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Not quite a biscuit but not quite bread, either. What is it? Oh right, a scone. I'm not particularly fond of things with too much butter because I don't like how they feel in my mouth. But there's just something about the buttery, savory and sometimes even nutty taste of scones that can make me forget.
I was lucky enough to come across a Dorie Greenspan recipe for Apple Cheddar Scones for my first foray to scone-making. However the main mistake I made was shaping them too thin. If you'll notice, my scones aren't as thick as a proper scone ought to be. I have no idea why I didn't follow the instructions and made it a little thicker. Perhaps I was thinking that it would rise, like most other breads, and so my scones ended up looking a bit like biscuits instead.
With a very mild salty flavour, the family consensus is that it's a little plainer in taste than what we're used to, but it is so much fun to munch on! It could maybe use a notch more apples and cheddar, but I did enjoy the texture of the scone quite a lot, as evidenced by how I kept reaching for another piece! Personally, I was fine with the taste. The flavours of the apple and the cheddar had combined wonderfully in the dough, so none of them taste more pronounced than the other, but rather they complemented each other beautifully.
Apple Cheddar Scones
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup cold buttermilk
- 1/4 cup cold apple cider or unsweetened apple juice
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup finely diced dried apples
- 1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C). Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
- 2. Stir the egg, buttermilk and apple cider together.
- 3. Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour.
- 4. Quickly, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You'll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pieces the size of everything in between - and that's just right.
- 5. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until the dough, which will be very wet and sticky, comes together. If there are still some dry ingredients in the bottom of the bowl, stir them in, but try not to overdo the mixing. Stir in the grated cheese and dried apple.
- 6. Still in the bowl, gently knead the dough by hand, or turn it with a rubber spatula 8 to 10 times. Then, because the dough is very sticky, the easiest thing to do is to turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, pat it into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick and, using a dough scraper or a chef's knife, cut it into 12 roughly equal pieces; place on the baking sheet. Alternatively, you can just spoon out 12 equal mounds onto the baking sheet.* (At this point, the scones can be frozen on the backing sheet, then wrapped airtight. Don't defrost before baking - just add about 2 minutes to the baking time.)
- 7. Bake the scones for 20 to 22 minutes, or until their tops are golden and firmish. Transfer them to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving, or wait for the scones to cool to room temperature.
** Although the scones are best minutes after they come out of the oven, you can put them in an airtight container once they come to room temperature and freeze them up to two months. Reheat them in a 350° F (180° C) oven once you wish to eat them. Adapted from Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan
I didn't put together another post for it because I did not get to snap photos that were composed to my liking. My friend Gilbert came over that day, you see, and I could feel his impatience in the air as he waited for me to finish snapping photos. He wanted to have one as soon as they were out of the oven! The restraint was visible on his demeanor so I just gave up and gave him the go-signal after taking the above photo. He managed to gobble up quite a few.
I though this recipe is worth mentioning after receiving several stamps of approval. And if you'll notice, I learned my lesson from the first recipe, I made these scones more beautifully thicker. The recipe says you can make 6 [very large] scones, but I made 12 and thought the size was just perfect.


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Listen to samples of the music >>
This album can be downloaded from Rod's main website immediately.
You can also buy a physical CD on-line using PayPal or send me a cheque or postal order.
Purchase using PayPal (no account required - just pay by credit/debit card)
Click the Buy Now button below and you will be directed to a secure site to complete your transaction. The CD costs £10 including postage and packing. Orders from outside the UK are welcome. You do not need a PayPal account to order. You can pay by credit/debit card and Paypal takes care of the currency conversion. Postage of single units is by Royal Mail.
Other methods of purchase
The CD costs £10 including postage and packing. Please send (UK pounds Sterling only, please) orders to Rod Stradling, 12 Broadlands Rise, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS14 9SF clearly stating the name of the CD you wish to order (Maypole Dance Music), the number you want, your telephone number (in case I have any questions) and your name and address for delivery. If you pay by postal order I will endeavour to ship that day as long as I am at home. If you pay by cheque (made out to R. Stradling), shipment may be delayed until cheque clearance. VAT is not chargeable on any quoted price. Delivery is as quickly as I can sensibly manage subject to the normal conditions of life.

subset: commoncrawl


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In this article, you'll learn the basic red – eyed tree frog information.
Scientific Name: Agalychnis callidryas
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hylidae
Genus: Agalychnis
Species: A. callidryas
Regions of Origin: Southern Mexico, Central America, northern South America, including southern Veracruz, Oaxaca in Mexico, central and eastern Panama, northern Colombia, southwestern Nicaragua, and southwestern Costa Rica
Primary Habitat: Near rivers and ponds in rainforests, humid and tropical lowlands
Description: The red – eyed tree frog body is primarily a vibrant green color, with yellow and blue vertical stripes; it has webbed feet and toes which are orange/red. As per its name, it has red eyes with vertical narrow pupils.
Primary Behavioral Characteristics: Nocturnal, communal frogs, arboreal, and carnivorous
Health Conditions: Oodinium, Red Leg Disease, Metabolic Bone Disease, Chytrid Fungus
Lifespan: average of 5 years, but may live longer
Stay tuned for more posts where we will delve more about the basic red – eyed tree frog information.


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Helpful Downloads
- New, more realistic log set with precise bark detailing.
- Multi-dimensional refractory in herringbone or traditional brick pattern.
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- Optional heat zones available to route heated air to other areas of the home.
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- Sealed combustion chamber uses only outside air for combustion, helping to preserve indoor air quality and prevent negative air pressure problems.
- Choice of six signature Heatilator fronts to create just the right look.
- 45,000 BTU/Hour
- Up to 84% Efficiency


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In 1997 I became interested in Tesla coils and decided to build my own. Unfortunately, I lost interest before I could get my first coil to work. Few years later, I dug up my old parts, redid my calculations and continued building. Again, I lost interest before finishing the coil.
In 2007 a friend showed me a coil he had made, reminding me of my unfinished project. Again I dug up my coil parts, recalculated everything, and actually finished the project this time.
A Tesla coil is a resonant transformer. It is basically to LC circuits, tuned to the same resonant frequency. The secondary coil and the topload form one circuit; the coil provides the inductance and the topload most of the capacitance. The second circuit is formed by a high voltage capacitor and a much smaller primary coil.
First, a high voltage transformer is used to charge the capacitor.
Once the capacitor attains a sufficient charge, the spark gap fires. The transformer is shorted out and the primary circuit begins oscillating.
Since the tank capacitor size is fixed, the circuit is tuned by adjusting the impedance of the primary coil by changing the tap point. When properly tuned, a very high voltage will develop at the top of the secondary coil, leading to spectacular air discharges. Unlike in a traditional transformer, the ratio of turns between the primary and secondary coil has practically no influence on the voltage.
Here are links to some sites with information about TC construction and theory of operation:
Designing and building a simple Tesla coil is fairly easy. To a beginner, it seems like a daunting task (I know it seemed like that to me!), but you can get a working coil by following a few general instructions and performing just one calculation. Of course, if you want a coil that performs really well, there is no way around learning a bit more theory and doing more calculations.
Gary Lau has a nice short design guide and DeepFriedNeon is another good place to look. Here are the basic steps to get you started.
Before actually setting out to build a Tesla coil according to the instructions above, I strongly recommend following the links to the other TC sites and reading a bit more. First stop should be the safety sheet at pupman.com.
Also note that I've made no mention of transformer protection circuits above. I haven't used any myself, and have had no problems yet. The keyword here is yet.
The design of my coil was influenced mainly by the parts I had available. Those were:
From a hardware store, I found a ⌀75mm drain pipe and 5 meters of ⌀6mm copper tube.
The secondary coil was the first component I put together. I wound roughly 900 turns of magnet wire around the drain pipe. A height to width ratio of around 1:5 is recommended for small coils, so I made mine 37 centimeters high. The length of wire used was roughly 209 meters.
The inductance and self capacitance of the secondary coil and the capacitance of the topload can be calculated with formulas found on other TC sites. With these, I can calculate the resonant frequency of the secondary circuit:
f = [2π√(L(Ccoil+Ctop))]-1
Using a ⌀14cm sphere as a topload, the resonant frequency of my coil is roughly 452kHz.
My first try was a plastic sphere coated with aluminum foil. I couldn't get the foil smoothed out well enough, so I abandoned the sphere and decided to go with a toroid.
I constructed a small toroid by wrapping a length of corrugated rubber pipe into a donut shape and covering it with aluminum tape. I put a plywood disc in the center for support. I couldn't get the toroid very smooth either, but it works better than the sphere because of its shape and on account of being bigger. The rough surface results in lots of short streamers, rather than one or two long ones.
The primary coil is made of ⌀6mm copper tube, wound spirally around the secondary. The inner diameter is 17cm and the outer 29cm. There are 6 turns total, with a 3mm space between each turn.
Because of the large space between my primary and secondary, the coil might be a little too loosely coupled. The rising conical shape might alleviate that somewhat, but since I don't have the equipment to measure the coupling coefficient, I can't know for sure.
The primary coil forms an LC oscillator together with the capacitor. The desired inductance can be calculated with the following formula:
L = [(2πf)2C]-1
C is the capacitance of the tank capacitor and f is the resonant frequency of the secondary coil.
The javascript flat spiral coil calculator at DeepFriendNeon is useful when designing, but the simple equations used will give only a rough approximation. The proper tuning has to be discovered experimentally, so it's a good idea to make the primary coil big enough rather than find out its too small during testing. My small coil has seven turns, tapped at the fourth, but around 15 turns seems to be a rather common size.
Since I had a large number of small capacitors available, I decided to build a Multi Mini Capacitor. The resonant capacitor value for the power supply can be calculated with the following formula:
C = I ⁄ (2πfU)
The resonant capacitor value for my transformer is 27.8nF. The actual value used should be a little bigger or smaller than this, as rapid voltage rise due to resonant charging may break the transformer and/or the capacitors. A safety gap will afford some protection as well. See Richie Burnett's page for more in-depth information about resonant charging.
I made a javascript MMC design tool to help pick the cheapest set of capacitors.
My MMC is made up of three parallel strings with 24 caps each. The voltage rating of each string is 6600V and the equivalent capacitance of the whole MMC is 41.3nF
Each capacitor has a 10MΩ resistor across its terminals. This is important, as the individual capacitors can retain a charge for a very long time after the power has been shut off.
As evident from the picture below, the voltage rating is a bit too low, even for a 4kV transformer. To be safe, it should be at least 8 or 12kV.
My spark gap is simply two machine screws with a pinball ball in the middle.
The spacing is adjusted so that the gap will just fire when it is the only thing connected to the transformer. Setting it wider increases the firing voltage and can theoretically improve spark length, but risks destroying the transformer. NSTs especially can break easily this way.
For a larger coil I would build an air cooled cylindrical TCBOR/RQ style gap.
Tank circuit | |
Transformer | NST 4kV 35mA, 240V 50Hz input |
Capacitor | 3×24 275VAC 0.33µF |
Spark gap | Static gap with two gaps in series |
Primary coil | |
Inner diameter | 17cm |
Tube diameter | 6mm |
Turn spacing | 3mm |
Tube length | 5m |
Turns | 6 |
Secondary coil | |
Diameter | 7.5cm |
Height | 37cm |
Wire gauge | 28AWG (0.3mm) |
Wire length | ∼209m |
Turns | ∼900 |
Short streamers using an energy drink can as a top load. The top load is a bit too small, as there is some corona discharge at the top windings.
Sparks to plastic rod with a grounding wire at the end.
Streamers emanating from a sharp screw placed on the toroid.
A roughly 20cm long spark to a grounding rod. Not visible in the picture is a purple haze between the rod and the toroid which was quite vivid to the naked eye.


