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Central bank policies in and out of the crisis: From non-conventional to new conventional
Speech by José Manuel González-Páramo, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB,at the "Challenges to monetary policy implementation beyond the financial market turbulence Workshop"Frankfurt am Main, 1 December 2009
I can hardly think of anything good to come out of the financial crisis, with the few exceptions of the high-quality papers presented at this workshop, the great interest that it has received from academic economists and the central banking community, and the intensity and thoughtfulness of the debates it has triggered over the last day and a half here in Frankfurt. I therefore congratulate you all for having contributed to the success of this venture and I am looking forward to following up on your research work as it may help to further improve the design of our institution's operational framework and the quality of our policy decisions.
In my concluding remarks, I wish to touch upon two topics: 1) the impact of non-conventional monetary policy measures; and 2) the (near) future of monetary policy implementation in the euro area. I shall refer, where appropriate, to the papers presented at this workshop.
Aims of the non-conventional monetary policy measures
Let me first briefly recall what the non-conventional monetary policy measures have aimed to – and still aim to – achieve. The measures taken by the Eurosystem were:
Fixed rate tenders with full allotment in all liquidity-providing operations
Introduction of additional refinancing operations with one-month and three-month maturities, as well as the provision of funding at longer maturities (six months and one year)
Broadened collateral framework (lowering of rating threshold to BBB-; acceptance of selected foreign currency assets and of securities issued in some non-regulated markets)
Covered bond purchase programme (up to EUR 60 billion)
Introduction of foreign currency-providing operations
Taking into account the balanced outlook for the risks to price stability, at present the measures aim to reduce specific distortions in the financial sector by narrowing exceptionally wide risk or term spreads and by increasing the credit flows in particular markets from depressed levels. Moreover, the measures aim not only to reduce the cost of credit, but also to increase the flow of credit to businesses and households.
Indeed, as documented in the interesting paper by Hempell and Sorensen [1] presented at this workshop, supply-side constraints on lending may have emerged during the crisis, related to banks' (lack of) access to wholesale funding and to their stressed liquidity positions. Non-conventional monetary policy measures aim to mitigate, among other things, these distortions.
Another problem that central bank actions have tried to address from the beginning of the crisis was the hoarding of liquidity by counterparties, which severely disturbed the functioning of the money market, as shown by Acharya and Merrouche [2] for the UK and by Ashcraft et al. [3] for the US. The re-emergence of segmentation in the euro interbank market was also an issue calling for central bank action. This topic is discussed in several papers presented in this workshop, including those co-authored by C. Holthausen and N. Cassola [4]; F. Castiglionesi, F. Feriozzi and G. Lorenzoni [5]; M. Bruche and J. Suarez [6]; and N. Cassola and M. Huetl [7].
Thus, mitigating the malfunctioning of money and financial markets was, among other reasons, the motive behind the non-conventional monetary policy measures enacted by the ECB/Eurosystem. Research papers like those that I just referred to are now carefully documenting the emergence and impact of such distortions and drawing the relevant policy implications.
When considering whether or not to enact non-conventional monetary policy measures, attention had to be paid to their possible negative side effects in financial markets. While non-conventional measures were introduced to address market distortions, ultimately they themselves could distort credit allocation and market functioning. A key challenge for the central bank thus was – and still is – to assess what constitutes "normal" or "sustainable" market conditions. There is a challenging trade-off between doing too little and doing too much.
Have the non-conventional monetary policy measures worked?
Assessing non-conventional central bank measures is very difficult. It requires considering the context in which they were implemented, their impact on the problem they were supposed to address, and their possible side effects.
The ultimate yardstick for the effectiveness of non-conventional policies is their impact on aggregate spending and price stability. There are encouraging signs on both of these fronts: according to the most recent data, the euro area economy is now technically on its way out of recession and a global economic recovery seems to be taking off. At the same time, inflation expectations, in particular in the euro area, are well anchored and consistent with our price stability mandate. Nevertheless, given the time-lags of monetary policy, any firm conclusions about the macroeconomic effects of non-conventional monetary policy measures would seem to be premature at the current juncture. Moreover, as always, the counterfactual is unknown, and modelling the effects of non-conventional measures is even more difficult than for conventional policies.
Assessing the immediate effect of non-conventional measures undertaken in the interbank market (longer-term operations, broader collateral, etc.) is challenging. Non-conventional refinancing operations have often been introduced incrementally. These measures have become part of day-to-day central bank operations. Moreover, they have in many cases been implemented against the backdrop of important support measures taken by the governments (e.g. capital injections to individual institutions, guarantee schemes for financial firms' debt) which also played a critical role in alleviating market tensions. Hence it is difficult to disentangle the contributions of the different types of non-conventional policy measures to the overall impact, including for the refinancing operations.
Notwithstanding these caveats, several papers presented at this workshop took up the challenge and tried to overcome the methodological difficulties by using a skilful combination of analytical tools, informed institutional knowledge, and careful event studies, focusing on specific operational targets and markets. In my view, these approaches are very promising.
For example, non-conventional monetary policy measures contributed to improving the functioning of the commercial paper market as shown by Hirose and Ohyama [8] in the case of Japan, and by Duca [9] in the case of the US.
For the euro area, Donati [10] and Nobili [11] explain and show the positive impact of ECB/Eurosystem measures in compressing money market spreads, namely by affecting liquidity risk components along the money market yield curve.
Moreover, as shown by Vaidyanathan [12], it is possible to identify a positive effect on conditions in foreign exchange swap markets after the announcement and implementation of swap lines between central banks.
Thus I am very glad to learn from you in this workshop that a positive assessment can be made at this juncture.
A topic that could not be discussed by the papers presented at this workshop is the impact of the covered bond purchase programme (CBPP) of the Eurosystem. The programme was announced back in May and was launched in July with a duration of up to one year. To encourage research in this field, let me give you some very preliminary, encouraging evidence of the positive impact of the programme. First, primary market issuance recovered significantly in the euro area following the announcement of the programme. Second, the upward trend in covered bond spreads was reversed and in some cases significant declines in spreads can be observed. Third, one of the main objectives of the programme is to support bank financing to the economy. It will be very important to analyse the effects and the mechanisms of the CBPP in these three respects.
Let me now turn to the last topic of my talk.
Exiting from non-conventional measures
My colleague Jürgen Stark recalled yesterday the main principles that guided the operational framework of the Eurosystem and that must be preserved in the future. I will not repeat them now. These principles have contributed to a clear signalling of the policy stance, low volatility of the overnight interest rate and the smooth provision of refinancing to the banking system. They have also contributed to lower term premia. There is reason to believe that they will continue to be useful in the future.
However, let me add a few further considerations.
The phasing-out process will be gradual and, towards its end, the average maturity of ECB/Eurosystem refinancing operations will be much shorter than it is today. With improving market functioning, lending at term maturities by market participants will resume. Thus, not all the term-lending operations carried out by the central bank will be needed to the same extent as in the past. A timely and gradual phasing-out should avoid distortions associated with maintaining non-standard mesures for too long.
Nevertheless, the exact allocation of the future share of refinancing among the MROs is still an open question; and the option of adjusting the future regular operations in light of the experience acquired with the non-conventional operations should not be excluded at this juncture.
This topic remains largely unexplored in the academic literature. A first attempt at tackling them has been made by Eisenschmidt and Holthausen [13] in their paper presented at this workshop. I would encourage some of you to further explore this highly relevant field.
In this respect, I can thus say that some elements of the liquidity policy measures of today may belong to the new conventional central bank toolkit of tomorrow.
An important aspect of the exit process relates to the return to variable rate tenders in the refinancing operations of the ECB/Eurosystem. A key advantage of the variable rate format – besides allowing the central bank to steer the liquidity volume in the desired direction – is the incentive that it provides for counterparties to resume pricing funding liquidity risk appropriately. Indeed, one important lesson from the crisis, which cannot be ignored, is that the longer-term refinancing operations of the central bank play at times the role of a liquidity insurance mechanism; therefore, the spread between the marginal rate of these tenders and the respective OIS rate can be viewed as a liquidity insurance premium and its dynamics over time and dispersion across banks may provide useful information to the central bank about emerging tensions in funding markets. The liquidity insurance mechanism associated with the longer-term refinancing operations has to be viewed in conjunction with the collateral framework of the central bank. Research on these mechanisms from an insurance theory viewpoint is therefore very welcome.
Let me conclude by making a few remarks on the role of the collateral framework.
From the very early stages of the crisis, counterparties were able to explore the funding possibilities offered by the collateral framework of the Eurosystem. These opportunities were furthered by the temporary broadening of this framework which was announced in October 2008.
The possibilities offered by the broad collateral framework, and their interaction with the generous conditions of term funding provided by the ECB/Eurosystem (fixed rate full allotment), allowed counterparties to fund assets whose market liquidity had evaporated.
Thus a broad collateral framework has merits as an immediate, quasi-automatic crisis mitigation tool. The potential welfare effects of the broad collateral framework are discussed in a formalised manner by Ewerhart and Tapking [14] in their paper presented at this workshop.
However, taking a more pragmatic view, the broad collateral framework poses some challenges going forward.
First, the acceptance as collateral of assets for which markets remain seriously dislocated increases liquidation risk and, in the case of "own use" of secured assets, also the concentration risk assumed by the central bank on its balance sheet. Hence, broad collateral frameworks require constant monitoring; furthermore, the risk control framework needs to be constantly adjusted in order to counteract unwarranted practices in the use of collateral by counterparties.
This requires a very sound information base and high level of human resources for monitoring financial market innovations, for developing pricing models and for refining risk control measures. The ECB/Eurosystem has been aware of an increase in residual financial risks in the context of its collateral framework since the outbreak of the financial market crisis, and has continuously redefined its risk control framework to manage this risk.
