh to farmers who committed suicide due to debt, job to one dependent member of family.
Ownership rights to cultivators who have been cultivating Panchyati land since long, proper arrangements for stray animals as they cause damage to crops and a stop to acquisition of land without the consent of farmers were among the other key demands of the farmers' organisations, the spokesperson said.


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The red hair trend lives on! Dianna Agron is the lastest celeb to go ruby, and she debuted her new locks at Vogue's Triple Threat dinner. What do you think about her chic look? (Red Carpet Fashion Awards)
Following last week's successful office hours with Sheryl Sandberg, Levo League is launching an Ask 4 More campaign to kick off Equal Pay Day, which marks how far into the year a woman must work to earn the same amount a man earned the previous year. (Levo League)
Poor, sweet, Amanda Bynes. Looks like the troubled starlet is still just that: Troubled. You'll never believe the antics she pulled at a Chelsea Piers adult gymnastics class. (New York Post)
NYC style stars, take note! Your devotion to Big Apple fashion could score you huge winnings from StyleMint. All you have to do is upload a pic of you wearing your favorite outfit (that totally represents our fair city), and StyleMint's team of tastemakers will pick its favorite. (Facebook)
We can confess gorging on many lunches at R29 favorite The Smith, but now the restaurant has even more to love. The hotspot is rolling out a brand new menu, with dishes like fried artichokes and pork chops. Can you say yum? (The Smith)
Photo: Via Red Carpet Fashion Awards


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Use plastic sheeting to warm the soil.
IPM Soilborne Diseases
Presentation by Kurtis L. Schroeder, Cropping Systems Agronomist & Plant Pathologist, on Soilborne Diseases of Cereals: Identification and Management
Planning now brings a good tomato season next year
If you had problems with blossom-end rot this year, try amending the soil with lime and changing your watering habits.
Central Oregon Vegetable Gardening
A collection of articles for growing vegetables in Central Oregon. Include general information, recommendations, soil temperatures, rhubarb, potatoes, cucumbers, beets, carrots, radishes, onions, tomatoes and tomatillos.
No showers for tomatoes.
Q: I read not to spray tomatoes, only hydrate from the bottom. I've heard that spraying on a hot, sunny day can blister veggies. Today I replanted my starter plants; I'm aching to spray them with water because it is so hot today. Should I wait until dusk, spray all veggies but tomatoes?
Tomato lovers: Grow the best by recognizing and solving common problems
From blossom drop to blight, tomato troubles frustrate gardeners
Help your tomatoes stand tall with a DIY tomato cage
Giving tomato plants a boost can make a difference in the amount of fruit the plant produces, according to Master Gardeners trained by the Oregon State University Extension Service.
'Legend' tomato is big, early and late blight resistant
OSU vegetable breeders have developed a large, late blight resistant, yet early bearing tomato called "Legend."


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Where oh where has the week gone? Suddenly it is Saturday afternoon and I find myself in a Malaysian restaurant in Hoboken. My first proper trip out in a week, and there were shrimp dumplings and tofu to celebrate. I've been under virtual house arrest studying all week so every day ran into each other. No lunches in the city, trips to the grocery store or sessions at the gym to break things up. It was my most pathetic foursquare week ever. Even Alex working from home on Friday because of the snow didn't disrupt. We both sat in front of our laptops typing away, ignoring each other as we are dedicated to our respective causes.
That being said, I got a lot of studying done, and feel like I am starting to climb the mountain that is my humongous to-do list. I am somewhere around base camp at the moment but I've got my crampons and a rucksack full of Kendal mint cake so I am good to go. I've been reading Pliny the Younger's letters – specifically the ones about his houses. Back in the day he didn't have the benefit of MTV Cribs in order to show-off his properties, and since they were some distance from Rome he had to rely on correspondence to spread the word about his snazzy dining room with a pool in it so food could float towards his guests. It would appear that Romans are as lazy as New Yorkers when it comes to going anywhere above 59th Street (I am sorry the Upper what?). All this reading about lush villas and neglecting my foursquare account got me thinking about Romans and social media. Given how much Roman life relied on (and relished) self-promotion I think they'd have enjoyed Twitter and FaceBook but I reckon that foursquare would have been pretty dangerous.
Sure it would have been fun at first. Everyone checking into the Senate, temples or their patron's house. Vying to become mayor. The excitement of a shiny new toy to highlight how important and cool you are by where you have been, and badges to collect! There so would have been a 'Crossed the Rubicon', 'Britannia 4 Life' and 'I'm on a boat & not coming back because I've been sold into slavery!'. But, things would get bloody. There would be generals invading Gaul just to get the 'Marauders' badge. Suddenly foursquare rewards would rival a triumph or war loot. Imagine a prominent politician not being the mayor of his own home. Some underling who visited his house regularly stealing it. Oh the shame.
Perhaps it's a good thing that Pliny didn't have access to modern social media tools as he would have been an oversharer, and I'd have even more things to read.


