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Kevin Cox, Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program manager, said today that he could not directly address the Russian government hack of thousands of government and private sector networks that came to light in December, but emphasized the importance of network resilience to quickly recover from intrusions and breaches.
"I won't dive directly into the details of some of the latest incidents," Cox said at a virtual event organized by ATARC. But he said that at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) – of which the CDM program is a part – "we want to continue building resilience into Federal networks" with a primary focus on protection of data.
Tom Suder, ATARC's founder, said at today's event that none of the government presenters would talk about the hack. "The Federal government is really working on this issue," he said, adding, "it's like talking about a crime scene while [the crime] is still happening."
"We have found that efforts we have underway are important to continue to build out the resilience in the agency networks, and to be able to understand what is in their networks," Cox said.
"But over time, we are looking at the right tools and technologies to better protect their networks," Cox said, and "identify anomalous behavior … any activity on the network that does not align with normal use of the network, in order to identify incidents and get in front of them." While the goal always remains to prevent attacks, "we also have to be ready to work as soon as possible" to remediate the impact of intrusions, Cox said.
CISA's Focus
Speaking more generally about the aims of CISA and its Cybersecurity Division, Cox said the organization is focused on improving network defense both within the government and "outside the Federal space," including state and tribal governments, along with owners of critical infrastructure.
Within the Federal government, "we are looking to build capacity across Federal civilian networks … and make sure they have the right solutions in place, and the right intelligence informing them of threats," he said. Part of capacity building for Federal agencies, Cox said, is to "have tools and processes to keep up with adversaries," provide assistance around governance and training, and making sure that solution sets can be delivered and maintained.
CDM Program Outlook
With the CDM program in particular, Cox said he continues to be focused on helping agencies identify and fill gaps on understanding and monitoring network assets and users "so they can better protect their networks" and "really build resilience in their networks."
For Fiscal Year 2021 that runs through September, Cox said a major program goal is to continue to build out the latest version of dashboard technology that will help individual agencies and Federal leadership get a better view of security. One of the fruits of that goal, he said, is "to be able to target and fix the worst problems first."
On the dashboard front, Cox said today four Federal agencies have the new dashboard technology in place with more on the way, and that the Federal-level dashboard is set to come on line in the current quarter. "That really changes the equation for us … that gives us much more visibility," he said.
The CDM program office will also continue working through the year on pilots with agencies focused on protecting high-value assets, helping agencies better understand security of systems they run in the cloud, and security of data from mobile sources.
Cox also indicated the CDM program remains available going forward to help agencies quickly deal with security problems, as it did when agencies moved to a telework footing in 2020 amid ramp-ups in malicious network activity.
"We will continue to have those flexibilities available" to agencies, Cox said. "We want to continue to be available to help the agencies as much as we can in times of need to protect their networks and their data."


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Although it's often overlooked by visitors as a tourist destination, the slow-paced Midwestern state is mostly famous for the Indy 500 race, its once-thriving industrial towns, the Amish communities, and its huge and unwavering passion for sports.
Although Indiana has many pockets of true beauty and is home to a hugely diverse range of stunning landscapes including golden lake shores flanked by moody sand dunes, acres of swaying cornfields, leafy protected parks perfect for Fall walks, interesting caves, and prehistoric natural attractions. Here are 15 of the best and most beautiful places to visit in Indiana…
1. Indiana Dunes National Park – America's newest National Park and one of the most stunning places to explore in Indiana
Formerly known as Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, the Indiana Dunes National Park is the 61st national park of the U.S. Located within 40 miles of Chicago, the Indiana Dunes State Park is a part of the national park.
Running along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, the majestic national park spreads across 15,000 acres and is definitely a must-see place to visit in Indiana.
Comprising some of the most beautiful diversities with towering dunes, marshes, wetlands, prairies, and vast fields of wildflowers, this charming landscape will continue to enchant you.
Hike along with the peaceful forests or dip your toes in the beach, the adventure-filled wilderness is a perfect getaway from the bustling city.
2. Coxhall Gardens – Carmel's prettiest park which is home to spectacular gardens
A visit to Carmel is incomplete without touring the most picturesque park, the Coxhall Gardens. The 125-acre park was donated to the Hamilton County Parks and Recreation in 1999 by Jesse and Beulah Cox.
An oasis amid the sea of homes, the freshly manicured lawns, water bodies, colorful flowers, and an expansive garden makes Coxhall Gardens a popular Indiana destination for visitors and photographers.
This one-of-a-kind park includes a museum, elegant centerpiece, bell towers, a museum, and mirroring ponds with plenty of green space. The serene location is ideal for walking, biking, and enjoying the beautiful outdoors.
3. Potato Creek State Park – one of the most beautiful state parks to visit in Indiana
Tucked away in north-central Indiana's South Bend, the Potato Creek State Park was a territory of Native Americans in the 1830s. One of the most visited parks of Indiana, the sprawling state park covers 3840 acres, and Lake Worster being the focal point.
Full of mature woodlands, restored prairies, old fields, and diverse wetlands, the park offers a prime spot to get close to nature.
The park – which is definitely one of the best places to visit in Indiana – provides a wide array of activities including hiking, kayaking, swimming, picnicking, mountain biking, and birding for your enjoyment.
With year-round camping and forested beauty, the campground allows access to some of the best outdoor activities.
4. Washington Park Beach – a stunning sandy beach on the shores of Lake Michigan
Easily one of the most beautiful places to visit in Indiana, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the charming beauty of the sandy Washington Park Beach.
Spreading across more than 100 acres, the large expanse of beach offers a pretty walkway onto the beach.
Walk out on the Pier or launch your kayaks from the beach, the Lighthouse Museum provides a wonderful history of the area. Sit around and witness the stunning sunset with the Chicago skyline at the backdrop, or enjoy the beach sports along the dunes, the beach is fun for all to enjoy.
5. Indiana State Capitol Building – a neo-classical beauty which is one of the most beautiful buildings in Indiana
Indiana's statehouse is an outstanding majestic structure rebuilt in 1888 on the previous state capitol building. Designed by architect Edwin May, the current building is the fifth state building located in America's heartland, Indianapolis.
Constructed on Indiana limestone and white oak, the beautiful rotunda has a lovely stained glass with grand staircases on both sides of the building.
Decorated with classical paintings, sculptures, murals, and opulent chandeliers, the stunning architecture sets a perfect model for state capitols around the nation.
6. Brown County State Park – a stunning beauty spot to explore in Indiana
Amidst the winding roads and rugged vistas is Indiana's largest state park, the Brown County State Park occupies nearly 16,000 acres.
Also called, the "Little Smokies" the state park features fog-shrouded ravines, steep slopes, deep gullies, and ridges, and lush forestland. Established in 1929, the park is a memorial to Indiana's renowned humorist, "Kin Hubbard".
Indiana's fall color hot spot, the state park is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts with a range of activities including hiking, biking, swimming, camping, and lots more of outdoor fun.
Enjoy the scenic vistas of sunrise or sunset or explore the surrounding county and the town of Nashville, this wonderful place takes you a step back in time.
7. Mounds State Park – a unique and beautiful pre-historic state park to explore in Indiana
The tranquil Mounds State Park near Anderson is a Native American heritage comprising unique earthworks built by prehistoric Indians. The largest earthwork, often called the "Great Mound" dates back to around 160 B.C. The mounds were used as a gathering place for religious ceremonies.
Today the peaceful state park offers hiking, camping, and bird-watching and water activities to enjoy all nature has to offer. On the northwest of the park lies the Mounds State Recreation Area.
A great place to go and walk around and enjoy the scenery, the park offers fairly easy trails through the woods.
8. Turkey Run State Park – an awe-inspiring geological wonder of Indiana
Discover Indiana's ancient remains in Turkey Run state park on a trip through time. Located in Parke County, less than 90 mins drive from Indianapolis, the Turkey Run state park is a place to reconnect with nature.
Discover the deep canyons of sandstone amid old-growth forests and hemlock groves.
Flowing through the heart of the park is the picturesque Sugar Creek known for fishing and canoeing.
The ruggedly beautiful hiking trails, swimming pool, and picnic area offers some of the best places to enjoy a day and relax.
9. Cataract Falls – an Indiana treasure which is home to a stunning waterfall
Nestled in the northern Owen County along with west-central Indiana, the stunning Cataract Falls is the largest waterfall in the state of Indiana and a great beauty spot to explore in Indiana.
Part of the Lieber State Recreation Area, the Cataract Falls were formed by ancient glacial bedrock ridges. Consisting of two sets of waterfalls a mile apart on Mill Creek, the flat rocks are great for picnicking, hiking, or just enjoying the view.
The picturesque scenery, rushing cascades, and bubbling waters make it a beguiling and lovely place to spend an entire day.
10. Griffy Lake Nature Preserve – scenic woodlands and beautiful Indiana landscapes perfect for outdoor lovers
A striking preserve teaming up with scenic woodlands and vast fauna and flora, the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve is just minutes away from downtown Bloomington.
Originally designed as a reservoir, Griffy Lake is now a paradise for nature seekers. Covering a wide area of 1,200 acres, the unique Preserve offers a variety of activities.
Hike along the wooded ridges or rent a canoe, this beautiful spot is perfect for catching some bluegill, largemouth bass, and catfish. A great place to hike and explore, the tranquil lake is a perfect spot for a family picnic.
11. East Pierhead Lighthouse – a beautiful historical landmark to visit in Michigan City
Often called the Michigan City Breakwater lighthouse, the East Pierhead Lighthouse is located in the harbor of Michigan City. Built in 1904, today the lighthouse has become a historic symbol of Michigan City.
The only operating lighthouse of Indiana, the pier and the lighthouse is off the Michigan City Beach.
The elevated lighthouse, popularly called the "catwalk" is a favorite spot of the visitors for watching sunsets. The pier is also a favorite destination for photographers and local artists for a pretty lighthouse picture.
12. Hoosier National Forest – a picturesque hidden treasure in south-central Indiana
Nestled in the lush green hills of south-central Indiana, the Hoosier National Forest is managed by the United States Forest Service.
Amid the rolling hills, rural crossroads, and backcountry trails, the beautiful forest spread over 200,000 acres is a local treasure.
Minutes away from Bloomington is Indiana's expansive national forest with miles of hiking, cycle trails, camping, and amazing sightseeing activities. With the headquarters in Bedford, popular attractions within the Lick Creek Settlement, and the Potts Creek Rockshelter Archeological Site.
13. Clifty Falls State Park – a popular place for swimming, hiking and camping
The rugged geological splendor of the Clifty Falls state park is known to enthral visitors with its enchanting beauty. A part of the Indiana state park, the Clifty falls state park is located in Jefferson County.
Popular attractions of this state park include the Clifty Creek, Little Clifty Creek, and a canyon.
The Creek's bed features fossil remnants of the ancient marine ecosystem. Witness the forces of nature at work with the deep cut gorges, sheetrock walls, and plenty of hiking to get the best view of the man-made cave and downtown Madison.
14. Holliday Park – a vast 94-acre city park with great hiking trails which is one of the best places to visit in Indiana
One of the oldest parks of Indianapolis, Holliday Park offers some of the most diverse ecosystems with natural springs, wetlands, woodlands, ponds, ornamental gardens, and much more.
A part of the country estate donated by John and Evaline Holliday in 1916, visitors can stroll around the extensive nature gardens or hike the exciting trails.
Along with the heavily wooded forests, visitors can find innumerable native species of birds and animals and relish the serene beauty of this park.
15. Sapphire natural pool, White Rock Park – for the prettiest waters in Indiana
Named for its pristine blue waters, the Sapphire natural pool in White Rock Park is one of the most stunning attractions in St. Paul. Initially, a quarry, now the natural pool is a great place for novice thrill-seekers.
Experience the thrill of cliff diving or go scuba diving, this natural pool is a perfect place to relax and camp.
Bubbling with water sports, you can enjoy serene boating long with this idyllic setting or go zip lining over the blue waters. Explore this stunning place to escape the summer heat of Indiana.
16. Clifty Falls State Park – one of the most beautiful places to visit in Indiana
This is definitely one of the prettiest and most serene places to explore in Indiana. If you are still looking for things to do in this amazing place then this has to be your next stop.
Clifty Falls is a state park on 1,416 acres located near Madison, IN. The majestic waterfalls change their mood with the weather and season and can vary from roaring plunges to graceful bridal-veil mists to sparkling frozen titans.
It comes with no surprise that the park receives an estimated 370,000 visitors annually. Once you get there you will be able to explore peaceful nature trails or even have a camping experience.
How to get to Indiana?
Indiana has four main airports, so depending on where in Indiana you are going I suggest checking one of those below. However, if you coming from outside the USA Indianapolis International Airport will be your choice.
- Indianapolis International Airport – IATA Code – IND
- Fort Wayne International Airport – IATA Code – FWA
- South Bend International Airport – IATA Code – SBN
- Evansville Regional Airport – IATA Code – EVV
What is the Climate like in Indiana?
Located in the humid subtropical climate region, during summer time it'll be warm and humid with a bit of a cloud here and there. Whereas during winter temperatures are freezing, snowy and mostly cloudy.
I can say that throughout the year, temperatures are well distributed but there are points that it can get to periods of drought and flood. Temperature can vary from 21°F to 83°F (-6C to 28C) and is rarely below 4°F or above 91°F (-15C or above 32C).
What Is The Best Time To Visit Indiana?
Indiana's finest time to visit is during the fall season, which runs from September through October.
Indiana's fall colors are the hallmark of the season. Visitors flock to Indiana during this time in order to experience its beauty. The trees that line the roadways change into a wide spectrum of reds, oranges, yellows, purples, and pinks. It has been estimated that during autumn, over 400 million leaves colorize Indiana's forests.
Indiana is a vast and varied state with many hidden gems. While it may not be as famous for its natural beauty as other states, what's waiting to be discovered in the Hoosier State will make any traveler happy if they decide to visit. If you've been looking for some more beautiful places of interest to explore during your next trip, here are 15 of the best spots from all across the great state of Indiana that we think should definitely be on your list!
We also have posts…
- The most beautiful places to visit in Illinois
- The most beautiful places to visit in Connecticut
- The most beautiful places to visit in Florida
- The most beautiful places to visit in Iowa
- The most beautiful places to visit in Maryland
- The most beautiful places to visit in Wisconsin
- The most beautiful places to visit in Kentucky
- The most beautiful places to visit in Ohio
- The most beautiful places to visit in Michigan
- Places to visit in Missouri
Scott Balaam – writer and photographer
Scott started his travelling life back in 1999, when he headed off on a solo jaunt to South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia with just a backpack, a camera and a spirit for adventure. After that, the travel bug bit hard and now he is always seeking to head off somewhere new. Over the years he has lived in Italy, Qatar, Australia, Ireland, UK and the USA but his spiritual home will always be Rome as this is the city which most satisfies his unrelenting thirst for culture, good food and great football. In his spare time Scott loves nothing better than to be behind the camera and also runs his own blog and Instagram page. He also counts Melbourne, the rest of Italy, Amsterdam, USA, Athens, Cape Town and Tel Aviv among his favourite places. Find Scott on Linkedin, Instagram, or Twitter.

