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1. This adorable kitty cat wine rack that'll look purrrfect on your tabletop. But in all honesty, that cat is literally me after a long day.
2. A silicone ice tray that pops out mini frozen dachshunds so you can sip an ice cold drink with a smile. Every dog has its day, but this is sure to make you feel like a real wiener.
3. This deck of cards because they'll actually make you think twice about drinking alone tonight. Invite some friends over, pull out this card game, and be prepared to drunk-cackle all night as you complete the prompts.
4. Or a deck of encouragement cards with sweet little reminders that'll instantly brighten your mood. It'll be hard, but challenge yourself to read *just one* card a day so you can have something adorable to look forward to seven days a week.
5. This freakin' cute llama mug — it'll make all the drama seem to melt away while you sip. Can you taste the good vibes yet?
6. These pack of six cactus tealight candles to light the way through any prickly situation. Keep calm and light one of these squeal-worthy candles.
7. An adorable Groot plant holder to liven up your desk or coffee table. Don't worry, even if you aren't a Guardians of the Galaxy fan, this planter will really grow on you. *Badum tss*
8. A pair of (almost) fresh-out-the-oven bread slippers so you can slip into comfort no matter how crumby your day was. You'll really knead to keep these handy!
9. A ~mythical~ Nessie bookmark so you *won't* have to search far and wide for the page where you left off. Plus, how can you look at this and NOT smile????
10. This super pretty reversible sequin pillow cover that you'll want to run your hand across for hours on end — and in the process forget about why you were upset in the first place.
11. An easy-to-use cactus humidifier to help you rid the air of any bad vibes. Bonus: this is one succulent you won't have to worry about killing.
12. This mango-scented shea sugar scrub that'll lift your spirits while it lifts away your dead skin cells. Trust me, you won't want to shower any other way after you give this scrub a try.
13. This plush-looking avocado heating and cooling pad for some much-needed R&R. Not only is it the CUTEST DANG THING I've ever seen, but it's also filled with buckwheat and lavender for a soothing effect.
14. A feline-shaped glass teacup that'll transform you into one cool cat the more you sip. It also includes an infuser so you can brew your favorite tea while you feel yourself getting less and less grumpy.
15. This squishable, squeezable edamame keychain you'll have no choice but to smile at when it pops out an itty bitty surprise. If you had planned on moping around all day, think again.
16. An inflatable mini tube guy that'll make you squeal with joy as you take a trip down memory lane. Growing up, there was nothing more exciting than going to the car wash with your parents and watching these guys wave around in the breeze.
17. This GORGEOUS holographic peel-off mask that'll help you forget the days woes while leaving you with ultra soft, glowy skin. So if you need me, I'll just be right over here adding, like, five of these to my cart.
18. A set of colorful macaron storage boxes because they'll warm your heart every time you open one up. Store your pretty little things in this pretty little thing!
19. This canister of Godiva hot cocoa mix to warm you from the inside out with its milk chocolatey goodness. Your tastebuds and your heart will be smiling.
20. A ~cheeky~ bathroom sign that'll make you (and guests who use your toilet) laugh your ass(es) off. The sign lightens the mood while you lighten your bowels.
21. These bars of wine, beer, and whiskey soap so you can *finally* live out your dream of bathing in a bottle of Merlot. And the relaxing lather will leave you grinning from ear to ear all day.
22. This One Line a Day memory journal that'll help you write the frustrations out of your system — and also capture all the highlights.
23. And a set of cat pens because they'll leave any kitty lover swooning. One quick glance and these pens will render you powerless to the extreme cuteness.
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.


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Printed 04.10.2023 12:06
12-06-2009 Rosie Johnston
The Romany language is dying out in the Czech Republic, but not as rapidly as some had feared, suggests a survey conducted by linguists at Prague's Charles University. The results of the first study of its kind in this country suggest that around 30 percent of the Czech Republic's Roma minority are fluent Romani speakers. Earlier today, I met one of the survey's authors, Helena Sadílková, and asked her first whether the Romani spoken in the Czech Republic varied from that spoken elsewhere in Europe:
"There are different dialects of Romani, and the dialect depends on the ethnic group of the person who speaks the language. So that means that you can't compare the different types of Romani on a country-by-country basis, but instead a group-by-group basis. But if you ask about the type of Romani spoken in the Czech Republic, linguistically, the most spoken dialect is the so-called 'Slovak' Romani, or North-Central dialect of Romani. Whereas in Romania, for example, the most spoken dialect would be Vlach Romani, I guess, which is very different from the major dialect which is spoken here."
And the study that you have been conducting here at Charles University has been focused on the afore-mentioned Slovak Romani?
"Well actually, it was focused on all of the different dialects of Romani spoken here in the Czech Republic. So that means the North-Central dialect, and then there are speakers of the Vlach dialect – the Vlach dialect is supposed to be the most lively, the most commonly-used still as a maternal language. And then there are different sub-ethnic groups like the so-called 'Hungarian' or South-Central Romani dialect. And then other dialects too – so we weren't actually focusing on one dialect, but on the group of Roma living in the Czech Republic as a minority, basically."
And what were your findings, that Romani is dying out?
"We did the research on a group of 1,000 children of school age across the whole of the Czech Republic. We had different samples in different cities, but mostly it was concentrated in Bohemia, our research. And out of these 1,000 children, one-third are fluent speakers of Romani and we can suppose that Romani is commonly-used in their background, one-third would be children who do not know Romani at all, or only know certain words. And one-third fall somewhere in between.
"There are different ways of interpreting this. From the point of view that we had 30-40 years of very strict assimilation policy under the Communist regime here, it is actually good news that so many people speak Romani still. On the other hand, if you take the language as it is and other conditions into account, the picture doesn't look so good, we can even say that it is grim."
Is Romani a written language at all? If it were to be taught in schools, is there any body of literature that it could be taught from?
"If we talk about the Czech Republic, Romani has been used in a written
form since the 1960s, and there is actually literature written in Romani.
Romani is also used in some of the newspapers, though this is often
symbolic. So this could also be taken into the class, but there basically
is literature written in Romani and there are still writers who write in
Copyright © Radio Praha, 1996 - 2003

subset: commoncrawl


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What should an association do if it is learned that a resident has texted positive for COVID-19 and/ or what proactive steps can it take to guard against the situation?
This is, of course, an important consideration for many associations in Southwest Florida as they potentially receive news of positive COVID-19 cases within their communities. As we enter another week of social distancing during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, we know that many association boards, managers and residents are concerned about their own health and the health of their community member families and neighbors.
We suggest that an association board request voluntary reporting of this information from their residents. Hopefully most, if not all, residents will agree to cooperate. If the association management has this information it can be used to prevent or slow the transmission of the virus within the community. However, the association must keep this information private or confidential, unless the resident in question agrees to the disclosure. So, in other words, while positive COVID-19 cases can be shared with other residents, this should only be done where the resident (who has tested positive) agrees. It is not clear to what extent an association can compel residents to come forward with this information. It is best to appeal to the members and residents for their cooperation and participation for the benefit of the greater community. Any consideration of compulsion should only be taken after obtaining proper legal advice and guidance based on the specific circumstances.
In our view, an association is in a good position to provide guidance, information, education and some friendly and well-intended encouragement persuasion. Association boards should create formal protocols and procedures to help educate, inform and ideally prevent the spread of the virus, whether or not there is a confirmed illness in a community. Such protocols should include the following:
• Closing various amenities, including gyms, community rooms, swimming pools, and similar areas.
• Requiring residents and guests to "stand back" a respectful distance from staff and concierges.
• Limiting in-person access to site staff and other associated personnel.
• Limiting repair work to "essential only," in order to minimize contractor traffic, as well as entry by other service providers.
• Enhanced cleaning of surfaces (from elevator buttons to handrails), multiple times per day.
• Placement of hand sanitizer and wipes throughout the buildings and other association facilities, to the extent supplies, are available.
• Encouraging residents to limit guests as much as possible, particularly those with symptoms.
• Asking that residents disclose if they are in quarantine or test positive so that the association can consider whether additional mitigation measures need to be implemented to ensure a successful quarantine.
Any particular implementation strategy should be taken only with specific legal guidance and advice.
Cheryl Hastings is a shareholder of Grant Fridkin Pearson, P.A. and has practiced law in Southwest Florida since 2002. She focuses her practice in the areas of residential and commercial real estate development and finance, including mixed use and water-front projects. Cheryl also has extensive experience in representing landlords and tenants in commercial leasing, representing contractors and owners in the preparation and negotiation of construction contracts, representing developers and associations in the preparation of homeowners' association documents and the creation of residential and commercial condominiums.


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There exist different types of sweet potatoes namely; White, Yellow and Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potatoes (OFSP) depending on the flesh colour, OFSP is particularly an important and rich source of Vitamin A and is a versatile food that can be cooked in many ways. Additionally, OFSP can easily be grown and be ready to consume in a few months.
Lishe Bora, Siri Ya Afya Njema!


