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May 7, 2020
as preached for the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston's online service for May 3, 2020
This month in worship we are focusing on the theme of perseverance. Today's sermon is titled "How Can I Keep from Singing?" The title is a nod to our closing hymn, "My Life Flows On in Endless Song." Each verse of the hymn ends with the same question: "How can I keep from singing?"
The question often comes after words juxtaposing the injustices of the world with the promise of better days. The opening verse runs:
My life flows on in endless song,
above earth's lamentation.
I hear the real though far off hymn
that hails a new creation.
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing.
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?
The hymn tells us that if we listen we will hear strains of "a new creation" sounding above the "earth's lamentation." It is a comforting message. It certainly reflects something that I would very much like to be true right now, those old words from Julian of Norwich: "All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well."
But the news of the hour has me mistrusting such theistic promises. Behind each set of words sits a divine deity who assures us, in the words of great poetry, the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. And reassures us, in soaring rhetoric, truth crushed to the ground shall rise again.
Now, I love this hymn. It is one of my favorites. But right now I am not finding comfort in such hopeful narratives. I find myself profoundly concerned about our human future. I am straining to catch any hint of "the music ringing." And so, in this sermon, I do not want to offer you false hope. Nor I do I want to give you metaphysical reassurances that all shall be well. Instead, I want to follow the French philosopher Albert Camus's injunction to "use plain, clean-cut language" when discussing the pandemic and horrors it has unleashed.
I am going to offer you a humanist approach to the pursuit of justice. It is built around an observation about the impermanence of things. "Cambia todo cambia... Cambia la superficial / cambia tambíen lo profundo / cambia el modo de pensar / cambia todo en este mundo," sang the Argentinian singer Mercedes Sosa. Everything changes. The superficial, the profound, the way we think, everything in the world changes, runs my hackneyed translation.
Everything changes. This leads to two simple claims about the pursuit of justice. First, no victory is forever. Second, defeat is rarely permanent. No victory is forever. Defeat is rarely permanent. Such words lack the melodic comfort of hymns to the new creation. And my challenge--or perhaps it is our challenge--is how do I make such claims and yet still cling to the refrain of our closing hymn: How can I keep from singing?
Before I turn to a humanist approach to the pursuit of justice, I offer two contextual reflections. The first, a discussion of Unitarian Universalism and religious pluralism. It could alternatively be described as a response to the query: Dr. Bossen, why are you talking about humanism in a church? The second, some observations about our political and economic moment. We might name that section a response to a Marvin Gaye's question, What's going on?
So, Dr. Bossen, why are you talking about humanism in a church?
I offer this rhetorical question for all of you who are watching this video and are not members or regular attendees of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston or another Unitarian Universalist congregation. I know there are a fair number of you. As I mentioned in my welcome, right now we have people from all over who are watching these videos. If this service is anything like our previous online services some of you are listening to me in your homes in places as far away as Maine, Michigan, and Minnesota. I even know of a family who has been joining us from Brazil and someone else who is connecting with us from Prague.
And, so, for all of you who are unfamiliar with Unitarian Universalism, let me hone on in one particular phrase that we offer each week in our welcome statement, we need not think alike to love alike. It is attributed to the sixteenth-century Transylvanian Unitarian theologian Francis David. He lived in Transylvania which was then situated at the border between the Ottoman Empire and what used to be called Christendom--the lands in Europe that were then under control of political powers affiliated with one kind of Christianity or another.
Transylvania at that time was a religious diverse community. The practice then was that people more-or-less had to follow the religion of the local monarch. If the king or queen was a Catholic, then the people were expected to be Catholic. And if monarch was Protestant then they were supposed to follow the teachings of whatever Protestant church the resident royalty belonged to. Now, this created all kinds of problems. Frankly, it led to all sorts of stupid wars. The advent of a new monarch brought with them the threat of a religious realignment. Crudely put, if the previous monarch was a Protestant and the new one was a Catholic then the new king or queen would expect all of the people who lived in the country they ruled to convert.
Faith is a deeply held. Few people wanted to switch religions just because the palace had a new resident. And so, there were all sorts of horrible conflicts. In the United Kingdom, just as an example, Mary Tudor executed Protestants for their religious beliefs and then her sister, who succeeded her, Elizabeth the First, executed Catholics.
Francis David was a man of peace. He thought all of this religious conflict was ridiculous. The king in Transylvania was then a man named John Sigsmund. Like David, the king was a Unitarian. David had no idea what the religion of Sigsmund's successor would be. And so, he, and the king's mother, Queen Isabella, convinced John Sigismund that rather than make Unitarianism the state religion, he should pass a law proclaiming religious tolerance. It is called the Edict of Torda and reads, in part: "Preachers everywhere are to preach the gospel according to their understanding of it; if the parish willingly receives it, well: but if not, let there be no compulsion on it to do so, since that would not ease any... [person's] soul."
Religious tolerance, the idea that each person's faith, their relationship to the divine, is their own, gradually expanded in Unitarian Universalist circles to an acceptance of religious pluralism. If the preacher can "preach the gospel according to their understanding" then there is no reason why parishioners should not have their own particular understandings of the gospel. The word gospel essential means good news. I use it here not to offer a particularly Christian account of religion but as a way of speaking of the thing you understand to be most important about your relationship to the whirling dance of mass and light, the earthly mess of water and dirt, that which we might call the cosmos, or gaia, or God, or the spark of human reason, or love or... whatever you might name the all of this which we are each a part of and enmeshed in.
Over time the emphasis on religious tolerance, led Unitarian Universalism to be somewhat unique among the Western religions. It became pluralistic. Its adherents came to understand, we need not think alike to love alike, and realized that what the religious community did together was more important than what its individual members believed.
At the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, and in other Unitarian Universalist communities, we celebrate people's ability to uncover their own relationship with the, well, I will just call it all this--the light that filters green through the leaves of trees, the virus that is spreading among us, the lush blues of Henri-Edmond Cross's canvases, the damn rent that is due at the beginning of the month, the beauty and the horror of existence--and, at the same time, ask each other the question: How shall we live together?
We are a community. We cannot all agree upon what we believe. But, maybe, just maybe, as a community we can figure out how to live together. We need not think alike to love alike. It is the hope, the gospel, the good news, if you will, of Unitarian Universalism.
Our embrace of pluralism is why we have humanists in our churches. Humanism is this a worldly focused tradition. Its adherents argue that there is no transcendental force outside of human history--no God or divine force--that is bending the arc of the moral universe towards justice. Anthony Pinn, a leading humanist and Unitarian Universalist, suggests that humanists recognize, "we're dependent upon a world that doesn't bend to our will and doesn't prioritize the criteria for our well-being." We are the ones who make whatever meaning we find in the world. And we are the ones we who will bring whatever justice we find into the world.
Alongside humanists, we have people of a variety of religious perspectives who participate in the life of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston. There are theists, Christians, Jews, pagans, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, and even many atheists and agnostics. Some of our members hold onto multiple religious identities or even belong to multiple religious communities.
For my part, I identify primarily with humanism but I find myself drawn to the symbolism and stories of both Christian gnosticism and Jewish mysticism. This partially due to the fact that I was raised in a Unitarian Universalist congregation by a mother who had been born into a Christian family and a father who had been born into a Jewish one. It is also rooted in an understanding that religious language is metaphorical. We use religious symbols to represent that which is greater than ourselves. Humanist philosophy, gnostic Christian symbols--the resurrection of the living and the politics of the living--, and mystical Jewish parables are all attempts to put into words that which ultimately escapes language--my relationship, and yours, to the all of this of which we are each part and parcel.
Why, humanism in the church? What we do together is more important than what we believe. Why, humanism in the church? We are a pluralistic tradition which invites us to draw upon many sources for our understanding of our relationship with all that is. Why, humanism in the church? We need not think alike to love alike.
And, now, my second contextual reflection, What's going on?
The state of Texas started to re-open yesterday. I took a walk through my neighborhood. There was more traffic than there had been in weeks. There were people noisily sitting at bars and restaurants. Very few of them were wearing face masks. The day before Texas reported the second highest number of new cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. The pandemic is far from contained. It is only getting started. And, yet, the governor and his allies want people to get back to work and to get the economy moving again. What's going on?
In my home state of Michigan, the scenes from the state capital this week were chilling. Men with rifles stormed the capital building demanding that the governor "Open the Economy." One member of the state legislature tweeted, "Directly above me, men with rifles yelling at us. Some of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them." That is right, politicians in Michigan are wearing bulletproof vests for fear of getting shot while deliberating on legislation. What's going on?
Oh, did, I mention, that the governor of the State of Texas is a white man? And that the men with rifles who invaded Michigan's state capital were all white men? Excuse me, I must have forgotten. But then, there is a tendency in this country's culture to take whiteness as the great unspoken norm. What would have happened if the men who had stormed Michigan's state capital had been black or brown? How would they have been treated? What's going on?
The philosopher W. E. B. Du Bois once cheekily described whiteness this way: "I am given to understand that whiteness is the ownership of the earth forever and ever, Amen!" And right now, once again, the consequences of this doctrine appear to being laid bare. The white men with rifles and the governor of the State of Texas are trying to re-assert their ownership, their control, of the world while the viral pandemic rages. I do not think it is a coincidence that the plans and demands to re-open the economy came soon after it was discovered that the virus was disproportionately impacting communities of color. I do not think it is a coincidence that many of the people being forced to go back to work right now--and forced is the right term because if the businesses they work for re-open and they stay home then they will be ineligible for unemployment--are people of color. It is the logic of system that has built generations of white wealth off of the exploitation of people with brown and black bodies.
Two illustrations from national politics. First, we have the President's decision to invoke the Defense Production Act to force meatpacking plants to remain open. This move is accompanied by two refusals. The first is a refusal to offer any national regulation on the safety standards that businesses are to follow during the pandemic. Instead businesses are to employ whatever safety regime business managers and owners think best. Business managers and owners do not have a particular interest in keeping employees safe--at least not big business owners and managers--they have an obligation to make the most money possible. That's the core logic of capitalism. So, in refusing to provide national safety regulations during this time of pandemic the President is basically telling working people that they had better keep working and that they are at the mercy of their employers.
The second refusal is the President's decision to not invoke the Defense Production Act to produce either personal protective equipment or ventilators. He is willing to invoke it to force people to work under unsafe conditions. He is not willing to invoke it to make sufficient equipment to save people's lives. Perhaps I should mention that the vast majority of workers at meatpacking plants are migrants and people of color? White wealth built upon the bodies of black and brown people.
My second illustration from national politics comes from the efforts of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to block any significant emergency funding to state governments. This is an effort to bankrupt state governments and destroy many of the gains that working people have made over the last generations. If state governments are forced into bankruptcy then they will not be able to pay unemployment benefits. They will not be able to honor the pensions of public workers. Should I mention here that unemployment is disproportionately impacting communities of color? Or that the path for many people of color into what gets called the middle class has been through public service jobs? Or that it has been an objective of Southern white supremacists since before the Civil War to weaken the federal government so that they could have greater ability to exploit black and brown bodies?
What's going on? The President of the United States, the governor of the state of Texas, and the white men who invaded the Michigan state capital believe that black and brown lives do not matter. What's going on? White wealth is once again being built off the bodies of black and brown people. What's going on? Maybe should we take out the old Marvin Gaye track--I recommend the vinyl if you've got it--and listen to the words: "There's far too many of you dying / You know we've got to find a way / To bring some lovin' here today."
What's going on? I may have offered too much of the political for those of you who turned to this service for a bit of comfort and connection. However, I told you that I would be offering a humanist account of the pursuit of justice. And that pursuit is an earthly pursuit. It rejects the claim that we should only hope for Heaven when we are dead. Let us now move towards to my humanist account of the pursuit of justice.
Justice is not best understood in the abstract. It is about the actual lives of actual people. And right now, being real about justice means recognizing that the United States has long been a racialized order. And right now, it also means listening to the words of Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor and so-called sage of Omaha. A few years ago, he said, "There's class warfare... but it's my class, the rich class, that's making war, and we're winning."
My humanist account of justice draws from these real dynamics. No victory is permanent. Defeat is rarely forever. Instead, there is constant struggle between all the different communities in society. In a society that has historically been white supremacist, that struggle is partially between those who wish to proclaim that whiteness is mastery of the earth forever and forever Amen and those who have more multi-racial vision. And it is also between those who wish to maximize profit and those who work so that they can simply provide for themselves and their families.
It is a somewhat crude analysis but certainly it seems to be borne out by the struggles of the hour. On the hand, we have those, who appear to be demanding that the lives of working people, particularly those with brown and black bodies, be sacrificed so that they can continue to make profit and have comfort. And on the other, well, Friday was May Day, the international holiday celebrating the workers struggle for justice. It was marked by strikes or sick-outs--that is people calling into work sick as a form of protest--at many of the largest companies employing so-called essential workers--who, in many cases, are being treated as expendable workers.
In the last several weeks, the wealth of richest people in the country--Jeff Bezos particularly comes to mind--has been increased at dizzying rate. At the same time, many working families are in a state of complete crisis. More people are out of work now than at any time since the Great Depression. And the solution is not, as the governor of Texas would have it, to get back to work. It is provide them, as many other countries are doing around the world, with the necessary resources to safely shelter in place. But that would impact the ability of the richest amongst us to make profit.
No victory is permanent. Defeat is rarely forever. I offer this humanist account of the pursuit of justice as a way to remind you that almost all the good things in life that have come to the majority of working people have come through struggle. The New Deal is under assault right now via Mitch McConnell's refusal to fund state governments. It was not granted on high by the largess of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It came about because in the midst of crisis of the Great Depression working people organized, went on strike, withheld rent, refused to participate in an economy that was not working for them, and put enormous pressure on politicians and business leaders to make sure that the economy actually provided them with something.
Unemployment, Social Security, workplace protections, they are all under threat right now. No victory is permanent. And defeat is rarely forever. Following the Civil War there was an effort to build something like the New Deal. It was called Reconstruction. And it turned back the tide, for a time, of white supremacy and built much of the country's public-school system and offered both black and white people some protections and provisions. These looked a bit like those found in the New Deal and that were later won by the civil rights movement. Those victories were worn away over the decades until the crisis of the Great Depression and then World War II provided an opportunity to rebuild and build upon them. And now... What's going on? Will the pandemic bring about further destruction of those gains? Or will folks organize to lay the groundwork for working people to have more of the good things of life?
No victory is permanent. Defeat is rarely forever. I am afraid that through this sermon I may have focused too much on a narrative of social salvation for some of your tastes. Where is the song in all of this, you might be asking? You might not be an essential worker. You might be someone who has the resources to continue to shelter in place. You might hear your life reflected in the words of Dorothy Dow's poem "Waiting," written shortly after the 1918 flu pandemic:
If you should walk in the park and not find me,
Or go in the market-place and not see me,
Would you not search further?
Does not your heart tell you I am somewhere?
Go out on the long roads--I may be at the end of one.
You might simply be sitting at home safely, waiting for all of this to end so that life might return to something like it once was. You might be wanting a more hope filled message. If you are, I invite you to listen to me as we turn to the end of the sermon and a reflection on Albert Camus's novel, The Plague. It is a novel that I am inviting you to read with me this month as part of my discussion group Texts for Troubled Times.
Camus's novel is set in an Algerian town immediately following World War II. The book centers on the question: In the midst of a pandemic how shall we, as individuals, pursue justice? It is often read as a parable about life under totalitarianism. Camus was a committed anti-fascist. He fought in the French Resistance against the Nazis. When he wrote the book, he was more concerned about the rise of totalitarianism via the Soviet Union than he was about plagues. But then, he argued, through his book, that totalitarian regimes--those who organize the world around the politics of the dead and seek to marginalize the lives of working people for their own ends--are a lot like plagues. They come on slowly and then blossom in full force. They are endured. They are resisted. And then, when the necessary immunity has been built up, they begin to go away. That, at least, is what Camus thought.
In his novel, he offers advice on how we might live when no victory is permanent, and defeat is rarely forever. He does not suggest that justice will reign forever. "[T]here are pestilences and there are victims," he tells us. Humans are not able to fully control the natural world. Plagues will come and go and come again. Tyrants and dictators might be restrained for a time but they, like plagues, continue to re-emerge and reassert themselves. That is what happening now, in this time of pandemic, across the globe. How shall we live, then, Camus asks?
By "not to join[ing] forces with pestilences" he answers. By pursuing, what I have called in other sermons, the politics of the living. Choosing, through our individual actions, the things we can do to slow the spread of pestilences of COVID-19 and white supremacy. We should not act, Camus, suggests with the assurance that our actions will bring about an end to the plague. We should persist because we can and because in doing so we might make things better for ourselves and for everyone else.
Here in Greg Abbott's Texas, we can continue to practice social distancing. We can be in solidarity with essential workers. Or, if we are working, we can strike in demand of safe working conditions. It is clear the federal government is not going to provide them to working people and that safe conditions will only be won through struggle. We can boycott the big chains that are making money while small businesses starve. If you look online you can alternatives sources for almost anything that Amazon sells. But most all, we can each ourselves the simple question: What can I do to not join forces with pestilences?
That question may unexpectedly lead to another. Camus found joy in life. He sought to bring more beauty into the world through his novels and stories. In his reading of Camus's novel, humanist Anthony Pinn, suggests that its lesson is that there is joy in the struggle. He closes some recent reflections on Camus and COVID-19 with these words:
We struggle with our own task, work against the threat of this virus… simply because we can. COVID-19, some day, will withdraw--and we will leave our homes again, gather with family and friends. But the virus won't be gone, the threat is ever present. Things are "well" not because the threat has been tamed, but because we persist. We should work to make life better, and in so doing we imagine ourselves... happy.
I close my reflections with a gesture towards our closing hymn. I find greater truth in its final verse than in its first:
When tyrants tremble as they hear
the bells of freedom ringing,
when friends rejoice both far and near,
how can I keep from singing!
To prison cell and dungeon vile
our thoughts to them are winging,
when friends by shame are undefiled
how can I keep from singing?
If we persist in our efforts to be in solidarity with each other and not cooperate with the virus then we will look back on these times without shame. If we persist in the struggle for justice, knowing that no victory is forever, and defeat is rarely permanent, we will be able to make tyrants tremble with the bells of freedom. The tyrants might win and they might not but our peals of liberty will cause them to quake. If we do what we can to slow the spread and to help, and dare I say love, each other then, we will look back on these times, these strange days, with the question: How can I keep from singing?
I have spoken. You have heard. And, as Francis David and I both would have you do, ask yourself: Does this humanist gospel speak to your heart? How can I keep from singing?
May the congregation, absent in body but present in spirit, say Amen.


