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How World Cup Soccer Champ Christen Press Focuses with Yoga + Meditation
Christen Press, the 26-year-old professional soccer forward who helped the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team win the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in July, explains how yoga and meditation "quiet the distractions" in her life and make her a more dynamic athlete. Plus: Her twice-daily Vedic meditation ritual.
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Christen Press, the 26-year-old professional soccer forward who helped the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team win the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in July, explains how yoga and meditation "quiet the distractions" in her life and make her a more dynamic athlete. Plus: Her twice-daily Vedic meditation ritual.
YJ: How does practicing yoga three times a week make you a more dynamic soccer player?
Press: Practicing yoga makes me a happier soccer player. Sometimes, thoughts freeze you. When I'm able to play thought-free, I am more dynamic and natural. This thoughtlessness is something that yoga and meditation instilled in me. There is also a core group of the national team that regularly practices yoga together during camp.
YJ: Are there any particular yoga poses that you use in your training, and why?
Press: The most important poses in my practice for training purposes are hip openers, shoulder openers, and hamstring lengtheners. These poses help me release some of the tension in my back. I enjoy balancing sequences with Tree Pose, Warrior III, and Half Moon Pose. And Rabbit Pose is a new addition that really helps release my neck.
YJ: How did you get turned on to Ayurveda?
Press: My sister Channing Press started a Vedic Meditation company called Piece of Peace. She studied Ayurveda in India and taught me about it.
YJ: How have you used Ayurveda as a woman? As an athlete?
Press: Mostly I use it for stress relief, which ties into all aspects of my life — social, career, mood — and to stay present. I often use a heat pack or soak my feet in hot water to help with my circulation and quiet anxious thinking. I love grounding by walking through sand or grass. My sister performs Reiki on me.
YJ: Vedic Meditation originated from the ancient Hindu Vedas (Veda is Sanskrit for "knowledge"). Tell us more about how it works.
Press: Vedic Meditation is an ancient, effortless, and natural form of meditation. This meditation is practiced for 20 minutes twice daily while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed. It delivers benefits right away by helping your mind settle down. During the meditation, you repeat your prescribed mantra, letting it guide you toward a state of deep relaxation. Remember, meditation is not all about "euphoria" and relaxation. My experiences have included several unpleasant, stress-relieving or anxious, mind-wandering meditations. This is an expected part of the de-stressing process.
YJ: When the world is watching you and commenting on you, how do you keep your focus and buoyancy? Any tricks for tuning out the voices and keeping your head in the game?
Press: I think meditation is all about quieting the distractions. I never need to be thinking about the outside world and commentary while I'm playing. Meditation and yoga have helped teach me how to stay focused and balanced by continually coming back to the present moment and stripping the power away from the infiltrating thoughts.
YJ: What is the ONE thing you'd tell people about Ayurveda?
Press: I would tell them my sister's story. She has transformed her life through meditation and is a light. She struggled with depression in high school and college when juggling the pressures of being an elite student athlete. She now lives to serve and teach others.
Ahnu YogaSport Tip: FIND YOUR INNER BALANCE
When she's training, Press enjoys balancing sequences with Tree Pose, Warrior III, and Half Moon Pose. Find more balancing poses (and build a strong foundation for your asana practice) here.
READ MOREYoga for Athletes


