text:
DIY Home Float Therapy – A Little Bit of Magic, A Little Bit of Science
FLOAT THERAPY Ranks #2 For Effectiveness.
I think everyone should have their own float tank. Float therapy is the #2 most-recommended self-healing modality listed in the Ultimate Healing Guide.
As of this writing, I've spent 2,600 minutes experiencing sensory deprivation floatation in skin-temperature Epsom salt baths while also in pure darkness and silence. I know this because I've been logging it since December 2017. This includes over 40 hours floating in Colorado's original "largest float spa" down in Parker, a 4-tank facility named Astral Float Spa.
Floatation therapy is as close as we're gonna come to what it might feel like to float inside a Star Trek force field; you can hover in dozens of back-down or side-down positions as though weightless. This completely releases the tensions from every muscle in your body, if you give it enough time.
While you're floating, you're free to work on your imagination, formulate solutions to your problems, and imagining a brighter future where pain doesn't play such a large role in your life.
Floating gives you a real chance to understand what it feels like to "let go" both mentally and physically. If you don't get at least that much out of it, then you haven't done floating long enough. This is advanced self-mastery at work, an easement into increased self-awareness… which is what we're after on the self-healing path. Floating in space gives you high doses of self-awareness; just ask any astronaut.
Seriously, you won't get much closer to what it must feel like to float in space without actually experiencing zero-G. Of course, the fluids in your body, your organs, and the food in your stomach still know which way is down. But beyond that, there are periods when you can expect to completely lose your orientation and feel like you're floating vertically, head upwards.
Ultimately, you can plan to eventually experience complete disembodiment while floating; it becomes a gateway to the lucid dream state.
Float Spa Therapy: An Advanced Visualization Chamber
For those who are visionaries and visual people in general, consider the float tank as an advanced visualization chamber.
I've been a vision-boarding kind of guy every since I was about 19 years old. I have several pictures I drew back then of what my home studio would look like, as well as photo collages put together from cut-outs of keyboards and professional music gear taken from magazines. Years later, my home studio became reality and I never doubted it would happen. Fact is, I ended up with more gear than I ever dreamed back when I was only nineteen.
Imagination plays a key factor to your success on a self-directed healing path, so it makes sense that you'd want to work on strengthening your ability to imagine a better you. When you're floating, after you've released your tension and have less attention on your body, you can begin to imagine what it might feel like to have less pain.
You can imagine waves of mentally-induced relaxation washing down through your body. You can imagine a future where maybe you don't have as much pain. You can spend time devoted entirely to using your imagination on being free from your additions.
Do not underestimate the power of being isolated with your conscious awareness and time devoted to self-healing, self-care, and self-compassion.
DIY Home Floatation Solution
The Zen Co float tent v1.5 home float therapy tank is the most affordable way to add sensory-deprivation floating to your home. I personally contend that the self-healing ratio is higher with float therapy than with almost every other method available. For under $3k, you get quite a bit of kit to put together. As far as I'm concerned, this is the DIY home flotation solution which everyone's been looking for since the 1960's!
This substantial bit of kit weighs 1000 lbs. and was delivered via FedEx Freight in a single box. 850 pounds of it was the magnesium sulfate. The water tub comes as a folded single piece of man-made polymer material which can withstand the pressure from holding 2000 pounds of water and minerals plus your body weight. This includes 200 gallons of water, and all that is hung from fat stainless steel tubing on six legs with metal all the way around and down to the floor.
The tent kit tops off the tub and seals the darkness and moisture inside. A UV filter, filter bag, submersible water pump, a circulation system, a moisture barrier, tank-sized super-efficient heating pads, and a water temperature control system are all part of the kit.
Magnesium Sulphate Heptahydrate, also known as Epsom salt, is an inorganic compound made of magnesium, sulphur and oxygen. The powdery substance is used for everything from helping plants grow to helping muscles relax. NordFeed
The essential minerals magnesium and sulfur are chemically bound with water molecules to form Epsom salt, which is not really a salt at all. Sulfur, after calcium and phosphorus, is the most abundant mineral element found in our body. And magnesium is another essential mineral used for many functions in our body, including helping with the manufacture of proteins.
I had to huff all 1000 pounds up a flight of steps to the front porch, then down a flight of steps to stage the kit build in my basement. I time-lapsed everything except the tent setup. If I didn't have a million other things to think about, I would have captured the entire kit build but missed the final steps.
Suffice to say that the tent-build was the least effort-intensive, and I couldn't be more proud and excited to take full possession of a viable solution for my chronic pain.
Having a DIY home float therapy solution in my basement is, for me, more exciting than when I purchased my first keyboard synthesizer back in 1987, maybe even more exciting than my 2nd Christmas in 1968. In fact, I can't think of many things more exciting than this… with the distinguished and obvious exception that I have the privilege to live with my wife, Imzadi, best friend, and soul mate, and our intelligent, beautiful daughter.
Why floatation therapy works so well
There are two primary factors for the effectiveness of float therapy.
First, the opposing forces of gravity and buoyancy fight to hold you in a static position, effortlessly, where there is an equal force against your body from every direction of the water. This allows you to relax more deeply than anything you can experience while standing, sitting, or even laying down in the most comfortable bed.
Even when you're laying in your favorite mattress, your muscles are fighting against the force of gravity while compensating for uneven pressure and impingements upon your flesh and bones. There's no possible way that you can lay in any position on a surface like a memory foam or latex mattress and not feel different areas of pressure against your body. Floatation gets you there.
Second, due to the nature of sensory deprivation, your nervous system actually has a chance to calm down. To be honest, laying suspended within a dark space where you come to feel disembodied, you have the luxury to spend your conscious awareness on the specific task of calming your mind and calming your body.
The Zen Float Co. offers Veterans 10% discounts on home float kits. Tell them we sent ya!
As you lay floating peacefully, your mind slows and you come to realize you're using chronically tensed muscles to hold your head, your neck, and your shoulders, perhaps even your hips, in a certain position created by nothing other than tension. It starts to become glaringly obvious that the stress and tension we hold in our bodies is directly related to the rigidity of our muscles. At some point after maybe an hour of floating, you consciously start to allow yourself to relax, to let go, and stop trying so hard just to hold yourself together.
In the float tank, you are left to fend with your own thoughts and emotions within the body and in your mind. You are there by yourself, in a safe space where you can let your guard down and explore the depths of your consciousness and relationship to the universe. You let go of your worries just as easily as you let go of your stress.
Floating is the Ultimate Water Bed
Floatation is different. When you're laying in a stationary body of water which is saturated with minerals, you float effortlessly atop the water. Even when you fill your lungs with air and exhale, you won't experience any rising or falling because the water buoys your body perfectly in a literal force field: you are suspended by the atomic forces of the molecules and atoms within the mineral-saturated water.
Push your hands towards the bottom of the 10 inches of water, and the moment you release your muscles, your arms float back to the surface. Your whole body is suspended in the most comfortable and relaxing state you could imagine. It's the ultimate water bed! Let nothing stand between the molecules of your skin and the molecules of the water.
Besides, everyone knows floating in an Epsom salt bath is rejuvenating.
Floatation is Accelerated Meditation Practice
If you've ever wondered what it must feel like to meditate, treat yourself to at least five hours of floatation at your nearest float spa.
Part of the science behind meditation is that it allows you to consciously wind down the mind, separate yourself from your thoughts, and calm your body into the zone of relaxation. The entire objective of anything like this is to relax the nervous system and get into a state of mind where you feel balanced and centered.
Float Therapy is The Most Relaxing Thing You'll Ever Do
Sure, hanging out on that beach in the Southern Indian Ocean with a drink in your hand was relaxing.
But there's no way you're going to step out of a float tank and not feel super relaxed on a level which rivals your most relaxing memories. Many people claim floatation is the most relaxing thing they've ever done. I agree.
In my case, I would consider floatation even more effective at releasing pain than deep-tissue massage therapy; I don't feel sore afterward, and nobody needs a tip.
Finding a quiet place where your self-healing powers can have a chance to shine is what this modality is all about. The science is in the water. The magic happens when you add your self-awareness to the mix.
Read more in depth about the science and magic behind floating in our Floatation Therapy article and explore other modalities listed in the Ultimate Healing Guide as part of your self-directed healing path.
Here's to a better you. Lot's of people say that, but only you can prove them right.
Take a Binaural Train Journey Through the I70 Corridor and Wind Down Your Brain
I put my synthesizers to work and created a track earlier this year that was intended to help me forget about my pain and fall asleep. It works so well that if I listen to it mid-morning, I still get groggy.
I already shared this track in a previous post, but wanted to share it again because I use it so often when I need to dial back a brain overload.
"Binaural beats" are difficult to describe without getting technical, and I don't want to get technical on you here. Once you listen to the track below, you'll hear the beats in the audio. Good luck trying to describe them after you listen.
Binaural beats do not work on speakers. You will not experience brainwave entrainment with binaural beats unless you listen to them on headphones or earbuds. The sound needs to go directly into your ear holes. I consider it to be a form of accelerated meditation.
To create binaural beats, I use frequencies on the synthesizer which are mostly in the sub-bass territory. So if you don't have good earbuds that can produce some phat bass, then you might not get the full effect. Get yourself some Smokin' Buds 2 for $30.
Or if you're a high-fidelity fanatic like me, full-sized headphones work – but only if you've got a headphone amp to drive them with. The audio amplifiers in smartphones are not powerful enough to move full-sized headphone magnets.
The volume should be medium loud. It should feel like the sound waves are reaching through your earbuds and stroking your lizard brain with sound vibrations, the same way you'd stroke a cat's soft fur with the palm of your hand. It should almost tickle the middle of your brain.
The "white noise" foundation of this track (below) is a stereo field recording of the I70 corridor where New Castle nestles up against the Colorado River, and the interstate highway weaves parallel ribbons along the steel curves of railroad tracks that carry multiple freight and Amtrak trains through the rugged mountains beyond. (See opening image). Click on this image below to hear the track.
There is no trickery and nothing "subliminal" about this track. That's a good dragon, by the way. That dragon would defend honor and integrity.
About a minute into it, we hear a freight train go by. It's got a squeaky wheel. The fairly annoying noise goes by from right to left, above the din of the highway traffic; chiseled mountainous ridges nearby reflect the sound of rubber hitting asphalt at high speeds. Let the squeaky wheel carry with it all your worries as it vanishes to leave you drifting through the rest of the track.
By five minutes in, you're beginning to relax and so is your brain. The binaural frequencies are synchronizing your brain while you listen, and the effect deepens the longer you listen.
Enjoy the track with your eyes closed, breathing deeply into your belly – in through your nose, out through your nose – and allow your attention to be held by the complex tapestry of healing sound unfolding into your ear canals and feel it winding down your brain.
Again, please use headphones to listen to this track when you can lay back and relax. Listen a second time for a deepened effect. Click on the image to hear the track.
So – how would you describe the sound of the binaural beats in this track? Did it make you sleepy? Did it help you relax?
Veterans Chronic Pain Group and Treatments That Work at the Brand New Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center
I attended my 10th Chronic Pain Group with the VA this week and was delighted to be one of the first Veterans to visit the new $1.8 billion VA Hospital in Aurora, Colorado.
First of all, the new Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center is fantastic! The whole series of buildings are connected via a majestic, continuously-curving central concourse with a 5-story atrium running the entire half-mile length. This grand hallway accounts for a significant portion of the interior space. When I was there, it was the first week of opening and still mostly empty.
The old VA hospital in Denver was built in 1952 and is still functional, but it's a design feels like a traditional hospital with hallways which are barely wide enough for two people to pass. By contrast, the new hospital feels spacious and open, at least until you get into an interior room without any windows.
While new facility has fewer hospital beds than the old hospital, it offers much larger rooms for individuals plus space for their families to spend the night, even a private bathroom… amenities which weren't available in the old hospital. The new center's spinal clinic, which won't open until 2019, will offer inpatient beds, a rehabilitation gym, a hydrotherapy pool, and an outdoor courtyard with therapeutic elements such as stairs and varied surfaces on which to practice maneuvering a wheelchair.
Treatments That Work
Overall, my commitment to 10 therapy sessions has been well worth my time. I received many intangible benefits, including a new perspective on my pain which affords me more control over my reactions, emotions, and prevention of pain flare-ups.
Each session of the Veterans chronic pain group is masterfully guided by a nationally renowned pain expert, a Ph.D. who has been working with the Denver VA since 1993. He heads up the Health Psychology group and is the Director of Pain Psychology and the Chronic Pain Care Clinic, and he hosts five different chronic pain groups each week. It was an honor, a privilege, and a healing experience to be in this doctor's intelligent and compassionate care.
His team was one of the first to move over into the much anticipated VA facility located in Aurora, Colorado, which just opened on July 21, 2018.
The VA's program for the chronic pain group follows the guidelines from the book "Managing Chronic Pain: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach" by Dr. John D. Otis. The workbook is priced online well over $20, but they are given free of charge to the Veterans who attend this group therapy. I think the Therapist's Guide to the program looks interesting enough to grab a copy for myself. Gleaning every insight into the perspectives involved with therapy helps me have a better understanding of treatment.
Each session of the program teaches a new skill you can use to help manage chronic pain that will complement your medical treatment. With practice, these techniques can help reduce your pain and increase your ability to cope. This program enables you to take control of your pain, which can improve the quality of your life as well as decrease your reliance upon medical interventions [including drugs]." From David H. Barlow, Editor in Chief of TreatmentsThatWork™
The workbook is broken down into 12 chapters which cover the following topics:
- Education on Chronic Pain
- Theories of Pain and Diaphragmatic Breathing
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Visual Imagery
- Automatic Thoughts and Pain
- Cognitive Restructuring (to practice changing negative thoughts into positive coping thoughts)
- Stress Management
- Time-Based Pacing
- Pleasant Activity Scheduling
- Anger Management
- Sleep Hygiene
- and Relapse Prevention and Flare-Up Planning
One chapter is used as the basis for each session.
Improvement Tracking
Every session usually starts out by having Veterans in attendance fill out a simple 3-step PEG scale to measure our perceived level of pain for the past week. On a 0-30 scale, we're essentially arbitrarily grading how much attention pain has stolen from our lives. I started off with a score of 15 and ended after my ten visits with a score of 5, which is a significant reduction. Many Veterans who shared the room with me were scoring higher than 24 – which is more intense than I have probably ever experienced.
The difference group therapy provided to me was the #2 question on the PEG scale: "What number best describes how, during the past week, pain has interfered with your enjoyment of life?" The highest number I filled in was a 6, and the lowest was a 1. Of course, this scale is arbitrary and is really just a measure between self-awareness and the perception of pain so that we can track how it changes over time.
To recap, I began my therapy by claiming that chronic pain had stolen 50% of my waking life, and only 16% of my waking life by the time I had attended 10 pain group therapy sessions. I consider this to be a 34% change in my perception of suffering from pain. But to be honest, I was combining a whole bunch of therapies during this time. Thus, my change in PEG journals is not a measure of how much group therapy changed me as much as the general improvement or change I experienced in between the time of my first and tenth sessions – which was just about 6 months for those who wonder.
The Development of a New Perspective
While my chronic pain is blamed by me on a shoulder injury, which I sustained while in service, it was not a combat accident. During chronic pain group at the old VA hospital, I encountered Vietnam-era soldiers who had been literally blown up by explosions or had witness their comrades being blown up and still have nightmares today.
By listening to these men, the degree of my personal trauma and perceived suffering was cast into a stark perspective. I realized that in my life, while everything is relative to each person's unique circumstances, I had very little to complain about.
The degree to which we are haunted by our traumas and experience suffering has a significant portion of its origins in the way we're thinking about things, the way we're looking at the past more specifically, and the way we're holding onto it.
Turns out, holding onto past trauma is something the body was designed to do automatically. Meanwhile, letting go of trauma requires the development of our self-awareness muscle memory (the frontal lobes of the brain) through awareness training. This may include any number of things, such as meditation, brainwave entrainment, floatation therapy, or clinical Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Therefore, it's not necessarily even our conscious choice when we "hold onto things," and we are unable to simply "let go of things" because we haven't yet developed that skill.
The Wonderful Depth of Empathy and a Connection to Others
Unfortunately, one of the members of the chronic pain group was lost during my span of time with the group. Learning of his death was shocking but not surprising. He had a lot of problems and was rapidly collapsing inwards upon himself under the gravity of pain so great that it was unbelievable to me this man could ever find the motivation to make it out of his house and to the group.
After getting home and cracking open a beer to sob over, I sat down and cried for this man. It's the first time I've ever cried for someone I barely knew. It's the first time I experienced love for somebody else for being part of the human race. He was someone we could all relate to in his struggles with life. I cried, and it felt good to have empathy for another.
And then I became overjoyed to experience this feeling for the first time in my life. It was the first time I felt love for a near stranger, whom I had only known for a few hours between maybe three or four sessions before he was gone. I've never felt this depth of empathy for anyone so easily, so casually. Usually, feeling an emotion this deep only happens when I'm feeling self-pity. The nature of the empathy emotion, and the energy it carried, felt quite a bit different in my body.
Conclusion: Major Healing Progress, Still Plenty of Room for Improvement
That was a turning point in my life, because, through group therapy, I have finally come to know love for others (other than family). New territory!
It is this perspective, I believe, one must have in order to experience true compassion for self and others. Group Therapy with the VA has been a healing experience.
I wish the same for all my fellow Veterans but know it won't be possible for everyone to recover from war.
We can certainly try though. And there's no doubt, a whole lot more can still be done to help our Veterans. That's why I founded the U.S. Veterans Treatment Discount Program, starting with Colorado. Expansion plans for a 50-100% discount program for Veterans include Washington, Texas, Virginia, and Florida.
As a result of the remarkable improvement from a self-directed healing path, I'm ready to help others achieve the same. I hope some of you will help too!
Thanks to the VA program for developing the Veterans Chronic Pain Group Therapy (CBT-based group therapy), and enormous gratitude to the man who helped me change my perspective and gives so much of his time helping others to find a way out of misery.
Welcome to The Body Is Mind
Educational Project
For most of us, pharmaceutical medicine does nothing to restore a belief in ourselves or purpose in our lives. And without love, life is not worth living. Neither drugs nor surgery will give you any of these. I developed TheBodyIsMind.com and the Ultimate Healing Guide™ for many reasons. Primary among them was knowing that the pills and surgery of modern medicine do not address the role our consciousness plays in healing. Three other main reasons drove my passion and productivity.
"Belief can be so strong that pharmaceutical companies use double- and triple-blind randomized studies to try to exclude the power of the mind over the body when evaluating new drugs." Dr. Joe Dispenza, author of the book You Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter
First, after 30 years of neglect of my health and avoidance of chronic pain management, I made remarkable progress towards self-healing in just a couple of months. I found great relief through a combination of therapies and self-care modalities my doctor never told me about; I discovered them for myself. Now, after 30 years of dealing with chronic pain, I've finally made some choices which have rewarded me with amazing results and positive progress. But taking my health seriously didn't happen until I first reconnected with my heart and learned self-compassion.
Second, as a U.S. Veteran of the U.S. Navy, I've made it my mission to help fellow Veterans and consequently the millions of people nationwide and around the world who suffer from chronic pain and stress-related conditions. During my journey, I've discovered 101+ alternative methods to try before resorting to spinal fusion surgery for my neck or becoming dependent upon any prescription painkillers. After witnessing Veterans who have found no relief with drugs or surgery but instead find themselves in a spiral of hopelessness and despair, I could not stand by and do nothing.
Finally, there was no single resource online that brought together all the viable self-care methods available in the world. Other websites are focused on defining what's wrong with us, side-effect descriptions and dosage warnings for our prescription drugs, and the names of every possible thing that can go wrong with our body.
In an age when we're all used to medicines and surgeries for everything that ails us, there are plenty of websites with tons of information about how to manage our medicines.What was missing was a comprehensive guide that could educate people on modern self-healing principles and the-body-is-mind approach as it applies to real life.
Go find your self-healing powers:
Until now, there was no complete common sense guide to help us quickly find a complete menu of alternative therapies and healing techniques. These self-care wellness activities and therapies are not always covered by your insurance, because they help keep you out of the medical-pharmaceutical system to begin with.
What the Doctor Doesn't Know May Hurt Us
For thousands of years, humankind has struggled to define the nature of ourselves, and the relation between self, mind, body, brain, spirit, and soul. Do we define our existence by what can be seen (our body) or what cannot be seen (consciousness, mind, spirit), or is it a combination of both?
People argue over whether we have a soul, whether God exists, whether our consciousness arises from our biology, or whether our biology arises from higher consciousness. How we see this relationship between ourselves and the universe is the basis for our very core beliefs. These fundamental principles of our existence give rise to religion, spirituality, science, and politics.
In the current state of pharmaceutical medicine, most doctors define us as a body only, and therefore only treat that piece. Psychologists treat the mind and psychiatry takes care of the brain.
There is more to us though. What passes for medicine today is nothing but a strongly competitive commercial business model. How is it there are more than 100 ways which our doctors have never told us about to reduce or eliminate chronic pain? Why is it that pharmaceuticals are always the go-to option, especially considering all the harsh side-effects? Why does every magazine I read start with a two-page advertisement for a more powerful drug?
Western medicine has tried with determination to separate mind and body for several hundred of years. Since the dawn of the scientific method, the separation between materialistic and spiritualistic schools of thought have driven medical science to treat the mind, body, and consciousness as separate things. And, with pharmaceutical-driven medicine, drugs are, for the most part, the first and only option to treat all three aspects of ourselves.
The most profound discoveries in relation to how the consciousness affects the mind and body have been made within the last ten years.
The good news is a remarkable story is beginning to emerge which simplifies the nature of our existence and makes it easy for us to discover a path towards the ultimate healing of body, mind, and self. The role consciousness plays in the remarkable self-healing stories we're hearing from all around the world is finally being taken into more serious consideration by the people in the West.
The body and mind are one in the same. The body is mind, and we can heal our body and mind without pills or high-risk experimental surgery.
The Body-Mind Science of the 21st Century
Within psychotherapy, it is now widely understood that the body is the subconscious mind. Healing is not possible without considering this vital truth. This makes existing medicine as we know it obsolete. This new perspective changes our entire approach to holistic medicine and whole-body wellness goals.
With this relatively new (but ancient) understanding of the nature of ourselves, we have come to learn that the mind permeates every cell of the human body. We now know the trauma from all our emotional and physical pain is stored in the body; our body remembers!
We also know that everything which has ever happened to us is stored throughout the body, not just the brain. The implications of this are that previous understandings should be thrown out the window. (NERD ALERT: for anyone interested, our body could be considered to be organic holographic memory).
Furthermore, we now know, without a doubt, that our body as the mind has dominion over our brain; that our brain, body, and mind are not separate systems; and that our conscious self-awareness has ultimate command over all three (brain, body, and mind).
These startling new insights have given rise to Mind-Body Science and Mind-Body Medicine. These modern bodymind concepts regarding wellness are the salvation from trauma, pain, and suffering for the entire world.
In other words, there is more HOPE now than ever before. Welcome to the 21st century! Modern technology makes self-healing a real possibility for nine out of ten people living today. And it doesn't start with a pill or surgery; it begins with the rehabilitation of your self-awareness, a release from your trauma, and the recovery of your capacity to love yourself – and which usually involves the mending of one's heart.
Let's put you back into the command seat of your bodymind.
This concept could be stated as: self + bodymind.
Taking Back Control
We perceive that our emotions (body) and thoughts (mind) can take control of our free will (conscious self). For example, losing your mind.
We can also experience times when our conscious free-will takes control over our emotions and thoughts. For example, making healthy choices.
When we are out of control, the bodymind has power over us, and we feel helpless.
When we give up our freedom of choice and personal responsibility for our health to a medical system, we are also out of control, and in many cases, we end up with even more pain and despair.
Many doctors and surgeons are turning away from their pharmaceutical-industry training to embrace the new wellness system which includes treating self+bodymind as a complete unit.
The end-result of self-body-mind synchronicity is self-healing. You already have god-like self-healing powers hiding inside every single one of your body's cells, and all you need to do is reach inside and find it. Obviously easier said than done, but you must begin the search!
The only things which can stand in your way of finding your god-like powers of healing are 1) limiting personal beliefs, 2) physical and emotional trauma, and 3) a lack of love or compassion for oneself.
All three of these shortcomings can now be healed. You can be healed!
Learn to calm your body and wind down your mind before a flare-up. Combine enough healing modalities, and magic happens: we begin to walk the path towards healing. We take back control of our wellness when we treat ourselves with a bit of self-compassion and practice more methods of self-care more often.
You already have everything you need to heal yourself… but only if you believe it's true.
The Ultimate Healing Guide


