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Each day, we strive to make ourselves better than we were the day before. We strive for growth, for change, and for the opportunity to find ways to accelerate each of those processes. While self-reflection is a vital tool to our evolution, it is often essential that we turn to our tribe, our community, and our family to give context, clarity, and a sense of direction to where we are headed next. In the professional dance community, one of the avenues we often turn to for the context and clarity of our work and artistic vision is a dance festival. In the festival format, dancers and artists whose paths may not have crossed otherwise are given the opportunity to network, view and digest each other's work, and gain vital knowledge and inspiration to push the art forward.
For the artistic team at Trifecta Dance Collective, the journey to producing the third annual Trifecta Dance Festival was an undertaking of enormous proportions that required as much introspection as it did feedback and participation from the thriving dance community in Chicago and the greater Midwest region. What began as a limited two-day festival with a handful of participating artists has grown to a five-day event series that includes six performances featuring 13 companies and student/youth choreography, a dance film screening, master classes, an affordable professional photo shoot for industry professionals, and so much more. What's even more impressive is that this growth spurt happened in a short three-year period.
So how did the artistic team at Trifecta Dance Collective achieve such a massive and impactful way to connect the dance community? It was thanks largely in part to the passion, foresight, and dedication of TDC's co-founders and co-artistic directors Krissie Odegard Geye and Carrie Patterson. Five years ago, this powerhouse team joined forces to create Trifecta Dance Collective, whose growth was instrumental in the development of their festival.
DancerMusic Editor Kristi Licera recently caught up with Krissie and Carrie to learn more about TDC's journey over the last five years, as well as more on the exciting offerings of Trifecta Dance Festival. Here's what they told us:
Beauty can combat evil. This idea churned around in my head for a while… I wanted to think that authentic art deriving from the purest intent could transform lives.
Kristi Licera: As individuals, we strive to choose paths in our lives that not only lead to happiness, but also bring us closer to who we are meant to be. With time on our journeys comes clarity: clarity of self and of the ideals that are most important to us. That clarity helps inform our vision of the future. The same can be said of the growth and development that Trifecta Dance Collective has experienced. Over the years, the company's mission and vision have developed to encompass more than the pillars of empowerment, engagement and expansion that the company was founded on. Can you tell us more about that journey and where the company stands today?
Krissie Odegard Geye: The Trifecta Dance Collective was initially created to bring our work of powerful movement into the professional sector. Throughout our five-year journey with the professional company, we received a great crash course into what it took to create, manage, and run a company. We had a lot to navigate. We failed, recouped, and learned how to create the culture we desired. We pushed our way into sustaining a functional, stable company and learned to inspire and lead.
Early on, we began applying to showcases and festivals. We wanted to see what was out there and how we stacked up next to similar-sized companies. We applied to do a showcase in Anita's Way in an amazing space in the heart of Times Square. We were given the opportunity to perform in the space for three days. Anita's Way provides quality, diverse, public art in the middle of the chaotic, beautiful, electric NYC bustle. Hundreds of people, reaching across all socio-economic, age, and ethnic demographics witness quality public art simultaneously.
During Anita's Way, my daughter and a student of mine were given a great opportunity to perform privately for singer/songwriter Sara Groves. We traveled to St. Paul, MN to meet Sara and perform two dances for her that I choreographed to her songs. She told us about a story she read that inspired one of the songs she wrote. It was of Karim Wafsi, the conductor of the Iraqi National Orchestra. After a bomb detonated in his city, he took his cello to the heart of the destruction and began to play. His reasoning? Art was more powerful than destruction. Beauty can combat evil.
It is our hope that the world will empower community members to interact with one another and expand connection and growth that will reach across community demographics.
Krissie: Beauty can combat evil. This idea churned around in my head for a while. I had to let it marinate – really sink in. Did I really believe that this was true? I wanted to believe it. I wanted to think that authentic art deriving from the purest intent could transform lives. I began to look for signs that this was a reality.
Sara's story was confirmed. Beauty was indeed more powerful than art. Beautiful art can change the trajectory of a person's life. Beautiful art can combat oppression, destruction, and misused power. It was a transformative moment, watching these beautiful kind, good, talented professionals and youth perform in the heart of Times Square to fight off the wrongs of the world. Our mission was becoming for focused, more clear.
Carrie and I met three amazingly beautiful souls; widowed women who deserved to be in the spotlight. Mary, Geri, and Donna taught us so much. We loved them. We honored them with beautiful, intentional, artistic work and they served as the flagship members of our "In.Grained" Series, which was designed to empower and give a substantial platform to community members who feel silenced. During the performance with them, I knew. I knew we finally figured out what it is we were meant to do. The "In.Grained" series was it. It worked. It highlighted good people that deserved a platform to speak from and inspire others in an artistic, beautiful way. It connected people.
This newfound reality is solidifying the pillars in which the company was built. Our goal to engage audience members with quality, inspiring movement still stands. It is our hope that the world will empower community members to interact with one another and expand connection and growth that will reach across community demographics. The formula to reach this result was initially unknown to us. The "In.Grained" series proved to us that, through powerful vulnerability and emotional connection between audience and performer, our mission can be realized, one beautiful soul at a time.
This season, we are pleased to produce 5 nights of performances, showcasing over 65 separate works by artists throughout the Midwest.
Kristi: This is the third year that Trifecta Dance Festival will be produced and performed, and much like the growth of the company, the festival has evolved with each iteration. Can you tell us more about how you developed this year's festival, and how the clarity of the mission and vision of Trifecta Dance Collective has informed the evolution of the festival?
Carrie Patterson: We are thrilled to witness the amount of excitement and growth that the festival has gained over the past three years. In our first year, we produced one night of "A New Light" (an Emerging Choreographer's Showcase), one night of "Fresh Perspectives" (the Student Choreography Showcase), and two nights of TDC works.
This festival joins artists and audience members to ignite dialogue about what they see, how it resonates with them, and how witnessing live art is a unifying moment between performers and audience.
Carrie: This season, we are pleased to produce 5 nights of performances, showcasing over 65 separate works by artists throughout the Midwest. This includes two performances of "A New Light" Emerging Choreographer's Showcase , the "Fresh Perspectives" Student Choreography Showcase, the newly added Dance Film Festival, and a youth performance of "Nosce Te Ipsum", a full-length contemporary work performed with guest artist and professional dancer Cathy Roe. We are also thrilled to produce two nights of the new "Celebration of Dance", featuring TDC alongside the Chicago-based companies Chicago Repertory Ballet, Elements Ballet, Ensemble 180, Esoteric Dance Project, forward. the movement, Giordano II, Hot Crowd, Inaside Chicago Dance, LOUD BODIES, Moonwater Dance Project, Noumenon Dance Ensemble, and Winifred Haun and Dancers. Master classes and photo shoot opportunities are also being offered.
We hope that this annual festival can strengthen and bring together this already amazing community of artists that Chicago has to offer.
Carrie: We hope that this festival can be a true celebration of the beautiful, vibrant, and diverse work in our arts community and give audience members a way to see that beauty and art can be powerful. This festival joins artists and audience members to ignite dialogue about what they see, how it resonates with them, and how witnessing live art is a unifying moment between performers and audience. We hope that this annual festival can strengthen and bring together this already amazing community of artists that Chicago has to offer.
Trifecta Dance Collective presents Trifecta Dance Festival January 22-26, 2020 at Stage 773. For tickets, festival passes, and more detailed information about the schedule of events, visit www.trifectadance.org/festival.


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How to Project an Image on the Zio E-Ink Display
Here we are going to learn how to use ZIO E-INK DISPLAY which can imitate the look of normal ink on paper. There are four different sizes of E-ink display module we are offering, but you don't really need to learn four different ways to use them, all the connections are the same, and you just need to use different libraries to drive them. We will use a Zuino to help us show the information we want on the display.
Being able to display price tags or the name of a storage box is pretty easy with the example code included and hooking up to the Zuino to upload the image or text.
The E-Ink Display utilizes micro capsules that are suspended in a liquid which contain positively charged white pigments and negatively charged black pigments. There is also a model that includes a third colour, red. On each side of the display there are electrodes which can change their polarity, thus moving the pigments around to form texts or an image. Even if the Zuino is detached from the display, the image will remain on.
So let's see what you're going to need:
- Zio E-Ink display (2.9 in. 296 x 128/ 2.13 in. 250 x 122/ 1.54 in. 200 x 200)
- Zuino M Uno
- Male to female jumper wires
- Micro usb to usb cable
- Arduino IDE
- Example Code
- GxEPD.h Library
Step 1: Hook up the Hardware
Here are the connections you'll need to make from the display to the Zuino:
|Zuino M UNO
|Zio E-ink Display (4 models)
Step 2: Coding
Before uploading the example code, we need to select the display class at the top of the code. This example code can be used for all of the four E-ink display.
Explanation for the comment:
"1.54" is the e-ink display size, "b/w" means the black and white color display, "b/w/r" means black, white and red color display.
Remove "//" before "#include" to make the code usable, otherwise add "//" before "#include" if you are not using that model display.
You can now upload the code. Will take a couple of seconds for the image or text to refresh.
Change the image code in IMG_0001.h. In this tutorial you can learn how to generate a c array code to form a picture.
Voila! You have just displayed your first image on a E-Ink DIsplay. Two quick and easy steps. Now that you have an idea of how the display work, you can go on to making more complicated images.