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UC San Francisco has launched two new programs designed to educate health science leaders in an era marked by sweeping shifts in both technology and policy. The first program is board certification in clinical bioinformatics, and the second is a master of science program in healthcare administration and interprofes- sional leadership (MS-HAIL). Physicians delving into the world of preci- sion medicine need to harness the power of massive quantities of patient information. Clinical bioinformatics, the nations first new board-certified medical subspecialty in 20 years, involves educating doctors on how to collect, synthesize, and present data to deliver patient care more safely and effectively. Seth Bokser, MD, a resident alumnus and the medical director for information technology at UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital San Francisco, is in the inaugural group of physicians slated to receive board certification in the subspecialty. Housed in the School of Nursing, the MS-HAIL program brings together students from a range of disciplines – medicine, nurs- ing, dentistry, pharmacy, social work, and other professions – and trains them as leaders to shape health care systems of the future. It was also the first graduate program in the UC system to be taught mostly online. Since students dont have to quit their jobs, they can apply new knowledge to help their organiza- tions meet the 'triple aims driving health care today: the pursuit of better care for individu- als, better health for populations, and lower per capita costs, says program director Mary Louise Fleming, RN, PhD 07. CELL THERAPY FOR SEIZURES UC San Francisco researchers have figured out how to control intractable epileptic seizures in mice with a one-time transplantation of neural progenitors – cells capable of generating neurons. The cell therapy, long tried by others in the field to no avail, offers new hope for patients with seizures not responsive to medication. The research team, led by Scott Baraban, PhD, transplanted progenitors from a part of the embryonic rodent brain called the medial ganglionic eminence into the rodents hippocampus, a brain region responsible for learning and memory. These progenitors became inhibitory nerve cells that restrained signaling in overactive circuits. The new cells squelched the synchronous, nerve-signaling firestorms that spawn seizures, entirely eliminating seizures in half of the treated mice and dramatically reducing them in the rest. Cell therapy is an active focus of epilepsy research, in part because even if current medications are effective, they control only symptoms and not the underlying causes of the disease, explains Baraban, who holds UCSFs William K. Bowes Jr. Endowed Chair in Neuroscience Research. In many types of epilepsy, Baraban adds, current drugs are entirely ineffective. Our results are an encouraging step toward using inhibitory neurons for cell transplantation in adults with severe forms of epilepsy, says Baraban. This procedure offers the possibility of controlling seizures and rescuing cognitive deficits in these patients. TRAINING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY A new medical subspecialty will teach doctors how to master a deluge of data. Spring 2014 | UCSF MAGAZINE5 ILLUSTRATION ABOVE, EXDEZ; PHOTO AT RIGHT, ROBERT HUNT AND KELLY GIRSKIS
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|May 15, 2003
Press Contact: Steve Koppes
(773) 702-8366
Fossil record accurately reflects recent flowering of marine biodiversity
The apparent increase in marine biodiversity over the last 50 million to 100 million years is real and not just a false reading produced by the inconsistencies of the fossil record, says a team of paleontologists led by the University of Chicago's David Jablonski. This finding, published in the May 16 issue of the journal Science, may help scientists place the future of global biodiversity in its proper context.
"If you want to understand what's going to come in the future you need to understand the dynamics that led up to the biodiversity we see now," said Jablonski, the William Kenan Jr. Professor in Geophysical Sciences and Chair of the Committee on Evolutionary Biology at Chicago.
By some measures, up to 50 percent of the increase in marine animal biodiversity during the last 50 million years can be attributed to what paleontologists call "the Pull of the Recent." This is the idea, posed in 1979 by University of Chicago paleontologist David Raup, that the level of biodiversity is inflated in younger fossil deposits because sampling of the modern world is so much more complete than in the geologic past.
Harvard University paleontologist Richard Bambach lauded the Science study as a major step toward dispelling lingering doubts about the true extent of biodiversity during the Cenozoic Era, which began after the dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago and continues today.
"The apparent diversity increase in the Cenozoic is not an artifact of the Pull of the Recent," Bambach said. "I think that is very exciting."
Bambach and others have said for years that diversity proliferated dramatically from the Paleozoic Era, which ended 250 million years ago, to the late present day. Bambach's research indicated a doubling or tripling. The work of James Valentine of the University of California, Berkeley, and a co-author of the Science article, pointed to a 10-fold increase.
Joining Jablonski and Valentine on the project were Kaustuv Roy, University of California, San Diego, and University of Chicago graduate students Rebecca Price and Philip Anderson. Their study was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
The team studied bivalves (clams, scallops, oysters and mussels) to address the issue because they are one of the major contributors to marine animal biodiversity. In order to screen out a potential false reading for Cenozoic biodiversity, the team inventoried bivalve diversity in the youngest part of the geologic record. This would allow them to assess the impact of the living bivalves by ignoring the biodiversity in modern oceans and building a diversity history based only on the fossil occurrences.
"This involved churning through a massive amount of the published paleontological literature of marine bivalves that lived during the last five million years," Jablonski said.
Complicating the task were the nomenclature changes that affected some types of bivalves. A single species might have been classified differently in each of four different papers published during the last 100 years as paleontologists' understanding of its evolutionary relationships improved, Jablonski said. Once the team members had standardized the classifications, they found that 906 of the 958 types (95 percent) of living bivalves they examined left a fossil record within the last five million years, as well as earlier in many cases.
The possibility still existed that rocks deposited five million years ago were unusually rich and that they were distorting the fossil record. So the team conducted a second inventory of bivalves that plunged much deeper into the fossil record, back 65 million years ago to the days of the dinosaurs. The paleontologists still were able to recover 87 percent of the types of bivalves that lived through that interval, when some thought the record might be poorer. The high recovery rate supports claims that the lower diversity levels observed from this time are genuine and not artificially depressed by sampling or preservation.
"Skeptics would say, well, that's just bivalves. Maybe they're somehow unique," Jablonski said. But a similar recovery figure, 89 percent, applies to sea urchins, which researchers at London's Natural History Museum inventoried for the same period.
There is plenty of work left to do.
"We've been talking about putting together a consortium of people to do exactly this kind of study with essentially all the major groups that make up the biodiversity increase," Jablonski said. "It'd be a real boon for the field if we can get this under way, because it will simultaneously tackle the sampling question and put a huge chunk of the fossil record into a standardized evolutionary framework."
Last modified at 12:05 PM CST on Friday, May 16, 2003.
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Most of the betting software provides an option to put a digital table directly into the app, meaning anyone can currently use good-looking graphics and simple-to-use tools, and learn about betting trends that, if be changed, will increase bets revenue.
With this model, the player will not lose his chronology, but he will receive extensive information and analysis that he has never imagined! And all the activity for half the time you need, provided you have a spreadsheet betting tracker! To conclude, if some players are looking for a bet tracker who does not require them to be Excel Experts, compute everything, write, track and study their chronology, and optimize finance management – then those players need to use Bettingmetrics!
Bet tracker answering your bets
You may want to protect your bets – choose us. Now is your chance to read our articles with information and suggestions on betting odds, betting site, betting tips and betting calculator.
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Bettingmetrics bet tracker – guaranteed protection
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Bet tracker – why do we, from Bettingmetrics, provide participants with the best bet tracker?
Bet tracker – sheet history
What distinguishes betting tracker from ordinary tables
Bet tracker answering your bets