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The F-35 joint strike fighter program is on a roll. Production prices and operating cost estimates are coming down, flight test is accelerating, development issues are being cleared, pilot training is underway, and target dates for operational service have been announced.
There are still risks in the program, but the services and Pentagon leaders insist the F-35 is their top priority and have pledged to protect its funding no matter what happens with the rest of the defense budget.
In a September interview, Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan, the F-35 program executive officer, said, "We are really, really close to turning the corner" on the fighter. "I am confident," he said, that the Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy will have everything they need to achieve their target initial operational capability dates in the second half of 2015, second half of 2016, and late 2018, respectively. Those dates were announced by the services in June.
After a program review summit last summer of Pentagon, contractor, and international F-35 partners, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Frank Kendall declared the strike fighter was no longer "one of my problem programs." Kendall also forecast that he'd green-light a significant hike in F-35 production rates following a program review this fall.
Production has been held to about 30 airplanes a year for the last three years, but Kendall said he saw no reason not to start ramping up to 44 airplanes in 2015 and 66 in 2016.
Following this fall's Oct. 21 review, Kendall said production rates could increase—"consistent with budget priorities"—so long as progress continues, particularly in software, reliability and sustainability, and test.
"This is not the program of 2010," Kendall told reporters at a press conference after the June summit. While he said it was too soon to "declare success," he was impressed by the program's progress and forecast significantly lower cost reports in the months to come.
The coming year will be telling, however. Bogdan said his optimism is tempered by the prospect of "hard stuff" the program will have to achieve in the next 12 months.
"The two things we need to … really turn the corner, is to watch the production ramp rate go up because we really haven't seen that yet," he said. The second accomplishment needs to be demonstrating success with major software milestones.
One aspect of that software verification work is live, guided weapon launches. These began in October. While many types of munitions have been released from the fighter to demonstrate they can come away from the airplane safely, "in the next year, we're actually going to try to … hit something," Bogdan said. The first tests included laser guided bombs and air-to-air missiles.
The ramp rate is a big challenge because it "stresses the supply chain pretty good when you're doubling your production over the next three years," he noted. For now, though, "engine and aircraft [production] are stable."
However, once it's clear the production increase and the software and weapon tests are going well, then "I would tell you … the program's turned the corner," he said.
Two key developments over the summer highlighted the program's progress. The government and Lockheed Martin struck a deal on production Lots 6 and 7 dropping the price four percent with each lot. Also, Bogdan sent a revised life cycle cost estimate to the Senate forecasting the US military fleet of 2,443 F-35s will cost $857 billion to buy, own, and operate for the next 53 years. That projection was 22 percent lower than the previous estimate, created by the Pentagon's Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation shop, which famously pegged it at $1.1 trillion.
While skeptics may be suspicious that these positive developments are coming at a time when defense programs are getting intense scrutiny, all this good news out of the project "is not spin. It's just fact," Bogdan said.
Now in its 12th year, the F-35 program has had a turbulent development. Three years ago, the project had to be restructured as deadlines slipped, flight testing lagged, technical problems abounded, and costs rose.
Vice Adm. David J. Venlet, then the F-35's PEO, asked for—and got—extensions of time and money to get the program back on track. About $6 billion was added to the program, along with 30 more months of development time, to resolve problems of concurrency. Concurrency is performing development, flight testing, production, training of operational pilots and maintainers, establishment of depots, and stand-up of operational bases all at the same time.
"I'm not sure that both the good and the bad got equal time" in public discussions about the F-35 until recently, Bogdan said. "Sometimes, not enough of the bad" was publicized, he said. Then, "people got surprised when things went off the rails"—and the bad news became a major story.
Since taking over the program in the summer of 2012, Bogdan's mantra has been "no more time and no more money." He won't request any more of either from Congress and said if any of the three services, eight international partners, or two foreign military sales customers involved in the program want to make changes to it, those changes must be thoroughly justified and paid for by deleting something else. He's established a team within the project whose sole job is to minimize changes, which drive costs up.
An Imbalance of Risk
The program left to him by Venlet is "pretty credible and pretty realistic," Bogdan said in a speech at the Air Force Association's Air & Space Conference in September.
He admitted throwing "a hand grenade into the crowd" in his speech the year before, by declaring the relationship between the government and its contractors on the F-35 was the worst he'd seen in his years as an acquisition officer.
"That was intentional," Bogdan said of those harsh comments, and they had the desired effect of getting the attention of contractors, the press, and Capitol Hill alike—making clear the urgency of changing the program's culture.
The old, dysfunctional relationship was not based on transparency and good communications, and it was also not fair, he said. There was an imbalance of risk, wherein the government was bearing too much and the contractors not enough.
Now, though, "the balance of risk has changed," he said. While the relationship is not yet perfect, the Lots 6 and 7 results—achieved in only several months, after it took nearly 14 months to negotiate Lot 5 alone—demonstrate improved communication, he said. Bogdan pointed out that the government has "zero" liability if costs on Lots 6 and 7 are higher than those quoted by Lockheed Martin and engine-maker Pratt & Whitney; the companies will have to eat any overages. However, if costs are lower than expected, the government and the contractors share in the savings. Lot 8 comes up for negotiation next month.
Bogdan's speech at the 2012 AFA conference was "an impactful day," said Lorraine M. Martin, Lockheed Martin's F-35 vice president and general manager, in an interview. She and Bogdan resolved to make Lots 6 and 7 the "test case [for] how we can do business better together—communicating, coordinating, being responsive, … which is what a good partnership is all about."
"[Through Lot 7], we've brought the price down 55 percent since the first time we negotiated for a production aircraft," Martin said. The price decrease was made possible by negotiating two lots at once, an improved learning curve, higher volume, and because of lessons learned on Lot 5, she said.
"We spent a lot of time in [Lot] 5 really understanding costs," she observed, chalking up most of the delay to the process of reaching agreement with the government on what those costs actually were.
"The next round of efficiencies," however, will depend on increasing the volume produced, to obtain the economies of scale, she said. The US military services expect to buy more than 2,400 F-35s; export orders will involve at least 600 more.
The program office's new lower cost estimate is informed by thousands of hours of real-world experience in test and training flights and maintenance, while the previous CAPE estimate—now three years old—did not have those numbers to work with and is "stale," Bogdan said.
In his 2013 Air Force Association Air & Space Conference speech, Bogdan forecast that "by 2019, you're going to see an airplane, in my opinion, that is comparable in cost" to fourth generation fighters. It will be somewhat more expensive "because you would expect that a fifth generation aircraft would cost somewhat more," but he said he's got contractor commitment to aim for price equivalency with fourth gen fighters. For the Air Force, the price is ultimately expected to come in at about $85 million a copy, flyaway cost.
Because affordability is the top management priority, Bogdan said he's copied a tactic used by the Navy on its Virginia-class submarine program and by European governments and contractors for the Typhoon fighter. He's established a "cost war room," populated by government and contractor experts whose sole job is to scrutinize operating costs and look for more efficient ways to do things. The contractors have provided office space and efficiency experts "with their own nickel," Bogdan said.
The war room was a good idea in any case, but it was mostly in response to the reliability and maintainability experience so far on the F-35, which "is one of my biggest worries, long term," he said.
The R&M cost curves "we're seeing right now are not where we need them to be, not where the services need them to be," Bogdan said. One headache is parts shortages: It's taking too long to fix parts and some were not designed properly in the first place.
Tires on the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing model, for example, are being changed out too often. As it turns out, he said, the qualities that make a tire work well for a vertical landing on the F-35B are "on the opposite end of the spectrum" from the qualities that make a tire last a long time in conventional use. Lockheed Martin and tire manufacturer Dunlop have gone back to the drawing board, but the tire redesign "isn't costing me one penny," Bogdan said.
This is just one sign the program now demands accountability from contractors and customers alike to live up to their promises. When the tire is redesigned, Bogdan said he will expect the companies to "stand behind" their product with a warranty.
The spares situation, Martin said, came about for several reasons.
"The sparing inventory wasn't funded the way the program office would have hoped at the beginning," she said. "It's being fixed, going forward, … but in some cases, we don't have the spares we'd be looking for." Complicating the problem is the rapid stand-up of multiple F-35 operating locations; something not "originally planned for" in the spares plan. "We … have six operational bases right now," she said, and there have to be spares available in all locations.
The stand-up of the USAF and USMC depots should help the spares shortfall by creating more places where parts can be fixed, freeing the parts manufacturers to concentrate on production rather than rework of parts.
Bogdan said he's taken a "whack-a-mole" approach to reliability issues. "We have a good list of all those bad actors," he said. "So we are systematically going through and applying engineering discipline, money, and work to … bring that list down"—20 items at a time—"until we get the reliability and maintainability on this airplane to what the users need."
Testing Takes Off
By the end of this calendar year, the F-35 program will be "50 percent done" with the test flight program, versus one-third done at the end of last year, Bogdan reported. Test flying is accelerating because more test aircraft were added, and the flights themselves are being run "more efficiently." Departure testing and engine airborne restart testing are finished, and "we're very happy to have come through that cleanly," said Bogdan, himself a former test pilot.
All versions of the F-35 have performed aerial refueling with all US tanker types, and the short takeoff and vertical landing F-35B has made runs on the small carrier Wasp for vertical landing tests. Testing of the Multifunction Advanced Data Link, or MADL, system also is underway.
"That's a big deal for us," Bogdan said, "because this airplane is so darn smart, if you can't talk to other people, we will lose huge capability in the future."
He said the Air Force and Marine Corps versions have completed one "lifetime" of durability testing and have started a second lifetime; the Navy model has nearly finished its first durability lifetime.
The program will deliver 36 aircraft this calendar year, Bogdan said. He said "the biggest thing" that has changed on the program since last year is the number of sites where F-35s are flying. Each service has several operating locations now; Air Force and Marine Corps depots have been stood up; and the Navy has started flying its new F-35Cs at Eglin AFB, Fla. Italy's Final Assembly and Check-Out (FACO) facility recently began assembling its first fuselage.
"So in just one year, we've added five or six different sites, … and over the next four years, we'll add another 11 sites," Bogdan said. From 2011 through 2017, "we'll have 17 more places where we'll be operating the F-35. That is a big, big increase."
Eglin, the all-service F-35 schoolhouse, has trained some 67 operational pilots, and there are more than 100 F-35 pilots in all. More than 100 F-35s are flying.
Most long-term issues with the F-35 are also largely resolved, to varying degrees, Bogdan reported.
The F-35 helmet—on which pilots depend for 360-degree situational awareness, night vision, targeting, and aircraft status data—had a number of problems with nighttime acuity, latency of the image as pilots moved their heads, and a jittery presentation.
Martin said the helmet concerns have been generally corrected after "a good six months" of testing fixes. Some were with software, and the night vision problem is being remedied by substituting a new, more advanced camera than the existing 2005-vintage model. It will be cut into production starting with Lot 7.
"But we can go to war with the helmet we have," she said, and in fact, the existing helmet "has been deemed suitable for Marine Corps IOC." The helmet has "9,000 flying hours on it," and pilots "love it," she said. Bogdan agreed that the helmet matter seems to be resolved. He canceled an alternative helmet development; its existence had offered contractors a stiff incentive to fix the original equipment. Progress in resolving the helmet issues made the alternative unnecessary, he announced in October.
The original F-35C arrestor hook has been redesigned and tested, and the new hook will soon be integrated into production.
Regarding issues with fuel dumps, "we're stuck with the design," Bogdan said in the AFA speech. Underwing pressure was keeping dumped fuel against the airframe, getting into areas where it shouldn't go. Tweaks of affected areas on the wing will mitigate the problem and render the situation acceptable to the Navy and Marine Corps. USAF tends not to dump fuel, he said.
Critics joked that the F-35 Lightning II can't survive an encounter with lightning, since it doesn't fly in thunderstorms.
"The truth of it is, you usually don't get clearance to fly an airplane in lightning until near the end of the development program," Bogdan said, and the F-35 is only halfway through flight test. Still, the program will accelerate lightning qualification to satisfy critics; it should be in place by 2015.
The Marine Corps will declare the F-35 operational with what is called the 2B software. It will have all the basic weapons, sensors, software, electronic warfare, and other capabilities expected for initial operations and, at that minimum level, will still be better than those on any current Marine Corps fighter.
The 3I software, considered interim software as is the 2B, is the same suite of programs but on a more powerful processor, Martin explained. The 3F software—which will equip the Air Force's first war-ready aircraft—"is the final … development capability as committed to on the F-35," she said.
The 3F software "has some more data fusion in it [and] has about 300,000 extra lines of code to be coded that we haven't finished yet, out of 8.6 million [lines in the fighter]," Martin explained. That's "nontrivial, but we do have the time, and we have a plan that we feel comfortable can be executed," she said.
The 2B software has had "three main drops, and they have all been on time, with the capability we had promised." There's also clear agreement with the program office about just what has to be in each software drop, she said, so "there's no question between us and [Bogdan] at any time where we are."
Breaking the Code
Martin asserted that, as of September, 95 percent of the F-35 software has been coded and "86 percent is flying."
Bogdan agreed that "the interim capabilities" of the software as it stands now "are pretty secure." However, "I am less confident on the back end … [in] the 2016 to 2017 time frame, with our final capability."
The F-35 has "10 million lines of code on the airplane [and] 10 million lines of code on offboard systems. That is just an awful lot of software." The pacing is critical, he said in the AFA speech.
"The labs, the airplanes, the software engineers" now working on the 2B and 3I will have to shift to the 3F at some point. If that shift happens in "a timely way," he will be confident in the software effort going forward, he said. But "if I have to leave people and resources on 2B and 3I longer, you can bet that affects our final capability."
Stakeholders should keep an eye on the 2B and 3I software progress; "that will give you a very good indication of what's going to happen in 2017," Bogdan suggested.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III rarely misses a chance to advocate for the F-35 as crucial to the service's future combat ability. Last spring, he also said the F-35 will have to bear a much greater part of the air superiority mission than it was ever intended to, because of the small number of F-22s.
"I believe the Chief is probably right," Bogdan said in the interview. As a replacement for the F-16, the F-35 will inherit the Viper's air-to-air role.
To give it more dogfighting capability, Bogdan said the F-35 program has a science and technology funding line that looks at future capabilities and growth potential for the fighter. "We are specifically targeting sensors and weapons that enhance our ability in the air-to-air realm," he reported. "We … will make this airplane even better than it is today in an air-to-air role."
There are block upgrade plans "already in place for the aircraft," Martin said. There are "significant roadmaps" for electronic warfare, communications, weapons, and sensors, "not only to support the US but our partners as well." The summit-level steering committee is "now in the process of looking at Block 4A and 4B for added capabilities," she said.
The power plant is a likely improvement area. Bogdan said there could be modular enhancements to the F135 engine, or "a whole new engine 20 years from now." The entire S&T community, he said, "continues to advance engine technology, and … the F-35 is going to use some of that someday. We have to."
Moreover, the F-35's stealth can be improved, he said.
"It's not just coatings, … shape, [or] … countermeasures kind of stuff. There's a whole host of things you can do" without affecting the aircraft's shape or "mold line." The program "would like to tap into that," he said.
Bogdan acknowledged that Lockheed Martin offered stealthy external weapons or fuel pods on the stillborn FB-22 proposal, and something similar could extend the F-35's range, even as the services are putting a premium on longer-range systems to defeat anti-access, area-denial threats.
However, combat commanders "have to decide in some form of trade if they're willing to pay the penalty of maybe a little less stealth, a little less payload for increased range," Bogdan said. "I've not heard that demand signal yet."
The recent news of positive developments coming from the program office shouldn't be construed as advocacy, Bogdan maintained.
"I have to run the program to the best of my ability and let the chips fall where they may," he insisted. Program advocacy is best left to Lockheed Martin, the services, and the international partners. To be an F-35 advocate would mean "I lose my credibility," he said.
Even so, Bogdan is confident "it's going to come out good."
Having made countless visits to Capitol Hill since taking over the F-35, Bogdan said he believes there is a "sea change" in the way the fighter is perceived there.
"I think the Hill appreciates our candor and the transparency we're providing them on the program," he asserted, hastening to add that he's only one of many messengers from the Defense Department explaining how things are going on the F-35. Service Chiefs and the "whole senior leadership" of the Defense Department are telling Congress "what is and what isn't." It's appreciated, he said. Members of Congress "don't like to make decisions in a vacuum; they want information to make good decisions," and a diet of news skewed good or bad doesn't help.
Ten years from now, Bogdan concluded, "people will look back and they'll go, 'What was all the fuss about? This is a darn good airplane.'?"

