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In Mark Mayerson's recent post about Pinnocchio,
he offers this neat bit of observation…
One thing this sequence excels at is the use of stage business. In too many modern animated films, characters stand around yakking with nothing else to do. The animator is stuck trying to find arm gestures and head bobs that go with the dialog. In this sequence, Stromboli is working with a prop in almost every scene and using the prop to perform specific actions.
That nails it pretty well, don't you think?
So as usual, I got to thinking, well, why is it this way? The best answer I could come up with is the heavy production process that every CG asset labors under. If it exists on screen, then it has to have the following tasks completed-
- designed
- color designed
- modeled
- rigged
- UV's
- textured
- render tested
- animation tested
- pipeline asset coordination & compliance
- multiple version publishing (render version, layout rig, animation rig, etc.)
- placement & tracking within the scene as it transits from dept. to dept.
And that's the basic minimum for everything you see on screen, from the smallest ball point pen or coffee mug to a complex machine. The task list is the same, and each task is the domain of a different department, usually. And each task needs to be tracked for schedule, modification, approval, etc. In other words- props in CG are expensive, even "simple" ones. With such a heavy price to pay, naturally the prop list will take a hit when producers are looking for ways to maximize their production pennies. Not to mention that CG character interaction with other objects is still one of the biggest technical pains in the gluteus maximus that exists in the animator's workday. It's just a beating. So we take stuff out of the character's hands and leave the animator to try and find some interesting way to combine hand gestures- of which the general library tends to be somewhat shallow.
Prop interaction (or 'screen business' in old days speak) allows for a greater variety of actions for the characters to perform, immediately adding a sense of depth and believability to the milieu onscreen. And when you can draw you props as easily as anything else, well, it's no wonder that 2d films have more of it. A fine example in a recent traditional film was the sequence where we see the introduction of Mr. Silver in Disney's Treasure Planet. The stuff they have him do in that 2 minute section of him cooking and then sharing his stew would cost many, many millions of dollars in CG.
As in other areas, a good place to look for comparison to CG in this regard seems to be puppetry or stop-motion animation. But even there they're ahead of CG on ease of implementation. A physical model of a clay coffee cup takes about 15 minutes to make and bake and the animator can put it in the character's hands easily with a bit of sculpy on the backside. Puppeteers using the glove hand can just pick up the object after they come back from buying it at Target or Walmart. Compared to the flaming technical hoops that CG animators need to jump through just to have something for a character to pick up, and then have that character pick that something up- it's child's play.
It's just another example of how the technology of the medium can get in the way. What would revolutionize things is to come up with an asset production paradigm that was as intuitive and simple as it is in 2d films. Unfortunately the massive command and control requirements of a large scale CG film kinda preclude such low level action.
Seems to me there could be some innovation of thought that would streamline the process and open some doors creatively. Maybe there's a technological solution, but I think CG practitioners tend to look to the Technology Genie to give them their magic wishes a little too quickly. I'd be interested in hearing if some production of size had managed to find a way to quickly and effectively introduce props or assets in a way that still allowed it to get onscreen with acceptable quality without such a heavy task/workload toll? Do any commenters have any examples or anecdotes that might be had by way of improvement?


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Cardinal Sean Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, was present at the Sunday unveiling of a statue in honor of Fr. Patrick Peyton, a sunny, brogue-filled Irishman who was remarkably successful in the 1940s at encouraging the use of the media to promote faith and devotion to the Rosary.
Cardinal Brady's remarks are all over the internet today because of their direct applicability to this very medium.
"Fr Peyton had a great gift for using the most up-to-date means of social communication. He was pioneering in his use of television to communicate the gospel and the power of prayer through the rosary," said Cardinal Brady.
"He attracted the support of many famous film stars along the way. I am sure if there had been mobile phones in his day, Fr Peyton would have been big into texting and Twitter. He would rejoice in the power of the internet and e-mail to join people together in prayerful solidarity instantaneously and across the world."
This is aligned with the direction my thinking has been going. I am a heavy user of various social-connection tools for my work, and I give a lot of consideration to the ways various modes can be applied to businesses and organizations to help them be effective. I've also observed how one of the indirect effects of this involvement is, frankly, that I'm in touch with exponentially more people than I used to be without a proportional cost in extra effort and time.
This has allowed me to observe and participate in many opportunities for either explicit sharing of the gospel or simply doing what God wants me to do -- showing love and concern to the people he's created as they cross my path. Though the utilitarian measurable benefits aren't yet ready to harvest, I firmly believe that if wisely incorporated, Twitter, Facebook, Plurk, Second Life and who-knows-what-else can be successfully used in service of God's kingdom.
What do you think?

subset: commoncrawl


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Stocks ended the week roughly where they began as investors digested a mixed set of new economic data.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.12%, while the Standard & Poor's 500 slipped 0.16%. The Nasdaq Composite index fell 0.39% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, added 1.23%.1,2,3 |
Stocks Struggle for DirectionStocks traded around the flatline without any catalyst in either direction. On Thursday, investors welcomed the European Central Bank, signaling its rate-hiking campaign may be nearing its conclusion and a successful IPO that revived optimism in the capital markets. Investors also cheered a stronger-than-forecast retail sales report and a modest increase in core producer prices, overlooking a higher-than-expected headline number. But sentiment quickly reversed on Friday as a drop in consumer confidence, troubling news in the semiconductor space, and a labor strike at the nation's major automakers dented Thursday's optimism, sending major averages to a mixed close for the week. Inflation Progress StallsSurging gasoline prices drove August's inflation rate to its highest monthly rate this year, rising 0.6%, while the year-over-year Consumer Price Index posted a 3.7% increase, up from July's 3.2% annual rate. Core inflation (excludes energy and food) was more encouraging, rising 4.3%– down from July's reading of 4.7%.4 Producer prices also came in higher than expected, rising 0.7% in August, above the estimate of a 0.4% increase and the biggest monthly gain since June 2022. The year-over-year increase was a more modest 1.6%. Gasoline prices significantly contributed to the month's jump; excluding food and energy, prices aligned with forecasts, ticking up 0.2% in August.5 This Week: Key Economic DataTuesday: Housing Starts. Wednesday: FOMC Announcement. Thursday: Jobless Claims. Existing Home Sales. Index of Leading Economic Indicators. Friday: Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) Composite Flash. Source: Econoday, September 15, 2023 This Week: Companies Reporting EarningsTuesday: AutoZone, Inc. (AZO) Wednesday: FedEx Corporation (FDX), General Mills, Inc. (GIS) Thursday: Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) Source: Zacks, September 15, 2023 |
"I want to believe that there is a mountain so high that I will spend my entire life striving to reach the top of it."
– Cicely Tyson |
How to Apply for Tax-Exempt Status for OrganizationsIf an organization wants to apply for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3), it starts by filling out a Form 1023-series application. They must submit a complete application as well as the user fee. To complete the application, the organization also needs its employer identification number. Generally, an organization that is required to apply for the recognition of exemption must notify the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) within 27 months of the date of formation. Some organizations (including churches or public charities whose annual gross receipts are less than $5,000) may not need to apply for 501(c)(3) status to be tax-exempt. When the IRS determines an organization qualifies for exemption under Section 501(c)(3), it will also be classified as a foundation unless it meets the requirements to be a public charity. *This information is not intended to substitute for specific individualized tax advice. We suggest you discuss your specific tax issues with a qualified tax professional. Tip adapted from IRS.gov6 |
Health Supplements: Are They Worth the Hype?Over-the-counter brain health supplements claim to improve memory and promise enhanced memory and sharper attention and focus. Unfortunately, the FDA doesn't oversee product testing or ingredient accuracy but instead looks for supplements that make health claims related to treating specific diseases. Because of this, a brain health supplement could claim that it helps with mental alertness or memory loss. Most brain health supplements contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fish oil. Rather than choosing a supplement, some health professionals recommend eating a healthy diet full of healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals instead. Also, exercising your brain like any other muscle may help with memory. Learning something new is a great way to keep your brain moving. Tip adapted from Harvard Medical School7 |
How can you turn the Roman numeral for 9 (IX) into 6 by merely drawing a single, continuous line?
Last week's riddle: Take a left-handed glove and turn it inside out. Which of your hands will it now fit – the left or the right? Answer: It will fit your right hand. |
Canary Pine Tree Landscape at Cumbre Vieja Volcanic Area |
Footnotes and Sources
2. The Wall Street Journal, September 15, 2023. 3. The Wall Street Journal, September 15, 2023. 4. The Wall Street Journal, September 13, 2023. 5. CNBC, September 14, 2023. 6. IRS.gov, January 31, 2023. 7. Harvard Medical School, August 8, 2023. |
Investing involves risks, and investment decisions should be based on your own goals, time horizon, and tolerance for risk. The return and principal value of investments will fluctuate as market conditions change. When sold, investments may be worth more or less than their original cost.
The forecasts or forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, may not materialize, and are subject to revision without notice. The market indexes discussed are unmanaged, and generally, considered representative of their respective markets. Index performance is not indicative of the past performance of a particular investment. Indexes do not incur management fees, costs, and expenses. Individuals cannot directly invest in unmanaged indexes. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is an unmanaged index that is generally considered representative of large-capitalization companies on the U.S. stock market. Nasdaq Composite is an index of the common stocks and similar securities listed on the NASDAQ stock market and is considered a broad indicator of the performance of technology and growth companies. The MSCI EAFE Index was created by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) and serves as a benchmark of the performance of major international equity markets, as represented by 21 major MSCI indexes from Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia. The S&P 500 Composite Index is an unmanaged group of securities that are considered to be representative of the stock market in general. U.S. Treasury Notes are guaranteed by the federal government as to the timely payment of principal and interest. However, if you sell a Treasury Note prior to maturity, it may be worth more or less than the original price paid. Fixed income investments are subject to various risks including changes in interest rates, credit quality, inflation risk, market valuations, prepayments, corporate events, tax ramifications and other factors. International investments carry additional risks, which include differences in financial reporting standards, currency exchange rates, political risks unique to a specific country, foreign taxes and regulations, and the potential for illiquid markets. These factors may result in greater share price volatility. Please consult your financial professional for additional information. This content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information. The information in this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation. This material was developed and produced by FMG Suite to provide information on a topic that may be of interest. FMG is not affiliated with the named representative, financial professional, Registered Investment Advisor, Broker-Dealer, nor state- or SEC-registered investment advisory firm. The opinions expressed and material provided are for general information, and they should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. Copyright 2023 FMG Suite. |


