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Rob Abel, Ed.D. | August 2020
"Together, we are going to a brand new home" —Cynthia Erivo
This month I am focusing on learner agency—the second of 1EdTech's repositioning to a new way of thinking about student success from now on by improving equity, agency, and mastery. Last month, I discussed equity, which isn't about giving every student the same experience, but rather about providing the diversity of experiences that meet learners' needs.
Similarly, agency is about meeting students where they are and helping toward where they would like to go—creating a pathway to success. It's where motivations and interests intersect with opportunities. It's about the empowerment that comes with an expectation that one can chart a course in life.
Isn't it a beautiful vision for our educational systems that the educational process helps every individual find their place in the world?
Every person deserves a place in this world and can have a unique impact on making this world a better place. But finding one's place in the world is a daunting process that lasts a lifetime.
Can educational systems be designed to help develop this sort of agency in a person?
Our educational systems worldwide are already impacting hundreds of millions of lives every day. And the passion of faculty, teachers, staff, and administrators to shape lives positively is a beautiful thing already. Yet, we know that learner agency can benefit from more authentic educational experiences that help build a learner's sense of accomplishment, empowerment, and perhaps even address the challenges relevant to their everyday lives. This is not a new concept. Experiential learning has been endorsed by a wide range of educational innovators, from John Dewey to Paulo Freire, and repeatedly reiterated in studies that learning by doing creates greater retention, transfer, and metacognition.
As we think about adding more experiential learning, we grapple with the historical design of predominant educational and employment systems worldwide. The current systems are largely designed to suit the industrial age, even though, according to economists and philosophers, we are already in a post-industrial society, where knowledge has a higher value than production.
It is daunting to even think about how we transform the predominant educational models from being focused on sorting and stratifying students to focusing on developing each individual's talents and strengths. It's not only that developing useful skills is gaining importance in the return on investment from education, but also the fundamental substrate of what it means to be educated needs evolution. For example, shouldn't the liberal arts be evolving rapidly to meet the changing needs of society?
It is also extremely challenging to help young people find their place in the world when the world is so complex, and they are just beginning to learn about it. For many, the degree of agency and motivation in learning is directly connected with the actual opportunities that are at hand. Thus, better educational experiences and better clarity of how that education connects to real opportunity are two sides of the same coin.
No doubt, these are some daunting challenges that aren't as easy to solve as creating a set of academic learning standards and assessing a student's ability to perform on them. Or by simply adding more "career days" into the curriculum.
The good news is that we are already seeing the beginnings of the changes across K-12, HED, and corporate learning that guide us as to how to evolve to a world where opportunity and empowerment lead to more effective student agency and achievement on a broader scale. We should not kid ourselves that this is going to happen overnight. But, as usual, the changes are occurring among the most motivated stakeholders. The motivation might be pure belief and conviction. Or, it might be very pragmatic—like filling gaps in employment or college application pipelines. Or it might be both together. If you are in K-12, HED, or corporate learning, you probably see examples. In 1EdTech, we are seeing many such as those discussed at our Digital Credentials Summit in February. This is very exciting! It's a time when innovation in new models is being appreciated that can directly connect learners to better opportunities—and the COVID-19 pandemic has made the need even more apparent as we more closely examine educational experiences, cost, and outcomes.
We have been working, along with our many partners, on enabling a connected infrastructure that encourages both sides of the agency/opportunity coin. While it is impossible to predict the many ways that innovative educational models will evolve, we in 1EdTech believe that there is a common foundation that is an obvious way to begin connecting educational models, opportunities, and lifelong learner agency. Simply put, we are finding broad agreement among educational and corporate leaders that we must get better at representing the full depth and breadth of student achievement and skills across all sources in a way that can be curated by individuals and connected to the dynamic market of opportunities. Learners have a story to tell, their own, and need a better way to do it. Educational systems can aid this process by validating a greater breadth and depth of achievement.
There's been much exciting news in the last year or so about interest in a better record of learning by various names such as the interoperable learning record (ILR) or the learning and employment record (LER). And, of course, there has been a lot of excitement about how blockchain might be used as the immutable distributed ledger underlying such records. Thanks to the good work of 1EdTech members, our community anticipated these needs and is at the forefront of providing the foundation for the connected infrastructure with the combination of the 1EdTech Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR) and Open Badges (initially created by Mozilla Foundation and now improved by 1EdTech members including Mozilla). Open Badges can be incorporated as verifiable achievements from numerous sources into the CLR. AACRAO recently recommended adopting the 1EdTech CLR standard, and we are partnering to help higher education institutions across a broad range of needs through a series of public CLR roundtable discussions. Open Badges are being adopted in exciting ways in formal and informal education and corporations of all sizes. 1EdTech is also working with our K-12 state and district members (via the Partnership for Interoperable Versatile and Open Transcript or PIVOT Project) on some very innovative things.
Next month I will tie together the three focus areas for defining student success of the future while adding mastery into the mix. Till then, I hope the same determination, skill, and empathy that is getting us all through an unprecedented "back to school" can be leveraged in the future to get us to a brand new home—where our educational and employment systems work better together to help every individual better find their place in this world.


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An HIV vaccine that has the potential to protect people around the world from the virus has shown promising results.
The treatment, which aims to provide immunity against various strains of the virus, produced an anti-HIV immune system response in tests on 393 people, a study in the Lancet found.
It also protected some monkeys from a virus that is similar to HIV.
More testing is now needed to determine if the immune response produced can prevent HIV infection in people.
About 37 million people worldwide live with HIV or Aids, and there are an estimated 1.8 million new cases every year.
But despite advances in treatment for HIV, both a cure and a vaccine for the virus have so far remained elusive.
The drug Prep, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is effective at preventing HIV infection, but, unlike a vaccine, it needs to be taken regularly, even daily, to prevent the virus from taking hold.
Inventing a vaccine has proved an immense challenge for scientists, in part because there are so many strains of the virus, but also because HIV is adept at mutating to elude attack from our immune systems.
Previous attempts at HIV vaccines have been limited to specific strains of the virus found in certain parts of the world.
But for this "mosaic" vaccine, scientists have developed a treatment made up of pieces of different HIV viruses.
The hope is that it could offer much better protection against the almost unlimited number of HIV strains found across the world.
In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, scientists tested various combinations of the mosaic vaccine in people aged 18 to 50 who did not have HIV and were healthy.
The participants, from the US, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, and Thailand, received four vaccinations over the course of 48 weeks.
All of the vaccine combinations produced an anti-HIV immune system response and were found to be safe.
Scientists also carried out a parallel study where they gave rhesus monkeys the vaccine to protect them from getting simian-human immunodeficiency virus – a virus similar to HIV that infects monkeys.
The mosaic vaccine combination that showed the most promise in humans was found to protect 67% of the 72 monkeys from getting the disease.
"These results represent an important milestone," said Dan Barouch, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and lead author of the study.
However, Prof Barouch also cautioned that the findings needed to be interpreted with caution.
Though the vaccine triggered a response in the immune system of the people who took it, it is not clear if this would be enough to fight off the virus and prevent infection.
"The challenges in the development of an HIV vaccine are unprecedented, and the ability to induce HIV-specific immune responses does not necessarily indicate that a vaccine will protect humans from HIV infection," he added.
Promising signs
Nevertheless, the promising results of the study mean researchers will next test the treatment on 2,600 women in southern Africa who are at risk of getting the illness – one of only five vaccines to make it to this stage of so-called efficacy trials.
Only one vaccine has ever shown evidence of protecting against HIV.
A vaccine tested in Thailand lowered the rate of human infection by 31%, but the effect was considered too low to advance it to common use.
Dr Michael Brady, medical director at the Terrence Higgins Trust, said it was early days for the vaccine but the signs were "promising".
"However, it's important to be cautious and be clear that there's a lot of work to do before an effective HIV vaccine is readily available."
Dr Brady added that in the meantime there were already tools that were effective for preventing the disease from spreading, such as contraception and treatments for HIV-positive people that prevent them from passing on the virus