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Imagine, if you will, that you managed to pick the perfect packaging for your new private label coffee. You write the perfect copy for your sales campaigns and before you know it, the coffee bags are leaping off the shelves. Customers blissfully stream towards checkout and head home. But after taking their first sip, their spirits plummet. There's no way around it – the coffee tastes rancid, like stale, expired mouthwash. Rapidly working themselves into a frenzy, your customers retaliate in the only way they know how – leaving rage-soaked online reviews about your horrible tasting coffee all over the internet.
Of course, the above scenario would never happen with a reliable coffee supplier. But it does serve to illustrate an important point – your private label is only as good as the coffee you serve. No matter how perfect your packaging and branding strategy is, the bitter truth is that it won't matter if your private label coffee roaster doesn't provide you with coffee that actually tastes good.
Since there are shady coffee roasters out there, we have collected three important questions to ask private label coffee roasters you're considering. These questions are not meant to be exhaustive, merely used as a starting point. Let's get into it.
Question #1 – Do you work on a private label contract basis or as needed?
One thing to consider when looking for your private label coffee roaster is if they will offer you the ability to get coffee from them as needed, or if they require a more firm contract. Roasters like Empire do not have firm contracts with our customers, relying primarily on our years of relationships and consistent coffee. There is nothing wrong with a contract per se, however we believe that having a firm contract can only open you up to problems down the road if you are unhappy with the coffee, relationship or anything else. If a coffee roaster insists on only working with you after signing a firm contract then you should see that as a red flag and consider looking at other roasters. The one benefit of a contract, though not exclusive, is the possibility of a roaster purchasing your packaging on your behalf. This of course would require a certain poundage per month and a contracted amount per pound. In most cases, depending on historical volume, even a roaster like Empire might consider making this purchase without a contract in place.
Question #2 – Can I visit your coffee roastery and warehouse?
There's no comparison between merely talking to someone over the phone and actually visiting the premises. A visit will allow you to see if their premises are kept clean. Are they FDA and SQF certified? The SQF certification is a globally recognized test for food safety that all serious coffee roasters should undergo. If the roaster you are considering is not SQF certified you should look elsewhere. For example, Empire Coffee maintains a level 2 SQF certification, which means we have proven that our facilities preserve extremely high levels of cleanliness and food safety. Another item to check off your list is whether the supplier has technicians on staff to handle equipment issues. You don't want to get a call that your coffee won't be delivered on time because equipment has failed. Remember, you want to work with someone who is serious about private label coffee – not an amateur.
Question #3 – How fresh is your coffee? What quality control measures do you take?
If you visit a potential coffee roaster and you see the place is bustling, it's likely that they are taking many orders and moving through coffee fast. This is a good sign, since it means that their coffee beans don't have time to spoil – they are sourced fresh and are processed fast enough to leave the building fresh. Like at our roastery, where the same coffee never lingers for more than a week after being roasted. It's also very important to make sure your private label coffee roaster is testing for quality control throughout the process. For example, we use shade meters and moisture meters to perform daily tests on every single roast so that we can make sure the coffee is keeping a consistent flavor profile. When you're interviewing a prospective coffee supplier, ask pointed questions about QC (quality control) equipment used and pay attention to how specific they are. You want to deal with a supplier who is transparent and honest about freshness, rather than getting locked into a relationship with someone who will deliver decent coffee one week and downright shoddy beans the next. Your customers want their coffee to taste the same each time they drink it.
Question #4 – Is your company able to give me exactly what I need for my private label coffee?
Can this supplier source, roast, and package the kind of coffee you need? To give an example, some suppliers only offer high-end coffees and won't sell anything less expensive. Other suppliers only have experience roasting large volumes of commodity grade coffees. Empire has experience roasting both large volumes of more common coffees on our two Jebez Burns 500 pound roasters as well as smaller batches of specialty coffees on our Diedrich roaster. Does the company offer the kind of packaging capabilities you need such as fractionals, retail bags, urn or even 1000 pound super sacks? Our customers can order coffee in practically any size, which means they don't have to repackage the coffee after they order it – it's already in the right sized package when they need it. You might need to order different quantities every month – will they allow that, or demand that you sign a contract that requires you to commit to buying fixed weekly volumes? Does the company have a logistics team able to move your coffee out the door without any hiccups? Do you get a dedicated account representative that will handle any issues and walk you through ever step of the process? Building a successful relationship with a supplier isn't just about the roasting and packaging – it's also about all the other support along the way.
Question #5 – Can you help me design and procure packaging?
Lets say your are just starting your new private label or are looking for an refresh on the brand. It's important to ask any roaster your are considering if they offer full design and procurement services. Unless you have your own designers or experience designing packaging yourself, utilizing the in-house design team at a roaster with vast experience in designing packaging can be invaluable. At Empire we offer a full line of design and support services to help any brand new or existing.
In conclusion, if you find yourself not getting a straight answer to any of these three questions, check your peripheral vision for a whale-sized red flag. If the company insists that freshness or an SQF certification isn't that important, or if they try to offer vague reassurances that they will customize your order, run for the hills.
If you've been wondering how you can sell coffee under your own private label, contact Empire Coffee (that's us!) to start discussing your private label coffee program. We're happy to answer all your questions, and support you all the way.
Question #6 – Do you nitrogen flush your ground coffee bags and k-cups?
Without a doubt you need this answer to be yes. Once coffee is ground it immediately begins to degas, releasing carbon dioxide. Unfortunately oxygen does not play well with ground coffee, and as the coffee is degassing, it's also oxidizing. This oxidation is staling the coffee and you now start loosing all those wonderful aromas and flavors that the coffee once possessed. By injecting nitrogen into the fractional, retail or k-cup package you are displacing the oxygen and elongating the shelf life and flavor of the coffee. At Empire Coffee our goal is to get the oxygen level down below 3%. On our k-cups we can even get as low as 1-2% depending on conditions.


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I've always favoured Gamescom over E3. It's less about pomp and ceremony, less about extravaganza and big reveals, and general just about the games. It's totally not about the beer. Nope. Every year, it has the same sort of pre-event gauntlet of press conferences though, with Sony, Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft and sometimes Capcom hosting events to showcase their upcoming games and reveals to press. This year though, Sony's giving it a skip.
Instead of their usual Gamescom conference, they'll instead host one at Paris Games week later in the year.
"With the changes this year of E3 taking place a week later and Gamescom taking place earlier, we feel that both PlayStation and the wider industry would benefit from a major news milestone later in the year, during the most important period for gaming. We are excited about our plans and look forward to sharing some exciting announcements. We will share more information closer to the time."
And it just makes sense. This year, E3 and Gamescom are closer together than they've ever been – with E3 starting a little later than usual (June 16-18) , and Gamescom kicking off earlier than usual (August 6-9), there's just a few weeks between them.
"We're delighted to announce that we will be hosting an international media briefing at Paris Games Week on 27th October," Sony said.
While this isn't really news per se – and you likely don't care – it does mean that Gamescom this year is likely to be a little lighter on actual news – which is fine, 'cos it gives us more time to focus on what really matters: the games.
Microsoft has since confirmed that it will be hosting a Gamescom conference – and will be splitting its major announcements between the two events.
@VernAtXboxUncut @iamironwolf Sure, we think GC is an important conference for us. One of the biggest game shows in the world.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) May 6, 2015
Last Updated: May 7, 2015


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Michalis Hadjiyannis, one of the most important performers and composers of the contemporary music scene, meets the exceptional classical guitar musician Panagiotis Margaris. Together they perform a subversive "Concert for two" especially inspired for guitar and singing, with Michalis Hadjiyannis in a unique way, accompanied by Panagiotis Margaris' guitar, some of his most loved songs as well as songs from other Greek or international composers.
Other musical compositions for solo guitar from Panagiotis Margaris cd "With the magic of guitar" and also from his previous works, will be presented in the performance


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Retail-as-a-Service startup b8ta, which has partnered with the likes of Google and Macy's, is getting into the kids' toys space. As part of a new joint venture with Tru Kids Brands, which owns Toys "R" Us, b8ta will bring its expertise in experiential retail to the iconic children's toy store. Both entities will own 50% of the venture.
After about eight to 10 months of working together, b8ta and Tru Kids Brands are pulling back the curtains on what they've been working on. With these new stores, parents and kids can expect theaters for movies and video games, a treehouse where kids can play, STEAM workshops and more. The first two stores, which will open in November in Houston and New Jersey, are about 6,500 square feet with future stores being closer to 10,000 square feet. For context, these are much smaller than the size of the Toys "R" Us stores people became used to, which were about 30,000 square feet.
B8ta's solution offers brands a physical presence with an experiential-driven store that comes with software for checkout, inventory, point of sale, inventory management, staff scheduling services and more. That means toy brands will have the option to pay to showcase their products in an interactive way at Toys "R" Us. Those brands can then manage their in-store experiences and give customers the options to buy things in the store, or direct them to buy online.
"I think there is an interesting mash-up between experiential retail that b8ta has been perfecting in its store with those hands-on experiences," Tru Kids Brands CEO Richard Barry told TechCrunch. "Having the ability for brands to showcase things and give them online experiences too."
This joint venture comes after Tru Kids Brands announced the return of Toys "R" Us in February, following the toy store shuttering its operations in the U.S. last year. For b8ta, it seems to have found a niche with struggling retailers. Last June, Macy's acquired a minority stake in b8ta and used it to enhance some of its spaces. That came during a time when Macy's was closing a bunch of its stores.
With Toys "R" Us, b8ta saw this as an opportunity to expand into the kids category.
"As you may recall, we had mentioned we were interested in taking our business model and our approach to designing stores in other categories," b8ta CEO Vibhu Norby told TechCrunch. "Last year, we took a serious interest in the kids space. Around the same time, we heard the news about what happened at Toys 'R' Us and thought it was interesting."
Fast-forward a bit to when Norby was introduced to Barry, and that's when they landed on the idea for a joint venture to operate Toys "R" Us in the U.S. Next year, the companies will open additional locations in high-traffic areas throughout the U.S. To date, b8ta has raised $39 million in funding from Macy's, Sound Ventures, Khosla Ventures and others.