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Shooting at Great Mills High School in Maryland leaves shooter dead, 2 students injured, police say
GREAT MILLS, Md. - Investigators have identified the teen they say died after opening fire at Great Mills High School in St. Mary's County, Maryland Tuesday morning in an incident that left two students injured.
St. Mary's County Sheriff Tim Cameron said 17-year-old Austin Wyatt Rollins was fatally shot after a school resource officer assigned to the school responded. Rollins died at around 10:40 a.m. at the hospital, police say.
Sheriff Cameron said the incident began just before 8 a.m., as classes were about to start. He said Rollins, a student at the school, used a Glock semiautomatic handgun to open fire at a 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl, who are also students, in Hallway F of the school.
Sheriff Cameron said the school resource officer, Deputy 1st Class Blaine Gaskill, responded immediately and engaged the shooter. Deputy Gaskill opened fire on the shooter, and almost simultaneously, Sheriff Cameron said, the gunman fired his gun. It is not clear if Rollins was hit by the deputy's bullet, or if he died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but Cameron said the investigation will reveal that.
Sheriff Cameron told reporters at an afternoon press briefing that Deputy Gaskill, a six-year veteran of the force who is in his first year at Great Mills High School, was able to contain the situation within 1 minute of the time the initial shot was fired. He is being called a hero, as his actions likely saved many lives.
"This is what we train for, this is what we prepare for, and this is what we pray that we never have to do. And on this day, we realize our worst nightmare-- that our greatest asset, our children, were attacked," Sheriff Cameron said.
According to investigators, the 16-year-old female student who was injured is listed in critical condition. She is currently in ICU with life-threatening injuries at University of Maryland Prince George's Hospital Center.
FOX 5 has learned her name is Jaelynn Willey. Her family tells us she is the oldest of nine children, and is a member of the Great Mills High swim team. There has been an outpouring of support for Willey online. A YouCaring fundraising page created for her family had already raised nearly $20,000 by 6 p.m. Tuesday.
The male student was shot in the thigh, and is listed in good condition at MedStar St. Mary's Hospital, hospital officials said. Police say they are investigating to determine if the bullet that struck the boy was fired by the gunman or the deputy.
While a motive in the shooting cannot yet be confirmed, Sheriff Cameron said the initial investigation indicated that there was a prior relationship between the shooter and the 16-year-old girl who was shot. Deputies are still working to determine the extent of that relationship, while also reviewing the shooter's electronic devices and all aspects of social media as part of the investigation.
Deputies say there is school security video that shows the incident, and investigators will be reviewing it as part of their investigation.
Shortly after the shooting was reported, school officials placed the school on lockdown. As the scary moments unfolded, parent Maria Sanchez Sokolowski exchanged text messages with her daughter Trinity, a student at Great Mills Sokolowski tried to calm her daughter and they exchange "I love you's."
Nearly 1,400 students were eventually evacuated from the school. They were then taken by bus to nearby Leonardtown High School, where parents and guardians were instructed to pick them up. FOX 5's Paul Wagner reports parents were extremely emotional upon reuniting with their children.
Officials said the school would be closed on Wednesday.
As the news of the shooting began to spread Tuesday morning, FOX 5 spoke with a student named Shaovon, who is a senior at Great Mills High School, by phone. Shaovon said she never made it into school before learning something had happened. She was getting out of her car when other students came running from the school building, screaming and yelling.
Shaovon says she immediately got back into her car and called her mom, and another student told her that there had been a shooting. She went straight home, she says.
"I was just shaking. I didn't know how to react to that," Shaovon told FOX 5. "It's just crazy that it's happening in our own neighborhood-- in the town where we grew up. It's just crazy to me."
Shaovon was emotional when talking about her school and her principal, explaining that they're like family. It's just not acceptable," she said of the shooting.
She also told FOX 5 she thinks gun control is needed to stop the shootings taking place at schools around the country-- and now at her school.
"We really need gun control because this is just not acceptable for us," Shaovon told FOX 5.
Tyriq Wheeler, an 11th grade student who had taken part in a protest for the school shooting in Parkland just the week before, said he heard the gunshot inside the school.
"I was talking to my gym teacher, Mr. Griff, and I started walking down the hallway to get to class. And usually there is a whole bunch of group of people in the usual spot, but nobody was there. So that was kind of out of character," he said. "And then as I look down, I heard a loud bang, and everybody started running. So I was confused. So I just went straight to my classroom.
"We got in the classroom, they locked the door, and as we were sitting in the classroom, everybody was trying to remain calm, but it was kind of hard because of what we just heard. And that's when the police officers came in there, made sure nobody else had a weapon. And they was checking every single room until we got in the cafeteria. I tried to call, but I wasn't able to get through at first. So when they brought us to the tech center, I was able to use their phone and call my grandmother. And she let me know that they were already on their way."
Another Great Mills student named Dasani told FOX 5 by phone Tuesday morning that she heard the sound of a couple of "pops" when she arrived at school, and didn't think much of it until she saw other students running to the exit. Dasani said she saw walked into the school, where she saw a boy she believed to be the gunman with a gun to his head-- and then she ran outside.
In light of the school shootings that have been taking place all across the country, including the shooting that claimed 17 lives at Marjory-Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida on Feb. 14, Dasani told FOX 5 she and her classmates have been calling for change.
"We have wanted a change, and even in my English class we were writing an essay which was actually due today on safety measures to decrease or completely end school shootings," Dasani said.
Dasani said she thinks metal detectors and stronger presence of armed security guards, rather than armed teachers, would be a good way to address the problem.
Later, FOX 5's Melanie Alnwick spoke to a student who had just learned she knew one of the victims, and was visibly shaken.
"I didn't believe that something like this would happen near me, in real life," she said.
Tuesday's shooting comes as the nation is still reeling from the Florida shooting. Politicians were quick to respond to yet another school shooting, calling for action against gun violence.
While Hogan praised the school resource officer's quick response, he also slammed Maryland legislators for not taking quicker action to protect students at school. Last month, Hogan pledged emergency legislation in the form of a $125 million commitment for capital improvements to make Maryland's schools safer from violence like school shootings and added another $50 million annually to pay for school resource officers, counselors and technology, but legislators have not yet taken action-- something Hogan said Tuesday is "outrageous."
"No parent should have to worry about when they send their kids off in the morning to school whether they are going to come home safely or not," said Gov. Hogan. "And we need more than prayers."
St. Mary's County Schools Superintendent Dr. James Scott Smith said there have been two community conversations about school safety since the Florida shooting, and metal detectors have been among the topics discussed. He said schools in the county don't currently have metal detectors, and pointed out there is a cost involved to add the equipment and the staff necessary to put them in place.
Dr. Smith called what happened Tuesday at Great Mills High School his community's worst fear realized.
"If you don't think this can happen at your school, you are sadly mistaken," he said.
"What I would ask our community to do would be to pray for those victims, and hope that we can return to some normalcy in our schools and our community," Sheriff Cameron said.
Amid the chaos and shock that were the result of Tuesday's shooting in Maryland, students and parents responded, calling for leaders to take swift action to make schools safe-- while local leaders joined them calling for something to be done as soon as possible. Maryland's Senate joined the House Monday night to ban bump stocks, which enable a semi-automatic rifle to mimic a fully automatic weapon.
Outside the school several hours after the incident, a mother and her daughter, who attends Great Mills High School, told FOX 5's Bob Barnard her daughter would have been at the school if it weren't for the fact that she was running late Tuesday morning.
"It was only by the grace of God that she was able to miss this event," her mother said.
The shooting comes less than a week after students at Great Mills High School participated in the National School Walkout, and about a month since a threat to Leonardtown High School, which is only 14 miles from Great Mills, was posted on social media. The mother who spoke to Barnard said she called the principal after that incident, and asked what the plan of action was.
"It's crazy because we were just protesting about this," her daughter said, adding that today, her friends that were at the school when the shooting happened were scared because they thought they were going to lose their lives today.
Her mother pleaded for leaders to step up and take action to stop this from happening in another school.
"With all the lives of all the children throughout the United States that have been taken, we at this point need some action," she told FOX 5. "I mean, how many more children have to lose their lives?"
Students across the country are calling for effective gun controls. Over 500,000 people are expected to take part in Saturday's March For Our Lives rally against gun violence on the National Mall in D.C., with many other events taking place in other cities as well.
House Majority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) spoke live with FOX 5's Bob Barnard, saying it's time for action to be taken to stop shootings in our schools.
"Young people don't care about Democrat or Republican," Hoyer said. "This is not a partisan issue."
Great Mills High School is located in Great Mills, Maryland which is about two hours southeast of the Washington, D.C. area.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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Travis Tritt Sings Waylon Jennings With Jake Owen, Stands Up for His Country Cred
Two generations of country music came together recently when Real Country stars Jake Owen and Travis Tritt collaborated in a dressing room singalong of Waylon Jennings' "Brand New Goodbye Song."
The collaboration was shared on Owen's Twitter page, and later retweeted by Tritt. "Just a little Waylon Jennings jam session with a legend himself Travis Tritt," Owen says.
Shortly after the video was shared, Tritt seemed to come to the defense of his fellow Real Country judge, writing in a tweet of his own:
"Regardless of what anyone might think of my buddy, Jake Owen, please know this ... I've never met a young man who has a better understanding or knowledge of what traditional and roots country music is than he does. Many of his influences are so similar to mine."
It's not clear what may have sent Tritt into defense mode, but Owen was appreciative.
"Damn, thanks Travis," Owen responded. "I do have such admiration and respect for the classics."
Country's Best Clapback Songs
The two will appear together on the new USA Network show, which will also star Shania Twain. Set to premiere this fall but currently being taped in Nashville, the eight-part show will focus on finding a brand new generation of artists, with the show concluding in a finale that will determine country music's next breakout act.
"I feel it's time for me to add my own support in finding our greatest undiscovered talent," Twain says in a recent press release. "It's beyond thrilling to be leading the charge with Real Country, and I'm on a mission to find artists who will keep country music diverse and dynamic. The kind of diversity that inspired all of us."
18 Country Singers Who Are Keeping a Traditional Sound Alive:


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Holiday season! That means some entertaining in our home, get-togethers with families, dinner parties (having a holiday open house today, in fact). Time to get holiday guest ready! Did you ever notice that your own family fills up the coat closet (sometimes to the point of "avalanche!" when opening the door? Or is that just us?!)…and when guests arrive in colder months, coats are stored in the guest bedroom in a pile on a bed? Our solution:
A DIY moveable, mobile coat rack. I am so over the utility types that teeter, lean or fall over when filled up. Know what I mean? This industrial looking DIY coat rack is sturdy, not to mention adds a touch of rustic industrial style.
Materials I used:
- (1) 48 inch stair tread (I used red oak but for a more budget friendly option, there was also pine)
- Rust-Oleum Ultimate Wood Stain (color is kona and ebony)
- foam brush for applying stain, gloves & rags, paint brush for applying polyurethane
- Rust-Oleum Polyurethane sealer (finish is satin)
- (4) heavy duty casters
- (2) 3/4″ flanges
- (2) 24″ galvanized steel pipes
- (2) 30″ galvanized pipes
- (2) 3/4″ tee connectors
- (2) 3/4″ nipple connectors
- (2) 3/4″ 90 degree elbows
- (2) 3/4″ 90 degree street elbows
- (2) 3/4″ caps
- (1) 36″ galvanized pipe
- #12 1 inch hexagon washers (screws)
What I did:
Soak the sticker parts of the galvanized pipes in hot soapy water. (It doesn't take long.) Remove stickers. Dry pipes and set aside.
Finish the wood. Using the foam brush, I applied the wood stain (brush on in the same direction as the wood grain). Let sit for a few minutes then wipe away the excess with old rags. Unlike pine, the red oak wasn't absorbing my favorite kona colored stain in as rich of a color so I also applied two coats of ebony in the same way to achieve a darker color. Stain then dries in about an hour.
After the stain was dry, I sealed the wood using a coat of polyurethane. Simply brush on (looks a bit milky when wet but dries clear). I let that dry overnight.
I attached the four casters to the under (unfinished) side using the hexagon screws. Be careful with the screws on the cut side of the wood. Going too close to the edge may cause the wood to crack.
Flip right side up. Set aside the nipple connectors, two street elbows and the caps.
Next I assembled my pipe pieces. Starting with the flanges. Screw 30″ pipes into flanges.
Then add tees to the other end of each 30″ pipe.
Then add the other 30″ pipe sections (one to each tee – you'll have two poles at this point).
Add a 90 degree elbow to the top of one pole.
Connect the 36″ galvanized pipe (center) piece. Add a 90 degree elbow to the end of the center pipe piece then add the other pole.
Place the pole-contraption onto the wood stair riser (I found the center by using a yard stick). Attach flanges to the wood using the hex screws.
Add nipple connectors to the center tees, then elbows then caps. This creates a space for hanging purses, hats or scarves.
Now when we're expecting guests, we can simply roll the coat rack near the door for hanging coats. Or use it as extra hanging space in a room without a closet (or one with a packed closet). Handy to have in the laundry room too!
Store it in the basement, a closet, the laundry room, an office or guest room and then move near the door for parties and gatherings. Or if you have room, display near the front door entryway or mudroom area.
I received a Lowe's gift card to put towards this challenge. Opinion and above idea is 100% my own. More DIY ideas at Lowe's Creative Ideas or follow Lowe's on Instagram, Pinterest and sign up for the Creative Ideas magazine and app.


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3.8 From time to time certain products may be excluded from web-coupon offers and any such exclusion will be notified to you along with the web-coupon or through the Website.
3.9 Web-coupons may be limited to redemption in respect of certain products or certain products may be excluded from the ambit of use of the web-coupon, in which case notice will be given to you at the time of issue of the web-coupon.
3.10 Excluded goods and services will not count towards any qualifying conditions for offers and will not benefit from any promotional discount.
3.11 No web-coupon may be copied, reproduced, distributed, or published directly or indirectly in any form or by any means for use by an entity other than the original recipient, without our prior written permission.
3.12 Web-coupons distributed or circulated without the written approval of Aurora, for example on an Internet message board or on a "bargains" website, are not valid for use and may be refused or cancelled.
3.13 When you use a web-coupon you warrant to us that you are the duly authorised recipient of the web-coupon and that you are using it in good faith.
3.14 If you redeem, attempt to redeem or encourage the redemption of web-coupons to obtain discounts to which you or a third party are not entitled you may be committing a civil or criminal offence.
3.15 If we reasonably believe that any web-coupon is being used unlawfully or illegally we may reject or cancel any web-coupon and you agree that you will have no claim against us in respect of any rejection or cancellation. We reserve the right to take any further action it deems appropriate in such instances.
3.16 If we refuse a web-coupon submitted as part of an order, for any reason, we will inform you before the order is dispatched to advise of the correct cost of the order and give you the opportunity to cancel the order.
4.1 We mark products which qualify for discounts as "Discount Applied" next to the price in your shopping basket, products which are not specifically identified "Discount Applied" are not eligible for further discounts. 4.2 Where an online offer states that a percentage discount will be given on a purchase, the cost of the qualifying purchases will be reduced by the stated discount percentage.
4.3 Supplementary charges such as delivery or postage & packing shall not
be discounted unless specifically stated in the promotion description.
4.4 Refunds for goods purchased under a promotional offer will be based on the terms of the promotional price. Your statutory rights are not affected.
5.1 From time to time we run free to enter prize competitions on the Website.
5.2 Competitions are open to residents of the United Kingdom who access the Website from the United Kingdom. All participants must be aged 18 or over ("Participants"). In consideration of us making the Competitions available to you, you agree to be bound by these Promotions Terms and Conditions.
5.3 Employees of Aurora, their subsidiaries or affiliated entities and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter prize competitions.
5.4 All competitions will state the opening date and time and the closing date and time and the competition will only be open for that term.
5.5 All competitions on our Website are free to enter and, unless stated, there is no limit as to how many times a Participant may enter a single competition.
5.6 All Participants will be asked to submit their name, telephone number, address and e-mail address. This information will be used to notify the winner and deliver any prize. Your personal information will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
5.7 The winner may first need to qualify for the competition by passing a skill, judgement or knowledge test in accordance with the rules of the specific competition, the winner will then be chosen at random from those Participants who have successfully passed the skill, judgement or knowledge test (the "Winner"). The chances of winning a prize depend on the number of qualifying entries received by us prior to the closing date. Our decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
5.8 A Winner will receive the prize detailed on the competition entry page (the "Prize"). The Prize is non transferable. There is no cash or other alternative. We reserve the right to substitute a Prize of like value in the event that the awarded Prize is unavailable for any reason whatsoever.
5.9 Winners of the competition will be notified by e-mail as soon as reasonably practicable after the competition has ended. Prizes will either be emailed to the Participant's registered email address where the prize is a non-physical digital item (such as a web coupon), sent to the Participant's registered address or where the prize consists of rewards points, credited to the Participant's reward points account.
5.10 Winners of the competitions may be displayed on the web site in the format title surname area e.g. Mr Jones from Birmingham. You hereby consent to this use. If the winners of a competition are not displayed on our site, you may request a list of winners by sending us a self-addressed envelope, within 30 days of the date of the competition closing. Please may sure that your request properly identifies the competition that you are enquiring about as we may have more than one competition running at the same time. The winners list will be sent only after the prizes have been awarded.
5.11 Competitions may be subject to additional rules. If so, these additional rules will be listed on the relevant competition entry page and form part of this agreement.
5.12 By registration on entry to the competition, Participants indicate that
they have accepted these Terms and Conditions.
5.13 We accept no responsibility or liability for loss to any person or property relating to the award of any Prize save for death or personal injury caused by our negligence for which our liability is unlimited.
5.14 We reserve the right to cancel the award of the Prize at our sole discretion without prior notice if the Prize cannot be delivered to the postal address indicated by the Winner and is returned to us.
5.15 Should we cancel a win for the above reason or otherwise in our sole discretion no form of compensation will be offered to the Winner.
5.16 We will not be liable for any malfunction or event beyond our reasonable control which prevents entry to the competition or fulfilment of the prize. By participating in the competition Participants agree to this condition.
5.17 We will not be liable for any loss or damage to property whether material, financial or other which may occur when taking part in the competition.
6. Cash Back
6.1 This promotion is carried out by Aurora, (Company No. 06228885; VAT No. 906 380 823) and our registered office is at Aurora, 1-2 Castle Lane, London, SW1E 6DR.
6.2 This offer is only available to residents of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Only end user customers based in Great Britain and Northern Ireland are eligible to claim Cash back in this promotion.
6.3 Products returned for credit within the 14 day returns period may reduce your category spend below the required minimum spend.
6.4 Upon purchase of the product, the amount of money due to the participant in the promotion will be issued within 21 working days.
6.5 Payment can only be made to the person identified in the customer account section as being the billing contact.
6.6 A maximum total of one cash back offer can be claimed per customer, per promotion. The cash back amount is VAT inclusive.
6.7 To the fullest extent permitted by law, we shall have no liability whatsoever to any participant in this promotion in respect of this promotion.
6.8 We reserve the right to withdraw this offer or alter these terms and conditions or the amount of cash back available at any time without providing notice.
6.9 In the event of the offer promotion withdrawn payments will only be honoured for applicable purchases completed prior to removal of the offer.
6.10 This promotion cannot be used in conjunction with other promotions.


