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Volunteer Soars with Junior Achievement
Author: Hannah Henry
Work Readiness
Tuesday, 02 Jan 2018
This JA Feel Good Moment comes from an American Airlines employee that volunteered through Junior Achievement of Dallas, Inc.
"Thank you for the message. I wanted to tell you thank you for coordinating and go ahead and give you my feedback because yesterday really made an impact on me.
When Crystal and I came to pick up the information I was very intimidated. The days leading up to it, I really wanted to back out with whatever excuse I could find. Luckily I didn't. Yesterday was truly a highlight of my career with AAG. Being able to deliver information to those kids and seeing how grateful they were for us to be there truly made me feel like a better person. It is amazing how being there for just a few hours can really get you attached to kids and see how much of an influence you have.
I will be forever in debt to the opportunity given to me yesterday and I look forward to it each year because I will do it as long as it is offered. Thanks again for the opportunity."
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Neighbourhood Planning
Neighbourhood Planning was introduced in the Localism Act 2011 to allow communities to have a say in the kind and amount of development that is appropriate for their community.
Once adopted, a neighbourhood plan will form part of the Local Development Plan. Other elements of the legislation include: Neighbourhood Development Orders & Community Right to Build Orders.
Why choose Devon Communities Together to help you?
Catalyst is a trusted consultancy service from Devon Communities Together, with extensive experience of effective community consultation, which is at the heart of Neighbourhood Planning.
We understand the needs and aspirations of communities and local planning authorities and will offer unbiased support and advice based on the Localism Act, Neighbourhood Planning Regulations and National Planning Policy Framework. Our links with the Devon Association of Local Councils (DALC) keeps us in close contact and we understand the issues and concerns of Parish and Town Councils when taking on this responsibility.
With services designed around you, we will offer the right level of support for your needs, from an advisory role to a leading role, where we will drive the whole process for you.
We will:
- help you understand the objectives and methods of Neighbourhood Planning
- help you decide if you need a Neighbourhood Plan
- support your transition from an existing Parish / Town Plan to a Neighbourhood Plan
- guide you through the Neighbourhood Plan process
- help you with consultation
- help you to draft your 'final' plan
- work in partnership with your local authority to ensure that you develop a truly effective plan
We can also help you put together funding bids to develop proposals under any of the other 'Community Rights' introduced in the Localism Act 2011, including the Right to Build, the Right to Bid and the Right to Challenge.
For an initial, no commitment, discussion about your requirements please contact: 01392 248919 or email firstname.lastname@example.com
Watch this Understanding our Neighbourhood Planning video from Locality here
Take a look at this Step by Step Roadmap Guide to Neighbourhood Planning, from Locality here.
Download our Neighbourhood Planning leaflet here

subset: commoncrawl


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Judge sentences 2 people convicted in Confederate flag confrontation
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. - A judge sentenced two people to prison Monday for their involvement in a confrontation at a child's birthday party that involved weapons and the Confederate flag.
In July 2015, just weeks after the Charleston church massacre, a large group of people drove up to a birthday party in Douglasville in trucks, flying American, military and Confederate flags. According to prosecutors, about 15 people, several pointing guns, were riding through town that day with a group called "Respect the Flag."
The child's mother, Melissa Alford, said the group walked up to her property and threatened her family.
The people accused in the case said the confrontation started when someone at the party threw an object at one of the trucks, but the mother's accusations and video of the incident were enough to charge two people, Kayla Norton and Jose Torres, with aggravated assault, making terroristic threats and violating the Georgia Street Gang Act, for which they were found guilty earlier this month.
WATCH: Raw video of Confederate flag rally, birthday party-goers clashing
MORE: Douglasville Confederate flag rally, birthday party-goers clash
Monday morning, a judge sentenced Torres to 20 years in prison, with 13 to serve. Norton was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with six to serve.
"If you drive around town with a Confederate flag, yelling the N-word, you know how it's going to be interpreted," Judge William McClain said. "It's inexplicable to me that you weren't arrested by the police that day.
Watch as both defendants cried while being addressed in court.
With tears in her eyes, Norton spoke directly to several of the family members who were at the party.
"What happened to you was horrible. Mother-to-mother, I can't imagine what it was like to explain what that word means to a child. I accept responsibility for what I did, but that was not me," the 25-year-old mother said fighting back tears in her eyes.
According to Douglas County prosecutors, Norton was not one of riders who pointed shotguns at the adults and children in the yard of the Douglasville home, but Assistant District Attorney David Emadi she was among many who hurled menacing threats while yelling the N-word.
"They repeatedly yelled death threats saying they were going to killing all the N----. They said, 'We'll blow the heads off all the little b------ and the little n----- can get one too,'" Emadi told Judge William McClain during the sentencing hearing.
Hyesha Bryant was at the party with her 3 children and other loved ones and responded to Norton's apology.
"We all have to be held accountable for our actions. I forgive you. I forgive all of you. I am not a mean spirited person and I'm sorry for your family that it had to come this far," Bryant said as Norton and Torres wept.
WATCH: Hear what the victims had to tell the pair during their sentencing hearing
No shots were fired that day, but Judge McClain said the group's actions were still quite harmful.
"I don't think it's a coincidence that this incident happened one month after the Charleston shooting," Judge McClain said speaking directly to both convicts. "I suppose confederate flags can be interpreted different ways and different contexts, but if you're driving around waving Confederate flags and using the N-word everywhere you go, then there's only one way to interpret that," he said.
Both convicts wept as the judge sentenced Torres to 20 years with 13 to serve and Norton to 15 years with 6 to serve. Thomas Summers, 46 and Lacey Henderson, 38, accepted plea deals in the case. They are serving four and two years respectively. Other defendants were charged with misdemeanors and ordered to perform community service.
NEXT: Cobb mother drops child off at school while high on meds


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Dive right in with 15+ hands-on examples of analyzing large data sets with Apache Spark, on your desktop or on Hadoop!
What Will I Learn?
- Frame big data analysis problems as Spark problems
- Use Amazon's Elastic MapReduce service to run your job on a cluster with Hadoop YARN
- Install and run Apache Spark on a desktop computer or on a cluster
- Use Spark's Resilient Distributed Datasets to process and analyze large data sets across many CPU's
- Implement iterative algorithms such as breadth-first-search using Spark
- Use the MLLib machine learning library to answer common data mining questions
- Understand how Spark SQL lets you work with structured data
- Understand how Spark Streaming lets your process continuous streams of data in real time
- Tune and troubleshoot large jobs running on a cluster
- Share information between nodes on a Spark cluster using broadcast variables and accumulators
- Understand how the GraphX library helps with network analysis problems
"Big data" analysis is a hot and highly valuable skill – and this course will teach you the hottest technology in big data: Apache Spark. Employers including Amazon, EBay, NASA JPL, and Yahoo all use Spark to quickly extract meaning from massive data sets across a fault-tolerant Hadoop cluster. You'll learn those same techniques, using your own Windows system right at home. It's easier than you might think.
Learn and master the art of framing data analysis problems as Spark problems through over 15 hands-on examples, and then scale them up to run on cloud computing services in this course. You'll be learning from an ex-engineer and senior manager from Amazon and IMDb.
- Learn the concepts of Spark's Resilient Distributed Datastores
- Develop and run Spark jobs quickly using Python
- Translate complex analysis problems into iterative or multi-stage Spark scripts
- Scale up to larger data sets using Amazon's Elastic MapReduce service
- Understand how Hadoop YARN distributes Spark across computing clusters
- Learn about other Spark technologies, like Spark SQL, Spark Streaming, and GraphX
By the end of this course, you'll be running code that analyzes gigabytes worth of information – in the cloud – in a matter of minutes.
This course uses the familiar Python programming language; if you'd rather use Scala to get the best performance out of Spark, see my "Apache Spark with Scala – Hands On with Big Data" course instead.
We'll have some fun along the way. You'll get warmed up with some simple examples of using Spark to analyze movie ratings data and text in a book. Once you've got the basics under your belt, we'll move to some more complex and interesting tasks. We'll use a million movie ratings to find movies that are similar to each other, and you might even discover some new movies you might like in the process! We'll analyze a social graph of superheroes, and learn who the most "popular" superhero is – and develop a system to find "degrees of separation" between superheroes. Are all Marvel superheroes within a few degrees of being connected to The Incredible Hulk? You'll find the answer.
This course is very hands-on; you'll spend most of your time following along with the instructor as we write, analyze, and run real code together – both on your own system, and in the cloud using Amazon's Elastic MapReduce service. 5 hours of video content is included, with over 15 real examples of increasing complexity you can build, run and study yourself. Move through them at your own pace, on your own schedule. The course wraps up with an overview of other Spark-based technologies, including Spark SQL, Spark Streaming, and GraphX.
Enjoy the course!
Who is the target audience?
- People with some software development background who want to learn the hottest technology in big data analysis will want to check this out. This course focuses on Spark from a software development standpoint; we introduce some machine learning and data mining concepts along the way, but that's not the focus. If you want to learn how to use Spark to carve up huge datasets and extract meaning from them, then this course is for you.
- If you've never written a computer program or a script before, this course isn't for you – yet. I suggest starting with a Python course first, if programming is new to you.
- If your software development job involves, or will involve, processing large amounts of data, you need to know about Spark.
- If you're training for a new career in data science or big data, Spark is an important part of it.
See more Big Data Courses here


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Coming soon
Teal Linen Bow Tie
Fox & Brie bow ties are handcrafted in our Austin, Texas studio in limited editions using a mixture of new, vintage, and deadstock fabrics. Each bow tie is made from our own unique sewing patterns, ensuring the perfect fit for each style. Our fabric collections are curated to reflect the easy style of the modern gentleman.
Fox & Brie bow ties are self-tie and must be tied by the wearer, but that's half the fun!
Pattern: solid
Color: teal
Fabric: linen
Style: self-tie
Neck size: up to 19"
Care: spot clean & iron with steam
Available in two sizes (when tied):
Standard: 4.5" x 2.5"
Petite: 4" x 2"


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Updated official figures published on Monday showed that Britain recorded its biggest drop in output in more than 300 years as it faced the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Reuters reported. According to the Office for National Statistics, the gross domestic product fell by 11 percent in 2020 as compared to the previous year. According to historical data hosted by the Bank of England, this drop was significantly larger than any of the ONS's previous estimates. It represents the biggest fall since 1709.
Based on the initial estimates of the ONS, it was already apparent that in 2020 the British economy would suffer its biggest drop in output since the Great Frost of 1709. However, the ONS has recently revised down the magnitude of the fall to a more manageable 9.3 percent. This makes Britain's economic slump the biggest in the Group of Seven. As a result of increased costs faced by individual retailers, retail contribution has also been reduced, while factory output was revised due to lower raw material costs.