subset: commoncrawl


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Reduced kidney function, high levels of protein in urine associated with adverse outcomes
Patients with high levels of proteinuria (protein in urine) in addition to another marker of reduced kidney function had an associated increased risk of all-cause death, heart attack or progression to kidney failure, according to a study in the February 3 issue of JAMA.
As many as 26 million Americans have chronic kidney disease (CKD). The current system for determining the stage of CKD is based primarily on the estimated rate of glomerular filtration (eGFR; measure of the kidneys' ability to filter and remove waste products) with lower eGFR associated with higher risk of adverse outcomes. "… the guidelines have been criticized because they do not incorporate information about the presence and severity of proteinuria an important marker of CKD that is associated with adverse outcomes," the authors write.
Brenda R. Hemmelgarn, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and colleagues examined the association between reduced eGFR, proteinuria, and adverse clinical outcomes, including all-cause death, heart attack, and progression to kidney failure. The researchers analyzed data from a province-wide (Alberta) laboratory registry that included eGFR and proteinuria measurements for 2002 to 2007. There were 920, 985 adults who had at least 1 outpatient serum creatinine measurement and who did not require renal replacement treatment (i.e., dialysis) at the beginning of the study.
The researchers found that within each level of eGFR, there was substantial variability in risk with participants who had greater amounts of proteinuria having increased adjusted rates of all 4 adverse outcomes (all-cause death, heart attack, end-stage renal disease, and the doubling of serum creatinine measurement [corresponding to a 50 percent decline in kidney function]). Patients with heavy proteinuria but without overtly abnormal eGFR appeared to have worse clinical outcomes than those with moderately reduced eGFR but without proteinuria. Significant interactions between eGFR and proteinuria were observed for death, initiation of renal replacement, and doubling of serum creatinine.
"These findings are important because current guidelines for the classification and staging of CKD are based on eGFR without explicit consideration of the severity of concomitant proteinuria. In addition, computerized reporting of eGFR (generally without consideration of proteinuria) is increasingly used to assist physicians in identifying patients at high risk of adverse outcomes—or those who might benefit from specialist care. Although our findings do not directly address which patients would benefit from referral to a nephrologist, they do suggest that risk stratification performed in terms of eGFR alone is relatively insensitive to clinically relevant gradients in risk," the authors write. "These findings suggest that future revisions of the classification system for CKD should incorporate information from proteinuria."
More information: JAMA. 2010;303[5]:423-429.


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Budget Flagpole
Great selection and lowest prices on all flagpoles from 5ft to 100ft. We are the largest direct vendor of flagpoles in the US, and we ship the next business day. We supply only the best quality products. Our flagpoles and flag pole kits are manufactured to the highest standards and are designed to last for many years. They are much more sturdy than you will find in most stores. Our factory direct pricing combined with our low overhead direct sales allows us to offer better quality products at much lower prices than you can find elsewhere.
Need help or advice? Just call toll free 1-877-734-2458 and our friendly staff will explain the options and benefits.
Wait a minute before you fly that American flag! Visit our Flag Blog for American Flag etiquette!


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Total Care Roadside Assistance has been designed specifically for Land Rover drivers to assist in a motoring emergency, from immobilisation due to breakdown or accident to minor emergencies such as a puncture.
Our Land Rover trained technicians have the expertise to get your vehicle up and running in the shortest possible time, while Total Care Roadside Assistance cover ensures that, should this not be possible, you and your passengers will have an alternative means of reaching your destination.
Total Care Roadside Assistance also brings you access to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) emergency assistance centre, manned 24 hours a day, every day of the year by experienced multilingual staff.
The period of cover will be shown on your personalised Total Care membership card.
To arrange assistance, please call:


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The 25th Anniversary Lakehead University Native Student Association (LUNSA) Pow Wow is in full swing this afternoon in Thunder Bay, Ontario, but you can enjoy the action from the comfort of home.
In co-operation with the Lakehead University Native Students Association and Lakehead University, NetNewsledger.com will offer the Pow Wow live in an HD Livestream+ broadcast over the Internet.
University President Brian Stevenson commented on the pow wow's website: "I want to welcome you to Lakehead University. We are broadcast all over the world and we are being broadcast all over Northwestern Ontario, I want all of you who are Aboriginal to take pride in this university, which is your university, and it a university that will grow and develop for you over the next few years.""Come to Lakehead, visit us, and see this wonderful celebration of our Aboriginal culture language and history."
Master of Ceremony: Nathan Moses, Pic River First Nation
Arena Director: Todd Genno, Pic River, First Nation
Spiritual Advisor: Kalvin Ottertail, Lac La Croix, FN
Host Drum: Little Bear
Co-Host Drum: Mud Puddle
Saturday: Grand Entry – 1PM and 7PM
Traditional Feast – 5PM
Sunday: Grand Entry – 12PM and Closing Ceremonies
The goal of LUNSA, Lakehead University and NetNewsledger.com in offering this event is to help to build bridges and understanding between people across Northwestern Ontario and beyond about the rich history of Aboriginal Heritage. A little about Pow Wow!
The drum beat is Mother Earth's heartbeat. Across Northwestern Ontario over the summer, Aboriginal culture comes to life at Pow-Wows. Almost every weekend there will be a Pow-Wow happening in one of the communities across the region. "It is like a get-together, its also a teaching," said Munzeroy. "It is also a way to keep our culture together. A Pow-Wow is a celebration of life". Munzeroy is a Ojibwe teen living in Thunder Bay, who participates in Pow-Wows, traditional Native dancing and drumming.
Click here to watch the pow wow!
VIDEO Pow Wow Part One
Lakehead University LUNSA Pow Wow 25th... par netnewsledger
Lakehead University 25th Anniversary LUNSA Pow... par netnewsledger


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Little Blue Truck's Christmas: A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids (Hardcover)
Celebrate Christmas with the #1 New York Times bestselling Little Blue Truck in a light-up novelty book that's the perfect gift for the holiday season.
It's the most wonderful time of the year! Little Blue Truck is spreading cheer by delivering Christmas trees to his animal friends. Can you help count each green tree from one to five and back again? Don't forget to save one for Blue! Beep! Beep!
With the gentle rhythm and signature illustration style that made Little Blue Truck a household name, Blue's snowy adventure is full of holiday warmth. Sturdy cardstock pages, a compact and child-friendly text, and flashing colored Christmas lights on the final page come together in a novelty gift book that's sure to be the favorite treat of the season.
About the Author
Alice Schertle is a poet and author of many well-loved books for children, including the beloved #1 New York Times bestselling Little Blue Truck series, Very Hairy Bear, Button Up!, and All You Need for a Snowman. She lives in Plainfield, Massachusetts.
Jill McElmurry was the illustrator of many picture books, including her own Mad About Plaid, When Otis Courted Mama by Kathi Appelt and the best-selling Little Blue Truck series, written by Alice Schertle. She happily divided her time between the wide landscape of New Mexico and a green island in Minnesota. Jill passed away in August 2017.
Praise For…
"Little Blue's fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it's the sparkling lights on the truck's own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler's eyes." —Kirkus —