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Tangerine Bloom DelightAdd to Cart Download
A blooming Redbud Tree Abstraction. A Redbud is a small tree with a sturdy upright trunk which divides into stout branches that usually spread to form a broad flat head. Found on rich bottom lands throughout the Mississippi River valley; will grow in the shade and often becomes a dense undergrowth in the forest.
- Filename
- Tangerine Bloom Delight.jpg
- Copyright
- BLT Studios unfocussed.com
- Image Size
- 4422x3158 / 4.1MB
- Contained in galleries
- Abstracts, Nature Art


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My camera crew was filming in the dry riverbed of the Yamuna river and I was standing near a beautiful woman on the bank, just the two of us, a little way apart, watching a gang of barefoot children playing cricket, and I was trying to think of something to say to her that wouldn't seem creepy. I say she was beautiful but that's not enough: she was impossibly, perfectly beautiful, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She had smiled at me once but we hadn't spoken. I wasn't even sure she knew English.
Beyond the kids playing cricket, the sun was setting red behind the Taj Mahal, the world's greatest marble monument to love, the white gleaming declaration of Shahjahan's unending adoration of his lovely wife Mumtaz: a teardrop, the poet Rabindranath Tagore said, trembling on the cheek of time.
I glanced at the woman on the bank beside me. Soon it would grow dark and she would turn away into the dusk and disappear forever. I had to say something to her, but what? What?!
Then one of the kids wandered up. He was maybe 8 years old and even he could see that this was the world's most beautiful woman. He stared at her, his mouth hanging open. I thought, "You're not wrong, kid."
He stared at her some more, and then he turned to me and said loudly: "What is your wife's name?"
And that's when I realized that I'd been searching for this moment all my life.
One of the reasons we travel is to find those moments that never happen at home: those points at which all the strands of experience momentarily intersect: beauty and strangeness and luck and timing and wonder and magic and grace, all touching at the same time. Or perhaps those moments do happen at home, but it's only when we travel that we're sufficiently alert and attuned to the world to recognize them.
As I stood there, I thought about how much serendipity went into creating this moment: a beautiful stranger; a crimson sunset; the Taj Mahal; a group of happy children; a flight of storks passing to their evening roost, white wings washed red and gold in the last light; the day's heat easing to giddy coolness, and now – gifted from the universe – a small, sweet child giving me the perfect opening line.
"I don't know," I said to the kid, then turned to the beautiful stranger with my best smile, hoping I didn't have spinach stuck in my teeth from that palak paneer at lunch. "What is your name?"
She laughed and said, "I am Valentina."
Could there have been a more perfect name? She was Slovenian but spoke perfect English, lightly accented the way a chilled Sauvignon Blanc on a hot day tastes like lightly flavoured sunshine. She was traveling through India on her own, wearing traditional dress to discourage unwelcome male attention.
"Please," I said, "tell me if this male attention is unwelcome."
"It's very welcome," she said. Her eyes were a clear, bright green.
She told me she was studying for a Masters in English literature. Her great interest was South African literature.
I stared at her. "I'm from South Africa." I said.
"My favourite writer is JM Coetzee," she said.
"JM Coetzee supervised part of my Masters degree," I said.
She stared at me and I stared at her. I heard the distant thrum of traffic and a cheer from the kids as a wicket fell. She must have wondered if I was lying. I was definitely wondering if she was lying, because surely JM Coetzee is no one's favourite author. And then we both knew that the other was telling the truth, and that we had somehow fallen into a fairy tale of serendipity.
It was a dream. We talked about books and traveling and being lonely and looking for connection in a world full of strangers. She laughed at my jokes and I laughed at hers. She told me that she was leaving on a bus to Fatepuh Sikri early in the morning, so she was eating dinner at the Kamal restaurant and staying in a cheap hotel near the bus station. I told her that my camera crew and I were leaving early in the morning for Delhi, and then home. Now it was a bad dream: we might never see each other again.
The crew had wrapped and had to leave for the hotel. We shook hands goodbye and her hand was slim and cool and her green eyes caught every particle of sunlight still drifting through the dusk. I walked dazed to the minibus and slouched in my seat and stared at the traffic with unseeing eyes.
What did it mean to have met such a person in such a way at such a moment? Think of everything that needed to align, to coincide, to coalesce. What luck, what serendipity was this? How could it not mean something? How could it not mean everything? Surely this was the most important moment in my life yet here I was in a minibus in rush-hour Agra traffic, inching further and further away from my destiny.
The hotel was a couple of kilometres away, which means ninety minutes in Indian traffic. As soon as we arrived I ran back out into into the street and waved down a tuk-tuk. "Take me to Kamal restaurant!" I gasped. "Hurry!"
"There are three Kamal restaurants," said my driver.
"Take me to all of them!"
My driver's name was Rajiv and I think he was fourteen years old. He was a fellow who understood fate and necessity. When I explained what was happening his face lit up like a leading man in a Bollywood movie hearing the music for the happy ending. "Yes!" he said. "We must find her!"
He gave a whoop and steered us straight into the oncoming traffic, which parted around us, honking and hooting and yelling. We were a salmon swimming up a river of metal.
"Rajiv!" I shouted. "We're on the wrong side of the road!"
"Quicker like this!" he yelled over his shoulder.
It was all a roar of headlights and horns, the dark night, the rush of fear. "We will find her!" shouted Rajiv. "Or we will die trying!"
"No dying!" I yelled.
"We will find her!" shouted Rajiv.
I closed my eyes and felt the hot metallic night air on my face and surrendered myself to a universe that seemed to know better than I.
"Kamal restaurant!" yelled Rajiv, forty-five minutes later.
I ran in. I ran out. We plunged back into the traffic.
Forty minutes later I ran into the second Kamal restaurant. Also empty. Rajiv's jaw set with determination.
Half an hour later I ran sweating into the third restaurant. The waiter said there had been a European woman in a headscarf who ate at the window table. I searched the table for a clue. Had she wistfully carved her cellphone number into the tabletop with her fork? Written her email address in lipstick on the window? Nothing.
I'd failed.
But wait!
"Rajiv! Is there a low-cost hotel near the bus terminus?"
Rajiv looked at me fearfully. There were at least two hundred low-cost hotels near the bus terminus.
After the sixth or seventh hotel I wanted to give up. There is only so much you can do in pursuit of your own destiny. But then I remembered the extraordinary serendipity of that meeting, the perfection and symmetry of it. I thought of the story we would tell our grandchildren.
An hour later, exhausted, hopeless, lurching like a zombie, I heaved my way into the umpteenth shabby hotel lobby. It was dark and narrow and the receptionist was a tall gentleman with kind eyes and a moustache like a pair of ragged sheep.
"I'm looking for a guest," I mumbled. "She's Slovenian, with eyes like sunshine sparkling on a green sea …"
He waggled his moustache and looked pointedly over my shoulder. I turned.
"You found me," she said.
Shyly, we went to the bar next to the hotel. I bought a beer and she had a Coke. We sat and I looked into her eyes and she looked into mine, both silently marveling that our lives had brought us to this place. And just like that, at the same time, we realized that actually we didn't have a thing to say to each other.
I suppose moments of perfection are perfect precisely because they are moments. Serendipity is magic enough – why ask for longevity too? We sat an awkward half-hour, making small-talk at first and then lapsing into uncomfortable silence, and then I said I'd better get going, and she said yes, she'd better get going too because she had an early start, and we shook hands again but it wasn't electric this time and then I went back out to Rajiv who was still waiting with his tuk-tuk.
"Yes?" he said eagerly. "Yes?!"
Then he saw my face, and he became solemn and nodded thoughtfully.
"Well," he said, "it was an adventure."
Kulula inflight magazine, February 2019