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Posts tagged with: film
Visiting the Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room
March 10, 2017 · by Justin Hankins
In 2014, Starbucks launched the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room in Seattle. Located nine blocks from the modest, original Starbucks location, this 15,000-square-foot flagship tasting room serves as a love letter to coffee and a shrine for rare and small batch offerings that are difficult to find elsewhere. Oh yeah… it also has free […]


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Jessy and his stepmom Lisa Ann are away from home checking out colleges, but when their hotel room for the night only has one bed, they have no choice but to climb in together. Once he thinks she's turned in for the night, Jessy tries to have a nice quiet jerk session before bed, but Lisa wakes up with the same thought in mind! She takes one look at that fat cock and knows she has to get a piece, stroking it nice and slow to get that cock hard. Jessy eats that MILF pussy until it's ready to fuck, then Lisa climbs up and rides that cock until he blows a load all over her face and big tits!
The post Stepmom Lends a Hand and Some Pussy appeared first on Mommy Got Boobs.


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Hikkaduwa has long been among the most popular of Sri Lanka's beach spots. Many people come here direct from the airport to start their classic Asian beach holiday.
We have more than 29 years of experience in hotels & restaurants field since 1986. Refresh Hikkaduwa Restaurant is the largest beach restaurant in Down South, Sri Lanka more than 250 heads can be served. All kind of Food and Beverages (more than 550 varieties), also available in our restaurant. The specialist dishes are the seafood platters, which carry a comfortable price. This is probably the best independent A -grade restaurant in Hikkaduwa.
Refresh Hikkaduwa Hotel is newly built - 5 story - luxury hotel - specialize for Ayurveda and spa. The roof-top has a beautiful swimming pool and you can enjoy late afternoon drinks at the bar overlooking Hikkaduwa beach. Great location with easy walking distance to restaurants and the tourist shops.
Our reception hall can facilitate for weddings, conference, birthday parties, family gatherings or seminars as per your requirements. Parking is also available at the Reception hall. The hall is fully air conditioned and provides maximum 300 people to seat at once. To make your event successful and enjoyable our staff is always prepared to offer the full service.
Check in
Check in : 02:00 AM
Check out : 02:00 PM
Room Amenities :
Room Amenities :


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The editorial team at WholeFoods Magazine has decades of experiences reporting on natural products industry news, trends, and more. This national, monthly business-to-business magazine has been published continuously for nearly 40 years (the magazine was founded in 1977, and has been owned by Wainer Finest Communications since 1984). It is the longest-tenured media outlet of its kind in the natural products industry. The editorial focus at WholeFoods Magazine is, and always has been, on informing and educating members of the natural products industry.
NOTE: WholeFoods Magazine is a business-to-business publication. Information on this site should not be considered medical advice or a way to diagnose or treat any disease or illness. Always seek the advice of a medical professional before making lifestyle changes, including taking a dietary supplement. The opinions expressed by contributors and experts quoted in articles are not necessarily those of the publisher or editors of WholeFoods.


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BTCTrade.im is a crypto-to-crypto exchange platform from China where users can trade Litecoins like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple and other digital assets.
Below are guided steps how to withdraw Litecoin from your BTCTrade.im account:
Go to https://www.btctrade.im/ and click "Sign In."
Before processing any withdrawal transaction, your account must authenticate first. To do this, go to "Security" and select "Identity Verification."
Fill out the Authentication form and attach your passport copy. After, click the "confirmation" button.
Go to "Finance" and click "Withdrawal," or you can also click the "Withdrawal" button located at the account details box on the dashboard for a shortcut.
Next, select the cryptocurrency you wish to withdraw funds from and continue with the process.
You can obtain funds in your Coinsuper account through cryptocurrencies or Fiat money. Always remember that transactions are allowed only after identity authentication is completed and approved on Coinsuper.
Here you will find steps that can help you make your first Litecoin deposit on Coinsuper.
First off, access the log-in page of the exchange and enter your registered username and password. Click on "Login" to continue.
After logging in, click on "Account" and select on "My Balance" where cryptocurrencies and Fiat money currencies are listed. To start depositing, select your currency and click on the "Deposit" box.
To deposit Litecoin on your Coinsuper account, you need to select first your Litecoin from the list which is under "Crypto." Once you've selected your Litecoin, click on the "Deposit" box.
In this example, let's use BTC. After clicking on BTC's deposit button, you will be routed to a new page showing you the deposit address. You can copy the address and make sure you are using the correct one to avoid losing your money forever as processed transactions can no longer be reverted.
To deposit Fiat money on your account, click on "Deposit" and do a transfer to the bank account provided on the page. After remittance, click on "Submit remittance record." Fill in transfer amount and remittance receipt number, then upload a clear remittance receipt. Select "Submit" to continue.
After submitting the remittance information, it will be manually reviewed. It will take some time and after the review is completed, you can see the arrival status by going to "Account" then "Account Summary."
Remarks: Coinsuper adopts manual review and remittance. Generally, manual remittance will be entered into the account automatically when the remittance is received by the system. The time of arrival depends on the bank's remittance speed.
Trading and investing in digital assets is highly speculative and comes with many risks. The analysis/stats on CoinCheckup.com and it's subsites are for informational purposes and should not be considered investment advice and or the truth. Statements and financial information on CoinCheckup.com and it's subsites should not be construed as an endorsement or recommendation to buy, sell or hold.
Please do your own research on all of your investments carefully. Scores are based on averages of third party websites. Past performance is no indicative of future results. Read the full disclaimer here.
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SSR 66-4: SECTION 202(g)(1). -- MOTHER'S INSURANCE BENEFITS -- TERMINATION DUE TO MARRIAGE
THIS RULING MODIFIES SSR 64-4, C.B. 1064, p. 11
- SSR 64-4 is modified only to the extent that the statement therein relating to the law of Wisconsin as to the validity of marriages contracted outside of Wisconsin in violation of section 245.10 of the Wisconsin Statutes Annotated is contrary to the decision of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin In re Ferguson's Estate, 130 N.W. 2d 300 (Wis. 1964).
In SSR 64-4, C.B. 1964, p. 11, it is stated that section 245.10 Wisconsin Statutes Annotated (as re-enacted in 1961 by Chapter 505, Wisconsin Laws 1961) provides in effect that when either applicant for a license to marry has minor children of a prior marriage not in his custody and is obligated by court order or judgment to support such children, the marriage license shall not be issued without the order of a court having divorce jurisdiction in the county of application. It further stated that where a person subject to this provision marries without such court order the marriage is void in Wisconsin irrespective of whether the marriage is contracted in Wisconsin or elsewhere.
However, in the recent case of In re Ferguson's Estate, 130 N.W. 2d 300 (Wis. 1964) the Supreme Court of Wisconsin held that section 245.10 Wisconsin Statutes Annotated has no applicability to marriages contracted outside Wisconsin. Therefore, a marriage in violation of that section contracted outside of Wisconsin would be void in Wisconsin if void where contracted.
In SSR 64-4, supra, it was pointed out, that since the issue was whether claimant's remarriage was cause for termination of benefits, the Administration, under the general conflict of laws rule, applies the law of the place where the marriage was contracted to determine the validity of such marriage. Therefore, it was held that the marriage involved in that case was cause for terminating claimant's benefits since it was contracted outside Wisconsin and was valid where contracted (Iowa). Thus, the holding, since it is not based on the law of Wisconsin but on the general conflict of laws rule, is correct and not affected by the decision in the case of In re Ferguson's Estate, supra. However, SSR 64-4, supra, is modified to the extent that the statement therein as to the law of Wisconsin is in conflict with the decision in the case of In re Ferguson's Estate.


