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Jhené Aiko Tells Us How She Gets Her Distractingly Good Skin
Apparently she's not letting anybody stress her out
When Jhené Aiko shared her skin-care routine in early 2018, she damn near broke the internet. Her pore-less mug — documented via makeup-less selfies on the 'gram — has long been the fascination of fans and skin-care enthusiasts alike, so when she shared everything she uses down to the moisturizer, everyone was quick to take notes. Her laundry list of products and in-office treatments read like something out of a Reddit SkincareAddiction thread: a customized cocktail of collagen pills, pricy serums and Fraxel, an intense laser treatment that completely resurfaces the skin. But that was last year. These days Aiko says her routine is much simpler, heavy on vegetables, natural products, and custom skin-care concoctions she mixes up herself. Whatever she's doing, it's working, because when we meet to chat about her new gig as the face of Kat Von D Beauty's Total Portrait Foundation, I can't stop staring at her skin.
True Portrait only enhances it, the medium coverage formula giving her skin an ultra-perfect gleam. For Aiko, it was love at first swatch. The serum-y texture makes it easy to apply (she uses her fingers), and dries down to a matte finish. Plus, she doesn't have to mix and match to get her perfect shade, which is new for Aiko. "It looked like my shade in the bottle and when I put it on it was perfect," she shared, "I didn't even have to try the other samples that they sent me...It's hard to find something that matches without having to add to it," she continued.
Better yet it works with, not against, her skin-care routine, which she spilled the tea on, ahead.
What's your skin-care routine like?
My skin is sensitive, so I try to stick to the more natural products. I love chamomile, lavender, calendula, neem oil. I always have to customize it depending on the season or if I'm stressed out or if I'm hydrated or not. One of the main things for me is getting a lot of sleep and drinking a lot of water and keeping my stress levels down because it'll show up on my skin.
Does your skin-care routine change when you're on tour?
It changes all the time. I have to bring my whole bathroom on tour because it all depends. If it's humid or it's dry, or it's cold or it's hot, my skin responds to everything, which is why I like to mix up my own concoctions a lot. With more natural stuff, it's easier to do that.
Do you have one thing that saves your skin?
Honestly, taking naps. I'll wash my face, put on a serum, and take a 20-minute nap. I think it has to do with resting, but when I wake up, my skin feels supple, and there's a glow to it.
How do you find time for self-care? I know you have a busy schedule.
I just take every moment that I can to breathe consciously and be mindful of my breath. Turning off my phone, putting it on Do Not Disturb mode. We actually do have a lot of time to ourselves. I think when we're always on our phones, we can feel like there's a lot going on with answering emails or [being] on social media. But if you really took the time to just be in your bed and not on your phone, you'll notice there are a lot of moments that you can just have for yourself. That has helped a lot.
When did you first understand yourself to be beautiful?
When I had my daughter. I just saw how beautiful she was. When I first held her in my hands, I cried because she was so beautiful. Being a mom, my daughter could come home from school looking crazy, and she's always going to look beautiful to me. She made me realize, 'Oh I made you,' and she looks so much like me when I was younger. She's made me aware of how well I treat myself too. I have to lead by example and show her that I'm comfortable in my own skin. Through her, I see so much of myself. It's deeper than skin-deep. It's the whole person that makes someone beautiful and all the unique qualities, not just the appearance. She's helped me see the beauty in everyone everywhere.
What are some ways you've helped her feel beautiful?
I let her know that she's beautiful. She has really thick, curly hair, and I love it. I'm always telling her, "You have beautiful hair." A few years ago, she wanted it to be straightened, she mentioned some stuff about blonde hair, and I let her know, "You have such beautiful, strong hair. People would love to have your hair." Even when she's playing makeup, I'm like, "This is cute, you look good, but you don't need it."
My mom didn't let me touch my eyebrows. I was bushy as hell for a long, long time.
I was the youngest, so I was under the radar a lot. I could just do things. It was more so my older sisters who would say, "Who did that to you?" and I would be like, "Me!" I had a unibrow, so once I took a razor and just shaved down the middle. My eyebrows were super far apart. I thought that was how you did it.
Any beauty lessons you're teaching your daughter intentionally or unintentionally?
Water, vegetables, take your vitamin C. Wash your face. I make her wash her face when she gets home from school, and before she goes to sleep I have her wash her face. Sometimes I can tell she didn't really wash her face so I wash her face for her. She actually got her first facial a few weeks ago. Just hygiene. Wash your hands. I'm on her about all of that. She won't wash her hands and touch her face, and now she has a little breakout, and I'm like, "See?!"