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"I found my voice long before I became a writer in community organizing. That's where I found my voice, where I was able to take all that pain and transform it into something useful in the world, and I never looked back." Michael Patrick MacDonald is a storyteller. Michael recently encouraged the crowd of young leaders at the Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools'® National Training to understand the power of storytelling to create change.
His first book, All Souls: A Family Story from Southie, became a national bestseller and won an American Book Award, and All Souls and its follow-up Easter Rising: A Memoir of Roots and Rebellion have captivated readers with their accounts of his childhood in South Boston's Old Colony housing project and the poverty, crime, and addiction that devastated his Irish Catholic neighborhood and killed four of his siblings.
He said All Souls begins with a description of an event he organized in his own community: "I organized an All Souls Day vigil to get the neighborhood to start to come out and to tell the truth about all the deaths in the neighborhood, from murders, overdoses, all of the things that we didn't talk about, all of the things that we pretended didn't exist. South Boston held the highest concentration of White poverty in America, and I grew up in the housing projects there in a family of 11 kids. Of the 11 kids, we lost four, plus a sister who was crippled in a fight over pills and was pushed off a roof in the projects. But the others all died from poverty and violence as well. My mother was shot as well, and all the years you would go through that stuff, and all of our neighbors were going through that stuff, we were strangled by this code of silence where you were never able to talk about it. You weren't allowed to talk about this stuff because our neighborhood was controlled by organized crime, but also because the neighborhood was in a state of denial, choosing to believe what the media says—that this stuff doesn't happen here, this stuff happens 'over there,' to 'those people.' That's Black and Latino people, in particular. [South Boston] is very well known for the race riots of the 1970s, when the neighborhood broke into racist riots over desegregation in the city of Boston, but had an awful lot in common with those neighborhoods that we were trying to keep out—an awful lot in common in terms of class."
Michael knew the code of silence in his neighborhood very well because it was the way he was brought up. In his own family he was "the quiet one" of the 11 children, and as each of his four brothers died he initially felt "kind of stunned speechless." But when he started working "over there" in some of Boston's other neighborhoods he realized he wasn't the only one holding a story inside—and learned how much more power people had when they started letting their stories out and sharing them with each other. "I decided to write a memoir after years of doing community organizing, especially with a lot of mothers of murdered children, from around the city of Boston—from Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, the Black and Latino neighborhoods, as well as eventually South Boston and Charlestown, the poorer White neighborhoods . . . and I would organize these press conferences or rallies, and I'd push them to the microphone to get them to tell their stories. I saw what happened to them when they told their stories in whatever amount that they wanted to and were capable of telling—how it changed them, and it was also changing the world."
Michael could see the impact these mothers were having on their communities, especially by speaking out against gun violence. He could also see that sharing their stories was helping reduce their own risks of suicide, alcoholism, drug addiction, and need for revenge against the people who had taken their family members' lives, and breaking their silences was even changing them in other ways: "They had a really powerful strength, and they completely changed from 'high-risk' people to really powerful people . . . I saw what it did for them . . . and then they started to push me out to the front to the microphone, and I would give little bits of my story, and tell of my siblings that were killed, and eventually wanted to tell more and more because I started to feel what it does for you." By the vigil he described at the beginning of his book he was both organizer and participant, one of the last people to step to the altar to light a candle and recite the names of each of his own lost brothers—"I stopped and took a deep breath. Then I spoke up. Davy, Frankie, Kevin, and Patrick, and for all souls."
Michael ultimately learned a lesson that he compared to reading Howard Zinn's beloved classic A People's History of the United States: "When I even just saw the title of that book and started to think about what 'people's history' means, that means that all of us have to tell our stories, and that's ultimately a people's history—and the more we can encourage that in young people, the more we will have a more complete story." Readers everywhere have been grateful for the ways Michael Patrick MacDonald has helped complete South Boston's story, and he says as he continues to travel and talk about his own writing he's learned the idea young people connect with most is how powerful it can be to share their own stories and the "possibility of transforming trauma into voice." It's a critical lesson for all young people and for all of us—and especially for those who've experienced some of the same kinds of family and community poverty, violence, and addiction, for whom breaking silences and realizing they are not alone can be life-changing.
Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children's Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. For more information go to www.childrensdefense.org.
Mrs. Edelman's Child Watch Column also appears each week on The Huffington Post.


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I just read a post on Elementz's blog that explained how meta game has changed in League Of Legends and how important is today the role of roamer.
I studied some videos of Alistar roaming and trained to fullfill this role quite successfully in some ranked games. But are there any alternatives to Alistar? Which characteristics should have been evaluated before choosing a champion for this role?


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By Zack Clark, government relations representative, National Farmers Union
It is a well-known fact that farming is a risky endeavor. General risk and uncertainty, be it weather or volatile price fluctuations, can wreak havoc on a farm's financial wellbeing. A range of risk management tools aids producers in mitigating the impacts of uncontrollable events. One of these instruments is hedging against price fluctuations in commodity markets.
Regulated by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), these markets, which include derivatives, futures and option markets, offer market participants opportunities to stabilize some aspects of price volatility. As the market watchdog, the CFTC works to uphold open, transparent, competitive and financially sound markets using compliance, surveillance and enforcement authorities provided to it by Congress.
Instances of fraud, manipulation, abuse and systemic risk have existed in one form or another throughout market history. More recently, the CFTC navigated the 2008 financial meltdown and large financial collapses like MF Global and Peregrine Financial, brought cases against individuals and companies, and continued to promulgate rules in an effort to bring more certainty and confidence to the markets the commission regulates.
One of the many items on Congress's to-do list is the reauthorization of the CFTC, which lapsed September 30, 2013. During the 113th Congress, the House passed the Customer Protection and End-user Relief Act, but the Senate did not take action on the bill, and the law subsequently expired at the closing of the 113th Congress. Chairman Mike Conaway's, R-Texas, Agriculture Committee has held hearings on the subject and marked up a bill on May 14, 2015, which in part mirrored the reauthorization package passed out of the House in the 113th Congress. The Senate began holding CFTC hearings on May 14, 2015.
Extending CFTC's governing laws through reauthorization is of critical importance. While the CFTC continues to operate absent authorization, reauthorization allows the commission to focus more intently on its mission. Legislative inaction increases uncertainty at a time when the CFTC is working to move forward significant rules that will have a large impact on market participants.
As Congress works towards reauthorization and the CFTC advances additional rules, National Farmers Union (NFU) continues to advocate for the policies enacted by its membership. Establishing appropriate contract and aggregate position limits for all commodities in all price-discovery markets, with input from agricultural producers and commercial market users, is chief among our policy. NFU also supports maintaining the practice of over-the-counter trades being cleared by a CFTC-regulated clearing organization, but goes even further in seeking that those trades be publically reported. NFU, like so many other organizations, also seeks clarification of the definition of hedgers and hedge exemptions. These exemptions should only include those with a legitimate commercial interest in the physical commodity.
NFU also has an ongoing concern over questionable market movements. The organization supports the monitoring of any market movements that indicate a deliberate accumulation of excessive speculative positions that exceed the limit number of positions an individual speculator may hold. For this and other reasons, CFTC will need to continue to update its surveillance capabilities. This will require resources that Congress is unlikely to provide according to House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture Chairman Robert Aderholt, R-Alabama.
NFU believes this is a mistake and calls on Congress to adequately fund the CFTC. Since 2008, when CFTC's authority expanded by roughly $400 trillion when over-the-counter swaps became a part of its jurisdiction, CFTC's resources have been inadequate. The Obama administration has called for $322 million in funding for fiscal year (FY) 2016, an increase of $72 million. Congress must recognize the role that the CFTC plays in markets that impact so much of the U.S. economy, especially the agricultural economy.
Statistics not only show the net positive CFTC plays for the U.S. Treasury, but also illustrates the volume of enforcement that the commission is required to conduct. In FY14, the CFTC obtained $3.27 billion in sanctions, including $1.8 billion in civil monetary penalties and $1.4 billion in restitution that bypasses the commission and goes directly to the Treasury.
Last month, we witnessed another high-profile charge brought by the CFTC. Charges have been leveled against Kraft Foods and Mondelez for profiting an estimated $5.4 million through the manipulation of the wheat market to drive down prices while never intending to take delivery on its $90 million worth of wheat futures. The merits of these charges must be weighed by the judicial system. But it is an example, like that of the aggregated sanctions for FY 2014, of the need for a well-funded regulator to protect producer's bottom line.
Ensuring that the CFTC has the resources that it needs, thereby ensuring that producers have confidence in the financial tools they require, is of critical importance to agriculture. To achieve this, Congress must not only reauthorize the CFTC, but also fund the commission through the annual appropriations process at a level that allows it to effectively carry out its mission.