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Latin America's Poverty Is Down, But Violence Is Up. Why?
October, 2015
Economic growth alone won't stem violent crime. But the right policies – and leadership – can make a difference.
With poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean at its lowest level in decades, why is violence off the charts? Although some countries are worse off than others, the region features the world's highest homicide rates. This relationship is puzzling and counterintuitive. Researchers tend to expect an inverse relationship between improvements in the welfare of the poor and reductions in violent crime.
First, the good news: Most Latin American and Caribbean countries have experienced dramatic reductions in poverty since 2000. According to United Nations data, the proportion of the region's 580 million residents suffering from poverty declined from 41.7 percent to 25.3 percent. In absolute terms, this translates to at least 56 million people lifted above the poverty line from 2001 to 2012. During this period, it was not just incomes that rose – health and education did too.
Now for the bad news: Parts of Central and South America are the most murderous on the planet. Though protracted wars in Colombia and Peru are winding down, the scale of lethal violence region-wide is breathtaking. Latin America and the Caribbean are home to 8 of the top 10 most violent countries and 40 of the world's 50 most dangerous cities. Just four countries – Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela – account for 1 in 4 violent killings around the world each year.
It was not always this way. In spite of civil wars and brutal dictatorships in some Latin American and Caribbean states, homicide rates were closer to the global average during the 1960s and 1970s. Since then, murder rates have declined in most other parts of the world. Yet with few exceptions, killing, assault and victimization across Central and South America and the Caribbean worsened.
The precise relationship between poverty and homicide is still a mystery.
Part of the problem is disagreement over how "poverty" is defined. For one, it is more than just a narrow material measure. While millions of Latin American and Caribbean citizens at the bottom end of the social ladder have experienced real income gains, the quality of economic growth has been poor. For many countries, poverty reduction was based on a model advocating consumption. Declines in poverty were often due to direct cash transfers and access to low-wage part-time work. This resulted in limited social mobility.
There is a wide range of factors behind the rise in violence, experts say. Among them:
Persistent inequality. We've long known that the more unequal a setting, the higher the rates of violence. Latin America exhibits the most unequal distribution of income in the world, including 10 of the top 15 most unequal countries on the planet. Although inequality has declined across much of Latin America and the Caribbean in recent years, that progress is now stagnating. The World Bank and SEDLAC recently detected reversals in inequality in some parts of Central America´s northern triangle and the Andean region.
Youth unemployment. About 13 percent of Latin America and the Caribbean's 108 million youth (ages 15-24) are unemployed. This is three times the rate for adults. Over half of those who actually do work are tied to the informal economy. Taken together, more than 20 million young people are not being educated, trained or employed. More unemployed males means more violence. In Brazil, a 1 percent rise in the number of unemployed men results in a 2.1 percent spike in the murder rate.
So-called "aspirational crime." Those either perpetrating or suffering from homicide are typically young people who are out of work, out of school and out of options. As observed by economist Gary Becker in 1968, would-be criminals determine that the benefits of their crime outweigh the potential costs. Social scientists have demonstrated how limited job horizons are associated with a reduction of the opportunity costs for crime. Unemployment is also connected to a surge in gang membership.
Continued weak security and justice institutions. Abusive, corrupt and illegitimate institutions may fuel crime. Meanwhile, low institutional capacity ensures that law and order is associated with patronage and impunity. In Latin America, just 20 of every 100 murders result in conviction; the global rate is 43 in 100. Institutional weaknesses can be traced to a legacy of conflict and military rule in countries like Argentina, Colombia, El Salvador and Haiti. Many military and police institutions continue to operate with a war mentality. Some of them harbor clandestine structures in the armed forces, intelligence and judicial sectors. In Guatemala, for example, right-wing paramilitary groups are still active and are cultivated by powerful elites.
Organized crime – especially drug trafficking. All Latin American and Caribbean countries are affected to varying degrees by criminal organizations, especially drug cartels that manage an estimated $330 billion in revenue a year. In many countries, such groups have already penetrated all branches of government. After all, a weak state is a boon for organized crime. Buying off public institutions is much more efficient than fighting them.
There are also other reasons behind the spike in violence, from unregulated urbanization – which partly explains a surge in homicide rates in large and intermediate-sized cities and slums – to the abundance of unlicensed firearms, including those trafficked from the U.S. or leaked domestically. Some also blame social norms sanctioning machismo, and unequal gender relations are credited with leading to high intimate partner and domestic violence rates.
It's a long list of challenges. So what are policymakers to do?
At a minimum, leaders need to shore up the achievements made in reducing poverty, inequality and chronic unemployment. More concretely, they could double down on policies designed to reduce inequality, not least initiatives that aim to keep young people in school and in the labor market. In Mexico, conditional cash transfer and redistribution programs are correlated with reductions in both homicides and sexual violence at the state and city levels. And in Brazil, conditional cash transfer and housing improvement measures such as Bolsa Familia and Minha Casa Minha Vida have yielded positive impacts on reducing property and youth crime.
Meanwhile, public and private investments in safety and security are showing promising results. Transparent civilian oversight of the region's military, law enforcement and justice institutions is a precondition for restoring their credibility and legitimacy. Likewise, improving data collection on crime is also leading to smarter policing and the more efficient delivery of justice. These are all deeply challenging tasks, and demand courageous leadership if they are to be achieved. The real question is whether Latin American and Caribbean citizens are ready to finally turn things around.
Robert Muggah, Americas Quarterly


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How Soon Should You Expect Profitability from a Relationship?string(61) "How Soon Should You Expect Profitability from a Relationship?"
Over the past couple of weeks, I've written a few blogs on the VCP Process® of networking and, since I've already covered visibility and credibility in detail, today I'm going to tell you what you need to know about profitability, the third and final phase of the VCP Process.
The mature relationship, whether business or personal, can be defined in terms of its profitability. Is it mutually rewarding? Do both partners gain satisfaction from it? Does it maintain itself by providing benefits to both? If it doesn't profit both partners to keep it going, it probably will not endure.
The best piece of advice I can give you in regard to when to expect to get to profitability is to be patient. The time it takes to pass through the phases of a developing relationship is highly variable. It's not always easy to determine when profitability has been achieved: A week? A month? A year? In a time of urgent need, you and a client may proceed from visibility to credibility overnight. The same is true of profitability; it may happen quickly or it may take years, but most likely it will be somewhere in between. It will depend on the frequency and quality of the contacts and especially on the desire of both parties to move the relationship forward.
Shortsightedness can impede the full development of the relationship. Perhaps you're a customer who has done business with a certain vendor off and on for several months, but to save pennies you keep hunting around for the lowest price, ignoring the value this vendor provides in terms of service, hours, goodwill and reliability. Are you really profiting from the relationship, or are you stunting its growth? Perhaps if you gave this vendor all your business, you could work out terms that would benefit both of you. Profitability is not found by bargain hunting. It must be cultivated. And, like farming, it takes patience.
Visibility and credibility are important in the relationship-building stages of the referral-marketing process. But when you have established an effective referral generation system, you will have entered the profitability stage of your relationships with many people–the people who send you referrals and the customers you recruit as a result. It's an essential part of successful relationship marketing and networking.


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Go Behind the Scenes of Carrie Underwood's Cry Pretty 360 Tour Rehearsals
Carrie Underwood has shared a video clip of some behind-the-scenes shots from the rehearsals of her Cry Pretty Tour 360.
The video begins with Underwood walking around an arena and pans to a worker testing out a lift. Even Underwood seems in awe of the stage's setup as she takes a photo on her phone.
An artist can be a fan, too; the video shows her where the crowd would be, below the stage, dancing and cheering along to her guitar player practicing on stage.
Underwood began rehearsals on April 1, according to her social media posts. "Gang's all here. Great first day of rehearsals! Can't wait for the #CryPrettyTour360," she captioned a series of photos.
The U.S. run of the Cry Pretty Tour 360 kicks off on May 1 in Greensboro, N.C., and travels around the country through the fall. She then will do a run in the United Kingdom. Underwood will bring Maddie & Tae and Runaway June out as opening acts for the duration of the U.S. leg of the tour.
Underwood has also just released a new song, "Southbound," that she debuted at the 2019 ACM Awards, whose video features appearances from her tourmates during a pool party dance sequence.
Her song "Love Wins" is also featured on the Breakthrough film soundtrack. Underwood performed another song off the film's soundtrack, "I'm Standing With You," on the ACM Awards stage alongside This Is Us star Chrissy Metz (whose version of the song is on the soundtrack), Maddie & Tae, Lauren Alaina and Mickey Guyton.
Essential Songs from the 2000s? Yeah Carrie Underwood Has a Few
Jimmie Allen's "Make Me Want To" Live Version Is Addicting


text: By John Murdoch on 2020-03-21 - John is regional editor for Media Scotland's Lanarkshire and Lothian titles. Three times president of the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers he has been writing about cars for over 40 years. Recently awarded lifetime membership of the National Union of Journalists and was the subject of a motion in the Scottish Parliament congratulating him on his service to newspapers.


