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We in N.Y.C. and other places that have true seasons find ourselves in the midst of Cuffing Season 2015-2016.
Kerensa Cadenas, deputy editor of this here fine Pop Culture channel, has let it be known that she doesn't understand Cuffing Season. At first I was baffled. Then I was stimulated. Now I present to you a guide to Cuffing Season if you've never experienced seasons. If you've never experienced cuffing, that will be addressed as well.
Let's start at the most basic level. Seasons. You see everyone, Kerensa moved here from Los Angeles, where they don't have those. Be patient with me while I quickly define them for her.
A season is a set of three months or so that we use to make sense of the endless nature of time. There are four of them, and now you understand the name of the high-end hotel chain called The Four Seasons. Each season is categorized by different weather patterns. Merriam-Webster defines weather as, "the state of the air and atmosphere at a particular time and place." In L.A., weather only consists of sun and rain [Ed. note: rain doesn't actually exist in L.A.]. In N.Y., and other places with true seasons, it'll be hot sometimes and then so cold another day that you'll be able to cut glass with your nips.
Fall is a season that starts in late September. It gets crisp outside. People love talking about sweaters and wrapping themselves in blankets. For some reason, you can only eat pumpkin flavored things during this time. You'll feel a lot of peer pressure to talk about the leaves. As fall comes to a close, winter begins. Winter is a season that starts in late December and it turns everything you once loved into a cold hellscape. You might slip and die walking down the street. You might not.
There are two other seasons during the calendar year: spring and summer. People enjoy going outside during these months, because they are categorized by warmer weather. (Please see the definition of weather above if you need a refresher.) L.A. has the weather of spring and summer all-year round. New York does not.
Okay, great. Now that we understand seasons, let us add a layer.
During fall and winter in places with real seasons (because again, L.A. doesn't have those) it is so cold that people like to stay inside instead of going out to socialize with their peers. That presents a problem. You see, if you are single, and you confine yourself to your home, you can't meet new people, and you therefore cannot have sex. If you prefer to have sex with yourself, you can stop reading here. If you prefer partnered sex, read on.
Cuffing Season is the phenomenon of figuratively and emotionally cuffing yourself to another person during fall and winter for the two I's: Intercourse and Intimacy. There aren't real handcuffs involved unless you are into that sort of thing. When spring and summer come and the warm weather allows for people to wear less clothing and go outside once more, it is no longer Cuffing Season. You still need to use protection though (and birth control if you're into heterosexual intercourse).
"But Elena!" you say, "I have dating apps that I can use to get someone to my apartment, house, or condominium for intercourse and intimacy!"
Yes, you can use dating apps to get someone to have sex with you at your own place of living, but will that person murder you? Perhaps. Will they know where you live? Most definitely.
Cuffing Season's premier characteristic is security. You can be surer that your Cuffing Season partner won't murder you than a stranger, but there are no true guarantees. This should go without saying, but also there are no sexual guarantees even with a Cuffing Season partner.
The one true problem with Cuffing Season is that typically one person doesn't know that they are in a Cuffing Season relationship, and is emotionally crushed when it comes springtime and they find themselves single once again. In order to have a truly successful Cuffing Season relationship, both parties must be in agreement that their relationship is for the fall and winter only.
Kerensa, now that you understand seasons, cuffing, and Cuffing Season, I feel you are now truly ready for your first fall and winter. Godspeed.
Cuffing Season: An Explainer for People New to Seasons
If you don't understand seasons, this is your Cuffing Season guide.
Image via Complex Original
We in N.Y.C. and other places that have true seasons find ourselves in the midst of Cuffing Season 2015-2016.
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A Global Boycott Campaign Destroys Hopes of Saving the Kingdom's Economy
Issac Ali
The case of the death of Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi, has widened greatly amid indications that this issue will harm the kingdom politically and economically, especially after the that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said to King Salman and the Crown Prince, MBS, that this issue may affect their future in governance.
Regardless of the outcome of the investigation that Saudi Arabia has announced recently, which claims that Jamal was killed during a fistfight in the consulate at Istanbul, the one who will always be blamed for Kashoggi's death is the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) the actual ruler of the Kingdom.
This issue of the killing of the journalist Khashoggi, came at a time when Saudi Arabia did not want to drain into another sump, coinciding with its war on Yemen, where it has failed militarily, politically and in the humanitarian aspect, in addition in suffering economically and instability of the new regime, which changed the mechanism to reach the throne.
Before the disappearance of Khashoggi, MBS was preparing for an international investment conference (the Future of Investment Conference), the largest of its kind the Kingdom had planned to organize, to encourage foreign investors to return to invest in the Kingdom, especially after it had lost 90% of foreign investment, according to Forbes.
Since Khashoggi's disappearance on January 2, the investment conference was subjected to fatal blows due to the boycotting of finance ministers, businessmen and major international companies, as well as international agencies and newspapers that had signed partnerships to organize and attend the investment conference. The most serious obstacle that Riyadh was betting on not to happen to save the conference, was the announcement by the US Secretary of Treasury in consultation with President Trump and the Foreign Minister to not participate in this conference.
The American decision has coincided with the CNN publish of that the US Secretary of State during his visit to Riyadh told Mohammed bin Salman that his future as "the next king of the kingdom" in danger.
"Davos in Desert" A Saudi Dream that cannot be
With the emergence of new evidence, including Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, one of the closest figures of the Crown Prince, who accompanied the prince in his most recent recent worldwide visits, held responsible of the killing of journalist Khashoggi, which resulted in the of international boycott of the Saudi Investment Conference or what was called "Davos in the Desert".
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation, the US secretary of Treasury, Steven Mnuchin joined the list of high-level figures and organizations that decided to boycott an important investment conference in Saudi Arabia, following the journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappeared.
In a tweet on his Twitter, Mnuchin said he had decided to drop out from the conference after meeting with US President Donald Trump and Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo
Just met with @realDonaldTrump and @SecPompeo and we have decided, I will not be participating in the Future Investment Initiative summit in Saudi Arabia.
— Steven Mnuchin (@stevenmnuchin1) October 18, 2018
British Foreign Trade Minister Liam Fox and French and Dutch finance ministers announced their withdrawal from the Saudi conference, followed by a similar announcement by International Monetary Fund (IMF) Director Christine Lagarde. Earlier, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim also withdrew due to Khashoggi's disappearance.
Former US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz has announced his resignation as the adviser to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince NEOM "Vision 2030" to diversify the kingdom's economy which was then halted after the kingdom decided to cancel the bourse of Aramco oil company, which MBS was looking for to get Trillion Dollars to fund his vision.
In the past few days, dozens of international figures and companies have withdrawn from the Saudi Investment Conference. In a preset time, the CEO of French military electronics company Thales announced the withdrawal from the Saudi Investment Conference.
CNN, CNBC, the Bloomberg agency and newspapers such as The Financial Times and The Economist were among dozens of channels, agencies, and international newspapers that announced their withdrawal from the media partnership of the Saudi Investment Conference.
This boycott reflected immediately on the value of the Saudi riyal and caused a severe blow to the Saudi stock exchange, which lost within just 24 hours, more than 50 billion dollars. However, the repercussions of the situation in the Kingdom will affect Saudi Arabia in the future because of the deepening fears of the owners of capital in the world from investing in Saudi Arabia under the recent suffering of a deep economic crisis for the past three years due to the decline in oil prices globally and the high cost of its war on Yemen, which according to the report of the institution "Brookings", Saudi Arabia spends between 5 to 6 billion dollars a month in its war on Yemen.

subset: commoncrawl


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Nick Narlis
Nicholas Narlis is the president and founder of AssetSync LLC . The firm provides clients with their own life maps, which indicate exactly where they now stand and could end up in relation to calculated (and reckless) risk vs. reward management.
Is Your Family Fit to Run the Family Business?
Check your emotions at the door before turning your company over to the next generation.
Money & Finance
Taxes: Are You Crossing the Line?
Know your tolerance for risk vs. reward before you claim questionable deductions.


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North by Northwest
This classic Alfred Hitchock directed suspense film finds New York City ad executive Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Grant) pursued by ruthless spy Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) after Thornhill is mistaken for a government agent. Hunted relentlessly by Vandamm's associates, the harried Thornhill ends up on a cross-country journey, meeting the beautiful and mysterious Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) along the way. Soon Vandamm's henchmen close in on Thornhill, resulting in a number of iconic action sequences.
Nominated for 3 Oscars at the 1960 Academy Awards.
Handicapped Accessible | Closed Captioning and Assisted Listening is not available for this film.


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Virtual Endurance Championship 8 hours of Silverstone - Great start
Division 1 #83 - First race of the season, first podium!
Which better way to start the season, completeley unexpected, first race in Division 1 and first podium! Tricky condition for the whole race but the drivers, Leonardo Pupo, Francesco Morante and Alessandro Appolloni, gave 120% fighting against the best.
HUGE thanks to Daniele Vidimari and Luigi D'Aprea at the pitwall, you didn't see them on track but it's also thanks to them that we could achieve this amazing 3rd position.
Division 2 #252 - Race start chaos ruined a potentially good result
Unfortunate race for the #252 in Division 2, victim of a chaotic accident at the start, when the GTE immediately in front of us hit a LMP2 stopped in the middle of the track and Davide Arduini couldn't avoid to crash into them. The car got lots of damages and the repairs took more than 10 minutes. Once the car was repaired, the guys switched to "hammer time", being the fastest car in class for almost the entire race, under the heavy rain. Recovering more than one lap on the leaders was not enough, so the final result is a 15th place in GTE. Big effort from the whole team to show anyway that the pace is great, good job also by Filippo Caneo and Samuele Cavagnino.
Now head to the 2nd round - the 6 hours of Nurburgring!


