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Member Show at the Box Factory for the Arts
Event by Box Factory for the Arts
Fri. November 10, 2023 | - Sun. January 14, 2024 | 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Event by Box Factory for the Arts
Fri. November 10, 2023 | - Sun. January 14, 2024 | 5:30pm - 7:00pm
The Box Factory's Member Show showcases original works by more than 50 regional artists, all of whom are members of the Berrien Artist Guild. Approximately 100 pieces representing a variety of media will be exhibited in galleries on all three floors of the venerable, old building.
This year's theme is "Remembering Songs from Youth." Artwork relating to the theme will be installed together.
OPENING RECEPTION and OPEN HOUSE: 5:30 to 8 p.m. on NOV. 10
The public is invited, free of charge, to the Opening Reception on Friday, November 10, from 5:30-7 p.m. As a bonus, from 7–8 p.m. more than a dozen artists with active studios inside the Box Factory will open their doors for an Open House. Visitors can meet the artists and tour the creative, inner workings of their studios.
The evening's festivities include a cash bar, refreshments, and soup from Tosi's Restaurant.
A special addition to the Member Show is an exhibition by watercolorist David Jones. Born in London, UK, Jones emigrated to the U.S. and taught at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. His watercolors display his interest in the "loose" painting style found in traditional English watercolorists of the 20th century, as well as the quick, minimal brushwork of American painters Andrew Wyeth and John Singer Sargent. Jones lives in Portage, MI.
The Member Show runs from November 10 to January 14, 2024. Winter hours are Thursday–Sunday, noon–4 p.m. (until 6 p.m. Thursdays). The Box Factory is located at 1101 Broad St. in St. Joseph, MI.
For more on Box Factory events, visit boxfactoryforthearts.org or facebook.com/boxfactoryarts
Contact: Marcy Simpson | (269) 983 3688 | email@example.com


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Kyichu Lhakhang
One of Bhutan's oldest temples dating back to the 7th century, the Kyichu Lhakhang was built under the patronage of the Tibetan Emperor, Songtsen Gampo. Legend has it that Padmasambhava (often known as "The Second Buddha"), the boy who appeared in the center of a lotus flower, hid treasure teachings around the temple. Enter the inner hall, where a remarkable 7th century statue of Jowo Shakyamuni awaits; this is considered one of the holiest shrines in all of Bhutan.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Come play in our new store @ 23 princes street Dunedin!
Start Here
Join us to learn or compete!
Join us for weekly events in Dunedin
Unlock! Exotic Adventures features three new "escape room" scenarios that you can play on your tabletop.
Unlock! is a cooperative card game inspired by escape rooms that uses a simple system which allows you to search scenes, combine objects, and solve riddles. Play Unlock! to embark on great adventures, while seated at a table using only cards and a companion app that can provide clues, check codes, monitor time remaining, etc. The three scenarios are:
- Night of the Boogeymen- Scheherazade's Last Tale- Expedition: Challenger
Magic Mega Sale!
Massive stock clearance sale on Magic the Gathering! Get full booster boxes for up to 50% off!
Board Game Price Busting
There's lots on sale today! Why not checkout what's available to take home with you
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Few musical artists possess the soul required to illuminate the entire history of a genre with their harmonies. Samara Joy, the 23-year-old jazz vocalist carrying nearly a century's worth of history in her voice, may be the exception.
Joy, whose surname is McLendon, began her jazz career just a few short years ago at Purchase College, State University of New York. As a child growing up in the Bronx, Joy had always been surrounded by music.
Her paternal grandparents, Elder Goldwire and Ruth McLendon, founded the Philadelphia gospel group The Savettes. Her father, Antonio Charles McLendon, is a vocalist and bass player known for touring with gospel artist Andraé Crouch.
Joy studied the greats alongside her family, having to weave to navigate her grandfather's view that music only belonged in church. She first sang in church herself but later joined the jazz band at Fordham High School for the Arts in the Bronx.
It was during high school Joy garnered her first accolade for her deep and melodious voice, winning the Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington High School Band Festival. The competition was designed to elevate musicianship, broaden perspectives, and inspire performance.
In 2019, she won the renowned Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Jazz Competition.
At the tender age of 23, at the 2023 GRAMMY Awards, Samara Joy won Best Jazz Vocal Album for her debut LP "Linger Awhile," and a second GRAMMY for Best New Artist.
Samara Joy has developed a fan base of all ages, including Hollywood stars like Regina King and music heavyweights like Anita Baker.
She has also amassed quite a following from Gen Z on TikTok. Joy currently has 607K followers and over 5 million likes.
Featured on Popsugar.com in February 2023, the website dished on the history and popularity of the vocalist, sharing a conversation she had with Essence Magazine about her favorite jazz standard. Joy shared that her favorite was "Round Midnight" by Thelonious Monk.
The version that Joy sings, however, features alternative lyrics written by Jon Hendricks and only sung once publicly by Carmen McRae.
"Those lyrics haven't been recorded that much – so even though it's a song that a lot of people know, this is a different take on it," Samara said.
Joy also considers herself a lifelong learner of the greats, including Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, and, of course, Sarah Vaughan.
As the first Gen Z jazz star, Joy has a lot of history – and possibly the future of jazz – on her shoulders.
In podcasts from Fast Company and NPR, Joy shared that she expressed that was more than sure that she did not see her success or subsequent GRAMMY Awards coming.
In an interview with Elysa Gardner of The New York Times in December of 2022, Joy shared, "Sometimes I honestly don't believe this is happening. I see pictures of this glammed-up girl, but I'm just me."
Joy exudes the presence of an old soul, coupled with a voice that draws in jazz newcomers while simultaneously stirring the souls of those who grew up on standards.
Joy debuted at the Newport Jazz Festival in 2022. She spoke with Ken Abrams of What's Up Newport about her first appearance, and how much it means in the world of jazz.
"…being here and seeing the stages and comparing it to behind the scenes and onstage footage that I've seen on YouTube…this is actually the place, this is real. It's surreal and I'm grateful to be here," she said.
Joy definitely appeared more comfortable in her skin on August 6, performing on the Quad stage at Fort Adams State Park.
Wearing a white dress and a bright smile, she appeared genuinely touched and excited to be on stage in Newport once again.
Joy sang If You Never Fall in Love With Me from her self-titled debut album, Stardust, a Bing Crosby cover and also one of her favorites, Chega de Saudade, Tight, Reincarnation of a Lovebird, Guess Who I Saw Today/Lately, Linger Awhile, and Sweet Pumpkin.
The magic of Joy is that a listener could close their eyes as she sang and see all the Jazz greats who came before her. Her music is both complete technically and transformative, reinvigorating the classics.
In the spirit of reinvigoration, Joy has on occasion rewritten lyrics to her favorites, including instrumental interludes, to suit her mood or experience, sometimes gleaning inspiration from the fiction she reads.
For anyone who is a neophyte to jazz or Samara Joy's velvety take on the genre, Can't Get Out of this Mood, is the perfect icebreaker. The song, recorded around 50 times since 1942, has been covered by Sarah Vaughan, Johnny Mathis, Nina Simone, Tony Bennett, The Four Tops, and Mary Wells, among others.
Joy's Someone to Watch Over Me is also a great choice, as it features Joy's impressive range, vocal dexterity, and euphonious lilt.
Samara Joy's album "Linger Awhile" is available online for streaming. Amazon Music features an Amazon Original Deluxe Edition which features Lush Life, an Amazon Original recording, previously popularized by Sarah Vaughan, Nat King Cole, John Coltrane, and Lady Gaga.
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Netizens bashed GMA's new show 'Kara Mia' and memes from it circulated on social media
Kara Mia, the new show of GMA featuring Mika dela Cruz and Barbie Forteza received bashing from netizens and they created memes out of their character.
The said fantasy series is about two character who are in the same body.
Based on the report published on the site of Philippine Entertainment Portal, netizens compared the upcoming show to Harry Potter's Voldemort character using the body of Professor Quirrel.
Because of this, netizens created memes.
Here are some of the post from netizens on Twitter.
Some netizens expressed that they find the new show more creepy than other horror movies.
There were some netizens who compared the photo of Mika dela Cruz and Barbie Forteza to other popular icons.
Here are the post from Twitter users.
On the other hand, there were netizens who defended that new Kapuso fantasy series.
Based on the report, Mika dela Cruz reacted to memes. She said that admittedly they found the concept of the series creepy at first.
However, Mika said that when people will go deeper into the story, they will appreciate it.
READ ALSO: Erich Gonzales Video With Rumored New Boyfriend Surfaces Online
For the Kapuso actress, the memes are amusing because it people get to show their creativity.
Here is Mika's statement.
Kara Mia is one of the primetime series of the Kapuso network this 2019, based on the report.
What can you say about this?
READ ALSO: Teresa Loyzaga Posts Photo With Diego Loyzaga, Netizens React


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Lithuanian small sat manufacturer NanoAvionics plans to showcase its new MP42 microsatellite platform with a multi-payload mission next year. It is planned that the mission will ride to orbit as part of a SpaceX Transporter rideshare launch in 2022. The new MP42-platfrom, which will support missions in the 100 kg range, is much bigger than NanoAvionics' current CubeSat platform line.
Two payloads set to be included on the mission were outlined in the 18 November announcement. The first is another "cell tower in space" payload from OQ Technology, known as Tiger-3. The second is a new "high-torque" reaction wheel product for VEOWARE.
Launch arranger Exolaunch, of Germany, will manage deployment of the satellite into orbit through a previous launch agreement between the two companies. The MP42 mission will utilise a Exolaunch CarboNIX separation ring to secure and deploy it from the Falcon 9 rocket.