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Five of Coleridge's finest poems selected by Dr Oliver Tearle
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) was one of the leading English Romantic poets, whose Lyrical Ballads, the 1798 collection Coleridge co-authored with Wordsworth, became a founding-text for English Romanticism. In this post, we've picked five of Coleridge's best poems, and endeavoured to explain why these might be viewed as his finest poems.
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Written in 1797-8, this is Coleridge's most famous poem – it first appeared in Lyrical Ballads. The idea of killing an albatross bringing bad luck upon the crew of a ship appears to have been invented in this poem, as there is no precedent for it – and the albatross idea was probably William Wordsworth's, not Coleridge's (Wordsworth got the idea of the albatross-killing from a 1726 book, A Voyage Round The World by Way of the Great South Sea, by Captain George Shelvocke). The poem is one of the great narrative poems in English, with the old mariner recounting his story, with its hardships and tragedy, to a wedding guest. Variously interpreted as being about guilt over the Transatlantic slave trade, about Coleridge's own loneliness, and about spiritual salvation, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner remains a challenging poem whose ultimate meaning is elusive.
'Frost at Midnight'. Written in 1798, the same year that Coleridge's landmark volume of poems, Lyrical Ballads (co-authored with Wordsworth), appeared, 'Frost at Midnight' is a night-time meditation on childhood and raising children, offered in a conversational manner and focusing on several key themes of Romantic poetry: the formative importance of childhood and the way it shapes who we become, and the role nature can play in our lives.
'Dejection: An Ode'. Perhaps one of the finest poems about depression in all of English literature, 'Dejection: An Ode' was also, more surprisingly and controversially, inspired by the unhappily married Coleridge's love for another woman, Sara Hutchinson. It's also a great poem about writer's block, though, and Coleridge's inability to find a way forward in his life as well as his writing – he wrote 'Dejection' in April 1802, after Lyrical Ballads had made his name as a poet, and Coleridge found himself suffering from 'difficult second album' syndrome.
'Kubla Khan'. Coleridge wrote this poem in 1797, but it wasn't published until 1816. Was it inspired by an opium dream? Maybe. Was Coleridge really interrupted by a knock at the door from the 'person from Porlock', who destroyed his train of thought so the poem remained unfinished? We'll probably never know for sure. But what we do know is that 'Kubla Khan' is one of Coleridge's best-loved poems, admired for the richness of its exotic imagery and the delicious sound of its words.
'Christabel'. This classic Halloween poem focuses on the titular character's encounter with Geraldine, who claims to have escaped from a gang of men who kidnapped her. Coleridge completed the first two parts of the poem in 1800, but Wordsworth advised his friend to leave it out of the second edition of Lyrical Ballads published that year, and so the unfinished 'Christabel' wasn't published until 1816.
Discover more great Romantic poetry with Wordsworth's classic sonnet about Milton, Shelley's bewitching fragment to the moon, and Keats's 'When I have fears that I may cease to be'.
The author of this article, Dr Oliver Tearle, is a literary critic and lecturer in English at Loughborough University. He is the author of, among others, The Secret Library: A Book-Lovers' Journey Through Curiosities of History and The Great War, The Waste Land and the Modernist Long Poem.