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The County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) program was created in 2001 to publicly recognize Florida farmers and ranchers who demonstrate exemplary efforts to protect Florida's natural resources by implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs). The Hagstrom family have been growing cut green for over five consecutive generations in Florida.
This year, Lars Hagstrom accepted the award on behalf of the family as a CARES designation in the form of a sign. This sign displays to all Floridians a producer's commitment to protecting Florida's environment. Stacey Simmons, an FDACS staff member recommended Lars Hagstrom Ferneries to be recognized for the CARES program. For more information, visit the Contact page here on the CARES website and/ or contact Florida Farm Bureau's CARES Coordinator.
CARES is a voluntary program that recognizes Florida farmers and ranchers who have implemented Best Management Practices (BMPs) to protect Florida's natural resources.
To be eligible for CARES recognition a producer must have accomplished the following process:
Step 1:
A producer signs a Letter of Intent with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' (FDACS) Office of Agricultural Policy (OAWP) to implement Best Management Practices (BMPs). Contact your local UF/IFAS Extension agent or click here to identify FDACS staff in your area who can enroll your operation in BMPs: https://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Agricultural-Water-Policy/Organization-Staff
Step 2:
A producer plans and then implements FDACS BMPs on their farm/ranch for an identified duration. To review the BMP Manual in which you will select and plan your individual BMP program from, click below: https://www.freshfromflorida.com/Business-Services/Water/Agricultural-Best-Management-Practices
Step 3:
An FDACS OAWP staff member will verify the producer is properly following the planned BMPs.
Step 4:
A producer commits to implementing BMPs as part of a regular/ integral part of their operation and environmental stewardship plan.
Florida Farm Bureau Federation
In addition, Florida Farm Bureau Federation membership is not required but is highly encouraged as the organization advocates for all of Florida's farming and ranching families at the local, state and national level. To inquire about membership: Click here to join!


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This came from my digital portfolio, which you can check out here!
When building my inital portfolio, one of the most common comments I received was that it was a pain to be redirected away from my site when trying to view an image. I set out thinking about the problem in hopes of coming up with a solution, similar to what Zillow does when they open up images in the current display window. I think my solution is fairly simple and I'd love to present it to all my bestest dev friends. Of course this isn't the exact process I took, there were several mistakes and some painful debugging, but it works now and this is how I would do it in the future! I know some of the code below will make some of you shudder, but it works and I want to hear why you shudder, please reply!
- I want this functionality to be throughout the site and not restricted to any one page. The only thing I don't want to show expanded is my banner. This is great because my pages are displayed through another component, my PageDisplay component. In my main App class, I put PageDisplay in it's own div called "Content" and put an onClick event handler to run the showImage function. I'll show you this code after step 2.
- Below my PageDisplay call I put a new component call for an ImageDisplay component that will display if the App's showImage state was true. I also made an onClick event handler for ImageDisplay to make it disappear. Hopefully any confusion will be alleviated with the code:
- I then wrote the two event handlers, showImage and hideImage. Show image will only run when the tagName is an image and hideImage will reset the state back to it's initial values along with changing the showImage bool value:
- These functions needed to be binded to the App component and the new states had to be added to the constructor.
- Now, I created the ImageDisplay component. This was very simple! In order to give the images a full-page black background, I had to place them in a container div, which I called imageContainer. I'll give you the CSS in a second.
- Then I wrote the CSS to make my images perty.
- Then came the point I had reached a couple times before, only to realize I had made a mistake somewhere, testing. Only this time, something was different and it worked!


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What is Mulberry Silk? Plus its Benefits for Skin and Hair
Anyone who craves the crème de la crème of indulgence should have Mulberry silk firmly in their sights. This exquisite fabric, favoured by the affl...Read more
Silk pillowcases are now a constant feature in any top beauty magazine; with dermatologists, hairdressers and makeup artists all urging you to ditc...Read more
The dreaded maskne (or face acne) simply put describes a type of acne which results from wearing a face mask. Although this is a relatively new ter...Read more
Shocking studies reveal that almost a third of the population suffers with insomnia. Improve your vital beauty sleep with these top tips for the pe...Read more
Once you discover the many benefits that silk brings, you will never settle for cotton alternatives again. After all, why have cotton when you can ...Read more
Say goodbye to bad hair days and say hello to your new Silk Works scrunchie! There are so many reasons to switch to scrunchies.Read more
Want to know how silk scrunchies can boost your beauty regime? Brace yourself for a huge upgrade to your daily hair care routine.Read more
Ever wondered what a peaceful sleep feels like? We know exactly what you need. There are hundreds of benefits of using a silk sleep mask and we wa...Read more
Do you want to know what makes Mulberry silk so great? Some have said that it feels like heaven, but we will let you be the judge.Read more
Everyone knows that switching to a luxury silk pillowcase will boost your beauty sleep regime! You will never have to worry about bed hair again.Read more


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22035 160 AveWaKeeney, KS 67672
Phone: 785-769-5351
Email The Farm House
Business Description: Traditional Country Home in rural Trego County offers comfortable and convenient lodging for hunters. Breakfast is provided with evening meals prepared upon request. Shed available to house dogs. Private ground is available to hunt. The Farm House is located three miles from Pheasant Runn Hunting Club. Come enjoy our country hospitality.


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Do you work with websites featuring a lot of HTML tables? Would you like to filter, sort and/or page them? If so, then this lightweight extension might be useful.
You can use it to transform any standard table into a fully-featured interactive table with the following features:
➤ Real-time column sorting (and reverse sorting)
➤ Real-time column filtering (using full-text search)
➤ Width enlarge to 100% (to increase readability)
➤ Dynamic paging (useful for very long tables)
➤ Resizable columns (using mouse handlers)
➤ Copy & Paste support with CSV/Excel/Google Sheets support (using CTRL+C)
... and more!
Highly recommended if you're dealing with big tables and need to quickly extract relevant data from them.
By clicking on the top-right button you'll access the configuration settings, where you'll be able to set the following options:
➤ Force table width to 100%. When enabled, the plugin will enlarge any HTML table to 100% width, thus taking all the available space on your browser. If the table is wrapped by other HTML container elements, those will also be enlarged/set to 100% in order to accomodate the table. If you don't want all this to happen, just keep it disabled.
➤ Enable sorting. Enable it to add sorting and reverse-sorting capabilities to all the HTML table columns: both can be activated by clicking (and double-clicking) to the column header itself.
➤ Enable filtering. Enable it to add filtering capabilities to all the HTML table columns: the filter will look like a standard HTML textbox that, if non-empty, will automatically update the table content, filtering out all the rows not containing the given text within that column.
➤ Enable paging. Enable it to add paging capabilities to the HTML table: notice that the filtering and sorting capabilities won't be affected by that (they will always take all rows into account).
Once you've set these options, right-click to a HTML table within any HTML page and select the Tabulazer context menu item to "tabulaze" it.
The transformation is done using Tabulator (http://tabulator.info/), a great table management JS library by Oli Folkerd.
➤ Tabulazer official page: https://www.ryadel.com/en/tabulazer-chrome-extension-filter-sort-html-table-tables/
➤ Fork me on GitHub: https://github.com/Darkseal/tabulazer


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Many different people love baseball. Fans of baseball are incredibly diverse. Read on to learn some helpful tips for improving your baseball playing skills.
If you coach baseball, motivating your players is a good way to push them to victory. Group activities such as pizza parties can help your team bond so they can work well together. Baseball should remain enjoyable for your team.
During tryouts, be friendly and respectful to everyone. Whether the team is your school's or it's your local little league team, politeness will go a long way. Dealing with the other players courteously is a sign of maturity, and it really has no down side.
When pitching, it's a must to know how to best hold a ball and pitch the ball. First, put the middle finger right at the seam. Then, place a thumb on the opposite seam. This will give you a firm grip on the ball.
You need to take note of where each player is on the field. Many collisions could be avoided by simply knowing where each player is at all times. Head injuries are suffered from collisions. Call the ball to let everyone know that you are headed in the direction of the ball.
Learn proper stride in baseball. If you're a right hand batter, utilize the left leg and pick it up when a pitch is thrown. Lefties do the opposite. When there is a pitch coming near you, start moving toward the pitcher to help build momentum towards him. Younger and smaller players should keep their strides shorter.
Base Coaches
When running the bases, don't ignore the signs that your base coaches are giving you. Remember, the base coaches have the benefit of a better view of the whole field. If you are running to base, focus on the your base coaches and not on the ball. Let them be your eyes. Listen to their commands. If they waive you to keep coming, then make sure you run hard.
To maximize the stretch when you play first base, place a foot under your throwing hand right on the base. Keep your foot on the base, step out with your other foot and stretch out, reaching out your gloved hand toward the ball as it comes to you.
Don't reach across the body if you're wanting to catch ground balls. Instead, quickly shuffle to the left or right so that you can get your gloved hand directly in front of the ball. If not, you might end up watching the ball bounce off your glove.
When you pitch, don't forget the ball is in play as soon as you release it. A lot of time, the catcher catches the ball, then throws it back to you quietly. However, you need defensive skills if any contact happens, and you must also react quickly to at times protect yourself.
Try to angle the bat properly when you are bunting. The bases are in reverse for left-handed batters. Getting your bat angled right will make sure the bunt is fair while keeping the ball from the pitcher.
Choke up on your bat a bit if you do not have a fast swing. Slide your hands forward along the barrel of the bat. This will tighten up your swing and make it quicker. You will give yourself an advantage over a pitcher who may be faster than you can handle.
To throw knuckleballs right, you should grip the baseball's seams with your fingertips. This will let you let go of the ball without it spinning. This then allows it to go with the wind, and it will turn at the very last minute. When the hitter misses, you win.
Look at a right-handed pitcher's left foot to prevent him from being able to pick you off. Once the foot is lifted and moved behind the rubber, the ball must be pitched or else a balk has occurred, and you can go to second.
To prevent catcher's interference, stay put until you have the ball in your mitt. If a runner is trying to steal, you can get ready to get up as the pitch approaches, but if the batter's bat makes contact with your glove, he gets to walk to first base.
Remember to listen to your body when pitching. A lot of shoulder injuries are a result of a pitcher's arm being overused. Don't practice more than three times weekly. This lets your shoulder rest every few days which will allow you to minimize injuries.
Keep your baseball cards in sleeves to ensure they are kept in top condition. These allow you to see both sides of the card while keeping them out of exposure to the air. Keep them out of direct sunlight to keep colors intact. Cards in mint condition are worth a lot more.
If you play an infield position, practice double plays. These are a pitcher's favorite play. There are so many ways that it can go about, and as infielders you need to be prepared for any of them. Do these drills over and over until you nail them.
Wear the correct cleats when you play baseball. Baseball is a game on dirt and grass. Both of these surfaces can often be slippery. A good cleat will help to prevent injuries from unnecessary slipping. If the regulation shoes are ignored, it can cause some pain when game day comes.
There is always something more you can learn about playing the great sport of baseball. It should not be difficult to understand after taking in these excellent tips that the professionals use. Remember these tips when you are watching or playing a game.