subset: commoncrawl


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Specification – Model CA71
|Auto-Step Output Function
|n value sent automatically when n/m function selection is selected (two options: approximately 2.5 seconds/step or approximately 5 seconds/step)
|Sweep Functions
|Sweep time (two options: approximately 16 seconds or approximately 32 seconds)
|Memory Function
|50 value sets (generated and measured values are stored as value sets with the same address (up to 50 value sets can be stored))
|Measuring Unit Maximum Input
|Voltage terminal: 300 V AC Current terminal: 120 mA DC
|Current Terminal Input Protection
|Fuses: 125 mA/250 V
|Measuring Unit Ground Voltage
|Maximum 300 V AC
|Measurement Display Updating Rate
|Approximately once per second
|Serial Interface
|Enabled when communication cable (RS232) is connected; sold separately as optional accessory
|Segmented LCD (Approx. 76 mm × 48 mm)
|LED backlight; auto-off after one minute (from when LIGHT key is turned on)
|Power Supply
|Four AA alkaline batteries, or special AC adapter (sold separately)
|Battery Life
|Measurement off, output 5 V DC/10 kO or greater: Approximately 40 hours Simultaneous signal generation/measurement, output 5 V DC/10 kO or greater: Approximately 20 hoursSimultaneous signal generation/measurement, output 20 mA/5 V: Approximately 12 hours (using alkaline batteries, with backlight off)
|Auto-Power-Off Function
|Approx. 10 minutes (auto-power-off can be disabled through a DIP switch setting)
|Applicable Standard
|EN55011: 1998, Class B, Group 1
|Insulation Resistance
|Across input terminal and output terminal, 500 V DC, 50 MO or greater
|Withstand Voltage
|Across input terminal and output terminal, 3.7 kVAC, for one minute
|Operating Temperature And Humidity Ranges
|0 – 50°C, 20 – 80% RH (no condensation)
|Storage Temperature And Humidity Ranges
|-20 – 50°C, 90% RH or less (no condensation)
|External Dimensions
|Approx. 190 × 120 × 55 mm
|Approx. 730 g (including batteries)
Product Overview
|Easy Operation
|The Handy Calibrator incorporates rotary switches for simple handling. Just open the carrying case cover and connect the cables, and you're ready to take measurements.
|A Wide Array of Useful Functions
Parts & Acessories
|Supplied Accessories
|CA71/SP1 includes Communications cable, data logging softare, 120V power supply, magnetic backing instrument case, source/measure cables, NIST traceable certification.
|Standard Accessories
|Carrying case: 93016
Four AA alkaline batteries: A1070EB × 4
Fuse: A1501EF (for current terminal input protection)
Measurement lead cables (one red, one black): RD031
Signal generating lead cables (one red, two black): 98020
Terminal adapter: 99021
User's manual: IM CA71-E
|Optional Accessories (Sold Separately)
|AC adapter: 94012 (100 V AC power supply)
AC adapter: 94013 (120 V AC power supply)
AC adapter: 94016 (220–240 V AC power supply)
Accessory carrying case: B9108XA
Communication cable: 91017
RJ sensor: B9108WA (For reference junction compensation)
|Spare Parts
|Carrying case: 93016
Fuse: A1501EF (for current terminal input protection)
Measurement lead cables (one red, one black): RD031
Signal generating lead cables (one red, two black): 98020
Terminal adapter: 99021
[wpdm_package id='3758′]


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Educating Fishers to Reduce Derelict Gear in Massachusetts
Resources - Links
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and the NOAA Marine Debris Program partnered to develop a series of videos to educate recreational pot fishers about practices that can help prevent gear loss.
Type of Project: Fishing for Energy
Region: Northeast
Project Dates: July 2015 - December 2016
Who is involved?
This project was funded through the Fishing for Energy partnership between the NOAA Marine Debris Program, Covanta, and Schnitzer Steel Industries, and administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF) worked with UnderCurrent Productions to develop a series of educational videos which can be used around the country, aimed at preventing derelict fishing gear.
What is the project and why is it important?
The recreational lobster fishery in Massachusetts is the largest in New England. It also has the largest participant turnover. While there is not a definitive estimate, it is widely understood that the amount of gear lost or abandoned from this fishery is substantial. This derelict gear can have numerous negative environmental and economic impacts including damage to habitats, the creation of navigational hazards, and ghost fishing. Ghost fishing occurs when derelict gear continues to trap and kill marine animals including harvestable crabs, resulting in lost catch opportunities and financial losses for fishers.
This project aimed to develop targeted educational videos to improve the knowledge and skill of recreational fishers. The aim was to reduce the number of lost or abandoned traps and associated buoy lines, subsequently reducing marine debris and its negative impacts. The educational videos were short, modular video segments that could be compiled into a full-length training course about proper lobster trap fishing techniques for fishers in Massachusetts. Additionally, the videos were being made into packages addressing state-specific pot fisheries and were being distributed to other coastal states. The videos may also be distributed to licensing offices, boat shows, supply stores, and other venues where recreational fishers may go. In addition to the videos, an online survey was developed to collect baseline information on the number of recreational lobster pots lost each year, as well as additional information about activity levels during the recreational lobster fishing season.


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Use succulents to make a beautiful fall table centerpiece that is cost effective, a DIY project and a lasting plant that can be enjoyed after the party or wedding.
To create a beautiful WOW factor in your centerpiece consider adding a bright colored flower that compliments the green in your succulent and then adding a few candles. It is easy to make different size centerpieces using a combination of succulents, flowers, and candles.
Floral designers suggest not having more than 3 colors total in your arrangement. To start your arrangement place your largest succulent first. It doesn't have to be in the middle and many times placing it off to the side will offer a more artistic focal point. When adding your color it works best to place it around in a few places rather than just one spot.
I found some great examples on Midwest Living.


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Most days the subject lines in my email in-box are pretty mundane…
"There's still time to serve 35%…"
"We've moved!"
"Appointment reminder."
Or my favorite of all: "(no subject)."
But every so often, there will be a day when a couple of subject lines jump out from the rest. Today was one of those days.
The first email was from Starbucks, and the subject line read: "We're in a pumpkin state of mind."
The second was from a wonderful restaurant in Orange County, California, called Spaghettini. It read: Wine and Music with Eric Marienthal and Mindi Abair."
I was busy, but those were two emails I had to read immediately — even though I pretty much knew what I'd find in the first one.
Yes, two of Starbucks' signature drunks of autumn are back: the original Pumpkin Spice Latte, and the semi-new Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew.
And while those drinks are great pick-me-ups in the morning, we'll soon be dealing with the annual conundrum of what kind of wine to serve with the pumpkin dishes of fall.
Here are a few ideas:
- With Pumpkin Soup — Viognier, Gewurztraminer or a fruit-forward Chardonnay.
- With pumpkin ravioli — The best bet is Chardonnay, especially an ultra-rich rendition.
- With Pumpkin Pie — Semi-Sweet Riesling, Ice Wine or Sparkling Wine.
We'll have some more ideas as "pumpkin pie season" gets into full swing, but it was nice to have the thought planted in the ol' noggin' via the Starbucks email.
Then there was the email from Spaghettini. Its special evening with sax sensations Marienthal and Abair is set for September 28, and in addition to a 90-minute concert, guests can enjoy a special wine tasting hosted by Abair and Spaghettini's full menu.
Of course, all aspects of the evening will be properly social-distanced, which is why seating is so limited. So many people have been missing live music because of the pandemic that we suspect the "Special Night of Music and Wine Tasting" will sell out quickly.
It's a positive sign that things may slowly be returning to some semblance of "normal" — and it made me happy that I had the time and took the time to open that email.


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Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'Profile'.
Found 3 results
ANSWERED Passepartout OpenVPN client
FBSair007653 posted a topic in General & SuggestionsI use AirVPN for many years and super happy about it. On iOS I used the official openvpn app but recently discovered an alternative: passepartout (Edit: since it's a commercial app, not sure it's ok to paste here but here is the link https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/passepartout-openvpn-client/id1433648537?l=en) So far it has great features but I'm not sure if it's really secure or impacting Air's features in any way. Does anyone use it or have some info about it? Thanks!!
Firefox Unified Browser Profile.Hello. The purpose of this thread is to allow everyone to make themselves less visible on the Internet by having the same exact set of extensions and addons that help form the browser fingerprint as recognized by Panopticlick. https://panopticlick.eff.org/ So first we should look at what Panopticlick finds. Disregard the "number of bits" and instead look at "one in x browsers have this value" and then find the biggest numbers. Usually the "Browser Plugin Details" and "Fonts" are the largest by far. So since there is nothing that can be done to fix the Fonts problem without messing up the entire system, let's instead focus on the Browser Plugin Details. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/betterprivacy/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/canvasblocker/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/classicthemerestorer/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/disconnect/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/form-history-control/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ghostery/ https://code.google.com/p/https-finder/downloads/detail?name=httpsfinder_0.91b.xpi https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/no-google-analytics/ https://www.eff.org/privacybadger https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/requestpolicy/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/self-destructing-cookies/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/ssleuth/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/ https://secure.informaction.com/download/releases/noscript-220.127.116.11.xpi https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-high-definition/ (The last one is not needed, but it is nice not to have to change the resolution every single time you play a video from Youtube. And getting rid of annotations forever is worth it by itself.) Now. That is the list of extensions I have for this profile. Plugins are still a problem. For plugins Firefox 40+ comes with two that probably should never be disabled. I suggest adding Flash, Silverlight, Unity and VLC Web player. (You get the last by installing Videolan and choosing the option.) All plugins that can be set to "Ask to Activate" should be. Any suggestions to make this more useful and private? (And just to clarify, this thread is identical to another I made on the PIA forums a while back. I still think people should make a unified browser profile to combat malicious sites finding what type of system we use. And I welcome input.)
I have an OpenVPN issue. The problem is, I can only switch back and forth once before I am forced to restart my computer due to a completely loss of network capability. For Example: 1. Connect to OpenVPN 2. Disconnect (everything fine) 3. Connect to OpenVPN (network issues) 4. Disconnect (network issues remain) When I say it is "broken" I mean I cannot access any websites or other computers on my local network. When I open a command prompt (Windows 7) and type ipconfig /renew I receive the message: No operation can be performed on Local Area Connection 5 while it has its media disconnected. This is weird because my network adapter is enabled. The only other connection I have is the TAP-Windows Adapter setup by OpenVPN. So I right click and disable that connection. I try the ipconfig command again and this time receive the message: The operation failed as no adapter is in the state permissible for this operation. I tried to disable/re-enable my non-TAP LAN but I receive the same message when I try the ipconfig command again. I find it very weird that the ipconfig command is targeting the TAP when it should be targeting my normal LAN adapter. OpenVPN is also able to connect to the AirVPN servers without issue, despite my network issues. I know very little about OpenVPN so I am completely unsure on how to proceed. Is there anything I can do to reset my network stuff via the command prompt to avoid having to restart my entire computer? Any ideas on what is happening with OpenVPN?


