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Cyberattacks are becoming more and more common each year, and they're not just happening to major corporations anymore. Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting small and medium businesses as well as individuals around the world, making it important for companies of all sizes to protect themselves from data breaches. Here's how companies can safeguard sensitive information:
Upgrade technology and software
The best defense against cybercriminals is up to date technology capable of warding off hackers. Company leaders should invest in comprehensive security software that will deter criminals, as well as up to date computers, tablets and mobile devices. Outdated technology is easily attacked, which is why it's vital for organizations to stay on top of the latest in tech trends. Companies don't necessarily have to pay for equipment in full all at once, however. Business leaders can explore their IT equipment lease options through lenders like National Funding to gain affordable access to top of the line business equipment.
Stay alert
Keeping a company safe requires not only the best in technology, but also early detection systems for when hackers slip through security systems and cause a data breach. A determined hacker may find their way through even the most sophisticated defense systems, making early detection critical to keeping data secure. According to TechCrunch, it takes an average of 229 days for corporate networks to detect a persistent and ongoing threat.
Companies, therefore, need to focus on staying alert and staying safe online, which may require staff training. All staff should be cautious when browsing online and should only visit secure websites, which are less prone to security risks, for example. Organizations should also require employees to create complex passwords for their work email addresses and other accounts and should encourage them to access sensitive company information on secure networks only.


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Aoleung- Dance of the Head-hunters
Beside the Wangchus of Arunachal, the Konyaks of Nagaland were the only head-hunters Verrier Elwin came in contact. And the Konyaks were once used to subscribe to the same old philosophy—if you detach a head from a torso, you will earn the hunted-one's vitality, and, if you do it many times, immortality might not be an abstract proposition. Every year, from April 1st to 6th, the Konyaks observe Aoling. This is a ritualistic war dance they once practiced before going into the head-hunting spree. The entire regions around the district headquarter—Mon--go into the guise of pre-war movies having a neo-realistic touch, and the cacophony is horrendous.

subset: commoncrawl


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A universities-Research England group is currently exploring whether London is an 'ecosystem' of the likes of Silicon Valley or Boston in the USA. We published in February our initial report with our model of an entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Notwithstanding the challenges and disruption of COVID-19, we believe that this topic remains vitally important as part of economic recovery, and we are seeking ecosystem builders elsewhere to compare approaches.
Although America is home to a number of the most prominent ecosystems, other US cities seek ways to join this route to economic development and, the American government is currently exploring how to support these further.
Entrepreneurial university ecosystems
We publish today a study from SQW with US and UK university-city-ecosystems matching detail. There are limitations to this work, notably any method is limited to metrics available across countries.
Given this was a pilot, the approach was minimalist, and clearly attention to a multitude of dimensions would improve match-making.
Our intention is to build on the study through conversations with comparators, including our initial target, New York, to test for the most insightful comparators, including how to pick the 'right' footprint of any ecosystem.
Our study highlights the sensitivity of this: as an example, picking San Francisco over the west coast Bay area. We note that American counterparts seem to pick their ecosystems differently for different technologies, for example a larger footprint for biotech with its need for R&D space.
The scale of America
Subject to these caveats, what leaps out in the report is the scale of America (Table 3-1 of report) in all dimensions:
- its research
- its universities
- its entrepreneurial outcomes
- the size of its cities
- its economic activity.
To dig into more detail on scale, as well as R&D differences, the make up of university sectors across the two countries is very different, with London having more than double the student numbers of Boston and Los Angeles, and similar student numbers to New York whilst having less than half the total population. This reflects the higher overall levels of expenditure on research in the USA.
Models for the UK
Leading edge American universities that we see as models for the UK are actually more akin to research institutes than UK institutions whose business models are founded more on teaching.
Although London produced a creditable 106 spinout companies over these three years, this performance is inevitably dwarfed by 260 in Boston, 364 in LA and 178 in New York.
A focus on IP income in the same timeframe shows the same picture, with London generating £166 million to:
- Boston's £778 million
- LA's £1.51 billion
- New York's £1.15 billion.
Although LA and New York are supercity sized compared to London in terms of population and economic output, interestingly Boston is half the population size of London, though with comparable economic output.
Performance and scale
It is important though to distinguish between university performance and scale.
London is actually more efficient in turning R&D expenditure into spinout companies, producing a spinout for every £35.35 million R&D input compared with £60.42 million, £42.60 million and £54.5 million for Boston, LA and New York(1).
This is also highlighted in the report published today by Research England on commercialisation data, which compares US and UK university sector wide commercialisation performance and shows distribution of US and UK activity once normalised for scale is very similar
Scale matters
There is a wealth of evidence (though not all straightforward(2)) that suggests scale and density matter in clusters.
Knowledge intensive workers congregate together. These dense connections spur innovations. There is more likelihood of the high risk-taking needed in entrepreneurship, particularly in very speculative deep tech and knowledge intensive forms, occurring in dense agglomerations.
These clusters reduce the consequences (and hence fear) of failure. Entrepreneurs have many fall back options if one venture fails. It is also easier to justify and to get value from the specialised ecosystem components that accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship if it is provided at scale.
We should not, though, jump to conclusions. We will consider the SQW proposal of scaling US ecosystems to match with UK. But we also want to look at Europe and Middle East comparisons: Paris, Tel Aviv, Nordic models, to understand ecosystems in smaller nations.
Impact on policy and practice
First, the government's roadmap commitment to increase public spending on R&D to £22 billion is vitally important as hitting directly on the scale issue, alongside the developments in the roadmap focused on:
- innovation
- commercialisation
- regional clustering.
At the practice level, we need to consider whether we have the imagination, will and connectivity to think and do big: embracing not just London, but possibly a greater south-east cluster (with systems of equivalent scale needed across UK?).
Our initial worry was that London was too big to think about as an ecosystem, but possibly it is too small?
1. Source: 2018/19 HE-BCI data (London) and 2018 AUTM – STATT Survey (LA,Boston and New York)
2. For example: Cooke, Philip & Asheim, Björn & Martin, Ron. (2006). Clusters & Regional Development.


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BANGKOK, 14 June 2011 – The Democrat Party remains confident that it will win at least 27 MP seats in Bangkok despite a recent poll in favor of the Pheu Thai Party and has announced its plan to organize three major campaigns in the city this week.
According to Mr Apirak Kosayodhin, Director of the Democrat Party's election center for Bangkok, preparations are underway for three major campaigns of the party which will be held at Wong Wian Yai on 16 June, at Benjasiri Park on 17 June and at Lam Phak Chi Market in Nong Chok district on 19 June. With stages to be set up for the party's addresses to eligible voters, the events will be an addition to the current mobile campaign being carried out three times a day within the capital.
In regard to the latest survey conducted by Bangkok University which suggested that the Pheu Thai Party was gaining more support from Bangkok residents than the Democrat, Mr Apirak was skeptical about the information, insisting that the party would be able to win at least 27 out of 36 seats in total. He admitted that focus would need to be placed on people intending not to participate in the poll and youth voting for the first time as well as residents of Sai Mai, Don Mueang and Nong Chok districts, which are Pheu Thai's strongholds.
Meanwhile, Democrat Party Spokesperson MD Buranaj Smutharaks deemed the Bangkok Poll unconvincing as it also came up with an unprecise prediction in the 2007 general election. He cited a different survey, in which Democrat prime ministerial candidate Abhisit Vejjajiva was considered more suitable than Pheu Thai contender Yingluck Shinawatra in all aspects, including leadership, experience, international acceptance, ethics and honesty.


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With several new signings in tow and six players from Castilla along for the ride, Real Madrid began their 2011 preseason on the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles, California earlier today. They will continue to train at UCLA ahead of their friendly this Saturday, July 16 against the Los Angeles Galaxy at the LA Memorial Coliseum.
The session contained a number of new faces. Newly signed Fabio Coentrao was with the squad, along with other newbies Nuri Sahin, Jose Callejon, and Raphael Varane. The team's other new signing, Hamit Altintop, is injured and will be out for a few months. Also joining the team for their trip to America are six players from Castilla, the team's youth squad. Goalkeepers Jesus and Tomas Mejias have been called up as well as field players Nacho Fernandez, Jorge Casado, Jese Rodriguez, and Joselu.
Also present at the session were defenders Sergio Ramos and Pepe, who each made news of their own Tuesday. Ramos signed a contract extension with Madrid through the 2016-17 season, while Pepe renewed his deal through 2015-16. Meanwhile, several players will notably be absent from the team's preseason preparations. Sergio Canales, Lass Diarra, Pedro Leon, and Royston Drenthe are linked with a move away from the Bernabeu, and did not travel to the U.S. Gonzalo Higuain, Angel Di Maria, and Fernando Gago are currently representing Argentina at the Copa America.
Real Madrid fans based in the U.S. who can't make it to Saturday's friendly in Los Angeles will have plenty of chances to see their favorite team. The game with the Galaxy will be televised live on ESPN2, and Real Madrid will play two more friendlies during the course of a week: against Chivas de Guadalajara in San Diego, and against Philadelphia Union in Philly. Both of those games will be televised on the ESPN family of networks as well. After the jump, find the full roster for Madrid's preseason tour of North America.Real Madrid 2011 Herbalife World Football Challenge Roster
GOALKEEPERS (4) - Iker Casillas, Antonio Adán, Jesús Fernández Collado, Tomás Mejías
DEFENDERS (10) - Raúl Albiol, Álvaro Arbeola, Ricardo Carvalho, Jorge Casado, Fábio Coentrão, José Nacho Fernández, Marcelo, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane
MIDFIELDERS (7) - Xabi Alonso, José María Callejón, Esteban Granero, Kaká, Sami Khedira, Mesut Özil, Nuri Sahin
FORWARDS (4) - Karim Benzema, José Luis Mato San Martín, Jesé Rodríguez, Cristiano Ronaldo