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FDA tests apple juice for arsenic, says most are OK
Perhaps in response to Consumer Reports' charges that levels of arsenic in children's juices are so high that more restrictive standards would be healthier (see previous post), the FDA has done its own tests, updated its arsenic home page, and strengthened its Q and A on arsenic.
The Q and A includes these questions:
Is the arsenic in apple juice predominantly organic or inorganic? Due to limited data available to answer this question, in October 2011, FDA collected and analyzed 94 samples of apple juices available for sale in the United States. Results from this data indicate that there are relatively low levels of arsenic in apple juice, with 95 percent of the apple juice samples tested being below 10 ppb total arsenic, but that the arsenic in these samples was predominantly the inorganic form [the bad kind].
Did the FDA test any of the samples tested by the Dr. Oz Show? On September 10-11, 2011, the FDA completed laboratory analysis of the same lot of Gerber apple juice that was tested by the Dr. Oz Show [Dr. Oz complained about the dangers of arsenic in juice], as well as several other lots produced in the same facility. The FDA's testing detected very low levels of total arsenic in all samples tested. These new results were consistent with the FDA's results obtained in the FDA's routine monitoring program and are well below the results reported by the Dr. Oz Show. The FDA has concluded that the very low levels detected during our analysis are not a public health risk and the juice products are safe for consumption.
Food Quality News reports that safe or not, the FDA is still "considering setting a guidance level for inorganic arsenic in apple juice and apple juice concentrate that will further minimise public exposure to this contaminant."
As well it should. And preferably at the lower levels recommended by Consumer Reports.


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Research & Collections
As the major repository for anthropological and archaeological research materials for New Mexico and the greater Southwest, the Laboratory is charged with preservation, conservation, and curation of invaluable collections which are a central part of the cultural heritage of the region and its indigenous communities. The museum has extensive holding of various types, these include:
Object Collections
The museum's more than 75,000 exhibition quality objects include some of the first artifacts collected from Southwest Native American communities by the Museum of New Mexico at the beginning of the 20th century, as well as materials acquired by the Laboratory of Anthropology from its inception in 1931.
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Archaeological Pottery Project: IMLS Conservation Survey
The Museum's collection ceramic vessels represent the most complete assemblage of indigenous New Mexico ceramics anywhere in the world. Archaeological Pottery Project: IMLS Conservation Survey
more »
Archaeological Research Collections
The Research Collections constitute the museum's largest collection, and are an important part of New Mexico's cultural heritage. Representing the largest assemblage of archaeological materials in New Mexico, the Repository contains about 5 - 10 million artifacts.
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Center for New Mexico Archaeology
When completed, the Center for New Mexico Archaeology (CNMA) will be a central facility for archaeological research, curation, and education in the state of New Mexico.
more »
Laboratory of Anthropology Library
The Laboratory of Anthropology houses a unique special collections and research library dedicated to the study of Native cultures, as well as anthropological, archaeological and historical research of the greater Southwest.
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The museum's archives contain institutional and ethnographic records including 8,000 historic and contemporary images; manuscript archives documenting early Laboratory of Anthropology staff projects; and papers and correspondence relating to the history of anthropology in the Southwest.
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Collections Policies & Procedures
The policy descriptions and forms available on this web site are provided for researchers and other individuals interested in using the MIAC collections for research or submitting artifacts and records to the ARC.
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These collections are available to Laboratory staff and other interested parties working with the materials at the Laboratory and at off-site locations.
The Laboratory of Anthropology furthers understanding of the Southwest's Indian communities through research and education focused on the region's indigenous cultures and their history. The Laboratory's interests are fourfold: studying past and present cultures through field work, collection and analysis; documenting and preserving anthropological and archaeological materials in the Laboratory's holdings; providing training opportunities in anthropological and archaeological research methods and projects; and disseminating the results of anthropological and archaeological research to Native communities, the general public, and scholarly audiences.


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Furnished Over 1 Million Homes Since 1997...
Product Review - Magnussen Harcourt Square End Table
Furniture Brand
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Reference - Sku: MAG-GRD-T1648-03 - Magnussen Harcourt Square End Table by Magnussen Furniture


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Baptism - A Sacrament
In the waters of baptism, we are lovingly adopted by God into God's family, which we call the Church, and given God's own life to share and reminded that nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ. Holy Baptism, which can be performed through pouring of water or immersion in it, marks a formal entrance to the congregation and wider Church; the candidates for the sacrament make a series of vows, including an affirmation of the Baptismal Covenant, and are baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are marked as Christ's own for ever, having "clothed [themselves] with Christ" (Galatians 3:27).
All people of any age are welcome to be baptized; we believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, as the "bond which God establishes in Baptism is indissoluble" (Book of Common Prayer, p. 298).
The Episcopal Church, https://www.episcopalchurch.org/baptism


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You would never doubt the importance of regularly brushing your teeth (right?!), but how much attention do you give to your toothbrush itself?
Your toothbrush is actually your first line of defense against cavities, gum disease, and other serious dental problems. By properly cleaning, storing, and replacing your toothbrush, you can encourage long lasting oral hygiene and protect your radiant smile.
How to Clean Your Toothbrush
Though your toothbrush is responsible for removing bacteria from your teeth, it isn't shielded from accumulating germs of its own. Make sure you take the following steps to keep your toothbrush clean:
- Rinse your toothbrush with water after brushing
- Set your toothbrush vertically after brushing to help it drain and dry
- Never pack away or cover a wet toothbrush since the moisture will cause the growth of microorganisms
As long as you follow these simple steps, your toothbrush will not become a breeding ground for fungus, bacteria, and germs that can make you sick or threaten your oral health.
How to Replace Your Toothbrush
Your toothbrush won't last forever. Your dentist in Berkeley recommends a toothbrush change every three months, since this is when toothbrush bristles start to break down and become inefficient. Even normal wear and tear makes it harder for your toothbrush to remove plaque from your mouth.
It's also important to replace your toothbrush after an illness. A cold, the flu, a mouth infection, or a sore throat are all reasons to swap your toothbrushes. This reduces your risk of infection and prevents the spread of sickness.
Other Important Toothbrush Tips
Make sure you look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance when purchasing a new toothbrush. The ADA Seal of Acceptance indicates that a toothbrush meets the criteria set forth by the American Dental Association for toothbrush safety and efficacy. The Oral-B Indicator ContourClean Toothbrush, PRO-SYS Tapered Toothbrush, and REACH Advanced Design Toothbrush are all ADA-approved.
For more help caring for your toothbrush and maintaining your oral health, visit Berkeley Hills Dentistry in Berkeley, CA. Contact our team to learn more about our extraordinary and comprehensive dentistry services offered.


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Active 10 Pain Relief and Healing Cream (8oz Pump)
Active 10 Pain Relief and Healing Cream (8oz Pump)
- Active 10 Pain Relief Cream is the fastest growing clinically used and recommended topical analgesic of healthcare professionals. Find one in your area on the Active10.net website.
- Chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists, and athletic trainers use Active 10 to provide immediate relief from many common conditions such as arthritis and other causes of muscle and joint pain. Active 10 applies easily and penetrates quickly to relieve aches and pains related to sore muscles and joints, sprains, strains and bruises and can be applied to body parts such as the hand, wrist, elbow, foot, ankle, knee, hip, back, neck and shoulders.
- Instant Relief and Long Term Healing!
Active 10 represents a cutting edge breakthrough in the treatment of localized pain. Utilizing an advanced delivery system, Active 10 delivers 10 active ingredients deep into muscles, nerves, ligaments & tendons. Researched and developed by a renowned Chemist in Florida, a former professional tennis player, and a professional fitness competitor, Active 10 addresses the immediate relief of pain with the use of "heat" and "cold" to increase local blood flow as well as stimulate nerve endings. The Flex TM delivery system then delivers key ingredients deep into the muscles, nerves, ligaments and tendons to aid in reducing the inflammation. All the active ingredients work synergistically to help get you pain free as soon as possible!