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Aug. 28, 2017 – Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced that START Peninsula, a regional program to foster entrepreneurship, will receive $20,695 in state Building Entrepreneurial Economies grants.
START Peninsula began in 2012 as an informal entrepreneurial startup event held in the fall and produced by the Peninsula Technology Incubator. The now-annual event helps start-up businesses and entrepreneurs refine their pitches and compete for prizes that include cash as well as business counseling, office space and other assistance. It is funded by the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Williamsburg and the counties of James City and York.
The state grant will go toward year-round educational programming to help people refine their businesses aspirations, both small businesses and entrepreneurs. According to the grant application, the goal is to "create greater public awareness of the peninsula's entrepreneurial community network and the infrastructure available to cultivate and support nascent and early-stage entrepreneurs."
"Targeted public sector grants, partnered with private sector investments, can be incredibly helpful in bolstering an enhanced entrepreneurial ecosystem in Virginia," said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore. Six other programs statewide also received grants.
The three new programs will include:
Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce will run the youth program, and Thomas Nelson Community College will provide the adult trainings. This year's START Peninsula event will be Nov. 3-5 at the Stryker Center in Williamsburg. For more information, go to http://www.startpeninsula.com


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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Today's my blogversary
15 comments:
Thank's for sharing yourself with us.
I totally enjoy viewing your creations.
Enjoy your sewing moments!
Happy Blogaversary! You have added a distinctive voice to the sewing community and I'm glad that you are here!ReplyDelete
Many congratulations on your blogversary. I've loved reading about your sewing and admiring the beautiful garments you have made - here's to the next year .......ReplyDelete
Congratulations! I enjoy your blog & love your garments. Keep up the good work!ReplyDelete
Congratulations!!! You started on my wedding anniversary!!!ReplyDelete
Congratulations! I feel the same way I don't have any friends that sew and I get so many great tips from bloggers.ReplyDelete
I love blogging too, and I am so glad that you came along. You do add so much to the community.ReplyDelete
Hooray & Congrats :)ReplyDelete
Congratulations you are a great addition to the bloglandReplyDelete
Congratulations on your Anniversary...wishing you many more happy days of sewing!!!ReplyDelete
Congratulations. You are sew talented!ReplyDelete
Congratulations Lady!ReplyDelete
Coming out of lurkville.
I've enjoyed your sewing and blogging.


text:
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Polimaster 1208M Gamma Detector Watch (Read 2415 times)
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Posts: 119
Polimaster 1208M Gamma Detector Watch
Jul 26
, 2021, 9:14am
I have uploaded Part 1 of the Video Review of this device to the
CarCynic YouTube Channel
This thread will be of discussion of the Polimaster watch dosimeters, including the PM1208, PM1208M, PM1603A,B, as well are the rare vintage/prototype models.
Check back here for:
Part 2 (Note: There will be a delay in the upload of Part 2, as I have determined that the video must be re-shot.)
"Have I Found Anything Radio Active?" -- Reports of things or places that your Gamma Detector Watch has alerted you to.
Links to other forums (mostly in other languages) relevant to the Polimaster or other Geiger Counter Watches
Getting the Polimaster devices that use IRDA connected to a PC (especially using Linux)
General discussion of Gamma Detector/Geiger Counter Watches
To register and participate in this discussion, follow the instructions at the top of this page.
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Re: Polimaster 1208M Gamma Detector Watch
Reply #1 -
Jul 26
, 2021, 9:36am
"Have I Found Anything Radio Active?"
As mentioned in the Videos, the PM1208M is very slow to react to mildly radioactive items placed near it. Attempting to us it for -- as an example -- shopping for radioactive antiques leads to frustration, and standing around antique stores looking like an idiot.
So as of this post -- No -- My PM1208 has not alerted me to any place or item that I didn't already know was radioactive.
However, it did verify that something was radioactive.
I was at MRAM Electronics -- a local Surplus Electronics and Appliance Parts store. The person behind the counter said they had a piece of natural ore that they thought was radioactive -- Much like my "
Piece of Hyperactive Nature
". He handed the rock to me, and after several minutes, My PM1208M verified that the stone was radioactive.
The guy seemed to feel at least a bit "validated" by my independent verification that the stone was delectably radioactive.
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Re: Polimaster 1208M Gamma Detector Watch
Reply #2 -
Jul 29
, 2021, 8:41pm
Part 2 of the Video Review has been uploaded.
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Re: Polimaster 1208M Gamma Detector Watch
Reply #3 -
Aug 20
, 2021, 7:20pm
For completeness, and discussion, I will include the picture of the PM1208M main circuit board as shown in the
review video, part 1
A few notes:
This is the actual circuit board from my watch.
It is interesting to note that the Quartz Watch (Mechanical hands) is powered by a buck supply on the main board. There is a battery compartment in the Quartz watch, but it is empty. A spring (similar to the ones shown, but on the other side of the board) makes contact with the battery terminal at the bottom of the quartz watch battery compartment. The small metal piece that would secure the quartz watch battery in place in the quartz watch is present, but it is secured out of the way. Ground is provided by another contact. This is different than on the PM1208, which requires 2 batteries.
The spring contacts shown on this side (3) are (staring from the lower right, and going counter clockwise): Battery connection, Case ground, and Alarm (Piezo) drive.
In addition to the spring contact on the opposite side of the board that connects to the quartz watch, there are two springs that connect to the electroluminescent backlight. There are also those rubberized contacts that connect the main board to the LCD display. These can be easily broken, and often very finicky in other devices, but fortunately in this watch, I had no problem re-assembling them, and all display segments work correctly.
When I received my watch, the EL backlight did not work. I realized that the two springs were missing. I made some tiny coiled contacts from copper wire, and inserted them into the appropriate holes on the back of the LCD display. While my EL backlight is very dim, it does work, and is adequate to see the display in total darkness. It is my suspicion that they were intentionally not there. They were either not included at the request of the company (or government entity -- perhaps ROSATOM) that purchased PM1208M's, or they were removed later. I suspect this was done to reduce battery replacement from employees operating the backlight too frequently.
I often think about the person my watch was originally issued to, where he worked, what readings it would have indicated, and his fate. Wherever you are -- whatever realm you find yourself in -- I will endeavor to take care of your watch.
Happy and Safe Rad Hunting!
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Re: Polimaster 1208M Gamma Detector Watch
Reply #4 -
Jan 11
, 2022, 4:08pm
As promised, here is a "Have I Found Anything Radioactive" report for the Polimaster 1208M Gamma Detector Watch:
I did find something radioactive, but unfortunately, I cannot tell you about it at this time.
What I can say is the following:
As we know, some buildings are made with materials that contain natural radioactive substances.
This is not limited to drywall. Radioactive materials can be found in the cement used to pour a buildings' floors.
There is no threat at all to the general public from what I found.
Even for people that could be exposed to the radioactivity that I found, levels are well below any level of concern. They are far below levels in other places where people work/live continuously.
There is some evidence that low doses of ionizing radiation can actually be beneficial. See for example:
In this case, the level of radiation above background could be so low as to not have any effect -- even beneficial.
What's the point of posting about something I can't actually report on?
It shows the advantage of having a continuously wearable device that can alert you to acute radiation dose.
It also clearly illustrates the difference between the Polimaster 1208M's reaction time, and it's sensitivity. While it did take the Polimaster 1208M nearly 15 minutes to react to the situation I came across, it clearly showed me I was in an area with a higher than background ionizing radiation level.
I'm not saying everyone needs to run out an buy a PM1280M, or drop $2K for an
MTM Rad Watch
. I also do not get any sponsorship from any radiation detector vendor. However, I do suggest that people purchase a basic alpha, beta, gamma detector device, and use it to explore anyplace then spend significant time. This includes homes, hotels, office or work areas, and prospective new homes.
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With a conviction of driving under the influence in the state of Indiana, you face various penalties, including the suspension of your driver's license.
This is a serious charge. If law enforcement arrests you for DUI, to what extent will a conviction affect your future?
Employment woes
If your job requires a clean driving record, you might find yourself unemployed once the company learns about your DUI conviction. Additionally, finding a new job may be difficult. Most employers do background checks on job applicants and when your DUI conviction turns up, they may consider you a risk and offer the position to someone with a clean record.
Academic concerns
If you are about to apply for college, remember that background checks apply here, too. Some colleges might overlook a first offense, but others will not. A DUI mark on your record will also prevent you from obtaining the certification or state licensing you would need for certain occupations, such as a teacher, doctor or lawyer.
Insurance matters
If you are a first time offender convicted of DUI in Indiana, you can expect license suspension from six months to a year, and longer, if you are a repeat offender. Reinstatement requires proof that you have vehicle insurance. Your current insurer may consider you a high-risk driver and will either cancel your policy or give you a new one that is considerably more expensive. In any case, the insurer must submit proof of your coverage electronically to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
Lost liberties
If your DUI conviction is a felony, you will lose certain personal liberties. You will not be able to vote, obtain a passport or buy a firearm. If you are not a citizen of the United States, you could face deportation. Along with the penalties attached to a DUI conviction, such as fines, possible jail time and license suspension or revocation, it makes sense to consider what could happen if you are arrested for drunk driving. Even if the charge is a misdemeanor, think about the disruption a DUI could make to your life and how it could affect your future.


text:
This is Otis – He came to see us aged 3 months on new years eve after breaking his left tibia following a fall. His fracture was repaired with a plate and screws and after 4 weeks he came back to us for follow up examination. Due to his age Otis the best option for him was to have the implants removed as these may impact of his growth and development in the coming months . Following radiographs and clinical assessment surgery was performed and all the implants were removed.
His owners were so pleased how well Otis has recovered she sent us a short video clip of him of a walk in the woods, commenting "how big Otis is now and how well he moves after we mended his broken leg! I hope you can see he has full range of movement – Thank you to everyone there for what you did for him!"


