text:
SINGAPORE - Mr Nabil (not his real name), 27, was incarcerated for 18 months for the consumption of illegal drugs, and served 12 months in prison before being transferred to Pertapis Halfway House.
At the halfway house, he attended the month-long Yellow Ribbon Fund-Acronis IT Skills Programme, where he was taught not just technological proficiency, but also soft skills such as how to construct a standout curriculum vitae (CV) and sit for job interviews.
"I've never written my own resume before," said Mr Nabil, who graduated on Thursday (May 2) as one of the programme's top two scorers. "I've always gotten my friends or family to do it. What I learnt (in the programme) gave me a lot of confidence in my own skills."
Mr Nabil hopes to "keep doing what he does best", by landing a job in the logistics sector.
The million-dollar programme, launched by the Yellow Ribbon Fund and the non-profit Acronis Foundation a year ago to get inmates back on their feet in the real world, is showing success. Out of 15 students in its first month, 12 landed jobs paying more than $1,000 a month.
About 130 people will have been through the IT programme by the end of this year.
"It's very important in this time and age to be equipped with computer literacy, and remain up to date with the current work requirements," said Mr Sufian Salim, 44, who is the deputy head of home at Pertapis Halfway House.
"We don't just want to give our residents any old course, it has to be able to reintegrate them back into society."
He hopes that by helping his residents achieve gainful employment, he will not see them back inside the halfway house again.
A Web design course aimed at younger inmates will also be rolled out later this year.
"We bank on the support of the inmate's families," said Mr Wes Chee, 45, a volunteer trainer in the programme who also works as a senior recruiter for Acronis, a software company. "They become the main motivation for the inmates to succeed."
Mr Nabil's grateful parents, who were present at his graduation on Thursday, said: "We feel thankful to Pertapis for giving our son an opportunity to succeed in life. We hope that this certification will help him in his career in the future."


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Moving from one place to another can be a life-changing experience for most, as it can be a sign of independence, or a chance to start life anew. Before being able to get that life-changing experience, preparation is a vital step in making sure that things go smoothly during a move.
When moving, you can choose between asking friends for help or hiring a mover to get that professional service to minimize hassle. Choosing which of the movers you should hire would require a lot of thought but after your decision, the move itself is another story altogether. In an effort to minimize hassle, one of the best things to do is to start preparations on your own.
Before the Move
Packing is one of the most troublesome things during a move, but there are local movers that help you pack. While packing, make sure that labeling is clear so that the boxes can be unloaded in the proper room that you want them to be. Preparing extra boxes and tapes and packing items is important in case emergency packing situations arise during the move. A clear map to the new place is also very helpful, although most, if not all, local movers have GPS on their devices and they would just need the new address and the movers will know what to do. For those who live in places with doormen or some other form of security, a heads-up with the management to let the movers come and go freely will make the whole process during the move easier.
During the Move
During the move, there are a lot of things you can do to help. The most important thing to do is to get out of the way of the movers. Being a helicopter client and talking to the movers all the time will slow down their work and cost you more, especially for those that charge by the hour. Keep the discussion to a minimum and let the professionals do their job. Provide refreshments every now and then to keep the movers hydrated and rested.
After the Move
After the move, settling down is the most important thing to do in your new place. Unpacking can be done by some local movers for a fee. Most local movers accept your reviews and they can put them up on their website, especially if the moving experience has been pleasant for you.
Moving can be troublesome, but with the right preparations and decisions, it can be successful and rewarding.

subset: commoncrawl


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All American Season 5 Episode 5 Review: I Need Love
Valentine's Day wasn't a special occasion for the gang in Beverly Hills and Crenshaw.
Only the primarily secret couple of Jordan and Layla came out better off on All American Season 5 Episode 5.
And now that JJ is in their business, how long can that last?
This situation all falls on Layla after too many weeks of will they or won't they? She wanted to keep things casual, while Jordan doesn't do casual.
Since he got through his man-whore phase, Jordan falls fast, and he falls hard. Also, he's been on the rebound from breaking up with Simone, so he was more susceptible to wanting a new relationship.
Did Layla learn nothing from the whole Clay experience? She needs to spell out the parameters of a relationship.
Especially to Jordan. He tried to plan a special Valentine's Day event, and she pretty much told him to pump the brakes.
That's why he spent the entire speed-dating event bemoaning the uncertainty of his secret relationship, to the point that he spilled about it to the largely oblivious JJ.
At least Layla finally came clean to him after recruiting JJ to help her plan an evening with Jordan. Yes, it made sense that she wanted to keep their relationship to themselves and away from the Vortex. But now that JJ knows, that 'ship has largely sailed.
It will be interesting to see how Olivia, who has been burying herself in her work, will react when she discovers that her housemate is hooking up with her twin brother.
Jordan at least knew how to plan for a romantic evening, unlike, say, Spencer and Billy.
It turned out Spencer had a better handle on what Alicia, his chillin' buddy, wanted for Valentine's Day than Coop.
He should have listened to his gut instead of following Coop's advice, watching "Pretty Woman," and even taking notes.
Fortunately, Alicia didn't scare easily and confronted Spencer about his bizarre behavior. She humored his concept of Valentine's dinner and didn't get offended when Spencer admitted to sleeping with Olivia. She didn't see their relationship as exclusive.
And things worked out in the end for them, ironically thanks to "Pretty Woman."
And didn't Spencer handle things horribly with Olivia, telling her that the roses weren't for her? Then, even worse, he attempted to explain why he had the roses to begin with, but she smartly begged off before he made more of a fool of himself.
Spencer does get credit for bailing out Billy with those hand-me-down roses. Billy, who, like many old married guys, had forgotten about Valentine's Day. Laura was busy losing Preach's case, so she had probably also forgotten the holiday.
Besides, Billy had been busy playing Bernstein to Olivia's Woodward as they worked to take down Garrett without derailing Spencer and Jordan's college careers.
Billy offered the sound suggestion of tracking down a former assistant coach who might have dirt on Garrett. Little did he know that the assistant she located was one of his former teammates.
Billy managed to do right by both Eric, his old friend, and Olivia by sitting down with Eric and convincing him to tell what he knew to Olivia.
And then, just before her article was published, Garrett resigned. So next week's mystery will be determining who tipped him off about Olivia's article. And can she and Billy still find a way to get Garrett out of coaching?
JJ almost managed to redeem himself, helping Spencer set up for his dinner with Alicia and aiding Layla in her plans for Jordan.
Also, he finally realized that he was doing Asher wrong and tried to work out on Valentine's Day. However, the lure of a flip-flop party was too strong, and Asher saw JJ abandoning his post. It's good that Asher recruited Jabari for that starting weakside linebacker spot.
By the time JJ starts to take football seriously again, it's likely too late for him at Coastal California. Maybe there's a juco out there with his name on it.
Also dropping the ball was everyone at Laura's law firm when it came to Preach's case. First, Laura took Coop off Preach's case because she was too emotionally invested.
But someone had to have some investment in the case. Darius mishandled the briefs, and Preach lost custody of Amina, at least temporarily.
Coop was correct to stand up to Laura and insist that she be put back on the case because she felt like the person who had let Preach down the most.
Coop's rough edges almost cost her in pursuing a legal career. She had no idea what was involved in her interview to audit that professor's law course.
She didn't realize there would be such competition just to audit a class. Also, she knew she was out of her element during the interview and gave up.
But, as Coop does, she rallied and insisted that the professor give her a do-over.
And once she let her real story come out, she won over the professor and got approved to audit the course.
To revisit Jordan and Layla's history, watch All American online.
Was Layla justified in her approach?
How are you liking Alicia?
What's Olivia and Billy's next move?
Comment below.
Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.