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By Maroon & White |
This September, Saint Mary's welcomed new and returning students, from around the corner and around the globe, eager to learn, searching for meaning, and keen to give back to the wider community and world. We gathered together in our Santamarian ceremony to witness our shared commitment to discovery and innovation, academic integrity, and intercultural learning. I took this opportunity to speak about the challenges to many of the principles that have conditioned the modern university: principles of academic freedom and responsibility, open inquiry, diversity of opinion, and international exchange of people and ideas.
What is our response at Saint Mary's to rhetoric about the building of walls, the closing of borders to people and ideas, rising trade protectionism, and xenophobic attacks on diversity? As a university committed to being the university of choice for aspiring citizens of the world, there is no other response than to work harder to break down barriers, to enhance the movement of people and ideas, to be a venue for open debate, and to celebrate intercultural learning.
Our quest for intercultural learning – a key theme of our new strategic plan – includes training programs for staff, as well as a commitment to the diversity of students from over 100 countries. We have recently introduced Canada's first Arts 'two plus two' degree (with long time partner, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, in China) and have launched a new partnership with the Killam Fellowship program of the Canada-United States Fulbright program.
Saint Mary's also continues to offer access to a university education for all who are academically able. New investments in scholarships and bursaries (including those supported by generous alumni) mean that more funds are available to assist students in financial need.
This is how your university is responding to the challenges of 2017. I am proud that we are taking a stand in support of the principles of learning and Santamarian values. I hope that as an alumnus, you too are proud of our approach. Together, in 2017, we assert and celebrate the importance of 'One University, One World, Yours'. Thank you for all you do for Saint Mary's University.
Robert Summerby-Murray
President and Vice-Chancellor, Saint Mary's University
Saint Mary's University is in Mi'kma'ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the original Mi'kmaq People. We are all treaty people.


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Reasons Your Child Might Need To Go To Urgent Care After Camping
If your child has gone on a camping trip this summer, it's likely that they may have contracted an illness or injury while venturing out into the great outdoors. Look out for these common camping illnesses and hazards that might result in a trip to an urgent care nearby.
Rashes are a symptom of many illnesses associated with camping. A rash is simply an irritation of the skin, but it might look much worse if it's the first time you've witnessed it. Rashes are often caused by poisonous plants, like poison ivy, but they can also be caused by allergies.
A rash might also be a sign of illness. Rashes can form from tick bites that cause Lyme disease, but trekking in swamps can also cause Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that can cause a skin rash. Visit a free clinic near you at the first sign of a rash.
Animal bites from spiders and snakes rank as a top hazard for the avid camper. While your child knows not to go near them, you never know when a chance encounter can result in disaster. You should immediately seek an emergency room or your closest urgent care facility in the event of a bite from an animal.
While mosquito bites in the U.S. are usually no call for alarm, getting treatment for tick bites is crucial since they carry dangerous Lyme disease and other bacterial illnesses.
Food poisoning
Camping over a fire pit seems great in theory until you've eaten undercooked meat. Be sure to thoroughly cook food roasted over a fire and keep your opened drinks in frigid temperatures to avoid bacteria from collecting. While food poisoning isn't often fatal, it's important to seek medical attention in the event of poor food safety.
Sprains and fractures
Hiking, sports, and other camping activities will result in your child navigating the often difficult terrain. This can result in ankle sprains or fractures. Luckily, four in five urgent care facilities offer care fracture treatment in the event your child twists an ankle while camping.
How much is an urgent care visit, however? Luckily, your local family urgent care accepts most insurance plans. It's more affordable than the emergency room, and faster trying to find a pediatrician quickly. When you worry, "how much is an urgent care visit," you can rest assured you're getting the best treatment for your money at urgent care centers across the United States.


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Founded in 1965, Hartford (She Hong Industrial Co. Ltd), is a specialist manufacturer of high technology CNC metalworking machine tools located in Taichung City – Taiwan. The company currently employs over 430 people and supplies its products to over 67 countries worldwide.
Machine tools manufactured by Hartford include 5-face Double Column Machining Centres with Automatic Head Changing System, Horizontal Boring & Milling Machines, Double Column Vertical Machining Centres, Open Fronted Vertical Machining Centres & Horizontal Machining Centres, which are supplied to many customers in the Automotive, Electronics, Medical, Oil & Gas, Aerospace, Resource and energy and general productions industries.
In excess of 20,000 machines have been manufactured and supplied by Hartford in the last 45 Years with current production at approximately 1,400 machines per year, in addition to significant investments in Hartford's manufacturing facilities with the addition of the 35,000 m2 'Factory 3′ bringing its total area to 100,000 m2.


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This topic contains 0 replies, has 1 voice, and was last updated by CernySmith 5 years, 5 months ago.
The Importance of Relaxation #2
The main thing to do is relax and let your talent do the work (Charles Barkley).
When you view stress as bad it overwhelms your nervous system, your body is flooded with chemicals that prepare you for "fight or flight." This stress response can be lifesaving in emergency situations where you need to act quickly. But when your body is constantly activated by your view of stresses every day, it can wear your body down and take a toll on your emotional health.
So, the first thing to do is to rethink stress. Can you see the upside of stress and see it as helpful and not threatening? Even if stress is a challenge you can learn to calm your body so you are more relaxed. The relaxation response puts the brakes on physical stress and brings your body and mind back into a state of equilibrium. Be aware of your body and learn to relax it.
Try some of the following:
1. Focus on your breathing, breathe in slowly through your nose, hold, and then breathe out slowly through your mouth.
2. Remind yourself you are safe and can handle things in a relaxed body. Your brain is sharper and open to more options when relaxed.
3. Focus on what you can and cannot do.
4. Learn to enjoy where you are no matter where you are
For more tips and ideas go to the "Heathy Brain Care Competency" in the Training Library at CSAPerspective.com.
Please note that all previous "Take Time … to Rethink Stress" emails are in the Perspective website under the Forum Tab.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.


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AIANTA Partnership with Leave No Trace
The AIANTA/Leave No Trace advisory group has been formed. Updates will be provided at AIANTA's Town Hall meeting and at the American Indian Tourism Conference.
Visitors and travelers are spending more time in tribal communities across the United States. But visitation does not always come with understanding.
In a recent article, Walker River Paiute Tribe chairman Amber Walker outlined a sentiment shared by many tribal communities.
[Visitors] wanted to get into our ancestral homelands as if it is their right to fish
and use our resources for recreation, when ultimately it is a privilege."
–Amber Torres, Chairman
Walker River Paiute Tribe
Under a partnership launched in 2021, AIANTA and Leave No Trace are working with tribal communities to develop an education messaging project that aims to increase awareness of tribal lands while also reducing avoidable impacts.
"Tribal lands are located on or adjacent to some of the most beautiful natural sites in the world and we are excited to work with Leave No Trace to solidify a message of responsible tourism to help protect these treasured destinations," said Sherry L. Rupert, CEO of AIANTA. "AIANTA's marketing and educational efforts directly align with the mission of Leave No Trace, which encourages travelers to leave minimal impact when visiting the great outdoors."
The Project
The first phase of the project, which launched in fall of 2021, will focus on increasing traveler awareness of Tribal lands, not just in an historic context, but with modern-day considerations — including the what and where, the histories and the information needed to be a respectful and responsible visitor.


