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October, 2018
Take fish row seriously
A dispute over fish threatens to sour the cordial relations Kenya and China have enjoyed in recent years with increased development co-operation. Now the biggest infrastructure project in Kenya in centuries, the standard gauge railway, built with huge Chinese loans, could be in jeopardy. China is incensed that Kenya has decided to stop importing its fish.
The mounting acrimony started the other day, when President Uhuru Kenyatta questioned why Chinese fish had flooded the Kenyan market at the expense of local fishermen and traders. But the President was only echoing public complaints about the imports, some of them illegal. This dispute is sobering confirmation that relations between nations are all about interests.
Opening the floodgates of Chinese fish is likely to ruin the market for many Kenyans, denying them a livelihood. Kenyans catch 130,000 tonnes of fish annually. A shortfall of 37,000 tonnes is what importers should plug. The fishing industry supports no less than 100,000 Kenyans directly and nearly 800,000 indirectly.
However, the fish issue could just be a manifestation of a deeper problem in the growing unequal ties between the two countries. Indeed, quite alarming is the threat by China to withhold funding for the second phase of the SGR. It is a subtle warning that the more indebted Kenya becomes, the more it risks getting arm-twisted over other interests.
This is bound to put the Kenyan leadership in an awkward position as the people have sampled the benefits from the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR and the stalling of the second phase would be a huge setback. It is for this reason that we agree with the politicians calling on the government to reduce its appetite for huge infrastructure development loans and cut its coat according to its cloth.
KRA must find a way to catch tax evaders
Tax collection has continued to decline in the past years, leading to a serious cash flow challenge. Fresh data by the Kenya Revenue Authority shows that the tax collection fell below target last year, Sh1.48 trillion against a figure of Sh1.65 trillion. This deviates significantly from the budget plan of Sh3 trillion for the current financial year.
Although part of the budget will be met through loans and donor aid, there still is a big shortfall and that has implications on the economy. It all leads to debt pile-up and consequently creates further squeeze on national resources as repayments have to be prioritised at the expense of other national needs.
Already, the government has been forced to introduce new punitive taxes to raise additional cash to plug the shortages, but at a cost to the citizens. Inevitably, prices of essential commodities and goods are bound to rise. Already, maize flour dealers have signalled intention to raise prices given the rising costs of production and doing business.
But the critical point is that tax collection is proving difficult, which is where KRA has to expend its energies. At the heart of the matter is tax evasion. Very many potential taxpayers are out of the net. Just a few, especially those on salaried employment or recognised businesses, pay taxes and, given that they are within the net, bear heavy burden with frequent increases.
Paradoxically, there is a category of wealthy Kenyans who are completely out of the tax bracket because they have perfected tactics of evasion. Either they keep their cash out there in secretive accounts or manipulate the systems locally to avoid remittances. According to independent estimates of wealth portfolio among Kenyans, the number of the super-rich, those valued to be having assets worth above Sh3 billion, has risen in recent years by 11.7 per cent. Yet most of them do not pay taxes. They own wealth but skip taxation, whereas the low-income earners pay without fail. It is an obnoxious situation that must be demolished.
KRA has on several occasions made strident attempts to close in on all eligible taxpayers but the systems seem to be faulty. Worse, some of the super-rich have devised ways to take shortcuts or manipulate accounts through conniving with tax collectors. Not that they are unknown when demographic information is easily available through technology. It is sheer fraud.
KRA must just expand the tax base to bring in all eligible individuals. It needs to deploy innovative strategies to increase collections. Elsewhere, incentives such as waivers on late tax payments, rather than sanctions, have motivated people to come out and pay — such initiatives can help.
Off-grid solutions cure for power deficit in Kenya
Kenya was recently ranked highly in the Global Energy Transition Index (Geti), which measures the ability of countries to balance energy security, affordability, accessibility and environmental sustainability.
Even though Kenya ranks above economies such as China, India and South Africa in the World Bank assessment, to attain universal electricity access for all, the 27 percent off-the-grid population should be connected to the mini grid. Mini-grid — or rather, off-grid — solutions is electricity provided from solar, biogas and, to some extent, pico hydro (hydroelectric power generation of under 5 kW), especially to communities that have no access to natural on-grid energy.
An off-grid solution to electricity access in Kenya is critical. The least-cost power development plan (LCPDP) 2017-2037 envisages 100 percent connectivity for Kenyans by 2020. However, rural areas reportedly registered a very low access rate despite the government having registered an encouraging average rate of 73 percent by mid this year.
This is where Kenya's energy landscape offers latent opportunity for the entrepreneurial class to invest heavily in these off-the-grid technologies. There is optimism, especially with a new dispensation in the electricity sector set to be ushered in by the Energy Bill 2017 now before the Senate.
The Bill envisages, among many others, a scenario where net metering would be a low-cost, low-risk way to introduce and connect small-scale renewable energy investors to the grid. But, most importantly, off-grid solutions will allow Kenya to continue its leadership in commercial renewable energy development in East and Central Africa.
According to the International Energy Agency, around 600 million people, or two-thirds of Africans, are still without access to power; hence, off-grid solutions can be critical in closing the energy access gap in the continent and create a successful forward path out of energy poverty.
These technologies convincingly have a potential for the private sector to participate and complement the government's efforts to attain access to electricity, which forms an integral part of the solution to energy shortfall as well as enhance and advance the energy dilemma conversation.
Adoption of technologies such as mini-grid solutions are necessary since they have the potential to revolutionise the energy sector. The viability of the micro-grid as well as off-grid solutions have been a challenge. However, with the advancement of technology, this is no longer the case and more housing units are embracing these systems.
In Tanzania, for instance, where pockets of change are already realised, Power Africa collaborated with the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to create a quality assurance framework for the mini-grid solutions.
According to the director of investment advisory, Energy 4 Impact, Peter Weston, by providing this framework, performance and monitoring for mini–grid greatly enhanced better regulatory compliance by customers who adopted these technologies into their housing units, eventually transforming homes into eco-friendly units.
As Kenya looks forward to phase out kerosene in favour of clean energy (in the energy markets) due to its hazardous nature and the notorious part it plays in fuel adulterations, off-grid solution would be a welcome alternative.
Supporting off-grid solutions and investing in generation, transmission and distribution of electricity collectively forms part of the road map to realisation of access to electricity for all.
Mr Thuo is an energy economist and adviser at The Africa Utility Forum. [email protected]
Lessons in timely decision from historic KQ flight to New York
When Kenya Airways' inaugural direct flight to the United States finally took off on Sunday night, the fanfare around the historic moment masked the turbulence of how long it has taken to get the rights to fly non-stop to American airports.
It'd taken the government more than a decade to comply with the strict US aviation requirements for direct flights between Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and John F. Kennedy in New York.
The envisaged benefits from the daily flight connections — from increased revenue for KQ to expanded trade, investment and tourism opportunities — would have contributed to Kenya's economic and social transformation much earlier. Bureaucracy and regional security threats from Al-Shabaab delayed these benefits.
Plans for the direct aviation connectivity were part of the Northern Corridor Transport Improvement Project that former President Mwai Kibaki's government implemented from September 2004 with the support of the World Bank.
One of the components of the project was to enhance Kenya's aviation safety and security to meet international standards. That involved improving the operations of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority to achieve Category One status clearance under the International Aviation Safety Assessment of the US Federal Aviation Administration. The project also financed the upgrading of JKIA to have it cleared by the US Transport and Security Administration.
Actions required to improve security included separating domestic and international flight facilities and arrivals and departures. The option was to move the domestic flights terminal to the old Embakasi airport but the idea was abandoned even after implementation of a contract to improve the facility. Some of the duty-free shops, which had turned JKIA into a bazaar, were also supposed to be removed.
Although TSA cleared JKIA for direct flights in April 2009, safety and security clearances were not obtained, mainly due to terrorism threats. Kenya also suffered a major setback when a fire destroyed part of the airport's main terminal building in August 2013. The clearance was finally obtained this year, in what has turned out to be an important pointer to warmer relations between President Uhuru Kenyatta's government and US President Donald Trump's administration.
The flights open a world of opportunities that need to be managed for Kenya to maximise the benefits. KQ anticipates a revenue increase of 10 percent, according to Sebastian Mikosz, its CEO. An additional income of over Sh10 billion (10 percent of its 2017 revenue of Sh106 billion) would hasten KQ's recovery from three years of losses that forced it into a government bailout last year. The national carrier has to remain competitive.
The direct flight cuts travel time between Kenya and the US by over 10 hours, improving prospects for increased earnings from tourists and business travellers from the American market. The US, with a population of over 325 million with average incomes of over $60,000 (Sh6 million) a year, is one of the largest source markets for Kenya's tourism.
The greatest benefit for Kenya would be in trade and investment, driven by improved competitiveness and the readiness of exporters to venture into the US market with quality products. Reducing the cost of doing business and improving the quality of textiles and garments, for instance, would be critical to expand trade under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa).
The government also needs to manage the improving interest of large US firms keen to establish regional hubs in Kenya. They need a conducive environment for doing business, hence, the need for prudent business regulations and fighting illegal trade practices.
The latest "Doing Business" indicators show the shortfalls, whose fixing would save the economy from losses caused by bureaucracy and apathy in making and enforcing good business practices.
Crop insurance can improve food security in Africa
Our food security depends on reliable harvests from smallholder farmers but erratic weather is making their job increasingly risky, with droughts cutting into harvests across Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia this year.
Governments must secure the livelihoods of farmers. One proven tool to increase farmers' resilience is crop insurance, which helps them to weather poor harvests and adapt to a changing climate. But few insurers want to enter the market, making government support — like the Kenya Agriculture Insurance Programme (KAIP) — critical.
Agriculture has always depended on the weather but climate change is making growing cycles more unpredictable. Africa's 50 million smallholder farmers, who rely on rain-fed crops to feed their families, are feeling these changes first. For families who live season to season, a bad weather year can mean months of hunger until the next harvest.
In the short term, crop insurance can help to reduce hunger. When weather harms their crops, farmers get reimbursed for a portion of their upfront investment in seeds and fertiliser, easing the immediate financial pressure of a poor harvest.
In the long term, insurance can increase resilience. Farmers who purchase hybrid seeds suited to their local climate reliably harvest more food. But many farmers are, understandably, nervous to spend money on high-quality seed if they fear a bad year.
When farmers are confident of crop insurance coverage, they are more willing to try modern farming methods — a key to bigger harvests.
The idea is simple but the challenge is scale. Insuring 50 farmers in a single village is risky, because they're all likely to have similar harvests. But insuring 50,000 farmers in a bigger area means the risk is more evenly spread, making it a better bet for insurance companies and more affordable for farmers.
Progressive policies can create an important incentive for agricultural insurance. In Kenya, the 2018/19 agricultural budget prioritises farmers' resilience to "climate shocks" with a key focus on crop insurance for smallholders.
That encourages insurers, who have traditionally focused on commercial farms, to add coverage options for the small-scale farms that produce 70 percent of Kenya's maize. Rwanda is also developing a policy on crop insurance.
Subsidies can also help to build demand. Since 2016, KAIP has offered a 50 percent insurance subsidy for smallholders growing maize and wheat, one of the first large-scale schemes in Africa. In Uganda, the government offers a 70 percent subsidy for smallholder and commercial farmers, growing the insurance sector by 17 percent in 2017.
Finally, education is critical. Given low levels of awareness around crop insurance in the region, farmers may be hesitant to buy insurance. Sensitisation can help to build farmers' confidence in the coverage.
Once governments have set the stage with smart policies and subsidies, the challenge is adoption. Governments can encourage adoption by tapping into existing networks for farmers rather than pursuing each farmer individually. For example, co-operatives, microfinance institutions and agro dealers can be encouraged to purchase insurance on behalf of a group of farmers.
We've seen Africa's future, and it's exciting — or maybe scary