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Lounge-book and Lounge-wood are fully adjustable supports for use laptops and tablets over a bed or chair or by the wheelchair if you are disabled or elderly and need extended periods sitting or in bed.
For use at home and in hospitals, nursing and residential care homes. Lounge-book are also useful disability aids at meal times and for activities including reading and your various pastimes throughout the day.
For Pregnant
For pregnant lounge-book is an essential accessorie to distance the notebook from the womb and reduce the risks associated with the impact of emf radiation on the fetus.
Lounge-tek and disabled people
For this reason we collaborated with the Yacht Club Verona meeting with the Italian National Paralympic Sailing Team.
It was an exciting encounter in which athletes and trainers ( Brazil 2016 Paralympics technical manager Beppe Devoti ) have described with the help of videos , their daily experiences .
A demonstration how sport is an aid to go over daily difficulties , and an evidence that with the right tools and determination, you can achieve the same results for everyone.
Many people who have purchased our notebook stands, have difficulty moving permanent or temporary: pregnant women , people that lost functionality as a result of crash, older people, or with diseases of the spine. For all, the way to make a " normal life" thanks to the power of Internet via Laptop , iPad , E-books, and other digital devices now available to everyone .
Lounge-tek's Supports allow to use them in an ergonomic way: man is the center of the system, the tool adapts to the user needs, to work with the ideal posture.


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telemetry stanza
telemetry stanza specifies various configurations for Vault to publish
metrics to upstream systems. Available Vault metrics can be found in the
Telemetry internals documentation.
telemetry {
statsite_address = "statsite.company.local:8125"
telemetry parameters
Due to the number of configurable parameters to the
telemetry stanza,
parameters on this page are grouped by the telemetry provider.
The following options are available on all telemetry configurations.
(string: "10m")- Specifies the interval at which high-cardinality usage data is collected, such as token counts, entity counts, and secret counts. A value of "none" disables the collection. Uses duration format strings.
(int: 500)- The maximum cardinality of gauge labels.
(bool: false)- Specifies if gauge values should be prefixed with the local hostname.
(bool: false)- Specifies if all metric values should contain the
hostlabel with the local hostname. It is recommended to enable
disable_hostnameif this option is used.
(string: "1h")- Specifies the size of the bucket used to measure future lease expiration. For example, for the default value of 1 hour, the
vault.expire.leases.by_expirationmetric will aggregate the total number of expiring leases for 1 hour buckets, starting from the current time. Note that leases are put into buckets by rounding. For example, if
lease_metrics_epsilonis set to 1h and lease A expires 25 minutes from now, and lease B expires 35 minutes from now, then lease A will be in the first bucket, which corresponds to 0-30 minutes, and lease B will be in the second bucket, which corresponds to 31-90 minutes. Uses duration format strings.
(int: 168)- The number of expiry buckets for leases. For the default value, for example, 168 value labels for the
vault.expire.leases.by_expirationmetric will be reported, where each value each bucket is separated in time by the
lease_metrics_epsilonparameter. For the default 1 hour value of
lease_metrics_epsilonand the default value of
vault.expire.leases.by_expirationwill report the total number of leases expiring within each hour from the current time to one week from the current time.
(bool: false)- If this value is set to true, then
vault.expire.leases.by_expirationwill break down expiring leases by both time and namespace. This parameter is disabled by default because enabling it can lead to a large-cardinality metric.
(bool: true)- This controls whether to allow metrics that have not been specified by the filter. Defaults to
true, which will allow all metrics when no filters are provided. When set to
falsewith no filters, no metrics will be sent.
(string array: [])- This is a list of filter rules to apply for allowing/blocking metrics by prefix in the following format:A leading "+" will enable any metrics with the given prefix, and a leading "-" will block them. If there is overlap between two rules, the more specific rule will take precedence. Blocking will take priority if the same prefix is listed multiple times.
["+vault.token", "-vault.expire", "+vault.expire.num_leases"]
telemetry parameters apply to
(string: "")- Specifies the address of a statsite server to forward metrics data to.
telemetry {
statsite_address = "statsite.company.local:8125"
telemetry parameters apply to
(string: "")- Specifies the address of a statsd server to forward metrics to.
telemetry {
statsd_address = "statsd.company.local:8125"
telemetry parameters apply to Circonus.
(string: "")- Specifies a valid Circonus API Token used to create/manage check. If provided, metric management is enabled.
(string: "nomad")- Specifies a valid app name associated with the API token.
(string: "https://api.circonus.com/v2")- Specifies the base URL to use for contacting the Circonus API.
(string: "10s")- Specifies the interval at which metrics are submitted to Circonus.
(string: "")- Specifies the
check.config.submission_urlfield, of a Check API object, from a previously created HTTPTRAP check.
(string: "")- Specifies the Check ID (not check bundle) from a previously created HTTPTRAP check. The numeric portion of the
check._cidfield in the Check API object.
(bool: false)- Specifies if force activation of metrics which already exist and are not currently active. If check management is enabled, the default behavior is to add new metrics as they are encountered. If the metric already exists in the check, it will not be activated. This setting overrides that behavior.
(string: "<hostname>:<application>")- Serves to uniquely identify the metrics coming from this instance. It can be used to maintain metric continuity with transient or ephemeral instances as they move around within an infrastructure. By default, this is set to hostname:application name (e.g. "host123:nomad").
(string: <service>:<application>)- Specifies a special tag which, when coupled with the instance id, helps to narrow down the search results when neither a Submission URL or Check ID is provided. By default, this is set to service:app (e.g. "service:nomad").
(string: "")- Specifies a name to give a check when it is created. This name is displayed in the Circonus UI Checks list.
(string: "")- Comma separated list of additional tags to add to a check when it is created.
(string: "")- Specifies the ID of a specific Circonus Broker to use when creating a new check. The numeric portion of
broker._cidfield in a Broker API object. If metric management is enabled and neither a Submission URL nor Check ID is provided, an attempt will be made to search for an existing check using Instance ID and Search Tag. If one is not found, a new HTTPTRAP check will be created. By default, this is a random Enterprise Broker is selected, or, the default Circonus Public Broker.
(string: "")- Specifies a special tag which will be used to select a Circonus Broker when a Broker ID is not provided. The best use of this is to as a hint for which broker should be used based on where this particular instance is running (e.g. a specific geo location or datacenter, dc:sfo).
telemetry parameters apply to
(string: "")- This provides the address of a DogStatsD instance. DogStatsD is a protocol-compatible flavor of statsd, with the added ability to decorate metrics with tags and event information. If provided, Vault will send various telemetry information to that instance for aggregation. This can be used to capture runtime information.
(string array: [])- This provides a list of global tags that will be added to all telemetry packets sent to DogStatsD. It is a list of strings, where each string looks like "my_tag_name:my_tag_value".
telemetry parameters apply to
(string: "24h")- Specifies the amount of time that Prometheus metrics are retained in memory. Setting this to 0 will disable Prometheus telemetry.
(bool: false)- It is recommended to also enable the option
disable_hostnameto avoid having prefixed metrics with hostname.
/v1/sys/metrics endpoint is only accessible on active nodes
and automatically disabled on standby nodes. You can enable the
endpoint on standby nodes by enabling unauthenticated metrics access.
Vault does not use the default Prometheus path, so Prometheus must be configured
with the path below.
Note that using
?format=prometheus in the path won't work as "?" will be
escaped, so it must be specified as a parameter.
A Vault token is required with
capabilities = ["read", "list"] to
/v1/sys/metrics. The Prometheus
bearer_token or
bearer_token_file options
must be added to the scrape job.
An example job_name stanza required in the Prometheus config is provided below.
# prometheus.yml
- job_name: 'vault'
metrics_path: "/v1/sys/metrics"
format: ['prometheus']
scheme: https
ca_file: your_ca_here.pem
bearer_token: "your_vault_token_here"
- targets: ['your_vault_server_here:8200']
An example telemetry configuration to be added to Vault's configuration file is shown below:
telemetry {
prometheus_retention_time = "30s"
disable_hostname = true
telemetry parameters apply to Stackdriver Monitoring.
The Stackdriver telemetry provider uses the official Google Cloud Golang SDK. This means it supports the common ways of providing credentials to Google Cloud.
To use this telemetry provider, the service account must have the following minimum scope(s):
And the following IAM role(s):
(string: "")- The Google Cloud ProjectID to send telemetry data to.
(string: "")- The GCP or AWS region of the monitored resource.
(string: "")- A namespace identifier for the telemetry data.
(bool: "false")- Specifies if Vault writes additional stackdriver related debug logs to standard error output (stderr).
It is recommended to also enable the option
disable_hostname to avoid having prefixed
metrics with hostname and enable instead
telemetry {
stackdriver_project_id = "my-test-project"
stackdriver_location = "us-east1-a"
stackdriver_namespace = "vault-cluster-a"
disable_hostname = true
enable_hostname_label = true
Metrics from Vault can be found in Metrics Explorer.
All those metrics are shown with a resource type of
generic_task, and the metric name
is prefixed with