subset: commoncrawl


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The five most-read stories on Scope this week were:
Ask Stanford Med: Neuroscientist taking questions on pain and love's analgesic effects: As part of Scope's Ask Stanford Med feature, Stanford neuroscientist Sean Mackey, MD, PhD, is responding to questions about the analgesic effects of love, as well as general pain questions.
Can yoga help women suffering from fibromyalgia?: A study published in the Journal of Pain Research shows that practicing yoga boosts levels of the stress hormone cortisol and could help ease some symptoms of fibromyalgia such as pain, fatigue, muscle stiffness and depression.
Report highlights how integrative medicine is used in the U.S.: A Bravewell Collaborative survey involving 29 integrative medicine centers, including Stanford, is providing new insights on how integrative medicine is practiced in the U.S.
Potential therapeutic target for Huntington's disease discovered by researchers in Taiwan, Stanford: Researchers at the National Yang-Ming University in Taiwan and Stanford's School of Medicine have discovered a protein that may one day be a viable therapeutic target for those afflicted with Huntington's disease.
The high cost of pain: Medical school dean testifies on problem to U.S. Senate: In his ongoing effort to push for a public health campaign to battle our country's pain epidemic, Philip Pizzo, MD, dean of the School of Medicine, traveled to Washington D.C. to speak before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions about the cost of treating pain.


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This fall, an integral segment of a partnership that's aiming to modernize the global food and agriculture system through new technologies, the Cargill Innovation Lab at the Research Park at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, will be opening. At the lab, Cargill's digital labs team of data scientists and university students will work directly with Cargill business leaders, operations teams and customers to help move digital ideas more quickly to test mode.
Companies in this article


