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Policy Issues; Budget; Ag Economy; and, Trade
Policy Issues: Farm Bill, Estate Tax, Wind Tax Credit, Senate Ag. Comm. Developments, and RFS
Daniel Looker reported yesterday at Agriculture Online that, "Senator Chuck Grassley [R., Iowa- Ag. Comm.], one of few members of Congress to actively farm, sized up the election results for agriculture Tuesday, saying the voters' choice of president had little effect on the farm bill debate, but it will affect estate taxes, the regulatory environment, and energy policy.
"Neither President Barack Obama nor Governor Mitt Romney talked much about the farm bill during the campaign, Grassley told reporters Tuesday. He expects Congress to either pass a five-year farm bill before the end of the year or it will pass a one-year extension of the current law. Grassley favors finishing the farm bill this year, but he said he's not betting on it."
Mr. Looker noted that, "During his campaign, Romney pledged to end the estate tax. At the end of this year it would revert to $1 million, the level before the Bush tax cuts were enacted.
"'I believe it will not go back to $1 million,' Grassley said. Those who favor keeping the current level of $5 million will have to fight for it, he said. Grassley said it could go back to $3.5 million (the level of 2009), with the rate rising from 35% to 45%."
A news release yesterday from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) stated in part that, "The [NCBA] today joins more than 30 groups representing the agriculture industry in sending letters to the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate urging them to provide farmers and ranchers with permanent and meaningful relief from the estate tax. Current estate tax relief is set to expire at the end of 2012 with exemption levels dropping to $1 million per individual and the tax rate increasing to 55 percent."


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Bob Nightengale writes about baseball for USA Today and has now forced The Clown Show out of hibernation with the hottest take of the summer. Don't blame me, folks. Blame Bob.
Bob's title is chronic, radioactive click-bait in its raw form: "From Field To Front Office, Many Believe Chemistry Still Matters In Baseball."
You hear that sabermetricians? BOBBY IS COMING FOR YOU. Because if you believe in numbers, you don't believe in chemistry: they inherently contradict one another, not sure if you knew that. Numbers guys are all like, "fuck chemistry dude, we want a bunch of dudes that look good on paper but don't even look each other in the eye in the locker room. Hopefully, with any luck, they'll hate each other and play baseball real good anyway."
The article is a must-read.
In a sport where the desire to quantify every movement only grows with each season, it is a sabermetric aficionado's worst nightmare.
Really strong first sentence, best read in the voice of the guy that does movie trailers that always begin, "IN A WORLD…"
You can't measure it. You can't define it. You can't put a number on it.
Seriously, is this a preview for a sci-fi thriller? Cuz I'm eating popcorn and ready to fuck up some aliens right now.
We're talking about clubhouse chemistry, and the culture that can raise a major league team to extraordinary heights without having the biggest payroll or most talent.
BING BANG BOOOOOM. Clubhouse chemistry: not sure if you've heard of it, NERDS. It's when players speak the same language and have sleepovers and wear matching pajamas, and sometimes, sometimes they get ice cream after the games together and invite their wives that were their high school sweethearts but if they are single that's cool too they can come and hit on the smalltown waitress that scoops ice cream in the big city for strapping ballplayers who tip FIVE whole dollars in the tip jar like it's nothing (and really, it's nothing).
"It's really undervalued,'' St. Louis Cardinals veteran starter John Lackey told USA TODAY Sports, "especially in today's world with all of the numbers guys."
All of the NUMBERS GUYS. Remember back when we had totally useless statistics that we liked but all these fucking nerds came in and ruined it and now, hey, let's just play baseball. Let's not even keep track of the score, let's just decide who won based on how well they played as a TEAM. Bob Nightengale: commissioner and official scorer of that league, folks.
Also: that's right, the first quote in this article is from noted clubhouse leader John Lackey, the guy who is famous for yelling at his coaches on the field and selling out his own teammates for their inability to make him suck less back when he sucked.
We can put all kinds of numbers on players' talent, from RBI to WAR, to ERA to FIP, but when it comes to the heart and soul of a clubhouse, there remains no measuring stick.
What, you can't just measure these players in Ecksteins Bobby?!
"The numbers guys can't quantify that one,'' Lackey said, "so they don't want to believe in it.''
Exactly! That is why nobody wants to talk about the Giants! Because THEIR SUCCESS IS INEXPLICABLE. Hosts of Baseball Tonight and other baseball shows that nobody really gives a fuck about are like, "Jerry, it looks like we are supposed to discuss the Giants here, but their success can't be explained by numbers so let's just scrap it, I don't want to talk about it." It has nothing to do with the fact that they play on the west coast and are boring as fuck (as long as we are tossing around subjective statements, here).
Also, important. Giants payrolls and rank by championship season:
2010: 98 million (10th)
2012: 117 million (7th)
2014: 154 million (7th)
2015: 172 million (5th, and let's just assume the Giants ride Peavy and all his chemistry vibes to another World Series)
"Come on, how to do you put a number on a guy like (Chicago Cubs backup catcher David Ross) and what he brings to the clubhouse? This guy hit (.184) last year, and he got multiple two-years deals on the table. Why is that?''
This is the best. "Come on, how do you explain a guy getting a 2 year, $5 million contract by using a stat that sabermetricians have been trying in vain to devalue for the last forty years? HUH?!"
"He means so much to every single person in here,'' Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said.
Go ahead, try to put a number on that.
(a bunch of people run around with both hands on their foreheads screaming things like, "OHHHH SHIT!")