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A big question circling around this preseason camp has been "how much has Drew Lock improved since last year?"
Is he going to become the carefree, potent gunslinger of last fall camp, albeit with less hair to cloud up his helmet? Or has a year of taking the mental and physical anguish of a rough trip through the SEC with a supporting cast that wasn't always the most...dependable?...taken a toll on him for the rest of his career?
Is he Jeff Bridges in The Fabulous Baker Boys? Or Jeff Bridges in the True Grit remake? I will accept no other movie analogues that do not involve Jeff Bridges.
There are all sorts of ways to poke at this issue. At 220 pounds, he's got more strength and insulation. At a year older and wiser, he should be better able to deal with the mental rigors. After months of getting comfortable with Josh Heupel — a proven quarterback whisperer — he should be on the uptick.
But how do we quantify what that could mean for his sophomore year numbers? I don't know. But we came up with an inelegant way to guess.
Drew Lock was an Elite 11 quarterback. As were hundreds of others since 1999, when the camp opened up.
We took Lock and 110 other Elite 11 quarterbacks since 2004 — back to the Chase Daniel camp — and plotted their stats over the course of their college careers to see what sort of improvement each made from year to year.
Then we applied the average improvement or regression of the group from year to year to Lock's freshman numbers to try to plot the course for the rest of his Missouri career.
Yes, there are tons of problems with this. Mostly because it does not control for, like, any other variables. But it's still kind of fun to see.
We plotted Lock's career by rate and by bulk. So, say, by improvements in touchdown and interceptions percentage as well as total touchdowns and interceptions, for instance. We also did a "10 percent better" than the average group of estimates, because we're optimists around here.
We also gave young Drew four different timelines for his future: one in which we plot him according to the rest of the 110 Elite 11 quarterbacks since 2004; one in which we separate him into a group of 22 of them that (like him) had more than 200 pass attempts as a true or redshirt freshman; one in which he put him down the shared path of Chase Daniel and Blaine Gabbert; and one in which we took his closest analogue of an Elite 11 quarterback based on freshman year numbers and sent him down that path.
Who it was may surprise AND ASTOUND you!!!!
Anyway, let's get started. As always, I'm going to puke a spreadsheet at you and then rejoin you for discussion after. We'll start with the darkest timeline and make our way to the most optimistic.
(Oh, and we did this with a lot of help from the College Football Reference website. We also included their "Adjusted Yards per Attempt" metric, which seems to reward touchdowns and punish interceptions. Don't know exactly what it means, but it's in there.)
Drew Lock as an Elite 11 Quarterback
The darkest timeline is the one in which we plot him compared to the entirety of his Elite 11 brethren from the past decade. Because, seemingly, for every Matthew Stafford, there are like 2.5 Brock Mansions.
Real person. Hilariously fake-sounding name. Cal must have picked him over Lance Uppercut.
As you can see (if you do some looking...), the average Elite 11 quarterback has made some modest improvements in his rate stats from his freshman to sophomore year. Completion percentage is up 4.47 percent, yards per attempt up 1.67, touchdown percentage up 6.87 percent and interception percentage down a more impressive 13.3 percent.
The bulk stats skyrocket, as mostly benchwarmers start to become backups, part-time starters or starters — completions, attempts, yards and touchdowns are all up more than 70 percent.
Where does that leave Lock? Well, not much better he was as a freshman. Just with more pass attempts.
In the passing by rate section, by the way, we took average attempts per game for all the quarterbacks, compared that with the freshman numbers, then applied the difference to Lock.
Then added 10 percent. Because we're optimists.
Bottom Line:
Average: 193-of-376 (51.3%), 1934 yards (5.14 per), 6 TD, 10 INT, 94.5 rating
Optimistic: 212-of-376 (56.4%), 2126 yards (5.65 per), 7 TD, 9 INT, 105.2 rating
Average: 233-of-455 (51.2%), 2343 yards (5.15 per), 7 TD, 12 INT, 94.3 rating
Optimistic: 256-of-501 (51.1%), 2577 yards (5.14 per), 8 TD, 11 INT, 95.2 rating
Drew Lock as an Elite 11 Quarterback with a High-Attempt Freshman Year
This more select group saw more marked rate improvements from their freshman to sophomore years: completion percentage up 8.07 percent, yards per attempt up 2.21, touchdown percentage up 12.5 and interception percentage down 17.
The bulk stat increases aren't as dramatic. Total attempts actually dip a little from freshman to sophomore. That's to be expected when you start at 300 attempts rather than, say, three.
The thing I found kind of interesting about this group of quarterbacks (which we won't really discuss because we're just talking sophomore year here), is that the junior year is the best, then the ones who stick around dip a bit as seniors.
I guess that makes sense. The good ones go early to the draft. The mediocre ones stay and plateau.
Bottom Line:
Average: 153-of-289 (52.9%), 1495 yards (5.17 per), 5 TD, 7 INT, 97.3 rating
Optimistic: 182-of-313 (58.2%), 1780 yards (5.69 per), 6 TD, 7 INT, 107.8 rating
Average: 138-of-260 (53.1%), 1346 yards (5.18 per), 4 TD, 7 INT, 96.3 rating
Optimistic: 152-286 (51.2%), 1481 yards (5.18 per), 4 TD, 6 INT, 97.1 rating
Drew Lock as Juice Williams
Yes, Drew Lock is Juice Williams. They are one in the same. Except for, you know, not.
Williams had the closest numbers to Lock's as a freshman in two pretty important categories.
Attempts: 261 vs. Lock's 263. Rating: 91.9 vs. Lock's 90.5.
So we took that as scientific proof and went with it. As all good scientists do.
Williams, like his other high-rep freshman brethren, built up to his junior year in passing numbers and then fell off a little as a senior. But, again, we're just talking about sophomore years here.
From freshman to sophomore, Williams improved his completion percentage 45.2 percent, yards per attempt 14.4, touchdown percentage 41.2 and lowered his interception percentage by 30.3.
His completion percentage also started at an obscenely low place. Which means an obscenely high one for Lock when we apply Williams' improvement to him.
Bottom Line:
Average: 192-of-269 (71.4%), 1557 yards (5.79 per), 6 TD, 6 INT, 122.9 rating
Optimistic: 195-of-248 (78.6%), 1580 yards (6.37 per), 6 TD, 5 INT, 136.1 rating
Average: 192-of-269 (71.4%), 1560 yards (5.80 per), 6 TD, 11 INT, 119.3 rating
Optimistic: 211-296 (71.3%), 1716 yards (5.80 per), 7 TD, 10 INT, 121 rating
Drew Lock as Chase Daniel and Blaine Gabbert
This is the silliest one. The one most based on nothing.
But it's also the most optimistic so, hey, if that's your sort of thing, then latch onto it.
Daniel and Gabbert went from backups to starters from freshman to sophomore year. Though Daniel got more use than Gabbert, neither of them touched Lock in terms of pass attempts their first year on campus.
So the improvements from freshman to sophomore year for those two are astronomical. To the point where we didn't even do estimates by bulk because if you improved Lock's freshman touchdown total by, say, the requisite, 5100 percent, you come up with 204 passing touchdowns for Drew Lock this year.
That ain't happening. Unless...
This is how you make Lock a 30-touchdown guy as a sophomore. Turn him into Chase Daniel or Blaine Gabbert.
Hey, it's happened before. Twice.
Bottom Line:
Average: 248-of-449 (55.2%), 3653 yards (8.14 per), 31 TD, 11 INT, 141.5 rating
Optimistic: 251-of-414 (60.6%), 3707 yards (8.95 per), 32 TD, 10 INT, 156.5 rating
Let's not belabor this thought exercise any longer.
If Lock ends up with numbers approaching any of the ones posited above, it will be by sheer chance and not THE OVERWHELMING PRE-DESTINY OF MATHEMATICS!!!!
But I hope this at least got you thinking about the improvements similar quarterbacks to Lock have made from freshman to sophomore year over the past decade in a less abstract way than "he's seeing the field really well."
As a final gift, I'll throw the 14 season stat lines I proposed in the body of this post together and come up with one single, unifying theory of Drew Lock, sophomore quarterback:
201-of-343 (58.6%), 2061 yards (6.01 per), 10 TD, 9 INT, 113.4 rating
Sound fair?