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René de Groot is stepping down as Chief Operating Officer of KLM to join another airline (TBA).
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Amid reports that the Centre is planning to announce the creation of a Rayala-Telangana State by including Kurnool and Anantapur districts from Rayalaseema with 10 Telangana districts, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has outright rejected the move.
"Definitely we will not accept [Rayala-Telangana], it is not our demand. Our demand is that a separate Telangana [State] be formed with its 10 districts and Hyderabad as capital," TRS MLA from Sircilla and general secretary K.T. Rama Rao told The Hindu on Friday.
Mr. Rao, son of TRS president K. Chandrasekhara Rao, said: "We don't understand where such proposal is coming from." The TRS would not trust the Congress and the UPA-II government on the Telangana issue.
"We won't believe [them] unless the Telangana Bill is placed before Parliament and the government/Congress ensures that it is passed and the new State is carved out." Mr. Rao also rejected any move to declare Hyderabad a Union Territory. Hyderabad, he said, was part and parcel of Telangana. "We will not compromise on this." When there were demands in the country to declare Delhi and Puducherry (both Union Territories) States, where was the need to separate Hyderabad from Telangana?
Intelligence warning
Meanwhile, informed sources said the intelligence agencies, from both the State and the Centre, have warned the UPA government to tread cautiously on the Telangana issue as any decision to divide the non-Hindi-speaking State which had already been carved out on a linguistic basis — Telugu — would set a bad precedent. It would pave the way for more demands like separate Gorkhaland, Bundlekhand, Vidarbha and Coorg States. Also, there could be law and order problems in Seemandhra if the new State demand was accepted.


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Evil Toaster Pastry
Severe Snacks Coloring Book
Severe Snacks- A Coloring Book is bursting with funny food fights! Prepare yourself to color the best snacks- from fierce french fries to terrible toaster pastries- attacking, fighting, and behaving badly in all sorts of ways.
*Warning- contains snack-on-snack violence.*
- Hand-drawn
- 4 menus to choose from
- 24 food fights
- Fine 80lb paper
- Perfect-bound
- Single-sided
- 10x10 inches
- Recommended for ages 8-108
By Sandra Gibbons- ISBN 978-0-692-79220-9
Ships USPS First Class Mail (One book); Priority Mail (Two + books).


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In July last year this blog published a piece looking at some of the dominant narratives in international media reporting on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the world's "best known, least understood foreign policy effort." One year on, we asked the people behind some of those stories, international media correspondents, about their own reflections on the many challenges of reporting BRI and their ideal Belt and Road stories.
The interviews show some common issues that are reflected across the BRI-engaged media, civil society and researcher space, and some obstacles unique to the demands of an international news desk. They also indicate why some of the narratives identified in our article last year have stuck around, seemingly immune to a number of challenges and more nuanced arguments they have faced.
Ill defined and opaque
One theme highlighted by all the interviewees when we asked about the challenges of reporting the Belt and Road was the continued lack of an agreed, singular definition for the initiative and its lack of transparency.
We noted in our article last year that outlets often take on the task of and struggle to define the BRI. One year on, journalists are still struggling with this issue. From a journalist or investigator's perspective, digging deeper into BRI issues is also a challenge when the definition – the starting point – is so hard to fix.
As one journalist commented, "are we reporting on Chinese infrastructure deals? On smart cities? On geopolitical rivalries? On industrial overcapacity?" For newsrooms that also raises a question of staffing – should BRI be the domain of political correspondents, economy correspondents, commodities correspondents? Or, indeed, has "Belt and Road" become a catch all notion for China's foreign relations which in reality are multifaceted and not necessarily as coordinated as the word "initiative" implies?
In addition to this lack of a clear definition, reporting the BRI is also plagued by a lack of access to important information and sources. Journalists noted that some of the key stakeholders in the Belt and Road Initiative steer well clear of media engagement, including key government ministries, the state owned companies who dominate Belt and Road construction projects, and the policy and commercial banks who are providing billions of dollars of financing. Without access to these stakeholders, it is next to impossible to understand their motivations and perspectives, leaving a large part of BRI political dynamics shrouded in opacity, and also ripe for speculation in place of facts.
Lastly, many of the deals themselves lack transparency. While it may be known which companies and banks are involved in individual projects – usually details of project construction contracts are made public on both sides – the exact terms of financing often remain unknown, information which is particularly pertinent to verifying or disproving the "debt trap" theory.
The making of "sticky narratives"
Last year we commented that one of the key narratives defining Belt and Road in the international press was that of "great power rivalry". This is still a prevalent narrative, increasingly dominated by the notion of the BRI "debt trap". (Panda Paw recently took a deep dive into the "debt trap" here).
We asked journalists why such narratives stick around, in spite of numerous experts pointing out holes in or weaknesses of the factual basis for some of the key arguments. Their feedback indicated that, firstly, there is a trend in Belt and Road reporting to extrapolate specific stories and case studies into macro-trends, during the process of which the highly politicized and polarized nature of the narratives coming out of Washington DC and Beijing tend to sway their influence. This can be seen for example in the debt trap narrative, which is primarily based off one case study, the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka, and a number of reports from critical DC think tanks such as RWR Advisory, as well as the speeches of Trump administration individuals such as John Bolton.
The scale, complexity, opacity and lack of data about the BRI also contributes to the problem, one journalist commented. It means that journalists tasked with writing on "the Belt and Road", rather than stand alone case studies, become more reliant on others' interpretations of the initiative.
In the newsroom, a Belt and Road story that ties in with some of the current dominant narratives is often an easier pitch to editors than one that digs into the contradictions and complexities of the initiative and its projects. One journalist commented that the BRI frame has actually made a lot of China foreign relations reporting more complicated because what were once seen as country-to-country deals, which could be written in detail and nuance, are now understood as part of a grand scheme, which lends itself to broad brush stroke reporting.
Another journalist commented that their perspective from Beijing is extremely limiting. As a China correspondent, they are expected to report on BRI, but realistically there is little new reporting one can do on BRI from a Beijing bureau other than on policy announcements or second hand information.
A lack of access to voices and perspectives on the ground in Belt and Road countries was also identified as a challenge. Many outlets do not have a strong representation of reporters in Belt and Road countries, and building up contacts with fixers, commentators, local sources is a long game made more difficult by not being physically present. Interestingly, interviewees did not see access to China-based experts as a particular challenge, with one respondent commenting that it actually seems easier to speak to experts on BRI than on other topics within their beat, such as domestic Chinese politics.
For those outlets that do have people on the ground, coordination across bureaus is still not an easy task. Convincing journalists and their editors that a BRI story, macro and grand in its nature, should take priority over their daily beat can be difficulty. Similarly, for those outlets who do not have people on the ground, convincing editors to allow them the time and resources needed for on the ground reporting, substantive investigation and the process of building up contacts is a difficult sell, especially when there are so many immediate issues going on in the daily China news beat.
Dreaming of better Belt and Road reporting
Almost all of the journalists interviewed said their ideal Belt and Road report would involve visiting project sites. Such visits would include getting first hand insight into the different perspectives on the ground – community, project management, etc. – and trying to work out what has been done right and wrong at specific projects. One journalist commented that they would like to track perspectives and understanding of a specific project from both local perspectives and the perspective from Beijing.
Practically speaking, a number of interviewees responded that they are keen to have more access to less politicized data on the Belt and Road, as a means to tackle the issue of the initiative's opacity. One journalist also commented that a database of Belt and Road experts, commentators and news outlets representing a variety of viewpoints would be a useful tool to overcome some of the challenges.
Reporting on the Belt and Road isn't easy. Its scale, opacity, the dominance of politicized narratives and its rapid development all present challenges to international news rooms. Our interviews showed, however, that many journalists are keenly aware of these challenges and are actively searching for ways to strengthen their Belt and Road reporting. With the limited space for Chinese media to report in an honest and impactful way on BRI, how international media outlets report on Belt and Road is of critical importance to information on and global understanding of the initiative, both for local readership and for policy and strategy maker audiences in China, BRI countries and the West.