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Now On Digital: http://bit.ly/LoveSimonFoxMovies
Now On Blu-ray and DVD: http://bit.ly/LoveSimon-Official
Everyone deserves a great love story. But for seventeen-year old Simon Spier it's a little more complicated: he's yet to tell his family or friends he's gay and he doesn't actually know the identity of the anonymous classmate he's fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying and life-changing. Directed by Greg Berlanti (Dawson's Creek, Brothers & Sisters), written by Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger (This is Us), and based on Becky Albertalli's acclaimed novel, LOVE, SIMON is a funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about the thrilling ride of finding yourself and falling in love.
Cast: Nick Robinson, Katherine Langford, Alexandra Shipp, Jorge Lendeborg, Miles Heizer, Keiynan Lonsdale, Logan Miller, Jennifer Garner, Josh Duhamel, Tony Hale.
Directed by: Greg Berlanti
Screenplay by: Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger
Produced by: Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen
Connect with Love, Simon Online:
Visit Love, Simon on our WEBSITE: http://LoveSimonMovie.com
Like Love, Simon on FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/LoveSimonMovie/
Follow Love, Simon on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/lovesimonmovie
Follow Love, Simon on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lovesimonmovie
Order the soundtrack: http://smarturl.it/AlfiesSongLS
About 20th Century FOX:
Official YouTube Channel for 20th Century Fox Movies. Home of Avatar, Aliens, X-Men, Die Hard, Deadpool, Ice Age, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Rio, Peanuts, Maze Runner, Planet of the Apes, Wolverine and many more.
Connect with 20th Century FOX Online:
Visit the 20th Century FOX WEBSITE: http://bit.ly/FOXMovie
Like 20th Century FOX on FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/FOXFacebook
Follow 20th Century FOX on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/TwitterFOX
Love, Simon | "We're Going Out" Deleted Scene | 20th Century FOX


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pdl2 - Man Page
Simple shell (version 2) for PDL
Use PDL interactively:
%> pdl2 pdl> $x = sequence(10) # or any other perl or PDL command pdl> print "\$x = $x\n"; $x = [0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9] pdl> with_time { print +($A->matmult($B))->info, "\n" } for 1..5;
The pdl2
program, also known as the Perldl2 shell, is a second generation version of the original perldl
interactive PDL shell. It attempts to be backward compatible in usage while providing improved features, better support for Perl syntax, and an more easily extended framework based on the Devel::REPL shell.
If you have Devel::REPL version 1.003011 or later, then pdl2
will start with full functionality. If Devel::REPL is not installed or found then pdl2
will print a warning and run the legacy perldl
shell command instead.
By default, command lines beginning with the default prompt of either pdl2
or perldl
(one of 'pdl> ', 'PDL> ', or 'perldl> ') will have the prefix string and surrounding whitespace stripped. This allows for easy cut-and-paste from sample PDL shell sessions or other examples into another PDL shell session.
For shell-like Ctrl-C
handling, you need Sys::SigAction installed.
Toggle print-by-default on and off (default value: off)
By default, pdl2
does not print the results of operations since the results can be very large (e.g., a small 640x480 RGBA image is still more than 1_000_000 elements). However, for experimenting and debugging more complex structures, it helps to see the results of every operation. The do_print
routine allows you to toggle between the default "quiet" operation and a full Read, Evaluate, Loop style.
pdl> $x = pdl(3,2) pdl> do_print 1 pdl> $x = pdl(3,2) $PDL1 = [3 2]; pdl> do_print pdl> $x = pdl(3,2)
- $PDL::toolongtoprint
The maximal size pdls to print (defaults to 10000 elements). This is not just a
variable but it is something that is usually needed in an interactive debugging session.
See Also
perldl, Devel::REPL


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Kansas Travel Guide
*This post is originally from IHG's Guide to Kansas
Kansas City is a major Midwestern hub with 55 million people living within a day's drive of the city. The diverse range of highlights, from an impressive jazz music scene to performing arts venues, iconic barbecue, are spread throughout the area, so you don't have to look far to find great hotels in Kansas City or nearby.
Things to See
Founded in 1838, Kansas City boasts long and storied roots in American history that are still visually evident in many attractions. Stop at Clark's Point and stand on the spot where Lewis and Clark first surveyed the area in 1806. The Harry S. Truman National Historic Site, which includes the one-time home of President Harry S. Truman, dates back to the 1890s and preserves its early 20th century features while offering a glimpse into the early and post-presidential life of this American icon. See Union Station for a prime example of a historic site that's gained new life from renovations in 1997 to the original 1914 rail station. The Station now houses a planetarium, an interactive science center, a live theatre, a rail exhibit and more. Families will enjoy witnessing and joining in creative construction at LEGOLAND Discovery Center, discovering friendly aquatic creatures at SEA LIFE Aquarium, visiting the 202-acre Kansas City Zoo or the Schlitterbahn Kansas City Water Park. Business travelers as well as those visiting for leisure will enjoy the rich cultural, creative, commercial and culinary offerings of the downtown area, particularly in the Power & Light District epicenter, which hosts more than 50 bars, restaurants, entertainment venues and shops.
Hotels in Kansas City
Hotels in Kansas City range from elegant buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places to contemporary constructions with luxurious amenities. Many locations feature outdoor pools for a summer splash, and some offer indoor pools, letting you swim in any season. Kansas City is busiest during the summer and holiday seasons, and low rates during January and February are accompanied by equally low temperatures. You'll find a comfortable spring shoulder season from March to May, with gradually warmer temperatures and minimal crowds.
Where to Stay
Kansas City straddles the state line between Kansas and Missouri, so you can stay in either state and enjoy accommodations only minutes from the city's best highlights. If you're having trouble keeping track of your location, remember that anything west of State Line Road is in the state of Kansas, and hotels east of State Line Road are in Kansas City, Missouri. Stay downtown for easy access to the Library District and Power and Light District. Head further south towards Westport and 39th Street to stay in the heart of the city's nightlife. Around 18th and Vine you'll find the bustling jazz district, ideal for visitors interested in barbecue and blues music.
How to Get to Kansas City
The Kansas City International Airport (MCI) is the best choice for visitors flying into the area. Kansas City's bus system includes six routes to get you around the city. Passengers enjoy Wi-Fi on all MAX vehicles and Metro buses, so you can plan your next activity while you're en route. Affordable visitor passes make it easy to utilize public transportation throughout your stay. You can purchase a single pass to bike for 30 minutes at a time at the Kansas City B-Cycle program, or invest in a multi-day pass for unlimited rides over the course of a day, week or month, and there are stations around the city.


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Step into a world of adventure
Forget everything you know about The Legend of Zelda games. Step into a world of discovery, exploration, and adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a boundary-breaking new game in the acclaimed series. Travel across vast fields, through forests, and to mountain peaks as you discover what has become of the kingdom of Hyrule In this stunning Open-Air Adventure. Now on Nintendo Switch, your journey is freer and more open than ever. Take your system anywhere, and adventure as Link any way you like.
- Explore the wilds of Hyrule any way you like—anytime, anywhere! - Climb up towers and mountain peaks in search of new destinations, then set your own path to get there and plunge into the wilderness. Along the way, you'll battle towering enemies, hunt wild beasts and gather ingredients for the food and elixirs you'll make to sustain you on your journey. With Nintendo Switch, you can literally take your journey anywhere.
- More than 100 Shrines of Trials to discover and explore - Shrines dot the landscape, waiting to be discovered in any order you want. Search for them in various ways, and solve a variety of puzzles inside. The tasks you must perform in each Shrine varies, and you'll never expect the challenges you'll face until you enter. Some will involve realistic physics, and some will require you to harness the power of nature, including electricity, wind, fire, and more. Work your way through the traps and devices inside, utilizing your runes and think outside the box to earn special items and other rewards that will help you on your adventure.
- Be prepared and properly equipped – With an entire world waiting to be explored, you'll need a variety of outfits and gear to reach every corner. You may need to bundle up with warmer clothes or change into something better suited to the desert heat. Some clothing even has special effects that, for example, can make you faster or stealthier.
- Battling enemies requires strategy – The world is inhabited with enemies of all shapes and sizes. Each one has its own attack method and weaponry, so you must think quickly and develop the right strategies to defeat them.
- amiibo compatibility – The Wolf Link amiibo from Twilight Princess HD, the Zelda 30th Anniversary series amiibo, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild series amiibo are all compatible with this game. Tap the Wolf Link amiibo (sold separately) to make Wolf Link appear in the game. Wolf Link will attack enemies on his own and help you find items you're searching for. Tap a Zelda 30th Anniversary series amiibo to receive helpful in-game items or even a treasure chest!