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Our Attorneys Offer Compassionate and Experienced Legal Representation Nationwide
The special needs community suffers from one of the highest rates of sexual assault in America.
Individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities are known to be at a greater risk for sexual assault. A yearlong investigation uncovered that sexual assault and abuse of people with intellectual disabilities occurs as much as SEVEN TIMES more often than to people without special needs.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, people with special needs are targeted as crime victims more often than people without. This includes sexual violence and sexual harassment.
The abuse often goes unreported because victims do not feel safe enough to talk about what happened to them or do not think they will be believed. Some victims may not have the capacity to communicate their stories of abuse. Some victims do not understand what sexual assault is and that it is against the law.
Where Does Abuse of People With Disabilities Occur Most Often?
People with special needs and disabilities are particularly vulnerable to sexual assault and abuse. People with special needs may be at risk of sexual abuse, in many instances assaulted by someone they know and trust. Special needs individuals are also more likely to be assaulted at places they should feel safest and during daytime hours. Sexual assault may occur in the following places:
- Nursing homes
- Group home facilities
- Long term care facilities
- Special needs camps
- Childcare facilities
- Schools
- In the home with a healthcare provider
There is often a high turnover rate among caregivers in these settings. Perpetrators who commit sex crimes in these settings may never be charged or convicted. Instead, they move on to their next target.
For many survivors of sexual assault and abuse, justice may be obtained through a civil lawsuit. It is important to speak with an attorney as soon as possible after you or someone you love was abused. An experienced sexual assault attorney with our firm can help you determine if you have a viable sexual assault claim.
Our Attorneys Have Experience With Special Needs Sexual Assault Cases
The legal team at Grant & Eisenhofer P.A. is committed to representing special needs individuals who are survivors of sexual abuse. Our goal is to hold negligent facilities and offenders accountable.
If you or someone you love has special needs and has been sexually abused, consult with an attorney at our firm. Our attorneys represent clients nationwide and offer a free initial consultation.
Sexual Assault Verdicts and Settlements
Sexual predators target special needs individuals because the predator sees them as easy prey. People with intellectual disabilities may not be aware that what happened to them is wrong and that they can file a lawsuit against the perpetrator and, oftentimes, the facility. A sexual abuse lawsuit may help to compensate for emotional trauma and other damages a victim may be experiencing after being sexually assaulted.
Sexual abuse survivors have enlisted legal help from law firms like Grant & Eisenhofer P.A. to bring justice to their claims.
What Can You Do If You Have Special Needs and Were Sexually Assaulted?
If you or someone you love has an intellectual or physical disability and was sexually assaulted or abused, call Grant & Eisenhofer P.A. to speak with our experienced team of attorneys. It is important to know that the assault is not the victim's fault and that you are not alone. Our compassionate, experienced attorneys can help you understand your rights.
Discuss Your Potential Case With Our Experienced Attorneys
If you or someone you love has special needs and was sexually assaulted, contact the attorneys at Grant & Eisenhofer P.A. Our legal team understands that filing a sexual assault lawsuit is a very sensitive and important decision. We will take the time to listen to your concerns and answer any questions you may have.
Contact our firm online or by calling (855) 244-2031 to discuss your potential case with our compassionate and experienced attorneys. We offer free consultations.


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Once a staple of the file sharing community, second only to the so popular even your grandmother has heard of it, Pirate Bay, Kickass Torrents had become the next best place to go for your freeloading fix of audio files, DVD rips, games and great as well as not so great quality cam recordings of the latest Hollywood movies (Yes, we have all sat through these at some point, squint-eyed, pretending the 144p pixelated mess was "fine cos it's free" and you waited six hours for it to download). And when the Pirate Bay became the whipping boy of the file sharing world and ISPs began to rampantly block access to the file-sharing site, swathes of users migrated to the next best thing, Kickass Torrents, pushing it to prominence as the most popular p2p bit-torrent site in the world.
So, where the hell did it disappear to?
Seized. You could say it was only a matter of time, with the precedent that was made when Pirate Bay was made an example of. Earlier this year, in July, The Kickass Torrents domain was appropriated by the United States government. At the same time, those behind the site took the proxy servers offline. So, after hopping from server to server in an attempt to outrun the inevitable, in one fell swoop the whole operation was wiped from the face of the earth after a prosperous eight year lifespan (the criminal investigation into the site and its owners has purported that the site made approximately $12 million per annum through advertising revenue alone).
What's more, following the hard-line approach that the United States government has been taking to file sharing, the alleged owner of Kickass Torrents, Artem Vaulin, was himself seized and taken into custody under the charge of a four-count indictment placed by the US authorities.
A native of Ukraine, Vaulin is to this day being held in a Polish cell after being recently refused bail. This heavy-handed approach follows on from the zero tolerance policy that was given maximum publicity in the Pirate Bay case. While the legality of punishing an individual for what is essentially an open, non-local, decentralised network is woolly, this hasn't blunted the knife of those who pursue the demise of peer to peer file sharing networks.
Are the torrent links still available? Somewhere? Somehow?
Kickass Torrents is dead. Finito. Met its maker. Consigned to history. Supposedly, Katcr.co is currently rebuilding the site, but for the moment exists only as a forum. Progress updates are posted on the site from time to time, and things are looking promising.
As for right now - There are sites out there using the Kickass Torrents logo and displaying what look like the site's torrent links, and they appear to be being frequently updated too, but don't be fooled, these sites are in fact thinly disguised links to Pirate Bay torrents just waiting to maraud your browser with pop-ups and redirects.
What are the alternatives now Kickass Torrents is no more?
The Pirate Bay, Extra Torrent, TorrentLeech, RARBG, idope, 1337x, Zooqle, Extra Torrent are all active and offer good sized databases of active torrent links. Be prepared to be swamped with pop-ups and frustrating redirects to complete a torrent search, particularly with the P B proxy sites.
It would be prudent to anticipate that it is just a matter of time before these sites also get squeezed once the authorities get around to them, so don't get too reliant on one site for all your needs.
There are many invite-only trackers out there, but as the name suggests, you can't just walk in and get the goods, and a lot of them have caps on the number of simultaneous users. You need to meet certain specific requirements before you are allowed to join, or have a friend on the inside who can supply you with an invite to get you in.
If you mainly used Kickass Torrents to find movies and TV shows, you can find most of what you have been missing at streaming sites. Again, it can take a bit of patient pop up killing to find a stream of watchable quality, but they are there if you take a bit of time to look for them.
Most music can be found on YouTube these days. Sure, it's not the same as having your library accessible offline, and the quality isn't comparable, but it does its part providing an easily searchable resource that lets you find even the most obscure tunes from yesteryear to satisfy a nostalgia fix.
What does this mean for the future of free downloads?
Well, it's looking pretty bleak for supermarket-style one stop shop downloading. The recording industry lobby has had a hard on for file sharing and has been doing a pretty successful job of crushing torrent sites and stamping on the remains. The frequency of reports from end users' receiving ceases notifications and copyright complaint letters for torrent uploads has also hiked in recent months. Some say these have no teeth, are all bark and no bite, but for many, it is a hassle that they wouldn't want to risk getting caught up in.
That said, the very nature of file sharing is its' non-locality. It started underground, and right there is where it will continue to prosper. Stamping out highly visible, household name sites with hundreds of thousands of users is a completely different kettle of fish to eradicating private trackers, tackling VPNs, Usenet, etc.
Change is afoot, that's for sure. But don't expect torrent sharing to come to a crashing halt. Copyright enforcement and the Internet is akin to a game of splat the rat, whack a mole, to stretch the metaphor, it'll likely be a perpetual game of cat and mouse that will continue for the lifetime of the internet!
Now it is available as http://katcr.co/