text:
When most people think about mattress cleaning it's to either get rid of unattractive marks on it like sweat stains, blood or urine in order to clean it for removing dust mites and for general hygiene. However, this is a very specialist process and careful thought should be fond of how this is done as a mattress is very different to a carpet which is there are established and effective methods of cleaning.
The problem is that a mattress doesn't dry well. Because of their arrangement and how thick they can be, moisture in a mattress does not dry out easily, as with a carpet for example. This means that traditional cleaning processes suited for carpets and upholstery should be avoided without exceptions. This will exclude difficulties extraction and also sauna cleaning, even dry sauna cleaning which still requires drying out time and as the mattress takes such a lengthy time to dry this could encourage the growth of mold which is potentially hazardous to your health.
Ok, so how does that leave you when it comes to mattress cleaning. Well most cleaning companies will agree that when it comes to stain removal for marks such as the ones mentioned above are almost impossible to remove, to some extent because it means making the mattress damp and to some extent because what works on a carpet does not necessarily are well on a mattress and often when you try to remove a mark you will be left with ring when it dries.
It would be far more sensible to leave the stains and clean the mattress a different way, to kill viruses and remove any dust and allergens that have built up in the mattress. A mattress protection can always be put on the bed for aesthetic purposes after. So how do you go about removing dust mites and all the dust within and hygienically clean it to kill viruses without getting it damp?
The best way of mattress cleaning is with a good пране на матраци цени vacuum which has a HEPA system on it. There is a but though. Most household vacuums aren't really powerful enough to do it properly, especially if you are concerned about removing dust mites you need to get a specialist mattress cleaning company to do it for you. They will use machines that have much more power and suction than your own, so they really will be able to remove a lot more dust and allergens then you may.
Their machines may also have a germicidal light with them too, which will have the added bonus of killing viruses and trojans and denaturing allergens. Many will also finish the process by using a safe plant based apply that is an anti allergen/sanitising apply. The effect will be a hygienically clean, allergen free and dust free mattress which would be dry and ready to use again within minutes.
The cleaning company should also clean both sides of the mattress for you and leave the mattress turned too. Mattress cleaning carried out every 6 to 12 months will drastically help people with dust mite allergies, such as eczema, asthma and rhinitis, even people who wake up sneezing or with blocked up noses will feel a drastic improvement and it could mean you could hold on to your mattress longer and save you money in the long run.


text:
2020 features the launch of new consoles from Sony and Microsoft, new installments from such franchises as Doom, Half-Life, Resident Evil, and Yakuza, and plenty of original games from creators both new and old.
To help you keep track of all of the video game releases this year, we've compiled a list of the biggest release dates this year that we will keep updated as new information arises. The following list of 2020 video game release dates is organized by month, with games without release dates following.
January Release Dates
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (PC) – January 9
Four months after Iceborne launched on console, Monster Hunter World's expansion lands on PC with a new area to explore and plenty of new monsters to hunt.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS4) – January 16 (Japan)
The eighth main entry in the Yakuza franchise trades beat 'em up mechanics for turn-based RPG battles in what is a soft reboot. While launching in Japan in January, Like a Dragon will launch worldwide later in the year.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore (Switch) – January 17
Another Wii U release comes to the Switch, as the Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem RPG makes the journey to the Nintendo Switch this month.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (PC, PS4, Xbox) – January 17
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot recounts the story of Dragon Ball Z as you play as Goku in this action RPG that features iconic moments from the series, including the battles with Frieza, Cell, and more.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered (PS4, Switch, iOS, Android) – January 23
Originally set for release in 2019, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered will launch on January 23rd with cross-platform play and online multiplayer included.
Journey to the Savage Planet (PC, PS4, Xbox) – January 28
Journey to the Savage Planet is the first game from Canadian developer Typhoon Studios, and is a space exploration game that is far more lighthearted and comedic than its title lets on.
Warcraft III: Reforged (PC) – January 28
Blizzard's much anticipated remaster of its classic real-time strategy game finally launches on January 28.
February Release Dates
Zombie Army 4: Dead War (PC, PS4, Xbox) – February 4
The latest Sniper Elite spin-off tasks you with stopping Hitler's undead hordes as they swamp Southern Europe with up to four other players.
Granblue Fantasy Versus (PS4) -February 6 (Japan)
Arc System Works' newest fighting game hits Japan first, but will launch elsewhere later in the year. Expect their trademark visuals and well-honed mechanics to be on full display in the Granblue universe.
Yakuza 5 (PS4) – February 11
With the launch of the penultimate game in Kazuma Kiryu's story, the entire franchise will be playable on the PS4.
Darksiders Genesis (PS4, Switch, Xbox) – February 14
Released on the PC last December, the newest Darksiders game will release on consoles in February.
Dreams (PS4) – February 14
After nearly ten months in early access, LittleBigPlanet and Tearaway developer Media Molecule's latest game creation system hits the PlayStation 4 on Valentine's Day.
Street Fighter V: Champion Edition (PC, PS4) – February 14
Capcom plans for Street Fighter V: Champion Edition to be the last major update for Street Fighter V, and will include one new DLC character alongside every previously released character, stage, and costume.
Iron Man VR (PSVR) – February 28
Pretend you're Robert Downey Jr. in the biggest PlayStation VR release announced for 2020 so far.
March Release Dates
Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4) – March 3
The first game of the long-anticipated Final Fantasy VII Remake finally launches in March, though we won't believe it till in it's in our hands.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (PC, Xbox) – March 11
The sequel to Moon Studios' exceptional Metroidvania game Ori and the Blind Forest, Ori and the Will of the Wisps features a new upgrade system alongside new gameplay elements while retaining its predecessor's gorgeous art style.
Nioh 2 (PS4) – March 13
Team Ninja's prequel to 2017's Nioh features a customizable player character, new yokai spirit abilities, and a three-player co-op multiplayer mode to help players tackle new challenges.
Fairy Tail (PC, PS4, Switch) – March 19
Hiro Mashima's long-running shonen series is getting the video game treatment in this turn-based RPG.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch) – March 20
Take a trip to a deserted island with friends courtesy of Tom Nook, who is probably going to send you into debt thanks to another scheme of his.
Doom Eternal (PC, PS4, Xbox, Stadia) – March 20
Originally set for release in 2019, id Software's sequel to the 2016 Doom reboot is set to bigger and bolder thanks to new weapons and revamped multiplayer modes.
Bleeding Edge (PC, XBOX) – March 24
Ninja Theory's multiplayer melee brawler combines third-person action with a roster of heroes, each with their own abilities and personalities.
Persona 5: Royal (PS4) – March 31
The enhanced edition of Person 5 features a new party member, a new dungeon, new music, and a new semester for school.
Half-Life: Alyx (PC) – March 2020
Valve's next Half-Life game is not what many were expecting after a 13 year hiatus. But Valve is touting Half-Life: Alyx as their flagship VR game, and we can't wait to see how it turns out.
April Release Dates
Resident Evil 3 (PC, PS4, Xbox) – April 3
The success of the Resident Evil 2 Remake puts Resident Evil 3 high up on our list of the most anticipated games of 2020. The inclusion of an asymmetrical online multiplayer mode, Resident Evil: Resistance, only sweetens the deal.
Cyberpunk 2077 (PC, PS4, Xbox, Stadia) – April 16
CD Projekt Red's long awaited sci-fi RPG finally launches on April 16, with Keanu Reeves in tow.
Predator: Hunting Grounds (PC, PS4) – April 24
Friday the 13th developer Illfonic is tackling another film property with this co-op multiplayer game that sees a squad of soldiers taking on one vicious alien predator.
Gears Tactics (PC, Xbox) – April 28
This XCOM inspired spin-off set in the Gears of War universe may just sate the appetite of players looking for a more tactical strategy game in 2020.
May Release Dates
Fast & Furious Crossroads (PC, PS4, Xbox) – May 9
Fast & Furious Crossroads hits store shelves a few weeks before Fast & Furious 9 hits theatres. Hopefully, it'll retain the charm and action that has made Fast & Furious as popular as it has been.
Marvel's Avengers (PC, PS4, Xbox, Stadia) – May 15
Square Enix's Avengers game lets you play as Earth's mightiest heroes across single-player and multiplayer in this action RPG.
Wasteland 3 (PC, PS4, Xbox) – May 19
inXile Entertainment's follow-up to Wasteland 2 has long been in the works, but its acquisition by Microsoft has meant that more staff have been assigned to polish it up in time for its May release.
Maneater (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox) – May 22
The Jaws simulator that we didn't know we needed lets you hunt down humans and sealife as you grow from a baby shark to the deadliest creature in the seas.
The Last of Us Part II (PS4) – May 29
The Last of Us Part II follows Ellie five years after the events of The Last of Us as she fights a mysterious cult. Both Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson reprise their roles in what will be one of the last major first-party releases for the PlayStation 4.
June Release Dates
Carrion (PC, PS4, Xbox) – June 1
If you've ever wanted to be the alien from The Thing, you're in luck, as this reverse horror game places you in the role of a vicious monster that will eat plenty of silly humans.
To Be Announced
While there are plenty of games whose release dates have been announced, many more are still in limbo. The following list consists of games which lack firm dates or merely have release windows.
12 Minutes (PC, Xbox)
A Total War Saga: Troy (PC)
Axiom Verge 2 (Switch) – Q3/Q4 2020
Boyfriend Dungeon (PC, Switch)
Bravely Default II (Switch)
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3 (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox) – Q3/Q4 2020
Crusader Kings III (PC)
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope (PC, PS4, Xbox)
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise (Switch)
Death Stranding (PC) – Q2/Q3 2020
Digimon Survive (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox)
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance (PC, Consoles) – Q4 2020
Dying Light 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox) – Q2 2020
Empire of Sin (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox) – Q1/Q2 2020
Ghost of Tsushima (PS4) – Q2/Q3 2020
Gods and Monsters (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox, Stadia) – Q3/Q4 2020
Griftlands (PC) – Q4 2020
Grounded (PC, Xbox) – Q2/Q3 2020
Guilty Gear Strive (Unknown) – Late 2020
Halo Infinite (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X) – Q4 2020
Hades (PC) – Q3/Q4 2020
Humankind (PC)
Kerbal Space Program 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox) – Q2 2020
Legends of Runeterra (PC)
Microsoft Flight Simulator (PC, Xbox)
No More Heroes III (Switch)
Oddworld: Soulstorm (Unknown)
Outriders (PC, PS4, Xbox) – Q2/Q3 2020
Pokemon Sleep (iOS, Android)
Psychonauts 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox)
Roller Champions (PC)
Rust (PS4, Xbox)
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (Xbox Series X) – Q4 2020
Session (PC, Xbox) – Q1 2020
Shantae and the Seven Sirens (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox) – Q1/Q2 2020
Spongebob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox)
Sports Story (Switch)
Streets of Rage 4 (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox) – Q1/Q2 2020
Super Meat Boy Forever (PC, PS4, Xbox, iOS, Android)
System Shock Remastered (PC, PS4, Xbox) – Q1 2020
Tales of Arise (PC, PS4, Xbox)
Tell Me Why (PC, Xbox) – Mid 2020
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Quarantine (PC, PS4, Xbox)
Twin Mirror (PC, PS4, Xbox)
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox)
Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York (Switch, PS4, Xbox) – Q1 2020
Watch Dogs: Legion (PC, PS4, Xbox, Stadia) – Q3/Q4 2020
Windjammers 2 (PC, Switch, Stadia)
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (Switch)