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Spain Flag Tote Bag w/ Zipper.
$49.99 Regular Price
$34.99Sale Price
This 100% heavyweight 12 oz top quality cotton/polyester blended canvas fabric tote bag holds all of your goodies in style. Top quality with extra wide and long straps that offers exceptional functionality and carrying comfort. The bag is machine washable, dry-cleanable, non-fading and non-toxic.
Made from canvas material
Dimensions: 11"h x 14"w.
Includes Zipper closure.
Dimensions: 11"h x 14"w.
Includes Zipper closure.


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Guavas are common tropical fruits cultivated and enjoyed in many tropical and subtropical regions. Guava fruits, usually 1.6 to 4.7 inches long, are round or oval depending on the species. They have a pronounced and typical fragrance, similar to lemon rind but less sharp. The outer skin may be rough, often with a bitter taste, or soft and sweet.
Varying between species, the skin can be any thickness, is usually green before maturity, but becomes yellow, maroon, or green when ripe. The pulp inside may be sweet or sour and off-white ("white" guavas) to deep pink ("red" guavas). The seeds in the central pulp vary in number and hardness, depending on species.
Guavas are rich in dietary fiber and vitamin C, with moderate levels of folic acid. Having a generally broad, low-calorie profile of essential nutrients, a single common guava fruit contains about four times the amount of vitamin C as an orange.


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Looking back over the history of business, we have observed that the core idea of the firm evolves every 50 to 70 years. Today, several forces indicate that the paradigm of business will shift once again. James Root, who leads Bain's Organization practice in the Asia-Pacific, discusses the defining characteristics of the Firm of the Future and reveals how leaders can prepare for those fundamental changes.
Read the Bain Brief: The Firm of the Future
Read the transcript below.
JAMES ROOT: The idea here starts with the observation that we have from working with many clients and talking to many CEOs that something is really changing. We've all grown up in an era in which returns on shareholder funds has been the most important objective for many, if not all, corporations. And that was a good thing.
Companies since the 1970s have focused on their core business, and shed non-core assets, and reduced costs, and outsourced non-core activities to really focus down on what they do best. And notwithstanding the financial crisis, frankly, since the '70s and the stagflation of that period, [companies have] enjoyed unprecedented returns on those shareholder funds and stock prices.
But what's been changing has been a very clear increase in a version of that focus on shareholder value that seems too short term. As distinct from, let me call it the good version. The long-term shareholder value-creation version. We are not for one second suggesting that shareholder value will not be important in the future.
That would be like saying that because there is air pollution that air is a bad thing. If you think about the more recent past, the version of shareholder value focus that has been too short-term has become a real concern to many people, to many business leaders and politicians. They worry about lack of investment in capital expenditure and in research and development that would fund long-term growth.
They worry about financial leveraging and share buybacks. Governments are more activist in their intervention, particularly in large sectors, in regulating energy, and financial services, and food, pharmaceuticals. There are concerns about what, to many, seem like the out-sized rewards for senior leaders compared to the stagnant wage growth of other employees.
Lots of productivity, in other words, but no real growth. And meantime, inside companies, it is so common in our conversations with executives to hear them express the frustration about how difficult it is to get things done—how complexity has reached critical levels. How hard it is to free up resources that are somehow trapped in the organization when they need to be deployed against the best opportunities that they have.
And then, of course, we have changes in the preferences and styles of the workforce: A younger cohort coming up to become the largest proportion of the workforce who seem to have a very different view about their careers; perhaps prefer to work in the so-called gig economy; and have a very different aspiration than climbing the slippery corporate pole.
These changes seemed very profound to us. And we wondered whether that was unusual. So we've looked back over the last several years of business history around the world and observed that there is a pretty fundamental change in the core idea about what a business is, how it should be organized and operated. About every 50 to 70 years, the paradigm appears to evolve.
And these are not light switches. They don't go on and off. Many things are inherited from one era to another and persist on through. For example, one very important thing that is not going to change in the firm of the future are the fundamental ways in which companies win in their industry. You can win by being low cost, win by having great people, by being faster to innovate, better at delivering in customer experience.
These unalterable laws of business strategy will endure. What we're seeing and inferring about the future is that how companies win is going to change a lot. There's a very famous strategy dictum from the mid-1980s that said companies can either be low cost, or they can be differentiated, but probably not both.
You look at companies like Tencent, Alibaba, Amazon, Google, Tesla—all examples of companies who are taking advantage of the benefits of their scale to continue to drive costs down an experience curve, but can also use the data that they have to create an intimate relationship with their customers to deliver something that at least feels very personalized and, in some instances, is truly personalized by a human being or by an algorithm.
So maybe the firm of the future can do both rather than have to tradeoff between scale advantage or differentiated intimacy. In the future, scale looks different. It's behaving differently. Scale is still going to be very important to companies, as it always has been right through the last 100 years of business. But it's operating in different ways.
First of all, you can now access, as a small company, the scale of a large company. Just phone up Amazon Web Services if you want to take advantage of their service. Phone up UPS Logistics if you want to take advantage of the world's largest distribution network. You don't have to be a big company yourself—to own the assets or own the capabilities—to take advantage of somebody else's scale.
Second, speed has now increased its importance relative to scale. You can understand what customers want, what they're telling you about their preferences, and react fast to adjust your services to the preferences that they're expressing. That speed is a real competitive advantage that can sometimes be more important than scale.
One of the emerging themes in the firm of the future will be a new deal for talent. The last 100 years or so has really enthroned the role of the professional manager in many, many corporations in many, many cultures. And that's been particularly true in the last 50 years where that concept of a professional manager has become absolutely solidified.
We take our best bricklayer and we turn them into a manager of other bricklayers. And they stop making bricks themselves. And that's been the underpinning for many organization designs for the last 50 years. Every company has particular roles in it that are differentially important to that company's ability to deliver its strategy.
And we have a belief and some observations that the people who want to play those roles in the future understand how valuable they are and will begin to demand, in a sense, a higher part of the value that they create. As distinct from the role the professional managers play, which in some organizations is contributing to incredible complexity, the slowing down of decision making, and rampant bureaucracy.
If you can imagine an organizational model where you locate those critical roles—whatever they may be for you, and most companies actually have more than one--but if you imagine locating them in the middle of your organization, in the middle of your operating model, there are a lot of implications for change. You may not need as many professional managers as you have today.
The ones that you do need, because you'll need some, will be doing rather different things—often to do, I think, with resource allocation--but also getting out of the way of the people who are playing those absolutely critical roles. Your culture and your mission will become an even more important part of how you glue your organization together.
Gone are the days when I could say shareholder value is my single focus as a company. That's my mission. That's not what those people, typically, will unite around. They want something higher as a purpose. Your leadership skills will need to evolve.
Yes, of course, there will still be routine processes that need to be managed and optimized and cost-reduced—very important for most companies. But at the same time, equally important will be a leadership model all around coaching, all around developing people. It's going to be a very exciting time in the firm of the future.
Read the Bain Brief: The Firm of the Future


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Can Obama rescue Bush?
Breaking news! The ultimate White House insider plans a tell-all book about the Bush years. Boasting unprecedented access to the president's thinking, it will run counter to almost everything we've been told about Bush's radical presidency.
Who will be the latest to break the code of silence after former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan? George W. Bush.
At least that's what went through my mind listening to the president during a meeting with a small group of journalists in the Oval Office on Monday. The session, maddeningly and often foolishly punctuated by long, off-the-record musings and soliloquies, mostly dealt with foreign policy.
That's hardly surprising. At the end of their run, presidents usually become preoccupied with world affairs -- an area in which they have a much freer hand. On Capitol Hill these days, the only way a Bush proposal will see the light of day is if it arrives concealed in a pizza delivery box.
Dressed in a pale blue suit with a crisp blue tie, the president seemed to be in high spirits as he discussed developments in North Korea and other diplomatic initiatives, crushing my hopes for a poignant "Bush in winter" column. "When I write my book," the president teased, people will understand how much behind-the-scenes diplomacy went on during this administration.
I'm sure he's right. In fact, if only a fraction of what he had to say was remotely accurate, then the conventional bleats about unilateralism, war lust and cowboyishness will go down in history as the excessive caterwauling of an imaginative and hyper-partisan opposition.
Indeed, President Bush's reputation is not as solidified as his detractors and fans think.
If Iraq becomes a stable and democratizing nation, his presidency will look much better than it does today. But if Iraq Balkanizes or Lebanon-izes, then Democratic rhetoric about the "worst foreign policy blunder in U.S. history" will gain descriptive heft. Only time will tell.
But whether it is ultimately deemed a failure or a success, there is one inconvenient fact of the Bush presidency that should prove dismaying to those who've invested so much in demonizing it: It isn't that special.
Many of its supposedly radical features fit neatly in the mainstream of American presidential history. Extraordinary rendition? That practice (in which we send terrorists to foreign countries to be interrogated under laxer rules) began under President Clinton. Aggressive interrogations, for good or ill, surely predate 2001. Holding prisoners indefinitely at Guantanamo without benefit of a trial? As terrorism expert Andrew C. McCarthy notes in National Review, we were doing that under the first President Bush and under Clinton to innocent Haitian refugees, who got even less due process than we give captured enemy combatants.
Even the invasion of Iraq will probably seem to historians, in part, as a continuation of trends begun in the Persian Gulf War and extended by Clinton's (and Britain's) attacks in 1998.
On the domestic front, Bush broadly expanded federal spending on education, signed campaign finance reform and orchestrated a huge expansion of healthcare entitlements with his prescription drug benefit. Whatever the merits of those policies, it's unlikely that historians will see them as a radical, right-wing break from the Clinton years.
The more interesting question is how radical a break with the Bush years the next president will represent.
If John McCain wins the election, the continuity will be more obvious. McCain would inch leftward on most domestic issues, and rightward on a few. He doubtless would continue the efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, though his methods might vary.
The larger question is about Barack Obama, who at times promises revolutionary, if not messianic, change. With a potentially huge Democratic majority in Congress, Obama might indeed produce a radical change from the Bush (and Clinton and Bush and Reagan) years on domestic issues.
But what about Iraq? A growing chorus of foreign policy experts, including Timothy Lynch and Robert Singh (coauthors of "After Bush: The Case for Continuity in American Foreign Policy") and the New Yorker's George Packer, are starting to argue -- much as Obama's own foreign policy advisors have for a while -- that his foreign policy promises will not survive contact with post-election reality.
Already, Obama is changing his tune from his old, and irresponsibly heated, rhetoric about "immediate" withdrawal to talking about the need for policies that would adapt to the improving conditions in Iraq. Given Obama's ideological leanings and inexperience, there's clearly plenty of room for him to make costly mistakes. But odds are he too would come to realize that America needs to win the war on terror and succeed in Iraq. Hence the greatest irony. A successful Obama presidency would have the unintended consequence of making Bush's memoir a success story.
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Dear Valued Customer,
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and these times of uncertainty, we want to share with you ZETTLER Group's strategies to safeguard our customers and employees. Our goal is to continue providing you excellent service, and we commit to having robust business continuity plans, consistent support, and product availability.
- Due to certain exemptions, our new warehouse location in Vista, California will remain open for receiving and shipping product. Specific measures have been taken to ensure a safe and healthy environment for our employees.
- The majority of our Sales, Administration and Support staff will be working remotely. We will continue to provide seamless support to our customers.
- Our processes and procedures will not change. Customers can continue to place orders through regular channels.
- Our factories and office locations in China, Vietnam and Hong Kong are back to work and fully operational. Our supply chains are stable.
Your success is important to us. We understand how to provide stability in times of uncertainty. As this is a fluid situation, we will continue to provide regular updates should anything change.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your Sales contacts.
Yours sincerely,
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Vice President, Finance and Administration
ZETTLER Group North America