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Ecologel Solutions LLC., a premier developer and manufacturer of innovative products for plant science and water conservation, announced AquaGain Ltd. as the exclusive distributor for Hydretain® products in the UK, Channel Islands, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
Hydretain is a unique water management technology that has, through university and independent trials, proven to reduce overall watering requirements for ornamental plants, shrubs, trees, turf, and agriculture by as much as 50% or more.
AquaGain Ltd. was formed in the spring of 2019 with the objective of becoming the leading moisture management business for retail and commercial applications in the UK, the Channel Islands, Ireland and the Isle of Man. To achieve this goal, they stated that it was essential to partner with Ecologel Solutions LLC., a global leader in the manufacture of environmentally sound horticultural solutions.
"After taking the time to familiarise myself with the advantages and versatility of Hydretain®, I called Rick Irwin at Ecologel Solutions, which opened up channels to large volumes of amazingly valuable marketing and research information, and testimony to the rapid and successful growth in the USA said AquaGain co-founder Peter Clark. "It was a 'no brainer' decision to set up a UK company with my colleague, Andy Somers, who has 30+ years sales experience, and who is also looking forward to working with Ecologel to gain a better understanding of Hydretain® and the varied needs of the turf, crop, and plant growers."
"We are excited about this opportunity with AquaGain Ltd. to expand our distribution in the UK and to bring the many benefits of Hydretain® to the marketplace. We look forward to partnering with them to unleash a unique and highly successful product to an untapped market," said Ecologel President, Rick Irwin. "We also value the experience the company's co-founders, Peter Clark and Andy Somers bring with them."
Peter Clark is a third-generation horticulturist, who first encountered Hydretain several years ago when working with a major horticultural mail order business. He was seeking a more environmentally safe product to replace water-absorbing polymers in hanging baskets and containers, with the objective of safely making plants last longer without water; a critical gardening and growing issue. Hydretain manages soil moisture between watering cycles and/or rainfall, reduces drought stress, and provides many other benefits such as, increased seed germination, enhanced nutrient and pesticide efficiency, sod establishment, extended flower life and maximized crop production.
Ecologel and AquaGain's initial target market will be UK golf courses, of which there are approximately 2,500 and they plan to extend their reach to cricket, tennis, rugby, football, schools, race courses, nursery/garden centers and commercial turf care operatives. They feel that the timing is right for AquaGain with well documented global water supply problems, as well as documented global warming, and the 2018 UK drought fresh in everyone's memory.
The initial agreement is for the Hydretain range of water conservation products, but as they grow, AquaGain plans to extend their range to include Ecologel's nutrient supplements, dust control, pond management, and other unique technologies. Although Hydretain was not previously available for distribution in the UK, it is REACH compliant in both granular and liquid forms.
"Hydretain is the ideal solution for those who need to improve watering efficiency, reduce labor costs, or improve landscape quality while conserving water," said Irwin. "The goal," added Clark and Somers "is to promote the use of existing skills and labor with an extremely simple to use the product. We aim to reduce the number of canceled sports fixtures and transform the look and yield of flowers, plants, and crops.
Furthermore, we hope to reduce watering bills by 50% within one billing period, not to mention inevitable labor gains."
About Ecologel:
Ecologel Solutions LLC is a long-standing, premier developer and manufacturer of innovative products for water conservation, dust mitigation, plant nutrition, pond and lake management, and protective barrier treatments. In 2018 Ecologel partnered with Arborjet, Inc. to offer an expanded lineup of environmentally responsible plant healthcare products that broaden the expert resources they provide.
Arborjet is the leading plant health care company focused on providing the most effective formulations and delivery systems to protect trees, shrubs, and plants from a wide variety of insects, diseases, and nutritional concerns.
Together, both companies are backed by years of research and provide the most effective and environmentally responsible treatment options available anywhere. As premier solutions providers, they are committed to advancing the industries they serve through thought leadership, product and technology development, scientific research, and exceptional customer service.

subset: commoncrawl


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Wireless point-of-sale provider B2B Soft has added Canadian-based custom software solutions maker Arzosoft to its business partnerships, the company said.
This new relationship extends B2B Soft´s ability to offer wireless retailers fully integrated POS solutions and, ultimately, help retailers not only save money, but also recover it.
Arzosoft´s LINK system eliminates the need for wireless retailers to access different accounts to retrieve transactions, a time-consuming, onerous process.
Merged with B2B Soft´s solutions, ArzoSoft will automatically correlate POS data, Calidus commission data, bank accounts, and Quick Books to provide a daily, easy to use report showing exactly where the dealer stands financially. The highly detailed reports give retailers all the information they need to troubleshoot variances and discrepancies with cash deposits, credit cards, and commissions, and to be more proactive in maintaining transactional integrity.
B2B Soft develops innovative software solutions for wireless and general retail markets and provides consulting services that enable growth and drive business success. With over a decade of proven experience in wireless retail, B2B Soft is a leader in building enterprise point of sale solutions that improve management and operational processes while helping companies engage their customers by providing a superior customer experience.
Established in 1999, Arzosoft Inc. is a technology and a software company that provides custom software solutions to businesses throughout North America.
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Starting Pathway Retirement Resources, LLC began with the mission of providing superior customer service and state-of-the-art plan administration. It was with the goal of preserving our mission that we decided to partner with the Loren D. Stark Company going forward.
It is with great pleasure we write you today to welcome you to the Loren D. Stark Company.
The partnership between Loren D. Stark Company and Pathway Retirement Resources brings a new workflow dynamic and a highly robust support and administration system.
While the perception may be of change, we want to emphasize how much will stay the same. Our decision to partner with Loren D. Stark Company was based on their values being analogous to what we believe at Pathway Retirement Resources. Ultimately, we both understand the people who surround you are what make an organization unique. You will not experience a change in your primary plan contact and we will continue on as before with an emphasis on enhancing client relationships and developing new business.
This partnership brings technological modifications to your existing service and makes available industry resources by means of ERISA attorneys, Actuaries, and many additional well‐credentialed professionals.
We look forward to our continued relationship and welcome your feedback.
Our best!