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Boston College will no longer require COVID-19 vaccinations or boosters for incoming students, staff, or faculty, according to Director of University Health Services Douglas Comeau.
"Given the transition from the COVID-19 pandemic to the endemic stage, the incoming Class of 2027 will not be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination," Comeau said in an email to The Heights. "This policy also applies to BC faculty and staff as well."
BC first started requiring the community to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the fall of 2021. To come back for the spring of 2022, students, faculty, and staff were also required to have received a booster shot if eligible.
Undergraduate and graduate students who arrive on campus starting on May 17 will no longer have to show proof of vaccination, according to the BC Forward website.
"As we transition from a pandemic to an endemic locally and beyond, the University will not require a COVID-19 vaccination and boosters for incoming undergraduate and graduate students who will be on campus beginning Summer Session I," the BC Forward website reads.
BC is not the only local university to recently change its COVID-19 vaccination policy—Boston University also announced on April 4 that it will no longer require COVID-19 vaccinations for most students, faculty, and staff starting this summer.
According to Comeau, BC will continue to provide vaccinations and boosters for those seeking them.
"University Health Services will continue to offer COVID-19 vaccination and booster clinics (in conjunction with flu clinics) for those members of the BC community who seek them," Comeau said.


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This is the Newest collection of the best premium coffee shop WordPress theme. We are collecting the premium coffee shop theme for coffee-making companies, coffee selling shops, and coffee businesses. These themes were released a few days ago. All themes are responsive to mobile-friendly. All WordPress theme has a powerful admin dashboard.
Gaspard is a smart and flat design coffee shop WordPress theme but you can make a coffee shop website and startup business related to any business website. You can easy way to customize this WordPress theme. It comes with six demo pages, five service pages, about us, contacts us pages, booking pages, FAQ, our history, our team, blog pages, get in tuch, coming soon, 404 page and many more pages included. It has a full-screen slider, sticky drop-down menu, video support, newsletter, mouse over animation, and smooth transition effects included. Elementor, WPML, WooCommerce supported.
- Translation Ready
- Customizable Mega Menu
- Dripicons Icon
- Font Elegant Icon
- Font Awesome Icon
- Ionicons Icon
- Linea Icon
- Linear Icon
- Material Icons Icon
- Simple Line Icons Icon Font Pack
- Google Fonts
- Custom Widget Areas
- Contact Form 7 plugin
- Set multiple contact form styles
- Child Theme included
Amaya – Coffee Shop WordPress Theme
Amaya is the modern design coffee shop WordPress theme. It is ideal for a coffee business, coffee shop, Coffee Roasters, Tea shops, Coffee blogs, and coffee shop online selling. It comes with six home pages, about us, customer blocks, content blocks, shop page, FAQ page, contact us page, and many more service pages included. It has a full-screen banner, fixed drop-down menu, video support, contact form, newsletter, mouse over animation, and smooth transition effects included.
- Translation ready
- Email to email support
- SEO optimized
- PageSpeed optimized
- Child Theme included
- No coding knowledge required
- Gutenberg ready
- RTL support
- Fluid Responsive layout
- free Google Fonts
- Premium Adobe Fonts
- Retina Ready
- Sticky right Sidebar
- Widgetized footer area
- Header Layout Options
- Social Icons
Kaffa is the most advanced coffee shop WordPress Themes. You can easy to create a coffee business, coffee shop, Coffee Roasters, Tea shops, Coffee blogs, and coffee shop online selling. It comes with seven demo home pages, service, about us, contact us, awards, pricing plan, testimonials layouts, team, FAQ, 404, two case studies layouts, shop pages, different types of blog layouts, and many more pages included. You can sell any product through this theme. It has a full screen slider, fixed drop-down menu, video support, newsletter, price menu, Flaticon, mouse over animation, and smooth transition effects included.
- Fully responsive
- Amazing parallax effects
- SEO friendly
- Google fonts
- Visual Composer compatible
- VisualComposer Elements
- Easy demo installation
- Font awesome
- Careful structure
- Multi-level menu
- Cross-browser support
- Bootstrap 3 Grid
- Optimized Performance
- Custom Admin Columns Support
- Password Protected System
- Google Maps Integration
- Layout Customizer
- Typography Customizer
- Google Fonts Support
- Typekit Support
- Styling & Color Customizer
- Light & Dark Skins
- Header Customizer
- Footer Customizer
- RTL & LTR Support
- Advertisement Options
- Cookie Bar Integration
- GDPR Compatibility
- Contact Form 7 Integration
- MailChimp Integration
- InstantClick Integration
- Drag & Drop Content Builder
- Retina Ready
- Sharp Font Icons
- Unlimited sidebar
- Custom Sidebars
- Fully Customizable
- Search Engine Optimization
- HTML5 and CSS3
- SEO friendly
- Google fonts
- Elementor compatible
- Custom Elements
- Easy demo installation
- Font awesome
- Careful structure
- Multi-level menu
- Cross-browser support
- Well Documented
- Logo & favicon included
- Bootstrap 3 Grid
- Contact Form 7
- MailChimp ready
- Fully customizable
- Unique shortcodes collection
- WooCommerce Shop saupport
- Advanced Gallery Options
- Advanced Blog Options
- Powerful Admin Interface
- Multilingual
- WPBakery Shortcodes
- Responsive Layout
- Customize everything
- WPML supported
- SEO Friendly
- Google fonts
- Bootstrap 3.x based
- Font Awesome icon
- Fully Responsive
- Unlimited Colors
- Powerful Admin
- Advanced Meta Options
- Demo One-Click Installation
- Live Preview WP Customizer
- Sticky Menu
Cup o' Java
Thank you for visiting Chiphost blog and reading this article. After downloading a WordPress theme, the next step is to install WordPress and install plugin in WordPress.