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Bereavement in the UK
Just over 484,000 people died in 2011 in the UK. For each of these deaths it is likely that 3 to 4 close family members will be significantly affected (husband/wife, mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister). It is also likely that some 1.5 to 2 million people suffer a close bereavement each year.
Bereavement and society
There have been significant changes in the way bereavement is dealt with by the community during the 20th century. One hundred years ago, death was considered much more as an inevitable part of life. Death rates were higher, and families and communities were much closer, so death, the rituals surrounding it, and the grief of the bereaved were much more "public" than they are nowadays. Because of this, support and understanding was much more available.
During the 20th century various things have happened that have changed the way bereavement is perceived:
All the above factors have conspired to mean that death is rarely talked about in society nowadays. It is something that people consider "happens to someone else". Because of this, society in general struggles with understanding the needs of bereaved people, and in its embarrassment of not knowing what to do or say, tends to hope that people will "get over it" quickly.
Yet for anyone suffering a close bereavement, grief is a journey that takes time and involves heartache, pain, and sometimes complex emotions and difficult practicalities to deal with. Where there is silence or lack of understanding from the society around them, the bereaved person can easily feel isolated and confused – and therefore find it difficult to grieve effectively and rebuild their lives.


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It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Does anyone else have an issue with publishing to the GS Arcade or with HTML5 Preview - when clicking publish then 'Play' (once published), we just get a black screen with nothing happening.
HTML5 Preview also just shows black screen
Can you paste a link for us to look up?


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SDG Flashcards
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Flashcards contain more than 200 questions related to the four dimensions of Gaia Education's whole systems approach to sustainability (Social, Ecological, Economic and Worldview). The cards enable question-focused small group conversations, inviting the participants to collaboratively identify actions and solutions aimed at implementing the global goals in ways that are relevant to their lives and their communities.
This tool, developed in partnership with UNESCO GAP Secretariat, is used in SDG Trainings of Multipliers. It is an effective way of creating local community ownership of the UN SDG.
The SDG Flashcards are currently available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic and Russian.
The Youth SDGs Flashcards are available in English and German.
SDG Multipliers Handbook
The SDG Multipliers Handbook offers a detailed description of how to prepare, promote and facilitate an SDG Training of Multipliers using Gaia Education's SDG Flashcards.
It outlines who the training is for, how it can be adapted to different contexts, a training materials check-list, how to set up the workshop space, and desired outcomes for the training.
The handbook contains two detailed workshop scripts for a day-long and a half-day SDG Training of Multipliers. Each with a step-by-step list of what exercises to facilitate in what sequence and how to do so. Read more
The SDG Handbook is currently available in PDF and hard copy in English, French and Spanish.
Ecovillages Around the World
The book Ecovillages Around the World provides a view into the future. It highlights 20 designs from ecovillages around the world to show how we can live lightly on the planet no matter where on earth we live. It includes more than 300 full-color photographs and diagrams.
The chronological progression from oldest to newest shows an interesting development – from projects that originally had a more spiritual origin, like Findhorn, or socially responsible origins like Solheimar, to fully-fledged ecologically planned villages that provide ready-built homes for anyone interested in making a difference, like Hurdal and Permatopia. Read more
The Four Keys
The Four Keys are four comprehensive books compiled by members of the Global Ecovillage Educators for a Sustainable Earth (GEESE), offering an overview of the state of the art of sustainable settlements globally. Each key covers one of the dimensions of the EDE (Ecovillage Design Education) curriculum: Social, Ecological, Economic and Worldview.
They make ideal introductions to EDE, companions on the journey of an EDE course or reference books for anyone seeking solutions to the complex problems of climate change, peak oil and carbon reduction.
These books are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Teacher's and Youth Guides
The Gaia Education Teacher's and Youth Guides are practical manuals for sustainability teachers, ecovillage and community design educators and facilitators who are conducting courses on the broad sustainability agenda. These guides will be useful to facilitators teaching sustainability in educational programmes that seek to inspire youth to design long lasting sustainable societies.
The books cover all aspects of the transition of sustainable human settlements arranged into four distinct areas: the Social, Ecological, Worldview and Economic dimensions of sustainability. These guides will help you awaken the transformational potential of youth and empower them to be change agents, making learning sustainability comprehensive, practical and fun!
Download Gaia Education's Ecovillage Design Curriculum for free
The EDE curriculum covers four dimensions of sustainability: Worldview, Social, Ecological and Economic. It was first developed and offered in several ecovillages and has been adjusted and refined since 1998. It offers a wide range of practical application and innovative materials, ideas and tools that have been developed and tested in ecovillages, communities and urban transition settings worldwide. Gaia Education is offering this as a free download for personal use (i.e. not for resale for a profit). EDE copyright ©Gaia Education