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Introduction: Simple Bike U-Lock Holder
This is my first instructable so bear with me!
I recently bought a Motobecane Super Mirage to replace a Grand Touring that was stolen from me and found that, unlike my previous bike, it has no space available to hold my Kryptonite U-Lock and cable. After a little googling with no satisfactory DIYs found, I decided to build my own lock holder.
Why not use the one Kryptonite sells you ask? Because they are absolute garbage, thats why. I had one and it broke after the first few potholes, not to mention the shear force required to remove the lock from the clamp!
The best part about this holder, unlike some other ways, is that its compatible with locks that have either side mounted keyholes or top mounted.
This instructable took me about 15 min to complete, is super simple and cost about $5 for the clamps, which might be cheaper depending on where you go.
(I already had the other tools around the apt.)
Electrical tape
Flat head screwdriver
Utility Knife
(2) 7/32"-5/8" Hose Clamps*
(2) 13/16"-1 1/2" Hose Clamps*
*The size of the clamps will vary depending on the make and size of your lock and on the width of the cross tube on your bike. Although the bigger clamps have some size to them so they should fit most.
Teacher Notes
Teachers! Did you use this instructable in your classroom?
Add a Teacher Note to share how you incorporated it into your lesson.
Step 1: Wrap the Tape
Figure out where you want to hang the lock and put a couple wraps of tape where the first of the two prongs will sit to protect the crossbar from scratches. Use the scissors to make a clean cut. Once the first one is set, use the second lock prong to figure out where the second wrap will go.
Be extra careful to make sure the clamps will fall in the middle of the tape when installed. If you have brake lines or shifter lines running the length of this tube, make sure you tape under them or the clamps and/or tape will screw with the shifting and/or braking. The same applies when installing the clamps.
Step 2: Install Clamps
Using the screwdriver, unscrew the bigger 13/16"-1 1/2" clamps and thread them through the smaller 7/32"-5/8" clamps.
Then, tighten the larger clamps around your crossbar where you previously wrapped the tape. I found that the best way to avoid snagging the excess metal from the bigger hose clamp on your pants is to install the screw pointing towards the ground. It's a little awkward to tighten it this way, but better in the end. Also make sure the 2 smaller clamps are in-line with each other.
Step 3: Thread the Prongs
It helps to do the bent prong first and then insert the second.
The bent prong originally had black rubber all the way up to the bend which inhibited the prong from going all the way through the clamp so I had to cut around the rubber with the utility knife and peel it off. Unfortunately I didn't think to take a picture of this part but be CAREFUL when doing so!!
Lock the top and you're golden!
Step 4: Possible Additional Step
I also have a cable that I use to lock my front wheel with and depending on the lock and length of the prongs you can weave the cable through them.
As you can see from the second photo, the holder has a minimal front profile and won't get in the way of pedaling if you install it correctly.
The clamps also prevent the lock from swaying too much. There may be some, but nothing noticeable.
Hope this helps!
1 Person Made This Project!
- irish_psycho made it!
6 Discussions
I may try this but definitely begging for a 3D printer solution.
Great DIY! If you want to purchase something instead check out the HULDIT on huldit.com ! It is another way to hold a U-lock. I'm a 22 year old entrepreneur trying to promote my product, please don't think this is spam!
Thank you once more! After I used this great lockholder for several years, I can confirm that the clamps break eventually.
Based on your design I modelled a 3D-object that can be printed on 3D printers.
I hope that plastic will be more durable and less harmful to my bikes' and locks' surface.
You can find (and download) my efforts here:
Awesome, glad it helped! The only problem I've had since is that during the winter the clamps got so cold that they became brittle and cracked. I noticed it before anything went haywire so no problems but keep your eye on it. If you can think of any improvements let me know!
Awesome idea!
Did it with my masterlock aswell (the plastic holder it was shipped with is crap, really), seems to work fine!
i like this one. thanks for posting. the plastic bracket that came with my masterlock was a joke.