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Cyclocross is a form of bicycle racing that takes place mostly on 'cross country' style courses, but also sometimes on road courses.
It is one of the most popular forms of bike racing in Belgium and France, where it is often referred to as simply "cyclo." There are four main events at the professional level; world championships for elite racers, World Cup races for top racers from each continent, World Championships for Juniors (18-24) riders, and finally the European Championships which take place every two years.
Cyclocross differs from most other forms of bicycle racing in that races usually include much more contact between competitors due both to natural terrain obstacles like sandpits and man-made obstacles such as barriers and 'strangers' (large bumps in the course).
There are several different styles of cyclocross, including traditional road racing and time-trials on a mixed off-road terrain circuit. There are also "Super Prestige" races where competitors must ride through sand pits, barriers, steps, and other obstacles. This form of cycling is similar in style to mountain biking, except for the fact that it is always raced on a flat course and over road bike tires.
Cyclocross racing came about as off-season training for road racers and continues today due to its popularity in Belgium and northern France. Because of this origin, cyclocross has traditionally been viewed as a sport only for amateurs. Now, however, most top racers are professionals due to the increasing popularity of the sport. Cyclocross is very popular in these countries because it fills a need for an 'off-season or winter training race to keep road cyclists fit year-round. Cross racing also allows road racers limited time away from their day jobs.
The sport has also become popular in other countries where there is limited racing during the winter months, including Great Britain and the United States. Cyclocross racers have made strides to increase their popularity in the US by holding regional and national championships for Juniors (18-24) riders that draw thousands of spectators to events.
Cyclocross has been an Olympic sport since the 2000 summer games. The events include a "mini-Tour de France" style race on a 7.5-kilometer course spanning urban and country terrain as well as a traditional time trial on a mixed-off-road circuit. Both events are held in one day, making it one of the shorter Olympic cycle sports.
Cyclocross is one of the most popular forms of bike racing in Belgium and France, where it is often referred to as simply "cyclo." There are four main events at the professional level; world championships for elite racers, World Cup races for top racers from each continent, World Championships for Juniors (18-24) riders, and finally the European Championships which take place every two years.
Cyclocross differs from most other forms of bicycle racing in that races usually include much more contact between competitors due both to natural terrain obstacles like sand pits and man-made barriers such as barriers and 'strangers' (large bumps in the course)
There are several different styles of cyclocross, including traditional road racing and time-trials on a mixed off-road terrain circuit.
There are also "Super Prestige" races where competitors must ride through sand pits, barriers, steps, and other obstacles. This form of cycling is similar in style to mountain biking, except for the fact that it is always raced on a flat course and over road bike tires.
Traditional Road Cyclocross Racing
In traditional road cyclocross racing, racers start in mass-start waves and race primarily on paved courses. Courses often include man-made and natural obstacles such as barriers, sandpits, logs, bushes, and steps. Races are often held as sprints of one hour or less in duration.
Cyclocross races range in length from 30 minutes to over an hour. If there is more than one rider in the race, each competitor takes a turn at leading the pack through the course. The first person across the finish line wins.
Cyclocross differs from most other forms of bicycle racing in that races usually include much more contact between competitors due both to natural terrain obstacles like sandpits and man-made barriers such as barriers and 'strangers' (large bumps in the course)
Super Prestige Cyclocross Racing
Another type of cyclocross involves more natural terrain obstacles, often including riding through mud holes, over/through logs, or other debris. Tracks include steep hills and large obstacles such as stairs, barriers, man-made fences, and walls.
Races are more like short mountain bike races that take place on a variety of natural terrain obstacles. Riders must carry their bikes over many obstacles, especially water-filled ditches or 'canals'. At the end of each lap, riders need to dismount and run with their bikes through any remaining obstacles. These races are often held in the rain and mud.
Cyclo-cross has a reputation for being painful to watch, like mountain biking or trials competitions. Watch out for crashes! It is standard procedure for riders to pick their bikes up off the ground after a crash – even if they don't know how to fix it and have never seen it before.
Each year in Europe, several cyclo-cross races take days or even weeks to complete due to the distance of each lap and the need to travel from one rural town to another. These types of events have been called "Grandes Recontres," which translates roughly into English to mean 'big encounters' with the countryside.
Time Trials Cyclocross Racing
Time trials are individual races that take place on flat terrain, over closed circuits. Competitors start at intervals of a few minutes and finish when they reach the end of the course.
Courses are often a mix of pavement and packed dirt paths. Similar to traditional road racing, riders must take part in the General Classification of the race. Riders start at intervals according to their standings in the classification after qualifying rounds, known as "Heats."
Mixed off-road terrain circuit Cyclocross Racing
Another type of cyclocross is a mixed off-road terrain circuit. Tracks are usually between 4 and 10 km long and consist entirely of natural obstacles.
The most interesting types of tracks mix road with trail riding to create unique challenges for riders. For example, one track may include a loose surface hill climb onto an unpaved road with a fast descent back to grass.
Cyclocross bikes are designed more similarly to road bikes than mountain bikes, but they are built to withstand the rigors of off-road riding.
Components vary depending on a rider's preferences, but most cyclocross models feature wheels with 'skinny' high-pressure tires (25c or 28c) and a front fork with fenders.
Cyclo-cross bicycles typically have slightly smaller wheels than road models, but their frames are capable of accommodating 28mm tires if desired. Most 'cross bikes also feature disc brakes for extra stopping power in wet conditions and clearance for larger volume tires with lower air pressure than the high-pressure tires used for road riding.
Cyclocross bikes usually feature front suspension with forks that have a longer wheelbase than a road bike would use, but the fork steerer tube and dropouts are compatible with a cantilever brake. The handlebars on cyclo-cross models are positioned higher and closer to the rider's body than those of a road bike to ensure comfort and control.
Cyclocross bikes come with wider drop handlebars than other types of bicycles, but they are similar in design to road bicycle bars, most commonly featuring compact geometry for additional strength. The top section of the bar is more curved than that of a typical road bar for greater comfort when riding on rough terrain.
Cyclo-Cross Bikes feature strong frames with shorter wheelbases than road bikes, which results in more stable handling and easier maneuverability through tight turns and obstacles.
They have cantilever brakes fitted to the fork legs or seat stays for extra stopping power without the need for a front brake. Many cyclocross bikes also feature disc brakes for even greater control in wet conditions, with a wider brake pad that is positioned more closely to the rim than those used on traditional road bikes.
Cyclo-cross models typically have drop handlebars similar to those found on road bike styles, but they are wider and there is less taper near the bar's ends for extra strength.
The brake levers, gear shifters, and rear derailleur are positioned on the handlebars near the rider's hands to allow quick access when needed during a race.
Cyclocross frames are typically made from lightweight steel or aluminum tubing with fork blades that can accommodate fenders (mudguards). Steel is often used for high-end cyclo-cross models because it is stronger and offers more vibration dampening than aluminum, but aluminum frames are lighter.
Cyclocross bikes don't feature the same specialist equipment like mountain bikes or touring bikes, so they are usually fitted with bar wraps instead of a bottle cage.
Because cyclocross races take place in wet weather, cyclo-cross bikes often have fenders to keep the rider and bicycle components from being damaged by mud or spray.
Cyclocross racing is a fast-growing sport that is attracting thousands of new participants every year throughout Europe, North America, and Australia.
It's not surprising when you consider what makes it so appealing:
Cyclocross is a great way to get into or even back into cycling. The ability to ride on a mix of surfaces means that any rider, from road bike enthusiasts to those who love mountain biking, can enjoy the sport. It's also ideal for people looking for an exciting winter activity that doesn't make them miserable in the cold or snow.
Cyclo-cross races take place in the autumn and winter when weather conditions are often wet and muddy, so it's a sport that can be enjoyed year-round by almost anyone who loves cycling.
Cyclocross is also a great way to get fit because it involves riding over many different terrain types instead of just going in circles on a flat surface like some other sports.
Cyclocross requires quick reflexes and stamina because riders bike off the course, perform obstacles such as barriers or stairs, then get back on their bikes quickly to continue racing. It's an ideal sport for people who want to improve their endurance and agility without losing the excitement of having to pedal quickly for long periods of time.
Cyclo-cross is a fun and exciting way to get fit and meet other enthusiastic cyclists, too! Many events attract large numbers of spectators because they're easy to follow, especially if you don't know the sport very well.
Urban centers throughout North America are seeing more cyclocross races every year, with events attracting hundreds or even thousands of spectators. This makes it a great spectator sport as well as a fun recreational activity in the autumn and winter months.
Cyclo-cross is relatively easy on equipment because there are not the same sudden shocks to your bike components as you get in other types of cycling events, such as road racing or mountain biking. Riders often ride the same bike they train with throughout the year because cyclo-cross races are very hard on equipment.
Cyclo-cross is a great way to get fit and improve your endurance and agility without putting excess strain on body parts such as joints, so it's enjoyable for people who must ride for fitness reasons.
Although cyclocross features the same basic skills as road cycling, it's more exciting because riders have to deal with obstacles and changes in surface terrain. This improves your reflexes while making training sessions that much more interesting.
Cyclocross is a fast-growing sport that can be enjoyed by anyone who loves cycling. The ability to ride on a mix of surfaces and the fact it's enjoyable year-round make cyclo-cross an ideal winter activity for people looking for something fun to do in cold or snow (or just someone wanting to get outside more).
Cyclo-cross racing takes place during wet weather, which means cyclists are often faced with obstacles and changes in surface terrain as they race their bikes. This makes them work harder while improving reflexes and stamina at the same time!
As such, cyclocross is great for those looking to improve endurance or agility without being bored from repetitive training sessions like other sports may provide.
If you're interested in learning more about cyclo-cross, the Ontario Cycling Association has lots of information available at www.ontariocyclingassociation.com, including a calendar of races and helpful tips to get you started in the sport.
Cyclocross is on everyone's lips these days as more and more people discover this exciting winter activity! Enjoyed by bike riders of all ages and abilities, cyclo-cross is ideal for those looking to ride their bike year-round without the hard pounding that can come with other types of cycling events.


