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I think the current environment is more like the October 1987 equity crash, when equities closed the year higher, than the September-October 2008 crash when equities continued falling for six months. While the current problems are immense, there's no equivalent to the disastrous Lehman bankruptcy filing which immediately paralyzed the interbank and commercial paper markets worldwide. Nor is there an equivalent to the abrupt federal takeovers of AIG, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, all critical market players that became even more disruptive when they were absorbed into the government.
As in 1987, economic growth in 2011 should be stronger in the second half than the first despite the equity market weakness. We should get a boost from auto production, corporate profits, growth abroad, business investment and some job growth. Recent data has bolstered the case that the economy is improving – Friday's 0.5% gain in retail sales gains, Thursday's decline in jobless claims to 395,000, July auto sales and the wage gains in the July payroll report. And some of Japan's rebound from the earthquake and tsunami are spreading into second half global growth, with China's July import and export data surprisingly strong.
I'm looking for 2 percent third quarter U.S. GDP growth, up from 1.3 percent in the second quarter, and then an acceleration to 3.5 percent in the fourth quarter. If so, equities will do very well but bonds and gold will do badly as the fear trade subsides.
Volatility is scary. Equities have been gyrating under the confusion from the uninspiring debt limit deal, the S&P downgrade and Europe's slow-motion bailout. Just as there were at the end of the 2010 soft patch a year ago, there are widespread forecasts of a double dip recession and sentiment is deeply negative. Yet in 2010, second half growth and corporate profits drove an equity market surge.
Adding to the 2011 turmoil, the Fed issued a statement after its Tuesday meeting that was disastrously gold-inflating at a time when gold is already in a bubble. The Fed threatened two more years of near-zero rates and dangled QE3 in front of financial markets by saying it was considering using "the range of policy tools available to promote a stronger economic recovery."
With the Fed threatening desperate measures, investors have to worry simultaneously about deflation – that's Bernanke's constant excuse for expanding the Fed balance sheet even though CPI inflation is running 3.6% -- and inflation from the Fed's nearly $3 trillion in liabilities. This fear pushes investors into the anti-growth "barbell trade" in which investors buy bonds to protect against deflation and gold to protect against inflation, leaving less capital for growth.
My August 5 Wall Street Journal article Weak Dollar, Weak Economy explained the harm from last year's Fed splurge into QE2 -- the more bonds the Fed bought, the weaker the dollar and the weaker the economy. In its latest move, the Fed is locking in negative real interest rates even longer, souring the investment climate. Fortunately, growth may start up any way, and that's what financial markets will be watching.
Amid market turmoil, government actions will be important in rebuilding confidence and animal spirits. Any Administration proposals on clearer bank regulation, growth-oriented tax reform or spending cuts would be well received by markets. Let's dream for a minute. Say President Obama calls his cabinet together to prepare a list of spending cuts as many governors and foreign heads of state have been doing. There would be a massive market celebration, lifting the value of equities world wide.
David Malpass is former chief economist for Bear Stearns.


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Quick, what's the most important safety feature on your vehicle? If you said the fancy collision avoidance system or the airbags or even the seatbelts, you're wrong. If you said the brakes – congratulations! Because even with every safety and protective feature in automotive history equipped on your car, they're all for naught if you can't stop when you need to.
That's why keeping your brakes in prime working order is so crucial to road safety – yours, your passengers', and that of other drivers and pedestrians. Lucky for drivers in and around Longview, Greenville, or Marshall, TX, there is a top-notch auto care facility located nearby that can get your brakes back to peak condition quickly, completely, and affordably! It's Toyota of Mt. Pleasant's service center.
At our Mt. Pleasant car shop, we employ a whole staff of brake experts who are supremely knowledgeable about the brake systems in all makes and models of vehicles. They are standing by to inspect, diagnose, and repair your brakes and get you back on the road before you know it – with a huge boost of safety and peace of mind.
Maybe the best part is that this extraordinarily important service doesn't have to be costly. Not at Toyota of Mt. Pleasant. We have low prices every day on our automotive services, and that goes double when you take advantage of one of our valuable service coupons for extra savings!
You are the best judge of whether or not something feels "off" about your vehicle. Maybe you hear a noise that's not usually there, or you think you're having to press down harder than usual on the brake pedal to come to a stop. No matter how subtle these signs are, take your observations seriously and bring your car to Toyota of Mt. Pleasant for a brake inspection. It's quick, it's smart, and it could save you big trouble on the roadway.
In addition to trusting your gut, pay special attention if you notice any of these common signs and symptoms of brakes that need service or maybe a new part or two:
Regardless of what makes you think your car might need brake service, don't wait. Get it to Toyota of Mt. Pleasant's service center at your earliest convenience. You'll be glad you did!
Once you've found out firsthand how quick, easy, and affordable it is to get your vehicle's service needs taken care of at Toyota of Mt. Pleasant, you'll wonder why you ever avoided it in the first place. Schedule a service appointment at our Mt. Pleasant facility and then trust our experts to get your car back to the top of its game.
(888) 570-3818Call Now
102 Tankersley Rd • Mt. Pleasant, TX 75455Get Directions
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Open Today! Service: 7:30am-6pm
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subset: commoncrawl


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A letter to the late Jessica Bolognani from her roommates.
Dear Jessica,
We remember the first day we met: Aug. 28, 2009. It was an awkward day for most but not for room 247. We instantly had a connection and became best friends in one night. From then on we were inseparable. We did everything together, whether it was family dinners, going to the gym or going out on the weekends. Our first semester at Quinnipiac was more than we could have ever asked for. It was the best time of our lives and QU will never be the same without you. We will never forget all of the wonderful memories we had with you, and, of course, your beautiful smile. Your positive attitude always brightened our room. You were like a mother to us, always going out of your way to help us and others. We are going to miss your late night returns from the library, watching you play intramural basketballand getting ready with you to go out for the night. We are so lucky to have met such a special friend. Even though our time was short, the impact you had on us will last forever. We love you so much. Roomies forever and always.
Arielle, Amy and Kara


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The research process often begins with a literature review. A review of literature is a systematic summary of books, journal articles, and other sources pertaining to a particular topic.The purpose of a literature review is to demonstrate how your study adds to the existing literature and also to show why your study is needed.
In general, there are five common steps to reviewing the literature and they are…
- Identify key terms
- Locate literature
- Evaluate and select literature to include in your review
- Organize the literature
- Write the literature review
In this post, we will discuss the first two
Identify Key Terms
The purpose of identifying key terms is that they give you words to "google" when you conduct a search. Below are some ways to develop key terms.
- Creating some sort of title, even if it is temporary, and conduct a search based on words in this title is one way to begin.
- If you already have research questions, you can look for important words in these questions to conduct a search.
- Find an article that is studying something similar to you and look at the keywords that they include. Many articles have a list of keywords on the first page that can be used for other studies.
Locating Literature
Locating literature is not as difficult as it was years ago thanks to the internet. Now, the search for high-quality sources doesn't even require the need to leave home. There is some sort of hierarchy in terms of the quality and age of material available and it is as follows. Each example below is rate on a scale of 1-5 for quality and newness the higher the rating the higher the quality and newness of the example
- Websites, newspapers, and blogs Quality 1 Newness 5
- Academic publications such as conference papers, theses, Quality 2 Newness 4
- Peer-reviewed Journal Articles Quality 3 Newness 3
- Books Quality 4 Newness 2
- Summaries like encyclopedias Quality 5 Newness 1
In this example, normally the lower the quality the younger the information is. Keep in mind that there are many exceptions to the example above. Self-published books would obviously have a much lower quality rating while some online sources are of much higher quality because of who is providing the information.
Once you have some keywords it is time to begin the search. Google books is an excellent place to begin. When you get to this website, you type in your key term and Google returns a list of books that contain the key term. You click on the book and it takes you to the page where the term is. This is like holding the book in your hand at the library. You note whatever information you need and go to another book.
For Google scholar, you go to the site and type in your key term. Google Scholar gives you several pages of articles. Before choosing, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind.
- Depending on your field, you will probably be expected to cite new literature in your review often in the last 5-10 years. To do this you need set a custom range for articles you want to view. Focusing on the last 5-10 actually helps you to focus and gets things done quicker. You only cite older material if it was groundbreaking.
- Google Scholar gives you any article with concern for quality. To protect yourself from citing poor research one strategy is to consider who the publisher was. Below is a few examples of high-quality publishers of academic journals. If the article was published by them it is probably of decent quality.
- Sage, JSTOR, Wiley, Elsevier
This provides some basic information on beginning the process. In a later post, we will go over the last few steps of conducting a literature review.