Second, as the Bank for International Settlements warned in its 2008 Annual Report, the large-scale intermediation of ailing capital markets by the central bank may create price distortions in the longer term. Making a wide range of liquid and illiquid assets eligible for central bank refinancing may – if not adjusted for by the central bank via risk control measures and adequate pricing policy – lead to a preferential treatment of illiquid assets relative to liquid ones, raise the relative price of illiquid assets and lead to oversupply and a consequent impact on credit allocation.
Third, a collateral framework that allows the own use of secured instruments in credit operations with the central bank as a permanent feature could reduce incentives for bank issuers to revive their third-party investor base and to reactivate markets.
Last, a broad collateral framework risks distorting the incentives for banks to manage liquidity risk properly, by allowing them to replace highly liquid assets such as government bonds with illiquid assets.
How to preserve the features of an effective, immediate crisis-mitigating tool, while at the same time containing unwarranted market distortions and not diluting incentives for prudent risk management, is an important area for future analysis and policy research. In this respect, I warmly welcome the papers presented at this workshop devoted to discussing some aspects of this difficult topic, such as those by Cheun et al. [15] and Fegatelli [16].
If a new conventional perspective on monetary policy implementation were to emerge where liquidity insurance is explicitly recognised, articulating collateral extensions with standing facilities and/or longer-term refinancing operations, the key challenge would be to design it in an operationally feasible way, and in such a way that market functioning would be preserved, while providing the right incentives for prudent liquidity provisioning and management by banks.
Let me once again thank you all for having contributed to the success of this workshop.
[1]H. S. Hempell and C. K. Sorensen, "The impact of supply constraints on bank lending in the euro area – crisis-induced crunching?"
[2]V. V. Acharya and O. Merrouche, "Precautionary hoarding of liquidity and interbank markets: evidence from the sub-prime crisis".
[3]A. Ashcraft, J. McAndrews and D. Skeie, "Precautionary reserves and the interbank market"
[4]C. Holthausen and N. Cassola, "The 2007/2009 turmoil: a challenge for the integration of the euro area money market?".
[5]F. Castiglionesi, F. Feriozzi and G. Lorenzoni, "Financial integration, liquidity and the depth of systemic crisis".
[6]M. Bruche and J. Suarez "Deposit insurance and money market freezes".
[7]N. Cassola and M. Huetl "The euro overnight interbank market and the ECB's liquidity management policy during tranquil and turbulent times".
[8]Y. Hirose and S. Ohyama, "Identifying the effect of the Bank of Japan's liquidity facilities: the case of CP operations during financial turmoil".
[9]J. Duca, "Preventing a repeat of the money market meltdown of the early 1930s".
[10]P. Donati, "The effect of conventional and unconventional monetary policy on the money market spreads in the euro area".
[11]S. Nobili, "Liquidity risk in money market spreads".
[12]K. Vaidyanathan, "Quantifying financial market turbulence through deviations in covered interest parity".
[13]J. Eisenschmidt and C. Holthausen, "The minimum liquidity deficit and the maturity structure of a central bank's open market operations: lessons from the financial crisis".
[14]C. Ewerhart and J. Tapking, "Repo markets, counterparty risk and the 2007-2009 liquidity crisis".
[15]S. Cheun, I. von Koeppen-Mertes and B. Weller, "The collateral frameworks of the Eurosystem, US Federal Reserve and Bank of England and the financial market turmoil".
[16]P. Fegatelli, "The role of collateral requirements in the financial crisis: one tool for two (diverging) objectives?"
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The mountain Gaustatoppen in Rjukan in Telemark county is easily accessable and one of the most beautiful mountains in Norway.
Gaustatoppen, which many claim to be the most beautiful mountain in Norway, towers majestically above the town of Rjukan at an altitude of 1,883 metres. Around 30,000 people make the trip up to the summit every year to enjoy the fantastic views from the top. On a clear day, you can see all the way south to the coast and east to Sweden. You can see one sixth of Norway from here.
No matter what the weather is like, you can still buy a cup of coffee, waffles and food at the Tourist Association's 100-year-old stone cabin on the summit. You can pick your own stone from the piles around the summit and get it stamped to prove that you climbed the mountain.
A new alpine slope down Gaustatoppen is planned, but this is no new idea. Had it not been for the Second World War, the alpine disciplines at the 1940 World Championships would have been arranged here.
Bron: Visitrjukan AS

subset: commoncrawl


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Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - After two lackluster wins at welterweight, Mike Swick was looking to make a statement in his third bout at 170 pounds Wednesday night. He did, scoring a devastating 33 second stoppage of Jonathan Goulet in the co-featured bout on the UFC Fight for The Troops card at the Crown Coliseum.
By Thomas Gerbasi
FAYETTEVILLE, NC, December 10 –After two lackluster wins at welterweight, Mike Swick was looking to make a statement in his third bout at 170 pounds Wednesday night. He did, scoring a devastating 33 second stoppage of Jonathan Goulet in the co-featured bout on the UFC Fight for The Troops card at the Crown Coliseum.
Swick (13-2) almost ran out of his corner to start the fight, and after the two combatants quickly circled each other for a bit, they engaged, with Swick hurting and dropping Goulet (22-10, 1 NC) with a short right hand. Goulet tried to get his bearings back as he grabbed his opponent's leg, but Swick just let loose with a barrage of punches that brought in referee Dan Miragliotta to call a stop to the fight.
Steve Cantwell, the last man to hold the WEC light heavyweight title, made a smooth transition into life in the UFC, impressively submitting fellow debutant Razaak Al-Hassan in the first round of an exciting and competitive 205-pound contest.
Al-Hassan came out fast, throwing range-finding jabs and hard kicks. Cantwell calmly stood in the pocket, and his return shots had more steam on them. After the initial burst of action, the pace settled down a bit, but both fighters were still throwing with bad intentions. Midway through the round, Cantwell connected with a jarring kick and punch and followed up with a takedown. Soon moving into side control and then the mount, Cantwell locked up Al-Hassan's arm. The Iowan refused to tap and tried to escape, but referee Mario Yamasaki intervened and halted the bout at the 4:04 mark after seeing Al-Hassan's arm badly hyper-extended.
Cantwell lifts his slate to 7-1 with the win; Al-Hassan suffers his first loss as a pro, falling to 7-1.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Tim Credeur continued to show improvement in his striking game as he halted previously unbeaten Nate Loughran after two rounds of their middleweight match.
The two ground aces traded punches and kicks in the opening minute of the bout before locking up, with Credeur pushing Loughran into the fence. After a brief scrap, the two broke and resumed long-range striking, with each fighter having his moments before Credeur pulled away late.
The fight went to the mat early in the second, but a stalemate drew a re-start from referee Dan Miragliotta. The change of scenery benefited Credeur, who continued to land with punches, especially his overhand right. Loughran started to show more wear on his face, and only the bell seemed to keep him from hitting the canvas.
That was apparently enough for Loughran's corner, who didn't let their man out for the third round.
Credeur ups his record to 12-4 with the win; Loughran falls to 9-1.
Lightweight prospect Jim Miller made the best of his last-minute replacement gig against Matt Wiman, drilling out a three round unanimous decision win that broke the Texan's four fight winning streak.
Scores were 30-27 twice and 30-26 for Miller, who replaced the injured Frankie Edgar on a week's notice.
Miller tested out his standup early on against Wiman and was effective before he switched gears and sunk in a tight guillotine choke. Wiman soon fought his way loose, but Miller kept the pressure on with a ground and pound attack that bloodied his opponent on the bridge of the nose. Wiman worked free, and the two stood, with the southpaw Miller again firing off effective strikes to finish off the round.
Wiman took the fight to the New Jersey native in the second round and was able to land a couple of hard shots that were matched by Miller moments later. By the second minute, Miller was starting to tee off with ease on Wiman, who gamely hung in there against the fence. With a little over three minutes remaining, the two hit the mat, and Miller continued firing away and piling up points until the round ended.
Sensing the fight slipping away, Wiman came out fast for the final frame and tagged Miller a number of times until Miller was able to grab hold of his foe and take him to the mat. The same sequence was replayed a few seconds later, but this time Miller was able to keep Wiman down on the canvas for the rest of the bout as he fired off ground strikes and looked for submissions.
With the win, Miller improves to 13-1; Wiman falls to 10-4.
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Trapdoor in the Kitchen Floor: Spiral Wine Cellars
We don't have anything close to a wine collection; we keep perhaps three or four bottles around. So a wine cellar is quite unnecessary, but that doesn't stop us fantasizing about a dusty cellar full of old vintages. Then we saw the Spiral Cellar, and that romantic idea of a wine cellar was joined up with an even older fantasy: the trapdoor in the kitchen floor.
A trapdoor! It's a trope of mysteries, spy novels, and thrillers. How many times has a hero escaped from the bad guys at the last minute, letting the trapdoor fall over his head? They would never think to look under the kitchen floor!
These Spiral Cellars seem like they are tapping into that primal romanticism, the same sort that led us to build forts out of blankets and chairs and progress to treehouses with "Keep Out" signs as we got older. The only difference is that this cellar design has a rather more grownup function.
The Spiral Cellar system was developed in 1978 by a Frenchman who saw that few modern houses had wine cellars, but that people still needed a place to store their wine. If a wine-lover has a serious collection it can quickly outgrow wine racks and refrigerator units. So he came up with the Spiral Cellar design, which uses the earth to insulate and create good storage conditions. It does this, however, in a fraction of the space of a regular cellar. It also can maintain a constant temperature with no power required.
A spiral cellar is dug into the floor by a professional team, and the cellar storage itself is created from concrete wrapped in a watertight lining. Passive ventilation keeps the temperature around 55°, an ideal temperature for wine storage. There are several sizes, holding from 1000-1600 bottles.