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The Madras High Court on Friday indicted the State government for not suspending a former Special DGP, accused of sexually harassing a subordinate woman IPS officer, saying it should have been the first thing to have been done."Why has the special DGP not been suspended till date? That is the first thing you should have done. You have suspended the SP who waylaid the victim, but not the Special DGP," Justice N Anand Venkatesh said.
The judge posed the questions when the proceedings, initiated by him last week on his own, came for further hearing on Friday.
Only then SP (Chengalpattu), who allegedly tried to stop the woman SP while she was proceeding to Chennai to lodge a sexual harassment complaint against the accused, had been suspended, on the directions of the Election Commission of India.
"He was only an arrow. The bow is the Special DGP,who has not yet been suspended", the judge bemoaned and asked what was the impediment in taking the said action against the police officer, since put under 'compulsory wait.'
The matter is at the stage of inquiry. Only after a detailed inquiry will the truth come out, the judge added.
He also praised the media for strict adherence to his earlier restraint order, by not disclosing names of the victim, accused and the witnesses.
The investigation in the case would be closely monitored by the court, he said.
The counsel for the accused officer alleged that one of the members of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) , constituted to probe the case, had commented in a WhatsApp group that he (accused) should be hanged without trial.
Another officer in the committee also happens to be a witness in this case, he pointed out.
"People have reposed confidence in the court and the state in this case. Therefore, it becomes our responsibility to ensure that a free and fair inquiry is conducted," the judge said.
He directed State Public Prosecutor A Natarajan to file the status report by March 16.


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The Petersburg Garden Club Receives Garden Club of Virginia's
Bessie Bocock Carter Conservation Award for the Lee Park Wildflower and Restoration Project
The Petersburg Garden Club has been awarded the Garden Club of Virginia's Bessie Bocock Carter Conservation Award. The $8,000 grant will be used to develop demonstration gardens, herbivore exclosure and create a plant rescue program and guidelines that will provide opportunities for local residents and students to participate in the restoration of this sensitive area within Lee Park. This project will be directed for use in the conservation and rehabilitation of the 25-acre Wildflower and Bird Sanctuary in historic Lee Memorial Park.
The Bessie Bocock Carter Conservation Award was established in 2009. The award's intent is to fund implementation of a conservation project that will serve as a catalyst for community action. It presented annually to a person, persons or club, or in concert with other Virginia conservation organizations, for either natural resource conservation or environmental protection within the commonwealth.
The Petersburg Garden Club was founded in 1925, and joined the Garden Club of Virginia in 1932. During the 1930s, through a WPA project, PGC worked with local African-American women to establish a botanical preserve in Lee Park. Species were identified, a herbarium collected, exquisite paintings executed by Bessie Niemeyer Marshall, specimens planted and nurtured, and more than 10 miles of paths developed. The park was closed in 1952; the great legacy of the 1930s was nearly forgotten. In the past three decades, the PGC has once again made Lee Park the center of its activities, working hard to build on the legacy of the 1930s. The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


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Who is Emplify anyway?
Emplify has been asked by your leadership to conduct a survey to better understand how its people feel about their work experience. We at Emplify take this very seriously and believe that a team that is engaged in their work can achieve great things.
Some things to know about us:
We're people helping people. We were originally founded in 2012 and are a team of 60+ people who care about creating a world where work is fulfilling. Life is too short for work to be terrible and our mission is To help all people achieve their true potential at work!
We believe in tough love. In order to improve the experience of work, your leadership needs open, honest, and candid feedback from you for improvements to become a priority. Don't sit on the sidelines, let them know how you feel! It is safe because…
Employee confidentiality is very important to us. Your responses are confidential. To ensure this, we administer all survey delivery, data storage, and analysis independent from your leadership. At no point will they be able to see individually identified responses. You can read our confidentiality policy for more detail.
Because we're a technology company, information security is a top priority. All survey responses and employee contact information are stored in our secure system using industry-standard data encryption.
Ok, so what's in it for me?
Great question! Emplify's vision is to improve the work experience of 1 million employees. How this happens might look very different for each customer. Here are some examples of what we help our customers with:
Getting to the root of workload stressors so teams aren't stretched too thin
Improving communication from leadership on strategic priorities and how those impact your work directly
Introducing professional development programs to help with your personal growth
Cutting down on politics and morale killers to make the office a better place to spend your days
Understanding uneven management practices and recommending manager coaching
Improving processes to make your job more efficient
In other words, we set out to find and directly address the biggest obstacles to a great work experience and culture. We don't let politics and hierarchy get in the way - after all, this is what your leadership signed up for!
What do you mean when you say "Employee Engagement"?
We believe engagement at work is a complex emotional and psychological state that, if achieved, can be very beneficial for both your employer and you. That said, 'engagement' is not just one thing… here's how we define it:
"an employee's intellectual and emotional connection with an employer, demonstrated by motivation and commitment to positively impacting the company vision and goals."
In other words, focused purposeful energy towards work tasks and company goals results in benefits to the organization as well as you.
How did you come up with the survey questions?
There's a lot of science behind this! We spend time with university psychologists, we review scholarly research, and we validate survey scales in the marketplace in order to have the most effective standardized survey questions. Every question is intentionally worded. We run reliability and validity tests regularly. In total there are about 55 Likert scale statements taking an average of 6 minutes to complete in total. From these questions, we show results for the important components of engagement related to the work itself, the relationships around the work, and the mission/impact of the org. Our methodology strongly recommends sending this survey 3-4x/year--so the questions might start to feel familiar--as this allows us to trend results for your leaders so they can tell what's working and what's not.
I'd like to share comments on the survey. How do I do this?
After you complete the likert portion of the survey, you will have an opportunity to share comments through our Dynamic Feedback feature. We will ask you to provide feedback on an area that you scored higher or lower than other areas on the survey. This feedback will be shared anonymously with management at your organization.


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A Greater painting company for Northern Colorado
Transform your home into a space that you can be proud of. We at Greater Area Painting offer interior and exterior painting services in Fort Collins, CO, all the way down to Thornton, Broomfield, and Westminster. Our painting professionals have the most experience and skill in the business, and we guarantee your satisfaction with our work.
10+ Years Working Experience
Great Process Equals Great Results
We are proud of our reputation for providing the best painting experience. From the initial consultation to the final walkthrough, you can count on us to deliver outstanding painting outcomes.
With our painting process comes exceptional customer service, and we are dedicated to making sure that your experience with us is a positive one.
Our Vision
Our Mission
The Perfect Solution for Your Home Painting Needs
You Deserve the Best
Interior Painting
Exterior Painting
We're the Best Choice for Your Painting Needs
Who We Are
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Our Successful History
We're not satisfied until you're satisfied.
We've got the right people, the proper equipment, and the most effective processes to give your home or business the paint job it deserves. Contact us today and see what difference we can make.
We Believe in a Process That Works
What People & Clients Think About Us?
Wonderful experience working with Greater Area Painting! We had a very large interior painting job, our entire house and trim. They also did the entire job quickly and on the time they promised. They did an excellent job of drywall on our walls, you cannot even tell where they did the work. It was a perfect match!
I needed some second story painting done on the exterior of my house. Greater Area Painting was more than happy to come help me with that. The painter Paul did a great job in a timely manner, he was professional and he cleaned up after he was done. I appreciated the work they did and will be calling on them in the future.
Mathew and his team were excellent and if I could give them higher then 5-stars then I would. Just so thankful that my deadline was able to be meet. Like I said Greater Area painting did a wonderful job and was great to work with. Someone was always checking in on the crew and making sure they needed what they needed to move the job forward.


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Fugitive found living in cave 17 years after escaping from prison
Officers used drones to find Song Jiang's hideout in the mountains of Yunnan province in China.
Monday 30 September 2019 13:16, UK
Chinese police have arrested a fugitive who had been on the run for 17 years, after using drones to capture images of the cave where he was hiding.
Song Jiang, 63, escaped from a prison camp in Sichuan Province in 2002 after he was jailed for trafficking women and children.
Yongshan Police in Yunnnan Province, southern China, said on their WeChat account that they received tip-offs about Jiang's whereabouts earlier this month.
The information led officers to search the mountains behind his hometown of Daxing Town in Yunnan.
Police used drones as the terrain's steep slopes and dense forest made it difficult to find the fugitive.
The drones spotted a blue steel tile on a cliff as well as household rubbish strewn nearby after a five-hour search, the state-run China News Service reported.
Jiang was found in his tiny cave hideout on 19 September, police said.
The fugitive had been cut off from all human interaction for years, China News Service added.
Police said that Jiang had been living in seclusion so long that it was difficult for him to communicate with officers.
He reportedly used plastic bottles to get drinking water from a river and tree branches to make fire.
Jiang confessed to escaping from the labour camp and has been sent back to prison.