text:
Squeeeezing in here at the end of the month (and what a month…. so glad it's over), this might just be our easiest DIY of the bunch so far. If you can boil some water, you can make… Coffee Liqueur.
For today's post, we'll be comparing coffee liqueur made with cold brew coffee. I have seen some infusions with coffee beans, and while we've done something similar for cocktails around here before, since the coffee liqueur that can be bought is made with cold brew, it made sense to match apples to apples. Also, since many of these posts have some content that is repeated in the pros and cons, I've decided to bullet point each to make it a bit easier to read and streamlined. Let me know what you think in the comments or through social; I'm here for you.
To Buy: Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur (vodka base)
- Pros:
- Available to purchase at a liquor store near you
- Strong coffee taste
- Minimal ingredient list
- Cons:
- Only available to buy in CA, NY, the UK, and Australia
- Flavor is singular in that you're only getting a coffee flavor and nothing else
- Cannot adjust sweetness level
To Make: Homemade Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur (aged rum base)
- Pros:
- Very few ingredients
- Super easy to make for a DIY project, just make a rich simple syrup and get some cold brew coffee
- You can adjust the flavor to your liking
- You can adjust the sweetness level
- Scales up or down depending on how much liqueur you'd like
- Cons:
- It takes a minimum of 3 days to make, plus more if you brew your own cold brew
- Flavor may not be consistent from batch to batch
- You have to make it
And how do they compare in a cocktail? When I think coffee in cocktails I immediately think of a White Russian, so that's what I compared both in today. Mr. Black stands out with a bold coffee taste and a rich flavor profile. My home brew coffee is lighter not only in color, but also in flavor. I wanted a coffee liqueur that had layers of other flavors in it like vanilla and spice, so the base is an aged rum. This also means that the coffee is more subdued.
Notes: If you want a stronger coffee taste I would suggest using a cold brew concentrate and playing around with the flavor until it suits your preference. Also, you could switch to a vodka base and cut the vodka back to 1-1/4 cups.
So there you are, two choices when it comes to a coffee liqueur. Will you make it or buy it? Let us know!
Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
1-1/2 cups cold brew coffee (brew your own or buy your favorite unsweetened brand)
1 cup demerara sugar
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 cups aged rum
If brewing your own cold brew, do that at least 24 hours before starting to make the liqueur. Next, in a small saucepan, combine demerara sugar and water. Bring to a boil, whisking to combine. Turn the heat down to a simmer and continue to whisk until all the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. In a liter jar, combine cold brew coffee, syrup and rum. Seal and shake gently to combine. Let the liqueur sit for three days in a cool, dark place, agitating it every day. After three days, liqueur will be ready to consume.


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Meet Hawke and Abby in the newest standalone in the Sphere of Irony Series.
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1ViHPVk
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1P1swvf
Add WRECK to your TBR list at: http://bit.ly/1KOkz7y
RELEASE DATE: October 25th, 2015
Hawke Evans is the drummer for the Grammy winning Sphere of Irony. The quiet, tattooed and pierced hottie behind a pair of geek chic glasses is hiding a seriously troubled adrenaline junkie with a death wish.
Abby Kessler is studying psychology at UCLA. Her desire to help those fighting mental illness stems from a life-changing incident in her past.
When Abby meets Hawke backstage at a local club, she's instantly attracted to his bad boy good looks. But when she discovers the damaged man beneath the beautiful exterior, she's compelled to make up for past mistakes.
How long will it take for Hawke to realize his reckless behavior isn't only endangering him, but the hearts of those around him? How long will it take for Abby to see that she can't help someone who has no desire to be fixed?
***This is book 4 in the Sphere of Irony Series. It can be read as a standalone. This is a spin-off of the Famous Series***
Check out the Beautiful NEW COVERS!
Incite (Book One) The Sphere of Irony Series
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ALgfkw
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1dNhavT
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1GTREwg
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1ImHvOr
iBooks: http://apple.co/1LxdzPv
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1ImHM3N
Strike (Book Two) The Sphere of Irony Series
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1HaMtNW
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1HaMTE2
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1KfjR7v
iBooks: http://apple.co/1Gp8DfF
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1APfX1J
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1L0h80W
Resist (Book Three) The Sphere of Irony Series
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1GuqFq1
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1CQKs88
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1KFDuUc
iBooks: http://apple.co/1DzOfHo
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1HvCMnv
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1QIGP6i
About the Author:
Heather C Leigh
Heather C. Leigh is the author of the Amazon best selling Famous series. She likes to write about the 'dark' side of fame. The part that the public doesn't get to see, how difficult it is to live in a fishbowl and how that affects relationships.
Heather was born and raised in New England and currently lives outside Atlanta, GA with her husband, 2 kids, and French Bulldog, Shelby.
She loves the Red Sox, the Patriots, and anything chocolate (but not white chocolate, everyone knows it's not real chocolate so it doesn't count) and has left explicit instructions in her will to have her ashes snuck into Fenway Park and sneakily sprinkled all over while her family enjoys beer, hot dogs, and a wicked good time.
Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads


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Where was this journey going—right into my heart… as I looked below the surface:
So in friendship, France gifted us this beacon of freedom to honor America's commitment to abolition following the Civil War. She is the embodiment of Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom.
By 1886, this copper beauty found her home in New York Harbor.
I imagined my grandfather arriving at Ellis Island in 1907 and catching his first glimpse of America as he set his gaze upon HER.
At 13, he walked from Poland to Paris to escape persecution and several years later sailed from Paris to NYC, alone--armed with only courage, hope and the promise that America offered.
As I thought more about this scene, it hit me hard. Had this free nation not embraced my grandfather, in his poverty and his dreams—I would not be painting this artwork. I would not be taking this breath.
He would have perished in the wake of the Holocaust along with his family that were rounded up and shot in their village by the Nazis.
So gratitude came up in me. That our nation stood by, open armed to take in those needing shelter, wishing to join the community of freedom that built America.
That we did not turn our backs on the suffering…
I got lost in Emma Lazarus' poem, "The New Colossus" inscribed at the foundation of Lady Liberty:
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door."
And from there, I painted layers upon layers. I hid old war stamps and freedom stamps, a small stamp of the statue, a city map of the original DC layout, papers, fabrics, copper paint in homage to the original copper statue, verdigris, clippings from a war bond book, pages from old Czech fairy tales, pencils, pastels, sewing patterns--tight complexity to build a strong foundation.
Lest we not forget, most of us came from more oppressed beginnings…may we not become the oppressor as we enjoy our freedoms. In thought for where we head as a nation of freedom loving immigrants. And of people looking for a good life filled with love and family.
Here's to gratitude for each breath and making choices to embrace the differences and beauty in those we meet today.