Earlier in the year, Bloomberg reported the cost of solar panels will fall by 35 percent in 2018. Since 2010, the cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity has fallen by 73 per cent.
Globally, China is the main driver of stumbling solar energy prices with Bloomberg noting that it installed a "staggering 52GW in 2017". By contrast, Africa installs, on average, 1,000MW of new power generation yearly and, as far as renewables go, some projections have it doing just 3,000M by 2022 — 17 times less than China did last year.
That's no reason to give in to despair, however. Recently, I listened to a smart African who knows about renewables talk about how, with stumbling solar prices, low generation and crappy distribution, which have left 600 million Africans still living without electricity, there is a big rush to invest in renewables on the continent — the market is massive.
I didn't think beyond the availability of cheap electricity for Africans when I was listening to him, until two other events in recent days.
A week ago, it was reported that researchers at RMIT University in Australia had achieved a new development in fibre optics that could make internet speeds up to 100 times faster. Mind-boggling! And, on Tuesday, Apple, at its iPad and Mac event (AAPL), in New York, announced a software update to enable Group FaceTime for up to 32 participants — from two!
In five to eight years, I wondered, what would the impact of these technologies be in Africa?
Not too long ago, a group of us went to visit a friend deep in rural eastern Uganda over a Christmas holiday, to have lunch with his family and mum. He was living plonk in the 21st century but totally off-grid — he was mining his own water, generating power from solar and had pay TV in a house planted in the middle of rocks looking like the ones you see on the coast of Greece.
On the way to his place, we passed roadside markets where solar panels were being sold alongside beans, tomatoes, potatoes and live chicken. Grass-thatched houses gleamed with solar panels on their roofs, a feature that is spreading rapidly around Africa and, perhaps, more dramatically in Kenya.
Not too long ago, I was in the middle of what those who don't know better would call dead-end Pokot — in a small town and surrounding villages where every house had solar and the owners used solar phones. Inside, a strange wire dangled in nearly all corners — for charging phones.
Solar in Africa, then, is not just about energy. With the possibility of energy for so many many more people who would have been off-grid at low cost, it also becomes a platform for organising lives in new ways beyond the infrastructure provided by the State.
And so, if we look just around the corner, where we have not only cheaper internet but several times faster internet and applications that allow 32 people — and, by then, possibly 100 — to join a conversation, then the "digital secession" we wrote of before will reach extremely disruptive levels.
You could hold a meeting of your family and all the in-laws live while eyeballing everyone. You could have a chama meeting with quorum on FaceTime. And you can connect all the relatives abroad who couldn't travel for a dear uncle's burial to the event on a device in your palm.
Already, messaging apps such as WhatsApp have proved powerful platforms for everything from benign stuff like talking sports to potent and deadly endeavours like mobilising to win — and steal — elections, spreading hate speech, organising to finish off rivals and organising street action against a bad government.
With promising super-fast feeds and fast low-cost internet, we shall be able to broadcast to close-knit groups. The bishops will not approve of some of it, because you can broadcast live pornography, for example, although in very socially liberal contexts it will be a new revenue stream for some.
But you can teach a class, or broadcast a play, off your mobile device at virtually no cost. It might also be good for democracy and human rights because you can get more people to see your live recording of police brutalising protesters and an official taking a bribe.
People will continue to watch national TV, but far fewer. There will be a shift of power. The president will get on fewer and fewer of the channels that broadcast "news", driven by off-grid energy and everything else.
There will be new figures of authority, and allegiances away from the 'Big Men' — of business, State, Church, Mosque.
It will be a wonderful time to be alive.
Mr Onyango-Obbo is the publisher of Africapedia.com and explainer Roguechiefs.com. @cobbo3
Why lifting of rhino horn ban should worry Kenya
Kenya, like most other African countries hosting the last remaining herds of pachyderms, has a reason to be worried following a decision by China to reverse the ban on trade in tiger bones and rhino horns. Reports show that Beijing has allowed trade in products from these endangered animals in "special circumstances" including medical research or healing.
Depending on who you ask, the number of rhinos in the world today is between 20,000 and 30,000. None of the rhino species (that is Javan, Sumatran, Black, Greater One-Horned or White) is native to China which had banned sales of rhino products, since 1993.
Those who say that dropping the ban and allowing for farmed trade would create a cover for poachers and smugglers to continue killing the unique species, have a point, if the price of rhino horn is anything to go by.
Weighing between one and three kilos, rhino horns are more expensive than gold or cocaine as they can fetch as much as Sh30 million in countries such as Vietnam where many believe they cure cancer and hangovers. In China, rhino horn-based medicine especially for fevers and liver problems are said to have been first prescribed more than 1,800 years ago.
It is interesting that in the early 1990s, rhino horns fetched between Sh20,000 and Sh26,000. Few of the animals were killed then. However, as media reports show, this changed in 2008 following a rumour that swept Vietnam in the mid-2000s that rhino horn powder had cured cancer afflicting a Vietnamese politician. Though this was a mere rumour, it led to the killing of the last rhino in Vietnam in November 2011.
Although experts in Chinese traditional medicine rule out rhino's reputed cure for cancer, an investigation by Swiss filmmaker Karl Ammann recently demonstrated that black market of rhino horns in China is driven by a rise in wealth — many are buying rhino horn products to flaunt their wealth. Reports show that Chinese millionaires grew from 188,000 to 719,000 in only a decade and that China now contributes most millionaires in the Forbes list. With such a rich population, that partly shows it by acquiring extremely expensive animal parts, there is no guarantee that China will be able to control trade of rhino horns.
More importantly, there is no guarantee that China's move will not encourage rhino poachers and especially the highly specialised and capacity-endowed international crime rings. This has happened in Europe where crime rings have been invading zoos and museums to steal rhino horns. For instance, media reports show in 2011, spirited thieves went on what was dubbed "rhino-head heist spree" across Europe by raiding museums and auctions houses in seven countries leading to 30 investigations by Europol.
Kenyans, and especially conservationists, should be greatly worried with the decision because the population of Chinese in the country has been growing. Although most of them have not been associated with criminality or poaching, a few have. For instance, in January 2014, a Chinese ivory smuggler was slapped with a 20-year jail term while earlier in 2008, Chinese road builders were linked to poaching, a claim that was denied by Chinese embassy.
At the same time, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has been in shambles over the last few years. This has greatly affected its ability to police the country's protected and non-protected areas. In its report, the Task force on Wildlife Security revealed that KWS' intelligence gathering unit was weak and employed outdated methods of gathering, analysing and disseminating information.
EU gives Sh5bn for Nairobi Bus Rapid Transit
The Sh9.6 billion Nairobi Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project got a major boost on Wednesday after the European Union (EU) committed a Sh5 billion grant towards its implementation.
The project, which was launched in 2015 by President Uhuru Kenyatta, has been on hold for lack of funds to buy high-capacity buses and support infrastructure.
EU Ambassador to Kenya Stefano Dejak said the money will be used to develop and install BRT supporting infrastructure in three years.
"The one thing that Nairobi needs is to have an effective BRT system. That is why EU has invested a Sh5 billion grant to make sure you the people of Nairobi will have an effective, safe, not polluting, not jamming, bus transport system," said Mr Dejak during the occasion to mark the World Cities Day in Eastleigh Wednesday.
About Sh7 billion of the amount will be used to develop five BRT lines and installing the necessary infrastructure while Sh2.6 billion will be used to procure 50 high-capacity buses.
The national and county governments will foot the remaining Sh4.6 billion — for the full implementation of the project which will see installation of other link roads such as Likoni, Enterprise, Lusaka and Parklands Ring roads as well as a walkway on Rabai Road.
Speaking at the same event, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko said his administration will ensure that the initiative is fast-tracked to meet the laid-down deadlines.
He said that after the completion of the BRT system and introduction of commuter rail services, passengers and commuters should be able to access bus and railway stations safely by foot or by cycling, adding that the Nairobi non-motorised transport policy states that all new projects must include provision of safe walkways and cycle lanes.
"As the co-chair of Nairobi Regeneration Committee, of which President Kenyatta is the chair, I will not tolerate any laziness in implementation of projects funded by the EU," said Governor Sonko. The event also marked the launch of the 2.2 kilometre General Waruinge-Juja Road-Thika Superhighway link road which is among the 16km link roads in the city that the EU is funding to ease traffic flow in Nairobi.
Nepad: Raila's political support key for Africa's integration
The African Union's key programme implementing agency has said the appointment of Opposition leader Raila Odinga as special envoy for infrastructure could help speed up integration.
The New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), which facilitates and coordinates the development of continental programmes, said Mr Odinga's experience and general political support across Africa is a key resource to mobilise communities to support the vision to open borders and connect countries with infrastructure.
"I am absolutely confident that the high representative is more than capable of assisting the continent to tackle its infrastructure challenges, since he has the comparative advantage of being technically knowledgeable in this field and he also has the requisite political backing," said Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, CEO of Nepad in Johannesburg, according to a statement released on Tuesday evening.
Dr Mayaki spoke after welcoming Mr Odinga to the agency for the first time on Tuesday since he was appointed as the African Union High Representative for Infrastructure. He said the African Union Commission and Nepad are fully committed and ready to support Mr Odinga.
Nepad often facilitates joint projects as well as mobilising resources and engaging the global community, regional economic communities and countries in transforming Africa, according to its website. Some of the projects include regional power grids and transportation networks. And the AU sees it as key to Africa's Agenda 2063 goals, through which the continent hopes to build more connecting roads, railways, open borders and provided adequate electricity to homes among others as part of an overall integration project.
In Johannesburg, the ODM leader stepped out of local politics, calling on countries in Africa to support integration. "I believe that African countries should be able to trade freely among themselves through the African Continental Free Trade Area, and the skies should be open through the Single African Air Transport Market," Mr Odinga said, according to a speech shared with the media.
He added: "For all this to happen, we need to stay focused on the priority infrastructure projects. Having an integrated approach will help us realise quick wins."
Mt Kenya leaders present demand list to Uhuru
President Uhuru Kenyatta will Thursday meet Mt Kenya lawmakers to deliberate on their grievances on unfair distribution of resources and request that he should continue being the regional kingpin even after his term ends in 2022.
The Head of State will meet the leaders at the residence of Regional Commissioner Wilson Njega in Nyeri town before he proceeds to open the Karatina Market in the afternoon.
The meeting was confirmed Wednesday and details communicated to the leaders.
An MP who declined to be named said the Central region lawmakers led by Cecily Mbarire and nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura, who are the leaders of the caucus, will present their demands to Mr Kenyatta.
"We will meet the President at 11am. Ms Mbarire will present our petition and the resolutions from our meeting. We are grateful that he is ready to listen to us because our concerns are legitimate," said the MP.
The region overwhelmingly voted for President Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto but, according to the elected leaders, the Jubilee government has not reciprocated the support. Top on the list of demands is change in the formula used to allocate cash to counties and constituencies.
"Within the context of the Constitution, why aren't we getting development funds commensurate with our investments," argued Gatundu MP Moses Kuria Wednesday.
The MPs, during a retreat in Naivasha on Monday, claimed that other regions were being favoured while Mt Kenya region had been neglected.
Part of the lawmakers' demands include that President rescinds his decision to freeze new projects. In July this year, the President gave an order stopping new projects until stalled and ongoing ones are completed. The directive has hurt the political careers of first-time MPs who made promises to push for new projects once elected.
"Now, we have been elected and the President's directive has made it difficult to lobby for those projects," said an MP.
The MPs also want to hold frequent meetings with the President amid an uproar that he has become inaccessible compared to his deputy.
"All other regions have had an opportunity to meet him. We are only saying that we also have a stake in this country," he said.
Mr Kuria, in an interview on NTV, said they will raise with the President the issue of slow pace of implementation of projects by Cabinet Secretaries.
Kangema MP Muturi Kigano said the meeting will not be political but will focus on lobbying for increased allocations to Mt Kenya region. "We need development. It will not be political but we just do some housekeeping," he said.
In demanding the lion's share of national resources, the 67 MPs said they contribute more to the economy than what they were getting.
"Mt Kenya must claim its rightful share within the remaining four years of the current administration," said Ms Mbarire.