The St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals have the two finest records in baseball. If you go by the numbers, the Royals were supposed to win just 72 games this year, according to Baseball Prospectus' projection system, PECOTA. The Cardinals, who have had more injuries to key players than any team, shouldn't be leading their division, let alone be on pace to eclipse 100 victories, if you go strictly by sheer talent.
Hey guys, I've been saving something for you. It's fucking beautiful. You ready?
Here is Bob Nightengale's 2015 preseason World Series pick:
Now, Bob, was it the chemistry of these teams that had you sold? Or the talent? Or maybe a combination of the two?
"People that don't understand what team chemistry means don't work in baseball,''Toronto Blue Jays ace David Price said. "It makes me mad, because obviously they don't know how important it is. Ask the Giants. Ask the Royals. Ask the Cardinals.
"People who have control over baseball relations deeply value team chemistry and I'm upset because other people that have no control over creating baseball teams don't know how important it is. Ask the Giants. Ask the Royals. Ask God."
The Blue Jays placed more emphasis on a player's character than any time in GM Alex Anthopoulos' tenure.
That's not a complete thought, but thanks for trying Bob. The chemistry you share with your interviewees is strong.
He shipped out the guy who didn't fit in.
He chose character over talent.
THAT'S YOU, R.A. DICKEY (not really).
"Every team goes through ups and downs, and I think with a better clubhouse and with better character, that allows you to handle the downs a lot. That's the separator. So rather than the floor caving in on you, you stay afloat.
One thing I really hate is when the floor caves in on me and I can no longer float. I need a better house with better character so I can handle the downs.
Certainly, adding a guy like Price at the trade deadline, and having MVP favorite Josh Donaldson the entire season, may have something to do with the Blue Jays' success, too.
It may have something to do with it. Not sure, let me check my team chemistry measurement tool, OH WAIT THOSE DON'T EXIST HAVEN'T YOU BEEN READING THE ARTICLE.
I am a little confused here though, because I was starting to believe that you wouldn't want cocky, former-Cy Young winners and MVP candidates bringing their massive egos into the clubhouse…
Yet, manager John Gibbons can't stop raving about Donaldson's leadership skills, and Price is revered throughout the game.
"…and Price is revered throughout the game for having a pretty good Twitter account."
"…and Price is revered throughout the game for throwing left handed yet writing with his right hand."
"…and Price is revered throughout the game for having encyclopedic knowledge of Savage Garden's entire discography."
For whatever reason, the Blue Jays are 18-4 since consummating the Price deal.
It's chemistry though isn't it, Bob?
"I think it's important David Price fit into in the clubhouse, but let's don't forget he's got a (2.40) ERA, too.''
Let's don't forget his ERA, but let's don't forget his immeasurable, intangible gifts either.
Yeah, dude, it's the team chemistry. Not the team's .777 OPS.
Sure, you've got to have talent to win, but talent alone doesn't guarantee a thing. If the standings were based strictly on talent, you think the Washington Nationals would be trailing the New York Mets by five games?
And here we've come to a really, really amazing paradox. The standings aren't based strictly on talent! The standings are based mostly on team chemistry, some on talent, and then won/loss record is like #5 on the list of Things The Standings Are Based On.
This is why the Cardinals and Royals are each on pace to finish 162-0, because it's the Yordano Venturas and John Lackeys that keep them spiritually undefeated.
You think the Los Angeles Dodgers, and their $307 million payroll, would be only up 1 ½ games on the Giants?
… when the Giants have spent a meager 172 million on their payroll?!?! Huh? You think that?
You think the Texas Rangers would be winning the second wild-card spot, or that the Minnesota Twins – projected to lose 92 games – would be just 1 1/2 games out of the wild-card race?
Here are USA Today's "Fearless" 2015 preseason projections that were quite clearly based on talent instead of team chemistry:
I'm willing to believe Bob Nightengale missed that day's meeting because he was just out with some other guy's from the office, staying tight-knit and doing team-chemistry-building exercises and stuff like that.
"If you have good clubhouse chemistry, you going to win,'' New York Yankees veteran starter CC Sabathia said. "It's not something you can fake. It's real.
Just an amazing statement. "If the players on your team get along, they going to win." Mind you, it's definitely not the other way around, that if you win ballgames you start to get along. Couldn't be. Can't start a fire without a spark, baby.
Sure, numbers are fine for fantasy leagues,
Oh my god, we finally have a fantasy pot shot in here, I was getting worried. It was like the whole article was building toward this orgasm and Bob finally let it shoot all over our collective face.
but if you want to truly define a player's value, or recognize the importance significance of clubhouse culture, it's time to wake up and embrace character, too.
P.S.: I don't suggest repeating this sentence in a school zone or anything like that.
"I think we're losing part of our game because so many of these people in charge don't have the scouting background or playing background,'' Peavy said. "All they have is a great education and they're really good at math. Some of these front offices crunch all of these numbers, and think they've got it all figured out.
"I don't know the formula for winning, but I do know what it means when teams are inseparable, enjoy their time together, care for each other, and play for the higher cause. I've seen it. I've been part of it.
They play for a higher cause. That's right: Jesus.
"You can have all of the education you want, and break down every number you want, but unless you get to know what's inside a player, you really don't know the player.''
"You can have all the education you want" should be reason enough for us to discount everything and anything Jake Peavy says.
The Royals certainly noticed the tepid external expectations. Public relations directorMike Swanson, in his recent pre-game notes, reminded everyone of Baseball Prospectus' projected 72-90 record. The Royals have already won a league-leading 75 games, and could clinch their first division title in 30 years by Labor Day.