text:
As coronavirus COVID-19 spreads, how are Italy, Iran, Korea and others dealing with the outbreak?
The Australian Government says it is "pandemic ready" but warns "no country is immune" as coronavirus hotspots continue to crop up around the globe.
Key points:
- The outbreak in Italy has seen the virus spread to other European countries for the first time
- A Brazilian man has been confirmed as South America's first case
- Iran has been accused of a cover-up while some of China's allies have a relaxed approach
Only two months from the first reported case in China, the death toll now stands at more than 2,700 and there are more than 80,000 recorded cases of the COVID-19 virus around the world — although the vast majority of cases and deaths continue to be concentrated in Hubei province's Wuhan.
Following on the heels of other nations, Australia imposed a travel ban on China with some exemptions despite the World Health Organisation warning such measures would only contribute to "fear and stigma".
This week saw fresh rounds of case spikes in Iran, South Korea, and Italy, while deaths have also been recorded in Japan, the Philippines, France, and Taiwan.
At the time of writing, the deadly virus had reached more than 30 countries.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told a press briefing the Australian Government had exercised "an abundance of caution" and that those measures "have proved to be effective".
"I can confirm that of the 15 cases that had previously been identified here in Australia, that were sourced from Wuhan, all 15 of those patients have now been discharged and have overcome the virus," he said.
Seven other Australians contracted the virus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
But as Australia continues to grapple with how to handle the outbreak, other countries — including China's allies and those with frostier diplomatic relations — have responded in different ways.
Iran has highest death toll outside China amid cover-up claims
The coronavirus has claimed the lives of 19 people in Iran — the highest number of coronavirus deaths outside China — with roughly 139 people infected.
Countries around Iran are closing their borders. Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Armenia have shut off access, while authorities have cancelled concerts, sport events, and closed schools while urging Iranians to stay at home.Loading...
But the virus has already hit senior Iranian officials.
Among the infected is Iran's Deputy Health Minister, Iraj Harirchi. He posted a video on social media on Tuesday confirming he had contracted the virus, while another MP — Mahmoud Sadeghi — also tested positive.
"I don't have a lot of hope of continuing life in this world," he wrote on Twitter.
The high mortality rate in a nation thousands of kilometres from Wuhan has left commentators wondering whether the scale of the virus's spread is being accurately reported by Iranian media.
This week, Iran's MP for Qom — a city just south of Tehran where many cases have been reported — made allegations of a cover-up while claiming "around 50" people had died from the virus, a claim disputed by Iranian health authorities.
Meanwhile, there are fears the virus could spread through key pilgrimage routes — millions of people journey through Qom every year — which could spread the virus further while also impacting on refugees in the region who already lack access to adequate health services.
Indonesia maintains it has zero cases due to 'prayers' despite mass tourismLoading...
In contrast to Iran, Indonesia has yet to report a single case of the novel coronavirus on its shores despite being slow to suspend direct flights from Wuhan to Bali amid the outbreak while hosting 1.3 million Chinese tourists last year.
The regional anomaly has experts questioning quarantine and screening procedures in the world's fourth-most-populous country, with a population of more than 270 million.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported earlier this year Indonesia lacked the right test kits to identify the virus until February.
Meanwhile, when asked how it was possible Indonesia had no confirmed cases, Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto said it came down to faith.
"In medical terms, prayers," he said. "All because of prayers."
But while Indonesia maintains its zero-case status, experts believe it's just a matter of time before cases start appearing across the archipelago.
Meanwhile, in a video provided exclusively to the ABC, Indonesian workers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Japan pleaded with President Joko Widodo to evacuate them.
"We're afraid that we're being killed slowly," they said.
"Please don't let us get sick and slowly die from how long it has taken to evacuate us."
North Korea seals border with key ally China amid nutrition fears
Following news of the initial outbreak, Pyongyang wasted no time swiftly shutting its border with China, halting tourism and cancelling its annual marathon.
The 1,500 kilometre border with chief ally China is porous in many parts, allowing for the smuggling of people and goods.
Some observers noted shutting the border was a necessary step to contain the virus, given North Korea's poor health system and rates of malnutrition in its population that could make it vulnerable to infection.
But others have pointed out the border shutdown cuts off access to one of its few allies and economic lifelines — Foreign Policy highlights more than 90 per cent of North Korea's trade is with China.
State media reported 380 foreigners — mostly diplomats in Pyongyang — were put under quarantine.
One South Korean media outlet reported an official had been executed for breaching quarantine, but such reports can prove unreliable and could not be independently verified.
But for a hermit state wedged between China and South Korea, the sites of the two largest outbreaks, the absence of the novel virus is conspicuous.
Nonetheless, North Korea's propaganda outlets maintain the country has zero cases of the virus.
South Korean cult at heart of recent spike
Less than a week ago, South Korea had only registered two-dozen cases. But that number skyrocketed in the past few days to over 1,140 infections and at least 11 deaths.
Most of the fatalities occurred at a hospital in the southern county of Cheongdo near Daegu where a slew of infections were detected in a mental health ward.
A religious group in Daegu, cast as a secretive doomsday cult, has been at the heart of South Korea's recent boost in coronavirus cases.
Shincheonji sect, which is also known as Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, is headed by Lee Man-hee, who claims to be a prophet.
Observers of the faith huddle in close quarters to pray at a proximity that could help incubate the disease.
He urged his members to "follow the Government's instructions" and avoid public gatherings.
"This disease outbreak is the work of the Devil, which is hellbent on stopping the rapid growth of the Shincheonji," he told his followers.
President Moon Jae-in has said the situation is "very grave" and has raised the highest alert level for infectious diseases, but has not ordered a lockdown of the city of Daegu.
Italy is Europe's hardest-hit nation amid hunt for 'patient zero'
The number of cases in Italy, the country in Europe worst affected, rose to more than 374 this week with the death toll climbing to 12.
The streets in northern Italy are eerily empty in a declared "red zone", with more than 50,000 people in lockdown.
The virus has also spread to the south of Italy, with several countries reporting their first cases of the deadly COVID-19 apparently stemming from Italy, including Austria, Croatia, Switzerland, Algeria and Greece.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was forced to admit a local hospital had mishandled the region's first coronavirus case, contributing to the spread, and health authorities were yet to identify "patient zero" — the person who first brought the virus into the country.
The final days of the world-famous Venice Carnival were cancelled as authorities scrambled to contain the outbreak, with football matches in the region also called off.
South America on Wednesday (local time) also recorded its first case after Brazil's Government confirmed a 61-year-old Brazilian who returned from Italy this month tested positive.
This means the virus has now spread to every continent except Antarctica.
Cambodia 'too hot' for the virus as Myanmar fights infection with pepper
As the New York Times noted earlier this month, the coronavirus outbreak has received a notably subdued response "in countries where China holds sway".
In Myanmar, Buddhist monks broadcast over loudspeakers that placing "exactly seven" ground peppercorns on the tongue will ward off the virus.
While other countries are imposing travel bans, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has made a move in the opposite direction, declaring his intention to travel to Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus.
He was told "no" — Wuhan was in lockdown — but he boasted of being the first world leader to visit China since the outbreak, in a gesture of solidarity.
He has repeatedly said fear of the new coronavirus is worse than the virus itself, and the country also welcomed the cruise ship MS Westerdam, to praise from the WHO director-general and US President Donald Trump.
It's a publicity boost at a time when the European Union is stripping back a trade agreement over human rights concerns, including the ongoing trial of Cambodia's opposition leader and the forced dissolution of his party.
Cambodia's Health Minister, Mam Bun Heng, said the country was too hot for the virus to spread.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that was not the case.
"At this stage, the virus is too new for us to be sure how warmer weather could affect transmissibility," a spokesperson told the ABC.
"The virus has affected people in cold/dry and warm/wet climates. WHO advise public to follow precautions wherever they live."
The WHO has recommended "a range of infection-prevention measures including careful hand and respiratory hygiene, and keeping at least 1 metre distance from others to help stop transmission" and has also "issued guidance to assist all countries to prepare for possible international exportation of COVID-2019 cases".


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|Day 01 Delhi – Shimla (360 Kms Approx 10 Hrs)
Arrive Delhi Airport or Railway Station Pickup & depart to Shimla by surface approx. 360 Kms / 10 hrs. on arrive check in to hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
|Day 02 In Shimla
Morning After breakfast depart for the winter sports capital – kufri, where you can photograph yourself in Pahari or Himachali outfit, available on hire. You can also horse riding or Yak riding on your own. Proceed to Naldhera, Which is famous for its Golf Course & scenic beauty. On a clear day you can also view the Kailash Ranges. Evening at Mall Road. Overnight at the hotel.
|Day 03 Shimla – Manali
Depart for Manali by surface approx. 265 kms/8 hrs. There are scenic spots on the way like Pandoh Dam, Mandi, Kullu Valley, Beas River, And Dusshehra Maidan. Evening you arrive in Manali and check inn at the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 04 Manali
|Day 05 Manali –
Morning After breakfast visit the Jagatsukh Gayatridevi Mandir and Naggar Art Gallery. Later in the afternoon you visit the Hidimba Temple, Manu Mandir & Vashisth Kund. over night stay in hotel,
|Day 06 Manali – Delhi
Morning after breakfast you will be transferred to Delhi by surface approx. 15hrs. Drop airport or Railway station,
|Package Rates are per person in INR and details as below
| Excludes
|Please Note :-


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Henry Bangert grew up in the construction business, working alongside his family in heavy civil construction throughout the Midwest and Mountain West. His first jobs were on airport and bridge projects in and around St. Louis and Denver. Henry's close family members still work in various sectors of this industry.
Consequently, Henry's work for construction and engineering clients is a personal passion. Having lived through the ups and downs of the industry, he understands what critical negotiations, disputes and litigation mean from the perspective of the business owner, management, operations, as well as the litigator.
Following law school at the University of Colorado, Henry joined the construction practice group at Sherman & Howard, L.L.C. in Denver. It is with Sherman & Howard that Henry received his legal training from Mike Cook, Bret Gunnell, Charlotte Wiessner, and many other well-respected construction attorneys. For six years, up until opening day of Beltzer Bangert & Gunnell LLP, Henry worked as Legal Counsel – U.S. Operations for PCL Construction Enterprises, Inc. As Legal Counsel for PCL, Henry worked with the most talented construction attorneys and consultants across the US, on both sides of the table.
Today, Henry counsels clients in contract planning, negotiation, administration, and dispute resolution nationally in the construction and engineering industry. He frequently advises clients in contract and legal risk management through the project life-cycle. He has represented clients in the drafting and negotiation of numerous complex construction contracts priced between $1 million and $2 billion+. Henry has significant experience in government contracting issues and has represented clients nationwide in dispute review boards, mediations, arbitrations, trials, and state and federal court.