subset: commoncrawl


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I love, love, love ice cream.
I'm not sure what kind of love it is. But oh, I do love ice cream.
I can't get enough of ice cream.
(And, usually, it gives me a little stomach ache.)
Strange, this sickening love.
We've rid our house of most processed foods, definitely nothing left with HFCS or MSG.
All of our GMO food is gone as well.
We're about to get our first order of raw dairy from a farm.
I just can't shake this constant craving for ice cream.
John & I shared a nutritious breakfast this morning. It was delicious.
And then, an hour later…
I made a bowl of chocolate ice cream.
It's 9:45 a.m.
Ice cream.
What am I to do?
I can do without soda & sugary drinks.
I can do without candy.
I can do without really processed foods I've really liked previously.
But I just can't let go of the ice cream.
I guess it's time we buy a homemade ice cream maker & I start making my own.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a bowl of chocolate ice cream sitting next to me on the couch.
It's melting, looking scrumptious, delicious & inviting.
I'm going to listen to Joshua Radin while I eat it, & sing love songs in my head.
Let's hope John doesn't get jealous.


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The One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale) (TAR 1601, TREC 20-14) now has a strict three-day deadline to deliver earnest money. Unlike other deadlines in the contract, though, if the deadline falls on a weekend or legal holiday, the deadline is extended to the next business day. Here are three scenarios that show how to determine the earnest money deadline.
Want a shareable and printable PDF? Download it here.


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Kshitija Taywade
- PHD Student
University of Kentucky
Attended EUMAS 2018
2018, Bergen, Norway
EUMAS 2018 was the first conference I attended to present a paper. Our paper "Decentralized Approach for Hedonic Games, Taywade et al." was accepted at the conference for which I am the first author. This paper was my first conference paper as well. By attending this conference not only I got to present my paper but also I got the chance to meet with other paper who work in the same area of multi-agent systems. I found most of the work presented in the conference interesting and I got to ask questions to the presenters and also I could talk to them in person about their work. In the conference, there were talks covering every aspect involved in multi-agents systems which was helpful to me to get the overall picture of whole field and what the different areas other people are working on.


text: October 25, 2012 - 17:03 BST hellomagazine.com Stencilled-in, false-looking brows came out on top of a poll by 2000 UK women We're all guilty of making a beauty faux pas every now and again, especially if you go back in time through the family photo album. But what is the most offensive make-up mistake to make? According to a new study of 2,000 UK women, the worst beauty blunder is going overboard with the eyebrow pencil. Heavily stencilled-in brows, a craze championed by celebrities including Coleen Rooney and the TOWIE cast, came out on top of the list. It managed to triumph over over-plucking and monobrows in the eyebrow department. Voted second in make-up mishaps was foundation marks around the chin line, followed by surgically-enhanced lips. Others, in the poll by Superdrug, included too much make-up, clumpy mascara, lipstick on teeth, too much blusher and bad roots. "Make-up comes down to personal preference and whether you favour thick or thin eyebrows or dark or pale lipstick, it's your choice," said Sarah Wolverson, from Superdrug. "We are all guilty of making some of these mistakes at some time in our lives whether it's being overzealous with a pair of tweezers, forgetting to blend make-up properly or smiling with lipstick on our teeth. "Many of the blunders in this poll are genuine mistakes and could be a result of something simple like bad lighting." Take note, ladies!


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No evidencehas been uncovered so far that involve Cyprus in the Belgian football corruption scandal, Police Spokesman Andreas Angelides said on Thursday.
Angelides was invited to talk to ACTIVE radio following the October 10 arrest of a 52 year-old Bosnian resident of Cyprus in connection to the scandal.
If new evidence come up, "we will talk with investigators, Belgian authorities and the Law Office of the Republic," he said.
According to Angelides, the suspect will be led to court to be extradited to Belgium.
Yesterday, police raided four premises and company offices in Nicosia and the Famagusta district. A large number of documents were seized, as well as four computers, two laptops and two Ipads.
Two Belgian investigators who are in Cyprus especially for this purpose also participated in the raids.
Meanwhile, in Belgium, investigators questioned the country's most influential soccer agent Mogi Bayat on Thursday, a day after he and senior figures in Belgian football were detained on suspicion of financial fraud and possible match-fixing.
On Wednesday, October 9, Belgian police raided 44 Belgian clubs and residences across the country, while a further 13 searches took place in France, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Montenegro, Serbia and FYROM.
Belgian courts will decide whether or not to charge some 25 people, including the coach of champions Club Bruges, the former general manager of Anderlecht, referees and other officials. Some could be kept in custody.
Three months after the Belgian national side reached the World Cup semi-finals, the news indicating uncomfortably close ties between agents, soccer officials and referees are dominating Belgian media.
Read more:


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08 Mar 2017
Posted in:
Congrats! You're nearly all set for the big move into your new home. It's an exciting time – and we don't blame you if you're absolutely buzzing.
But before you go splashing out on Egyptian cotton towels and boxes, hold your horses. There are lots of little add-ons that can get pricey. Between solicitor fees, first repairs and the move itself, it can seriously eat into your pockets.
To keep costs at bay, here are a few handy tips to save money when you're moving home.
Go bananas with banana boxes
Instead of buying boxes, head over to your local supermarket and check if you can grab banana boxes for free (or very cheaply). You may need to check which days they recycle to get the boxes before they are broken down.
These boxes are smaller than traditional boxes, they stack well, have a lid (it's the little things) and are incredibly sturdy.
Yep – these boxes life-savers for movers (who'd have thought?), especially for packing away the essentials that require being a bit gentler like your prized crockery or his prized Game of Thrones boxset!
One man's trash....
...is another man's treasure! Sure, you want to bring all your stuff with you, but that can drive up the cost of the move. Instead of focusing on bringing absolutely everything – even those 'good' pans you bought and never ever used – you'll only need to move with the essentials. So that's items that you actually need and use.
That doesn't mean chucking everything else into a skip round the back. Your throw-aways may be worth something to someone else. Donate or sell any unworn clothes, second hand books or any duplicate items (if you are moving in together). Instead of just saving money, you may even make some from the spare stuff you don't need anymore.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
This motto isn't just for people with green fingers. Savvy reducing, reusing and recycling will help you save during a move in lots of ways.
You can reduce the number of things you need to move by sorting and clearing out anything you don't need.
Consider reusing and repurposing items to tide you over. For example, an existing airbed is a great couch substitute while you search for the right one and wait for delivery.
If you do end up recycling, check out resources like WEEE for free bring centres. A 20 minute drive may save you a lot on electrical waste charges and more.
Have a party
To save money? What? Well, some countries traditionally have moving in parties where friends and family get together to do the move instead of hiring in help. When all is done, there is a BBQ or a big pot of chilli and cold beer in the new house. Not only do you wet the new home's head, you also save a heap on movers!
Shop around
Shop around for deals and offers across the board. If you do need to work with movers, why not get a few quotes in? Check who offers the best service at the lowest price.
Once you've moved in, you'll need the basic utilities. It doesn't have to be all the fancy stuff – now is a good time to compare all providers for the best deal. There are some retailers that let you repay your purchase over time, but make sure you're getting a good rate for this; calculate the full cost over the contract length and compare this with other providers. This way you'll avoid any surprises.
Ask yourself whether you really need all the things in a package. Can you live without a landline? What will you save? Don't be afraid to ask all these questions and do some serious digging.
It's a good idea to shop around for furniture too. If you approach furniture shopping with a complete list, right down to the specifics, you'll be less likely to overspend by splurging on multi-purpose toasters or extravagant furnishings.
It all counts
It may seem like extra work going to the supermarket to ask for boxes, or trying to sell items online, but it's worth it in the end. Your savings may be that first delicious take-away in your new home, that little bit extra you need to buy the fancy paint or even just the first deposit back into your savings fund.
Want to chat to a mortgage advisor about moving home?
If you're thinking of moving house, a 30 Minute Mortgage Meeting with an EBS mortgage advisor will set you straight and help you get your ducks in order.
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54% Complete
86 Contacts
Influence Score: 171,338
540 out of 840,387 Veterans
540 out of 840,387 Veterans
About Discussions
Recent Activity -
Rough Seas courage dedication commitment guided me 18. HNRBL Discharge Jobless Homeless now Truth Reserve/Active citizen USA all on call 24/7 365 dy yr swore Oath Enlistment Defend Constitution 1788 "We the people...establish justice...general welfare...blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity" Declaration Independence 1776 "Secure...Governments...effect their safety, happiness.
Military Experiences
Apr 1995 - Mar 1999
Boatswain's Mate Third Class (BM3)
This is where my life changed on this ship. I was still just 18 and served on her till 23. I became ill. To many things to list. I tried to switch to the Army by 22, but I could not pass the recruit physical at MEPS, and was sent back to the ship.
Sep 1994 - Mar 1995
My first ship decommissioned, within months of assignment. All my first initial shipmates disbursed. I was sort of stunned by this. I thought I was doing quite well on the ship.
May 1994 - Aug 1994
LPO position Meritorious Advanced e2 Graduate
We The People
Education for you: 1963 Congress Report Military Members Constitutional Rights https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/const-rights-mil-pers.pdf 2014 Secretary Defense s "PTSD Upgrade Memo" http://arba.army.pentagon.mil/documents/SECDEF%20Guidance%20to%20BCMRs%20re%20Vets%20Claiming%20PTSD.pdf Yale Law School 2015 Unfinished Business Report Update Improvement due "PTSD Upgrade Memo" https://law.yale.edu/system/files/documents/pdf/unfinishedbusiness.pdf
Deployments(8 years, 1 month)
May 1994 - May 2002
deployements global
Military Credentials
Professional Development Schools
Feb 1994 - Feb 2016
Resume of youth never questioning then blanked out then injured then find out decades later what happened now learning to walk and heal and grow with 20 years in between
Individual & Special Skill Schools
Feb 1994 - Feb 2010
PHD in trying to live