"Fortunately, games are won on a field and not on paper,'' Swanson wrote in the Royals' notes distributed to the media, "thus a computer 'time out' might be appropriate for some."
"We had our Moneyball movie, and they didn't even win,'' Peavy said of the Oakland Athletics. "How about let's make a movie about the good ol' fashioned baseball people, and how they judge team chemistry, and put together guys that fit in.
"How about a movie about a team that actually wins in the end?''
(picks up phone)
"Uh, hey, Hollywood. I've got this idea for a baseball movie. I think it's pretty original. So, a team of not-that-talented guys with lots of personality get together and it's a little weird at first but they start rallying together and low-and-behold it's going well and there's just so much team chemistry that it's crazy and then they make it into the playoffs by some miracle and, get this: THEY WIN IN THE END."
You can have all the education you want, but you can't make this stuff up.

subset: commoncrawl


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HAFA – Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternative – Even More Information
If the servicer has not already discussed a short sale or DIL with the borrower, the servicer must proactively notify the borrower in writing of the availability of these options and allow the borrower 14 calendar days from the date of the notification to contact the servicer by verbal or written communication and request consideration under HAFA. If the borrower fails to contact the servicer within the timeframe or at any time indicates that he or she is not interested in these options, the servicer has no further obligation to extend a HAFA offer.
Once a servicer determines that a short sale is the best course of action for the borrower, or upon request of the borrower, the servicer will provide a Short Sale Agreement (SSA) which contains information such as acceptable list prices, minimum net proceeds, and the duration of the SSA.
Once an offer is received, you will provide the servicer with a Request for Approval of Short Sale (RASS) which details the terms of the offer. You will also include with the RASS a copy of the executed sales contract and all addenda, buyer's documentation of funds or buyer's pre-approval or commitment letter on letterhead from a lender, and all information regarding the status of subordinate liens and/or negotiations with subordinate lien holders. If an offer is made on the property before the servicer provides a SSA, you will provide an Alternative RASS for the servicer's consideration.
While servicers may amend the terms of the SSA in accordance with investor requirements, applicable laws or local real estate practice, at a minimum the SSA must include the following:
- A fixed termination date not less than 120 calendar days from the effective date of the SSA ("Effective Date"). The Effective Date must be stated in the SSA and is the date the SSA is mailed to the borrower. The term of the SSA may be extended at the discretion of the servicer up to a total term of 12 months if agreed to by the borrower, in accordance with the requirements of the investor.
- A requirement that the property be listed with a licensed real estate professional who is regularly doing business in the community where the property is located.
- Either a list price approved by the servicer or the acceptable sale proceeds, expressed as a net amount after subtracting allowable costs that the servicer will accept from the transaction.
- The amount of closing costs or other expenses the servicer will permit to be deducted from the gross sale proceeds expressed as a dollar amount, a percentage of the list price or a list by category of reasonable closing costs and other expenses that the servicer will permit to be deducted from the gross sale proceeds.
- The amount of the real estate commission that may be paid, not to exceed 6% of the contract sales price, and when applicable, notification that the servicer retained a contractor to assist the listing broker with the transaction along with the payment amount (expressed as a fixed dollar amount or percentage of the contract sales price) if paid from sale proceeds.
- A statement by the borrower authorizing the servicer to communicate the borrower's personal financial information to other parties (including Treasury and its agents) as necessary to complete the transaction.
- Cancellation and contingency clauses that must be included in listing and sale agreements notifying prospective purchasers that the sale is subject to approval by the servicer and/or third parties.
- Notice that the sale must represent an arm's length transaction and that the purchaser may not sell the property within 90 calendar days of closing, including certification language regarding the arm's length transaction that must be included in the sales contract.
- An agreement that upon successful closing of a short sale acceptable to the servicer, the borrower will be released from all liability for repayment of the first mortgage debt.
- An agreement that upon successful closing of a short sale acceptable to the servicer the borrower will be entitled to a relocation incentive of $3,000, which will be deducted from the gross sale proceeds at closing.
- Notice that the servicer will allow a portion of gross sale proceeds to be paid to subordinate lien holders in exchange for release and full satisfaction of their liens.
- Notice that a short sale may have income tax consequences and/or may have a derogatory impact on the borrower's credit score and a recommendation that the borrower seek professional advice regarding these matters.
- The amount of the monthly mortgage payment, if any, that the borrower will be required to pay during the term of the SSA, which amount must not exceed 31% of the borrower's gross monthly income.
- An agreement that so long as the borrower performs in accordance with the terms of the SSA, the servicer will not complete a foreclosure sale.
- Terms under which the SSA can be terminated.
Within ten business days of receipt of the RASS and all required attachments, the servicer must indicate its approval or disapproval of the proposed sale by signing the appropriate section of the RASS and mailing it to the borrower.
The servicer must approve a RASS if the net sale proceeds available for payment to the servicer equal or exceed the minimum net determined by the servicer prior to the execution or extension of the SSA and all other sales terms and conditions in the SSA have been met. Additionally, the servicer may not require, as a condition of approving a short sale, a reduction in the real estate
commission below the commission stated in the SSA.
The servicer may require that the sale closing take place within a reasonable period following acceptance of the RASS, but in no event may the servicer require that a transaction close in fewer than 45 calendar days from the date of the sales contract without the consent of the borrower.
Servicers will receive $1500 as incentive to close a short sale transaction under HAFA, and investors will be reimbursed up to $2000 for allowing part of the proceeds to be paid toward subordinate lien holders. For each three dollars an investor allows to be paid toward a subordinate lien, they will receive one dollar from the U.S. Treasury up to $2000. This is helpful to remember when trying to get first lien holders to allow an amount to be paid toward a subordinate lien holder.