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Syrian forces kill journalist in Damascus raid
Syrian forces killed a Syrian journalist sympathetic to the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad during a raid in the southern Nahr Eisha district of Damascus today, opposition activists said.
Mosaab al-Odaallah, who worked for the state-run Tishreen newspaper, was shot at point-blank range at his home by troops conducting house-to-house raids in the southern Nahr Eisha district of the capital, the activists said.
It was not immediately possible to verify their account due to government restrictions on independent media.
Odaallah was among at least 40 people killed by bombardment and other attacks in Damascus, where the Syrian army used tanks and helicopter gunships during an offensive against rebels.
He was from the southern city of Deraa, cradle of the 17-month-old revolt against Assad, and had used a pseudonym to write online reports about the crackdown in his home town.
Massoud Akko, head of the public freedoms committee at the underground Syrian Journalists Association, said Odaallah's death brought to 54 the number of Syrian journalists, bloggers and writers killed by security forces during the uprising.
"Most have been killed with shots to the head. The regime appears to have adopted a systematic policy of killing journalists and social media activists," Akko said by telephone from Berlin.
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In the November '09 issue of CW, And Another Thing… columnist Lloyd Junor makes the point that the average height of the population is increasing.
Lloyd writes: Sometimes a little nudge comes along that adds impetus to something that's been on the 'to do' list for a while but hasn't been attended to. A little while back, a reader put a request in to CW editor Max Taylor:
"Thoroughly enjoy your reviews; however, may I make a suggestion? When a van has an extendable bed, as most do now, would it be possible to include in your comments whether a 6ft 4in person can firstly fit on the bed and secondly, move around the bed without having to climb over the end?"
The internal dimensions of vans built these days haven't really changed from the dimensions of 40 or 50 years ago, but people have changed. There is scientific proof that people are taller than they were. So our reader's prompt is very much on the ball.
In the last two generations, the average height of the US male has conclusively increased by a mean of 4.36cm, and for females, by a mean of 2.99cm (Fels Institute growth study, University of Chicago, published May 2005 in Am J of Human Biol; 1:2:143-148). The Australian experience, based on trend data collected in 1970, 1985 and 1993, reported by La Trobe and Melbourne universities on students in the age range of 5-17 years, displays a rate of increase between 0.4 and 2.1cm per decade for males, and 0.01-1.6cm for females (Am J Phys Anthropology, 2000: 3; 4; 545-556).
Recognition of the increasing height of recent generations has resulted in changes in sales for particular sizes in clothing, footwear, bedding and other industries, but the ceiling height, seating parameters or standard bed space of caravans does not seem to have increased in line with increasing tallness.


text: By ADAM ZAGORIA Seton Hall associate head coach Shaheen Holloway has agreed to become the new head coach at Saint Peter's University, multiple sources told ZAGSBLOG. The deal is for at least five years, sources said. A press conference is set for noon on Thursday. St. Peter's AD Bryan Felt attended Seton Hall and was the associate AD there, so he is well aware of Holloway's background. "Saint Peter's has hired a rising star in Shaheen Holloway," Pirates coach Kevin Willard said Wednesday in a statement. "I am incredibly excited for Shaheen and his opportunity to lead his own program. He has been by my side for 11 years, and he has been instrumental in the program we have built and the success we have achieved here at Seton Hall. He is a dedicated student-athlete mentor, ace recruiter, a terrific skill development coach and an even greater person."Holloway, 41, is a Queens, N.Y., native and former star at Seton Hall and St. Patrick's High School, where he played for legendary coach Kevin Boyle and competed in the 1996 McDonald's All-American Game. "It's well deserved," Boyle, who played at Saint Peter's and coached Holloway at St. Pat's, told ZAGSBLOG. "He's one of the all-time great high school and college players in the metro area. He's an excellent recruiter and now will shine as a head coach." After his professional playing career ended, Holloway served an administrative assistant for former Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez from 2006-07. Holloway then joined Willard's staff at Iona, and then came back to Seton Hall with Willard in 2010. The Pirates have been to three straight NCAA Tournaments and won the Big East Tournament title in 2016. Holloway has been a critical recruiter at Seton Hall, helping them land the current senior class of Khadeen Carrington, Angel Delgado, Desi Rodriguez and Ismael Sanogo. The first three are participating in the Portsmouth Invitational this week. The job came open when John Dunne left to take the Marist College opening. Photo: Seton Hall Athletics Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter And Like ZAGS on Facebook


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The U.S. Navy's Task Force Climate Change
Rear Admiral David Titley, U.S. Navy
November 7, 2011  |  Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
About this Lecture
In May 2009, the Chief of Naval Operations formed the Navy's Task Force Climate Change (TFCC) to address the implications of climate change for national security and naval operations, and to ensure the Navy is ready and capable to meet all mission requirements in the 21st century. With a near-term focus on the Arctic, the Navy has developed Arctic and Climate Change Roadmaps to guide its actions for climate change adaptation. Using a science-based approach, TFCC has engaged over 650 individuals from over 150 organizations, conducted studies, and informed Navy policy to ensure the Navy is ready and capable in the 21st century under all conditions.
About Rear Admiral David Titley
Rear Admiral David Titley is Oceanographer and Navigator of the Navy and Director, Task Force Climate Change. In 2011, he also assumed responsibility for Navy Space and Maritime Domain Awareness. He holds a Ph.D. in Meteorology from the Naval Postgraduate School and served over 10 years at sea. Titley has commanded the Fleet Numerical Meteorological and Oceanographic Center in Monterey, was the first commanding officer of the Naval Oceanography Operations Command and has served on the staff of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy.


text: Please indicate the quantity of the item(s) you would like to order and select "Submit Order" below to enter payment information. Visa, MasterCard, and Discover are accepted. Shipping is currently FREE! You should receive your CD(s) within 1 to 2 weeks, often sooner. Enjoy!For more information about the products listed on the order form, please click on "Hypnotherapy CDs" and/or "Personalized CDs" above. Now offering our latest meditation CDs for only $15!


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Some St. Patrick's Day Traditions
by Mary Jane | Mar 13, 2020 | The Shady Pines Way | 6 comments
6 Comments
Susan on March 14, 2020 at 3:15 pm
Do you have a teacher on staff? Because this is very educational. Thank you. I'm going to send this to my daughter so she can show her daughter.Reply
Connie on March 14, 2020 at 3:13 pm
I shared this with my grandkids and they got a kick out of it. Keep it going Shady Pines Story Town.Reply
Lara Bair on March 14, 2020 at 11:20 am
I just read this with my kids. I never heard about the snakes before.Reply
Deanna on March 14, 2020 at 11:19 am
Since the parade is cancelled in our city I kinda forgot about St. Patrick's Day. Thanks for giving us a virtual way to enjoy this year.Reply
Jan on March 13, 2020 at 9:31 pm
I'd almost forgot about St. Patrick's Day with all the coverage of the Coronavirus. Thank you Shady Pines for giving me something else to share with my kids.Reply
Josie on March 13, 2020 at 9:28 pm
Thank you for taking us to a more celebratory place! I needed something to celebrate right about now!Reply


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Top 7 Natural Beauty Tips for Neck Care
Hello Beauties… 🙂 In the quest to achieve a perfect and radiant skin, we often tend to focus more on our face and ignore Beauty Tips for Neck Care. Hence, the poor neck suffers. It sags, darkens and sometimes even shows unappealing layers of fat. Usually, the skin loses its elasticity and firmness with age, leading to wrinkles and a sagging neck. Going under the knife is not always a good option. So, I offer you Top 7 Natural Beauty Tips for Neck Care.
1. Scrubbing
This is one of the important beauty tips for neck care. Exfoliate your neck once or twice a week. It removes the dead skin that builds up in the creases of your neck, resulting in wrinkles. The process helps the skin to regenerate new cells at a faster rate, and makes it smooth and clear.
2. Egg white pack
Whip an egg white until foamy. Add a spoon of honey or glycerin into it. Apply this paste on your face and neck region, and leave for 30 minutes. This pack will instantly brighten and tighten your skin.
3. Oat meal for oily skin
Oat meal and egg white is the best possible combination for skin tightening. Cook a half cup of oatmeal, cool it and mix it with an egg white. Squeeze a lemon into the mixture. Apply for 15 minutes and rinse it off with tap water. This is an ideal pack for those with oily skin.
4. Vitamin E for skin tightening
Massaging your skin with a cream or oil rich in vitamin E is highly recommended. Vitamin E has natural soothing and moisturizing properties, which help in skin tightening. This can reduce deep wrinkles and fine lines on both face and neck. Also, you can use it under the eyes and around the mouth to tighten the sagging skin. Almond oil is a rich source of vitamin E. A regular massage of it can tighten your skin, especially around the neck area.
5. Pack for pigmented skin
Crush a peach and extract its juice. Mix yogurt and honey into this liquid. Apply the mixture and leave it for 15 minutes. Wash it off once dry. This pack is good for those with a pigmented skin. Though, it is advisable to wash off any pack with lukewarm water, but splash some cold water on your face after using the lukewarm one. Cold water further tightens the skin.
6. Gram flour for skin lightening
It is an Indian household's most favorite ingredient for all skin related problems. Mix gram flour (besan) with yogurt or tomato puree or milk cream. Apply this paste regularly on your neck for lightening and brightening of the skin. This can also be used as a complete body pack.
7. Fruit power
Fruits also have a lot of beneficial properties for treating skin problems. Applying a mashed banana or papaya pulp, coupled with an egg white is often recommended for tightening of the skin. Try this remedy and make your neck look much younger.
A wonderful neck makes you look attractive and extremely feminine. The trick is to start treating your neck before the signs of wrinkles appear. Hope you liked all the Top 7 Natural Beauty Tips for Neck Care 🙂


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How many calls do you get every week – every day – with people telling you how they can get you a better energy rate? 5, 10, 20?
It is tiring. We understand it.
QEA takes a different approach and one of our customers appreciate it.
Energy procurement is very important and is typically the first step in the path to long-term savings partnership we walk down together.
- Our advisors actually sit on the same side of the negotiation tables as our clients to best represent them.
- We provide clients with transparent and impartial information so they can make the best decision for their business.
- QuotEnergy Advisors do not have quotas. We generate business based on the needs of our clients not on shareholders or management.
- We advise our clients on making the right decision beyond price alone.
- We treat our clients as people and follow the Golden Rule.
Don't settle for a sign-and-drive broker. QuotEnergy is different – contact us to show you how.


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A convicted sex offender from Cornwall has pleaded guilty to raping a child and failing to comply with his notification requirements as a sex offender.
David William Robert Carroll, 28, from Pengegon Parc in Camborne , appeared at Truro Crown Court via video-link from HMP Exeter on Tuesday (November 11).
Wearing the regulation grey prison uniform Carroll spoke to confirm his name and address before a total of 10 charges were read to him. Carroll pleaded guilty to each and charge levelled against him.
In total Carroll admitted on three occasions failing to comply with his notification requirements as a relevant offender, causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of taking an indecent photograph of a child, rape of a child under 13 and three counts of making indecent images of children.
Regarding the indecent images counts the court heard how Carroll was found in possession of two Category A images, one Category B image and two Category C images.
He will be produced at Truro Crown Court for sentencing on January 25. He will remain in Exeter prison until then.