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with LCD Fashion Editor Courtney Madison
I don't know about you but I am planning on living my best life this summer. Catching up with friends in the park, attending all the bbq's and dancing my way through it all. Check out my favorite new summer pieces to throw on and get you out the door looking cute without overthinking it.
ps. sunscreen and a smile are my favorite accessories


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The UNESCO-listed Old Town is a photographer's dream: painted, timber-framed houses leaning across steep, cobbled streets.
With its attractive Old Town, Plovdiv is often considered more appealing than Sofia: much of its charm lies in the incongruous juxtaposition of ancient, medieval and modern. The development of the Kapana Creative District has revitalised the new town and attracted young artists to the city. Known as Phillipopolis in ancient times, and Filibeto by the Turks, Plovdiv has Classical remains, Byzantine churches, mosques and some of the country's finest National Revival domestic buildings. It is also an excellent base for exploring the Rhodope Mountains and villages.
Approaching from the north it is easy to understand why Plovdiv is an ancient settlement, as its hills rising from the Thracian Plain are the most significant natural landmark. It sits on both banks of the Maritsa River and has been a commercial and transport centre over the centuries. The climate is particularly favourable, with an early spring, a hot summer and a mild winter. Its strategic importance made it the target for invaders, and each new occupier has left their mark.
The treaty of San Stefano in 1878 envisaged Plovdiv as the capital of the newly liberated Bulgaria, as it was centrally placed, and already a commercial centre. However, the revision of the treaty at the Congress of Berlin was dominated by the Western powers who feared the expansion of Russian interests in the Balkans.
They divided Bulgaria into two parts: the new principality of Bulgaria and the province of Eastern Rumelia which was to remain under the influence of Turkey, with Plovdiv as its capital. The two united in 1885 on 6 September, a date which is still celebrated as a national holiday. By then Sofia was established as the new capital, and Plovdiv remains a splendid second city.
What to see in Plovdiv
Plovdiv is divided into two main parts, the Old Town built on three hills and the modern central area, which includes the popular Kapana Creative District, a pedestrianised area full of shops, restaurants and galleries. Elsewhere in the new town are some other Roman and Ottoman sites of interest.
Ancient Theatre of Phillipopolis
The photogenically cobbled Old Town is a place to wander and savour. The labyrinthine street pattern means following your nose is a better strategy than following a map. All roads seem to lead to the Ancient Theatre of Phillipopolis. Plovdiv's most famous and spectacular landmark seats 4,000 spectators in 11 semi-circular tiers set into the hillside.
The backdrop of the stage is a tastefully restored façade of Ionic columns and statues – and the navy outline of the Rhodope Mountains behind that. Visit is you can during an evening concert or performance for the full effect of the place.
National Revival-style houses
Plovdiv has some of the finest National Revival-style houses in Bulgaria. Entry to each house is 5lv. A route ticket (available from participating houses and Tourist Information Centres, 15lv; valid 48hrs) gives entry to five houses. There is also a Plovdiv City Card (22lv; valid 24hrs) which gives free entry to over ten venues (a few of the National Revival houses, but not all), as well as the Roman Theatre and some museums, and discounts at selected restaurants and shops.
The architectural challenges of building on steep, narrow streets have been met and to overcome the lack of space at street level, the upper storeys were built outwards on wooden beams and trusses so they almost meet across the street above your head. Many of these Old Town houses have been restored and are open to the public – for most visitors, two or three will be sufficient.
Ethnographic Museum
The Ethnographic Museum is in a beautiful old house, dating from 1847. Probably Plovdiv's most photographed building, it was built for a rich Greek merchant, Argir Kuyumdzhioglou. Sometimes on a summer evening there are chamber music performances in the garden; a small fountain adds its music, and the slightly sour smell of box trees and the sweeter perfume of roses complete the sensory experience.
The museum opened in 1962, and has a rich collection illustrating local skills such as the making of tobacco, wine and cheese, textiles and weaving, costumes, folklore traditions and music. The house itself is a joy to be inside, especially is you are lucky enough to catch it at a quiet time. The ceiling in the main upstairs hall features a stunning rosette and sunburst pattern. Outside, the roof sweeps in voluptuous curves, and ornate felt wreaths decorate its façade.
The New Town
Two mosques of note sit in Plovdiv's New Town. The Dzhumaya or Friday Mosque probably dates from the 14th century. It is a very large, fine building with beautiful floral motifs inside. It was and is the major mosque in Plovdiv. Its minaret is particularly eye-catching, with its diagonal pattern of red bricks on white mortar. Visitors who find the mosque open are welcome to enter. Northeast of the mosque was traditionally a bazaar area and it is still busy with shops, cafés and stalls, which continue across the footbridge over the River Maritsa.
The Imaret Mosque was built in 1444 and named after the imaret or pilgrims' accommodation that was nearby. It stands in a small garden and has been restored in recent years. The twisted patterns on its minaret are striking.
Getting to Plovdiv
Travellers by train will find that Plovdiv's central railway station is very well organised, with signs and timetables in English. There are trains from Sofia, Burgas, Asenovgrad, Pazardzhik, Septemvri, Karlovo and Svilengrad.
The quickest way to reach Plovdiv by road from Sofia is to take the A1 motorway which passes through pleasant rolling countryside until it reaches the Thracian Plain. This does mean that several small but quite interesting places are missed, so if time is not a priority it is more pleasant to follow the old route to Plovdiv, road number 8.


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7 Content Marketing Hacks to Grow Your Blog
By Anne Leonard
Blogging is an instrumental tool for reaching your audience in a thoughtful way and bringing on new customers. Though, to do this, you've got to master these content marketing hacks to reel in more traffic to your site.
Here are seven content marketing hacks to guarantee blog growth:
1. Write product reviews.
What's the first thing that you do when you're looking to make an important purchase? You look to product reviews. Writing product reviews are an easy way to draw in traffic, but be wary that you're writing honest reviews. Readers can quickly detect if you're being biased, and you could lose potential customers.
2. Post about a trending topic from your own unique perspective.
Look to popular sites like Buzzfeed, Facebook and Twitter to find the most current topics. Once you find your topic, approach it from a different perspective that will be most appropriate for your readers. By adding your own unique voice, readers are more likely to subscribe.
3. Share your readers' content.
Engagement plays a vital role in your blog's growth. Entice your readers with a contest or a way to win products by asking them to share their thoughts or photos. As you share their content, it doubles as a way to gain new readers while also engaging your current audience.
4. Keep your standards high.
Double- and triple-check your posts before publishing them. Poor grammar, spelling mistakes and inaccurate information are immediate red flags that will discredit you as a reliable source of information. In addition, reread your posts carefully to ensure they are engaging and not repetitive.
5. Link to other blogs within your site.
The more links you include in your blogs, the more SEO points you'll gain. Linking across your website also lets your audience and search engines know there's related content within your domain.
6. Make your blog shareable.
It's a no-brainer that the more often that readers share your content, the more engagement you'll receive back to your blog. Don't make them hunt for the 'sharing' button. Make sure the buttons to share your posts are noticeable and in an easy-to-find place.
7. Invite influencers to be guest bloggers.
When prominent, respectable individuals within your industry contribute to your blog, it's an instant hit. Reach out to a local celebrity, entrepreneur or popular blogger and see if they are willing to guest blog, be interviewed, share their opinion or even endorse you.