Of course, this is one indulgence for wealthy or well-off wine drinkers only. The Spiral Cellar purchase and installation runs at least $30,000. (Their costs seem to be much lower in Great Britain; a cellar costs about £9,000, or $12,000.) One site reported that there is an option to buy a kit and install the cellar yourself, but we can't find this on their current site; it may not be offered anymore. This cellar price, though, is still much cheaper than installing a full-blown, climate controlled wine cellar in the basement.
Regardless, we won't be installing a Spiral Cellar anytime soon; we're quite happy with our mini wine rack. But we love gawking at the pictures of trapdoors in the kitchen and under the dining room table (click through the thumbnails above to see more shots). Just think of announcing to your guests: I'll go pick up another bottle… and then throwing open a trapdoor in the floor! Pretty great, huh?
• More about Spiral Cellars here, including photos of installation.
Related: Wines to Keep: Robert Weil Riesling
(Images: Spiral Cellars)
(Originally posted January 21, 2009)


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Every couple desires to have actually the flawlessly made wedding cake, although the new brides could cut loose with suggestions as well as ideas on how you can 'glam' up their unique cake. It is necessary to be readied as well as arrange your cake as well as decors early on. It can be practical to recognize several of the usual wedding cake decors that people needs to select from such as Disney Princess Tiana Wedding Cake Topper Wedding cake decors permit a couple to have an excellent feeling of design as well as originality to their cake.
Among the a lot more preferred decors is fresh reduced blossoms. The styles as well as shades of the fresh blossoms made use of as the wedding cake decors can be co-ordinated to the new bride's entourage as well as the shades of the marital relationship function. If you will certainly be making use of fresh blossoms as the wedding cake decors, give the floral designer shop at the very least two weeks' time to make sure that they will certainly have a lot of time to obtain the blossoms. Attempt to make certain to make use of a floral designer knowned with cake designing, as couple of blossoms are poisonous as well as need to not be made use of on meals.
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5th Edition of Pinnacle Fame Awards curated by Maa2Mom was a prestigious award ceremony that celebrates everything around Womanhood and the way they Change the Convention
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 02: Leading the light for womanhood Maa2Mom, one of the most trusted & fastest growing communities of mothers, organised 5th edition of PIFA Awards. This year the theme was "Be the Change". PIFA 5.0 glorified and honoured women who were extraordinary and who have carved their own path – those who lead by example and inspire others in their respective fields. These women believe in the motto 'Be the Change' and make a positive impact on society. PIFA 5.0 is associated with Jaikara, UK, to create awareness about domestic violence. This campaign is UN's Orange the World Campaign, dedicated to ending violence against women. Namrata Thakker, the renowned Business Evangelist, has actively supported this event.
The awards spread across 20+ categories for women across the globe. The jury consisted of eminent pinnacle personalities who are experts in their own fields.
Jury Panelists for PIFA 5.0 were Tamanna Dhamija, Dr Zinal Shah, Rinku Shah, Mrunalini Deshmukh, Nivedita Basu, Zenobia Khodaiji & Radha Shah.
The glittering ceremony witnessed many celebrated guests and pinnacle personalities, including Bollywood and TV stars, performing some electric performances during the prestigious award ceremony.
Socialist Shweta Shalini, Business Evangelist Namrata Thakker, Journalist Rekha Khan, Aashish Rego, actress Pratima Kannan, Karuna Verma (Actress), Utkarsha Naik (Actress), Filmmaker Lakshmi R Iyer, Krishna Beuraa (Playback Singer) , Pamela Jain (Singer), Avantika Bahuguna (from Momspresso), Chef Shailendra Kekade & Dr Ronak Shah.
Rashidaa Shaikh and Komal Goenka were the hosts for the award show.
Creative & Brilliant designers from the Maa2Mom community presented their upcoming line of sustainable fashion at the PIFA Grand fashion Show and set the stage on fire under the guidance of the best Runway Coach – Payal Pokarna. Bhavini Parikh (Bunko Junko) and Sonita Beura (Sonita Beura Collection) showcased their designer collections, while Rashmi Malik (Meraki) showcased handmade jewellery. Make-up and Hair for the models was done by Preeti Ashiwal and her team. The Fashion Show Models were additionally supported and groomed by Motivational Coach Zenobia Khodaiji.
PIFA also witnessed enthralling Dance Performances by Rituu Maneek and Troupe, who fascinated the audience & Adishakti to the Closing Ceremony's Power Packed Performance by Sneha Shah & Troupe, which was highly applauded by the audience.
"Who doesn't like being recognized for a job well done? Recognizing women for their efforts and accomplishments is important. We at PIFA awards curated by Maa2Mom aim to bring women of different fields under one roof & award them for their contribution in their respective areas of work. We were glad to have them & felicitate them for their work.", said Jyoti Agarwal, Founder Maa2Mom.
68 awardees were selected from the 1000 nominations received across the globe. More power to Mothers and women who be the Change.
List of Awardees for the PIFA 5th edition curated by Maa2Mom are – Neha Mahindroo, Prof. Kavleen Kaur Bhasin, Bhairavi Amit Mamania, Dr. Kinjal Shah Anandpara & Karena Wu, Garima Manohar Sadhwani, Aishwarya Sandeep, Seema Kabra, Mamta Sharma, Dr. Deepti Chopra, Prachi S Vaish, Anindita Chaudhuri, Nammrata Rohit Sharma, Gauri Godbole, Neetu Sanjay, Vandana Joshil, Miti Randeri, Harshada Abhyankar, Dr Milan Khanna, Afshan Ali Shaikh, Binal Soni, Sunita Mundra, Ruchi Tiberwal, Neelu Kumaar, Shalini Jain, Rashmi Malik, Tanvi Mathur, Apoorva Mairal, Sanskruti Pandya, Padma Rewari, Shweta Sandhu, AvsarD Event Designer LLP, Tejaswee Rajendra Paygude, Smrithy Rajesh, Preeti Ashiwal, Sonita Beura, Poorva Dubey, Brinda Rana, Neha Bagrodia, Rituu Maneek, Indic Society For Education And Development, Vanitaa Rawat, Street Konnect, Pooja Amit Jambotkar, Komal Goenka, Sneha Mehta, Rashidaa Shaikh, Payal Pokarna, Radha Panchariya, Samiya Shaikh, Shamim Dhamasker, Rachna Kacker, Preeti Misra, Pragati Gupta, Ashi Doshi & Pragati Agarwal, Shradhha Agarwal, Anubha Goyal, Anupama Padhi, Gurvinder Kaur, Ruchi Srivastava, Riddhi Sharma, Pooja A Panday, Renuka Kad, Manisha Shekhar Asthana, Kusum Harsora, Dietitian – Supriya, Parul Chawla, Venugopal Iyer and The Kidzpreneur
PIFA 5.0 was Co-powered by Karma Terra, Luxury Automobile Partner – Autohangar Mercedes Benz, Wellness Partner – Fruik, Social Cause Partner – Jaikara, Community Partner – Momz of India, Décor Partner – AvsarD, Supporting Partner – The Kidzpreneur & Sustainable Fashion Partner (Kids)- Dumbledo.
Post their fifth edition PIFA Awards are touted to be the most coveted and credible awards recognizing innovation and accomplishment of women in various fields.


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Before clicking on the "I'm not capable" link at the end of this post, check out the short story of why this program was created, because it will help you understand how this program will change your life. |
One day I was having lunch with my friend Denis Hann. I told him of my plans to train thousands of people to use my method to help others permanently eliminate beliefs. I said that this was how I hoped to reach millions of people and transform the world.
You'll never guess what he told me.
He said, "It doesn't matter how many people you train. You'll never transform the world that way in a hundred years. It takes you about a year to train a group of 20 people. And maybe one out of 100 will train others. That one person who trains others will get the same results or worse. It'll take a long time to multiply your efforts that way."
"But what other alternative do I have?" I said.
He thought for a bit. Then he said, "There's got to be a way to get people through your process and get rid of beliefs without a live human being guiding them."
"Maybe… but I have no idea what it is."
During this conversation Denis suggested that an interactive video program—a program people could respond to and that could respond back—would be able to guide individuals into eliminating beliefs on their own.
So we worked for two years to produce the first interactive video program to help people bust the beliefs that cause the fear of public speaking—which is one of the ways that a lack of self-confidence shows up for many people.
We had spent a lot of money ($347,234) to create a high-quality program—that turned out to have a lot more bells and whistles than we actually needed—and were a little nervous as we allowed 39 fearful public speakers to initially test the interactive video.
We sent the beta testers surveys to see how effective the program was. Did their fear actually go away? We had the results compiled for us into one spreadsheet so we could see at a glance if we'd succeeded or failed.
When the envelope arrived with the results, we waited with baited breath. If the program didn't work, our investment would be lost… As we scanned the results we were excited to discover that over 86% of the formerly fearful speakers totally got rid of their fear of public speaking with our program.
In fact we were overjoyed. Finally, we knew we could help people get rid of their beliefs quickly and easily with interactive video. Denis was right. This was the way to help millions of people and change the world.
A few years later we created the Natural Confidence program that you can sample now by visiting eliminate "I'm not capable" now.
Below, leave me any comments, questions or suggestions you have.
Morty Lefkoe
Click eliminate "I'm not capable" to eliminate the next belief.


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Bebop is a beautiful but difficult musical language to learn.
Bebop is a beautiful but difficult musical language to learn.
Sometimes it works better to hear how the phrases sound and try to play them. This way you get a feel for how you should phrase them, and add to your bebop soloing techniques.
This started as a lesson on how arpeggios are used in bebop but then I got really into the licks and liked them so much that I ended up just making a lot of really solid traditional bebop lines.
You should check out the licks but also try to isolate small phrases and make your own licks with them. That is how it really becomes a part of your vocabulary.
1 Inserting 2nd voice and using trills
In the example below I am using two voices in the Dm7 line. The 1st voice is on beats 1 and 3 and in between are the counter-point melodies. This way of adding extra melodies is a great way to add surprising skips and have short changes of direction in the lines
2 Using a chromatic enclosure to resolve
Chromatic enclosures are a great way to create suspensions and movement in a line. In this line, the Dm7 line is first suspending the F with a 4-note enclosure. I am also using chromaticism to move from the G7 to Cmaj7.