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There are now more than 60 Costa del Sol Golf Courses stretching from Sotogrande in the west to the lesser known Velez Malaga in the east and they all have one thing in common – the fantastic sunny and dry climate allowing golfers to play all year round. For those who are used to playing golf in the cold and wet of a northern European winter it will be a real luxury to play on a Costa del Sol winter's day.
There are Costa del Sol golf courses to suit all levels of players and they are set in some beautiful surroundings, many with views of the sea and mountains.
Here we have tried to list all of the courses in the area with some details about each one. We have given the par and length of each of them according to competition play so these will vary depending on which tee each golfer uses.
East of Malaga Golf Courses
Baviera Golf Club
Urb. Baviera Golf, La Caleta de Velez
Located in the Axarquia in Caleta de Velez this course is suitable for all levels of players. It has marvellous views of the mountains and the sea. Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 5,910
Designer: Jose Maria Cañizares
Añoreta Golf Club
Avda. del Golf, Rincon de la Victoria
This was the first course to be built in the area east of Malaga city. It is a demanding course but is suitable to all level of players with and provides a varied round of golf.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 5,976m
Designer: Jose Maria Cañizares
Malaga Golf Courses
Guadalhorce Golf Club
Ctra. de Cartama Km. 7, Campanillas, Malaga
Located 7km to the west of Malaga airport this is a Parkland type course for the first 9 holes but the back 9 has elevated greens. It has a very friendly, family atmosphere and offers many other activities such as tennis, paddle and swimming pools.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6,194m
Designer: Kosti Kuronen
Lauro Golf
Los Caracolillos, Alhaurin de la Torre, Malaga
Located between Alhaurin de la Torre and Alhaurin El Grande this is scenic course set in gentle hills and containing many varieties of trees. It has wonderful views of the sea and the mountains. The clubhouse is a typical old Andalusian farmhouse.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: Depends on which holes are played from 27
Designer: Folco Nordi and Mariano Benitez
Malaga Parador del Golf
Autovia Malaga – Algeciras Exit Coin – Aeropuerto, Malaga
Founded in 1925, this is the oldest golf course on the Costa del Sol. It is a flat links course located next to the Parador between Malaga and Torremolinos.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6,173m
El Candado Golf Club
Urb. El Candado, El Palo, Malaga
Located to the east of Malaga in El Palo this is a hilly course overlooking the sea. Although quite a short course it can be quite complex due to some narrow fairways and difficult greens.
Holes: 9 Par: 34 Length: 2,276m
Designer: Carlos Fernandez Caleya
Benalmadena Golf Courses
Torrequebrada Golf Club
Ctra. de Cadiz Km. 220, Benalmadena Costa
Located near the Torrequebrada hotel in Benalmadena this golf course contains many tropical trees and plants. It can be a tricky round due to the lakes and bunkers positioned around the course.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 5,852m
Designer: Jose Ganzedo
Mijas Golf Courses
Alhaurin Golf
Ctra. MA 426 Fuengirola – Coin Km. 15.1, between Mijas and Coin
Located behind the Mijas mountains this is a 45-hole complex. Apart from the 18 holes course for adults there is also a 9 holes par 3 course and an 18 holes children's course.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6,221m
Designer: Severiano Ballasteros
La Cala Resort
La Cala de Mijas, Mijas Costa
This exclusive resort offers 3 magnificent courses in beautiful surroundings. It is suitable for players of all levels and has something for everyone. North Course – Holes: 18 Par: 73 Length: 6,160m
South Course – Holes: 18 Par: 71 Length: 5,960m
Campo Europa Course – Holes: 18 Par: 71 Length: 6,050m
Designer: Cabell B. Robinson
Mijas Golf Club
Camino Viejo de Coin Km. 3.5, Mijas
Located in Mijas Pueblo this golf Club offers 2 courses. Los Lagos has wide fairways and 6 lakes and is considered to be one of the coast's best championship layouts while Los Olivos is a newer, more technical course.
Los Olivos Course – Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 5,896m
Los Lagos Course – Holes: 18 Par: 71 Length: 6,348
Designer: Robert Trent Jones
Miraflores Golf
Urb. Riviera del Sol, Ctra. de Cadiz Km. 199, Mijas Costa
Located just inland from Mijas Costa this course winds between valleys and gentle hills and offers magnificent views of the sea and the Mijas mountains. It is and enjoyable course with many challenges.
Holes: 18 Par: 71 Length: 5,270m
Designer: Folco Nardi
Santana Golf
La Cala de Mijas, Valle del Golf de Mijas, Mijas Costa
This course is set in 55 hectacres of gently sloping terrain with wide and well-defined fairways. It is a demanding course which provides a challenge to its players.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6,308m
Designer: Cabell B. Robinson
La Noria
Llano de la Cala, La Cala de Mijas
This is a flat course which has many challenging greens protected by lakes. Set just back from the beach at Mijas Costa there are 4 bridges which link the tees, greens and fairways.
Holes: 9 Par: 33 Length: 2,138m
Designer: Francisco Navarro Collado
La Siesta Golf Club
Urb. Sitio de Calahonda, C/ Jose de Orbaneja, Mijas CostaLocated just behind Calahonda this course is quite varied because of the difference in lengths of the holes. The bar restaurant offers magnificent views of the sea and of the 1st and 9th holes.
Holes: 9 Par: 27 Length: 886m
Designer: Enrique Canales Busquets
Marbella Golf Courses
Aloha Golf Club
Urb. Aloha, Nueva Andalucia, Marbella
The layout and surroundings of this course are beautiful. A natural course, it is a bit hilly and offers many interesting holes. It is immaculately maintained.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6,261m
Designer: Javier Arana
Cabopino Golf Club
Urb. Artola Alta, Marbella
Located just back from the sea this course is a modern design with wonderful views of the sea.
Holes: 18 Par: 71 Length: 5,170m
Designer: Juan Ligues
Guadalmina Golf Club
Urb. Guadalmaina Alta, Marbella
This club offers 2 courses. The South course is the 2nd oldest on the Costa del Sol. It is a difficult course, suitable for experienced players. The North course runs parallel to the South course and has many water hazards making straight drives down the fairways very important.
North Course – Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6,060m
South Course – Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6,200m
Designer: Falco Nardi, Javier Arana
La Quinta Golf and Country Club
Urb. La Quintana Golf, Ctra. de Ronda, Nueva Andalucia, Marbella
This consists of 3 9-hole courses which can be combined to make 3 18- hole rounds. The fairways are designed to make this quite a demanding course.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 5,688m
Designer: Antonio Garcia Garrido and Manuel Piñero
Las Brisas Golf Club
Nueva Andalucia, Marbella
This is a picturesque course which has plenty of water hazards and bunkers protecting the mostly elevated greens. Due to this it requires more than just long drives in order to stay out of danger.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6,198m
Designer: Robert Trent Jones
Los Naranjos Golf Club
Nueva Andalucia, Marbella
This is an attractive and well laid out course which is not too hilly but does have some tight fairways lined with the orange trees that the course is named after. Golfers should be aware that there is a big difference between the front and back 9.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6,484m
Designer: Robert Trent Jones
Marbella Golf and Country Club
N 340 Km. 188, Marbella
This is a challenging championship course set on slightly hilly ground and has the peerfect conditions to allow golfers to play at the highest level.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6,000m
Designer: Robert Trent Jones
Rio Real Golf Club
Urb. Rio Real, Marbella
Located just 3km from the centre of Marbella this is thought to be one of the most spectacular courses in the area. The river after which the course is named crosses four times but does not cause problems. It is suitable for golfers of all levels.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6,057m
Designer: Javier Arana
Santa Clara Golf
N 340 Km. 185.7, Marbella
This course represents a news design concept. It is a parkland course with large greens, few hills, ample trees and has no rough on 75%.
Holes: 18 Par: 71 Length: 5,878m
Designer: Enrique Canales
Santa Maria Golf and Country Club
Urb. Elvira, Marbella
This is a beautiful course set in a valley with natural vegetation, streams and lakes forming many hazards. The greens are large and the tees are often elevated. A more challenging course is under construction.
Holes: 18 Par: 70 Length: 5, 613m
Designer: Antonio Garcia Garrido
Artola Golf
Hotel Artola Golf, N 340 Km. 194, Marbella
This course runs from the main Costa del Sol road to the sea. The fairways are short and the greens flat making it a relatively easy course to play.
Holes: 9 Par: 27 Length: 624m
Designer: Jorge Rein
El Soto de Marbella
Urb. El Soto de Marbella, Crta. Elviria-La Mairena Km.4, Marbella
This course is well designed for beginners and those looking to improve their short play.
Holes: 9 Par: 27
Designer: Manuel Piñero
Greenlife Golf
Urb. Elviria Hills, Avda. Las Cumbres, Marbella
Set in the Elviria Hills this is a high quality course which winds its way though spectacular vegetation and around an artificial lake. The course is suitable for players of all levels and offers are always available.
Holes: 9 Par: 27 Length: 1,171m
Designer: Greenlife Estates
La Dama de Noche Golf
Camino del Angel, Rio Verde, Marbella
Located opposite Puerto Banus this is an original course which runs along both sides of the river. It is suitable for all levels of golfers.
Holes: 9 Par: 36 Length: 2,728m
Designer: Enrique Canales
Monte Paraiso Golf
Camino de Camojan, Marbella
This pleasant golf course is located only a short distance from Marbella centre. It offers beautiful views of the mountains and the sea and is suitable for players of all levels.
Holes: 9 Par: 27 Length: 952m
Designer: Manuel Piñero
Benahavis Golf Courses
La Zagaleta
Ctra. de Ronda Km. 11, Benahavis
Surrounded by mountains, this course nestles in a magnificent valley with level fairways and beautiful sea views. It is an exclusive Club which is private for use of members and their guests.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6,039m
Designer: Bradford Benz
Los Arqueros Golf and Country Club
Carretera de Ronda Km. 166.5, Benahavis
Located on the San Pedro to Ronda road this magnificent golf course is the first designed by Severiano Ballasteros on the Costa del Sol. It is a challenging course which can be played by golfers of all levels.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 5,874m
Designer: Severiano Ballasteros
Los Flamingos Golf
Ctra. de Cadiz, Km. 166, Benahavis
This course with its gentle layout and many different species of trees presents a challenge to all levels of golfers. It has marvellous views of the sea and even Africa on a clear day.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 5,907m
Designer: Antonio Garcia Garrido
Marbella Club Golf Resort
Ctra. Benahavis Km. 3.7, Benahavis
This is a very technical course which requires precision playing. It has wonderful views of the mountains and the sea.
Holes: 18 Par: 73 Length: 6,206m
Designer: Dave Thomas
Monte Mayor Golf Club
Urb. Cancelada, Ctra. de Monte Mayor, Benahavis
This is one of the Costa del Sol's most spectacular golf courses. It is set in a wooded valley crossed by a river with marble waterfalls. It has 6 bridges linking tees, fairways and greens and is a challenging course and perfect for risk taking players.
Holes: 18 Par: 70 Length: 5,652m
Designer: Jose Gancedo
Estepona Golf Courses
Atalaya Golf and Country Club
Ctra. de Benhavis Km. 0.7, Estepona
Atalaya offers 2 courses, the Old with gentle slopes and plenty of trees and the New course with its spectacular layout. It is suitable for all levels of players.
Old Course – Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6,142m
News Course – Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 5,325m
Designer: Bernhard Limburger and P. Krings
El Paraiso Golf Club
Ctra. de Cadiz Km.167, Estepona
This championship golf course has greens considered among the best on the Costa del Sol. It is a peaceful course with fabulous views of the sea and mountains and is enjoyed by all levels of golfers.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6,116m
Designer: Gary Player
Estepona Golf
N 340 Km. 150, Arroyo Vaquero, Estepona
This course has wonderful views of the mountains and is surrounded by green fields with impressive trees and plants. It has short fairways and difficult roughs so requires some accuracy.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 5, 842m
Designer: Jose Luis Lopez
El Campanario
Ctra. de Cadiz Km. 186, Estepona
This is a beautiful course lying next to the Dos Hermanas stream.
Holes: 9 Par: 27 Length: 533m
Designer: Target Ingenieros
El Coto la Serena
N 340 Km. 163.5, Estepona
Located in a residential estate near Estepona town this golf course has many streams alongside the fairways and requires accuracy off the tees arrive safely on the greens.
Holes: 9 Par: 27 Length: 634m
Designer: Pedro Moran Montero
Los Almendros Golf Club
Ctra. Genalguacil Km. 3, Estepona
This is the first pitch and putt course on the Costa del Sol. It has a lovely restaurant with wonderful views of the surrounding countryside.
Holes: 9 Par: 27 Length: 533m
Designer: Bartolome Benitez
Sotogrande Golf Courses
Alcaidesa Links
Cortijo Las Aguzaderas, La Linea, between Sotogrande and Algeciras
This is a great links course surrounded by woodland and beaches with magnificent views of the sea and Gibraltar. It is an enjoyable course for all levels of golfers.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 4,924m
Designer: Peter Allis and Clive Clark
Almenara Golf
Avda. Almenara, Sotogrande
This is quite a new course set around lakes and Cork Oak trees. The greens have already been accepted as being of tournament quality and this should be a classic course in the not so distant future.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6,168m
Designer: Dave Thomas
La Cañada Golf Club
Avda. Profesor Tierno Galvin, Sotogrande
This is one of the best municipal golf courses in Europe.. It has very well kept greens and a large number of trees.
Holes: 18 Par: 70 Length: 5,746m
Designer: Robert Trent Jones
Don Julia Golf Club
Ctra. A7, km 146, Casares Costa, Sotogrande
The golf course has 2 very different layouts, being suitable for any type of player. The first 9 holes are longer and more difficult, winding between indigenous trees, lakes and rivers while the other 9 are more manageable and havie a gentle incline.
Holes: 18 Par: 71 Length: 5,976m
Designer: Antonio Garcia Garrido
La Duquesa Golf and Country Club
Urb. El Hacho, Manilva, between Sotogrande and Estepona
This hilly course is a good test for even the top pros. Set next to the Mediterranean the views of both the sea and the mountains are spectacular. Of particular note is the 17th hole 108 metre par 3.
Holes: 18 Par:72 Length: 6.054m
Designer: Robert Trent Jones
La Reserva de Sotogrande
Avda. de la Reserva, Sotogrande
This is a spacious course with many cork and pine trees. It has magnificent views of the mountains and the sea. It is very well maintained and the greens are cut every day.
Holes: 18 Par:72 Length: 6,448m
Designer: Cabell D Robinson
Sotogrande Real Golf Club
Paseo del Parque, Sotogrande
This was the first Robert Trent Jones designed course in Europe. It has a unique design with a large variety of vegetation along the course.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 6,298
Designer: Robert Trent Jones
The San Roque Club and New Course
Urb. San Roque Club, San Roque, Sotogrande
Set in rolling hills and natural surroundings this course is ideal for all levels of golfers. It has several combinations of holes with a variety of lengths and difficulties.
Holes: 18 Par: 71 Length: 6,440
Designer: Dave Thomas, Perry Dye and Seve Ballasteros
Valderrama Golf Club
Avda. de los Cortijos, Sotogrande
Rated number one in Continental Europe this is a beautifully maintained golf course which is always in excellent condition. It hosted the Ryder Cup in 1997 and the Volvo Masters since 1988.
Holes: 18 Par: 72 Length: 5,746m
Designer: Robert Trent Jones