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We love our columnists here, and we love them even more when they give us music! Check out Malene Younglao's new single "Miss America" — she's Parlour-approved. Click the link to listen! "Miss America"
Want to know more? Follow her story here.
Last 5 posts by Hillary aka Steely D
- DJ Kalkutta's 'Boy Talk': THROWBACK! - July 10th, 2011
- Marc Jacobs & Emily Browning in Black And White - June 24th, 2011
- Estelle Feels Up Omari Hardwick in 'Break My Heart' Clip - June 24th, 2011
- Gay Marriage Vote Delayed, Queen Latifah's Trainer & Kelly Rowland's Ab DVD, Casey Anthony Case, Christian Lacroix Re-Emerges, Lone Woman Charged for Rwandan Genocide - June 24th, 2011
- Lindsay Lohan Fails Drug Test, Hulu For Sale?, Global Fashion Week, U2 In-Fighting, Whitey Bulger Caught, Lil Wayne Covers XXL - June 23rd, 2011


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Windows 10 Creators Update Purposely Blocked By Microsoft On Some PCs
Earlier this month, Microsoft launched the Creators Update, the latest and greatest version of Windows 10. First launched during the summer of 2015, Windows 10 has seen continual updates that have increased security, privacy, performance and functionality. But as Microsoft has found out through extensive Windows Insider testing, the Creators Update doesn't exactly play nice with some systems.
John Cable, Microsoft's Director of Program Management for Windows Servicing and Delivery, took to the Windows Blog today to explain that although the Windows 10 Creators Update is a big step forward for consumer operating systems, it has purposely rolled out the major system update in waves to ensure that show-stopping bugs don't affect a large swath of its customers.
The first wave of updates targeted customers with newer hardware, which would be less prone to incompatibilities or performance issues. "We believe these devices will have the best possible update experience and help us decide when it's time to begin the next phase of the rollout," said Cable.
Given that millions of users have already upgraded to the Creators Update, Microsoft has already received a wealth of feedback from customers via the Feedback Hub app on what's working and what's not. Well-documented issues that affect a large number of system configurations even give Microsoft the ability to "deploy a 'block' to prevent further rollout of the Creators Update to impacted devices until an issue is resolved."
Cable describes this blocking process in detail, writing:
We decide what to block based on user impact, and blocking issues are a high priority for us to address as quickly as possible. During the time it takes to address an issue, we want to limit the number of customers exposed to that issue. For example, our feedback process identified a Bluetooth accessory connectivity issue with PCs that use a specific series of Broadcom radios, ultimately resulting in devices not reconnecting as expected. Once identified, we posted this issue to our Windows community forum, provided user guidance on troubleshooting, and blocked additional devices with these specific Bluetooth radios from updating. Once a solution is available, we will update our forum post and remove the block.
Of course, this only applies when automatic updates are enabled within Windows 10 — this is the only time that blocks would be put in place that could affect your system. However, you can always get around the blocks by manually downloading the Creators Update anyway, which could put your system at risk for some bumps in the road ahead.


text: WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — This Throwback Thursday we're looking back on the bridge that so many of us in this area use each and every day. The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge opened on October 1, 1969. In the early part of the 1900's, residents used ferries to cross the Cape Fear River. That changed in 1929 when the Twin Bridges … Read More


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Pyxis created the PATH model to facilitate the diagnosis of the Agile maturity level within a team in order to recommend the appropriate intervention. PATH is:
- An intervention approach within the organization;
- A model allowing to lessen the impact of an Agile transition.
PATH is an acronym for Process-Added value-Technologies-Human, the 4 dimensions of software development.
Processes: Efficiently deliver value with a simple process adapted to the project's needs (lowest cost within time).
Added value: Deliver functionalities and maximize their business value (prioritization and flexibility).
Technologies: Deliver quickly and consistently with appropriate engineering practices (sustainable pace and skills development).
Human: Deliver at a sustainable pace and in harmony while promoting team work (collaboration and communication).
In addition to the dimensions, the PATH model introduces 3 influence levels—vision, funnelling and emergence—that, when applied to all 4 dimensions, produces 12 intervention areas.
The 'Vision' level shows the orientation to meet established objectives. This level is generally linked to the strategic vision of the organization. The vision represents the objectives to achieve.
For instance:
Maximization of return on investment:
- Connection between the IT group and business units, and globally between all stakeholders
- Development of inter-project synergies in order to adopt best practices and pool them
- Management of simple and adaptable projects in order to reduce administration fees
- Capacity to innovate in order to be equipped with the tools required for the organization to evolve
- Capacity to anticipate in order to gain a competitive edge
- Greater respect for budget allowance
Maximization of a cooperation and collaboration culture:
- Better team organization
- Evolution of the strategy and change culture
- Adaptation of the leadership model
- Quick project execution compared to traditional approaches
- Quality improvement of software delivered
- Establishment of parameters allowing to measure performance
- Adaption of the competency model and expertise development
- Process implementation to select initiatives
The main objective of the 'Funnelling' level is to implement mechanisms promoting collaboration (e.g. communities of practice, wikis, and blogs).
This level:
- Allows to implement a communication approach in order to make the vision visible
- Allows to make sure the field practices (emergence) are aligned with the objectives established at the 'Vision' level
Therefore, funnelling allows the emergence of the best practices arising from development teams as well as the dissemination of these practices to all groups that may benefit from them. Therefore, the 'Funnelling' level acts as an information catalyst and aggregate.
Globally, the objective of this level is to ensure reuse of:
- Tools
- Practices
- Experience acquired by stakeholders
The 'Emergence' level is the level for project teams developing software solutions. It is important to implement new development processes and train team members on how to apply Agile principles.
At this level, transformations imply:
- New ways of doing
- A behaviour oriented towards collaboration in order to achieve established objectives
- The implementation of methods allowing to obtain best results


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PARIS (AFP) — U.S. lingerie brand Victoria's Secret said it was canceling its annual fashion show which usually draws millions of TV viewers, saying it was shifting its marketing strategy following criticism and weak financial results.
"Did we see a specific material impact on short-term sales in response to the airing of the fashion show?" asked Stuart Burgdoerfer, the finance director of parent company L Brands.
"As a general matter, the answer to that question is no," he told analysts in a conference call Thursday.
He added that Victoria's Secret would be "communicating to customers, but nothing that I would say is similar in magnitude to the fashion show".
The brand's sales have been slipping in the past two years, weighing on the bottom line of L Brands which reported a net loss of $252 million in the third quarter, against a $43 million loss a year earlier.
Analysts say the brand is often accused of objectifying women and has been struggling to appeal to a younger generation of lingerie shoppers who increasingly prefer simpler, less sexualized designs.
"It's important to evolve the marketing of Victoria's Secret," Burgdoerfer said.
Rumors of the show's cancellation had been circulating since Australian model Shanina Shaik hinted to British media that she expected the 2019 event to be called off.
The cast in the show's 2018 edition was more cosmopolitan than usual, following criticism that the brand had little regard for diversity in its choice of models.
But days after last year's event, marketing director Ed Razek ruled out using transgender or plus-size models in future shows.
Following an outcry on social media, Razek later apologized for his remarks.
Also last year, the head of the lingerie division Jan Singer stepped down after only two years in the job against a backdrop of slumping sales.
© Agence France-Presse
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Bidens frondosa is an annual, 20 cm to 1.2 m tall, generally hairless, stem often purple, especially if water stressed.
Leaves opposite, pinnately compound, stalks (petioles) 1-6 cm long, leaflets 3-5, to 10 cm long, 3 cm wide, narrow, toothed, the terminal leaflet stalked.
Flowers yellow, heads small, rounded, rays few if any, disk orange, to 1 cm wide, stamens black, longer than disk flowers, outer bracts 5-10, (usually 8) green, leaf-like, margins hairy-fringed, longer than disk, inner bracts flat, scale-like, blooming and fruiting June-Oct.
Fruit dry 1-seeded achenes, flat, 0.5-1.0 cm long, dark with 2 barbed awns. Seeds eaten by birds, plants eaten by rabbits (Martin et al. 1951).
Wetland status: FACW.
Frequency in NYC: Occasional.
Origin: Native.
Habitat: Wet, open areas, edges, disturbed soil, pH 5.2-7.2; shade tolerance moderate (USDA 2006).