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Ever notice your hydraulic elevator acting a little sluggish in cold weather? The problem is likely because the hydraulic oil that operates the elevator is too cool and needs to be kept warm, ideally at a temperature range between 100 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hydraulic elevators work by forcing pressurized fluid through a valve into a steel cylinder located above or below ground. This pressure forces a piston to rise, lifting the elevator platform and car. When the elevator doesn't run, the hydraulic oil cools down and becomes thick and gummy, which can cause rough starts, bumpy rides, leveling problems and unnecessary strain on equipment.
The temperatures outside or in the machine room can also impact oil temperature. If either environment is very cold, changes in oil viscosity are more apparent. When not in use, the oil within the elevator's tank will try to reach equilibrium between its temperature and that of its surrounding environment.
One way to keep the oil warm are tank heaters inside the oil tanks of hydraulic elevators. They heat and thin the oil to prevent rough starts and less-than-smooth operation. Heaters keep the hydraulic oil in your elevator at a consistently warm temperature with a built-in, fixed thermostat.
This thermostat controls the oil temperature so that it never falls below its optimal functioning level of at or around 100 degrees. If the thermostat of the oil dips down below 90 degrees, the thermostat closes and the tank heater engages. The tank heater will continue heating the oil until it gets to 110 degrees. At 110 degrees, the thermostat will open and the tank heater will stop heating the oil.
Ambient temperatures are just one of the building conditions that can affect elevator performance. To see a list of other factors, download the list from the National Elevator Industry, Inc.


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Tall annual, up to 120 cm, with deep blue flowers concentrated at the top of the plants. Usually appear in large clusters, but very impressive as a single plant among the small weeds and low bushes. It is easy to identify by its special leaves and unique inflorescence. The large seeds germinate in autumn after the first rains. The large digitate leaves have six to 10 spatulate lobes densely covered by soft white hairs. Rain drops tend to get caught by these hairs and decorate the leaves with shining spots.
The leaves of this species, as those of the other lupine species track the sun movement in the sky. In the morning they are turned Eastward towards the rising sun. And during the day the leaflets turn to face the sun all the time until they face Westward as the sun sets. During the night the leaves turn back to be ready for the rising sun the next morning. When the sky is cloudy and the sun rays do not reach the plants, the leaflets maintain a horizontal position facing upwards. The leaflets movement is enabled by changes in the volume of cells in a special organ called pulvinus at the base of each leaflet. In cases of drought the leaf movement stops and in severe instances the leaflets fold along their central vein. This mechanist of sun-tracking, heliotropism in Greek, is exhibited also by species of mallows, Malva and Lavatera. It was studied by Prof. Dov Koler and his students at The Hebrew University. The hypothesis is that this mechanism increases eh absorption of sunlight by the winter annuals that grow in semi-arid habitats and must take advantage of the short rainy season for fast growth and seed production.
The blue lupines bloom in Israel from February until May. The flowers are concentrated in a dense cluster at the top of the erect branches made of 4 to 8 whorls, 5 flowers in each whorl. The older flowers in the lower whorls open first and the other whorls follow consecutively toward the single flower at the top. The petals color is deep blue, a rare color among flowers in Israel and especially in this family of plants. The flowers have 5 petals that form a sailboat-like structure with a wide spinnaker that has a vertical stripe in the middle. This stripe is white at first and turns red after the flower has been pollinated, supposedly signaling coming bees to go to other flowers. There are rare plants of this species with pink or purple flowers instead of blue.
The evolutionary explanation for this phenomenon is that it maximizes the benefits of insect services to the plant by preventing ineffective visits in flowers that have already been pollinated, directing the insects to the yet un-pollinated flowers.
In this type of boat-like flowers all the anthers are hidden inside the 'keel' formed by two petals. When the insect lands o the flower and pushed its way toward its center the pollen is released gradually like the toothpaste from a tube, a small amount for each insect. The flowers do not, have nectar and the insects, especially bees, visit them in order to collect the pollen.
Blue lupines grow in large dense clusters which may be the result of the dispersal of the heavy seeds to short distances. The seed contain large amounts of reserves that ensure success of the seedlings which develop close to one another. The pod is thick and turns from light green to light brown when ripe. It is also covered with dense short soft white hairs. The ripe pods break at the seams and its two parts twist rapidly catapulting the seeds to a distance of about 1 m.
In Israel it appears from the upper Galilee to the Judea Mountains.
Certain lupine species are cultivated and used as fodder or human food. The seeds are boiled several times before served, in order to neutralize the toxins they contain and reduce their bitterness. The lareg seeds are rich in proteins and other nutritious compounds.
There are 200-3030 lupine species in the world most of them in the Americas, from which some species were transferred to other continents and became invasive in Northern Europe and in New-Zealand. In Israel there are 4 more lupine species.
Written by Mike Livneh