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If anyone on the City Council knows how to cope with lunacy, it's Richard Mell. After all, the longtime 33rd Ward alderman's been the father-in-law of Rod Blagojevich for the last 21 years.
So it seems fitting that Mell, chairman of the council's rules committee, is leading the city's ward remap—the nutty, cut-throat undertaking to redraw the boundaries of Chicago's 50 wards.
This is mandated by state law every ten years, ostensibly to match shifts in population per the U.S. Census so each City Council parcel has an equal number of people. But the remap, which happens behind closed doors, is mostly a power grab resembling the final seconds of a game show.
This time around, a caucus of Hispanic aldermen is citing rising numbers (an increase of 25,000 people) as a reason to up Latino-majority wards from 10 to 14. The African-American caucus is trying not to lose any of its 19 black wards. It's struggling against census figures showing the city's black population decreased by about 181,000, 90 percent of the total drop of 200,000. Each new ward will have 53,912 people, if a map is delivered by the December 1 deadline. And that's a big if.
Because of the drastic population changes, "We might not be able to get a map this time," Mell told me at the Morgan Park High School auditorium after one of the six scheduled public ward-remap meetings. During the 2000 remap, Mell says he missed his 36th wedding anniversary. If 41 alderman don't sign off on a new map, voters will choose one by referendum in the primary election in March.
At public hearings last week on the South Side, residents reminded Mell and several aldermen that in the racially motivated political power play, the council is losing sight of what matters. "We're not numbers, we're people!" said Vera Rowland, a 35-year resident of the southwestern 19th Ward, which could lose inhabitants from its largely African-American eastern border to the 21st and 34th wards. "We have a very special, integrated community, and that's what we want to maintain."
Dozens of residents and community groups gave similarly impassioned "Don't remap us!" testimony. They're worried about being drawn into a ward with a lower standard of city services like garbage pickup and street maintenance, with less community participation and with an unfamiliar alderman they didn't vote for. The concerns are legitimate from those who could be annexed into a new ward, Mell says. "I've got a certain part of my ward that's been there since I've been in office for 37 years. Do they mean more to me than the little portions that have been added? Yeah, of course."
Rookie 19th Ward Ald. Matt O'Shea says he plans to fight to keep his diverse ward intact. "Some aldermen truly do care about the community," he told me. "But most of them don't. They give a shit about their power. They think, Oh, God, I can't give up that one area where I get the most votes!"
During a remap hearing at South Shore International College Prep High School, several African-American alderman, including black caucus chairman 21st Ward Ald. Howard Brookins, defended the group's proposed map that preserves the 19-ward power structure. In turn, Mell proposed this hypothetical to residents: Would you be okay with losing a black alderman if it would keep your community intact? "They had no problem with that at all, did they?" Mell said later. "These aldermen are not in tune with their constituents. The constituents are more interested in keeping their community than they are about having 19 African-Americans in the City Council."
Meanwhile, new Chicago-based wonk organization the Pro Bono Thinking Society published its own ward map, based only on population at the census tract. In the proposal, the group writes, "Wards should not be created based on race, political implications, or for the benefit of any individual or individual group." How reasonable. How un-Chicago.
The final public ward-remap hearing is Thursday 17, 10am–1pm, in the City Council Chambers at City Hall (121 N LaSalle St), second floor.


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This Module is currently available.
Polyphonic Envelope Generator
This 6HP Eurorack module is a fully analog quad envelope generator with a separate gate/trigger input for each of the four EGs. With no gate/trigger connected, each EG will cycle as an LFO. There is a toggle switch to change between gate and trigger mode. The LFOs cycle in gate mode, but will stop when set to trigger mode. The attack and release (rise and fall) times can be controlled with the knobs or CV inputs. There is a toggle switch to change between three ranges (Medium/Low/High). These wide ranges allow you to generate anything from super percussive slaps, to long drawn-out ambient shapes. The attack and release affect the four EGs equally, making this module perfect for your polyphonic setup!
Low Range:
Attack (Rise) 300us - 400ms
Release (Fall) 300us - 400ms
LFO 1666Hz - 1.25Hz.
Medium Range:
Attack (Rise) 1.7ms - 3s
Release (Fall) 1.7ms - 3s
LFO 294Hz - 0.166Hz.
High Range:
Attack (Rise) 17ms - 30s
Release (Fall) 17ms - 30s
LFO 29.4Hz - 0.0166Hz.
Check out these video demos by Jee!
3 Users are observing this


text:
Prepared for the
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
View this page at www.dailyalert.org
Daily Alert Mobile
December 31, 2014
In-Depth Issues:
8.3 Million Israelis at End of 2014 - Yaron Druckman (Ynet News)
At the end of 2014, Israel's population was 8,296,000 residents, including 6,218,000 Jews (75%), 1,719,000 Arabs (21%) and 359,000 "others," the Central Bureau of Statistics said Monday.
Some 23,000 new immigrants arrived in 2014.
Video: The Day Lt. Hadar Goldin Was Kidnapped in the Gaza War - Yoav Zitun (Ynet News)
Ynet has obtained footage of the events of August 1, 2014, during the Gaza War, involving the capture and death of Lt. Hadar Goldin and the implementation of the IDF's Hannibal Directive to prevent his abduction by Hamas.
The Hannibal Directive allows commanders to take whatever action is necessary to prevent a situation where Israel is forced to negotiate with captors.
Yemen's Houthis Seeking Control of Long-Range Missiles - Arafat Madabish (Asharq Al-Awsat-UK)
Shi'ite Houthi fighters are seeking to take control of long-range missiles capable of striking neighboring Gulf states, the head of Yemen's Aba'd Center for Strategic Studies, Abdulsalam Mohammed, warned.
He said: "By targeting Arhab [in the Sana'a governorate], the Houthis are seeking to gain control of vital strategic military sites, particularly in the mountains overlooking Sana'a, as well as military sites within the capital itself. This includes some of the most important military camps which include strategic long-range missiles that could strike neighboring Gulf states."
Report: Saudi Arabia to Allow Jews to Work in Kingdom (MEMRI)
On Dec. 30, 2014, the Saudi daily Al-Watan reported that Saudi authorities are now allowing people of all faiths, including Jews, to work in the kingdom.
Saudi Shura Council Foreign Affairs Committee member Sadaqa bin Yahya Fadhel said:
"We are permitted to have a connection with Jews, and importing a Jewish worker is exactly the same as importing [a worker] of another faith....So long as we have no relationship whatsoever with Israelis, then there is no problem with this."
Saudi Arabia is the only Gulf state that still bans the establishment of houses of worship for religions other than Islam.
Egypt to Expand Gaza Buffer Zone (AFP-Al-Arabiya)
Egypt said Tuesday work will begin next week to double the width of a buffer zone being built along the border with Gaza to prevent militants infiltrating from the Palestinian enclave.
A 500-meter-wide buffer zone is now being built along 10 km. of the border, and it will be expanded by another 500 meters, North Sinai provincial governor Abdel Fattah Harhur said.
Heavy Air Pollution in Tehran, 400 Hospitalized (AFP-Gulf Times-Qatar)
Almost 400 people have been hospitalized with heart and respiratory problems caused by heavy air pollution in Tehran, with nearly 1,500 others requiring treatment, Hassan Abbas, an emergency services manager, said Monday.
The situation worsens in winter, when cold air leads to a carcinogenic fog that blankets the city.
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Did you know that 17 February is celebrated as Random Acts of Kindness Day? Share the love this Valentine's month at Eastgate Shopping Centre and show a little kindness by making a special purchase at Cotton On Emporium.
You may be familiar with the Cotton On brand and its sister stores, Typo and Factorie, at Eastgate Shopping Centre, but there is more to this urban wear collective than cool tees and ripped jeans.
The Cotton On Foundation works to empower young people in underprivileged communities by funding their education. Through a unique partnership with their customers and team members, the Cotton On Foundation is focused on empowering youth globally through the delivery of quality educational projects in Uganda, South Africa, Thailand and Australia.
They also partner with communities to provide long-term opportunities across education, health, sustainability and infrastructure, with the aim of reducing poverty and improving the lives of people who may otherwise be forgotten.
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Our brand new mints are here to keep it fresh (your breath, that is), with a slick new look and two new flavours—that's a whole lot of new 😎 One thing is definitely staying the same though: 100% of proceeds go towards empowering youth across the globe with a quality education. In stores now! #cottononfoundation #empoweringyouth #qualityeducation
The Cotton On Foundation donates 100% of proceeds from their selection of special in-store products to keep this initiative running. These products can be found in over 1500 Cotton On stores across the globe, including at the Cotton On Emporium, Typo and Factorie at Eastgate Shopping Centre. You've probably come across a few of these products on your way to the pay points at these stores. Tote bags with quirky captions and designs, still and flavoured waters, tissue packs and mints are more than just add-ons to your shopping cart at Cotton On. These items can help change a life. Do consider giving back and sharing the love this month by purchasing these quirky gems on your next trip to the Cotton On group stores at Eastgate. And here are some of our favourite pieces currently in store:
Cotton On Foundation Tote Bag Peace Rose
Available from Cotton On Emporium.
Store Number: U101 | Tel: (011) 615 1928
Cotton On also sells hair-tie sets, motivational cards and handmade bracelets as part of the Cotton On Foundation collection. We love these chequered two-pack scrunchies. Gift yourself and know that you've helped make a difference.
Large Scrunchie Two Pack
Available from Cotton On Emporium.
Store Number: U101 | Tel: (011) 615 1928
"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." – Aesop
43 Bradford Road, Bedfordview,2008
Telephone: +2711 479 6000
Email: [email protected]
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Designed and Developed by Excellerate Brand Management