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(CNN) - It was a day and an event like so many others - until it wasn't.
Six people were killed and 12 others wounded, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, when a gunman opened fire in front of a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona, Saturday morning, authorities said. The congresswoman had been hosting a meeting with constituents when the attack began.FULL STORY
A few months ago, the FBI set up a Somali (Muslim) kid here with a fake bomb plot here in Portland, OR. there was outrage throughout the country, but the whole thing was a sting operation set up by the feds and no one was hurt.
No one talked about the conviction and capital punishment sentence of two white right-wing terrorists, Bruce and Joshua Turnidge, who blew up a bank and killed a cop. I don't know if this kid is political at all - his videos are gibberish and he just seems completely unhinged. But now is as good a time as any to discuss the fact that much of the terrorism and political violence in this country is homegrown, from an increasingly unbalanced extreme right wing element.
This is so awful. What is worse is, I was at Congresswomen Giffords headquarters in Tucson and the police evacuated everyone at the vigil across the street as someone discovered a suspicious package in the area. The police exploded the package and after everything was clear stopped traffic at the intersection to allow the crowd of vigilers' to go back across the street to Congresswoman Giffords headquarters.


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Check out our review of The Elder Scrolls Online.
Despite Skyrim's incredibly sophisticated digital world, it can be a lonely place. There are only so many times that you can lure a companion or a random NPC directly into the path of a giant and watch as they are punted into orbit before you begin to wonder how much more fun it would be if you could do that with – or to – a friend. Some moments in Skyrim only work as a single player campaign of course, like when you unwittingly eat human flesh or accidentally stab your NPC companion in the back of the head 63 times before they turn on you, but the appeal of adding real players to that world is undeniable. In fact, there may never have been a property that evolved so naturally to fit into an MMO universe as The Elder Scrolls.
At a recent playable demo of The Elder Scrolls Online, we were given a chance to play through an early section with a character at level six. Being level six means that charging a beast powerful enough to imprison a god and fearsome enough to make the world cry is an unwise decision. It's powerful enough to get a sense of the gameplay, but only as a slight taste of the potential addiction.
The problem with playing early builds of MMOs is that you are just seeing the outline of the game. It's a bit like seeing an unfurnished, unpainted house with unfinished floors. The real game won't begin until the mega-server (the game will use one "mega-server" rather than shards) is populated. The demo showed only a fraction of a world that features massive areas and different sections for things like PvP, but it was enough to get an idea of the direction it's headed in.
Once More into the World of Nirn: The Elder Scrolls Online takes place in the familiar world of Nirn, on the same "mortal plane" used in all the Elder Scrolls games. It takes place 1000 years before the events of Skyrim and 800 years prior to Morrowind and Oblivion, so locations will be familiar, but radically altered. You may wander into Winterhold just as you would in Skyrim, but a thousand years will separate the two versions of the city.
Your Mission(s): As with most MMOs, you have several choices at the beginning of the game while creating your character, and these will help to determine many of your abilities. It's at this point that you aly yourself with one of the three factions fighting over the the continent of Tamriel: The Aldmeri Domionion, The Dagerfall Covenant, and the Ebonhart Pact. Each faction contains specific races, so your allegiance also determines your initial character build. The aesthetic options are significant as well, and you can tailor your player to look almost any way you want (provided you have incredible patience). After that you are released into the wild, where you are quickly swept up in the events of the area you begin in.
Like all Elder Scrolls games, there will be plenty of side quests, many of which will be major story arcs in their own right. You can load up on quests, then pick and choose the ones you want. The main objective, however, is to defeat the Daedric Prince Molag Bal. And that will require time and improved skills.
Team up, Choose a Direction: Joining friends is easy, and you can join anyone, anywhere (although you might regret it if you aren't properly leveled). Each quest is unique to the individual. So while you can't progress in the story with friends, if you are in a group everyone shares experience.
The character level cap is currently at level 50, and ZeniMax estimates that it will take around 150 hours to reach it. The game is very much skill progression based though, meaning that if you hit level 50 but never once used a bow, you will start at zero on that weapon and need to put in time, much like Skyrim.
Click, click, boom: The gameplay is more of a traditional MMO than Skyrim's first- or third-person combat, but it won't be completely foreign to fans of that game. The setup is similar to Diablo and countless others, with you clicking on the mouse buttons to attack before unleashing a cooldown-limited magic or power move by using one of five designated keys. Whack, loot, repeat.
The enemies are similarly inspired by traditional MMO rules. Their diminishing health bars tell you how much damage you are doing, but their attacks tend to follow very simple patterns of punching you in the face, or lobbing magic attacks from a distance.
The Undiscovered Country: The game takes place on the continent of Tamriel, with different sections representing different play types. ZeniMax Online isn't quite ready to unveil everything here yet, but one area, for example, will be Cyrodiil, the setting used in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The story casts this area as a warring kingdom in which the people turned to black magic to survive. That's the setup for this section of the world being PvP.
Some regions will be blocked off initially, but expansions are already being planned. At launch, the game will be big enough to incorporate the lands seen in Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim, plus more. The scale is different, so it won't take you as long to run across this Skyrim as it did in The Elder Scrolls V, but the sense of scale is incredible.
Work in Progress: The beta on display represents a mostly completed game, with some obvious fine tuning still to go. However, the graphics and the look of the game represent a fairly accurate portrayal of what Elder Scrolls Online will look like on release. The audio is still incomplete, but that isn't surprising.
The quality of the visuals will of course depend on the power of your PC/Mac, of course, but the game looks like an MMO rather than a single-player first-person RPG like Skyrim. The land is varied, but it also repeats itself, and the level of detail is good, but not on the same level as the previous Elder Scrolls games – at least not in what was shown. That isn't isn't surprising for a game of this scale though. As far as MMOs go, it's on par, and perhaps better than most.
The Elder Scrolls Online may not look or play exactly like Skyrim, but it carries over all the same addictive qualities that made the 2011 release so loved by gamers (and reviled by their spouses/friends/roommates/etc). The amount of work and time already spent to build this world over the years in previous games is a major boon, as the land comes equipped with its own rich history, mythology, and even legends. Longtime fans should love that, while casual and new fans get a sense of the depth.
The Elder Scrolls Online enters a competitive and changing field, and it still has a lot of questions to answer – starting with whether or not there is a subscription fee – but few properties have ever been as ripe for reimagining as an MMO. It has all the tools in place to win over genre fans, while possibly creating new ones as well.
Editors' Recommendations
- 7 video game hidden gems to pick up this Black Friday
- The best Xbox Series X games for 2022
- Mario Party: How to unlock Eternal Star and Magma Mountain board
- The best Apple Arcade games you should play right now
- The best multiplayer games on the PS5


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Regular price
You want a guitar wrapped in GOLD? Well, here ya go! This stunner was built by Todd Krause, builder for Clapton, Jeff Beck, KWS, and an endless list of other legendary guitar players. A bit of a throwback Clapton Signature Model with this guitar! Thanks to the Eric Clapton Electronic Set this one nails the tone of the late 1990's thru today.
The guitar itself if a pure Clapton Strat in every way shape and form, then it's finished in the insanely cool Gold Leaf Finish, which, until you see it in person, can't be fully appreciated! Insanely difficult to apply and supremely cool, the Gold Leaf always stops people in their tracks.
The highly figured maple neck is on FIRE! The fretboard is rolled perfectly, the fret ends are hot-dogged perfectly, and this is one of the finest playing guitars we have on the wall right now. Todd Krause delivers nothing but the finest and this is a perfect representation of what he delivers every single time. The Clapton Soft V Neck teamed with Vintage frets and a 9.5" radius yields very low action and a fast playing surface.
This is it. This is where it ends. It doesn't get any better, cooler or big-time then having an Eric Clapton Signature Strat, built by Eric Clapton's current builder, finished in actual Gold Leaf. I mean, come on!
The Music Gallery has been a Fender Custom Shop dealer since their formation in 1987. We keep a bevy of about 50 Fender Custom Shop instrument in inventory at all times. Whether you're looking for Stratocaster's, Telecasters, Precision Basses or Jazz Basses we are able to help you design or find whatever the special instrument you're looking for may be!
The Music Gallery(847) 432-6350 firstname.lastname@example.com


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Each chocolate dipped Oreo® cookie is decorated for a Happy Birthday with handcrafted Royal Icing decorations and festive candy confetti.
Choose Delivery Date & Gift Message at checkout.
Delivered anywhere in Continental USA.
Fill out the form below and one of our Corporate Product Specialists will get right back to you with an estimate. The more information you provide us, the better we can help you.
Need 100 or less? Click the ORDER NOW tab above to place your order today.
Thanks, Chef Steve
Please follow this link to contact our Corporate Product Specialists who will get right back to you to answer your questions.
Related Sections:


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If you've already applied you can login below to check your status or upload documents.
If you've just started searching for your first home, are looking to re-finance and add-on, or simply want to explore your options the first step is to complete a mortgage application. Click on the Create Account link below to get started.


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Jim Robbins
Jim founded BCD in 1994 and served as Partner until his retirement in December 2016. He had 50 years of experience in new business formation, organizational design, strategic planning, technology innovation, business operations, and law. From 1994 to 2009, he was the Founder/Executive Director of the Environmental Business Cluster (EBC), located in San Jose, California and the first environmental business incubator in the U.S. The EBC specialized in commercialization of clean and renewable energy technology, and was awarded the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) Incubator of the Year Award in 2008. Jim was also the Co-Founder and initial Executive Director of the Software Business Cluster, the first software incubator in California and winner of the NBIA Incubator of the Year Award in 2000.
Jim's international incubation experience includes China, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, Nigeria, and Uganda. Jim also served as a Principal in Panasonic Ventures, a $100 million dollar investment fund. He was on the Board of Directors of NBIA for six years, spending the last year as Chair. In addition, Jim worked for Digital Equipment Corporation, the U.S. Supreme Court, and was a trial attorney.