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FROM her dazzling gowns to her savvy high street buys and even recycling her look, Kate Middleton is the ultimate queen of fashion.
Matches of her outfits sell out within minutes and Google searches for the Duchess of Cambridge number in the millions every month.
Hashtags including #KateMiddletonStyle and #KateMiddletonFashion account for 1.3million monthly Instagram posts linked to her, according to digital marketplace Design Bundles.
The duchess, who turns 40 on Sunday, has been known to boost a designer's popularity tenfold by stepping out in one of their outfits.
Eleanor Jayne, 30, an investment manager, has been copying Kate's look for five years and has spent £3,000 imitating her fashion choices.
The mum of one, who lives in Cambridge with her 35-year-old husband and their son Freddie, born in December, is a so-called 'Repli-Kate' — a nickname coined by super-fans who share their obsession with her online.
Eleanor says: "I've always been a big fan of Kate Middleton because she carries herself and dresses very well. She also does a good job of pairing designer clothes with high street fashion, which I really like.
"When I started working in finance ten years ago, there wasn't much inspiration for women's outfits in a formal office job.
"I started copying Kate's looks that I saw her wearing on TV and in magazines.
"Kate made midi dresses and heels cool and her look is perfect for work because it's comfortable yet stylish. If she wears a gorgeous midi dress, I'll always hunt for it afterwards.
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"Five years ago, she wore a pink dress from Hobbs and it sold out instantly. I remember trawling eBay for hours trying to find it but I never did — I was gutted."
As well as owning ten identical outfits worn by Kate herself, Eleanor models all of her outfits on the Duchess and even replicates her hairstyles, including her bouncy blow-dry or half-up-half-down dos.
When she spots an item of clothing on Kate that she wants to copy, she sets up online alerts to ensure she doesn't miss out.
Eleanor says: "Most of my clothes are inspired by her. I'll set up an alert on the second-hand shops for 'blue midi dress, Coast' or whatever she's wearing. eBay, Vinted and Vestiaire are my favourite websites.
Vestiaire sells second-hand designer clothes and it's good because it covers lots of different countries.
"In England Kate's clothes sell out straight away but sometimes they're a little slower abroad, which means I can get them shipped over from countries like France.
"Since Kate started getting a bouncy blow-dry, I've copied that too. It's how me and all my friends do our hair now."
Among Eleanor's Duchess-inspired wardrobe is a pair of £229 court shoes from LK Bennett, Aquatalia Pasha pumps that cost £220, and a £39.50 M&S printed dress, which Kate wore during Zoom calls last summer.
I try and set myself a monthly limit of £300 for clothes shopping and the most I've spent on one of Kate's dresses was around £300
She also owns the Duchess's M&S Autograph wool-blend blazer and matching trousers, £158 for both, plus her £50, 2750 Cotu Classic Superga white trainers.
Eleanor has learnt some tricks along the way to get Kate's look at the lowest possible price, sometimes paying between 20 and 30 per cent less.
She has found exact matches of the royal's jumpers using Google image searches, which flag up sites selling the same product but cheaper — saving up to £225 per item — and sets herself a monthly budget to avoid overspending.
Eleanor says: "Sellers on sites like eBay tend to mark things up immediately after Kate's worn them, but if you wait a couple of months and then go back and search for that item, you can find it below retail price.
"I try and set myself a monthly limit of £300 for clothes shopping and the most I've spent on one of Kate's dresses was around £300.
"When Kate wears M&S, I tend to be able to find the clothes online. With LK Bennett, I've had more luck by visiting the London store.
"My favourite ever outfit was the dress Kate wore to the No Time To Die premiere, which was by Jenny Packham and cost £4,000.
Once, I was told I looked like her, which was huge — I wish I got told that every day
"She looked stunning. I don't copy her high-end designer outfits as that's not in my budget, but I'll find a replica. When she wears stuff like M&S, LK Bennett and Hobbs, it's more affordable."
Eleanor, who shares her outfits on her Instagram page @sqHERmile, also turned to Kate for inspiration on how to dress during her pregnancy with son Freddie.
She says: "I looked back through the outfits Kate wore during her pregnancies to give me ideas.
"She wore a lot of floaty midi dresses which I tried to emulate rather than staying in jumpers and leggings. Dressing up made me feel better about myself while I was pregnant, and I got a lot of compliments.
"Once, I was told I looked like her, which was huge — I wish I got told that every day.
"Her fashion is more accessible than lots of celebs. She always looks polished, but her outfits aren't straight off the runway and she's not like a Kardashian with loads of flesh on show.
"Kate's proved you can still look gorgeous, sexy and beautiful while covering up."
Source: Read Full Article