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Research "New Venture Initiative"
In this online research, the ZIFET provides an overview of existing
initiatives supporting new venture creation in their specific
countries in an international comparison.
Globalization and Internationalization are seen as driving forces equally in economy and in research. Through an international orientation of corporations and universities, several positive effects arise. These are an internationalization of the sales market, an optimization of the innovation and cooperation management, and regarding the layout of the value chain. To date, several associations exist in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation, and transfer.
The results of our search (see below) present a comprehensive overview of existing associations, initiatives, and networks supporting the mentioned fields in Europe, North America, and Asia. All listed associations might support different target groups of a university, including students, researchers and professors.
You miss something in the list? Please give as a short Info at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Click below for a direct link to the corresponding region:
Europe - North America - Asia - Africa
|3TU contributes to the well-being of the Netherlands by strengthening and pooling knowledge and creativity in the technology sector, and by exploiting it to maximum effect.
|The Academy of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in France has the goal to establish the spirit of Entrepreneurship for the whole process of school and university education.
|Accelerator Assembly
|The Accelerator Assembly is an industry-led network, a key part of the EU initiative called Startup Europe. Ist Born out of the European Commission´s leadership towards supporting web entrepreneurs.
|AE - Austrian Entrepreneurs
|Austrian Entrepreneurs is a network of Austrian entrepreneurs with the aim of promoting entrepreneurship in and from Austria.
|AIE CR - Association of innovative Entrepreneurship
|Czech Republic
|Since June 23, 1993 implementing the goal of non-government organization in the field of innovative entrepreneurship.
|Ashoka Deutschland
|Ashoka is the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide, with nearly 3,000 Ashoka Fellows in 70 countries putting their system changing ideas into practice on a global scale.
|ASTP Proton
|ASTP-Proton is the premier, pan-European association for professionals involved in knowledge transfer between universities and industry.
|Campus Entrepreneurship Enterprise Network
|CEEN is the Irish national network for promoting and developing entrepreneurship and enterprise, at third level. CEEN aims to create a sustainable national platform for raising the profile, extending engagement and further developing entrepreneurship across the Irish HEI sector.
|Community of Practice on Inklusive Entrepeneurship (COPIE)
|The Community of Practice on Inclusive Entrepreneurship (COPIE) is a learning network of ESF Managing Authorities and Implementing Bodies at national and regional level in Europe.
|Coneeect network - Educating Entrepeneurship Educators
|Coneeect is an international network of universities that offers interactive training courses for academic entrepreneurship teachers to improve the Entrepreneurship Education across Europe.
|Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship (CSE)
|We are the largest student incubator in Denmark, open to entrepreneurs from higher education and on a mission to help you develop your idea into business.
|European network for corporate social responsibility & disability
|The ultimate aim is to enhance social inclusion and employment of people with disabilities in Europe, contributing at the same time to the development of responsible competitiveness of business and public administrations.
|CTI Entrepreneurship
|We support the next generation of scientists and entrepreneurs in developing their business ideas, setting up their company and implementing a strategy for growth.
|DENKFABRIK Entrepreneurial Universities
|The "DENKFABRIK Entrepreneurial Universities" is an independent, national and cross-university initiative and organisational platform. Employees of the participating universities, who are directly working in the areas of entrepreneurship teaching and the founding services.
|EBN Innovation network
|EBN is a network of 160+ quality-certified EU|BICs (business and innovation centres, incubators, accelerators and other support organisations) and 100 Associate Members that support the development and growth of innovative entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs.
|European Institute of Innovation & Technology ICT Labs
|EIT ICT Labs is a leading European organisation for Innovation and Education in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
|Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)
|The Network helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make the most of business opportunities in the EU and beyond.
|Entrepeneurship Research and Education Network (ERENET)
|Entrepreneurship research and education network of central European Universities.
|Erasmus Centre for Entrepeneurship (ECE)
|Driven by the conviction that entrepreneurship is the primary condition for realising progress, the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship (ECE) offers a learning environment where companies become better at entrepreneurship by gaining new insights and turning ideas into innovations.
|European Confederation of Young Entrepeneurs (YES)
|YES – European Confederation of Young Entrepreneurs is the major association of young entrepreneurs throughout Europe representing 40.000 members and aiming to support and improve the economic and social performance of young entrepreneurship in Europe.
|European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU)
|The European Consortium of Innovative Universities is a network of universities who are united by a common profile, by shared beliefs and interests, and mutual trust.
|European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ECSB)
|The European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ECSB) is a non-profit organization whose main objective is to advance the understanding of entrepreneurship and to improve the competitiveness of SMEs in Europe.
|European Forum for Entrepreneurship Research (EFER)
|Over the past 27 years, EFER has sought to put entrepreneurship on the roadmap of European higher education and develop a network of first-class European professors and active entrepreneurs.
|Eurpoean University Entrepeneurship on Network (ESU)
|The main idea of the ESU – concept is to gather people with similar views and interests who have a strong desire to share their knowledge and experiences in both entrepreneurship research and entrepreneurship education.
|German Accelerator
|To foster the international growth of German tech startups by supporting them with an effective and efficient entry into the U.S. market with our dedicated mentors.
|Holland Program on Entrepeneurship (HOPE)
|The Holland Progam on Entrepreneurship (HOPE) is a collaboration between the Erasmus University Rotterdam, Delft University of Technology and Leiden University to facilitate various programs that inspire, educate, support and connect tomorrow's leading entrepreneurs in South Holland.
|Network for Training Entrepreneurship (NFTE)
|By initiating young people into the world of the entrepreneur and giving them the spirit of the entrepreneur, NFTE tries to revitalize youth who have had difficulty fitting into the conventional business world or the formal education system.
|Polish Agency for Enterprise Development
|The mission of the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development is to act for the benefit of Polish economic and social development.
|Social Entrepeneurship Network (SEN)
|The Social Entrepreneurship Network (SEN) comprises managing authorities of the European Social Fund and social enterprise organisations from nine countries and regions of the European Union.
|University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN)
|The University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) is a dynamic network of academics, practitioners and business professionals passionate about advancing university-industry interaction, entrepreneurial universities and collaborative innovation.
|Young Entrepeneurs Organization of the European Union (JEUNE)
|JEUNE is the biggest organization representing young entrepreneurs across Europe reaching more than 1,660,000 passionate young people throughout Europe.
|Young Entrepreneurs initiative (YEi)
|The Young Entrepreneurs initiative (YEi), started in 2006, is an accelerator designed to help entrepreneurs grow their business in France and Europe.
|CONNECT Latvija
|CONNECT is an organization that links entrepreneurs with the financial, technical and business development resources they need to create and develop innovative companies in Latvia.
|EAS - Enterprise Estonia
|Established in 2000, Enterprise Estonia promotes business and regional policy in Estonia and is one of the largest institutions within the national support system for entrepreneurship, providing financial assistance, counselling, cooperation opportunities and training for entrepreneurs, research institutions, the public and non-profit sectors.
|The ECN is a platform for interdisciplinary networking and promotion of entrepreneurship at the university level.
|Enterprise Ireland
|Enterprise Ireland is the government organisation responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets.
|Entrepreneurs Organization Germany
The Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) is a Global business network of 11,000+ leading entrepreneurs in 150 chapters and 48 countries.
|FED - Future Entrepreneurship of Denmark
|Future Entrepreneurs of Denmark (FED) is a diverse talent network that was established to bridge the gap between companies, the academic world and entrepreneurs.
|Fivosz - Young Entrepreneurs Association Hungary
|FIVOSZ is the largest nation-wide organization which brings together the Hungarian young entrepreneurs and business-minded young people into a community of success.
|INNA - innovation network austria
|The purpose of the company was focused on technology transfer, valuation and marketing of innovation, financing and participation of start-up projects and consulting on strategic issues relating to corporate development.
|Institute for small business and entrepreneurship (ISBE)
|The Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) is a network for people and organisations involved in small business and entrepreneurship research, policy, education, support and advice.
|Irish Social Enterprise Network
|We are here to help social enterprises, social entrepreneurs and social innovators in getting their idea off the ground and providing the supports to grow.
|Munichnetwork - entrepreneurship & innovation
|With a broad-based backbone in technology and industry, Munich Network is a techindustry driven independent but not for profit organization geared to promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
|Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum
|Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum is the leading network organization for generating and transferring policy relevant research in the field of entrepreneurship and small enterprise development.
|The Entrepreneurs Network
|The Entrepreneurs Network is a think tank designed to bring entrepreneurs to the forefront of political discourse and help make Britain the best place in the world to start and grow a business.
|The Women Entrepreneurs of Finland
|The goal of the Association is to promote the economic, social and operating conditions of women entrepreneurs.
|TIC - Technology Innovation Centre Ltd.
|Czech Republic
|The establishment of the Technology Innovation Centre is a joint project of the Tomas Bata University in Zlín and of the Zlín Regional Government.
|Vision Entrepreneurs - The Network of Responsible Innovators
|Vision Entrepreneurs works closely with the other institutions together which was initiated by the Genisis Institute for the purposes of building a diverse infrastructure for Social Innovation and Social Impact Business.
North America
|Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs
|The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) is a global membership network of organizations that propel entrepreneurship in emerging markets.
|Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM)
|(AUTM) is an organization devoted to promoting technology transfer between universities and colleges and private enterprise and/or the government.
|Futurpreneur Canada has been fueling the entrepreneurial passions of Canada's young enterprise for nearly two decades.
|Stanford Entrepeneurship Network (SEN)
|The Stanford Entrepreneurship Network (SEN) is a working group of university programs and student groups offering opportunities for the Stanford community to learn and explore various aspects of entrepreneurship.
|Start Up Canada
|Startup Canada is a grassroots network of entrepreneurs working together to build an environment for entrepreneurship in Canada.
|The indus entrpeneurs - TIE Network
|The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), was founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley by a group of successful entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and senior professionals with roots in the Indus region.
|WECAN - Woman Entrepreneurs Connecting and Networking Inc.
|At WECAN, we are dedicated to promoting and celebrating Canadian women in business. We pride ourselves in the relationships that we foster and are motivated by the real-life stories and experiences of female pioneers in the world of business.
|WEN - Womans entrpreneurial network
|The Women's Entrepreneurial Network, is a great place to make friends and grow your business. That is our mission and we are committed to local area business owners who are looking for additional tools and resources to grow their business.
|Center for Entrepreneurship
|Center for Entrepreneurship is one of the leading forces for developing entrepreneurship in Russia. CFE is an entrepreneurship training, education and development organization that promotes economic opportunity, helps build a strong middle class, and enhances the relationship between Russia and the US.
|National entrepreneurship network
|The National Entrepreneurship Network was established in 2003 with a mission to inspire, educate and support high potential entrepreneurs while driving entrepreneurship as a catalyst to create millions of high-value jobs.
|TEN - The entrepreneurs network
|Hong Kong
|TEN was established at the end of 2005 as an association for entrepreneurs in Hong Kong through which they can access a network of peers and information from a practical perspective.
|The entrepreneurs Club
|Hong Kong
|The Entrepreneurs Club has impacted many entrepreneurs throughout the years and is one of the longest running English speaking organizations for Entrepreneurs in Hong Kong.
|USRIC - US-Russia Innovation Corridor
|Administered by American Councils for International Education, the US-Russia Innovation Corridor (USRIC) is a platform to identify, organize and advance US-Russia connections around research commercialization, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
|WENA - Woman entrepreneur network of Malaysia
|Association of Bumiputra Women Entrepreneur Network of Malaysia (WENA) is a not-for-profit association, dedicated towards championing women's right in business and profession.
|SAWEN - South Africa women entrepreneurs Network
|South Africa
|SAWEN will represent and articulate the aspirations of all women entrepreneurs (existing and potential) that operate within the South African SMME sector.
|The African network of entrepreneurs
|The African Network Of Entrepreneurs (TANOE) is an award-winning social enterprise that assists African entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses.
|The network of egyptian entrepreneurs
|Egypreneur is the network of Egyptian entrepreneurs that empowers you to start and grow your business. Aiming to establish Egypt as the modern Mecca of global trade and investment, we believe the answer lies in fueling entrepreneurship among Generation-Y.