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text:
The Applied Voice Input Output Society
Conversational Interaction Conference 2020 Presentations
Monday | 8:00 - 8:45
OPENING KEYNOTE: Breaking Human Interaction Barriers ---- AI, HoloLens and Beyond
Xuedong Huang, Technical Fellow and Chief Speech Scientist, Microsoft
Don't miss a thing in the Age of Experiences. Come check out how new AI technology from Microsoft empowers multilingual conversations with anyone, anywhere, and at any time. Dr. Huang will talk about bringing together intelligent cloud to intelligent edge with a better-together solution, transfer learning bringing in dramatic improvements and Exchange-To-Exchange (E2E) optimization in Speech Recognition, Text-to-Speech and Machine translation. He will also share how MS amplifies human capabilities with HoloLens and Azure AI to break language, location and time barriers.
Monday | 9:00 - 9:45
TRACK 1 | The opportunity and its challenges
Moderated by Lorin Wilde, Academic Advocate, IBM Global University Programs, IBM Research Yorktown
Leveraging the voice revolution to strengthen your brand, Phillip Lam, Product Operations Manager, Aiqudo
Creating an Ethics Policy for Your Artificial Workforce, Robert Harris, President, Communications Advantage, and Martha Buyer, Attorney
TRACK 2 | The voice and personality of your application
Moderated by Emmett Coin, AI R&D, ejTalk
Failing gracefully: adaptive/cooperative language design for social robots, Alison Rush, Computational Linguist, SoftBank Robotics America
Conveying Personalized Recommendations through VUIs, Eunice Liu, Conversation Designer, Google
Monday | 10:00 - 10:45
TRACK 1 | Holding effective automated conversations
Moderated by Nancy Jamison, Principal Analyst - Information & Communications Technologies, Frost & Sullivan
Situational Design: Making the Shift to Ambient Computing, Joe Muoio, Solutions Architect, Amazon
Interactive Media Contextual Analysis Platform, Yakov Kamen, CEO, Relevad Corporation
TRACK 2 | Where AI fits in conversational technology
Moderated by Deborah Dahl, Principal, Conversational Technologies
Making a silk purse from a sow's ear: getting actionable answers from enterprise documents, Marie Meteer, Senior Research Scientist, Pryon
AI based Digital Assistant : Compliance in Banking, Bhagvan Kommadi, CEO, Quantica Computacao
Monday | 11:00 - 12:00
TRACK 1 | The state of conversational applications
Moderated by Tom Schalk, Vice President, Voice Technology, SiriusXM
Making Voice Your Biggest Brand Opportunity, Shing Pan, VP Business Development, Speech Morphing
Conversations are the New Applications, Somya Kapoor, CEO of theloops.ai
TRACK 2 | Making key design choices
Moderated by Jim Larson, Vice President, Larson Technical Services
Voice + Visual: Building the right team for multimodal design, Nandini Stocker, Sr. Product Design Manager, Flipkart
Chatbots: Getting to Level 4 and Beyond, Peter Voss, CEO/ Chief Scientist, Aigo.ai Inc
Culture Through Conversational AI: How to intentionally build assistants that reflect your culture and values, Charles Stewart, Wex AI Chatbot Senior Program Manager, Workday
Monday | 1:15 - 2:15
TRACK 1 | Effective conversational customer service
Moderated by Marie Meteer, Senior Research Scientist, Pryon
Connect with Customers: Messaging That Works, Sean Falconer, Developer Advocate, Google
Customer Service AI Chatbots Need to Raise the Bar on Quality, Mike Monegan, Vice President of Product Management, Cyara
TRACK 2 | Advances in conversational systems
Moderated by Alex Rudnicky, Research Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
How Advancements in Edge Computing Can Improve User Experience, Vineet Ganju, Vice President of Marketing, Edge Computing SoCs, Synaptics
Tell me what you want, what you really really want, Ann Thyme-Gobbel, Voice UX/UI Designer; Charles Jankowski, Conversational Systems Expert
Monday | 2:30 - 3:15
TRACK 1 | Digital Assistants in the Enterprise
Moderated by William Meisel, President, TMA Associates
Learnings from an Enterprise Deployment, Tim Carlson, Senior Director & AI Product Manager, Travelers
The neglected role of Enterprise Knowledge in Conversational AI - Learnings from deployment in a leading wealth firm, Sindhu Joseph is co-founder and CEO of CogniCor LLC
TRACK 2 | Building effective conversational systems
Moderated by Michael McTear, Professor, Ulster University
The Ground Truth Grind: Strategies for Evaluating the Quality of Labeled Data, Teresa O'Neill, Solutions Architect, NLP, iMerit
Is your virtual assistant really intelligent?, Audrey Wu, VP of Strategic Partnerships, Haptik
Monday | 3:45 - 4:30
TRACK 1 | The evolution of digital assistants
Moderated by Nancy Jamison, Principal Analyst - Information & Communications Technologies, Frost & Sullivan
2020 Virtual Assistants Predictions, Yi Zhang, CTO, Rulai, & Professor, UC Santa Cruz
Evolution of design guidelines for enterprise grade digital assistants, Samrat Baul, Principal Conversation Design Lead, Oracle and Richard Miller, Architect, Conversational Design, Oracle
TRACK 2 | Advances in voice technology
Moderated by Deborah Dahl, Principal, Conversational Technologies
Securing Conversational Interfaces with Zero-Effort Continuous Authentication, John Amein, Vice President, ID R&D
Predicting The Future Through Our Voice, Rana Gujral, CEO, Behavioral Signals
Monday | 4:45 - 5:30
TRACK 1 | Best Practices in developing conversational systems
Moderated by Bill Scholz, President, AVIOS
Building Skills that Retain Customer, Joe Muoio, Solutions Architect, Amazon
Revisiting the Conversation, Phillip Hunter, Senior Principal Designer, [24]7 AI and Susan Hura, CEO, Banter Technology
TRACK 2 | Challenges in conversational interaction
Moderated by Tom Schalk, Vice President, Voice Technology, SiriusXM
Talk or Tap: Who's on First?, Lisa Falkson, Senior VUI Designer, Amazon
Avatars 101, David Colleen, CEO, SapientX
Tuesday | 9:15 - 10:00
TRACK 1 | Conversational technology in customer service and marketing
Moderated by Marie Meteer, Senior Research Scientist, Pryon
"Are you being served?" The Virtual Assistant as Shopping Advisor, Lisa Michaud, Senior Product Manager, Interactions
As important as a web site? Company-specific digital assistants are effective and necessary, William Meisel, President, TMA Associates
TRACK 2 | Chatbots: Studies in data creation and trust
Moderated by Anna Wichansky, Senior Director, Oracle Design Research
One percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration: Collecting and processing user utterances for enterprise chatbots, Anna Wichansky, Senior Director & Jayson Webb, Senior Manager of User Research, Oracle
Taking the Chatbot's Word for it? Trust with Enterprise Chatbots, Anna Wichansky, Senior Director & Sneha Kanneganti, Senior Design Researcher, Oracle
Tuesday | 10:15 - 11:00
TRACK 1 | Best practices in conversational systems
Moderated by William Meisel, President, TMA Associates
Ambient Computing, Natural Language Processing, and the role of Digital Assistants, Daniel Myers, Developer Advocate, Google
What are the challenges in teaching conversational machines?, Heloisa Candello, Research Scientist, IBM Research
TRACK 2 | Building conversational systems
Moderated by Jim Larson, Vice President, Larson Technical Services
Flower Genie: how to build cool and useful Alexa-enabled e-commerce applications using Dialog Flow, Victoria Livschitz, Founder and CTO, Grid Dynamics
Using Natural Language Search to Turbocharge your Chatbots, Praful Krishna, CEO, Coseer
Tuesday | 11:15 - 12:15
TRACK 1 | Conversational interaction through multiple channels
Moderated by Tom Schalk, Vice President, Voice Technology, SiriusXM
Multi Device Conversational Assistants, Elnaz Nouri, Senior Applied Scientist, Microsoft Research
Toward interoperable conversational applications: new standards efforts in conversational interaction, Deborah Dahl, Principal, Conversational Technologies
Multimodal Communication with Computers and Robots, James Pustejovsky, Professor, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University
TRACK 2 | Speech recognition in noisy environments
Moderated by Emmett Coin, AI R&D, ejTalk
Enabling speech recognition in noisy environments, Adithya Padala, President & CEO, UmeVoice Inc.
Intelligent Voice User Interface for Apps, Dashen Fan, CEO, VUI.AI
Tuesday | 1:30 - 2:15
TRACK 1 | Learning from deployed conversational systems
Moderated by Lisa Michaud, Senior Product Manager, Interactions
How to Use NLU to Get Great CX, Leslie Walker, Associate Director, Human Factors, Concentrix
Do we really need a conversational interface? Some challenges in designing for conversational interaction, Michael McTear, Professor, Ulster University
TRACK 2 | Natural language tools: A wide range of options
Moderated by Marie Meteer, Senior Research Scientist, Pryon
Deeper Conversational AI for Education, Training, and HR Automation, Dee Kanejiya, Founder & CEO, Cognii
Got Data? The role of analytics in conversational interfaces, Arte Merritt, CEO / Co-founder, Dashbot
Tuesday | 2:30 - 3:30
TRACK 1 | Developing innovative conversational applications
Moderated by Deborah Dahl, Principal, Conversational Technologies
Conversational Voice for daily operations at Oil & Gas Industry, Ramu Sunkara, CEO, Founder, Alan AI, Inc
Techniques to personalize conversations for virtual assistants, Jagadish Reddy Nomula, Founder, Voicy.AI
Think Fast! Using Heuristics in Virtual Assistants, Brandon Sax, Product Design Lead for Xfinity Assistant, Comcast
TRACK 2 | Building conversational systems that engage users
Moderated by Alex Rudnicky, Research Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
Conversation-First Design, Robert Moore, Research Scientist, IBM Research | Almaden
Best Practices in developing conversational systems, Jyo Gadewadikar, Chief Product Officer— Conversational AI, Deloitte and Vatatmaja, Specialist Leader, Analytics and Cognitive, Deloitte
Building chat automation and conversational systems to engage users and drive customer loyalty, Marina Shumaieva, President and CTO, CruiseBe
Tuesday | 3:45 - 4:30
TRACK 1 | Experience with deployed conversational systems
Moderated by Bill Scholz, President, AVIOS
Augmented Reality (AR) Enabled Conversational AI for 3D Model Interaction, Lukman Akanbi, Deputy Director, University of the West of England
TRACK 2 | Creative improvements to the user experience
Moderated by Lorin Wilde, Academic Advocate, IBM Global University Programs, IBM Research Yorktown
Always empathic but never biased, Wolf Paulus, Principal Engineer, Intuit
One Wug Or Two? Or How I Started Thinking About Empathy, Feelings and Design Thinking for Voice, Damien Dabrowski, Sr. VUI Designer, Amazon