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Advances in Computer Science and Ubiquitous Computing: by James J. (Jong Hyuk) Park,Yi Pan,Gangman Yi,Vincenzo Loia
By James J. (Jong Hyuk) Park,Yi Pan,Gangman Yi,Vincenzo Loia
This publication provides the mixed lawsuits of the eighth overseas convention on machine technology and its functions (CSA-16) and the 11st foreign convention on Ubiquitous info applied sciences and purposes (CUTE 2016), either held in Bangkok, Thailand, December 19 - 21, 2016.
The target of those conferences was once to advertise dialogue and interplay between teachers, researchers and pros within the box of ubiquitous computing applied sciences.
These complaints replicate the state of the art within the improvement of computational equipment, related to conception, set of rules, numerical simulation, mistakes and uncertainty research and novel software of recent processing suggestions in engineering, technology, and different disciplines with regards to ubiquitous computing.
Read Online or Download Advances in Computer Science and Ubiquitous Computing: CSA-CUTE2016 (Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering) PDF
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When will this bubble burst?
The most common question buyers ask me about the current real estate market is "When is this bubble going to burst?" They want to know when the intense competition for houses and over-asking, non-contingent offers is going to abate. And even though I'm not trying to buy a house at the moment, I can tell you it's no fun having to call buyers who have put a seriously competitive offer on a house only to tell them that the seller chose another one. We are all wondering how long this situation will continue. The unwelcome news (unless you're a seller who doesn't have to buy another property) is: no time soon.
How is it different than last time?
So how is this market different than the one that preceded the 2008 crash? First of all, the factors driving the increase in prices are markedly different. Then, mortgages were so easy to get, you barely had to have an income to qualify. Now, lenders are much stricter about whom they qualify. Even the type of loans are different. Back then, roughly 35% of mortgages were adjustable rate loans. Often, when those rates adjusted, borrowers were ill-prepared for appreciably higher payments and defaulted. Now, less than 2.5% of new mortgages are adjustable.
Why is there no inventory?
Second, and probably most important, there was more inventory then. In 2007, there were plenty of homes available, which negatively affected value and contributed to tumbling prices. We have been experiencing a housing shortage consistently for the last six years or so. New home construction, which has been lagging behind demand for several years, has been incredibly hard hit by COVID. The delay in supply change and labor shortages due to the virus has made the build time almost double. And unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard how building supply costs have skyrocketed during COVID, further reducing the availability of new homes.
Why is there so much demand?
Along with the reduction in supply, we are now seeing increased demand. Now, with incredibly low mortgage rates, people who might not have otherwise been in the market are actively looking for houses. Additionally, the (substantially large) millennial cohort is buying at an earlier age and with more cash in savings. The impact of such a large group entering the market sooner and with more money is significant. Of course, we can't forget how COVID has spurred an exodus from expensive cities as people no longer have to live where they work. Wanting a lower cost of living, more interior and exterior space, many people are making lifestyle changes beginning with a move. The demand for suburban homes has increased sharply.
Don't expect a crash
No one can predict with certainty when the market will come back into balance. However, the most basic principles of supply and demand indicate that it won't be in the immediate future. An analysis of situation and the contributing factors illustrates how different our current market is than just before the crash in 2008. That artificially high market was a bubble and it did, indeed, burst. What we are seeing now, though, is no bubble. In the next couple of years, as supply and demand realign, we should start to see a reduction in the intense level of competition, but it is unlikely prices will fall drastically. For a recap/summary, click here.
If you are relocating to the Philadelphia/Main Line area, please go to my blog page and search for posts using the relocation tag. Contact me to discuss your Philadelphia area relocation! firstname.lastname@example.com/610 308-5973


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President Unveils New Regulatory Strategy: Will CMS Adhere?
The White House released a series of documents, including an Executive Order and two Memoranda, presenting the Administration's regulatory strategy. Transparency, flexibility, scientific integrity, and small business protection are cornerstones of the strategy — none of which are embodied in CMS' DME competitive bidding program.
For example, the Administration's Fact Sheet for the new strategy states that "Agencies must consider approaches that maintain freedom of choice and flexibility, including disclosure of relevant information to the public." In contrast to the new policy, the competitive bidding program strips freedom of choice and flexibility from millions of Medicare beneficiaries. Instead of disclosing relevant information about the competitive bidding program, such as the agency's specific financial standards that are required by law to be "specified," CMS keeps them a secret.
The Executive Order states that "each agency shall ensure the objectivity of any scientific and technological information and processes used to support the agency's regulatory actions." Competitive bidding is an economic process that subject to scientific inquiry and standards. For example, the National Science Foundation has conducted research on competitive bidding and advised the FCC on the matter. CMS' DME competitive bidding program, however, violates accepted bidding principles and has been harshly criticized by almost 170 academicians. A recent academic paper called CMS' program "Designed to Fail."
In an op-ed appearing in the Wall Street Journal discussing the regulatory strategy, President Obama stated that "today I am directing federal agencies to do more to account for—and reduce—the burdens regulations may place on small businesses. Small firms drive growth and create most new jobs in this country. We need to make sure nothing stands in their way." CMS' DME competitive bidding rules not only stand in the way of creating jobs, it destroys them, decimating an industry dominated by reliable small businesses providing quality care to Medicare beneficiaries. Jobs are larger DME suppliers who have repeatedly proven their value to beneficiaries will also be lost.
CMS' DME competitive bidding program as currently designed and implemented is the antithesis of the standards and goals set forth in the President's regulatory strategy. Will CMS reform the program to comply with the new White House directives or will they defy them?
Leave a reply


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Flinders Street Station will be lit up in pink tonight ahead of the Breast Cancer Network's Field of Women event at Sunday's Melbourne vs Sydney AFL game.
As well as raising awareness by bringing breast cancer statistics to life, The Field of Women event raises funds for breast cancer research and reminds those affected by breast cancer they are not alone.
Installed as part of the Andrews Labor Government's $100 million upgrade of the station, the cutting-edge lighting system will be used to acknowledge and celebrate special upcoming events.
On Friday 31 August the station will be lit purple to mark Wear It Purple Day, an annual event to promote support and acceptance for young members of the LGBTIQ community.
The station will be lit pink again every night from Monday 3 September to Friday 7 September for Women's Health Week.
The launch of the light system completes the restoration of the station's exterior which has seen the repainting of the building in its original colours, the leaking roof fixed, and the clock tower and dome interiors restored.
Upgrade works continue around the station, increasing space and seating for passengers and the restoration of the Elizabeth and Degraves Street subways.
The project has already completed works to make the station safer with extra myki gates, an additional entrance, improved lighting and an upgraded CCTV system.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan
"We're lighting up Flinders St Station for special occasions – and this is one of them."
"What better way to show our support for a great cause than to have the 'face' of our city lit up in its signature colours."
Quote attributable to Minister for Health Jill Hennessy
"The Pink Lady is a symbol of our support for women with breast cancer. What better way to support the Field of Women event than lighting up pink one of our city's great icons – Flinders Street station."
Reviewed 19 August 2020