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Turkey – stuffing – the fixin's – time with family and friends. Thanksgiving is upon us once again here in Orlando. But – sometimes we want to leave the cooking to others for Thanksgiving, or want to find a place with very good turkey to cook at home. Or perhaps you are visiting Orlando and are looking for a place to celebrate Thanksgiving while vacationing here. Below are some of our featured highlights for Thanksgiving in Orlando this year – take a look and make sure to make reservations ASAP!
A Foodie's Guide to Thanksgiving in Orlando 2022 – Specials and More
- Hard Rock Cafe at Universal City Walk
- Hemisphere at Hyatt Regency – Orlando International Airport
- JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa
- STK at Disney Springs
- BACÁN at Lake Nona Wave Hotel
- Tradewinds Restaurant at Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld
- Wine 4 Oysters – https://wine4oysters.com/ – Oyster Stuffing
- Wild Fork Foods – Thanksgiving Specials
- Aurora at The Celeste Hotel – Thanksgiving Buffet
- The Aardvark x Island Time
- Four Flamingos at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Orlando Resort
Hard Rock Cafe at Universal City Walk
6050 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819
Walk Ins Only
Enjoy a rockin' Thanksgiving complete with friends, family, turkey and pie. Oh my! Slow roasted turkey breast finished with traditional turkey gravy, roasted fresh vegetables, home-style classic stuffing, creamy sweet potato mash and cranberry sauce. Pumpkin pie & Espresso Martini also available.
Hemisphere at Hyatt Regency – Orlando International Airport
9th Floor, 9300 Jeff Fuqua Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32827
Reservations Encouraged, Walk-Ins Accepted
Hemisphere Thanksgiving
Prix Fixe $69 per person
Choice of starter
Crawfish chowder
Pumpkin bisque
House salad
Apple, cranberry, sausage turkey roulade
Bourbon turkey gravy
Sautéed green beans pancetta and wild mushrooms
Celery root mash
Choice of dessert
Pumpkin tart
Lemon meringue
JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa
14900 Chelonia Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32821
STK at Disney Springs
1580 E Buena Vista Dr, Orlando, FL 32830
- Reservations highly recommended, it will be a very busy day
Give thanks at STK! This Thanksgiving, dine at our home or yours with STK Thanksgiving Specials featuring Roasted Free-Range Turkey with all the sides and trimmings. Available for Dine-in or Takeout November 24 – 27.
Dates: November 24th – 27th
Roasted Free Range Turkey
Includes: cornbread & sage stuffing, shallot & thyme confit thighs, sauteed green beans with crispy shallots, maple baked sweet potato, yukon gold mashed potatoes – parmesan crust classic gravy, cranberry orange chutney
Dine-In: $64 Adults | $29 Children (12 & Under)
Spiced Pumpkin Pie | $12 per slice
Pre-order begins 11/14
Dinner for Two $124 ($64 per serving) – Includes Spiced Pumpkin Pie
STK Signature Side $18 each ($31 Lobster Mac & Cheese)
Pick-Up Times for Pre-Orders on Thanksgiving Day: 11:00am | 12:00pm | 1:00pm | 2:00pm | 3:00pm | 4:00pm
11am Opening on Thanksgiving Day – Close at 10pm
No HAPPY HOUR on Thanksgiving Day
DJ starting 12pm on Thanksgiving Day
Regular Hours on Friday, 11/25
Spice up the holidays with our Pumpkin Features at STK all spooky season long, like the Pumpkin Spiced Old Fashioned, NEW Pumpkin Spiced Espresso Martini, Pumpkin Tortellini & Dungeness Crab, & Pumpkin Pie!
Pumpkin Spiced Old Fashioned | $21
Pumpkin Spiced Espresso Martini | $21
Pumpkin Tortellini & Dungeness Crab | $59
Pumpkin Pie | $12
Dates: October 4 – November 30
BACÁN Restaurant at Lake Nona Wave Hotel
6100 Wave Hotel Dr, Orlando, FL 32827
Thanksgiving Brunch
Experience a taste of the America's this Thanksgiving with a brunch buffet at Michelin-recommended BACÁN. Live music will accompany a wide selection of live Chef stations featuring hand-carved traditional favorites and specialty seafood and indulgent desserts.
$40 CHILDREN 6years – 12years
Children under 6 dine free of charge
18% service charge will be added to all parties
Reservations are available at our website (BACÁN | Lake Nona Wave Hotel) and also by emailing email@example.com
Tradewinds Restaurant at Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld
6677 Sea Harbor Dr, Orlando FL 32821
Thanksgiving Brunch
Adults $52 | Kids Under 12 $23
*1pm to 6pm
Salad Bar
Garden Greens | Tomatoes | Cucumbers | Shredded Carrot | Radish
Dried Cranberries | Candied Walnut | Shaved Parmesan | Kalamata olives | Croutons
Florida Citrus Vinaigrette | Buttermilk Ranch | Caesar Dressing
Prosciutto de Parma | Salami | Soppressata
Pickled Vegetables | Marinated Peppers
Artisan Cheese
Creamy Brie | Aged Cheddar | House Pumpkin Jam | Hummus | Paco Pickles | Marcona Almonds | Honey
Grilled Naan | Crostini
Assorted House Baked Breads & Rolls
Panzanella Farmer Salad
Grilled Acorn Squash | Baby Kale | Mozzarella | Prosciutto | Tarragon Vinaigrette
Fall Harvest Salad
Roasted Pear | Beets | Fennel | Carrots | Pomegranate
Spicy Pecans | Feta Cheese & Tangerine Vinaigrette
On Ice
Shrimp Cocktail | Smoked Salmon Dip
Local Hot Sauce Bar | Lemons | Cocktail sauce
R Sushi Chef's Traditional Rolls
California | Spicy Tuna | Vegetarian
Wasabi | Pickled Ginger | Soy
Thanksgiving Traditions
Parmesan and Pumpkin Soup | Gingerbread Croutons
Wild Isles Salmon & Braised Fennel | Tomato Brown Butter | Couscous | Swiss Chard | Mushrooms
Rigatoni| Fried Garlic | Broccoli | House-made Sausage | Ricotta
Chicken & Dumplings | Potato Dumplings | Chicken Gravy
Traditional Stuffing
Whipped Yukon Gold Potatoes
Candied Yams | Pecans | Marshmallow topping
Green Bean Casserole |Mushroom Cream | Crispy Onions
Roasted Spaghetti Squash | Roasted Heirloom Carrots | Crispy Brussel Sprouts
Vegan Cauliflower Gratian
Carving Station
Free Range Roasted Turkey | Gravy | Cranberry Sauce
Smoked Prime Rib | Au Jus | Horseradish Cream
Thanks Giving Desserts Menu
Pumpkin Brownies
Pumpkin Pie
Vegan Carrot Cake
Sweet Potato Pie
Ginger Molasses Cookies
Apple Pecan Crisps
Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin Roll
Cranberry Cheesecake
Chocolate Amaretto Tarts
Pecan Squares


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Helen Thomas gets dropped by her agency over Israel remarks
Nine Speakers, the agency that represents Helen Thomas, has dropped her as a client. This comes in the wake of controversial remarks on the Middle East.
via POLITICO
Help Make A Difference By Sharing These Articles On Facebook, Twitter And Elsewhere:


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Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy for Digital Products License Keys – pcsecuritydeal.com
Effective Date: September 13, 2023
Thank you for choosing pcsecuritydeal.com for your digital product license key needs. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully to understand how we collect, use, and safeguard your data when you interact with our website and services.
1. Information We Collect
a. Personal Information: When you make a purchase on pcsecuritydeal.com, we may collect personal information such as your name, email address, billing address, and payment information. This information is necessary to process your orders and deliver digital product license keys to you.
b. Communication Data: If you contact us via email or other communication channels, we may collect and retain records of your correspondence with us, including your email address and the content of your messages.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your information for the following purposes:
a. Order Processing: We use your personal information to process your orders, verify payments, and deliver digital product license keys to you.
b. Customer Support: We may use your information to respond to your inquiries, provide customer support, and address any issues you may encounter.
c. Communication: We may send you transactional emails related to your orders, including order confirmations, delivery notifications, and important updates. We may also send you promotional emails if you have opted in to receive them.
d. Security: We use your data to maintain the security of our website, prevent fraud, and protect our rights and interests.
3. Data Security
We take the security of your data seriously. We implement appropriate security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, please note that no method of data transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
4. Sharing Your Information
We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties. However, we may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in conducting our business operations, such as payment processing, order fulfillment, and email communications. These service providers are contractually bound to protect your data and use it solely for the purposes specified.
5. Your Choices
a. Opt-Out: You may choose to opt out of receiving promotional emails from us by following the instructions provided in the emails. Please note that even if you opt out of marketing communications, you will continue to receive transactional emails related to your orders.
b. Access and Correction: You have the right to access, update, or correct your personal information held by us. To do so, please contact us at [email protected].
6. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to your privacy or this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
Email: [email protected]Address:
5 Harriman Woods Dr
Harriman, New York, 10926
7. Changes to the Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting the revised policy on our website. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for updates.
Thank you for entrusting pcsecuritydeal.com with your digital product license key needs. We are committed to protecting your privacy and providing you with a secure and enjoyable shopping experience.