text:
Nephila clavata L Koch, the Joro Spider of East Asia, newly recorded from North America (Araneae: Nephilidae)
- Published
- Accepted
- Received
- Academic Editor
- Mark Young
- Subject Areas
- Ecology, Entomology, Genetics, Taxonomy, Coupled Natural and Human Systems
- Keywords
- Araneae, Nephilidae, Non-native, Georgia, Description, Diagnosis, Distribution, New record, Citizen science, COI
- Copyright
- © 2015 Hoebeke et al.
- Licence
- This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction and adaptation in any medium and for any purpose provided that it is properly attributed. For attribution, the original author(s), title, publication source (PeerJ) and either DOI or URL of the article must be cited.
- Cite this article
- 2015. Nephila clavata L Koch, the Joro Spider of East Asia, newly recorded from North America (Araneae: Nephilidae) PeerJ 3:e763 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.763
Nephila clavata L Koch, known as the Joro spider and native to East Asia (Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan), is newly reported from North America. Specimens from several locations in northeast Georgia were collected from around residential properties in Barrow, Jackson, and Madison counties in late October and early November 2014. These are the first confirmed records of the species in the New World. Our collections, along with confirmed images provided by private citizens, suggest that the Joro spider is established in northeast Georgia. Genomic sequence data for the COI gene obtained from two specimens conforms to published sequences for N. clavata, providing additional confirmation of species identity. Known collection records are listed and mapped using geocoding. Our observations are summarized along with published background information on biology in Asia and we hypothesize on the invasion history and mode of introduction into North America. Recognition features are given and photographic images of the male and female are provided to aid in their differentiation from the one native species of the genus (Nephila clavipes) in North America.
Golden orb-web spiders of the genus Nephila are pantropical in distribution (Su et al., 2011), exhibit extreme sexual size dimorphism (Kuntner & Coddington, 2009), and construct exceptionally large and impressive orb webs (Kuntner, Gregoric & Li, 2010). Until recently, the genus Nephila has been variously positioned by workers in either the family Araneidae or Tetragnathidae (see Pan et al., 2004). Some morphological, behavorial, and molecular evidence supports the elevation of the subfamily Nephilinae to family rank (Kuntner, 2006; Harvey, Austin & Adams, 2007; Kuntner, Coddington & Hormiga, 2008; Su et al., 2011; Kuntner et al., 2013), while other phylogenetic analyses support the inclusion of Nephila in the monophyletic family Tetragnathidae (Dimitrov & Hormiga, 2009). A recent study of the species composition of the Tetragnathidae and phylogenetic relationships of its various lineages, including Nephila and its relatives (Alvarez-Padilla et al., 2009) concluded that nephilids are not closely related to tetragnathids as previously thought, that their position remains ambiguous, and that genetic analyses found Nephilidae to be sister to the Araneidae.
Since the early 1980s, accelerated global mobility of humans and their commodities, coupled with human-induced habitat destruction, alteration and fragmentation, has allowed countless species of exotic animals and plants to gain a foothold in distant locations (Wheeler & Hoebeke, 2009; Mack et al., 2000). Increasing trade with Asia and other Pacific Rim countries has favored the arrival and establishment of many new insects and other arthropods from the eastern Palearctic Region into North America. Spiders, largely due to their secretive habits and ability to hitchhike on various commodities, linked with the speed with which these items are transported to North American ports, can easily be introduced inadvertently into novel habitats. Detection of these immigrant species can sometimes be challenging and depends on the availability of taxonomists who can accurately identify them. In addition to the utilization of traditional morphological characters for species identification and differentiation, DNA barcoding (i.e., use of a short genetic marker—mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I—in an organism's DNA) has become another important and universal tool in confirming the identity of animals not otherwise easily identifiable (Hebert et al., 2003; Blaxter, 2004; Waugh, 2007).
In this paper, we provide the first collection records and photographic evidence confirming the occurrence of the East Asian N. clavata L Koch in North America. Descriptive notes are given to facilitate the recognition of N. clavata in the Nearctic Region. We review literature on biology and habitat in its native range, and aligned COI sequences recovered in this study are compared with published sequences for Nephila clavata.
Materials and Methods
In late September 2014, one of us (WH) discovered a large, extremely colorful, but unrecognized female spider in an expansive web spun between upper tree branches about 2.5 m above-ground at a site in Madison County (Colbert), Georgia. The spider's identity was confirmed (by ERH) using taxonomic references on Asian spiders (cited herein), examining and comparing the male genital structures (palpal organ) with that illustrated in the primary literature, and by comparing specimens in hand with images posted on the Internet for this common eastern Palearctic species.
This remarkable discovery prompted us to find a way to determine if other people in northeast Georgia had encountered this large, attractive orb-weaving spider. Almost as soon as a press release appeared in a local newspaper in late October—calling attention to the first-time detection of this spider in North America with a color image—we heard almost immediately from several concerned citizens throughout a three-county area of northeast Georgia (Lee, 2014).
Over the course of the next week to 10-days, we had confirmed sightings from at least 9 locations (see locality data under North American records). With the exception of only a few sightings, we were able to collect specimens (females) from all locations. On one occasion at a small community park (Braselton Park) in Braselton, Georgia (November 4), we (ERH and BJF) collected specimens (2 females, 2 males) in webs around the perimeter of a tennis court and along the wooded edge of the park. These are the only 2 males we have found to date.
A genetic analysis (by BJF) involved the sequencing of 2 female specimens from Jackson (GMNHTC 12242) and Madison (GMNHTC 12241) counties. Genomic DNA was extracted from single spider legs previously preserved in 95% ethanol, using a Chelex® 100 Resin and proteinase-k solution, incubated overnite at 55 °C (Casquet, Thebaud & Gillespie, 2012). The cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the primer combinations of LCO1490: 5′-GGTCAACAAATCATAAAGATATATTGG-3' and HCO2198: 5′-TAAACTTCAGGGTGACCAAAAAAATCA-3′ (Folmer et al., 1994; Su et al., 2011), and recovered a 639 base pair fragment with a starting motif of TTGGTACTGCAATAAGAGTA. PCR reactions followed conditions reported in Wares, Gaines & Cunningham (2001). PCR products were assayed by electrophoresis using a 1.0% agarose gel and sequencing was performed by Macrogen (Macrogen, USA; available at https://www.macrogenusa.com/). Sequence files were aligned using CodonCode Aligner, and Geneious version 8.05 (created by Biomatters, available at http://www.geneious.com/) was used to visualize sequence data and compared with published sequences for Nephilidae.
Voucher specimens of N. clavata are deposited in the Collection of Arthropods, Georgia Museum of Natural History (UGCA), and specimens sequenced are also catalogued in the Georgia Museum of Natural History Genomic Collection (GMNHTC) University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia. In addition, an ArcGIS map of collection locations of N. clavata in northeast Georgia is provided.
Nephila clavata L Koch
Spiders of the genus Nephila are found throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world (Kuntner et al., 2013). According to the World Spider Catalog (2014), the genus is comprised of 38 species and subspecies. However, Kuntner (2005) and Kuntner & Coddington (2009) note that of the 150 available species-level names, only 15 Nephila species are actually valid and known globally and that all recent descriptions probably represent synonyms.
In the New World, the genus is represented by only two extant species. Nephila clavipes (L.), often called the "banana spider" or the "golden silk spider," is found throughout Florida, the West Indies, as far north as North Carolina, across the Gulf States, through Central America, and into South America as far south as Argentina (Weems & Edwards, 2004). Nephila sexpunctata Giebel, endemic to the Neotropics, occurs in a limited range in southern South America (Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina).
Nephila clavata, native to East Asia, is referred to as the Joro spider in Japan (Japanese name: jorō-gumo) and the Mudang spider in Korea (Korean name: mudang gumi). Literally translated, "jorō-gumo" means "entangling or binding bride" or alternatively "whore spider," while the Korean name translates to "shaman" or "fortune teller" spider.
Descriptive notes. Nephila clavata females can be readily distinguished from those of our native N. clavipes by their unique coloration (opisthosoma bright yellow when alive, with broad, horizontal bluish-green bands on the dorsum, large red markings on the venter, and long, black legs with yellow-orange bands). In contrast, the female of Nephila clavipes can be readily recognized by its color pattern alone—the silvery carapace, yellow spots on a dull orange to tan cylindrical opisthosoma, brown and orange-banded legs, plus the exaggerated hair brushes on the tibial segment of legs I, II, and IV (Weems & Edwards, 2004). Among other large orb-weaving spiders rivaling N. clavata in size, only the yellow and black garden spider, Argiope aurantia (F.), could be easily confused. However, it differs in body coloration (opisthosoma with striking yellow or orange markings on a black background) and in web architecture (circular web with a dense zigzag of silk, known as a stabilimentum, in the center).