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March 20, 2013
British private water operators tax evade millions!
Revenues for the State by taxing private water operators? Last news from G.Britain is here to bust one more...
February 3, 2013
"Water makes money"
The film Water makes money by Leslie Franke and Herdolor Lorenz focuses on the effects of water privatization...


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HBO Max is reuniting Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) from «Sex and the City» in a ten-episode, half-hour series titled «And Just Like That». The series will follow what happened to the girls as the trio «navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s.» Its scheduled to begin production in New York late spring. The original Sex and the City series was set and shot in New York City, Nominated for over 50 Emmy Awards and winning seven, the HBO show had 94 episodes broadcast over six seasons, premiering on June 6, 1998 and concluding on February 22, 2004. It was followed by a Sex and the City movie in 2008, which was followed by Sex and the City 2 in 2010, both of which were successful at the box office. A Sex and the City 3 was developed in 2016 but ultimately cancelled reportedly due to co-star Kim Cattrall's unwillingness to revisit the part of Samantha. Cattrall does not appear to be involved in the revival either.
Who's excited? We have mixed feelings that sexy and scandalous Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) won't be back to reprise her role. But we cant wait to see which designers will contribute with outfits, shoes and accessories. And the stunning scenes of the New York cityscape off course.
«And Just Like That…» will be executive produced by Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon and Michael Patrick King.


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Average Costs of buying a Sail Boat
Everything has a cost. Traveling is unquestionably exactly the same. Therefore, you'll need money so that you can hop in a single to a different. One growing method of traveling is sail boating. This method is casual, relaxing and an individual may experience very beautiful scenery after they travel. However, it costs a substantial pretty […]Continue Reading


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History of the Dogo Argentino
Dream Dogos Strives to Preserve the Original Breed Standard
The DOGO ARGENTINO was visioned by Dr. Antonio Nores Martinez, in 1928, in the province of Cordoba, Argentina. He started with the old fighting dog of cordoba, a dog which was very strong and vigorous but lacked the ability to hunt in a gruop. It is a crossbreed among Mastiff, Bulldog and Bull Terrier.
Through methodical crossbreeding of several pure breeds it became not only an excellent big game hunting dog but also very versatile regarding function. It has proved to be a noble companion and a loyal and insurmountable protector of those it loves. Its strength, tenacity, sharp sense of smell and bravery make it the best dog among those used for hunting wild boars, pumas and in my case even small game like pheasants. Argentine Dogos have also been successfully used in obedience and agility trials ,therapy ,Schutzhund, French Ring Sport, weight pulling, sled racing, search and rescue and police work, even as seeing eye dogs.
Its harmony, balance and its excellent athletic muscles are ideal characteristics for these multiple functions.
The Dogo Argentino enjoys increasing popularity. By now, this breed has found its way into the hearts of many followers across five continents.
On a more personal note, I was captivated by this versatility in function of the Dogo Argentino. I started my journey with Dogo Argentinos in 2008. Through my experience, the Dogo Argentino with the right blood lines as created by Dr Antonio Nores Martinez, proved to be everything it was designed to do. Dogo Argentinos are great family dogs, great companions and great hunters. Any deviation from this blood line and you do not have a Dogo Argentino.
Fighting Dog of Cordoba
he Fighting Dog of Cordoba was the base breed for the Dogo Argentino. The Fighting Dog of Cordoba was a cross breed of English Bulldog, Bull Terrier and Mastiff. The dog was vigorous and strong but lacked the ability to act as a family dog, as well as lacking the ability to hunt in a pack.
The Boxer was bred to provide vitality and gentleness.
The Pointer provided a keen sense of smell.
The Bulldog added boldness, as well as a broad chest.
Bull Terrier
The Bull Terrier made the Dogo Argentino fearless.
Great Pyrenees
The Great Pyrenees provided the Dogo Argentino with it's white coat and protective instincts.
Great Dane
The Great Dane provided a large size for the Dogo Argentino.
Irish Wolfhound
The Irish Wolfhound provided the instinct and ability to hunt wild game.
Dogue De Bordeaux
The Dogue De Bordeaux provided powerful jaws.
The Mastiff provided endurance, as well as it's power.
Lihuen – Dogo Argentino
Lihuen the end product of all the above still bears resemblance to her ancestor The Old Fighting Dog of Cordoba.


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"What do you [God] gain by oppressing me?
Why do you reject me; the work of your own hands,
while smiling on the schemes of the wicked?"
Job 10:3 NLT
Confession time: When I opened the Bible app last Friday to find that we were heading into the book of Job, I wasn't thrilled.
Job is so gosh darn agonizing to read. And dramatic. And disconcerting.
It's a lot of things, really.
While I've never had my farm animals stolen; my children crushed; or broken out in unbearable boils, I do know what it's like to lose everything dear in life.
When I was a teenager, my parents divorced and life as I knew it forever changed. Everything I had ever known and loved seemed shattered to pieces, irreparable.
At 16 I found myself shaking my fists at God and demanding answers, much like Job.
Because also, like Job, I had a skewed view of God.
I grew up religious, and much like Job's friends, the church and my incorrect assessment of the Bible told me that I must have done something to deserve this punishment. Understandably, I pulled away.
But I was wrong.
And so was Job.
The advantage we have in reading about Job's life is we see the behind the scenes.
Job 1 seems like something out of a sci-fi film, as we find Satan approaching God, I imagine with a sly up-to-no-good smirk on his face.
"I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that's going on," Satan says.
Then the Lord asks Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless-- a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil."
Wow. Just wow.
What if Job knew that God had said such honorable things about him?
What if Job had the insight to understand that God was allowing these things to take place in his life not to punish him, but to prove his character?
While the events to follow would still have been painful, I think Job would have found shelter in God from the get-go, instead of the drama that ensued.
The same goes for my story.
(Hindsight is 20/20.)
I wish I understood then what I understand now-- that divorce was never God's plan A. But He allowed those trials to happen my life to refine me because He loves me.
Isaiah 48:10 says, "See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction."
God wants to see what I'm really made of. When all the niceties of life fade away, and He is all that remains.
Spoiler alert: God eventually answers Job's challenge. 28 chapters later He "answered Job from the whirlwind", putting an end to Job's pity party pretty quickly and silencing the "wisdom" of his friends.
Job encountered God.
And his response? "I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance."
In times of trouble I must trust that God is good (Psalm 145:9) and He is good to me (Romans 8:28).
God does not punish His children; He proves them.
He tested Abraham loyalty when He asked Him to sacrifice Isaac. He was proven a wholehearted follower of God by his willingness to sacrifice his own son.
He tested Ruth, a young widow who had every right to play it safe and return home to her family. She was proven noble by her resolve to stay with Naomi and care for her.
He tested Joseph when he found himself engaged to a pregnant virgin. He was proven honorable when he chose to obey God, despite public shame.
Man, I wish I had the knowledge 16 years ago that I have now. But that's the essence of wisdom- it comes with experience.
It only seems appropriate to wrap this one up with one of my favorite, most encouraging verses that I've come to experience firsthand- James 1:2-4, which says,
"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."
Trials don't define us, they refine us.
Dwelling in Him.
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A little about me...
Hi, I'm Katie!
Wife to Craig, mom of three, author, writer, Rooted Moms founder, Jesus-follower, Bible teacher, and coffee enthusiast.
Follow me as I follow Christ and share my heart throughout the journey.
December 2022