3 Adding Arpeggios in Scale-runs
Inserting arpeggios in scale melodies is a good way to change things up. This is what is happening with the Am triad on the Dm7 chord.
The G7 line is using a G augmented mixing it up with an Abm triad.
4 Arpeggio Patterns to get large intervals
Using Arpeggios played in inversions and patterns is a great way to have melodies that are closely related to the harmony and add larger, more surprising, intervals.
On the Dm7 I am using a 1531 pattern of the F major triad. The triad of the 3rd. The G7 line has a Bdim arpeggio, again the arpeggio from the 3rd.
5 Voice-leading ideas as great bebop lines.
Many great bop lines are made from voice-leading concepts. This example is turning a Dm7 – DmMaj7, Dm7 Dm6 into a great super-imposed bop line.
Notice how the Dm to DmMaj7 uses basic arpeggios and introduces a large range.
6 2-note enclosure and motivic chromaticism
The line on the Dm7 is starting with a 2-note enclosure. The G7 line is using the G augmented triad and adding octave-displacement.
The last half of the G7 bar is a chromatic phrase that is moved and repeated on the Cmaj7 to develop the melody.
7 Moving phrases on the G7 chord
Another way to move phrases is illustrated on the G7 line in this example. The motif uses a maj7th interval that really makes it stand out.
8 Chromaticism and Maj7 inversions
Chromaticism as a means to suspend the sound of the chord is a good way to keep the line moving forward and also a way to add an outside phrase to a line.
The line below opens with a double-chromatic enclosure resolving back into the chord on beat 3.
9 Extended arpeggios in Bebop Soloing
Using 9th arpeggios is also a good option for bebop lines. The line here below is using a DM9 arpeggio and playing the last part of it as an 8th-note triplet.
The G7 line is using a Bdim arpeggio and breaking up the 8ht note flow with a trill.
10 Triplet and embellishing dim arpeggios
The Dm7 line is using the Fmaj7 arpeggio, again the arpeggio from the 3rd of the chord. This time it is played as an 8th note triplet.
The entire line on the G7 is based around a pattern of a B (or Abdim) that is embellished with passing notes and played in an inversion.
Level up your Jazz Phrasing
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City hears crèche opinions
VERGENNES — Vergennes Mayor Michael Daniels in the past three weeks received roughly 70 citizen emails on the topic of whether the city should allow a Christian Nativity scene to be displayed on the city's central green, as it has been for the past five decades.
City officials do not store or maintain the crèche, but there is a small line item in the city budget that supports its maintenance.
Vergennes aldermen proposed a policy — which they discussed on Tuesday; see story — that would allow private displays on the green, subject to city approval but without city endorsement. That policy would require a sign accompanying any display making it clear the city does not endorse its content. At the same time, aldermen have proposed divesting the city of the crèche maintenance fund.
Emailers commented on the draft policy, which was published on the city's website, as well as the central issues of separation of church and state and how Vergennes should handle the nativity scene. A large majority of the emails supported keeping the crèche in its place, many in the context of the proposed policy.
Excerpts from some of those emails are reprinted herein. Because those who sent the emails did not expect to be identified, names of the writers were not used. The emails were lightly edited for spelling and grammar and are reprinted below:
• "The crèche in the park is a long time tradition in this town which is greatly appreciated by many people, whether they are religious or not. I would encourage the aldermen to support this draft (policy) and continue to allow this to grace our park for many years to come."
• "I have always been very proud that Vergennes has been open minded enough to not allow the 'politically correct' winds to blow a long standing tradition away because of a minority of people who want to remove all signs of faith from the public view … I am very hopeful that there will be a clear position taken in favor of this continued blessing to the Addison County community."
• "We both grew up with a crèche displayed in our homes and enjoyed visiting the crèches at our respective churches … These are the two places where religious symbols belong: at home and at a place of worship. Religious symbols are powerful and carry deep meanings and emotions for people connected to their respective religion. But, it is important to recognize this same symbol can evoke equally powerful emotions and messages that isolate and alienate when placed in an inappropriate manner. The placement of such a strong religious symbol, literally at the center of our city, sends an incredibly powerful message. Intentional or not, this crèche can be perceived (wrongfully) as defining our community as a 'Christian town.' This 'Christian town' message is not representative of the community as a whole and this thinking is one that alienates many community members."
• "I would like to share a thought that I shared with other area pastors: 'I am thinking that if one religion can set up a display in the park during one of their high holy days (like us on Christmas), that other religions should have that open to them as well. In the case of atheists they will have to invent a special day or set of days so they can display something that they revere. Frankly, atheism ought to be legally tagged as a "religion." I believe it would help clarify things.' I'm not sure what the city would say to this notion, but it seems that it might work pretty well in our small city toward supporting the freedom of religious expression."
• "I strongly disagree with the removal of the nativity scene as it represents my freedom of faith and celebration of Christmas. I hope that my rights as a Christian and other Christians may be preserved and we will be able to continue to enjoy the traditional nativity scene on the town green."
• "The crèche scene is one that is dear to my heart and one that is a centerpiece in our family's living room. Our young family loves to sing in front of it throughout the Advent season. This background information is important for you to understand my perspective … I have often been quite surprised that the crèche has been in our City Park, and I have felt that it is a passively exclusive gesture toward non-Christians. If either the Episcopal or Methodist church were to agree to host the crèche, I think it would be far more appropriate placement of the figures. That would keep the figures close to their traditional placement, but not use city property … Only those who walked close enough to the crèche would see … a sign, and those who feel excluded by its presence would not be likely to go and view the crèche up close."
• "Although we saw the awe on our 3-year-old grandchild's face at Christmas as he looked at the lifelike manger scene in downtown Vergennes, we wish all those opposed to its presence could have seen his eyes light up. Please keep the display and don't be the Grinch who stole Christmas for children. If others want to display their holiday symbols, there is certainly enough space for them to do so. This display doesn't establish a religion but allows the free exercise of it. Isn't this what America is all about?"
• "I do not see this issue as being against 'Separation of Church and State.' All Citizens should have equal opportunity to use the park … Our community is made up of many interests, representing all the people. The City of Vergennes is certainly not promoting any interest/religion but only allowing use of the space by its citizens."
• "I am so very upset and disgusted to think we have people in our beautiful city that come up with ridiculous issues for the city council to resolve. This beautiful scene has been in our park and enjoyed by most everyone for many years without any regards to this being a Christian town. It is a tradition that natives of Vergennes look forward to every Christmas. I sincerely hope this can be resolved soon and then move onto more important issues. Please do not move the Nativity scene to another location."
• "I have enjoyed it since I was a child, my children have enjoyed it and it (is) a tradition in this city. During the busy Holiday Season when stress is high and time is short it is nice to take a few minutes in the park and remember what the season is really about. For those that take a different view I invite them to add a display of their own."
• "I am disheartened that a person could make such a demand of our 'godly' city. I can only hope and pray that the party will be deemed foolish and looked upon with disdain … Each year I look in amazement at the Manger in the park and feel a connection between it and our town offices and know that our city is in good hands with God's help. If we take 'God' out of the park, what will be next from the minority 'non-Christians'? They've already taken religion out of schools and look at some of our youth today with no hope, self-esteem, or faith. I am hoping that this action will pull Vergennes together in a new way. Praying for a Victory in Christ!"
• "I consider myself an atheist. Yet, I see absolutely no harm in a Christian display (or a Jewish display, or any other religious display) on public property so long as it is clear that it is not a government endorsement of a particular religion. Having lived in Vergennes for nearly 20 years, I know that having the nativity scene in the park is a 'part of our community' and should be seen as something that unites not divides."
• "It is a long-standing tradition for people in Vergennes. I am not particularly religious, but I find the scene providing many other emotions that are not religious. It is a sign of the end of a year, beginning of a new year. It is folk art at its finest. I wish we did not have to have a sign near it, but I find that a far better option than not having it at all."
• "I can think of no better impression that I would like to see the Vergennes City Park present than one of inclusion rather than exclusion. To ban the Nativity is an act of exclusion; to open the park to other celebrants of other traditions is an act of inclusion and compromise that meets all the legal standards already set forth in response to challenges such as this in towns and cities across the nation."
• "As a lifelong, third generation atheist, I have always been troubled by the annual nativity scene. I have no problem with my Christian neighbors decorating their homes and churches with religious symbols, and enjoy sharing in the secular aspects of seasonal holidays with friends of many faiths. My difficulty is with the appearance of religious symbols in a shared public space. I appreciate the intention of the proposed policy requiring signage designating the nativity scene as the private expression of an individual or group. This does assure me that the town government is not officially endorsing a particular religious point of view. However, I am concerned that this could become potentially divisive to our community. While Christian, and to a lesser extent Jewish, symbols are widely deemed acceptable, are we ready to accept Muslim symbols? How about Wiccan or Moonie symbols? What would happen if an atheist … felt moved to put up an anti-religion display? … Perhaps even vandalism or other acts of intolerance?"
• "In a day and age in which we put so much import on diversity and tolerance how can we cower in fear of those who would challenge every American's religious rights and freedom of expression? Why not add a Menorah, a Star of David, or other symbols of American traditions? Let's welcome people of all cultures, races and creeds to join in our celebration with their own."
• "As a citizen of Vergennes, who enjoys the display along with my family, I support the right of other citizens in maintaining and displaying this and any other peaceful exhibit. It is appropriate for the city to acknowledge/clarify that public funds are not utilized toward such exhibits, whether there is religious context or not."
• "I have always questioned the placement of this Nativity scene. This display makes me feel alienated and does not represent my religious views at all. I am not the only non-traditional resident who is offended that the center of our city clearly sends a message that 'we' are outsiders. The religious displays belong on religious property. Community events belong on community property. It's that simple."