text:
Pannone brokers sale of former Lord Kitchener mansion
The corporate team at Manchester-based law firm Pannone Corporate has advised on the sale of a grade I-listed mansion in Kent formerly owned by Lord Kitchener.
Broome Park Mansion House, which was on the market for £6m, has been sold by Diamond Resorts Group to an associate of Pyrrho Investments Ltd, part of the Hong Kong-based Bonds Group.
The Pannone Corporate team, led by partner Mark Winthorpe and solicitor Andrew Walsh, advised Diamond Resorts Group.
Broome Park Mansion House was built in 1638 during the reign of Charles I and has been split into 18 holiday apartments with 14 holiday lodges.
Once owned by Earl Kitchener of Khartoum, the famous English historical military figure pictured in the iconic 'Your country needs you' poster, the estate also has a restaurant, hall, bar, an indoor pool, gym and two all-weather tennis courts.
The new owners want to return the 250-acre Canterbury estate, which has an 18-hole champion golf course, to a hotel resort under the management of Countrywide Properties.
Anson Chan, chairman and chief executive of real estate developer the Bonds Group, said: "We are very pleased with the acquisition of Broome Park, its long history and connection to Lord Kitchener are particularly appealing to us. It is my intention to restore it to its former glory over the next few years."
Mark Winthorpe, said: "The estate which has such historical significance and we wish the new owners every success with their plans to redevelop the estate to a hotel resort."
Jeremy Jones, director at Christie & Co brokered the sale. Paul Smith and Harriet Clarke of Osborne Clarke acted for the purchaser.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A UK-based publication has become perhaps the first media outlet to harness two complementary concepts in a unique partnership, resulting in a crowdfunded co-operative. Positive News, which focuses on constructive journalism, breached its crowdfunding target and now has 1,525 new owners.
Earlier this month, despite a nervewracking lull around the half-way point, Positive News stormed passed its £200,000 (€282,000) crowdfunding target to secure £263,422 from new investors over a 30-day #OwnTheMedia campaign.
The investors, now co-owners, hail from 33 countries around the world including Malaysia, Iceland, Costa Rica and Greece, creating a global audience with good reason to see this project succeed.
Editor-in-chief Seán Dagan Wood says it's a model that can be replicated by other media outlets.
The project marks a new horizon in the fast-changing media landscape, especially online, where click bait is king and content is suffering. It's about integrity and social responsibility, according to Wood. "If media are willing to let go of some power and hand that power to the audience, in exchange they will get an audience that will sustain them. That can end up being a much more reliable and socially beneficial way to get your financial sustenance than relying on corporate advertising and other means," he says.
Creating a cooperative media outlet through crowdfunding is pioneering, but aiming to do so without without the need for advertisers could be regarded by some as rather foolhardy.
Bright future
Wood, however, sees a bright future for the website and quarterly newspaper, which is set to re-launch as a magazine, with a strong online presence based within a community of committed readers. It will also run courses in constructive journalism.
"It's a new way of doing media where it's not just us trying to sell content. There's huge demand for an ethical and responsible model. It's not just because we are doing positive news, it's for people who want to feel they have a say in the kind of journalism that is shaping the society they live in. A media outlet that is providing social benefit, not causing us to separate from each other and fear the world.
"That's not to distract from the fact that we need good quality journalism – investigative in particular – but the kind of general negativity and concentration of ownership of the media and how we see these agendas coming into the media is a real concern for people," he says. The concept of "positive news" might raise eyebrows among cynical hacks, but in terms of generating revenue, it is effective. "Positive news stories are shared way more than negative stories," Wood says, a fact he discussed recently with Huffington Post co-founder and editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington.
"There are lots of media organisations thinking, how do we get people to pay for journalism now? Our answer is, you have integrity in the content you create, show that you are doing it for social benefit and not siphoning off any profit for shareholders, rich proprietors and media moguls.
"Give people the kind of journalism they want and they will pay for it to the tune of £253,000 just to see it go forward," he says.
Established 22 years ago by founder Shauna Crockett-Burrows, Positive News was funded by a small number of benefactors. Wood joined the company as a freelance journalist and volunteer in 2009. Before her death in 2012, Crockett-Burrows handed the reins to Wood, who ran the paper solo for three years. The death of a main benefactor last year prompted him to bring forward his plan to turn the paper into a crowdfunded cooperative.
"We decided to become a cooperative owned by our readers and journalists because we felt it would be a more democratic way to run a media business, it makes us more accountable and protects us from any vested interests that other media are susceptible to, whether its corporate, political, or ideological interests," he said.
Editorial principles
Funders have made a social investment in the content they wish to read. The 1,525 co-owners will elect a board of directors to ensure all content and direction fits the
Positive News
charter, which sets out the company's values and editorial principles.
"It was a win-win situation where we gave our readers the opportunity to become our owners and have more of a say in the culture, values and direction of the organisation," Wood said.
He plans to further use the crowdfunding model in the future, for smaller scale projects with the Positive News umbrella, such as a series on a certain topic.
Meanwhile, other media organisations around the world will be watching the progress of Positive News with interest.
"Co-operative ownership creates a really dedicated audience. And now we have 1,525 co-owners, they are not going to want to see us fail."
And while crowdfunding was a risk, Wood was confident he knew his readership well enough to take a chance. "There is a depth of passionate support for Positive News, it's only a small media organisation but it's had a huge ripple effect. It is deeply valued among its readers," he said.