subset: commoncrawl


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University Open Day - EXPLORA
The project
Explora – an open day in which the people of the Canton of Fribourg are invited to see the University of Fribourg from a new perspective, after running the 10km of what we hope will soon be a traditional race, UniRun.
The Foundation's commitment
An innovative project to help open up the University to the town and bring people from different backgrounds and walks of life together out of a love of knowledge and discovery. A healthy mind in a healthy body – no empty phrase at the University of Fribourg!
Tank's to...
. . . Groupe E, the sponsor of the UniRun race and the main sponsor of the open day, as well as to CEO Dominique Gachoud for his dedication.
Open Day - EXPLORA
Farida Khali, Unicom
+41 26 300 70 34


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Bridgeport, Connecticut
Earlier in the week I happened to reach Seaside Park right at low tide which made for some really interesting patterns along the shoreline. You can see Long Island lying along the horizon. I think these also belong in the "winter light" series.
This blog is going on autopilot for the weekend. I'll be in New York teaching an "Introduction to Platinum" workshop at The Center for Alternative Photography. I have to carry so much workshop-related stuff on the train that there's no room for my MacBook, so I won't do any posting from the road. As usual though, along with workshop activities I'll have a chance to do quite a lot of walking around Manhattan with a digital camera and should have lots of new pictures to begin posting on Monday.


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by Rubin 110
Mt Pleasant SC Vet Info on Intestinal Parasites
There are various types of intestinal parasites (worms) that can infect pets. The methods of infection vary and the effects on the health of your Mt Pleasant SC vet pet vary dramatically.
Method of Infection:
Pets can be infected through a variety of ways. They can become infected through contact with infected feces, either through ingestion or skin penetration. Some parasites can be transmitted from mother to offspring across the placenta or through nursing. Finally, parasites can be transmitted to your pets through the ingestion of intermediate hosts, such as fleas, rodents and rabbits.
Types of Intestinal Parasites:
The following are the most common intestinal parasite infections seen in Mt Pleasant SC 29464 dogs and cats:
TAPEWORMS: Transmitted by intermediate hosts, these parasites feed from the intestines.