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Gastroparesis is a condition where the movement of the muscles in the stomach is slowed down or halted completely. Ordinarily, your stomach relies on muscle contractions to move food through your system—this is also called motility. With gastroparesis, inadequate motility may prevent your stomach from effectively emptying1.
The exact cause of gastroparesis is often unclear, but people living with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes may develop it as a complication of their condition. Varying blood glucose levels can damage your vagus nerve, which controls your stomach muscles. Since your stomach depends on the vagus nerve to move food through your digestive tract, blockages and even bacterial infections can occur if it's not working properly2.
The most common symptoms of gastroparesis can make everyday life a challenge. Individuals with gastroparesis may experience the following symptoms:
If you are experiencing these symptoms, you should consult with your doctor immediately. In some cases, however, gastroparesis shows no symptoms at all, especially in the initial phase of the condition.
For people with diabetes, gastroparesis can cause serious complications. If your stomach is not moving food as it should be, the rate at which you absorb glucose becomes unpredictable, which can make managing your blood sugar difficult.
Other complications can include:
About 20 percent of people with type 1 diabetes will experience gastroparesis. It's also more common in women than men. There is currently no cure for gastroparesis, but it is most commonly treated with medication or by regulating your blood sugar levels.
Dietary changes can also go a long way in controlling gastroparesis3. A doctor or dietician may recommend consuming more starches, proteins, or certain fruits and vegetables- blended/strained if necessary, as they have been shown to effectively manage this condition.
Other helpful dietary changes can include:
Research continues to find new ways to treat and medicate gastroparesis. If you are currently living with this complication due to diabetes, consult with your doctor to see what treatment options are right for you.
Subscribe to our newsletter, News to Infuse and receive monthly diabetes tips and helpful information.


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In contract disputes in California courts, the Parol Evidence Rule (codified in California Code of Civil Procedure section 1856) prohibits evidence of promises or representations that are contrary to the written terms of a contract that was intended to be a complete and final statement of the parties' agreement. For decades (since the 1935 case of Bank of America v. Pendergrass), financial institutions relied on athe Parol Evidence Rule to prohibit borrowers from making claims or defenses based on the lender's alleged false promises or misrepresentations that contradict the terms of the loan documents.
In 2013 and the years that followed, the California Supreme Court and Courts of Appeaal issued several decisions that have eroded the Parol Evidence Rule's strict prohibition against evidence of alleged false promises that contradict the terms of a written contract.Continue Reading


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Ball Python Keeping on a Budget
The following article will tell you how to put together a setup that will give your snake everything it requires for the least amount of money. This setup is actually superior to typical glass tank setups in terms of the health of your animal and the ease of care. It can also be used for other species with similar care requirements.
Bare Minimum Equipment Required
– A 41 quart clear Sterilite, Rubbermaid, or similar plastic blanket box will provide a suitable home for an adult ball python. You may also use a taller clear plastic latch box over 100 quarts, if you want to provide vertical space as well, though ball pythons are largely terrestrial. For a hatchling up to one year old, an 18 quart bin is recommended. From age 1 to 2, a 32 quart bin will provide ample space.
– Luggage padlocks or other small key locks, or strong clamps. Ball pythons are quite strong. They can injure themselves easily attempting to pry up the lid on a plastic bin and crawl through the gap, so the lid should be secured tightly and be impervious to being forced open or warped to provide an exit for a strong snake.
– A radiant heat source. This must be safe for use with a plastic bin. Shopping around online in reptile supply stores will give you a variety of options for heat pads that can be used with plastic cages (most such pads can only be used with glass, so shop carefully), or a heat rope.
– A thermostat or rheostat. This is an essential piece of equipment which should never be done without. It may be the most expensive purchase in the setup, but it is the most crucial for your pet's health and safety. A proportional thermostat of good quality, such as Herpstat or Helix, is best. An analog thermostat such as Big Apple Herp's BAH1000 is also a decent alternative. Rheostats should only be used in an environment where the room temperature stays very constant, night and day, throughout the year. Never use heating devices without a thermostat or rheostat, as most produce enough heat to burn the animal or cause it to overheat (which could prove deadly). A heat pad that seems to be producing the right amount of heat when you buy it can heat up much further as it ages.
– A water bowl deep enough for the snake to submerge in to soak.
– A substrate. Newspaper or paper towels work very well, and are cheap to replace frequently. Reptile cage carpets which can be washed are also an option, but are difficult to disinfect. Many people prefer aspen shavings or Care Fresh – be sure to change these substrates frequently if you use them, as they can hide urates, so a cage can be dirtier than it looks. Do not use fine silica sand, aquarium gravel, corncob, or other beddings that might stick to prey and be eaten and cause an impaction of the digestive system, nor any that might be excessively drying. The substrate should be dry, as excessive dampness can cause skin infections.
– Two temperature gauges (thermometer). These should be the indoor/outdoor variety which have remote probes. They can be purchased from pet stores, but can also be found more cheaply at places like WalMart, Target, or hardware stores.
– One humidity gauge (hygrometer).
– Two hide boxes or caves, large enough for the snake to fit inside completely, but small enough that the snake can feel secure. They should fit closely around the snake, and have single entrances. You may need to get larger ones as the snake grows, if you get your snake when it is small.
Optional Equipment
– Low, sturdy climbing branches, plastic plants, or other decorations (be sure they are too large to be eaten, and do not stack rocks which might fall if pushed). These are heavy snakes, so anything that's not very sturdy may be crushed.
– Feeding tongs/hemostats – hand feed your reptiles without getting nipped.
– Book on ball python care (necessary if you plan to breed them, a good idea even if you don't).
Setting Up The Enclosure
Rinse out the cage with very hot water, and dry it. Use a soldering iron to create a series of small holes along the top edge of the bin. About 2 rows of holes is sufficient, spaced 2 inches apart. Be sure there are no very rough/sharp edges sticking through inside the bin. If using luggage locks, carefully create 4 holes at equal distance along the top rim of the bin which go through the lid as well. Make sure that the distance from the edge of the lid and bin rim is very short, and that your padlocks can fit through the holes. Place the substrate in the bottom. Place one hiding cave one one end of the cage. Place the other hiding cave on the other end of the cage. Place watering dish wherever you like, as well as the other decorations. Be aware you will need to change the water daily, so don't cover the bowl or place things that will make it hard to take out. Make sure that there is always an available water supply, particularly for hatchling snakes, which are delicate and prone to dehydration. Place one thermometer probe on what will be the cool side of the bin. Place the other remote probe from an indoor/outdoor thermometer on the opposite side of the cage, on the floor of the cage over the heat pad. You can pin these under the hide caves, but do not tape them down – tape poses a hazard to reptiles, they always manage to find a way to stick themselves to it. Place the humidity gauge down low in about the middle of the cage. If you are using an undertank heater, place this beneath one end of the cage, as far to that side as possible. Arrange heat rope to loop back and forth beneath half of the bin (without crossing the rope over itself). (Use either a heat pad or heat rope – not both).
Turn on the heat source, program the thermostat if you are using one, and leave the tank for about an hour. Come back, and read the temperature gauges. The warmest area of the cage should be around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool side should be no more than 85 degrees, and no less than 80. If the cage is cooler than this, you will need to add another heat source, or adjust your thermostat or rheostat if they are aren't supplying full power. If the cage is warmer than this, you will need to turn down your thermostat or rheostat. Most undertank heaters get up to 110 degrees, so a rheostat is necessary. Additionally, many heating pads and devices actually get hotter as they get older, making a reliable controller essential to prevent serious risks of burns or even fires. If you believe your older heating device is getting TOO hot, replace it with a new one. Checking the actual temperature of the cage floor is highly recommended when using an undertank heater. The surface should be no warmer than 90 degrees on the warm side of the cage. You can do this using a thermometer with a remote probe, and placing the probe on the cage floor. It is important to set this up before putting your snake into the enclosure, and preferably before bringing it home.
Ball pythons do not require a night time drop in temperatures, and allowing temperatures to fall too low at night may put them at risk of respiratory infections. A small drop of 5 degrees should be well-tolerated, but you will need to insure that temperatures stay consistent at night.
Try to avoid feeding your snake a live rodent. If the snake refuses thawed rodents (available at some pet stores, and through mail order), you may try pre-killing a live rodent for them. A live rodent can VERY easily injure a snake, in the close confines of a cage, and they also may transmit internal parasites. In the wild, the snake can escape from overly aggressive prey, but wild snakes are still occasionally injured. You do not want this to happen to your pet. Purchase frozen rodents of appropriate size (these should be as big around as the widest part of the snake). Ball pythons can be convinced to eat frozen/thawed rodents with a bit of patience, if they aren't already eating them when you get them. If your snake refuses a frozen/thawed rat, try offering a rodent that you purchased live, but have pre-killed for the snake. A frozen/thawed rat can be refrozen once if it has been out no longer than 1/2 hour. Baby rodents may contain less calcium than adults…some people recommend dipping their hindquarters in calcium powder before feeding them, and there is no problem with doing this, though no particular problems have been found from feeding baby rodents without supplementing calcium. Ball pythons have a reputation for being picky eaters, and in many cases, it's deserved. You may need to experiment to find out what your python will accept. CBB animals have been started on rats or mice – they may accept one, but not the other. They may also be more difficult to convert to eating dead prey than some other species, but patience and persistence will eventually win over all but the most stubborn and finicky individuals. It is well worth the time and effort in the long run, to protect your snake's health. Make your attempt a long-term effort – give it at least 6 months of trying all of the various methods before giving up and accepting that your snake will only eat live prey. There are a small percentage of ball pythons that fall into this category. Always be sure to supervise them carefully and be prepared to intervene with forceps to help prevent serious bites if they happen to grab their prey the wrong way. NEVER leave a live weanling or adult rodent alone with a snake. Rats and mice have both been known to attack and even succeed in killing a snake. Never starve a snake to attempt to get it to eat a new food item. Ball pythons are more likely to switch to a new food item if they are used to eating regularly – they will be hungry 'on schedule'. You may wait one extra day to encourage them, but if they refuse the new food item, feed them what they will eat, and try again at the next scheduled feeding time. Ball pythons are well equipped to live for many months without food – in some cases as long as a year! They will not cave in and accept a strange food simply because they are hungry. Snakes have starved to death rather than eat an unfamiliar food.
Because ball pythons can be finicky eaters, it's best to offer them food in their own cage. Wait until early evening, when the snake awakens and begins to move around – it will often only do so if the lights are out. Also, be sure to wash your hands very thoroughly after handling your snake's food, before you put your hands near your snake. Snakes have strong predatory instincts that are triggered by movement, and the scent of prey. Your snake may bite you if its predatory instinct is triggered by your hands, either because they smell like food, or because it's used to food coming when its cage is opened. This is not the snake's fault – it will usually let go of you immediately if you don't smell like food…it may hang on and try to eat your fingers if your hand DOES smell like food, because it doesn't yet realize that it's you. Once it realizes its mistake, it will let go. Bites due to feeding mistakes are the most common bites received by snake owners…they are always the fault of the keeper. A snake cannot control its own instincts, nor learn not to react instinctively. We must learn to understand their behavior, instead. A misting bottle can be used to stop a snake from hunting if it appears ready for food when you want to handle it. A few gentle sprays will usually send the snake looking for shelter from the 'rain' rather than looking for movement of prey. A snake hook or other similar tool can be used to gently touch and move the snake in order to let it know that it isn't feeding time as well.
Never house more than one ball python in a cage. Ball pythons are generally shy animals, and live solitary lives when not breeding. Company may stress them. Additionally, cannibalism, while rare, is not unheard of.
Clean the cage whenever the snake urinates or defecates – if using newspaper or paper towel, remove all of the soiled paper and replace it. Wipe out if necessary. If using aspen or coconut fiber, dig out and discard the soiled area, and replace it with fresh. Once every week to two weeks, completely replace the substrate. Once every month, completely clean the cage-remove all the furniture, throw out any loose bedding, and wash everything thoroughly with soap and water. Then soak it in a 10% bleach solution or chlorhexedine solution for 5 to 10 minutes (never mix bleach with chlorhexedine). Rinse very thoroughly, and let it dry. Dry any wood furniture in the sun, and replace it after it's completely dried and the bleach odor is gone. Do this also when preparing a cage that's been used before for a new animal.
Safe Handling: Wash your hands after handling any reptile or other pet, or handling or cleaning the inside of the cage or its furnishings. Never place a constrictor snake around your neck, as they may tighten their grip to avoid falling. Never permit children to handle a reptile without close supervision.