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Thousands of Afghan civilians have been killed since 2001 by international forces, and thousands more have been injured. This report examines the record of accountability for civilian deaths caused by international military operations in the five-year period from 2009 to 2013. In particular, it focuses on the performance of the US government in investigating possible war crimes and in prosecuting those suspected of criminal responsibility for such crimes. Its overall finding is that the record is poor.
Left in the Dark: International Military Operations in Afghanistan
August 11, 2014


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YubiHSM 2 FIPS v2.2
GTIN: 5060408464557The YubiHSM 2 FIPS enables organizations of all sizes to enhance cryptographic key security throughout the entire lifecycle, reduce risk and ensure adherence with compliance regulations. With the YubiHSM 2 SDK available as open source, organizations can easily and rapidly integrate support for the secure YubiHSM 2 FIPS into a wide range of platforms and systems for existing and emerging use cases where strong security is more critical than ever before
- High quality - Built to last. IP68 rated (water and dust resistant), crush resistant, no batteries required, no moving parts.
- Rapid Integration, Easy Management - Custom application support using open source libraries. Interfaces via YubiHSM KSP, PKCS#11, and native libraries.
- Form-factor - "Nano" for discrete in-port retention. USB-A connector for standard 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 ports. Designed for low-power usage.
- Securely manufactured - From component sourcing through manufacturing, Yubico ensures the highest levels of security. Made in the USA & Sweden.
- NIST Certification - FIPS 140-2 validated (Overall Level 2, Physical Security Level 3.)
Product Description
The YubiHSM 2 FIPS is a game changing hardware solution for protecting Certificate Authority root keys from being copied by attackers, malware, and malicious insiders. It offers superior cost effective security and easy deployment making it accessible for every organization. It offers a higher level of security for cryptographic digital key generation, storage, and management, for organizations running Microsoft Active Directory Certificate Services.
The YubiHSM 2 FIPS features are accessible by integrating with an open source and comprehensive software development toolkit (SDK) for a wide range of open source and commercial applications. The most common use case is hardware-based digital signature generation and verification. In additional emerging use cases such as securing cryptocurrency exchanges and IoT gateways are just a few examples of how the world's smallest HSM can secure modern infrastructures.
YubiHSM 2 FIPS secures cryptographic keys through their entire lifecycle from secure key generation, attestation, secure key storage, secure key distribution, secure key backup all the way to secure key destruction if needed. Screen reader support enabled.
- Cost-effective HSM solution
- Easy deployment
- Secure key storage and operations
Use Cases
Enhance Protection for Cryptographic Keys
YubiHSM 2 FIPS offers a compelling option for secure generation, storage and management of keys. Key protection is done in the secure on-chip hardware isolated from operations on the server. Most common use cases involve protecting of the certificate authorities (CAs) private key. YubiHSM 2 FIPS capabilities include: generate, write, sign, decrypt, hash and wrapping keys.
Rapidly integrate with Hardware-based Strong Security
YubiHSM 2 FIPS can be used as a comprehensive cryptographic toolbox for low-volume operations in conjunction with a huge set of open source and commercial applications spanning many different products and services. Most common use case involve on-chip hardware based processing for signature generation and verification. The YubiHSM 2 FIPS supports the PKCS#11 industry standard.
Secure Microsoft Active Directory Certificate Services
YubiHSM 2 FIPS can provide hardware backed keys for your Microsoft-based PKI implementation. Deploying YubiHSM 2 FIPS to your Microsoft Active Directory Certificate services not only protects the CA root keys but also protects all signing and verification services using the private key.
- Secure key storage and operations
- FIPS 140-2 validated (Level 3)
- Extensive cryptographic capabilities: RSA, ECC, ECDSA (ed25519), SHA-2, AES (ECB/CBC mode for non-FIPS only)
- Secure session between HSM and application
- Role-based access controls for key management and key usage
- 16 concurrent connections
- Optionally network shareable
- Remote management
- Unique "Nano" form factor, low-power usage
- M of N wrap key Backup and Restore
- Interfaces via YubiHSM KSP, PKCS#11, and native libraries
- Tamper evident Audit Logging
Secure Cryptocurrency Exchanges
With the explosive growth of the cryptocurrency market also comes a high volume of assets that need protection to mitigate against emerging security risks. The YubiHSM 2 FIPS allows organizations to strongly secure cryptographic keys and keep sensitive financial information safe.
Protect Internet of Things (IoT) Environments
The Internet-of-Things (IoT) is a rapidly emerging area where systems often operate in hostile environments. That makes securing cryptographics keys even more important as organizations need to protect sensitive information. Cryptographic keys are used in numerous IoT applications, with insufficient security in place. Developers building IoT applications can rapidly enable support for the YubiHSM 2 FIPS to protect cryptographic keys and keep critical IoT environments from falling victim to hostile takeovers.
Feature Details
Secure key storage and operations
Create, import, and store keys, then perform all crypto operations in the YubiHSM 2 FIPS hardware to prevent theft of keys while at rest or in use. This protects against both logical attacks against the server, such as zero-day exploits or malware, and physical theft of a server or its hard drive.
Extensive cryptographic capabilities
YubiHSM 2 FIPS supports hashing, key wrapping, asymmetric signing and decryption operations including advanced signing using ed25519. Attestation is also supported for asymmetric key pairs generated on-device.
Secure session between HSM and application
The integrity and privacy of commands and data in transit between the YubiHSM 2 FIPS and applications are protected using a mutually authenticated, integrity and confidentiality protected tunnel.
Role-based access controls for key management and key usage
All cryptographic keys and other objects in the YubiHSM 2 FIPS belong to one or more security domains. Access rights are assigned for each authentication key at creation time which allow a specific set of cryptographic or management operations to be performed per security domain. Admins assign rights to authentication keys based on its use case, such as a event monitoring app that needs the ability to read all audit logs in the YubiHSM 2 FIPS, or a Registration Authority that needs to issue (sign) end user digital certificates, or a domain security admin who needs to create and delete crypto keys.
16 concurrent connections
Multiple applications can establish sessions with a YubiHSM 2 FIPS to perform cryptographic operations. Sessions can be automatically terminated after inactivity or be long-lived to improve performance by eliminating session creation time.
Network Shareable
To increase the flexibility of deployments, the YubiHSM 2 FIPS can be made available for use over the network by applications on other servers. This can be especially advantageous on a physical server that is hosting multiple virtual machines.
Remote Management
Easily manage multiple deployed YubiHSM 2 FIPS remotely for the entire enterprise – eliminate on-call staff complexity and travel expense.
Unique "Nano" form factor, low-power usage
The Yubico "Nano" form factor allows the YubiHSM 2 FIPS to be inserted completely inside a USB-A port so it's completely concealed – no external parts that protrude out of the server back or front chassis. It uses minimal power, max of 30mA, for cost-savings on your power budget.
M of N wrap key Backup and Restore
Backing up and deploying cryptographic keys on multiple YubiHSM 2 FIPS is a critical component of an enterprise security architecture, but it's a risk to allow a single individual to have that ability. The YubiHSM 2 FIPS supports setting M of N rules on the wrap key used to export keys for backup or transport, so that multiple administrators are required to import and decrypt a key to make it usable on additional HSMs. For example in an enterprise, the Active Directory root CA private key might be key wrapped for 7 administrators (N=7) and at least 4 of them (M=4) are required to import and unwrap (decrypt) the key in the new YubiHSM 2 FIPS.
Interfaces via YubiHSM 2 FIPS KSP, PKCS#11, and native libraries
Crypto enabled applications can leverage the YubiHSM 2 FIPS via Yubico's Key Storage Provider (KSP) for Microsoft's CNG or industry-standard PKCS#11. Native libraries are also available on Windows, Linux and macOS to enable more direct interaction with the device's capabilities.
Tamper evident Audit Logging
The YubiHSM 2 FIPS internally stores a log of all management and crypto operation events that occur in the device and that log can be exported for monitoring and reporting. Each event (row) in the log is hash chained with the previous row and signed so that it's possible to determine if any events are modified or deleted.
Direct USB Support
The YubiHSM 2 FIPS can talk directly to the USB layer without the need for an intermediate HTTP mechanism. This delivers an improved experience for the developers who are developing solutions for virtualized environments.
The YubiKey HSM 2 FIPS is FIPS 140-2 validated (Level 3) and meets the highest authenticator assurance level 3 (AAL3) of NIST SP800-63B guidance.
Operating System Support
Windows, Linux, macOS
Linux |
CentOS 7 |
Windows | Windows 10 Windows Server 2012 Windows Server 2016 Windows Server 2019 |
macOS | 10.12 Sierra 10.13 High Sierra 10.14 Mojave |
Cryptographic interfaces (APIs)
- Microsoft CNG (KSP)
- PKCS#11 (Windows, Linux, macOS)
- Native YubiHSM Core Libraries (C, python)
Cryptographic capabilities
Hashing (used with HMAC and asymmetric signatures)
- 2048, 3072, and 4096 bit keys
- Signing using PKCS#1v1.5 and PSS
- Decryption using PKCS#1v1.5 and OAEP
Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC)
- Curves: secp224r1, secp256r1, secp256k1, secp384r1, secp521r, bp256r1, bp384r1, bp512r1, curve25519
- Signing: ECDSA (all except curve25519), EdDSA (curve25519 only)
- Decryption: ECDH (all except curve25519)
Key wrap
- Import and export using NIST AES-CCM Wrap at 128, 196, and 256 bits
Random numbers
- On-chip True Random Number Generator (TRNG) used to seed NIST SP 800-90 AES 256 CTR_DRBG
- Asymmetric key pairs generated on-device may be attested using a factory certified attestation key and certificate, or using your own key and certificate imported into the HSM
Performance varies depending on usage. The accompanying Software Development Kit includes performance tools that can be used for additional measurements. Example metrics from an otherwise unoccupied YubiHSM 2 FIPS.
- RSA-2048-PKCS1-SHA256: ~139ms avg
- RSA-3072-PKCS1-SHA384: ~504ms avg
- RSA-4096-PKCS1-SHA512: ~852ms avg
- ECDSA-P256-SHA256: ~73ms avg
- ECDSA-P384-SHA384: ~120ms avg
- ECDSA-P521-SHA512: ~210ms avg
- EdDSA-25519-32Bytes: ~105ms avg
- EdDSA-25519-64Bytes: ~121ms avg
- EdDSA-25519-128Bytes: ~137ms avg
- EdDSA-25519-256Bytes: ~168ms avg
- EdDSA-25519-512Bytes: ~229ms avg
- EdDSA-25519-1024Bytes: ~353ms avg
- AES-(128|192|256)-CCM-Wrap: ~10ms avg
- HMAC-SHA-(1|256): ~4ms avg
- HMAC-SHA-(384|512): ~243ms avg
Storage capacity
- All data stored as objects. 256 object slots, 128KB (base 10) max total
- Stores up to 127 rsa2048, 93 rsa3072, 68 rsa4096 or 255 of any elliptic curve type, assuming only one authentication key is present
- Object types: Authentication keys (used to establish sessions); asymmetric private keys; opaque binary data objects, e.g. x509 certs; wrap keys; HMAC keys
- Mutual authentication and secure channel between applications and HSM
- M of N unwrap key restore via YubiHSM Setup Tool
Software Development Kit
A Software Development Kit for YubiHSM 2 FIPS is available for download on Yubico.com and includes:
- YubiHSM Core Library (libyubihsm) for C, Python
- YubiHSM Shell (Configuration CLI)
- PKCS#11 Module
- YubiKey Key Storage Provider (KSP) for use with Microsoft
- YubiHSM Connector
- YubiHSM Setup Tool
- Documentation and code examples
Physical characteristics
- Form factor: 'nano' designed for confined spaces such as internal USB ports in servers
- Dimensions: 12mm x 13mm x 3.1mm
- Weight: 1 gram
- Current requirements 20mA avg, 30mA max
- USB-A plug connector
Safety and environmental compliance
Host interface
- Universal Serial Bus (USB) 1.x Full Speed (12Mbit/s) Peripheral with bulk interface.