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Malaysia's PM signs landmark pact with opposition lawmakers
Barely a month in office, Malaysia's new leader has won opposition support to shore up his fragile government in exchange for a slew of reforms as Parliament reopened Monday.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob signed an unprecedented cooperation pact in Parliament with the main opposition bloc led by Anwar Ibrahim, in a move to prevent any bid to undermine his rule ahead of general elections due in two years.
The "political stability and transformation" pact will give Ismail the backing of 88 lawmakers in Anwar's bloc, in addition to 114 that support him in the 222-member house.
Ismail said in a statement that the pact will lead to bipartisan cooperation and political reforms that will bolster governance, fight the COVID-19 crisis, and help to revive the economy.
"The government is confident that this memorandum of understanding will not only help cast aside all political differences but also ensure the country's recovery is holistic and inclusive," he said.
Officials said further details of the agreement will be unveiled soon.
The pact came after Ismail last week offered reforms including new laws to prevent party defections and limiting the prime minister's tenure to 10 years. He also pledged to immediately lower the minimum voting age from 21 to 18, ensure bipartisan agreement on any new bill and get opposition input on the country's economic recovery. He also made it so the role of opposition leader gets the same remuneration and privileges as a Cabinet minister.
Malaysia has recorded close to two million COVID-19 infections, with more than 20,000 deaths despite a lockdown since June that has hurt the economy.
Ismail is Malaysia's third prime minister since a historic vote in 2018 ousted the corruption-tainted United Malays National Organization, which led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957. But mass defections caused the collapse of Anwar's reformist alliance.
Muhyiddin Yassin formed a new government that included UMNO in March 2020 but he resigned Aug. 16 as infighting in his coalition cost him majority support. Ismail, who is from UMNO, was Muhyiddin's deputy in the previous government and his appointment returned the premiership to UMNO.
King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, in his opening address in Parliament on Monday, lauded the bipartisan cooperation to help the country overcome its health and economic crises. He said he has received many letters from the public, outlining the struggles they face and their pleas for change.
"It is this kind of maturity that is craved by the people," he said. "Too many have been affected by the pandemic, and too many have lost their sources of income."
The monarch called for a moment of silence in memory of virus victims, and warned lawmakers not to gamble the country's future for their own political interests.
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School District Posts School Budget Books and the Consolidated Budget Book Online for the Public
PHILADELPHIA — Every year the School District of Philadelphia publishes two budget books annually for the public and District stakeholders: a School Budget book and a Consolidated Budget Book. The books have been posted online, the earliest they have been made available, and for the first time prior to the public Budget hearing, which is scheduled for Thursday evening, April 19. Also included is a Budget 101 guide to allow the public and stakeholders to better understand the District's budget and these Budget Books. The books can be viewed on the District's website at: https://www.philasd.org/budget/services/families-and-community/.
The School Budget Book presents school-by-school data for every District-operated school's budget, dollars and staffing proposed for 2018-19 and as compared to previous years. This book also provides performance metrics (SPR) for all District schools including charter schools, and a map of school locations by Councilmanic District.
"Making complex budget books easier to understand and available to the public is critical as we continue to engage families, school communities and stakeholders on the progress we are making in public schools across the city," said Uri Monson, Chief Financial Officer, the School District of Philadelphia. "District Staff across multiple departments worked tirelessly to get the data and the guide out to the public in a more timely fashion."
The Consolidated Budget Book presents the District-wide budget in detail: budgeted revenues, expenditures, and positions for the District's major funds by various spending categories. The book enables the public to see the District's detailed category spending plans including salaries, benefits, contracted services, books, supplies, and equipment.
The Consolidated Book includes the following components:
- Budget in Brief (narrative of the District's operating, grants, food, capital, and health funds)
- Lump Sum and Comparative Statements
- Description of operating and grant revenues
- Position and expenditure reports
- Capital Improvement Program Description


text: Welcome to a world of jumping, riding, grooming, and nurturing, with this beautiful 100-piece jigsaw floor puzzle that's a horse lover's dream come true! Piece together the sturdy cardboard pieces to discover a bustling barnyard scene with seven different horse breeds (breed identification key included) and lots of exciting activity. The completed puzzle measures 23 inches by 16 inches. Pieces store in a handy take-along gift box with a rope handle for easy cleanup and portability. Puzzle play helps kids develop motor and problem-solving skills, and encourages goal-setting and patience. Natural Play puzzles use recycled materials and soy-based inks. They're a hands-on way for kids to discover the world around them!


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In 2009, Oakland was set ablaze in the aftermath of the police murder of Oscar Grant. Grant's face began to appear everywhere in the town from T-shirts to newspapers. As protests against police brutality launched throughout Oakland, they congealed themselves as the basis of the earliest drafts of Daveed Diggs' and Rafael Casal's new film "Blindspotting." "That was the conversation," Diggs said in an interview with The Daily Californian. "That was the Oakland we were representing."
Nine years after its conception, the film premiered at Sundance Film Festival. A lot has changed in Oakland in the intervening years. But a lot hasn't. The film's theme of "Black and Brown bodies and their relationship to neighborhoods and police," in Casal's words, is as prevalent now as it was in 2009.
Yet the types of protests that erupted in 2009 are no longer such a prominent part of the Oakland landscape. In light of the rapidly growing volume of tragedies, "they don't have the capacity for that right now," Diggs said. While these conversations still exist within the popular imagination, they have shifted dramatically, and Diggs and Casal had to shift their film alongside them. It's "a movie for the times both in subject matter and also in pace and structure," Casal said.
It was early in the writing process that the duo decided on Collin and Miles — Diggs' and Casal's characters in the film, respectively — as the perfect lenses into a changing Oakland. "We were always really invested in these being the windows that we had these conversations about the city through," Casal said.
What changed most throughout the writing process was the screen time afforded to each of these characters. While older versions of the script were written to give roughly equal screen time to both Collin and Miles, later versions of the film featured Collin more heavily. "We felt like to gain the empathy that we needed and to understand the PTSD we needed more alone time with Collin," Casal said.
In fact, the film's writing process was driven by a desire to mold empathy into productive conversations. Even murderous policeman Officer Molina (Ethan Embry) is written with a sense of complexity and humanity that shifts the blame for his crime from Molina as an individual to the system of policing.
"To put the entirety of the reason that Black bodies are valued differently in this country on the shooter is missing the whole point," Diggs said. Just as Collin and Miles are carefully constructed as Diggs' and Casal's chosen windows into what it means to be a person of color in today's Oakland, Officer Molina — with his six words of dialogue — is carefully constructed as a window into the violent systems that support police brutality. "You're trained dangerously; all of your inclinations are to devalue Black life," Casal said "We have a society that does that."
This nuanced understanding of systemic violence comes from Diggs' and Casal's own growth alongside both their project and the city of Oakland. Diggs and Casal call upon the film's idea of "blindspotting" — of recognizing one's own instinctive biases — to explain their growth. This idea has become especially relevant to their changing perceptions of gentrification.
The two have come to understand gentrification as an inevitable systemic phenomenon that they, too, participate in. "I've been a gentrifier since I left Oakland," Diggs said. "When I moved to New York I moved to Washington Heights. It's not my community." Beyond just recognizing his own role in gentrification, Diggs works to check his own blind spots and become more aware of the culture that existed in his new neighborhood before his arrival. "(They were) built on the backs of somebody else," he said. "It's my job as a new person coming here to try and understand that a little bit."
Even at home in Oakland, the two do what they can to work against displacement. In fact, the economic stimulus that "Blindspotting" brought to the town was one of the major reasons that Diggs and Casal decided to shoot on site despite the difficulty of obtaining a permit to shoot there. "That's income that doesn't rely on displacing people," Diggs said. "It is actually pouring money into the things that already exist so that they can stay longer."
"Blindspotting" sits alongside "Black Panther" and "Sorry to Bother You" as a film that recognizes and highlights the subtle magic that exists in Oakland. The fact that all three of these films were released within the same calendar year speaks to the urgency of the mission, and it's one that drives Diggs' and Casal's filmmaking process. In Diggs' eyes, these films serve as a powerful counter-messaging tool and correction to the idea of a new, trendy tech hub Oakland. By creating "Blindspotting," Diggs said, the idea of the Oakland that he and Casal know and love can at least continue to flourish in the cultural consciousness.
"Blindspotting" opens Friday at Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland.