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Certainly wondering how many DUF1220-domain copies I have :) My running estimate using my own calculator is that I have 1,493gr worth of brain, which isn't Amud- or Turgenev-worthy, but quite respectable, and which ought to translate into plenty of DUF1220 copies; I guess I'll have to wait until full genome sequencing costs drop a little more before I can find out.
From the press release:
The human brain, with its unequaled cognitive capacity, evolved rapidly and dramatically.
"We wanted to know why," says James Sikela, PhD, who headed the international research team that included researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and the National Institutes of Mental Health. "The size and cognitive capacity of the human brain sets us apart. But how did that happen?"
"This research indicates that what drove the evolutionary expansion of the human brain may well be a specific unit within a protein – called a protein domain -- that is far more numerous in humans than other species."
The protein domain at issue is DUF1220. Humans have more than 270 copies of DUF1220 encoded in the genome, far more than other species. The closer a species is to humans, the more copies of DUF1220 show up. Chimpanzees have the next highest number, 125. Gorillas have 99, marmosets 30 and mice just one. "The one over-riding theme that we saw repeatedly was that the more copies of DUF1220 in the genome, the bigger the brain. And this held true whether we looked at different species or within the human population."From the paper:
Among primate lineages, there is a high correlation between DUF1220 copy number (the highest copy number, greater than 270, was found in Homo sapiens [human and Neanderthal]) and increased brain size ... as well as an increased number of cortical neurons ... Taken together, these observations support the view that DUF1220-domain copy number, i.e., DUF1220-domain dosage, functions as a general effector of evolutionary, pathological, and normal variation in brain size.The American Journal of Human Genetics, 16 August 2012 doi:10.1016/j.ajhg.2012.07.016
DUF1220-Domain Copy Number Implicated in Human Brain-Size Pathology and Evolution
Laura J. Dumas
DUF1220 domains show the largest human-lineage-specific increase in copy number of any protein-coding region in the human genome and map primarily to 1q21, where deletions and reciprocal duplications have been associated with microcephaly and macrocephaly, respectively. Given these findings and the high correlation between DUF1220 copy number and brain size across primate lineages (R2 = 0.98; p = 1.8 × 10−6), DUF1220 sequences represent plausible candidates for underlying 1q21-associated brain-size pathologies. To investigate this possibility, we used specialized bioinformatics tools developed for scoring highly duplicated DUF1220 sequences to implement targeted 1q21 array comparative genomic hybridization on individuals (n = 42) with 1q21-associated microcephaly and macrocephaly. We show that of all the 1q21 genes examined (n = 53), DUF1220 copy number shows the strongest association with brain size among individuals with 1q21-associated microcephaly, particularly with respect to the three evolutionarily conserved DUF1220 clades CON1(p = 0.0079), CON2 (p = 0.0134), and CON3 (p = 0.0116). Interestingly, all 1q21 DUF1220-encoding genes belonging to the NBPF family show significant correlations with frontal-occipital-circumference Z scores in the deletion group. In a similar survey of a nondisease population, we show that DUF1220 copy number exhibits the strongest correlation with brain gray-matter volume (CON1, p = 0.0246; and CON2, p = 0.0334). Notably, only DUF1220 sequences are consistently significant in both disease and nondisease populations. Taken together, these data strongly implicate the loss of DUF1220 copy number in the etiology of 1q21-associated microcephaly and support the view that DUF1220 domains function as general effectors of evolutionary, pathological, and normal variation in brain size.


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September 22, 2015
Why I hate the Windows 10 ad
A close relative recently gushed about the Windows 10 ad with the montage of adorable toddlers, especially the boy (?) pressing his face up against a window. My reaction was visceral, guttural, and not for polite company. Until then I hadn't realized how much I hate that ad.
It wasn't obvious to me why.
A big part of it is, of course, its exploitation of the parenting part of our lizard brains. What makes it worse is that the ad is soooo good at it. Those are some lovable damn children! I get the heart feels when they call out Fatima by name. I get the same involuntary happiness reflex in the second version of the ad when it ends on the feminine pronoun: "We just have to make sure that she has what she needs." (That's approximate; I can't find the second ad online.)
I don't like being manipulated, even when it's towards things I believe in. When it's in a movie or a book, I just feel cheated. When it's in persuasive discourse, I feel abused. That's true when a President argues for a policy by recounting a moving anecdote about someone he met ("I met a woman in Iowa recently who told me…"), and it's true when a company plays on my instincts to get me to buy a product that I wouldn't have bought if I'd been addressed rationally.
Almost all ads do this sort of manipulation. The Windows 10 ad does it particularly well. That's why I particularly hate it.
But that's not the only reason.
It is an ad totally without substance. Well, that's not quite true. It's full of misleading substance. It consists of a list of functionality that Windows 10 does not have. No passwords? Every screen is to be touched? Someday Windows 10 may have this sort of functionality, but by then it will be Windows 30 or so. "Why are you running a Windows 30 ad to sell Windows 10? " But The glory of Windows 30 is not much of an inducement to buy Windows 10. So, why are you running a Windows 30 ad to sell Windows 10? Is there nothing in it worth the free upgrade?
But of course this isn't really an ad about Windows 10. It's an advertisement for the Windows brand. And the argument it presents is Microsoft's dream that Windows will be as dominant an operating system twenty years from now as it was twenty years ago."It's going to come from all of us, not from Microsoft, Google, the Pope or even Elon Musk" The tagline might as well be "Windows: It's going to become inevitable again. Deal with it."
And here's the last bit of bile I need to drain from my gall bladder. The future is not going to bright because Windows is going to be its operating system. If the future of tech is going to remain bright it will because we — all of us — have secured control of our operating systems and are building great things for one another. It's going to come from all of us, not from Microsoft, Google, the Pope or even Elon Musk (hallowed be his name).
So take your hands off our babies' future, Microsoft!
Date: September 22nd, 2015 dw


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The Bonzart Ampel is designed to look like an old-school twin lens reflex camera. But its innards have been modernized to include a 5 megapixel sensor, an LCD screen, and a tilt-shift lens. The Ampel also includes four artistic filters to enhance your photos without using any photo editing software. The Bonzart Ampel is sold for $180.
There are two lenses on the front of the camera. The top lens is for normal images while the bottom lens is built for tilt-shift photos. The two buttons on the front of the camera are to switch between the normal and tilt-shift lenses and the shutter release. There is also a microphone and speaker on the front for recording and watching videos. The top of the camera flips up to reveal an LCD screen facing the top. The top also features two holes that are used to attach the included leather neck strap. The bottom of the features the USB and SD Card slots that are covered by a rubber cap. You can either remove the SD card in order to transfer your photos to your computer, or plug in a miniUSB cable. There is also a standard tripod mount on the bottom. The rear of the Ampel features the power and menu buttons as well as the menu and photo navigation buttons. The back also houses the three AA batteries that power the camera. The right side of the camera houses the Mode and Effect switches. The mode switch allows you to switch between still camera and video camera modes as well as a photo review mode.
The built-in filters include normal, vivid colors, black & white, sepia, and refreshing. Vivid colors make colors more enhanced, while refreshing mode adds a greenish tint to the image. The tilt shift lens adds a sense of "miniature-ness" to the photos that makes landscapes look almost unreal. If you look at the camera from the front you'll actually see how the bottom lens is tilted slightly which adds to the selective focusing effect of the images. You can read more about tilt-shift photography on Wikipedia.
I recently brought the Bonzart Ampel to a holiday party and there was a lot of interest in it, mostly based on the design. People were very curious how it worked, seeing the two lenses on the front and the LCD screen on the top. My friends had some fun playing around with it, trying to different filters, trying out the tilt shift lens, but ended up confused as to its purpose. The photos the Bonzart Ampel takes are very artistic, but not incredibly impressive in this age where high fidelity images are the norm. In fact, one of the choice quotes that came out of the holiday party was "These pictures look like the ones I used to take with my old flip phone." While that may be true of the photos using the "normal" filter due to the low-fi 5 megapixel sensor, photos taken with the filters or with the tilt-shift lens are pretty unique.
With digital cameras today, you really expect there to be some sort of rechargeable battery pack. It was pretty disappointing to learn that the Ampel uses AA batteries, although you could use rechargeable AA batteries. Also, the LCD screen makes it very difficult to see the tilt-shift effect while reviewing the photos you took. In order to make sure you got the shot you were looking for, you really need to transfer your photos to a computer to see them on a larger screen. I'd also like to see a higher definition image sensor in order to make the normal photos look better if you choose not to take artsy photos.
All that said, however, I think the Bonzart Ampel has a nicely designed exterior and could be a nice addition to a photography buff's lineup. I do think that $180 is a lot to ask for a camera that's main selling point are instagram-type filters and a built in tilt-shift lens. Check out the gallery of sample photos my friends and I took, below.
The Bonzart Ampel can be purchased from AC Gears.
What I Like: Cool retro design; Nice looking filters; Built-in tilt-shift lens.
What Needs Improvement: High price point; Low resolution sensor; Does not come with a rechargeable battery pack.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample