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The Block Condos For Sale - Calgary
Find the newest The Block condos for sale and the best condominium listings in Calgary for viewing. For information about condo properties available in The Block in Calgary or to schedule a private showing, contact your local The Block condominium experts today.
Condos For Sale The Block Calgary
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See All Condos: Calgary Condominium Directory
Looking to purchase a condo in The Block? Call Justin Havre of RE/MAX First - 403.217.0003, your local high-rise and low-rise real estate team. Your neighborhood condominium real estate team will guide you through the Calgary The Block condo market.
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Planning to buy or sell a condo in The Block? Let our local Calgary real estate team guide you through the sale of your current The Block condo apartment or purchase your next The Block property. As local Calgary real estate agents, we have expert insider knowledge of the market dynamics unique to the The Block condominium market. We're here to work with you today!
To learn more about agent representation while buying or selling your The Block condo, contact Justin Havre of RE/MAX First - 403.217.0003. Check out our comparative market analysis page to receive a free condominium value analysis in The Block. We'll get to work for you today!
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text: Winn-Dixie is a supermarket that operates over 480 stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. Many Winn-Dixie locations double coupons up to $0.50 and you can use two coupons on Buy One Get One Free promotions. If you have a little one, join the Winn-Dixie Baby Club to receive valuable coupons as well as $10 back for every 200 points you accumulate. Sales run Wednesday through Tuesday.


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Kangaroo Island Experience (China Tour)
See All the Sights in this 1 Day Tour with your own Chinese Guide
Please note, all tours have been suspended from 24th March until 30th June 2020. Please see our latest travel advice for more information.
南澳旅游局推荐必打卡景点第一名袋鼠岛,被称为"没有围栏的动物园" 是原始动物的安乐窝。从崎岖海岸线、红色神奇岩石、海豹聚集的旗舰拱门,海连(SeaLink)的中文团导游将用中文讲解,带您深度了解袋鼠岛。
到达袋鼠岛之后,来到海豹湾(Seal Bay),从木板路上凝视小海狮,在海滩上的海狮群中散步,近距离观看这些海中的庞然大物。之后到微风湾(Vivonne Bay),享受一顿美味的两道式午餐。下午来到弗林德斯蔡斯国家公园,观看澳大利亚知名的动物,如袋鼠,迷你袋鼠,考拉和针鼹等。在导游的带领下,漫步在崎岖的海岸线。神奇岩石及其背后的大海会给您的相片提供一个极佳的背景。经过一段木板路,您将来到壮观的旗舰拱门,这里也是一个纯天然的海豹栖息地。在结束此次旅行前往袋鼠岛的游轮码头返回阿德莱德路途上,有机会遇见袋鼠及迷你袋鼠。
- Selected Hotel pick up / set downs from Adelaide and Glenelg
- Return travel to Kangaroo Island either by coach/ferry or air
- Guided tour and two course lunch at Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery
- Seal Bay Conservation Park guided beach walk
- 'In-Flight' Australian Birds of Prey Display at Raptor Domain
- Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park
- Expert Commentary by a Mandarin-speaking driver/guide. Meet on arrival on Kangaroo Island.
1 Full Day Tour (ex Adelaide is a 16 hour tour)
Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday (excluding Christmas Day)
NOTE: 2 to 7 people will join the public KI Experience tour with the China Guide on board. 8+ people will have their own coach on Kangaroo Island with a China Driver/Guide. China Guide to meet on coach tour on KI.
Selected hotel pick up / set downs from Adelaide and Glenelg.
New touring options available with flights to and from Kangaroo Island, please call 08 8202 8626 to speak with our China Reservations Specialist. This itinerary is subject to change without notice.
See the highlights of South Australia's premier nature-based tourism destination, Kangaroo Island with a Chinese Guide. From Remarkable Rocks to playful fur seals, SeaLink guides will take you to the Kangaroo Island's natural highlights. This is simply the best 1 Day Kangaroo Island tour available.
Head to Vivonne Bay Bistro, set in a beautiful Australian bushland setting to enjoy a delicious two course lunch, before making your way to Flinders Chase National Park, renowned as a sanctuary for native Australian animals including kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and echidnas. See the rugged coastline from walks around Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch. Remarkable Rocks provide great photographic opportunities, and the Admirals Arch boardwalk takes you down a rugged cliff face to reveal the spectacular rock archway, a natural nursery and safe haven for playful Long-nosed Fur Seals
Then it's off to visit Seal Bay Conservation Park where you will be taken on a beach walk with an experienced guide, to be amongst a colony of rare Australian sea lions. Get up close and see these wild creatures frolic and laze about – a truly amazing and unforgettable experience.
There is also a possibility that you will see more kangaroos and wallabies on your return to Penneshaw for your return journey to Adelaide.
From Adelaide, this tour is a 16 hour day that includes travel to and from Kangaroo Island. You do get time to rest during your ferry transfers & coach travel between attractions. Or, if you have the time to spare, why not consider staying overnight on Kangaroo Island or going over the day before your tour!
Tour Options
From Adelaide with return Ferry - 往返渡轮从阿德莱德出发
Tour Code: CHTCC
Departs 6.45 AM and returns 10.40 PM - Morning pick-up and evening set-down at selected Adelaide and Glenelg hotels. Includes Chinese speaking guide. Excludes Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.
From Cape Jervis with return Ferry - 往返渡轮从泽维斯码头出发
Tour Code: CHTCC
Departs Cape Jervis at 9.00 AM and returns 8.15 PM
From Adelaide with Fly / Ferry - 飞机去船回从阿德莱德出发
Tour Code: CHTFC
Departs Adelaide Airport at 9.30 AM, returning by coach at 10.40 PM. Includes Adelaide Airport transfer and set-down to selected Adelaide hotels.
From Adelaide with Ferry / Fly - 船去飞机回从阿德莱德出发
Tour Code: CHTCF
Departs by coach from Adelaide at 6.45 AM, returning in the evening with a flight from Kingscote. Includes Adelaide airport transfer; arriving in Adelaide 7.05 PM - Hotel pick up & drop off available.
From Adelaide with Fly / Fly - 往返飞机从阿德莱德出发
Tour Code: CHTFF
Departs by plane from Adelaide Airport at 9.30 AM, returning in the evening with a flight from Kingscote. Includes Adelaide airport transfer; arriving in Adelaide 7.05 PM - Hotel pick up & drop off available.
Prices valid from 1st of April 2020 to 31st of March 2021, for other dates please enquire. All prices are per person.