The subordinate lien holders are always difficult with regard to short sale negotiations, and the new Supplemental Directive gives you some good bargaining power when negotiating with a second. The most important regulation is that each subordinate lien holder, in order of priority, may be paid no more than six percent (6%) of the unpaid principle balance of their loan, until the $6,000 aggregate cap is reached. Skillful negotiation will still be required, however, because a subordinate lien holder does not have to agree to accept the lesser amount and could potentially force the property in to foreclosure if they refuse to provide an acceptance letter.


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With award-winning expertise in technologies like SharePoint, Office 365, Azure and Sitecore, our pragmatic approach to technology helps you to get the best out of your investments, making the complicated seem simple. Working in partnership with you we can provide the very best solutions either independently or on-site, with user engagement and adoption always on the agenda.
SharePoint Consulting and Development
A study by Deloitte illustrated that when combined with a culture that promotes innovation, collaboration tools lead to workers who are 34% happier. And this happier workforce correlates with increased openness, engagement and productivity.
As one of the UK's most experienced SharePoint consulting agencies, ClearPeople has team of SharePoint and Office 365 Developers and Solutions Architects who have worked with organisations large and small to increase business productivity, empowering individuals and teams to intelligently discover, share, and collaborate on content from anywhere and on any device.
We are always on the edge of technology to offer the most updated solution in a mobile-first, cloud-first world.
What can we do for you?
SharePoint is used by businesses worldwide to create websites, intranets and document collaboration platforms. ClearPeople see SharePoint as one of the intrinsic systems of the digital workspace, helping the modern workforce to collaborate, and securely store, organise, share and access information from almost any device.
Certified as a Microsoft Gold partner in Collaboration and Content, we excel in delivering solutions that increase customers' employee productivity, simplify their access to information and people, maximise their ability to share and use a variety of documents, and enable a more efficient and effective workforce.
Intranet Development
At ClearPeople we work with organisations to improve internal communication and encourage collaboration through effective SharePoint intranet platforms. The intranet we created for Alzheimer's Society won Best in Class at the Interactive Media Awards and was shortlisted at the global Intranet and Digital Workplace Awards.
Document Collaboration
ClearPeople is recognised as the UK's leading provider of SharePoint document management and collaboration solutions. We have extensive experience with global organisations such as Vodafone and Engie, solving their document management and collaboration requirements and we won Project of the Year at the Document Manager Awards for our work with Shoosmiths.
Knowledge Management
Knowledge management is concerned with the efficient handling of information and resources across an organisation. We help you to leverage SharePoint to collaborate and share knowledge across your business to help your teams communicate more effectively no matter their location.
SharePoint Upgrades and Migration
If your current SharePoint intranet, DM system or website is reaching the end of its support lifecycle, we can work with you to better manage this end-of-life transition and to fully understand how the latest technology can help your business provide a better customer experience, as well as plan and implement your upgrade and data migration strategy.
Want to upgrade to SharePoint 2016? Check out our SharePoint 2016 Pilot Offer.
SharePoint Consulting
We offer an end-to-end SharePoint consulting service to further enhance SharePoint's capabilities, supporting your in-house team by providing specialist SharePoint and Cloud consultants. This could be for a single day's consultancy or an ongoing SharePoint consultancy contract. Our approach to SharePoint consulting consists of:
- Discussing your goals and objectives and begin developing a strategy
- Providing expert advice on the best configuration and deployment of SharePoint, developing customised web parts, data migration and application integration
- Providing advice on your current implementations and provide solutions using SharePoint for document management, intranets and public sites, as well as award-winning add-ons for SharePoint.
Why choose ClearPeople?
Our SharePoint consultants and SharePoint developers have been working with SharePoint since its 2003 edition, experienced in all its following on-premise versions, as well as SharePoint Online which, with Office 365, offers enhanced security technologies, is easy to manage, and can be accessed from almost anywhere.
The team are an enthusiastic bunch, keeping abreast of the latest trends with regular training provided directly from Microsoft and a high level of self-learning, enabling us to use the most modern and efficient development frameworks like SPFx, or the latest JavaScript trends like React, Gulp or Webpack. This means you can rest assured that your SharePoint application can be efficiently supported in the long-term whether you're on-premise or in the cloud.
Fully supported by our Always Mobile approach, where we create engaging solutions that are always adapted to mobile interfaces, utilising our Make It Clear process, founded on agile methodologies but flexible enough to adapt to your business needs, our SharePoint team will help you to create a digital workspace that transforms the way you work.
Let's talk SharePoint!
To get the very best out of your SharePoint investment, contact the team today.
Learn more from our consultants in the "SharePoint 2013 Guidelines" originally written by ClearPeople at the request of the National Computing Centre for their 350 members.
Contact us to discuss how Microsoft Office 365 can deliver the power of cloud productivity to your business, helping you to save time, money and free up valued resources.
Sitecore Strategy and Development
ClearPeople is a proud Gold Sitecore Implementation partner so we know a thing or two about creating engaging websites with customer experience at their core. Having worked with organisations like the National Autistic Society and global law firm CMS, we have the expertise in-house to advise you on the best approach to developing your Sitecore website.
Sitecore is a leading provider in the customer experience management (CXM) market, offering the award-winning Customer Engagement Platform (CEP), which combines proven web content management and customer intelligence to create a single view of a customer that drives meaningful interactions, increases conversions and builds lifetime customers.
What can we do for you?