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Romani, Francesco (2003) MAJA: Matrix Computation in Java. Technical Report del Dipartimento di Informatica . Università di Pisa, Pisa, IT.
Postscript (GZip) - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives. Download (129Kb) |
MAJA is a package for MAtrix computation in JAva. The package allows defining various kinds of structured matrices operating in an unified way; General, Symmetric, Sparse, Band, Toeplitz, Circulant matrices are implemented among the others. It is possible also to operate on Block matrices, Additive Structures, Tensor Products, Implicit Inverses and so on. The package organization is similar to the Java Collections API. It is easy to exploit the presence of more than one processor without affecting the final user code. The source code is platform independent and has been tested on Linux, Windows, and Macintosh computers; test benchmarks are presented, both on single and double-processor computers. Also examples of implementation of involved linear algebra algorithms are presented.
Item Type: | Book |
Uncontrolled Keywords: | Matrix computation, Java |
Subjects: | Area01 - Scienze matematiche e informatiche > INF/01 - Informatica |
Divisions: | Dipartimenti (until 2012) > DIPARTIMENTO DI INFORMATICA |
Depositing User: | dott.ssa Sandra Faita |
Date Deposited: | 17 Dec 2014 16:36 |
Last Modified: | 17 Dec 2014 16:36 |
URI: | http://eprints.adm.unipi.it/id/eprint/2096 |
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Denca controls has recently invested in the specialised laser marking sector, forming iDenca Limited, a new company which will operate out of the Widnes site.
iDenca has acquired the laser marking part of Identisys Ltd, including the transfer of employees, contracts and laser equipment. iDenca aim to provide an improved support network for its existing customers, utilising its easy access to Denca's engineers.
Over recent years, Denca has been commissioned to manufacture a number of laser marking machines, for Jaguar Landrover, as well as other customers. The machines communicate with plant data systems and produce, on demand, a full set of legally compliant data labels. Label markings need to accurately take account of destination country, language, regulatory requirements & vehicle derivatives.
iDenca is able to provide bespoke laser marking solutions for any industry. If traceability is part of your regular requirements you need to talk to us. Our experience with plant information sytems, bar codes, RFID and unique marking can combine to give you an efficient, sustainable and cost effective solution.


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I hope you're crushing it with your writing this month and getting your unique message out to the world. 🙂 I'm really excited to share this week's writing resource with you because…it's a video!
For several years, I've wanted to revive my YouTube channel. I used to post educational videos there for my tutoring students quite a while ago. This summer, I finally decided to take the leap.
Here's the first video I recorded for you:
In this video, I share a strategy that helps me overcome writer's block when I'm beginning a new writing project (you can use it anytime you get stuck while working on a piece of writing).
I hope you find it helpful! I'd love to hear if you use it too.
If you enjoy the video, it would be awesome if you could give it a like and leave a comment. And make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel if you'd like to see more videos like this one. 🙂
Thanks for watching!


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The international financial system is broken. An integrated set of reforms will be needed to achieve sustained economic growth and shared prosperity. The G8 leaders of Europe, Japan and the US have agreed on an emergency summit this autumn in New York to revamp the international system – a good idea, provided it initiates a wide-ranging set of changes rather than being a one-off meeting focused on market regulation. The G8 leaders are keen to start on regulation and that is understandable. Wall Street, the City of London and other financial centres ran wild with undercapitalized borrowing and lending stoked by over-the-top fees and bonuses. Alan Greenspan's Federal Reserve fed the financial bubble with rock-bottom interest rates and regulatory forbearance, when it had the chance to restrain it. And the derivatives market was allowed to become so vast and unwieldy that there is no clarity as to who owes what to whom in tens of trillions of dollars of credit default swaps and other derivatives. – UK Guardian
Dominant Social Theme: Here it comes. About time.
Free-Market Analysis: The leftist Guardian can't help itself of course. These plans have been circulating for months, for years, probably. Those behind them just needed one big, fat crisis. And now they have one. And they are licking their lips. Certainly Jeffrey Sachs is. One of the paper's clever young commentators, he has let the cat out of the bag. Presumably he had permission.
Using Sachs' helpful article, let's deconstruct the left's long sought globalist agenda, bearing in mind once again, that socialist solutions are being advanced to fix a problem caused by an anti-free-market banking monopoly that mostly operates under the umbrella or "color" of government.
Here, then, is an agenda for Bretton Woods II. First, we need to restructure global finance, based on an expanded system of capital adequacy standards, financial reporting, system-wide risk management, and new lender-of-last-resort capacities. Derivatives traders, hedge funds, and broker dealers would be brought under regulatory control. The IMF would be empowered to be a true global lender of last resort (as I urged a dozen years ago, warning of the threat of self-fulfilling panics). To make this possible, a small tax on financial transactions – a Tobin tax – would be implemented to expand the IMF's war chest in case of crisis and to fund other urgent international needs.
OK, we need capital adequacy, more financial reporting, system-wide risk management and a new lender of last resort. We've commented previously on the idiocy of all these fixes absent a central bank fix as well – as the central bank is at the heart of the problem. But what really flabbergasts us about Sachs' suggestion is the identify of a new lender of last resort – the IMF. No wonder the monetary elites are so upset over the latest IMF sex scandal. The last scandal was safely socked away and they were probably hoping to get at least a few months before the next one – just in time to make this widely hated and incompetent institution the backstop of the world's money supply. The insanity is only superseded by the arrogance. This truly redefines the definition of "failing upward."
Second, the new global financial structure should help to rescue the world from human-induced climate change. A straightforward tax on the carbon content of fossil fuels, levied by all countries, would do the job, and much better than the enormously cumbersome emission-trading system concocted and championed by the same financial engineers who brought us our current banking crisis. Most of the carbon-tax revenues would stay at home in each country, to help finance low-emission technologies. Some would be directed to finance three global public goods: research and development on sustainable energy; transfer of sustainable-energy technology to low-income countries; and climate-change adaptation.
Somehow, we expected this would be part of the equation. Global warming has recently been abandoned for "climate change" as parts of the world apparently seem to be cooling. (Much better to blather on about "climate change" than global warming because the climate ALWAYS changes. Safer certainly.) Who can argue about a carbon tax? Humankind absolutely produces carbon. Tax away!
Third, the World Bank should be refocused with clear goals, and accountability for their success. Specifically, the bank should have one overarching assignment: helping the poorest countries acheive the millennium development goals to reduce poverty, hunger and disease. The bank is poorly organised for such leadership today. Like any bureaucracy, it avoids being held accountable for measurable results. With a tighter focus on the MDGs, the bank should also be supported with much larger financial resources from new revenue sources (such as the Tobin tax), so that the bank can better help the poorest countries expand vital infrastructure (power, roads, water, sanitation and broadband networks).
Now comes the World Bank. Maybe those thinking of these things want to add a little levity to what has been a series of pretty grim weeks. But really, the documentation is everywhere. These agencies have failed miserably and now they are going to be re-jiggered and given tons more money? And the World Bank will do better this time round because? … Oh, it's the "tighter focus" that will do the trick. Hm-mm.
Fourth, the global trade agenda should be integrated with the finance, and environment objectives. The Doha trade round has failed because the world could not see any urgent reasons for its success. A trade agreement worthy of the effort would do two main things. Importantly, it would help the poorest countries to be more productive so that they can be full participants in the global trading system. "Aid for trade" would help these countries to build the skills, roads, bridges and clean power grids to support increased trade. In addition, global trade would promote environmental sustainability, to help enforce compliance with reduced carbon emissions and protection of endangered biodiversity.
Wow, it's not enough to call for the IMF, World Bank and a carbon tax as part of the regulatory fix; the sputtering grab bag of managed trade is also to be thrown back into the mix. Truly, the current financial crisis is the gift that keeps on giving. The world consensus on global warming went awry several years ago, as did the Doha round of world trade talks which ended in bickering and bureaucratic tears (literally). But here comes Mr. Crisis and whatever the leftist agents of the monetary elite couldn't ram through before, they'll try to incorporate now into their pretty new "framework."
It's not funny, but it's pretty damn bold. Before they are through, we wonder if the Eurocrats will try to append the much maligned EU Constitution as well. Hey, claim it is necessary to the world's further monetary functioning. Carbon is.
We will close simply by noting gently (we try not to be too paranoid) that David Rockefeller of all people was instrumental in the initial Bretton Woods and in setting up the IMF and the World Bank. Now a candidate most closely identified with him and his colleagues in the US, Barack Obama, looks ready to win the next presidential election. Mr. Rockefeller is a very old man at this point, and we wish him well. But we are astounded at his tenacity and endurance.
Yes, indeed, "Rocky" has lived long enough, apparently, to see a redrawing of the financial map that he was so instrumental in drawing 50 years ago, or so. And now the man who looks to be the next president of the United States may soon be in a position to carry on his work. Despite the corrupt and incompetent track record of the IMF and World Bank, it's perfectly possible that Obama may sign on to their expanded role, especially if Bush leaves office with the matter still up in the air.
The one thing we are certain of, in all the upcoming palaver, is that the role of central banks will not be discussed, nor their endless, disastrous monetary stimulation that causes booms and busts in the first place. In fact, we'll bet that the role of central banks will be strengthened right along with the IMF and World Bank. Hey, if you're going to set up the next crisis, the one that will REALLY result in centralization, it helps to have all the firepower that you can get. You've heard of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? Call them the Three Stooges of Further Globalization.


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This is a classic Filipino dish. It's incredibly flavorful, although, at first you'll think that it does not taste good it is! It's well balanced and best served with a sticky steamed white rice. Chicken Adobo is a favorite among all my Filipino friends, and I thank them for sharing it with me. I give this dish a 5 star every time. I think the secret is to not skip the marinating time because this allows the chicken to absorb the flavors of the garlic cloves, soy sauce, vinegar, and pepper. Another thing that I love about this recipe is how tender the chicken is.
When my boyfriend came over last night, I proudly prepared this for him. When he tasted it he was like, wow! He loved it so much, he ate it all! We are planning to visit her mom this weekend and he asked me to cook this for her and I will! I'm sure she'll love it, too.
6 chicken thighs bone-in and skin-on
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. white vinegar
4 cloves garlic crushed
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
4 bay leaves
How to make Filipino Adobo Chicken
Step 1: In a large bowl, add the chicken thighs, soy sauce, white vinegar, crushed garlic, black peppercorns, and bay leaves. Marinade for 4 hours to absorb all the flavors. I use only chicken thighs and legs because these are the two best cuts to use in this dish.
Step 2: Prepare the oven by preheating to 375 degrees.
Step 3: Now, place the chicken (skin side down) to a large dutch oven. Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake for 30 minutes, covered.
Step 4: Remove the cover, then turn the chicken over. Generously glaze each chicken thighs with sauce. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes or until the chicken are browned and the sauce is reduced. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve and enjoy!
Please don't forget to Like & Share this recipe with your friends. Also, make sure to follow on Facebook and Pinterest to get our latest Daily Yummy Recipes.


