text:
(CNN) -- Word of former South African President Nelson Mandela's death Thursday sparked an outpouring of responses and personal recollections from around the world.
Here are some of them:
South African President Jacob Zuma
"Our thoughts are with the South African people, who today mourn the loss of the one person who, more than any other, came to embody their sense of a common nation. Our thoughts are with the millions of people across the world who embraced Madiba as their own, and who saw his cause as their cause. This is the moment of our deepest sorrow. Our nation has lost its greatest son."
U.S. President Barack Obama
"My very first political action, the first thing I ever did that involved an issue or policy or politics was a protest against apartheid. I would study his words and his writings, the day he was released from prison gave me a sense of what human beings can do when they're guiding by their hopes and not by their fears. And like so many around the globe I cannot imagine my own life without the example that Nelson Mandela set. And so as long as I live, I will do my best to do what I can to learn from him."
Tokyo Sexwale, who was imprisoned with Mandela on Robben Island
"Nelson Mandela demonstrated that leadership is not about power, but on the contrary, about honor. That is what we learned from Nelson Mandela during the dark days with him on Robben Island. Today he is seen as an icon in the world, whose teachings, principles and values need to be embraced by all. He was embraced even by even white wardens, his own jailers, because he demonstrated that through the power of dialogue...people on different sides, former enemies, can come together. That's how we in South Africa were able to resolve our intractable problems created by the racist system of apartheid.
"My cell was only about 2-3 meters away from his cell. His cell was small, but it contained a very formidable and larger than life figure."
U.N. Security Council
"President Nelson Mandela will forever be remembered as someone who gave up so much of his life in the struggle for freedom, so that millions could have a brighter future."
Retired Gen. Colin Powell, former U.S. secretary of state
"I knew him. I had dinner with him. I had conversations with him, and what always struck me was his humbleness. He was a humble, gentle, warm person, even though he was a fighter on the military stage as well as the political stage. ... He approached everybody he met as a fellow human being and equal to him, and that's what I remember."
U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel of New York
"When I returned to South Africa for his inauguration and saw him have as one of his honored guests the prison guard that had kept him incarcerated, I said this is a quality that most human beings don't even think that they're capable of. And then from the jail cell to President of South Africa, what a man, what a life. What an inspiration. And the standard that he's raised for public servants, I know I can't, but I don't know anyone that could ever rise to what he's represented," Rangel told CNN affiliate NY1. "And so, when everything looks disappointing, looks overwhelming, whether you're white or black, no matter what country you're from, I think if you can think of Nelson Mandela's dilemma and how he's overcome it, it'll be an inspiration for all world leaders."
Luol Dong, Chicago Bulls basketball blayer
"I wish they would pause everything so the whole world can give thanks."
U2's Bono
"In the end, Nelson Mandela showed us how to love rather than hate, not because he had never surrendered to rage or violence, but because he learnt that love would do a better job. Mandela played with the highest stakes. He put his family, his country, his time, his life on the line, and he won most of these contests. Stubborn til the end for all the right reasons, it felt like he very nearly outstared his maker. Today, finally, he blinked. And some of us cry, knowing our eyes were opened to so much because of him."
Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin Group Ltd.
"He had a wicked sense of humor, a twinkle in his eye. He would burst into singing and dancing. And yet at the same time, there was a serious side to him. He set up a wonderful organization called The Elders in order for his legacy to live on. He took time and trouble appointing six wonderful men and women...and he asked them to continue his legacy after he'd gone."


text:
Here's an interesting question:
"I have been busy trying to figure out Cost of Delay but I'm stuck on a certain question — hopefully you can enlighten me.
An example: Let's say I have an ice cream stand that is currently at capacity, selling 10 ice-creams per week. I have two options to boost capacity:
Option A – Add a Super Spoon that will increase output by 10 ice-creams per week. This would take ~2 weeks.
Option B – Build a Second Machine that will increase output by 30 ice-creams per week. This would take ~4 weeks.
Applying CD3 — Cost of Delay Divided by Duration:
Option A – Super Spoon: 10 / 2 = 5
Option B – Second Machine: 30 / 4 = 7.5
If I first build A, and then B, over 6 weeks I will get a total of 100 ice creams
If I first build B, and then A, over 6 weeks I will get a total of 120 ice creams.
Using CD3, delivering B first instead of A first gives me an increase in output of 20%.
Now, here is my question: the difference between the CD3 of A (5) and B (7.5) is 50%. Why do I only get a 20% increase in output if I build B first? I expected the CD3 to be in relation of the output gained by building B first. Why is there only an increase of 20 ice-creams and not 50 ice-creams (100% of ice-creams + 50% = 150).
Do you see where I'm coming from?"
Yes, I think I understand. You were expecting the percentage difference between CD3 scores to be the same as the percentage difference in outcomes when comparing two alternative scheduling options.
Visualise the problem
It's a bit easier to understand if we visualise what's happening. Here's what A then B looks like:
For the 2 weeks we are building the Super Spoon, we have the original capacity of 10 ice-creams/wk. When the Super Spoon is ready, our capacity then increases by 10 ice-creams per week to a total of 20 ice-creams/week. It then takes us another 4 weeks to build the Second Machine, after which our capacity increases by another 30 ice-creams/wk up to 50 ice-creams/wk in week six.
If we instead do the highest CD3 first, we get the following:
In this scenario we spend 4 weeks building the Second Machine, during which we have the original capacity of 10 ice-creams/wk. When the Second Machine comes online, our capacity increases by 30 ice-creams per week to a total of 40 ice-creams/wk. It then takes us another 2 weeks to build the Super Spoon, bringing our capacity up by another 10 ice-creams/wk up to the same 50 ice-creams/wk in week six, exactly the same as if we do them the other way around.
Cost of Delay is a rate
The units of Cost of Delay are: change in outcomes per unit time. In this example, the outcomes we are interested in is more ice-creams, so the Cost of Delay is measured in ice-creams per week. The units on the vertical axis matter. For every week we don't have the Super Spoon, it costs us 10 ice-creams. For every week we don't have the Second Machine, it costs us 30 ice creams. Cost of Delay is a rate.
Notice also, that the area under the curve (the integral) for each of these options is the number of ice-creams produced in a given period.
Why am I banging on about units? Well, it sometimes confuses people that Cost of Delay is a rate. You may come across some Cost of Delay graphs where the units aren't clear. It makes a big difference if you are plotting the cumulative benefits or the rate, so it's important to be clear what you're actually plotting.
I would normally recommend plotting the rate. We are visualising the cumulative benefits anyway (it's the area under the curve). This way it is easier to see the Cost of Delay – and how that might be changing over time.
So, the outcome for each of these two alternative scheduling approaches can be easily seen from the area under the curves. If we do the highest CD3 first, we get 120 ice-creams in the first 6 weeks, whereas if we do A and then B we only get 100 ice-creams. Same options, simply done in a different order result in a 20% increase. It's basically free ice-cream!
What are the units of CD3?
Going a step further, we can look at the units of CD3, both to help us understand what it represents and whether CD3 should be proportional to outcomes or not.
To get to CD3 we divide Cost of Delay by Duration (which has units of time). So the units of CD3 are: change in outcomes per unit time, per unit time. The CD3 for the Super Spoon is 5 ice-creams/wk, per week. Likewise, the CD3 for the Second Machine option is 7.5 ice-creams/wk, per week.
We can visualise this as well, since CD3 is the slope (or gradient) of a line that matches the change in Cost of Delay over the time it takes to realise that change. Here's how the two CD3 "gradients" look, scheduled A and then B, like this:
If instead we choose the highest CD3 first, it looks like this:
If you did high-school Physics, you may notice that Cost of Delay is equivalent to velocity and CD3 is equivalent to acceleration. In this analogy, the outcome would be "distance travelled".
If we integrate the velocity curve (between two specific timeframes) by adding up the area under the curve, we would get total distance travelled. This is equivalent to "Delay Cost Incurred".
By scheduling the highest CD3 first, we are in fact choosing the option that accelerates our outcomes the most.
So, why isn't the difference proportional?
Much like Acceleration and Distance, the difference between two CD3 and their associated Delay Cost Incurred should be proportional — but it has to be a fair comparison! We would need to treat the increase as linear (not a step function) and would have to do this over the same timeframe (say 4 weeks).
This is how that would look for the Super Spoon:
Which can then compare to the Second Machine:
7.5 to 5 ice-creams/wk per wk is a 50% difference in acceleration. This is proportional to difference between 60 and 40 ice-creams over a 4 week period – a 50% increase in outcomes. So they are proportional. Or, at least they would be if the change was linear and over an equal timeframe.
In the example given though, the change isn't linear though –we only get the benefits after we've completed each option. And the timeframes are different (2 weeks vs 4 weeks). Of course, if there is a way to break each of these down and deliver some of that increase in output earlier, then that is of course worthwhile doing. You should still prioritise the option that has the highest CD3 though, as this will accelerate your desired outcome (ice-creams) the most.
The other difference to consider is that the two improvements are delivered sequentially (A then B, OR; B then A). As a result, comparing the outcomes of two different scheduling approaches will no longer be proportional to the difference in the individual CD3 scores.
So, hopefully this helps to explain why the difference in outcomes isn't proportional to the CD3 scores. It's still worth doing, though. Who's gonna say no to free ice-cream?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
HOUSTON - (Dec. 11, 2017) - Surgery to remove a part of the brain to give relief to patients with epilepsy doesn't always result in complete seizure relief, but statisticians at Rice University have developed a method for integrating neuroimaging scans to identify patients at high risk of continued seizures before the surgery takes place.
Rice statistician Marina Vannucci and lead author Sharon Chiang, an M.D./Ph.D. student at Rice and Baylor College of Medicine, worked with colleagues at Baylor, the University of California at Irvine and UCLA to develop a method for integrating functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans to find visual biomarkers that distinguish patients with the greatest likelihood of benefit.
Their hope is that with recent alternatives to resective surgery, including responsive neurostimulation, vagus nerve stimulation and thalamic stimulation, patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) can avoid anterior temporal lobe resection surgery that may not help them, or can undergo other procedures that are more likely to benefit them.
The study appears this month in Frontiers in Neuroscience.
Vannucci and Chiang built their model on data gathered from PET and resting-state fMRI scans for a total of 51 patients by the UCLA Seizure Disorder Center between 2007 and 2012. The center worked with Rice and Baylor to investigate suspicions that failure to attain seizure freedom after resection of the anterior temporal lobe in some patients with TLE originates in tissue connected through networks to the lobe.
Standard resection of the anterior temporal lobe cures or dramatically reduces seizures for many who undergo the surgery, but approximately 30 to 50 percent of patients continue to experience seizures after surgery.
Vannucci and Chiang previously used statistical techniques to analyze brain activity data from patients with epilepsy and control groups to gain new information about active networks in the brain. "We have been tackling this problem of trying to understand temporal lobe epilepsy from different angles," said Vannucci, a professor and chair of Rice's Department of Statistics.
This time, she said, they used the data to demonstrate that the recurrence of seizures after surgery, despite resection of the seizure-onset zone, may be due to either surgical disruption of fibers connected to previously normal brain tissue or incomplete resection of an epileptogenic network.
Their results identified a subgroup of patients with 5.8 times greater odds of experiencing postoperative seizures due to what the researchers suspect are differences in their underlying brain networks.
They suggested the occurrence of postoperative seizures could be due to remaining epilepsy networks after surgery. "This may lead us to better understand the brain networks that produce epilepsy and allow for the design of better treatments for those patients who do not have seizure freedom from the current operation," said Dr. John Stern, a co-author and professor of clinical neurology, director of the epilepsy clinical program and co-director of the Seizure Disorder Center at UCLA.
"Why some patients do well after epilepsy surgery and others who are similar in other respects do not has been an enduring mystery in epilepsy," said co-author Dr. Zulfi Haneef, an assistant professor of neurology at Baylor. "This study provides tantalizing evidence that the answer may lie in whole brain network interconnectivity."
Like the earlier study, this method was based on Bayesian probability, which does not provide definitive answers but "degrees of belief" based on the strength of the evidence. FMRI scans that produce maps of the brain's resting-state networks were also acquired from each patient in the study; the Rice team used them to help increase the amount of signal extracted from PET scan data.
"We vetted our model using data from all the patients, and then took one out to do a prediction on that patient's data, and then another one, and so on," Vannucci said. "We wanted to know if we could predict outcomes for one patient at a time, and it was pretty successful. Now we want to try the method on a bigger data set to see how robust the results are."
The Rice team is continuing to work with UCLA and Baylor to develop free software that neurologists and neurosurgeons can use to combine resting-state fMRI with presurgical PET scans, which should help further validate their results.
"With recent studies demonstrating the efficacy of less-invasive techniques such as laser ablation and neurostimulation, optimal selection of candidates for resective surgery is an important issue," Chiang said. "Improved statistical methods for integrating the various forms of imaging acquired during the presurgical workup may help in determining appropriate candidates for open resection versus other therapies."
Co-authors of the paper are Michele Guindani, an associate professor of statistics at the University of California, Irvine, and an adjunct associate professor at Rice; clinical researcher Hsiang Yeh; and clinical nurse specialist Sandra Dewar.
Support for the research was provided by the National Science Foundation; the National Library of Medicine Training Fellowship in Biomedical Informatics, Gulf Coast Consortia for Quantitative Biomedical Sciences; the National Institutes of Health; the Epilepsy Foundation of America; the Baylor Computational and Integrative Biomedical Research Center Seed Grant Awards; the Baylor Junior Faculty Seed Funding Program Grant; and the Leff Family Foundation.
Read the open-access study at http://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2017.00669/full.
This news release can be found online at http://news.rice.edu/2017/12/11/presurgical-imaging-may-predict-whether-epilepsy-surgery-will-work/Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.
Related materials:
Statistic method shows networks differ in epileptic brains: http://news.rice.edu/2017/03/06/statistics-method-shows-networks-differ-in-epileptic-brains/
Marina Vannucci: http://www.stat.rice.edu/~marina/
Rice University Department of Statistics: https://statistics.rice.edu
George R. Brown School of Engineering: https://engineering.rice.edu
Images for download:
An illustration by Rice University statisticians based on a temporal lobe epilepsy dataset shows clear presurgical differences in the brains of patients in Cluster 1, who are more likely to be seizure-free one year after anterior temporal lobe resection, and those in Cluster 2, who are less likely to be seizure-free. The brighter blue regions of interest indicate greater interictal (the period between seizures) metabolic activity measured during PET scans. The regions are: (a) ipsilateral inferior parietal lobule, (b) contralateral inferior parietal lobule, (c) ipsilateral parieto-temporal cortex, (d) ipsilateral associative visual cortex, (e) contralateral associative visual cortex, (f) cerebellar vermis, (g) ipsilateral cerebellar hemisphere and (h) contralateral cerebellar hemisphere. (Credit: Vannucci Lab/Rice University)
Marina Vannucci. (Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)
Sharon Chiang (Credit: Rice University)
Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,879 undergraduates and 2,861 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for quality of life and for lots of race/class interaction and No. 2 for happiest students by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. To read "What they're saying about Rice," go to http://tinyurl.com/RiceUniversityoverview.
Editor's note: Links to high-resolution images for download appear at the end of this release.
David Ruth
Mike Williams
Frontiers in Neuroscience


