text: UPDATE: On April 26, 2018, Bill Cosby, the comedian and philanthropist, was convicted on three counts of sexual assault. The following essay was published in June 2017, during Cosby's first trial on sexual assault charges in 2017. Those proceedings ended in a mistrial.Every Friday morning when I was very little, the women who ran the daycare center I went to would gather all the kids into a circle and goodnaturedly quiz us on what happened the night before on The Cosby Show.I distinctly remember the first time I sat in that circle having no idea what The Cosby Show was, feeling whatever pre-kindergarteners understand as shame. The center's staffers were all black, as were we, the assembled moppets. Watching the Huxtables was quite literally my first homework assignment.The show was, of course, the most popular program in America for the better part of a decade, in no small part because it managed to be both very funny and allowed white audiences to cotton to the wealthy, relatively apolitical black family at its center.But The Cosby Show owed no small part of its influence to the fact that black folks considered its success part of a larger civic project — around race and representation and respectability — to which they had certain obligations. (Cosby's cultural ubiquity in the 1980s was even more pronounced for us Philadelphians; he was a local boy done very, very good, more famous and avuncular than even Ben Franklin.) Like so many important black institutions, The Cosby Show — and Cosby himself — was a private concern entangled with broad, collective stakes. "Rep sweats" on a trillion.You could hear a nod to these dynamics on the trial's opening day, as Cosby arrived at a courthouse in Montgomery County, not far outside the Philly city limits, for his sexual assault trial. He was escorted by Keshia Knight-Pulliam, who played his youngest TV daughter Rudy, on The Cosby Show."I can only speak to the great man that I know and love, who has been so generous, who has been such a philanthropist and giving back millions of dollars to education and schools," the now 38-year-old actress told reporters.It was a qualified defense of Cosby that still managed to neatly sum up some complicated context: Cosby had long encouraged the linking of his own fortunes with the condition of black folks more broadly.As the dozens of rape and sexual assault accusations against Cosby have piled up, both he and his lawyers have tugged at that sense, trying to rally black support by suggesting that the claims are at least in part fueled by racism. Other black luminaries have played this hand — Clarence Thomas and O.J. Simpson, most notably — but Cosby's invocation has a different weight, however one might feel about its legitimacy.Unlike those guys, he had been a race man for decades, and he had rewarded those communal stakes with literal investment. Black colleges and prospective black college students were buoyed by his philanthropy, while his collections of black art graced important museums. Even before his late-career turn as black America's moral scold, Cosby had spent decades leaning into his popular image as a paternal figure to bolster his influence as a paternalistic one.And yet there have been notably few high-profile defenses of Cosby; most of the statements from his former Cosby Show cast members have been along the lines of Knight-Pulliam's; respectful to the man they still call "Mr. Cosby" but also cautious and tepid.It did take a while for the drumbeat of accusations against Cosby to spur the many black institutions linked with him to start distancing themselves from him. In 2015, Spelman College, the famed all-women's institution in Atlanta to whom Cosby and his wife Camille donated $20 million in the 1980s, quietly did away with the endowed professorship that bore his name. Central State University, a black school in southwest Ohio to whom Cosby had bestowed millions, removed his name from the building that housed its school of communications. Other institutions have made similar calls — and for universities and colleges without large endowments, these are tough decisions. But the fact that these moves were met with little uproar is telling of just how much Cosby's power and influence has waned.That's why it's worth noting how much the very real political position Cosby himself occupied — the kindly cultural ambassador of Negritude — has become if not entirely outmoded, then at least viewed far more skeptically.Blackness has always been a variegated, sprawling thing, but there is far more room now for expressions of it in the wider culture. And where the Huxtables were once the template for black aspiration, there are now many — most notably the flesh-and-blood family that took up residence in the White House until very recently.To the extent that folks have begun the knotty work of disentangling Cosby's fate and cultural legacy from their own, it's in part because there is no longer the same need for the sole figure anointed as a kind of racial emissary — a role Cosby once clearly reveled in playing.No matter how his trial concludes, Cosby will live out his last years in an America where he has become far less essential. And it's an obsolescence that he, ironically, helped usher into existence. Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.


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SoftwareOne case study
Rodobens drives digital innovation strategy
A cloud transition enables competitive advantages
A cloud transition strengthens Rodobens role as an industry leader in Latin America. Rodobens, has heavily invested in its innovation strategy to remain competitive in the financial services and automotive retail sectors. SoftwareOne cloud experts orchestrated the complex rehosting process for seven Rodobens business units. The move embraced a full migration from physical data centers to Microsoft Azure and SoftwareOne's Managed Cloud services, including the PyraCloud platform for planning and software management, Office 365 for user productivity and added Microsoft Enterprise Mobility and Security (EMS) services for improved protection and GDPR compliance.
- Client
- Rodobens
- Industry
- Finance
- Services
- Full migration to Microsoft Azure and Office 365, SoftwareOne managed cloud services, including the PyraCloud platform for planning, software and Azure spend management; implementation of Microsoft Enterprise Mobility and Security (EMS) services for improved protection and GDPR compliance; advanced Business Intelligence with Microsoft Power BI
- Country
- Brazil
We have chosen Microsoft and SoftwareOne because we saw high value in the complete package they offered to us – we gained access to Microsoft productivity and security features along with SoftwareOne services. Today, Rodobens has a more efficient, secure, and agile IT infrastructure.
Marcos Adam
CIO, Rodobens
About the client
For 70 years, Rodobens has engaged with customers and partners to offer integrated and innovative solutions in the financial services and automotive retail segments. Rodobens Companies form one of the largest business groups in Brazil, providing specialized and personalized customer service in the financial services and automotive retail sectors using an innovative, integrated model.
The challenge
Rodobens manages a large automotive services business offering financial assistance for new and used car transactions throughout Brazil. Rodobens was challenged to increase IT agility and efficiency to improve channel partner integration, and to deliver better online customer buying experiences. But without adequate analytics and Business Intelligence (BI), Rodobens lacked insights about customer buying trends and risked a subpar online customer buying experience. Additionally, Rodobens faced a strategic decision as data center hardware and software support approached expirations: renovate the existing datacenter or migrate legacy systems to a cloud platform?
The solution
Rodobens engaged SoftwareOne to conduct a technical and financial assessment to evaluate both datacenter upgrade and cloud migration options. The resulting cloud plan transitioned the existing data center environment, including SAP, to operate in the Microsoft Azure cloud, and standardizing on Office 365 for staff productivity. Rodobens extended the modernization by adding Unified Communications and Microsoft Power BI data visualization tools for analytics to improve insights into buying trends of its customers.
Once established through the cloud advisory engagement, Rodobens chose SoftwareOne to provide ongoing Managed Cloud Services. This support structure applies best practices, tested implementation methods, and operational control standards to ensure an optimized cloud environment. Monthly reviews verify performance and service levels for security, optimization, and planned changes. Because the company's entire portfolio is managed by SoftwareOne's PyraCloud platform, software management, planning, and insights e.g. in annual Azure expenses are greatly simplified. With SoftwareOne providing the expertise and experience to manage the entire cloud environment, Rodobens IT department can focus its time and resources on customers and core business. And for Rodobens business, the consistent implementation of its digital transformation strategy has paid off by delivering the intended business agility that supports bringing new financial products to the market.
The result
- Strengthened market position: Increased productivity, competitiveness and focus on innovation help Rodobens stand apart as an automotive financial services industry leader.
- Increased business agility & flexibility: Business agility improvements deliver financial products faster to market.
- Focus on core business: Rodobens staff have time for increased focus on core business initiatives and overall customer satisfaction.
- IT cost savings & personnel relief: The cloud transition and the outsourced cloud management have reduced overall Rodobens IT infrastructure and operational expenses.
- Constant optimized cloud environment: SoftwareOne managed cloud experts support new technology advances and ensure a modern, secure, and optimized cloud environment.
- Easier spend monitoring: Software management information, insights, and updates are continuously available through PyraCloud.
- Increased compliance: Implementation of Exchange Online Protection, and the full E5 Enterprise and Mobility Suite, assures Rodobens' security requirements and regulatory compliance.
- Full use of the cloud advantages: Using the latest Azure and Office 365 cloud technology, Rodobens benefits from greater mobility, flexibility, security, reliability, and availability.
More case studies
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subset: commoncrawl