• "This is an issue that touches so many people and, as with most decisions, it will be impossible to please everyone. I hope that through this process we will be able to respect one another, value tradition and follow the law. If there is a way to become more inclusive through regulations you draw up for the use of space in the park, that would be valuable. We are so fortunate to have this beautiful space in the center of our city. I love the variety of activities that take place there."
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A loose rail is believed to have caused a train crash in France that's killed at least six people and injured dozens. Rescue workers on Saturday were still sifting through the twisted wreckage searching for possible survivors.
BBC quotes the state rail company SNCF as saying a metal bar connecting two rails came loose somewhere near the Paris suburb of Bretigny-sur-Orge.
Some 30 people were injured, several seriously, in the crash when the inter-city train carrying 385 passengers veered off the track en route from the French capital to Limoges. Reuters calls it the worst rail accident in France in a quarter-century.
Reuters reports:
"Workers spent the night cutting through tangled metal, but found no more victims. Authorities said the toll could rise if more victims were found in the wreckage or if any of the nine seriously wounded passengers died.
A crane was brought to the crash site to lift a carriage that fell onto its side and others torn open in the accident."
Update At 8:55 a.m. ET:
Reuters quotes Pierre Izard, head of infrastructure services at SNCF, as saying the metal bar in question became dislodged and moved to the middle of the track junction.
NPR's Eleanor Beardsley, reporting from Paris, says officials say the death toll is not yet final. They are awaiting the arrival of a giant crane that will pick up the derailed cars and look for bodies underneath.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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The results of the Teach-Discover-Treat (TDT) 2014 challenge were out earlier this week. TDT is an initiative to provide high quality computational chemistry tutorials that impact education and drug discovery for neglected diseases with a special focus on freely available software tools and reproducibility. We are very happy to announce that Rodrigo Ochoa , former summer intern in the group two years ago, won the second place (KNIME award) at the TDT challenge . Rodrigo's entry was based on myChEMBL ( Open Innovation track) and contains several KNIME and IPython Notebook tutorials within an NTD computational research setting. More details here . PS: Watch this space for an update on myChEMBL very soon. Team myChEMBL
The Organization of Drug Discovery Data
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Mariana trench
While thousands of climbers have successfully scaled Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth, only two people have descended to the planet's deepest point, the Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench.
Located in the western Pacific east of the Philippines and an average of approximately 124 miles (200 kilometers) east of the Mariana Islands, the Mariana Trench is a crescent-shaped scar in the Earth's crust that measures more than 1,500 miles (2,550 kilometers) long and 43 miles (69 kilometers) wide on average. The distance between the surface of the ocean and the trench's deepest point—the Challenger Deep, which lies about 200 miles (322 kilometers) southwest of the U.S. territory of Guam—is nearly 7 miles (11 kilometers). If Mount Everest were dropped into the Mariana Trench, its peak would still be more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) underwater.
The Mariana Trench is part of a global network of deep troughs that cut across the ocean floor. They form when two tectonic plates collide. At the collision point, one of the plates dives beneath the other into the Earth's mantle, creating an ocean trench.
The depths of the Mariana Trench were first plumbed in 1875 by the British ship H.M.S. Challenger as part of the first global oceanographic cruise. The Challenger scientists recorded a depth of 4,475 fathoms (about five miles, or eight kilometers) using a weighted sounding rope. In 1951, the British vessel H.M.S. Challenger II returned to the spot with an echo-sounder and measured a depth of nearly 7 miles (11 kilometers).
The majority of the Mariana Trench is now a U.S. protected zone as part of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, established by President George W. Bush in 2009. Permits for research in the monument, including in the Sirena Deep, have been secured from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Permits for research in the Challenger Deep have been secured from the Federated States of Micronesia.
Because of its extreme depth, the Mariana Trench is cloaked in perpetual darkness and the temperature is just a few degrees above freezing. The water pressure at the bottom of the trench is a crushing eight tons per square inch—or about a thousand times the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level. Pressure increases with depth.
The first and only time humans descended into the Challenger Deep was more than 50 years ago. In 1960, Jacques Piccard and Navy Lt. Don Walsh reached this goal in a U.S. Navy submersible, a bathyscaphe called the Trieste. After a five-hour descent, the pair spent only a scant 20 minutes at the bottom and were unable to take any photographs due to clouds of silt stirred up by their passage.
Until Piccard and Walsh's historic dive, scientists had debated whether life could exist under such extreme pressure. But at the bottom, the Trieste's floodlight illuminated a creature that Piccard thought was a flatfish, a moment that Piccard would later describe with excitement in a book about his journey.
"Here, in an instant, was the answer that biologists had asked for the decades," Piccard wrote. "Could life exist in the greatest depths of the ocean? It could!"
While the Trieste expedition laid to rest any doubts that life could exist in the Mariana Trench, scientists still know very little about the types of organisms that reside there. In fact, some question whether Piccard's fish was actually a form of sea cucumber. It is thought that the pressure is so great that calcium can't exist except in solution, so the bones of vertebrates would literally dissolve. No bones, no fish. But nature has also proven scientists wrong many times in the past with its remarkable capacity for adaptation. So are there fish that deep? Nobody knows, and this is the whole point of the DEEPSEA CHALLENGE project, to find answers to such fundamental questions.
In recent years, deep-ocean dredges and unmanned subs have glimpsed exotic organisms such as shrimp-like amphipods, and strange, translucent animals called holothurians. But scientists say there are many new species awaiting discovery and many unanswered questions about how animals can survive in these extreme conditions. Scientists are particularly interested in microorganisms living in the trenches, which they say could lead to breakthroughs in biomedicine and biotechnology.
The Mariana Trench's microscopic inhabitants might even shed light on the emergence of life on Earth. Some researchers, such as Patricia Fryer et alat University of Hawaii, have speculated that serpentine mud volcanoes located near ocean trenches might have provided the right conditions for our planet's first life-forms. Additionally, studying rocks from ocean trenches could lead to a better understanding of the earthquakes that create the powerful and devastating tsunamis seen around the Pacific Rim, geologists say.
- Source:http://www.deepseachallenge.com/the-expedition/mariana-trench/


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This fall, the Kingman High School football team's sideline felt empty.
"It was a bummer," said Russell Stryker, the school's head coach.
It felt empty because Stryker wasn't there.
"I'm real close with this group. They're a good group of kids," he said. "Some of them I've coached since fourth grade."
Instead of being at the games, Stryker was fighting for his life.
"There's no medical explanation as to why I'm not dead," Russell expressed.
In September, just before the season, the symptoms started.
"I just felt bad like I had the flu," he said.
Stryker thinks he caught COVID-19 from his wife, who battled it for about a week before symptoms went away.
By day six of his fight, his wife had seen enough.
"He could not take any deep breaths," Stephanie Stryker recalled. "He was panting, like, breathing like a dog."
Doctors told Stephanie Stryker her husband of 30 years was not coming home, maybe never.
"I finally knew it was really bad when [the doctor] used the phrase 'if he makes it through the night.' Then, I was like, 'wait, what?'" Stephanie said.
Stryker's medical records tell the story: failing lungs, bacterial pneumonia, heavy doses of medication hurting his kidneys.
At one point it appeared he took the final step towards death.
"Flatlined. My heart stopped," he said.
But doctors were able to get his heart beating again.
"With COVID, there is a lot of back and forth. There's a lot of two steps forward, three steps back," Stephanie said.
Stryker was eventually moved to the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona.
Stryker was flown there on a small plane. His wife says his shoulders were too wide for a helicopter to make the trip.
Stephanie estimates the flight cost around $60,000. She was told insurance would not cover the transfer.
"I said, 'I'll mortgage my house if I have to. I don't care. Whatever it takes,'" Stephanie recalled.
A GoFundMe is raising money to help the family pay the bill.
At the Mayo Clinic, Stryker's condition improved.
"You just don't hear about people being in ICU for double-digit days or weeks and they pull through it," he said.
"God just promised me he was going to come out of there," Stephanie said.
Stryker is now home working with occupational and physical therapists multiple time a week. He's lost 50 pounds during his 12 weeks in the hospital. He currently uses a walker to get around and is working to get his strength back.
It's hard to know why COVID-19 almost took his life or why it didn't.
"My blood pressure was a little high, but gosh, I know people who are diabetic, this and this and this on a list, and they had it and were sick for two days," Stryker said.
Whatever the reason, this coach plans to be on the sidelines again and is living each day with new gratitude.
"Just one of those deals where I feel like I got more stuff I got to do, and it's important that it gets done," he said.


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There are plenty of good reasons you might be ready to move. No matter your motivations, before you list your current house, you need to consider where you'll go next.
In today's market, it makes sense to explore all your options. That includes both homes that have been lived in before as well as newly built ones. To help you decide which is right for you, let's compare the benefits of each. Regardless of which option you choose to explore, working with a trusted real estate professional throughout the process is essential.
The Benefits of Newly Built Homes
First, let's look at the benefits of purchasing a newly constructed home. With a brand-new house, you'll be able to:
1. Build your dream home
If you build a home from the ground up, you'll have the option to select the custom features you want, including appliances, finishes, landscaping, layout, and more. Bankrate puts it like this:
"Building means customizing. . . . instead of wishing your home had a certain kind of flooring, a sunroom or some other special amenity, you'll be able to tailor the property to your exact needs. You also won't be limited to a specific location or neighborhood."
2. Take advantage of builder concessions
In today's market, a lot of home builders are working hard to sell their current inventory before they add more to their mix. That means many of them are offering concessions and are more willing to negotiate with buyers. That could work to your advantage in the process.
3. Minimize home repairs
Many builders offer a warranty, so you'll have peace of mind on unlikely repairs. Plus, you won't have as many little improvement projects to tackle. As realtor.com says:
". . . if something goes wrong with your new home, not only are there likely some manufacturer warranties in place, but many builders also include additional home warranties . . ."