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Food Allergies & Sensitivities
Food allergy is a serious medical condition. Each year, food allergies trigger about 200,000 emergency room visits. They're also responsible for 150 to 200 annual deaths. Fifteen million Americans, including 1 in 13 schoolchildren, have food allergies – and the numbers are rising in the US and Europe.
Currently we don't have a cure for food allergies so avoiding unsafe foods is key. If you or a loved one suffers from food allergies, letting others know is an important way to stay safe by avoiding accidental food exposures.
We designed Selectivor to help. Create a profile for yourself. Then share it with others so they're aware of your eating needs. You can even create profiles for your children that you can manage and share. This is still a far cry from a cure, but we hope this promotes awareness and increases safety from accidental food exposures.
Finally, since food allergy is a serious issue, please be sure to double check all foods for safety before eating. Never rely solely on technology (including ours or any others) or the diligence of others to stay safe.


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SAN DIEGO — It's not easy to stand out during the hype machine that is San Diego Comic-Con. But Lionsgate found a way: The studio announced a surprise sequel to 1999's "The Blair Witch Project."
Returning to its found-footage format, "Blair Witch" will pick up where the first movie's mythology left off. The story follows the brother of one of the characters in the first film who embarks on a quest to find out what happened to his sister.
The movie was screened publicly for the first time during the annual Comic-Con convention on Friday, with guests believing they'd showed up to screen a movie titled "The Woods."
Prior to the screening, none of the marketing for "The Woods" alluded to any connection with "The Blair Witch Project" world.
This is not the first attempt to follow up on the massively successful horror film.
In 2000, "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" tried to build on the original's success, but failed to make a splash. It was panned by critics, in part because it abandoned the stylistic choices of the first, particularly the found-footage approach.
"Blair Witch" is not this year's first secret sequel announcement.
In January, producer J.J. Abrams surprised fans of 2008's "Cloverfield" by sneaking trailers for a hush-hush followup — "10 Cloverfield Lane" — into theaters. The movie made over $25 million on its opening weekend.
"Blair Witch" arrives in theaters on September 16.


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When: Sun, September 22, 2019 from 8:00 am – 6:00 pm Where: Dudelange Airfield, Dudelange Contact: Saskia Contact Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Open Volunteer Spots: Unlimited
As we would like to keep the timing of the event accurate and without unnecessary breaks, we'd like to work with fix judges. This is where we need you! If you have an eye for detail and do not mind looking at a screen for longer periods of time, as well as telling people if they're wrong, this is a job for you!


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Nothnagle Realtors Hometown Choice offices join the Howard Hanna Family of Companies
Penn Yan, NY and Hammondsport, NY (November 30, 2017) – Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is pleased to welcome Nothnagle Realtors Hometown Choice to the Howard Hanna family of companies.
Hometown Choice partners Carol Genecco, Dick Murphy, Jim Moon and Mark Moon have over 75 years of combined real estate experience throughout Yates, Steuben, Ontario, and Schuyler counties in New York state. Their offices in Penn Yan and Hammondsport will now operate as Howard Hanna Lake Group and the Hammondsport location will merge into the existing Howard Hanna Hammondsport office.
"We are proud to welcome Carol, Dick, Jim and Mark, along with their agents and staff, to the Howard Hanna family as we continue to expand in New York," said Tom Schoeller, Senior Vice President, Howard Hanna Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions. "This merger represents a dynamic collaboration between the market leaders on and around Keuka Lake. The best just got better." Howard Hanna Lake Group has over 25 local sales associates, and both offices are highly visible in prime locations at 229 Lake Street in Penn Yan and 52 Pulteney Street in Hammondsport.
Carol Genecco, broker/partner, is thrilled to be aligned with Howard Hanna as a franchise partner. "Howard Hanna is a perfect fit for us as we continue to grow our business," she said. "The agent tools Hanna provides will definitely help us bring more buyers and sellers together, and we are expecting to add more agents as a result."
The Howard Hanna franchise program allows franchisees to retain ownership and decision-making locally, while utilizing exclusive Howard Hanna marketing tools such as the 100% Money Back Guarantee and nationally acclaimed training and learning programs for sales associates, bringing more buyers and sellers together in successful transactions. Luxury sellers will have access to the high-end Homes of Distinction program, offering expanded marketing along with a high level of service to new and returning clients.
Howard Hanna continues to look for strategic partnerships with market leading companies. For information on joining Howard Hanna Real Estate Services and/or its franchise program, please contact Tom Schoeller at 570-460-0272 or email@example.com.
For more information, visit www.howardhanna.com, www.facebook.com/howardhanna
Media contact: Deborah Donahue, 412-967-9000 x 1328, firstname.lastname@example.com
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is the 3rd largest real estate company in America, the #1 privately owned broker in the nation, and the largest home seller in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. The family-owned and operated real estate company specializes in residential and commercial brokerage service, mortgages, closing and title insurance, land development, appraisal services, insurance services, corporate relocation, and property management. With 259 offices across NY, PA, OH, MI, VA, WV, NC, and MD, our more than 9,000 sales associates and staff are guided by a spirit of integrity in all aspects of the real estate process.


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Christmas Is Coming, Goa, India
The busiest time of year is fast approaching and we really need your help!
Last year we were able to provide presents to hundreds of children from Mapusa down to Margao. In total we gave out around 700 wrapped presents. We are hoping to manage a able to similar amount this year with your help.
If you are visiting Goa (or know someone who is) before Christmas (preferably before 15th December) then we would be delighted to receive small items that we can use as stocking fillers. They don't have to be big or expensive, actually we prefer smaller items as they are much easier to even out in the presents. Each present usually contains 6 or 7 smaller items and a main item.
If you think you can help then any of the following items would be ideal.
Balloons, Punch Balloons, Bubbles, Toy Cars, Spinning Tops, Hair Accessories, Hair Bands, Friendship Bracelets, Keyrings, Costume Jewellery, Tennis Balls, Footballs, Power Balls, Frizbees, Nail Varnish, Henna Packs (Natural), Small Dolls.
To see what we did last year then check out the December Blog ( Distributing Presents To Slum Children)
If you are not visiting Goa but still want to support the children this Christmas then you can also send a donation online. If it is specifically for Presents then do please mention that when making the donation. Thanks


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Difference between revisions of "Submissions:2016/Internet Archive and Wikipedia collaboration: Link rot, multimedia and more"
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# [[User:Mozucat|Mozucat]] ([[User talk:Mozucat|talk]]) 17:05, 1 September 2016 (EDT)
# [[User:Mozucat|Mozucat]] ([[User talk:Mozucat|talk]]) 17:05, 1 September 2016 (EDT)
#-[[User:Another Believer|Another Believer]] ([[User talk:Another Believer|talk]]) 15:54, 30 September 2016 (EDT)
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# ''Add your username here.''
Revision as of 19:54, 30 September 2016
- Title
- Internet Archive and Wikipedia collaboration: Link rot, multimedia and more
- Theme
- tech
- Type of submission
- panel/presentation
- Author
- Wendy Hanamura, Internet Archive; Andrew Lih, Wikimedia DC
- E-mail address
- wendyarchive.org, andrew.lihgmail.com, Mark Graham (email@example.com)
- Username
- User:Fuzheado
- Affiliation
- Internet Archive, Wikimedia DC
- Abstract
The Internet Archive has become a valuable adjunct to Wikipedia since the encyclopedia was created in 2001. This session discusses how the Internet Archive has helped assist the Wikimedia movement's mission in combating dead links with its Wayback Machine and aided in video format conversion, as well as how the two communities can work more closely together in the future.
- Dead links and link rot. For many years, the Internet Archive has been the main archiver of web sites past and present, with its Wayback Machine providing access to sites that have changed or disappeared off the Internet. IA's staff will discuss how they now automatically follow external links added to Wikipedia and archive them, and how Wikimedia and IA can work together better in this area of browsing missing online content.
- Multimedia and video. Since 2015, the Internet Archive has worked with Wikimedia CH to supply a service to convert videos from common consumer formats to Ogg and WebM formats for use in Wikimedia Commons. This "Schnittserver" has been a successful experiment to provide mass upload and conversion, but in what other ways could the two entities work to provide easy to use multimedia tools? IA is also spearheading the development of a collaborative multimedia editor, to further the work of Mozilla Foundation's Popcorn timeline editor. How might this be used in a MediaWiki environment to realize the dream of having true collaborative multimedia production within the Wikimedia community?
- Curation and Wikidata. While the Internet Archive has volumes of content that dwarf Wikimedia Commons, it lacks an active community of users working on its metadata. How might there be better collaboration between the Wikimedia community and IA to assist in this, and might the development of Wikidata help in the enormous task of managing its metadata across a massive collection of content?
- Length of presentation
- 30 minutes presentation/panel
- Special schedule requests
- none
- Preferred room size
- 20-40
- Will you attend WikiConference North America if your submission is not accepted?
- Possibly
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- Mozucat (talk) 17:05, 1 September 2016 (EDT)
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Allied Window
Allied Window, Inc.
11111 Canal Road
Cincinnati, OH 45241 USA
Allied Window is a manufacturer of "invisible" custom aluminum storm windows for historic and other renovation projects on commercial or residential buildings. Their products have been used extensively on historically certified projects, including Faneuil Hall and The Old State House in Boston, which are owned by the National Park Service.
These windows can be inside- or outside-mounted. Custom colors and special shapes are routinely available. They also offer special glazing up to 3/16″, including bowed and tempered glass. Fixed, magnetic, sliding or liftout designs are available. Units are custom designed to adapt to existing window openings.
The emphasis is on balancing aesthetics, energy savings, sash protection, noise reduction, and comfort — at a reasonable cost. Mini-blind systems (between windows) are available, which allow louver operation for sun control without removing the interior storm panel.
Meet The Sponsor: David Martin
1) What are some of the projects your business has been involved with?
Our unique capabilities to deal with secondary glazing or storm window situations brings us in contact with every type of structure, from museum homes to high rise buildings. We are quite proud that we have been privileged to work on (4) Governor's Mansions, and (9) former President's homes, including Monticello and Montpelier. My personal favorites are the many iconic university buildings and glorious county courthouses we have helped to restore, in virtually every state.
2) What do you like about the Traditional Building Conference and webinars we produce and the magazines we publish?
From its inception, Traditional Building magazine was focused on making the remodeling and restoration of commercial buildings a labor of love. By distilling information on sources of materials, and how they were being used to restore classic buildings, the magazine began the process of uniting the participants. The Traditional Building Conferences are an inspired method of bringing the participants together in a close-knit educational setting. The new webinars allow the distribution of that educational focus.
3) What types of clients do you work with? Residential, Commercial, Institutional? Do you work mostly with owners or with architects and contractors?
Everyone is our potential customer, from a home-owner to universities; government and commercial buildings. If the windows are single-glazed, there are opportunities for energy savings, sound reduction, UV reduction and sash protection. In that regard we provide counsel to architects and engineers, and quality products for their clients.
4) What values are important to your clients when working on historic preservation and traditionally inspired new construction?
Our customers appreciate our "value engineering" approach, which involves finding the optimum balance of:
Function – What is the storm window supposed to do
Energy Savings - Always an important benefit
Environmental Concerns – Focus on "green' issues and sustainability
Maintenance and Service – minimal
Aesthetics – Our goal is "invisible" storm windows
Cost – always an important factor
5) Tell us about your crew or staff? What are they like in terms of skills and capabilities?
At the core of Allied Window are a group of people with over (25) years of service. They inspire the rest of the employees to take pride in the very custom storm windows which we produce. This process has evolved over the last (30) years to the point where we are the most capable storm window company on the planet. Whether it is special designs, challenging shapes, custom colors, or very large units, our sales staff conceives it, and our quality-minded production staff makes it. One of our mottos is "No Limits".
6) Do you have special approaches to work that you have developed of which you are especially proud?
About (35) years ago, a friend of mine wanted storm windows for his expensive home, but he did not like what was available from the traditional "triple-track" manufacturers. So, we designed a window especially for him. That window gave birth to 98% of what we manufacture today. Our focus was…and still is…to "adapt to what is there". We are continually modifying standard designs and creating new storm window designs that recognize the challenging field conditions which we encounter. We are very proud of our capability to provide truly "custom" storm windows