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The Fox and the Crow
A Crow having stolen a bit of meat, perched in a tree and held it in her beak. A Fox, seeing this, longed to possess the meat himself, and by a wily stratagem succeeded. "How handsome is the Crow," he exclaimed, "in the beauty of her shape and in the fairness of her complexion! Oh, if her voice were only equal to her beauty, she would deservedly be considered the Queen of Birds!" This he said deceitfully; but the Crow, anxious to refute the reflection cast upon her voice, set up a loud caw and dropped the flesh. The Fox quickly picked it up, and thus addressed the Crow: "My good Crow, your voice is right enough, but your wit is wanting."


text: Our prayer is that you would be blessed and strengthened by the power of Jesus Christ and that you will live a life of abundance in fellowship, joy and liberty. Hedgeway Church is here for you. We are a fellowship of believers coming together to declare the glory of the Lord. We study the Word, practice what we learn and in the process grow together. May God richly bless you!


text:
A growing body of evidence suggests that it's not just what we eat that's important. It's also when we eat that influence our health and waistlines.
We take a look at the science, in a conversation with NPR's food and health correspondent Allison Aubrey.
- Allison Aubrey, food and health correspondent for NPR. She tweets @AubreyNPRFood.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Tips for Leaving Your New Dog Home Alone
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Bringing home a new dog is a big adjustment, and hopefully, your wriggly new addition is content as can be. He's surrounded by the nonstop love and attention of his new family.
But, as Monday morning approaches, anxiety creeps in. Jobs and school could force you to leave your dog at home for a few hours (unless you're among the fortunate few that get to bring your dog to work with you). So, how can you make sure your dog stays safe and happy while you're away?
Crate Train Your Dog
A crate, if used correctly, can be your best tool in housebreaking a dog. It can also be your pup's go-to spot when he's home alone — a haven and a place for a nice nap. While a crate might be a good option for at least part of a 9-to-5 workday, you want to be careful not to overdo it. Consider that if your dog has been in the crate all night, is it fair to leave him cooped up all day too? Crates can be a valuable tool, but use them with care so that your dog doesn't dread the enclosure.
Designate a Dog-Proof Room
If you have to leave your dog home all day, think about dog-proofing a small room in your home that can be closed off from the rest of the house. PetMD lists several points pet parents should address when dog-proofing a room:
- Lock away trash receptacles
- Remove hazardous chemicals, like cleaning supplies and medications
- Cover electrical outlets
- Remove objects that he's likely to chew or swallow, like shoes, craft supplies and coins
Basically, get rid of absolutely everything your dog could get into while you're gone. A good room to choose might be one with an easy-to-clean floor, such as tile. Set up designated spaces for potty, sleeping and play. Leave water and chew toys so he doesn't get bored, and lay out newspapers or puppy pads on the floor in case of accidents. If your new dog is a puppy, accidents are bound to happen. Leave him alone in the room for a few minutes at a time until he gets used to the idea, then slowly increase the amount of time he's alone. As he starts to adapt to this room, and you feel comfortable with his behavior, you can start to expand his access to more of the home when you're away. Good tests for this are when you're only going to be away for a couple of hours like a trip to the grocery store. If he can behave in a larger area for a short time, you can also slowly lengthen the time he's allowed to roam in the house while you're away until you reach a full workday.
Hire a Dog Walker
A walk during the day is more than just good exercise for your pup. A good walk can also stimulate him by engaging all his senses, help socialize him with other animals and humans, and speed up the house training process. In addition, a good walk will tire your pup, which may make him less likely to chew or engage in other destructive behaviors while he waits for you to return home. If you have children home for the summer, this is a great way to help strengthen their bond with your pup as well as get them out of the house for a bit and get their own exercise.
Enroll in Doggy Daycare
A quality doggy daycare offers a much-needed outlet for high-energy dogs. A doggy daycare usually lets dogs roam free in play, offer activities and games, and have staff members who give plenty of love and attention to your pup. A daycare can be a good option for families who have hectic lives, seniors or anyone else who doesn't have the time or ability to give their dog the exercise or time he requires. Vetstreet advises selecting a facility that's clean and safe, and has a staff who will pamper your dog as much as you do! Make sure to read your reviews or ask friends and family of quality daycare places, and make sure to do a tour of the facility before leaving your dog. The nice part of a doggy daycare is that you don't have to take your dog every day, which can sometimes get expensive. A day or two at the daycare will help get your pup exercise as well as socialize him with other pups — an important step in his development.
Take Some Time Off
"Pawternity" leave is a new concept that's taking off in the UK, reports USA Today. Talk to your boss about whether she might be open to you taking a few days off, working from home, or stepping out for an extra half hour at lunch so you can run home to take your dog for a midday walk. Be honest and don't guilt your boss into being accommodating. But, it won't hurt to share photos of your new canine family member and describe the heartbreaking puppy eyes you get every morning when you leave the house. Adopting a new puppy (or any dog) for that matter is a big responsibility. You should only do so when you know you and your family will have time to devote to him, his training and development.
Bringing home a new pet takes lots of time, love and devotion, and it's impossible to explain to your furry bundle of joy that you have to go to work. But by thinking through your options and having a plan in place, you can avoid the stress and guilt you feel when you have to leave your dog alone. And if it's any consolation, it makes the time you do get to spend together all that more special.
Contributor Bio
Kara Murphy
Kara Murphy is a freelance writer in Erie, Pa. with a goldendoodle named Maddie.