4. Take advantage of energy efficiency
When building a home, you can choose brand-new, energy-efficient options to help lower your utility costs, protect the environment, and reduce your carbon footprint.
The Benefits of Existing Homes
Now, let's compare those to the perks that come with buying an existing home. With a pre-existing home, you can:
1. Explore a wider variety of home styles and floorplans
With decades of homes to choose from, you'll have a broader range of floorplans and designs available.
2. Appreciate that lived-in charm
The character of older homes is hard to reproduce. If you value timeless craftsmanship or design elements, you may prefer an existing home.
3. Join an established neighborhood
Existing homes give you the option to get to know the neighborhood, community, or traffic patterns before you commit. Plus, they have more developed landscaping and trees, which can give you additional privacy and curb appeal.
4. Move in faster
If you have a short timeframe to move or you just don't want the process to take several months while your home is under construction, buying an existing home might make sense for you. U.S. News explains:
"When you're choosing a home, existing or new, you should also consider how long it might take to move into that home. Just because you have a contract doesn't mean that your new home will be completed (or even started) at the time you agree to the purchase. It can be a struggle waiting for the walls to go up as you wonder what your home will become."
When thinking about where you'll go after you sell your house, remember your options. As you start your search, think about what's most important to you. By working with a trusted real estate agent, you can be confident you're making the most educated, informed decision.
Bottom Line
If you have questions about the options in our area, let's discuss what's available and what's right for you, so you're ready to make your next move with confidence. Anne-Britt here from Mountain Rose Realty, your Telluride Luxury Realtor.


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Hearthstone "Curse of Naxxramas" Patch Notes Posted
by JR Cook - 10 years ago show comments
Blizzard posted the official patch notes for Hearthstone today with the much-anticipated "Curse of Naxxramas" content. Following closely on the heels of the release, the complete notes are available below.
If you're new to the adventure and need a refresher on what the new content has to offer, check out BlizzPro's Naxxramas feed, including:
- Power Ranking: Top Five Curse of Naxxramas Cards
- Prepare for Curse of Naxxramas!
- Maximizing Loatheb Combos
- Power Ranking: Curse of Naxxramas Class Cards
- And much more!
Hearthstone Patch Notes – 18.104.22.16897 – The Necropolis Beckons
Curse of Naxxramas: A Hearthstone Adventure
- Curse of Naxxramas offers a new single player campaign to play Hearthstone against challenging NPC adversaries. Curse of Naxxramas can be unlocked with gold or real money and can be accessed by players that have unlocked all 9 heroes.
- Defeat 15 fearsome bosses to unlock a total of 30 new Hearthstone cards for your collection, including Legendary cards! Naxxramas cards can easily be searched for within My Collection using the search function.
- An all-new interactive Naxxramas-themed game board awaits you within the Adventure! Discover the surprises that lurk inside the slime pools, the quivering masses of spider eggs (spoilers: It's spiders), and more!
- Surmount 9 diabolical Class Challenges that test your skills with each of the unique classes of Hearthstone!
- Defeating all of the bosses within a wing unlocks the extremely challenging Heroic Mode of that wing. Defeating all of the bosses of Naxxramas on Heroic mode unlocks a new card back for your collection.
- Five unique wings await those brave enough to venture into Naxxramas. The first wing, The Arachnid Quarter, will immediately be available to play for free for a limited time. The remaining four wings are immediately available for players to unlock with real money or gold, and will become accessible over a period of time once unlocked.
- The Arachnid Quarter – A web choked maze filled with many-legged minions.
- The Plague Quarter – Necromancers brew deadly plagues while a fungal monstrosity lies in wait.
- The Military Quarter – Tireless undead knights perfect their deadly arts within these chambers.
- The Construct Quarter –Abominations stitched together from the Scourge's victims stomp through these slime soaked halls.
- Frostwyrm Lair – Chilly abode of Sapphiron and the arch-lich Kel'thuzad himself. (A curse upon my air conditioning bill!)
- Marking yourself as "Busy" within the Battle.net desktop app will suppress incoming chat messages and toasts for friend requests.
- The Shop interface has been updated to include Curse of Naxxramas.
- Cards available within each wing of Naxxramas will become available in the Arena when that wing becomes available to play.
- The order in which Deathrattle abilities resolve has been updated to be more consistent.
- Additional music tracks have been added.
- Players that appear in "Players Near Me" now appear more prominently within the Friends List.
- Overall organization of the Friends List has been improved.
- Sounds and graphics that occur when Mass Disenchanting now take less time to complete.
- Cards can now be searched for using the artist of the card art in the Collection Manager.
- [iPad] Improvements were made to increase stability, especially for iPad 2 and iPad mini.
- [iPad] Tooltips that appear when selecting an object by touch are now positioned in a more intuitive place.
Card Changes
- Eaglehorn Bow now reads "Whenever a friendly Secret is revealed, gain +1 Durability".
Practice Mode
- Practice Mode is now entered through the Solo Adventures button on the main menu.
- The AI in Practice Mode is now better at Hearthstone.
Bug Fixes
- Improved various tooltips.
- Resolved various issues regarding audio, text, animation, and display.
- Resolved various issues that could cause cards to get stuck on the battlefield.
- Actions should now be accurately represented in the play history.
- The red targeting cursor will now properly track where you mouse cursor is pointing for your opponent in Play and Arena Modes.
- The turn timer in a Friendly Challenge now calculates time correctly.
- All Soulbound Common cards can now be properly found when searching for "Common" in the Collection Manager.
- Disenchanting will now properly update the amount of Arcane Dust you have.
- The side of the board is no longer visible on the Arena screen in specific resolutions while in windowed mode.
- The XP bar for max level heroes no longer appears empty.
- You are now able to properly select a friend by clicking on their Play Mode medal.
- An incorrect version of the Hero Power icon will no longer appear when switching between golden and non-golden heroes while the Choose Opponent menu is displayed.
- The Friendly Challenge button will now properly appear next to friends who have recently logged in or have been added to your friends list.
- The Shop window no longer incorrectly closes when clicking within the Shop UI.
- The scroll bar will no longer jump to the top of the Friends list when moving the cursor over the Last Played area of the Friends list.
- Clicking the End Turn button at the very start of your turn no longer prevents the End Turn button from flipping back.
- Resolved an issue where conceding can cause the client to crash.
- The resolution time of certain spells has been shortened.
- Resolved an issue with Brawl where the last minion to enter the fray was always the victor of the ensuing battle.
- Resolved various issues with the Sword of Justice.
- Resolved an issue with Shield Slam where it was being unaffected by Spell Damage if the Hero had 0 Armor and now has Spell Damage sparklies.
- A weapon that is equipped on your turn will no longer have the attack value appear on the sheathed weapon on some resolutions.
- [iPad] Improved notifications to properly indicate when your account has been logged into from another device.
- [iPad] It is now more obvious when a daily quest is successfully replaced.
- [iPad] The Social button no longer stops working after locking the device.
- Improvements were made to stability.


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The poem is remembering me (PoemTalk #30)
William Carlos Williams
Two tried-and-trues among the short poems of William Carlos Williams, as chosen for our 30th PoemTalk by Robert Grenier, who has been thinking about his WCW for many decades. First the metaphorical anti-metaphor of ocean and plant in "Flowers by the Sea":
When over the flowery, sharp pasture's
edge, unseen, the salt ocean
tied, released, seem hardly flowers alone
but color and the movement—or the shape
perhaps—of restlessness, whereas
the sea is circled and sways
peacefully upon its plantlike stem
And then, seemingly quite different but just as classic an instance of early modern condensation, "so much depends" ("The Red Wheelbarrow"):
so much depends
a red wheel
glazed with rain
beside the white
Charles Bernstein and Bob Perelman (Grenier once taught the latter poet at Berkeley, by the way) joined Al Filreis to speak with Robert Grenier about why and how he is always in the act of remembering these poems – or, as he puts it near the start of our talk, how the poems are remembering him. "Those words return," says Grenier.
Al asks Bob P. and Charles to comment on the poetic relationship(s) between Grenier and Williams. Bob P. remembers Bob G. on Williams as fundamentally as Bob G. remembers his WCW. Grenier has always dwelled on the short vowel sounds emanating outward from "chickens." It's about farming and the social aesthetic and other big topics, but it's also, says Bob P., about the patterning of words' sounds. This was what Grenier had already taught us, years ago.
The group, prompted by Al, discusses the autotelism of "Flowers by the Sea," and, for Charles, both poems have a "specific autonomy." When Charles admiringly isolates the line "edge, unseen, the salt ocean," he is put in mind of a Larry Eigner and of a possible lineage running through WCW to Eigner. He is implying there a place for Robert Grenier in that line, of course, since Grenier, at the time this session was recorded, was just then anticipating the publication of his four-volume edition of Eigner's poems.
We discuss what WCW meant when he said of the more famous of our two poems that it was "the same as a thing of beauty." The red wheelbarrow as locating a rewriting of Keats' "Endymion"! "It an injunction," says Grenier, "to pay attention to something because of its moral value. And it directs you to what is in the fact an image, in itself, as an image…. Words being composed as letters, as a composition of successive shapes. It only happens because of the conjured quality of the form."
The Williams PennSound page features every known recording made of the poet reading and talking. Scroll to the bottom of the page and see, gathered together, links to all the readings of several of the WCW chestnuts: "This Is Just to Say," "Between Walls" (the topic of the very first PoemTalk show), "To Elsie," and PoemTalk 30's twosome.
The recordings of William Carlos Williams on PennSound were compiled at Keele University, England, by Dr. Richard Swigg, based on work originally done in 1992 and 1993. PennSound gratefully acknowledges the scholarship and editing of Dr. Swigg in making this Williams sound archive available, and also the estates of the sons of William Carlos Williams, and Peggy Fox at New Directions, for giving PennSound permission to make the recorded poetry of Williams downloadable and free to all. The PennSound Williams page is one of the most oft-visited web pages devoted to poetry anywhere in the world.