text:
I Do Not Need Work-Life Balance, I Need Work-Work Balance
Recently I took some time off during the school holidays. We woke up late. We went cycling and rollerblading a lot. We had leisurely lunches and long walks. It was beautiful weather and the days seemed to stretch on forever, filled with wonderful things like baking brioche buns, reading in the sun, and looking at the ocean. One evening, while I was rolling out pizza dough, drinking red wine and listening to jazz after a spectacular day of coastal hiking, I felt a really strange sensation in my chest. It was light, much like the beautifully risen pizza dough. It felt good.
It was joy.
And that's when it hit me. I don't need a struggle between work and life. I don't need work/life balance. I need work-work balance.
I am an academic, which means a PhD is merely entry level and a chance to start at the bottom of the pile. The scramble to the top involves endless performing. Writing, publishing, doing research, attending meetings, writing grants, supervising students, filling out forms in endless Uni bureaucracy, community and professional engagement, teaching, even (ironically) attending meetings about work-life balance and wellbeing at work. If I see another email about a "working group" and two hour meetings I think I will cry.
We are expected to perform like circus monkeys, pirouetting and balancing ever increasing loads in an effortless display of super-human skills. The said effortless display is rewarded with promotions, grants, and more responsibilities. It's like some kind of bizarre Ponzi scheme that nobody talks about – the elephant in the room.
So I do not need work-life balance, thank you very much. What I desperately need is a brutal slashing of my workload. Because I don't want to spend the rest of my life working evenings and weekends being an academic circus monkey. Weekends are for connecting with friends, nature, and myself. Weekends are for decompressing from work, remembering that there is a life outside of the grind of academia, that beyond the University nobody cares about my h-index. Weekends are for sitting in the sun and eating biscuits (shh – don't tell my GP), feeling the wind in my hair as I ride my eight-year-old's scooter having the best time of my life, spotting whales in the ocean, reading psychological crime thrillers, and discovering new places to visit. For long conversations with dear friends. For movies and popcorn with the kids.
It's not my work that pushes the boundaries, it's the work on top of the work on top of the work. Layer upon layer of effort, brain space, and time, each layer threatening to be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back. It's these piles of terror that threaten my brioche baking time on weekends, that occasionally give me panic attacks, and lead to that heavy feeling on Monday mornings.
I don't know what the answer is – either I am not cut out for academia, or I simply do the best I can with the time I am willing to give up. All I know is that nothing is worth the giving up of joy – that lovely, light feeling when I was rolling out pizza dough, that elusive elixir that I had not tasted for so many months due to my incredibly challenging schedule. But now that I've had a reminder, I am determined not to give it up.