As experienced Sitecore developers and consultants, ClearPeople can guide you along your digital transformation journey from strategy and UX, development, integration and migration to SEO and digital marketing.
Sitecore Strategy
Let our team work with you to develop an award-winning digital strategy that gets under the skin of your users to understand what makes them tick and what their needs are, ensuring that your digital outputs not only meet, but exceed, your business objectives.
Sitecore Development
Our Sitecore developers work with organisations large and small to design and develop highly flexible websites and customer engagement portals that have improve ROI, deliver enhanced relationships and provide personalised content to a variety of audiences. And with Sitecore Email Experience Manager, combine email with everything you know about your customers and how they have engaged with your brand to tailor your communication with precision.
Sitecore Upgrades
Sitecore is a leading-edge platform defined by its innovation, and as it continues to mature it's important to upgrade to the latest version to unlock its new tools and features and keep up with the competition. By upgrading to the latest version, you'll be eligible for the very best support to get the most out of your website. ClearPeople will work with you to assess your current Sitecore solution and recommend the best approach to take when upgrading your website.
Sitecore on Azure
We're one of the most experienced Sitecore Azure partners to provide you with a robust and professional solution that leverages the considerable advantages of Azure for scalable, cloud-based, enterprise-class deployment.
As the first partner in the UK to deploy a Sitecore website on Azure, we can provide expertise and support to build your Sitecore infrastructure in both internally hosted, classic data-centre hosting, as well as leveraging the Microsoft Azure platform. We work with a range of clients on deploying Azure, which is now ClearPeople's recommended option from a technical, security, compliance and cost perspective.
Essentials Engage
Essentials Engage is an award-winning website and publishing solution created by ClearPeople's website development team that utilises the Sitecore Customer Experience Platform, a best-of-breed content management system, to create, curate and disseminate your organisation's knowledge and expertise to your local and global audiences through multiple channels.
Let's talk Sitecore!
For a no-nonsense discussion on all things Sitecore, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our award-winning Sitecore developers and consultants.


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The BF+DA's TEK-TILES Team Creates 30 Smart Textiles
Touch pattern tracking TEK-TILE designed by team members Jingwen Shu and Renata Guai.
What if clothing could change color depending on your location or context? What if it could fold itself or change its shape throughout the day? What if different patterns could be knit into a garment in order to activate an augmented reality (AR) application on a mobile phone? These are just a few examples of the concepts at the center of the Pratt Institute Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator's TEK-TILES project.
The project aims to create a library of 30 smart textile swatches this summer. In this project, "smart textiles" combine materials exploration with electronics prototyping. In order to generate 30 smart textile swatches, during the first half of the 10-week project, the TEK-TILES team is generating many more possible ideas, combining them together and creating multiple iterations to determine the most interesting swatches to pursue in the coming weeks.
Related story: The BF+DA Launches TEK-TILES
Zee Cesare (left), a programmer in the BF+DA p.lab, meeting with Z. "Teddy" Xiong, an industrial design student from Pratt Institute
For example, the group has been finding ways to embed the kinds of features that are typically associated with computers and electronics – buttons, touchscreens and switches – with those commonly linked to fashion, garments and textiles such as snaps, zippers and hangars.
In addition to integrating the materials and electronics components, the swatches will be produced using the BF+DA's Shima Seiki digital knitting machines in order to demonstrate their capabilities. In line with the BF+DA's focus on sustainability and responsible technology, digital knitting machines offer interesting possibilities in terms of their ability to knit entire garments into one piece. This removes the need to sew together various separate parts such as the arms on a sweater. But, the use of digital knitting machines also requires that the team learn to translate their ideas into specifications that can be understood by the BF+DA's p.lab team which requires creating a new language for both teams to use.
TEK-TILES team member Evan Huggins illustrates the integration of fellow teammate Aaron Nesser's green knit structure (top layer) with the electronic LED grid (bottom layer)
Related story: Queens College Art Center Presents: 'Fabric of Cultures'
In order to explore the smart textile concepts, it is necessary to integrate the knowledge, skills and methods from a range of engineering and design disciplines including, for example, materials science and fashion design. While the TEK-TILES team has a shared interest in problem-solving, these fields have different ways of approaching the design process.
Related story: The BF+DA Launches TEK-TILES
For example, Maia Butterfield, a materials science major at Lehigh University, had not thought about design until joining the TEK-TILES team. She describes the engineering design process as: 1) concept generation, 2) sketching, 3) prototyping, and 4) testing.
"Collaborating with my teammate Perri Vaaler, makes it easier for me to contribute to the much more conceptual and open-ended design process that the team has been engaged in during the first half of the project," says Butterfield.
In contrast to design processes that focus on solving a clearly-defined problem and client needs, Julian Goldman, an industrial design graduate from Pratt, describes the design process that the TEK-TILES team is using in the first half of the project as one of "exploration for explorations sake."
This exploration has been primarily driven by the qualities and possibilities present in available materials such as different kinds of synthetics and natural fibers as well as electronic components such as conductive threads, sensors, LEDs and batteries.
According to Evan Huggins, another industrial design graduate from Pratt, "When you are not trying to solve a problem, you might find a solution that you might not have come up with [otherwise]."
In addition to the challenges of integrating knowledge from engineering and design, the TEK-TILES team is also reflecting on the ethics of their design decisions. For example, what might be the energy implications of smart textiles in terms of environmental sustainability? Who will have access to data that is collected by sensors that are embedded in garments and how easy or difficult will it be to gain access to the data? Are smart textiles implicitly co-opted into particular models of the economy that make the quantification, tracking and measurement of one's health necessary or inevitable (or might they resist these impulses)?