text: Freedom Paper Company LLC is a privately owned light manufacturer and master distributor of personal paper, personal care, Jan San general, chemical, restaurant, stationary, and janitorial products for both residential and commercial demand. The corporate headquarters is located in Columbia Maryland. We have distribution outlets in various cities throughout the US and the ability to service national interest. We currently have distribution centers servicing the Eastern US, Atlanta GA, Mississippi, and parts of the Western US. Our company is unique from other corporations as we are born from the foundation of boot strap movements combined with the best of corporate culture and business acumen. We have instituted a new business paradigm for the 21st century as we seek to be profitable for our equality holders, while being conscious of both the environment and the communities we serve.


text:
No products in the cart.
Sweet success
Children throng my snack centre for the tasty and tangy Kuzi Paniyaram ( Kuzi Paniyaram is a South Indian delicacy). A sale from morning to evening fetches me around Rs.300. A few months back, I was finding it difficult to feed my children. Now, there's a change in our lives. Most importantly, I have gained confidence from the self-help group meetings I have attended.


text: Bears general manager Phil Emery seems to be focusing his search for a replacement for Lovie Smith on a coach who can maximize quarterback Jay Cutler but some experts believe that person does not exist. On CBS' ''NFL Today'' pre-game show Sunday, analyst Shannon Sharpe was the latest to imply that Cutler is more the problem than the solution. In fact, he said it outright: ''Jay Cutler, I do not believe he is a leader of men,'' Sharpe told the show's panel of James Brown, Bill Cowher and Dan Marino. ''He's a quarterback, not a leader. And there's a difference.'' ''So you're saying he's a coach killer?'' Sharpe nodded in the affirmative. That's a familiar refrain regarding Cutler. In fact, Cowher and Marino were critical of Cutler's leadership earlier this season, after Cutler shoved left tackle J'Marcus Webb in the Bears' 23-10 loss to the Packers on a Thursday night game at Lambeau Field in Week 2. ''I think it's a problem,'' Cowher said. ''The guy's got a strong arm. There is no question about it. He's had some protection issues. I know there's been some questionable [play] calling. But they brought players in to help this guy win a championship, and he's going to prove to be more accountable -- not sensationalize every little mistake with his antics and body language. ''Listen he's a good quarterback. But if he does not change his ways and the team does not go to the playoffs, they have to consider changing. He has to change.'' Source: Chicago Tribune


text:
One of the most interesting things about traveling is learning things you don't expect. The first time I travelled overseas (to Italy 5 years ago) I was surprised to come across stray dogs. And then again in Turkey. Each place I visit seems to have a different approach and philosophy about our furry friends. Continue reading "Dogs of South America"
Tag: Colonia
Colonia, Uruguay
Well, I did it again. I fell in love – with Colonia. Continue reading "Colonia, Uruguay"


text:
AlphaBay Market, one of the dark web's largest markets for drugs, guns, and other illegal paraphernalia, has been shut down since midnight Tuesday night. Although the site is sometimes down for maintenance, the site's admins have yet to comment on the downtime, leading some to speculate that the market may have disappeared for good.
There's evidence of massive bitcoin withdrawals from the site's accounts, with one blockchain record showing withdrawal transactions totaling 1,479.03904709 BTC (roughly $3.8 million), from an array of smaller accounts. That's led to suspicion from some users on Reddit and Twitter that the site's admins may have shut down the site in order to steal user funds.
So-called exit schemes are common among dark web marketplaces, with admins abruptly pulling sites offline, stealing the bitcoin stored in user accounts, and never resurfacing. In May, the Outlaw market shut its doors, claiming that it was hacked, although the timing of the alleged hack coincided with surging bitcoin prices. In 2015, the Evolution marketplace disappeared with $12 million of user money in a similar scheme.