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How a Website Redesign Inspired the Specialty Family Foundation to Become a Bolder Grantmaker
Joe Womac reflects on how a website redesign helped the foundation reimagine its investments, relationships, and orientation to equity.
Last year, the Specialty Family Foundation's team and its Board of Directors began the stimulating and challenging process of revitalizing its strategic direction. As the team worked to establish the foundation's new five-year goals and priorities, they remained undecided on the plan's final form, where it would be published, and who they would share it with.
The Specialty team cycled through various options for publication — a white paper, a glossy brochure, to name a few — but none of these formats lent themselves to the level of transparency and scale the team wanted. At the same time, the team realized that sharing their new plan in any form would instantly make the foundation's website dated and obsolete. As a result, the team would have to update the website or shut it down entirely.
The Specialty team understood that eliminating a website is frowned upon by many marketers who consider it the musculoskeletal system that houses an organization's strategies and entire offerings. And, given that the website was the foundation's most public channel, shutting it down would be equivalent to wiping themselves off the map.
Moreover, Joe Womac, President of the Specialty Family Foundation, shared that the team had more profound reservations about even having a website.
For some philanthropists, having a website can feel like patting yourself on the back or building a museum to the family. This is not the culture our foundation wanted.
After much contemplation over their reservations, purpose, and intentions, the team gradually realized that publishing their strategic plan on their website could serve as an opportunity. The Specialty team decided that they could leverage the website as a tool to hold themselves accountable for every word and commitment they were making. They also believed that sharing the plan would allow them to be more transparent about the changes they wanted to make in their communities. Joe and his team believed this approach would encourage the team to design a plan that everyone would be proud of and committed to two years down the line.
Joe and his team eventually got the approval for the website, but the internal work had just begun. The team started asking themselves challenging questions ranging from their purpose (Why should a family foundation focused on private grantmaking even have a website) to their positioning (How do we check our motives when we're publicizing ourselves?). What followed was a chain reaction spurred by the team's decision to take a bold chance on their most public-facing tool.
SCG spoke to Joe Womac to learn more about how the Specialty Family Foundation's strategic planning process was influenced and altered by the team's decision to revamp the website. Below, Joe shared some of the exciting opportunities that emerged once the foundation began being bolder in its approach and dared to reimagine its investments, internal relationships, and orientation to equity.
An opportunity to align internally & across generations
Given that the final iteration of the Specialty Family Foundation's strategic plan would live on (and inspire) the new website, the team felt an intensified pressure to find alignments across all facets of the organization's work. The team was adamant about engaging every person involved with the foundation's governance to provide input and feedback on everything from the organization's story, investment strategies, positioning, and more. Joe knew that there would be an inevitable argument if they did not have collective buy-in on the final iteration of the plan.
"The website serves as the foundation's public statement on where it wants to be in five years and how it plans to keep itself accountable," explained Joe. "It was critical that the entire organization felt comfortable and galvanized by the end product. We wanted every staff member to feel proud to share our new direction with the world."
The alignment also extended beyond the Specialty Foundation's staff to its next generation of leaders. The Specialty team had spent the last few years getting its 2nd and 3rd generation members more involved in shaping the foundation's future. The new website became one of the several strategies the team implemented to engage them. "The next generation sees relevance when you communicate through a medium they care about," Joe mentioned. "Making our strategy digital-first demonstrated that we wanted them to be involved in this process." The Specialty Foundation actively involved its Next Gen members throughout the strategic planning process. When they finalized the strategy, the team incorporated the next generation's participation under Our Legacy, which cemented their investment in shaping the foundation's future.
An opportunity to share a story of impact
From the onset of the planning process, the Specialty team wanted to focus on transparency and elevate the foundation's vision for impact. For some time, the team had been grappling with the fact that the general public — and even some of its grantees — were confused or just unaware of the foundation's core mission statement and their funding focus on poverty, housing, and substance reform. The team realized that shutting down their website would worsen the ambiguity around the foundation's work and allow the outside world to assume how the foundation allocates its resources.
"As a public trust and as a foundation, we are stewards of something that is not ours," Joe stated. "Everyone from a grant recipient to other foundations to a ten-year-old doing a report has the right to know what we do and what we invest in as an organization." The Specialty team concluded that the foundation's website would be crucial in sharing its story of impact with the public and demystifying how it allocates its funds.
The team achieved transparency on the revamped website through simplicity. The Specialty Family Foundation's Home page presents a direct and linear narrative: it starts with the values that frame the foundation's investments (families, leadership, innovation, and partnership) before boldly (and in all-caps} showcasing its mission statement. The page then highlights the foundation's asset classes that drive its long-term goals. Finally, Our Focus showcases the foundation's core funding areas and the collaborations advancing its work. Hovering over any of the collaboration boxes pulls up an explanation of the partnership and the amount the foundation has allocated to it, all of which can be explored in greater detail by examining the full Our Focus page on the website's navigation menu. Ultimately, this refreshed layout helped the Specialty team clarify to the public and all nonprofits in Los Angeles what the foundation invests in and values. Furthermore, by publicly sharing what the foundation wants to achieve in the long term, the team hopes to leverage the website as an accountability tool by inviting the public to hold it responsible for realizing its goals and vision.
An opportunity to design a bolder budget
"Everything about a website forces you into a hierarchy," explains Joe. "You have to be deliberate about how you prioritize and organize every single item." As the Specialty team constructed the "skeleton" of their new site, they soon realized they would even have to adapt the foundation's investment priorities and philosophy into this hierarchical structure. Inevitably, contemplating how the foundation would frame its investment portfolio prompted the team to ask deeper questions about the very nature of the budget itself.
The Specialty team had always viewed the foundation as an investor in impact, but, during the strategic planning process, they begun to reimagine its giving as a set of philanthropic asset classes ranging from high-risk (seven-figure, multi-year grants given to a handful of organizations) to low-risk (smaller capacity-building and individual grants). However, the organization had never shared its giving philosophy externally and had just defaulted to the old model of listing its investments on a webpage. Therefore, the team decided that the new website's hierarchical structure could serve as an opportunity to reframe and broadcast the foundation's investment strategy.
The redesigned Home page showcases the Specialty Family Foundation's investments through a visual and sequential hierarchy of its asset classes under the section Our Impact. First is Igniting Change — the foundation's high-risk, multi-million dollar investments focused on systems change — is the first and largest content block in this section. Next are two smaller content blocks that showcase the foundation's other, smaller asset classes: Accelerating Progress — a set of moderate-risk investments focused on expanding organizational capacity — and finally Empowering Individuals — low-risk, small grants meant for individuals. By organizing the foundation's assets in this order, the team moved away from the dated "what we fund" model to "how we fund systems change," which also announced that the organization's shift to taking bigger and bolder financial risks.
This new layout also required the foundation to reconfigure its existing budget to fit neatly within this new external structure. "Our budget now reflects the website and is organized in the same order of hierarchy," said Joe. "The website has helped us articulate what's most important and also share that while what we fund might change, our vision and commitment to systems impact will remain constant."
Our grantees understand the problems and solutions better than anyone else because they lived experience. We hope that featuring them prominently will help spread their story and inspire other funders and grantees.
An opportunity to center the wisdom & experiences of our grantees
While the Specialty Family Foundation spent 2020 working on its new strategic direction and website, history was happening all around them. Like many, the foundation had to pivot as the entire globe navigated the interlocking crises of the pandemic, systemic racism, and climate change. Internally, the Specialty team had to pause and come to grips with their own privilege while also thinking through the foundation's role and responsibilities amid the worsening crises.
Joe acknowledged that the team was hesitant to issue an external statement last year, given the early stages of equity and DEI work the foundation was exploring. Instead, the team took the opportunity to reckon with the tough questions: Have we honestly made an effort to include all of these lenses? What mistakes have we made? How can we authentically incorporate DEI into our work? Since then, the foundation has moved to change the composition of its board, updated its grant application processes, and invested in long-term DEI training for its staff and board members.
None of these internal shifts have been shared on the new website or been made public. Instead, the Specialty team took a different approach to the new website. "Our staff is motivated by our grantees' work," Joe elevated. "The best way to share our story of impact and commitment to equity is to decenter ourselves entirely and instead elevate our grantees' stories." As a result, the Specialty Family Foundation's revamped website is unabashedly people-focused. Almost every page incorporates images of the foundation's grantees and the community members it is serving. The Our Focus page emphasizes the initiatives and grantees the foundation has selected to advance its vision and goals. Additionally, the Specialty team has made an intentional effort to frame the foundation's mission and giving structure through the lens of DEI and systems change. The team believes that these visual and rhetorical changes are more substantial than writing a statement that might come across as insincere or just get lost in the flood of communications.


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Kevin Mayer is stepping down as the CEO of the short-form video platform, TikTok, a mere three months after taking up the position, reports The Financial Times. The action comes as tensions between TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese startup, Bytedance, and the Trump administration continue to escalate in the U.S.
Vanessa Pappas, who currently serves as TikTok's general manager, will step up as the app's interim head. A TikTok spokesperson confirmed Mayer's departure and said in a statement to Digital Trends: "We appreciate that the political dynamics of the last few months have significantly changed what the scope of Kevin's role would be going forward, and fully respect his decision."
Mayer joined TikTok in May earlier this year from Disney, where he had been for over two decades, spearheading several of the entertainment conglomerate's high-profile acquisitions such as Pixar, and where most recently he served as the Head of Streaming.
In a letter to employees obtained by The Financial Times, Mayer hints that his role has significantly evolved away from what he signed up for. "In recent weeks, as the political environment has sharply changed, I have done significant reflection on what the corporate structural changes will require, and what it means for the global role I signed up for," he said.
Bytedance's goal behind hiring a high-profile American executive like Kevin Mayer was to allay the growing concerns over the app's Chinese roots in the U.S. The hiring was part of Bytedance's broader strategy to distance TikTok from its Chinese background. However, neither of TikTok's attempts to put these accusations to rest has been effective and it's now suing the Trump administration for forcing a sale without any due process.
Mayer added that his role, which involved running TikTok's business globally, "will look very different as a result of the U.S. administration's action to push for a sell off of the U.S. business."
More importantly, in the letter, Mayer said the company expected to reach a resolution "very soon" without sharing any specifics. Multiple recent reports have suggested Microsoft will most likely end up acquiring TikTok's operations in the U.S. and a few other regions. As per Business Insider, TikTok reportedly also offered to sell its U.S. business to Netflix.
Over the last couple of months, TikTok has been grappling with heightened scrutiny in the U.S. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed a pair of executive orders banning transactions with the Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat, unless they reach a resolution within 45 days that the U.S. doesn't deem to be a national security threat. Last week, that deadline was extended to 90 days.
Editors' Recommendations
- TikTok sues Montana in bid to overturn statewide app ban
- TikTok faces outright ban in first U.S. state
- TikTok CEO to face Congress on Thursday. Here's how to watch
- Clear Mode on TikTok: Here's what it is and how to use it
- TikTok is launching a dedicated gaming channel