During the second half of the project, the TEK-TILES team will be continuing their explorations but also working directly with partner organizations on specific, more focused concepts around the themes of monitoring, connecting and activation that respond more directly to human needs.
The concepts will be showcased in an exhibition titled "Fabric of Cultures: Systems in the Making," at the Queens Museum, which opens on October 5th through December 15th, 2017.
Take a look at some of our TEK-TILES below!
Lead designers: Identification Pattern, Jingwen Zhu; Insulated Tubing, Perry Vaaler; LED Pocket Grid, Zoe Rosenberg; Origami, Aaron Nesser; Pointelle Light Seeds, Rebecca Pailes-Friedman; Soft to Hard Gradation, Debera Johnson; Thermochromatic Yarn, BF+DA; Thermo-variable Pattern, Teddy Xiong/Jacob Lemon; Stroke Switch, Maia Butterfield; Zipometer, Alexia Cohan;
Project Leaders: Jess Jur, NC State School of Textiles; Joseph Morris, Pratt Institute, School of Design; Yuchen Zhang, Wearable Media


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Play Game Military Motorcycles
This page contains a fun toy for boys 5-15 years under the name "Military Rush" of the racing genre. The aim of the game is to get as soon as possible on your motorcycle to the finish line that the main character was able to meet with parents and discuss plans for the evening after the championship. The difficulty increases with each level, so it is advisable to correctly calculate a strategy that will allow you to get closer to victory. Attention – you have only one attempt to complete the game, then have to go through the level from the beginning. Games of the racing genre are popular, which is not surprising graphics, controls and gameplay are traditionally high level. For motorcycle use the arrow keys on the keyboard.
If you like the game «Military motorcycles », please leave your comment!
Share with other players emotions you received in the game «Military motorcycles », in comments are usually written walkthrough of the game, attached screenshots of interesting moments or just talking on the topic of the game «Military motorcycles ». Please note: comments containing obscenities or advertisements will be immediately removed, and their authors will be banned on the site.
Farm protection
Parkour on the roofs
LEGO chase
Rich mine 2
Bear ninja
Modern Princess
Bright goldfish


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The Hong Kong Spirit Ambassador program is being held for the fifth time this year, and among the six ambassadors selected are two entrepreneurial elites.
They are Social Ventures Hong Kong founder and chief executive Francis Ngai Wah- sing, who was a top executive at PCCW, and Tse Sui Luen Jewellery deputy chairman Erwin Steve Huang, who was involved in the development of the mobile link service for the elderly.
Of the many social enterprises initiated by Social Ventures, more than half have achieved a balanced budget, including the well-known barrier-free Diamond Cab service.
Ngai decided to make changes to his life after the birth of his first child. He set up Social Ventures in 2007, realizing his childhood dream of taking part in volunteer work and helping others.
Huang, meanwhile, had participated in RTHK's Rich Mate Poor Mate TV series to experience life in the grass roots.
By taking up the ambassador role, he hopes to convey the commercial sector's care and concern toward the community.
Huang said Adam Smith, the Scot who is the first theorist of capitalism, was also a moral philosopher, showing that businesses and ethics aren't mutually exclusive.
Huang hopes enterprises will not just be concerned with profit, or consider themselves accountable only to shareholders, but will also be responsible to other stakeholders including their staff, customers and the public to pursue justice and make society a better place.
Primary and secondary students are a main service target of Hong Kong Spirit Ambassadors.
The program's chairman, former Ocean Park chief Allan Zeman, hopes young people may be led to bring the passion they have shown in recent social movements to other aspects of the community.
If Hong Kong has more socially responsible entrepreneurs like Ngai and Huang, I think the spirit of Hong Kong would certainly go beyond creating wealth to the enrichment of the soul. Siu Sai-wo is publisher of Sing Tao Daily
Today's Standard


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Research into premature birth is a tricky task. To get results that you can trust, you need long trials that look at large numbers of people. If an illness is rare, or it is difficult to find people to take part in research, it can be hard to test which treatments work best. To make things harder, a lot of funding for research is given for relatively short periods of time: often too short to find meaningful answers, or understand long-term effects.
Tommy's want to change this.
We recently supported a study that lasted 8 years to test whether the cervical stitch helped women with cervical problems carry their babies to full term. The study was a success, but showed us that to answer questions like this, we need big studies over long periods.
The MAVRIC study led to the idea of the Preterm Trials Consortium (PTC). This will be a platform for many different centres, recruiting large numbers of women to lots of studies and following them for long periods. By setting this up, we can do more to find answers to the many difficult questions still surrounding premature birth.
The PTC platform went live in December 2016, with nine centres currently collecting data for this project. So far, 608 women have given permission for their data to be stored on the platform. We hope to see more centres join the platform in the near future.
Examples of questions that the PTC might try and answer include:
- If the cervical stitch can help women who have 'bulging membranes' – when the sac of fluids surrounding the baby pushes out a little through the cervix. This increases the risk of a woman's waters breaking early, and can lead to premature birth if it happens early in pregnancy
- When to remove the cervical stitch in women whose waters have broken
- The best way to deliver a premature baby that is positioned to come out feet first
Get our research updates
Tommy's funds research across the UK investigating the reasons for pregnancy complications and loss. We can keep you updated on our research news. If you're interested in being kept updated about our research and news from Tommy's, click here.
Read more - the STORC study
Sometimes, the membranes holding the fluids that protect the baby in the womb can 'bulge' out of the cervix and into the vagina. This is caused by an 'incompetent cervix': when the cervix begins to open too early in pregnancy. At the moment, there isn't agreement on what to do when this happens. This is largely because there simply isn't enough research to support particular treatments.