text:
Bennett 12 x 9 Trim Tab System
Bennett Electric Trim Tab Sets without Controls
Model: BOLT129UPC: 666285600016
- Wires are concealed and protected through the upper hinge — there are no exposed wires to the marine environment
- Robust, water-tight black nylon actuator provides trouble-free operation
- Main seal located high to protect against marine growth and water intrusion failures
- Quieter than any other system on the market - No more scaring the fish away!
- Installation is fast - no need to disassemble parts of the actuator
Boaters can now enjoy a durable and reliable electric trim tab system designed for 17-28 foot boats.
Bennett Marine invented the electric trim tab in 1960 and now Bennett leads the way with a brand new electric trim tab system designed to outperform and outlast any electric system on the market.
Compared to other electric systems using old technologies designed over twenty years ago, the BOLT Electric combines cutting-edge technology with a robust and water-tight actuator. This new "Superior by Design" technology resolves the issues that older systems have with breaking apart and water intrusion caused by design flaws and marine growth.
While Bennett strongly recommends hydraulic trim tabs for most applications, electric trim tab systems are suitable for:
- Trailered boats from 17-28 feet
- Single actuator use, due to the inability to synchronize two electric actuators on the same tab
Requires one of the following controls to complete the system.
- BRC4000 - Bolt Rocker Switch
- BCN6000 - Bolt Control - Non Indicator
- BCI8000 - Bolt Control - With Indicator
What's in the Box:
- 12-volt actuators (2) with 6ft. wire harnesses and waterproof connectors
- Stainless steel trim planes (2) and mounting plates
- 20 Ft Wire Harness with waterproof connectors


text:
Kansas City Missouri
- Major Airports:
- Kansas City
- States:
- Missouri
Kansas City: Explore this city of neighborhoods for food, fun and culture
Here are 13 quintessential KC experiences that every visitor should make time for.
Eat KC-style Barbecue
The Barbecue Capital of the World offers more than 100 barbecue restaurants from legends like Gates and Bryant's to smaller, local favorites.
Listen to Live Jazz
Kansas City gave jazz its swing, and this rich heritage can be heard regularly at more than 40 local clubs.
Tour KC's World-famous Fountains
With more than 200 fountains, KC is known as the City of Fountains – boasting more fountains than any other city, except maybe Rome.
Attend the American Royal
Nicknamed the "World Series of Barbecue," the American Royal is the largest barbecue competition on the planet and is held in Kansas City's West Bottoms each fall.
Shop the Country Club Plaza
Opened in 1922, the nation's first outdoor shopping district designed for the automobile covers 15 blocks with Spanish-inspired architecture and dazzling fountains.
Visit 18th & Vine
Relive the history of this historic African-American neighborhood at the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
Tailgate at a Chiefs Game
KC is a true sports town, but no tradition looms larger than fans arriving hours before the game to cook out in the NFL stadium's parking lots.
Explore the Crossroads Arts District
More than 60 art galleries and shops stay open late the first Friday of each month for one of the nation's largest art walks.
Visit America's National WWI Museum
Dedicated in 1926, Congress has declared this museum and monument as "America's National World War I Museum." Travel to the top of the 217-foot tower for a bird's-eye view of the city.
Picnic next to a Shuttlecock
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art's Sculpture Park offers 22 acres of outdoor art including four badminton "birdies," each nearly 18 feet tall, as well as the largest collection of Henry Moore sculptures outside of England.
Relive the Wild West Through Jesse James
Visit the home where Jesse and Frank James grew up. Don't miss the Jesse James Bank Museum, the site of the first daylight, peacetime bank robbery.
See How Greetings are Made
J.C. Hall started Hallmark by selling cards out of a shoebox in 1910 at the local YMCA. A century later, visitors can go behind-the-scenes at the world's largest greeting card company and watch artists create real cards at the Hallmark Visitors Center.
Learn Why "The Buck Stops Here"
From the decision to drop the atomic bomb to end World War II, to the start of the Cold War, Harry S. Truman – America's 33rd president – presided over a tumultuous time. Explore the sites of his hometown of Independence, Mo., including the Truman Presidential Museum and Library and the Truman Home.
Fun Fact
Kansas City has more barbecue restaurants per capita than any other city in the USA.


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(b) With respect to any agreement, contract, or transaction (or class thereof) that is exempted by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission pursuant to section 6(c)(1) of title 7 with the condition that the Commission exercise concurrent jurisdiction over such agreement, contract, or transaction (or class thereof), references in the securities laws to the "purchase" or "sale" of a security shall be deemed to include the execution, termination (prior to its scheduled maturity date), assignment, exchange, or similar transfer or conveyance of, or extinguishing of rights or obligations under such agreement, contract, or transaction, as the context may require.
15 USC § 78c-2(b)
Scoping language
None identified, default scope is assumed to be the parent (chapter 2B) of this section.
Is this correct?