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Day Trip to Daydream Island
What a day for a trip to Daydream Island, Whitsunday Islands, Queensland! Any clouds in the sky were welcomed and beautiful. The weather was once again spectacular. October – November is the perfect time to see this area of the world. Remember to check and make sure the coral isn't spawning, before you book your Australian vacation. Coral spawning is a very stinky experience and the wrong time of year of the year to visit.
Daydream Island, Whitsunday Islands
Looking out the window there were beautiful boats in the morning light. Today, we would spend the day sitting on the beach, doing absolutely nothing, and watching the sea as the tide came in and broke against the beach. Even when we were doing nothing, there are lots of fish and birds to entertain us.
Daydream Island is one of seven islands of the Molle Group, a sub-group of the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland, Australia. The island is small, only about 1 km in length and 400 m at the widest point.
Early Start
The early morning walk to the marina, was especially beautiful, with sounds I didn't recognize. As I looked through my camera lens peering and spying into the trees, I saw something move. Wow, all of a sudden, I realized there were a lot of birds hiding in the trees. I had never seen this before, they were camouflaged. The beautiful Queensland birds were showing off, they were a chorus line marking our route to the port.
Birds of Queensland, Australia
Then I spotted a bird that was beautiful, who seemed to be hiding in plain sight. As if, by not looking at me I wouldnt see it.
Looking again, pausing for a second, I spotted this gorgeous bird taking off in mid-flight. I was amazed by Australia's beautiful wildlife.
In Australia, everyday things are spectacular, everything is beautiful in a big way! I love Australia. And at that moment, I knew, someday, I would be back.
Then I spotted a bird presenting its power and strength as it squawked at me. The sights here demand recognition and attention because they are so unique.
We continued our walk to the marina. Our Day Trip to Daydream Island, Whitsunday Islands, Queensland took us back the pier where we had departed just the day before. We left from Port of Airlie Marina on another rather large boat, heading to Day Dream Island and several other smaller islands.
To my surprise, this is a family fun place with little pools of fish and lots of things to entertain children. It's a place to sit and watch the day go by. Before we parked our bodies on the beach, we entertained ourselves by visiting the wildlife and fish pools.
Rest Time on Mermaid Beach
I have to admit – this isn't a bad way to spend the day, there is a lot of positives to doing as little as possible in a day. Looking at the view relaxed me even more than I already was. We took a small walk or two, but, not enough to call it a hike or work up a sweat. Looking at the water, this eclectic place, called Mermaid Beach, seemed artificial, and contrived but, it didn't matter, the day felt wonderful.
If a busy day of shopping is your thing, the beach is close a shopping center. Yet the shopping is far enough away that it doesn't intrude on the beaches privacy. It's close enough to the 'rich and famous homes' if you want to see them, yet still feels secluded.
At Mermaid Beach, on Daydream Island, to me, it feels like an old-fashioned amusement park, without the rides. There are a bunch of strange diverse restaurants. This odd combination of the secluded wealth homes and days gone by, old fashion entertainment, makes the area feel completely laid- back, and unique.
Slow Travel
We found a good place to park our bodies on the beach and just hung out. Two lounge chairs a table between us and an umbrella covering us kept us safely out of the sun. I did absolutely nothing. Now, this is slow travel. This is a beach vacation travel at its finest. I didn't sit in the sun, didn't work on my tan because it's just too hot. It was the perfect day to vegetate, and starring at the water. I knew this was heaven on earth in a quirky little place. Perhaps, there are more beautiful places in Australia, or in the Whitsunday Islands, but, for today, this is the perfect place.
At the end of the day, we went back to Arlie beach and our hotel. We took a dip in the pool, had a good meal and after a few more days, we headed north to our next stop. You can take day trips to any of the Islands, and it will be fun. If hiking and adventure are what you are looking for, it's here. Look into the trail system in the Whitsunday Islands and Whitsunday Recreation.
For us, it was Goodbye Daydream Island! Goodbye Whitsunday Islands, and Good Night Moon.
On to Mission Beach Australia.
Farwell to Daydream Island
The water views are amazing anywhere in the Whitsunday Islands. If you love the Pacific Ocean like I do, you might try one of these Pacific Island secrets.
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"Oh you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you many learn piety and righteousness"
(Al Baqarah 2:183)
Secret Three
Everything Has Its Reason
Below is the link to Secret #03!
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text: Search for Near Search Search {"hide_search_input":"","hide_near_input":"","bg":"","mt":"","mr":"","mb":3,"ml":"","pt":"","pr":"","pb":"","pl":"","border":"","rounded":"","rounded_size":"","shadow":"","show":""} Gianelia Guernelli, MD 81 Medical Center Dr, Suite 2300Brunswick, Maine, 04011 Todays Business Hours: Jerry Lin, DO, FAAPMR 442 Civic Center DrAugusta, Maine, 04330 Todays Business Hours: 6:30 am - 5:00 pm Loading... Loading... No Records Found Sorry, no records were found. Please adjust your search criteria and try again. Maps failed to load Sorry, unable to load the Maps API.


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For most people that knew him, Abdul Sattar Edhi was not just an ordinary man, but a Godsend. He was their rescuer, their protector, a blessing from Allah.
In a world full of dangers and misfortunes, most people lose hope and fall prey to hopelessness.
But Abdul Sattar Edhi gained momentum with every hardship, every misfortune that was slung his way.
Edhi sahab was known for his work in his organization, the Edhi Foundation, which he formed in 1951 at the young age of 23. Edhi sahab's selflessness and perseverance led him to enormous success in his humanistic endeavours, and Edhi Foundation has become the largest NGO in Pakistan.
It has served hundreds of thousands of people, providing them with basic facilities and rights, sheltering them when they were stranded and vulnerable.
For a man of his stature, and fame, Abdul Sattar Edhi was a model of humility and modesty. He led a simple life, free of worldly distractions, and gave all his time and resources to the services of his fellow humans. He practiced what he preached, and was the oldest member of his organization.
When Edhi sahab died in 2016, he left behind a legacy and message of peace and love. He was posthumously honored by the government of Pakistan.
On 31 March 2017, a Rs.50 cupronickel commemorative coin was issued across the country upon the recommendation of the State Bank of Pakistan to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who decided to commemorate Edhi sahab's services on the national level. Edhi became the only social worker and the fifth Pakistani personality to have been honoured with a commemorative coin.


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TuneCable is a software development company that specializes in converting music from Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music and Amazon Music. Our innovative team offers customers worldwide better technical services for their needs so they can enjoy any song on every device without restrictions!
At present, our website provides four handy music converters - all of them can download and convert DRM-protected songs to compatible audio formats such as MP3 or FLAC, so that users can enjoy songs, albums offline on any compatible devices.
By downloading and converting Spotify songs with TuneCable, you could get almost all ID3 tags including title, artwork, artist, album, genre, track number for organizing your music library.
Apple Music Converter is specially designed to convert Apple Music songs and podcasts to plain audio format. Besides, it can download iTunes & Audible auidiobooks and iTunes M4P music for offline using.
Amazon Music Recorder is a professional Amazon Music tool which is able to download and save songs from Amazon Music to a local computer for offline listening. Besides, Amazon Music Recorder download songs with Ultra HD quality and all iD3 tags.
Tidal Music Converter is a handy Tidal Music download tool which focuses on downloading and converting Tidal songs, albums, playlists for offline listening. It convert all audo files at faster speed with lossless quality and almost all ID3 tags kept.
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The Amazon Music Recorder helps me to save Amazon music as local files. It is a helpful tool. It works appropriately and converts the music in high quality. The only point that needs to improve is the speed; I hope it can be faster in the future. In general, an excellent tool to own.
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This program is super cool! I have been searching for something that can real download songs because every time when my subscription expired, I can't listen music for offline any more. I found TuneCable Spotify Downloader accidently and use it for several days and it can download music from streaming media to my Samsung!!
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I know TuneCable by chance and it didn't let me down! I love this amazing tool. It can record Apple Music with both high quality and high speed, moreover, it can also convert the music as mp3, then I can listen to them with unlimited time and devices, recommend you to try!!