text:
Todays video will stir up a hornets nest I am sure, its on "Obesity and Self Control"
- Lean, fit people: Please stop making fun of fat people or trying to ridicule the into thin-ness, it doesnt work. If you really want to help them, help them install a calorie counting application on their smart phone and walk them thru entering a meal. Nutritional education is the #1 best tool in fighting obesity.
- Obese people: Stop making excuses. In my opinion, unless you have a mental illness you CAN get lean and fit without pills or surgery. You don't have a disease. You don't have a "slow metabolism". You simply eat too much and don't exercise enough.


text:
Caesarea Golf Club, the only 18-hole course in Israel, reopened earlier this month after a redesign overseen by Pete Dye.
The course plays 7,163 yards from the tips, and there are four sets of tees. The kikuyu grass previously used on the course was replaced with paspalum, and water hazards were added on two holes.
Caesarea, which originally opened in 1961, also has a nine-hole par-3 course designed by Dye and his associate, Tim Liddy, and a double-ended practice range.
In July, the club, which is located between Tel Aviv and Haifa, will host the 18th World Maccabiah Games.


text:
Completing Luxury Real Estate Sales Against The Very Best Attainable Values
A fundamental part of property investment is a timely release. Working with high-net-worth individuals around the world, we provide real estate investment services specifically to the Singapore's luxury real estate market, from the beginning to the end. Starting with the preliminary analysis, we provide consultations, support for financing and process, on-going management, ending with flawless results.
Whether you have an existing luxury seafront villa or luxury condo in Singapore that you want to bring to market, or you want a professional opinion on whether you should sell or hold, you will need the right team in Singapore to give you directions through the intricate realm that is international property investment.
When it's time to sell your Singapore luxury real estate, we'll be ready to guide you through the process. You won't be left at the mercy of misinformed speculation, and instead can have confidence that you will realize meaningful returns from your property assets. Any financial decision needs to be based on strong data, and we will ensure that you have all of the evidence and market insight to make an informed decision on your investment properties in Singapore.
From luxurious condos to luxurious villas, we use our thorough experience of the local market and our talent to dominate realization for you. This ensures you gain the greatest amount of benefits from international real estate investing, without hassle.
Our connections in our many networks of international buyers give you the opportunity to be in the best position to receive the maximum return on your investments. As soon as we collaborate to find a return you happy with, we go to work to by organizing the sale, including negotiations and tax, legal and finance assistance.
Get your FREE market report before making a decision selling your luxury real estate in Singapore!


text:
Students from the Algoma region will be putting their most scientific foot forward at the 31st Annual Rotary Science Fair Algoma presented by Tenaris on April 12 – 14 at the Algoma University George Leach Centre.
Please join us by visiting the exhibit area on Friday, April 13 from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. and again on Saturday, April 14 from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m., followed by the awards ceremony.
See a wide variety of projects from "Baking With Different Sugars" to "The Affect Of Cell Phone Usage On Reaction Time". Find out how road salts affect the growth of plants, how dairy consumption affects quality of sleep, which materials absorb the most noise, and whether time really flies when you're having fun!
Students will compete for top prizes and an opportunity to represent their school and the Algoma region as a part of Youth Science Ontario, at the Canada Wide Science Fair in Ottawa from May 12 – 19, where they will compete with students from across the country.
We would like to thank our title sponsor, Tenaris, and our other sponsors, Algoma University and the George Leach Centre, Algoma, Youth Science Ontario, University of Ottawa, Professional Engineers Ontario, Algoma District School Board, Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board, Sault College, USW 2724, Superior Digital Solutions, Stone's Office Plus, Green For Life, Conseil Scolaire Catholique du Nouvel-Ontario, P&M Technologies, All Star Trophies, Entomica, and Sault Naturalist.
This event is also made possible because of the support of many volunteers, teachers, judges, committee members and the Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie.


text:
Reach the light in a world long forgotten. Explore ruins and find new abilities while piecing together allies from the scrap.
Disoto will be available free on itch.io in late August.
Play as the roots of a plant in this snake like relaxing puzzle game. The objective: get to the water below and collect fertilizer. With each season new surprises and powerups keep the game constantly changing. Master all 96 levels and help your plant grow.


text:
Why does the federal government steal one-third to one-half of the raisin crop every year?
Why aren't the farmers paid for the stolen crop?
Why does the government then sell the stolen raisins to foreigners at below-market prices?
Why has this been going on ever since 1948?
Why haven't you heard it through the grapevine?
There are at least 29 other programs just like it. These programs, once begun, last forever. They make no economic sense. They never did. But they continue, despite making no economic sense.
How many government employees spend their entire careers enforcing laws like this one? No one knows. Congress does not care.
A story like this never makes it into high school civics textbooks. Stories like this one make the federal government sound like a loony bin.