text:
Abstract: Basic concepts of laser-based technique LIDAR (LIght Detection and Ranging) are discussed in
this article as well as advantages and disadvantages. Presented are measurements of relative
particulate concentrations above an unpaved road which were performed in a rural area near the
Iowa City, Iowa, USA. The LIDAR system used in these measurements is a small, scanning LIDAR
that uses elastic backscattering to obtain information on the amount of atmospheric aerosols. In
the elastic LIDAR, light scattered back towards the LIDAR system from molecules and particles in
the atmosphere is collected by a telescope and is detected with a photodiode. A Big Sky Laser
model CFR-200 Nd:YAG laser operating at 1.064 microns is used to generate the LIDAR's
outgoing signal. The laser is attached directly to the top of a 26 cm, f/10 Cassegrian telescope. A
series of pulses are summed to make a single scan. A series of scans is used to build up a two-
dimensional map of relative atmospheric aerosol concentrations. With a maximum range of about
6-8 km, a range resolution of 2.5 m, and a time resolution of 30 s, the LIDAR is capable of very
detailed mapping of aerosols.Keywords: LIDAR technique, particulate concentration, traffic emissionsPublished in RUNG: 12.07.2023; Views: 417; Downloads: 2 Link to fileThis document has many files! More...
Abstract: Airflows over mountain barriers in the Alpine region may give rise to strong, gusty downslope winds, called Bora. Oscillations, caused by the flow over an orographic barrier, lead to formation of mountain waves. These waves can only rarely be observed visually and can, in general, not be reliably reproduced by numerical models. Using aerosols as tracers for airmass motion, mountain waves were experimentally observed during Bora outbreak in the Vipava valley, Slovenia, on 24-25 January 2019 by two lidar systems: a vertical scanning lidar positioned just below the peak of the lee side of the mountain range and a fixed direction lidar at valley floor, which were set up to retrieve two-dimensional structure of the airflow over the orographic barrier into the valley. Based on the lidar data, we determined the thickness of airmass layer exhibiting downslope motion, observed hydraulic jump phenomena that gave rise to mountain waves and characterized their properties.Keywords: Bora, mountain waves, lidar observationsPublished in RUNG: 08.07.2020; Views: 2444; Downloads: 0This document has many files! More...
Abstract: We report on the design, construction and performance of a polarization Raman lidar, built for atmospheric monitoring in the Vipava valley in SW Slovenia, a regional air pollution hot-spot where aerosols are expected to originate from a number of different sources. Its key features are automatized remote operation capability and indoor deployment, which provide high duty cycle in all weather conditions. System optimization and performance studies include the calibration of the depolarization ratio, merging of near-range (analog) and far-range (photon-counting) data, determination of overlap functions and validation of the retrieved observables with radiosonde data.Keywords: polarization Ramal lidar, Vipava valley, atmospheric monitoringPublished in RUNG: 08.07.2020; Views: 2653; Downloads: 0This document has many files! More...
Keywords: polarization Raman LiDAR, system calibration, performance, complex terrainPublished in RUNG: 23.07.2019; Views: 2992; Downloads: 0This document has many files! More...
Abstract: Vipava valley in Slovenia is a representative hot-spot for complex mixtures of different aerosol types of both anthropogenic and natural origin. Aerosol loading distributions and optical properties were investigated using a two-wavelength polarization Raman LiDAR, which provided extinction coefficient, backscatter coefficient, depolarization ratio, backscatter Ångström exponent and LiDAR ratio profiles. Two different representative meteorological situations were investigated to explore the possibility of identifying aerosol types present in the valley. In the first case, we investigated the effect of strong downslope (Bora) wind on aerosol structures and characteristics. In addition to observing Kelvin–Helmholtz instability above the valley, at the height of the adjacent mountain ridge, we found new evidence for Bora-induced processes which inject soil dust aerosols into the free troposphere up to twice the height of the planetary boundary layer (PBL). In the second case, we investigated aerosol properties and distributions in stable weather conditions. From the observed stratified vertical aerosol structure and specific optical properties of different layers we identified predominant aerosol types in these layers.Keywords: aerosol structures, aerosol characterization, polarization Raman LiDAR, Vipava valleyPublished in RUNG: 08.03.2019; Views: 3571; Downloads: 116 Full text (3,11 MB)
Abstract: Aerosol vertical profiles are valuable inputs for the evaluation of aerosol transport models, in order to improve the understanding of aerosol pollution ventilation processes which drive the dispersion of pollutants in mountainous regions. With the aim of providing high-accuracy vertical distributions of particle mass concentration for the study of aerosol dispersion in small-scale valleys, vertical profiles of aerosol mass concentration for aerosols from different sources (including Saharan dust and local biomass burning events) were investigated over the Vipava valley, Slovenia, a representative hot-spot for complex mixtures of different aerosol types of both anthropogenic and natural origin. The analysis was based on datasets taken between 1–30 April 2016. In-situ measurements of aerosol size, absorption, and mass concentration were combined with lidar remote sensing, where vertical profiles of aerosol concentration were retrieved. Aerosol samples were characterized by SEM-EDX, to obtain aerosol morphology and chemical composition. Two cases with expected dominant presence of different specific aerosol types (mineral dust and biomass-burning aerosols) show significantly different aerosol properties and distributions within the valley. In the mineral dust case, we observed a decrease of the elevated aerosol layer height and subsequent spreading of mineral dust within the valley, while in the biomass-burning case we observed the lifting of aerosols above the planetary boundary layer (PBL). All uncertainties of size and assumed optical properties, combined, amount to the total uncertainty of aerosol mass concentrations below 30% within the valley. We have also identified the most indicative in-situ parameters for identification of aerosol type.Keywords: valley air pollution, aerosol vertical distributions, lidar remote sensing, in-situ measurements, aerosol identificationPublished in RUNG: 09.01.2019; Views: 3823; Downloads: 111 Full text (7,43 MB)
Abstract: Vipava valley in southwest Slovenia is a representative hot-spot for complex mixtures of different aerosol types of both anthropogenic and natural origin in mountainous terrain. An investigation of aerosol properties throughout the troposphere in different atmospheric conditions was made possible by a deployment of a two-wavelength polarization Raman lidar system combining with in-situ measurements in the valley (in the town of Ajdovščina) from September 2017. Using its aerosol identification capabilities, which are based on particle depolarization ratio and lidar ratio measurements, it was possible to identify predominant aerosol types in the observed atmospheric structures, for example in different atmospheric layers in the case of stratified atmosphere. Primary anthropogenic aerosols within the valley were found to be mainly emitted from two sources: individual domestic heating systems, which mostly use biomass fuel, and from traffic. A considerable fraction of natural aerosols (for example mineral dust and sea salt), transported over large distances, were observed both above and entering into the planetary boundary layer. According to the properties of different aerosol types, backscatter contribution of each aerosol type was evaluated and the corresponding extinction contribution was derived from lidar observations. Statistical analysis of the presence of different aerosol types was performed on the entire available dataset from 2017 and 2018.Keywords: lidar, aerosol type, Vipava valleyPublished in RUNG: 03.12.2018; Views: 3946; Downloads: 0This document has many files! More...
Abstract: Presence of atmospheric aerosols affects the Earth's radiation budget and thus also atmospheric thermal structure,
which in turn affects cloud and planetary boundary layer (PBL) dynamics. We combine in-situ and remote
measurements to determine aerosol properties in a representative hot-spot for air pollution in a complex terrain
configuration. Vertical profiles of aerosol properties were investigated using a two-wavelength polarization
Raman lidar system in the Vipava valley. Using lidar-obtained particle depolarization ratio, lidar ratio and
backscatter Ångström exponent (355 nm / 1064 nm), which depend on aerosol shape, size and refractive index,
thus the aerosols can be identified and the roles of different aerosol types in the observed atmospheric processes
were investigated. In addition, aerosol absorption coefficients were measured in-situ by Aethalometers (AE33,
Magee Scientific / Aerosol d.o.o.) on the valley floor and on the adjacent mountain range, 850 m above the lidar site.
Our primary goal was to study the variability of aerosol types within and above the Vipava valley, which
was performed using the entire lidar dataset from August – December 2017. Primary anthropogenic aerosols
within the valley is mainly emitted from two sources: individual domestic heating systems, which mostly use
biomass fuel and traffic. Natural aerosols, transported by long-range transport, such as mineral dust and sea salt,
were observed both above the PBL and entering into the PBL. Vertical distributions of aerosol properties, in par-
ticular the particle depolarization ratio, indicated atmospheric stratification with different aerosol types occupying
different height ranges. In the presence of Bora (strong down-slope wind), Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities were
observed between the PBL and the free troposphere. Using aerosol type identification capability of our system,
we discovered that this instability was responsible for ejecting aerosols from the PBL up to 2 km into the free
In addition, we improved the reliability of aerosol identification in vertical profiles using absorption coeffi-
cient measured by Aethalometer. Combining it with the aerosol extinction coefficient at 355 nm derived from
lidar data, we derived aerosol single scattering albedo (SSA), which is an important parameter for aerosol
characterization.Keywords: Aerosol, Vipava valley, lidarPublished in RUNG: 23.04.2018; Views: 4024; Downloads: 0This document has many files! More...
Published in RUNG: 21.07.2017; Views: 4668; Downloads: 0This document has many files! More...
Abstract: The Vipava valley in Slovenia is well known for the appearance of strong, gusty North-East Bora winds, which occur as a result of air
flows over an adjacent orographic barrier. There are three revealing wind directions within the valley which were found to give rise to
specific types of atmospheric structures. These structures were investigated using a Mie scattering lidar operating at 1064 nm, which provided high temporal and spatial resolution backscatter data on aerosols, which were used as tracers for atmospheric flows. Wind
properties were monitored at the bottom of the valley and at the rim of the barrier using two ultrasonic anemometers. Twelve time periods between February and April 2015 were selected when lidar data was available. The periods were classified according to the wind speed and direction and investigated in terms of appearance of atmospheric structures. In two periods with strong or moderate Bora, periodic atmospheric structures in the lidar data were observed at heights above the mountain barrier and are believed to be Kelvin–Helmholtz waves, induced by wind shear. No temporal correlation was found between these structures and wind gusts at the ground level. The influence of the wind on the height of the planetary boundary layer was studied as well. In periods with low wind speeds, the vertical evolution of the planetary boundary layer was found to be governed
by solar radiation and clouds. In periods with strong or moderate Bora wind, convection within the planetary boundary layer was found to be much weaker due to strong turbulence close to the ground, which inhibited mixing through the entire layer.Keywords: Downslope wind
Lidar observations
Kelvin–Helmholtz waves
BoraPublished in RUNG: 06.01.2017; Views: 4987; Downloads: 0This document has many files! More...