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IDS Aviation - ASIC Online Issuing & Management Module
IDS Aviation - ASIC Online Issuing & Management Module
Do you want a real way of saving time and paper handling with ASICs?
IDS Aviation ASIC Online allows applicants to complete their details online, submit their documentation and book their induction and identification check at the airport.
This module is ideally used with our core VIC Issuing Module as card statuses are fed into the central database of the system helping you to produce useful reports like VIC to ASIC conversions etc.
The initial set up fee is $1,995 which includes the set up of your unique URL and AIrport Branding and an Essential Eight Health Check consultation by one of our CyberSecurity Consultants.
ASIC Management is billed by lodged applicants @ $35 per application on a monthly basis.
Volume discounts apply - price on application.
What would get with IDS Aviation ASIC Management & Issuing Module
- ASIC Compliance Updates
- Secure storage of ASIC Documentation at Amazon Web Services
- Cyber Security enhancements and Updates (See Guide to Goods and Services)
- Phone Support 8 am to 8 pm EST
- 24/7 Ticket Support
- Software upgrades, data and application security.


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China's southern spaceport of Wenchang will build a $3 billion supercomputing center by year-end to analyze data obtained from space, according to state media. With a planned investment of 20 billion yuan ($3.1 billion), the supercomputing center will provide big data services for industries including the aerospace and marine sectors starting in 2022, state-backed Hainan Daily said.
Earlier this month, the government said it was planning a new commercial space base in Hainan to meet the growing demand for launches.
The government also supports Hainan in its international cooperation on launching commercial satellites and payloads and research and development in commercial spaceflight.
Source: US News


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The National Theatre and The Sunday Times have announced the winners of the 30th Ian Charleson Awards, which are the 2019 awards delayed from last year.
The awards celebrate exceptional classical stage performances (defined as written pre-1918) by an actor under 30 years of age.
The winners were announced in a digital ceremony introduced by the National's Rufus Norris; and featured a speech from Oliver Ford Davies remembering Ian Charleson, the Scottish actor who performed numerous Shakespearian roles, including Hamlet at the National Theatre shortly before his death in 1990, aged 40, from AIDS. The annual awards were established in 1991 to commemorate his life and work.
The First Prize was awarded to Heledd Gwynn for playing Hedda in Hedda Gabler at the Sherman Theatre, and Hastings/Ratcliffe in Richard III for Headlong. This is the second year that Heledd has been nominated.
The Second Prize went to Hammed Animashaun for playing Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Bridge Theatre.
And the Third Prize was awarded to Ronke Adekoluejo, for her performance as Abosede in Three Sisters at the National Theatre.
Other special commendations were awarded to a range of performers including Billy Postlethwaite for playing Macbeth in Macbeth at The Watermill Theatre; Eben Figueiredo for Christian in the Jamie Lloyd Company's Cyrano de Bergerac; Ebony Jonelle for Rosalind in As You Like It, staged by NT Public Acts and Queens Theatre Hornchurch; Ekow Quartey for Lysander in the Shakespeare's Globe production of A Midsummer Night's Dream; Ioanna Kimbook for Cariola in The Duchess of Malfi at The Almeida Theatre; Isis Hainsworth for Hermia and Kit Young for Lysander, in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Bridge Theatre; and Kitty Archer for Mariane in Tartuffe, and Racheal Ofori for Udo in Three Sisters – both at the National Theatre.
Winners and nominees for the much-loved but little publicised awards have often gone on to hugely successful careers in stage, TV and film, with past winners including Damian Lewis (Billions), Dominic West (The Wire), Ruth Negga (Preacher), Tom Hollander (Rev), David Oyelowo (A United Kingdom) , Andrea Riseborough (The Death of Stalin), Cush Jumbo (The Good Fight) and Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple).


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The former Jesuit pride of a church has risen from the ruins to be one of Intramuros' newest landmarks, the Museo de Intramuros.
Destileria Limtuaco Museum: Intramuros' Liquor Hideaway
Many people usually associate Intramuros with being the center of government and the Catholic faith during the Spanish colonial period and, in modern times, a center of education and where seafarers stay. But recently, a new and "different" facet of Intramuros was unveiled to the public early this year: that of a "liquor hideaway." No it is not a liquor distillery that opened in the area. Rather it is a museum dedicated to a liquor distillery. Not just any wine distillery mind you but one of the country's top distilleries: the Destileria Limtuaco.
ASEAN and the Parian
This year, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Coinciding with this momentous occasion, the 31st ASEAN Summit is being held here in Manila this week until November 15, prompting protests, heavy traffic, and a former beauty queen committing serious traffic violation. But in the spirit of this historic occasion, let's focus instead to what this site does best: urban roaming of course. In relation to the ASEAN theme going on in the metropolis, today the Urban Roamer takes you right between the walls of Intramuros where one of the Walled City's defenses once stood. Where now stands an open park that, among others, is…
Santo Domingo Church in Intramuros
October every year is a special occasion for one of the metropolis' most prominent Catholic churches. In particular, this church celebrates two important occasions: the feast day of its Marian patron and the anniversary of its establishment in its current location. And what is this church is the Urban Roamer referring to? Why, it is none other than the Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City, considered to be the one of the largest Catholic churches in Metro Manila. For us to better appreciate the significance of this landmark, it is important for us to learn its history. For that, we have to first visit the Walled City that is Intramuros in…


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Front Street Fights 5, taking place May 15 at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, ID, will feature a trio of Combat Fitness/SBG Idaho athletes.
- Starting the night off for our gym will be Russell Koharchick (1-0) taking on Daniel Spitz (4-1) in an amateur heavyweight matchup.
- Matt Jones (1-1) will take on Chris Bateman (making his professional debut) in a professional featherweight (145 lb) bout.
- In the night's professional main event, Jesse Brock (19-8) will square off with Bendy Casimir (20-11) at bantamweight (135 lb).
Each of our athletes has a great challenge in front of them, and we are looking for a night filled with great victories!
For more information and ticket info, please visit http://centurylinkarenaboise.com/events/front-street-fights-5-presented-bodybuilding-com/.


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This past weekend was a celebration for Tamar Braxton and Vincent Herbert. The estranged couple took their son, Logan Herbert, to Disneyland to commemorate his fifth birthday.
Logan was surrounded by family and friends who wore t-shirts that further celebrated his birthday. "I hope you enjoyed your day," one of Tamar's fans wrote in response to the celebrity mom sharing a group picture from the event. "I'm pretty sure you did," the follower added.
Indeed, Tamar Braxton did enjoy her time at Disneyland. "I'm so grateful for @waltdisneyworld," Tamar told her social media fans. "You never know what you TRULY need until God provides it," she exclaimed. "I thought this was just my baby's 5th bday!! It's been God at work."
It was just a few months ago that Tamar and Vince delved into their marital problems. "I have a regular marriage and in regular marriages just like everyone else, things happen," Tamar said. "In my marriage, it was just to a point where I felt like divorce was the only option I had left," she admitted.
Braxton further explained, "Although we're in extensive counseling and that is much needed and it always will be. I think the bigger picture of everything is that we have a responsibility to my amazing 4-year-old son. Just to raise him in the most comfortable, amazing, loving and secure household that we can—that's why we don't live together."
Logan is Tamar Braxton and Vincent Herbert's only child. Stay tuned for more celebrity family news!


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Water Online Quality Meter
- Dissolved Oxygen Meter
- Online Conductivity Meter
- Industrial pH/ORP Meter
- Residual Chlorine Meter
- Online COD BOD Analyzer
- Online Turbidity Meter
- Water Quality Multi-parameters
- Suspended Solid Meter
- Online Ion Meter
- Acid Alkali Concentration Meter
- Online Color Meter
- Industrial Silicate Meter
- Online Phosphate Analyzer
- Online Sodium Meter
- Online Oil-in-Water Analyzer
- Water Quality Sensor
- Laboratory Water Quality Meter
- Portable Water Quality Meter
- Industrial Flow Meter
- Industrial Level Meter
- Industrial Pressure Instrument
- Water Quality Sampler
Nasa Demonstrates Airborne Water Quality Sensor
Based on application, the residential phase is expected to account for the very best CAGR in the international market during the forecast period owing to the increase in authorities initiatives in the Asia-Pacific area.
Based on the part, the pH sensor section is anticipated to account for the most share, rising at a major CAGR during the forecast period.
TI CC3200 reduces the complexity and improves the speed of operation compared with controllers with external Wi-Fi modules. A comparability of various microcontrollers and embedded boards used within the literature for sensible water quality monitoring are supplied in Table 7.
Mark Burns, a chemical engineering professor at the University of Michigan, and his colleagues got down to develop a cheap sensor that might be positioned at key points in metropolis water techniques as well as at the faucets in homes.
EnviroDIY™ is a community for do-it-yourself ideas for environmental science and monitoring. This is attributed to the decline in the cost of sensors, which in turn has propelled their adoption in residential and industrial segments.
Just like temperature, typically stress is required to calculate other properties of the fluid.
The commonest type of water strain sensor is solely a pressure sensor (either strain gauge or piezoelectric) with a chamber for the water to press in on.
Strain gauges are flexible pads whose resistance modifications depending on how much they deform from stress. Piezoelectric materials generate small amounts of electrical cost when compressed.
The report consists of market shares of the environmental sensor market for international, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and South America.
Founded in 1984, System Sensor is a global producer of fireside and life safety gadgets, specializing in smoke detection, carbon monoxide detection, and notification expertise for world-wide applications. This video will illustrate the working precept of the Water Quality Monitoring and Notification System.
2 Li-Ion batteries in sequence will give 7.4-8.4V, one buck converter to convey it right down to 5V for our Arduino and A7 module, one other increase converter to provide an 11V power rail for these water sensors.
With this setup, the system won't run for a very long time, however, that is not a major concern for this prototype. The proposed model in this paper makes use of TI CC3200, a controller with a built-in Wi-Fi module and devoted ARM MCU for wireless communication purposes.