text:
Story of bounty hunters transporting prisoners through 19th-century Wyoming would have been shot in 70mm format
Quentin Tarantino's cancelled western The Hateful Eight would have centred on two bounty hunters plying their trade in bloody 19th-century Wyoming, according to reports.
Tarantino was left seething earlier this weak after the draft screenplay for his new film was leaked by an unnamed Hollywood agent. He has declared the project defunct, and says he will publish the script in text form instead.
Now the Wrap reports that it has seen the screenplay, which has now been photocopied a number of times and is said to be circulating in Hollywood. Tarantino planned a film in 70mm, an unusual and expensive format recently used by Paul Thomas Anderson for The Master, and there would have been plum roles for Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Christoph Waltz and Samuel L Jackson, the site says.
The Hateful Eight reportedly opens on a sweeping Wyoming vista but soon moves indoors to a stagecoach and a haberdashery. The rest of the film is likened to a "tense stage play". The description recalls Tarantino's debut, Reservoir Dogs, much of which takes place in a single abandoned warehouse space where a gang of criminals have travelled following a botched heist.
"Jackson and Madsen would likely both play bounty hunters returning human plunder to a town called Red Rock in exchange for hefty rewards," reports the Wrap. "Their characters, a former major in the Union army and a man named John Ruth, dominate the first two of the script's five chapters.
"They run into a southerner named Chris Mannix on the road, and three of them, along with their driver – a living prisoner and three dead bounties strapped to the roof – arrive at a haberdashery to take shelter from an oncoming blizzard. Yet the proprietors, Minnie, Sweet Dave and her other colleagues, are nowhere to be found. In their place are four men, a Southern general (likely Dern), an alleged hangman, a Frenchman named Bob and a cowboy named Joe Gage. Mistrust, coffee and violence ensue."
The screenplay is said to be peppered with references to 70mm, indicating Tarantino's determination to proceed in the format. It also features scenes of Russian roulette, and there is plenty of the film-maker's trademark duplicity.
The Wrap's report does not amount to a full script review such as emerged in the wake of the leaking of the screenplay for Tarantino's previous film, Django Unchained. Nevertheless, it seems unlikely to improve the director's current temperament. The Pulp Fiction film-maker has laid into unnamed Hollywood agents who he believes may have leaked the screenplay. It was delivered to just six actors, according to Tarantino. CAA, the agency that works for Dern, has denied suggestions it is responsible for the script's release into the public domain.
Meanwhile, the Wrap also claims to have unveiled details of the film Tarantino could pursue next in The Hateful Eight's absence. It is described as a prison movie based on the life of the actor Robert Blake, who was acquitted of killing his wife in 2004 but later found guilty in a civil case.
Blake, 80, the star of In Cold Blood and the Baretta TV series, was accused of involvement in the death of his wife Bonnie Lee Bakley, who was shot outside a Los Angeles restaurant in May 2001.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media 2014


text:
The Nike Dri-FIT Indy Sports Bra makes simple support even easier with straps that adjust at the front. Soft fabric is designed for breathability on the front and back in case you work up a sweat. With easily removable pads that slip in from the top, it's effortlessly comfortable. This product is made from at least 50% recycled polyester fibres.
Free standard delivery with your Nike Membership.
4.3 Stars
JadeAmarah - 30 Jun 2022
Really lovely sports bra Material is lovely Love the shape and that it is thick and comes under the arm! Deffo a great buy
Heather - 21 Feb 2022
Good item with great fabric. Just wish it was a bit more comfortable. I received the same size I always wear and I could hardly get it on. Would also be much nicer if the padding was removable, it gets bunched up in the wash just like a swim suit top would
Manchester - 21 Feb 2022
I really loved this bra! I am a 38DDD/40DD in bras and have a very difficult time finding a nice sports bra that feels comfortable and supportive. I loved everything about this bra! The 3x was a perfect fit for my body type. There is a light padded insert in the bra that can easily be taken out if needed but I liked it inserted. My favorite feature of the bra was that the straps were adjustable from the front so I didn't have to pull a muscle trying to tighten them from behind. The fabric was very soft and breathable and moved easily with me. I felt supported but not constricted. The bra also had several cute added details like little Nike symbols where the straps adjusted and the mesh under the arm pits was also shaped like the Nike symbol. I also liked that the center of the cleavage area was mesh which made it even more breathable. I definitely recommend!


text:
The Cost of Flooding
Please click "Read more" to access the interactive tool.
Call Us Today
Please click "Read more" to access the interactive tool.
5 Dos and Don'ts of Flying a Drone Drones are exploding in popularity in New Jersey and so are the news stories about someone flying too close to a commercial aircraft or shooting down a drone. These are real incidents, but with these five dos and don'ts of drone operation, you don't have to experience … More
5 Questions to Ask if You Keep Guns in Your Home There are an estimated 300 million firearms in U.S. homes. And, with a lot of guns comes the potential for a lot of gun-related accidents. So, ask yourself these questions to help prevent your household in Springfield from experiencing one. How secure are my … More
How Efficiently (or Inefficiently) Do You Use Your Heat? Many homeowners in Springfield see their energy bills each winter and think, "How can I be spending this much when the house isn't even that warm?" To get an answer to that question, you should start with some other questions that will help determine just … More
There are a number of ways an identity thief can use a stolen Social Security number (SSN). Most Americans have heard of an identity thief opening a credit card account or getting a cell phone in the victim's name but did you know that a thief could also try to get legitimate employment with a … More
How to Stay Safe After a Winter Car Accident The days are short. The air is cold. And, roads are often slick with rain, snow or ice. It's winter driving season in New Jersey. And, while most people know what to do to try to avoid an accident, many don't know what to do after … More
Please click "Read more" to access the interactive tool.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) describes tax identity theft as that which "occurs when someone uses your stolen Social Security number (SSN) to file a tax return claiming a fraudulent refund." Identity thieves file fraudulent tax returns early in filing season. Usually, the victim isn't made aware that the theft has taken place until they find that they can't file … More
Don't pay more premium than necessary Take these steps to avoid higher premium payments Make sure an independent contractor has Workers' Compensation coverage. If you hire an independent contractor who does not have Workers' Compensation insurance, the law may hold you responsible for work-related injuries. If it is determined that you may be held liable, your … More
NJ Roofers save up to 20% on your Worker's Compensation insurance today We have had great success writing roofing contractors in New Jersey due to our strong relationships with our insurance carriers that offer affordable plans for our clients. We represent a market whose insurance companies are rated A+ Superior by AM Best and specialize … More


text:
It's been a l-o-o-o-ng time since I've done any pattern testing, but when Rachael at Imagine Gnats posted a picture of a fresh summer dress pattern she was working on, I jumped at the chance to volunteer to try it out. I was thrilled when she asked me to give her Springtail Sundress Pattern a test run that I ended up making more than once since I liked it so much!
Since Ella started school last year, I haven't had much opportunity to sew non-school attire clothing for her. This fun summer dress is ideal for a new piece to add to her regular wardrobe.
Ella is now at the age where she wants me to buy her clothes more than make them. I can't believe I just said that. Totally breaks my heart, but I completely understand, too. However, I knew she would really like the Springtail Sundress because it is so similar to a dress I recently bought her that she loves. Of course, Ella's favorite part is the ruffle top that is almost like a little jacket built into the bodice. I think the next version I make will have the ruffle part sewn out of lace.
For my test version of the Springtail Sundress pattern, I used knit fabric for the main part of the dress and a lightweight gingham for the ruffle and sewed the size 7. I think the two fabric types paired together very well here, and Ella immediately adored it! Yay! Plus, the fit is awesome!
With all new patterns, I definitely recommend reading through the entire pattern instructions before cutting out any fabric. While this was a very easy pattern to sew, I was slightly confused at first because the way the ruffle is sewn onto the dress requires that the side seams be sewn before the shoulder seams. I am so used to dresses and tops being sewn in the opposite order with shoulder seams first then side seams, that even though I read the instructions multiple times, I sewed the shoulder seams first. Well, needless to say, I had to rip out those two seams and start again.
The bodice of this dress is not lined, so the armholes and neckline are trimmed with essentially single fold bias that Rachael has you cut out of soft knit fabric. I'm not a big fan of bias trimmed openings (just a personal preference), but I forged through this part with no problem.
This dress took me only an hour to sew, so I decided to make Ella an all woven fabric Springtail Suntop as well! At the time I tested the pattern, Rachael had not included a cut line for a top or tunic version, but after seeing mine, she said she would add it to the pattern!
I recently received a few pieces of this new fabric collection from Blend Fabrics called Best in Show, but they were only fat half yard cuts. Since Ella and I both thought the cats were so sweet, I took three prints from this collection and used the longest piece (that was 21" long) to cut out the main top, and then I used the cat print and the pink dot print to cut the ruffle and ruffle lining.
Instead of using the binding to make a tie in the back for the closure, I opted to create a button tab. This worked well, and I really like how it looks.
Ella loved wearing her new Springtail Suntop as much as the dress!
Imagine Gnats will be releasing the Springtail Sundress Pattern for sale any day now! Be sure to check out her pattern shop to grab your copy.
Have FUN sewing!


text:
Have you always dreamt of being a pilot ? Become one now ! Hire one of our simulators for one or more hours at a very attractive price.
Learn how to fly procedures, how to properly operate an airliner, prepare yourself for airline interviews etc.
No matter what your intention is – our experienced instructor will assist you where and as much as necessary.
Of course this is also the perfect gift – for birthdays, jubilees – or just for fun.
Visit our partnersite at: www.happy-landings.org


text:
FIVE OR FEWER iT
Personalized technology support.
Call 513-844-TECH to get started today!
Your Personal, On-Call Expert IT Department
We don't just fix computers. If you need help, join the club and experience end-to-end support. With the membership in ClubCX, you and your PC will be ready to receive remote support or in-store assistance whenever you need it.
ClubCX Member Benefits
Annual check-up or diagnostic
Help ticketing system
Remote-ready support software
Purchasing advice
Technology recycling
Access to the CX Store
Access to your personal IT support at a competitive price.
Five or Fewer IT Service, Professional Expertise
Individuals, families and small businesses with five or fewer computers are finding ClubCX to be the solution they've been looking for when it comes to personalized technology support. Everyone needs IT Support and ClubCX is the answer.