The female (Figs. 1A–1C) of N. clavata can be characterized by the following combination of characters: Length: 17–30 mm; carapace of the prostoma dark brown with dense, golden to silvery-white vestiture; sternum dark brown with a trapezoidal yellow spot in the median area of the anterior half; legs black except for yellow-orange annulations at middle of tibia and at apical two-thirds of femur; base of metatarsus black in some specimens while yellowish at extreme base in others; tarsus varies from black to slightly orangish; palpi yellow-orange, with terminal segment black apically; opisthosoma ovoid-cylindrical with its dorsum (Fig. 1A) bright yellow (when alive) with five narrow to broad bluish-green horizontal bands; venter of opisthosoma (Fig. 1C) with anterior half marked with irregular black-brown oblique stripes and posterior half with two broad, oblique, red markings anterior to the spinnerets.
The male (Fig. 1D) is significantly smaller than the female, measuring only 4–8 mm in length. The prostoma is light brown with two dark brown longitudinal bands on both sides. The opisthosoma is elongate-oval with its dorsum greenish-brown with two yellowish longitudinal stripes on both sides of the dark brown median line. The palpal organ of the male is described and illustrated by Feng (1990: 96, Figs. 2–3); Zhu, Song & Zhang (2003: 76, Fig. 32, I, J); Tanikawa (2007: 95, Figs. 764, 766), and Zhu & Zhang (2011: 194, Fig. 136, I, J).
The anatomical characters given under descriptive notes above are adapted from the translation of Kim, Kim & Lee (1999), Tanikawa (2007), and Zhu & Zhang (2011). Color images of the female, dorsal and lateral aspects, and the male are provided in Yaginuma (1960: 67, Plate 29, Fig. 163).
Distribution. Nephila clavata is found throughout Japan (except the island of Hokkaido), Korea, China, and Taiwan (Kim, Kim & Lee, 1999). The World Spider Catalog (2014) lists the species as occurring from "India to Japan".
Material examined—New North American records (Fig. 2). UNITED STATES: GEORGIA: Barrow Co., Hoschton, 31-x-2014, C. Robbins, 5 females [34.089846, −83.8266]. Jackson Co., Braselton, 31-x-2014, R. Barbani, 2 females & egg sac [34.138962, −83.798877]; Braselton, Braselton Park, 4-xi-2014, GMNHTC 12242, E. R. Hoebeke and B. J. Freeman, 2 females & 2 males [34.1072909, −83.7638141]; Braselton, 9-xi-2014, K. Youngblood (image only) [34.142209, −83.7564699]; Hoschton , 4-xi-2014, C. Glick (image only) [34.064256, −83.693733]; Hoschton, 4-xi-2014, K. and J. Howell, 1 female [34.093613, −83.747015]; Jefferson, 4-xi-2014, C. Hamilton, 1 female [34.097902, −83.6953489]. Madison Co., Colbert, 4-x-2014, GMNHTC 12241, W. Huffmaster, 1 female [34.073869, −83.2742425]; Comer, 7-xi-2014, K. Fields, 1 female [34.0878353, −83.1133751].
Bionomics and habitat. Nephila clavata is univoltine in Japan. Eggs overwinter and spiderlings emerge from the egg cocoons in early June in central Japan (Miyashita, 1986; Miyashita, 1990; Miyashita & Hayashi, 1996). Males reach maturity by late August, and females become sexually mature in September and early October. After mating, oviposition occurs from mid-October to November, resulting in the production of only a single egg sac (Miyashita & Hayashi, 1996). Adult males do not construct their own webs but join females on their webs (Miyashita, 1994; Miyashita & Hayashi, 1996). Females produce large, golden-yellow, basket-shaped webs between tree branches. Females oviposit between 400–500 eggs in a single egg sac (Kim, Kim & Lee, 1999), inside a densely woven silk cocoon that is attached to the bark of trees, on leaves, or upon other human-made structures. Harvey, Austin & Adams (2007) described the production of a non-viscid, dense, silk platform upon which an egg sac is deposited, followed by the placement of a thick layer of bright yellow, loose, flocculent or looped silk over the egg mass. In Korea, spiders are still active until late November. All adults die off with the onset of winter. Kim, Kim & Lee (1999) noted that this species inhabits mountainsides, fields, or is found in urban and non-urban woodland sites in its native habitat. In Japan, spiders are commonly found throughout lowland forests and can also inhabit building spaces in the vicinity of small urban woods (Miyashita, 1990), especially where there is a high degree of human disturbance.
In northeast Georgia, large, mature females were first observed beginning in late September and persisted until mid-November when temperatures began to cool significantly. Most spiders were found in large webs attached to the exterior of homes near porch lights, on wooden decks, or among shrubs and flowering bushes near to homes. At one location in early November, spiders were found in webs attached to small trees and high weeds along a wooded area of a small city park (Braselton Park, Braselton). Here we also found two males in a web with a single female. At one Braselton home site, we found an egg sac, covered by a dense cocoon of silk and guarded by a female, attached to vinyl siding of a home.
DNA barcoding. The two COI sequences recovered in this study were aligned with GenBank Popset (537470784) consisting of forty-four taxa of Orbiculariae (Kuntner et al., 2013) and eight additional sequences for N. clavata retrieved from Genbank (Su et al., 2011; Arabi et al., 2012), and unpublished. A phylogeny (Fig. 3) based on COI sequence data was performed using Mr. Bayes 3.2.2 (Huelsenbeck & Ronquist, 2001) as implemented in Geneious 8.05. The outgroup was the European cave spider Meta menardi (Latreille). Mr. Bayes parameters included the HKY85 substitution model, a run length of 1,100,000 generations, subsampling frequency of 200 and burn-length of 100,000. All Nephila clavata sequences were recovered in a monoplyletic clade with a posterior probability of 1.0. A comparison of aligned sequences for N. clavata revealed two groups with differing haplotypes at positions 309 and 318 with this alignment motif. One group, represented by GenBank accession numbers: KC849082, AY052586, JN032336, HQ441927, JN817136, and AB917973, has Adenine at position 309 and Guanine at position 318, and the second group represented by KJ577713, KP226137, KP226138, HQ441928 and HQ441929 has Guanine at position 309 and Thymine at position 318. Sequences from Georgia specimens GMNHTC 12241 (GenBank KP226137) and GMNHTC 12242 (GenBank KP226138) were identical.
Hundreds of non-native species of animals and plants have been inadvertently introduced into managed landscapes and natural ecosystems of North America. In fact, an estimated 2,000+ species of insects and arachnids have become established in North America over the past half-century and are largely attributable to a dramatic increase in travel and international commerce (OTA, 1993). To date, approximately 60 species of non-native spiders (Araneae) have been detected in North America, with the majority originating from Europe and Asia (a species list of adventive spiders in North America is posted at http://bugguide.net/node/view/32329#Anchor_Araneae). Nephila clavata becomes the newest species to be added to this list of non-native spiders occurring in North America.
Potential pathways of introduction. Accidental human transport of spiders and their egg masses on or within cargo containers, on plant nursery stock and on crates and pallets (Nentwig & Kobelt, 2010), can explain and account for the presence of many European and Asian species in North America. We think this is the probable means of transport by which N. clavata gained entry. If accidental transport of N. clavata were to occur in late August to early October from countries of origin in East Asia, then the spiders' reproduction would be at its height and there would be a greater likelihood that egg sacs might be deposited on structures or plant material being exported.
Country of origin. Sequence data for the COI gene recovered from these Georgia specimens confirms our identity of N. clavata by comparison with published sequences from nine different Asian populations of N. clavata, and suggests that specimens recorded from Georgia are more closely related to sources in China or Japan, rather than Taiwan, based on the unique haplotypes. The Georgia specimens sequenced span the geographical range of our records, suggesting that they share the same source. The Yunan (HQ441928) and Huaining (KJ577713) China specimens are over 1,500 km distant from each other, and the Saitama, Japan population (HQ441929) is over 4,000 km from Yunan, and all of these sequences are identical for about 700 base pairs of COI and share the same variable haplotypes as the Georgia specimens. Specimens from Xiaguan, China (KC849082), Kaohsiung, Taiwan (HQ441927), and unspecified Asian locations (AY052586, JN032336, JN817136, and AB917973) share a different set of variable haplotypes from the Georgia specimens, and also span a similarly broad geographic range.
Dispersal opportunities. Once spider populations have successfully colonized in a given location, individual spider movement might be best explained by the movement of transport vehicles along major rail or road corridors (Nentwig & Kobelt, 2010) or possibly by ballooning of spiderlings in the spring after egg hatch. Ballooning is a behavior by which spiders use air-borne dispersal to move between locations. Depending on mass and posture, a spider might be taken up into upper air streams (Suter, 1992), while its aerial movement would be dependent on convection air currents and on the drag of the silk parachute (Greenstone, Morgan & Hultsh, 1987). Members of the genus Nephila have been suggested by some (Kuntner & Agnarsson, 2011; Su et al., 2011) to be among the best spider dispersers via their ballooning behavior.
A preponderance of sightings and collection of specimens of N. clavata were centered on a restricted area in and around Braselton and Hoschton, Georgia. One property owner in Hoschton indicated that the spider had been present around her home for at the past 4 years. We are not necessarily suggesting that this area represents the probable arrival point of this Asian spider, but it could be argued that the industrial and business history of the region might demonstrate it to be a possibility. The town of Braselton is a thriving business location on the I-85 business corridor, located 64 km northeast of Atlanta. As such, its location on the I-85 corridor provides excellent transportation access. It is home to many warehousing and distribution facilities that transport containerized freight from overseas.
Collection locales in Jackson and Barrow counties (n = 7) are clustered on the I-85 corridor but the Madison county records (n = 2) are located in a rural mixed farm landscape, not adjacent to commercial transportation corridors. The Madison county sites are ca. 50 km due west and downwind from the other Barrow and Jackson county sites. We hypothesize that these downwind sites were colonized by aerial dispersing spiderlings using the prevailing westerly winds and suggest that other populations might be found along this route.