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Slovenians among the top mountaineering powers in the Himalayas
Statistics show Slovenians to be among the top mountaineering powers in the Himalayas Eighteen Slovenians have already reached the peak of Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, following three different routes. Slovenians can boast many achievements on Everest: tracing a new route on the mountain, a women's ascent, an ascent without supplemental oxygen, and the first integral ski descent down the mountain's south face.
41st anniversary since the first Slovenian ascent to Mount Everest
This year marks the 41st anniversary since the first Slovenian ascent to Mount Everest. In 1979, Andrej Štremfelj and Nejc Zaplotnik, members of a Yugoslav climbing expedition with 25 people, were the first Slovenians to reach the top of the highest mountain in the world, made their way into history books. On May 1979 at 13:51 Nepalese time, Zaplotnik announced the happy news: "Tone, we have reached the top! We are sitting by the Chinese Pyramid and we do not what to do now." Even after all these years, Štremfelj vividly remembers those historic moments.
After 45 days of struggling with the demanding north ridge, extreme cold, strong winds and lack of oxygen, the victory was a very emotional one. They patted each other on the back and shared some tears but only briefly as they had to rapidly begin thinking about their descent.
Two days later, on 15 May at 14:40, base camp was once again brimming with excitement, as four more members of the expedition stood on the top. Stane Belak – Šrauf answered the call: "Tone, hello from the highest peak in the world!" With him on the top of Everest were Stipe Božič, the first Croat on Everest, and Ang Phu from Nepal, the first man to have ascended Everest along two different routes.
41 years after Mount Everest: The expedition that changed us all
Himalayan experts agree that the Slovenian, then the Yugoslav, route to the summit of the 8,848 m-high mountain is the most difficult of the 11 routes leading to the top and one that has since not yet been repeated.
At minus 40 degrees it took them about one week to fix their ropes and set up camps. At first it seemed as though they would be able to proceed quickly, but the expedition was set back by a week due to violent winds.
In Štremfelj's memory the descent remains an ordeal, as he only remembers the pain in every and each bone. He says that he reached the top thanks to Zaplotnik, who never stopped encouraging him.
He managed to reach the top a second time in 1990, this time together with his wife Marija and Janez Meglič. Marija was the first Slovenian women, and only the 13th women to have reached the top of Everest at the time. To put this in perspective, Štremfelj and Zaplotnik were the 78th and 79th persons to summit Mount Everest and when they went with Marija, they were around the 450th; nowadays, on clear days, this is the number of persons trying to reach the top on any given day.
The Piolet d'Or for lifetime achievements in climbing
Slovenian alpinists have been awarded the Piolet d'Or several times. Andrej Štremfelj was awarded it for his lifetime achievements in climbing. The Piolet d'Or or Golden Ice Axe as it is known in English is an annual mountaineering award that has been given by the French magazine Montagnes and the Groupe de Haute Montagne since 1992. Golden Ice Axes are awarded for achievements in the previous year. Slovenian alpinists have received seven Piolets d'Or for their ground-breaking ascents. Andrej Štremfelj is the first Slovenian to receive the Piolet d'Or for his lifetime achievements in climbing.
"You feel extremely honoured to be considered on the same level as Bonatti, Messner, Kurtyka, Bonington, Diemberger and others. This is a recognition of everything I have done, because I love to climb, and I am extremely happy," he is quoted by the website of the Alpine Association of Slovenia.
Besides Mount Everest, he ascended seven other peaks over 8,000 meters: Gasherbrum I, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I, Shishapangma, Kangchenjunga South Peak, Cho Oyu and Dhaulagiri. Štremfelj also participated in over twenty expeditions to the Nepalese Himalayas and worked as an instructor in the Slovenian school for Nepalese mountain guides in Manang. He has also climbed in Patagonia, Pamir, and the USA.
The Piolet d'Or 1997 was bestowed upon climbers Tomaž Humar and Vanja Furlan for forging a new route on the northwest face of Ama Dablam (6,812 m) in Nepal. The Piolet d'Or 2007 was awarded for the second time to Marko Prezelj and to Boris Lorenčič for climbing a new route on Chomo Lhari (7,326 m); the Piolet d'Or 2007 Spectator's Choice went to Pavle Kozjek for his new solo route up Cho Oyu (8,201 m) and for publishing pictures of the killing of Tibetan refugees attempting to flee Tibet via the Nangpa La pass.
The joint winners of the Piolet d'Or 2012 were Luka Stražar and Nejc Marčič for their first ascent of the Dreamers of Golden Caves on K7 West (6,858 m) in Pakistan; the Piolet d'Or 2015 went to Aleš Česen, Luka Lindič and Marko Prezelj for their first ascent of the North Face of Hagshu in the Indian Himalayas; the joint winners of the Piolet d'Or 2016 were Urban Novak and Marko Prezelj, together with American Hayden Kennedy and Frenchman Manu Pellissier, for their first ascent of the east face of Cerro Kishtwar (6,173 m) in India.
Davo Karničar – a citizen of the world
Davo Karničar, climber and extreme skier, is another Slovenian achiever who became, in the right sense of the word, a citizen of the world after his integral ski descent of Everest down the mountain's south face in 2000. During his landmark descent Karničar never took his skis off from the 8,848 m summit to the base camp at 5,350 m. The same day, four of his fellow climbers succeeded in reaching the summit. His next eight-thousander was to be Cho Oyu, but his health failed him and he had to leave before the end of the expedition.
Following Everest and until 2006, Karničar carried out a series of hair-raising descents from the highest peaks of all seven continents and from numerous other mountains in Europe and elsewhere in the world. He found his speciality in a combination of mountaineering and extreme skiing.
Within the mountaineering community, Karničar is particularly appreciated for his descent down the Fritsch-Lindenbach route on the Grintovec north face (Dolška škrbina) which has a grade of 7 and is considered the most difficult route to have been skied in Slovenia. He descended on skies from Triglav, Jalovec, Dolgi hrbet, Špik, Grintovec, Kočna and many other mountains. He particularly enjoyed descending rock faces, snow gullies and waterfalls. Most famous is his skiing over the waterfall of Sinji slap below Češka koča mountain lodge, as well as his descents of the north-east face of the Eiger and the east face of the Matterhorn.
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Counting down the seconds to Expo


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The Hollywood gossip is that the film's presentation of torture locked it out of the Oscar race.
This former FBI agent who was deeply involved in catching and questioning top Al Qaeda members says the producers of "Zero Dark Thirty" were manipulated and used by the pro-torture contingent in the CIA. He's right - using the fig leaf of "based on actual events" does not excuse putting such serious misinformation into the popular record of what happened -- and why:
I watched "Zero Dark Thirty" not as a former F.B.I. special agent who spent a decade chasing, interrogating and prosecuting top members of Al Qaeda but as someone who enjoys Hollywood movies. As a movie, I enjoyed it. As history, it's bunk.
The film opens with the words "Based on Firsthand Accounts of Actual Events." But the filmmakers immediately pass fiction off as history, when a character named Ammar is tortured and afterward, it's implied, gives up information that leads to Osama bin Laden.
Ammar is a composite character who bears a strong resemblance to a real-life terrorist, Ammar al-Baluchi. In both the film and real life he was a relative of Bin Laden's lieutenant, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. But the C.I.A. has repeatedly said that only three detainees were ever waterboarded. The real Mr. Baluchi was not among them, and he didn't give up information that led to Bin Laden.
In fact, torture led us away from Bin Laden. After Mr. Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times, he actually played down the importance of the courier who ultimately led us to Bin Laden. Numerous investigations, most recently a 6,300-page classified report by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, have reached the same conclusion: enhanced interrogation didn't work. Portraying torture as effective risks misleading the next generation of Americans that one of our government's greatest successes came about because of the efficacy of torture. It's a disservice both to our history and our national security.
While filmmakers have the right to say what they want, government officials don't have the right to covertly provide filmmakers with false information to promote their own interests. Providing selective information about a classified program means there is no free market of ideas, but a controlled market subject to manipulation. That's an abuse of power.
John O. Brennan, a former C.I.A. official and now President Obama's nominee to head the agency, recently testified that the classified report raised "serious questions" about information he received when he was the agency's deputy executive director. Mr. Brennan said publicly what many of us — who were in interrogation rooms when the program was devised — have been warning about for years: senior officials, right up to the president himself, were misled about the enhanced interrogation program.
For instance, a 2005 Justice Department memo claimed that waterboarding led to the capture of the American-born Qaeda member Jose Padilla in 2003. Actually, he was arrested in 2002, months before waterboarding began, after an F.B.I. colleague and I got details about him from a terrorist named Abu Zubaydah. Because no one checked the dates, the canard about Mr. Padilla was repeated as truth.
When agents heard senior officials citing information we knew was false, we were barred from speaking out. After President George W. Bush gave a speech containing falsehoods in 2006 — I believe his subordinates lied to him — I was told by one of my superiors: "This is still classified. Just because the president is talking about it doesn't mean that we can."
Some of these memos, and reports pointing out their inaccuracies, have been declassified, but they are also heavily redacted. So are books on the subject, including my own.
Meanwhile, promoters of torture get to hoodwink journalists, authors and Hollywood producers while selectively declassifying material and providing false information that fits their narrative.