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Often service providers want you to be able to work most effectively with them by providing you with access to an API to directly link in to the service they are offering you and allowing you to use the data they provide in a way that is most relevant to your business.
Communicating with an API is a provider's preferred method of working with you, for many reasons. A process that could be at risk of human error can be automated, data submitted can be cleansed and verified before mistakes happen, core functions and tasks can be repeated over and over with no potential for deviation, many other reasons make access to an API a favourable choice for most businesses when commissioning bespoke solutions.
Our team has extensive experience with many commercial APIs such as eBay, PayPal, WorldPay, Cam-Systems and many more and can offer any level of integration whether you require the basic functions on offer or have ideas to completely expand and improve upon what the API can already do for you. In fact, some of the most impressive end products can come from interfacing one or more APIs together allowing them to follow a set of strict rules and share data in a way that may have previously required the intervention of a human being.
No matter what your requirements, big or small, we would love to hear from you and discuss what we can do to make your ideas into reality.
By subscribing to our newsletter you will be added to the mailing list to be notified when we do something new.
Name *
Email *
We are a dedicated team with many years of collective experience within both the public and private sectors producing and maintaining solutions across web, desktop and servers that we believe are truly at the forefront of what is capable with the respective technologies.
Each project is embarked upon with a completely fresh mindset so that your final bespoke product will be truly unique and stand out from the crowd.


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First Nations youth arrive for first-ever food security exchange
Aboriginal youth have set out from First Nations communities across the province to convene in Winnipeg for the first-ever Youth Exchange on food security in Manitoba.
Aboriginal youth have set out from First Nations communities across the province to convene in Winnipeg for the first-ever Youth Exchange on food security in Manitoba.
Learn to eat healthier and fight back against the food giants when Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Michael Moss is in Winnipeg on Feb. 27.
Before you congratulate me for losing 15 pounds, maybe wait another year, because getting that excess weight off is only half the battle. The other half is keeping it off. And I'm not confident this time will be any different from other times.
Here's your chance to discover the tactics multi-national companies use to get you to eat processed foods, and to put yourself on an even footing with the $3 trillion a year industry.
If you're planning to take your sweetheart out for that special dinner on Valentine's Day, long time restaurateurs Terry and Sue Gereta might just have the romantic fare you're looking for.
The Recipe for Success Video Cooking Contest encourages kids to share their most delicious and nutritious sandwich recipe in a short video for a chance to win big while learning about healthy food.
How do you increase sales of broccoli? Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael Moss recently discovered you design an ad campaign that comes out swinging.
The outpouring of support for the cooperatively-run Mondragon Coffeehouse and Bookstore in their last days of being open, has been overwhelming for past and present co-op members.
After 18 years of business, local eatery and bookstore Mondragon is closing its doors for good, marking the loss of a unique social and cultural icon in Winnipeg's Exchange District.
With the Super Bowl just two weeks away, Kraft put out an alarm: there's a shortage of Velveeta! How can this be? The notice came just after New Year's. Can you say marketing opportunity?


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To better understand our position as living beings in a living world
"An inspired collaboration between filmmakers Peter Mettler (The End of Time) and Emma Davie (I Am Breathing) and radical writer and philosopher David Abram (The Spell of the Sensuous), Becoming Animal is an urgent and immersive audiovisual quest, forging a path into the places where humans and animals meet, where we pique our senses to witness the so-called natural world—which in turn witnesses us, prompting us to reflect on the very essence of what it means to inhabit our animal bodies."
Excerpts from an interview with the filmmakers,
"David's writing is very poetic and descriptive, but in the cinema it is the images and sounds that do most of the work."
…we describe "nature" as something fundamentally apart from ourselves. This is a central paradox that we were always aware of and engaged with throughout the process of making Becoming Animal. Although the film is partially about our urge to exist beyond our limited notion of self and other – to claim a more expanded sense of being that connects us sensorially to everything – there is also an additional aspect that even to think this realization is to already be one step removed from the immediacy of experience. So the perennial question of how the mind both liberates and limits is also present, and film, with its endless hall of mirrors, can reflect this. We hope the film exists in a space in which the cumulative effect of David's ideas, woven into a cinematic journey, will start to create new links in the minds of the audience, resonating with their own deep questions about these themes."
"It is a paradox to make a film about our senses and the connection to our surroundings, while also addressing how these technologies have changed our relationships to our surroundings. But that is exactly what we wanted to embrace, so that as one watches the film there is an awareness of the mediated nature of the experience of cinema itself. This is why at times you will hear the rustling, breathing animal (Peter) that holds the camera as he makes his way through the brush, and why you see the crew, cameras, and David – our "guide" – intermittently throughout. This layer provides a way to better understand what we are all going through, whether as filmmakers, tourists, or as a cultural audience."
"We hope that the film addresses in some way what we have been calling a crisis of perception, exemplified by the fact that while our culture possesses more tools and knowledge than ever before, our understanding and awareness of the world remains quite limited. It seems that, in looking into the root of our problems, it's also important to address how we actually see."
"Empathy, awareness and reciprocity are qualities we hope Becoming Animal may evoke, to better understand our position as living beings in a living world."
"While persons brought up within literate culture often speak about the natural world, indigenous, oral peoples sometimes speak directly to that world, acknowledging certain animals, plants, and even landforms as expressive subjects with whom they might find themselves in conversation."
David Abram
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October 8, 2018 | Categories: climate change, filmmakers, inspiration, movies, social criticism | Tags: Becoming Animal, David Abram | 3 Comments


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Committed To Quality, Committed To You
Spices create magic in food; it's not only adding different flavors but also provides a health benefit. Each and every spice has a unique aroma which enhances the joy of cooking and eating. Spices like Chili powder, Turmeric powder, Coriander powder, etc.; have to manufacture in large quantities due to its heavy consumption.
Spices can be graded by size, density, color, shape, and flavor. Usually, it is used in the form of powder. These spices contents 10-15% moisture and some moisture get generate during grinding on account of heat generated by the machine. Grinded spices contain coarse, lumps and granule as well, for finer powder it needs to sieve. This fine powder use to send for packing and end uses.
Sivtek Vibro separators are ideal products for sieving; this smart solution gives a high vibration equally to the whole machine so that spices can prevent lumps. Its deblinding kit (ball assembly) prevents the mesh from getting choked due to the high content of moisture/ fine particles in the product. Galaxy Sivtek separators can customize by analyzing customer's requirements. It separates coarse particles which can be recycled in a blender to be processed again. This large capacity machine consumes low power and does not occupy additional space.
1. Its and hygienic solution
2. Provides accurate grading
3. Consume low power
4. Levy no operating and maintenance costs
5. It's an enclosed dust free machine


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Remembering the Fabulosity That Was Kimora Lee's Baby Phat
On March 8th, Kimora Lee Leissner announced that she had purchased Baby Phat from an undisclosed company and is planning to bring back the brand that introduced her brand of luxury — Fabulosity — to the masses.
"We had to hunt for it," Leissner told WWD. "[…] It's perfect timing for this. Over the past several years, we realized the brand resonates with people and lives deep in their souls."
Baby Phat was an imprint of Phat Fashions, and was the womenswear counterpart to the Hip-Hop styling of Phat Farm. In its heyday in the early 2000s, Baby Phat generated a billion dollars in sales.
Leissner had a unique way of mixing Hip-Hop styles like large gold hoop earrings and embellished denim with fur-trimmed garments that made luxury accessible to her customers.
She expects to relaunch the brand in spring, and offer "mainstream sportswear" for millennials. She said the inaugural collection will be a mix of modern elements and retro styling from her personal archives.
As we await the re-launch of Baby Phat, let's reminisce on the Fabulosity of Leissner and the brand by watching a few of her epic New York Fashion Week shows.