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Blockchain Oracles Tutorial & RIF Gateways Integration with Chainlink
Scalability and interoperability—two of the biggest challenges that the blockchain community is presently facing. In a broader context, these are also among the greatest hindrances to large scale mainstream adoption of this emerging technology. Consequently, there have been significant efforts among innovators, developers, and almost every other stakeholder in this domain to conceive of viable solutions to these problems. And in fact, there have been several positive or at least promising outcomes already.
With Ethereum's advent in 2015, smart contracts have become a reality, widening the scope for interoperable, blockchain-based solutions through dApps. In doing so, the platform has become one of the pillars of a truly decentralized world that extends much beyond P2P finance. Taking a cue, innovators such as RSK have further diversified the space by bringing smart contracts onto the Bitcoin blockchain.
In essence, smart contracts have emerged as a cornerstone of decentralized ecosystems. After all, it is ultimately the smart contracts that actually replace the "trusted intermediaries" of centralized systems. However, despite their significance, smart contracts have certain limitations in and of themselves. The most pertinent among these is the need for reliable data inputs as triggers which often have to come from off-chain sources if the full potential is to be realized.
Over time, off-chain interactions have become a classic problem for the blockchain community to which oracles have emerged as a solution. In turn, they also represent a way of imparting the much-needed scalability and interoperability for blockchains and other decentralized ecosystems. In essence, oracles work much in the same way as their namesake from ancient Greece. Having said that, this guide takes a deep dive into oracles, outlining in the process RSK's approach to the messengers of the blockchain world.
What is an Oracle?
To define oracles, we must begin at smart contracts. Simply put, they are code blocks that automate processes on a blockchain network based on certain pre-defined conditions. For instance, transfer X amount to B if M happens. While in centralized systems overseers facilitate this transaction, in blockchain ecosystems a cryptographic smart contract performs the role. Thus, it is understandable that smart contracts require data inputs that prove the occurrence of the event.
Blockchain oracles are third-party systems that feed off-chain data into on-chain smart contracts. In doing so, they act as the much-needed link between the blockchain and the external world. In fact, smart contracts have a very limited scope in the absence of oracles. Oracles act as a layer of the blockchain ecosystem that retrieves, verifies, and relates external data for on-chain systems and vice-versa. It's important to note that oracles are not data sources, but rather a kind of gateway. However, all of this makes little sense unless we understand why external (off-chain) data is at all necessary in this context.
The Need to Bridge On-Chain and Off-Chain Data
As such, individual blockchains are cut off from the external (real) world, in the sense that they have no inherent way of interacting with data from the latter. Similarly, separate blockchains also cannot interact with each other without using bridges. In turn, this leads to a resource constraint and can be seen as the crux of the technology's interoperability concerns.
Imagine that persons A and B make a bet of 10 BTC, each paying 5 BTC. If team M wins the next soccer match, A gets the entire amount. If they lose, then B wins and gets the money. As digital natives, they decide to minimize the "trust" involved and lock up the amount on a smart contract. Depending on the result, the smart contract will automatically send the amount to A or B's wallet.
Now, for this to happen the smart contract would need data from the real world about who actually won the match. Obviously, A and B would be using one of the existing blockchains to deploy their smart contract as it would be too cumbersome to create a whole new, specific blockchain just for this purpose. Even if they do, the actual event of the soccer match would still be occurring off-chain—that is, in the real, physical world.
This is just one instance of why or how a blockchain might require external data which is almost impossible to generate on-chain at times. Insurance contracts, trading contracts, DeFi lending/borrowing systems might have similar requirements in this regard.
In a similar way, off-chain systems such as the gaming industry, domain naming services, payment services, and so on, may also require data generated on-chain. Furthermore, as blockchain increasingly becomes a software platform, the need for time-related functionalities grows. Again, the time of the day, month, or year is an off-chain event (entity).
Oracles as a Solution for Deterministic Smart Contract Outputs
"Deterministic" —a term that is simpler than it sounds. When we say that smart contracts need to be deterministic, we simply mean that every user (here, node) must get the exact same return for a given query. That is, if you and your friend raise a query, say, for the price of BTC, both must get the exact same value for every search instance (in this case the value could change over time, but that's understandable). Furthermore, in blockchain's context being deterministic also means that the events occur in a particular, sequential order.
This becomes all the more crucial when the outcomes depend on other factors, over and above the data input—time, temperature, location, and so on. When this happens, smart contracts also become highly susceptible to manipulation in the absence of proper solutions.
One of the ways to ensure deterministic outcomes is to have unique query IDs for specific inputs. In the context of blockchains, however, these cannot rely upon single-point sources of trusted information. As goes the cliché, a system is as decentralized as its least decentralized element.
Thus, if the method for acquiring off-chain data is centralized, the system's holistic decentralization is compromised. For instance, the source could falter or have downtime, or its owner could deliberately manipulate the data in question. Oracles intend to solve this issue by serving as a secure, tamper-proof, and trust-minimized method of ensuring deterministic smart contract executions. In doing so, they make blockchains interoperable with existing off-chain systems, as well as scalable.
Types of Oracles
So much for what oracles are and why we need them. Now, let us look at the various kinds of oracles. Some of these are already available and in use, while others are somewhat rare as of now.
In a broad sense, oracles are mainly divisible on the basis of three parameters:
- Source— whether software or hardware.
- Data movement— whether inbound or outbound.
- Degree of trust— whether centralized or decentralized.
Software Oracles
Under this category, the data originates from online sources—databases, websites, servers, and so on. Since they are associated with the internet, software oracles have access to a huge data pool which is also generated in real-time. In fact, this type of oracle is presently also the most common. Exchange rates, prices of currencies or other assets, airlines or other schedules are some of the data types that software oracles use.
Hardware Oracles
This kind of oracles can establish actual connections between smart contracts and the real world with the help of hardware sensors. These sensors could be anything ranging from barcode to biometric scanners or any other kind of analog-to-digital sensor.
In effect, hardware oracles create digital copies of real-world events that the on-chain smart contracts can interpret and act upon. Among several others, the logistics and supply chain industry could be a major user of hardware oracles. For instance, upon dispatching a product from the warehouse, the seller could feed the relevant data onto the blockchain and trigger a smart contract in the process.
Inbound & Outbound Oracles
Definition-wise, these are rather self-explanatory. While inbound oracles bring data from external sources onto the blockchain, outbound oracles transmit data in the opposite direction. For instance, in the case of a smart contract that requires the day's temperature, you would use an inbound oracle. On the other hand, you would use an outbound oracle to trigger a certificate generating platform that uses data from on-chain, self-sovereign identities.
Centralized & Decentralized Oracles
As mentioned earlier, oracles are third-party systems, meaning that they exist independently of the given blockchain. Consequently, their ownership and/or point of control exists outside the blockchain's ecosystem, as does their source of information.
In this regard, oracles may be centralized or decentralized. A single entity controls a centralized oracle and is the only provider of the data. Most of the common drawbacks of centralized systems—monopoly, single point of failure, risk of manipulation, and so on—also apply to this kind of oracles. Furthermore, they also raise pertinent security concerns for the smart contract using them.
On the other hand, a decentralized oracle works in ways similar to public blockchains. Instead of relying upon a single point of truth, in this case, the smart contract interacts with a distributed network of oracles. In doing so, they also employ certain aggregating protocols to validate data. At times, complete blockchains could also serve as decentralized oracles for other blockchains.
Contract-specific and Human Oracles
As the name suggests, contract-specific oracles are designed for a particular smart contract only and serve one or more specific purposes. For obvious reasons, this is the most unsustainable and rare kind of oracle.
Another type to be mentioned is Human Oracles—individuals with specialized and valid information in a given domain. Although the individual can cryptographically verify their identity, the idea itself defeats the purpose of decentralization by all means.
The Oracle Problem
By now, we have a working idea of what oracles are, how they work, and why we need them. Despite the oracle's pivotal role in blockchain ecosystems or probably because of it, the community is still facing some major challenges in relation to oracles.
First, there's concern regarding the efficiency and reliability of the oracle itself. Any bug or vulnerability in the oracle's code can compromise the security of the underlying smart contract and also the associated blockchain.
Second, the blockchain's security protocols also don't apply to the oracles as they exist off-chain. Moreover, in the case of a trust-dispute between third-parties and the smart contract, there is usually no scope for a resolution.
Third, there's a constant threat of Man-in-the-Middle attacks. In these, a malicious external agent intervenes into the data flow and corrupts it in the process.
The Challenge of User-Friendliness
In the context of the challenges associated with oracles, the lacking ease-of-access demands a special mention. However, this is a problem with the present state of the industry and not the technology in itself.
When it comes to the large-scale use of oracles, affordability plays a major role. Users need to be able to browse available options, educate themselves regarding the specifications, compare between options, and also have access to reviews. Given the scarcity of such platforms, users need to have in-depth and technical knowledge of which oracle to use for which purpose.
Moreover, presently it's the user's responsibility to decide which data source is reliable and which isn't. Added to that, is the need to individually determine the cost for interacting with each specific off-chain data set. Similar problems exist in the case of outbound oracles in which external systems use on-chain data.
As a whole, the problem stems from the need for unified data service and oracle marketplaces. In turn, the associated difficulties are often highly discouraging for those who wish or need on-chain-off-chain interactions for their systems. From a broader perspective, this is a major hindrance to mainstreaming the usage of blockchain-based solutions.
Working with a thorough realization of the problems affecting the space, IOV labs has innovated the RIF Gateways platform.
RIF Gateways — IOV Lab's Solution for Interoperable Blockchains
Powered by RSK, RIF Gateways is the unified, user-friendly platform that significantly eases end-user oracle usage. In essence, RIF Gateways is to blockchain users what an eCommerce platform is to day-to-day shoppers, in the sense that it offers a wide-ranging toolkit of interoperability solutions.
The marketplace offers a unified interface layer that end-users can use seamlessly to gain access to a wide range of oracle services and cross-chain integrations. In doing so, IOV Labs is solving one of the biggest pain points relating to oracles and smart contracts. While linking blockchains to the external world as well as other blockchains, these implementation-agnostic protocols enable both internal and external data consumptions. They foster standardized yet decentralized data transfers, thus widening the scope for smart contract deployments manifold.
In general, the services with which users can interact on the RIF marketplace fall under three categories—data services, trigger services and scheduler services.
Data Services
This represents a network of data services, each of which relays some kind of data from the external world. Presently, several kinds of data services exist and can be differentiated on the basis of how they resolve a query, their data sources, their degree of decentralization, the nature of their ownership and finally that method of paying for the accessed data.
On the RIF marketplace, end-users can browse the available options for data services, interacting with the service provider's (usually creators) smart contract. Simplifying the process further, the smart contracts are hosted under human-readable domains. There are two consumptions models for users to interact with data services—the pull model and the subscription model.
Pull Model
Under this, both payment and data retrieval occurs on a per-query basis. Upon request, the users' systems are directly fed with the latest data, thus eliminating the need to use caches. However, this model is not only more expensive but also slower than the other alternatives as it involves queries and callbacks.
Subscription Model
Subscribers (end-users) pay a fixed price for data access, while the service provider may cache and periodically update the required data. From the user's perspective, this model is more accessible and also cheaper.
From the provider's perspective, it allows them to distribute the costs of fetching the data among multiple users by serving all of them with a single piece of data. However, the end-user-prices vary based on the frequency of resolutions required.
Trigger Services
While data services related to inbound oracles, these comprise of outbound oracles that feed single-source or multi-source data from the blockchain to off-chain systems. Here, the data-fetching is implemented off-chain. Furthermore, users can build their custom notification solutions on top of these trigger services. Since the service providers are required to have a pre-defined interface for their offerings, end-users can browse and/or access them using an explorer app and a human-readable domain.
Consumers of trigger services are also safeguarded by SLAs and can opt for either a pull model or a subscription model. All of these work in the same way as they do with data services. Broadly, triggers available on the RIF marketplace differ in terms of how they consume/process the on-chain information and their degree of decentralization. However, in a more specific sense, users can interact with two major types of triggers on the platform—pre-defined and custom.
Pre-defined Triggers
Often related to particular smart contracts or virtual machines, these offer only a fixed set of notifications as defined by the provider at the outset. However, these might offer the users with the ability to apply filters as per their needs.
Custom Triggers
In essence, these work like libraries which the user can use to develop their own notification systems by acquiring the building blocks from the provider. Simple interfaces that even non-technical users can use easily are among the greatest upsides of these services on the RIF marketplace.
Consumers and providers can have P2P interactions to decide the price unless it is pre-defined. Moreover, as highly customizable solutions, users of these triggers can specify the data source, the list of events, as well as executable action upon the event's occurrence.
Scheduling Services
These solutions enable users to schedule blockchain transactions for a future point based on the occurrence of certain events. For instance, transfer X value to B on, say, 17th August 2025. Similar to data and trigger services, users can consume these services on a pull or subscription basis. Disputes are generated and resolved in similar ways as well. However, the fact remains that these transactions still require users to pay a certain gas price, although they are scheduled for the future. After all, present or future, these are ultimately transactions occurring on the blockchain network and all of the regular principles apply.
Expanding the Scope with Chainlink Integrations
If there's a "leader" in the oracle space, it's Chainlink. It is not only the most reliable blockchain oracle protocol available but also the most widely used and trusted. Now, by integrating Chainlink Oracles at the infrastructure-level of the RSK platform, IOV Labs has widened the avenues—for both of the companies as well as their users.
As such, Chainlink's solutions are optimally decentralized. Thus, this integration offers bitcoiners on RSK's network the opportunity to leverage Ethereum-based DeFi solutions. In other words, Ethereum's collaborativeness is now compatible with Bitcoin's security. This has long-term implications not just for oracles but for decentralized systems as a whole, while the Chainlink protocol's modularity ensured a short production cycle for the integration.
Among other things, the integration bridges RSK to Ethereum and enables users to seamlessly transfer their LINK tokens between the two chains. Apart from enhancing the RSK network's value, this gives Chainlink nodes access to the much wider and diverse marketplace for the oracle solutions.
Summing Up
To compete with traditional payment processors and to be relevant for mainstream usage, blockchains need to be interoperable and also scalable. As a foundational element of decentralized ecosystems, smart contracts play a major role on this regard. However, on-chain smart contracts cannot directly interact with off-chain data—that is, data from the external world.
In the absence of this ability, smart contracts have a rather limited scope and do not adequately serve the purpose of fostering interoperability. Thus, enter oracles—third-party solutions that feed external data to on-chain smart contracts (or vice-versa). Acting as the missing link between blockchains and the external world, oracles act as messengers who enable seamless on-chain and off-chain interactions bidirectionally.
However, despite their pivotal role, most of the available oracle solutions are extremely difficult from the common users' perspective. Realizing this, IOV Labs has innovated RIF Gateways as a part of the holistic RSK smart contract platform. This acts as a unified, user-friendly, transparent, and decentralized interface through which end-users can easily interact with a whole network of oracles. That too, with little or no technical understanding.
Lastly, by integrating Chainlink's protocol—a leading provider of oracle solutions—IOV Labs has taken another giant step towards interoperable blockchains. This Ethereum-Bitcoin bridge is also a groundbreaking instance of how collaborations and cross-chain interactions could make blockchain technology more adoptable for real-world use cases.