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Linking remote sensing and crop models to estimate the aboveground biomass of annual and perennial forage crops
About Facundo
Facundo is an Agricultural Engineer from the University of Buenos Aires (2017). He has worked on numerous projects as a member of the Regional Analysis and Remote Sensing Laboratory at the Agricultural Plant Physiology and Ecology Research Institute, University of Buenos Aires UBA-LART. These projects are related to the generation of knowledge in the field of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and particularly in the evaluation and use of natural resources. He is doing a PhD in Agricultural Sciences EPG-FAUBA and currently, Facundo is a teaching assistant of the Ecology course in the Department of Natural Resources. His work is focused on the estimation of aboveground biomass of annual and perennial forage resources to help farmers in the process of making decisions about the profitability and sustainability of agricultural systems.
Contact: [email protected]
About the project
The prediction of aboveground biomass of forage resources under different environmental by crop management combinations allows making decisions more objectively and increasing the efficiency and sustainability of livestock systems. Traditional sampling through harvesting biomass estimation is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Therefore, the spatial and temporal coverage through this method is limited. Crop models (such as APSIM) and remote sensing represent an alternative to predict crop growth and development, but several challenges remain to be solved before they can be used to estimate aboveground biomass. Dead standing biomass makes it difficult to estimate green biomass and total aboveground biomass using remote sensing, while crop models are not capable of predicting biomass at the paddock scale when the spatial variability is high within the same soil unit. The objective of this project is to develop aboveground biomass estimation models of forage resources in pastoral systems under different environmental and management conditions. Information provided by remote sensors (MODIS and Sentinel2) and field data for an annual (sorghum) and a perennial forage crop (tall wheatgrass - Thinopyrum ponticum) will be used to calibrate APSIM. The expected result of this work is the generation of scientific knowledge that allows overcoming the limitations imposed by each approach. In the short term, it is expected to have more precise aboveground biomass estimation with better spatial and temporal coverage, and in the long term to increase meat production and sustainability of livestock systems.
EPG-FAUBA University of Buenos Aires.
Dr Martin Oesterheld (primary supervisor), Dr Mariano Oyarzabal, Dr Gonzalo Irisarri and Dr Jonathan Ojeda
- Biomass estimation of forage resources through remote sensing and process-based crop models
- Estimation of aboveground biomass of a megathermic pasture (Setaria sphacelata) based on process-based crop models with different structure
- Multi-resolution analysis of aggregated spatial data to simulate yield and irrigation water demand at regional scales (oral presentation)
- Crop-livestock adaptation to climate change based on modelling and remote-sensing
- Effects of soil- and climate data aggregation on simulated potato yield and irrigation water requirement


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Ukraine and the Lessons of the Iraq War
The call of the peace movement 20 years ago–invading troops out!–should be the call of the peace movement today.
The call of the peace movement 20 years ago–invading troops out!–should be the call of the peace movement today.
The anti-war movement needs money, and the Koch brothers have it. But it comes with strings attached.
Inspiring stories of people who faced being drafted to fight in a war they opposed and how their defiance changed American politics forever, followed by a discussion with filmmaker Beth Sanders.
Your chance to hear up-to-date analysis on U.S. war and peace issues in the Middle East and beyond in the era of a Trump Presidency.
After the Inauguration join IPSers Phyllis Bennis and John Feffer: rest your feet, feed your head, and stoke your fire at this free conference at American University's Kay Spiritual Life Center!
Trump has a heavy dose of anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim sentiment behind him, Phyllis Bennis tells the Real News Network.
The multi-layered wars raging across Syria are complex, but there is no military solution, and it's time for the left to rebuild a movement based on that reality.
As part of a forum in the Nation on how to build the political revolution, Phyllis Bennis tells us how the U.S. can end its militarized foreign policy.
"First, do no harm," Phyllis Bennis tells Campaign For America's Future. If we want to defeat ISIS, we must "Stop the drone attacks. Stop the air strikes."
You're cordially invited to attend a DC screening featuring IPS Fellow Phyllis Bennis followed by a Q&A with the film's Director, Amir Amirani.
Telling the Truth. Learning the Lessons at the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam Peace Movement.
Institute for Policy Studies and Inspire BBQ will host a forum featuring Colman McCarthy and Joe Eldridge speaking on the role of faith in social movements.
Join us as we commemorate the 10 anniversary of a mobilization that changed the world.
Activists in Albany County, New York are showing how to get the issue of runaway military spending on the national agenda.
Mexican families touched by the drug war have brought their Caravan for Peace to the U.S., laying the groundwork for a binational peace movement.


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Ylva Karlsson and Sara Lundberg (ill.)
Who hasn't wondered what it's like to be someone else? Jag och alla ("I and everyone", not translated into English) addresses this existential issue from a child's perspective, using beautiful illustrations and text to depict both little and large worlds that touch the reader.
The book is like a relay, where a child on the edge of one spread – sometimes not even visible – becomes the main character on the next spread. This shows how we shape one another's lives and are connected in a finely woven web.
During the journey, we encounter the world of both the little and the large reader, not only as these appear from the outside, but also through the big inner life that the various children may have, with their different personalities and experiences.
Author Ylva Karlsson's text shows a strong sense of empathy for both day-to-day life and for our musings over life's mysteries. She does not weigh in on the child's thoughts about death, whether of a grandmother or a white cat. Instead she shows how death is a part of the life that the book speaks to and celebrates.
Illustrator Sara Lundberg's paintings interact harmoniously with the text, radiating quiet reflection. They also stand on their own and take up just the right amount of space. They flow out and give the text an airiness, while also creating the strongest of bonds with the text. The illustrations maintain a consistent colour scale that, while not necessarily subdued, is still soothing. The flowing watercolours and clear brushstrokes combined with harder crayon lines bring the images to life and allow the colours to bounce off each other in a way that almost makes the images move. The illustrations also have a certain suggestive ambiguity, though, which interacts with the philosophical tone of the story and its positioning between fantasy and reality. An almost exhausted facial feature is nevertheless extremely sharp in the world that Lundberg's illustrations and Karlsson's text invite us into.
Finally, we return to the first child in the story, in what seems to be a circular composition, but the baton is then passed on to the reader in an ending that paves the way for further thought.


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Welcome to My NEW Website!
You're one of the first to see my new website, nickywebber.com
I'll be refining the information over the next couple of weeks before going global! Let me know what you think and if there's something that needs a fix? I know I do! It's been long, arduous hours herding web content into the right spaces! It will take more than Champers and Chocolates to recover!!
Initially, I suffered from bouts of internal conflict around having a real website or not. I became convinced it was a worthwhile investment. At the time, I didn't realise I was embarking on a significant adventure. Who knows or cares about widgets and SEO, anyway? I do now, after a crash-course from Konings Creative. With a degree in Fine Art, Photography and successful life in advertising, Paul Konings fast-tracked me into cyberspace reality. His beautiful photographs adorn each of the pages, and his excellent design makes for a fresh, contemporary website. He had an eye-watering 25,000 images on his laptop for me to choose from.
I chose high-quality photographs of the countries you would experience when reading my books. I wanted the images to pull you into the characters lives and feel the places I write about.
I desperately need to finish my third book, In the Deep End Book Two, so will only post about one blog every month. If you're happy with that and want to enjoy my writer's journey, warts and all, please sign up for my NewsBlog, link below. Rest assured that your contact information will never be distributed to anyone else. You'll get important updates and promo's and won't be bombarded. After all, I've got serious book writing to get on with!
If you like it, please SHARE this link with your Facebook or email contacts!
THANKS for your support!