text:
France's interior minister, Manuel Valls, who is seeking to ban shows by the standup comedian Dieudonné, faced embarrassment as pictures emerged showing him apparently unaware that a group of young people with him were performing the reverse Nazi salute popularised by the comic.
Dieudonné is embarking on a nationwide tour from 9 January, but several venues have pulled out amid the recent publicity over antisemitic comments.
A photograph, taken during a visit to the southern region of Aveyron in September, shows Valls looking straight into the camera. Beside him are at least five young men performing the gesture known as the quenelle, with one arm down and the other crossed over the chest.
The gesture, which has been condemned by French politicians as antisemitic, has been Dieudonné's trademark salute for the past five years. He claims it is anti-establishment.
The picture was displayed on the websites of several French newspapers and magazines on Tuesday. Le Figaro and Le Parisien were among those to publish it online, although not in their print editions. The photograph has been widely shared by supporters of Dieudonné and other versions of the same occasion have come to light.
Valls told RTL radio on Tuesday that the comedian, whom he called "a petty salesman of hatred", was "obsessed with a hatred of Jews". He said he was aware of Dieudonné's success on the internet and in his shows, but "his spectators need to be aware".
Paris magistrates announced on Monday that charges may be laid against the comedian for inciting racial hatred after he suggested after a Jewish journalist interviewed him last week that it was a shame the Nazi gas chambers were no longer working.
On Tuesday the Toulouse state prosecutor said he was investigating a photo showing a young man performing the quenelle in front of the Jewish school in south-west France where an Islamist gunman killed a teacher and three pupils in March 2012.
The prosecutor is trying to track down those responsible for the picture, which was posted online this month. Dieudonné is due to perform in Toulouse on 22 February.
After Dieudonné was warned by Valls that his shows risked being banned, the French striker Nicolas Anelka performed a quenelle on the pitch during a Premier League game in England last Saturday, saying it was in support of his friend. His actions triggered widespread condemnation, particularly in France, leading the footballer on Monday to say that he would not repeat the salute.


text:
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Mount Pleasant, S.C. Kansas University freshman Taylor Dodson drove in the go-ahead run with a bases-loaded single in the top of the eighth inning against College of Charleston on Saturday.
Junior Alicia Pille forced a fly out and two strikeouts to close the Jayhawks' 6-5 victory.
"What a fun a game, that's why you're involved in the sport to have games like that," KU coach Megan Smith said. "We came out strong and the College of Charleston punched back at us, but that was really good to see our young team having that grit and that fight."
The win was Pille's and KU's second of the day. Kansas (4-3) shut out Western Carolina, 6-0, Saturday morning behind a dominant complete game by Pille (2-1). She struck out 10 with zero walks allowed just two WCU hits. Against College of Charleston, Pille allowed three hits and one run in 3 1/3 innings after relieving starter Kelsey Kessler.
The Jayhawks began the afternoon against the Cougars by carrying over momentum from the morning shutout. By the middle of the fifth inning against Charleston, Kansas had built a 4-0 lead thanks to the impressive play of freshman catcher Harli Ridling. Ridling started the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning, followed by her first collegiate home run in the third.
"Harli is a special player," KU coach Megan Smith said. "Defensively, she's unbelievable behind the plate. Offensively, she's special. You can see her feeling more and more comfortable as the games progress. She's got a lot of power, a lot of poise and some swagger up at the plate, which I like."
Ashley Newman's ground-out in the fourth scored Chanin Naudin, and Naudin's bases-loaded walk in the top of the fifth scored Ridling to give the Jayhawks a 4-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Cougars drove Kessler from the game after loading the bases and scoring four runs, via two doubles sandwiched around a sac-fly.
A run apiece in the seventh inning by Kansas (Newman RBI single) and Charleston set up extras, and bunts by Alex Jones and Newman in the eighth set up Dodson's RBI.
The Jayhawks play their final game of the Cougar Classic at 8 a.m. today against DePaul.
Kansas 6, W. Carolina 0
Kansas 002 220 0 — 6 9 0
Western Carolina 000 000 0 — 0 2 2
W — Alicia Pille, 1-1. L — Jordan Garrett, 0-2. SV — none.
2B — Alex Jones, Kansas; Taylor Dodson, Kansas; Taylor Sigmon, Western Carolina.
Kansas highlights — Maddie Stein, 3-for-4, 2 RBI; Dodson 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 R; Chanin Naudin 1-for-2, 1 RBI, 2 R; Jones 1-for-4, 1 RBI; Pille 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 10 K, 0 BB.
Kansas 6, College of Charleston 5, 8 innings
Kansas 101 110 11 — 6 13 0
CoC 000 040 10 — 5 9 0
W — Alicia Pille, 2-1. L — Hope Klicker, 1-3. SV — None.
2B — Mackenzie Maples (2), CoC; Carly Corthell, CoC; Allison Pedigo, CoC; Valerie Cassell, CoC. HR — Harli Ridling, Kansas.
Kansas highlights — Ridling 3-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB; Ashley Newman 2-for-4, 2 RBI; Lily Behrmann 2-for-3, 1 RBI; Chanin Naudin 1-for-3, 2 R; Alex Jones 2-for-4, 1 R.


text:
(n) Hawaiian for porch, patio.
English: They like to set those kinds of glass balls on their coffee tables, but I'm only going to sell the small ones. The big ones are for us. They'll ;ook nice on the patio.
Pidgin: They like those popo aniani for put on the coffee table. But I only going sell the small kine. The big kine's for us. Look nice on the lānai.


text:
A-Z Yachting Ltd., terms and conditions for temporary and permanent candidates.
A-Z Yachting Ltd, terms and conditions for temporary and permanent candidates.
In these terms and conditions the following definitions apply:
Client Being the person, firm or corporate body together with any subsidiary or associated Company as defined by the Companies Act 1985 (English Law) to which the Candidate is introduced and is the registered Owner of the Yacht/Property.
Consultancy Being A-Z Yachting Ltd: Registered: 40 Railway Avenue,Whitstable,CT54JY,UK.
Yacht/Property Being the vessel/property to which the Consultancy provides a Candidate for interviews and subsequent employment.
Candidate Being the person/crew member introduced by the Consultancy to the Client for the interview and subsequent employment.
The following agreement is written for the Candidate's advice, guidance and potential employment protection. We ask the Candidate to take time to read the following information and take a look at our draft Seafarers Employment Agreement (SEA), this is available on our website. It encompasses, as far as possible, the yacht's obligations to you under MLC 2006.
There is not a standard document for a SEA, however, the copy displayed on our website is ideally what you should be looking to obtain in any SEA.
SEA's are required to comply with current applicable national laws and regulations and should include any Collective Bargaining Agreement that may apply to them. Together they should not be less favorable than the minimum standards of MLC. MLC gives the Candidate the right of sufficient time to study the content before and after signing a SEA with the Client. Please ensure you also receive a copy of this.
Upon placement on a vessel through the means of recruitment via A-Z Yachting Ltd. a copy of your SEA will be requested to keep on file for future reference.
Below is some more advice. It is recommended that you satisfy yourself of these items at or subsequent to the interview/s with any potential employer. You should be sure that all sections of the SEA are completed and acceptable to you. Where a yacht does not need to comply with MLC or flies the flag of a country which has not ratified MLC you should ensure you are happy with the conditions offered.
We also provide a link which lists the flag states who have currently ratified MLC 2006
MLC provides protection for such matters as the below (which is not an exhaustive list).
It requires the Flag States to carry out regular inspections. It sets out the responsibilities of yacht owners to the seafarers. It requires documentation to be provided for you, which makes clear the standards of working and living conditions on-board. A-Z Yachting Ltd. will make sure, as far as practicable, that the Client is financially able to fulfil his obligations to you; you should also try to determine that you are similarly satisfied. You should also determine that you have adequate personal insurance cover provided for you by the Client during the period of your employment.
You will not be subject to exploitation by A-Z Yachting and similarly should not be by the Client. Therefore: A-Z Yachting will not charge candidates any direct or 'hidden' costs before, during or after the registration process through to placement. A-Z Yachting will assist next of kin or concerned family members with any advice and guidance they can. This will be at no cost. In so doing and, if necessary, they will first try to verify that the credibility of the relationship is genuine and for example will try to advise the Candidate of any concerns and pass over contact details of the family member to the engaged Candidate, (rather than vice versa, for the potential protection of the personal details of the crewmember). To this end, Candidates are requested here to maintain up-to-date records of their own personal contact details for use by A-Z Yachting. It is illegal to engage a person less than 16 years of age on a yacht (or 18 years of age as a Chef). A-Z Yachting will not, therefore, nominate such individuals to our Clients. Should you have any complaint or grievance whilst employed on a yacht following
placement by A-Z Yachting or are required to respond to any alleged complaint or grievance levelled against you which you choose to contest, you are guided to follow the complaints and grievances procedure outlined on-board. Should you have a complaint or grievance concerning the conduct of A-Z Yachting during the employment process, it should be brought to our attention promptly and in writing.
It will be documented and as far as possible all efforts will be made to resolve the issue/s.
If this is finally unresolved we will bring it to the attention of the appropriate representative of the 'flag state'. A-Z Yachting is not responsible for any damages resulting from the actions taken by us, or a competent authority, to resolve the complaint. A-Z Yachting provide details of our emergency telephone details on the 'About Us' page of our website www.a-zyachting.com. In signing ('ticking') on the registration page, you are guaranteeing that you will provide us on request with your statutory documentation including any Certificates of Competency, passport, STCW certification, your marine medical (eg. ENG1) and any references from previous employment. You also undertake that the information you provide to us is always authentic and an accurate representation of your experience, training, qualifications and marine medical status. You also agree to keep us updated with any renewal or update of certification and marine medical compliance. If engaged you will also need to provide the yacht or their representatives with your full qualifications, certificates of training and medical document together with any other paperwork they may reasonably request. In compliance with new GDPR regulations in the UK we have a Privacy Notice on our website which you can view to understand how your personal information is used.
Updated: November 2021