text:
Research Article
Design and Validation of a Novel and Cost-Effective Animal Tissue Model for Training Laparoscopic Adhesiolysis and Mesh Repair of an Incisional Hernia
Porter DJ*, Ross G, Yung D, Payne C and Tang B
Department of General Surgery, University of Dundee, UK
*Corresponding author: Porter DJ, Department of General Surgery, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Cuschieri Skills Centre, Dundee, Scotland, UK
Published: 20 Sep, 2018
Cite this article as: Porter DJ, Ross G, Yung D, Payne C, Tang B. Design and Validation of a Novel and Cost-Effective Animal Tissue Model for Training Laparoscopic Adhesiolysis and Mesh Repair of an Incisional Hernia. World J Surg Surgical Res. 2018; 1: 1062.
Objectives: To design and validate a new and cost-effective animal tissue training model for
practicing laparoscopic adhesiolysis and mesh repair of an incisional hernia.
Methods and Materials: A laparoscopic training box is mounted with neoprene, which simulates the anterior abdominal wall. The greater curve of a porcine stomach is dissected out and a small circular defect is cut out of the double-layered stomach, this represents the hernial defect. Porcine omentum is stapled around the defect in the stomach, and this represents the adhesions around the incisional hernia.
A Prolene mesh is inserted into the simulated peritoneal cavity under laparoscopic vision and tacked to the anterior abdominal wall.
Face, content, and construct validity of the model was carried out using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire, and comparison in task performance between course delegates and experts was made using observational and clinical human reliability analysis.
Results: A total of 33 course delegates and 8 expert surgeons were recruited to this study from June 2016 to June 2017. Of the 33 course delegates, 24 were male and 9 were female, with age ranges 27-48 years. Course delegates had between 2 years and 9 years of laparoscopic experience. The mean score on specific feature of the anatomy and colour, sensation of texture, maintenance of pneumoperitoneum and adhesiolysis and mesh fixation was 4.12 ± 0.78, 4.00 ± 0.79, 4.73 ± 0.52, 4.12 ± 0.78 and 4.61 ± 0.56 respectively in the course delegates group, and 4.38 ± 0.52, 4.25 ± 0.71, 4.25 ± 0.71, 4.75 ± 0.46 and 4.75 ± 0.46 respectively in the expert surgeon group on a scale of 1 (unrealistic) and 5 (very realistic).
Conclusion: A newly designed restructured animal tissue model for training laparoscopic adhesiolysis and mesh repair of an incisional hernia is reported. Validation studies on the model demonstrate that this is a very realistic and effective model for skills training in laparoscopic adhesiolysis and mesh repair of an incisional hernia.
As a result of this laparoscopic training model course delegates reported that they had gained transferrable operating skills and increased confidence in the performance of laparoscopic adhesiolysis and incisional hernia repair with mesh.
This training model is an effective and cost-efficient laparoscopic training simulator.
Keywords: Animal tissue model; Simulation training; Training model validity; Laparoscopic adhesiolysis; Incisional hernia repair
Practice-based Learning and Development; Medical knowledge; Patient care; Simulated surgical training.
Laparoscopy has become the standard approach for many conditions in most surgical specialities
[1]. This development has been driven by the desire for less surgical trauma, faster post-operative
recovery, shorter hospital stay, and better cosmetic results [2].
It is evident however that laparoscopic surgery is associated with a longer operating time and a higher rate of surgical complications during the learning curve of the trainee surgeon. This has been verified in many studies within the surgical sub-specialities [3-6]. However, the reduction of working hours introduced by the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) and the dissolution of the traditional 'firm' structure have significantly reduced surgical training time and mentorship making it difficult for trainees to perform a sufficient number of procedures to attain competence in these complex procedures to achieve safe and independent practice [7]. The technical skills required for laparoscopic surgery are fundamentally different from those for traditional open surgery, leading to a prolonged learning curve. The primary obstacles in learning laparoscopic surgery are psychomotor and perceptual. The unique nature of laparoscopic surgery combined with an increasing focus on patients' safety and rights, the present reduction in working hours, and concerns over costs of operating theatre time are factors that challenge the traditional surgical approach and contribute to a growing need for novel methods in the training of laparoscopic surgeons [8]. Virtual reality simulation has the potential to offer important advantages in the area of training for new skills and procedures. Perhaps one of the most compelling driving forces for the integration of simulation into surgical training is the ethical imperative of providing patients with the best care. Although it is understood that trainees will eventually develop technical skills by treating patients, patients should not be subjected to the possibility of harm when other training methods are available for skills acquisition [9].
Simulation ensures that some practice has taken place before trainees treat real patients [10]. Simulation also allows for alternative ways to acquire skills within the constraints of working time restrictions and reduced clinical exposure. Simulators are available at any time to be utilized, making them flexible for training. Simulation can also provide a means for both trainee surgeons and consultant surgeons to acquire the necessary skills to incorporate new surgical technologies and innovation into their surgical repertoire. In addition simulation allows scope for error and the ability to allow trainees to learn the consequences of error [11]. Animal training models have been widely used for laparoscopic surgical skills training [12]. When designing and developing such a model, the following factors should be considered [13] (1) the model should be as realistic as possible to simulate the anatomy and pathology involved in the procedure; (2) skills learnt on the model can be transferred to the operating theatre; (3) the final result of the performance can be made available for inspection and feedback; (4) the model has the ability to distinguish the experience of surgeons; and (5) production of the model is costeffective and simple to allow it to be massively reproduced for a group of participants.
A model developed has to be realistic, appropriate, and effective as a teaching and training tool, and it should also possess the ability to distinguish surgeons' experience. Thus validation of reliability and effectiveness remains critical [14-16].
Methods and Materials
Design and preparation of the restructured animal tissue model
Porcine stomach and omentum were collected from a local abattoir that was fully registered under the standard regulations stipulated by the meat industry and follows strict ethical guidelines. A laparoscopic training box, a 10 mm 30 degree laparoscope, 3 ports (2 mm x 11 mm and 1 mm x 5 mm), a Prolene mesh, a 1-0 Vicryl suture, a ruler and a marker pen and chalk, a laparoscopic tacking device, 2 x laparoscopic graspers, hook diathermy or a laparoscopic Harmonic scalpel, 4 x mosquito forceps, a 10 mm syringe, normal saline, a needle, a laparoscopic stack, laparoscopic and external scissors and a suture retriever are required to perform the simulated laparoscopic adhesiolysis and mesh repair of an incisional hernia.
The laparoscopic training box was mounted with neoprene, which simulates the anterior abdominal wall. The neoprene on the laparoscopic trainer creates an air tight seal and therefore maintains a pneumoperitoneum when created (Figure 1). The greater curve of a porcine stomach is dissected out and a small circular defect is cut out of one layer of the double-layered stomach, this represents the hernial defect. Porcine omentum is stapled around the defect in the stomach, and this replicates the adhesions around the incisional hernia.
An experienced consultant general and colorectal surgeon provided close supervision and instruction during the construction of the simulated model.
The cost of making a complete laparoscopic simulation model was approximately £50, which included labour and materials.
Use of the animal tissue model for laparoscopic adhesiolysis and mesh repair of an incisional hernia
Course delegates insert an 11 mm laparoscopic port and gain pneumoperitoneum in a standard fashion. Diagnostic laparoscopy is then performed and the other 11 mm port and the 5mm port are inserted under direct vision. A laparoscopic adhesiolysis is undertaken where the omental adhesions around the hernia defect are taken down using hook diathermy, the Harmonic scalpel or laparoscopic scissors (Figure 2).
When the omental adhesions have been removed, the hernia defect becomes apparent. The diameter of the defect is measured with the ruler and its dimensions marked externally with the chalk, before cutting a piece of prosthetic mesh to size, using the ruler and marker pen for accuracy. Four stay sutures are inserted into the corners of the mesh with the 1-0 Vicryl suture.
The mesh is then rolled and inserted via the 11 mm port and unrolled within the simulated peritoneal cavity under laparoscopic vision. The stay sutures are used to approximate the mesh to the anterior abdominal wall internally, drawn out through the abdomen using the suture retriever and held in place using the mosquito forceps. The mesh is then tacked to the anterior abdominal wall using the laparoscopic tacking device (Figures 3 and 4).
Transverse abdominis plane (TAP) blocks are then sited under laparoscopic vision, and the ports are removed under vision.
Face and content validity
A clear announcement of voluntary participation was made to the course delegates, and who gave consent before participating in the study.
Criteria for validity were defined based on the definition and recommendation that are commonly used for validity testing for laparoscopic models and simulators [14-16].
Face validity relates to the degree of realism of the simulator in relation to the real anatomy and setup, whereas content validity involves the measurement of the appropriateness of the simulator as an effective modality [14].
A structured questionnaire was designed for face and content validity of the laparoscopic simulator based on subjective assessment by both participants and experts.
At the end of the course, all participants and experts completed this questionnaire to assess the validity of the model for laparoscopic adhesiolysis and hernia repair training [13].
The evaluation of realism on (1) anatomy and colour, (2) sensation of texture and feeling of dissection of the tissues, (3) efficacy and safety of the skills, (4) maintenance of pneumoperitoneum, (5) laparoscopic adhesiolysis, (6) mesh handling and fixation, and (7) fixation of the mesh to the abdominal wall were the end points for assessment of the face validity of the adhesiolysis and hernia repair model (Table 1).
Questions such as 'Is this a useful model for training in laparoscopic adhesiolysis and hernia repair? 'Do you think the skills learnt from this model are transferrable to the operating theatre?' 'Do you feel more confident in performing laparoscopic adhesiolysis and incisional hernia repair after practicing on this model?' 'Do you think this model can be used as a routine training model for lap incisional repair?' were used for content validity.
Data collection and statistical analysis
Data was collected using a Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree; 2 = disagree; 3 = neither agree nor disagree; 4 = agree; and 5 = strongly agree) on a standardized anonymous questionnaire. Both course delegates and expert surgeons completed evaluation forms, and analysis of the feedback was performed. Excel (Microsoft Office 2013) and statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16 were used for data collection and analysis.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3 and 4
Figure 3 and 4
The mesh is then tacked to the anterior abdominal wall using the laparoscopic tacking device.
Table 1
Demographics of participants and experts
A total of 33 course delegates were recruited to this study from June 2016 to June 2017. Twenty four of the course delegates were male and 9 were female, with ages ranging from 27 to 48 years. Course delegates had between 2 and 9 years of laparoscopic experience. The expert group consisted of 7 consultant surgeons and a senior registrar with significant experience in laparoscopic surgery, with ages ranging from 35 to 82 years. The expert group had an average of 19.1 ± 6.90 years laparoscopic experience compared to the trainee group who had an average of 4.55 ± 2.22 years of laparoscopic experience.
Course delegates and expert surgeons were recruited to the study on a voluntary basis without any financial interest or other conflicts of interest.
Outcome of face validity of the model
The overall mean satisfaction rate for the training model given by the participants was 4.18 ± 0.77 for port position, 4.12 ± 0.78 for anatomy and colour, 4.00 ± 0.79 for sensation and texture of the tissue, 4.73 ± 0.52 for maintenance of pneumoperitoneum, 4.12 ± 0.78 for laparoscopic adhesiolysis and 4.61 ± 0.56 for mesh handling and fixation on a scale of 1 (unrealistic/poor) to 5 (very realistic/useful), whereas the experts rated these parameters as 4.50 ± 0.53, 4.38 ± 0.52, 4.25 ± 0.71, 4.25 ± 0.71, 4.75 ± 0.46 and 4.75 ± 0.46 respectively (Table 1).
Content validity
Both participants and experts agreed that this was a very useful and effective model for training in laparoscopic adhesiolysis and mesh repair of an incisional hernia (4.79 ± 0.42 vs. 4.63 ± 0.52 respectively (Table 1). The trainees felt that the skills acquired from this model could be transferred to the operating theatre.
Both course delegates and experts felt that this model could be used as a routine training model for laparoscopic adhesiolysis and mesh repair of an incisional hernia (4.67 ± 0.48 vs. 5.00 ± 0 (Table 1).
Virtual reality simulators for laparoscopic surgical skills training
are an invaluable training resource [13]. However animal tissue
models have been shown to be superior and are the preferred method
for surgical trainees to acquire technical skills in laparoscopic surgery
when a suitable organ or tissue can be found in an animal [12].
When suitable and realistic anatomy cannot be found naturally, a
restructured animal tissue model can become a valuable and effective
training resource.
Restructured animal tissue models have been successfully developed and used in a variety of different laparoscopic procedures such as laparoscopic salpingectomy and laparoscopic fundoplication in gynaecological and general surgical training respectively [17,18]. These models have been proven to be realistic, cost-effective, and simple enough to be produced for use in laboratory-based surgical training courses with a large number of surgical trainees [17,18].
In addition when these restructured animal tissue models are used during surgical training courses the final results of the procedures can be assessed, feedback can be given to the trainees, and the exercise can be repeated [17,18].
The materials and methods used to develop this laparoscopic adhesiolysis and incisional hernia repair model with restructured porcine stomach and greater omentum within a laparoscopic training simulating box have been described in detail in this article. The key features that were considered when designing and developing this model were realistic anatomy, effective simulation repetitive practice, feedback on performance, simulator validity, and cost [13].
The aim of this article was that by describing the details of the materials used and methods applied to design and develop this simulated training model, that surgical trainers could replicate this model and integrate it into their training program [19].
There is no doubt that when compared to synthetic training models, animal training models and virtual reality simulators, human cadavers remain the most realistic training model for many laparoscopic and open surgical procedures. It is our recommendation that junior and intermediate surgical trainees acquire basic and intermediate level laparoscopic skills on a restructured animal tissue model before progressing to simulation training on cadavers when they attend advanced laparoscopic training courses.
It is essential to validate a simulator to examine its fidelity, authenticity, and efficiency before it is integrated into a training course [13-16,20-23]. Therefore the face and content validation of this laparoscopic training model was performed.
Expert surgeons found port position, anatomy and colour of the model, sensation and texture of the tissues, efficacy and safety of the skills exercise and mesh handling more realistic than the trainee surgeons but this difference was not statistically significant. However expert surgeons found laparoscopic adhesiolysis on the model more realistic than the course delegates and this difference was statistically significant. This is a positive endorsement of this training tool as expert surgeons with vast experience in laparoscopic surgery found the model realistic and skills acquired during this exercise transferrable to real-life surgery. Expert surgeons found maintenance of pneumoperitoneum and fixation of mesh to the abdominal wall less realistic than the trainee surgeons and these differences were statistically significant (Table 1).
In terms of content validity trainees rated the model more useful for teaching laparoscopic incisional hernia repair than expert surgeons but this difference was not statistically significant. Both trainees and expert surgeons felt that skills acquired with this training tool were highly transferrable and increased confidence was gained in laparoscopic skills as a result of using this training tool, and all agreed that this training model should be integrated into laparoscopic training.
Compared with the other existing training models, the major advantages of this laparoscopic adhesiolysis and mesh repair of an incisional hernia model are: 1) real animal tissue was used; hence tissue planes could be appreciated, tissue handling was on par with real - life laparoscopic surgery, and haptic feedback was present; 2) the relevant anatomy and pathology in the training tool was restructured as closely as possible to real-life anatomy and pathology; 3) real electrosurgery, real equipment and instruments were utilized during the exercise; 4) the final results of the laparoscopic training tool were validated over a one year period with course delegates and independent expert surgeons, and 5) the model was cost effective [17]. The model cost £50 and hence the cost was minimal compared to other simulators [13,17,22]. Despite the high scores achieved from both expert surgeons and trainee surgeons, the major disadvantage of this model is that it did not simulate bleeding that is an essential skill to learn to avoid and manage when it occurs. A potential future improvement in this training model might be to simulate intraoperative bleeding so that the model is more applicable to real life.
There was also a lack of objective data to demonstrate whether skills learned on this model could be transferred to improved performance in the operating theatre (criterion validity). Further studies on criterion validity should be conducted if this model is to be used as an assessment tool for the trainees in the future.
A newly designed restructured animal tissue model for training
laparoscopic adhesiolysis and mesh repair of an incisional hernia is
reported. Validation studies on the model demonstrate that this is
a very realistic and effective model for skills training in laparoscopic
adhesiolysis and mesh repair of an incisional hernia.
As a result of this laparoscopic training model course delegates reported that they had gained transferrable operating skills and increased confidence in the performance of laparoscopic adhesiolysis and incisional hernia repair with mesh. This training model is an effective and cost-efficient laparoscopic training simulator.
- Keus F, Broeders IA, van Laarhoven CJ. Gallstone disease: surgical aspects of symptomatic cholecystolithiasis and acute cholecystitis. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2006;20:1031-51.
- Larsen CR, Soerensen JL, Grantcharov TP, Dalsgaard T, Schouenbourg L, Ottosen C, et al. Effect of Virtual Reality Training On Laparoscopic Surgery: Randomised Controlled Trial. BMJ. 2009:338:b1802.
- Karvonen J, Gullichsen R, Laine S, Salminen P, Gronroos JM. Bile duct injuries during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: primary and long-term results from a single institution. Surg Endosc. 2007;21(7):1069-73.
- Avital S, Hermon H, Greenberg R, Karin E, Skornick Y. Learning curve in laparoscopic colorectal surgery: our first 100 patients. Isr Med Assoc J. 2006;8(10):683-6.
- Kumar U, Gill IS. Learning curve in human laparoscopic surgery. Curr Urol Rep. 2006;7(2):120-4.
- Eto M, Harano M, Koga H, Tanaka M, Naito S. Clinical outcomes and learning curve of a laparoscopic adrenalectomy in 103 consecutive cases at a single institute. Int J Urol. 2006;13(6):671-6.
- Reznick RK, MacRae H. Teaching surgical skills-changes in the wind. N Engl J Med. 2006;355(25):2664-9.
- Grantcharov TP, Reznick RK. Teaching procedural skills. BMJ. 2008;336(7653):1129-31.
- Ziv A, Wolpe PR, Small SD, Glick S. Simulation-based medical education: an ethical imperative. Acad Med. 2003;78(8):783-8.
- Issenberg SB, McGaghie WC, Hart IR, Mayer JW, Felner JM, Petrusa ER, et al. Simulation technology for health care professional skills training and assessment. JAMA 1999;282(9):861-6.
- Maran NJ, Glavin RJ. Low to high fidelity simulation-a continuum of medical education? Med Educ. 2003;37(Suppl 1):22-8.
- Van Bruwaena S, Schijven MP, Napolitano D, De Win G, Miserez M. Porcine cadaver organ or virtual reality simulation training for laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a randomized-controller trial. J Surg Educ. 2015;72(3):483-90.
- Issenberg SB, McGaghie WC, Petrusa ER, Lee Gordon D, Scalese RJ. Features and Uses of high-fidelity medical simulators that lead to effective learning: a BEME systematic review. Med Teach. 2005;27(1):10-28.
- McGougall EM. Validation of Surgical Simulators. J Endourol. 2007;21(3):244-7.
- Van Nortwick SS, Lendvay T, Jensen A, Wright AS, Horvath KD, Kim S. Methodologies for establishing validity in surgical simulation studies. Surgery. 2010;147(5):622-630.
- Ayodeji ID, Schijven M, Jakimowicz J, Greve JW. Face Validation of the Simbionix LAP Mentor Virtual reality training module and its applicability in the surgical curriculum. Surg Endosc. 2007;21(9):1641-9.
- Tang B, Tait I, Ross G, Chien P. Development and use of a restructured animal tissue model for training laparoscopic salpingectomy and salpingectomy. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2011;18(6):785-91.
- Carter F, Russell E, Dunkley P, Cuschieri A. Restructured animal tissue model for training in laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery. Minim Invasive Ther Allied Technol. 1994;3(2):77-80.
- Khan MS, Ahmed K, Gavazzi A, Gohil R, Thomas L, Poulsen J, et al. Development and implementation of centralized simulation training: evaluation of feasibility, acceptability and construct validity. BJU Int. 2013;111(3):518-23.
- Bright E, Vine S, Wilson MR, Masters RSW, McGrath J. Face validity, construct validity and training benefit of a virtual reality TURP simulator. Int J Surg. 2012;10(3):163-6.
- Brewin J, Ahmed K, Khan M, Jaye P, Dasgupta P. Face, content, and construct validation of the Bristol TURP trainer. J Surg Edu. 2014;71(4):500-5.
- Sweet R, Kowalewski T, Oppenheimer P, Weghorst S, Satava R. Face, content and construct validity of the University of Washington virtual reality transurethral prostate resection trainer. J Urol. 2004;172(5):1953-7.
- Schout BM, Hendrikx AJ, Scheele F, Bemelmans BL, Scherpbier AJ. Validation and implementation of surgical simulators: a critical review of present, past and future. Surg Endosc. 2010;24(3):536-46.