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A man armed with an assault rifle, several hand grenades, smoke bombs and tear gas opened fire on an Atlanta courthouse, where he was scheduled to plead guilty on drug charges Friday. The assault sparked a gunbattle with police that left the assailant dead and a deputy wounded.
The three-minute shootout ended in the death of Denis Marx, 48, according to Forsyth County Sheriff Duane Piper, who says the suspect had a history with the department, including at least two arrests on drug charges.
Member station WABE's Michell Eloy reports: "The sheriff's office says Marx attempted to drive a rented Nisan armada into the courthouse just before 10 a.m. ... [and said] eight deputy officers engaged with Marx."
One deputy officer was injured, but remains stable, Michell says.
The Associated Press reports:
"Marx also had water and other supplies, including zip ties that can be used to bind people's hands. Piper said the wounded deputy prevented others from getting hurt when he encountered Marx, though it was not clear if that deputy killed the suspect.
"Few details about Marx were known, though Piper said he had been known to authorities for some time. Marx had filed a civil rights complaint against the sheriff's department in 2013, according to court records.
"The complaint accused the sheriff's department of using excessive force and illegal searches. Marx said in the complaint that officers hit him when he was standing with his hands up, used chemical agents to make him believe an explosion or fire had occurred and used an extra set of handcuffs that cut off circulation to his hands."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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If there is one thing the universe agrees on, it is that you should just provide data… You should provide INSIGHTS!!!
In the 807,150 (!) words I've written on this blog thus far, at least 400,000 have been dedicated to helping you find insights.
In posts about advanced segmentation, in posts about how to build strategic dashboards that don't suck, in encouraging you to reimagine how you pick metrics to obsess about using the magnificent Impact Matrix, and on and on and on.
Go for insights!
The Problem.
In time, I've come to hate the word insights.
In our world – marketing research and analytics – that word has come to represent data puking.
It has come to represent telling people, with dozens of reports or eighty slides, that water is wet.
I've observed, during my work across the world, when we deliver insights, we mostly deliver to our audiences things in-sight – things they can already see!
As in, the blue line is 20% above the red line. I CAN SEE THAT! Or, life-time value of California purchasers is 3x when compared to those who reside in Georgia. Oh, please, I can also see that on the table with my eyes.
This, unsurprisingly, ends up being a massive waste of your incredible talent, and an insult to the intelligence of our audience (the people who pay your salary).
The Fix.
The last time I changed jobs, I wanted to change the aspiration of what our talented team and I should shoot for.
Instead of insights, I coined a new phrase for a new start: Out Of Sights!
Our aim would be to provide out-of-sights – things people can't see.
As in, the blue line is 20% above the red line because our biggest competitor launched a new product and priced it 10% below our best product. You are explaining the performance. BOOM!
It is such a small play on words. But, my goal was to provide each peer this pause-worthy moment when they bring the results of their work: OMG, is this really an out-of-sight?
The influence on our culture, on our actions, on our audacity was profoundly dramatic. Turns out, cultural transformations can start with a word. 🙂
Every time we were done with our analysis, we now had a higher standard to shoot for. We challenged each other by saying, are you sure that is an out-of-sight?
Four Attributes of Out-of-Sights.
While we got the spirit right away, scaling understanding requires a common language we could share.
Our team was up to the challenge, and off to the whiteboard we went to systematically approach the problem of creating a simple framework to identify what's an out-of-site.
This is when I feel super blessed to work with such smart people. At the end of a couple of whiteboard sessions, we came up with our criterion that every out-of-sight had to meet…
1. Novel: New and surprising.
Is this truly new (data, source, research type)? If it has been provided before, what was the impact? Why do we need to provide it again?
What do we have here that we, or the audience, never knew before? Is this just the result of a fishing expedition?
Could the audience – your peers, boss, public – get this data from anyone else? What makes you so special if you provide it?
Novel is a tough, high, standard. It eliminated 90% of the data puking and made work so much fun for the Analyst.
2. Actionable: Expressed with a clear implication for the audience.
What could the audience do as a result of your findings?
What specific current or future campaigns, activities, internal or external business strategies are being influenced by the out-of-sight?
If you don't have an identified what to do, whose job is it? Does that person know it is their job to figure out what to do based on the data?
Would it be wiser to work with your peers who make decisions, who understand strategy, to come up with actions to take based on data before you call your data actionable?
Actionable is the single most crucial element if you deal with data. It requires knowledge well beyond the data – requiring an understanding of the business, a robust set of cross-functional relationships, and an ability to persuasively influence.
3. Credible: Data source – tool, people, entity – is respected by the audience.
What steps have you taken to identify the soundness of the source?
Do you understand the limitations of how the data is collected? Have you noted the assumptions for sharing with the audience?
Does it pass the foundational 24 filters of skepticism? For example, is it simply a correlation or have you teased out causality? [Premium subscribers see: TMAI #298: Smart Statistical Significance Reporting.]
Is there room for an alternative explanation? If so, find it.
I have the following ask of the analytics team:
We have to be the biggest enemy of our work. We have to ask hard questions. We have to poke at every corner. We have to seek alternative explanations. It seems harsh, but we are probably the most analytically savvy individuals who will look at this data. After that, it is our business peers who will typically have less analytical knowledge than us. So. Be our work's best enemy. It builds credibility.
Credibility is very helpful. Be the biggest enemy of your analytical work.
4. Relative: Expressed in context.
Is the out-of-sight expressed so that there's no doubt as magnitude or urgency?
Context derived from:
possible impact,
strategic altitude,
dimension criticality,
cause-effect ratio,
and so much more, including benchmarks
[Premium members also see TMAI #263.]
The relative attribute helps speed up understanding. It ensures your out of sights really sink in.
Every finding from your rigorous data analysis has to meet the above-mentioned four attributes – N-A-C-R –, before it can be called an out-of-sight.
When you set yourself on the quest for out-of-sights, you set a standard for yourself, for your team, for your data, that will result in everything you discover being meaningful and material.
Your Out-of-Sights Jumpstart Guide.
You will find your own way to discovering out-of-sights for your company. Still, I want to help a little bit. I would like to give you a list of questions that will increase chances that you will bump into more out-of-sights.
Questions provide context, questions lead to relationships, questions expand your horizon, questions enhance your business savvy, and in doing all that, and more, questions provide that magical missing ingredient: Purpose.
And, knowing purpose increases the chances you'll discover out-of-sights that qualify as such with all four attributes: Novel, Actionable, Credible, and Relative.
Here's a helpful list:
1. How can I improve revenue by 15 percent in the next three months from our website?
2. What are the most productive inbound traffic streams, and which sources are we missing?
3. Have we become better at allowing our customers to solve their problems via self-help on the website, rather than our customers feeling like they have to call us?
4. What is the impact of our website on our phone channel?
5. How can I increase the number of customer evangelists by leveraging our website?
6. What are the most influential buckets of content on our website?
7. If we could only do one thing to increase revenue on our website, what would it be?
8. What is the incremental impact of our display ad campaigns?
9. Are we building brand value via activity on our website?
10. Do fully featured trials or interactive demos work better on the website?
11. What are the top five problems our customers face across our digital channels?
12. What is the cost for us to earn $1.00 on our website?
13. What is the effect of our mobile paid search strategy on our offline sales?
14. How much does the lifetime value of a customer increase if we can convert them into a 7-day active user of our mobile app?
15. What would the impact on unaided recall of our brand if we shut down all our Facebook efforts?
Not an exhaustive list by any means, just a representation of the kinds of questions I strongly believe your talent and emphatically answer.
You answer these questions not with insights (things people can already see), but with out-of-sights (things people can't see).
When you check if the results of your analysis pass against all four N-A-C-R attributes, chances are 90% of what you do today needs to die. Because telling people water is wet, week after week, results in only sadness.
Don't deliver sadness, deliver meaning and impact. Make your job fun!
What percentage of your team's insights this week met all four of the out-of-sights criterion?
Happy out-of-sighting!
Special Bonus: If you are looking for a picture to insert into your leadership presentations, you can use this one I use in my keynotes…