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Clinical and somatosensory characteristics of patients with nerve-related neck-arm pain
Access Status
Open access
Tampin, Brigitte
Assoc. Prof. Kathy Briffa
Assoc. Prof. Helen
MetadataShow full item record
School of Physiotherapy
Clinical and somatosensory characteristics of patients with nerve-related neck-arm pain were investigated. This research demonstrated that clinical classification systems are useful in differentiating presentations of nerve-related neck-arm pain and in identifying neuropathic pain components in these cohorts. Distinct clinical and somatosensory profiles were documented for patients with cervical radiculopathy and patients with non-specific neck-arm pain, suggesting differences in the underlying pain types and pain mechanisms. Findings may assist clinicians in better targeting patient management.
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STEAMBOAT, Ore. (AP) — Back in 1998 Lee Spencer did two things that changed his relationship with the big steelhead of the North Umpqua River.
He agreed to become the first full-time FishWatch guardian of the Big Bend Pool on Steamboat Creek, where as many as 400 large steelhead spend the summer in startlingly plain sight after swimming up the North Umpqua to spawn.
And he started cutting the points off the hooks on his flies.
Even people who know Spencer wonder why he would want to spend summers on Steamboat Creek 12 miles upstream from the nearest pay phone watching fish wait.
"No one else would do it," said Joe Howell, owner of the Blue Heron Fly Shop in Idleyld Park.
It is even harder to understand why the 57-year-old would cut the points off his hooks and file the wire stump smooth — denying himself the satisfaction of controlling, touching and ultimately setting free something so wild and beautiful.
"I was uncomfortable fishing," Spencer said. "I like these fish too much to kill them, even accidentally, or even to stress them out, unduly.
"It took me a month or a month and a half to not want to see the fish up close," he added. "I am not proselytizing fishing pointless, but my fishing is as good or better than it ever has been, as far as my own satisfaction."
Western writer and gentleman sportsman Zane Grey proclaimed the North Umpqua the America's premier fishing river in a 1935 article in Sports Afield magazine. He landed 64 fish in the summer of 1934, casting down and across with a wet fly on a floating line and allowing it to swing back across the current in the British tradition of fly-fishing for Atlantic Salmon. His son, Loren, landed 100.
Still, the author wrote, "It was the steelhead I raised and could not hook, and those that I hooked and could not land, which counted."
Spencer's best season was that summer of 1998. A field archaeologist, he had saved enough money from his last dig to spend the summer camped in the fly-fishing-only section of the North Umpqua. It had taken him seven years of trying to catch his first North Umpqua steelhead on a fly. By 1998 he was good enough to raise 77 steelhead in 102 days of fishing and land about half of them. He had intended to release every one unharmed, whether wild or hatchery born, but killed three — two were bleeding from the gills and a third got disoriented and went belly-up out of his reach. A fourth left its eyeball on his hook.
"I am not a Buddhist, but I read a lot of Buddhism," Spencer said. "It is my impression that the less harming or the more harmless my actions are in the world, the better. It probably comes down to as simple as that. It gets down to the heart of the question, 'Why does a person cast flies,' or 'Why does a person catch steelhead in the first place?"'
He got the idea from reading about Harry Lemire, a steelhead fly fisherman and fly tier from Washington, who started cutting the points off his hooks in about 1975 whenever he would get into a bunch of fish and didn't want to waste time playing them.
"Everybody thought I was crazy," Lemire said. "To me the whole peak of everything is the strike or the boil. Everything after that is downhill. Especially if you have to wait a long time to land the fish.
"When you get a fish on, you get a run and a jump and at the jump it will throw the hook. That was satisfying enough for me."
Spencer also gets a lot of satisfaction from watching the fish in the Big Bend Pool, once known as the Dynamite Pool for the preferred technique of local poachers. He sits at a meditation bench with Sis, his 17-year-old Australian cattle dog, for hours on end, watching the fish and talking to the visitors who stop to see this remote and remarkable place in the Umpqua National Forest.
Steelhead are rainbow trout that spend most of their lives in the ocean, where the food and water are more plentiful than in Northwest rivers, before returning to freshwater to spawn. Steamboat Creek accounts for 70 percent of the wild steelhead in the North Umpqua, and the 400 in the pool this year — some up to 20 pounds — account for about 30 percent of the wild fish counted over Winchester Dam.
The North Umpqua Foundation, which is dedicated to helping wild steelhead in the North Umpqua Basin, pays Spencer $39 a day from spring to winter, provides the trailer he lives in, and pays a stipend over the winter, when he finds somewhere else to live and compiles his notes on the pool.
He drives an old van once owned by Dan Callaghan, the inventor of the green-butt skunk, widely considered the best traditional steelhead fly. Callaghan's widow gave it to him. A rubber turtle hangs from the rearview mirror. Spencer gets his mail and phone messages 12 miles downstream at the Steamboat Lodge, which overlooks the waters Grey once fished.
Though he has no religion, Spencer admires the observations on human nature in Buddhist writings from China more than 1,200 years ago, and takes joy in the way the Milky Way runs directly through the crack in the trees that gives him his only view of the night sky.
"Something appeals to me about the simplicity of this existence," he said. "Nothing else I have done allows me to take books this thick, that I never had the momentum to read living in an urban setting, and open them up and go through them page by page and read 'em.
"I've read 'Don Quixote,' that ingenious gentleman of La Mancha, three times since I've been here, and not because I haven't had other things to read, but just because it's a fabulous book."
He knows of just one fish poached while he has lived on the pool. He found a splash of blood on the trail and a spool of line.
"I felt pretty used and abused, but then realized that one fish in nine years is better than regularly dynamiting and snagging out of the pool, which is what was true before FishWatch started," Spencer said.
Based on watching the fish in Big Bend Pool, he has concluded that the conventional wisdom of steelhead angling is wrong. The fish don't hold on the bottom, but a few feet from the surface, closer when the water is cooler. Dawn is not the best time for fishing, because the fish act like they are asleep. He has documented 1,466 items that steelhead have risen to in the pool. They include leaves, mayflies, plant down and even a bat.
"Were I trying to tie a fly pattern that represented what was most commonly risen to, it would be a pattern that represented a red dogwood leaf, a stick with stringy lichen attached, or a rolling piece of plant down," Spencer wrote in his latest notes.
After the bat swooped down and landed on the river, two steelhead swam out from the pod to investigate.
"One of them turned away and the larger of the two accelerated and took it explosively," Spencer said. "There was water everywhere. Then I watched the steelhead go downstream and 10 seconds later that bat bobbed back to the surface in the middle of the rise rings. It swam to the bank, climbed out about 4 feet, and dried off licking its belly for about an hour and flew away."
Like Lemire, Spencer became a devotee of the skated dry fly. Unlike dry fly-fishing for trout, where the point is to make the fly look like a natural insect the trout will want to eat, the skated dry fly is dragged across the surface, creating a wake intended to pique the curiosity of the steelhead.
Spencer fishes a simple muddler minnow. First he cuts off the hook point with a wire cutter, then carefully smooths the jagged stump with a file. He wraps the shank with synthetic yarn, then spins on a bunch of moose hair that flares to form the head and collar of the fly. He soaks the fly in water and burns the long ends of moose hair off to the length of the hook, leaving a smell in the air that led one of his pals to dub it the Burnt Toast. Without a hook point to keep it in the mouth of a fish, one fly will survive months of fishing.
On the North Umpqua, he seeks out runs no one else fishes, starting at the head and making long graceful casts downstream and across the current. That puts a big belly in the floating line as the fly drags across the riffled water, leaving a wake. After a cast, Spencer steps a few feet downstream and casts again, methodically covering the run.
"Steelhead," he called out as his rod bowed, then flexed back to straight.
"It felt like an engine block," he said reeling in his line and stepping to shore, then invited another angler to take a turn. In nearly the same spot, a steelhead hit a wet fly with a point, and allowed itself to be drawn into view in the shallows before thrashing and spitting the hook. -->
Since Spencer has been fishing without points on his hooks, he has landed five fish.
"There was one about a month ago," he said. "It was a little hatchery fish of 5 or 6 pounds. I just stripped it right in. It had its mouth closed firmly on my fly, which was coming out the front of its jaws. I reached down, turned it out of its mouth and the fish swam away. Now tell me why that happened."
On the Web: North Umpqua Foundation: www.northumpqua.org/index.html


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Representative Clients
Hoffmann, Parker, Wilson & Carberry, P.C, represents a number of local government entities in the Rocky Mountain region. The following is a short list of our representative clients:
Aurora, Black Hawk, Brighton, Canon, Commerce City, Dacono, Denver, Englewood, Fort Collins, Golden, Lakewood, Lone Tree, Longmont, Loveland, Manitou Springs, Northglenn, Pueblo, Trinidad, Victor, Westminsterand Yuma.
Boulder, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Lake County, LaPlata, Morgan and Washington
Arriba, Buena Vista, Calhan, Deer Trail, Eagle, Elizabeth, Erie, Estes Park, Foxfield, Genoa, Gilcrest, Green Mountain Falls, Hudson, Montezuma, Mountain View, Parker, Platteville, Ramah, Vail, Superior and Winter Park.
Special Districts
Alameda Water & Sanitation District, Big Sandy Fire Protection District, Canon City Area for Reinvestment Expansion, Fire & Police Pension Association, Fremont Water & Sanitation District, Health Services District of Northern Larimer County, Lakewood Reinvestment Authority, Metro Wastewater Reclamation District, Minturn Cemetery District, North Lincoln Water and Sanitation District, Northeast Colorado Health Department, Northglenn Urban Renewal Authority, Parker Water and Sanitation District, Round Mountain Water & Sanitation District, Superior Metropolitan District No. 1, Superior Metropolitan Interchange District and Wiggins Rural Fire Protection District.
Other Public Entities
Arvada Urban Renewal Authority, Aurora Urban Renewal Authority, Brighton Urban Renewal Authority, Church Ditch Water Authority, Foothills Animal Shelter, Leadville Urban Renewal Authority, North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Council, Northglenn Urban Renewal Authority, Superior Urban Renewal Authority, Wheat Ridge Urban Renewal Authority, Vail Local Housing Authority and Vail Reinvestment Authority.


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Whyte & Mackay is a Scottish company producing alcoholic beverages. In honour of legendary polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, the company launched a new blended malt whiskey called Shackleton Blended Malt Scotch Whisky. Creative agency Stranger & Stranger designed the packaging for the bottle of whiskey, based on its brand identity. The design has an old-school nautical feel, meant to represent the explorer Shackleton.
The bottle comes in a tall light-blue box that has been creatively designed, and both the bottle as well as its box have the same label, creating a unified design. An image of a ship is etched on top, followed by the logo of the company and the name of the whiskey.
The logo contains a compass, playing off of the heritage of the brand. The tagline reads "By endurance we conquer," hinting at both the strength of the whiskey as well as its identity. The color blue represents ice and water, both evocative of polar regions. The ship also is symbolic of exploring and navigating through uncharted territories. The design of the box also makes it clear that the whiskey was inspired by an explorer, with a timeline of expeditions printed at the bottom.
The colors used complement each other excellently, while also tying into the nautical theme of the packaging. There are lines and shapes in a light, elegant gold color, and the text is in black. The name of the whiskey is in a darker golden-mustard color, ensuring that it stands out. The font is easily readable and well-spaced, making for a great visual experience.
The packaging also contains relevant information about the whiskey without cluttering or crowding the design. Overall, the packaging of Shackleton Blended Malt Scotch Whisky is unique, elegant, and creative. It follows a very clear brand strategy and engages with the audience, while also providing important information.
Shackleton Blended Malt Scotch Whisky is a sophisticated packaging design in the Food & Beverage industry.


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From an original idea of our member and author "Mister Serious" and with the participation of numerous members of the OsintOps Team, the Anu₿itux Project was recently born.
The "Who posted what?" website features a few search functions within Facebook and Instagram.
Desktop-type wallets, like Electrum, create specific files which are needed to work correctly and store user information. It may happen that we have to access a wallet for which we do not know the password, for example because we have forgotten it...


text: Sara from Community Teamwork, Inc. stopped by to pick up baby items for a client. Although much of the activity at the warehouse is focused on getting gifts out to our partner agencies in time for Christmas there are still many clients in need of basic items. She received a car seat and diapers, all essential items for our struggling clients during these difficult times.