text:
Mentoring: A to Z
When she dreamed of starting a school, Kate's untiring resolve combined with a fierce love of education and the children it nurtures is what made her dream a reality. So it's no wonder that mentoring is an everyday topic of conversation around our dinner table.
While we were talking over dinner recently, Kate started writing on a napkin. Now, she loves to alphabetize (for example, Kate knows each of her 267 students in alphabetical order!). And just like that, she had jotted down her "A to Z" thoughts about mentoring. It's a great list and I thought you'd like to see it:
A - Access, AppreciationIsn't it true that some of our best brainstorming happens when we are just enjoying life, letting our minds roam, and maybe doing nothing more than... looking forward to the mashed potatoes? So the next time an inspiring notion about kids and mentoring crosses YOUR mind, jot it down. You never know what your own '"napkin list" will reveal.
B - Boost
C - Chance
D - Donate
E - Educate
F - Foster
G - Give
H - Help
I - Ideals
J - Join
K - Ku kanaka (Hawaiian for "personal responsibility")
L - Love
M - Mentor
N - Nurture
O - Opportunity, 'Ohana (Hawaiian for "family")
P - Promote, Prop up
Q - Question
R - Responsibility
S - Sustain
T - Train, Teach
U - Understand
V - Veritas (Latin for "truth")
W - Work (with)
X - "X" Factor
Y - Youth, YODA
Z - Zoom!!
All the best,


text:
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Two Surprises!
23 comments:
- AnonymousMarch 27, 2014 at 6:06 AM
That's so cute! one with my favorite treats: shoes and one as blue as the sky in summer. Lassie's and Benji's mom is super creative! Have a fabulous thursday!ReplyDelete
We just got ours too and we can only say likewise we are thrilled and how kind of them. That was such a sweet thing to do. Have a tremendous Thursday.ReplyDelete
Best wishes Molly
You all look handsome and beautiful! Nice BANANAS there, guys!ReplyDelete
We totally loved the picture of Hazel photo-bombing the photo. Thanks again fur your wonderful congratulations comment to Mommy's niece.ReplyDelete
They are BEAUTIFUL/HANDSOME on you... BaaaaWaaah Hazel Photo Bombed you buddy... THAT was funny. WE love OUR Bandanas too.ReplyDelete
Wasn't that just so nice of them?! What good friends and so thoughtful too! You guys look great :-)ReplyDelete
That is pawsome and you all look great!ReplyDelete
Love Zoe, Peyton, Webster, Liberty & Whitney
Oh cool! You definitely deserved that award, your bloggie is ace! Those bandanas are super fashionable, too! You all look amazing! That was so thoughtful of Lassie and Benji to do that!ReplyDelete
Pippa :)
Bravo on well deserved awards and gorgeous spring scarves!!ReplyDelete
Hugs madi your bfff
Congrats on the award and those are some sweet bandanas!ReplyDelete
You do look VERY handsome....not that you don't usually look handsome...you just look...we'll just shut up before we make some glaring mistake. Anyway, they're great bandanas. Congrats on your award!ReplyDelete
XXXOOO Bella & Roxy
Congrats on the award. And what spiffy bandanas.ReplyDelete
What a nice treat. But then again, you guys totally deserve it.ReplyDelete
Love Noodles
- AnonymousMarch 27, 2014 at 5:49 PM
Awwwww Hazel, they can photo bomb all they want, they are not gonna distract from your awesome beauty!, lookin good in you bandana!ReplyDelete
The Mad Scots
Hi Bailey, Hazel & Greta!!ReplyDelete
Congratulations on your beautiful award! Maybe some of the flowers seeds will sprout in your own yard- and then you will have flowers everywhere!
And wowee-- you all look so adorables in your new bandanas!
Everyone of you do!
You look so pawsome! Congrats on the award!ReplyDelete
Looking goodReplyDelete
Lily & Edward
Congrats on the award and nice bandanas.ReplyDelete
Aroo to you,
you guys r so cuteReplyDelete
retro rover
OMD!! That photobomb is just the funniest!!!! Nice.ReplyDelete
I do loves the bandanas!!! How sweet is that?! You all look very smart in them
And, CONGRATS on the awardie!!!! Most deserving indeed!
Ruby ♥
Congratulations and I love your bandanas.ReplyDelete
Loveys Sasha
I love those bandana's :) and big congrats on the super award xxoxxxReplyDelete
Mollie and Alfie
I approve. :) Bandanas are cool (especially when they are worn on such cool pugs as yourselves). The weather's finally getting a little warmer so I'm going to break my collection out soon!ReplyDelete


text:
To reduce harassment on its platform, now dating app Tinder will ask users 'Are you sure (AYS)?' before posting potentially offensive language.
"AYS?", a first-of-its-kind feature in the dating space, has already reduced inappropriate language in messages sent by more than 10 percent in early testing, the company said in a statement on Thursday.
It uses AI to detect harmful language and proactively intervenes to warn the sender their message may be offensive, asking them to pause before hitting send.
The AI was built based on what members have reported in the past, and it will continue to evolve and improve over time.
"The early results from these features show us that intervention done the right way can be really meaningful in changing behaviour and building a community where everyone feels like they can be themselves," said Tracey Breeden, Head of Safety and Social Advocacy for Match Group.
"AYS?" joins the suite of harm reduction tools Tinder already has in place, including "Does This Bother You?", which provides proactive support to members when harmful language is detected in a message they received, all of which have contributed to more matches and longer conversations during the app's busiest year yet.
Tinder's long-standing commitment to safety started with the Swipe, ultimately requiring mutual interest to send a message.
Over the past several years, the app has worked with the Match Group Advisory Council (MGAC) to continue building best-in-class features in the Safety space.