text:
ESA – 21 February 2019 – These images from ESA's Mars Express satellite show a branching, desiccated system of trenches and valleys, signs of ancient water flow that hint at a warmer, wetter past for the Red Planet.
We see Mars as a cold, dry world, but plenty of evidence suggests that this was not always the case. Research in past years instead increasingly indicates that the planet once had a thicker, denser atmosphere that was able to lock in far greater amounts of warmth, and therefore facilitate and support the flow of liquid water on the surface below.
While this is no longer the case, we see clear signs of past water activity tracing across the martian surface. This image shows one such region: a system of valleys in the southern highlands of Mars, located east of a large, well-known impact crater called Huygens and north of Hellas, the largest impact basin on the planet. At 3.5 to four billion years old, the southern highlands are some of the oldest and most heavily cratered parts of Mars, with many signs of ancient water flow observed here.
The topography of this region suggests that water flowed downhill from the north (right in the main colour, topography and 3D images) to the south (left), carving out valleys up to two kilometres across and 200 metres deep as it did so. We see these valleys as they stand today, having undergone significant and heavy erosion since they were formed. This erosion is visible in the form of broken down, smoothed, fragmented and dissected valley rims, especially in the valleys cutting from east to west.
Overall, the valley system appears to branch out significantly, forming a pattern a little like tree branches stemming from a central trunk. This kind of morphology is known as 'dendritic' – the term is derived from the Greek word for tree (dendron), and it is easy to see why. Various channels split off from the central valley, forming little tributaries that often split again on their journey outwards.
This kind of dendritic structure is also seen in drainage systems on Earth. A particularly good example is that of the Yarlung Tsangpo river, which snakes its way from its source in western Tibet down through China, India, and Bangladesh. In the case of this image of Mars, these branching channels were likely formed by surface water runoff from a once-strong river flow, combined with extensive rainfall. This flow is thought to have cut through existing terrain on Mars, forging new paths and carving a new landscape.
While it is unclear where all of this water came from originally – precipitation, groundwater, melting glaciers? – all of this required a far warmer and more watery past for Mars than the planet we see today.
See the full article and additional images HERE


text:
Running the Gauntlet at New Liberty Distilling
I was not prepared for the sheer amount of spirits I'd find at New Liberty Distilling in Philadelphia. Let's just say I'm happy I took the train.
I should have known something was up when I spot the mock Ted Cruz campaign bus parked in the back lot of the distillery. I peer over the fence to get a better look. Along with a hand-painted monicker of "Low Energy," there are depictions of Donald Trump's minuscule hands and something called "Marco Rubio pops" - a flavor of icey, I'm guessing. So is Philadelphia where relics of the "resistance" come to rust?
Rob Cassell, owner and master distiller, later explains that the owner of the property, from whom they lease the building, is a political whacko. The bus was just one of his many protests incarnate during the past presidential campaign. The back lot of the distillery is the perfect size for it. Ok, moving right along to drinking.
I only get to meet Rob in passing. He is on his way out to a tasting in the suburbs. He leaves me in the very capable hands of Dave Pie, number two in charge. Dave, in turn, starts our tour with the distillery's pride and joy: a 240-gallon custom-made pot still. How custom, you ask? The company that made it branded it with its designers name, none other than Rob Cassell. It helps that the still-building company, Specific Mechanical Systems, shares a parent company with New Liberty.
Dave explains that the unique feature is the adjustable arm that leads either to the condenser, where alcohol vapor turns to liquid, or to an additional distilling column, depending upon what type of spirit they are making. Today, they are making bourbon, so no column is needed.
New Liberty is also getting ready for a party. Tomorrow they will celebrate the release of their latest spirit: Pennsylvania Dutch Malt Whiskey. The name can be a little confusing. Try to stay with me. "Pennsylvanian Dutch" is the name for Amish settlers from Germany. English-speaking colonists heard them refer to themselves as "deutsch" (basically "German" in German) and took it literally as Dutch. Hence the name stuck, kind of like Native Americans getting labeled as Indians.
New Liberty calls their single malt "Pennsylvania Dutch" because the barley is grown and malted in the Amish part of the state. To make matters more confusing, Dave tells me it is a Munich-style malt, meaning considerably darker than most. It all comes back to the Germans in the end.
For the sake of thoroughness, I first try the single malt as it comes off the still at 140 proof. It's got some great chocolate and coffee notes going for it. I anticipate the year it spends in a new oak barrel is going to do wonders in accentuating those flavors.
Luckily, I don't have to wait a year to see if I'm right. Dave is at the ready, bottle of the aged 102-proof version in hand. The nose reminds me of cookies and the general smell of baked goods, with a kick of hay for good measure. On the palate, the order is reversed. I get hay and the horsiness of stables up front, followed by vanilla fingers and some baking spice.
Let's jump back to clear spirits for a bit (not necessarily coming straight from the still). New Liberty's vodka is unique in that it is distilled from a malted rye mash. Not only is the mash fermented on site, but like all of the grains used by the distillery, the rye is milled there too. Why is all of this remarkable? If the whole point of vodka is to produce a flavorless, odorless spirit, why would someone choose a starting point as far from the finish line as a flavorful malted rye? I don't ask Dave at the time. An image of Rob's magical still flashes to mind and it occurs to me: maybe it's just to show off. It's like when you see an insanely muscular guy in an arm wrestle challenge, who's so confident he'll win that he starts off with his hand just inches from being pinned. New Liberty is the tank-topped, tribal-tatted, raised-truck douchebag of the vodka-making world. I mean that with as much love and admiration as possible.
The vodka ends up with only the slightest earthy, malty nose. The palate starts off with a quick bite, before mellowing into floral notes.
New Liberty concedes to the moonshine craze that never-was, with a white whiskey version of the Pennsylvania Dutch Single Malt. In a nod truer to the tradition of backwoods moonshine than I've seen elsewhere, this is a hot sip at 115 proof. The nose carries wafts of alcohol, duh, followed by delicious bread. The palate is all barn. Think horses stomping in hay in the hottest of summer months.
There is a 143-proof silver rum. Is the room starting to spin for you too? It is fermented mostly from molasses, with a bit of granulated sugar thrown in, using a tequila yeast. The nose is planty and earth-like. The palate is sweet candy fire. I don't mean the cloying cinnamonness of a Red Hot (or, God forbid, Fireball). I mean this is like you find a piece of dark candy on the ground, crawling with fire ants, and because you're insane, you pop it in your mouth and chomp down, ants and all.
Dave next walks me through a revival of an old Pennsylvania whiskey brand, New Liberty undertook when it first opened three and a half years ago. The long lost brand is called Kinsey. The original Kinsey had a couple different expressions -bourbon, blended, rye- depending upon which distillery owned the name at the time.
In doing a little follow up research, I find that Kinsey was founded by its namesake, George Kinsey, in 1891 Philadelphia. Since he sold off the name in 1904, it has bounced around several distilleries and conglomerates, both before and after prohibition. It was finally dropped in the 1970s.
Fast forward to to 2013, when Rob got his hands on an old airplane bottle of the whiskey from 1943. Fortunately, liquor does not go bad and from a precious few sips from the bottle, Rob and his distillers have come up with an approximation of the original. They use sourced barley and corn whiskeys from an undisclosed distillery (or distilleries). New Liberty Distillery now sells a rye, bourbon, and 7-year old whiskey under the Kinsey label. These whiskeys derive from a blending of barrels aged between seven and eighteen years. In the case of the 7-year, it is aged in used bourbon barrels. The proofs range from 86 to 99.
I won't go into their flavor profiles, except to say that they were not overly oaked, considering their age. I will review another sourced whiskey of New Liberty's, just because it is so unique. The shortest version of the backstory is Rob wasn't satisfied running just one distillery, so he opened one in Ireland as well. (Again, why do things the easy way?) While the Irish whiskey is aging, he has released Brothership Whiskey. It's a mix of sourced 10-year old American corn whiskey and a 10-year old Irish single malt. The proportions are 48% and 52% respectively, and the proof is 90.
The nose is sour apple and assorted dried fruit, with a wheaty finish. The palate is of smooth cereals and grass.
I get to sample one New Liberty's bourbons made from 70% Bloody Butcher corn, 25% malted rye and 5% barley, straight from the barrel at 125 proof. It's been hanging out in new oak for about thirteen months. Dave says it's due for a couple more. It has a nose that mixes spicy corn with the sweeter barrel notes of caramel and vanilla. The palate is equally complex. It starts off strong with corn and cereal, followed by cinnamon before mellowing out into licorice and nutmeg. This bourbon is clearly a romp through the spice rack, in the best way possible.
Dave won't let me go without pulling something else from the barrel - just because I'm not spilled out on the floor yet. It's an unreleased malted rye, aged sixteen months so far in a used sherry barrel. Dave will release it in another six months. The nose is of chocolate raisins, followed by honey, cinnamon and flowers. The palate starts with cherries and plum, before delving into those heartier oak and char signatures of tobacco and leather. It leaves my mouth very dry, though that may just be the residual effect from this marathon tasting session.
If you couldn't tell, I'm very impressed with the breadth of New Liberty's output. However, if they're going to throw a party every time they release a new expression, they will be getting a lot of use out of their rear patio. And hopefully someone will drive that bus out of there well before the next election.