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2018 Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon & 5K
June 24, 2018 @ 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Pounding the Pavement for Preemies, an annual fundraising campaign for Royal Columbian Hospital's Variety Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, raises funds in support of our tiniest and most vulnerable patients. Join us or support the team during this year's Scotiabank Charity Challenge on Sunday, June 24, 2018.
Originally inspired by the Van Marrewyk family, who experienced first-hand the exceptional care from Royal Columbian after the birth of their triplets in 2010, our #NICUStrong team brings together the entire community touched by the tireless work of our neonatal intensive care unit.
Join Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation's team of champions and make a difference in the lives of B.C.'s smallest and most fragile premature babies. Our goal for Pounding the Pavement for Preemies is to raise $100,000 in support of the needs of Royal Columbian Hospital's NICU.
The neonatal team relies on advanced technology to care for hundreds of newborns each year. Your contribution will help purchase some of the NICU's most urgent needs – equipment like a state-of-the-art cardiac ultrasound machine to replace the current system that is more than 15 years old.
Run with our team or simply donate to be a part of making miracles happen every day in our NICU!
Visit our Scotiabank Charity Challenge page to sign up or make your contribution.


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Union Pension Funding Crisis Solution Proposed By Senate Republicans
The Republican proposal includes a new option to partition plans, new actuarial and accounting requirements, and a new PBGC premium structure.
Two influential Republican Senators have published a white paper outlining a proposed plan to address the multiemployer pension funding crisis.
The Senators, Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Senate HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, say their proposal represents a realistic and balanced approach to solving the union pension funding crisis. As PLANSPONSOR has previously reported, union multiemployer pension funds are not universally stressed, but many are.
Data provided by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) shows that around 125 multiemployer plans are in so-called "critical and declining" financial status. Such plans report that they will become insolvent over the next two decades. As pointed out by Senators Grassley and Alexander, several very large union plans—including the United Mine Workers Pension Fund and the Central States Pension Fund—predict that they will become insolvent in the next few years.
Given the severe economic consequence that would be experienced by both union pensioners and the broader economy should a wave of large union pension defaults occur, parties on both sides of the aisle agree legislative action is needed. While it remains to be seen whether Senate Republicans will rally behind this sweeping new proposal, it is clear that Democrats in the House have favored the Butch Lewis Act, which takes a fundamentally different approach to solving this crisis.
Partitions, Co-Payments and Actuarial Honesty
Grassley's and Alexander's sweeping plan is outlined in a white paper published on the Finance Committee website. In simple terms, to help the "sickest plans" recover their financial footing, the proposal creates a special "partition" option for multiemployer plans. The Senators say this is not in fact a new concept. Rather, the proposal would expand on the PBGC's existing authority.
According to the Senators, partitioning permits employers to maintain a financially healthy multiemployer plan by carving out pension benefit liabilities owed to participants who have been "orphaned" by employers who have exited the plan without paying their full share of those liabilities. They argue that removing orphan liabilities allows the original plan to continue to provide benefits in a self-sustaining manner by funding benefits with contributions from current participating employers. In effect, partitioning creates a "healthy pension" that continues to meet all of its obligations to retirees, the Senators say, and a separate "sick pension" that requires attention and assistance from the PBGC.
The Senators say "a limited amount" of additional federal taxpayer funds would be needed to support the PBGC in this capacity. And because taxpayer dollars would be at risk if the sickest plans fail to move to fully funded status, the proposal also includes a number of plan-governance reforms to strengthen multiemployer plans.
To help finance the partition relief and provide a stronger PBGC insurance guarantee to participants in the system, the reform proposal creates a new premium structure. The new structure includes raising the flat-rate premium to $80 per participant in a multiemployer plan, putting the multiemployer program on par with the single-employer guarantee program. The new premium structure also broadens the base on which premiums are assessed to more equitably spread the costs of insuring benefits and to ensure PBGC solvency.
Notably, the new structure applies a co-payment to active workers and retirees. The Senators say that, because of the broader contribution base, the co-payments should turn out to be significantly less than the amount of the typical benefit cuts retirees face under current law if their plan should fail. Older retirees and disabled participants will be protected, according to the Senators.
Among other provisions, the proposed reforms establish a variable-rate premium. This premium, which parallels the variable-rate premium that has long applied to single-employer plans, would be tied to a plan's funding status to manage risks stemming from more poorly funded plans.
Other changes in the new plan would require plan trustees and actuaries to measure and project plan assets and liabilities "more prudently and accurately." Further, the reform proposal also improves the so-called "zone" rules. Plans will be required to look farther into the future when estimating their financial status and institute a form of stress testing to check whether a plan can remain financially sustainable through potential economic and demographic stresses. Depending on its health, plans will have to bolster the steps they take when signs of financial hardship arise.
Looking to the future, the proposal includes a new option for sponsors of multiemployer plans to establish a new hybrid pension plan, called a "composite" plan.
Industry Reaction Is Swift, Cautious
Upon publication of the Senate Republicans' proposal, various retirement industry stakeholders immediately shared their comments. Generally, strong support is being voiced both for the new proposal and for the Butch Lewis Act.
"The issuance of the Senate proposal reflects important progress because, taken together with the Butch Lewis Act, we now have the components of a potential proposal which policymakers, both Democrats and Republicans, can work through on a bipartisan basis to find a solution that they, along with employers and employees, can all support," says Lynn Dudley, American Benefits Council senior vice president, global retirement and compensation.
Annette Guarisco Fildes, president and CEO of The ERISA Industry Committee, shared a similar take: "The ERISA Industry Committee applauds Senators Grassley and Alexander for moving forward to address the crisis in the multiemployer pension system. Since this crisis impacts plan sponsors of all sizes and across the country, it must be addressed comprehensively to ensure the protection of retirement benefits for millions of workers. The Senators' proposal is an important first step to securing comprehensive reform that will benefit the multiemployer pension system."
In offering a more skeptical view, Sean McGarvey, chairman of the National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans, still says his organization "appreciates the time and effort that Chairman Grassley, Chairman Alexander and their staff put into this proposal."
"2019 is a critical year to enact reform legislation to rescue and modernize the multiemployer pension system," he says. "Today's proposal by Chairman's Grassley and Alexander presents punitive requirements on plans, participants, employers, and unions which would cause harm to them and the 85% of the multiemployer system that are successfully meeting their obligations. We look forward to working with a bipartisan group of Senators and Senate leadership over the next four weeks to ensure that reform legislation rescues these failing plans, rescues the PBGC, and reforms the entire multiemployer system. Effective and balanced reform is needed to ensure that the job creating employers of America and their active workforce can continue to be the powerful economic engine for the nation and their families while providing lifetime pensions for blue-collar workers."
Conflict With the Butch Lewis Act?
The Senate Republicans' proposal differs in important respects from the approach taken by the Butch Lewis Act, which was advanced on a party-line vote by the House Ways and Means Committee back in July.
As passed by the committee, the Act would provide funds for 30-year loans and new financial assistance, in the form of grants, to financially troubled multiemployer pension plans. According to the text of the legislation, the program is designed to "operate primarily over the next 30 years."
During the committee debate, Democrats, led by current Chairman Richard Neal of Massachusetts, generally voiced strong support for the Act. They suggest that the dire financial situation faced by some multiemployer pension systems is chiefly due to the Great Recession and long-lasting market challenges that have particularly harmed manufacturing and other blue-collar industries. They say economic conditions in the last two decades have forced many employers that offer these pensions to go insolvent themselves, which in turn left the multiemployer pension plans with fewer and more financially stressed contributing employers.
Republicans, on the other hand, led by Ranking Member Kevin Brady of Texas, were quick to cite their worries about ongoing mismanagement and even maleficence on the part of union leaders and pension trustees. They argue a loan program will do nothing to solve the underlying problems that weakened many of the plans to begin with, and they commonly use the term "bailout" to describe the program.
For their part, Senators Grassley and Alexander do not support the Butch Lewis Act. They shared the following statement about the House's preferred approach: "The House has essentially advanced a pure, no-strings-attached, bailout plan that would give taxpayer funds to plans in the hopes that they can somehow earn returns sufficient to keep them going. But the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office tells us that the House's proposal will not generate sustainability of pension plans or the PBGC. In contrast, the proposal we are releasing today addresses the immediate needs of the few multiemployer plans facing immediate crisis in a manner that protects participant benefits and ensures a sustainable multiemployer pension system for the long haul, all in a fiscally responsible way."
Speaking to this disagreement, Senator Sharrod Brown, D-Ohio, says he is "glad to see Republicans in Congress have come forward with a pensions proposal of their own."
"Just this week, the PBGC made clear that the longer we wait to solve this crisis, the more expensive it gets," Brown says. "I have concerns with some of the provisions put forth by Republicans, but I look forward to working together with Chairman Grassley and Senator Portman to find a bipartisan solution. Wall Street destroyed our economy, and they got a bail out. These workers, retirees and small businesses did everything right. Congress has a responsibility to protect the pensions they worked hard for and earned. We need to act now, before it is too late. Failure is not an option for millions of Americans."
« Could Auto-Enrollment Be a Boost for Government DC Plan Participants?