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Tuesday, April 20, 2010
McDonald's Mom.
7 comments:
- THE FOUR OF US! said...
Love this post! I couldn't agree with you more...
- April 20, 2010 at 9:16 AM
No, I am not a 'yes mom'. Miranda has rules and boundaries and I stick to them. I make sure she is polite and (as much as I can) well-behaved at all times. We have a schedule that we try to stay true to as well and meal times that are structured. I am not because I feel that it is my job as a mom to enforce the rules of society. There are times, especially during play that I do just let her be a kid though. I try not to hover or be over disciplined though like the mom you described at McDonald's. I'm somewhere between you and her.
It honestly, does not concern me how other people raise their kids though. Everyone does things differently and for the most part, everyone comes out okay in the end.
- April 20, 2010 at 1:15 PM
- Sarah said...
I'm not sure if I am a yes or a no mom. I DO know that I 100% agree with what you had to say.
I say yes more than Johnny does, thats for sure, but I also expect a lot out of my girls.
We went to McDonald's too the other day and there was a little girl who had a toy. She was playing near the bottom of the slide so naturally when my girls came down, they wanted to play too. The little girl then pushed Alyssa's hand/arm away and said very rudely, "Don't touch my toys! I don't want to play with you!" I was a little mad, but I just went and gathered up my girls and told them to go play and that the little girl wasn't very good at sharing.
My girls also run around naked (indoors) and {GASP} I even let them pee outside the other day when we walked to the park and they couldn't hold it. haha. you do what you have to do! :)
good post!
- April 20, 2010 at 1:39 PM
- Tiffany said...
Great topic - really made me think. I believe we are somewhere in the middle with our parenting. We have high expectations for our children, but they are age appropriate expectations. At the same time we do have FUN and let them be children and use grace in certain circumstances. It is a balancing act for me. I pray that I am raising them the way God wants me to, and I try not to worry {too much} about what others think.
- April 20, 2010 at 2:04 PM
- Kalli said...
I guess I'm a maybe mom. I let the kids play and be kids, but I make sure they are doing it in a structured, healthy way. That includes telling other kids that they need to be nicer. I have talked to Ry about asking kids to simply be nicer if they are mean, or tell them to leave her be if they can't play nice, and she practices it. But I have no problem telling some kid that is being mean to either of the kids to ease off. I may not punish them like McDonald's lady did, but I say "sweetie, we shouldn't hit" or something along those lines. I think I have a problem because a lot of the kids who hit-their parents are usually not paying attention or will let them go about doing what their doing without correcting it.
As long as my kids are not doing something that harms them or others in some way, I'm a yes mom. I'm too laid back to be uptight all the time.
- April 20, 2010 at 2:23 PM
- rameelin said...
Thanks for all the great input! I definately didn't want to come across like our children have no structure, routine, rules or boundaries. I am sure that it is evident that they do. If you know me even a little, you know that a schedule is very important to maintaining a healthy household (or at least in our world.)
It is just that in certain situations, I understand that although they are learning great principles from our teaching at this age--they truly are still so little. I educate myself, read books, and pray often about how to age appropriately and effectively parent the redheads. It is very much a balancing act for us as well.
God has such awesome grace in our lives, and I'm trying very hard to practice that with my kids as well. They have rules. I want them to behave well. I want them to know that there is appropriate and inappropriate behavior in society, but ultimately we answer to God and not the world and as long as they are raised up and trained with that as the core of my focus, the rest will fall into place. It's an awesome feeling knowing that by teaching them the Word of God--they will learn to do things that are pleasing to Him and that will be their desire.
Anyway....I love all the responses. :)
- April 20, 2010 at 5:05 PM
- Kristi said...
With my oldest (Chloe) I was a hover mom - I wouldn't have tried to discipline another child but I would have spoken up & let the child know they were in the wrong (nicely of course). With my 2nd (Cooper) I relaxed more - maybe because he was a boy, maybe because I was had more mommy experience? With my 3rd (Piper) all bets are off - as long as she's not hurt (or hurting anyone else) I let her go.
Looking at my 3 kids - Chloe (5th grade)is a very tender hearted child. She is also a very tentative/cautious girl and tries very hard to never hurt anyone's feelings. Cooper (3rd grade) knows how far he can push the limit without getting into much trouble. Piper (31 mos) is my bull headed child - everything is done on her terms. Are they this way because of how I parented them or is this just their nature?
We adopted Piper at 23 mos - until that point, she spent time in an orphanage where it was "fight for survival" mode, then 8 mos with a foster family where they referred to her as the "Little Empress".
Always enjoy your posts!
- April 20, 2010 at 10:31 PM


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Is your new vehicle breaking down?
Have you spent countless hours and dollars replacing vehicle parts that never should have broken down in the first place?
You may have purchased a "lemon"—the unfortunate product of a dishonest dealership or poor manufacturing.
Breach of warranty laws demand that sellers and manufacturers provide goods that are safe and meet the reasonable expectations of the public. Breach of warranty of merchantability governs whether the good meets a general buyer's reasonable expectation—in a car's case, that could mean "this car drives for longer than a month without needing substantial repair." Fitness regulations govern whether a car meets a buyer's specific, agreed-upon expectations. For example, when contractors buy trucks, they expect the truck to haul a certain amount of weight—if a truck fails to do so without breaking down, that's a breach of warranty of fitness.
But what happens when the same problem keeps coming up, no matter how much time and money gets poured into it?
Every state in the Union has what are colloquially called "Lemon Laws," or laws that obligate auto manufacturers to buy back new cars from owners when the warranty is insufficient to cover the car's problems. The exact criteria will vary by state—for instance, California's Lemon Law requires that a car be new (i.e. the buyer bought it 18 months or less prior) and that it have less than 18,000 miles on the odometer.
Most laws statewide require that the buyer have made multiple attempts to repair the same problem or that the car be out of service for a certain length of time. In some states, that length of time could be up to 30 days. For people who commute, inconvenience of that scale could result in serious loss of work hours.
If the vehicle owner wishes to take the manufacturer to court, there are procedures that must be followed. For instance, the manufacturer and the buyer have to take their warranty dispute to a state-sponsored arbitration program to attempt to resolve the case out of court.
For businesses, the only vehicles applicable under the Lemon Law must weigh less than 10,000 pounds and be bought for the purpose of business such as a company car, corporation, or association vehicle. The Lemon Law stipulates that businesses are limited to five vehicles per organization. Also, a motor vehicle that is purchased as a family or household car is a benefactor under the Lemon Law conditions.
If your vehicle has put you in the mechanic's shop week after week, it's time to contact a lawyer. Call a Lemon Law attorney in your state to hold the manufacturer responsible for replacing your vehicle.


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NewsPrk : News Magazine HTML Template
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Mighty Dog for the Check-up
Just as we care for our pets and family's health, or regularly maintain our auto and HVAC, why is it we don't check the health of our exteriors?
A disciplined approach to the maintenance of the exterior of your home is critical to keep it in top condition and maintain its resale value. Sometimes only a minor repair is needed to avoid a total roof replacement later. We are here to help make sure you get the most life out of your roofing system.
Out of sight, out of mind does not work on your roof! Our annual maintenance program is designed to give you the peace of mind to know the roof above your family is safe and secure. Mighty Dog Roofing is here to give our FREE annual maintenance inspection with a certificate of health. Knowing that we keep all records of your home for any future loss or need will help us create a baseline of age and condition annually PRIOR to a weather event.
One of the main issues that property managers and property owners face is getting ahead of damage and deterioration in building components before they can become more of a financial burden. Roof problems can be pricey, which is why it's important to have regular maintenance, or preventive maintenance for any roof; residential or commercial roof. Regular inspections and scheduled maintenance are essential in prolonging the life of your roof so if you don't have a roof maintenance plan or maintenance package, you might wanna change that.
Give us a call today and we will come out to your property and give you our full 25-point inspection. This is the most thorough and comprehensive inspection you will find as we walk the roof with you, LIVE! We respect your privacy and will perform the inspection contactless from your roof right to your phone or computer. This gives us the opportunity to talk to you while showing you,LIVE, your property and any findings of concern. Then, every year we will send you a reminder that it's time for your annual checkup.
It kept on record with us as we create the baseline for your exterior's health at the time of our initial inspection throughout the lifetime of your roof. The vault will include pictures, measurements, damage assessment, any insurance notes and warranties. Rest assured, if you need any documentation on your exterior property, we will have the records for you. Realtors love us! If you want to sell your home, these records will be released to them with your permission to help in the process of selling your home. This can increase your home's value, as you have the records to back up proper maintenance.
- Photos and Videos
- Annually updated drone information
- Warranty information
- Repair records
- Manufacturer information
- Any weather events and dates that personally affected your home
- Insurance information and reports for your realtor/insurance agent
Looking for a drone inspection to add to your customer vault? We fly drones to give you a comprehensive aerial evaluation of your home. You will be the envy of your neighbors! Ask your local MDR inspector for details.
We promised you peace of mind in trusting us with your exterior needs, we extend that same trust back to you in maintaining it and we are there to help. We are not just here for the now, we want to create a relationship with you for years to come. We would love for you to become one of our Mighty Dog family members with our Mighty Watchdog Maintenance Program.
- Create a baseline of the health of your exterior with our FREE 25 Point Inspection
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- Works directly with your realtor during sale of your home bringing you top dollar
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- Tracks storm activity in your neighborhood, then notifies you of possible damage for a maintenance checkup.
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- Mighty 5 Warranty automatically comes with our Watchdog Maintenance Program
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Happy Customers
R. Ajmera
They have excellent customer service. Their team did exactly what they say they will and show up on time. Will definitely use again.
B Wood
I had my roof and gutters replaced. The crew was friendly and kept me updated throughout the install. They also did a great job with the install as well as the clean up.
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Very professional from the office to the installers. Good value for great quality. I would recommend them and have already have done so. Give them a call.
C. Smith
Due to my experiences with other contractors' responsiveness in recent years, I
very impressed with the quick response for a quote for roof replacement on a
home. The price was fair and the work was completed within a week of accepting
estimate. The site was cleaned up and everyone is satisfied!
I will be requesting additional work in the near future.
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Great company, Our roof came out amazing, straight cuts, everything laid nicely and the cleanup afterwards not a single nail anywhere.
J. Camp
I was very impressed with the honest evaluation of the condition of my roof. Everyone I talked with was very courteous and professional. All appointments were kept on time and the work was completed as scheduled. I am extremely pleased with the completed job and would not hesitate to recommend this company to anyone!
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Great job, professional crew, great experience. Highly recommend. Came on time, cleaned up, and roof looks great!
V. Davis
I can't say thank you enough for all the help that was given to me. Very professional, courteous, and helpful. They did an amazing job and did a great job with clean up. I would highly recommend them.
How often should I have my roof inspected?
The NRCA (National Roofing Contractors Association) recommends checking your roof twice a year. Our Mighty Watchdog Maintenance Program gives you peace of mind with an annual 25 point inspection.
Repair or Replace my roof?
Our 25-point inspection will clearly identify all the issues, big and small, that you may have to consider to determine whether you need a simple repair or maintenance issue, or for a complete replacement of your roof. The NRCA (National Roofing Contractors Association) recommends a homeowner conducts a roof inspection twice a year on their roof.