text:
Comment: Banks need a firm hand, not kid gloves
The banks must accept reform or lose access to quantitative easing funds.
By Richard Heller
Another 'day of shame' for Britain's banks, yelled the Daily Mail yesterday – and with plenty of reasons. Barclays' chief executive, the ever-more-aptly named Mr Diamond, collected a package valued at over £25 million, and over 200 of his executives had million-pound bonuses. These awards followed the bank's recent fine for mis-selling payment protection insurance, and its brush with the Treasury and the revenue authorities over schemes used to avoid up to £500 million in UK taxation. Meanwhile, the normally restrained Financial Services Authority denounced the bankers who ruined HBOS for "very serious misconduct".
Business secretary Vince Cable reacted to all these stories at his party conference with a speech full of futile fretting. He had no new policies to offer. Essentially, he promised that the government would maintain its hands-off policy towards the banks, even the ones which it owns.
This is foolish. The government has plenty of leverage over the banks and could gain major political and economic rewards from using it.
It might begin by demanding that all bankers' bonuses above a certain value should be taken in the form of national savings, which the recipient would have to hold for a set number of years. This is a much simpler idea than any special tax and it would guarantee that the major part of all bank bonuses went to work automatically for the country as well as for the banker. It would be a form of forced savings, a concept which has a long and successful history in wartime, and I cannot think of a better group of people to road-test it in the present emergency. However, in fairness the same idea might also be applied to ministers: they should take any future pay rise in national savings unless and until the British economy achieves declared targets for growth, jobs and deficit reduction.
Returning to bankers' savings, I think that all senior retail bank executives should be compelled to reveal how much of their personal savings are invested in the products they offer to their personal customers. This information would be highly instructive and the revelation might conceivably improve conditions for Britain's battered savers.
In his speech Vince Cable moaned yet again about the failure of the banks to lend money to local businesses. The government tried to meet this problem with a voluntary arrangement with the baffling title of Operation Merlin, named after a successful magician. Operation Tommy Cooper would be a better title for the government's scheme, and the government should now consider a spot of compulsion.
Lost in some intray in Cable's department is an interesting idea which would empower local people to promote local lending. I know it is an interesting idea because I sent it to him myself.
The banks should be compelled to offer all their customers a facility called a good neighbour account. The customer would receive a guarantee that all the funds from such an account which are available for investment by the bank would be lent exclusively to local people and local small and medium-sized businesses. They would not be lent to foreign dictators or racketeers and they would not be used to speculate in fantasy financial products which their bank cannot value or even understand.
The bank in question would not have to track its use of every single such account. But it would have to publish accounts to show that all the available aggregate funds in such accounts had at least been matched by aggregate local lending to individuals and qualifying businesses. There seems to be a market for this kind of lending, as witnessed by the recent growth of peer-to-peer financial institutions. Britain's largest such company, Zopa, had its best-ever month in January. But no one has yet tried to bring the concept into a current account.
If demand for good neighbour accounts really took off, it could force the banks to revive the old model of Captain Mainwaring banking. The hero of Dad's Army received money from local people and businesses in Walmington-on-Sea. He kept some of this in cash or at call. He lent the rest to other local people and businesses in Walmington-on-Sea. Captain Mainwaring, and others like him, helped Britain to finance the huge demands of the Second World War and then to finance a generation of recovery and growth. All this was achieved with the minimum of government regulation or support.
In contrast with the Mainwaring era, too many of Britain's modern banks have been run by Private Walker, the spiv, or worse still by Private Pike, the stupid boy.
Britain's banks still expect the British people to be grateful for their existence. But without the British people they would not be in existence. On behalf of the British people, the government should stop wringing its hands over the methods and behaviours of British bankers. It has the power to change them, and bring in new ideas for British banking, without the need for lengthy negotiation or complex legislation. Banks which resist should be told that they will cease to be eligible for quantitative easing, that they will not have their deposits guaranteed and that they face losing their licence to accept those deposits.
Bankers who wish to enjoy more "days of shame" will no doubt threaten to move overseas. Is that a promise?
Richard Heller is an author and journalist and a former adviser to Denis Healey. His latest novel is The Network.
The opinions in politics.co.uk's Comment and Analysis section are those of the author and are no reflection of the views of the website or its owners.


text:
#conquer2020 Don't forget to look up and enjoy the journey. Just some wisdom from Rob DeCastella for the New York Marathon in 2018 to share as you set on your journey for 2020.
Join our free Academy group on Facebook.
Think & Grow Business. Strengthening Leadership – Mindset – Business
"Seriously Simple Stuff to Get You Unstuck" Download it Now on tonycurl.com.au
Check Out this Amazing Digital Marketing Platform – https://www.totallybuilderall.com/
REMEMBER THE GOLDEN RULE –DON'T BE AN ASSHOLEThe Coach Curl Academy – Now Open: https://thecoachcurlacademy.com/


text:
Posts Tagged leaders
Flash of the Week (24 Apr 2020), Spectacular Hybrid Positive Ground and Intracloud Flash
Posted by ZTResearch in Bipolar/Bidirectional Leader Development, high-speed camera observations, Lightning, Lightning Science, Positive Leaders, Recoil Leaders, Spider Lightning on 04/24/2020
This is one of the best positive cloud-to-ground flashes that I have filmed. When you watch the video remember that lightning leaders grow as bidirectionally with a positive and negative end. We see the positive leaders of this flash below cloud base and the negative end of the leader network is higher up in the clouds and therefore not visible. There are two sets of positive leaders to focus on. The farther leaders are on the left descending to ground and the right positive leaders closer to the camera spread out horizontally along cloud base. Once the far positive leaders reach ground a return stroke occurs. Once the return stroke traverses the leader network, the connected channel grows as an upward propagating negative leader higher up in the storm. The closer leaders also have a negative end that is growing unseen in the upper part of the storm but these leaders do not connect with ground and continue to spread out horizontally. Frequently, some of the positive leader branches become cutoff and develop fast moving bidirectional recoil leaders that attempt to reionize the decayed positive leader branches. The negative end of the recoil leaders travel toward the negative end of the flash by racing toward the place where the positive leaders emerged below cloud base. This continues for quite some time. You may consider this to be a hybrid flash with a ground flash component (farther) and an intracloud flash component (nearer) both raising negative charge upward toward a positive charge region. This flash was filmed at 5,600 images per second.


text: Salvona Technologies was founded in 1999 by MIT and Harvard scientists Sam Shefer and Dr. Adi Shefer, who established a proprietary platform for drug delivery systems. Salvona has followed its founding principles of offering exclusive, proprietary technologies that are eco-friendly and based on natural materials that are safe for both consumers and the environment. The company operates its cGMP facility that produces Rx, OTC and cosmetic products — all under the same restrictive guidelines and FDA inspections. This ensures that Salvona products are effective and safe to use.


text:
Severity: Notice
Message: unserialize(): Error at offset 62 of 28672 bytes
Filename: drivers/Cache_file.php
Line Number: 61
Hiking TraIl nearby Río Pigüeña natural area, in España and Belmonte population.The largest locality in the area is Tineo, with a population of 11,146 persons, at a distance of 18.721 kilometers from the center of the map.
Severity: Warning
Message: Unknown: write failed: No space left on device (28)
Filename: Unknown
Line Number: 0
Severity: Warning
Message: Unknown: Failed to write session data (files). Please verify that the current setting of session.save_path is correct (/var/lib/php/sessions)
Filename: Unknown
Line Number: 0


text:
Meet yet another Zorz Studios' epic bride, transforming from an underwater creature painting into a caring mom depicted during her maternity session.
Earlier this year I introduced you to an epic bride gone mommy and here's another one! I photographed Yana's epic wedding several years ago in Riviera Maya, Mexico, followed by an even more epic trash-the-dress session. Check out two of their dramatic photos and a video slideshow below first. Both of these images stand strong on my short top list and you can hopefully see why.
Now came a time to photograph her little one, or I can say almost two little ones, one still being cuddled in her belly. So far, most of my such sessions were done for the first pregnancies and having another child handy to participate adds quite a touching feel! I loved including her daughter throughout the session. She just wasn't too cooperating… This maternity session was cut shorter than I hoped but we managed to create some gentle fairytale-like portraits. We dragged her husband into a couple of photos but he mostly served as a great pacifier for the little one.
(Click images for full size)
P.S. I did use a tested and mentioned earlier trick to get little Maddy's attention and win her favor by letting her play a photographer, lovely captured by Igor. I also kept saying that there is a bunny hiding behind her mom. She kept searching and later gave up.
A #sweet #BTS moment captured by this #cutie's mom during yesterday's #photo #shoot. Letting her play #photographer (both taking photos and #chimping) turned out to be the only way to sooth her as she reached her tolerance for #modeling. Aren't adults similar in this regard? 😛 #BehindTheScenes #family #FamilyPhotography #PortraitPhotography #parents #children #ChildrenPhotography #child #model #angel #dress #flower #park #summer #Canon #70200mm #instalike #instagood #picoftheday #zorz #GetZorzed #ZorzStudios


text:
Dramatic Stairway with Purpose
Stairs & Terraces with Built-in Drainage Solve Water Management Issues
"British Columbia might be the greenest place on the planet", says the Allan Block sales representative from Expocrete (formerly CCI Industries). "And it could also be one of the wettest. We had 45 consecutive rain days here recently, and more is on the way".
With that kind of weather, water management is always a key to good landscaping. "As I explain in the classes I teach, the best time to do an estimate is when it rains, because then the contractor will see the existing drainage patterns at the site. Understanding where the surface water goes and how the contractor can eliminate potential problems is half the battle when building retaining walls in British Columbia", said Hughes.
Retaining walls frame the walkways to help hold the water in the drain field, and to transition the slopes of the yard.
The yard is surrounded by other properties, so a gravel path was installed that doubled as a drain field.
The contractors for this project followed the Plan, Design, Build process. At their first meeting with the clients they visualized what the homeowners, the Koes, described as their perfect landscape. "We wanted to develop the entire backyard into a fully landscaped space", said Mrs Koe. Using their notes from the site visit and their many years of experience, the contractors prepared a detailed site plan. Water management details were incorporated into the plans.
The challenge at the site was water management. The Koes wanted a large paved area immediately off the back of the house. The run-off from the roof would drop onto the new paved patio. All this water had to go somewhere and could not be diverted off their property.
The yard is surrounded by other properties, and draining the run-off into their yards would create problems too. The answer was a gravel path that doubled as a drain field. The paved surfaces were gently sloped towards the walkways. Stepping stones were set into the gravel bed for walking. And low-profile AB Junior retaining walls frame the walkways to help hold the water in the drain field, and to transition the slopes of the yard. This allows water runoff to flow to the lowest point in the landscape, where a catch basin was installed with connecting drains to route the water away.
The overall effect is a graceful, terraced backyard with built-in water management. Good planning and a thoughtful design have the homeowners delighted. "We haven't had any water or drainage problems since the project was completed, and we love the overall design", said Mrs. Koe. The design of this project really flows and because of some good planning, run-off from the heavy rains of the Pacific Northwest does too.
Excerpt from Landscape Newsletter Issue #10