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At a time when the global pandemic and ensuing economic upheaval have blurred the boundaries between traditional means of payment, the CEO of global payment- and banking-solution provider i2c says the biggest business opportunity ahead will be in credit, with mobile becoming the biggest game-changer.
"The stars of financial services in 2021 will have something to do with credit," i2c CEO Amir Wain told Karen Webster, saying the days of the simple checking or demand draft accounts (DDA) are over. "You can't be a star with the DDA in 2021," he added.
Whether it's increased demand for debit, installment plans or buy now, pay later (BNPL) arrangements, consumers today need multiple types of financial services, rather than a simple DDA account.
"Now we have a couple of dozen neobanks doing the same thing, calling a prepaid card a neo bank account," he said, warning that in the same way that subtleties between prepaid and debit were misunderstood, so are the nuances between debit and credit.
"The same thing is happening with credit. Everyone who is doing prepaid processing today claims that they can do credit," he said — but when you dig deeper into the requirements of a credit-processing system and associated regulations, it's a very different product than prepaid or debit.
All About Mobile
When it comes to innovation in the credit space — including acquisition, provisioning and engagement in particular, Wain says mobile technology is a game-changer that must be seen as the new normal.
"If I were to issue a million [physical] cards or provision a million cards on a phone, my cost structure is very different. My time to fulfill is very different and that also leads to activation rates, engagement, usage and so many other things," Wain said. "So mobile is an extremely important aspect that one has to consider as the new norm."
He uses the friendly, in-person relationships of a credit union as an example. "Credit unions have taken a lot of pride in the relationship with their members [who] can walk in and talk to someone who knows [their] name and so on," he said. "Well, COVID just put a stop to all of that, and people now realize that maybe it's not so important for one to go in and talk to someone."
This change is actually an opportunity for financial service providers, not just from a profitability perspective, but also from a product competitiveness standpoint.
Not About The Size of Your Bank Branch
One of the most common concerns new and smaller financial institutions voice, Wain said, is the difficulty they face in competing against "the big guys" who have huge budgets and better access to tech.
"You can't beat the big guys by using the same processor with limited access to capabilities and not having the budget [to build on it]," he said, adding that the good news for smaller players is that this is a technology-driven business where innovation matters more than the size of your branch network.
"With mobile as your branch and 'the branch' in the hand of every one of your customers and prospects, you are very well positioned to really expand the size and scope of your customer base," Wain said. He added that outsourcing technology to someone with an agile platform is one way to equalize the playing field and beat the big guys at their game.
But while some might think the mobile banking innovation trend is a U.S.-dominated advancement, Wain said that is a mistake.
"Mobile isn't a U.S. phenomenon. Mobile isn't a developed market phenomenon. Social media and getting comfortable with [digital interactions] are not developed world phenomena," he said. "The underlying trends that we're talking about are so global and so pervasive that we are seeing the same thing across the globe."
Where's The Growth?
Wain sees continued innovation in the credit space on the consumer side of the business. However, he believes the "huge opportunity" for i2c and the industry right now is on the commercial side.
"I think there is even a bigger opportunity [on the business side] in the sense that that market is so underserved and there are very few solutions," Wain said, saying it was less serviced than the consumer credit side.
And as much as the pandemic has accelerated the use and embrace of technology, Wain feels that underlying demographic changes are as much of a change-driver as the coronavirus. He points to his own kids as an example.
He said if you step back and look at how kids operate today, chatting with 3,000 friends on social media and instantaneously texting, it's just a different generation.
"So for us to think that the same old financial services, infrastructure, products, and way of service delivery is going to work, is just misguided," he said. "So it's not just pandemic. It's just a whole different way of doing things."


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- Blog
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- Safety first is NOT the motto when it comes to cosmetics laws
Safety first is NOT the motto when it comes to cosmetics laws
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Have you ever used toothpaste? What about deodorant or makeup? Do you wear sunscreen when you go outside? If you've answered "yes" to any of these questions, then you may want to read on.
A few weeks ago the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee held a historic legislative hearing to examine cosmetics regulation — the first gathering of its kind in 30 years! After all this time our government is now seriously discussing the issue of cosmetics regulation.
Despite the clear evidence of harmful chemicals in our cosmetics, we have yet to see any positive changes to our nation's regulation of these products. It's clear to most people that we need to amend the way we regulate cosmetics for the sake of public and environmental health. We've got carcinogens, mutagens, and even reproductive toxins ending up in this stuff and, well, we must do something about it. We've known for a long time that dangerous chemicals like mercury, lead, and formaldehyde end up in popular products such as lipstick and shampoo. While the Food and Drug Administration has acknowledged this fact, the agency is still administering cosmetics and personal care products by way of the seriously outdated 1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act. Why is that? I ask myself this question frequently and I can tell you that if you dig deep on the subject, you will learn of the complexity behind this situation — the answer is not an easy one.
There are various forces at work. This situation is in part directly influenced by some of the big cosmetics companies that don't want to be burdened with new rules. These companies just don't want to change; they'd rather spend their money and influence on making sure they won't have to change or clean up their act — a characteristic all too common when it comes to big business getting its way with people and the planet.
Another force at work here are the people who think that many of the chemicals we fight to keep out of cosmetics and other products are just not that dangerous. Or that these chemicals in small doses won't really ever hurt us. And then there are the people who sometimes unknowingly support this school of thought, we've all got a friend or family member out there who thinks that everything can cause cancer to some extent, so why bother and worry about all of this stuff, we can't do anything about it anyways.
These are some of the forces that end up stalling laws meant to protect our health — the ones truly at our service. The people who support these forces have a right to see the world through their own eyes and to express their opinions. However, I tend to think that we could all benefit (even cosmetics companies) if we made some changes that put our health first, including using fewer cosmetics and ensuring the ones we do use are free from unnecessarily harmful chemicals.
Sure, we may not all drop dead right now from chemicals in our cosmetics, but over time I know that if we don't at least try to clean up this industry, we may never get to realize the potential to be free from these toxins, which so frequently enter our lives and affect our health in the long run. We have the option to lead the world towards healthier living by enacting legislation that gets rid of outdated and dangerous chemicals in our beauty products. If we choose to take action on this issue, we will witness a greater communal health — one we may not even be able to fully imagine at the moment.
Thinking back to the hearing that recently took place, I really wish we would have quickly adopted new legislation to start to deal with these deficiencies in cosmetics regulation, yet no decisions were made and the potential for action has been placed on the shelf once more — at least for now.
Friends of the Earth and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics helped get a new bill introduced last year called the Safe Cosmetics Act (H.R. 2359). A bill that would stop the $50 billion cosmetics industry from putting unlimited amounts of chemicals into personal care products with no required testing, no monitoring of health effects and inadequate labeling requirements. The legislation would begin to make things right and get rid of cosmetic ingredients that cause cancer and reproductive harm. Nevertheless, the bill has been fought against boorishly and our government is now considering other legislative avenues, which are much weaker and could set us back even further.
When it comes down to it, if you rely on the FDA to ensure that what you buy in stores will not harm you, then I would suggest you consider an alternative source for keeping your health and safety in check. You may want to do your own research — a great place to start is the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep cosmetics database where you can find detailed information about thousands of cosmetics products. You can also check out the video below, produced by the Story of Stuff Project, which gives a great background on the problems with the regulation of cosmetics.
On a positive note, we are starting to see the truth about this issue really come to light. The hearing that took place in the Energy and Commerce Committee represents a step towards further exposing dirty cosmetics — they won't be able to hide out for long. We may still be waiting for legislative action, though I have a feeling as more and more people become aware of this situation and make demands to their legislators, we'll hopefully get the change we need.