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September 14, 2019 was the 250th birthday of Alexander von Humboldt, and celebrations have been going on all around the world, from Lima to Quito and Bogota to Victoria, BC, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Durham to Paris and Halle and, of course, Berlin. In March 2020, the Smithsonian Museum will open a special exhibit on Humboldt and the United States that will keep the celebration going through next August, even as the wave of new books and articles about Humboldt shows no sign of slowing down.
On an infinitely smaller scale, fall 2019 was also the ten-year anniversary of my book Passage to Cosmos: Alexander von Humboldt and the Shaping of America (University of Chicago, 2009). This coincidence has me reflecting on why we are finding our way back to Humboldt after a lapse of some 150 years. When I first discovered him in a graduate seminar in 1988, I, too, had no sense of who he was beyond some vague recollection of Humboldt penguins and the Humboldt Current. Yet the more I looked, the more I found his name: in his own time he was popular, beloved, honored, even revered—a kind of nineteenth century Einstein. But in the United States, wherever I raised his name I was met with blank stares. Passage to Cosmos was my attempt to help repair this great absence, and to ask how this nation, which had been dearer to him than any other outside his homes in France and Germany, had erased him from national memory.
But now, Humboldt is back. The difference is not just the new wave of publications, it's the new word in our vocabulary: the Anthropocene. Humboldt was a student of the Earth above all, and his life's work encompassed how the terrestrial "system of cooperating forces" generated everything from the formation of Earth and the unfolding of life across geological time to the reciprocal agencies of land, water, atmosphere, and plant life in creating Earth's many climate zones and in shaping the historical migrations of plants, animals, and peoples across continents and oceans—peoples who are all, he admonishes us in Cosmos, "in like degree designed for freedom."[1] Humboldt, in short, was Western science's first planetary theorist—the first to pull together a full range of interdisciplinary sciences, along with literature and the arts, to synthesize a holistic and complex understanding of Earth's bio/anthro/geo/chemical processes. To understand the Anthropocene historically and culturally leads us, it turns out, directly back to the paradigm first proposed by Alexander von Humboldt—a paradigm that was arrested midstream by decisions favoring industrial modernity and the cornucopian economic thinking that feeds it. In fact, the industrial revolution may have been Humboldt's blind spot: while he warned that Europe's coal-fired industries, left unchecked, would change the continent's climate, to imagine that this could expand exponentially and destabilize the entire planetary climate system was beyond his wildest nightmares.
We don't need Humboldt today for his science; his scientific heirs, today's ecologists and Earth systems scientists, have long since surpassed his understanding, though they forget that Humboldt was their teacher. What we do need Humboldt for is his philosophy. He recognized that Earth is not a dead planet covered with a skiff of living organisms, but essentially a living planet; he envisioned Gaia over a century before Lovelock. But Humboldt's Gaia—what he called Cosmos instead—is fundamentally different. First, it is Earth-centered, growing out of his deep understanding of a dynamic, "unquiet" planet in constant turmoil. Second, Humboldt's Gaia not only includes humans, it bonds with humanity in a mutual, continuing process of self-creation. Humboldt saw that human beings are writing ourselves into the Earth at the deepest level, even as he saw that the Earth is writing itself into us as well; this partnership, the basis of his aesthetics, imbues all his popular writings.
When I wrote Passage to Cosmos, I aspired to convey all this to my readers. I thought then, and still think, that Humboldt's cosmology was the road that readers and scholars of his work had missed (or swerved to avoid) and that it offers us both inspiration and guidance. What I didn't foresee—and in 2009, who did?—was the terrifying speed of Anthropogenic climate change, mass extinction, and ecosystem collapse. The Earth, our scientists are warning us, is in the early stages not of a slow linear shift but of a rapid, non-linear phase change unlike anything seen before by Homo sapiens. And yet humans persist in easing ourselves into plans to decarbonize by some ever-later and more convenient date. But Earth, or Gaia, is unwilling to wait. As Humboldt knew, humans and nature are bound by reciprocal relationships in an ongoing dance, and he tried to deflect the self-centered notion that humans are the only dancers who matter. This makes the project of recalling Humboldt more urgent than ever. His was, once, a living option that riveted the attention of the world, inspired entire research programs, launched literary and artistic movements, and offered tools to help end slavery and colonialism. But soon after his death, Humboldt's vision of Cosmos was recalled, in two senses: recollected, by many, as the sign of something once valued, but now lost; revoked, by many more, as irrelevant to the project of modernity. Today we need to recall Humboldt's Cosmos in a third sense, summoning it out of our past not as a blueprint for our future, but as one vision of sustaining, and being sustained by, what he called "the horizon of life."[2] We need, that is, to reinvent Humboldt's Cosmos—to translate his thinking into a cosmology for the twenty-second century, a cosmology that can guide us toward living as if life on Earth actually mattered.
Acknowledgment: I owe my deepest thanks to Strachan Donnelley, who not only believed in my work on Humboldt but facilitated a grant from the Center for Humans and Nature that allowed me to finish Passage to Cosmos. My thanks also to John Tresch for pointing us toward Humboldt's new cosmology.
Related essays:
Prologue: Humboldt's Bridge, by Laura Dassow Walls
Introducing Humboldt's Cosmos, by Laura Dassow Walls


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Dranimate, 2016
Created for Ali Momeni in ArtFab
I worked to implement fingertip tracking in javascript for Ali Momeni's Dranimate project while working as a research assistant in ArtFab. Using background deletion and adaptive thresholding I was able to identify the contour of a hand, etc. I also wrote a color-tracking version in which users need to wear colored markers on their fingertips, which was more robust.