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Swiss Lotto
Swiss Lotto seems to be this type of your friendly neighbourhood lottery, like Tom Holland's Spider-man. I can't exactly put my finger on why I've had this warm feeling concerning this lotto from the first time I checked it out, but this feeling definitely wasn't wrong.
Perhaps it was the image of elderly gentleman offering you a birthday cupcake that welcomes you at their website? Or maybe just its very straight-forward and lucrative offer…
Let's see!
Content, coverage or other words – what games can you find here?
Swiss Lotto uses the most popular format of all – the double matrix. Players need to choose 6 numbers out of 42 available plus 1 lucky number out of 6. Simple and not overwhelming at all, especially when you compare it to huge transnational lotteries.
Apart from the main Swiss Lotto games, there are also two additional ones, which are connected to the main drawing. The first one is called rePlay and it gives you a free Quick Tip entry if you win. It is represented by a single digit placed on your ticket (players don't pick it).
The second Swiss Lotto game is called the Joker – perhaps after on of the DC's most famous villains or (what is more probable) after a figure from the deck of cards. If you activate the Joker, you pick six-digit number independently of the main game. You need to guess as many numbers as possible with the minimum of 2 in the right order from left to right.
Is it trustworthy?
A hundred times yes. It's been around since 1970 and over 830 people have won at least 1 million Swiss francs since then. You must be aware that in order to participate through official Swiss Lotto online lottery provider, you must:
- Be 18 or older
- Be resident in German-speaking Switzerland, Ticino or the Principality of Liechtenstein,
- Be registered with swisslos.ch, and possess the minimum of CHF 5.00 in your bank account.
Players should also know that all winnings above 1 million Swiss francs are taxed at a rate of 35% in Switzerland. In addition, if you play through online lotto agent, be aware that your Swiss Lotto prize may be a subject of double taxation.
Recommended agents to play this lottery
https://www.swisslos.ch/en/home.html – this is the official online lotto provider of Swiss Lotto, therefore we recommend it as a default solution.
https://www.lottohelden.de/ – german only, but really great (there is nothing that Google translate can't handle so keep your mind open).
https://www.thelotter.com/ – one of the best online lotto agents in the entire known universe – expensive though.
Odds and prize pools – what are your chances of winning and how much can you get?
Odds in all prize tiers are pretty amazing. One of the best in the entire lotto business.
Configuration Odds Typical prizes
6 + 1 1 in 31,474,716 Jackpot – minimally CHF 1'500'000.-
6 + 0 1 in 6,294,943 CHF 1'000'000.-
5 + 1 1 in 145,716 CHF 10'000.-
5 + 0 1 in 29,143 CHF 1'000.-
4 + 1 1 in 3,331 CHF 150.-
4 + 0 1 in 666 CHF 75.-
3 + 1 1 in 9,631 CHF 25.-
3 + 0 1 in 220 CHF 10.-
You may contact them through the choice of social media or the more standard way – Customer Service Center, which provides you with a phone line available in different working hours everyday but Sunday; email and contact form.
To sum up | TL;DR
When you play at the official Swiss Lotto online website you pay CHF 2.50 per each pick of numbers but you need to spend at least CHF 5.00.
Amazing odds – extremely rewarding.
Very well-established – existing since 1970.
Jackpots start at CHF 1.5 million and can grow to as much as CHF 70 million!
Pretty fair towards many players but taxation in Switzerland is huge.


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The recipe is for a brioche-like dough - it's very forgiving and easy to make.
You're going to wish that you never learned to make these!
This is a recipe that's best made using metric measurements, and a scale
|For dough
|purpose flour
|1 1/4 Teaspoon
|3 Tablespoon
|Softened butter
|1/2 Cup (8 tbs)
|1 Cup (16 tbs) (room temp)
|Instant yeast
|1 1/4 Teaspoon
|For filling
|2 Tablespoon
|7/8 Cup (14 tbs)
|Brown sugar
|2/3 Cup (10.67 tbs)
Rehydrate the yeast by mixing it into the room temp water.
Mix the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Once the yeast is 'foamy', pour the yeast/water mixture, butter, and eggs into the stand mixer.
With a dough hook; mix just until the dough comes together.
Let rest for 15 minutes to allow flour to fully hydrate.
On medium speed knead dough for about 10 minutes.
Remove dough from stand mixer and knead by hand a few times (just to get a feel for the dough).
Place dough ball in a greased bowl and let rest 1 hour.
Make the filling by melting the butter and mixing in the cinnamon and brown sugar.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll out dough to ¼" thick.
Spread the filling evenly over the rolled out dough.
Roll up the dough with the filling inside.
Cut into 12 equally sized 'buns'.
Place buns in a buttered glass baking dish.
Cover and allow to rise until buns are touching.
(You can at this point put them in the fridge and bake them tomorrow.)
Preheat the oven to 320ºF (160ºC).
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until internal temp reaches 190ºF.
Serving size Complete recipe
Calories 4614Calories from Fat 2341
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 266 g409.2%
Saturated Fat 163 g815%
Trans Fat 0 g
Sodium 2610 mg108.75%
Total Carbohydrates 516 g172%
Dietary Fiber 28 g112%
Sugars 181 g
Protein 61 g122%
Vitamin A % Vitamin C %
Calcium % Iron %
*Based on a 2000 Calorie diet


text: Donations for the Special Olympics are still being accepted through the 2021 Polar Plunge in Eau Claire. Saturday people gathered in Pinehurst Park for sledding, snowshoeing, or walking and raised more than nine-thousand-dollars. Events in the past saw participants diving into icy water for donations, but not this year because of the pandemic.