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Ninja Stealth Drive for Dell XPS
** FREE SHIPPING FROM : Taiwan to worldwide
What exactly is a Ninja Stealth Drive?
It's an aluminum micro SD card adapter (Without microSD or TF) that fits 100% within your Dell XPS ( Model 9360 & 9550 ) without any awkward protrusions. You can place a micro SD card into this adapter and gain up to 1TB of extra storage space for your computer.
For example, if you place a 64GB (~1TB) micro SD card into your Ninja Stealth Drive, then you will get 64GB (~1TB) of extra disk space on your Dell XPS. The read and write speed for each brand of micro SD card varies, you can pick your favorite brand and use it with your Ninja Stealth Drive.
Nice isn't it? Your computer now has 64 GB of extra storage space! (If you use a 1TB micro SD card, then you will get 1TB of extra space)
Whats so special about it?
- Provide more disk space - Feel like you never have enough disk space on Dell XPS? Ninja Stealth Drive is designed to become that extra and permanent disk space for your Dell XPS.
- The exterior is made out of polished aluminum - That is the exact same material and color as your Dell XPS. Ninja Stealth Drive is designed to camouflage and blend in perfectly with your Dell XPS.
- It is almost physically indestructible - Have you seen the test videos online? People can run a micro SD card over without breaking it. That means Ninja Stealth Drive is a SAFE secondary drive. We suggest users to back up all of their important files on there. If your Dell XPS ever breaks, you can remove the Ninja Stealth Drive anytime and have access to these important files!
- Sits 100% flush and hidden within your Dell XPS - There are less than 3 companies in the entire world who manufacture micro SD card adapter that hides completely into your SD drive slot. We are one of them, our Ninja Stealth Drive fits perfectly into your Dell XPS with ZERO protrusions. Who wants a SD card that protrudes out from your computer anyway?
- Easy to physically pull out - This adapter sits 100% into your Dell XPS, so how do you take it out? We designed a special ditch on the edge of the Ninja Stealth Drive, you can pull it out easily with your fingernails. We have a patent to this design so that means you CANNOT find a similar product anywhere else.
How do I use it?
- You can place your favorite brand of micro SD card in there and insert the entire Ninja Stealth Drive into your Macbook. 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 400GB, 512GB or even 1TB micro SD cards will all work with this adapter. Micro SD cards are NOT included with the product. You can easily purchase a micro SD card from any online or physical electronic store.
- A new disk icon will show up on your system and you can use this new disk as a secondary drive and storage space. The speed and storage size of your Ninja Stealth Drive is relevant to the micro SD card you choose.
- Congratulations! You now have a new disk space. You may place your photos, movies and other important files into this new drive!
We are 3C fanatics ourselves, and we know you only want top quality products. At BaseQi Designs, our mission is to create unbelievable products at cutting-edge prices!
How does it work? Below is a picture diagram:
Shipping Policy
All products will be shipped by registered airmail (No Sign service). We will provide the tracking number once the product gets shipped out.
All orders will be shipped within 48 hours (Usually the same day) once the payment is received. All items will be packed safely using bubble wrap envelopes. We will send a shipping confirmation and tracking number by email once your product is shipped out!


text: Monster High: Ghouls Rule unearths an old conflict between "Normies" and monsters - and things are about to get scary! For years, students at Monster High were warned that Halloween was a night to stay inside and avoid conflict at all costs. But Frankie and her friends discover that ghouls and "Normies" once loved to spend the holiday together! The ghouls decide to turn back the clock and use the night to celebrate their individuality and show that it's okay to "Be Yourself. Be Unique. Be a Monster!"


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Vector PNG HD. Pattern Giorgio Armani SVG works with Silhouette Studio, Silhouette Studio Designer Edition, Cricut Design Space, Sure Cuts A Lot and other cutting software that accepts the offered file types.
These are digital files, no physical item will be sent.
The item will download as a compressed ZIP file and you will need an uncompressing program to open it, like WinZip, WinRar or 1-zip (available for free on the internet).
With this INSTANT DOWNLOAD you will receive a ZIP folder, which includes:
- 1 SVG file – For Cricut Explore, Silhouette Designer Edition, Adobe Suite, Inkspace, Corel Draw and more.
- 1 DXF file – For Silhouette users, this format can be open with the free software version of Silhouette.
- 1 EPS file – For Adobe Illustrator, Inkspace, Corel Draw and more.
- 1 PNG file – transparent background, 300 dpi
***Please be sure to have the correct software for opening and using these file types***
All copyrights and trademarks of the character images used belong to their respective owners and are not being sold. This is not a licensed product. You are paying for my time and customization of your item(s), I do not claim ownership to any of the characters/graphics. All cards/invitations/products are for personal use only. You may not forward, share, sell or distribute the file(s), in whole or in part. They are for non-commercial use only.


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[caption id="attachment_6248" align="alignnone" width="625"]
7 steps to the self-care you need (Photo credit: Adobe Stock)[/caption]
By Ken Druck for Next Avenue
Becoming a smarter, stronger, more self-caring version of yourself is both freeing and empowering.
I recently discussed the concept of self-care and the ways to set yourself up for — and avoid sabotaging — the way you take emotional and physical care of yourself. After you agree that you are worthy of self-care and will overcome the factors you let stand in your way before, you're ready to move forward with these seven steps to self-care:
Step No. 1. Make the Decision to Change the Way You Take Care of Yourself
Undertaking change of this magnitude and importance takes courage, humility, conviction and a vision of your best possible future. These steps allow you to say "Yes!" to yourself. You have a right to do the things that make life better, easier, less stressful and more joyful and to say "No" to the people and things draining and depleting you. Sustainable change requires a promise that you make to yourself: "I will do whatever is necessary to become the better (more self-caring, self-respecting) version of myself." You may not know exactly how you're going to change deeply ingrained, habitual thinking and behavior, but you are 100 percent committed to finding out and following through.
Step No. 2. Define Your End Goal
Begin to sketch out how you want it all to look and feel after you've succeeded. Perhaps you're sleeping longer, exercising regularly, eating better and speaking to yourself with greater kindness/compassion. You may be ready to hand in your resignation as someone's doormat, whipping post, dumping ground and enabler in favor of a more reciprocal relationship. Or you may be a "pleaser" who's ready to face your own fears about letting people down.
Some of us have gotten used to following the elephant around the circus with a shovel. And we're just waking up. Something is shifting inside of us, declaring, "Enough!" and "It's time!" We are ripe for a change.
So, whatever your end goal, take the time to state what it is. Get clear about your desired outcome by writing it down, as in: "The return on my investment of learning greater self-care is going to be ______.
Step No. 3. Make a List of Things/People You Need to Say "No" To
Write down 15 people and things you need to learn how to say "No" to. Begin each sentence with "The people I need to learn how to say 'No' to are …" or "I need to learn how to say 'No' when . . ." Some of us are born caregivers, pleasers and rescuers. Having spent a good part of our lives taking care of other people's needs, we almost automatically say "Yes" to others who seem to require assistance. We do this even to the neglect of our own health and well-being.
But now it's time to stop putting yourself and the people you cherish at risk by overcommitting to things that are not in your best interest. Prioritizing and saying "No" may be quite difficult in the beginning. Old feelings of guilt, obligation and responsibility are hard to kick. After a while, however, you'll begin to feel 100 percent better and thank yourself for staying strong. The people who matter to you will still love you, and the ones who depended on you to say "Yes" even when it wasn't right will be somebody else's problem. The results of learning to say "No" speak (loudly) for themselves.
Step No. 4. Lighten Your Load, Unburden Yourself and Allow Yourself Some Pleasure
Although it may be terribly unpopular (years of training the people around you that with a little guilt, you'll do anything), it's time to begin letting folks know that you're in the process of making a change.
Learning to delegate and share and assign responsibility to others, like any new skill, takes time and practice. You may be unaccustomed to the patience, kindness, encouragement and support you get from others. And you may be unfamiliar with the act of giving yourself permission to turn off the computer and phone and just take a hot bath. Don't let the old voices of self-criticism, fear and condemnation weaken your resolve, as they once did. Continue to get clear about the things that lighten your heart and your load. Set yourself free to delight in and savor the goodness of life. And, most of all, give yourself permission to be happy.
Step No. 5. Listen to Yourself
Sometimes the best source of wise counsel comes from within. Stop, go to a quiet place, take a deep breath and tune in to yourself. Listen to the inner voice that tells you to "slow down," "relax" and "take it easy" — the one that gives you the encouragement, strength and guidance you need to take care of yourself in the best way possible. Listening to the kindest, most patient, supportive, forgiving and nurturing parts of yourself is always a good thing when it comes to self-care. So, stay strong. Don't allow any of your self-care saboteurs to talk you out of what you now know is best for you.
Step No. 6. Find or Create Self-Care Opportunities in All Your Relationships
The choices you make in your relationships are as much a reflection of your willingness and ability to practice self-care as any other factor. Relationships are also one of life's greatest testing grounds for discovering, learning and practicing self-care. Balancing taking care of your relationships with family, aging parents, kids, friends and co-workers with taking care of yourself is one of life's greatest challenges. Keep reminding yourself that it's no longer OK to cave in — and that you can do this!
Step No. 7. Pat Yourself on the Back for a Job Well Done
When it comes to taking better care of yourself, every step forward, including baby steps, is worthy of an encouraging, congratulatory pat on the back. You did it! Despite the fear and resistance that comes with change, you are summoning the courage and strength to become the better, more caring version of yourself. This is difficult (inner and outer) work, not to be taken for granted or glossed over. By stopping and appreciating yourself, you are writing new chapters in the books The Care and Feeding of Me and My Honor Code for the Work I Do.
Self-care is your hand resting gently on your heart. Giving yourself your due has nothing to do with selfishness, entitlement, arrogance or taking food out of someone else's mouth. Self-care is a gift born of a humble gratitude for the life you've been given and the person you are. Self-care is a work in progress. So, take every opportunity to implement and improve your master plan. Don't wait until a crisis or the end of your life to grant yourself permission to indulge in loving self-care — or to finally feel deserving of it. Do it now!
My wish is that you cultivate life-affirming, health-giving self-care practices. Allow yourself to receive as graciously and freely as you give. And may the gentleness, kindness, self-compassion, generosity of heart, forgiveness and permission you're learning to give yourself spread like a warm breeze across the world. A self-caring individual, family, community, company and world is one that is resilient, compassionate, competent, productive and, ultimately, at peace.
Ready to put a new self-care plan into action? Let's do this! Click here to print your own Self-Care Action Plan.
© Twin Cities Public Television - 2018. All rights reserved.