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J.M. Maly, Inc. serves as the benchmark for excellence by delivering value to our customers, providing reliability in our service, and achieving perfection in our craftsmanship. With nearly four decades of providing materials and services to the Houston construction industry, we have developed countless friendships and relationships with architects, contractors, engineers, and end-users. Our extensive experience in architectural building specialties speaks for itself. We are the best at what we do, and there are few specialty companies that perform at our level.
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text:
This meticulously crafted right hand ring celebrates an eye-catching and soothing green oval cabochon cut natural jade gemstone weighing about 4 1/2 carats. It is set slightly higher above the setting in a sturdy 4-prong setting giving it a commanding presence while elegantly basking in a halo of brilliant diamonds. The setting is crafted of solid 18kt white gold where diatoms are set and and the rest in yellow gold with a combination of polished and textured surfaces. It is a size 11.25 and can be resized. It is pre-owned and in good condition with normal signs of love, wear and use.
Material info: Solid 18kt (750) Yellow & White Gold
Total Gram Weight: 16.5 Grams
Center Gemstone Information: 1 Oval Cabochon Cut 4-Prong Set Natural Jade
Color: Green
Cut: Oval Cabochon
Transparency: Translucent
Carat Weight: Approximately 4.50 Carat
Length x Width - Depth: Approximately 17.50 x 13.70 - 3.25mm
Accent Diamond Information: 50 Round Brilliant Cut Bead Set Natural Diamonds
Color: G - H
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Rise Above Finger: Approximately 7.40mm
Band Width: Approximately 22.60 Tapers Down to 8.45mm
Estimated Retail Value: $9,750.00
Stock #: TEC009
Click on the text to view detailed information about each policy.