text:
Advertising as a small business is one of the hardest and most important things you can do. Your customers are what is going to drive your business to success. Advertising when you first are starting out can be a lot of hours of work. You might even physically have to go out and walk around with flyers and hand them out. There aren't many people out there who work harder than small businesses! But don't worry, we are here to help! Yard signs are perfect for small businesses and can help save you a ton of ours and bring in a lot of money! Here are a few reasons yard signs are perfect for advertising in California.
Cost Effective – Yard signs aren't very costly, which means any business can afford them and you can buy many of them! Imagine it as a person standing on the corner with your flyer waving it in everyone's face, but for so much less than that person costs to hire!
Efficient – Yard signs are one of the most efficient marketing tools out there! As said above they are very cheap but also, they work! They are known to pull in customers and have had countless studies done on them that prove they pull in customers!
Versatility – Besides cost and efficiency, yard signs can be placed almost anywhere! They can be placed all over town or just at strategic spots with a ton of people to view them and they are sure to bring in some people! They also can be moved! You do not have to commit to one spot like a billboard, plus the design options are endless! There are so many cool things you can do with a yard sign that is much harder and more expensive than any other sign!
Yard signs are sure to increase the customer base for your business in your local area! They bring in customers no matter how large the business is and have a proven track record. Contact Promote Signs today and see what we can do for your yard sign in California!
PromoteSigns.com custom design and print the signs that fit your business's needs in California. We offer pickup for businesses nationwide shipping to all U.S. states. To speak with our sales department to get a quote, call 888-864-4114 or email email@example.com


text:
The causes of learning problems associated with an inherited brain tumor disorder are much more complex than scientists had anticipated, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report.
The disorder, neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1), is among the most common inherited pediatric brain cancer syndromes. Children born with NF1 can develop low-grade brain tumors, but their most common problems are learning and attention difficulties.
"While one of our top priorities is halting tumor growth, it's also important to ensure that these children don't have the added challenges of living with learning and behavioral problems," says senior author David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, the Donald O. Schnuck Family Professor of Neurology. "Our results suggest that learning problems in these patients can be caused by more than one factor. Successful treatment depends on identifying the biological reasons underlying the problems seen in individual patients with NF1."
According to Gutmann, who is director of the Washington University Neurofibromatosis Center, scientists are divided when considering the basis for NF1-associated learning abnormalities and attention deficits.
Mutations in the Nf1 gene can disrupt normal regulation of an important protein called RAS in the hippocampus, a brain region critical for learning. Initial work from other investigators had shown that increased RAS activity due to defective Nf1 gene function impairs memory and attention in some Nf1 mouse models.
However, earlier studies by Gutmann and collaborator David F. Wozniak, PhD, research professor in psychiatry, showed that a mutation in the Nf1 gene lowers levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in attention. In this Nf1 mouse model, Gutmann and his colleagues found that the branches of dopamine-producing nerve cells were unusually short, limiting their ability to make and distribute dopamine and leading to reduced attention in those mice.
The new research suggests that both sides may be right.
In the latest study, postdoctoral fellow Kelly Diggs-Andrews, PhD, found that the branches of dopamine-producing nerve cells that normally extend into the hippocampus are shorter in Nf1 mice. As a result, dopamine levels are lower in that part of the brain.
Charles F. Zorumski, MD, the Samuel B. Guze Professor and head of the Department of Psychiatry, showed that the low dopamine levels disrupts the ability of nerve cells in the hippocampus to modulate the way they communicate with each other. These communication adjustments are a primary way the brain creates memories.
Researchers then found that giving Nf1 mice L-DOPA, which increases dopamine levels, restored their nerve cell branch lengths to normal and corrected the hippocampal communication defect. L-DOPA also eliminated the memory and learning deficits in these mice.
"These results and the earlier findings suggest that there are a variety of ways that NF1 may cause cognitive dysfunction in people," Gutmann says. "Some may have problems caused only by increased RAS function, others may be having problems attributable to reduced dopamine, and a third group may be having difficulties caused by both RAS and dopamine abnormalities."
To customize patient therapy, Gutmann and his colleagues are now working to develop ways to quantify the contributions of dopamine and RAS to NF1-related learning disorders.


text: Our portable and compact direct measuring field microscope can conveniently travel from the desktop to the job site for critical inspection and measurement. Each scope includes focus ring for crisp, clear images. Using the reticle focus adjustment, the 1/20mm scale reticle can be brought into sharp focus when superimposed on the internal image. Clear acrylic base allows the instrument to rest directly on a flat object, while passing ambient light. Two cutaways (180° apart) in the clear base allow fine instruments to touch the object under inspection. The base can be removed to accomodate irregular objects. The base and bottom macro lens can be removed for added flexibility as an erect-image 8X telescope for long distance requirements. Padded storage case included. Reticle: 2.5-0-2.5mm, 0.05mm incr. Note that focus ring is on the removable macro lens.


text:
When you visit our website, we will collect your personal data wherever necessary. We process this data for the purposes for which we need your data. Because we, like you, highly respect this data, we do everything we can to keep your data safe and to keep you informed of the purposes for which we wish to use it.
Please read this Data Protection Notice carefully. It contains essential information about how your personal data are processed and for what purpose. By communicating your personal data, you explicitly declare that you have taken note of this Data Protection Notice and expressly agree to it. This is also true for the processing itself.
If you have any questions, or if anything is unclear, please contact Davy Collin: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Company details
Prima Invent
Sint-Truidersteenweg 147,
3500 Hasselt
+32 0497/88 50 45
While collecting and processing your personal data, we respect the Belgian regulations concerning the protection of personal data, as well as the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR"), which came into force on 25 May 2018.
What personal data do we collect from you?
Personal identification data: Voornaam, Naam, Telefoon, E-mail, Curriculum Vitae,...
We would like to point out that you bear responsibility for all information you provide to us and that we rely on the accuracy of this information. If your details are no longer up-to-date, please report this as soon as possible. You are not obliged to communicate your personal data, but you should understand that cooperation, or the provision of certain services, becomes impossible if you do not agree with the collection and processing.
Why do we collect this personal data from you?
Legal basis: Necessary for the execution of an agreement. In this way it is possible to contact visitors to the website who have shown interest through the forms that are available.
How long do we retain your personal data?
We will retain your personal data for as long as is necessary in order to fulfil the purposes of our processing, unless a longer storage period is required or permitted by law.
How do we ensure that your data is stored safely?
We take the security of your personal data very seriously. Therefore, we take various technical and organisational measures to protect your data appropriately against unauthorised access, use, or disclosure. We store personal data you have shared with us on restricted access computer systems that are always protected with passwords.
No security system is guaranteed to be 100% safe. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the security of your data in an absolute manner. We do not accept any liability should unauthorised access be gained to it. By using our services, or by providing data to us through other means, you agree that we may communicate with you electronically about security, privacy, and management issues relating to your use of our services.
It is your responsibility to keep the password used to protect your accounts and personal data confidential. If you share a computer with others, please log out before you leave our platform in order to protect your data against access by subsequent users.
What are your rights?
In accordance with, and under the terms of Belgian privacy legislation and the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we inform you that you have the following rights:
- Right of access and inspection: you have the right to be told, free of charge, what data we hold about you and to find out what that data is used for.
- Right to rectification: you have the right to rectify (correct) any incorrect personal data and to complete incomplete personal data.
- Right to data erasure or restriction: you have the right to ask us to erase your personal data or to limit their processing in the circumstances and under the conditions described in the General Data Protection Regulation. We may refuse to erase the data, or to limit the use of any personal data should that personal data be necessary for us to perform a legal obligation, for the execution of the agreement or if it is in our legitimate interest, as long as these data are necessary for the purposes for which they were collected.
- The right to transfer data: you have the right to obtain the personal data you have provided to us in a structured, standard and machine-readable form. You have the right to transfer these data to another person responsible for the processing.
- Right to object: you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data for serious and legitimate reasons. However, please note, you cannot object to the processing of personal data should that personal data be necessary for us to perform a legal obligation, for the execution of the agreement or if it is in our legitimate interest, as long as these data are necessary for the purposes for which they were collected.
- Right to revoke your consent: If the processing of the personal data is based on prior consent, you have the right to withdraw this consent. These personal data will then only be processed if we have a different legal basis for this.
- Automatic decisions and profiling: we confirm that the processing of personal data does not include profiling, and that you are not subject to fully-automated decisions.
You can exercise the aforementioned rights by contacting email@example.com. The contact person for this is: Davy Collin.
We make every effort to handle your personal data in a careful and legitimate manner in accordance with the applicable regulations. If you are of the opinion that your rights have been violated, and you do not feel that your concerns have been fairly heard within our company, you are free to file a complaint with the:
Data Protection Authority
Drukpersstraat 35, 1000 Brussel
Tel. 02 274 48 00
Fax. 02 274 48 35
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
You can also turn to a court if you believe that you may have suffered damages as a result of the processing of your personal data.
Transferring data to third parties.
Certain personal data collected by us will be passed on to, and may be processed by, third-party service providers such as IT-leverancier, boekhouder, revisor, …
The employees, managers and/or representatives of the above-mentioned service providers or institutions, including the specialist service providers appointed by them, must respect the confidential nature of your personal data and can only use these data for the purposes they were provided.
If necessary, your personal data can be passed on to other third parties. This may be the case if, for example, we were reorganised in whole or in part, if our activities were transferred, or if we were declared bankrupt. We may also be obliged to pass on personal data to fulfil the requirements of a court order or to comply with a specific legal obligation. In that case, we will make reasonable efforts to inform you in advance about this communication to other third parties. However, you will recognise and understand that, in certain circumstances, this is not always technically or commercially feasible, or that legal restrictions may apply.
Under no circumstances will we sell your personal data or make them commercially available to direct marketing agencies or similar service providers, unless we have your prior consent.
Do you have any complaints?
If you have any complaints or feel that your rights have been violated, you can always approach the European Privacy Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/info/about-european-commission/contact/problems-and-complaints_nl
Contact details
Prima Invent
Sint-Truidersteenweg 147,
3500 Hasselt
+32 0497/88 50 45
Latest privacy policy update: 25/03/2024