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The message of the first chapter of Ron Berger's book An Ethic of Excellence: Building a Culture of Craftsmanship with Students is the importance of student models. I think a lot of educators are afraid to use models because they want student ideas to be original, and they are afraid students will simply copy the models. It is our job as an educator to ensure that they don't. I think most students really want to be creative and original. Sometimes, however, they don't know how to start with project until they see how someone else did it. Models give us all something to strive for.
Berger also shares his process for collecting student work. He says, "One of my jobs as a teacher, I feel, is to be an historian of excellence, an archiver of excellence" (29). He doesn't just use the models and portfolios of student work to show his students. He also uses them to show others what his students have learned and what they can do. Several anecdotes describe the surprise followed quickly by skepticism that others can feel upon seeing his students' work. If the students are given time to draft, revise, refine, and really wrestle with their learning, they can produce amazing things. I have often found that giving students choices about how to present their learning really awakens them. I have also had students that were much more concerned about their grades than learning and doing excellent work they could be proud of, and that pressure was often external as much as it was internal. Sometimes I really wish we could do away with grades completely, as I think grades become the point of learning instead of learning being the point all on its own.
Another issue Berger describes with great honesty is the fact that his students are mostly white and rural. When he has presented to audiences teaching students of color in urban environments, they are skeptical that their students can do the same great work. Berger says it is about a school's culture. Teaching is hard no matter where you do it. It's harder when you don't have what you need.
When Berger comes to visit our school in preplanning, I hope he brings his students' work. I have to admit I am curious about it after reading his description of it.


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SoFried September Meeting - URL Redirects + What's Next with nvQuickSite + DNN Corp Webinar Post-Game URL Redirects We all have the need for URL redirections whether we recognize it or not. Perhaps we need shorter, more easily memorable, URL's or maybe we've gone through a site migration and need to implement redirects to maintain existing SEO results. Regardless of the scenario, we all leverage the ability to redirect URLs. In this session Ryan Moore of Moore Creative Company will lead a discussion around URL redirects and DNN. He will discuss and review DNN modules and tools used to handle redirects in different ways along with discussing real world scenarios they've encountered in the past. If you've ever wondered about what's possible with URL redirection in DNN then this is the meeting to attend. What's Next With nvQuickSite? Have you ever had to install DNN? Did you do it with nvQuickSite? If you didn't then you may have taken longer than needed. nvQuickSite is a great tool for installing DNN created by our very own David Poindexter of nvisionative. The DNN Community loves nvQuickSite and uses it all the time to help make installing DNN more efficient. In this brief session David is going to lead the discussion and give us a preview of what's just around the corner for nvQuickSite. We are excited to hear and see what's on the roadmap for nvQuickSite. September 26, 2017By Clint_Patterson SoFri Meetings David Poindexter, DNNCorp Webinar, nvquicksite, Ryan Moore, URL Redirects Loading Disqus... Read More »
Micro-Services, DNN Summit, and nvquicksite Updates We had another great user group meeting! We got DNN Summit updates from Cassidi Brickner, Joe Brinkman joined us to dive a little deeper into some of the micro-service work that Evoq is offering, and David Poindexter showed us some of the neat updates to nvquicksite. August 19, 2016By Clint_Patterson SoFri Meetings Cassidi Brickner, David Poindexter, DNN Summit, Joe Brinkman, Micro-Services, nvquicksite Loading Disqus... Read More »


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There is an almost endless list of things to do when you start a new business. Here is a brief list of some of the most important ones:
*Write a business plan.
*Consider location issues.
*Decide on the legal form of entity for the business.
*Get necessary licenses.
*Register with tax authorities.
*Involve your advisors.
Business plan. Your business plan will be useful to you and to lenders. It should present who will own the business and what the legal entity will be. It should identify your qualifications to run this type of business. You should identity your market, the products or services you will sell, and how you intend to advertise to prospective customers. The business plan should spell out the funds needed for start-up and the source of those funds. The plan should contain projected financial statements for the first couple of years. It should also address any insurance requirements and possible lease agreements. The business plan should be lengthy enough to cover the necessary items but brief enough to serve as an operating guide. It should be referred to on a regular basis and adjusted as needed.
Location. Where you locate may be one of your most important decisions. If your business will be online sales, you could operate out of your garage. But if you intend for customers to visit your establishment, it must be located in suitable surroundings. Does the general area tie into your product/service line? Is access or parking an issue? Do the other businesses in the area compliment yours; do they have similar clientele?
Legal form. Under what legal form of business do you want to operate? Should you incorporate, operate as an LLC, a partnership, or sole proprietorship? It is imperative that you discuss these options with your accountant and attorney early in the business planning stage. There are very valid tax and non-tax reasons for selecting a given entity.
Licenses. Your accountant and attorney can also assist you with applying for the necessary permits and licenses. This should be done early on to avoid possible delays.
Taxes. Your accountant will see that you have the proper registration with taxing and filing authorities such as the IRS, the state agencies for tax filings, and worker's insurance if you have employees.
Advisors. You should run your business ideas past your business advisors before you make sizable financial commitments. Who are your advisors? You will have an ongoing need for a banker, an insurance agent, an attorney, and an accountant. You will benefit by involving them early and frequently.
If you have questions about operating your business, please contact us. We are here to assist you.


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Leading trial attorneys from Lomurro Munson LLC Firm received the honor for 2018
FREEHOLD, NJ – New Jersey's 2018 Super Lawyers were announced this month and an impressive fifteen attorneys came from Freehold's Lomurro Munson LLC Firm. Two of the firm's attorneys, Donald Lomurro and Abbott Brown, were designated as two of the top 100 NJ Superlawyers (for the 10th year in a row).
The firm's managing partner, Donald Lomurro, believes the reason so many of the firm's lawyers are honored is the firm's work ethic and attitude. "We were pleased by the recognition our attorneys have received by their selection as SuperLawyers. The process of selection is heavily dependent on reviews from our fellow attorneys and indicates an awareness of the dedication our lawyers to the Law."
The Lomurro Munson LLC firm services several areas of law, including personal injury, medical malpractice, criminal law, family law and estate planning. In 2015, the firm had the largest settlement in New Jersey with a $10 million recovery for a medical malpractice case and has had multiple other million-dollar verdicts and settlements over the years.
Several attorneys at Lomurro Munson LLC have the prestigious distinction of being selected New Jersey Super Lawyers for 10 years or more, including: Abbott Brown, Donald Lomurro, Bettina Munson, Michael D. Schottland, and William Schreiber.
Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Each year, Super Lawyers recognizes the top lawyers in New Jersey via a patented multiphase selection process involving peer nomination, independent research and peer evaluation.
Only five percent of the lawyers in New Jersey are selected for inclusion on the Super Lawyers list which is published in New Jersey Monthly magazine and New Jersey Super Lawyers magazine.
The Lomurro Munson LLC firm has 10 attorneys certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court in civil, criminal and family law. These certifications are given by the Supreme Court only after extensive peer review by attorneys and judges, passing an examination and meeting certain experience requirements set forth by the Supreme Court. They have offices in Freehold and East Brunswick. Their website is www.LomurroLaw.com and they can be contacted at the office directly at 732-482-9285.


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If you have any problems and need assistance, please don't hesitate to call customer service.
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by Advanced Edge, Inc.


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Weruva Amazon Livin'
Your dog will enjoy every bite of this boneless, skinless, white breast meat chicken, with chunks of chicken liver and sweet potatoes in a delicious pumpkin gravy. Enough to entice every pallet! Did we mention the chicken is free of added antibiotics and hormones, and it is also cage free?
Chicken (Boneless, Skinless, White Breast), Water Sufficient For Processing, Chicken Liver, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Potato Starch, Sunflower Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Dicalcium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Nicotinic Acid (Vitamin B3), Ferrous Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement.
Guaranteed Analysis:
- Protein 9.34%
- Fat 2.60%
- Moisture 84.40%
- Ash 0.74%
- Carbs 2.92%
- Phosphorus 0.14%
- Potassium 0.14%
- Sodium 0.041%


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Regular price $16.00 USD Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 120): Computation results in '-Infinity'%This mosaic mixed wood pendant is handcrafted with three different types of wood - each contributing their natural color to the design! Included are graywood, rosewood, and robles wood. The design is abstract but could be a leaf, feather, or even a shield. The pendant is solid wood so the pattern can be seen from either side of the pendant. Crafted with natural wood, please allow for some variation in size, color, or finish. Although generously sized, the pendant is lightweight. Each one comes with a jump ring and stainless steel loop bail inserted at the top. (Chain is not included). The multi-colored yet neutral palette will look great in a variety of designs. Come on, let's make something beautiful!
These particular beads were designed and handcrafted in the Philippines, exclusively for Beads and Honey, coming to you from a family that has 30 years of expertise in making unique wood beads. Each bead is cut and polished in their backyard shop. They are artisans of integrity who take great pride in their craftsmanship, so I'm excited to be able to share these with you.
Material: Mixed Wood (Graywood, Rosewood, Robles) and Stainless Steel Bail with Jump Ring
Shape: Leaf/Feather/Shield
Size: 70x35x7mm
Hole Size: None
Quantity: One (1) pendant with bail. Chain not included.
All measurements and quantities are approximate.
Thank you for choosing Beads and Honey!
Domestic (US) Orders
International Orders
Beads and Honey Guarantee
Our goal is for every transaction to meet your highest expectations! We try to describe everything accurately and with full known disclosure. If you are not happy with your purchase, for any reason, please contact us within 14 days of receipt for return instructions. Unused items in new condition may be returned within 30 days of delivery.
Inlaid fossil stone beads are a Beads and Honey exclusive! Check out these one-of-a-kind beads while quantities last.
Great designs start with great beads! Try our artisan made natural wood beads. Wax polished and unfinished beads available.
Need a gift for the beader in your life? Give them the gift of choice with a Beads and Honey gift card!