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(cover picture is Isopogon Formosus or the rose cone flower, a beauty isn't it?)
I still have a few pictures left of My wonderful December trip to San Francisco and wanted to put this last tour together of a wonderful day at the Arboretum, would you care to join me?
It's going to be another beautiful day for a morning walk around San Francisco and this time I'll take you to Golden Gate park to my favorite arboretum in the city. It's still a little chilly outside so bring your warm coat and maybe a muffler. By the way, just to set the mood go ahead and click on the you tube play button below and then we can get started once the music begins.
Lets walk in through the front gates, there doesn't seem to be anyone here in the garden. We will have more time to admire and see the more intimate parts of the arboretum's gardens without a crowd behind us. I just love the entryway to the garden. This just showcases all the unique plants that are part of the five mediterranean zones that are covered in this arboretum, along with a cloud forest, two asian gardens, a pre-historic garden, an herb garden, a bamboo grove and an intimate library garden.
The entry garden is exciting, there are unusual combinations from all the zones above and exotic textures that are combined in interesting juxtapositions.
In front of us is the great expanse of large trees and the main lawn and pathways leading to various gardens. We'll take a small loop around the areas that I'm interested in and have some activity and blooms happening at the moment which is alot for this time of the year.
To the right is a small sitting garden next to the botanical library, it has alot of large stones that were salvage from some old architectural sites around San Francisco and is used for a tranquil setting with various reeds, grasses and leucadendrons.
A little further down is the South African Garden, there are some major renovations going on there and in the California zones so we will only be able to take a small tour of those areas still open. But fortunately, there were still some nice blooming plants happening at the moment.
One of my favorite silver trees, leucadendron argentium.
We are now taking this round walkway through more tall evergreens and another view of another grassy lawn area, its a very popular sun bathing spot during the summer since its sheltered by all the large trees.
We are heading to a more intimate Japanese garden, not quite as grandiose as the Main Japanese garden in the concourse area. There's a small entryway to the garden, do you see it?
Ah yes, we found it, lets take the pathway to the small deck that over looks a small pond with acers , various grasses and some stone statues.
Another vista of a larger lawn with more large cypresses and pines.
Would you like to take a rest in this pavilion and just watch the scene unfold around the garden for a bit? I brought some home made chocolate chip cookies for us to share, its yummy!
We will be going through the next Mediterranean zone which is the Australian Garden and hopefully we will be able to see some more interesting plants that are blooming there.
I love Grevilleas and the gardens are filled with blooming flowers right now especially this Grevillea Victoriae.
A deep red Anigozanthos in bloom.
There's a beautiful area of blooming Banksias in this seating area, I wish I could spot a tag for this particular species, I'm guessing Banksia Ericifolia
As you can see I also love Australian mediterranean plants since I've actually learned to pronounce their botanical names over and over again until I finally got it.
The last garden we will visit is close to another gate entrance and its the Pre-historic dinosaur garden. Usually in summertime the garden has these amazingly large leafed Gunnera plants, melianthus and tall tree ferns, but they are hibernating now, but there is still alot to see here so lets go.
The cycads are still beautiful with their leaves intact this winter morning.
Look a gorgeous Mahonia Acquifolium is blooming today just for us!
Another cluster of blooming Mahonia with striking yellow spikes.
Well we are at the end of the tour, not enough time to visit some of the other gardens, so we'll just have to re-visit them for another time. Here's just one more photo at the side entrance that we will be exiting from.
Well that was truly an inspiring walk don't you think? We should congratulate ourselves for burning alot of calories this morning. Thanks again for joining me until we meet again!


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Barbara McQuade, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, whose office prosecuted one of the largest public corruption cases in Detroit's history that was dubbed "the Kilpatrick Enterprise," that resulted in a guilty verdict by a federal jury today, told journalists at her office this afternoon that there are some pending corruption cases including the Detroit Pension Board, Detroit Public Schools and the Detroit Public Library.
McQuade, flanked by the prosecution team that included her deputies, FBI, IRS and EPA agents, said the verdict against former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, his longtime friend Bobby Ferguson and Bernard Kilpatrick should send a message to public officials that they will be held to the highest standard their office requires.
"Although this investigation spanned many years, this case is not about the past. It is about the future. This verdict has sent a powerful message that corruption will not be tolerated in this community," McQuade said. "The people of Detroit deserve better and expect better. Candidates should seek public office to make a difference, not to make money for themselves."
McQuade, using harsh words, said Kilpatrick looted Detroit and that the case is about the future for those who are called to service in any capacity.
Mark Foley, Detroit FBI special agent in charge, said, "The FBI led Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force worked tirelessly to pursue and prosecute individuals associated with a criminal enterprise run for years out of the Detroit Mayor's Office."
According to Foley, "Due to the scope and complexity of the investigation, it was imperative to make sure no corners were cut and no stone was left unturned. With this conviction, the public can be reassured that no corrupt activity will be left unchecked. No violation of the public's trust will go unpunished. The citizens of the state of Michigan and in this case the city of Detroit, deserve and expect the highest quality of government, and we remain
dedicated to ensuring they receive it."
Eric Martinez from the Internal Revenue Service said it was painstakingly difficult to bring all of the elements together.
"We worked very hard with our revenue auditors. This was a case about following the money," he said, and they did just that.
Richard Weber, chief of Criminal Investigation at the IRS, said, "Corruption at any level diminishes the hard work and dedication of the thousands of elected officials and government employees who are dedicated to providing honest services to the American public."
He added, "IRS-CI stands committed to weed out individuals who ignore the public's well-being and choose to take the path to financial success by using greed and corruption. Mr. Kilpatrick attempted to conceal his public corruption by failing to report to the Internal Revenue Service his illicit receipt of hundreds of thousands of dollars. When elected officials disregard their sworn oath because greed has clouded their judgment, let this case serve as a reminder that no one is above the law and everyone is accountable for their misdeeds."
McQuade said it is unlikely the federal government will prosecute the former mayor's sister, Ayanna Kilpatrick, or his ex-mistress, Christine Beatty, even though they were tied to the case. She cited government resources and the complexity of the cases that come before them.
In the Kilpatrick-Ferguson verdict she said, "We expect the sentencing to be significant," and that federal prosecutors will look at similar cases around the country before recommending a sentence.
McQuade cited the trial of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich who received 14 years in federal prison.


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A Catholic church in San Francisco that made headlines last year for flouting COVID-19 restrictions is mourning the loss of one of their priests to the virus.
Rev. Bob Stein passed away this week, according to Saints Peter & Paul Church's website.Rev. Stein was one of three priests and three staff members at the church to contract COVID-19 this month.
The church shifted to online daily worship services only a few weeks ago, when Rev. Stein and the others tested positive for COVID-19.
"On Friday Fr. Al, Fr. Armand, and Fr. Bob tested positive for Covid, so until further notice, all Masses will streamed ONLY (sic)," the bulletin for February 7 stated, referring to their three priests.
Saints Peter & Paul Church received warnings from officials last year for holding ceremonies and events that violated the city and state's pandemic safety measures, including social distancing and limiting the size of gatherings.
In July 2020, ten people, including the bride and groom, contracted COVID-19 at a wedding attended by about 100 people.
They had attempted to get married inside the church, but on the day of the event, a representative from the city intercepted guests as they arrived and told them to hold the ceremony outside. The representative reminded them there was currently an order that limited gatherings to about a dozen people.
Currently, places of worship in the San Francisco area can hold indoor services at 25% capacity, and face coverings are required.