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Masvidal was represented by Joe DeMaria, who was able to get his client's name cleared. Although OPR concluded that his conduct was "reckless," the Justice Department let him keep his job:
Five years after unsuccessfully targeting two prominent Miami figures — one a banker, the other a lawyer — in separate cases, a Justice Department prosecutor faces a July disciplinary trial by Maryland Bar regulators.Indeed.
John W. Sellers left the Justice Department in 2010 amid an internal probe concluding that he committed "reckless" misconduct in a money-laundering case against Miami-based American Express Bank International, which was headed by banker Sergio Masvidal.
Masvidal's Miami lawyer, Joseph DeMaria, said the Justice Department should have fired Sellers after concluding that he had committed reckless misconduct, according to the agency's internal probe in 2010.
Sellers now works as a Treasury Department attorney on the federal bailout program for the banking industry.
"The Justice Department let him sneak out the back door to the Treasury Department so he could keep his same salary, benefits and pension," DeMaria said. "And now he's working as an attorney on the federal bailout. How ridiculous is that?"
The article ends with this quote from Ben: "Lawyers reap what they sow. He will need to answer for his own conduct." But prosecutors who engage in misconduct rarely have to answer for their conduct. That's part of the problem. OPR rarely does anything, and the few times it does do something, it's a slap on the wrist. See, e.g., Ted Stevens' prosecutors.
In this case, the Maryland Bar has initiated a case against Sellers, so it will be interesting to see what happens. (Here's the Maryland complaint). The problem is that even when the Bar tries to disclipline prosecutors, DOJ claims that they are immune even from Bar rules, and of course, civil remedies are not available.


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Beograde, Serbia –The most common is changing the addresses of cryptocurrency wallets at the request of their owners. Such a change makes it possible to hide the true amount of funds collected, and facts of fraud, and makes it as difficult as possible for regulatory authorities to collect statistics and analytics. As a result, the collected funds do not go to the final recipients, for whom the funds were collected, but settle in the personal wallets of the heads of these or those funds, as well as their beneficiaries.
Thus, at the moment, Estonia and Ukraine have initiated an investigation into the NGO that collected funds for Ukraine and its partners. According to the criminal case, the law enforcement agencies of these countries have doubts that the donations were spent for the intended purpose.
Dragana Trifkovic, Geostrategy.Rs Director General: It seems that the US-led Pro-Ukrainian bloc at the highest level simply does not notice this crypto problem.
Everyone remembers the events of the fall of 2022 – the bankruptcy of one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which also led to the collapse of more than 130 related companies. Meanwhile, it was in this exchange that the funds received by Ukraine as aid from the United States were invested. It was in collaboration with FTX as well as Everstake that a website was launched to collect cryptocurrency donations for the warring country. According to Elliptic, a leading global provider of blockchain analytics solutions, $78 million dollars has been raised (Elliptic's "Crypto in Conflict Report"). It is not possible to trace how and where these funds went. Many experts link the bankruptcy of the exchange to the implementation of large-scale corruption schemes at the highest level.
Arnaud Develay, international human rights lawyer: While the entire civilized world is trying to bring cryptocurrency legislation to a common denominator, new gray schemes are emerging. A vivid example is collecting donations for Ukraine.
Various countries are attempting to regulate the cryptocurrency market and take it out of the "gray zone", depriving it of the possibility of using crypto for money laundering and corruption schemes. However, so far, the "gray" cryptocurrency market remains "gray".
The full review is available at the link: https://geostrategy.rs/en/geopolitics/1474-where-does-the-river-of-crypto-donations-for-ukraine-flow
Company Name: Center for Geostrategic Sudies
Contact Person: Rod Chu
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1 251 333-444-7
Country: Serbia
Website: https://geostrategy.rs/
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Press Release: National Call for Computer Donations
Millions cut off from school, work and hospitalized loved ones; a national call for computer donations is launched. MADISON, N.H., April 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In every community across America, lack of access to computers is a critical problem nested within the COVID-19 crisis. National Cristina Foundation (NCF) is working to solve that urgent issue


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Vol. 18 No. 4 (2020): Vol. 18 No. 4 Issue 49 Oct-Dec 2020
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JNHRC Print ISSN: 1727-5482; Online ISSN: 1999-6217 is published by NHRC.
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No Present Like Time
Cover for the Czech edition of the book by Steph Swainston, published by Laser.
I was really pleased with the way this turned out. I'm always banging on about simple images working best, but this proves it.
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Included in the Pandora Archive as a site of Australian historical cultural significance
PANDORA was placed on the Australian Register for the UNESCO Memory of the World Program in 2004 as "one of the world's earliest and most effective World Wide Web-archiving apparatuses."
Perth Punk Rock: In The Beginning…
IN the beginning was the word, and the word was punk. And the genesis of punk in the sprawling, stranded, sun-struck mega-suburb of Perth, Western Australia, was The Cheap Nasties. Fronted by a young Kim Salmon, The Nasties crawled out of the primordial cover band slime that was West Oz rock in the 70s and took the first brave evolutionary steps that were to lead to the development of the globally acclaimed Perth powerpop sound: Perth punk was born at their Rivervale Hotel gig in 1977. Then followed The Victims – James Baker, Dave "Flick" Faulkner, and Rudolph V – by critical and popular decree Perth's seminal punk rock band, blasting their way into legend with their great garage powerpop: I'm Looking For You, High School Girls, Flipped Out Over You, Disco Junkies, Teenage Dreamer, TV Freak, There Is No Way Out. Add to the mix the Nasties' next two incarnations, The Veneers and The Manikins, with a quick nod to historically more obscure and mostly very ephemeral formations like The Invaders, The Exterminators, The Hitler Youth, The Orphans, Blok Music (early Triffids incarnation), The Susans, The Marilyns and Secret Lives, and you have Perth punk genesis in a nutshell, right?
IN the beginning was not the word "punk", but a music and attitude that can be traced to the pounding would-be-delinquent rocknroll heart of – mostly – America…music that predated by more than a decade the punk label coined by Legs McNeil in the mid-70s in response to the CBGBs eruption in New York, and subsequently hijacked by the Brits circa Sex Pistols, Clash, Damned et al. But punk rock history is not the concern of this site, the focus of which is narrower, the aim more modest – that is, to set the record straight on the history of first-wave punk in Perth, WA. So, let there be light…
While The Cheap Nasties were the first band to gig publicly in Perth as self-proclaimed punk rockers, there was another genealogical line of Perth's earliest punk, traceable to a band that played without a fixed name, posthumously referred to as The Geeks (or, incorrectly, as The Hitler Youth, occasionally as Beheaded, or Geeks/Beheaded). And as those few insiders who heard The Geeks performing their original punk alongside frenetic covers of The Ramones, The Stooges and The Modern Lovers will testify – Rod Radalj (aka Roddy Rayda) and Mark Demetrius (erstwhile Rolling Stone writer) were notable witnesses – this band were not just some casual loose formation blasting out a few noisy primitive half-formed punk rock toons in the proverbial garage. The Geeks had their own sound and built a repertoire of great original punk rock songs that were subsequently acclaimed as classic Victims songs (yes – read on).
Make no mistake – although, until now, they have been recognised only as parenthetical reference points in the context of James Baker's legendary career, The Geeks were the real deal. In fact, in January 1977, in their earliest formation, the band that became The Geeks were the only punk rock deal in Perth, and with the exception of Radio Birdman and The Saints, the only deal in Australia…that is, as far as they knew.
Post the event, claims to the crown of first punk band in Australia have issued from every state; indeed, Kim Salmon states that The Cheap Nasties were formed in 1976 (see Kim Salmon's Perspective). Who really cares? Neither band knew of the other prior to the Nasties' first public gig at the Riverdale Hotel in mid-77, and both thought they were the first, and only, punk rock band in Perth. For the record, The Geeks can claim punk roots going back as far as 1974, to James Baker's New York Dolls-inspired Slick City Boys.
James Baker in The Slick City Boys (1974) – a long way from Barnsey, Farnsie and Thorpie. In Perth in 1974, garbing yourself thus was risking abuse, battery or worse.
Further, with the founding members, Lloyd and I, having 'discovered' and become devotees of Detroit rock (Stooges, MC5) that same year, there can be no doubt about the punk pioneer credentials of The Geeks. The point has also been raised that while The Cheap Nasties dressed the part, donning the standard punk uniform of short hair, wraparound sunnies, black leather jackets etc, some might assert that musically they barely qualified as 'punk', whereas reference to the recorded evidence leaves no doubt that The Geeks were a bona fide punk rock band, albeit with a personality and take all their own.
From the Geeks came the rhythm section of The Victims, James Baker and Dave "Rudolph" Cardwell, AND a great number of the songs The Victims later publicly claimed as their own, and for which they were revered. The following Victims standards were Geeks songs originally: I'm Looking For You, High School Girls, Flipped Out Over You, Disco Junkies, TV Freak, There Is No Way Out and I'm In London (later re-titled Teenage Dreamer by The Victims, subsequently recorded by The Scientists, and re-written as Death Hurts by The Hitler Youth). These songs were co-written by James Baker and I during The Geeks' short but incredibly productive life, with Lloyd contributing melodically to some vocal lines, and were fully formed, performed, and late in the band's short life, recorded in rehearsal (along with some others that are included on The Geeks CD – see below). The Victims' versions of these songs were, quite literally, unacknowledged covers of The Geeks' originals, virtually identical lyrically and musically. The only exception is High School Girls. While having James Baker's lyrics in common, the Victims' version does vary very slightly melodically, although the underlying chord structures are identical to those I wrote in the original as played by The Geeks, and for all intents and purposes it is the same song.
The Geeks Original Recordings Now Available For Download
Now, available publicly for the first time, are all that remains of the original recordings of the Geeks songs, remastered from the 1977 tapes. Initially released on CD as an album entitled Burned, the songs are now downloadable.
The recording is rough, baby, but what do ya want from Perth's "other" first punk band 36 years down the track?! Dicky mikes, shitty sound and rough performances notwithstanding, I think The Geeks' songs in their original form have more heart and charm than The Victims' versions, especially I'm Looking For You and High School Girls. Sure, as a founding member of The Geeks and co-writer of the band's original songs I may be justly accused of bias, but I am not alone in my assessment. I provided Geeks and Victims drummer and lyricist/co-songwriter James Baker with a cassette copy of the Geeks recordings some years ago and he, too, admitted to preferring The Geeks' versions. Evan Dando (Lemonheads) is rumoured to have heard the tape I gave James Baker and been knocked out by The Geeks' original High School Girls. The few others who have heard The Geeks recordings have also raved, murky production notwithstanding. Have a listen and decide for yourself:
The Burned album comprises all the existing recorded Geeks material (tracks 1-9). Or, you can download individual tracks.
Also included is the full recorded repertoire of the band that rose like some enraged, manic, demented beast from the ashes of The Geeks – The Hitler Youth (tracks 10-20). Wild, incandescently energetic, shockingly tasteless, unique…if there was a more extreme punk band anywhere in the world at that time, I have yet to hear recorded evidence.
PLUS, the album concludes with 3 bonus live tracks from The Orphans, whose sizable repertoire of quality songs have to rank with the best to come out of the Perth first-wave punk era (see The Orphans Story on this site).
Orphans double album available for download
A double Orphans album, Exposed, comprising the band's full repertoire, was initially released on CD in 2005, and is now available for download here. Or, you can choose to download individual tracks.
That's the hard sell out of the way. And now, for those who are interested, here on this site, for the first time, is the unexpurgated story of The Geeks and a full account of the genesis of Perth punk rock, told by the only folk who were really there in the very beginning – the founding members of the band.
Ross Buncle (2005; updated in 2013)