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Instagram is one of the most popular social networking sites that crossed 400 Million users in late September 2015. This means it beats Twitter. Day and night you can see photos of your favorite celebrities that fill in your feed.
Apart from Instagram's popular following and stardom, some of you might want to use another alternative to Instagram. I do not know why but there are some awesome apps available which are quite popular as well can't match the popularity of Instagram.
Anyways, I am not here to discuss, why Instagram more accessible than many other social networks. Let's just begin with the list of best alternatives to Instagram.
Moreover, Oh yes, on October 6, 2015, Instagram celebrated its 5th Birthday. Kudos to them. And find the most followed celebrities on Instagram.
The apps that I will be listing here as best alternatives to Instagram are wonderful in clicking photos and applying effects to a photo is also easier in many. Moreover, I am sure many of you might be using them already. So, let's begin.
Also see – Best Free Android Apps to Make Money Online Easily & Quickly
1. Flickr – Android, iOS
Flickr (pronounced "flicker") is an image hosting and video hosting website, and web services suite that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, and effectively an online community, the service is widely used by photo researchers and by bloggers to host images that they embed in blogs and social media.
Photos and videos can be accessed from Flickr without the need to register an account but an account must be made in order to upload content onto the website. Registering an account also allows users to create a profile page containing photos and videos that the user has uploaded and also grants the ability to add another Flickr user as a contact. For mobile users, Flickr has official mobile apps for iOS, Android, PlayStation Vita, and Windows Phone operating systems, and an optimised mobile website.
2. Snapseed -�Android, iOS
Snapseed is a photo-editing application produced by Nik Software (a subsidiary of Google) for iOS and Android that allows users to enhance photos and apply digital filters.
Snapseed users can edit pictures using swiping gestures to select different effects and enhancements. Alternatively, users can opt for an "automatic" adjustment of color and contrast. Snapseed can save users' editing history and redirect to any of the actions before. It can also create and save filter combinations by using the default filters and editing features. The list of special effects and filters includes Drama, Grunge, Vintage, Center-focus, Frames, and a Tilt-shift (which resizes photos). Snapseed 2.0 introduced new filters such as lens blur, glamour glow, HDR scape and noir, while also reformatting the tools section with a clearer user interface.
3. Pixlr -�Android, iOS
Pixlr is a cloud-based set of image tools and utilities, including a number of photo editors, a screen grabber browser extension, and a photo sharing service. The suite was intended for non-professionals, however the apps range from simple to advanced photo editing. It can be used on PCs, and on smartphones or tablets using a mobile app.
4. Camera360 Ultimate -�Android, iOS
Over 100 classic filters, become a photography connoisseur have new filter management function, allows you to save, delete and prioritize filters; satisfy your personal preferences.
SLR photography experience, what are you waiting for? Say bye-bye to those old, heavy traditional cameras. This have�Multiple camera modes like Smart scene recognition, Night mode, Double exposure, Multi-grid mode.
5. Camera+ -�iOS�Paid
Camera+ is an app for Apple's iOS mobile operating system developed by tap tap tap. The app serves as an alternative to the standard iOS camera app, primarily adding basic and advanced editing tools (including special effects and lighting filters), an image stabilizer, and integrated sharing with Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter.
Camera+ has received generally positive reception; PC Advisor gave the app 4-and-a-half stars out of 5 and declared it a "must-have" app for iPhone photographers, praising its advanced editing functionality for allowing users to "(make) poor snaps into great photographs that will wow your friends".
6. Hipstamatic Classic -�iOS�Paid
Hipstamatic is a digital photography application for the Apple iPhone and Windows Phone sold by Synthetic Corporation. It uses the phone's camera to allow the user to shoot square photographs, to which it applies a number of software filters to make the images look as though they were taken with a vintage film camera. The user can choose among a number of effects which are presented in the application as simulated lenses, films and flashes. Several of these are included with the application, while others may be acquired through an in-app purchase.
Hipstamatic is part of a retro trend in photography, which has seen a rise in the popularity of cheap and technically obsolete analog cameras (such as Lomography and Polaroid instant cameras), as well as software filters and smartphone software that emulate such cameras. Other vintage photography applications include CameraBag and Instagram. Like Hipstamatic, they often include social networking features. Some phones include similar built-in filters.
7. Adobe Photoshop Express -�Android, iOS
Photo editing made fun, fast, and easy. Touch your way to better-looking iPhone pictures using slide bar adjustments, or let automatic one-touch fixes do it for you.�Adobe Photoshop Mix is a free iPad app for more powerful, non-destructive edits that straighten the perspective of an image, reduce camera blur, apply Content-Aware fill magic and more.
Adobe Photoshop Express is a Flash-based image editing web and mobile application from Adobe used to directly edit photos on blogs and social networking sites, so that users do not have to download or upload images. Similar to Picnik, the application currently works with sites such as Facebook, Flickr, Picasa and Photobucket.
8. Retrica -�Android, iOS
Want to take amazing photos? Stand out from the crowd – make your photos POP! Retrica will transform your photo experience into something truly memorable. Choose how you want to remember that great view from your trip, or that delicious meal you shared with a friend.
With Retrica�s live filters, you can preview how your photos will look, before you even take the photo!�Retrica also comes with trendy logos to make your photos more noticeable. And with over 100 filters, you�ll never run out of options.�More than 100 million photos are taken per day with Retrica.
Set the time interval, and take consecutive photos using the collage feature; it�s like being in a photo booth! Take fun and quirky pictures with your friends.�You have the option to add Retrica�s watermark logo, so everyone can see the fun you�re having with Retrica.
9. PicsArt Photo Studio -�Android,��iOS
Creativity is more than just a photo filter�PicsArt provides you with everything you need to make amazing photo edits, artistic camera shoots, photo collages, create digital drawings, and communicate with other creatives who have joined our mission to beautify the world.
250 million people have already downloaded this free app for powerful image editing and photo montages, using hundreds of tools and effects that you can find only in professional photo editing programs. PicsArt inspires you to create beautiful images anytime, anywhere. Transform your photos into works of art and let the world discover them!


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Shin Yoo-joo, Han Chae-Yoo naked in The Story Of Ong-nyeo
Korean cinema continues to produce sex-laced historical melodramas. Past favorites in this genre include Lost Flower: Eo Woo-dong, The Treacherous, Untold Scandal, A Frozen Flower, The Servant, The Concubine.
Now we can chalk Shin Yoo-joo and Han Chae-yoo up to our list of K-cinema hotties for their scenes in The Story Of Ong-nyeo (2014).
Check out the doggy-style scenes (two of them) and a nice blow job in a bath. Of course, this being Korea, you don't get any full frontals but there's still plenty of naked flesh and thrusting on display.
The Story of Ong-nyeo (2014)
Video Title: The Story of Ong-nyeo
Also Known As: 옹녀뎐 (ong-nyeo-dyeon)
Year: 2014
Director: Kyeong Seok-ho (경석호)
Starring: Han Chae-yoo 한채유, Kang Kyeong-woo 강경우, Sin Yoo-joo 신유주, Kim Tae-hoon-I 김태훈
Bon99 ID: TSOON2014KSH
Country: South Korea
Language: Korean
Genre: 18+ South Korea, Melodrama, Romance
Size: 2.11 GB
Resolution: 1280×720
Length: 01:34:18
Video format: MPEG4
This Summer of 2014, Ong-nyeo outdoes Byeon Gang-soi. The story of the sexiest man and woman in Joseon starts now.
Ong-nyeo is the sexiest woman in Joseon and no man is a match for her. Ong-nyeo (Han Chae-yoo) attracts every man with her beauty and in-bed skills. Then one day, she becomes sexually disabled and is driven out of her hometown. She goes to live alone in the mountains until Byeon Gang-soi (Kang Kyeong-woo) hears about her and thinks she's the perfect match for him, so he begins looking for her…
Shin Yoo-joo, Han Chae-Yoo sex scene in The Story Of Ong-nyeo
Han Chae-young (born Kim Ji-young on September 13, 1980), is a South Korean actress. She is known for her notable roles in several Korean dramas such as Autumn in My Heart, Delightful Girl Choon-Hyang, Only You, Fireworks, Boys Over Flowers, A Man Called God and Pretty Man.
Han Chae-young was born as Kim Ji-young in Daegu, South Korea, but her family soon immigrated to the United States and she spent her childhood years in a Chicago suburb, where she attended Glenbrook South High School. During one of her visits to Korea, she was reportedly discovered by a famed Korean comedian who suggested that she put her college plans on hold and try acting.


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[ Jocelyn Ireson-Paine's Home Page | Ducks animation as an OGV video | Ducks animation as an animated GIF | Contact ]
I based the program below on the Pyret flight lander game. However, I've chosen variable names that I think easier to understand. I've also extended the world state so that it contains some other types of information, and I've animated one of my cartoons, to show that there's nothing special about the images used in animations. Copy the code below and paste it into the online Pyret editor, and you should be able to run it. You'll need to click the "Start Coding" button on the above page. There's a nice explanation of how Pyret worlds and animations work in http://www.bootstrapworld.org/materials/spring2016/courses/bs2/units/unit4/index.html, "Unit 4: Welcome to the World".
The top of this page links to a video of an animation, shown both as a .ogv file and an animated GIF. To make the .ogv file, I used RecordMyDesktop as described in its user guide, delineating Pyret's "Big Bang" window (which is where it shows animations) as the region to be videoed. I then converted the .ogv file to JPEGs and then an animated GIF as described in the AskUbuntu thread "How to create animated GIF images of a screencast?", using these commands:
mplayer -ao null ducks.ogv -vo jpeg:outdir=output convert output/* -layers Optimize output.gif
Here, finally, is my Pyret program:
import image as I import world as W # # These import the libraries that # provide operations for handling # images and worlds. See # https://www.pyret.org/docs/latest/Tutorial__A_Flight_Lander_Game.html#%28part._.Preliminaries%29 . DUCK1-URL = "http://www.j-paine.org/pyret/duck1.png" DUCK1 = I.image-url( DUCK1-URL ) # # The URL of our picture of duck 1, # and the picture itself. I've taken this # and the other pictures (apart from the # "GULP!" caption) from # http://www.jocelyns-cartoons.co.uk/cartoons2/duck_and_orange.html . DUCK2-URL = "http://www.j-paine.org/pyret/duck2.png" DUCK2 = I.image-url( DUCK2-URL ) # # The URL of our picture of duck 2, # and the picture itself. ORANGE-ON-BRANCH-URL = "http://www.j-paine.org/pyret/orange.png" ORANGE-ON-BRANCH = I.image-url( ORANGE-ON-BRANCH-URL ) # # The orange on a branch. EATEN-ORANGE-ON-BRANCH-URL = "http://www.j-paine.org/pyret/eaten_orange.png" EATEN-ORANGE-ON-BRANCH = I.image-url( EATEN-ORANGE-ON-BRANCH-URL ) # # The branch once the orange has been eaten. GULP-URL = "http://www.j-paine.org/pyret/gulp.png" GULP = I.image-url( GULP-URL ) # # The "GULP!" caption. BACKGROUND-URL = "http://www.j-paine.org/pyret/background.png" BACKGROUND = I.image-url( BACKGROUND-URL ) # # The background, consisting of two islands in a # pond. DUCK1-X-INIT = 220 DUCK1-Y-INIT = 280 # # Duck 1's initial coordinates. These are the coordinates # of the centre of the rectangle enclosing the duck # in http://www.jocelyns-cartoons.co.uk/cartoons2/duck_and_orange.html . DUCK1-X-CHANGE = 0.3 DUCK1-Y-CHANGE = -0.3 # # How much duck 1 moves to the right # and up on every clock tick. DUCK2-X-INIT = 515 DUCK2-Y-INIT = 289 # # Duck 2's initial coordinates. ORANGE-X = 387 ORANGE-Y = 104 # # The coordinates of the orange. EATEN-ORANGE-X = 392 EATEN-ORANGE-Y = 90 # # The coordinates of the eaten orange. GULP-X = 387 GULP-Y = 104 # # The coordinates of the "GULP!" caption. data WorldState: | world-state( duck1-x, duck1-y, duck1-time-since-starts-eating, duck1-is-gulping, duck2-x, duck2-y, orange-is-there ) end # # The world state. This contains: duck 1's coordinates; # the time in ticks since it starts eating the # orange, or the string "N/A" if it hasn't yet; # whether it is saying "GULP!"; duck 2's # coordinates; and whether the orange is there # (i.e. hasn't been eaten). fun numbers-are-near( x1, x2 ): delta = x1 - x2 num-abs( delta ) < 100 end # # An auxiliary function called by 'is-near'. Returns # true if the difference between x1 and x2 is less # than 100. fun is-near( x1, y1, x2, y2 ): numbers-are-near( x1, y1 ) and numbers-are-near( y1, y2 ) end # # Called to determine whether the duck is near the # orange. Returns true if its x and y coordinates # are both less than 100 from the orange's. fun duck1-is-at-orange( ws ): is-near( ws.duck1-x, ws.duck1-y, ORANGE-X, ORANGE-Y ) end # # Given the world state, returns true if duck1 # is roughly at the same position as the orange, # false otherwise. fun new-world-state( ws ): starts-eating = ws.orange-is-there and duck1-is-at-orange( ws ) orange-still-there = ws.orange-is-there and not( starts-eating ) time-since-starts-eating = if starts-eating: 0 else if ws.duck1-time-since-starts-eating == "N/A": "N/A" else: ws.duck1-time-since-starts-eating + 1 end gulping = not( time-since-starts-eating == "N/A" ) and ( time-since-starts-eating < 200 ) world-state( ws.duck1-x + DUCK1-X-CHANGE, ws.duck1-y + DUCK1-Y-CHANGE, time-since-starts-eating, gulping, ws.duck2-x, ws.duck2-y, orange-still-there ) end # # Given the world state on one # tick, returns it updated. Updates are to: # the position of the ducks (in this version, # duck 2 doesn't move); the time since # duck 1 started eating; whether it is # saying "GULP!"; and whether the orange # is still there. fun draw-world-state( ws ): background-with-duck1 = I.place-image( DUCK1, ws.duck1-x, ws.duck1-y, BACKGROUND ) background-with-ducks = I.place-image( DUCK2, ws.duck2-x, ws.duck2-y, background-with-duck1 ) background-with-ducks-and-orange = if ws.orange-is-there: I.place-image( ORANGE-ON-BRANCH, ORANGE-X, ORANGE-Y, background-with-ducks ) else: I.place-image( EATEN-ORANGE-ON-BRANCH, EATEN-ORANGE-X, EATEN-ORANGE-Y, background-with-ducks ) end background-with-ducks-and-orange-and-gulp = if ws.duck1-is-gulping: I.place-image( GULP, GULP-X, GULP-Y, background-with-ducks-and-orange ) else: background-with-ducks-and-orange end I.scale( 0.50, background-with-ducks-and-orange-and-gulp ) end # # Given the world state, returns a # picture of it. This entails: placing the ducks in their # correct positions; placing either the orange or the # eaten orange; and placing the "GULP!" if duck 1 is # saying it. W.big-bang( world-state(DUCK1-X-INIT,DUCK1-Y-INIT,"N/A", false, DUCK2-X-INIT,DUCK2-Y-INIT,true), [list: W.on-tick( new-world-state ), W.to-draw( draw-world-state ) ] ) # # Makes an animation. Initially, this # makes a world state which is 0. Then # on every clock tick, it makes a new # world state by calling new-world-state # on the old one. It also calls # draw-world-state to # convert the state to an image and # make it the next frame in our # animation. See # https://www.pyret.org/docs/latest/Tutorial__A_Flight_Lander_Game.html#%28part._.Observing_.Time__and_.Combining_the_.Pieces_%29 .