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Don't Let Daylight Saving Time Decrease Your Productivity Level
February 27, 2015
Shaping the Future of Myeloma, Together
February 26, 2015
Trial Master File Best Practices
February 25, 2015
SCOPE Summit for Clinical Operations Executives 2015
February 23, 2015
Veristat is pleased to announce that we will exhibit at the SCOPE Summit for Clinical Operations Executives conference in Orlando, FL at the Hyatt Regency Orlando on February 24-26. We would be delighted to meet with you to discuss your clinical program needs at this unique industry event. If you are not registered, please register here.
4 Crucial Project Management Trends for 2015
February 17, 2015
Veristat supports the battle against rare cancers by participating in the Cycle for Survival
February 9, 2015
By JoAnn Eckhoff
The Work-Life Balance Conundrum: For Candidates & Recruiters
February 3, 2015
Outsourcing in Clinical Trials West Coast Conference
February 3, 2015


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The Orbotix crew in Boulder just released a fun video of Sphero, billed as the world's first robotic ball controlled by a smartphone, interacting with folks on Pearl Street Mall (see clip below).
The ball is slated to launch in late 2011 with a price tag of $130.
It'll be sold with a basic driving application. The company promises to release a few other games and apps to coincide with the launch. The cost of the programs, to be available in the iTunes App Store and Android Marketplace, will range from free to $9.99.
I played with Sphero at CES in January and thought it was fun and challenging. Whether consumers will be willing to cough up $130 for the ball may depend on the number (and quality) of games and apps that are created for Sphero. The company Read more…