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The week ahead | Calamatta Cuschieri
Markets summary and trade news to look out for this week, Pentagon cancels aid to Pakistan and Facebook executives head for an exit
The stock market throughout 2018 has been surprisingly durable, highlighting a healthy economy and strong corporate results, amid heightened tensions from President Trump's continued trade war and the Federal Reserve's shift to a more hawkish stance. September will provide further challenges, as it proves to be the worst month for stock performance.
The S&P 500 ended flat, gaining 0.01 percent to 2,901.52; the Dow edged down 0.09 percent to 25,962.82; and the Nasdaq added 0.26 percent to 8,109.54 on Friday, as Canada and the US concluded trade talks without resolution ahead of the Labor Day weekend.
European shares fell on Friday, following speculation of more tariffs to be imposed on China. Europe's STOXX 600 posted its worth monthly performance since February, ending the session down 0.8 percent. Germany's DAX, heavier in trade-sensitive industrial stocks, fell 1 percent. All sectors were in negative territory; however, the sparring over trade between Trump and the EU weighed heavily on car stocks.
The week ahead
Trade news will undoubtedly drive market sentiment, as investors watch further developments in the continuing trade spat between the US and its major partners. After reaching no agreement on Friday, the US and Canada are expected to hold more discussions regarding the NAFTA. Furthermore, the monthly US jobs report, which is expected to remain consistent with a strengthening labour market, will be the highlight of the week.
Market participants will also look at China's monthly trade figures to see if the ongoing conflict with the US had any impact on exports and imports in August. In addition, the Asian nation will publish a report on foreign exchange reserves.
Europe will have a relatively quiet week for economic data. Investors will focus on a report on activity in the UK's dominant services sector for indications on the effect of the Brexit decision is having on the economy.
Pentagon cancels aid to Pakistan
The US military has decided to cancel $300 million in aid to Pakistan, which had been suspended over Islamabad's perceived failure to take decisive action against militants. These funds were part of a broader suspension in aid to Pakistan announced by President Trump at the start of the year, when he accused Pakistan of rewarding past assistance with "nothing but lies and deceit."
Facebook executives head for an exit
At least seven senior Facebook executives have announced their departures this year. The company states none are leaving on bad terms, and some will hold advisory positions. Facebook is looking at the planned exits as an opportunity to improve diversity among leadership. Although this news was not entirely shocking, it is a major shake-up for a company that prides itself on keeping executives around, especially since it has been subject to scandal and public scrutiny in recent months.
Disclaimer: This article was issued by Lauriann Azzopardi, junior investment advisor at Calamatta Cuschieri. For more information visit, www.cc.com.mt. The information, view and opinions provided in this article are being provided solely for educational and informational purposes and should not be construed as investment advice, advice concerning particular investments or investment decisions, or tax or legal advice. Calamatta Cuschieri Investment Services Ltd has not verified and consequently neither warrants the accuracy nor the veracity of any information, views or opinions appearing on this website.


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To be successful is ok and most of us want to get there. What we should be careful about is to be successful in the wrong things. That will cost us and will hurt others too. Now here is an assurance. No matter how long and how hard you and I have traveled in the wrong direction, we can always turn around. A 180 degree turn is possible and the Bible has a term for this. It is called repentance. #PassionPurposeProductivity
© 2020 Francis J Kong


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Client Balances Cashier
|London, England
|Contract Type:
|Finance & Accounting
|£25000.00 - £30000.00 per annum
A London based Law Firm is looking for an experienced Client Balance Cashier to join their friendly Finance team. Your main responsibility will be to provide financial and administrative support to the team. In order to apply for this role it is required that you have up to two years of legal finance experience.
Key responsibilites:
- Prepare and send a monthly client balances report to all fee earners and Partners
- Identify and report on residual client account balances
- Investigate balances held and carry out research on client's details when required using, for example, companies house and social media
- Support fee earners and secretaries to clear residual balances
- Prepare notes on any balances due to the Treasury or charity for review by the Compliance and Partnership Accountant
- Update the Compliance and Partnership Accountant weekly on progress made
- Liaise with the cashiering team to ensure approved payments are paid away in a timely manner
Key requirements:
- Minimum 2 years' relevant legal cashier experience, preferably on Client account
- A good working knowledge of SRA Accounts rules
- Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to pick up new systems and procedures quickly
- Ability to work unsupervised
- Excellent attention to detail
- Ability to work under pressure and flexibly when required
- Organised manner with ability to prioritise workload
- Motivated and pro-active with a 'can-do' approach
If you fit the above description and are interested in this role, please apply with your updated CV.