text: Extra soothing and cooling, Original Premium™ Poultice is an aid in the temporary relief of stiffness and soreness due to overexertion. Contains natural essential oils that relieve minor irritation and enhance the cool feeling on the skin. It is creamy and smooth, goes on easy and washes off easy with warm water. Can be used everyday to reduce swelling and is a superior product for packing sore, bruised feet. Use after shoeings, events, and races.


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Schoenhut Piano
During 1872 in Germany, Albert Schoenhut fashioned a toy piano for his landlord's daughter. Word of the beautiful little instrument spread, requests poured in, and the Schoenhut Piano Company came into being. Albert later emigrated to the United States and expanded the business to include dolls, circus figures, toys, and other musical instruments. Albert's vintage toys have stood the test of time. They are avidly sought by collectors and can be found on exhibit at prestigious museums throughout the world.
Over the years, the Schoenhut factory has been located in various cities throughout the United States. In 1994, Frank Trinca of Rochester NY purchased the company and re-introduced a number of the early 1900's styles and models. As the business began to grow, Frank encouraged his brother Len to become involved. Len and his wife Renee of St. Augustine, Florida, aware of Schoenhut®'s prestigious reputation and Frank's progress with the company, jumped at the chance. After traveling back and forth for five years between Rochester and St. Augustine, they moved the entire contents of the factory (including a number of employees) from NY to a newly renovated facility at 6480 US 1 North in St. Augustine.
Schoenhut pianos are not simply small replicas of real pianos. They are authentic musical instruments that emit rich chime-like tones, making the sound unique. Each piano is chromatically tuned, educating the ear of a beginning musician. In addition, the spacing between keys is the same as that on a full-sized piano, teaching proper finger placement. The "tried and true" models (1-1/2 to 3 octaves) are still produced, i.e., a wide range from My First Piano for very wee folk right up through to Baby Grands for more advanced players. New designs and colors are also offered each year. Of great excitement in the world of toy pianos is Schoenhut's new 44-key, 4-octave baby grand. This model is based on a prototype found in the Schoenhut archives from decades past.
schoenhut pianos


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«Art residency at Residency.ch» Jimena CroceriSwitzerland, Argentina — Residencies
More information
Bern, Switzerland
April – July 2019
After the COINCIDENCIA open call for South American artists in 2018, the Argentinian visual artist Jimena Croceri was selected for the art residency Residency.ch, which took place from April to July 2019. Located in Bern, Switzerland, Residency.ch is a non-profit organization providing work and living space for international artists at the PROGR Art Center.
Croceri uses diverse media, including sculpture, performance, sounds and drawing. Working with laboratory methods, which are not either rational or sterile, but more curious than precise, her art research consists of various elements, which are all protagonists: time, chance, collaboration, correlation and coincidence. A large part of her work is based on the production of collective knowledge with others around her.
During the residency in Switzerland she explored several performative gestures and also collaborated with others artists such as Sara Hamdy Mohammed, from El Cairo, and the Swiss artist Sarina Scheideger, with whom Jimena has developed the performance «NOSOTRXS, CUERPOS DE AGUA», presented at Cabaret Voltaire, in Zurich, during the residency period.


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The Canadian passport is among the strongest in the world, according to an index released Tuesday.
But it's not the most powerful — that spot goes to Japan.
WATCH: Valid passport may not be good enough in some countries
The Henley Passport Index measures how powerful the national identifications are based on how many countries citizens can access without a visa. The index is based on data collected through the International Air Transport Association.
In its latest ranking, Japan takes the top spot with the country's passport-holders being able to access 189 other nations without a visa.
Canada is in fifth place at 185, and tied with Belgium, Denmark, Ireland and Switzerland.
READ MORE: Canada's list of risky travel spots
These are the countries that made the top 10 list:
- Japan (189)
- Germany, Singapore (188)
- Finland, France, Italy, South Korea, Spain, Sweden (187)
- Austria, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom, United States (186)
- Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Switzerland (185)
- Greece, Australia (183)
- Czech Republic, Malta, New Zealand (182)
- Iceland (181)
- Hungary, Slovenia, Malaysia (180)
- Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia (179)
The index's website explains that measuring visa-free access is important because it provides a glimpse into how much freedom a country's citizens have.
Countries that top the list usually have stronger diplomatic relations with other nations.
WATCH: 'Iconic' British passport to be made in Europe after Brexit
Being able to travel without constraints also facilitates economic relations, the index explains.
"In many ways, global connectivity has become an indispensable feature of wealth creation and wealth preservation, and its value will only grow as regional volatility and instability increase," the website reads.
READ MORE: Canadians travelling with gender-neutral passports could face problems abroad
Countries with the most improvement
The biggest improvement in this area has been by U.A.E., which enables citizens visa-free access to 154 countries and sits in 23rd place on the ranking. The country has risen 38 places since 2008.
China which gained visa-free access to several countries — and now has a total of 70 — in the past year also moved up several spots.
While there has been little change in how much access countries in Europe and North America have, African and Caribbean nations continue to add to their list of visa-free destinations.
WATCH: What do you do if you've lost your passport?
Countries with limited access
Iraq and Afghanistan currently sit at the bottom of the index in 100th place and have access to 30 countries without a visa.
Other countries near the bottom of the list include Somalia, Syria, Pakistan and Yemen.
Russia is among the countries that has fallen — from 45th place to 47th — rather than gained more access to the world. The country, however, recently announced that all ticket holders to the FIFA World Cup will be granted visa-free entry into the country.
READ MORE: Canadian cities where people feel the most (and least) safe
Most welcoming countries
A similar ranking put together by financial firm Arton Capital in 2017 also lists the most "welcoming" countries.
Thirteen countries top the list as they do not require citizens from any country to register for a visa in advance of travel.
Canada ranks 79 on the list of welcoming countries — and only welcomes 51 out of 198 nations into the country without a visa.
— With a file from Global News reporter Katie Dangerfield
- Ontario's BORN birth registry breach sees data 'taken' from 3.4 million
- 'It was really scary': Witness recounts seeing riders stuck upside down at Canada's Wonderland
- NDP launches counter survey on potential Alberta Pension Plan
- Developer to build 5K rental units, cites Liberals' GST break as motivator


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Elwood Cinemas strives to bring our loyal customers the best possible value in first run movie entertainment. Check our prices against any other movie theater in the area and you will be happy to see you are getting the best deal around!
Please note that we accept cash and all major credit cards at our box office as payment, along with Elwood Cinemas Gift Certificates. We do not participate in any online movie ticket sales at the present time, nor do we accept Fandango Gift Certificates as payment. We participate regularly with Groupon to offer local special deals, so please check their website regularly if you wish to participate.
Everything you need for a wonderful movie experience for the whole family!
Ticket Pricing
All shows before 4:00pm are $6.00 every day.
Daily prices for movies beginning at 4:00pm. Please see our Ticket Specials Page for information on our Super Tuesday discounts!
Effective December 15, 2017 new pricing policy as follows:
General Admission Adults – $10.00
Children under 12/Seniors – $7.00
Bargain Matinee (everyday before 4:00pm) – $6.00
Super Tuesdays – $5.00 (except holidays and when kids are off school)
Senior Thursdays - $5.00
**Please note that as of March 10, 2016 Elwood Cinemas will be discontinuing the Student ticket price and offering only Children, Senior and Super Value General Admission Adult ticket pricing.
Unless otherwise indicated through special posted promotion, all tickets MUST be purchased the day of viewing.
Tickets for all shows may be purchased the day of sale when the box office opens, but tickets are only valid that day.