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Breakout Box 3-In-1 Acne Treatment Kit | PatchologySale price Regular price $20.00
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Included: 24 Pimple-Shrinking Salicylic Acid Dots, 24 Whitehead-Absorbing Hydrocolloid Dots, 3 Blackhead-Eliminating Nose Strips.
Perfect For: acne, breakouts, whiteheads, blackheads
Over ten years ago, our founding team began developing innovative patch technologies for the medical field. Today, we're continuing to expand that expertise in ingredient delivery to create products that do more, work faster, and deliver better results.


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Earlier this week, we asked you, our amazing readers, to answer a short, six-question survey about this Daily Digest—and more than 200 of you took the time to do so. We thank all of you who did.
Here are some takeaways:
• The majority of you (53.8 percent) said you preferred getting the Daily Digest three days per week—while 36.3 percent said you'd ideally like to receive it five times per week. However, some of the comments led us to believe that a lot of you who said you preferred three days per week did so because we talked about the time constraints we were under. So, moving forward, we'll continue to do the Digest at least three days per week.
• More than 61.3 percent of you said you'd like the Daily Digest to include all news, not just COVID-19-related news. Therefore, in the coming weeks, we'll broaden the range of news links included.
• The vast majority of you said exceedingly nice things about the digest's tone and construction. We thank you all for that; we don't plan on changing much there.
• The biggest complaint about the Daily Digest was the fact that some links are to publications with metered pay walls—meaning you can only read so many articles for free until you're forced to subscribe. Unfortunately … there's nothing we can do about this. We'll do our best to link to as many free news sources as possible—but since some of the country's best news sources have paywalls (The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, etc.), they're unavoidable. We know we're largely preaching to the choir here, but it's worth repeating: Good writing and reporting costs money to produce. That means the aforementioned news sources have every right to ask people to pay for it.
• This leads us to the Independent's Supporters of the Independent program. First: Thanks again to all of you who have, will and/or continue to support us. It's appreciated, and it's helping us keep the figurative lights on. Second: To those of you who said you want to support us, but don't know how, click on this sentence to go to our Supporters page. We use PayPal, so it's easy to do. Third: To those of you who expressed guilt about being unable to support us financially: Please do not feel guilty. Times are tough—as tough as they've been since the Great Depression. We understand, and that's why we make our publication, both online and print, free to everyone. When the time comes that you have a few bucks to truly spare, then please consider supporting us—but don't sweat it until that happy time comes.
• Some of you said you didn't know much about the Independent and/or the primary writer of this here Daily Digest. Well, here's a quick primer I, Jimmy Boegle, wrote back in May. If you're unfamiliar with our print version, here's our entire archive—all 85 editions going back to our first one in April 2013. And, of course, all of our content going back to our first postings in October 2012 can be found at CVIndependent.com.
Thank you yet again to all of you who responded. If you have questions or concerns I didn't address here, send me an email, and I'll be happy to answer. And finally, to all of you. Thanks for reading. That's why we do what we do.
Enough yammering about ourselves. Here's the news of the day:
• I was again a guest on the I Love Gay Palm Springs podcast this week. I joined hosts Shann Carr, John Taylor and Brad Fuhr to talk to Dr. Laura Rush and Palm Springs Mayor Geoff Kors. Other guests joined the podcast as well; check it out!
• We previously mentioned that the city of Palm Springs had said that bars (serving food) and restaurants in the city (currently operating only outdoors) have to close at 11 p.m. for the time being. Well, after receiving some complaints, the city has extended that closure time to midnight.
• RIP, Herman Cain. The former GOP presidential candidate and COVID-19/mask-wearing skeptic, who attended President Donald Trump's infamous rally in Tulsa, died yesterday at the age of 74 due to the virus.
• It's official: The national economy during the second quarter suffered from an unprecedented collapse due to the coronavirus and the resulting shutdowns.
• Wisconsin yesterday became the latest state to require that people wear face masks in public. However, Republicans in the state Legislature there seem determined to strike down Gov. Tony Evers' order. Sigh.
• Vanity Fair published something of a bombshell yesterday, saying that a team led by Jared Kushner had developed a comprehensive COVID-19 testing plan—but it was shelved, in part, because the coronavirus then was primarily hitting Democratic-led states.
• Please pay attention to this, folks, as it's really important: U.S. Postal Service backlogs continue to amount, as the Trump administration attacks and starves the agency in multiple ways—and this could cause huge problems with mail ballots during the election.
• Pay attention to this, too: The U.S. Census Bureau is being pressured by the Trump administration to wrap up the oh-so-important once-a-decade count early—something that has Democrats rather alarmed.
• A sad milestone: For the first confirmed time, a Californian under the age of 18 has died from the coronavirus.
• Listen to the president! Yes, really, in this instance: On the heels of reports that the FDA is getting ready to allow a more-widespread use of convalescent blood plasma to treat COVID-19 patients, President Trump yesterday encouraged people who had recovered from COVID-19 to donate.
• Got goggles? Dr. Anthony Fauci recommended wearing them in addition to a face covering, if possible, to offer more protection from this nasty virus.
• The Wall Street Journal takes a look at the first wave of lawsuits being filed against employers who allegedly did not do all they could to protect their employees from SARS-CoV-2.
• An NPR investigation found that a multi-million dollar contract the Trump administration awarded to a company to collect COVID-19 data from hospitals—something the CDC had already been doing capably—raises a whole lot of alarming questions.
• The $600 in extra unemployment benefits from the federal government is expiring, in large part due to claims that it's acted as a disincentive for people to go back to work. However, a new Yale study indicates that those claims are not based in reality.
• The government has 44 million N95 masks stockpiled, with another half-billion on order. However, those masks aren't getting to the professionals who need them in a prompt manner. Key quote: "It's like we're in the middle of a hurricane here. They should not be stockpiling PPE," said Bob Gibson, vice president of the 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the largest such union in Florida. "It should be given to the frontline health workers. They have been in this fight for five months now, and they are exhausted."
• The U.S. Mint kindly requests that you spend the coins you have, because there aren't enough of them in circulation right now.
• Remember that huge Twitter hack several weeks back that essentially shut down all verified accounts? Well, feds say they've arrested the mastermind … 17-year-old Graham Ivan Clark.
• If you're a baseball fan like me … savor this weekend's games, as things could get shut down as soon as Monday, according to the MLB commissioner.
• Hong Kong is postponing legislative elections for a year due to the coronavirus—something that has pro-democracy folks quite alarmed. That couldn't happen here. Right?
• Experts writing for The Conversation say that some 800,000 low-income households may have recently had their electricity disconnected. Blame the COVID-19-related shutdown—and lawmakers who aren't doing enough to intervene.
• Also from The Conversation: Older, under-maintained schools in poorer areas were dangerous to begin with—and they'll be even more dangerous if students are forced to return to them as the pandemic rages.
• We've talked in this space a LOT about the various vaccines being tested—but it's likely that those vaccines, even if proven to be generally effective, won't work on everyone. Well, MIT is using machine learning to design a vaccine that would cover a lot more people.
• Sweden has not done a whole lot to shut down its economy—and a lot of people have died there from COVID-19 as a result. Still … the curve is being flatted there. How and why? Will it last? MedPage Today looks into it.
• An Arenas Road bar is poised to reopen (for outdoor dining) on Aug. 9, thanks to a brand-new kitchen. See what Chill Bar has planned.
• Finally, from the Independent: Get outside when temps are only in the 90s and check out what the skies have to offer in August—including the Perseids meteor shower.
Folks, we've survived another month. Who knows what August will bring? Stay tuned to find out. Have a great weekend; the Daily Digest will be back Monday.


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About 2/47 Triathlon Club
In February '09 a swimming group was formed on a Thursday night. Initially set up among friends and fellow athletes, it very quickly became the core and starting point for the now and hopefully one day famous 24/7 Triathlon Club.
Runners, cyclists and swimmers are all within the club and hopefully now we can turn each of these athletes into a competent performer in all three disciplines.
The name '24/7′ came about during one of our post race reviews. Some friends and family brought to our attention that all we do is talk about triathlons, racing and training twenty-four-seven. So we thought it would be a fitting name for the club, showing our real passion and enthusiasm for multi-sports and training.
It took only 2 months for word to get around that a triathlon club had been set up in Letterkenny. With many local running, cycling and swimming clubs showing an interest, it was only ever going to be a winner.
Our last AGM saw the election of the following for 2017/2018:
Club Chairman – Liam Tinney
Club Secretary – Anne Robinson
Club Treasurer – Amanda McNulty
Club PRO – Fiona McDaid
Adrian Wasson
Aidan Callaghan
Gavin Crawford
Elaine Gallagher (Merchandising Officer)
Keith Fletcher
Philip Browne
Martin Donnelly
Michael Black