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Steelers and Titans
The Steelers and Titans are not playing this week. Both teams will now have a Week 4 bye week. THe Ravens bye will likely be moved to Week 7 as well. Schedules will be updated shortly when the NFL makes the announcement.
Elias Sports Bureau and the NFL have made the following official stat changes for NFL Week 3:
Kirk Cousins is no longer credited with a fumble and -14 yard fumble return. A failed WR pass play by Adam Humphries has been changed from a rush attempt to a sack. Vikings are now credited with 2 sacks and Eric Wilson 1 sack.
Todd Gurley is now given a fumble not lost.
Bears and Roquan Smith are now credited with a forced fumble.
Tahir Whitehead's fumble return yards have been changed from 20 to 10 yards.
League-wide there were just over 30 tackles and assists changes.
Senior writer Jeff Paur answers your fantasy questions on Twitter today from 1pm - 2pm ET.
He will be there for an hour answering all your fantasy questions for this week. Follow him @jeffpaur
Five Hot Starts: Week 4
|McKeons Dreamers 3
|Phillip Lindsay RB DEN
|Thu Oct 1 12:13am ET
|New York Giants D/ST NYG
|Thu Oct 1 12:13am ET
|Chase Claypool WR PIT
|Thu Oct 1 12:13am ET
|Seattle Seahawks D/ST SEA
|Thu Oct 1 12:13am ET
|Randall Cobb WR HOU
|Thu Oct 1 12:13am ET
Please let us know if you have any questions or comments via email or phone at 636-447-1170.
|Lizards 238 (3-0)
|LFG Whiskey 8-22 set (0-3)
|Homegrown12 (0-3)
|McKeons Dreamers 3 (3-0)
|Gigaton 5 (2-1)
|Oscar the great (2-1)
|Collin 1 (1-2)
|Oh Henry and Sanders 3RB (3-0)
|Captain Crunch 3 (2-1)
|Trubisky SUX (1-2)
|Minestrone7 (1-2)
|Victorious Secret (0-3)
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry heads to Dallas to take on the Cowboys in Week 4. Landry is off to a quiet start, averaging just 4.0 catches per game through the first three weeks of the season. While he has descended to WR3 status in fantasy, Landry does have the potential for a big game in Week 4. The Cowboys have an explosive offense and a shaky pass defense that ranks just 24th in DVOA. Those two factors could combine to turn this game into a shootout, which would benefit Landry greatly. Fantasy managers can treat Landry as an upside WR3 in Week 4.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns tight end Austin Hooper is off to a slow start with his new team. Through three games, Hooper has just seven receptions for 62 scoreless yards and hasn't drawn more than four targets in a game. He does have the potential to break out in Week 4 as the Browns travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys. Dallas has a high-scoring offense and a shaky defense, which could turn this game into a blowout. That would benefit Hooper as he could see an uptick in usage in the passing game. That being said, it will be hard to trust him as anything more than a TE2 until he proves it on the field.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is off to a modest start in 2020. Through three games has hauled in 11 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown on 22 targets. He has the potential for a big game in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys as Dallas has an explosive offense and a shaky pass defense. Those two factors could combine to force Cleveland to throw more passes than they have attempted over the past two games. Fantasy gamers can start Beckham as a solid WR2 for Week 4's matchup with Dallas.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb travels to Dallas to take on the Cowboys in Week 4. Chubb could see an increased workload as Kareem Hunt's status for Week 4 is in question after he missed Wednesday's practice with a groin injury. If Hunt is unable to suit up, Chubb can be treated as a solid RB1 in Week 4 and a lock-button building block in DFS contests. Even if Hunt does play, fantasy gamers can still lean on Chubb as a quality RB2 in fantasy. The Cowboys run defense ranks 15th in DVOA through three games. Their pass defense has been even worse, which sets this contest up as a potential shootout. The Browns should make plenty of trips to the red zone, so Chubb has a good shot at finding the end zone this weekend.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield heads to Dallas to take on the Cowboys in Week 4. The Browns have leaned heavily on the run through the first three games of the season, which has capped Mayfield's weekly upside. The third-year quarterback is averaging just 28.3 pass attempts per game and only topped 23 attempts once, in a Week 1 blowout against the Baltimore Ravens. Sunday's game against an explosive Dallas offense could force the Browns to throw with more frequency as there is potential for a shootout considering the Cowboys' shaky defense. Mayfield remains a QB2 in fantasy but he does have high upside, especially in DFS tournaments, for Week 4.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (ankle) returned to practice on Wednesday. Thomas has been out the past two weeks while nursing an ankle sprain. In Wednesday's practice, Thomas was reportedly moving well and showing good signs of progress. He's currently questionable for Week 4 against the Detroit Lions. If he's able to go, Drew Brees will see a boost in his value, while Tre'Quan Smith and Emmanuel Sanders become more risky plays. Make sure to monitor the situation closely over the next few days if you're a Thomas owner.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets wide receiver Jamison Crowder (hamstring) is expected to play in the team's Week 4 game on Thursday night against the Denver Broncos. Crowder missed the team's previous two games while dealing with a hamstring injury. It doesn't sound as if Crowder will be 100% for the Thursday's game, but he is still worth starting as a WR3 in all fantasy formats, especially in PPR. In his only game this year, Crowder caught seven passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. The Jets have been sorely missing him in their passing game the previous two weeks.
From RotoBaller
The Los Angeles Rams Defense has played well to start the year, and they finally have fantasy value in Week 4. The New York Giants look like one of the worst teams in football, and they're dealing with injuries to just about every offensive weapon they have. Lineman Aaron Donald remains one of the most dominant weapons in football, and he's going to have a field day against the interior of New York. This Rams' team can take advantage of the mistakes that quarterback Daniel Jones is going to make, and they could keep the points total extremely low.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams kicker Samuel Sloman is a top-10 option in Week 4 behind this offense. This Rams' group looks closer to the one we saw in 2018 when they could move the ball at will against most defenses, and that's going to continue against the New York Giants. The Giants just look brutal right now, and that's great for kickers. Additionally, this is a home game for the Rams, which means that weather will not be an issue inside SoFi Stadium. Behind this high-octane offense, you can safely put Sloman into your lineups this week.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee had a rough go of things in Week 3, but Week 4 is his chance to bounce back. The Giants have done well at defending tight ends early in the season, but they haven't played a player of Higbee's caliber. Higbee scored three touchdowns in Week 2, and I think he gets into the end zone again this week. He gives quarterback Jared Goff a safe option across the middle, and the Giants are dealing with issues at the safety position with multiple injuries to start the year. Higbee is a low-end TE1 in 12-team leagues this week.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals WR A.J. Green has been targeted in the end zone six times through three games with zero touchdowns.
Fantasy Spin: Green was once one of the premier receivers in the NFL and a fantasy stud, but these days it's uncertain whether he or Tyler Boyd is the No. 1 receiver in the Queen City. He has tumbled into the WR3 or flex fantasy area heading into Week 4.
From TheHuddle
Cincinnati Bengals DT Geno Atkins (shoulder) practiced Wednesday, Sept. 30 for the first time since injuring his shoulder in training camp. 'We'll take it day-to-day and know more by the end of the week,' head coach Zac Taylor said.
From TheHuddle
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods had a tough matchup in Week 3, but things get a lot easier in Week 4 against the New York Giants. The Giants don't have a cornerback that can stick with Woods with any consistency, and he's going to have a number of opportunities where he's running wide open. It's rare that Woods as the upside to be a WR1, but this is one of those chances. Woods has shown a good knack for finding the end zone this year, and it will only take some receptions and one big play to give him that WR1 week. He's a safe play again this week.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams running back Darrell Henderson has a great matchup in Week 4 against the New York Giants. Over the last two weeks, he's averaged over 6.0 yards per carry. His offensive line is opening wide-open lanes for him to hit, and he's blasting through them. In Week 4, he draws the New York Giants who are just getting gashed to start the year. Their strength is defending the run with their front seven, but Henderson is just getting too much work to bench him. As long as he's getting the lead-back duties, he can give you a safe amount of RB2 production every week.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp has started the year on a slow pace, but he finally broke through in Week 3 with a 25.7 point performance against the Buffalo Bills. In Week 4, his matchup gets even better against the New York Giants. Their biggest weakness on defense is in the secondary, and they don't have anyone that can keep with Kupp. He has a safe floor as a WR2, but he has a ceiling as a WR1 this week. He gets great volume, and he is a rock-solid option for quarterback Jared Goff. Lock him in this week.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff is on a quest for a QB1-level season. He's currently QB9 as things stand, and he has a solid chance to improve that standing in Week 4 against the New York Giants. The Giants were just demolished at home by the San Francisco 49ers with backups starting all over the place. This Rams' offense just scored 28 unanswered points against the Buffalo Bills in one half, and they can do that again this week. Goff is a safe option in Week 4 for leagues with at least 12 teams, and he should give you low-end QB1 production.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams (groin), rookie linebacker Jordyn Brooks (knee), cornerback Quinton Dunbar (knee) and defensive end Benson Mayowa (groin) all missed practice on Wednesday. Adams is the top fantasy safety in the game in IDP leagues, but he could be in real danger of missing this Sunday's contest against Miami. The Seahawks Defense has given up a ton of yardage (439.7 passing yards per game) through the first three weeks, but they're on the streaming radar this week with the Dolphins on the docket. However, if Adams and some of their other defenders are forced to sit out, you may want to rethink using Seattle as a one-week play.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson (knee) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday. Carson is dealing with a minor knee sprain, but he certainly has a chance to face the Dolphins in Week 4 after getting in a limited practice to start the week. However, the oft-injured 26-year-old could be limited this Sunday even if he's active, which will make him a pretty risky fantasy commodity this week. Carlos Hyde is next in line to see more touches if Carson sits out or is limited, with Travis Homer behind Hyde in the pecking order. Fantasy managers should get a better read on how healthy Carson really is after a few more practices.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert took all of the reps in practice Wednesday, Sept. 30 with QB Tyrod Taylor (lung) not practicing. However, head coach Anthony Lynn has not yet officially named Herbert the starter for Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Fantasy Spin: If Herbert is tabbed for his third consecutive start, he is only worth a look as a QB2 in fantasy leagues which require two starting signal callers.
From TheHuddle
The Atlanta Falcons Defense should be well off the starting radar for this week against Green Bay. The ATL defense has been the Achilles heel of this team as they have blown late leads in Weeks 2 and 3. They have allowed 38, 40, and 30 points thus far this season and now face a Green Bay team that has scored close to 40 points each game. There is no reason to trust this defense.
From RotoBaller
|Thu 8:20pm ET
|Sun 1:00pm ET
|Sun 1:00pm ET
|Sun 1:00pm ET
|Sun 1:00pm ET
|Sun 1:00pm ET
|Sun 1:00pm ET
|FB Team
|Sun 1:00pm ET
|Sun 1:00pm ET
|Sun 1:00pm ET
|Sun 4:05pm ET
|Sun 4:25pm ET
|Sun 4:25pm ET
|Sun 8:20pm ET
|Mon 8:15pm ET
|Oscar the great
|Thu Oct 1 8:41am ET
|Thu Oct 1 8:14am ET
|McKeons Dreamers 3
|Thu Oct 1 2:05am ET
|Captain Crunch 3
|Wed Sep 30 8:44pm ET
|Collin 1
|Wed Sep 30 8:16pm ET
|Wed Sep 30 6:49pm ET
|Trubisky SUX
|Wed Sep 30 6:34pm ET
|Victorious Secret
|Wed Sep 30 3:31pm ET
|Oh Henry and Sanders
|Tue Sep 29 10:20pm ET
|Lizards 238
|Tue Sep 29 3:21pm ET
|LFG Whiskey 8-22 set
|Mon Sep 28 4:17am ET
|Gigaton 5
|Fri Sep 25 9:38pm ET


text:
Which video games had you been addicted to?
The first game I was addicted to was Counter-Strike 1.0. (FPS) It was back in the year 2000. I spent a few hours a day playing it for over half a year before I started to decrease the playing time.
Battlefield 1942 and Desert Combat mod of it (FPS) got me spent even more time. Online stats for (ALL players of the game, not just for a single server) I ranked top 200 out of at least half a million based on kill/death ratio.
Never Winter Nights (1) (RPG) multiplay had me playing for many hours a day for almost half a year.
Lineage 2 (MMO) had me played for a full year with at least 5~6 hours a day on average.
Battlefield 2 (FPS) had me killed over 100,000 people online. My kill/death ratio is over 3.7 to 1.
World of Tanks (1st and 3rd person or rather a tank) had me destroyed tens thousands of enemy tanks controlled by real players. Again, my kill/death ratio is way over 3.7 to 1.
All the games I had addicted to are multiplay. I like to play against other people.
What games were you addicted to? How much time did you spend on it?


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- Home
- Users & Science
- Find a beamline
- Electronic structure, magnetism and dynamics
- ID32 - Soft X-ray spectroscopy
- High Field Magnet End Station
Please note there is a published paper describing the HFM endstation:
Follow the link to the HFM paper for more information
A custom built high-field superconducting magnet integrated with an in-situ sample preparation system. This end-station is designed for x-ray magnetic circular and linear dichroism experiments (XMCD; XMLD).
This custom built magnet was designed especially for Soft X-ray XMCD and XMLD measurements. The magnetic field of 9 Tesla along the beam direction can be ramped at 8 Tesla per minute, and a magnetic field of 4 Tesla perpendicular to the beam direction can be ramped at 2 Tesla per minute. However, we typically ramp at 3T/min along the beam and 1T/min perpendicular to the beam, though we can adjust the rate depending on the required fields and the experimental need.
The sample is vacuum-mounted onto a LHe variable temperature insert that can reach ~6 K, but should be improved in the near future to ~3K, and can go up to 325K. This insert can be rotated over 360 degrees about the vertical axis. The sample space is ultra-high vacuum (10-10 to 10-11 mbar base pressure with sample at room temperature), obtained by cryo-pumping of the liquid helium can. Absorption spectra can be simultaneously measured in drain current and total fluorescence yield mode, and if requested in transmission.


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Our childhood friends Cory and Topanga are back on the small screen once again in their new show, Girl Meets World, the sequel sitcom to the classic Boy Meets World. A 30-second teaser aired today on the Disney Channel in the form of a clip that featured everyone's favorite 90's power couple all grown up and dealing with their young daughter Riley. Check out the video after the break.
Almost 20 years ago, the Disney Channel had the great idea to follow a young boy by the name of Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and his relationships with friends and family while growing up. Flash forward to the present, Cory is now married to his childhood sweetheart Topanga (Danielle Fisher) and they have two children together. Girl Meets World follows the story of 12-year-old Riley, played by Rowan Blanchard (The Backup Plan), as she faces life lessons, many taught by her exceptional parents.
While this first trailer is short, it gives us a glimpse of Riley and her BFF Maya (Sabrina Carpenter) who are attempting to sneak out of the house a la Cory and Shawn style; the bedroom window. Right there to catch them in their escape is Cory, with Topanga at the doorway to back him up to cover both exits. Although short, the show's message hits you right on the head when Riley asks, "How long do I have to live in my father's world?," with Cory responding, "Until you make it yours."
Boy Meets World was a huge part of my childhood, growing up with the characters as they did. The best part of the show was how relatable each of the characters were and all the experiences they were going through. Hopefully Disney is able to pull the same magic again for a new generation. I am sure many fans of the original will tune in for the premiere, but will the show be able to keep their attention having already lived through it once? Boy Meets World fans are now in their 20's-30's.
Expect to see plenty of friendly faces being featured on the show. Already anticipated are Will Friedle (Eric Matthews), Rider Strong (Shawn Hunter), Lee Norris (Minkus, everyone's favorite geek), and of course William Daniels (Mr. George Feeny).
Will you be reliving your childhood memories?
Girl Meets World is expected to premiere this summer on the Disney Channel for a full 21-episode season.