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This week: Craig Lyndall and staff writer Eric Sandy discuss some of the best music of 2013, which is quite the loaded phrase. Scene published its own list of the year's top 10 albums, but there is plenty to talk about after such a busy year. Lyndall and Sandy touch on some of the albums highlighted in the most recent issue of Scene before tackling the question of what it means to design a "top 10" list.
Bands and artists discussed include The National (stream their latest album below), Boards of Canada, Bombino, Jason Isbell, CHVRCHES, Kanye West, Drake, Deafheaven, Kevin Devine, Appleseed Cast, Sigur Ros, Mansions, and more.
Stay warm out there and listen to some damn good music.


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If you are facing criminal prosecution in Orland Park, you should contact a local criminal defense Lawyer familiar with the legal community of Orland Park, IL.
Throughout Illinois the different courts often have different procedures which they run by. As well, your case might change depending upon which office is prosecuting you. It may be that the district attorney that is handling your case is more likely to offer a plea bargain than the district attorney in the next county.
Orland Park Illinois Criminal Defense Lawyers Know How to Help
The time for hiring a criminal defense Attorney is now. The quicker you discuss your case with a lawyer, the more rights and protections you will receive. It is never wise to try to fight the government's charges against you alone.
Locate The Right Criminal Defense Lawyer in Orland Park, IL Today.
You will want an efficient criminal defense Lawyer that is familiar with the crimes you have been charged with. With this experience comes knowledge, like whether you will be charged with a felony or a misdemeanor, or whether you will be charged as an adult or a minor. The Lawyer that you hire should be able to answer all of these qeustions and prepare a defense against any possibile attack. LegalMatch has many attorneys who specialize in various areas of criminal law. You can use LegalMatch to find a great attorney in Orland Park, Illinois right now, at completely no cost to you.


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Views: 160
I'd be interested to know what temperatures you all are brewing at. I just tried this experiment with our house espresso (a four bean post roast blend roasted to 450-455) and again with a single origin, Ethiopia Aricha Lot 1 (roasted about 430) and I can't say that I agree at all. I tried both bottomless and spouted portafilters and our crema is thick and sweet. While I wouldn't want to taste just the crema, our espresso without it is not as delicious. So I thought, what's going on? I'm preparing espresso at 7200 feet above sea level and it occurred to me that closer to sea level most of you are probably brewing at much higher temps, like Schomer says. Here, water boils at 199 degrees, thus we brew our coffee and espresso around 194-5. In general, I think this lends to a softer profile. I'd love for somebody with a PID down at sea level to do this experiment and tell me what the difference in crema taste is between my temps (194, 20g double) and whatever you are preparing for your customers daily. I'm looking forward to doing more research on elevation and espresso/roasting (we've got almost 20% less oxygen too!) and will keep everyone posted as I learn about the effects.


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Kreissparkasse Steinfurt — Greven, Ibbenbüren, DE
The central office of the Kreissparkasse in Ibbenbueren reacts to the brisk transformation process in the financial sector by having their ground floor area completely redesigned and newly interpreted. Modifications of the working and consulting processes dominate the interior design. Conventional services that used to be performed at the local branch, are increasingly being replaced by virtual transactions.
Strong customer retention by personal consultancy and individual attention has become of vital importance. Therefore, the self-service terminal was integrated into the staffed bank counter area. The consultants now work in teams, but nevertheless still have room for privacy, for example in the form of telephone nooks and sofas with high backrests. Semitransparent cubes ensure confidentiality and facilitate personal meetings. Individual furnishings provide the perfect ambience for every consulting service.


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2701 W. Alameda Avenue, Suite 606
Burbank, CA 91505
If you are missing one or more teeth, you'll want to talk with Burbank area dental implant dentist Dr. Alexandre Tavitian about replacements that look and feel as natural as your own teeth. If dentures are causing you problems, you may consider dental implants. Unlike dentures, which can be removed, Dr. Tavitian offers dental implants that are permanently anchored into the jaw itself.
Alexandre Tavitian, D.D.S. is proud to be a trusted Burbank area Zoom!® teeth whitening dentist. Our patients love the short amount of time the tooth whitening treatment takes as much as they love the results.
You'll be able to relax in our comfortable surroundings. In just about an hour, you'll have a sparkling white smile!
Burbank area dentist, Dr. Alexandre Tavitian has extensive experience providing dental phobia treatments that help patients ease their dental anxiety. If fear of the dentist is keeping you from getting the quality dental care you need, we can help. You're not alone. Our trained team works with all kinds of anxiety and stress. We'll help you get the dental treatment you need in a way that makes you feel comfortable.
Secure, removable overdentures in the Burbank area are available from Dr. Tavitian. The extra stability that comes from using implants means that your new dentures won't slip around.
You'll feel more comfortable compared to regular dentures. You'll feel more confident when talking, eating and smiling.
11645 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1158
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Our patients tell us they feel fortunate to have Los Angeles area braces dentist Dr. Masliah providing them with Six Month Braces®. He will carefully examine your mouth, jaws and bite to make sure they're the right option for you.
This system uses high-tech archwires that have what is called "shape memory." However the wire is twisted or bent by the improper position of your teeth, it will return to its original ideal position. This allows your teeth to move automatically to the right position very rapidly.
Maury Masliah, D.D.S. is proud to be a popular Los Angeles area Lumineers® dentist. If you have sensitive teeth and want pain-free dental veneers, we can help.
Our highly trained team has extensive experience with this quick and easy procedure. We'll help you transform from feeling self-conscious to feeling confident about your bright new smile.
Dental Design of Brentwood is a trusted Los Angeles area dental implants practice providing natural-looking, comfortable tooth replacement. We make it our mission to use a gentle touch during the process.
We hold ourselves to the highest standards to replace missing teeth and provide you with natural-looking results. Our goal is to restore your confidence and your bright, healthy smile.
New and safe sedation dentistry with Los Angeles area sedation dentist Dr. Maury Masliah means you can have years of dental treatments done quickly while you're lightly sedated, with little or no discomfort. If you've been putting up with discomfort, hiding your smile, or delaying scheduling dental work because you're too busy, your life is about to change. Make a sedation dentistry consultation appointment today with Dr. Masliah.
Maury Masliah, D.D.S. is proud to be a trusted Los Angeles area Zoom!® teeth whitening dentist. Our patients love the short amount of time the tooth whitening treatment takes as much as they love the results.
You'll be able to relax in our comfortable surroundings. In just about an hour, you'll have a sparkling white smile!
8035 W Manchester Suite B
Playa Del Rey, CA 90293
Del Dental Group is a trusted Playa Del Rey area dental implants practice providing natural-looking, comfortable tooth replacement. We make it our mission to use a gentle touch during the process.
We hold ourselves to the highest standards to replace missing teeth and provide you with natural-looking results. Our goal is to restore your confidence and your bright, healthy smile.
Would you like your smile to be a bit brighter than it is right now? We can make it happen at Del Dental Group, with professional tooth whitening for brighter natural looking teeth. Dr. Shahrzad Fattahi Zarrinnam's Playa Del Rey, CA area office can effectively lighten your stained or discolored tooth enamel. Whiter teeth not only look great, they improve your self-confidence.
Del Dental Group practices the highest infection control standards to protect our patients and ourselves. In the Playa Del Rey, CA area, Dr. Shahrzad Fattahi Zarrinnam and her staff strictly observe all Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines. All instruments are cleaned, disinfected and routinely sterilized as recommended by the American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control. Whenever possible, disposable, single-use items are used to ensure your safety.
If you're interested in natural-looking bridges and dentures, look no further than Shahrzad Fattahi Zarrinnam, D.D.S. who practices in the Playa Del Rey, California area. Using modern materials and techniques, Dr. Fattahi Zarrinnam can achieve the natural look you seek. You will be very pleased with the comfortable, long-lasting results.
Shahrzad Fattahi Zarrinnam, D.D.S. is proud to be a trusted Playa Del Rey area Zoom!® teeth whitening dentist. Our patients love the short amount of time the tooth whitening treatment takes as much as they love the results.
You'll be able to relax in our comfortable surroundings. In just about an hour, you'll have a sparkling white smile!
F Sehati Inc
484 Mobil Ave # 33
Camarillo, CA, 93010-6364
Duong, Christopher D.D.S.
2087 Ventura Blvd
Camarillo, CA, 93010-7936
Stars Dental
1727 Daily Dr Ste H
Camarillo, CA, 93010-6202
(805) 764-0222
Dismuke, Cristen J D.D.S.
92 Palm Dr
Camarillo, CA, 93010-7964
Tooth loss is not part of the normal aging process. In fact, tooth loss is declining among older adults. Aging does not cause oral diseases, yet oral diseases such as tooth loss are more prevalent with age due to changes in the oral soft tissues, a depression of the immune system, an increase in the number of systemic diseases, a decreased ability to perform adequate oral hygiene and self care secondary to stroke, arthritis, Parkinson's disease, dementia, or Alzheimer's disease, and dry mouth due to greater use of prescription and over-the-counter medications.
With age, teeth become less white and more brittle; however, oral hygiene habits and use of tobacco, coffee, and tea also will affect tooth color. Teeth also can darken or yellow due to the thickening of the underlying tooth structure (dentin). Brittle teeth tend to be susceptible to cracks, fractures, and shearing. Over the years, the enamel layer (outer tooth layer) is subjected to wear due to chewing, grinding, and ingestion of acidic foods. In severe cases, the enamel is completely worn away and the underlying dentin is worn down as well. Inside the tooth (pulp), the number of blood vessels and cells decrease and fibroses increase with age; thus, capacity to respond to trauma may also decrease.
The fiber content and number of blood vessels of the periodontal (gum) tissues decrease with age. However, periodontal disease represents a pathologic or disease change and is not due to just age. The loss of bone and gum attachment (receded gums) associated with periodontal disease is collective and therefore greater in older adults. An outcome of periodontal disease is exposed root surfaces. Exposure of the root in older people probably gave rise to the term "long in tooth". Oral hygiene practices and certain medications affect the health of gum tissue. Receded gums and exposed root surfaces put older adults at high risk for dental decay (root caries) on the relatively soft root surfaces. Dental caries on root surfaces is a disease that is common among older adults. Dry mouth and a diet high in sugars and fermentable carbohydrates greatly increase the risk for root caries. Dental caries are a major cause of tooth loss in older adults.
Studies show some reduced chewing effectiveness, decreased tongue strength, and increased swallowing time with age; however, the studies do not indicate that there is any real change in the ability to swallow with age.
The number of cells that produce saliva decrease with age. However, healthy, unmedicated older adults do not have reduced saliva flow. This is because the salivary glands have a high reserve capacity. Usually when a decrease in saliva flow is noted, it is associated with medication use, illness, medical conditions, or their treatment. The number of taste buds do not appear to change with older age; thus, the ability to taste does not change significantly with age. However, smell decreases with age. Since the ability to taste is closely related to smell, taste perception may be altered in older adults.
Soft tissues of the mouth become thinner and lose elasticity with age. Soft tissue lesions are more common in older adults and tooth loss may occur. Chronic inflammation such as candidiasis (fungus growth) and denture irritation also occurs more often. Wound healing is decreased due to reduced vascularity (blood flow to the area) and immune response with age.
Oral and oropharyngeal cancer is the most serious disease associated with age. Oral and oropharyngeal cancer lesions usually are not painful. Oral and pharyngeal cancer may appear as a red or white patch, a sore or ulceration, or a lump or bump that does not heal within two weeks. Swollen lymph nodes of the neck, difficulty swallowing and speaking, and voice changes also may be signs and symptoms of oral and oropharyngeal cancer. The risk for oral and oral pharyngeal cancer increases with age, use of all forms of tobacco, frequent alcohol use, and exposure to sunlight (for lip cancer). See a dentist if any signs or symptoms of oral and pharyngeal cancer are present.
Even though dentures are fabricated from extremely durable materials, they will break, wear out, a tooth will come out, or their fit will change. Then its time for denture repair.
Accidents happen, dogs still like to chew on plates of the dental kind, and trash compacters have never taken kindly to dentures. In fact, it is frequently not a matter of "if," but rather a matter of "when" a denture will become broken, lost, or damaged beyond repair.
One can be assured that a problem will happen when least expected, and immediate, usually important, plans definitely will be altered unless a person is prepared.
A short-term use duplicate denture will bridge the gap while a regular denture is being repaired, renovated, or replaced. Sometimes this type of denture is referred to as an "embarrassment denture" because it helps a person avoid the embarrassment of being without teeth in an emergency or during planned denture maintenance.
While this type of denture may be made at any time from an existing functional denture, it generally is fabricated immediately after a new denture is made. The embarrassment denture is neither as accurate nor as esthetic and durable as the original, but it is adequate and only meant for short-term use. The cost is generally considerably less than the original denture.
Such an interim prosthesis may be relined annually and adjusted in advance to fit the current changing shape of an individual's jaws, and therefore be ready to use at a moment's notice.
However, some individuals choose to have their embarrassment denture relined and adjusted only when they need the short-term denture. Following this latter course means that they will have to wait to wear their interim denture until an appointment can be scheduled with a dentist to complete the reline and any adjustments. But a reline for an embarrassment denture can be done in the dentist's office during a single appointment so a patient may leave with it refitted in the mouth.
In either case, a person would not be without a prosthesis while their regular denture is being worked on.
All dentures need to be periodically relined to accommodate the constant change in shape of a person's jaws. There are also times when the plastic body of a denture needs to be changed due to deterioration, or the entire denture replaced because of wear or poor fit from changing mouth conditions that can no longer be remedied by relining.
While relines can be completed in one appointment office visit, more durable relines may require that a dentist keep a denture for several days. Replacing the plastic body of a denture (called a rebase) takes several days and making a replacement denture takes several weeks.
It becomes easy to see how an embarrassment denture would solve being without one's regular denture for a period of time, even for planned maintenance, while getting on with one's life.
by Joseph J. Massad, D.D.S.