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I've been filling out my Native faction over the past few months and part of that is preparing several canoa. I needed a 5th and 6th canoa for a game I played a while back so I bought them at the very last minute and sprayed them with some brown paint so I could use them 20 minutes later for a game. Now I'm actually finishing those two boats!
These boats can be pretty simple or you can get really decorative and spend any amount of time on them. This is a simple one.
I sprayed it with Zandri Dust, then did some light drybrushing with Tyrant Skull Dry Paint from Citadel, then did some weathering of the waterline with Typhus Corrosion.
I'm not positive on the Caribbean Native methods of making canoes, but the standard method for the North American Native was to use fire to help burn out the center of the log for a dugout canoe. This would often leave the inside of the canoe dark to some extent so I added several layers of both Typhus Corrosion and Nuln Oil to the interior.
Basic drybrush on the higher parts of the boat.
I was in such a hurry with this boat before that game that I didn't take time to remove the ridge of resin at the waterline. Taking the time to remove that excess material is worth it and gives you a much better end product.
This second canoe in this batch got a little more prep time and the waterline looks much better.
I believe this is just XV-88 over the entire boat with Agrax Earthshade and Typhus Corrosion for weathering and tone variation.
I added a simple blue/green stripe along the top of this canoa for some basic decoration.
Again, you can see how much better the model looks when it gets the proper prep attention. You can see the ragged waterline on the closer boat.
This photo is from that 200 point game where I used these two canoa before they were finished. You can see the darker one second from Left and the lighter one on the far Right.
That's it. A simple method for painting a basic canoa with some weathering. And don't skimp on the prep like I did!
I have plans to play a large 350 point naval game using the Natives so I can use all 6 canoa along with a Piragua. Stay tuned for that battle report!
Check out all our other ship reviews, painting guides, rigging guides and ship stats on our Ultimate Guide to Blood & Plunder Ships page.


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William, who goes by "Will," graduated from Cimarron-Memorial High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. After high school, William attended the Honors College at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV), and graduated cum laude with University Honors with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Management, in 2002.
After college William attended law school at the William S. Boyd School of Law and earned his J.D. in 2005. During law school, William was a member of the Society of Advocates and successfully competed on the UNLV Jessup International Moot Court Team.
During law school, William interned for a district court judge in the Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada, and also interned for Justice Michael L. Douglas at the Supreme Court of Nevada. William also worked for a small law firm focusing on business litigation. In 2015, Will was selected to be a Super Lawyers Mountain States Rising Star.
After law school, William worked for Justice Michael L. Douglas at the Supreme Court of Nevada as a judicial law clerk for two years.
William joined what was then known as Claggett & Associates in 2008, and since then has obtained and recovered millions of dollars in settlements and judgments on behalf of the firm's clients. William subsequently became a partner at Claggett & Sykes and continues to vigorously represent the firm's clients in state and federal courts.
In 2013, he received an AV-rating from his peers through Martindale-Hubbell, achieving the highest possible rating for ethics and legal ability.
William enjoys traveling, cycling, and spending time with his wife and sons.


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LUX* Saint Gilles
The beautiful LUX* Saint Gilles (formerly LUX* Ile de la Reunion), situated in front of Saint Gilles lagoon, offers visitors to Reunion a luxurious 5 star experience. All parts of the hotel have been completely renovated to achieve a subtle blend between traditional Creole and chic modern. Guests can also enjoy well kept gardens and direct access to the islands best beach – L'Hermitage.
- Flights & taxes
- Accommodation
- Transfers
- Checked baggage
- CAR licensed & bonded
- In resort assistance & 24 hour contact centre
- Hassle-free - book direct quickly and easily
- Choice of airlines and the option to switch
- A friendly, family run business with a wealth of experience.
- Great deals on offer for multiple destinations
- Low deposits


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Collaboration › Details
French Myopathy AssociationWhiteLab Genomics: genomic s/w tools, 202102 collab Généthon using Catalyst s/w to develop vectors for gene therapies
|Partner, 1st
|Généthon (FR)
|French Myopathy Association (AFM)
|Partner, 2nd
|WhiteLab Genomics (FR)
|Catalyst platform (AI-based genomics s/w, WhiteLab Genomics)
|Product 2
|vector (biotech)
Généthon. (2/10/21). "Press Release: Genethon and WhiteLab Genomics Join Forces to Enhance Gene Therapy through Artificial Intelligence".
WhiteLab Genomics, a specialist in artificial intelligence applied to gene and cell therapies, has signed a partnership agreement with Genethon, a pioneering research center in the field of gene therapy. The alliance will harness the power of artificial intelligence to accelerate development of innovative gene therapies.
As part of this partnership, Genethon teams will use WhiteLab Genomics Catalyst platform to develop new capsids, or vectors, which are essential components for gene therapy products.
While several gene therapy products have already obtained market authorization for the treatment of rare and common diseases, which demonstrates the efficacy of this approach for conditions considered to be incurable, development of these complex therapies continues to face major scientific and technical hurdles. Many vectors used in gene therapy are derivatives of adeno-associated viruses (AAV). Their use has limitations: natural immunization of 30% to 40% of the population and difficulty targeting a specific tissue. As a result, extremely large quantities of vectors are necessary. In this context, the use of artificial intelligence solutions stands out as a deciding factor to overcome these obstacles and produce optimized vectors that better target the relevant tissues, thus making it possible to inject smaller quantities of product while maximizing the effect of the therapy.
Turning to AI for faster development of optimized vectors
Genethons teams will use WhiteLab Genomics Catalyst platform to accelerate select research programs.
Thanks to its Machine Learning algorithms, the WhiteLab Genomics platform will help researchers develop next-generation gene therapy vectors, with a view to enhancing their precision with regard to the tissues to be treated while reducing their immunogenic qualities.
The tools developed by WhiteLab will make it possible for us to review thousands of sequences and devise new and innovative combinations. We aim to develop a new generation of more specific AAV vectors, contributing to the emergence of original treatments for neuromuscular disorders, said Dr. Ronzitti, who is managing the collaboration for Genethon.
We are thrilled to be working together with worldwide trailblazers and experts in the area of gene therapy, stated David Del Bourgo, CEO and co-founder of WhiteLab Genomics. France is a prime source of innovation in this field, and we look forward to helping research teams, in France and abroad, to make practical use of these extremely complex biological datasets, while also providing assistance to accelerate the development of optimized products.
Record changed: 2022-01-02
More documents for French Myopathy Association (AFM)
- [1] Généthon. (2/10/21). "Press Release: Genethon and WhiteLab Genomics Join Forces to Enhance Gene Therapy through Artificial Intelligence"....
- [2] Orchard Therapeutics Ltd.. (12/15/17). "Press Release: Orchard Therapeutics and Généthon Announce Gene Therapy Alliance in X-linked Chronic Granulomatous Disease". London & Évry....
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We reported this week that Jeffrey Tesler, the British lawyer accused of helping KBR and its partners bribe Nigerian officials, has stopped fighting against extradition to the United States. His lawyers said he'll be traveling to Houston within 28 days.
Two other individuals charged in the case — Albert "Jack" Stanley, KBR's former CEO, and Wojciech Chodan, KBR's former commercial vice president at a U.K. subsidiary — have already pleaded guilty.
Will Tesler do the same? Here are some reasons why he might:
- Stanley and Chodan would testify against Tesler. They're big guns — both former executives who are likely be articulate, knowledgeable, and specific about the bribery Tesler is accused of participating in. And Stanley and Chodan stand to gain sentencing credit for doing a good job helping the DOJ convince a jury to convict Tesler.
- Stanley, Tesler will know, is already the most important cooperating witness in FCPA history. He's helped the DOJ and SEC collect $1.28 billion from three of four TSKJ consortium partners so far, with another $220 million expected from JGC.
- Tesler is 62 and faces 55 years in prison if found guilty on all counts. Why risk spending the rest of his life in a U.S. federal pen when the DOJ might be satisfied in a plea with a lot less time behind bars?
- He's facing a forfeiture count for $132 million. Even if he's acquitted on all FCPA-related counts except one, he'd still lose the forfeiture action. The DOJ could then chase all property he may have acquired around the time of the crime alleged, which for Telser is a bribery conspiracy that started in 1994 and lasted at least a decade.
- Tesler's technical arguments about jurisdiction probably won't work in a U.S. court. Here are two reasons:
First, lawyers for the U.K. and U.S. governments argued at his extradition hearings that U.S.-based companies were involved and money had been channelled through U.S. bank accounts. (jurisdiction over Technip and Snamprogetti, which both pleaded guilty in related enforcement actions, appeared to be based almost entirely on U.S. dollar bank transfers from the Netherlands to Switzerland and Japan.)
Second, in his indictment, the U.S. said Tesler is subject to the FCPA as an "agent" of an "issuer," of a "domestic concern," and of a "person," all within the meaning of the FCPA. That status as "agent" confers jurisdiction over Tesler under the FCPA. (Title 15, U.S.C. §§78dd- 1, 78dd-2, and 78dd-3).
As the DOJ says, an indictment is merely an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty at trial beyond a reasonable doubt.
* * *
Is your organization ready for what's coming? We'll be in Houston on March 10 to talk about FCPA enforcement, along with Michael Volkov, Ryan Morgan, and others. We look forward to seeing you there. The program is free; registration is required. More details here.