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This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 565 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in the financial realm. Please join us and participate via our donation page, which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Read about why we're doing this fundraiser, what we've accomplished in the last year, and our current goal, investing in our expanded Links section.
Jerri-Lynn here. Alas, I am sorry to say, this minor fine is probably a harbinger of things to come. Companies will get off very lightly for their sins and violations, workplace or otherwise, that cause clearly known and foreseeable coronavirus spread.
We just don't know how to apply the principle of accountability and more.
If we're only going to issue such derisory fines, why bother?
And longstanding readers know, the erosion of the rule of law is not a new Trump-driven phenomenon, but was well in place in the Eric Holder Justice Department and expressed in the previous administration's approach to the Great Financial Crisis (see The Obamamometer's Toxic Legacy: The Rule of Lawlessness). At least the George W. Bush Justice Department took some corporate scalps when the dot-com bubble collapsed: Enron, Adelphia, WorldCom.
But by now, turning a blind eye to transgressions is well-settled, bipartisan policy.
By Brett Wilkins, staff writer at CommonDreams. Originally published at CommonDreams
Iowa regulators on Thursday levied their first coronavirus-related fine against a meatpacking plant—a $957 citation for a minor record-keeping violation by a subsidiary of one of the nation's biggest beef processing companies.
The Associated Press reports the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the citation to the Iowa Premium Beef Plant in Tama, where 338 of the facility's 850 employees tested positive for Covid-19 during an April outbreak that produced one of the state's first "hot spots." That's 80 more workers than the state previously acknowledged, according to inspection records.
Iowa regulators have issued their first citation to a meatpacking plant with a large #coronavirus outbreak that sickened its workforce — a $957 fine for a minor record-keeping violation. https://t.co/xNrLgQe8oo
— Star Tribune Business (@StribBiz) September 24, 2020
Iowa OSHA announced on June 1 that it would investigate the Tama plant and four other meat processing facilities in the state where thousands of workers had tested positive for coronavirus. Records reviewed by the AP showed that none of the other plants were fined, despite at least nine Covid-19 deaths among them.
The other facilities that were investigated by the agency are Tyson Foods plants in Waterloo, Columbus Junction, and Perry, and the JBS plant in Marshalltown.
Iowa OSHA cited two "other-than-serious" violations committed by the Tama plant: failure to keep a required log of workplace-related injuries and illnesses, and failure to provide the document within four hours after inspectors requested it.
The fine was originally meant to be twice as high. However, Iowa OSHA Administrator Russell Perry approved a settlement with the company cutting the amount in half. Iowa Premium Beef—which last year was purchased by National Beef, the nation's fourth-largest beef processor—also agreed to correct the violations.
Observers reacted to the fine with disbelief and derision:
Wow. 338 workers got sick in this outbreak, and Iowa Premium Beef negotiated down their Iowa OSHA fine from $1,914 to $957. https://t.co/Ras0kb1v76
— Leah Douglas (@leahjdouglas) September 24, 2020
40% of their employees test positive for COVID and you only fine the company $957??? Jfc.
— Justin Kittle (@justinkittle) September 24, 2020
An underappreciated narrative from this pandemic will be how far state and federal officials go to hold corporations accountable for their actions
Important to note this was reduced from a $1,914 fine to $957 https://t.co/fHP9PF8wt0
— Jake Holzman (@jacob_holzman) September 24, 2020
The first Iowa fine comes less than two weeks after the U.S. Labor Department finedJBS Foods, the U.S. subsidiary of Brazilian giant JBS SA—which, with over $50 billion in annual sales, is the world's largest meat processing company—a paltry $15,615 for failing to adequately protect workers against coronavirus.
Beatriz Rangel, daughter of Saul Sanchez—the first JBS Foods employee to die of Covid-19—called the small fine "a slap in the face."
News of the Tama fine also follows the revelation earlier this month that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the meatpacking industry collaborated to downplay and disregard risks to worker health during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue—an agribusiness tycoon and former Georgia governor with a long history of corruption—has been criticized for pushing meat processing facilities to remain open or quickly reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. The meatpacking industry in Iowa has been described as "too big too fail," wielding tremendous political power in the heavily agricultural Midwestern state.
The Rev Kev
A $957 citation? What is that? The amount of money that that meatpacking plant gets from a single cow?
That was a corporate friendly pinch in the cheeks. Dooon't dooo it agaaaain, my friend, said with gorgeousness Mr. Perry with a wink.
I would guess that the proposed Indemnity attached to Cares II is just a little more Insurance in case PR fallout from this becomes troublesome.
However, *!New OSHA!* has sought to become less cumbersome and punitive in their actions against their new Partners with innovative approaches to Partnership(for worker safety, of course).
a real water tight colander right there
VPP and STAR Partner Programs have a nifty clause that discourages punishment–because– who at the OSHA(Fed and State) wants to have to Fine a Business that OSHA itself has been Advising and Mentoring??
An 14 year old example with Nebraska Meat Processing. List of Familiar Names in Partnership included at the bottom.
Mark Gisleson
After about to retire US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad became Governor of Iowa, he changed the rules so IBP [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBP,_Inc.] could operate packing plants in Iowa (ironically "Iowa Beef Packers" was started in Iowa, but from 1967-1983 mostly operated out of the Dakotas (and I think Nebraska) due to Iowa having actual regulations about meat processing). Branstad loosened those regulations, IBP stormed into Iowa and in less than a decade put most of the unionized meatpackers out of business.
For me, IBP was the start of neoliberalism. After some initial squawking, Iowa Democrats became more and more business friendly and labor relations were about service industry unions and not manufacturing (under Branstad in the mid-'80s over 100,000 working Iowans left the state for the SW after their good factory jobs were eliminated, and then their families followed them which had a significant impact on Iowa voting history which had been slowly moving left).
drumlin woodchuckles
If Branstad sits on any boards, could the relevant institutions be boycotted or otherwise inconvenienced till Branstad is forced off those boards? Could all his public appearances be boycotted and picketed? Could his personal life be made unpleasant and humiliating and embarrassing?
Capital has always regarded labor as expendable, and it's easier to do when a lot of the labor doesn't have legal residency. We need to update the classic song "Deportee" with some new lines…
"The chickens were piled in their fly-blown dried blood" and…
"My amigos all died of corona-19."
And don't you worry about those chickens. The next shift will hose them off, chill them back down and they'll be in your poultry case in a week.
drumlin woodchuckles
Here again is a case where individual action is the only action left because the government belongs to the class enemy. Perhaps conquering the government back could be a long-term goal. Or maybe just a dream.
In the meantime, how can disapproving individuals express their individual disapproval of IBP choosing to run Typhoid MAGA corona-spreader plants? With state-of-Iowa-government support and approval? All I can think of is the passive defensive approach of finding out all the places that carry IBP meat and boycotting meat from those places till they can prove they don't buy any more meat from this or any other Typhoid MAGA corona plant. Is that too broad for now? Perhaps a focus boycotting meat product from this plant, then.
"What about the workers"? Well, that same objection was raised to a general boycott against South Africa till the South Afrigov gave in to certain ANC wants and wishes. But ANC said they were willing to make the sacrifice now for greater benefits through victory later.
So a project to spend a couple of years finding all the places meat from this plant goes to, and then boycotting meat from all those places until all those places can prove they get no more meat from this plant . . . might torture and terrorise the Typhoid MAGA corona-spreading meat industry to stop spreading any more corona in its plants.
Late Introvert
Or people could just stop eating meat. Too bad that won't ever happen.
drumlin woodchuckles
And eat what instead? Petrochemical GMO soybeans and corn and Roundup-enriched oats and so forth?
And if people just stop eating meat, WHICH meat? ALL meat? Or just the Corporate Shitmeat behind these disease hot spots?
Artisan beef-on-pasture is being discovered more and more and more to bio-suckdown and bio-sequester more net-net carbon than what it emits. Given that fact, I plan to eat what little carbon-capture beef I can afford to help the carbon-capture farmers pay for capturing carbon. If that makes you mad, then that makes me happy.
Wow. The message is the you can be fined less than $3.00 per worker infected because your firm was negligent in offering protections to workers.
That message must be just terrifying to this company and to others like it.
Anybody care to estimate what the actual costs borne by the infected workers have been? I 'guesstimate' exponentially higher daily than the $2.83 per worker the company had to pay overall for the entire period.
in keeping with NC mission of highlighting corruption and in stunning irony, 2 Hanford contractors fined $58 million for fraud https://apnews.com/article/spokane-nuclear-weapons-waste-treatment-washington-nuclear-waste-ef4ef23f63e1e307a3f16c27d3f52add


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I get by with a little help from my friends..
In short: stick to the radiators, move away from the drains was some sound advice I received from a very good friend some years ago. You need those that 'get it' on your journey with you. You need your cheerleaders cheering you on and in turn, you cheer them right back.
And so, a He-Ha side hustle came about! Nick Hersey aka Hersoid- British graphic designer & fine artist with Hanova Studio newbie brand just stepping out. Hersoid and Hanova brain stormed ideas often at mates' sun-downer parties and selectively chosen nights giving it the largest of salads - thank you Hersoid and Co. Husband and Teenagers for being there #hersoid @hersoid
"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." Mark Twain
Listening to lots of really interesting podcasts have helped map and prioritise the planning and processes. Elizabeth Stiles, Kayte Ferris, Lola Hoad have all offered plenty of pointers for the navigation to setting up a new business / fashion brand. What to have on your radar, gaining huge insight into the many facets of getting your own business up and running the right way that works for me. Invaluable honest advice!
An age of collaboration - as quoted by Li Edelkoort
In fashion and design, "there will be co-creation. One of my visions of the future is that it will be the age of the amateur; people will be empowered to be more creative."


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The Wastes
InfoThe Wastes
A Post-Apocalyptic First-Person-ShooterThe wasteland laid quiet for over ten years. Only the sounds of irradiated raindrops or desert wind could be heard for this time. An engine rumbles in the distance. Signs of life in these wasted lands, perhaps?
The Wastes is back.Started as a love-letter towards everyone's favorite wastelands as a mod for the GoldSrc engine, The Wastes returns as a completely new game using id Tech 3 Technology! It's been a long time coming, and it's time for the wasteland to get some life breathed back into it. It's a game built upon the love for classic video games and movies. Imagine configuring and playing a game just like you did over 15 years ago.
Game-playExperience a fast-paced multiplayer frag-fest, with buffs that affect the performance of each individual player, game-play mutators, and many different game-modes, including: Anarchy: A pure free-for-all. Choose your load-out and jump right in. No restrictions, no questions asked! Team Chaos: Wipe the opposing team out in this round-based game-mode. Destroy what's left of them. Capture The Flag: The classic attack & defend mode that's a must for every serious multiplayer game. Vehicular Carnage: Jump right into the seat of your own custom vehicle and experience a derby with hood-mounted guns. ...and more to come!
WeaponsThe game features over 30 different weapon configurations. Ranging from exotic melee weapons (like Throwing Knives and Sledgehammers) to high caliber handguns, firearm prototypes, as well as classic weapons - all waiting to be used. While people can also create load-outs to shape their play-style, you will find special weapons scattered all over the multiplayer levels along with ammunition and other items that will help you survive. You can also have mixed-akimbo configurations for the handguns.
VehiclesTransportation is the key to surviving in the long run. Featuring vehicles... with guns mounted on top of them!
CharactersChoose between many (on release 15) different character models. Like Mena the mechanic that keeps the Vagrants' engines running, Ezekial the Ronin Nomad with a filthy love of fire, Seal Bob (formerly Gustavo) the dishonorably discharged USMC Raider, Reese the gun-slinging Regulator, Red the Killshot disco-man that may or may not be the long lost brother of Vincent, Maddigan the dirty cop that lived through the fallout of society, and much more.
AbilitiesCustomize your play-style with a system that affects the player-physics, controls and weapon behavior to maximize your strengths as a player.
CustomizationSelect from a variety of heads-up-displays, model skins, spray logos and color schemes. Tweak the game-experience to your liking, right out of the box.
Powered by id Tech engine technologyCreate your own levels and content easily with well-documented and community-maintained tools available in the bundled SDK!
Source code availabilityGame-logic sources are included with the game, and the engine sources are available straight from fteqw.org.
How-to-play On-lineThe Wastes is configured to use Frag-Net out of the box. Enjoy hassle-free multiplayer on both Microsoft Windows(TM) and Linux!
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