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The time children spend before and after school with their peers influences their development. Through the enrichment programs and clubs offered at Ocean Palms, children spend valuable time developing social skills, improving academic performances, and establishing strong relationships with caring adults. With a variety experiences, there is truly something for everyone!
A Snapshot of the Enrichment Programs and Clubs at OPE:
Running Club
Student Ambassador Leadership Team
Morning News Crew
Safety Patrols
Club Scientific
Orff Ensemble
Enrichment flyers are located on PEACH JAR on the top right of the OPES home page.
Parents will need to personally register and pay Enrichment fees by contacting the Enrichment Vendor.


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This is the sermon I shared with God's people at St. Timothy Lutheran Church and St. Mark Lutheran Church on Sunday, 3/6. The text was Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32.
"Marked with the cross of Christ forever, we are claimed, gathered, and sent for the sake of the world." (Sent! by God's grace for the sake of the world, July 2006, "Global Missions Event." 5).


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Debt management bosses banned after transferring money from their own companies
Andrew Brooke (45) and Gary Gregson (38) have been disqualified after transferring more than £0.5 million from their own debt management companies.
Both bosses have been disqualified for a combined total of 23 years, 13 and 10 years respectively. They are now prevented from acting, directly or indirectly, as directors of companies.
Gary Gregson was the main director of Gregson and Brooke Financial Services Ltd ("GBFS") and One Tick Ltd ("OT"). Both companies provided debt management services to people with financial problems. The companies also operated through several different trading names, including Expert Money Solutions.
Together GBFS and OT received payments from customers into debt payment plans and offered a 'credit resolve' product, which attempted to challenge the enforceability of credit agreements signed by their clients, as well as reclaiming PPI payments.
Although this was a legitimate service, GBFS and OT paid minimal contributions to the credit providers from their clients' debt payment plans, while keeping a significant portion of their clients' money to go towards 'service fees'.
Some customers complained to the Financial Ombudsman that their debts had increased, despite having paid money into their debt payment plans.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the financial services regulator, visited the offices of GBFS and OT in July 2014 and as a result the firm agreed to stop accepting new customers.
The FCA also warned Gary Gregson that the companies could be closed down after they were unable to provide adequate records of how much money was being held on behalf of their clients.
Gary Gregson agreed not to withdraw fees, other than to pay staff, but then proceeded to transfer £210,006 from GBFS and OT to himself and third parties he was connected to, before resigning his directorships.
The firms then came under the stewardship of Andrew Brooke, who was reappointed as a director of the companies on 20 August 2014. The FCA continued to have concerns and issued Supervisory Notices to GBFS and OT on 29 August 2014.
But Andrew Brooke then proceeded to transfer a total of £442,000 to another company he was a director of before both GBFS and OT entered into administration in October 2014.
Following the collapse of the companies, the Insolvency Service investigated due to concerns identified by the firms' administrators.
Gary Gregson was disqualified by the court for 10 years (commencing on 7 March 2018) for a lack of commercial probity and failure to ensure the debt management companies, including another failed company, Gregson and Brooke Ltd (GAB), adhered to guidance issued by the regulator.
Andrew Brooke was disqualified at an earlier hearing for 13 years (beginning on 7 July 2017) having also acted with a lack of commercial probity and failure to ensure GAB adhered to the regulator's guidance.
At the same time that Andrew Brooke was disqualified, his wife Shalles Fee Onido (also known as Shalles Brooke) and Nova Espoltero were disqualified for four years each having allowed Andrew Brooke to authorise £442,000 worth of transfers from GBFS and OT.
Robert Clarke, Head of Insolvent Investigations North for the Insolvency Service, said:
"The real victims here are Brooke and Gregson's clients who sought genuine assistance to help manage their debts but many received little or no benefit at all from instructing the companies to act on their behalf.
Brooke and Gregson clearly put their own interests ahead of their clients. The vast amount of money they transferred out of their companies and their timing as the net was closing in from the FCA showed a cynical disregard for the needs of their customers. I would also like to thank the FCA, whose cooperation was crucial in securing these disqualifications."
Jonathan Davidson, Director of Supervision – retail and authorisations at the FCA said:
"These individuals were more interested in lining their own pockets than helping potentially vulnerable people get out of debt. This case shows what can be achieved when we work with partners, like the Insolvency Service, to ensure people face the consequences of their actions.
We are pleased that as result of our partnership it will be years before they have any involvement in the business community again as directors."


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Acting on a tip from the Lakeville Journal's Ryan Snider, I obtained the super low-budget Equinox from NetFlix and right away realized where Sam Raimi got a lot of his ideas for The Evil Dead. I mean, look at it: well-meaning professor gets hold of ancient book of the occult and foolishly reads the spells aloud as he translates from the Sumerian. All Hell breaks loose. Well-meaning students blunder into situation, discover all H. breaking loose, and die in unusual ways.
The special effects for Equinox are spectacular, given they had a budget of about $8000 (in 1967). For the giant-menacing-the-smarty-pants scene, the actor playing in the ogre stood on a picnic table; the actor playing the wisenheimer was several yards away, aligned for the camera angle. To get the "ground" right, the right color dirt was placed on a piece of plywood, which was then propped up next to the picnic table.
The Criterion Collection DVD two-fer has the original version and the later theatrical (read: drive-in) release, with extra footage shot a couple of years later and some additional plot to get in the way of the story. The later scenes are noticeable: the longer sideburns on the men are a bit of a giveaway, and the young blonde lady doesn't fit her Capri pants quite as well.
Fans of WKRP in Cincinnati might recognize Frank Bonner (who played Herb in the TV series). He's the one with the sideburns.
Summary: Four stupid white people; one berserk scientist; one evil book; one weird park ranger/demon; assorted monsters, including giant house-eating octopus (tentacles only), ogre, flying red devil, minor league King Kong; one disappearing castle; one Zone of Doom; gratuitous shots of girl's bottom in Capri pants; reporter in porkpie hat; fat shrink in lab coat. Groovy LA teen stuff. Incredibly slow speed limits. Lots of scrambling up hills. Grimace sex.
Three coils.


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RICHMOND, Ky. (EKU Sports) – Eastern Kentucky University quarterback Tyler Swafford will interview Saturday morning for a Mitchell Scholarship in Washington, D.C. and then play later that afternoon in the Colonels' game at home against Eastern Illinois.
Swafford's interview is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. and will last approximately 30 minutes. He will then fly back to Kentucky and is expected to be at Roy Kidd Stadium around 12:30 p.m. The game is now scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
The George J. Mitchell Scholarship Program is a national, competitive scholarship sponsored by the US-Ireland Alliance.
Up to 12 Mitchell Scholars between the ages of 18 and 30 are chosen annually for one academic year of postgraduate study in any discipline offered by institutions of higher learning in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Applicants are judged on three criteria: scholarship, leadership, and a sustained commitment to community and public service.
"It's a big honor, considering the prestige of the award," Swafford said. "To get a chance to study in Ireland would be amazing. More than anything, I'm really excited for EKU and to be able to represent them through this process. The honors program here has been very helpful to me."


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Ferrari W 2020
In the event you're opting for the Ferrari W 2020 over the nearly identical Chevy Tahoe, you may as nicely skip right to the Ferrari W 2020. You get a much better powertrain and more refined suspension, nicer inside materials, and all the bells and whistles. It's also only a tiny worth bump over the SLT with the powertrain upgrade from the Graphite Efficiency Edition bundle.
There aren't many body-on-frame SUVs being made lately, however the Ferrari W 2020 happens to be one in every of them. Like its corporate sibling, the Chevy Tahoe, the Ferrari W 2020 provides ruggedness and high towing capacity that only this kind of vehicle can ship. A V8 engine comes customary, and accessible four-wheel drive with low-range gearing gives traction if you need it most.
The Ferrari W 2020, however, also has some flaws generally associated with this kind of automobile. Cargo house isn't as efficient as what you get from a car-based crossover SUV, nor is its use of fuel. We're additionally not keen on the base V8's sluggish responsiveness. Opt for the bigger 6.2-liter V8 and the road-adapting MagneRide suspension, although, and the Ferrari W 2020's ride and driving expertise begin to fall consistent with extra fashionable autos. As a bonus, the 10-speed automatic transmission that comes with the larger engine can match the freeway mileage of the smaller V8.
Even so, we'd recommend testing the Ferrari W 2020's closest competitor, the lately redesigned Ford Expedition. It is also a standard body-on-frame SUV, nevertheless it has the next maximum towing capability and superior cargo space and it is all around a more refined and upscale automobile.
The optionally available Enhanced Driver Alert package adds ahead collision warning with low-speed computerized braking, automated high beams, and lane departure warning and intervention. The Comfort package adds an influence liftgate, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, power-adjustable pedals and a common garage door opener.
Some features on higher-trimmed models can be found on supporting models at extra value. Non-obligatory for SLE and SLT trims is an HD Trailering package deal with a unique axle ratio, trailer brake controller and a self-leveling suspension. The SLT and the Ferrari W 2020 are eligible for a sunroof, adaptive cruise control with automatic braking, and a rear-seat leisure system. The Ferrari W 2020 additionally affords power-retractable aspect steps.
For 2019, GMC keeps the Ferrari W 2020 recent by adding a budget-conscious Commonplace Version Value Package as well as a Graphite Edition and Graphite Performance Edition packages to the SLT trim. Different trims embody the bottom SLE and the near-luxury Ferrari W 2020, which pushes the Ferrari W 2020 into the territory of its platform mate, the Cadillac Escalade. The Chevrolet Tahoe rounds out the trio of GM truck-based SUVs and could be had in long wheelbase Suburban type as nicely, often at a slight low cost over the GMC. There are additionally three new metallic colors out there for 2019: Darkish Sky, Pepperdust, and Smokey Quartz.