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Steven Wilson appears to have called time on the current Porcupine Tree reunion, announcing that the bands upcoming outdoor shows will 'most likely' be the band's last.
In a New Year's message to fans on Instagram and Twitter earlier today (which you can see below), as well as discussing his upcoming solo album, which he refers to as 'totally pretentious', Wilson says 'Meanwhile the (likely final) PT shows will be a handful of festival appearances over the Summer'.
The full statement reads: "Happy new year to you all! First and foremost a big thank you to everyone that enjoyed the Porcupine Tree Closure/Continuation album / shows, and my book Limited Edition Of One during the past year.
"Coming in 2023 will be my new album, a 10 track 65 minute musical journey that's kinda hard to describe, but suffice to say it's different again, not to mention totally pretentious (in a good way!) It will be released by Virgin Music UK, more news soon. Meanwhile the (likely final) PT shows will be a handful of festival appearances over the Summer, check the band's channels for more info.
"Lots more exciting stuff (at least to me) happening, but for now I'll leave you with my very best wishes for the year ahead, I hope it will be a wonderful one for you."
Porcupine Tree announced they'd reformed after a 12-year hiatus in November last year. The band released Closure/Continuation in June and ended a tour of North America and Europe with a show at London's Wembley Arena in November.
The band are currently announcing outdoor shows for this year, and will play Manchester's Castlefield Bowl on June 29.


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2020 Toyota Tacoma vs 2020 Ford Ranger
Whether you want to be able to traverse through rough terrain, haul around a lot of supplies, or you just love the feel of owning the road, a pick-up truck is definitely the vehicle that does it all for you. You may be considering what type of truck will best fit your lifestyle. Should you go for a 2020 Toyota Tacoma or a Ford Ranger? These two pick-up trucks are popular in Edmonton, Alberta, but what are the differences, and which one is best for you? Let's take a look at the features and performance of each.
2020 Toyota Tacoma
With a muscular, massive grille, you'll make a powerful statement right from the start. The smoked headlights and available LED headlights light the way to your destination while the embossed Tacoma logo on the tailgate leave the others in the dust. A rear power window lets in a stream of cool air when you want with the touch of a button.
You'll get a lot of performance out of the 2020 Toyota Tacoma with its 3.5-L V6 direct-injection engine that delivers 278 hp paired with a 6-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission. Towing is a breeze with the available Tow Package. This package brings the tow load up to 6,800 lbs, so you won't have any problems getting your things around.
Discover the thrill of off-roading with several off-road capabilities, such as:
- Crawl Control, which gives you the ability to crawl over rough, rocky terrain.
- Electronically locking rear differential, which puts the power evenly to both rear wheels so you can get better grip.
- Multi-Terrain Select allows you to choose from five different modes, which gives you some control over the wheelspin.
2020 Ford Ranger
Slip into the driver's seat of a Ford Ranger and hit the road. Don't let the sleek front grille style fool you. The Ranger is made for powerful trucking activities with a gentler appearance. A 2.3-L EcoBoost engine pairs with a 10-speed transmission delivering 270 hp and a towing capability of 7,500 lbs.
A quality-strength steel body and bumper ensures this truck is heavy-duty enough for all your off-roading situations. You can opt for 18-inch OWL tires and an electronic-locking rear differential.
Choose between two-wheel or four-wheel drive with the turn of a dial and discover the ease of traversing the roads. Or, if you want, select the Off-Road Package for some serious driving.
2020 Toyota Tacoma vs 2020 Ford Ranger
2020 Toyota Tacoma | Features | 2020 Ford Ranger |
278 | Horsepower | 270 |
Yes | Adaptive Cruise Control | Optional |
Yes | Multi-Functional Steering Wheel | Not an option |
Standard | One-touch driver and passenger windows | Not an option |
5 driving modes | Off-Road Package includes | 4 driving modes |
The 2020 Toyota Tacoma features are definitely surpassing the Ford Ranger. With all these benefits, you can't go wrong. When you're ready to purchase a 2020 Toyota Tacoma in Edmonton, stop by Toyota Northwest Edmonton for all the deals of the season. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of the truck specials. You may want to take one for a test drive first. See you soon!