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Investing in Web3, the supposedly "transformative" environment of blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies, continues to be a revolutionary new way to lose a whole lot of money.
A study from the Federal Trade Commission released Friday shows that Americans have lost over $1 billion to crypto-related scams since January 2021. In raw numbers, that's over 46,000 people who say they have been ripped off—usually with the promise of a fake "investment opportunity" in some sort of Web3-related nonsense. The median amount of cash that got yanked in each individual case was approximately $2,600, the report says, which collected data on reported losses between January 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022.
The rate of ripoffs has been skyrocketing, too: all told, the losses accrued during that 15 month period were some 60 times higher than those reported in 2018. The upsurge is apparently so bad that about one in four dollars stolen via fraud is taken using crypto, according to the report.
In a departure from other cybercrime trends, the FTC notes that younger people—specifically people in their thirties—are the most likely to fall for these kinds of scams. However, older victims have tended to lose more money per incident, with the average individual payout for people in their seventies hovering around $11,708, the report says. The top cryptocurrencies that victims said they used to pay their scammers were Bitcoin, Tether, and Ether.
"Crypto has several features that are attractive to scammers," the FTC report notes. "There's no bank or other centralized authority to flag suspicious transactions and attempt to stop fraud before it happens. Crypto transfers can't be reversed – once the money's gone, there's no getting it back. And most people are still unfamiliar with how crypto works."
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A little over half of the money lost—or $575 million—has gone to "investment scams," where a supposed web3 entrepreneur reaches out to a target under the pretense of offering them a good deal on an emergent alt-coin or other phony "opportunity." After bilking them for the fake offering, the scammer then proceeds to run off with the target's investment cash. A majority of Americans who fell for these scams said that it started with an advertisement or solicitation posted to social media—usually Instagram or Facebook—and then escalated into promises of "easy money." Of course, the only easy money that ends up getting produced is the money sent from the victim to the scammer.
Another $185 million was reportedly lost last year to "romance" scams—schemes wherein a victim gets mixed up with a crypto swindler via online dating. Meanwhile, an additional $133 million was lost to "business and government impersonation" scams, wherein cybercriminals pretended to be authority figures and then made up bizarre justifications for why a victim needed to invest in cryptocurrency.
It should be noted that these are definitely not the only crypto-related ways to lose a ton of cash! Don't forget that the occasional hacking episode directed at your DAO, exchange, or "beanstalk" can lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. Also, sometimes (read: a lot of the time), digital currency just ends up being a lousy investment!
Click Here For The Original Source.


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How to Clean Your Dab Rig After Each Use
While every dab rig, bong, pipe, and even grinder can use a full and regular cleaning, there are also ways to keep pieces looking and functioning like new in between uses. This is especially important when it comes to dab rigs, which can accumulate gunk quicker than you'd think. It's important to know not only how to do a deep cleanse of your dab rig, but also how to clean your dab rig after every use to keep it from turning into a scary, resin- and concentrate-covered nightmare.
Change Your Water
First off, you've got to change the water frequently. Too many dab rigs get abandoned overnight or for even longer with a brown puddle of used water, which can leave a grimy ring around the edge of the rig's base. While those rings can be cleaned with the help of some 91% isopropyl alcohol and a toothbrush, pipe cleaners, or pipe brush, why suffer the displeasures of dabbing with dirty water to begin with? If you're diligent about changing the water and keeping the rig empty when you're not using it, you shouldn't have too much of a buildup issue. And this advice goes for any water-containing piece: dab rigs, bongs, bubblers, and so forth. A casual way of cleaning the body of the dab rig in between uses is to fill up the base with some warm water and swirl it around. This can help loosen up residue if it does start to build up, but beware that you'll probably have to clean your sink after dumping the water out.
Filtered water is reportedly best when it comes to keeping your dab rig clean, because spring and tap water can leave hard water stains on your bong that can be difficult to deal with when the bigger cleans roll around.
Take Care of Your Nails
When it comes to the dabbing nail, the same rules apply: clean it regularly and deep clean when needed. Cleaning techniques depend on what the nail is made of: for instance, you don't want to use alcohol when cleaning a titanium dab nail because of the porous nature of the material. To clean titanium dabbing nails, just heat up the nail and scrape the residue off with a dabber tool or nylon pipe cleaner. Some people even swear by heating alone, depending on how much residue there is (there shouldn't be much if you're doing this regularly and dabbing at a lower temperature).
Quartz nails are different in that they can be damaged if they're scraped like a titanium nail. Instead, keep those clean using something called the Q-Tip Technique, or Q-Tip Tech. It's a simple way to preserve the quality of your quartz nails: simply take a cotton swab and swish it around your nail after a dab. Let it cool down a little so that the swab doesn't burn, but not so much that the concentrate starts to solidify and just sticks to the cotton. Some people choose to dip the cotton swab in 91% isopropyl alcohol, which works more effectively at cleaning up than just a plain cotton swab, but others prefer to use cotton alone in order to "season" the quartz nail. The alcohol will be burned off next time the nail is heated up, making the process non-toxic.
Using a cotton swab with a pointed tip, like a crafting swab, makes it much easier to get into the edges and crevices of bangers. They're especially helpful with thermal bangers, which have a tighter area to clean. Using the Q-Tip Tech on an e-nail is similar, but doesn't involve applying alcohol. Just take a cotton swab and spin it around the side of your nail, gathering up the leftover concentrate. Firing up the remaining oil can result in the development of a crust on the nail and is something that's best to avoid.
If you're not using a thermal banger, you might be used to the problem of reclaim, or unvaporized concentrate, being stuck in the joint of your piece. This can be cleaned using 91% isopropyl alcohol or a suitably-shaped dabbing tool and can otherwise be heated out if you're looking to save some of the reclaim.
If you're trying to keep your nail looking its best, consider low-temperature dabbing, which takes firing up the nail and letting it cool down to the 300-450 degree Fahrenheit range before hitting the dab. High-temperature dabbing, around 800 degrees Fahrenheit, can cause the combustion of concentrates and actually affect the quality and stability of the nail, especially with quartz which reacts to the process by building up extra crystal layers in a process called devitrification. This can break down the quality of the quartz crystal and eventually lead to cloudiness and breakage. Check out the pros and cons of both dab temperature ranges.
There are a number of ways to take care for your dab rig in between uses. You don't have to wait for the "big clean" to polish up your setup; keep it looking fresh with the regular use of just these few tips.


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During this hectic holiday season, Free Spirits are reflecting on the past year and the people who made it memorable. We have welcomed wonderful new authors and illustrators into our publishing family; learned so much from you, our readers; and entered into our 35th year of business. Thank you for making Free Spirit all that it is! We wish you happy holidays and a hopeful New Year.
The entire staff at Free Spirit Publishing is heading home this week to celebrate and recharge. We'll be back to blogging Tuesday, January 2, with a post from Andrew Hawk on helping students with learning differences succeed by setting short-term and long-term goals.
We welcome your comments and suggestions. Share your comments, stories, and ideas below, or contact us. All comments will be approved before posting, and are subject to our comment and privacy policies.