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Four missing teenagers have been found in an abandoned pub.
A 13-year-old girl from Swadlincote, a 16-year-old boy missing from Swadlincote, a 14-year-old girl from Burton and a 16-year-old boy from Coalville were found in the Burton pub.
Officers initially found the 13-year-old girl in the pub before checking the garage and finding the three other children, reports DerbyshireLive.
A spokesman for Derbyshire police said: "Each was found safe and well and were taken home by officers."
In a tweet previously put out by the police, it was described as the "missing person jackpot" as the teenagers were found sleeping in the garage.
Police have been asked to confirm at which pub the missing girl was found, but have refused to reveal its location.
We want you to be able to get your news whenever and however you want it.
As well as our website , we have a Facebook page , a Twitter feed, @leicslive , and for a daily snapshot of the top stories, you can sign up to receive our newsletters .
If you prefer to use an app, we've got apps for both Android and Apple devices which can be tailored to deliver the news and sport that you're interested in.
And if you download our app, you can sign up for push notifications, which means you'll get alerts about the biggest breaking news stories.
We've also got Facebook groups for traffic and travel , crime , things to do with the kids , shopping and homes for sale .


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Naina Antar Aav Too, Jyoon Haun Nain Jhampeu.
Na Haun Dekhoon Aur Ko Na Tujh Dekhan Deoon.
Meaning: Oh dear! (Lord) you come inside me through the path of these two eyes and then I should close these eyes of mine! Then neither should I see anyone else nor let anyone else see you!


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Aetna To Impose Parking Fee On Employees In City
August 1, 2006 By DIANE LEVICK, Courant Staff Writer
Aetna, for the first time, will charge employees for parking in Hartford, an unwelcome prospect for workers in the city and the thousands being moved up from Middletown offices by 2010.
Aetna won't tell employees how much it will cost them until the end of August, and the company plans to phase in the charges next year for garage parking, and in 2008 for those who use the company's parking lots. The decision will affect the 2,800 employees who work for Aetna in Hartford now, and the 3,600 workers who Aetna said Friday would be transferred to the city by 2010.
It costs the company a lot to lease city and state land for parking, and to maintain the lots, including snow removal, Aetna spokesman Fred Laberge said.
He said the company would subsidize half of those costs, and the parking charges to employees would reflect the other half.
"We're trying to become a more cost-efficient company," Laberge said.
Aetna also plans to start charging workers for parking in other urban locations, but it was unclear Monday whether employees in Middletown would be charged. The company owns the land in Middletown and a data center on it, but leases the larger main building.
There were 4,527 employees at the Middletown complex as of the end of June, and roughly 300 IBM workers at the site under an outsourcing contract with Aetna.
The company's confirmation of the parking fees is "just one more thing ... after small raises, being relocated, and the cost of gas going up," said an Aetna Middletown employee who will be moved to Hartford.
"There hasn't been a huge uproar" about the parking charges because they were rumored for a long time, she said.
With Aetna's plans to build a new Flower Street garage and add more surface parking in Hartford, "it's nice we won't have to park under the highway and have the pigeons poop on our cars," the employee said.
Laberge noted that Aetna will increase its subsidy sometime in 2007 for employees who commute to work by public transportation or van pools, from the current $21 a month to $30.
Aetna joins other companies that already charge employees for parking, including The St. Paul Travelers Cos. and ING Group.
ING charges $35 to $115 a month, depending on the parking location and the employee's salary. Travelers says it also bases parking fees on location and pay.
ING occupies Aetna's Tower Building in Hartford, but its lease expires at the end of 2007, and it plans to move to Windsor.
The move precipitated Aetna's plans to relocate 3,600 employees from Middletown to Hartford by 2010, after major renovations on its headquarters buildings.
Other Hartford companies, such as The Hartford Financial Services Group and The Courant, don't charge workers for parking.
Includes option to search related Hartford sites.
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Marble Makeup Brush Sets
Regular price
Marble Makeup Brush Sets allow you to put your daily makeup on flawlessly. With many colors and marbel designs to choose from, you are sure to find the right style of brush set for you.
Brush Material: Nylon, Plastic
Quantity: sets of 15 or 10 pieces
Handle Material: Plastic
****Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are facing shipping complications. You can expect your shipment to arrive within 2 to 9 weeks.****


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The Burien Film Festival will be screening its winning films at Discover Burien's Drive-In on SW 153rd Street this Wednesday night, Oct. 28, 2020, starting at 7 p.m.
The cost is FREE – with Donation Requested – and viewing placement is on a first come first serve; gates open at 6 pm.
Wednesday, Oct. 28: 7 p.m. start
- Hyperlocal Burien Winners: The two winning shorts, Skipping Shorewood dir. by Evan Kubena and The Maplewild Run dir. By Dan White.
- Interview with the directors by Ben Camp and John Hendow
- International Award Winners: Eight (8) winning 'Best Of' categories from Turkey, France, Germany, Iran, Ukraine/UK, and US – These are world-class films!!
Wednesday, Nov. 4: 7 p.m. start:
NW Film Industry Hero Award: Intro and Wes Hurley presents the award to Mischa Jakupcak
- Two short films: The Hero Post dir. by Mischa Jakupcak, Little Potato dir. by Wes Hurley
- Ben Camp hosts a Wes and Mischa conversation.
- Bias – Reflections: Intro on bias in the world today by T.s. Flock
Five powerful short films addressing bias in the world from India, Iran and Seattle
Five Directors Reflect – don't miss this! Poignant insight into the films and the state of the world.
Wednesday, Nov. 11: 7 p.m. start
Animated! Homage to Stop-Animation by John Hendow
- Five stop animation shorts from local and international filmmakers
- Interview of artist and filmmaker Gevin Booth by Ben Camp
NW Teen Talent – Intro by Angela DiMarco and David Hogan of Mighty Tripod Productions
- Four shorts by one teen writer and three teen directors.
- Teens Talk Shop – The next generation of filmmakers speak
More info: https://www.discoverburien.org/drivein-1
The Drive-In is located west of 6th Ave SW on the north side of SW 153rd Street:


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A 19-year-old girl is dead and her three teen accomplices behind bars after they broke into a San Antonio home Friday morning only to be met by a homeowner armed with a shotgun.
The four suspects gained entry into the home by removing an air conditioning unit from a window, but just as they were making their way inside, the homeowner awakened and armed himself with a shotgun, according to reports from local media.
The girl, who was later identified as Priscilla Elizondo, 19, was already inside when the homeowner opened fire and struck her multiple times. At that point, the remaining three suspects left the girl and fled from the home.
Elizondo was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after officers arrived. A knife was found lying next to her body and near her was a bag containing a gun, several burglary tools and a checkbook that belonged to the homeowner's wife.
The three remaining suspects were located at a house the next street over and were found to be in possession of several items that were taken from the house where Elizondo was killed. The remaining suspects, who were identified as Juan Zamora, 17, and Efrain Torres, 18, were arrested, charged with burglary and currently remain in jail with bonds totaling $20,000 each.
The fourth suspect, who is 16 years old, had a graze wound to his chest, but was otherwise not seriously injured. He was also arrested and is currently being held at a juvenile detention facility. Due to his age, his name was not released.
The homeowner is not expected to face any charges. He said he and his family, which includes three children, are all okay and are trying to just get past the incident.
Juan Galvis, who lives next door and heard the gunfire erupt during the break-in, told reporters it was not the first time the family had been targeted for a burglary.
The post 1 dead, 3 in custody after teens break into San Antonio home appeared first on Guns.com.