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Netflix's Movistar documentary is must-see TV for any bike racing fan
Credit to Movistar team management for allowing the film's producers to have final cut, and most tense and disappointing moments are not left on the cutting-room floor.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Much has been made about the apparent dysfunction and tactical misfires inside the Movistar team bus over the past few years, and Netflix's new sprawling series delivers behind-the-scenes clues about why and how.
The six-part documentary — entitled "El Día Menos Pensado," which roughly translates to The Least Expected Day — provides a raw, unfiltered look at the intensity, pressure, rewards and disappointment of the WorldTour peloton.
Rarely do fans (or journalists) get such an unfiltered, no-holds-barred look inside a team bus.
We see a sullen Mikel Landa, who keeps ending up as second-fiddle in his quixotic search to be a leader in a team full of captains. Nairo Quintana is stoically moody and self-isolated, yet breaks down in tears when he reveals he's leaving Movistar to join Arkea-Samsic in 2020. Alejandro Valverde emerges as the team's happy-go-lucky veteran who tries to keep the laughs going inside a bus as the tension ratchets up. Richard Carapaz is the real star, with telling glimpses of his roots in the Ecuadorian mountains to his internal coup d'etat to win the 2019 Giro d'Italia.
The team's lead sport directors — José Luis Arrieta and José Vicente García —each shine in raw, unfiltered intensity. García provides a sometimes-hilarious, profanity-laced running commentary from behind the steering wheel of the team car.
Arrieta implodes more than once, with two episodes during the 2019 Vuelta that reveal just how fractured the team had become. The first time when Marc Soler was attacking for a stage win in Andorra, at the Vuelta, only to angrily react when Arrieta calls for him to sit up to help the chasing Quintana. The second came in the controversial stage when Movistar attacked in crosswinds after race leader Primoz Roglic and about half of the peloton were caught up in a nasty crash. Arrieta later apologized in tears for all the public criticism the team received.
Team manager Eusebio Unzué tries to keep the competing forces heading in the same direction, but can't hide his frustration when the team blows it in the final mountain stage at the 2019 Tour, allowing Vincenzo Nibali to win when they had numbers in the chase group.
Yet for all its competing egos and ambitions, the team delivered some of the most impressive results in 2019. Movistar won the Giro, finished second in the Vuelta, and won the team prize and a stage at the Tour. That's a lot better than many teams who seem to put teamwork and good PR ahead of results.
The overall quality and pacing of the documentary is top shelf. The directors mix race action with mounted cameras inside the race cars and team bus, and deliver telling documentary-style backstories of the team's top stars. Editing is quick and sleek, keeping the action buzzing along, perfect for viewing during indoor training sessions.
Credit to Movistar team management for allowing the film's producers to have final cut, and most tense and disappointing moments are not left on the cutting-room floor. This isn't some PR-friendly fluff piece. The film reveals the raw emotions, physical pain and emotional intensity of racing at the top of the sport.
It would be interesting viewing to see some of the other teams in the peloton provide such an honest look at the day-to-day drama of the grand tours. GreenEdge broke ground with its "Back Stage Pass" series, and this long-form documentary takes it to the next level.
The Netflix documentary inside Movistar's 2019 racing season is must-see TV for any cycling fan.


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There are many occasions when we are talking to our loved ones and we wish to record the call to relive the moment at a later time. There are other occasions when we may be talking to a client and we want to store the parley to avoid future confusion.
Yet again there are times when we know we cannot attend a group call/conference but we want to hear to each and every word exactly as they were spoken. The simplest solution is to record it and listen to it later.
Forget about mobile phones, we will talk about the internet era where we use applications like Skype to converse or meet with people. And today we will have a look at few tools which help us record Skype calls.
Although the default utility of each of these tools is to record Skype calls, there are some unique features which makes each of them stand out. Let us check them out.
Skype Auto Recorder
The tool works smoothly and lets you configure automatic call recordings for a specific contact. This means that in case of incoming or outgoing call to the set contacts, the tool will automatically start, end and save your recordings.
Besides it lets you create filter rules for saved contacts such that there is no mess in finding a file in the future. For more details read how to automate call recording for specific Skype contacts.
This one is a perfect blend for those who have an attachment with Evernote and like to keep all notes, data and documents in their profile for easy and speedy access.
The tool automatically posts all your recordings to your Evernote profile and makes it readily available on the cloud. So, you do not have to worry about carrying them wherever you go. For more details read how to send recorded Skype conversations to Evernote automatically.
CallGraph features itself as a call recording plugin for Skype and is one of the first tools that came up with such a service. It stores all files in your computer and offers an optional browser interface to upload files and get them transcripted. Though, you can also organize and manage them using the folder settings for the tool.
Read more about the tool and its set up on how to easily record a Skype call with CallGraph.
MX Skype Recorder
The tool works with Skype and other VOIP applications like Google Talk and Yahoo Messenger. It supports automatic mode and more importantly works for all types of PC-to-PC, PC-to-phone and Skypecast conversations.
The best part is that it can record conversations in single or dual audio track (separate channels for input and output).
The tools we talked about till now are audio recorders for Skype. How about saving the video sessions as well? IMCapture supports that, and not just for Skype.. it integrates with Face Time and Yahoo Messenger too.
It has a free trial version and a fully functional paid application. Visit IMCapture's website and check it out.
These are the common and most used tools that we came across. Have you been using any of them? Tell us about your experiences. Share any other tool that you have been using and think that it the best thing to have.
Top image credit: Ryan
Last updated on 03 February, 2022
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.


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Let's keep in touch!
Whether you're a casual or a business user, you're entitled to look for the best backup software solutions. As you'll see, backing up your data is no longer an effort-consuming task.
You just need to take advantage of the appropriate software tools that create copies of files and hard drives to prevent any data loss, not to mention that most of them include a robust suite of enterprise-grade data security features. Rest assured of the fact that they easily restore original content when data loss occurs.


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Truck mod Peterbilt 377 for ETS 2 v.1.27 - 1.32
The American truck tractor Peterbilt 377 was produced between 1987 and 2000, and had a classic engine compartment for trucks manufactured in the USA. Unlike the Peterbilt 389, the car had a more modern appearance, improved technical characteristics and improved aerodynamic properties of the cab.
The mod of the Peterbilt 377 truck for Euro Truck Simulator 2 is built on the frame of a truck tractor, when buying at the Iveco dealership, the player is given a choice of four cabs and the same number of chassis with a 6x4 wheel arrangement, twenty-three gearboxes on 6, 10, 13 and 18 speeds and eighteen engines with power from 370 to 625 horsepower. In any garage of the ETS 2 simulator, a virtual trucker has the opportunity to subject his horse to small tuning. The authors of the modification carefully recreated the original interior with a functional dashboard.
Tested on ETS2 versions: 1.27 - 1.32
For sale in salons: Iveco
Author(s) mod: Ivan (Haulin), Chris (formerly bay0net), Tim, Jon, Mars812, James60470, Cedric
Updated: 2019-12-24
Because of: Added version 1.2 for ETS2 1.31 - 1.32


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For Immediate Release:
September 15, 2020
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed 47 new deaths and 474 new cases of confirmed COVID-19. The lower number of new cases, in part, reflect reduced testing due to wildfire smoke and recent extreme weather.
Public Health reminds residents that testing capacity across the County remains high and appointments are available. Testing is also widely available within the provider community.
If you have symptoms or think you were exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should get tested. You should also get tested if you were in a crowd or gathering where people were close together and not wearing face coverings and/or keeping their distance.
For more information about getting tested, visit covid19.lacounty.gov/testing or call the County's 2-1-1 information line. Those without a regular provider are encouraged to call 2-1-1 for assistance. Residents who have a regular source of healthcare can contact their healthcare provider if they need to be tested for COVID-19.
It is important to know if you are positive because you can transmit the virus without knowing you are infected. Younger people could unknowingly spread the disease to older and more vulnerable people with underlying health conditions who can suffer more severe illness. Ninety-two percent of the people who died from COVID-19 had underlying health conditions.
To date, Public Health has identified 255,049 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County, and a total of 6,273 deaths. Nearly 70% of all cases have occurred in people under the age of 50.
Of the 47 new deaths reported today, 18 people that passed away were over the age of 80 years old, 17 people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, seven people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, three people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29 years old. Thirty-six people who died had underlying health conditions including 13 people over the age of 80, 13 people between the ages of 65 and 79 years old, seven people between the ages of 50 and 64 years old, two people between the ages of 30 and 49 years old, and one person between the ages of 18 and 29 years old. One death was reported by the City of Pasadena.
"So many are experiencing profound sorrow because they have lost a loved one or friend to COVID-19. I extend my deepest sympathies to each of you," said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. "Tragically, we are reporting another death in person who was under 29 years old. Younger people not only are the majority of individuals infected and infecting others, but also can experience devasting consequences themselves. Nearly 450 COVID-19 deaths have occurred among individuals under the age of 50 years old. This is why it is important for everyone, including younger residents to take precautions every time they leave their homes and to get tested if they have been exposed to the virus."
Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 5,899 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 51% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 23% among White residents, 15% among Asian residents, 10% among African American/Black residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races. Upon further investigation, 81 cases and five deaths reported earlier were not L.A. County residents.
Testing results are available for more than 2,465,000 individuals with 10% of all people testing positive. Currently, there are 772 confirmed cases currently hospitalized and 33% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU. The downward trend in hospitalizations continues.
The Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.
Please see additional information below:
Laboratory Confirmed Total Cases 255049 *
Deaths 6273
Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)
CITY / COMMUNITY (Rate**)
These numbers are subject to change based on further investigation. 81 cases and five death previously previously reported were not in Public Health's jurisdiction. * Means that case numbers include cases associated with correctional facility outbreaks located in the city/community. **Rate is crude and is per 100,000. This represents the number of cases per 100,000 people and allows for the proportional comparison of cities of different sizes.
Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:
The Department of Public Health is committed to promoting health equity and ensuring optimal health and well-being for all 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health comprises nearly 4,500 employees and has an annual budget of $1.2 billion. To learn more about Los Angeles County Public Health, please visit www.publichealth .lacounty.gov, and follow LA County Public Health on social media at twitter.com/lacounty.gov, and follow LA County Public Health on social media at twitter.com/lapublichealth, facebook.com/lapublichealth, instagram.com/lapublichealth and youtube.com/lapublichealth.