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Raya Trade, one of the subsidiaries of Raya Holding, plans to inject EGP 70m worth of investment to establish a washing machines assembly line incooperation with one of the major brands in the electronic industries field.
CEO of Raya Trade, Bassem Mogahed, said in an interview with Daily News Egypt that his company's new assembly line will start early next year.
What are the latest changes in the local market?
The market has become more stable compared to the last year, benefiting from the stability and abundance of foreign exchange at banks operating in the local market. The main problem facing the market now is the high inflation that resulted from the liberalization of the exchange rate.
The high inflation and decline in the purchasing power resulted from the flotation are the main reasons behind the stability of the dollar. The Egyptians' consumption rates fall significantly reducing import rates so the demand for the dollar declined sharply compared to the last year.
Most companies resorted to rationalizing their consumption in response to the recent drop in sales and re-arranged their priorities. However, If we valued the market sales in Egyptian pound, it would seem growing, but this result is deceptive because this growth depends on the currency difference resulted from the flotation.
This year's market sales are down compared to the last year. It is actually the most difficult year in terms of business.
How can the market grow again?
There will be no significant growth in market sales unless the private sector increases salaries of its employees similar to the government employees whose salaries rose by 10% in July.
How the mobile phone market was affected by the low purchasing power?
The mobile phone market witnessed a 30% decline from January to September compared to the same period in 2016. In my opinion, the market sales will not see any progress before the second quarter of 2018. I rule out facing similar inflation wave because the hike of dollar price was the main factor of the recent inflation.
The dollar price is expected to decline in the coming period by 10% and we have already prepared our investment plans for the next year based on this expectation.
How did you face the decline in sales?
We focused more on geographical expansion in new areas through increasing our Mega stores in a number of residential areas inhabited by middle-income consumers such as Sayeda Zeinab, Al-Mataria, and Mohram Bek in Alexandria. We also reduced our profit margin to reduce our products' prices as much as possible, so as to attract customers.
We also widened our sales base to include Samsung and York's air conditioners. We also provided new instalment offers up to 24 months, and started to target corporate employees.
In addition, we are currently studying investment in the local assembly of some electrical products in partnership with some major brands in the Egyptian market. We will sign a partnership deal with two brands to establish an assembly line with our own investments in one of the factories located in Egypt. We will start by manufacturing household washing machines.
We will inject initial investment worth EGP 70m to establish the assembly line of washing machines. This will help the company to sell its washing machines at competitive prices because customs value will be reduced by almost 40% if the product was collected locally. This plan is scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2018.
We also signed an exclusive agency contract with York for air conditioners. We now study the local manufacturing of televisions under the name of "Sari" after ensuring the stability of importing the manufacturing components.
In such economic conditions, which of your subsidiaries will lead the group's growth?
The commercial sector is always the main driver of the parent company's growth, even though the group's outsourcing company provided a strong performance over the last two years because it is a service export company, benefiting from the flotation of the pound. Moreover, the Egyptian outsourcing employees have competitive features compared to India's or other countries, as the Egyptian employee's cost is less than the return he achieves.
Did the low purchasing power contribute to the increasing demand for maintenance services?
Of course, maintenance after the end of warranty increased by 30% this year compared to last year, as the consumer became more interested in repairing their phones rather than buying new ones.
In addition, the demand for instalment services was doubled during the year compared to last year.
Do you face any problems in expansion in the instalment system?
It indeed has problems, but we are careful in choosing our customers. According to our indicators, the doubtful debts rate does not exceed 1% of the total instalments.
How do you see the performance of the Nokia phones?
Nokia has two sector, smart and basic phones. We can not judge Nokia's smart phones now because the company released only three editions two months ago in the Egyptian market. Nokia's limited releases can be attributed to the company's inability to meet its customers' high demands for its products in all countries of the world.
The Egyptian market will witness the launch of new Nokia phones at very competitive prices in the next period. Nokia is also expected to release a new 4G smart phone at a very cheap price in the next year. The company plans to offer 7 or 8 smart phones in the Egyptian market to cover all price segments.
In regard for the basic phones, they are working well because their prices are cheap benefiting of Nokia's partnership with China's Foxconn.
What are your plans for cooperation with mobile operators?
There are intensive negotiations with the four mobile operators to launch special offers for their customers, as well as cooperation in the advertising sector.


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The morning started with a greeting from Scott Chambers, Senior Vice President, North America Media and Licensing Sesame Workshop who welcomed everyone to Sesame Street. Before Elmo, Abby, and Alan came out to play, Ankur Kotwal, Google Maps Developer Advocate, told the children about his journey all the way from Sydney, Australia to New York, New York to visit with Sesame Street. He also taught basic understanding of 10 steps being further than 5 steps away so we covered the basics of near and far. Our over-sized map puzzle was a hit! Children love maps almost as much as they love Sesame Street.
We had a surprise visit from Elmo and Abby along with Alan who played the game Go!Go!Go! with the children. They chatted about exploring their neighborhood and how to get to the library, grocery store, and more in planes, trains, and automobiles. The kids really enjoyed singing songs and dancing with Elmo and Abby. There is something lasting and fun about learning something new through a song.
While at Sesame Street the children were treated to Sesame Street coloring pages, took pictures with Cookie Monster and Elmo walkarounds, and even hung out in Oscar's favorite place, his trash can.
We were happy to be able to meet kids from all over the New York area. We had each child drop a pin where they lived on the map. Alexandra even traveled by train all the way from Bayside to see Abby and to learn about maps. We were amazed by how even the youngest of kids could find his or her neighborhood on a map. At the end of the day our map had over 150 pins from all over the New York metro area.
With ten years of Google Maps comes ten years of exploration. Today, anyone can sit down with their iPad, phones, and computers and explore all over the world using Google Maps. A love for exploration and maps can be discovered at an early age and we were so happy to celebrate our 10th birthday with 3 to 5 year olds with an excitement for exploring. It is never too early to introduce the basics of exploration and maps to encourage geo-literacy.
Posted by Ashley Smith, Developer Marketing, Google Maps APIs


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True Warriors
On 11 December 2014, a 17-year-old suicide bomber blew himself up during a premiere performance at the AZDAR Theatre in Kabul. The bomber and two people in the audience died, and 40 people were injured. In extensive interviews, those affected by the bombing report on how they experienced the attack and how they've dealt with it since then. The film True Warriors tells the story behind the daily news reports – and is an inspiring illustration of the impact of culture.
Direction, camera and production: Ronja von Wurmb-Seibel, Niklas Schenck
Co-director and camera: Lukas Augustin
Film editing: Julia Drache
Music: Andrej Melita
With: Gulab Jan Bamik, Said Edris Fakhri, Ahmad Nasir Formuli, Homan Wesa and many others
A co-production of Pantaleon Films with Brot + Zwiebel and ZDF/ ARTE. Supported by the Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein (FFHSH), the Filmförderungsanstalt FFA (German Federal Film Board) and the SRF.
The Berlin premiere with Niklas Schenck, Ronja von Wurmb-Seibel and Cornelia Klauß (moderation) is immediately followed by a panel discussion about cultural exchange with politically unstable countries.