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Why I'm a Climate Denier and You Should Be Too By JOHN ZMIRAK for The Stream
We in the West aren't facing intellectual trends and resulting political movements, so much as the rise of a new and false religion, whose purpose is solely power. Indeed, historically, most forms of idolatry stemmed from the hunger for control — over nature, over one's neighbors, then over entire societies. You feed the gods in the hope that they'll make you fertile, virile, and powerful. That's what your "secular" colleagues and fellow citizens who claim to believe in Science are actually engaged in. They're animists worshiping fetishes, in the hope of becoming wizards.
Remember that the next time one of them tries to condescend to you. Laugh at him, as you would at a witch-doctor in the jungle. Mock him for what he is, a modern-day priest of Baal. Blaspheme his false gods and drag his "holy" things through the mud. It's not just good, clean fun, but your solemn Christian duty.
Don't Bother with Their Arguments
The Woke cult (in all its aspects) is a religion that rests on faith and a blind, anti-rational one at that. (Where did all of those 45 extra "genders" come from? Were those discovered in the laboratory — uncovered in caves like the Dead Sea Scrolls?) So there's little point engaging the cult on the surface, getting tangled in its least important, largely decorative aspects. That is to say, in the rational arguments and factual claims that leftists present.
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We love helping others and believe that's one of the reasons we are chosen as Ambassadors of the Kingdom, to serve God's children. We look to the Greatest Commandment as our Powering force.
They may or may not believe such things when they say them. But they're not really attached to them. Their faith doesn't flow from the accumulation of evidence or the articulation of syllogisms. Knock down their arguments one by one, poke holes in their tissues of "proof," and they'll just stare at you, like monkeys who pelted you with their poop, only to see you toss it right back at them. What they care about — and hence what you must attack — is really the following:
- The spurious sense of meaning they find for their frivolous lives in embracing some arbitrary cause, then moralizing about it.
- The haughty sense of superiority they feel over non-believers when they preach it or preen about it.
- The political or economic power they gain over helpless strangers, whom they can corral, starve, geld, or even (if need be) kill … as if they were cattle.
Caesar, Mammon, and Sodom
This is the creed your kids are likely learning in college, or high school, or grammar school — maybe even in Sunday school. When you see a rainbow flag hanging over a church, you know that it has defected, that it now venerates the Woke trinity of Caesar, Mammon, and Sodom. Avoid it like a sex shop or a crack den.


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Plans for another AWS data center in Dublin could be halted after the local council requested proof that another facility wouldn't over-saturate the area.
The company is planning a number of data centers in north Dublin close to existing facilities within the Clonshaugh Business and Technology Park. The company is planning to develop two data center buildings on the site of a former Ricoh building once earmarked for T5's first European facility, as well as another two on the Woodlands & Former Diamond Innovations Site nearby.
However, this week the Irish Business Post reports that Dublin City Council (DCC) has told the company that it must provide "a large amount of additional literature" to prove that granting permission for the new facility in Clonshaugh 'would not create an over-concentration of the facilities' in the area. It seems the Ricoh site is the project DCC has raised concerns with.
The news comes at a difficult time for data centers in Ireland, and especially those planned in the Dublin area.
EirGrid has installed a de facto moratorium on new data center developments in the greater Dublin area, saying it will consider new applications for connection to the grid on a case-by-case basis in the wake of a Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) decision to limit their impact.
Environmentalists and political parties including the Social Democrats and People Before Profit have called for a nation-wide moratorium on future data center projects, because the state-owned utility EirGrid has warned that they already use more than 10 percent of the country's electricity supply, and this could grow to 30 percent by 2030, potentially causing "rolling blackouts" and making it impossible for the country to meet its targets to decarbonize its grid so that 80 percent of the nation's electricity must come from renewable sources by 2030.


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Explore Springs Apartments
Short distance moves are a different animal than long distance moves. You don't have to pack as tightly and thoroughly as you would for a cross-country move, and you probably don't have to worry about details like registering your car and changing your auto insurance.
That being said, a short distance move in Des Moines still requires a lot of work. If you get lazy and neglect your planning, you could end up in a disastrous situation. The following three tips can help.
1. Inventory Your BelongingsIt's not necessary to actually write everything down, but it's important to know about how much stuff you'll be moving. This will help you to determine what kind of truck to rent, how many boxes and packing supplies to acquire, and how much help you'll need.
If you find that you have more stuff than you want to move, make a plan for getting rid of some of it. You might hold a moving sale, or you can donate unused items to a local charity like Goodwill. You could also post pictures of unused items on social media and see if any of your friends could use them.
2. Pack SmartIt's easy to get lazy and think, "I'm just driving a few miles. I'll just throw everything in the car and drive back and forth." It's true: you could try this method, but this is a recipe for a move that will seem endless.
Don't underestimate the power of a box. It allows you to sort, label, stack, and carry quite a lot at one time. If you don't want to spend money on boxes, ask your local produce department if they can hold some apple boxes for you. Liquor boxes are also great for transporting breakables.
3. Keep Necessities HandyOne of the most difficult aspects of moving a short distance is that most people don't take enough time off. They figure they can just squeeze their move into their off hours or on a weekend, so they don't take time off from work.
If you find yourself in this situation, give yourself a break by keeping necessities handy at all times. Pack a special box with essentials: a towel, soap and shampoo, pillow, clean sheets, a change of clean clothes, non-perishable snacks, etc. This box can be a lifesaver when you find yourself in your new apartment home amidst a sea of boxes and disassembled furniture.
Remember that we're here for you. Take a break from unpacking at our free coffee bar and don't hesitate to contact the on-site management if you have questions as you're moving in.
What short distance moving tips can you offer? Leave them in the comments section below!
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The results of INRTU professors' education
SKB EP constantly works on the development of high-voltage equipment diagnostic, and is engaged not only in device manufacture and holding trainings for customers, but also works with educational institutions. Recently, was held a training for the Department of Electric Power Stations, Networks and Systems of the Irkutsk National Research Technical University (INRTU). Previously, SKB EP specialists prepared laboratory trainings for the students, and this time they performed training for the university professors. The training was dedicated to working with high-voltage equipment diagnostic devices. The most important is that professors will provide this information to students in practical classes.
During the training, SKB EP technical engineer told about the features of high-voltage circuit breakers and OLTC devices diagnostic, and represented the functionality of PKV/M7 circuit breaker analyzer, MIKO-21 micro-ohmmeter and PKR-2M OLTC analyzer.
It is important to notice that SKB EP specialist, who conducted the training, is an alumnus of this university, and it's especially important to save the continuity of generations and to exchange experience and knowledge.
The training included two parts. The first one was theoretical, where all the information about SKB EP devices and the latest developments was particularly represented. During the second part which was practical the participants carried out real testings with the help of PKV/M7 and MIKO-21. The practical part of the training was held on the high-voltage SF6 circuit breaker VGT-110 that is located on the territory of the INRTU testing ground.
Thanks to the prepared program, the training participants were able to work with the devices manufactured by SKB EP and to evaluate their functional features by themselves. All works on connecting to the object were carried out with the help of manipulating rod, which allows you to work without the use of ladders and without dangerous climbing to the object and, what is more, manipulating rod eliminates the expenses on a car lift service.
During this successful training INRTU professors received detailed information about SKB EP devices and the features of high-voltage equipment diagnostic. They had an opportunity to ask all the questions and were able to evaluate the functionality of SKB EP devices in operation. INRTU employees noted the thoroughness of SKB EP in research practice and the significance of new diagnostic methods introduction.
SKB EP specialists are actively working with educational institutions in order to contribute to the education of further engineers and specialists in the electrotechnical industry. The main purpose of such cooperation is to develop the field of high-voltage circuit breakers and power transformers diagnostic. If you represent a university and you are interested in this cooperation, please contact us via phone: +7 (812) 500-25-48 or via e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Orlov's doubling and transfer helped "Boston" beat "Calgary" in the NHL match
MOSCOW, March 1 – RIA Novosti. The Boston Bruins defeated the Calgary Flames in overtime during the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL).
The match in Calgary ended with a score of 4:3 (2:0, 0:1, 1:2, 1:0) in favor of the guests. Among the winners, Dmitry Orlov (5th and 14th minutes) scored twice, while Pavel Zakha (55) and Charlie McEvoy (65) also scored. Recorded hosts Blake Coleman (22), Dillon Dube (49) and Jonathan Huberdeau (50).
3 : 4
Orlov, 31, who spent 22 minutes and 27 seconds on the ice, also made an assist. The Russian was recognized as the first star of the match. He set his first goals after the exchange from "Washington" to "Boston". In total, he had 5 points (2 goals + 3 assists) in three games for the Bruins. Defender "Calgary" Nikita Zadorov played 15 minutes 8 seconds, made four strong moves and was suspended for a fight by five minutes.
Winning for the eighth time in a row, "Boston" is leading the Atlantic Division with 99 points in 60 games. Calgary is fifth in the Pacific Division with 67 points after 61 games. In the next game, the Bears will host the Buffalo Sabers, while Lights will play at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In another game of the day, the Arizona Coyotes defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 at home.
Russian goalkeeper sets new NHL record
Source: Ria
With a passion for storytelling and reporting, I am an experienced writer and Editor with a focus on sports. As an Author at News Unrolled, I write engaging stories on the latest developments in the world of sports. My articles have been featured on numerous global media outlets and my work has been highly praised by renowned editors.