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Early this morning, four of the winning faces behind some of the Contessa 2018 winning collections were featured on Global's The Morning Show in Toronto to talk about what inspired the creativity behind their looks.
Julie Carr, owner of Dragonfly Salon and Spa in St. Thomas, Ont.—the winner of Canadian Salon Team of the Year, began the segment with a textured style and dramatic makeup.
"Part of our collection was inspired by birds and the '80s," says Carr. "We worked with some different textures and colours and then layered everything together to come up with the collection."
Robin Bacon of Giovanni and Perri in Barrie, Ont., who won Texture Hairstylist of the Year for a second year in a row, was up next with her multicoloured, voluminous style. "I was really inspired by nebulas and NASA's Instagram page, which is breathtakingly beautiful and interesting," she says. "Everything trickles down from these high-fashion looks into something that's more wearable, so I think that clients can relate to the colour palette of my collection."
Next was the winner of Ontario Hairstylist of the Year, Tracy Newton of Aveda Institute and Academy in Toronto. "A lot of my clients are embracing short hair and more of an androgynous look, while still keeping it soft and feminine," she explained. "The collection includes a lot of pastel blues and greens. The greenery connects us to nature, each other and a higher purpose, which is really what Aveda's mission is all about."
Last but not least was Leeanne Colley, owner of Tips Nail Bar in Toronto, who spoke on behalf of Canadian Nail Artist of the Year winner, Shirley Truong. "It was our third year in a row winning at the Contessa Awards," says Colley. "This look was inspired by Emilio Pucci and collections from the past. It's a very '60s marble kind of look."
A big thank you and congratulations again to all the Contessa 2018 winners!
Watch the segment below:


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Main Info
A perfect program to hop in from one island to other. This trip takes you to the best-rated attraction in Andaman Islands during your trip to the Amazing Andaman Island. Explore white sand beaches, boat rides during this trip. Let go and explore various Island during your trip in the Andaman Islands.
Included |
Exclusions |
Hotel |
Dev Haveli//Ryan Residency//or Similar Gold Star Beach Resort//Sundaze Beach Resort//Dew Drop or Similar Neil Banjara//Seven Sea or Similar |
Note |
Minimum 4 Pax Required |
Download BrochureArrival at Port Blair in the morning/afternoon by flight and our representative will be waiting outside holding a placard with your name on it. You will be taken to your hotel where you relax and rest. Later will start the breathtaking trip to Corbyns Cove Beach, one of the most picturesque, coconut palm fringed beach, 7 KM away from Port Blair town, and to the Cellular Jail, a place of pilgrimage for all freedom loving people. One can also view the history of the heroic freedom struggle which is brought alive in a moving Light & Sound Show at the Cellular Jail.
After breakfast at the hotel. The voyage begins with a mesmerizing scrutiny in a boat to Coral Island of Port BlairNorth Bay Island. Scuba Diving, Sea Walk, Snorkeling and Glass boat ride can be done hereat additional cost. After North Bay, we proceed to Ross Island, the erstwhile capital of Port Blair during the British regime. The island presently houses the ruins of old buildings like Chief Commissioner's House, Government House, Church, Bakery, Press, Swimming Pool, Cemetery, etc. and all in dilapidated condition. Overnight stay at respective Hotel at Port Blair.
Check out from the hotel with packaged breakfast and board ferry to Neil Island, upon reaching the Island our representative will take you to respective resort. Rest and then proceed for Laxmanpur beach, lies 2 km north of Neil jetty. Stay to view the mesmerizing sunset.
Today we depart to Andaman Islands most amazing destination, Havelock Island. The destination is rated as the best island in India. Depart from Port Blair to Havelock Island in a ferry. Upon reaching Havelock, our representative attends you and will drop you at your hotel.Rest and Relax in a beachside resort. Later we begin our journey to one among Asia's best beach, Radhanagar Beach. Explore this white sand beach and bask in the beauty of this natural wonder. Post this we drop you back to your resort where you relax and unwind. Overnight stay at respective Hotel / Resort at Havelock Island.
After a leisure breakfast, we sail for Elephant Beach by boat (on direct payment basis). The travel time is around 45 minutes to reach Elephant Beach. This beach has one of the best coral reefs in the world & the underwater marine life is very lively & colourful. Please do not forget to take snacks for the trip and lots of drinking water & changing dress for the day trip or advised. After the completion of the coral island tour, return back to resort in Havelock Island.
After Breakfast, checkout and proceed to Kala Pathar beach by road. Get a glimpse of various Resorts & Dive centres enroute. Spend rest of the day at leisure enjoying white sand beaches. In the evening catch the ferry and return to Port Blair. Our representative will meet you at Port Blair and drop you to your hotel for overnight stay.Ferry Timing from Havelock to Port Blair is around 4:00 PM.
After Breakfast, checkout and proceed for airport to board you flight to your onwards journey.