text:
For a free valuation call01383 416727
Antique Centre in Fife. There is a diverse variety of paintings and artwork, wemyssware collections, Scottish Pottery, antique advertising signs and bottles as well as collectables and jewellery.
Vintage and retro, mirrors cabinets and more.
Flemings Furniture & Antique Centre
3 Boreland Road
Fife KY11 1NH
Tel: 01383 416727
Email: [email protected]
Bargain Centre | Copyright © 2020
Website Design Internet Creation


text:
AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems, an operating unit of Textron Systems, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today that it has received a $358 million award from the U.S. Army's Program Manager – Unmanned Aircraft Systems for engineering support and system upgrades that will create a fleet of 45 upgraded RQ-7B Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (TUAS). Deliveries of 43 systems for the Army and two for the Marine Corps are expected to begin in late 2013.
"The RQ-7B Shadow upgrade, dubbed V2 by the Army, includes enhancements to every part of the system, from the aircraft itself to the ground and support systems," says Senior Vice President & General Manager Steven Reid of AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems. "It represents all of the agility and performance needed for current mission requirements, as well as robust capabilities to meet future needs. As a result, the Shadow system will perform even more reliably in core areas including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; target designation; communications relay; and battlefield damage assessment; but it also will excel in new missions such as manned/unmanned teaming."
The new RQ-7B Shadow aircraft builds on the same architecture that has proven highly successful on the current Shadow aircraft throughout nearly 750,000 flight hours. It is multi-mission equipped with an integrated payload for day and night imagery, as well as communications relay and laser target designation capabilities. The aircraft also applies the Army's interoperability profiles, while vastly increasing communications bandwidth and enabling digital data delivery.
In addition, the upgraded Shadow aircraft has:
– Increased endurance, from six to nine hours
– Extended wing with hard points to carry external stores and payloads
– An electronic fuel injection engine for greater reliability
– Integration of the Tactical Common Data Link for digital data dissemination and encryption
– New Universal Ground Control Station (UGCS), Universal Ground Data Terminal (UGDT),Portable Ground Data Terminal (PGDT) and Portable Ground Control Station (PGCS)
Addition of the UGCS and UGDT to the RQ-7B Shadow system supports the Army's vision for a universal unmanned aircraft systems operator, and streamlines the development of new mission sets including manned/unmanned teaming.
"With common hardware, software, controls and user interfaces, the UGCS has been proven interoperable with the Army's Gray Eagle® and Hunter assets, as well as the Shadow system," says Reid. "It also complies with unmanned aircraft systems interoperability recommendations including NATO Standardization Agreement 4586. Based on our battle-proven One System® command and control architecture, the UGCS is 'universal' in the most fundamental sense."
The UGCS includes several features for ease of use, including:
– More comfortable seating
– Individually controlled vents for heating and air conditioning
– Dual 30-inch monitors
– More leg room
– White boards
– Multiple, centrally located radios
"We've worked alongside our customers since the very first Shadow contract in 1999 to provide smart and reliable technologies to meet emerging mission needs," says Vice President, TUAS Vance King of AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems. "Today's RQ-7B Shadow TUAS have completed more than 170,000 missions, and with the new configuration, every element of the system has been elevated with game-changing capabilities, including multi-mission flexibility and greater performance."


text:
Cables lying on the seafloor bring the internet to the world. They transmit 99 percent of international data, make transoceanic communication possible in an instant, and serve as a loose proxy for the international trade that connects advanced economies.
Their importance and proliferation inspired Telegeography to make this vintage-inspired map of the cables that connect the internet. It depicts the 299 cables that are active, under construction, or will be funded by the end of this year.
In addition to seeing the cables, you'll find information about "latency" at the bottom of the map (how long it takes for information to transmit) and "lit capacity" in the corners (which shows how much traffic a system can send, usually measured in terabytes). You can browse a full zoomable version here.
The cables are so widely used, as opposed to satellite transmission, because they're so reliable and fast: with high speeds and backup routes available, they rarely fail. And that means they've become a key part of the global economy and the way the world connects.
Take, for example, the below map, which lets you slide between a 1912 map of trade routes and Telegeography's map of submarine cables today. The economic interdependence has remained, but the methods and meaning have changed:
The submarine cable map shows economic connections in less-developed countries as well. Cables between South America and Africa, for example, are much more scarce than trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific routes:
Though cables to developing countries are expanding, they have a lot of work to do before they catch up. And Antarctica is left out completely (scientists down there get their internet from satellites).
The analogy between submarine cables and historic trade routes has a lot of caveats: trade routes were determined by geography as well as economic interests, and economic incentives were a lot different then than they are today. It would also be a mistake to overlook physical goods in favor of the internet (just look at those giant container ships). But both then and now, paths across the ocean require investment, trading partners on both sides, and a willingness to take risks. Sailors took the gamble in the past, and tech companies are taking it now.
Submarine cables get big investments from companies looking to explore their own modern trade routes
These cables carry information for the entire internet, including both corporate and consumer interests. That's why Google invested $300 million in a trans-Pacific cable system consortium to move data, Facebook put money into an Asian cable system consortium, and the finance industry invests just as much to shave a few milliseconds off trade times.
Other consortia regularly lay cables to transmit the consumer internet. Each group's control of a submarine cable is an advantage in the information exchange between countries.
Submarine cables are a 150-year-old idea with new potency
The process for laying submarine cables hasn't changed much in 150 years — a ship traverses the ocean, slowly unspooling cable that sinks to the ocean floor. The SS Great Eastern laid the first continually successful trans-Atlantic cable in 1866, which was used to transmit telegraphs. Later cables (starting in 1956) carried telephone signals.
Modern cables are surprisingly thin, considering how long they are and how deep they sink. Each is usually about 3 inches across. They're actually thicker in more shallow areas, where they're often buried to protect against contact with fishing boats, marine beds, or other objects. At the deepest point in the Japan Trench, cables are submerged under water 8,000 meters deep — which means submarine cables can go as deep as Mount Everest is high.
The optical fibers that actually carry the information are bundled within the larger shell of the cable:
The components include:
- Polyethylene
- Mylar tape
- Stranded metal (steel) wires
- Aluminum water barrier
- Polycarbonate
- Copper or aluminum tube
- Petroleum jelly (this helps protect the cables from the water)
- Optical fibers
These cables move the videos, trades, gifs, and articles that bring the internet around the world in a matter of milliseconds. And that's the type of advantage any trader — digital or analog — could appreciate.