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Get the same results of expensive scrubs with this simple DIY body scrub. This Homemade Sugar Scrub is the perfect addition to your natural beauty routine.
Unlike most store bought scrubs, it has no chemical additives and it of course will save you lots money over store-bought scrubs.
Today I'm sharing one of my favorite DIY personal care products of all time–a Homemade Sugar Scrub.
In order to keep as many toxins out of our home and off of our bodies, I try to make as many homemade personal care items as possible.
My repertoire includes Homemade Eye Makeup Remover, Alcohol-Free Hairspray, Nourishing Lip Scrub, Nourishing Hair Rinse, Hand and Body Cream, and Tooth Powder.
Today I've got a great new DIY beauty care recipe to share with you–a Homemade Sugar Scrub.
My Introduction to Scrubs
If you're anything like me, dry hands and feet (and dry skin in general) is a problem for you.
I never tried anything like a scrub until one evening at an antique car show where a woman was selling beauty products and offering free hand scrub demonstrations.
Hesitatingly, I tried the scrub, feeling skeptical (I'm pretty skeptical about a lot of things….see my post on Are Essential Oils a Scam? ~ A Skeptic Looks at Thieves Oil for an example of my skepticism).
I don't know why I was skeptical about a scrub. I mean, it's pretty basic information, right? You scrub something that exfoliates and it removes dead skin and your skin looks and feels better.
I think it was basically that the scrub was SO expensive…and was being touted as being some kind of miracle. Like it was a previous concoction that would transform your life.
Or at least it would transform the life of your hands and feet….
Well, I just loved how my hands felt and looked after rubbing that scrub all over my hands and rinsing it off. Smooth and revitalized and younger-looking.
However, I didn't like the price or the ingredients.
Totally not health.
I looked online to verify what the "incriminating ingredients" were, and though the exact product I tried isn't there any longer, get a look at the list on one of their comparable products:
Ingredients in Store Bought Sugar Scrub
- butylene glycol
- sodium methyl cocoyl taurate
- polyacrylamide
- C13-14 Isoparaffin
- Laureth-7
- Fragrance (who knows what's really in that, but it almost always means artificial fragrance :-?)
- DMDM Hydantoin
- Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
And the price was $16.00 (marked down from $18.00) for only 6 oz.
Other Less-Toxic Options
To be fair, there are other less toxic scrubs on the market, but I couldn't find ingredients for many of them online.
Here are the ingredients for one that doesn't have quite the scary list:
Fragrance – I've written about "fragrance" in personal care products here – too many concerns to use on my body.
Polysorbate 20
Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax
Sea Salt
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
Yellow 6 (CI 15985)
Yellow 5 (CI 19140) – these are both artificial colors that have been linked to different concerns
The above scrub costs $12 for 8 oz.
There had to be a cheaper and less toxic way to get the job done!
Fast forward several years. For some reason, I just never really thought about making my own sugar scrub and continued my quest for a good hand lotion.
Then, one day, a sweet friend from church blessed me with a handmade sugar scrub.
I loved it!
First of all, the fact that someone would go out of her way to make me a gift was special in and of itself.
And her beautiful presentation in that squat mason jar with a beautiful ribbon made it extra special!
So, true to my "I know I can make this myself" style that I exhibited in making Homemade Coconut Milk, Cream of Rice Cereal, Homemade Vegetable Broth Mix, Homemade Chocolate Chips, and more, I started on my hunt to avoid the toxins and the exorbitant price of the store-bought scrubs.
Well, looking around online, I found that there are tons of recipes.
I finally found one that I like, though I'll probably tweak this a bit in the future.
How much will you save making your own Homemade Sugar Scrub?
Here's a sampling of what you might expect to pay (based on prices at the time of publication of this post):
Granulated sugar is $2.68 for 5 lb at Aldi (that's $.54/lb)
Grapeseed oil is $6.75/ltr at the buying club I run out of my home.
My Cost:
Sugar: $.27
Grapeseed Oil: $1.59
Essential Oils: approximately $.14, depending on the oil chosen
(I didn't include the mason jar because you can reuse it unless it's for a gift.)
So, compared to retail price of the "packaged version" at $18 for 6 oz., you can make homemade sugar scrub for only $2.00!
And you don't get questionable ingredients or wasteful packaging.
AND it's much much much less than paying to have someone in a spa scrub your feet and hands.
I don't frequent spas, but I just saw a price of $20 for a foot scrub and massage online. Whoa!!
Homemade Sugar Scrub
Makes About 1 1/2 cups
1 cup sugar or other granulated sweetener
1 cup oil of choice (organic grapeseed or avocado oil are good mild choices)
2-4 drops of quality essential oils (To read about the company that I recommend, read here.)
Lavender would be a great choice for this.
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Stir to combine.
3. Store in a glass container (essential oils will damage the plastic and metals change the properties of the oils).
To Use
1. Take a small amount of the scrub with a small spoon.
2. Rub all over your hands and fingertips (or feet, or wherever you'd like extra softness) for about 1 minute.
3. Let sit on your hands for 3-4 minutes (enjoy this time to rest in your day :-)!)
4. Rinse off and pat dry with a towel.
1. You can, of course, use other granulated sweeteners. I just chose white sugar since I am not eating it and it's the least expensive.
2. Any oil will work, but olive has a stronger smell. I think choosing a good quality oil is important since some of it will remain on your skin.
3. For essentials oils, there are so many wonderful scents and healing properties to choose from! How about lavender, citrus (grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange), lemongrass, peppermint, ginger….. I would for sure choose a high quality oil, though it will cost more, since you are leaving this on your skin as well. Please check out my series on Which Essential Oils Company is Best?
Looking for other frugal and good-for-you Body Care Recipes? How about:
- Gentle and Soothing Jojoba Face Wash
- Rose Water Facial Spray
- Easiest Ever Homemade Deodorant
- Easy and Moisturizing Foaming Soap
I think this homemade sugar scrub would make a fabulous gift! Like for Mother's Day.
I've included it in my Easy Mother's Day Gifts roundup. I think you'll love what I've pulled together from all over the internet.
There will be more where that came from, so stick around!
Have you ever used sugar scrubs?
What fragrance would you most enjoy?