text:
It's that time of year, friends. Noses are cold, skies are grey, and a nuclear apocalypse or environmental disaster is probably pretty nigh. What better way to spend your time than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic while listening to these sweet holiday jams! Lots of great stuff on this year's Holiday Music That Doesn't Suck playlist, including some great takes on a few classic Christmas songs, at least 2 songs about doin' it, and a super-sad bonus song! Enjoy, and remember, kids, as long as we have music, the bastards haven't won yet. Happy Holidays from Wired for Music.
[Parents who share this playlist with the family, be aware a few tracks are on the explicit side, notably track 3, but "This Christmas" somehow continues to sound innocent even though it's obviously about banging.]
- Train - Merry Christmas Everybody
I don't know who Train is. I always got the sense that I was not "supposed" to like Train, or that Train was a terrible band. Or maybe they weren't. All I know is for years I've seen passing references to Train, but I couldn't name a Train song. So of course I went and got Train's Christmas album, because that's how I roll. This cover loses the Alice Cooper-esque sneer and some of the jangly rockabilly guitars of the beloved original, but it makes up for that with the addition of a classic Beatles chorus pedal effect on the chorus vocals, significantly more advanced mixing techniques, and by replacing the put-on irony with put-on enthusiasm. Good job, Train, whoever you are.
- Ghost Hotel - Blue Christmas
I got this off a compilation called A Very Maryland Christmas! but don't let that stop you from enjoying this light-as-a-feather cover of Blue Christmas that keeps some of the country twang from Elvis's version, but buries it under shoegaze-lite levels of reverb and candy-cane-sweet vocals.
- R.A. The Rugged Man & Mac Lethal - Crustified Christmas
I first learned of Long Island's R.A. The Rugged Man through one of the special features on the DVD of Basket Case. I love it when my worlds collide. I won't bore you with the details of his connection to that movie, other than to say that if you haven't seen R.A.'s movie Bad Biology, don't. What he lacks in filmmaking abilities, he more than makes up for with his flow. Guest star Mac Lethal is no slouch, either.
- Còig - Carol Of The Drum
Còig is a Celtic band from Novia Scotia, and that's everything I know about them, except they play a mean guitar. Shades of John Fahey on this one, it's a beauty.
- Family of the Year - NYE
Got this one off of last year's Amazon "Indie For The Holidays" compilation, and it's lovely. I don't know this band at all, but this song has a laid-back vibe and a spare instrumentation and the lines "don't be a dreamer, be a dreamy sleepyhead" (I think), and references to California, and I have no idea what if anything it has to do with New Year's Eve but it feels like a beach at wintertime and that's good enough for me.
- Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors - Christmas for You and Me
What can I say? I'm a sucker for breathy-vocaled, winking jazz numbers, and when it's about Christmas, I find this sound downright irresistible. A cool thin mint of a song that doesn't overstay its welcome and doesn't ask too much of you at a time of year when none of us has that much left in the tank.
- The Platters - Winter Wonderland
Ever wondered what this song would sound like sung in the lowest possible human register? Well, now you know.
- R. Kelly - Christmas Lovin'
Continuing a long tradition of Christmas songs about fucking, R. Kelly gives voice to all of us who just want to get down and make sweet love at Christmas. Isn't that all of us, really?
- Nikki Lane - FaLaLaLaLaLove Ya
Nashville's Nikki Lane gives a husky performance on this instant-classic Christmas torch song, featuring a slide guitar solo and a sweet southern twang. Plus the ending is really stark and cool.
- Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas
This is a bona fide Christmas classic, courtesy of 1/3 of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (and 1/4 of King Crimson, I think). The double-tracked vocals, the intense lyrics from King Crimson's Peter Sinfield, and the layers of sound alone make this track worthy of its standing in the Christmas canon. But then there's the synths, the horns, instrument after instrument joining the fray, culminating in a stadium-rock anthem complete with military band-style drums and the classic line "the Christmas we get, we deserve." Badass.
- Chris Farren ft. Evan Weiss - Cold Front
This is a bonus track on Chris Farren's brilliantly named album Like a Gift From God or Whatever. Don't let the nasal vocals fool you, this song is building to something, based around the heartbreaking chorus "Somebody said it was not my fault/Somebody was wrong." This song gets stuck in my head for days. It's kind of about winter or something, and includes the uplifting lyric "I would take off my coat and freeze for you." Fun!
- Seth MacFarlane - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Yes, the man built his career by ripping off The Simpsons, but I can forgive that, because he also gave us Brian & Stewie's various road trips. But the point is, his holiday album is actually pretty good! Any Family Guy casual viewer probably knows MacFarlane's propensity for swing and big band arrangements, and he doesn't hold back here. His voice is strong, but he can't resist winking his way through some of the tracks, but I can forgive that, too, because it's clear he loves these songs and the arrangements are solid. Ignore the stupid shovel joke at the end, it's offset by the brief 3/4 "snow, snow" interlude in the middle which is just great. And of course he has a key change at the end. The guy appreciates the classic touches.
- Will Butler - City On A Hill
If you hate Arcade Fire, you might want to skip this one, as this is basically an Arcade Fire song that never builds to anything. But it's still a good song, because the spare piano arrangement allow Butler's passionate vocals to carry the day. And the lyrics aren't bad; he yells "fuck off" at least twice, so that's cool.
- Mary J. Blige - This Christmas
When I first heard her Christmas album, I really hated it, but I happened to hear her take on Donny Hathaway's entry in the holiday canon again recently and it really won me over. The arrangement is joyful, and she manages to make "Fireside blazing bright/We're caroling through the night" not sound like a pun about sex, which is impressive.
- Quiet Company - All I Want For Christmas Is You
I've been meaning to put Mariah's version on this playlist for years, and it always gets bumped, despite being an absolutely brilliant piece of holiday music. Thankfully, Austin's Quiet Company (who were featured on last year's playlist) turned down the emotion and overwrought production of the original and replaced it with punchy horns and percussive drum fills. This is the sound of a band having fun putting their stamp on a classic.
- Kylie Minogue (ft. Iggy Pop) - Christmas Wrapping
When I saw Iggy Pop's name show up on Kylie Minogue's fantastic Christmas album, I had the same "isn't he dead?" reaction that Diane has in Trainspotting. Kylie covers a lot of ground on the album, but she gets major cred (from me, anyway) for picking a modern 80s classic that doesn't involve any diva-esque crooning. She hews fairly close to the faux-ska sound of the original, upping the production values massively and adding some killer harmonies. Also adding Iggy Pop as the voice of the unnamed love interest, which was a brilliant move.
- Tele Novella - Purple Snowflakes
I'm a really big fan of Marvin Gaye's original version of this song, so I was really happy to discover yet another Austin-based band by way of their loving version of this song, which wouldn't sound out of place in a Quentin Tarantino movie (or possibly a David Lynch one).
- The Crystalairs - Silent Night
It's not often I can refer to a band as "my favorite German doo wop/a cappella group," but these guys fit the bill. The music here is right out of a 50s ballad, including tons of little group vocal stings, and the words are sung in German. English, and Spanish (I think). It's just so damn pretty.
- Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - Jingle Bells
This is one of my favorite versions of Jingle Bells rivaling even Sammy Davis's version (featured way back in my first holiday playlist). I mean, it's Duke Ellington, so of course it's going to be good. What surprised me was how fun it was.
- Otis Redding - White Christmas
When people think of Otis Redding and Christmas, they tend to think of his classic version of Merry Christmas, Baby (and with good cause, it's amazing). But his version of White Christmas, recorded in 1968, is just breathtaking. The song sounds like it was written for Otis Redding, and he gives it his all. When the horns come in during at the top of the second verse, I get chills. Plus this song is a frontline-tag, which is just cool on its own.
- Sam Bush - Sleigh Ride
The legendary Sam Bush turns his mandolin on one of the jolliest winter songs, and the result is a toe-tapping newgrass romp through the snow that really feels like riding along on something fast and fun. It makes perfect sense that this song was originally written as an instrumental; it doesn't lose a thing without the lyrics.
- Johnny Cash - The Gifts They Gave
You didn't think this whole playlist was going to be fun, did you? Johnny Cash is here to show you that Pete Seeger doesn't have a lock on gloomy-as-hell-but-still-really-good Christmas songs. I learned today that this song was originally titled "The Friendly Beasts." Christmas is weird.
- Cat Power - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
No matter what source material she's covering, Chan Marshall seems unable to leave out at least a hint of melancholy in her music, which is part of why she's so compelling to listen to. She sounds like she knows a sad secret and she's not quite ready to tell you. So of course she took on one of the most deceptive songs in the holiday canon, which purports to be about being merry and joyful and light of heart and leaving our troubles behind, and yet manages to be about as happy as a hangover. Her version isn't as stark as Aimee Mann's, but it is beautiful.
- BONUS TRACK: Leonard Cohen w/Jennifer Warnes: Silent Night (live, 1979)
There are better Silent Nights out there (one of them's even on this playlist), but it's not every year we lose Leonard Cohen, so here you go, in case 2016 hadn't left you bummed out enough already. I don't know what the music is at the end, this is pulled from a YouTube video. The crowd laughs a bit when he starts this, but Cohen's not laughing. He sounds deadly serious, like he always does.
Well, gang, that's it for this year. Thanks for reading and listening and commenting - making this playlist has been a bright spot in an otherwise pretty damn depressing final couple months of this year. I'm trying out a new HTML5 playlist tool this year, so this thing should work on mobile devices! If it pans out, I'll try to update some old playlists too.
You can download this year's playlist here. And be sure to check out previous years' playlists!
In closing, happy holidays, keep fighting the good fight, and here's to somehow turning the world back around in 2017.
You can download this year's playlist here. And be sure to check out previous years' playlists!
In closing, happy holidays, keep fighting the good fight, and here's to somehow turning the world back around in 2017.
And for a special bonus treat, and a glimpse into a terrifying future under our robot overlords, here's a Christmas tune penned by an A.I.:


text:
Hezbollah Inching Closer to the Border of Israel
As the battle for the Qalamoun Mountains concludes, Hezbollah is preparing to shift its focus to the remaining Syrian border-crossings into Lebanon, leaving the state of Israel on high alert due to the presence of the Lebanese Resistance at its northeastern border.
The Qalamoun Mountains offensive was an imperative military endeavor for the Syrian Armed Forces and Hezbollah because of the large presence of militants from the Syrian Al-Qaeda group "Jabhat Al-Nusra" and the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) that utilize the border-crossings to resupply their entrenched combatants in western Syria.
With only a small parcel of territory left to capture at the Qalamoun Mountains, Hezbollah and the Syrian Armed Forces will begin to transfer their fighters to the integral Al-Zabadani front, where a number of brigades from the Syrian Arab Army's 4th Mechanized Division are currently embedded along the steep slopes of the Western Mountains.
The Al-Zabadani border-crossing into the Nahle Municipality of Lebanon is a key point for Hezbollah, as this area was once used as a supply route due to its proximity to their stronghold in the Nabitiyah Governorate.
For the state of Israel, Hezbollah's large-scale participation in the Al-Zabadani battle could be a potential red-line due to the city's southern most point only measuring 30km from the U.N. Ceasefire Line in the Golan Heights.
Part of the contingency for the Lebanese Resistance is to eventually advance towards the contested Sheba'a Farms near the Al-Quneitra Governorate; this could have major implications in the future, as the Israeli Military Intelligence will have to not only deal with a Hezbollah presence at their northern border, but also, the growing presence of the aforementioned at their eastern border.
Hezbollah was as close as 10km from the Syrian-Israeli border in Al-Quneitra in March, but since then, they have moved most of their fighters from the city of Al-Hamidiyah to the vast Qalamoun Mountains in order to begin their offensive; however, Israel did infuriate the Lebanese Resistance in early 2015 after their assassination of Jihad Moughaniyah and three other Hezbollah members in the Al-Quneitra Governorate.
Will Israel intervene as Hezbollah inches closer to a new frontier in the Syrian Conflict? It still remains unknown; but, one thing is for sure, Hezbollah's participation has forced Israel to boost its support for the Islamist fighters combatting the Lebanese Resistance and the Syrian Armed Forces.


text:
Today I saw an article on Slate that referred to Russian hackers stealing 6 million passwords from LinkedIn, and I thought: oh, that's weird. Alpay said he wasn't worried about it because LinkedIn was forcing those whose passwords were compromised to get a new password, and when he went to LinkedIn, his was fine. So I went to LinkedIn. I didn't get very far, because I needed to change my password.
Fortunately, another Slate article describes how to quickly and easily create super-strong passwords, as well as a system for making each unique. While I try not to use the same password for everything, I won't deny I do double-dip sometimes. I don't know how much damage a hacker could do with my login at Lancome or the New York Times. I also figure that if you have only unique passwords, it's impossible to remember them all, and then the problem becomes where to hide the password list. It seems practically any place--either hard copy or soft--is unsafe. Digging out the list from a file every time you want to logon would be impractical. And I don't like the idea of "remember me on this computer" because what if a computer is stolen? Then the thief would have access to all the sites you use before you had a chance to change them.
I actually don't have an excuse not to have unique passwords for everything: for the last couple of years, I've subscribed to a virus protection package that includes a password logon service. I can have as many passwords as I want, as complex as I want, and I don't have to memorize them. I logon to the service and whenever I go to a site that requires a password, the service logs me in. Alpay doesn't like this. He thinks it's risky--that all a hacker has to do is hack that one site, and then they have all your passwords. And that's true. I am rather putting my eggs in one basket this way. But one of the things pointed out in the Slate article is that LinkedIn did not use standard, high-level encryption. I trust that an undisputed leader in computer security would be able to keep their own site secure, but concede the possibility that I might one day rue this trust.
But I'm more concerned about plain human error. Like: I realized my LinkedIn password was the same as my logon service. And so today, I changed all my logons, one by one.
A postscript: Slate reporter Will Oremus addresses why only some LinkedIn passwords appear to be compromised. We know that the compromised passwords were published as a list online. Security experts hypothesize that those were the passwords the hackers couldn't match with an email address, which is what they would need to confirm an account. So if your password wasn't on the list, it may not be because they don't have it, but that they have successfully matched your password to your account. Maybe this weekend would be a good time for a password change project for everyone.


text:
The Solitude of Western Tea Culture
Mike at The Tea Letter penned a story that I think hits home for a lot of tea drinkers. We tend to be solitary sort, not by choice but rather because it can be hard to find others as enthusiastic as we are. That isolation is part of what inspired me to start this blog just over 9 years ago.
Gary Robson recently revived his blog so I was really happy to see this post in my feed. Black tea is definitely an underrated choice that many tea drinkers leave behind once they discover oolongs and puerh. The two suggested here are a great reminder that black tea still has a lot to offer.
Rishi Tea, rediscovering a brand
My friend Jo, of Scandalous Tea, and I have had the pleasure of enjoying not one but two tastings with Rishi Tea this year. They have definitely helped us to rediscover an amazing brand that was the starting point for many serious tea drinkers.
Cha Garden at Lucky Dragon Hotel & Casino
Heather at Hanamichi wrote a great overview of her visit to the much anticipated Cha Garden at Lucky Dragon Hotel & Casino. This spot was not yet open the last time I visited Las Vegas but there was already a buzz at World Tea Expo about it. I'm looking forward to visiting in the future.
My three favorite tea pairing experts are at it again. This time they explored matching up oolongs with fruit in a dreamy NYC penthouse. Pears, persimmons, and plums…oh my! You can read all about it on each of their blogs here:
Tea Pairing 101: Oolong and Fruit – Tea Happiness
Tea Pairing 101: Oolong Tea – Oh, How Civilized
Tea Pairing 101: Oolong Tea and Fruit – Notes on Tea
Is there a great post I missed this week? Let me know about it in the comments! One rule, it can't be your own. 😉


text:
Dated Paul, Married Sanford?
Michael Brendan Dougherty's profile of Mark Sanford makes for interesting reading; so do the follow-ups from Reihan (here and here) and Larison. You can imagine a very ideologically interesting Republican primary in which a figure like Sanford came on strong as a more mainstream version of Ron Paul (small-government rigor plus foreign-policy noninterventionism, minus the nutty-uncle factor), while someone like, say, Jon Huntsman ended up representing the party's moderate wing. It could be a Goldwater-Rockefeller race for the new millenium - potentially disastrous for the party, sure, but potentially fruitful as well.
Then again, you could have imagined a very ideologically interesting Republican primary featuring a cast of characters as diverse as Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney and John McCain - but instead, they mostly fell over one another trying to play a caricature of Ronald Reagan. The process of running for president isn't kind to ideological outliers (unless they're nothing-to-lose figures like Paul), which is why Mark Sanford, presidential candidate, might turn out to be a lot less interesting than the guy who shows up in Dougherty's profile.


text:
100 GE Shipments Spur Growth
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – February 8, 2016 – According to a newly published report by Dell'Oro Group, the trusted source for market information about the telecommunications, networks, and data center IT industries, the worldwide Service Provider Core Router market is expected to reach $3.4 billion in revenue in 2020 as 100 GE port shipments spur growth.
"In 2015 we began to see a significant increase in deployments of 100 GE ports, driven by the continuous increase in IP traffic as well as the availability of higher capacity line cards. Pricing declined significantly in 2015 for 100 GE as there was a mix shift in the types of routers on which 100 GE ports were installed," said Alam Tamboli, Senior Analyst at Dell'Oro Group. "Previously, 100 GE was primarily installed on high-end core routers and now more are being installed on relatively lower-priced edge routers. Furthermore, the availability of advanced optics in CFP2 and CPAK has pushed down pricing on 100 GE. This reduction in pricing will lead to 100 GE selling at a price per bit transmitted below that of 10 GE in the 2018 time frame. Going forward, CFP4 and QSFP28 will lead to denser optics and further price reductions. We expect 100 GE ports to shift from backbone core deployments and into metro core deployments, further driving demand, as the pricing points become less cost prohibitive," Tamboli added.
The Dell'Oro Group Router & Carrier Ethernet Switch 5-Year Forecast Report provides a complete overview of the Router & Carrier Ethernet Switch markets. Tables portray the Service Provider Core, Edge, and Access/Aggregation portions of the IP/MPLS network separate from tables covering Enterprise Routers. The report includes qualitative analysis and detailed statistics on manufacturer revenue, average selling prices and unit and port shipments by speed. To purchase this report, please call Matt Dear at +1.650.622.9400 x223 or email firstname.lastname@example.com
Dell'Oro Group is a market research firm that specializes in strategic competitive analysis in the telecommunications, networks, and data center IT markets. Our firm provides in-depth quantitative data and qualitative analysis to facilitate critical, fact-based business decisions. For more information


text:
Fans flood miss A's Suzy's Instagram after relationship confirmed with Lee Min Ho
After news broke out about Suzy's relationship with superstar actor Lee Min Ho, fans flooded to the miss A member's Instagram account to congratulate the singer on her relationship.
When Dispatch released photos and itineraries detailing the couple's date in London, fans were shocked to discover the new Korean power couple. Soon after the news was released, Suzy and Lee Min Ho's respective agencies confirmed that the couple has been dating for about a month.
After the initial shock, fans reaction to the new power couple was generally positive. In fact, fans were especially happy for Suzy, showing her affection and congratulating her through her Instagram account.
Fans comments on the singer's recent Instagram updates include messages such as, "I'm happy for you," "Congrats! Luv you!" and "Congrats Suzy and Lee Min Ho…beautiful couple."