text:
"Gods and Monsters" is the epitome of a cinematic homage. A semi-fictional biography of the last weeks of "Frankenstein" director James Whale, it is clearly a labor of love from writer-director Bill Condon, who sees beyond the camp of Whale's most memorable works and into the soul of a man whose films often reflected at once his inner discord and his dark sense of humor.
Condon -- a spry fellow in his late thirties with the enthusiasm of a kid climbing a tree -- has been a fan of Whale's work since his early interest in film, although it was another horror movie that is his first memory of how powerful a medium motion pictures can be. When he was five years old, he says, he saw "House on Haunted Hill" during a move to new house, then wen't home to his first night in new bedroom. "I still remember the terror of that night!"
A $3 million picture shot in only 24 days, "Gods and Monsters" -- which Condon adapted from Christopher Bram's novel "Father of Frankenstein" (and since this interview he has won an Oscar for his screenplay) -- borrows freely and deftly from Whale's visual and narrative style as he envisions one conceivable scenario for events leading up to director's drowning suicide in his own swimming pool in 1957, many years after his career had bottomed out.
In San Francisco on a publicity tour in October, I met Condon at the Prescott Hotel to talk about the movie.
SPLICEDwire: I haven't read the book. What kind of departure did you make in the film.
Bill Condon: I would say in general it's a very faithful adaptation. The biggest things were just, you know novels are rich in the interior lives of these characters, and we're externalizing it. So that took a more dramatic shape. And taking the opportunity -- because we were making a story about Whale in the style of Whale -- to do things from his movies, visually.
SPLICED: It's such an interesting idea to take the private life of a legendary director and fictionalize in the spirit of his life. It's rarely done with so much exploration of characters.
Condon: I know what you mean. Sometimes, like in "Ragtime" or something like that, they're take real characters and use them (just) as archetypes.
SPLICED: Whale's series of strokes gave you great freedom to...
Condon: Oh, I know. What a great device! In the film I wanted to give a sense of these stabs of memory. Where in like a typical biopic the memories are like "Well, I did this great thing..." But this is more like as I'm lying about my father, I'm remembering how he called me a sissy. Stuff like that. Emotional memories that get to the heart of what made him the way he was.
I really think the biopic thing so rarely works, because people's lives don't have a dramatic shape that can be satisfying. Some of them obviously have worked. But I think it does take some kind of bold idea -- like the one in the novel, to just deal with the last month of his life -- to really get to the essence of a character.
He really did have a series of strokes. And it was getting worse, I guess. That's part of his suicide note: The future is nothing but old age and pain. He didn't want to be a burden, but it was almost an aesthetic choice, too. He had such a nice life.
Unfortunately when you have a movie with a gay figure, it can be seen as an addition to the necrology of gay suicides in movies. But it had nothing to do with being gay. That was nothing to do with his suicide. It was really just this ailment he had.
SPLICED: How did you first get involved with this project? Was it when you read the book?
Condon: I have been a big fan of James Whale. I had a friend, an older director, Curtis Harrington, who knew him. I'd heard lots of stories about him. Then I heard that Christopher Bram, whose novels I'd read, had written about this and I got a hold of it, and as soon as I started reading it, I thought this is one that wouldn't be hurt by being made into a film. I thought it could make a great movie.
There had been some interest in it from big people in Hollywood, because the book had been making the rounds when "Ed Wood" was coming out. But then "Ed Wood" bombed, and no one wanted to go near it. So, luckily, someone like me could come along and option it.
SPLICED: And "Ed Wood" is a great, great movie.
Condon: Yes, it's a great movie. But I must say, it was used as a club to beat us with when we tried to get financing for this movie because it wasn't successful. If we made the $4 million that "Ed Wood" made, I think everyone would be very happy. But, of course, "Ed Wood" cost whatever huge amount of money.
It's a weird comparison. There's Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff, and I guess that that's the thing. They're totally different movies, totally different filmmakers, totally different lives. The both worked with horror icons, and they died. That's what they have in common. But it stuck, that "Ed Wood" comparison.
SPLICED: You've make a horror movie yourself, ("Candyman 2"). Did that provide you with a connection to Whale?
Condon: There is a weird connection to Whale there. There's no question that Whale's movies are classics. They were wonderful, and successful. But there's always been a stigma attached to people who work in that genre, and even he fought it, to try to get himself out of that with "Show Boat" and "The Road Back." Whale had complete control (in his early movies at Universal), starting with "Dark House," "Frankenstein" and "The Invisible Man" -- Those movies completely represent him. But with "The Road Back," which was his real effort to get into A-list George Cukor land, bankers had taken over (the studio) and ... to get out of his contract he had to make three bad, horrible movies in a row. Then he went to studios and made some good movies like "The Man in the Iron Mask," but they didn't hit. He didn't like working in the traditional studio system with people looking over your shoulder all the time. He'd made enough money and it just wasn't worth it to him.
SPLICED: Was your "Candyman" connection how you got Clive Barker to produce?
Condon: I went to Clive (Barker) and asked him to be involved as kind of our patron.
SPLICED: There's somebody who has been trying to move on from the genre as well.
Condon: Exactly. And gay, and a painter, and an expatriate living in Hollywood, and started in theater in London. When I brought my cut of the movie up to his house to show it to him, I told him "If you don't watch it, Clive, that's how you're going to turn out!" (Condon winks ironically.)
SPLICED: Anything changed from your cut before the final release?
Condon: No, no. And straight from the script. A few changes for budget and anything great the actors brought to it. The bad part: No time to make the movie and no money. The good part is there's nobody else. That's the return, and I'd take that any day.
SPLICED: The beauty of independent film.
Condon: Exactly.
SPLICED: So, Ian McKellen. You must have been thrilled.
Condon: Oh, my god. So thrilled.
SPLICED: Did you have him in mind early on?
Condon: Totally. Because he looks like him. I mean, on top of being a great actor, physically he is just close to what he was like. But for so many other reasons! The fact that he said yes...oh! I just don't know what we would have done (otherwise). And he was so involved with helping us get it made.
SPLICED: Was he a fan as well?
Condon: Of Whale? No.
SPLICED: Is he now?
Condon: Yes, he is. (Laughing.) I think he was surprised at how funny (Whale's movies) are. How camp they are. That really delighted him. I think before that he'd just thought of them as horror movies.
SPLICED: Did he bring anything to movie you didn't expect?
Condon: (Smiling broadly.) Yes. So many moments. So many things that just made it deeper. Things like being offered the martini (in the scene) at Cukor's party and saying "well, just the one." That was his ad lib and it was on the first day (of shooting). It was like "Oh, god. It's gonna work!"
SPLICED: On the topic of Cukor, etc. The casting of the look-alikes was remarkable. The fact that you could go almost directly from "Bride" footage to a behind the scenes episode on the set of "Bride" and it's just so smooth...
Condon: Well, to me the boldest is when she's standing there and they're having their picture taken at Cukor's party and (Whale) is having all those images in his mind. We cut to the bride going "Sssss!" (making the famous face of the Bride of Frankenstein), then we cut right back to her. She was good enough that we could do that.
SPLICED: These look-alikes must have been hard to find.
Condon: Oh, god! There were a lot of people like Barbara Steel, you know "the queen of horror," she was adamant that she had to play this part. She came in three times. She'd march in and say "My fans and her fans are the same."
SPLICED: She went Sean Young on you, huh?
Condon: Very Sean Young! It was horrible.
SPLICED: The guy who did Karloff looked great.
Condon: The thing with him was that Jack Betts, who plays him, is a dead ringer for Clark Gable. But Karloff had made a lot of life masks, so that's actually a lot of makeup put on for him, whereas the others were just look-alikes.
SPLICED: I have to ask you about Lynn Redgrave. She floored me. When I saw her name in the credits, I was awed. I had absolutely no idea it was her.
Condon: She just disappeared in the character. It's funny because people have said she reminded them of Frau Bleuker in "Young Frankenstein." But of course, that comes from "Bride"! We were definitely trying to make her a character out of a Whale movie.
SPLICED: That's exactly what I thought when I saw her. The way her face is all puckered I thought of a Whale monster.
Condon: What was cool about her was that she could do that, but stay real enough that when you saw the emotion underneath it all, it was moving. That's tough to pull off.
SPLICED: The only Whale movie you actually show in this movie is "Bride." Any reason for that?
Condon: What happens in this movie is very close to a lot of the themes in "Bride." But I must say, my first draft of the script I had things from "The Invisible Man," too. The pool sequence was originally much longer, the scene where he goes outside and Clay is by the pool, and I had him sort of unraveling his own head and going over to Clay and almost touching him -- playing with the "Invisible Man" stuff. The only remnant of that left is when he says "Make me invisible" at the end.
SPLICED: I would like to know how the silhouetted transition sequences came about. The parallels in those scenes are so clear, the way Fraser looks like the monster in silhouette.
Condon: When I met (Fraser) he had all his "George of the Jungle" tresses and locks. But he was into, as he called it, becoming a jar head. I had to ask "Will your head look like that?" because you couldn't really tell with all that hair if it would be square enough. He said, "Absolutely."
Then we played with it so much. He is so physical and so in control of his body. Just little, little, little hints of things that he could pick up from the movements of Karloff in that movie.
SPLICED: Yes. Little tiny tics, and suddenly you saw a flash of the monster.
Condon: Exactly. I know. It's true. And there were ideas he had. It was his idea that the first shots you see of him are body parts. A more obvious one I did was when he looks at himself in the water after he's made love. Like the first time Frankenstein sees himself. Throughout the movie there are these little visual references or hints. What I like, first of all, so much of the horror images of Whale's come out of his experience in the first World War. Because that really was the war where medicine had advanced to the point where people could have their limbs cut off and survive. So people were surrounded by grotesques in that decade. And what I was excited by that last scene where they're walking across that cemetery landscape from the "Frankenstein" movies, then they come across the pits and you connect those two ideas.
SPLICED: Are you worried at all about finding an audience?
Condon: I'm not. To me there's so many audiences for this movie. Just Ian McKellen's performance and people talking about that -- that's a traditional art house audience. I think there's a gay audience because they know the novel and they know Ian. And I also think there's a big genre audience. Besides Clive Barker, there's James Whale! I mean, James Whale and the movies he created are just so popular. So I really think there's a substantial audience.


text:
Research and development in Switzerland 2017 CHF 22.6 billion dedicated to research in Switzerland in 2017
Almost CHF 25 billion dedicated to research in Switzerland in 2021
14.05.2019 - Switzerland dedicated CHF 22.6 billion to research and development (R&D) in 2017, 2% more than in 2015, the year of the last survey. Enterprises remained the main producers of research accounting for more than two thirds of expenditure. They nonetheless curbed their expenditure contrary to higher education institutions. These are the main findings from the surveys carried out by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on research and development.
The various stakeholders in Switzerland dedicated CHF 22.6 billion in 2017 to their own R&D activities. Enterprises invested CHF 15.6 billion, i.e. more than two thirds of the total while higher education institutions spent 6.2 billion, accounting for more than a quarter of the total amount.
Over the past 9 years, growth in R&D expenditure has slowed. Between 2008 and 2012, the annual average rate was 5% and then fell to 3% between 2012 and 2015 before reaching 1% for the period from 2015 to 2017. However, the total expenditure amount has continued to increase over the years, with new records seen in every survey.
Stagnation of enterprises, increase for higher education institutions
For the first time in 20 years, R&D expenditure of enterprises fell slightly ( 11 million, i.e. a decrease of less than 0.1%) compared with the previous survey (2015). The expenditure of large enterprises (100 employees and over) declined (-2%) while that of smaller enterprises rose (between +13% and +16% depending on the size). The pharmaceutical industry alone accounted for one third of R&D expenditure of private enterprises and remains a key player in research in Switzerland.
The increase in the total amount of R&D expenditure in Switzerland can be attributed to the increase in expenditure from the higher education sector which, as in previous periods, continued to increase (+ CHF 332 millions, +6% compared with 2015).
Intensity of R&D still high in Switzerland
Research expenditure represents 3.4% of the gross domestic product in Switzerland. This ratio which measures the intensity of research in the country's economy is very high in international comparison. Switzerland is in third place, behind South Korea and Israel, according to the figures from the OECD.
Continued increase of basic research
Since 2012, basic research has gained increasing importance in Switzerland. Higher education institutions are traditionally active in this field. For the past five years, however, basic research has been driven by the increase in higher education institution expenditure but in particular by a very substantial increase within private enterprises. Thus in 2017, over 40% of R&D expenditure from the latter was dedicated to basic research. Previously, this type of research only accounted for one quarter of R&D expenditure.
Key role of the state in R&D funding
The state sector – which is made up of the Confederation and the cantons – carries out few research activities. Its expenditure accounted for less than 1% of the total. In contrast, the state assumes a far more important role in terms of funding, particularly for higher education institutions. In 2017, higher education institutions received almost CHF 5 billion from the cantons and the Confederation for their R&D activities.
Cross border financial flows
As with economic flows, the funding of R&D activities also involves a lot of interaction with abroad. In 2017, CHF 1.2 billion from abroad financed R&D activities carried out in Switzerland compared with CHF 2.3 billion in 2015.
Four fifths of this amount benefited enterprises and 20% financed R&D activities in the higher education sector. At the same time, enterprises in Switzerland financed R&D activities (often in the form of contracts) to the amount of almost CHF 7.9 billion, an increase of more than 40% compared with the previous survey.
More researchers and women among R&D personnel
In 2017, R&D personnel in Switzerland remained stable, accounting for approx. 125 000 persons (almost 82 000 jobs in full-time equivalents – FTEs). R&D personnel mainly consisted of researchers (46 000 FTEs) with the number of women gradually increasing. In 2017, 36% of R&D personnel were female compared with 32% in 2008.
You will find further information such as tables and graphs in the following PDF file.
Download press release
CHF 22.6 billion dedicated to research in Switzerland in 2017
(PDF, 5 pages, 349 kB)
Other languages
Associated documents
Press Conference: Research and development in Switzerland 2017