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Deebo Samuel is a unique talent who continues to make a name for himself as a prototype skill player - the type that has offensive coordinators licking their chops to get a hold of. Samuel is a crafty route-runner who adds another dimension to Kyle Shanahan's offense with his ability to rack up yards after the catch and put defenders in a bind.
Even Trent Williams and former 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman were forced to mention his name and dynamism on the Cris Collinsworth podcast last month, comparing his skill set to the likes of some of the most potent pass catchers to play the game.
"Deebo is one of my favorite players because I feel like he possesses something that I don't really see in a lot of people and I told him that my first week (in San Francisco) when I was watching last year's clips. I'm like, 'Bro, I've never seen anything like that," Williams said. "With him knowing what to expect from an NFL game now, I think this can be one of those years – first Pro Bowl year-type stuff."
Added Sherman: "It's something you definitely never see in receivers. Sometimes you see it in running backs, but he's a hunter for contact and he always thinks he's getting through it. He's not hunting just to run you over. He's hunting because, 'I think I'm going to run you over and I'm going to keep going.'"
In his first year in San Francisco, Samuel bested Hall of Famer Jerry Rice's franchise record for most receptions by a 49ers rookie. Despite coming off of an injury-marred season in 2020, Samuel appeared in 22 games through his first two years in San Francisco and amassed nearly 1,200 yards receiving and four touchdowns. He also added 185 yards rushing and three additional scores while averaging over 12 yards per touch during that span.
What stands out about Samuel's production is his ability to create yards above expectation and force missed tackles after the catch. According to Pro Football Focus, he leads all NFL wide receivers with 36 forced missed tackles since 2019.
NFL teams have been looking to replicate the success San Francisco demonstrated with their dual-threat wideout and could look to do so in this year's draft.
Pro Football Focus recently identified several upcoming prospects as the best YAC receivers in the 2021 NFL Draft. Equivalently, ESPN football analyst Mel Kiper Jr. highlighted several of the same upcoming prospects with skill sets parallel to those of Samuel's: Florida's Kadarius Toney, Purdue's Rondale Moore, Clemon's Amari Rodgers and Oklahoma State's Tylan Wallace.
"Deebo's kind of a unique talent because he'll just take guys and bulldoze you," Kiper Jr. said. "I do think Deebo was almost like a big running back playing wide receiver. He was that versatile guy like (Washington Football Team running back) Antonio Gibson that came out of Memphis. So, those are guys that give you a little bit more of a dimension than most of these guys coming out this year will give you."
Last season, Toney led Florida's offense with 70 receptions for 984 yards (14.1 per reception) and 10 touchdowns (tied for seventh-most in the FBS). He also added 19 carries for 161 yards, (8.5 yards per carry) and another score in 2020. According to Pro Football Focus, his missed tackle per touch rate of 35 percent since 2018 is the highest among draft-eligible receivers. The 6-foot, 193-pound Florida product notched the second-most receptions of 15 or more yards from the slot last season (23) and ranked inside the 90th percentile for both yards after the catch per reception (8.77) and forced missed tackles per reception (0.358).
"Toney is a guy that gives you a lot of that ability after the catch to make people miss," Kiper Jr. said.
Like Toney, Moore ranked inside the 90th percentile in both yards after the catch per reception (7.5) and forced missed tackles per reception (0.264) among qualifying wideouts, per PFF. In 2018, he ranked inside the top 10 among Power 5 receivers in yards after the catch per reception (7.8) and forced missed tackles per reception (0.325). Only Samuel ranked ahead of him in both statistical categories during his time at South Carolina. In 20 career games with the Boilermakers, Moore recorded 1,915 yards on 178 receptions and 14 touchdowns to add to 248 rushing yards and three rushing scores. Kiper Jr. called Moore a "compact guy" who shares similar traits to Samuel.
Rodgers closed out his career at Clemson with 181 total receptions for 2,144 yards and 15 receiving touchdowns. He also registered 68 career punt returns for 529 yards (7.8 average) including one returned for a touchdown. He became only the fifth Clemson player since 2000 to record touchdowns by rush, reception and punt return their collegiate career. Rodgers averaged 7.9 yards after the catch per reception and 0.215 forced missed tackles per reception with the Tigers, ranking inside the 93rd and 83rd percentile among qualifying wideouts, respectively, according to PFF.
Kiper Jr. also mentioned Wallace as an option who could be available in the second round of the draft. During his four seasons at Oklahoma State, Wallace recorded 205 receptions for 3,434 yards and 26 touchdowns. Among 2021 prospects, Wallace tied for second in contested catches (21) since 2019, per Pro Football Focus.
Whether adding another talent of Samuel's aptitude appears to be in the 49ers plans or not, San Francisco could look to the draft to add pass catching talent to a rather thin receiving corps.
Beyond Samuel and former first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco lacks much proven depth at the position. Nonetheless, the opportunity for Shanahan and Co. to land yet another playmaker in a deep wide receiver class should add another layer to the creativity and production of San Francisco's offense in 2021.


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Riots continue in Kafr Kanna, East Jerusalem
Arab students protest at Tel Aviv, Haifa universities; partial strike in businesses in both Arab and mixed communities as some businesses open their doors; 'If we stay quiet, then police might do this again elsewhere, and we don't know who's next,' says business owner who joined strike.
Clashes between Kafr Kanna residents and police continued Sunday after dozens of Arab students at Tel Aviv and Haifa universities protested the shooting of a knife-wielding 22-year-old Israeli Arab shot dead by police Sunday. Riots were also reported in East Jerusalem.
Dozens of protesters in Kafr Kanna were hurling stones at police, setting tires on fire, blocking the entry road to the town and waving Palestinian flags. Twenty rioters have been arrested, eight of them minors. Protests were also reported in Kafr Qasim.
Meanwhile, masked men hurled stones at police forces in the Eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Isawiya on Sunday. The police dispersed the rioters using crowd control measures.
"(Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu threatened to revoke our citizenship and we are telling him from here that he cannot deter us," one of the rioters told Ynet. "You and your police are the rioters, not us. We'll continue our struggle until the policemen who murdered Khair Hamdan are punished."
A fire broke out near the fence of moshav Mei Ami in Wadi Ara as a result of a Molotv cocktail thrown in the area. The Umm al-Fahm police opened an investigation into the fire.
Near Nazareth, some 30 youths set fire to tires and scattered rocks on the road, but there were no reports of stone-throwing. Route 754 had to then be closed for traffic to clear the obstacles.
At a police station in Sha'ab, the Israeli flag was taken down and replace with a Palestinian Authority flag. Police opened an investigation into the incident.
Protests at universities
Protesters outside Tel Aviv University were waving Palestinian flags and raising banners that said "There's no justice and there's no peace," and "From Jerusalem to Kafr Kanna, it's all part of the same story." They also held banners with photos of Khair Hamdan, under the headline "Shahid" (martyr).
The protesters called out "In spirit and in blood we will redeem the martyrs."
Facing the protesting students was a counter protest of about 20 right-wing activists who were waving Israeli flags and calling out to the Arab protesters: "You should be ashamed of yourself," "Traitors" and "We're sick and tired of Arab terrorism - one time it's a vehicular attack, another it's a knife. We don't want dead policemen."
Some 120 people protested outside Haifa University, most of which are members of Balad, Hadash and the Islamic Movement.
They were calling out "Israel is a terror state" and waved banners that read "Charge: Arab. Punishment: Death."
The protesters sang the Palestinian anthem before dispersing.
Arab sector goes on strike
The Arab sector launched a general strike on Sunday morning in protest of the fatal police shooting of Khair Hamdan in Kfar Kanna.
Along with the strike, which includes all parts of Arab society in Israel as well as education institutes and public services, demonstrations are set to take place in many communities in northern Israel, and in the Triangle Area.
Arab students called for protests at universities, including Haifa University, Tel Aviv University, Ben Gurion University in Be'er Sheva and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
"If we stay quiet, then police might do this again elsewhere, and we don't know who's next," said Abed al-Kadar, a Tayibe restaurant owner who joined the strike. "We're losing money and this hurts our livelihood, but it's a good step against the police's actions."
Another business owner from the Triangle Area was hopeful the strike "leads to good results," but at the same time said he believes "the investigation will be closed due to the lack of evidence, just like other investigations. The Arabs in Israel have no rights, we're always accused of everything. Our situation worsens every day more and more, the state humiliates us and we're still looking for a way out of this situation."
Others business owners in Arab communities, however, have opened their businesses. A partial strike was noted in mixed communities as well. In Jaffa, educational institutions were closed, but some of the businesses were opened.
The weekend rioting continued into the night Saturday. Protesters setting tires on fire blocked Route 444 near the Tayibe Bridge in the Triangle area. Police and Border police called to the scene dispersed the rioters and arrested an 18-year-old man.
Rioters threw rocks at an Egged bus on Route 65, a major highway in northern Israel that connects Hadera to the Galilee, lightly wounding two passengers. Police were searching for the perpetrators but no arrests have been made yet.
Large protests are planned in Kfar Kanna, Umm al-Fahm, Tira, Tayibe and several others cities, and black flags were put on many cars in the Arab sector.
Police were on high alert throughout Israel on Sunday morning, with the level of alert raised to the second highest since the start of Operation Protective Edge in the summer.
"Over 1200 policemen will be deployed in Arab towns and cities today. We're all ready for any unusual incidents. The situation is not calm. We're doing everything to take control of rioting, if there are any," a senior police officer said.


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Here's a fact—construction is one of the best industries for startups. Here's another fact—it also has one of the highest failure rates, with only 36.4% of construction companies ever reaching their fifth year of business, whether due to a lack of finances, planning, or a lack of business knowledge experience. But this article isn't about starting a construction company. It's about starting a construction contractor business.
Freelance or self-employed contractors are a massive contributor to the economy because they will always remain an absolute necessity to the construction industry. Without construction contractors, you can be 100% certain that new buildings and office headquarters would literally be impossible to construct, and old ones would start to fall apart.
Photo by ThisIsEngineering from Pexels
Consequently, if you're an experienced contractor who's tired of being an employee and feel like you're ready to conquer the next step of being a successful business owner, kickstarting your own construction contractor business can prove to be a very lucrative business operation.
To do that, you'll need to learn how to build your business from the ground up, including selecting the proper business structure, obtaining adequate contractor licenses, permits, and insurance policies, the skill to manage different jobs efficiently, and understanding the financial part of the business. So, before you get too far involved, here's a short guide that can help you build your contractor business from scratch.
Step 1: Assemble A Solid Business Plan
Once you get a good feel and understanding of your local market and its needs, you can start drafting your new business plan. A solid business plan is one of the essential documents you'll create when first starting, as it can help you keep your business on track and enhance your chances of success. The business plan is also what you'll give to lenders to help source funding, which means it's crucial to be detailed and put all that market research into good use.
Your construction contractor business's business plans should include the following:
- The way you'll structure and manage your business;
- The kind of services you'll offer;
- The types of jobs you'll bid on;
- Defining your target market;
- The initial number of employees;
- How you plan to market your company;
- The estimated cost of starting and maintaining your company;
- How much you expect to earn in your first year and other essential KPIs.
Step 2: Register Your Contractor Business
After assembling your business plan, it's vital to register your contractor business to make it a legal entity, which can provide legal benefits, personal liability protection, and, of course, tax benefits. The good thing here is that registering your business is as simple as registering your company's name with state and local authorities.
Nevertheless, as not each state may provide them automatically, you should also take the extra step and register your business on the federal level to get your federal tax ID and Employer Identification Number. This will also permit you to trademark your company name and logo with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Step 3: Secure Insurance And Liabilities
Right from the very start, you should start thinking about insurance for your company, for yourself, and your employees. Given the hazardous nature of all construction jobs, making sure you're covered in case of an injury to yourself or your employees is absolutely vital.
Accidents occur, and any construction business owner needs to fully understand all the eventual liabilities involved and obtain a general contractor's liability insurance to protect their business better. Also, most states and construction contracts will demand you to carry valid workers' compensation insurance. So the sooner you secure your insurance policies, the better it will work out for your business.
Photo from The Fabricator
Step 4: Obtain The Right Permits And Licenses
Subject to your state, your business location, the size of your new company, and the type of work you plan to do, you're probably going to need multiple permits and licenses to operate legally on both state and federal levels.
Federal law requires permits for specific business practices, from mining and drilling to transportation. For instance, there are special permits demanded for the operation of heavy vehicles if you're planning to transport building materials. To acknowledge which federal permits and licenses you may need, you should select your business activity on the federal permits and licenses page. At a state level, your business's location is the primary factor in these requirements.
Without the proper permits and licenses, your contractor company may not only be looking at costly fines and tax penalties but also the possibility of governmental closure.
Step 5: Secure Your Financing
At this point, you want to make sure that you have the money to finance your new business and all the processes and operations that go with it. If you're not in the position to use your own savings, you can secure financing elsewhere in various ways. These include bank loans, private lenders, government loans, credit unions, or even government funding programs.
As you'll need to purchase rent or lease equipment, tools, and vehicles to get your contractor business off the ground, securing your financing beforehand is very important to your business's future success. Besides, you'll need to invest in advertising, pay your bills, and meet the payroll. You will need to secure some funds before you bid on your first contract, so apply and secure financing early on.
Step 6: Network With Other Contractors, Suppliers, And Business Associates
Invest some time in networking and create good relationships with other fellow contractors, so you have people from the branch to call upon to help you finish jobs you can't complete on your own or don't have the time to finish within the deadline. Make sure to open accounts with multiple suppliers and establish credit with them, and establish good relationships with other industry professionals like building inspectors, for example.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
Step 7: Determine Whether You'll Hire Employees Or Contractors
The last step we'll recommend when starting a construction contractor business is to determine whether you'll keep full-time employees on your payroll or you'll hire contractors when you need them.
Photo by Becca Tapert from Unsplash
As you probably know, there is bigger flexibility and lower costs involved when dealing with contractors because you don't have to pay their benefits or continue to provide their salary when business is slow.
However, at least you might consider having a full-time assistant whom you can prepare to know all ins and outs of your business and keep things running smoothly.
Final Thoughts
Beginning a construction contractor business isn't the most uncomplicated process in the world, but countless generations of contractors know how rewarding this business can be. The steps mentioned above are the first things you should consider to establish a thriving contractor business. Also, never forget that office work plays a vital role in keeping a positive cash flow, so besides securing the best contractors you can find on the market, do your due diligence and employ a first-class administrative person to handle all the paperwork for your new company!