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Planning for the 2016 Ecotopia Biketour has began, and we are on the lookout for projects, communities and places to visit in the Baltic States and neighbouring countries on the 2016 bike tour.
Ecotopia is a self-organised, international activist community that organizes a yearly biketour in different regions of Europe and has done so since 1990. The tour generally lasts 3 months over the summer, we carry everything on our bikes and trailers, and cook and eat communally. During the tour we visit projects of an environmental or social nature and contribute and learn from the places we visit. We also practice forms of activism and sustainable living. We follow a mainly vegan diet, practice non-hierarchical consensus decision making and encourage skill-sharing. Ecotopia Biketour is for anyone interested in travelling by bike, community life, DIY, environmentalism and experiential learning. Ecotopia Biketour 2016 will visit the Baltic states and neighbouring countries. Find out more on https://www.ecotopiabiketour.net/.
Last summer we cycled from Denmark, through Sweden, briefly into Norway, and then across to Helsinki, Finland, visiting a wide range of projects on the way – such as permaculture farms, culture houses, social centres, transition network farms and ecovillages. We joined solidarity demonstrations, dug vegetables, built bird houses, fixed bikes and more, whilst learning about local struggles, making connections, skill-sharing and finding alternatives to capitalism and consumerism. We wrote a blog about our experiences and the places we visited, which can be found on the website,
We are an always changing group and, in the sense of political backgrounds, quite diverse. Usually our group includes everything from anarchists to employees of green NGOs to people who just like cycling. Traditionally, the whole range of experience levels concerning the community lifestyle that we try to follow can be found among us, from experienced activists to people for whom this is the first contact with non-hierarchical community living. We also bring different sets of skills with us, from farmers to experienced bike mechanics to professional mathematicians. We try to share our skills with each other and with the projects that we visit. We are usually a group of between 20 and 40 people from all over Europe at any one time, so are keen to use our willing and able mass as usefully as we can, be it by helping build stuff, film stuff, running workshops, fixing bikes, skills shares and more.
We are interested in keeping the level of diversity of places that we visit high, so we are looking for projects of the following kinds:
Political groups fighting against oppression, such as feminist, anti-racist, anti-fascist, anti-ablist groups, groups working with migrants or groups fighting for workers' rights
Self-organised projects, coops, DIY projects
Groups promoting cycling and other environmental activists
Self-sustainable and permaculture projects
Organisations for alternative education and alternative housing
If you know any projects or communities in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Belarus or Finland that might be interesting to us or to whom we might be interesting, contact us by writing to 2016 at ecotopiabiketour dot net. You're welcome to forward this e-mail to other mailing lists as well.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
the Ecotopia Biketour Collective


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Like Humans, Chimps Have Culture, Too
Like humans who might use a different slang term for "that's cool" or have distinct fashion sense, adjacent chimpanzee groups also show cultural differences, in this case, in their nut-cracking techniques, researchers have found.
"In humans, cultural differences are an essential part of what distinguishes neighboring groups that live in very similar environments," study researcher Lydia Luncz, of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, said in a statement.
"For the first time, a very similar situation has been found in wild chimpanzees living in the Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, demonstrating that they share with us the ability for fine-scale cultural differentiation."
The researchers studied 45 chimpanzees from three different groups for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 nut-cracking seasons, as they use tools to open coula nuts from a tropical African tree of the same name. The chimps use hard "nutcrackers," which they craft from materials they find in their environment, to break the skin of these nuts against tree root "anvils." The nuts are hard at the beginning of the season, becoming softer and easier to crack open over time. [10 Animals That Use Tools]
Each of the three groups of chimpanzees in the national park ranges across about 1.5 square miles (4 square kilometers) of land, sharing a border with one of the other groups.
One of the groups used mostly nutcrackers made of stone to extract the meat from coula nuts, no matter how soft the nuts were. The other two groups started using wooden tools (which are easier to come by) to break open the nuts later in the season, using the stone tools only for the harder early-season nuts. All three communities had a special preference for how big of a hammer they used.
Interestingly, the chimpanzees from separate tribes are genetically the same, so they can and do interbreed between populations. In fact, the female chimpanzees of one group often move to mate with males from another group.
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"We have documented differences in hammer choice within a single forest block, with members of three different adjacent chimpanzee communities that are in regular contact with one another and are thus not genetically differentiated," Luncz said.
Somehow, the females are able to adapt to their new culture's tool-use preferences; the researchers are currently studying these communities further to see how these females are able change the way they use tools.
"In many ways, chimpanzees are very similar to us humans," study researcher Christophe Boesch, also of the Max Planck Institute, said in a statement. "By studying the similarities to our closest living relatives in their natural habitat in Africa, we have the unique opportunity to learn more about the evolutionary roots of culture, which is for us humans one of the key elements of our identity."
The study was published today (May 10) in the journal Current Biology.
You can follow LiveScience staff writer Jennifer Welsh on Twitter, on Google+ or on Facebook. Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter and on Facebook.
Jennifer Welsh is a Connecticut-based science writer and editor and a regular contributor to Live Science. She also has several years of bench work in cancer research and anti-viral drug discovery under her belt. She has previously written for Science News, VerywellHealth, The Scientist, Discover Magazine, WIRED Science, and Business Insider.


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Lipoprotein(a) genetic variants associated with coronary and peripheral vascular disease but not with stroke risk in the Heart Protection Study.
Hopewell JC., Clarke R., Parish S., Armitage J., Lathrop M., Hager J., Collins R., Heart Protection Study Collaborative Group None.
BACKGROUND:Genetic studies have identified 2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the LPA locus (rs3798220 and rs10455872) that are strongly and independently related to lipoprotein(a) levels and to coronary disease risk, but their relevance for other atherothrombotic disease is uncertain. METHODS AND RESULTS:These 2 LPA SNPs were examined together as an LPA genotype score for associations with vascular outcomes among participants in the Heart Protection Study. The LPA score was examined first in 12 236 participants with prevalent vascular disease (9277 coronary disease cases, and 1326 ischemic stroke and 2011 peripheral vascular disease cases with no history of coronary disease) and 3687 vascular disease-free controls and, subsequently, in 3251 participants who had incident major vascular events during follow-up (2106 coronary disease, 507 ischemic stroke, and 707 peripheral vascular disease events). For prevalent disease, the LPA score was strongly associated with coronary disease (odds ratio [OR] per variant allele, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.30) and peripheral vascular disease (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.34) but not with ischemic stroke (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.89 to 1.20). Similarly, for incident disease, the LPA score was strongly associated with coronary disease (hazard ratio [HR], 1.19; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.30) and peripheral vascular disease (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.40) but not with ischemic stroke (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.67 to 1.03). CONCLUSIONS:The comparable strength of associations of the LPA score with coronary disease and peripheral vascular disease but not with stroke suggest that lipoprotein(a) may have effects on atherothrombotic vascular disease that are only relevant at specific sites. Clinical Trial Registration- URL: http://isrctn.org. Unique identifier: ISRCTN48489393.