text:
BMAC newsletter, January 2016
Click here to access our latest newsletter, including details about our participation in International Macaque Day and a wildlife trade workshop in Rabat.
Click here to access our latest newsletter, including details about our participation in International Macaque Day and a wildlife trade workshop in Rabat.
The 2nd BMCRif Football Tournament was an even bigger success than the first one! This time, with the help of Youssef Salama of the Tetouan Football Association (who also provided the trophies); we tripled the amount of boys who took part in the games and reached 100s of people with our conservation message about the Barbary macaques. The qualifying matches took place over three weeks in October. Teams from villages around Jbel Kelti in the isolated calcareous massif also took part. The team from Lahcen came 2nd last year and they were determined to win this year so well done to them.
During the last few months, Sonia and Ahmed have worked very hard delivering a conservation education lesson to several schools in the project area. They talk about the macaques and the work of BMCRif and also give a lesson to the children on the forest's role in the water cycle.
It was a busy autumn for BMCRif staff last year. Our First BMCRif Football Tournament was held in October and was a huge success. Four teams took part and the victors were Moulay Abdsalom. They were presented by a trophy provided by the Tetouan Football Association. The t-shirts were so popular that we ran out of children's sizes and had to give adult t-shirts to even very small boys to avoid them being disappointed.
In the year since I wrote my last annual letter, I've made some important changes at the foundation—changes that will help all of us maximize the impact of our work together.
This month BMCRif is celebrating the anniversary of our first full year in the field and thanks to the generous support of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and the knowledge of the local people we now have more information about the distribution and numbers of Barbary macaques in Bouhachem than ever before.
We are getting to know the whereabouts of many of the macaque groups of Bouhachem thanks to our local shepherd friends. One of these is Abuleela (right) who is from the village of Slalem. Abduleela has helped us locate a number of groups in the forest above his village.


text:
The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on
Cancer found that glyphosate, commonly sold as RoundUp, is a "probable
human carcinogen."
This is serious, as hundreds of millions of pounds of this herbicide
are used on farmland across America every year, and the U.S. Geological
Survey has detected glyphosate in rain, streams and air near
agricultural areas.
Americans are exposed to this "probable human carcinogen" in their
food, air and water every day, and the EPA and FDA are not doing enough
to protect us from these exposures and potential health problems.
It's time for the EPA to suspend the use of glyphosate until a
meaningful evaluation of the herbicide's carcinogenicity is done as a
part of the EPA's ongoing registration review.
The FDA should also begin monitoring and enforcing tolerance levels for glyphosate residues set by the EPA immediately.
Monday, May 11, 2015
It's Time to Get Rid of RoundUp!
Posted by AgentOrangeZone at 7:45 AM
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text:
I am the off brand you secretly like
I am the acorn you pick from the ground
I am the last black bird winging home at night
I am the lining that tarnishes the cloud
I am the sweetness at the end of the cup
I am the kindness you were hoping for
I am the little thing you thought you once lost
I am the silly joke that keeps you from getting bored
I am the thirst and the quench
I am the hunger and the desire to mend
I am the place where you sit next to on the bench
I am your last word your love word your friend.
I am the off brand.
Legal copyright for this poem 9:59AM October 30 2020
and also for this writer/poet Melissa a Howells
and also for this legally copyrighted and registered
site title Meloo straight from her tilt-a-world
I am who I am who I am.
Melissa A. Howells
Vote for this poem