It is possible to perform a small surgical procedure called a 'rescue cerclage,' where a stitch is inserted into the cervix to keep it closed and stop the membranes from coming through. In the Tommy's Prematurity Clinic in London, this is routine. However, in other centres across the PTC it is more common for women to just be prescribed bed rest.
Using the network of centres across the PTC, we can now look at which treatment is better by observing many women over a long time, some of whom will have surgery and some who won't. In the end, we can find out which course of action will give the baby the best chances of surviving in these cases.Hide details
This study takes place in a Tommy's centre and is funded by Tommy's and the NHS innovations Challenge Prize FundHide details


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Give the Perfect Gift of made in America! A Gift Certificate from Norton's U.S.A. can be used on-line or in our store to buy any of our products-all made in the USA! We carry products from over 450 companies that help keep American employees working.
- Item #: 1-GC-100


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For the second year in a row, a San Pedro Prep Softball team made it to a CIF championship game.
In fact, two of the three teams reached the limit in 2018, as both San Pedro and Mary Star Of The Sea High ended two magnificent and improbable runs to reach a CIF-Los Angeles City Section Open Division final (San Pedro) and a CIF-Southern Section Division 6 final (Mary Star). The Pirates and Stars ended up second best in their respective divisions but made sure the sport of softball finished first once again as the most profound high school sport in San Pedro, California.
Two players in particular, had phenomenal seasons.
San Pedro High softball sophomore P/INF Briana Velazquez had a season most would dare to dream of having: a three-home run game against Narbonne on April 26, two game-winning home runs to sweep a doubleheader at Palos Verdes on March 20, including a walk-off two-run home run. Oh, she also managed to hit a walk-off grand slam to defeat nemesis Banning on May 2.
Then Velazquez's pitching came up clutch down the stretch as she hurled a gutsy four-hitter with seven strikeouts to stun top-seeded Carson in the CIF-LACS Open Division quarterfinals, then struck out eight, while hitting a towering two-run home run to oust fourth-seeded Polytechnic of Sun Valley in the CIF-LACS Open Division semifinals.
On the other end of town, Mary Star sophomore pitcher Alessandra Samperio was piling up stellar performances of her own to power the Stars to seemingly unreachable heights.
First, there's the two-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts to overpower fellow neighbor Port Of Los Angeles on March 1. Samperio would shut out powerful St. Anthony of Long Beach twice out of three meetings, all won by the Stars to take over the Camino Real League. And of course, there's the CIF-SS Division 6 semifinal upset of powerful Carnegie Schools of Riverside where Samperio allowed no earned runs with 13 strikeouts to knock out the top-seeded Wolverines that set the state record for runs in a single season.
It comes as no surprise that Velazquez and Samperio are the 2018 San Pedro News Pilot Prep Softball Players Of The Year with those kind of individual resumes.
Briana, the All-City Open Division & All-Marine League first team selection, was simply phenomenal at the plate for San Pedro, hitting ,453 with 12 home runs, 38 RBIs, 35 hits, five doubles and three triples, and after a sluggish start in the circle during the first month of the season, she managed a 10-7 record with a 3.36 ERA and 130 strikeouts. Samperio meanwhile went 20-7 with a 1.52 ERA and 274 strikeouts while also hitting .400 with two home runs, 25 RBIs, 30 hits and seven doubles en route to being named the Camino Real League Pitcher Of The Year.
In spite of their individual brilliances, both their respective teams benefited from them to have special seasons.
Left for dead at the end of March, San Pedro (19-15-1 overall) quickly regrouped by bringing back legendary coach Tony Dobra to finish the season as he retires as an English teacher, and that's when the Pirates took off. Senior catcher Anessa Quiroz, a Monroe College (New York) signee, also posted a season worthy of the highest honor in SPNP, as she hit .380 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs to be named the Most Outstanding Player.
The Pirates also had great seasons from Hope International University-bound senior OF/SS Taiya Reyna and sophomore infielder Brianna Talamantes, as they combined with Velazquez and Quiroz to hit 30 of San Pedro's 33 home runs, second highest total in program history. That magnificent four all made the All-Marine League team along with freshman third baseman Sierra Sandoval and senior pitcher Quincy Greenwood, who threw the only no-hitter in town on April 10 against Narbonne.
Mary Star (21-7 overall) had a near perfect record in Camino Real League play going 11-1, and won 12 games in a row before that streak ended with a 13-2 loss to Highland in the CIF-SS Division 6 finals on June 1.
Other than Samperio, sophomore shortstop Ashley Rico, a San Jose State verbal commit, had a prolific hitting season as she batted a team (and San Pedro Prep Softball) high .512 with 4 home runs, 19 RBIs, 43 hits, 32 runs, ten doubles and 13 stolen bases. Sophomore outfielder Sarah Leyba and the sister tandem of sophomore catcher Sofia Amalfitano and senior first baseman Rose Amalfitano emerged as top-notch clutch performers for Mary Star, especially during the CIF-SS Division 6 playoffs.
Seniors Miranda Marquez and Jillian Duran also came up big in dire situations for Mary Star.
All but one starter returns for head coach Hector Rivera in 2019, so we could see another uprising from the Stars.
Finally, Port Of Los Angeles (13-7) had the earliest exit of any team in their already rich history, as they were eliminated in the first round of the CIF-LACS Division 1 playoffs by eventual runner-up Venice, but still overcame the lack of a quality pitcher and a coaching change to start the season to still capture an eighth straight Coliseum League championship with a 12-2 mark, sharing it with King-Drew Medical of Los Angeles and CIF-LACS Division 2 champion View Park of Los Angeles.