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"The Uncommon Common Sense of Conquering Yourself" is a book where you will be able to identify the reasons why you have a problem that is bothering you for years. The Bible is the book designed for us to understand life since it is The Manual of Life, but the problem is that people don't want to read it for being defamed for so many organizations and hidden groups for generations. But it is really the book where you can find all your answers. In the book mentioned above you'll find an introduction to the Bible and a succinct explaination about the reasons why power is the obsessive attraction to Evil people. Also you will identify reasons why Hate is detrimental to our health and the wellbeing of the family in general. Read about Sin, Love, Hate, the Soul, Demons, Humans and our relationship with God or our subjugation to Satan.
The invisible body; the ethereal body of our being contains either of two elements: the Spirit as in the case of a Saint or Evil as in the case of a Demon or a combination of the two as it is in the case of the common human. In the first case we experience the emerging of LOVE and in the second case, the emerging of HATE. In the common human we have a battle of dominance between these two forces which occurs hundreds of times daily, in other words we fluctuate or flip-flop between one and the other state. When our soul predominant element is the spirit, we have a direct contact with God; here is where the contained element in it is LOVE giving the initiation of Consciousness into our mind, and the first step to the journey of becoming a Saint. When our soul predominant element is Evil, we have a direct contact with Satan and the contained element in the soul is HATE giving the initiation of Ego into our mind, and the first step to the journey of becoming a Demon.
We would like to stop any vice that is bothering us for years or maybe any behavior that we have not observed, but that has caused us some problems in the past.
For some religious people it is easier to describe it by saying that love is God in the form of a man called Jesus Christ. But for those who are not religious its description through other feelings would be my next probable approach to do it, so love is the positive energy that makes a person patient, kind, happy, without hate, humble, without pride. Love does not insist on its own way; it does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in the right; it endures all things; it never ends (fragments from 1 Corinthians 13). But this kind of love resides only in the ideal people—some of the readers may be part of this group—because it needs to emerge from a pure soul. The love we have for our family is in the direction to this cycle and the love from a mother (she is in a spiritual cycle at this time) to her children is even closer in comparison,—but far, still—resonating at a higher frequency. The love many of us have for a spouse starts as infatuation that sometimes converts later into real love. Love does not need to be recognized as love, because it is love. The love that the world knows is based on the wrong rules because it accepts whatever the definition of the media, at that moment, tacitly defined. The media are the group of manipulators that define love when it is beneficial to the ones who dictate to them from a hidden pedestal of an unknown location. They are one of the heads controlled by "the invisible hands" that show the masses the direction and the forms of our love or hate. Love from the world perspective starts with a feeling that escalates from admiration to beauty, elegance, intelligence, etc. towards respect then towards infatuation, in other words, we confuse love with our feelings of the "I want", "I desire "or "I-me-mine" forms.


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This month I have been taking part in the #bfadvent with Chelle McCann and sharing pictures of our bottle feeding journey. I have enjoyed this as a huge part of my days are spent feeding little miss and I wanted to share the highs and lows of bottle feeding. From the beautiful bonding snuggles and milk drunk faces to the early morning bottle prep and spit up covered clothes!
Here are some of my pictures. You can follow our journey over on Instagram and Twitter by the hashtag #bfadvent