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Session 2010-12
Adult Apprenticeships
Written evidence from Alison Fuller and Lorna Unwin, University of Southampton
1. Introduction
1.1. We welcome the Public Accounts Committee's decision to examine adult apprenticeships in
England following the recent report from the National Audit Office (NAO). In this submission, we wish to draw the Committee's attention to the reasons why the majority of apprentices in England are now aged 19 or over when they start their apprenticeship and how this sheds light on longstanding concerns about quality. A key question we want to raise is: how much money is actually spent on training as opposed to accreditation and transaction costs? These issues are not discussed in the NAO's report, but, we argue, they should be central to any examination of the effectiveness and value for money of adult apprenticeships.
2. Is apprenticeship suitable for adults?
2.1. We begin with this question because it isn't raised in the NAO report. In other European
countries (and in the UK until very recently), apprenticeship has always been regarded as a
programme of skill formation for school leavers. It takes the form of a supported journey during
which an individual matures and becomes a recognised member of an occupational community.
This takes time to enable the individual to develop their expertise through vocational practice in the workplace and through acquiring wider knowledge about the concepts and theories related to their occupational field. In creating an apprenticeship vacancy, an employer sends a strong signal that they are investing in and are committed to the creation of a highly trained workforce, and that apprenticeship is seen an integral part of a whole workforce development strategy. As such,
apprenticeship is qualitatively different to providing standard on-the-job training.
2.2. In England, there are two categories of 'adult apprentices': 19-24 year olds; and 25+. Many
people will be surprised to learn that the majority of apprentices are now over the age of 19 when
they start their apprenticeship, and 40% are 25 or over. The 16-18 year old school leavers are in the minority. So, are all these adult apprentices engaged in the model of learning described in the paragraph above? To answer this question, we have to address the next issue.
3. Why are the majority of apprenticeships 'conversions'?
3.1. In 2008, when we acted as special advisers to the then Innovation, Universities, Science and
Skills Select Committee, it was publicly revealed for the first time that approximately 70 per cent of apprentice starts (across all age groups) were conversions [1] . By 2007-08, there were just over
27,000 starts in the 25+ age group. The most recent full year figures (2010-11) show that the
number of 25+ starts had grown six-fold to 180,000. Currently, 54,000 (30%) of the 180,000 were over 45 years old and nearly 4,000 were aged 60 or above. Much of the recent increase can be explained by the rebranding of employees on Train to Gain as apprentices when the former scheme was withdrawn by the Coalition government. However, the practice of conversions has a longer history.
3.2. There are three interrelated reasons for the practice of 'conversions'. The first lies in the largely unregulated nature of occupations in England (and the UK more broadly), but it is the other two reasons that are of particular relevance: a) the use of competence-based qualifications as the mandatory output from all government-funded training programmes since the1980s; and b) the obsession of successive government with increasing the stocks of qualifications in the workforce. Central to the competence-based approach is the separation of the process of training (and acquisition of vocational knowledge) from the assessment of competence. Advocates of this
approach argued that it would enable adult workers who had not had the opportunity to gain
qualifications to get recognition for their expertise.
3.3. There is some evidence, including from our own research on the automotive component
manufacturing sector, that the competence-based approach can be beneficial to organisations and
individuals (Unwin et al. 2008; see also Cox, 2007 on the health sector, and Fuller and Unwin,
2006) so long as NVQs provide access to new learning rather than simply accrediting existing skills and knowledge. Achieving a qualification can be very motivating, but not if it doesn't build a platform for further progression.
3.4. The minimalist standards enshrined in the Specification of Apprenticeship Standards in
England (SASE) including a requirement for only 100 hours off-the-job training and the use of NVQs helps explain why two thirds of adult apprenticeships in England are at Level
2 and why so many adult apprenticeships can be classed as conversions. It also helps explain why service sector apprenticeships dominate the apprenticeship statistics. The top three 'sector
frameworks' for apprentice starts in 2010-11 accounted for about a third of all starts registered in
the 170 plus apprenticeship frameworks that are available.
Table One: 12 most populated apprenticeship sectors in England 2010/11
Source: Data Service
Sector Total Starts
Sector |
Total Starts |
Customer Service |
53,970 |
Health and Social Care |
53,720 |
Retail |
41,410 |
Business Administration |
38,900 |
Hospitality and Catering |
29,810 |
Management |
29,790 |
Children's Care, Learning and Development |
27,410 |
Engineering |
18,330 |
Active Leisure and Learning |
17,650 |
Hairdressing |
16,450 |
Construction |
15,590 |
IT and Telecoms Professionals |
12,030 |
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair |
9,060 |
3.5. Currently, many apprenticeships at Level 2 are linked solely to the accreditation of the
competencies needed to perform workplace tasks in specific job roles, as well as narrowly defined functional skills. Such provision simply mirrors the limited learning requirements of low-level jobs, and leaves the government's scheme open to the criticism that it is reproducing low-level skills as well as funding 'deadweight' provision.
3.6. In their report (page 13), the NAO state that all apprentices have to complete the following
framework components:
• a competency element, leading to a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) or similar qualification, which assesses how well the apprentice performs a particular occupation;
• a knowledge element, leading to a qualification such as a diploma, which covers the theoretical knowledge required by an individual in a particular sector; and
• training in 'key' or 'functional skills', leading to qualifications in maths and English.
This is misleading for two reasons. First, some apprentices (notably in sectors such as engineering) will attend college on day-release to study for a separate and substantial knowledge-based qualification (sometimes referred to as a Technical Certificate [2] ) as well as an NVQ. However, for most apprentices, the 'knowledge element' as stated above will not involve participation in a recognized off-the-job course. It will either be embedded in the NVQ or, if it is separate, will lead to an award with very limited recognition, currency and value. In the NVQ model, at Level 2 and 3, knowledge will be assessed as part of the observation of task performance by the assessor asking questions (e.g. why are you using boiling water in the preparation of vegetables) and through the inclusion of statements of evidence in the candidate's portfolio. Normally, no written tests will be required. Second, the reference to 'training in key or functional skills, leading to qualifications in maths and English' suggests that an apprentice will be continuing to improve their literacy and numeracy. In most Level 2 apprenticeship frameworks, however, the apprentice is only required to achieve functional skills at Level 1 (well below the GCSE threshold of Grades A*-C for employability).
3.7 Funding for apprenticeship is diluted through multiple steps in the funding allocation chain – BIS→SFA→NAS→ Providers→Employers→Apprentices – along the way, other organisations
take a slice (e.g. Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network, Sector Skills Councils, UKCES, Awarding Bodies, Apprenticeship Training Agencies, Group Training Associations). The money pays for a range of administrative tasks, for the cost of qualifications, assessment and accreditation, inspection, and for wages. For example, Awarding Bodies benefit greatly from apprenticeship. In the past, they provided significant levels of curricula and pedagogical support to their 'centres' (e.g. FE colleges), but this has declined in recent years. The key question we wish to raise is: How much money is actually spent on training as opposed to these other costs?
3.9. The minimalist requirements outlined above amount to an impoverished concept of apprenticeship. We would argue that these, combined with complex and opaque funding
arrangements, do not produce value for money for the individual (whatever their age) or for society. Moreover, using apprenticeship as a vehicle for converting adults' existing skills into
apprenticeship achievements does not align with the urgent need to create more and better jobs to
help the economy grow.
4. Towards Expansive Adult Apprenticeships
4.1. Maintaining apprenticeship programmes in today's economic climate is tough because it
requires employers to plan for the medium to long-term. All countries, therefore, struggle and the
quality of apprenticeship will vary within and between sectors. Through research in a wide range of workplaces, we have developed the concept of the expansive – restrictive continuum (see Figure One below) as a tool for analysing why some apprenticeships offer so much more than others. The key characteristics include the extent to which apprentices are given access to (new) knowledge and skills and recognised vocational qualifications, to structured on and off-the -job training, include the opportunity to learn about the whole work process rather only discrete tasks, and provide a platform for higher learning and career progression (for more details see Fuller and Unwin 2011a; Fuller and Unwin 2011b).
Figure One: The Expansive–Restrictive Continuum
Expansive |
Restrictive |
Apprenticeship is a vehicle for aligning goals of individual development and organisational capability |
Apprenticeship is used to tailor individual capability to immediate organisational need |
Workplace, training provider and (where present) trade union share postapprenticeship vision: progression for career |
Post-apprenticeship vision: static for job |
Apprentice has dual status as learner and employee |
Status as employee dominates: status as learner restricted to minimum required to meet statutory 'apprenticeship framework' |
Apprentice makes gradual transition to productive worker, gaining expertise in occupational field |
Fast transition to productive worker with limited knowledge of occupational field; existing productive workers given minimal development |
Apprentice treated as member of occupational and workplace community with access to community's rules, history, knowledge and expertise |
Apprentice treated as extra pair of hands who only needs access to limited knowledge and skills to perform job |
Apprentice participates in different communities of practice inside and outside the workplace |
Participation restricted to narrowly defined job role and work station |
Workplace maps everyday work tasks against qualification requirements – qualification valued as extending beyond immediate job requirements |
Weak relationship between workplace tasks and qualifications – no recognition for skills and knowledge acquired beyond immediate work tasks |
Qualifications develop knowledge for progression to next level and platform for further education |
Qualifications accredit limited range of onthe- job competence |
Apprentice has time off-the-job for study and to gain wider perspective |
Off-the-job simply a minor extension of onthe- Job |
Apprentice's existing skills and knowledge recognised, valued and used as platform for new learning |
Apprentices regarded as 'blank sheets' or 'empty vessels' |
Apprentice's progress closely monitored – regular constructive feedback from range of employer and provider personnel who take a holistic approach |
Apprentice's progress monitored for job performance with limited feedback – provider involvement restricted to formal assessments for qualifications |
4.2. We have examples of world-class expansive apprenticeship provision in England, particularly in engineering, but also in other sectors. The problem is we have too much at the restrictive end of the continuum and that is where many of the adult apprenticeships, particularly at Level 2, are located.
5. Conclusion
5.1. Little is known about the experiences of adult apprentices and there has been a surprising lack of debate about what adult apprenticeships are for, particularly for adults aged 24 and over. [3] There is nothing to suggest that, given opportunities to engage in meaningful new learning and
knowledge-based qualifications that can provide a platform for career progression or a change of
occupation, adults would not be able to benefit from apprenticeship. We would argue, however, that the core principles of the expansive – restrictive continuum are important in all apprenticeships . In our view adult training that does not meet this benchmark should not be called an apprenticeship.
5.2. We would urge the Public Accounts Committee to go beyond the NAO report to ask whether the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, the Skills Funding Agency and the National Apprenticeship can provide evidence to show that public money is being spent on quality
apprenticeship programmes providing adults with substantial new training or re-training for skilled employment as opposed to some basic on-the-job training and the accreditation of existing skills.
6. References
Cox, A. (2007) Re-visiting the NVQ Debate: 'Bad' Qualifications, Expansive Learning
Environments and Prospects for Upskilling Workers, SKOPE Research Paper No 71 . Available at:
Felstead, A., Green, F. and Jewson, N. (2011) The Impact of the 2008-09 Recession on the Extent,
Form and Patterns of Training at Work, LLAKES Research Paper 22, London: Institute of
Education. Available at: http://www.llakes.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/22-Felstead-Green-
Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2006), Older Workers' Learning in Changing Workplace Contexts:
Perceptions of Barriers and Opportunities, in T. Tikkannen and B. Nyhan, (eds) Promoting Lifelong
Learning for older workers: An international review , Thessaloniki, Greece: CEDEFOP.
Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2011a) The Content of Apprenticeships, in Dolphin, T. and Lanning, T.
(eds) Rethinking Apprenticeship , London: IPPR.
Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2011b) Creating and Supporting Expansive Apprenticeships, A Guide for
Employers, Colleges of Further Education and Training Providers, published by the National
Apprenticeship Service. The guide is available at:
Mason, G. and Bishop, K. (2010) Adult Training, Skills Updating and Recession in the UK: The
Implications for Competitiveness and Social Inclusion , published by the Centre for Learning and
Life Chances in Knowledge Economies and Societies at: http://www.llakes.org.uk .
Unwin, L., Fuller, A., Bishop, D., Felstead, A., Jewson, N., Kakavelakis, K. (2008) 'Exploring the
dangers and benefits of the UK's competence-based approach: the use of vocational qualifications
as learning artefacts and tools for measurement in the automotive sector' , Learning as Work
Research Paper No 15, Cardiff: Cardiff School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University.
[1] Select Committee Inquiry scrutiny of the Apprenticeship Bill, the report is available to download at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmdius/1062/1062i.pdf
[2] In response to concerns about that apprentices in some sectors were not acquiring new knowledge above and beyond that required for everyday work tasks, the government implemented the recommendation of the Cassels report of 2001 that every apprenticeship should include a knowledge-based Technical Certificate as well as an NVQ. In 2007, the government dropped this requirement and simply required apprenticeship frameworks to show how the knowledge-based element formed part of the mandatory NVQ.
[3] Research does show that opportunities for adult employees to access off-the-job taining in England plateaued in the mid- 1990s – see Mason and Bishop, 2010 and Felstead et al, 2011