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Learning Management Systems | News
The University of Maryland will begin running a pilot of Instructure Canvas as its new enterprise learning management system (ELMS) starting this fall, with a full rollout planned for January 2013. The institution is moving away from Blackboard, which has been in place since 2006. UMD has 37,000 students, 4,000 faculty, and 5,000 staff.
A faculty-led evaluation committee recommended Canvas after running pilots of five applications in courses: Blackboard Learn 9.1, Desire2Learn, Moodle, Sakai, and Canvas. The university has posted public videos of faculty sharing their experiences with each of the learning management systems. In each case the university also surveyed students from course, who provided their feedback at mid-term and at the end of the semester. Areas of investigation for the no-cost pilots included usability; flexibility of tools for instructors, students, and administration; integration with the student information system and library systems; support for implementation and on-going usage; and overall system architecture.
"The committee considered Canvas to be a cutting-edge platform that integrates all existing e-learning tools into a modern, yet interactive, virtual learning environment," said Marcio Oliveira, assistant chair of the Department of Kinesiology in Maryland's School of Public Health and member of the faculty evaluation team.
The school's Division of Information Technology is now working with the university community to orchestrate the transition to the new platform.
"As Maryland's academic quality continues its upward trajectory, the central IT organization will do its part to build upon Maryland's academic strengths," said Brian Voss, Maryland's vice president of IT and CIO. "The selection of a new, next-generation ELMS increases the university's capacity to educate students for work and life in the 21st century."
Added Chris Higgins, director of Learning Technologies and Environments, "When ELMS powered by Canvas is launched in 2012, faculty and students will encounter a university-wide learning environment that uses modern Web technologies; is easy to use, intuitive, and accessible; contains features for teaching, learning, collaborating, and evaluating academic performance; and integrates multimedia, e-portfolios, social media tools, and Web conferencing."
The hunt for a new ELMS began in 2010 when the university put out a request for information and the faculty committee started its appraisal. Participants in that process included representatives from every college, the Graduate Student Government, and the Student Government Association.
That RFI listed these minimum requirements:
The university also joined a procurement initiative as part of the Maryland Education Enterprise Consortium (MEEC) with other educational institutions also seeking to acquire learning management systems. In that case, MEEC established master agreements with six LMS providers: Agilix Learning Services, Blackboard, Desire2Learn, Instructure, Pearson's eCollege, and Moodlerooms. For the most part, those are in effect through June 2017.
About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.


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City of Salisbury Statement on Laurent Autopsy Linda McElroy / Thursday, January 19, 2017 0 27214 The City of Salisbury is aware that members of the Salisbury community held a news conference today regarding the autopsy of Ferguson Laurent Jr. Read more
Salisbury offers free yard compost at its Grants Creek Compost Facility Public Services / Thursday, January 26, 2017 0 41198 SALISBURY, N.C., (Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017) -- The city's public services department has begun its yard waste compost giveaway at its Grants Greek Compost Facility, where Salisbury city residents can pickup free, high-quality compost generated from last year's curb-side yard waste. Read more
Salisbury City Council Statement on Knock and Announce Warrant Vote City Council / Tuesday, January 31, 2017 0 26105 Salisbury City Council has received increased correspondence surrounding the Salisbury Police Department's use of no-knock warrants, most recently as it relates to the Ferguson Laurent Jr. officer-involved shooting. Read more
Salisbury HAC hold open forum on residential rental property Linda McElroy / Thursday, February 9, 2017 0 28568 Salisbury, N.C., (Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017) – The Salisbury Housing Advocacy Commission will host an open forum on a proposed ordinance, titled the Remedial Action Program (RAP), Monday, Feb.13, 5:30 to 7 p.m. at One Water St. Read more
City of Salisbury provides its Presidents' Day operation schedule City of Salisbury / Monday, February 13, 2017 0 26320 Salisbury, N.C., (Monday, Feb. 13, 2017) – The City of Salisbury will operate on the following schedule for the Presidents' Day holiday, Monday, Feb. 20: Read more
Two teens captured following drive-by shooting incident Salisbury Police Department / Saturday, February 11, 2017 0 29424 Two teenagers charged with assault with dangerous weapons. Read more
Salisbury Police Seek Two in Catawba College Robberies Salisbury Police Department / Wednesday, February 22, 2017 0 28866 Salisbury Police have obtained warrants for two suspects in the two burglaries and armed robbery that occurred at 2300 W Innes St at Catawba College's Stanback Hall. Read more
Salisbury City Council receives guidance on Immediate Entry Warrants from N.C. Attorney General's Office City of Salisbury Administration / Tuesday, February 28, 2017 0 27421 Salisbury, N.C., (Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017) – The Salisbury City Council has received correspondence from the North Carolina Attorney General's office that states the local elected body cannot restrict the use of immediate entry warrants, also known as "no knock" warrants, beyond the restrictions that state and federal law already provide. Read more
Tyler Spencer Nichols Apprehended Salisbury Police Department / Friday, February 24, 2017 0 31692 On Friday February 24, 2017 Salisbury Police arrested Tyler Aaimer Spencer Nichols, age 17 of 641 Statesville Blvd. Salisbury. He was charged with for 1 count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, 4 counts of breaking and entering of a motor vehicle and 3 counts of larceny. Read more
Bell Tower to be repaired as first phase of Downtown Park Initiative SuperUser Account / Wednesday, November 2, 2016 0 34891 Salisbury's iconic Bell Tower will ring again, hopefully in time for the traditional family New Year's Eve celebration held at the site. The bell in the tower has not rung for several years because of structural decay. Repair of the 1892 tower has begun, thanks to a grant from the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Read more


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I'm running Xubuntu 13.04 (xfce4-panel 4.10.0). The icons for Skype and Synapse are missing in the panel. Only a missing icon icon is shown.
The icons show correctly in the apps menu. I've tried reinstalling the programs and removing and adding them back to the panel, but to no avail. No errors shows up in the syslog.
Is there anything else I can try?
The icon theme is elementary Xfce. I noticed that switching to KDE-HiColor fixed the problem. But I don't really like that theme. Is there a way to add the icons to the elementary Xfce theme?
Using the icon pack suggested my M.HannySabbagh didn't work (still the same problem with missing icons).
On my other computer I'm running Xubuntu 12.10 with icon theme Tango. The Skype icon looks good on that computer, but trying the Tango theme on my 13.04 computer results in the same "icon missing" icon as the elementary Xfce theme.


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Not only are you apt to feel better after such a program, you might also lose some weight in the process. Before you begin, learn why a cleanse may be essential and how to detoxify effectively—and safely.
A Toxic World
"Toxicity has become a great concern in our modern world," says integrative physician Elson M. Haas, MD. "We ingest new chemicals, use more drugs, eat more sugary and refined foods, and abuse ourselves daily with stimulants and/or sedatives," he explains.
"Today, more than ever before, our bodies are bombarded by chemicals, environmental pollutants, nasty bacteria, and parasites," adds nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS.
As part of the Human Toxome Project, the Environmental Working Group found 171 industrial compounds and pollutants—including chemicals linked to birth defects and developmental problems, immune system toxicity, and cancer—in nine adults from across the United States.
Some experts believe that our bodies contain up to 700 distinct chemicals at one time. "Toxicity is a major problem today, and you don't see the symptoms until it's too late," says Gaetano Morello, ND.
The Body Toxic
Fats—especially oxidized fat and cholesterol—and free radicals act as internal toxins. "The underlying cause of chronic disease comes from the increased production of a natural fatty acid called arachidonic acid (AA), which can be incredibly toxic at high enough concentrations," says Barry Sears, PhD. "Oddly enough, accumulation of excess body fat is initially your body's attempt to protect you by encapsulating or trapping this toxic fat in your fat cells so it doesn't attack your other organs," he explains.
Trouble is, toxins won't stay trapped forever and are not only linked to obesity but also to chronic disease. Left unchecked, the flow of this kind of toxic fat into the bloodstream leads to a long list of chronic conditions: allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases (arthritis and lupus), cancer, heart disease, inflammatory conditions (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), neurological disorders (Alzheimer's disease, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and Type 2 diabetes.
Research also links a toxic body to chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and Parkinson's disease.
Love Your Liver
"Keeping your metabolic engines running and your body toxin free is a 24/7 job for your liver," says Brenda Watson, CNC. "A properly functioning liver is able to clear 99 percent of toxins from the blood before that blood is generated to the rest of the body."
But this organ is "more than a washing machine for blood; it carries on many important metabolic activities" breaking down protein and affecting carb and fat metabolism. "Furthermore, the liver acts as a huge storage unit," she adds. "In addition to removing toxic substances from the blood, it can also store them."
The liver needs specific nutrients—amino acids, glutathione, and sulfur—to function properly. "If there is any mishap or missing nutrient in the assembly line as toxic substances get converted to less toxic substances for removal, your liver and subsequently your entire body may suffer," Watson explains.
With adequate nutrients, fat-soluble toxins (those that dissolve only in fat and are commonly stored in fatty tissues and cell membranes) are converted into a more easily excreted water-soluble form, which then goes on to the kidneys and bowels for excretion.
How Detox Works
"Think of detoxification as a way of giving your body the equipment it needs to effectively act as its own shield against these incoming toxins," says Watson. A detox program helps the body clear toxins by neutralizing and transforming these hazardous wastes while better balancing internal pH and ridding excess congestion and mucus. "Detoxification helps fuel the engines that will literally clean up your body at a cellular level and support its natural operations," she explains.
"Almost everyone needs to detox and rest their body from time to time," says Dr. Haas, who considers internal cleansing just one part of a trilogy of nutritional action (along with building or toning and balancing or maintaining health). "Detoxification involves dietary and lifestyle changes that reduce the intake of toxins while improving elimination," he adds.
Start by drinking purified water and adding more soluble fiber to your diet. A more rigorous cleansing plan calls for consuming only fresh fruits and veggies plus whole grains, raw and sprouted seeds, as well as legumes.
Dr. Haas recommends trying a weeklong soup cleanse (based on healthy oils and veggies). Or try a macrobiotic plan: Eat brown rice three or four times daily, along with green or herbal teas and miso or vegetable soups.
For anyone cleansing, "I recommend eliminating the big five: alcohol, caffeine, dairy, sugar, and wheat," he adds.
Added Support
No matter what type of detox plan you choose, conscious breathing, meditation, and visualization can be useful. Treat yourself to a massage during your detox regimen. And writing in your journal is a great way to set healthy goals for the future while describing your feelings during this cleansing process.
Watson notes that key supplements support detox and your overall wellness plan. These include a high-quality multivitamin/mineral, omega 3s, calcium and magnesium for women and magnesium alone for men, probiotics, and fiber supplements.
Green formulas (in juice, powder, or supplement form) consist of algae such as chlorella, barley grass, or wheat grass and offer detoxifying amino acids, minerals, and antioxidants. These alkalizing formulas also encourage a healthy pH balance in the body. Look for a variety of cleansing products and kits at the store that gives you remedies. Seek well-studied ingredients in a kit, advises Dr. Gaetoano Morello, and avoid products with too many components. (Six to ten may be ideal.) He adds that products should clearly list each ingredient and the amount contained in a serving.
Because everyone's metabolism and reasons for detox are different, pay attention to your body and stop using any products that cause discomfort or concern. Don't overlook herbal support. "All cultures have traditionally used eliminative herbs that have laxative, diuretic (increasing urine flow), diaphoretic (sweat inducing), and blood-purifying properties to remove toxins from the body," says Watson. "While drugs add to the toxic burden of the body, specific herbs can actually assist the body's natural detoxification process."