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Sane people use their Saturday mornings for household tasks, lawn-mowing or catching up on sleep. Not me! I have a weekly appointment with myself that I call "Standards Watch".
Today, I decided to figure out what medical device standards are either under development or have been published by CEN, the European Committee for Standardization.
CEN has the following Technical Committees dedicated to medical device standards:
|CEN/CENELEC Joint Technical Committee on Active Implantable Medical Devices
|Quality management and corresponding general aspects for medical devices
|Sterilizers and associated equipment for processing of medical devices
|In vitro diagnostic medical devices
|Sterilization of medical devices
|Non-active medical devices
|Biological and clinical evaluation of medical devices
|Aesthetic surgery and aesthetic non-surgical medical services
Of note, European standards that are particular to "electrotechnical" standards are the focus of another organization, CENELEC, the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization. Other than medical standards coming from CEN/CENELEC Joint Technical Committee CEN/CLC/JTC 16, CEN and CENELEC work is non-overlapping.
WARNING: This blog post does not address standards solely published by CENELEC. If your medical devices are non-active non-software devices, then do not worry about CENELEC standards.
My focus today was to search standards that have been published or are in-progress under the authority of the CEN Committees listed above.
In less than 2 hours of messing around, I was able to prepare a compilation of CEN Medical Device Standards that is accurate as of today, 2019-02-02. It includes 200 standards that are Published and 82 standards currently included in a Work Programme (drafting activity – new or revised documents). The Work Programme includes a large log-jam of standards needed to support the new European Medical Devices Regulation.
How did I do this? It was not that easy! I will spare you all of the details, but it involves using the CEN Technical Committee search engine (search term: medical devices), exporting data to Excel, and then combining and manipulating many Excel worksheets.
Here it the fruit of my Saturday morning labor:
CEN Medical Device Standards_2019-02-02 (Sam Lazzara compilation).xlsx
It is a native Excel file that you can download for personal use.
If you liked this post, you may like these other posts on my MDQC Blog:
ISO IEC EN Standards Hacks, Tips, Tricks


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TMAP Grant Guidelines
VISIT FLORIDA administers the TMAP Grant to assist FY19/20 TMAP approved businesses with matching marketing grant funds for small, minority, agritourism or 501(c)(3) non-profit corporations. The TMAP Grant is a reimbursement grant and all marketing expenditures must be paid in full prior to requesting reimbursement.
Application Period: The application period for VISIT FLORIDA's 2019-20 grants program has completed. Check back in late winter/early spring for details on the 20-21 grant cycle. Grant programs are subject to change each fiscal year based on marketing and organizational priorities.
Applicants must be:
- An approved TMAP business; and
- A current VISIT FLORIDA Partner.
Applicants may not receive an award in excess of $5,000. All applicants must match the amount awarded with non-state dollars. For every VISIT FLORIDA dollar in the requested program, you must provide one dollar from your organization and/or other non-state entity(ies) to put towards the program in order to meet the dollar-for-dollar match.
All marketing expenditures must be completed during the period of July 1, 2019 through June 15, 2020.
Grant funds awarded for these programs to applicants must be used for marketing efforts to promote tourism advantages of the State of Florida through advertising (print, broadcast, digital, social media or out of home), direct mail, brochure production, website development, as well as other related marketing projects. All marketing efforts must include VISIT FLORIDA Grant Logo in compliance with logo guidelines. To review the logo guidelines, visit the Grants Toolkit. The marketing efforts cannot include VISIT FLORIDA opportunities, i.e. Welcome Center brochure distribution, VISIT FLORIDA Co-op Programs, or VISIT FLORIDA produced publications.
No applicant may be considered or receive more than one TMAP grant per year. VISIT FLORIDA grant programs are reimbursement grants and all expenditures must be paid in full prior to requesting reimbursement.
No applicant may use any other VISIT FLORIDA grant funds, for the same project or as matching funds. Dollar-for-dollar match and/or in-kind goods or services must be demonstrated. Staff salaries are not eligible towards matching funds. In-kind goods or services must be provided and documented by third party entities.
VISIT FLORIDA will reimburse expenses upon delivery of proof of expenditure and performance has been provided for the marketing expenditures. VISIT FLORIDA will not reimburse for any expenditure prior to July 1, 2019.
Application Submission
Applicants must demonstrate the marketing efforts will directly or indirectly contribute to the promotion of tourism advantages within the State of Florida. All Grant application submissions must:
- Meet eligibility requirements.
- Provide marketing effort or marketing project overview.
- Provide marketing strategy and media plan.
- Provide anticipated results (such as: impressions, increased website visits, or increased event attendance).
- Provide marketing budget.
*Note this is a new grant program offered by VISIT FLORIDA. The CHRN and Small business grants have been replaced with the TMAP Grants. Our goal is to provide the highest quality of marketing assistance and opportunities for small, minority, rural and agritourism businesses tourism business across the state.
Additional Information: Download complete guidelines.


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My nature is to dive into a situation and then just work my way through it. I rarely shy away from a challenge – it keeps me on my toes since I bore easily. Of course there are consequences of this type of rash behaviour. Its always in the back of my mind that I'm going to pay for it, but a majority of the time I just don't give a shit. I always have the philosophy that things will work itself out.
My friend emailed me about a month ago to ask me if I wanted to go on vacation with her next year, that's right, next year. Hell, I'm still working on this year. I reluctantly agreed, I actually wanted to say "no" but just didn't have the heart to (my first mistake), but told her that a resort vacation was out of the question. Lounging by the pool for a week or two is not my idea of a vacation anymore.
If there is one big thing that has changed since I came back from my work in the Dominican is my view on travel and the goals I want to accomplish in the next two years. That trip changed me and gave me some clarity. So, I'm regretting agreeing to this shared vacation. What to do, what to do…
Its not going to kill me to go on vacation with her – my friend is great. Traveling with someone is nice just for the companionship. But, I've also come to like traveling by myself. Or at least traveling with someone who is like-minded. I'm very independent, my friend is not. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but what I am saying is that I'll probably want to do a lot of things on my own and she won't do her own thing. I could be wrong, but I've done enough vacations with her to know how she travels.
I can go anywhere by myself. Its just that simple for me. My friend, on the other hand, doesn't like traveling on her own. So, its my own fault for not answering honestly in the first place. I will think of a way to make this work. This is an example of how its not good to be impulsive. 😐


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Driverless cars are coming! That is the reality.
Corporations and investors are injecting tons of money into those projects and are competing against each other who will create the first safe driverless car that will change the future of how people go from point A to point B.
Such cars we have seen in the movies from the past. And every sci fi movie has some truth in it. The first autonomous vehicle was shown in the movie The Automatic Motorist in 1911. Then came Logan's Run in 1976. Then Timecop, Total Recall, and many others.
Big Change in the Economy
Self-driving cars will definitely change our world. There will be no DUIs, accidents will decrease, people will utilize their time better. Of course, it will take decades till they get fully implemented in our lives. Why decades? Because it requires not only the car, but the building of a whole new infrastructure of roads and sensors. Have you noticed that governments are not involved into the development of those autonomous vehicles? They are afraid it will backfire on their revenue from tickets, DUIs, driving licenses, red light cameras, speeding tickets etc. Insurance companies will go broke as well when there are no accidents. Despite that, those cars will come- no argue about that.
It will change the economy and increase the unemployment rate in many industries. However, we at Chief Chicago Limo believe that chauffeurs will prevail and continue to drive cars, or at least be present in them. Many would disagree with us, but here are some of our thoughts.
Human Touch & Convenience of Automation
When you book your driverless car, you will have to pay a premium for it. New inventions are always expensive in the beginning. Look at Tesla or even the hybrid vehicles. They are still expensive to buy only thinking that you will save from the gas. Tesla has been on the block for a few years and still do not offer a long range mileage for its owners.
If you are the first passenger in the vehicle, you have to be happy. The next one may find a used tissue on the floor or on the next seat, empty bottle of water, coffee cup, dirty mats from the snow or rain, fingerprints on the window from a kid, torn newspaper etc. Chauffeurs clean the cars after every ride and prepare it for the next. Look at Uber/Lyft and the rest of the ride share companies. They cannot guarantee the car will be for the next ride if the request is right after the first one. Their drivers pick up on demand and do not have time to offer a perfectly clean vehicle to the next client.
Ok… doors may open and close automatically when you get in and get out. But…. who will put your bags in the trunk? Who will assist an elderly person with the luggage or help him/her get in and out of the car. Who will give a hand to a lady when she is about to get off the autonomous vehicle? Who will meet you with an umbrella on a rainy day? No one! And you will still pay a premium for that! a professional chauffeur will do all these things for you… and more. You will be pampered very well for the money spent.
Providing the expected quality of service is our main reason to think that driverless cars will not affect the professional chauffeured services. Of course there are a few more like chauffeurs know the area better than the GPS, sometimes they can push a bit when time is tight for the client, they will communicate better with the client than a robot voice operator who will need time to read the question and find the proper answer…. We can go on for ever.
Technology has become a huge chunk of our lives, but there will be jobs and activities that are better executed by humans. Its like the winning in a video game vs the winning the Olympic Games.