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Only 1 left!
Patagonia Live Simply® Spork Trucker Hat
$45.00 $36.00
Brand: Patagonia
See more: Unisex Summer Hats
Patagonia's classic mid-crown trucker hat with an organic cotton front, polyester mesh back, adjustable snap closure and embroidered Live Simply® logo art by Matthew Cater.
The Live Simply® Spork Trucker Hat makes the idea of simplifying easier to swallow. The hat features a traditional, structured front ball-cap fit in a trucker setup: organic cotton bill and crown; polyester mesh back for increased ventilation. The six-panel design with front stitching, lower front-crown profile and pliable, precurved bill provide all-day comfort. Snaps in back make sure you're well-adjusted. Artwork by Matthew Cater.
- Mid-crown, trucker-style hat with a six-panel design
- Organic cotton canvas headband
- Adjustable snap closure
- Artist: Matthew Cater
- 91 g (3.2 oz)
- Mid Crown Fit
- Crown and bill: 7.5-oz 100% organic cotton canvas.
- Back crown: 2.5-oz 100% polyester mesh


text: Was Ewart Oakeshott Right or Left handed? -- myArmoury.com About • Links • Search • Contribute Features Reviews Collections Albums Forums Books Info Favorites Register Log in myArmoury.com Discussion Forums Forum index Memberlist Usergroups Spotlight Topics Search Forum Index > Off-topic Talk > Was Ewart Oakeshott Right or Left handed? This is a standard topic Author Message Nicholas Kincurd Joined: 24 Nov 2008 Posts: 8 Posted: Sun 30 Nov, 2008 8:58 pm Post subject: Was Ewart Oakeshott Right or Left handed? Does anyone here know? This question has been nagging at me a bit, and I wouldn't know where to look for this answer, except here, where I learned of him. Craig Johnson Industry Professional Location: Minneapolis, MN, USAJoined: 18 Aug 2003 Likes: 16 pagesReading list: 20 books Spotlight topics: 1Posts: 1,384 Posted: Mon 01 Dec, 2008 6:21 am Post subject: Hi Nicholas Hi Nicholas, I believe Ewart was right handed, if memory serves me right. I know you always wore his sword on the left. Best Craig Nicholas Kincurd Joined: 24 Nov 2008 Posts: 8 Posted: Mon 01 Dec, 2008 9:26 am Post subject: Thank you for replying, and easing my trivial curiosity. I trust you're right, and I plan to have him in my book collection at some point, which I'm sure will affirm that he's right handed. Thanks again. Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Forum Index > Off-topic Talk > Was Ewart Oakeshott Right or Left handed? Page 1 of 1 All times are GMT - 8 HoursView previous topic :: View next topic Jump to: Select a forum Discussion and Research----------------Historical Arms TalkmyArmoury.com Features Talk-- Suggestions, Requests and Support-- Testing ZoneMakers and Manufacturers Talk Miscellaneous Discussion----------------Off-topic Talk Special Interest Area----------------The Marketplace-- Marketplace Feedback You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forumYou cannot attach files in this forumYou can download files in this forum All contents © Copyright 2003-2020 myArmoury.com All rights reserved Discussion forums powered by phpBB © The phpBB Group Switch to the Basic Low-bandwidth Version of the forum


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My Fair Lady grew up in an old, glorious church. You know the type – the creaky, wooden floors, handcrafted pews, stained-glass windows and that paint-weathered steeple climbing into the sky.
Oh, and the suspended choir loft that was so raggedy, every time the big girl in the group got the Holy Ghost, you knew the whole thing would collapse right into the baptismal.
Well, a new day is turning and those churches of antiquity are becoming relics of Christendom's yesteryear. Why? The same reason grocery stores and boutique retails wants Wal-Mart to burn in hell… big boxes.
Megachurches these days are living organisms that dipped into Barry Bonds stash of beef 'roids and have a hat size two sizes too big. It's not enough that they are bigger than everyone. Now, thanks to this story from the Baptist Standard, they want to be broader as well.
The average megachurch saw a growth of about 50 percent in attendance in the last five years; about 10 percent reported a decline or stagnation… The churches, with worship attendance of 2,000 or more each weekend, increasingly are using satellite locations, with 37 percent using them in 2008, compared to 27 percent in 2005 and 22 percent in 2000.
We have all seen it – Greater Jesusville Church… West, Northeast, South by Southwest, Downtown and of course, by the Mall. What's next to help these places grow? How about an amusement park inside for the kiddies. Nothing says, "ooooooooooooooooooo gawd" quite like a loop-de-loop in church, right? How about a hiking trail? Something to get the kids lost between the Vaudevillian stage and the "West Wing," which is usually guarded by a security system and some blockhead named, "Brutus."
Whatever it is, they'll think of it. Through multiple services, church in front of the big screen to conferences for every reason under the sun, it'll be at one of those "God in a Boxes". And regretfully for the old rugged cross, the only memory our own lil' Wall Watchers will have of those places are historical markers and that fun little game you do with your fingers, "Open the door… and there's no people."


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Classic 6in work boot that has all the features you want with none that you don't. Oil and Slip resistant outsole for safety. Cushioned insole and padded collar for comfort even after a whole day on your feet.
- Leather
- Cement Construction
- Oil & Slip Resistant Rubber Outsole
- Comfort Cushioned Insole
- Comfort Padded Collar
- Heel Height: 1.25
- Closure: Lace Up


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TV Times top picks for tonight...
What's on telly tonight? Here the TV Times team of expert reviewers highlight the best shows on Saturday 24th February
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, 7.00pm, ITV
Our favourite Geordie duo, Ant and Dec, are back with more fun, games and hidden-camera antics as Saturday Night Takeaway returns. In the first show of the series, The Voice UK's newest coach, Olly Murs, takes the mic as Guest Announcer and Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden falls victim of the first "Undercover" of the series, as the boys wreak havoc during a shopping segment on QVC. Scarlett Moffatt is back to fill the "Best Seats in the House" and Kylie Minogue will be performing her new single, as well as stepping back in time to sing some of her biggest hits in the End of the Show Show. Welcome back, lads, we've missed you! Rating: *****
Troy: Fall of a City, 9.10pm, BBC1
If a man steals another's wife these days, he could get named in a divorce case or even appear on The Jeremy Kyle Show. Back in Ancient Greece he'd cause a major war! Jonas Armstrong's King Menelaus is raging over young upstart Paris stealing his beloved wife, Helen, and starts massing armies to march on Troy, where Helen is living in sin. He calls upon three fearsome Greek warriors – his brother Agamemnon, Achilles and a very troubled Odysseus – to help him in his quest and, with mystical assistance from the gods, they soon end up on the shores of Troy where the first battle of an epic war begins. Be warned: brutal but spectacular fight scenes await. Rating: *****
Take Me Out Special, 6.00pm, ITV
To mark 10 years of Take Me Out, for the first time ever, host Paddy McGuinness is turning the dating show on its head and saying "Bring on the boys!", as 30 male contestants from previous series return for another shot at finding The One. (The question is, will any of the boys turn their lights out?). Coming down the "Love Lift" will be celebrity beauties Chloe Sims from The Only Way Is Essex and gold medal-winning gymnast Claudia Fragapane. The special will also feature past success stories, including Beckie and Adam from series eight, who married last year and are expecting their first baby; and Adele and Dave from series two, who are expecting baby number two. Aww… Rating: ****
More previews tomorrow


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There will be no waiting around the phone Sunday night for the University at Albany men's basketball team.
UAlbany, despite its 22-10 record, has decided not to play in either the College Insider Tournament or the College Basketball Invitational, two tournaments that had been in contact with the school about its potential interest.
One of many factors, coach Will Brown said Friday, was the health of senior forward Travis Charles, who sprained his left knee in the penultimate game of the regular season. Charles played 29 minutes Saturday in a 69-60 America East Conference quarterfinal tournament loss to Stony Brook but would not have been available had the Great Danes advance, Brown said.
"If you play in one of those, you want to be able to put your best foot forward and have a chance to win it," Brown said. "That's why you play it. There's a lot of things you have to consider — how your team's playing, the health of your team, the financial situation. These tournaments can be expensive. Our athletic administration and myself had some good talks about it, and it's a mutual decision that's in our best interest this particular year."


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Your credit score is the magical number that makes lenders and creditors decide whether they should give you money or not, and if yes, then what terms they should give it to you on. Having a good credit score nowadays is as important as being a good law abiding citizen or having a regular income. Your credit score is affected by a number of factors, and while positive variables bring up your credit score, there are a number of negative items that can greatly pull it down.
The 7 Major Credit Score Killers That You Need To Avoid Are:
- Late Payments: Your credit report provides details about all your credit accounts. This includes the time when you paid your installments or credit card bills. Late pays are not just clearly listed out in your credit report, but they have the maximum weight (35%) when it comes to calculating your credit score.
- Defaulting On Payments: Defaulting on your payments is even worse than late pays and brings down your credit score drastically because it is an indicator of a person not being a good credit bet. Apart from this, non payments get you closer to a charge off, which can badly scar your credit report.
- Maxing Out Your Credit Limit: Your debt to credit limit ratio forms 30% of your credit score. The more your debt to credit ratio, the lower will be your credit score. Therefore, maxing out your credit cards can considerably lower your credit limits while a ratio of less than 50% can favorably alter your credit score.
- Closing Old Credit Accounts: Canceling old credit cards , especially the initial ones, cut short your credit history. A credit history over a period of ten years carries more weight than a credit history of just five years. The length of your credit history has a weight of 15% when calculating your credit score, and should therefore be kept to a max.
- Charge Offs: Consistent non-payment on an account makes a creditor charge off an account and report it as a loss to insurance agencies. Needless to say, a direct loss to your creditor will negatively affect your credit score big time.
- Collections: In case you default on a number of your payments continuously and your creditor turns it over to a collection agency, then that account will be termed as being "sent to collections". Accounts can be sent to collections before and even after being charged off.
- Bankruptcy: A bankruptcy will send your credit score to rock bottom. While it may help you get rid of immediate loans and repayments, it will make it extremely difficult to get credit or to get it on good terms once you have a bankruptcy listed on your credit report. A bankruptcy also stays on your report for at least 7 to 10 years and should therefore be considered only as a last resort.