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In the Hands of Environmental Extremists and Elitist Bureaucrats, the Well-Intended Endangered Species Act Has Gone Loco
In 1960, this country had 30,000 federal laws and regulations on the books, and we called America "The land of the free and home of the brave." By 1990, we had more than 200,000 federal laws and regulations. We have become "the land of the regulated and the home of litigation." There are so many laws, if you obey one, you may be breaking another. If a person clears a firebreak around his home, he may be found guilty of "murdering" endangered weeds, and he may have to pay the government a mitigation fee to buy a weed sanctuary. Of course, it is illegal not to clear firebreaks around one's home, ranch or business.Environmental Extortion
One can usually "take" (kill) as many Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed species as he can pay for in cash or land to environmentalists or government agencies to buy preserves for that species. In Mexico, they call this mordida, the "little bite," or payoff. In the US, being more politically correct, we call it environmental mitigation. It is never little.Even though the US Constitution forbids quartering of troops on one's property, except during time of war, under ESA a person can be forced to host "endangered" beetles, cockroaches, flies, rats, spiders, and weeds on his property indefinitely.
Riverside County, CA, is the home of an ESA-listed subspecies of rat, the Stephens Kangaroo Rat. If one wants to build on private property that has a rat habitat, one has to pay the government amounts up to $1,900 an acre, so they can buy "rat homes" somewhere else. These rats carry diseases: rabies and bubonic and pneumonic plagues fatal to humans. Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt's US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reportedly will spend more than $100 million buying rat homes. The homeless humans who live under freeway bridges in Riverside County should be so lucky!
Neighboring San Bernardino County has the endangered Delhi Sand Fly. The new county medical center there was required by USFWS to pay $10 million in environmental mitigation to purchase a fly sanctuary for one to eight flies! This is equivalent to the cost of more than 150,000 human visits to the emergency room! The scientist paid to study the fly reported, "During 43 hours of observation, I sighted eight flies, but I can't be sure if it was eight different flies, or the same fly seen eight times."
San Bernardino County sued the USFWS, and discovered the agency's internal reports predicted the fly could not be saved, and would be extinct by 2001. Yet it is still a federal felony to swat this fly, punishable by five years in a federal penitentiary and up to a $100,000 fine. The county lost in court, and now the USFWS is demanding $220 million for additional "fly sanctuaries" to "mitigate" new community projects!
Endangered Weeds
In 1996, the San Bernardino National Forest (SBNF) spent $300,000 in taxes protecting allegedly endangered weeds. In 1998 Interior Secretary Babbitt's USFWS proposed spending $780,000 in taxes to save these "endangered weeds." These weeds tend to thrive in areas cleared of brush or forest, such as firebreaks, roads, quarries, timber harvest, or in areas subjected to wild land fire. However the US Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service will not let miners plant the same weeds in their quarries to "save the species."Locoweed
LocoweedSeveral years ago, my family cleared some property we own in SBNF of brush and a few small trees. The cleared area was invaded by weeds, one of which has the cute name, milkvetch, the scientific name Astragalus albens, and which has now been placed on the ESA list. In reviewing scientific literature I found out it is really a poisonous, noxious weed called locoweed. It is hazardous to browsing animals and to humans. If eaten, it can make one delusional, blind, and cause birth defects or death. These weeds are alleged to be restricted to the SBNF, although the scientific literature suggests some may be found all over western North America; and birds who eat the weed seeds have spread these species up and down the Pacific and Rocky Mountain flyways from Mexico to Canada.
Under SBNF Supervisor Gene Zimmerman, botanists may have unintentionally reduced the weed habitat by failing to maintain firebreaks, failing to keep brush cleared, and suspending lumber harvesting for decades, thus reducing open space available for weeds. In September 1999, this policy of allowing uncontrolled fuel buildup resulted in the 65,000-acre Willow Fire, the largest wildland fire in SBNF history. This fire destroyed 50 homes, and tens or even hundreds of millions dollars in timber and threatened lives of 70,000 local residents. Forest Service botanists Scott Eliason and Robin Butler arrived at the fire lines telling firemen they should stop dragging fire hoses or bulldozing fire breaks in the "endangered weeds." Eliason is quoted in the LA Times (Sept. 2, pA25)... "Three different endangered plant species, found only in these mountains, may be jeopardized - not by the fire itself, but by being crushed by the fire fighters' hoses and bulldozers."
Locoweed, A. albens, turns out to be a noxious weed ranchers, farmers, and local farm bureaus have been trying to eradicate for the last century. In many localities, it is against the law to knowingly propagate locoweed on one's property; now it is a federal crime to remove it. Enforcement of the Endangered Species Act has gone loco, and the country's elitist, "biocentric" bureaucrats have added new meaning to the old saying, "The inmates are in charge of the asylum."


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It's no longer news that Samsung has been reeling in pains since the release of Galaxy Note-7, Samsung's tech rivals have already begun to feast from the carcass of the exploding Note 7 debacle as Apple posted its highest share price in almost a year.
In the wake of the painfully drawn-out Note 7 battery issue which started when consumers began complaining of their handsets going up in smoke, which then lead to a mass recall and replacement operation, only to see those replacement units also suffer from the exploding issue, Apple's share price has risen by 2.3%.
Despite trying to stamp out the issue, the company has officially decided to discontinue sales and production of the product less than two months after it's launch for the sake of consumer safety, leaving Samsung with an estimated $17bn bill. With customers no longer being able to purchase or replace the Note 7 it will leave consumers shopping around for an alternative, making the iPhone 7 Plus a very appealing option.
Apple and other tech companies would potentially sell additional units as the fallout from killing off the Note 7 continues.


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Tennis team leader Alicia Molik believes her standing as the only Australian woman to have medalled at an Olympics can end in Rio.
Sam Stosur, desperate for a reversal in fortunes in her fourth Games appearance, looms as Australia's spearhead and Molik says the world No.18 is set for a deep run into the Rio tournament.
Stosur's semi-final finish at the French Open showed she remains a contender, and the Brazilian hard courts as well as humid local conditions suit the 2011 US Open champion.
Molik has seen enough in the Queenslander's recent WTA events in Washington and Montreal to know the 13th seed is well prepared as she starts her campaign against Latvian world No.46 Jelena Ostapenko.
"This is one of her favourite times of the year," the Australian women's coach told AAP.
"She has had perfect preparation with two hard court events leading into the Olympics as well.
"I think the conditions really suit her.
"The days are balmy but there's a tiny bit of humidity in the air as well so the ball is really sitting nicely."
A former world No.8, Molik's career highlight was winning bronze at the 2004 Athens Games.
Stosur has never passed the second round in her three previous Olympic outings, and was a shock first-round casualty as fifth seed in London four years ago.
Although tennis has been mired by the withdrawals of leading men players and controversies with Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic, Stosur is excited to be in Rio.
"I never would have dreamed I'd make it to four Olympics so it's something that's really special," she told AAP.
"I've never really done any good at the Olympics but hopefully this will be my turnaround one."
Australia's other singles woman, Russian-born Daria Gavrilova, faces a mountainous task in her Olympic debut after drawing defending champion Serena Williams.
Stosur and Gavrilova will combine in the doubles where the Rodionova sisters, Arina and Anastasia, will also play after gaining a late call-up.
With Stosur the only one with Olympic experience, Molik said her 10-strong team, including six men headlined by Thanasi Kokkinakis, was "jumping out of their skin" to compete.
"It's a lifetime goal for every player that's here," she said.
"That was the highlight of my career. That's what the Olympics means to me - the No.1 moment."