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FEMA Takes Lessons from ESPN/NASCAR
FEMA faked a press conference.
The thing is? The questions the fake reporters asked were pretty much normal for any news conference that would have been asked by real reporters.
Kinda like the questions asked after sporting events where the home team hires the announcers. Or ESPN where they are all buddy-buddy with the jocks.
FEMA reporter wannabe: "Are you happy with FEMA's response so far?"
ESPN/NASCAR reporter: "Are you happy with your performance?"
FEMA reporter wannabe: what about "lessons learned from Katrina."
ESPN/NASCAR reporter: what did you learn from your teammates?
But the staff did not make up the questions, he said, and Johnson did not know what was going to be asked. "We pulled questions from those we had been getting from reporters earlier in the day." Despite the very short notice, "we were expecting the press to come," he said, but they didn't. So the staff played reporters for what on TV looked just like the real thing.
The fake reporters certainly would have been dressed better than the real reporters. That's an improvement. The fake reporters made their questions shorter than the real reporters who like to get face time for their network or local station. That left more time for answers. That's a good thing. The fake reporters didn't have to do "I'm live from blah-blah" and then tell us what the FEMA spokesperson just said. That's better.
I dunno, all-in-all, I think I like the fake press conference better than the real one when it comes to these "update press conferences."
Remember, this was about a fire. One that had been covered immensely by every news network. California TV stations were certainly round the clock with coverage.
So what was the press conference for? To show off and kiss the ass of the local politicians.
It worked.
So Chertoff was wrong.
How bad — and d-u-m-b — was the fake press conference? So bad that Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff was sounding almost like a blogger:
Seldom does anyone in government come as clean as Michael Chertoff, secretary of Homeland Security, has come with his disdain for his own agency's stunt.
I think it was one of the dumbest and most inappropriate things I've seen since I've been in government," Chertoff said yesterday.
That press conference using pretend reporters was a coup that worked and should be repeated anytime there is a news conference that doesn't have news.
The outside-the-box thinker who came up with the non-press news conference wasn't appreciated. Go figure, a guy in gummit comes up with a new idea and he isn't appreciated.
Pat Philbin, FEMA's external affairs director, was scheduled to become director of public affairs for National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell on Monday. It was not immediately clear whether he offered his resignation or was fired just as he was set to begin the job.
He can get a job with ESPN or NASCAR, I'll bet. Oh wait, I forgot, you're probably still working at FEMA. Never mind.
UPDATE: Now ya see? They just don't appreciate initiative in the gummit. The dude lost his job.


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It's been an amazing week for local sports fans! Last Sunday the Seahawks became, for the first time ever, Super Bowl champions! Then, on Friday, the 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony kicked off two weeks of international competition; once again, we have local athletes who will be competing. The Super Bowl was a blast to watch. My wife and I love the Olympics. We even traveled to Vancouver four years ago to take in some of the competition.
Big-time sports competitions can generate a lot of emotion! It's easy to be swept up in the excitement of the moment. Winning makes us feel good about ourselves. After the competition is over, however, the smoke clears and the dust settles, and we have the opportunity to step back and pay closer attention to what was going on.
For example, how many times in the past week have you heard the Seahawks described as "world champions"? World champions? NFL teams are all American teams; hardly anyone outside of North America pays much attention to American-style football. We may be the only country on earth that calls national champions "world champions!"
But it doesn't end there. Remember the newspaper reports after Wednesday's big Super Bowl victory celebration in downtown Seattle? 700,000 people! Well, if you read yesterday's paper you found that, as it turns out, maybe half that many people actually participated. That's still a lot of people! But in the excitement of winning we're willing to believe what we want to believe and not ask questions that might upset those beliefs.
It's been said that "truth is the first casualty of war." But propaganda and exaggeration are part of any high-stakes "us vs. them" competition.
At first blush, today's reading from Matthew seems to be a lot of propaganda and exaggeration. You are the light of the world, says Jesus. You are the world champions! You are the 12th Man! You are the Olympic gold medalist! You are important! You are privileged, and you deserve glory!
But if we read closely, we find a different message. Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Unlike the message we receive from sporting competitions and other human endeavors, the life we've been given is not about us. As St. Paul writes in today's second reading, We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. Our lives are a gift. With our lives we give glory to God!
You are the light of the world. Notice that Jesus doesn't say, "You are the light of the world under these conditions." We are the light of the world not because of anything we've earned or won but because God put the light of Christ into our hearts. The only question is: Will we allow that light to shine, or will we cover it up?
The prophet Isaiah gives us an example of what it means to let our light shine for the world and give glory to God:
To loose the bonds of injustice…to let the oppressed go free…to share bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house…when you see the naked, to cover them…Then your light shall break forth like the dawn.
I hope you see in that description how you have been and continue to be light to the world by feeding the hungry, by bringing the homeless poor into your house. Lutherans do these things. We provide food and shelter and clothing and quilts. But the problem with such descriptions is that they become lists: "Yep, we do that. Check…check…check. Done!
To be the light of the world is not to follow a checklist but to learn a different way of seeing and thinking that determines the choices we make in every area of our lives! It's to see with spiritual eyes and to interpret with a spiritual mind. In all we do, it is–as Paul puts it–to have the mind of Christ.
Lately I've been thinking about what it means to have the mind of Christ, and something our bishop said recently got me thinking. I'm coming to the end of a four-year term on our Synod Council. A few weeks ago at our regular meeting Bishop Kirby Unti spent some time sharing with us his experience as pastor of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Renton.
Over the course of his 33 years at St. Matthew, Bishop Unti said, St. Matthew went from a small congregation about to close its doors to the healthy, dynamic church it is today. One of the main reasons for that, Bishop Unti said, is that the people of St. Matthew learned to say yes. When opportunities to serve arise, he said, they have learned to say yes. Rather than asking how much something costs or if they have enough people, if a service opportunity matches their mission as a congregation they say, Let's find a way to say yes. (Our mission, by the way—in case you didn't know— appears on the back of your bulletin every Sunday.)
You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
When we let our light shine—when we have the mind of Christ—it tends to attract attention. People are drawn to light! Earlier this past week I was on retreat with other pastors from our area. One Seattle pastor told about how over the past ten years her congregation has been opening the church up to outside groups. The place has gotten busy and the neighbors have noticed! One of those neighbors never went to Sunday worship but nevertheless considered that small church his home. Last year he died and left a million dollars for that church. It's an unusual situation, but the point is that by welcoming the stranger, the outsider–by having the mind of Christ–that congregation's light shone and was gratefully embraced.
Closer to home, a couple of weeks ago I got a call from the Lakeridge Garden Club. It was a request to use the building this spring for a neighborhood event. I ran it by the council and they said yes. It seems a small thing, doesn't it, offering space for the local garden club. Not a big deal. Hardly worth mentioning. Not likely to result in a million-dollar gift! But to be light to the world doesn't necessarily mean being world champions or gold medal winners or the best or greatest or richest or strongest. To be light to the world is to have the mind of Christ, saying yes to ordinary, everyday opportunities God gives us to give our lives away for the sake of the world, without thinking how we might benefit.
Dear friends in Christ, you are the light of the world. Let your light so shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. In Jesus' name,


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Pending sales of existing U.S. homes fell in April to their lowest marks in four years, according a National Association of Realtors index released today.
The index based on signed purchase agreements in April fell
to 101.4, a drop of 3.2 percent for the month. The index was down 4.5 percent
in March and currently stands 10.2 percent lower than April last year.
The index is considered a leading indicator since it
tracks contract signings. The association also tracks closings. The group
reported last week that existing home sales dropped 2.6 percent in April, the
lowest level in four years.


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Welcome to
Bellawood Apartments
Here, modern living meets suburban comfort. The good life awaits you at one of Metairie's most unique communities.
Property Details
Bellawood brings you the best in apartment living. But don't just take our word for it. Check out our amenities, real-time pricing, photo gallery and neighborhood info.
Start exploring the property.
What are you waiting for?
Become a Resident Today
Let's find the floor plan that's perfect for you.


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Cataloging Information
Fire Effects
Ecological - Second Order
Invasive Species
Post-fire Management
Post-fire Rehabilitation
Erosion Control
Recovery after fire
Broadcast seeding is one of the most widely used post-wildfire emergency response treatments intended to reduce soil erosion, increase vegetative ground cover, and minimize establishment and spread of non-native plant species. We conducted an evidence-based review to examine the effectiveness and effects of post-wildfire seeding treatments on soil stabilization, non-native species invasion, and plant community recovery in the western U.S. We reviewed 94 scientific papers and agency monitoring reports identified using a systematic search protocol. As sampling designs have become more rigorous in recent years, evidence that seeding is effective in reducing erosion has decreased. Of highest and high quality studies evaluating soil erosion, 92% (11 of 12) were published since 2000, none of which showed an effective result. Before 2000, the majority of the studies (71%) fell into the lowest quality categories, of which 72% showed seeding to be effective. The majority of studies (20 of 27, 74%) evaluating soil erosion in seeded versus unseeded controls showed that seeding did not reduce erosion relative to unseeded controls. Even when seeding significantly increased vegetative cover, seeded sites rarely supported plant cover levels considered sufficient to stabilize soils within the first and second year post-wildfire. Of the 11 studies evaluating seeding effectiveness for curtailing invasions of non-native plant species, an almost equal percentage found seeding treatments to be either effective (54%, 6 studies) or ineffective (45%, 5 studies). However, the majority of effective and ineffective treatments (83% and 80%, respectively) used non-native species. Sixteen of 26 studies (62%) evaluating seeding effects on plant communities reported that seeding suppressed recovery of native plants, although data on long-term impacts of this reduction are limited. The literature suggests that post-wildfire seeding does little to protect soil in the short-term, has equivocal effect on invasion of non-native species, and can have negative effects on native vegetation recovery, although long-term studies are needed to assess lasting impacts of seeded species.