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It's hard for me to remember a time when I wasn't volunteering for one thing or another. I don't think I volunteered for anything during my high school or college years or even during the early years of my career. I think it started for me when my kids were born so that's going back about 25 years or so. I volunteered to help out at dance recitals, soccer games, field trips, teaching art appreciation to second graders, etc. That sort of stuff went on for years as my kids went from grade school to middle school and then to high school. By the time I got interested in genealogy (13-14 years ago) I had plenty of volunteer experience under my belt.
I didn't start volunteering for anything that could be classified as genealogy-related until about 10 years ago. My first "project" was to create a web site for the Polish Catholic church in Detroit that my great grandparents attended. Not only did I research the parish history to do so but I went through the parish record books to put together a genealogy section as well. Nobody asked me to do it. I just wanted a web site and I made one. I got to know the pastor and few key people in the parish and it all went well. Then one day the pastor put a notice in the church bulletin asking for people to work on creating a database of the baptismal, marriage, and death records for the parish. I volunteered for that too. I started with the death records and worked on them on and off for several years. I had hoped to get others to help me out but I just couldn't coordinate the project to get it off the ground.
Then the pastor was assigned to another neighboring parish. It too was a Polish Catholic church that some of my ancestors had attended. That parish didn't have a web site either, so I made one for them too. So then I was maintaining two parish web sites and working on the database.
Somewhere along the way I discovered that I had family ties to yet another Polish Catholic parish in Detroit. It didn't have a web site either. Yep. I did it again. So then there were three. All with genealogy sections and historical ties to my family.
At about the same time that I was creating all these church web sites, I volunteered to take over and expand the web site for the Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan. It wasn't long after that that I was asked to join the board of directors. So then I volunteered to serve there too. While I was a member of the board I wrote for the society journal in addition to what I was doing on the web site and I voluntarily did a survey of the membership (primarily to take a pulse on where they were technology-wise). I made many friends during the time I was active as a board member but it was a very time consuming activity for me when combined with the writing and web mastering I was doing.
I also created a genealogy web site with information of specific interest for those with Polish ancestors from Detroit. I'm sorry to say that site has really suffered since I started blogging. I find it hard to keep it current these days.
As a result of the web sites I've created, I can count on getting several email requests for help each month. I do my best to connect people with the resources they need to research their family history. Sometimes that's a quick thing, sometimes it takes more time. Sometimes I don't have the answers people seek. But I give it my best shot in any event.
I find it hard to say "no" when people ask me for help so I end up over-committing myself. I can't begin to guess at how many hours I've put in volunteering for genealogy-related projects. I can say this though, I've met the very nicest people in the course of my volunteering. I don't regret any of it. I only wish I had more time and more money to give to further the cause of genealogy research.
I've cut back on my volunteering some in recent years. I still maintain the church web sites and my own Detroit/Polish genealogy web site but I'm no longer active with the PGSM web site or the board of directors. Blogging dominates my time these days and in a way that's a volunteer effort in itself. While much of what I write is for my own needs, there's also a great deal of information I pass along on my blogs that is strictly for the benefit of others. So I definitely feel like I'm still giving voluntarily to others in the genealogical community that way too. And once again I've met the nicest people along the way...
Written for the 87th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, Topic: Volunteerism