text:
Roger Ebert loved movies.
Except for those he hated.
So begins the Chicago SunTime's feature on the death of film critic and author Roger Ebert. Ebert was one of the few critics (in any field) whose work I respected, even when I disagreed with his opinions. I've always suspected Ebert secretly loved those movies he supposedly hated, because they afforded him the opportunity to pen the most entertaining of his critiques. Check out these two collections of some of his most scathing reviews, his books I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie, and the exquisitely titled, Your Movie Sucks.
Having read a news article just days ago about Ebert's announcement of his cancer's recurrence, I feared the worst was coming, soon. Yesterday I intended to forward the article to friend and fellow movie lover CC [1]. I logged on to the computer, and there was the sad news.
Rereading that last paragraph, I'm thinking that while I may have "feared the worst," Ebert didn't. As followers of his blog know, Ebert wrote with clear-eyed eloquence about his battle with cancer and the contemplation of his inevitable demise, from the perspective of a literate, intelligent, contemplative and grateful atheist/agnostic/deist/non-believer/free-thinker…. [2]
Ebert was fond of a quotation by Brendan Behan, which he cites in the following excerpt from arguably his most profound blog entry – you must, must, must read it – Go Gentle Into That Good Night. [3]
I respect kindness in human beings first of all, and kindness to animals. I don't respect the law; I have a total irreverence for anything connected with society except that which makes the roads safer, the beer stronger, the food cheaper and the old men and old women warmer in the winter and happier in the summer.
"For 57 words, that does a pretty good job of summing it up. 'Kindness' covers all of my political beliefs. No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn't always know this, and am happy I lived long enough to find it out."
(Roger Ebert, 1942 – 2013)
I am happy he lived long enough to share that. Two thumbs up to a life well-lived. The balcony is closed.
The key to maintaining a motivated, youthful perspective is immaturity.
Chapter 324 in a never-ending series.
I rarely listen to music when I'm working on new material. Doing the bizness stuff – what I consider to be unpleasant, logistical/housekeeping chores of writing – requires both distraction and fortification. While researching agents to query about my novel, I had the following inspirational song [4] on repeat play. Which may explain my success in querying agents.
* * *
The new updesk is here! The new updesk is here!
Actually it's been here for a couple of weeks, but the screw holes for the crossbar of the desk's left leg were improperly threaded, and so a new left leg had to be sent from the company's headquarters in Tennessee.
Two years ago, right around the time MH was having surgery on his back, I became concerned with the sedentary nature of my profession.[5] No matter that I am a lifelong, devoted, daily exerciser – the latest research says that we desk people are sitting ourselves to death. I installed an ergonomic program on my computer that makes little icons to pop up a regular intervals to nag remind me to get up and move/stretch. That helped…a little.
I began experimenting with a makeshift [6] standing desk, and discovered I liked standing and working. I also discovered that the relief to my back came at the expense of my knees, a discovery predicted by more of that pesky ergonomics research, which says that there are musculoskeletal problems associated with any prolonged posture.[7] Also, there are times when I just want to sit and work. Wouldn't it be great to be able to quickly and conveniently switch between the two modes without having to unplug/schlep everything?
The techno Good Fairies [8] granted the wishes of moiself and others who seek to reinvent our work environment, as I discovered when I searched for adjustable height desks.
We received the new desk leg yesterday, and handy husband MH assembled the contraption. After three weeks of having my office torn apart/rearranged and my papers and materials divide up between the office and kitchen table, I am so behind with everything, and The Mighty Quinn is coming out in four weeks and I haven't had time to get back to the office and take the desk for a test drive. Ah, but tomorrow with a push of a button I will be able to raise or lower the desk to two present heights, or any height from 26.5″ to 42.5." The future is here (and, as usual, catches me wearing my sweatpants)!
* * *
Future, schmuture: back to the Middle Ages. Which means, of course, a breaking news update on an Islamist society.
In yet another stunning stumble leap toward entering the 19th century, Saudi Arabia has lifted its ban on women riding bicycles. As you know, Saudi women may not drive cars, run for public office or vote, or appear in public unless smothered covered head to toe in a black funeral shroud stylish abaya-niquab-hijab combo. However, as of this week the Mutaween, the kingdom's notoriously conservative religious police, are allowing female Saudis to ride motorbikes and bicycles in certain areas…providing that a male relative or guardian accompanies the biking babes.
The Mutaweenies also stipulates that women may not use the bikes for transportation but "only for entertainment," [9] and that they must not ride near men "to avoid harassment."
They're baaaaack.
Faster than cinema patrons fleeing a Poltergeist sequel showing! More powerful than a politician's ego! Able to leap inconsistent alibis in a single press conference! It's SuperCluelessman!
I refer of course to the spectacle that is the political resurrection of Mark Sanford, the self-awareness-impaired former governor of South Carolina. This week Sanford emerged from the slime seemingly out of nowhere to win his state's Republican House primary, held for the special election that will fill the congressional seat being vacated by Rep. Tim Scott. The special election, slated for May 7, will pit Sanford against Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch, Stephen Colbert's sister.
Brief background info: In 2009 Sanford resigned as chairman of the Republican Governors Association after he admitted to an affair with an Argentinean woman. [10] Sanford was later censured by both the House Judiciary Committee and the South Carolina House of Representatives, as per Sanford's misuse of state travel funds to conduct his affair. But the real fun had come earlier in the year, when Sanford, the executive administrator of his state, became the subject of nationwide news coverage because for seven days his location was unknown to anyone – not his constituents, not his wife, not the State Law Enforcement Division which provided security for him.
Providing material for late night TV for weeks, Sanford had told his staff that during his absence he would be hiking the Appalachian Trail. When a reporter caught him arriving at Atlanta's airport on a flight from Argentina, Sanford quickly organized a news conference, during which he admitted that when he was supposedly hiking the Appalachian Trail he was actually pursuing some Argentinean tail. [11]
Oh, but that was then and this is now. Sanford is now back on the campaign trail, and between self-righteous proclamations of change and milking the politics of forgiveness (he's made mistakes, you know, and none of us is perfect, praise Jeeeeeesus), he also wants you to know that no one seems to know anything about his opponent aside from the fact that she is Stephen Colbert's sister. On April third he made a point of highlighting this fact on MSNBC's Morning Joe show:
"She's not held office. Right now, the one thing that people know about her is that she is Stephen Colbert's sister. Well, at the end of the day, Stephen Colbert is a very popular, well-regarded comedian, but at the end of the day he's not on the ticket."
Oh really? At the end of the day? Why not, at the beginning of the evening? Or, in the middle of the afternoon? Or at the cusp-if-not-quite-not-the-edge-of-the-dusk….
Forget all the other crap Mark Sanford has done and said. The most compelling reason for not voting in this lying, cheating, censured sack of shit into office is that he used that vapid idiom TWICE, IN THE SAME SENTENCE. Which I didn't even think was possible.
May the hiking hijinks ensue.
* * *
Thanks for stopping by. Au Vendredi!
[1] Our nicknames for each other, when planning our movie dates, are Gene and Roger.
[2] These and other labels were given, by others, to Ebert, who refused all labels for this himself.
[3] which also served as the last chapter of his memoir, Life Itself.
[5] Translation: my back began to hurt.
[6] Translation, the sequel: monitor & keyboard propped up on lots of books and other non-desk items.
[7] Translation, the last: "ouch"
[8] Chill out, you paranoid dudes, it's a compliment.
[9] Riding around in a circle to amuse yourself and your "male guardian" is kosher (ahem), but Allah forbid a women might actually use a bike to get somewhere.
[10] To whom he is now engaged. Whaddya think, should I send them a toaster oven, or candlesticks?
[11] Not his exact words. You can credit me on this one.


text:
In this blog, you will find out what can you do to maximize your Xplorer hoverboard's lifetime.
Upcoming advice will help you avoid damage (all damage caused by user error are voiding the warranty).
Handling and maintenance:
Do not ride non-offroad hoverboards on rough terrain to avoid plastic and motor damage. Ride on relatively dry surfaces. Avoid riding during rainfall to prevent water exposure to electronics and possible short circuits and corrosion.
Do not leave the hoverboard in direct sunlight and extreme temperatures. The battery inside the hoverboard is very sensitive to extreme temperatures and it can cause internal damage (permanent loss of capacity).
Clean the hoverboard after every ride and make sure that the charging connector is clean and dry.
The battery is the most important part of the hoverboard. If you take proper care of the battery, the battery will serve you well and have a long lifetime.
The hoverboard battery is made up of lithium ion cells which are the most powerful type of battery. To make the lithium battery last longer, one should take further steps:
- Fully charge the battery only when you plan to use it in next 24-48 hours. Otherwise, if sitting for too long, it will start permanently losing the capacity.
- Do not discharge the battery below 15% (red blinking light on a hoverboard). Overdischarge causes small but permanent loss of capacity.
- Never ever completely discharge the battery, it permanently kills the battery.
- Avoid exposure to temperature under -5*C and over 50*C.
As soon as the hoverboard gives the low battery signal, end the rise and charge the battery.
If you plan to store the hoverboard for longer periods of time (more than a month), charge the battery to 80% and put the hoverboard in the box. Every month or so, turn the hoverboard on for a few minutes and recharge the battery to 80%. If you do not recharge, the battery may completely discharge and become useless.
After storage: turn the hoverboard on, calibrate sensors and let it completely charge. After the charging process is complete, it is ready to ride.
Author: Martin Matešić


text:
Well I've trawled through Facebook and Strava and all I can find is Alison doing a Parkrun in Ireland. Extremely quiet week.
Lots of people doing long training runs in the cooler weather.
We did also have our second session with coach Brian from Swindon which was well received again.


text:
Film making, the comprehensive process that data goes through to be viewed as a finished product and convey the message of the author or director, is centered around seven key stages, beginning with the initial idea and ending with a viewing on the big screen.
Numerous improvements have been made to fine tune this process, but when boiled down, it still centers on development, the pre-production, principal photography, the wrap, the post production and the distribution.
The Steps to Creating a Film
Development is where it all starts. It's either a writer or director pitching ideas, or the putting together of a script or story outline.
Pre-production narrows down the options and is where the majority of the planning for things happens. Locations for shooting and casting decisions are made here. Budgets are often decided, as is a definitive production manager.
Production centers on communication, with the best-case scenario of being ahead of the plan, while sticking to the budget, but this requires constant attention to all of the details.
What is commonly the most expensive step happens next, and that is principal photography, where the camera starts rolling. Costs, cameras, and jobs have to be paid for here.
The wrap step happens after, where the set is dismantled and the location is cleared.
Most post production processes are for editing and assembling the footage, and that leaves distribution for a final product.
Why Film in Utah?
A good percentage of film products will feature some kind of outside footage. With this, you want quality and beautiful footage.
Utah delivers this kind of footage with its ample amount of diverse scenery, from beautiful deserts in southern Utah, red rock mountains, and Wasatch mountains. Many of these locations can be used to fill in for other scenes around the world, which is a must for film projects that are typically on a budget and a time frame.
Nearly one thousand pictures have already been filmed in Utah, with a growing number of episodic series either in production or scheduled for future filming.
Why Digital Bytes?
When seeking a film production company, there are different companies who deal with different ideas. A well rounded company will have years of experience in multiple fields of film to properly assess and produce the presented idea. This is an excellent way to sum up Digital Bytes. We are highly rated as one of Utah's finest in video production and postproduction facilities.
We specialize in a range of products, from broadcast commercials, corporate sales, training or recognition videos, marketing, events featuring multiple cameras, and trade show events.
The best part about all of this for our clients is that everything is housed under one roof. Photography, editorial design, color grading, VFX and live events or streaming is all available in one spot. Our staff is comprised of experienced editorial designers, visual artists, directors and producers who have access and utilize equipment of the highest quality.
We pride ourselves on being flexible, with a motto of having a camera for every budget and fresh creative power for every idea. We even offer custom quotes, so contact us now! There isn't a film project we can't help with!