text:
Port Vale return to league action this weekend as they welcome Colchester United to Vale Park and Scott Brown is expecting a tough test against the team he claims to be the best he's played all season.
The Valiants have had a positive few weeks and will have their tails up heading into this weekend's tie with promotion-chasing Colchester.
Brown proved once again how vital he is to this Port Vale team on Tuesday night, following his penalty shoot-out heroics to help The Valiants progress to the Quarter Final of the Checkatrade Trophy.
However, he is well aware of the threat this Saturday's opponents pose as he looks forward to what will be a difficult test against The U's.
He said: "For me, they are the best team we've played this year. We went down there on the second game of the season and lost 2-0 but it could've been a lot more.
"You look at their starting 11 and you'd take a lot of them from there and then they have three or four on the bench that would get into most teams in League Two at least.
"They're a top team with a good budget, good manager and they play some really good football, so to get anything out of the game tomorrow we'll have to put in a top performance."
Vale's number one has also claimed there is a 'buzzing' atmosphere around the team following two impressive results over the past few weeks.
A resolute 1-1 draw with table-toppers Lincoln City set the ball rolling before a win via penalties over League One outfit Shrewsbury Town has seemed to have lifted spirits within the Vale net.
Brown believes these results have come just in time and he has shared his though on the Checkatrade Trophy Quarter Final draw.
He said: "Although it was a draw, we won on penalties and it's great to get through to the next round.
"Everyone was watching the draw last night waiting to see who we got so it's great to get through. The lads are buzzing that we've had two decent results so we're now looking forward to tomorrow's game.
"I thought Portsmouth may have been an easier draw because they're in the FA Cup and they're going high in the league whereas Bristol Rovers haven't got a lot to play for. They're going to be safe in League One so they'll put a really strong team out.


text:
Lingua Ecclesiae is the first intensive summer Latin course specifically designed for ecclesiastics.
Students will be hosted at the Casa per ferie Mater Mundi, run by the Augustinian Sisters of Divine Love. Pedagogical activities are accompanied by the daily celebration of the Liturgy.
To favor the students' rapid and solid learning, all courses are conducted directly in Latin, just like all other daily activities: Latin is the only language of communication within the residence throughout the entire month of stay.


text:
The eight generation Rolls-Royce Phantom was released last summer. I spotted it at the HR Owen dealership in Mayfair, London. It is not very common to see a new Phantom. The previous generation was revealed in 2002 and it has taken 15 years to create the new generation. Unlike the last time, Rolls-Royce has designed its own modular platform that will be used in future Rolls-Royce models, starting with the Cullinan SUV.
Despite the in-house modular platform, the engine, the gearbox and the driving assistance systems are from BMW!
Although we don't really associate Rolls-Royce with the word 'light', the new Phantom is lighter and stronger than past models. However, don't expect a full carbon-fibre body. There are some cool features as well. The Magic Carpet Ride is something unique to the Phantom. Stereo cameras scan the road surface and adjust the suspension to correct for road imperfections up to 100 km/h. Bear in mind though, the Audi A8 and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class offer similar systems, and they keep working at higher speeds.
In case you are looking for an ultra-silent car, the new Phantom houses more than 130-kg of sound insulation. Even the tyres are designed with a 'Silent Seal' thanks to Continental, and they reduce tyre noise by 9db!
The Gallery on the dashboard is a great piece of design. However, only the front passenger can enjoy the view of The Gallery!
The interior is massive, I can't even describe it in words. It is really really large. And this massive interior is combined with a massive exterior. This Phantom is really really tall. When you compare with other 'large' cars, they look like a MINI next to the new Phantom. If you wish to tell people that you have made it, the new Phantom is the answer.
Lastly, I really like the electrically-closing doors. Now you can just touch a button and the door closes.


text:
Whenever I visit family in South Carolina, I spend a lot of time watching westerns on satellite TV. You can literaly watch all day if you want to. I used to watch all the hit western TV shows as a child like The Rifleman, The Big Valley, Rawhide, Bonanza, etc. There are also some good old cowboy pictures as well which my father-in-law particularly enjoys. These shows usually have a couple things in common. There's a villain and then there's the good guy. Sometimes the villain actually enjoys looking for a gunfight. He walks into the saloon with his ten gallon hat cocked to one side, his six-shooter strapped on and waits for someone to cross him so he can challenge them to a gunfight. Maybe he was just mean. Maybe he was having a "bad day". Maybe he just wanted to prove he was the fastest gun. He targets his victim and stands up. The crowd in the saloon begins to part like the Red Sea. He approaches his prey and yells "Draw"! The slightest movement by his sacrificial lamb triggers an automatic reaction in this incorrigible human. He fires before his victim can even raise his gun. Unfortunately, many believers behave the same way towards others. If we're having a "bad day", we're quick to take it out on someone. Have you ever been so irritated that you're just waiting on someone to say something cross to you so you can let them have it! It's like walking around with a loaded gun and an itchy trigger finger.
What? You forgot the fries in my order? Pow!!
You cut me off in traffic? Peoww!!
Oh no you didn't say that to me! Pop pop pop!
Even in this financially and emotionally turbulent time, we who carry the image of Christ must work hard to be the examples we were redeemed to be. When a Christian acts like the villain in the western, we actually come off looking like Barney Fife and misfiring. We look and feel awkward because our minds have been changed since we put on Christ. The work of the Lord mentioned in 1Corinthians 15:58 is not just working in the church. It's work and labor just to keep from doing what your flesh feels like doing. It's work not to let circumstances and situations move you and get you off course.The Apostle Paul faced uncertainty on his way to Jerusalem, not knowing what was waiting for him there. Would he be beaten again or killed, he didn't know. His response was:
"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God". Acts 20:24 (KJV)
Let's not let things move us off of the path of God. Let's let our lives testify of the grace of God. Besides, we are the marketing department for the Kingdom of God. Work the word and keep this on your lips: "None of these things move me."
Here's a Canton Jones video that might help you.
© Fredrick F. Nicholson all rights reserved


text:
MooreCo's Reversible Music Staff Whiteboard is a convenient option for writing musical notes and sharing information with your class. Both sides of the board feature a high-quality porcelain-on-steel surface that accepts magnets and resist ghosting. One side of the board is blank, while the flip side has permanently printed music staff lines that save you the hassle of redrawing lines each time you erase notes. The board rotates 360 degrees on a pivot hinge, and locks into place with the turn of a knob. The durable aluminum frame includes a full-length marker tray. This MooreCo Reversible Music Staff Whiteboard comes backed by a 10-year warranty.
Key Features
- Music staff lines are permanently printed on one side
- Aluminum frame w/ full-length marker tray
- Surface is magnetic
- Locks into place at your desired angle
- 3" locking casters make it easy to move
- Backed by a 10-year warranty
- Surface Style: Magnetic porcelain-on-steel with printed staff lines on one side
- Frame Style: Aluminum
- Tray Material: Aluminum
- Board Width: 6'
- Board Height: 4'
- Assembly Required: Yes
- Estimated Lead Time: Ships within 4 - 6 weeks
- Shipping Method: Freight
- Weight: 104.00 pounds


text:
Summer is a season when almost everyone expects it. This is an opportunity for long walks in the park, cool off in the pond and long boat trips on the river. It's easy for people who have their own sailboat to do it. But what about those who don't? Don't you like boat trips? Yes, they do. The boat's rent has made it possible.
These rents are agencies that rent boats usually on time. They are a common characteristic that is found along the beaches and riverbanks of the rivers. The rents have managed to increase the fun of spending a weekend by the river or even a day at the beach.
These rentals have become so famous all over the world that you can now even join a boat rental club. By joining these clubs, you can take advantage of the many offers you offer from time to time.
People have benefited in many ways from these boat rentals. Few can own their own boat. These rents have allowed the less wealthy to enjoy the experience of sailing. have proven to be beneficial in several ways:
1.) Without really having your own boat, you can enjoy boating and fishing.
2.) You don't have to worry about big maintenance bills.
3.) Thanks to these rentals, it does not have the difficult task of transporting this high ship to the edge of the river.
4.) You have a wide variety of boats to choose from.
5.) These rents rent boats at a reasonable price, so it is very economical.
Boat rentals in Ibiza are common and therefore difficult to choose. We should opt for rents that have a good name. It is always advisable to opt for an agency that has recommended us. This should be well maintained. Boats should not show signs of wear. The staff must have enough experience to answer your questions.


text:
Safeguarding is the responsibility that organisations have, to make sure their staff, operations, and programmes do no harm (Keeping Children Safe, 2020). It is a term used to describe how we protect adults, children and young people from abuse or neglect.
The UK Collaborative on Development Research (UKCDR, 2020), states that the scope of safeguarding includes:
'any sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment of research participants, communities and research staff, plus any broader forms of violence, exploitation and abuse relevant to research, such as bullying, psychological abuse and physical violence.'
LSTM recognises its role in safeguarding and protecting our staff, students, volunteers and other representatives as well as the beneficiaries, research participants, patients and communities with whom we have direct and indirect contact through our work.
LSTM has a zero-tolerance policy for staff and organisational representatives committing harm, exploitation, or abuse. We endorse and support the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, (UN, 1948); the UN Convention on the Rights of The Child, (UNICEF, 1989); the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, (UN, 1993) and the UN Global Compact (UN, 1997).
We have developed our procedures and processes for safeguarding with due consideration of the following key standards:
- Strategic Safeguarding Policy
- LSTM Safeguarding incident disclosure form
- LSTM Code of conduct for staff/students
- Shared principles for safeguarding for joint projects between LSTM and collaborating partners
- Protecting Children & Vulnerable Adults Policy and Procedure V2, 2021
- LSTM Safeguarding Risk Assessment and Mapping Tool (V3 08.02.2022)
- Safeguarding in research training video
Safeguarding information point
Contact us:
LSTM has a designated safeguarding officer who is the first point of contact for safeguarding enquiries or for raising concerns.
Please contact: Ms Philippa Tubb, Designated Safeguarding Officer
Telephone: +44 (0)151 705 3744
Email: email@example.com