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The Amazon.ca First Novel Award shortlist has been announced. A jury comprised of author Gurjinder Barsran and The Walrus fiction editor Nick Mount, and headed by University of Toronto English professor Russell Brown – who selected the finalists – will announce the winner of the $40,000 prize on May 26.
- Karim Alrawi, Book of Sands (Harper Avenue)
- Mona Awad, 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl (Penguin Canada)
- Aaron Cully Drake, Do You Think This Is Strange? (Brindle & Glass)
- W. Mark Giles, Seep (Anvil Press)
- Judith McCormack, Backspring (Biblioasis)
- Elizabeth Philips, The Afterlife of Birds (Freehand Books)


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With Amazon Prime day 2022 camera deals just around the corner, there has never been a better time to sign up for a free 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime. Not only will you be able to access the very best Prime Day deals, but there are lots of other advantages to being a Prime member and some of them, few people know about.
Whether or not you want to support Amazon as a photographer, you can't deny that Prime is very good value for money. It's just a shame that as a billion-dollar company, it has a pretty bad rep for how it supports its workforce. The benefits here are listed more with photography in mind, although I do have to mention Deliveroo just because, well, free delivery on food!
I first signed up to Prime during lockdown, as I had just started a small business and needed everything to get things going. I was ordering everything from polymer clay, to gold leaf, to resin and super glue, but it's also saved me several times when I've needed something last minute for a photoshoot or festival and I don't have time to get to the shops.
At the time, I had no idea how many benefits there are to being a Prime member and having a Prime membership. It turns out I'm not the only one...
1. Free next day delivery
One of the biggest advantages to signing up to Amazon Prime is the most obvious. You get free next-day delivery on thousands of items, whether it's filters or photography props, and if you need anything for a shoot last minute, it's definitely the quickest place to go.
Amazon Prime's premium delivery has saved me countless times, and I love that you can select to only view items that have Prime delivery. If you order early enough in the day, depending on where you live you can even get one-day delivery on some items – which still blows my mind.
2. Prime Video
As well as free next-day delivery, being an Amazon Prime member also gives you access to Prime Video which includes hundreds of films, series and Amazon originals to keep you entertained. Considering that Netflix starts at £6.99/$9.99 a month for the most basic plan and you can only watch things in 480P - Prime Video is pretty good value for money.
There are some huge titles available to watch for free such as Lady Gaga's House of Gucci, the critically acclaimed Bong-Joon Ho film Parasite and the photography documentary Finding Vivian Maier among many many many more.
Amazon Prime Video can be a brilliant place to find inspiration for photo shoots, and if you're a videographer, ideas on color grading styles, camera shots and film angles.
3. Prime Music
If you don't want to pay for multiple services such as Spotify and Netflix, an Amazon Prime membership also includes music streaming with Prime Music. It's a little different from Amazon Music in that there are only 2 million songs to choose from rather than 90 million, and you won't be able to listen to full albums by your favorite artists but if that doesn't bother you, there is still a lot going for it.
Prime users can sign up to Amazon Music for an extra £7.99 a month but for nonprime members, it'll cost you £9.99/$9.99. So many professional photographers cite listening to music as one of their inspirations – particularly when it comes to getting in the zone for the editing phase of their work – so why not dig in and find yourself the right playlist to process your photos to.
4. Amazon Photos
All Amazon Prime members get unlimited photo storage and up to 5GB of video storage with Amazon Photos. I didn't even know about Amazon Photos until recently, and I have no idea why Amazon doesn't shout about it more. Unlike Google drive where you're limited to 15GB, you can upload all of your precious memories to Amazon Photos and never run out of space.
This is the perfect solution for photographers who want to back up their work on cloud storage without having to pay anything extra for Dropbox or the best cloud storage for photos.
5. Free Deliveroo Plus for a year
Amazon has teamed up with Deliveroo to give all new Amazon Prime members a free year of Deliveroo plus, which means that delivery is free when you spend over £25. You have to sign up to the deal via the Deliveroo website rather than through amazon but it's well worth doing considering some restaurants can now charge as much as £4.99 for delivery!
When you need to power through a particularly heavy editing session or find yourself shooting on the road, this could be a great perk to have.
6. Prime Reading
Every month you can read a different selection of books on your Kindle or smartphone for absolutely nothing with Prime Reading. While you don't get quite the same satisfaction as reading an actual book, it's perfect for traveling, when baggage restrictions mean you can't carry the extra weight of books.
Even though I support independent shops where I can, buy music on vinyl and try my best to live as morally and ethically as possible, sometimes using Amazon really is just too tempting – and the reasons above make it more so.
Read more:
Best mirrorless cameras
Best Canon cameras
Best Nikon cameras


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Remember that at this price we will discount you up to 20%.
Remember that at this price we will discount you up to 20%.
🤑 10% If you enter the discount code on the payment screen Jun020522 (If by default there is another code delete it since only one code is allowed). And another 10% if you use Bizum payment.
If your purchase is less than € 90 and greater than € 49 we recommend using the code SHIPPING2022 instead of Jun020522.
Home delivery with mails Spain
Home delivery with mails Spain
🚚 The delivery time approx. It is 2 to 7 days for products in stock (Spain) and 7-14 days for products in stock (Germany). Keep in mind that they are estimates and may vary.
Matte black fanny for BMW model E60 and E61
Also called front grills or grills.
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