Senior P/INF Angie Vargas was stellar with her leadership, while junior infielders Yolanda Racaza and Allison Torstensen had improved hitting seasons. Other key players for the Polar Bears that saw vast improvements were sophomore outfielder Briana Vigil and sophomore infielders Tori Palomino and Angelina Mercado.
Catcher Larissa Mercado emerged as one of the best in the freshmen class along with Sandoval, San Pedro's Kirstin Sanchez and Jo Jo Krause, and Mary Star outfielders Ella Orozco, Arianna Bautista and Lexi Buscemi.
All three teams return a boatload of talent for 2019. There is truly something special in the air for San Pedro Prep Softball as the future is bright.
Here is the full All-San Pedro News Pilot Softball Team for 2018...
Ashley Rico (Mary Star, soph.)
Yolanda Racaza (POLA, jr.)
Allison Torstensen (POLA, jr.)
Brianna Talamantes (San Pedro, soph.)
Briana Vigil (POLA, soph.)
Sarah Leyba (Mary Star, soph.)
Taiya Reyna (San Pedro, sr.)
Sofia Amalfitano (Mary Star, soph.)
Angie Vargas (POLA, sr.)
Miranda Marquez (Mary Star, sr.)
Tori Palomino (POLA, soph.)
Rose Amalfitano (Mary Star, jr.)
Sierra Sandoval (San Pedro, fr.)
Jillian Duran (Mary Star, sr.)
Priscilla Andrade (San Pedro, soph.)
Angelina Mercado (POLA, soph.)
Larissa Mercado (POLA, fr.)
Quincy Greenwood (San Pedro, sr.)
Alessandra Samperio (Mary Star, pitcher, sophomore.)
Briana Velazquez (San Pedro, P/INF, soph.)
Anessa Quiroz (San Pedro, C, sr.)
Tony Dobra (San Pedro)
2012: Marina Vitalich, Mary Star
2013: Marina Vitalich, Mary Star; Nicolle Miranda & Allison Bayer, Port Of Los Angeles
2014: Marina Vitalich, Mary Star
2015: Marina Vitalich, Mary Star & Nicolle Miranda, Port Of Los Angeles
2016: Analise De La Roca, Port Of Los Angeles
2017: Analise De La Roca, Port Of Los Angeles; Andrea Cline, San Pedro
Views: 358


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FAQ updated!on September 21, 2012 at 10:05 pm
As the title says.
We received many questions on various subjects, so we decided to update and add to the FAQ.
We added new races to Question 5 and Questions 11 and 12 are new!
Hello, I'm french and I love the story ! I love this draws and I have put myself in English seriously for reading ! ^^ (I'm very bad in english, so I do apologies for these faults I can't see ^^') Well, I'm writting the e-mail 'cause I want to know if this comic crossed borders of your contry and if it exist in the traduction version :) Yes I can understand in english but I can't perceive all elements of the story and is dificult for me u_u So, I would like know if I will got pleasur of see this book in the french bookshop ! :) Well, is yet and good continuation ! ^^
Bye bye !!
XOXO ;p
Ok, thank you very much ! :D


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2.5″ SATA HDD Multi-Purpose Replacement Frame
Multi-purpose backplane module for 2.5″ SATA hard drives and SSDs!
In stock
Simply install this adapter frame and converter into the 3.5″ slot on your desktop or you can use it like a 3.5″ drive in a 3.5″ converter!
- Converter for 2.5″ hard drives and SSDs with 22/29-pole SATA Backplane connection
- Fits into every standard 3,5″ slot with screw fixing on the underside
- Also fits into any 3.5″ SATA Backplane - has identical dimensions and connections as a 3.5″ SATA HDD
- Supports SATA hard drives and SSDs with installation heights of up to 15mm
- Converter with latching lever and automatic ejection mechanism
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One of the best feelings in the world is knowing your life made a positive impact on the life of another person. A personal transformation is complete once it is shared. So when you invest in your own growth and transformation through consulting with Sarah, 10% of your investment is donated to a partnership with The Lulu Tree, a non-profit organization serving slum communities in Uganda and Sierra Leone.
The Lulu Tree brings hope and transformation to fathers, mothers and children who might otherwise have no options for education, healthcare or even basic living needs. The Lulu Tree also seeks to place orphaned children and widowed women in families so they are loved and cared for in community.
With every consulting package you purchase, you are preserving families, providing life-saving medical care and living necessities, as well as education and training for mothers and children, changing the life trajectory of families and whole communities in these developing nations.
As you change your life, you'll change many others.
How cool is that? If you want to learn more about the work of The Lulu Tree or explore their beautiful shop of handmade clothing and accessories, visit their website.


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TiScribe EDC Pen
Not all pens are equipped for EDC use. One2TenCNC paid close attention to detail when making the TiScribe, resulting in a truly pocket-friendly pen with all the right features for EDC. Its seamless, compact design is short enough for effortless carry, but still comfortable to use. It's machined from materials like high-polish titanium, copper, and brass for a durable construction that looks better after continued hard use. Unlike other pens with flimsy steel pocket clips that bend or snap, the TiScribe secures to your pocket using a grade 5 titanium clip held firmly in place by a set screw. You can choose a smoother writing experience in their fountain pen unit, or opt for the utility of a write-anywhere Fisher Space pen refill version for your carry at their Kickstarter campaign below.