text:
Meet the King of Beaujolais.
Beaujolais. Doesn't the word alone have a delicious sound to it? Beaujolais wine is as popular as it is festive, friendly and joyful. And no-one is more synonymous with Beaujolais than négociant Georges Dubouef- nicknamed in the wine world as the King of Beaujolais!
The region of Beaujolais. Located south of the Burgundy wine region, was first cultivated by the Romans who planted the areas along its trading route up the Saône River valley.
The Dubouef story begins over four hundred years ago, when the Duboeuf family were producing wine in the Mâconnais region. Fast forward to 1951 – when Georges Duboeuf just out of school, joined his uncle and brother in the small family vineyard, who passed down their passion for wine and their secrets of production.
Full of youthful energy, Georges set off with the family-grown wines strapped to his bicycle, meeting to top French restaurateurs and selling their beaujolais wines.
In 1964 Georges, by then well known for his dynamism, created Les Vins Georges Duboeuf. Georges revolutionized the practices of the time by applying his ancestors' traditional methods: respect for the terroir and work of the winemaker, with rigorous selection and monitoring, and the continuous search for high quality.
As a négociant Georges soon realized the value of working with other regional winemakers. This allowed him to offer wines that reflected the great diversity of the surrounding vineyards.
Georges created a group of producers, "L'Ecrin Mâconnais-Beaujolais", that represented 40+ winemakers from all appellations of the region. Today they work hand in hand with 300 winemakers, each of whom they know personally.
Recognized by their distinctive labels, Georges' wines have seen great international success.
The family tradition is set to continue with Georges son Franck and grandson Adrian joining the firm. Wine buffs, can visit Le Hameau du Vin, a wine experience consisting of four sites all dedicated to vines and wines. Here visitors are taken through 2,000 years of vine cultivation history, with a collection of rare family objects and interactive activities. And Le Hameau du Vin is just a few minutes drive from Thoissy, Val de Saône where Fermob is made!
Join us for Saturday in the Showroom and enjoy a Beaujolais from Georges Duboeuf while exploring the Fermob collections.