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Explore the vibrant streets of Ho Chi Minh City on foot and cyclo on this small group adventure tour. Travel like a local as you discover Ho Chi Minh City's many sights. Get a taste of colonial days at the majestic Notre Dame Cathedral, see the beautiful central post office and get an insight into the horror of modern war at the War Remnants museum.
Hop into a traditional cyclo, a three-wheeled bicycle with a carriage at the front for you to sit in, while the driver pedals you through Ho Chi Minh City. Take in the sights, sounds and smells of Ho Chi Minh City without the barrier of a car window or the sound of an engine. Travel through Tao Dan Park to the War Remnants museum, originally opened in September 1975, the museum displays old military equipment and other related items from the Vietnam War including some larger exhibits including a F5A fighter and a UH1-Huey helicopter. Continue passed the Reunification Palace, previously known as the Presidential Palace, the sight of the official South Vietnamese surrender on April 30th, 1975. Entry is not included but you will have the opportunity to take photographs.
Leaving the cyclos behind walk to the Notre Dame Cathedral and the General Post Office, both fine examples of French colonial architecture. Join up again with your cyclos and ride to the Saigon Opera House and City Hall where scenes from the movie "The Quiet Amercian" were filmed.
Leaving behind the cyclos , walk towards the Ben Thanh market where you can practice your language skills bargaining for souvenirs, clothing and knick knacks. The market itself has an interesting history. Its original location was close to the Ben Nghe River and the old fort of Gia Dinh before it was destroyed in 1859 during the French invasion of Saigon. It was rebuilt and later moved to its present location in 1899.
At the end of your tour, you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you in getting a taxi back to your hotel.
Additional Information
- Inclusions:
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
- Small group tour
- Local guide
- Cyclo ride
- Hotel pickup (selected hotels only)
- Entrance fees
- Hotel drop off
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities (optional)
Additional Info:
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Minimum age is 6 years
- Adult pricing applies to all travelers
Local Operator Information:
Complete Operator information, including local telephone numbers at your destination, are included on your Confirmation Voucher. Our Product Managers select only the most experienced and reliable operators in each destination, removing the guesswork for you, and ensuring your peace of mind.


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State College Police are investigating the theft of an iPod and CDs from College Pizza, 128 Locust Lane, on March 30, 2011 at 1:39 am.
If you can identify the suspect pictured on the left, please contact State College Police at (814) 234-7150 or submit an anonymous tip through the web.
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Hi everyone,
Our Ux team is core to our process here at SolarWinds. To help our products fit your needs and evolve with you, we need to hear from you. Right now, we are looking for people who are new to our ecosystem. If you have been a user of any of the SolarWinds Orion products for less than 18 months, please consider providing your feedback to the team in one of our 60 minute sessions between November 5th and 9th. You can see Kellie's post here: Want an early look at concepts for some changes to Orion Settings?, but if you have any questions or want to give it a whirl, please don't hesitate to reach out and let your voice be heard.
Email firstname.lastname@example.com and get on the list. By the way, helping Ux is one of the many ways you can earn points here on thwack and cash in for cool SolarWinds stuff in the store: THWACK Point System - Updated March 6, 2018.
Help us shape the product the way you want it.
See you on the boards,
ipMonitor 10.7 is now available for download in your customer portal, for those of you who have active maintenance.
Below is a list of the changes in this version.
We hope you enjoy this new release of ipMonitor!
For those of you who may have missed all of the emails and other announcements, NTA 3.10.0 reached General Availability (GA) mid September. NTA 3.10.0 includes several great enchantments:
NetFlow Traffic Analyzer v3.10.0 Release Notes
If you are an existing NTA customer on active maintenance you will find the download in your portal.
WebHelpDesk 11.0.8 HotFix 1 available
This SolarWinds HotFix fixes an issue where the Web Help Desk sometimes generates invalid SAML request IDs,
resulting in a SAXParseException when processing the SAML response, resulting in the user being taken to the
WHD login page even though they were authorized by SAML.
Requires Web Help Desk 11.0.8.
NOTE: In the following instructions, <WebHelpDesk> represents the Web Help Desk home folder:
Mac OS X: /Library/WebHelpDesk
Windows: \Program Files\WebHelpDesk
Linux: /usr/local/webhelpdesk
(1) Make a backup copy of the following file:
(2) Use the helpdesk.jar file included in this hot fix to replace
the following files:
(3) Restart the Web Help Desk.
(1) Use the backup created above to replace the following files:
(2) Restart the Web Help Desk.
SolarWinds uses cookies on its websites to make your online experience easier and better. By using our website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies, see our cookie policy.