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There is so much to do in Chicago, there is no excuse not to get out there and explore this magnificent city and meet single women and men with similar interests. quality local singles at any one of our popular events. Our singles events offer opportunities to mix and mingle with single and professional singles. Make friends while playing sports, taking dancing lessons, learning how to sail, playing trivia, wine tasting or a host of other events.
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Nowadays, most people are scared to be alone; they don't want to leave the house or partake in activities without the security of a significant other or close friend. The reality is that the longer people wait, the less time they have to live their lives. Meet Market Adventures amps up peoples' social lives, making it possible for Chicago singles to get out and meet people without having to wait for their activity buddies. Specializing in singles-only events and travel, Meet Market Adventures organizes over 20 events per month for adventurous and light hearted Chicago singles looking to explore the city and have fun. Whether an outdoor lover, health nut, food enthusiast, or avid bar hopper, Meet Market Adventures has a lively event to suit all Chicago singles. Why not bite the bullet, take the plunge, and just put yourself out there? Meet Market Adventures helps Chicago singles meet people, have fun, and enjoy their city.
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All Chicago singles should be out enjoying themselves! To find out more about Meet Market Adventures events for Chicago singles, browse our events below.
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Our inventory is constantly updating, we do our best to keep it as accurate as possible. Please note that item pictured may not be 100% representative of what is received. All items are priced individually regardless of packaging size.
FOR ITEMS THAT SAY RETURNS ACCEPTED FOLLOWING APPLIES If you are not satisfied with your purchase, we will gladly exchange it or offer a refund (excluding shipping) Once you place your order it can not be modified, changed, or canceled. Any returned Items must be sent in original condition, box and with all received documents/invoices. Buyer is responsible for return shipping cost, No Exceptions Returns must be in resalable condition. If the part is used there is a possibility that you will not receive a refund, as we can not sell a used item. Any damaged or defective items or items which do not match item description will be replaced once damaged item is returned to McHenry Power Equipment Inc. While the manufacturer may warrant the goods sold to the customer, we make no warranties, express or implied,including any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness, with respect to such goods.
Genuine Billy Goat CABLE THROTTLE DL18 Part# 812281
However we are also a brick and mortar dealership.
In some instances seasonal items sell very fast and can be subject to temporary delays.
In the rare case this happens, we place your parts on an restocking order and the item will generally ship within 2-4 business days.
In the event of a prolonged delay we will make our best effort to contact and notify you of such delays.
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Old Uffingtonians Association (1994) Willesden County Grammar School Ex-Pupils 1924-1967
Home_Page Whos Who Pupils artsphotos classphotos schoolphotos sportsphotos otherphotos School Staff Old Uffs Magazines Committee News/Events Links
For more info', email OldUffingtonians
2003 Old Uffingtonians' Reunion at Bushey
A few snap-shots from the AGM/Reunion at the Metropolitan Police Sports Club, Bushey on 26th October 2003. If you'd like to add any or can help with the missing names, please e-mail the Old Uffingtonians (see on the left). Thanks.
To select a picture and see a full-size image, 'click' on the appropriate 'thumb-nail' below. To return to this page, click the 'back' arrow on your browser.


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Polyform 17" CM Mooring Buoy w/Steel Iron - White Blue Stripe [CM-3 WH-STR]
Manufacturer Part Number: CM-3 WH-STR
Category: Buoys
17" CM Mooring Buoy w/Steel Iron - White Blue Stripe
The CM Series Mooring Buoy has been designed to provide the ultimate in strength, durability and boat protection, giving increased security to any mooring.
With two versions of mooring iron - one from galvanized steel with a protective vinyl-coated eye, and the other from durable stainless steel (SS). To provide strength and security, each version features a 1/2-inch central rod, a large eye (4-3/8 inch diameter) and a swivel (1-1/2 inch wide).
The CM-Series is a long tested standard in mooring buoy design and is preferred by many boaters worldwide.
- Large eye (4-3/8") and swivel (1-1/2") provide maximum strength
- Soft vinyl surface won't harm boat finishes
- Polyform's unique vinyl valve seals securely
- Even wall thickness for strength and durability
- One (1) piece design
Technical Specifications:
- Mooring Iron - Galvanized Steel with protective vinyl-coated eye
- Size - 17" x 22" (43.2 x 55.9cm)
- Tube Diameter - .625" (1.6cm)
- Circumference - 53.4" (138.7cm)
- Volume - 11.8 gallons (44.7L)
*Sold as an Individual
- Color: White
- Diameter (Inches): 17"
- Box Dimensions: 9"H x 11"W x 37"L WT: 11.8 lbs


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Parallel Bracelet - Blue Stripe
Silver plated bracelet with 4 pieces of Clear Glass beads with a Blue Stripe set with two wires. Features a hook style clasp that makes it super easy to put on!
Great for accessorizing any outfit! This Bracelet is available in over 30 colors!
- Materials: Silver plated wire and glass beads.
- Bracelet length is approximately 7 1/2" long. Glass beads are approximately 1" wide.
- Weight: 40 grams
- Available in more than 30 colors!
- Hand-crafted by Jesus Quaas in Taxco, Mexico
We Also Recommend


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Congratulations to Elise-Maria Barton, the commenter winner and to Brooke Blog and Books In the Hall, the host winners.
Goddess Fish Promotions is organizing a Virtual Name Before the Masses REVIEW ONLY Tour for The Purple Girl by Audrey Kane and illustrated by Tory and Norman Tabor, a 138 page Middle Grade Fiction (Adventure/Magical Realism) available February 3, 2014 from Wakefield & Quincy Press.
The tour will run every Wednesday for 4 weeks starting on February 26, 2014, and the book is available in PDF format.
Audrey will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a $10 Starbucks gift card to two randomly drawn hosts.
CAUTION! Violet lives within the pages of this book. And her purple spreads to everything she touches…
Violet lives behind garden walls. Is she magical? Is she the devil's child—or simply cursed? When the lonely thirteen-year-old embarks on a dangerous journey to find the one boy that dared to befriend her, she travels at night...in the dark...to keep people from seeing her purple skin. But no one is more surprised than Violet when she unlocks her mysterious gift.
February 26: The Reading Addict
March 5: Brooke Blogs
March 12: Andi's Middle Grade & Chapter Books
March 19:
March 19: Books in the Hall