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Chinese computer maker Lenovo celebrated the opening of its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Whitsett, N.C., on Wednesday. The company is trying to boost its brand and U.S. market share. Other high-tech firms, including Motorola, have announced plans to manufacture in the U.S.
The Lenovo plant celebration was a patriotic affair. A large sign was on display featuring the American flag and the words "Assembled in the U.S."
Gov. Pat McCrory addressed the crowd: "Manufacturing is coming back to the country, manufacturing is coming back to North Carolina, manufacturing is coming right back to Guilford County, and this is the beginning of that process. It's not going to end today, it's just starting today."
Lenovo officials say it's still cheaper to manufacture computers overseas but "speed of execution is key."
"Time kills deals," says Tom Looney, vice president and general manager for Lenovo North America. "We've got to do business the way our customers want to do business, and that's what this facility will give us — the flexibility and speed to beat our competition every day on the streets."
The assembly plant, built inside an existing fulfillment center, is located near a busy eight-lane highway. The plant will employ 115 workers to assemble notebooks and desktops, using components from overseas. Company officials say they hope to hire more workers.
"I was here 60 days ago to help launch this facility and spoke to employees, and I told them I was going to take them to their knees," Looney says. "And they actually got a little concerned about that. But I said I was going to take them to their knees with orders so that I can hire the next 115 and the next 115."
Curtis Richardson, 27, an engineering student at North Carolina A&T State University, tests the computers to make sure they work before shipping.
"I really feel that it's an opportunity for me to grow along with the company as well. That's probably what I really love about Lenovo," Richardson says.
Economic development officials are excited. Penny Whiteheart, with the Piedmont Triad Partnership, says she likes advanced manufacturing jobs because they come with salaries that can support families.
"For instance, here in the Piedmont Triad, the weekly wage for a manufacturer is almost 20 percent higher than the average for all industries," she says. "So that's why we pay particular attention to those kinds of companies when we're looking to recruit new companies to our area."
But Mike Walden, an economics professor at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, says manufacturing alone can't make up for the tens of thousands of jobs lost when key North Carolina industries like textiles and furniture went overseas.
"We still need to have a focus of where are going to be the big, big job gains in the state. What sectors, how are we going to employ our people and what kind of training do people need to have in order to get those better-paying jobs in the future?" Walden says.
Lenovo won't say how big it plans to scale up, but right now, its focus is supplying federal and state agencies and local school districts. And the computers coming out of this plant will have an American flag on the palm rest.
Copyright 2013 North Carolina Public Radio


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Space-Traveling Flatworms Help Scientists Enhance Understanding of Regenerative Health
Experiments aboard International Space Station point to anatomical, behavioral and bacteriological impacts of space travel
Photo credit: Junji Morokuma, Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University.
MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass. — Flatworms that spent five weeks aboard the International Space Station are helping researchers led by Tufts University scientists to study how an absence of normal gravity and geomagnetic fields can have anatomical, behavioral, and bacteriological consequences, according to a paper to be published June 13 in Regeneration. The research has implications for human and animal space travelers and for regenerative and bioengineering science.
Researchers led by the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University sought to determine how microgravity and micro-geomagnetic fields would affect the growth and regeneration of planarian flatworms (D. japonica) and whether any changes would persist after the worms returned to earth. Planaria are frequently used for studies because of their remarkable ability to regenerate when parts of their bodies are amputated. Knowing what happens to them in space and upon their return to Earth could lead to a better understanding of how physical forces influence body shape and cellular decision-making.
"During regeneration, development, and cancer suppression, body patterning is subject to the influence of physical forces, such as electric fields, magnetic fields, electromagnetic fields, and other biophysical factors. We want to learn more about how these forces affect anatomy, behavior and microbiology," said the paper's corresponding author, Michael Levin, PhD, Vannevar Bush professor of biology and director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts and the Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology.
"As humans transition toward becoming a space-faring species, it is important that we deduce the impact of space flight on regenerative health for the sake of medicine and the future of space laboratory research," added Junji Morokuma, research associate in Levin's lab and first author on the paper.
The researchers launched a set of flatworms into space via SpaceX Commercial Resupply Service Mission 5 on Jan. 10, 2015. The flatworms were either left whole or amputated and sealed in tubes filled half with water and half with air.
Meanwhile, researchers created two sets of control worms. One consisted of live worms sealed in spring water in the same manner as their space counterparts and kept in darkness at 20 degrees Celsius for the same amount of time. These worms were used as controls for all of the experiments except mass spectroscopic analysis. After the space-exposed worms returned to Earth, researchers prepared a second set of worms that were then exposed to the same changes in temperature as the space-exposed worms. These worms were used for the mass spectroscopic analysis.
After five weeks in space, the samples were evaluated immediately upon their return and over the course of 20 months. Through an array of behavioral, microbiological, and morphological tests, the researchers identified a number of differences between the space and terrestrial worms.
Related Article: Research Uncovers Potential Health Risks of Travel to Mars
Most surprising, researchers discovered that one of the amputated fragments sent to space regenerated into a rare double-headed worm. In more than 18 person-years of maintaining a colony of D. japonica that involves more than 15,000 control worms in just the last five years alone, the Tufts researchers have never observed a spontaneous occurrence of double-headedness. Moreover, when the researchers amputated both heads from the space-exposed worm, the headless middle fragment regenerated into a double-headed worm, demonstrating that the body plan modification that occurred in the worm was permanent.
Additionally, whole worms sent into space underwent spontaneous fission—division of the body into two or more identical individuals—while their earth-bound counterparts did not. However, researchers noted that because of the variation in temperatures experienced by the space and terrestrial worms, the observed difference could be due to temperature differences.
Photo credit: Junji Morokuma, Allen Discovery Center at Tufts UniversityUpon their return, worms from both the space-traveling and stay-at-home groups were transferred to petri dishes containing fresh spring water. While the stay-at-home worms exhibited normal behavior, the 10 whole worms that had spent time in space curled up and were partially paralyzed and immobile, returning to normal after two hours. The behavior suggests that the worms had altered their biological state to accommodate the environmental change of being in space, reacting strongly to a return to normal aqueous conditions.
Space-traveling and control group worms also differed in their reaction to light. Twenty months after returning to Earth, individuals from each group were placed in an arena, half of which was illuminated with red light, which cannot be seen by planaria, and half of which was illuminated with blue light. An automated behavior analysis device revealed that space worms spent 70.5 percent of their time in the dark while the Earth-based worms spent 95.5 percent of their time in the dark. While the difference in light preference means is not statistically significant because of small sample size, the difference in variance among the worms was notable and significant.
Researchers also analyzed the microbiome of the planaria and determined that there was a significant difference between the bacterial communities of space worms when compared to the control group. By analyzing the chemical composition of the water in which the animals lived during the duration of the experiment, the researchers determined that exposure to space induces distinct differences in metabolism and/or secretion.
Researchers cautioned that their experiments faced a number of unavoidable limitations. For the Earth-based control group, it was difficult to match the temperatures experienced by worms in space over the course of the entire mission. Future missions will use real-time data from space to fine-tune temperatures experienced by the controls on Earth. Additionally, the stress of liftoff and splashdown was not replicated, although future experiments will do so. Furthermore, the amputation of worms was done on Earth, a requirement of protocols on this mission. Ideally, this would be done on the space station, and researchers hope that an ISS astronaut will be willing to conduct these experiments aboard the space station in the future.
The researchers intend for their work to help establish protocols for performing planarian research in space by determining proper transfer logistics and conditions for future missions.