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Dr. Adam Maddox and the dedicated team of professionals at Thrive, in the Portland area, provide patients with a wide range of medical and cosmetic options for improving the health and wellness of the skin and body. When patients visit his Portland practice asking for non-invasive ways to remove fat from the body, they are often introduced to treatments such as Vanquish and Exilis.
Vanquish and Exilis are both radio frequency treatments commonly used to target areas of unwanted fat. Vanquish is administered through special panels that hover above the body and provide a warming sensation, while Exilis is administered through a handheld device. Both work in the same manner, using radio frequency energy to break down fat and allow the body to flush it out. Exilis also provides one further benefit, which is skin tightening as it stimulates collagen production. It can also be used on other parts of the body, including the face. Vanquish is strictly for the abdomen and love handles.
Dr. Adam Maddox speaks with many men and women who come to his practice about the benefits of body contouring solutions such as Vanquish and Exilis. These treatments are non-invasive, pain-free, and do not require any downtime or healing. They provide a more natural way of achieving better body contours and fat reduction than surgery, which can leave scars on the skin. Many patients want to leave their skin untouched, and this is when Vanquish and Exilis may be suggested as alternative options for these individuals. Most men and women will find it to be a more affordable alternative to traditional surgical procedures, so speaking with the professionals of Thrive can help in determining if this is an appropriate treatment.
If you live in the area of Portland, Oregon and are seeking a team that is able to provide non-invasive solutions for skin care and cosmetic improvement, contact Dr. Adam Maddox and the staff of Thrive today. We welcome new patients to our state-of-the-art practice to educate them on the many non-invasive fat removal, skin tightening, and body contouring options available.
A graduate from Northern Arizona University and the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Dr. Adam Maddox is a very established professional in the field of integrative anti-aging and aesthetic medicine with a special interest in Botox, Restylane and Testosterone Replacement therapy for men to name a few.
As a board-certified physician, he has a passion to help people with their health especially as they get older. Dr. Maddox believes in maintaining a strong sense of empathy in order to better serve his patients whilst ensuring his care is personalized. In addition to practicing medicine, Dr. Maddox uses his time to train other medical professionals on various effective medical techniques used in the anti-ageing medical sphere such as injectable techniques. He is also the founder and medical director of Thrive Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Center in Portland, OR.
Hi, I'm Rachel Stahl. I've been coming to thrive for about five years. I definitely started on the lower end, just like a little bit of Botox a little bit of preventative ageing treatments and have always felt really, really comfortable. I felt that I can get an honest answer if I need a little more of a treatment, but I've also definitely had the experience feeling self-conscious and having the staff here totally put me at ease of like you look great. You don't need to do a tonne more. I feel like I can really trust their opinion because I've been given positive feedback the whole time I've been coming here. I've recommended a tonne of friends because of that and I have never heard a negative review of the clinic. I've just always felt really, really comfortable. I got comfortable enough to start doing a little bit of laser therapy and I also got to do Miradry on my armpits and I've just never really been disappointed by anything. I feel like they make really solid recommendations and everybody is super friendly. It's always been really easy to schedule, which is huge for me to working in the area. It's just an amazing place. Everybody is really great.
Hi, my name is Sarah and I've had hyperhidrosis for the past 17 years and I've tried many forms of treatment. I've done medications under the arms. I've switched medications that maybe would cause extra sweating under the arms. I've even tried Botox and I went as far as I was looking into treatment during surgery which I found to be very risky for myself with not very many good outcomes, and with the hyperhidrosis, it is a very embarrassing condition. It can affect relationships; it can ruin a lot of clothes. It has ruined a lot of clothes and it's something that I've had to live with for So, long. I wanted to be able to have something done to be able to help with the effects of this and I was on the internet one day. It was actually on Facebook and I was going through, I was just scrolling through and I found an ad and it was talking about, do you have access sweating and I had clicked on it and was looking around and I found that there was a procedure for Miradry, and I was looking around trying to find a place that was near my area and I happened to find thrive, and I wanted to see that that it was a, a, good clinic with good ratings. A clinic that people have known about. I didn't want to just go anywhere to be able to get this procedure done. So, I did my research and I decided to go ahead and book an appointment. I knew it was going to be less invasive than going through with the surgery, plus I couldn't find a provider that was willing to send me for the surgery because of all the risks that could happen with me and not such a great outcome. So, I went ahead and I booked my appointment and I got to meet Tristan. I actually had every intention to listen to my music during the procedure because I knew it was going to be super nervous and I ended up not being able to find my headphones but Tristan was very personable. Great bedside manners and it was just like I was there talking to a friend and then I got to meet doctor Maddox who was able to do all the numbing under the arms. That's the only part of the procedure that I actually felt was just the injections for the numbing. And then there's a grid. It looks like a tattoo that goes on the arm, and then that is where the laser is on the arm and it just moves all around to the areas where I have all the excessive sweating. I don't feel anything during the entire process. I was relaxed. I wasn't nervous once I got in there and was able to talk to Tristan. She was able to explain everything, step by step, and I pretty much knew since my condition was severe and I'd had it for So, long I expected to have to have at least a second treatment, maybe even a touch up.
I knew that I wasn't going to just need one treatment. I knew that going in there So, it was extremely grateful to be able to try this procedure to see if it would work and so, once I got done with the procedure, I, I, still didn't feel any pain, just very I felt like my arms were pretty swollen. I was able to get myself ready to leave. I was given ice packs, So, I just continuously iced my arms. I wanted to follow all the instructions, exact because I wanted to be sure that this was going to work for me. I had invested my time everything into this procedure to ensure that it was going to work for me. I wanted this to be the most permanent. I didn't want to have to keep dealing with this, 17 years is a really long time to have to deal with all of this and when I got home, I noticed, you know, I still had the swelling, which is expected you know, it can go on for several weeks. I continuously iced my arms. I noticed some bruising that was happening, which I was already warned about and I felt for the procedure that just having the bruising and the swelling, knowing that it was going to be going down, I was noticing improvement within the next couple of days as the swelling was going down. I would still have wetness under the arms but it was still healing, and it does take time to heal. It could take several weeks to heal and actually be able to see the full effect. So, I ended up doing a second treatment, which I'm glad I did because I knew that I was going to need a second treatment and everything was exactly the same process and making sure that I did all the icing and I followed all the instructions and now I can say since I've completed the second session, in that the underarm sweating has really diminished. I would say that I'm closer to a 75 80 percent. So, coming from someone who from the morning, I from the moment I would wake up in the morning to go into bed, I always had the underarm sweating. It never went away. There's no on and off switch. There was nothing I could do. Even changing the environment being either in a warm environment, cold environment, calming environment, stressful. This was something that would never go away. I couldn't, I couldn't adjust but I've dealt with it for So, long and I know that the Miradry is working because I have proof of it. I have my pictures. I know how severe this was and I'm really grateful to be able to come here to the thrive clinic to be able to do this near dry and I would recommend it to any of my friends and family. Anybody who has this excessive sweating that is too embarrassed to come forward. Give it a try because I know that it'll help change your life.
Hi, my name is Tia Sanders. I'm a mother of two very beautiful but large children. Um, let's see. I thought I'd try this because. Uhm, after having kids I had a little extra in the mid-section and I was dieting and just starting to get back into working out. And you know this came along and I thought I'd give it a go. And the vanquished treatments were a little toasty. It definitely warmed you up, and luckily, we had a fan going to kind of keep me cool, and you can feel like little tingles. And definitely some warm, warm, throughout your whole midsection throughout your whole treatment. It was super. Easy come. The seller tone helps, like break up everything afterwards and I kind of made up the transitions a little bit smoother and it was. It was really relaxing to an extent after dealing with kids all day, I was able to lay down and just kind of get those extra little areas taken care of.
I was a little nervous about my results at first. But then luckily everyone took photos before and after and I there was a drastic change between the first time I was in here and the last time I was in here and doctor Maddox was telling me that I will continue to see results like the little back fat. Kind of like lifted and kind of started to like disappear. And that was huge for me and you could see like my belly that was, you know, post baby belly was starting to lift again and that was such a huge encouragement to like want to keep going. So, my clothes are definitely fitting a lot better around the waistline. I'm not to wear. My goal is, but it's definitely I'm able to those pants that I have that many will put on for a couple of months. So, I'm definitely excited. And yeah, I'm happy. I would definitely. Recommend trying thrive or working with right because they are super personable, they're. They're very warm when it comes in it. Sometimes you're worried about like a very clinical setting inside outpatient type doctors' offices, it seems, but everyone kind of put you at ease and relaxed and, and, yeah, it just felt very comfortable.


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This unique Fiberglass fly rod will provide you an opportunity to celebrate the classic approach to small stream trout fishing.
Leland Rod Co - Sierra Nevada, Fiberglass, 6 Piece:
Fiberglass fly rods provide you an opportunity to celebrate a classic approach to small stream trout fishing!
There's something very unique and special when you fish a well-designed fiberglass fly rod. With a noticeably slower action, fiberglass celebrates the classic approach to fly fishing. You'll find each cast becomes more memorable. The Leland Rod Co. Fiberglass fly rod is seven and a half feet in length, allowing one to cast more effectively in tighter quarters. This length also better balances the rod, while in hand. As a four weight, your presentations will be very subtle, yet you can still cast larger dry flies like Royal Wulffs and Humpies when the summer winds blow.
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NIL Opportunities are "Limitless"
Penn State Quarterback Sean Clifford has officially launched his own NIL company, Limitless. The company has signed athletes from three different schools. Zach Gershman has the story.
About the Contributors
Zach Gershman
Junior / Broadcast Journalism
Zach Gershman is a Junior from the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, majoring in broadcast journalism. He is the host of his own YouTube channel ZachOnSports, where he interviews sports and media industry leaders including Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Costas, Fox Sports reporter Tom Rinaldi, the voice of the NHL Mike 'Doc' Emrick, and many others. Zach is also a part-time producer at ESPN Radio 103.7 and 1450 AM in State College, Pennsylvania. At Penn State, he is a production assistant for Penn State Athletics, a producer of Penn State Sports Night, director of marketing for the Penn State Sports Business Conference, and a news anchor for PSN News.


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Wayne, Pa.-based Affiliated Distributors reported 8% growth across all its divisions in the third quarter of 2014. Total sales for the first three quarters of the year for the group were $23 billion. All AD divisions are projected to accomplish another record-breaking year by exceeding $30 billion in sales.
By division, industrial was up 2%, while PVF was flat in a down market, AD reported. Building materials led the way in Q3, up 18% year over year.
AD members hired 2,221 new employees in the first three quarters of 2014, opened more than 71 new locations and made 15 acquisitions.