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RoleReaction Command
This command allows you to configure
RoleReactions are the term used for a reaction that when clicked assigns a role.
Jeeves supports the use of all valid discord emojis as valid RoleReaction emojis including the newly animated emojis. Emojis are linked to roles on a per-channel basis. You can use the same emoji for different roles in different channels.
The first thing you should do is run
!setup RoleChannel. This tells Jeeves what channel he should monitor for incoming reaction events. Normal users are limited to 1 channel, this should be more than fine for 99% of cases. If you require more then 1 channel consider becoming a Patreon to unlock the ability to have multiple role channels.
There are 4 different actions this command can perform.
setlinking an emoji to a role - When setting a role, the role must have the "Allow anyone to @mention this role" setting enabled. You can disable this after the set action has been performed.
clearunlinking an emoji
viewgetting a list of all linked emojis
resetthis clears all linked emojis - This action is not reversible
NOTE Jeeves must be listed in the server roles higher than the roles that you want him to manage.
Patreon Users: With multiple role channels set up, Jeeves needs to know what channel you are talking about when running the commands below. Include a channel reference like #Get-Roles in all commands OR run the commands from the role channel you wish to edit.
Available in DM: No
Can Restrict to a channel: Yes
!roleReaction set 💰 @GreedyGoblin
Links the money bag emoji to the GreedyGoblin Role
!roleReaction clear 💰
Unlinks the money bag emoji from all roles
!roleReaction view
Get a list of linked emojis and their role
!roleReaction reset
Wipe all rolereaction data
!roleReaction set 💰 @GreedyGoblin #Get-Roles
Patreon Multi-Channel example where #Get-Roles is a second channel
Q) How many RoleReactions can I have?
50 per channel
Q) Can I have 2 Emojis with the same name?
No, Jeeves links emojis by their name, not their icon or their ID.
Q) Can I have 2 Emojis with the same icon?
Yes, as long as the name is different you are free to have 50 emojis with the same image.
Q) I deleted a linked emoji from my discord server, how can I clear it without resetting everything?
Create a new emoji with the same name and run the clear command with that emoji.


text: The is one of the most unique vaporizers to ever come to market. It is built with the same heater technology as the Silver Surfer, but it a more compact design. The Life Saber is a portable vaporizer but still has a power cord, so you are tied to an outlet, but with the 10 foot power cord you have a lot of freedom knowing the power of AC is always there.


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DTaP Vaccine: A Geeky Overview
The DTaP is a vaccine that contains toxoids and some antigens adsorbed onto aluminum adjuvants to stimulate antibodies against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis.
The DTaP is an acellular vaccine that replaced the whole cell pertussis vaccine, DPT, in the mid to late 1990s. In 1948, the antigens for Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis were rolled into one vaccine, and recommended for infants and children prior to entry into school.
After a long history of adverse reactions spanning 5 decades (including sudden fatal anaphylactic shock in twins following injection, and numerous studies investigating the relationship between SIDS and vaccination) to the whole cell pertussis, the United States and UK eventually adopted the acellular DTaP vaccine for infants and children. Though this newer vaccine is less effective at preventing infection, it had fewer reported adverse reactions. Vaccine coverage went from 70ish% of infants receiving the DPT to over 94% consenting to the acellular version.
Currently, the acellular vaccine does not prevent transmission and colonization of pertussis bacteria, which is why we see a high resurgence of whooping cough, especially in fully vaccinated children. Fully vaccinated children and adults can spread it unknowingly to unvaccinated infants and children, which is one reason why the vaccine is dangerous.
Understand Pertussis Vaccine
Today's pertussis vaccine is acellular (in developed nations). Acellular means that vaccine manufacturers take the bacterial cell surface and chops it up into small pieces. It only includes very specific fragments, approximately including 3-5 protein fragments (aka antigens) out of a possible 3,000 (when comparing to the WHOLE CELL pertussis vaccine).
The vaccine also contains pertussis toxoid (different than toxin). Toxoid is the chemically altered version of the toxin so that it is no longer active.
The toxoid and the handful of bacterial protein fragments are then bonded to aluminum adjuvants.
Understand the pathophysiology of Pertussis
In order to understand the limitations of the vaccine, you must first understand how the disease works.
First, and I've seen countless people get this wrong for some odd reason: pertussis is a bacteria, NOT a virus.
Second, the majority of bacterial infections are considered to be toxin-mediated diseases. What that means is the bacteria produces toxins that causes some kind of disruption or damage to your body.
When you are exposed to the bacteria and it adheres to your lung tissue, the bacteria begins to immediately produce their toxins. There are three main ones (there are others, but these are the most important):
- Pertussis toxin (PT or PTX) – aids in the disruption of cell signalling that prevents your immune system from responding to the bacteria.
- Adenylate Cyclase toxin (ACT) – has similar function to PTX, to prevent your immune system from responding to the bacteria.
- Tracheal Cytotoxin (TCT) – you have finger-like cilia in your lungs that beat in such a way to move mucus out of your lungs. TCT paralyzes/kills your lung cilia, effectively allowing mucus to pool in your lungs. This is how "whooping cough" is formed, because your body violently coughs or finds other means to forcibly move the mucus out of the lungs (like throwing up).
To summarize, the toxins that pertussis produces prevents your immune system from recognizing/destroying the bacteria, and it prevents your body from moving mucus out of the lungs as it normally would.
It takes a very long time for the immune system to figure out how to combat this, hence it is known as the 100 day cough.
Pertussis Vaccine vs. Natural Exposure
Antigen count:
~5 vs. 3,000
Toxin count:
1 vs. 3 (only including the important ones here)
Immunostimulatory event:
aluminum adjuvants causing cellular damage vs. PTX, ACT, and TCT toxins causing cellular damage
Hopefully it's plain to see why the vaccine response is mismatched with the natural response.
Vaccine immunity teaches you very, very little antigens to recognize the bacteria by (~0.17% of the entire bacteria).
The vaccine only teaches the immune system how to recognize ONE toxin vs all pertussis toxins.
Aluminum cell damage would produce a very different immune response compared to the cell damage caused by the bacterial toxins.
While this is a general overview, hopefully it provides more insight as to the potential reason why vaccination cannot prevent colonization/transmission.
(Science explanation courtesy of Whyser)
Additionally, more and more cases of pertussis, also called whooping cough, are caused by mutated strains of the bacteria bordetella pertussis, which are evolving without pertactin, one of the outer membrane proteins, rendering the vaccine even more useless. In this case, the vaccine has caused the bacteria to selectively mutate. Read all about that here.
What can you do?
Follow the Vitamin C Protocol for Whooping Cough by Dr. Suzanne Humphries
Further Reading:


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Question: I'm 70 years old and will need to take my first required minimum distribution soon. I don't need the money — at least I don't foresee needing it — so I'm looking at it as money that will go to my children, who are in their 30s and 40s. My first thought was to invest it in growth stocks for them, but that could push me into a higher tax bracket and increase my overall tax liability. Which is the wiser course — trying to minimize my taxes or investing for the kids in the way that's best for them?
Ric: The key with a required minimum distribution is to focus on your goal. You said your intention is to leave it for your children — and presumably that's far down the road. If that's your objective, then yes, the money should probably be invested for growth. But that doesn't mean you can't be diversified; you can own a diversified portfolio that still leans toward growth.
Also, I'm not sure I understand your comment about taxes. Investing for growth doesn't have to create an adverse tax issue.
Some people might say that, if you're 70 with more money than you need, you should invest the money conservatively to make sure it will be there for the kids. But think of it this way: Since you say you won't need the money and plan to leave it to your kids, we could argue that the money really isn't yours; instead, it's theirs.
You're merely the steward of the money, a caretaker serving on their behalf. And that means, as you said, you should invest it with their goals in mind. And based on their ages, a growth investment strategy makes sense.
But you aren't certain that you won't ever need the money. Therefore, we'd want to conduct an analysis to test your assumption that you won't ever need income from this money. Only if there is no doubt would we want to proceed as you've suggested.
Another option for you to consider: Give some or all of the money to them now. Your life expectancy is 20 years or more. Why force young people who are 35 to wait for their inheritance? I bet they could use the money now more than they'll need it later.
If you were to pass $10,000 or $20,000 to a child now, it might be of huge benefit to them in buying a home, paying for college, buying a car or eliminating a debt. That's why the estate planning conversation about distribution of assets should often begin sooner than many would think.
The old-school method was that people received inheritances after someone died. The patriarch died at 60, when the kids were in their 40s, but people are living much longer today, so a different approach is worth consideration.
So we'd recommend a twofold approach for you. First, let's confirm your assumptions, and if they're correct, let's consider an adjustment to the estate planning strategy for the true benefit of the entire family. This is a smart way to handle your required minimum distribution.
This material was prepared for informational and/or educational purposes only. Neither Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C (also referred to as Edelman Financial Engines) nor its affiliates offer tax or legal advice. Be sure to consult with a qualified tax or legal professional regarding the best options for your particular circumstances.