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Flash Sale: save 20% on almost everything - For a short time only
Flash Sale: save 20% For a short time only
The art of listening
The delivery date is:
Please note: Additional country-specific duties, taxes and fees may apply, depending on your country of delivery. Please check with your local customs office for these fees. In addition, depending on the carrier used, additional service and handling fees may apply, over which we have no control. We ask for your understanding.
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Each article has its own individual shipping costs. These shipping costs are directly related to size, weight, number of packages, product group, shipping company and price of the product. In this way we can offer you a fair shipping price appropriate to your product.
The shipping costs distinguish between deliveries within and outside Germany. The destination is always decisive, not the address of the customer. You will be informed about the expected amount on this page. The amount of the shipping costs may change if additional components are added.
The shipping costs for deliveries outside Germany are divided into two categories: Zone 1 and Zone 2: These zones have become necessary due to the very different costs which the contracted transport companies charge for their services. Customers of Teufel.de order exclusively to the delivery countries Germany, Austria, Switzerland.
Shipping logistics
Particularly large and/or heavy orders (over 31.5 kg) are delivered by a forwarding agent. As a rule, the commissioned company will arrange an individual delivery date with you - for this purpose, we need your telephone number during the ordering process.
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Copy code and redeem during checkout.
Expiry Date 30.09.2023*
Sale ends in
Don't let appearances deceive you. Just because the STEREO L speakers look fancy with their hardwood, varnish, and polished aluminum does not mean that they're boring. On the contrary: within them beats the heart of two brilliant pedigreed musicians with revolutionary sound quality, and volume loud enough to clear any stage.
You can listen to music in true CD quality without interruption from calls or messages via the Teufel Raumfeld app. You can stream music from your CD- or record player and listen to it throughout the whole house with another speaker. You can even play music from a smartphone, USB stick or hard drive via the app.
Try the Teufel Raumfeld app
Use Bluetooth to stream any audio, such as YouTube videos, Apple Music or Amazon Music, from your smartphone or tablet directly to your speakers. Our speakers ensure a particularly stable Bluetooth transmission with a long range of up to 15m.
You can stream Spotify via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and also use Spotify Connect independently to benefit from the features of the Spotify app. You can quickly change the audio output from your smartphone to the speakers without pausing.
No more hassle. The Teufel Stereo L gives you more than enough options to leave your phone in your pocket and keep your focus on what matters, the music.
Use Alexa voice control to select and enjoy music even more conveniently. Compatible Teufel systems can be paired with an Amazon Echo device to expand their capabilities. Read more about about the possibilities on the Teufel blog.
Lost the remote somewhere in the couch cushions? Don't worry. Google Nest devices let you control the system with the sound of your voice.
All Teufel Streaming systems can be connected to one another thanks to integrated Raumfeld technology. Listen to the same or different music across several rooms and speakers. Use the Teufel Raumfeld app to manage your rooms, group individual multi-room speakers together, create individual playlists and control the volume and sound using the equaliser.
Passive 3-way column speaker, part of the Stereo L system.
Active 3-way column speaker, part of the Stereo L system. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
All necessary accessories are included in the delivery.
0.5 m stereo cinch connection cable
Universal 3.5 mm stereo AUX cable
Universal 3.5 mm stereo extension cable
Ready-to-play record player with belt drive, suitable for LP and singles
Ready-to-play record player with belt drive, suitable for LPs and singles
Fully automatic turntable with belt drive, suitable for LP and singles
Top-of-the-range DJ turntable with direct drive and USB connection, suitable for LPs and singles
Fully automatic HIFI record player with belt drive, suitable for LPs and singles. Electronic 33/45 switching.
HIFI record player with belt drive. Suitable for LPs and singles. Electronic 33/45 switching.
High-end HIFI record player with belt drive. Suitable for LPs and singles. Electronic 33/45/78 switching.
Compact, portable and flexible digital player ready for DJ software recordbox by Pioneer DJ
2-channel all-in-one DJ system for the DJ software recordbox by Pioneer DJ (free licence included) or for stand-alone operation without computer
2-channel DJ mixer with professional features, built-in sound card and best price/sound ratio
2-channel DJ controller for the free WeDJ app, connection via Bluetooth & MIDI (via USB) with smartphone or PC/Mac
Professional 2-channel DJ controller for the DJ software rekordbox by Pioneer DJ (free licence included).
A compact speaker for all your streaming needs via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
A compact yet powerful all-in-one sound system for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth streaming with integrated subwoofer
A bookshelf speaker set with integrated amplification for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth streaming, powerful enough to fill even larger rooms with sound
Universal Wi-Fi and Bluetooth streamer with Cirrus Logic® high-end digital-to-analog converter
Top-of-the-line slim soundbar for high-quality audio in TV, music, and gaming.
Keeps hot drinks hot for up to 12 hours and cold drinks cold for up to 24 hours
Snap back Cap with the "Teufel" logo
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Further information on data processing can be found in Teufel's data protection declaration at https://teufelaudio.com/privacy-notice.