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- Initial Summary
- Product Information
- Product Description
- Initial Impressions
- Setting Up The Stand (illustration)
- Recommended Modifications (illustration)
Initial Summary
Handy Hammock has done an amazing job of simplifying "space-age" technology for the masses. Overall, I like this stand, but it has its limitations. It is similar in design to the 3-person hammock tensegrity stand I illustrated in my book, borrowed from Camp Elsewhere's Burning Man design. It's simple, sleek, and well-designed. For me, the best feature of the Handy Hammock is that it's really lightweight, strong, and packable. This stand is useful in places where trees or anchors are not available like parks, beaches, and backyards, but also along trails where tree selection is limited or non-existant (e.g., thru-hikes along the PCT, CDT, or AZT). The major drawback? It's not free-standing and requires some space to stake down the supporting struts.
- Lightweight, packable stand
- Fairly simple set-up
- The stand can be easily modified and used with other hammocks
- Comfortable hammock
- Large footprint—The stand requires a minimum space to set up, just over 15 ft/4.6 m (64 × 182 in | 163 × 462 cm)
- Not free-standing—Requires ground anchors, which could be problematic in some areas
- Trip wires—The bright, neon yellow guy lines are still a trip hazard.
- Difficult field repairs—The guy lines are easily repairable or replaceable, but if one of the tension lines on the struts gets cut, or frayed, I can't think of how you could fix this in the field.
Product Information
Manufacturer: Hammock Limited, UK
Year of Manufacture: 2012, made in the UK
Manufacture Website: http://www.handyhammock.co.uk
Fabric: Parachute polyester
Fabric Dimensions: 56 × 95 in (124.25 × 241.25 cm) (56 × 117 in/124.25 × 297.2 cm total)—the rope nettles adds 22 in (56 cm) (11 in/28 cm on each side) for a total length of 117 in (297 cm)
Measured Weight: 10.5 oz (298 g), which includes rope nettles and steel rings
Listed Capacity: 275 lbs (125 kg)
- 6 ground plates with measured line @ 1.4 oz (40 g) ea.; (0.3 in/8 mm thick, 2.7 in/69 mm diam)
- 2 guy lines (1.25 oz/35 g for both)
- 12 stakes @ 1.1 oz (31 g) ea.; 13.25 in (34 cm) long x 0.25 in (6.5 mm) diameter
- 2 struts; 54.5 in (138.4 cm) tall; 10.05 oz (285 g) ea.
Measured Weight: 38.75 oz (1 kg) (stand: suspension/struts, guy line, stakes)
Listed Weight: (1.53 kg)
TOTAL WEIGHT: 49.25 oz (1.4 kg) (stand + hammock)
Listed Features:
- Supports up to 275 lbs (125 kg/20 stones)!
- Struts and anchor pegs made from aircraft-grade, 7075-T6 Aluminium/Zinc alloy
- Unique featherweight folding-struts braced with super-strong Kevlar® cord
- High impact, durable nylon mouldings (reinforced with glass-fibre)
- UK designed and UK manufactured – precision engineered
- Quick to erect and dismantle
- Supplied with weatherproof bag
- Guy-lines made from Dyneema® (595 lbs/270 kg breaking strain)
- Unique "tri-pin" ground anchor system gives secure ground anchorage
Product Description
The Handy Hammock is currently sold as a combination hammock and lightweight, portable hammock stand. The hammock itself is a simple, gathered-end hammock made from parachute polyester with a weight capacity of 275 lbs (125 kg). The hammock is made from one piece of fabric, hemmed on the edges, with 1 in (2.5 cm) channels on each end. On the end channels, small holes have been melted into the fabric. Threaded through these holes are the nettles, or suspension ropes, that completes the the hammock and gathers each end. The nettles terminate onto a small 1 in (2.5 cm) steel ring—inner diameter measures 3/4 in (2 cm).
Also fastened onto each steel ring is one set of Dyneema guy line. The guy line is a bright, florescent yellow and on each end is a small plastic ball toggle. The guy line and hammock are connected together and are used together to keep the stand upright.
The stand is very minimal. The two, two-piece aluminum "struts" are held together with some shock cord but also with an ingenious tensioners. The tensioners slide and then "pop" into place making the struts very rigid. These two struts are held in place with the guy lines that are staked to the ground.
The 12 stakes are stored on the struts, which helps make the stand a very compact and portable package.
To make set-up easier, there are six (6) base plates, separated into three sets of two plates. The pair of base plates are connected with a length of string. Each base plate has three small holes where the stakes are fitted, and a large central hole where the ball toggle can be threaded for the guy line.
The hammock prevents the struts from falling backward and the guy lines help direct the weight in the hammock into compressive forces down the struts and into the ground, using the principle of tensegrity.
Initial Impressions
When I first saw the Handy Hammock I was simply struck with awe. The stand looked impossible: lightweight aluminum struts and thin line holding up hundreds of pounds off the ground? The manufacturer makes the whole system look like child's play, yet the forces at work are hinging on rocket science. I was elated when Handy Hammock offered to send me a review sample.
The whole kit, hammock and stand, comes in a carrying bag with an adjustable shoulder sling. The first thing that worried me was that the hammock was wrapped around the struts and line. Perhaps a pet-peeve of mine, but I prefer to keep my hammocks packed separate from gear that has potential for getting dirty, as the stand will be. The other thing I noticed was that the hammock and the guy lines were connected. This means that in order to set up the stand, the hammock must be laid on the ground, another pet-peeve of mine. One of my first resolutions was to find out if I could pitch the stand while keeping the hammock separate.
The hammock is very basic but perfectly viable. It reminds me of the Grand Trunk Goods Ultralight hammock. They share similar fabric but the Handy Hammock dimensions are a little bigger.
One thing I noticed about the stand is its high-level engineering. Each component was well-thought out and designed using simple, interchangeable parts. For example, almost each component uses similar "ball toggles." These red, plastic knobs are rounded on one side and have indentations on the opposite side. Each stake uses a ball on the head. The guy lines each have two balls that are used as toggles. Each hinge on the strut uses multiple balls as joints, etc.
One advantage of this stand is that everything is pre-set and pre-measured. This means, like a tent, you can consistently set it up without worrying too much about varying trunk diameters, distances between trees, and suspension angles.
Why This Stand? Where To Use It?
Handy Hammock is marketing this stand to the layman with little or no hammock experience, which is one reason they have focused so much attention on trying to simplify the set-up process. I think the manufacturer envisions this hammock being used in residential backyards, beaches, parks, and open fields.
However, when I saw this stand I immediately thought of its application with outdoor activities such as backpacking and camping. Not only are there some places (e.g., various campgrounds) where attaching anything to a tree is prohibited, some hiking trails have sections where trees are sparse or nonexistent. For thru-hikers along the PCT, JMT, CDT, or AZT, this stand could be taken on sections where trees are not present and sleeping on the ground is not desirable.
Setting Up The Stand
The hammock kit comes with a set of instructions that clearly identify the steps for erecting the stand. I also watched a few set-up videos from other users. Before going out for my first attempt, I felt I had a pretty good grasp of how to set it up. However, my first attempt was a bit of a failure (watch my video to see some clips). Part of the reason is my own fault: I disassembled the guy lines from the hammock in an attempt to keep the hammock from touching the ground. In the end, the hammock fell on the ground anyway, so I had to re-think my process.
In very basic terms, these are the steps to erect the stand:
- Stake down the ground plates, using the guy line and ground plate line to determine the correct distances.
- Assemble the struts and connect the middle pair of ground plates.
- Use the hammock to connect the two struts and keep them from falling over.
Recommended Modifications
- 1 in (2.5 cm) stainless steel O-rings
- Zing-It 1.75 mm Dyneema Cord by the yard (guyline to attach to bottom strut)
- Shock Cord by the foot (for a flexible ridgeline tensioner between strut tops)
Disclaimer: The author (Derek Hansen) was provided with a free sample of the Handy Hammock from the manufacturer upon request for testing and evaluation purposes.


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As 37 Signals says "Basecamp is the top choice for entrepreneurs, freelancers, small businesses, and groups inside big organizations." We agree, but.
Over 5 million people worldwide have used Basecamp to collaborate on over 4 million projects, track 57 million hours of work, share 46 million files, and complete 43 million to-dos.
Basecamp will help you grow your business.
But the problem you'll face later is that your business will outgrow Basecamp. Your clients will still love it but it will be harder and harder to make sense of all the projects and tasks, let alone manage staff.
AscentList solves all of that. It's like GTD for Basecamp. Everyone starts with a single hierarchical list of all their tasks everyday. Neither you nor you team will never be confused about your priorities again.
Need to check James's next programming task to see
if you can bump an urgent bit of work to him today?
Need to find out when Helen will start the new CD design?
Need to know what you should be doing next?
AscentList also lets you add tasks across projects and clients to Basecamp much faster via a speed task entry system including task, due date, notifications and detailed comments.
As a veteran Basecamp user if you try AscentList for a week, you'll never be able to look at Basecamp the same way again.
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Don't lose your chance to secure a favored rate on the
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AscentList doesn't replace Basecamp:
AscentList makes Basecamp (and your life) much better.
Basecamp changed the world of online project management. Before Basecamp, there were no attractive and easy to use online project management tools. Task management was either for individuals or ugly and unworkable.
Like many new web development companies, we jumped on the Basecamp system as soon as it was released in 2004. A new world. Our business started to grow from 12 projects to 24 projects to 50 projects and now to 92 live projects with hundreds archived.
While we loved its simplicity, Basecamp became a harder and harder place to manage our own tasks, let alone make sure a colleague was working on the most urgent project. We tried other project management tools, we read GTD books, we investigated the nature of time. Basecamp still wasn't enough any more. -Competitors remained opaque and hard to use.-
And so AscentList was born. We sought to combine the simplicity of GTD – a single inbox for all new work – in a collaborative environment where you can see immediately what the rest of the team is working on too.
AscentList has allowed us to grow to 38 people on three continents without leaving Basecamp.


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This amplified splitter is optimized for use with all satellite radio systems. It includes the adapters, cables and accessories to permit operation of multiple (up to sixteen) satellite radios from a single antenna. In order to maintain the proper RF link budget for the radio, the splitter loss at 2.35 GHz has been compensated by an internal amplifier. This amplifier is powered by the DC voltage that is supplied by any of the radios connected to its output. The splitter will pass the DC voltage supplied by a radio at any output port to the splitter input port. This will provide power to any antenna connected to this port for the antennas internal low-noise amplifier (LNA). Standard RG-6 cable with male F-connectors (not supplied) can be used to extend the output cable lengths.
The splitter has 8 dB of excess gain to permit output extensions of up to 70 feet. If cable extensions greater than 70 feet are desired, we recommend using Pixel Model SBA-1 line extension amplifier(s) with the splitter. One amplifier (for example) placed at the input of the splitter will permit total cable lengths of up to 200 feet from each individual output port to the radios.
This splitter has been designed with an output impedance that replicates that of a satellite radio antenna so the radio will operate in its normal mode without the need for external impedance terminating devices. Unused output ports do not have to be terminated for proper operation.
Note: For operation in close proximity to high power satellite radio terrestrial repeaters. Please use the supplied 20 Db attenuator on the input of the splitter to avoid amplifier overload. Otherwise this attenuator is not required.
Compatible with both XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio.


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Learn to accept criticism—no matter how harsh—with aplomb by following tips from weblog Zen Habits. For example:
Thank the Critic
Even if someone is harsh and rude, thank them. They might have been having a bad day, or maybe they're just a negative person in general. But even so, your attitude of gratitude will probably catch them off-guard.
I don't know how many times I've fielded extremely negative criticisms sent to the Lifehacker inbox with a "Thank you" and then received an apology. Of course, not all criticism is unfounded, and the post discusses how to handle the ego blow that comes with a critique and how to work toward improving where the criticism is valid. Let's hear how you handle criticism in the comments. Photo by Zara-Jay.
How to Accept Criticism with Grace and Appreciation [Zen Habits]


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Our Fixed Assets Implementation Package will allow you to leverage the Fixed Assets functionality inside of Dynamics 365 Business Central.
Keep track of fixed assets such as buildings, machinery, and equipment. Post various fixed asset transactions: acquisitions, depreciation, write-downs, appreciation, and disposal.
For each fixed asset, you set up depreciation books in which the methods and other conditions used for calculating depreciation are defined. You can set up an unlimited number of depreciation books to satisfy legal requirements, and for tax and internal accounting purposes.