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Windows 11 Pro 2 Keys Pack
Buy Windows 11 Pro 2 Keys Pack.
This product includes two Windows 11 Pro keys and each key can be activated on one PC. The key will be sent by email after purchase within minutes. Please check the spam or junk mail folder too.
Download Link: Windows 11 Pro
More information about download and installation you can find in the description below or in the delivery email.
Windows 11 Pro description:
The user interface in Windows 11, the first major Windows release since 2015, has been redesigned to adhere to Microsoft's new Fluent Design guidelines. In addition to addressing some of Windows 10's flaws, the redesign adds new social, productivity, and accessibility features as well as security and accessibility enhancements.
About the new Windows 11, visually, the biggest changes you'll notice can be found along the taskbar. Microsoft has centered the app icons here, cleaned up the tray area, and included a new Start button and menu. The Windows 11 start menu is now loaded with more features and tools and it gives quick access to various tools and controls. Its desktop lets you run several apps and programs simultaneously, each living within its own little window. That separation lets you spread several programs across the screen, sharing bits of information among them. In general, the changes of Windows 11 make user interface more concise and clear. Various tools will also make you obviously feel the optimization and improvement of the system
Microsoft's most recent version of Windows is called Windows 11. Upgrade to Windows 11 on your computer, or look into which devices come with the versatile features.
New Features of Windows 11 Professional:
- Snap groups remembers your layout
Snap the apps you need into a group and seamlessly return to it even when you open another app or dock and undock your monitor. - Productive from the start
Improve your focus with a simpler, more intuitive experience and effortless navigation. Get things done with fewer steps using the refreshed Start, Taskbar, and Navigation Center. - Smarter collaboration with Teams
Have effective online meetings by sharing files and muting/unmuting right from your taskbar. Intelligent noise cancelling and blur keep the background in the background. You can mute and unmute your mic directly from your taskbar without having to find and click on your meetings app. And instantly share any app or window directly from your taskbar in online meetings. - Consistent for IT
App compatibility and cloud management make adoption easy. Built on the consistent and compatible Windows 10 foundation, Windows 11 can be managed with your familiar tools and processes. - Powerhouse protection out-of-the-box
Modern threats require modern security with a strong alignment between hardware and software to help keep data safe and devices protected. Secure from the start, Windows 11 offers protection right out of the box with powerful, built-in hardware-based security. New Windows 11 devices come with build-in security including hardware isolation, encryption, and malware protection.And deploy, secure, and manage remote PCs through the cloud, in compliance with your company's policies.
System requirements:
These are the minimum system requirements for installing Windows 11 on a PC. If your device does not meet these requirements, you may not be able to install Windows 11 on your device and might want to consider purchasing a new PC. If you are unsure whether your PC meets these requirements, you can check with your PC Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or, if your device is already running Windows 10, you can use the PC Health Check app to assess compatibility. Note that this app does not check for graphics card or display, as most compatible devices will meet those requirements listed below.
Your device must be running Windows 10, version 2004 or later, to upgrade. Free updates are available through Windows Update in Settings>Update and Security.
- Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC).
- RAM: 4 gigabyte (GB).
- Storage: 64 GB or larger storage device Note: See below under "More information on storage space to keep Windows 11 up-to-date" for more details.
- System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable. Check here for information on how your PC might be able to meet this requirement.
- TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0. Check here for instructions on how your PC might be enabled to meet this requirement.
- Graphics card: Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver.
- Display: High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9" diagonally, 8 bits per color channel.
- Internet connection and Microsoft account: Windows 11 Home edition requires internet connectivity and a Microsoft account. Switching a device out of Windows 11 Home in S mode also requires internet connectivity. Learn more about S mode here.
For all Windows 11 editions, internet access is required to perform updates and to download and take advantage of some features. A Microsoft account is required for some features.
Feature-specific requirements for Windows 11:
Some features in Windows 11 have increased requirements beyond those listed above in the minimum requirements section. Below are some additional details regarding requirements for key features:
Windows Subsystem for Android Apps available at Amazon Appstore. Additional requirements anticipated and will be communicated as the product is rolled out to select geographies.
- 5G support: requires 5G capable modem where available.
- Auto HDR: requires an HDR monitor.
- BitLocker to Go: requires a USB flash drive (available in Windows Pro and above editions).
- Client Hyper-V: requires a processor with second level address translation (SLAT) capabilities (available in Windows Pro and above editions).
- Cortana: requires a microphone and speaker and is currently available on Windows 11 for Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States.
- DirectStorage: requires an NVMe SSD to store and run games that use the Standard NVM Express Controller driver and a DirectX12 GPU with Shader Model 6.0 support.
- DirectX 12 Ultimate: it is available with supported games and graphics chips.
- Presence: requires sensor that can detect human distance from device or intent to interact with device.
- Intelligent Video Conferencing: requires video camera, microphone, and speaker (audio output).
- Multiple Voice Assistant (MVA): requires a microphone and speaker.
- Snap: three-column layouts requires a screen that is 1920 effective pixels or greater in width.
- Mute/Unmute from Taskbar: requires video camera, microphone, and speaker (audio output). App must be compatible with feature to enable global mute/unmute.
- Spatial Sound: requires supporting hardware and software.
- Microsoft Teams requires video camera, microphone, and speaker (audio output).
- Touch: requires a screen or monitor that supports multi-touch.
- Two-factor Authentication: requires use of PIN, biometric (fingerprint reader or illuminated infrared camera), or a phone with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capabilities.
- Voice Typing: requires a PC with a microphone.
- Wake on Voice: requires Modern Standby power model and microphone.
- Wi-Fi 6E: requires new WLAN IHV hardware and driver and a Wi-Fi 6E capable AP/router.
- Windows Hello: requires a camera configured for near infrared (IR) imaging or fingerprint reader for biometric authentication. Devices without biometric sensors can use Windows Hello with a PIN or portable Microsoft compatible security key.
- Windows Projection: requires a display adapter which supports Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 2.0 and a Wi-Fi adapter that supports Wi-Fi Direct.
- Xbox (app): requires an Xbox Live account, which is not available in all regions. See Xbox Live Countries and Regions for the most up-to-date information on availability. Some features in the Xbox app will require an active Xbox Game Pass subscription (sold separately). Learn more about the pass.
How to activate Windows 11 Professional Key?
- Download Windows 11 Pro from official website: Link Here
- Install Win 11 Pro
- Click on "Start"
- Open "Settings"
- Click on "System".
- Find a message from the right section: "Windows isn't activated", and click the Activate now button.
- Under the Change product key section and click "Change".
- Type the activation code sent to you after purchase.
- Click "Next", Windows will begin the activation task.


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JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Swedish rescuer Raoul Wallenberg was born 100 years ago this summer, and his centennial is being commemorated with events in many cities across Europe and North America. On July 26, a symposium in his memory will be held at Yad Vashem's International Institute for Holocaust Research in Jerusalem.
Wallenberg, whose birth date is Aug. 4, 1912, is one of the approximately 24,000 individuals who have been recognized as Righteous Among the Nations, the honor bestowed by Yad Vashem and the State of Israel upon non-Jews who rescued Jews during the Holocaust.
Why is his centennial the cause of so much commemorative activity?
Certainly part of the answer lies in Wallenberg's tragic fate. Early in 1945, after having been involved in rescuing Jews in Budapest since the previous summer, Wallenberg was arrested by the conquering Soviets.
Explanations ranging from the banal to cloak and dagger have been advanced as to why he was arrested. It could simply be that as a foreigner carrying a variety of currencies and official documents on his person, he may have aroused suspicion. It could be that as a Wallenberg, whose family like many neutral Swedes had engaged in business with Germany during the war, he was an intentional target of the Soviet security apparatus. And it may even be that the Soviets suspected that he was being used as an intermediary between the Nazis and Western Allies to arrange a separate peace, so that both sides could then turn against them.
None of these reasons, even if one may be the correct one, sufficiently explains why Wallenberg was held in captivity after the war ended, and why neither the Soviets nor their successor regime in Russia have provided the full documentation they most likely still hold regarding his fate. All we know for certain is that at some point, Wallenberg died in Soviet captivity.
In addition to his disappearance, other facets of the story rivet our attention on Wallenberg. In many ways he has emerged as an icon of the Holocaust, one of a select group of people through which people understand the cataclysmic events. Along with Oskar Schindler, Wallenberg has become the best known and therefore the foremost symbol of the rescuers.
Wallenberg was among a handful of neutral diplomats engaged in a rather wide-ranging rescue operation that evolved after the German occupation of Hungary on March 19, 1944. One could say that effort reached its pinnacle during the period of the Arrow Cross regime in the autumn of that year, and that it continued until the conquest of Budapest by Soviet forces in mid-January and early February 1945.
This was not a single coordinated rescue operation. Rather it was composed of different groups and many individuals, often in a kind of confederation, all trying to do the same thing. They strove to keep Jews alive and out of the hands of their persecutors until the Germans and their Hungarian allies were defeated. The rescuers were many and varied, among them neutral diplomats, adult Zionist activists, Zionist youth movement members of all persuasions, church people and others. Through the use of diplomatic protection, (relatively) safe refuges and the provision of the basic necessities of life, they helped to keep alive more than 100,000 Jews in Budapest.
A cardinal reason that Wallenberg is so venerated is bound up in his character and the nature of his mission. In the late spring of 1944, Wallenberg was approached by the Swedish government, which in turn had been approached by the American rescue agency the War Refugee Board. He was asked to go to Hungary as a certified emissary of the Swedish government, and his job was to help Jews.
Wallenberg readily volunteered to enter the conflagration. If this was not enough, unlike other diplomats who confined themselves to rescuing Jews by diplomatic means — certainly a laudable enterprise — Wallenberg at times was out on the streets proffering his aid, in the midst of extreme danger and again on his own volition.
Not only was Wallenberg an emissary of his government, essentially he was an emissary of the Western world. In the name of the Western world, he not only engaged in rescue, but displayed the best in Western values in doing so — courage, compassion and ingenuity. He was the ideal to which the Western world would like to have lived up to more during those dreadful war years.
Raoul Wallenberg, thus, can be seen as more than an icon of the Holocaust; he may be seen as the example par excellence of the standard of humane behavior to which the Western world aspires. This of course is put in high relief by his patently unjust fate.
Clearly, Wallenberg is not the only figure from the Holocaust years worthy of our admiration. All the 24,000 Righteous Among the Nations and innumerous Jews who engaged in various forms of resistance and rescue, and maintained their values and basic human dignity, are no less worthy of our esteem. But as a representative of the best in Western civilization, it is fitting and proper that on the centennial of his birth, we remember Wallenberg, learn about him and the context in which he acted, and discuss his deeds and their meaning for us today.
(Dr. Robert Rozett is the director of the Yad Vashem Libraries.)