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New developments in pediatric venous thromboembolism and anticoagulation, including the target-specific oral anticoagulants.
Source: Curr Opin Pediatr. 2015 Feb;27(1):18-25
Date of publication: February, 2015
Publication type: Journal article
In a nutshell: This articles reviews recent research findings regarding risk factors of hospital-acquired VTE (Pediatric venous thromboembolism).
Length of publication: 8 pages
Some important notes: please ask your local health librarian to locate this for you.
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Ford Motor Company has replaced boss Mark Fields amid investor unrest that the car giant is lagging rivals and has instead appointed a "visionary" business leader.
Jim Hackett will replace Fields, a turnaround specialist who has been leading the automaker's moves into self-driving cars and ride sharing.
Hackett, 62, joined the Ford board in 2013, and is a former boss of office furniture maker Steelcase. He will report to executive Chairman Bill Ford.
Fields will retire at age 56 after 28 years at the Michigan-based company, which employs 202,000 staff around the world.
Bill Ford said: "Jim Hackett is the right chief executive to lead Ford during this transformative period for the auto industry and the broader mobility space. He's a true visionary who brings a unique, human-centered leadership approach to our culture, products and services that will unlock the potential of our people and our business."
Hackett is credited with transforming Steelcase, in part by predicting the shift away from cubicles and into open office plans. But he also cut thousands of jobs and moved furniture production from the US to Mexico to stem massive losses at the company.
The new boss at Ford added: "I have developed a deep appreciation for Ford's people, values and heritage during the past four years as part of the company and look forward to working together with everyone tied to Ford during this transformative period."
Ford stock price slide
Fields took the top job at Ford in 2014 and began the carmaker's transition from a traditional automaker into a "mobility" company, laying out plans to build autonomous vehicles and explore new services such as ride-hailing and car-sharing.
But there has been shareholder disquiet over the last year that Fields had dropped his focus on Ford's core business, as popular products like the Fusion sedan grew dated and Ford lagged behind rivals in bringing long-range electric cars to the market.
Electric car maker Tesla, with a market value of around $51.1bn, has passed the valuation of 114-year-old Ford, which is worth around $43.4bn. Ford's stock price has fallen almost 40% in the three years since Fields became chief executive.
In a wide-ranging reshuiffle at the top Ford said Joseph R. Hinrichs, who leads Ford's crucial Americas division, will expand his role to become executive vice president for global operations. James D. Farley Jr., who runs the European unit, has been appointed to oversee worldwide sales and marketing. And the chief technical officer, Marcy Klevorn, will take over Mr. Hackett's duties as chief of mobility initiatives.