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As of January 1, 2019, Partnership members who are eligible for California Children's Services (CCS) get this care through Partnership's Whole Child Model (WCM) program. Partnership manages your child's CCS care and non-CCS care.
For questions about your child's care, call Care Coordination at (800) 809-1350.
You may have other questions about WCM/CCS. Call Member Services from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. (800) 863-4155. TTY (800) 735-2929 or 711.
For more information: Whole Child Model FAQs
The WCM Family Advisory Committee (FAC) advocates for CCS members. FAC meetings are a place to share information. FAC members can connect with other members who share similar concerns. This effort can make a positive difference in the WCM program. FAC members include CCS family representatives or members, community groups, and/or consumer advocates. Learn more about the FAC here.
Would you like to be part of FAC or just attend a meeting to learn what it's about? Please email firstname.lastname@example.com or call Member Services at (800) 863-4155.
Upcoming FAC meeting dates:
February 27, 2024
May 28, 2024
August 27, 2024
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Meetings are currently held virtually via Webex. To attend, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
CCS Redesign: Whole Child Model - Click Here
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Senate Bill 586 (2016) Text - Click Here
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Following the appointment of the next president of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), details are emerging regarding what led the search committee to enter an "extended discernment" period and, in turn, what the search committee learned during that time.
The AMBS board of directors on Sept. 10 announced the appointment of David W. Boshart, who will begin as president of the seminary in Elkhart, Ind., on Jan. 1, 2020.
Bruce Baergen of Edmonton, AMBS's board chair, said in a Sept. 20 statement that two areas of constituent concern led the search committee to enter an "extended discernment" period—which lasted from July to September—to allow for further inquiry while it considered whether to appoint Boshart, who was announced as the search committee's candidate of choice on June 10.
The two areas of constituent concern, Baergen said, were Boshart's "preparedness to lead AMBS in strengthening its learning community to be inclusive and safe for LGBTQ+ students and employees and his commitments to the work of improving AMBS's policies and training for preventing and responding to sexualized violence." Boshart affirmed the board's decision to engage in "extended discernment."
In addition to the concerns, Baergen said, the search committee received "strong affirmation" for Boshart "from people who have worked closely with him in congregational, conference and denominational contexts."
Baergen said one constituent concern was "related to the inclusion of people who identify as LGBTQ+ at all levels of church life and leadership," and stemmed from Boshart's "involvement with past Mennonite Church U.S.A. polity and decision-making processes in his prior conference and denominational leadership roles," Baergen said. "Some constituents have expressed that his candidacy (now appointment) symbolizes the hurt caused to LGBTQ+ communities in the church through processes that have excluded them. We, and David, recognize this deep pain."
Boshart met with the AMBS teaching faculty and the AMBS Intercultural Competency and Undoing Racism [ICUR] Team, Baergen said, noting that "feedback from the teaching faculty and a summary report from [the ICUR team] gave the search committee confidence in David's commitment to AMBS's work to undo systemic violence and oppression in its many forms."
For Joanne Gallardo, a 2010 AMBS alum who is part of the leadership team of Inclusive Mennonite Pastors, an ad hoc group with more than 180 members that advocates for inclusion and affirmation of LGBTQ+ individuals in the Mennonite church, the search committee's confidence in Boshart is not enough.
Gallardo, in a Sept. 24 email to The Mennonite, said she "would like to hear from David his views on the inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons both at AMBS and in the broader church," not just his support for AMBS policies regarding inclusion of LGBTQ+ students and employees.
She said she hopes "Boshart would be able to acknowledge and seek to repair past harms done" stemming from his time as a conference and denominational leader. "This leadership approach [to acknowledge and seek to repair past harms done] is one that was taught to me while I was a student at AMBS," Gallardo said.
In his statement, Baergen said the other constituent concern—regarding Boshart's commitment to improving AMBS policies and training for preventing and responding to sexualized violence—grew out of an anonymous letter submitted on June 16 to the search committee.
Barbra Graber, a leader in SNAP, an independent survivors network, said in a Sept. 19 email to The Mennonite that she submitted the letter to the search committee at the complainant's request. The letter alleges that, in 1988, Boshart, while employed in a staff position in another context, did not take action on the complainant's report to Boshart of a sexual assault occurring at the time of the report.
At an AMBS all-campus meeting on June 17 during a candidating visit, Boshart "noted that while he did not remember the incident, he believed the letter writer and named deep regret for his own apparent failure to act," Baergen said.
AMBS hired FaithTrust Institute, a professional consulting firm, to work with the search committee.
Miriam Book, an AMBS board member and the search committee chair, said in an Oct. 15 email to The Mennonite that "FaithTrust Institute helped the search committee listen well to the letter writer and understand the context, issues and concerns that had been raised."
Book—who expressed gratitude for organizations that advocate for sexual violence survivors and sexual violence prevention in the church—said, "There was a difference of opinion with the consultant about how to gather information from the broader constituency for the committee's work."
"We, as a search committee, felt we had thorough methods for doing this, so we decided to keep moving forward," she said. "FaithTrust Institute, without question, helped us. No process is perfect."
Hilary Scarsella, a 2012 AMBS alum, visiting assistant professor of theology and ethics at Memphis (Tenn.) Theological Seminary, and director of theological integrity for Into Account, said in a Sept. 28 email to The Mennonite that the search committee's decision "not to heed the advice of survivor-centred sexual violence consultants only raises flags around the institution's commitment and/or ability to take sexual violence seriously."
Baergen said in his statement that Boshart and the AMBS board have expressed their full affirmation of, and commitment to, the seminary's Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures manual and its Statement of Renewed Institutional Commitment Regarding Sexualized Violence Prevention, Reporting and Response, which was released in June by the AMBS Administrative Cabinet.
Scarsella and others have asked AMBS to make public its contract with FaithTrust Institute as well as the consultant's findings and recommendations.
"Improving this process really just comes down to taking LGBTQ+ injustice and sexual violence seriously from the start," Scarsella said. "The voices of survivors and queer people should have been given quite a bit more weight in the discernment process.
"I've spoken with so many survivors and queer people in the last weeks. . . . This decision [to appoint Boshart] is truly and actually hurting people. And that's not going to cease to be the case when this story exits the news cycle. It's going to keep hurting people, most of whom will handle that hurt out of public view, because the church is not demonstrating itself to be a trustworthy space into which people who are hurt by sexual violence or LGBTQ+ injustice can speak."
Jane Frederickson, executive director of FaithTrust Institute, said in an Oct. 2 phone interview, "We ended our consulting arrangement with AMBS on Aug. 5," prior to the AMBS board's appointment of Boshart.
Marlene Kropf, a search committee member and a Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) board member, said in an Oct. 11 phone interview, "[T]here was extraordinary collaboration between MEA, AMBS and Mennonite Church Canada in this presidential search, a good example in the church of giving a group authority to do something and then trusting their work."
She said Boshart's "record is perhaps more moderate or conservative than the current faculty at AMBS, but he is deeply committed to continuing to make AMBS a safe and hospitable place for all students."
"Boshart and the AMBS faculty can model a way forward for a deeply divided church," she said.
Book said the search committee took its work "very seriously and worked hard at following best practices throughout the discernment period." She said she approached the "extended discernment" with an understanding that the search committee "would move forward with no predetermined outcome," and "would be open to receive additional information and carefully discern what would be our final recommendation to the AMBS board of directors."
"After careful consideration," she said, "the committee reaffirmed its recommendation that David Boshart—with all his spiritual, theological and organizational gifts, his extensive experience in the church, and his humility and integrity—is the best person at this time to be the next AMBS president."
Reprinted by permission of The Mennonite.
Related story:
Boshart next AMBS president despite expressed concerns
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Document Type
News Article
With the 14th annual John Howard Birss, Jr., Memorial Lecture Series and associated events underway, explore John Steinbeck's celebrated novel in these vivid passages from "The Grapes of Wrath."
Recommended Citation
Rodrigues, Jill, "Capturing the Communal American Experience in "The Grapes of Wrath"" (2014). Featured News Story. 175.


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Ordinarily, we'd say there's no chance to see an iconic supercar like the Mercedes SLR McLaren reborn in modern attire. But then Lamborghini resurrected the Countach, and we can't help noticing Ferrari's new Daytona SP3 has a distinct Testarossa vibe about it.
This SLR McLaren redux is an unofficial rendering from The Sketch Monkey, depicting a newer version of the 2000s supercar. Granted it's not nearly as old as the Countach – production on the SLR McLaren kicked off in 2003 and ran through 2009 – but it certainly left its mark in the automotive world. An homage wouldn't be out of place, and with it being quite young compared to its legendary competitors, a modern restyle wouldn't necessarily be that hard to do. Are you listening, Mercedes?
That comes through in this video, which opens by taking a closer look at the original SLR and its various design features. The second half of the video is where the magic happens, starting with a direct cut-and-paste job using the fascia from a Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series. That's certainly a modern Mercedes supercar, but don't fear SLR fans. This makeover doesn't eliminate the trademark pointed nose for a gaping grille. Instead, the new grille outline is preserved in the edges of the upper and lower intakes, with the nose filling in space at the middle. It's a clever idea that effectively bridges the past and the present.
The headlights make a big difference, too. Gone are the quad eyes that defined Mercedes through the 2000s, replaced by swooping LEDs at the far corners. Less noticeable is the rocker trim on the bottom side of the car, once again mirroring the AMG GT Black Series. The SLR's gills are replaced with cleaner side vents, the mirrors are swapped out, and of course it rides on a set of new AMG spoke wheels.
Could Mercedes build a modern SLR McLaren? For starters, it wouldn't wear McLaren branding. And it wouldn't be a mere facelift of an old model as we see here. But who knows? Maybe in another 10 or 20 years, a new AMG SLR could pop up to remind of those old days in the early 21st century.
Source: The Sketch Monkey via YouTube