Our engineer for this episode of PoemTalk was James LaMarre and our editor is Steve McLaughlin. We're on a Grenierian roll and next time on PoemTalk, episode 31, you'll be invited to hear Jena Osman, Joseph Yearous-Algozin and Bob Perelman talk with Al about the famous Sentences project, five hundred poem-cards stacked in undetermined order inside a home-made box.


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What is an Oral Abscess?
What is an oral abscess?
An oral abscess is an infection at the root of the tooth or between the gum and the tooth. It's a result of tooth decay and erosion, which is caused by cavities or poor oral health habits. An abscess creates a pocket of pus on the inside of the teeth, gums, or throat.
There are three types of abscesses:
- Gingival abscess: This type of abscess only affects the gum tissue.
- Periodontal abscess: This type of abscess starts in the supporting bone tissue structures of the teeth.
- Periapical abscess: This abscess affects the soft pulp of the tooth.
Causes of Oral Abscesses:
Oral abscesses are caused by bacterial infections that have accumulated in the soft pulp of the tooth. The soft pulp of the tooth contains blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue.
Other factors that may cause oral abscesses:
- Poor dental hygiene: Not taking proper care of your teeth and gums (i.e. such as not brushing your teeth twice a day and not flossing) can increase your risk of tooth decay, gum disease, tooth abscess, and other dental and mouth complications.
- High sugar intake: Frequently eating and drinking foods rich in sugar can contribute to dental cavities and turn into a tooth abscess.
Symptoms That Are Common:
The main symptom of a dental abscess is pain. This pain can be intolerable and frequently gets worse with time. Pain may radiate to your ear, jawbone, and neck.
Other symptoms may include:
- Pain in the affected area when biting or touching it
- Sensitivity to cold or hot food and liquids
- Foul taste in the mouth
- Fever
- General unwell feeling
- Difficulty opening the mouth
- Difficulty swallowing
How to Treat an Oral Abscess:
Oral abscesses do not go away without professional dental intervention. They can spread, leading to more serious conditions such as sinus tracts, cysts, and sepsis. Bacteria from your mouth spreads to other parts of the body.
Your dentists will assess the severity of your abscess by probing the teeth, taking X-rays, and examining your gums and jawline. Treatments include draining pus from the abscess. This is the only way to remove the infection and prevent further complications. First, a procedure called scaling and root planing will occur to remove any plaque and tartar from above and beneath the gum line. Depending on how severe the abscess is, your dentist may have to perform a root canal or tooth extraction.
With early detection, treatments for oral abscesses are effective. If you do not get this treated, abscesses can lead to potentially life-threatening infections.
Click Here to Schedule an Appointment
The post What is an Oral Abscess? appeared first on Altima Dental.


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posted with permission
The average American may not be ready to admit it, but myriad cultures past and present have accepted the fact that babies past infancy can benefit from nursing. The !Kung of Africa represent the natural state of human feeding. Mothers of this nomadic tribe breastfeed each child for up to six years. Sherman Silber, MD, points out that "the human species has spent more than 90 percent of its existence leading this type of nomadic hunter/gatherer life, and 'civilization' with its pressures is too recent to have had any appreciable impact on their genetic makeup." (1) In our culture, many men and women are uncomfortable with the functional role of breasts, probably because of our national obsession with breasts as sexual objects. Unfortunately, people's psychological discomfort seems to increase as the nursing baby grows. Most Americans choose to wean their babies at about six months.
Whatever the psychological complexities may be, we can no longer deny the health and social benefits of prolonged breastfeeding. Even the conservative American Academy of Pediatrics now officially recommends that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months. (2) But what about nursing through a baby's second or even third year? Is breast still best for toddlers? If we can get past our collective ambivalence, I think the answer is a resounding "yes."
While most of your neighbors probably aren't doing it, there are plenty of enlightened mothers out there who are. Alice Bailes, CNM, co-owner of Birth Care and Women's Health in Alexandria, Virginia, says that the majority of her clients breastfeed well into their babies' second year. In fact, she has clients who tandem nurse--they continue nursing their toddler through their next pregnancy and even after the new baby is born. Bailes, who has had personal experience tandem nursing, believes that it helps a toddler's transition into being a big brother or sister.
Of course, the decision to continue nursing is a personal one, and it often is not made until the time comes. Rest assured, according to most moms who have decided to keep going, once you've managed to breastfeed through the challenging first year the rest is a breeze. In case you're still not convinced, I am sharing my top ten reasons to breastfeed your toddler.
I must confess that convenience was my number one reason for continuing to breastfeed my babies. OK, call it laziness. For one thing, weaning a baby before he's ready takes a lot of time and effort. You have to carry messy snacks around and deal with tantrums. Fortunately, by the time the baby turns one, most moms have mastered the art of discretion, so nursing is the easiest thing in the world to do with a minimum of privacy.
Even better, there is no easier way to get a toddler to sleep on your schedule than by nursing him. I always feel sorry for mothers of toddlers who aren't nursing, because their job is probably a lot harder than mine. If worse comes to worst, I know an induced nap is right around the corner.
Instant Tantrum-tamer
As any parent of a toddler knows, they are naturally insecure creatures. One moment your one year old is happy, and the next she is dissolved in a puddle of tears--seemingly over nothing. Well, surprise! Often the best way to handle your volatile toddler is to briefly treat her like a baby. Take her in your arms nurse her for a few minutes, and voilà!--your little screamer is transformed into a confident child once again. If you're at a party when your child melts down, you can discreetly take him or her into another room or to the car. Friends will marvel at your great mothering abilities when you return with a magically transformed, happy toddler.
Less Reliance on "Mommy Substitutes"
The toddler years are peak years for attachment objects like blankets and dolls. The major problem with these objects is that they can be lost. Such an episode can take on tragic proportions. Believe me, I know because my first son never nursed. There's nothing quite like arriving at a Holiday Inn after a day of traveling with a cranky toddler only to discover you have left the critical object at a rest stop 300 miles back!
Life is too short for all that unnecessary drama. If you are nursing your toddler, you can forget the frantic search for an identical blanket and the Fed-Exing of Barney. With Mommy as the primary security object, you can rest easy on those long family trips. It is basically impossible to lose a breast, no matter how distracted you are! Plus, you never have to steal the beloved object away for a round in the washing machine. Much trauma is spared for all.
Allergy Prevention
My second little boy was so attached to nursing that I became a toddler nurser. He ate absolutely no solid food until he was 17 months old. Even La Leche League veterans suggested that the situation was, well, unusual. Looking back, I think my baby's wisdom was in avoiding possible allergens. Studies (as well as anecdotal evidence) indicate that breastfeeding reduces the incidence of allergies. (3,4) My first child, who was solely formula-fed, had all sorts of food allergies, including rice and dairy products. In hindsight, my second child's lengthy, exclusive breastfeeding makes sense. Most likely, it was nature's way of protecting him from foods his body just was not ready to process. Undoubtedly, some children need longer than others to "outgrow" their allergies, and breastmilk provides the ideal support for their developing immune systems.
Good nutrition is admittedly tricky with toddlers. On some days they cram every morsel offered into their mouths, and other days you can't coax them to take a bite of even their favorite food. In short, they're picky eaters, and their appetites are capricious and unpredictable.
One popular myth that even pediatricians promote is that breastfeeding somehow loses its nutritional quality after the first year. In reality, the benefits change, but they are still there. Does it really make sense that after 12 months of providing your baby with optimal nutrition the breasts suddenly get "stupid" and start making something "less than optimal"? Obviously, the addition of solid foods changes the balance, but breastmilk is still an important element in the diet while your baby is sampling what the world has to offer. Certainly, there can be no harm in continuing with nature's perfect food.
Speech Development
In general, it's believed that breastfeeding provides better development of the teeth and jaws than sucking a hard, unnaturally shaped nipple.5 Margaret Connor, a 35-year-old mother in Austin, Texas, has discussed the subject at length with her son's speech therapist. Both of them believe that Connor's five-year-old son's speech/motor apraxia would have been worse if his muscles had not been "worked out" through extended nursing. If nothing else, Connor is happy she made the decision she did. "At least I won't look back and wonder if his articulation would have been better if I had breastfed longer than a year," she says.
Fighting Dehydration During Illness
Unfortunately, toddlers, breastfed and otherwise, get sick. Some get sick a lot, especially those in child care and those with older siblings. When my 14-month-old son got bronchitis, he wouldn't eat or drink anything other than breastmilk. Had he not been breastfeeding, the situation could have turned into a nightmare. When a bottle-fed baby gets dehydrated, the parents have to struggle to get oral rehydration products down the child. When this tactic doesn't work, pediatricians have no choice but to order an IV for the child at the hospital. This is not only traumatic for a toddler, but it also exposes him to other germs that could complicate the original infection. With breastfeeding, you can almost always get the child to nurse, which might even save his life! Further, it comforts the mother. It feels so much better to be able to help your child through illness in a uniquely positive way.
Weight Loss for Mom
It's accepted that a woman's body stores up enough fat during pregnancy to exclusively feed her infant for at least the first year. While there are few studies on this topic, anecdotal evidence suggests that a mother's weight loss may continue during the second year of nursing a baby. The fact is, Mother Nature never intended for human babies to be weaned from their mothers in the early months, so our bodies make sure we have plenty of fat stored up for years.
For the first year, our bodies seem to like to stay soft, almost like a cushion for the infant. After that time, the weight is not quite so resistant to leaving. The increased calorie requirements of toddlers help the process of weight loss as well. For every day she nurses, a lactating woman uses an extra 500 calories. Personally, I found that stubborn fat stores that had lived on my thighs for years melted away during the second year of nursing.