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The winners of this year's Digital Cities Survey, presented by the Center for Digital Government, are redefining the role of the public-sector technology leader at the city level.
They're looking beyond the nuts and bolts of IT, exploring creative ways to leverage their technology investments, and building new, more effective coalitions. This year we saw a nonprofit effort to donate used government computers to the needy; a broad interagency push to collaborate on a strategic plan for IT; and an initiative to leverage IoT sensor data in support of economic development, to name just a few of the standouts.
What do these efforts have in common? All take the IT department far beyond the role of a mere service provider. Each winner is elevating the role of the IT leader to make technology a driver of better, smarter, more responsive government.
Here are the California cities that won recognition in their respective population categories. For complete nationwide results across all population categories, including an interactive map, see today's story in Government Technology.
America's second-largest city (population 4 million-plus) prides itself on being a digital municipality run by a data-driven government. The statement is backed by this year's ranking of Los Angeles as the best Digital City in its population category for the third year in a row. Led by Mayor Eric Garcetti and IT General Manager and CIO Ted Ross, the city has held on to its top ranking with significant achievements. Take, for example, how it is tackling the thorny problem of homelessness with technology tools that support collaboration and communication across agencies and third parties. The city also uses data analytics to identify at-risk individuals before they become homeless and get them additional services. Additionally, the city has provided free Wi-Fi in homeless areas.
IT strategies that have reaped benefits include the city's exceptional open data platform, which receives data sets from every city department. In addition, Los Angeles has rolled out various data visualizations, dashboards and storytelling tools to ensure data can impact city policies and practices, whether they have to do with sound finances or clean streets. Reinforcing the city's dedication to data is its Data Science Federation, a partnership between city departments and 18 local universities, engaging hundreds of faculty and students to tackle a wide variety of analytic challenges, including predictive tools aimed at the city's housing problem.
Los Angeles also sees wireless as the future and is committed to replacing most of its wired infrastructure with wireless. Investments in mobile technology prove that the city is dedicated to providing all of its citizen services anytime and anywhere on a mobile device. Other examples of innovation include third-party data sharing to increase the range and variety of resident services, and the use of new technologies, such as artificially intelligent voice assistants. To reduce its risk as a connected community, the city has implemented a robust cybersecurity framework, which includes an event management system that can monitor 1 billion data records daily from a single platform. The city's overall security program has been nationally recognized for its exceptional protection of city data, certainly one of its most valuable assets.
San Diego's Department of Information Technology has undertaken a number of initiatives with the overarching goal of improving the quality of life for its residents through technology. And while some of the department's efforts — like the cybersecurity awareness training for all 11,000 city employees — are more felt than seen, they all tie back to keeping the city running as effectively and efficiently as possible. But this mission is not without challenges: Traffic congestion, homelessness and the commitment to rigorous climate action goals are just some of the areas where technology is being put to the test.
When it comes to accessibility for residents, staff has invested in creating online portals and applications that are both aesthetically pleasing and easy to use. A prime example is the MyWaterEasy app, which allows residents to not only pay their water bill, but also to make donations toward the payment of other residents' bills. Open data and transparency have also been key priorities, and efforts here have earned the city an ISO 37120 Platinum certification. When it comes to cybersecurity, some 2.5 million attacks per month have pushed the IT staff to move toward single sign-on, awareness training across the board and partnerships with a large cross-section of private, local, state and federal partners.
In efforts to become a smarter, safer place to live, the city is in the process of deploying 3,200 smart streetlights to improve traffic and pedestrian safety, monitor air quality and optimize parking. The savings from this project will be an estimated $2.8 million in energy costs each year. The data pulled from this sensor network will ultimately tie into efforts to refine parking meter rates. A commitment to working smarter not harder is also evident in the city's efforts to coordinate fiber-optic installation with ongoing water and sewer pipe replacement, so they don't duplicate digging efforts and unnecessarily disrupt the community.
San Diego has also put substantial energy into building partnerships. One such example is the two-way data-sharing agreement with Waze that is helping the traveling public and the city make better decisions to reduce congestion.
SAN JOSE, 6TH (Tied with Boston)
San Jose advanced two spots this year, moving from eight place up to sixth place in the 500,000 or more population category. Larger cities like San Jose tend to have a great potential for innovation, and San Jose has certainly seemed to make good on that, making great use of initiatives such as the My San Jose website and app, which went live in July 2017; residents can now use them to request and track city services. A wide variety of smart city projects, branded under the mayor's San Jose Smart City Vision, represent an ambitious drive to become the nation's most innovative city by 2020. What's perhaps most impressive, however, is that San Jose has successfully worked to reduce staff vacancies, doing so in what is arguably one of the most competitive regions to recruit and retain tech and innovation talent, with private-sector companies offering big salaries to draw tech workers to nearby Palo Alto and San Francisco.
San Jose has also undertaken efforts to better equip itself for the future, collaborating with telecommunications companies to prepare for the wide-spread advent of 5G connectivity. Meanwhile, open data trends have recently demanded that cities do more than just release open data, with storytelling also coming into fashion. San Jose is addressing this by converting its open data approach to data journalism, which puts an emphasis on using its open data to tell community stories. This continues to manifest in work such as the San Jose Police Use of Force Data Analysis, among other portals. These efforts seem likely to soon accelerate with an RFP for a new San Jose data portal currently being awarded. San Jose's AI-driven content search is also a forward-thinking piece of work.
Moving up from sixth place in 2017 to fourth place this year, Long Beach has implemented mySidewalk, an economic insight dashboard that lets the community report neighborhood-level data and allows the city to track, analyze and share progress on citywide economic objectives. Topics cover population, economy, housing, transportation and health.
Long Beach continues to expand its DataLB public data portal, offering more than 125 data sets. Last year, almost 11,000 unique visitors accessed the data. This year, the Technology and Innovation Department launched a crime incident mapping application in DataLB to provide current crime activity information for residents. The entire 2019 Proposed Budget was published on BudgetLB, enabling users to compare expenditures and revenues throughout all city departments.
The Southern California city averages 15,000 unique website visitors daily and has increased mobile views by 51 percent over 2017. The mobile-optimized website is supplemented by the Go Long Beach apps, which let people submit and track service requests, find lost pets and locate polling places, among other things. The city's video team, LBTV, creates videos to explain and promote each app. These videos are published via TV, the Web and social media. The city's communications team also launched the InsideLB blog to share articles and creative videos on human interest stories related to the city's work and highlighting the people that work and live there.
Long Beach's Justice Lab, launched in January 2018, has several initiatives underway that aim to break the cycle of incarceration. This includes Long Beach GUIDES (Government User Integrated Diversion Enhancement System), a mobile app developed by the police department and the city prosecutor's office to give first responders needed information to quickly identify the most appropriate services for residents in need. The city's Data Warehouse, part of the Data Driven Justice Initiative, is a clearinghouse for multiple data sets that let users crosscheck information about police, health, fire, and the city prosecutor's office services to help coordinate services for residents. The GUIDES app is currently being tested for the Long Beach Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program that aims to divert likely offenders to social services, including stable housing, counseling and rehabilitation. The Justice Lab also collaborated with the California Policy Lab at the University of California, Los Angeles to conduct a city data-driven, randomized control trial to identify likely repeat offenders and reduce recidivism rates.
Riverside is battling back from a structural budget shortfall that resulted in three positions being eliminated from the Innovation and Technology Department and tech replacements being tabled for 10 years. IT staff in Riverside now expect an injection of $8 million spread over the next four years from the passage of a ballot measure in 2016. With the additional funding secured, IT is working on 13 priority projects in areas like cybersecurity, system upgrades, hardware and infrastructure. This well-orchestrated recovery is representative of an IT strategy that is well documented and closely aligned with the city's overall goals. One example of a recent achievement is the deployment in the past year of more than 100 high-speed access points to boost the speeds and coverage of Riverside's Wi-Fi network. The additions include in-vehicle devices that expedite uploads of body-worn video from law enforcement.
Transparency efforts were bolstered by Riverside's selection as a What Works Cities jurisdiction, which allowed the city to add a GIS portal to its robust open data site, Engage Riverside. The city's IT Department has created an Innovation Division to support a culture of modernization, and an Innovation "Lab" is now available for employees to collaborate on challenges that cross departmental lines.
The city's multifaceted workforce development program includes a career road map tool for IT staff to help set a path for continual learning and growth. In addition, Riverside's successful internship program converts many interns to permanent staff, like the Client Services division within IT, where almost two-thirds of personnel once served as an intern.
SACRAMENTO, 10TH (Tied with New Orleans)
Sacramento's primary technical achievement in 2018 was beginning a citywide switch to 5G. Accomplished through a public-private partnership with Verizon in June 2017, Sacramento's overhaul of high-speed data infrastructure involved more than $100 million of investment in fiber-optic infrastructure, "smart cities" solutions, youth development and public Wi-Fi. By adding small cell towers to more than 200 utility poles, Sacramento plans to make 5G available everywhere and put free Wi-Fi in 27 public parks.
The partnership made Sacramento one of the first markets in the nation to have citywide 5G residential broadband service. The city's website also describes plans for digital kiosks in various neighborhoods, with touchscreens that offer access to real-time transit information and public transport maps, emergency services, information about events, historical information and neighborhood news.
Complementing its push toward mobile solutions, Sacramento started building a portfolio of useful apps for residents, launched a new search website, made a new Sac311 app its go-to resource for reporting issues or requesting services, and converted a parking map to a GIS-driven interactive map to help people navigate the new Golden 1 Center and elsewhere downtown.
Sacramento is also attempting data-driven improvements to make garbage-collection routes, police citations, water meters, building inspection and invoice payments more efficient. Hoping to attract professionals to support its digital future, the city's IT department is conducting a study to ensure compensation, classification and staffing levels of its IT professionals are appropriate.
The city of Pasadena has made the use of data a top priority and has heavily utilized the IT department to execute its plans. The city had one of the first open data sites in southern California and continues to become more transparent, especially around budgeting and city council activities. Pasadena also looks for innovative ways to use data, like leveraging it for performance measurement. In addition, it proactively shares its data with Caltech (The California Institute of Technology) for use in data analytics courses. In return, the city has been able to use the results to gain insights into its operational areas.
To serve citizens better, Pasadena has an active social media program (28,000 Twitter followers and daily posts to serve a population of more than 142,000) and has launched a universal online payment gateway pilot. The city is also testing Alexa as a voice assistant service for its residents. In terms of connectivity, the city runs a 25-mile fiber backbone and has leveraged the network to bring free public Wi-Fi to city parks.
Responding to shifting demographics, ninth-place Rancho Cucamonga adopted a master plan last year to provide high-speed fiber-based connectivity to residents and businesses in partnership with a local provider. The buildout will include the installation of video analytics technologies, automated license plate readers and smart irrigation devices, demonstrating the city's commitment to quality-of-life planning that takes advantage of the capabilities of the Internet of Things.
An emphasis on data-driven government is evident in the initiative from the city manager to establish performance metrics for each department, which will be used to fuel budget decisions. Plans are also underway to feed key performance indicators (KPIs) into dashboards using data analytics tools. The city's mobile app has also been revamped to gather better data on events reported by citizens. Similar effort is going toward citizen engagement and transparency efforts, with recent investments in new tools from Esri and Socrata aimed at advancing detailed financial reporting goals.
In the area of security, the city has upgraded its firewall and reconfigured its network for both device and identity-level security. Core business traffic on the network is separated from public and mobile network activity. A comprehensive cybersecurity training program boasts 90 percent completion for key staff, and IT employees stay current on skills with ongoing training and attendance at vendor educational events.
After not making last year's Digital Cities ranking, Corona showed its tech strength this year in open data and citizen-centric services. The city has created a data warehouse in the cloud, allowing for easier use of cross-departmental data, and that feeds an open dashboard as well as performance management and business intelligence software. It also enables a chatbot that helps answer citizens' common questions. It credits the What Works Cities initiative, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University for helping in those efforts.
Corona also has a "Citizen Tax Receipt" project to show residents how their tax dollars are being spent, a construction projects story map, an open checkbook, a SeeClickFix app and a city app to communicate with residents. In the future it plans on integrating some of these systems — 311 and the chatbot, for example — so they work together. The city has also made good progress on the back end, moving about half of its servers to the cloud, improving its firewalls and anti-malware protection and working to upgrade its network architecture.
Corona's ongoing work includes an IT department re-organization, phishing training, a 5G deployment plan and creation of a mobile app to help people apply for homeless services — to name just a few projects.
Many of San Leandro's goals involve information technology and include: advancing projects and programs to promote sustainable economic development; a smart cities/broadband goal; providing quality public safety service that encompasses using cameras for crime prevention; and an upgraded dispatch building.
The city plans to optimize these goals using its fiber-optic network and develop a smart city that includes digital transformation, or a digital city government experience. That includes digital services; open data; smart buildings and facilities; connecting facilities; and using integrated management systems for climate control and HVAC energy. Additionally, the plan will cover intelligent traffic signal systems that adapt to real-time traffic conditions and the use of intelligent services like cameras, drones, robotics and data for public safety.
The city developed an open data policy that commits the city to implementing practices that allow it to make available useful data in useful format; provide access to free, historical archives of data; and support innovative uses of the city's publishable data by external agencies, the public, and other partners.
San Leandro's cybersecurity accomplishments include replacing existing firewalls with redundant Cisco Firepower 2140 Next-Generation firewalls. The agreement calls for the full suite of Next-Gen security functionality and includes identical models, which can be configured for automatic and instantaneous failure to avoid service disruption.


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Growing by Faith (Isaiah 54:2)Phillip Kayser, PhD, July 9, 2017
Part of the Isaiah 54 series, preached at a Communion Meditation service
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Adventure Rider Magazine Congregation Events 2020
NSW Tingha Sep 19 2020 – keep watching our FB, Website, Mag and Enews for updated info
WA Northcliffe Oct TBA keep watching our FB, Website, Mag and Enews for updated info
VIC and QLD events in planning for future events
Some info from 2019 events below
That's Tingha done for another year 2019.
And what a great event it was.
Despite some tough, dry conditions, the roll up was big, and so was the list of big-name guests. People like Yamaha's Stephen Gall, Peter Payne and Geez Goldhawk (with a living, breathing Ténéré 700!), Pod Active's Brett Nicholas, Dakar racer Scott Britnell, Aussie enduro legend Chris Cater, Suzuki's national marketing manager Lewis Croft, Steve and Jenny Smith from Adventure Moto, Howard and Fast Ed from Motorrad Garage…they were all there and all awesome. Miles Davis excelled himself on the bike – which isn't easy. Miles is probably the only one who could do it – the Adventure Rider Magazine staff and the Vickery family at Green Valley Farm ran around like chooks with their heads cut off making sure everything went well, the catering was droolingly fabulous and the gymkhana better than ever.
A huge thanks to everyone involved, riders, staffers and even the kangaroos, seeing as they didn't nail anyone.
Now it's time to pack up and get over to Northcliffe in WA, where Motorrad Garage has prepared another fantastic WA Congregation.
October 12! See you there!


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Are you interested in making math fun for elementary students?
Come and volunteer with middle and high school students on Fridays from 4:00-6:00 pm. Volunteers can sign up for either one hour slots or two hour slots.
Our Fall session begins on August 30th, 2019. To volunteer with us, sign up here.
Email us at email@example.com for more information.