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Time to abolish censorship
The 19 September filing of charges against activist Lena Hendry for the screening of a documentary which was not approved by the Film Censorship Board has once again brought into focus the immense control of the state over freedom of expression.
Lena Hendry, along with Arul Prakkash and Anna Har, of the non-governmental organization Pusat Komas were 'invited' for questioning immediately after the 3 July 2013 screening of the film No Fire Zone, the Killing Fields of Sri Lanka, a documentary about the final stages of the civil war in Sri Lanka in 2009.
It took authorities two-and-a-half months to file charges for violating the Film Censorship Act of 2002, but only against Lena Hendry.
The main issue here is that the government has opted to impose the old-fashioned law for the screening of a human rights-themed documentary, with a topic that is certainly of public interest: impunity of the state. Furthermore, the government has specifically targeted a person whose work is dedicated to promoting human rights.
Sri Lanka's culpability for possible war crimes during final offensive against the Tamil separatist insurgency in 2009 has been the subject of much concern in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
It does not take a genius to guess that the Sri Lankan government is trying to prevent screenings of the film, and uses diplomatic pressure to prevent No Fire Zone in other countries. And in this case, they did.
With the filing of charges against Hendry, Malaysia will thus be seen as buckling under diplomatic pressure to file charges against its own citizen for showing a human rights film about another country.
Of course, the Home Ministry can always argue that it has to impose what the law says. And true enough, Pusat Komas has received warning letters from the Film Censorship board about their human rights film showings since 2009.
But their actions merely point to the absurdity of the Film Censorship Law: it is biased. Films produced or sponsored by the state are exempt from censorship.
The law is prejudiced in favour of the State, and, by extension, the political party that controls it. As such it violates the fundamental principle of free expression, since movies intended for viewing by Malaysians must be subject to the Board's screening and go signal.
The law is thus prone to allowing government propaganda – even if malicious or erroneous – by default, but also to abuse since it can be used to ban films perceived to be 'anti-government'.
In the hands of any unpopular government desperately trying to shore up its eroding credibility, the Film Censorship Act is a potent weapon against free expression, and access to independent information.
Moreover, there are already serious issues to be raised against states acting as moral police to impose 'moral standards' based on the views of dominant or official religions.
In the context of the unprecedented information now available through the internet, laws like the Film Censorship Act of 2002 appear archaic and self-serving.
Consistent with the fundamental human right to freedom of opinion and expression, much of the world has moved from film censorship to merely film classification. Sadly, across Southeast Asia censorship laws still persist to stifle independent voices and information, and not only for film.
The charges against Lena Hendry must be dropped. It is time for Malaysia to repeal the Film Censorship Act.
Case Background
The Malaysia government on 19 September charged activist Lena Hendry under the Censorship Act for screening a documentary that was not approved by the Censorship Board.
Hendry, program coordinator of the human rights NGO Pusat Komas, was charged under section 6 of Film Censorship Act 2002 for the screening of No Fire Zone, The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka, a video documentary about the final weeks of the Sri Lankan civil war in 2009.
The filing of charges against Hendry comes two-and-a-half months after an initial 'questioning' by the Home Ministry immediately after the film's screening on 3 July.
If found guilty, Hendry can be fined between 5,000 and 30,000 Malaysian Ringgit (approx. 1,500 to 9,000 USD) and could face a jail term of up to three years.
On 3 July, Government authorities conducted a raid on the film screening venue at Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall after the screening of the film. Some 30 officers swooped down on the venue and arrested Hendry along with Arul Prakkash and Anna Har, who were also officers of the Komas, an NGO promoting human rights communications in Malaysia.
All three were released on bail following three hours of questioning. They were ordered to appear in court on 6 August, which was cancelled the day before. It was not clear why the two others were not included in the charges filed on 19 September.
There were attempts to stop the screening including from the Sri Lankan embassy, which had faxed the venue earlier asking not to screen the documentary. The embassy was said to have been invited to the event but did not attend.
Prior to the event, Hendry had received a call from the Home Ministry asking the organizers to stop the screening of the film since it had not gone through censorship.
Authorities also checked the identity cards of all the guests at the film screening.
In a related incident, the Sri Lankan government was also believed to have pressured the government of Nepal to ban the screening of No Fire Zone at a film festival in Kathmandu last week. Two other documentaries on Sri Lanka were also banned from public screening at the film fest, which features South Asia's best non-fiction documentaries.