Delayed Menstruation
For those women using Natural Family Planning or the Fertility Awareness Method for birth control, breastfeeding provides a bonus. Research done by the Kippleys in The Art of Natural Family Planning showed that a nursing mother who uses no supplements for the first four to six months gets her first postpartum period on average after 13 to 16 months. (6) Among the !Kung tribe, babies are spaced about 48 months apart--all due to exclusive breastfeeding. (7) Contrast this with the usual six to eight weeks for a bottle-feeding mother. Naturally, PMS and the other related troubles usually disappear for as long as the periods stay away, and the return of fertility is also put off. In addition, delayed menstruation means decreased exposure to estrogen, which may protect against cancer of the breast and reproductive organs. Breast cancer risk is associated with earlier menarche and later menopause, which points to estrogen exposure as a risk factor for the disease. (8,9)
It's Good for the Planet
Breastfeeding is the best ecological thing going. No cups to wash, no bottles to sterilize, and nothing for the landfill. Postponing the use of cows' milk helps our planet. Because of their methane gas emissions, cows are major destroyers of the atmosphere. (10) Overgrazing of land is responsible for serious ecological troubles, as well. As a bonus, the baby is not exposed to the unhealthy hormones and antibiotics injected into dairy cows.
Like most other mothers of toddlers, I originally continued nursing out of a desire for convenience. Frankly, it was just easier to keep going than to stop. Along the way, I discovered how much simpler continuing to breastfeed made our lives. If at all possible, the transition away from Mommy should be a gradual one, made at the baby's own pace. Toddler life is difficult enough. Why not make it a little more manageable for everyone?
Breastfeeding mothers are welcome in the Breastfeeding Group.
1. Sherman J. Silber, MD, How Not to Get Pregnant (New York: Warner, 1990): 92-93.
2. American Academy of Pediatrics, "Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk" (Policy Statement), Pediatrics 100 (December 1997): 1035-1039.
3. E. E. Ziegler et al., "Cow's Milk Feeding in Infancy," Journal of Pediatrics 116 (1990): 11-18.
4. J. N. Strimac and D. S. Chi, "Significance of IgE Level in Amniotic Fluid and Cord Blood for the Prediction of Allergy," Annals of Allergy 61 (1986): 133-136.
5. La Leche League International, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (New York: Penguin, 1991): 375-376.
6. John and Sheila Kippley, The Art of Natural Family Planning, Third edition (Cincinnati, Ohio: Couple to Couple League, 1991): 201.
7. Sherman J. Silber, MD, How Not to Get Pregnant (New York: Warner, 1990): 92-93.
8. F. Grodstein et al., "Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy and Mortality," New England Journal of Medicine 336, no. 25 (1997): 1769-1775.
9. Ruth Westheimer, MD, Dr. Ruth's Encyclopedia of Sex (New York: Jerusalem Publishing House, 1994): 56.
10. Pamela Teisler, 101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian (New York: Pamela Teisler, 1992).
Elizabeth Bruce, CCE, MA, mothered her four children at home and nursed all of them beyond the toddler years.
Image by Rachele B. of Woman Uncensored
Natural weaning postcards to share with mothers available at Etsy.


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Level Up.
A mountain bike built to raise your game and ignite a passion for the trail. Designed for the mountains and ready for anything
Where it thrives
Low-impact trails, gravel roads, leisurely ride
What it's built for
Handling & durability
- Premium SmartForm C2 Alloy frame / RockShox 35 Silver R 120mm 120mm fork.
- SRAM SX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain / Shimano MT400 hydro disc brakes.
- Integrated connectivity with Cannondale App / dropper seatpost
Confident Handling
New-school handling and mountain-ready components result in a modern, confidence-inspiring experience at a level where you might otherwise be expecting compromises. This is what fun looks like
Perfectly Framed
Be it your first time off-road or further afield on to your next ride, SE's new SmartForm aluminum frames come assembled with choice components making these bikes the complete, trail-ready package
Premium Framesets
All-new progressive frame design blends the latest Trail-ready geometry with dropped seatstays for improved ride quality and a leaner look. Longer, lower, lighter and altogether more fun
Tapered Headtube
The standard for top-end mountain bikes. Light and stiff, it's designed for the 1-1/2" to 1-1/8" tapered steerer tubes found on the best suspension forks
SAVE Micro-suspension
Delivers a smoother, more controlled ride thanks to strategically engineered flex zones built into the frame's rear triangle
Boost Spacing
Enabled by Boost spacing, Trail's short chainstays position the rear wheel optimally for climbing traction and agile handling
Confident Control
A slacker-than-average 66.5 degree head angle results in even more stable handling, giving you extra confidence when the trails point downhill
Right-Sized Wheels
All Trail SE sizes come with 29" wheels to deliver the best blend of fit, fast and fun for every rider
StraightShot Internal Cable Routing
For an integrated look and easy maintenance, the shift and dropper post cables route cleanly through the StraightShot window in the down tube, while the rear brake line is secured outside the frame
KickFlip Compatible
Ready to accept a sleek, hidden mount makes it easy to add a kickstand for around-town convenience
Frame | All-New, Smartform C2 Alloy, SAVE dropped seatstays, tapered headtube, post mount disc, StraightShot internal cable routing, dropper post compatible BSA 73, 12mm thru axle, Boost 148 |
Fork | Rock Shox 35 Silver R, 120mm, 15 x 110 thru-axle, 51mm offset |
Headset | Integrated Sealed Bearing, Tapered |
Rims/Wheels | WTB STX i25 TCS, 32h, tubeless ready |
Hubs |
Front: Shimano MT400, 15 x 110mm thru-axle Rear: Shimano MT400 12 x 148mm thru-axle |
Spokes | Stainless Steel, 14g |
Tires |
Front: Maxxis Minion DHF, 29 x 2.5" Exo Casing, Tubeless Ready Rear: Maxxis High Roller II, 29 x 2.3", EXO casing, tubeless ready |
Crankset | SRAM SX Eagle Power Spline, 30T |
Bottom Bracket | Truvativ Power Spline |
Chain | SRAM SX Eagle, 12-speed |
Rear Derailleur | SRAM SX Eagle |
Cassette/Rear Cogs | SRAM SX Eagle, 11-50, 12-speed |
Shifters | SRAM SX Eagle, 12-speed |
Handlebars | FSA Alloy Riser, 15mm rise, 760mm |
Tape/Grips | Fabric FunGuy |
Stem | Cannondale 3, 6061 Alloy, 31.8, 0° |
Brake Levers | Shimano M4100 hydraulic disc |
Brakes | Shimano MT410 hydraulic disc, 180/160mm RT10 rotors |
Pedals | Cannondale Platform |
Saddle | Cannondale Ergo XC |
Seat Post | TranzX Dropper, 31.6, Internal Routing, 100mm (S), 120mm (M - XL) |
* Subject to change without notice.
Part Numbers
Option | UPC | MPN | Store SKU |
Emerald / Small | 884603829257 | C26201M10SM | |
Emerald / Medium | 884603829264 | C26201M10MD | 210000002809 |
Emerald / Large | 884603829271 | C26201M10LG | 210000002772 |
Emerald / X-Large | 884603829288 | C26201M10XL |


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If you've attended a 4x4 show, motorsport event or major local fair in the last 50 years, chances are you've seen, or even ridden with, Team D-MAX as they tear around on two wheels or pull off one of their many other precision driving displays to the delight of crowds nationwide.
As a long-standing sponsor of Team D-MAX, Toyo Tires often find themselves liaising with the drivers during such events, sharing anecdotes of the unique stresses they torture their Toyos with while throwing around the types of crazy concepts that invariably pop up in discussions between like-minded enthusiasts.
A lot of these ideas are more banter than business and initially, we laughed along with the team as they locked eyes with some big Open Country M/Ts at a recent 4x4 show, with their boss, Wayne, joking about putting them on his company car.
The Open Country M/T was an obvious choice considering its motorsport pedigree and bulletproof 3-ply construction, not to mention the awesome aesthetic an aggressive mud-terrain tyre provides. We had no doubts that the tyre itself would work well for Team D-MAX but we knew there'd be a lot of work making something in the vicinity of the 37-inch tyre they were joking about fit under practically any modern vehicle.
As many crazy concepts do, things quickly snowballed and when we received word that two sets of 20x12 -52 Method Racing MR610 Con6 wheels had arrived at Team D-MAX HQ needing BIG tyres to match, it became clear that they weren't mucking around anymore.
"The project got a bit out of control, but once we'd started, we were determined to make [something] unique," says Wayne Boatwright, Director of EMG Pty Ltd and Team D-MAX. "We didn't set out to build a racer or pre-runner or rock crawler, or yet another version of the ultimate 4WD tourer."
Under the veil of secrecy, Concept X was created, with Wayne and the rest of Team D-MAX struggling to agree on whether a D-MAX ute or MU-X wagon would be the best base for their beast, eventually deciding to go all-in and build both!
Bulging bespoke bodywork is only the beginning of what's required to fit a 38x15.50R20 Open Country M/T on vehicles factory-fitted with a 245/70R16, with over 4-inches of tyre lift complemented by a whopping 7-inches of custom suspension lift, including 60mm remote-reservoir shocks and an MU-X style 5-link conversion under the D-MAX's impressive full-alloy tray.
"It would have been easy to bolt on many accessories," adds Wayne, "but we wanted to go our own way, so most of the build; the guards, bull bars, bonnet, brakes, suspension and chassis modifications are all in-house custom work. The result is two vehicles of epic proportions, which could almost look at home in the next 'Transformer' movie... the kind of car that every child dreams about."
This commitment to craziness continues practically anywhere you look on these, well, two-of-a-kind vehicles and for those not lucky enough to drool over the duo in person at the Melbourne 4x4 Show, you can CLICK HERE for a closer look until they make it to a town near you.