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By Mark TenBroek
Sedona, Arizona – The major draw to Sedona for residents and visitors alike are the Red Rocks and the many trails that provide an up close look to the wonderful formations. Unfortunately, there are times in the Spring and Fall when so many people visit the area that these trails can become overwhelmed and you can see the degradation on the trails and trailheads as well as roadways that are over capacity. Not a good experience for visitors or residents as shown in the photo.
While some may not like the single lane SR-179 that extends from I-17 to the Y, those of us that can remember what it was like before this was built can recall the unorganized random roadside parking, social trails, and overuse that took place before this scenic byway was built. The US Forest Service (USFS) was wise to construct limited parking for Bell Rock, Little Horse, and the Yavapai Vista Point to manage the number of hikers that could access the trails from these trailheads. Since the rest of the roadway was listed as no parking, had curbs and bikeways, there were no other locations for hikers to start from.
North of USFS land in Sedona things got more complicated with an existing trailhead for Cathedral Rock on the Back O'Beyond Road, Mystic Trail in the Chapel area, Broken Arrow at the end of Morgan Road and Soldiers Pass. These neighborhoods and their roads became places where visitors would flout the no parking rules and park illegally. So this turned into a problem that the City of Sedona needed to manage.
Over the past year, Sedona has managed the Back O'Beyond problem by building a parking lot on SR-179 and deployed Trailhead Transit along with Traffic Control Assistants (TCAs) to manage traffic in the area and move hikers to the Cathedral Rock trailhead during peak times. No parking is also enforced on Morgan Road and in the Chapel area. Now the City is considering providing an automated gate at Back O'Beyond to help manage entry to the trailhead.
Another Approach for Cathedral Rock
What if there was another better approach to the trailheads in Sedona? Lars Romig of the Sedona Fire District and a member of the Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition recognized the limited access for rescue operations via the Cathedral Rock trailhead and proposed another way. They understood that just south of Back O'Beyond is USFS land on the Cathedral Vista Mesa that extends all the way to the existing trailhead on Back O'Beyond. This provides an opportunity to build a new Cathedral Rock trailhead that could be accessed directly off SR-179 and a set of new overlook trails for Cathedral Rock that could better manage both the visitors wanting to climb Cathedral and those less athletic who simply want a better view from level trails.
This would provide a new Cathedral Rock trailhead accessed only from a new roadway connected to SR-179 and would eliminate the existing trailhead and parking on Back O'Beyond. This concept is shown in the figure to the right would include construction of additional trails along the Cathedral Vista Mesa for better viewing opportunities for hikers. The access on SR-179 would be directly across from the Little Horse Trailhead parking lot.
This approach would allow better transit access to the new trailhead for Cathedral Rock and would better manage overall traffic to this area while moving hikers out of Sedona residential areas that cause safety problems. This would also contribute to enhancing the overall experience of the scenic corridor by better dispersion of users and removing conflicts between hikers and City TCAs from roadways.
Lars Romig also noted that "These congestion and parking problems degrade the resident and visitor experience while showing no regard to jurisdictional boundaries. The ideal solutions also span these boundaries. Sedona residents should urge the City of Sedona, Yavapai County and the Coconino National Forest Red Rock Ranger District to prioritize this solution to better manage parking and user traffic. In the meantime, our sensitive landscape suffers further Environmental, Archeological and Visual Damage."
Dry Creek Road Improvements
When one drives Dry Creek Road West of Sedona on busy days there is a stark contrast with the current SR-179 Scenic Byway. Dry Creek Road has no parking limits North of the Sedona City Limits and you can often see bumper to bumper roadside parking that significantly exceeds the capacity of the USFS parking at the established trailheads. This random parking and social trails has caused degradation of the area in general and also impacts the many archeological and historic sites in the area. This dispersed parking and hiking also makes the area more difficult to find injured or in trouble hikers as they start from many different areas, delaying rescues.
The photo is another example of this parking overload taken over the Christmas Holiday on Boynton Pass Road, a time that sees far lower pressure than in the Spring and Fall peak periods.
The roadside parking also causes problems with conflicts between the auto traffic in the area and hikers walking in the roadway to the trailheads that will inevitably result in injury or death to these hikers.
Some would say that even if no parking was posted in this area, there would still be those that would park along the roadway since visitors would gladly pay the parking fines for a good parking location. To respond to that concern one only needs to look at Boynton Canyon Road near the Boynton Canyon Trailhead that is posted No Parking. This photo shows that at the same time as these other photos, there was no parking taking place on this section of the roadway.
This No Parking approach could be used to eliminate or at least control roadside parking along the entire length of this roadway system from SR-89A to the Doe Mountain trailhead. Existing USFS trailhead parking lots could remain open at all times to allow the appropriate numbers of hikers on the trails.
The areas recommended for No Parking is shown in the diagram below. It is understood that the City and Yavapai County are already evaluating the use of different methods to prevent parking along these roadway segments up to Boynton Pass Road. It is recommended that this No Parking approach be provided all the way to Doe Mountain in a single phase to prevent continued problem parking along Boynton Pass Road.
To encourage the access to these areas by other than cars, it would also be recommended that the shoulders of these roadways be extended to provide completely separated bikeways on either side of the roadway all the way to Doe Mountain.
This would significantly extend the bikeable pathways outside of the City and would encourage visitors to use their bikes and ebikes to explore these areas without the use of cars. Providing adequate separation for these bikeways and the roadway would also discourage the illegal parking in this area.
Why These Changes are Important to Sedona
The Cathedral Rock and Dry Creek upgrades described are outside of the City of Sedona. So why are these changes important to the residents of Sedona?
It is important to remember that while these areas are outside the City, the people that are using these trails are probably staying in Sedona, buying food and other things in Sedona, and most importantly are driving their cars in Sedona. During peak visitation periods the current Cathedral Rock trailhead requires the City to run a Trailhead Shuttle year round to limit traffic to the Back O'Beyond neighborhood.
If a new trail access was built, the use of the Trailhead Shuttle could be adjusted to peak periods only. No TCAs would be needed at SR-179. And safety for hikers would be improved.
If the No Parking improvements on Dry Creek Road were built, there would be a significant reduction in excess parking during peak visitation periods in this area. This would limit how many visitors could come to Sedona during peak visitation periods, acting like a reservation system. This would help reduce traffic in town during peak periods and should convince some that visit to come during less busy times.
How to Make these Improvements a Reality
The biggest challenges to making these two changes are the fact that these areas are outside Sedona. Both Yavapai County and the USFS need to be convinced that these changes are needed and that they need to support their construction.
For the USFS, it needs to be understood that a NEPA study may be needed for both areas and that this will take time. For Yavapai County, while they may support these changes, they likely do not have the funding to support these improvements or provide the enforcement that comes with No Parking requirements.
The community that has the most to gain from these changes is Sedona. These improvements are precisely the reason Sedona collects sales and bed taxes from businesses in Sedona so that the City can mitigate the damage that is caused by peak visitation by using these funds for making these changes.
So everyone in the community needs to work to convince the USFS that these are projects they should support. And everyone needs to work to convince Yavapai county that these will also work to benefit the County that also is impacted by the overuse of these trail systems. And finally, the City Council needs to support these changes and provide funding to make it happen.
Thanks to Lars Romig and the Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition for the concept and layout for the new Cathedral Rock Trailhead access off SR-179 as well as the ideas for improving the Dry Creek Road with reduced parking and bicycle access.
Editor's Note:
Mark is a retired Professional Civil Engineer who graduated from the University of Michigan in 1977 and worked as a consulting and design engineer in the Midwest for over 40 years. He worked primarily on Water and Wastewater projects for municipalities and utilities. Mark and his spouse arrived in Sedona in 2017 to design and build a home in Uptown where they now live. He understands Sedona's unique place as both a sacred and spiritual center. Researching how the local economy can be effectively managed to protect our quality of life, the natural world, the tourist experience, and reasonable profits for local businesses, has become his passion.


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learning from the worst
Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer who is considered by many to be the father of modern photojournalism. His famous quote, "Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst," is one that I only recently heard of, but I think it's definitely true in my case.
Recently my computer's main hard drive crashed, so I lost all my Lightroom catalog files. Thankfully all my pictures were on a different hard drive (that's backed up pretty regularly), so I didn't lose any of them. But in losing all the catalog files I lost all the edits that I had done to my pictures. (Lightroom is a non destructive image editor, so when you make edits to your pictures it doesn't actually touch the picture files, it just stores the edits in a catalog file.)
So anyways, I installed a new drive (finally had a reason to upgrade to an SSD), reinstalled Windows and Lightroom, and re-imported all my pictures. Because there's no catalog file, all the pictures were as they looked straight out of the camera. I started looking through those pictures and I realized it's definitely true that my first 10,000 pictures are my worst. And while I may be slightly better than I was before (and part of the reason for that is I rely on Lightroom so much nowadays), I still make a lot of the same mistakes. So in the interest of learning from my mistakes, for this week's 7shots I've posted some of my worst shots and what I've learned from them.
Missed focus. I was probably using continuous auto focus on this shot without selecting an autofocus point. So the camera picked a nice piece of wood on the background to focus on, rather than the koala. Lesson learned: Select your autofocus points.
Blown highlights. I seem to hike a lot in deep valleys, which tend to be areas that are challenging for photography, because there are often huge contrasts between the light and dark areas of the frame. And often if you meter for your subject in these situations you'll blow out the highlights in large portions of the picture. The way I avoid this nowadays is to turn on the 'blinkies' (on my camera I can set overexposed areas to blink yellow and underexposed areas to blink red), and then dial in my exposure to minimize the blinkies. It usually means that I underexpose anywhere from 1/3 of a stop to 1 2/3 stop. Then in Lightroom I can usually bring up the shadows to compensate (you have to shoot in raw for this.) Lesson learned: Adjust exposure for the situation and shoot in raw.
Sufficient shutter speed. I looked at the EXIF data on this picture, and it showed that this was exposed at ISO 800 and f/4 for the aperture with a shutter speed of 1/8 of a second. That's too slow a shutter speed for my shaky hands, and way too slow for an overly active dog like Annie. I should have raised ISO to get a faster shutter speed, even if it would've introduced more noise into the shoot. You can sort of correct for digital noise, but as far as I know Lightroom doesn't fix camera shake motion blur. There's actually a ton of things wrong with this photo– the white balance is off and it's a bit underexposed, but those issues can sort of be fixed in Lightroom. It's a throwaway picture because of the camera shake. Lesson learned: Make sure your shutter speed is high enough.
Skewed horizons and framing. I'm not sure how I ended up being so far off level for this shot. I should have taken the time to make sure the horizon was level, and I should have stood in the middle of the dock and pointed the camera straight down the dock. But I didn't, so instead of a cool picture I have this off balance looking one. Slanted horizons are easily fixed in Lightroom, but crappy framing cannot always be fixed. Sometimes I can crop a picture that's framed weirdly to get some improvement, but if it's off balance like this I'd probably toss it. Lesson learned: Take your time and frame correctly.
Check the ISO. If you look at the EXIF on this picture you'll see that it was shot at ISO 800. What a total n00b mistake, shooting at 800 in bright sun. (And there goes the slanted horizon again…) I think what happened in this shot was that I was hiking all day in a dark and shady forest, and when I emerged onto the beach all of a sudden I got so excited that I forgot to bring the ISO back down. Lesson learned: Adjust your ISO for changing light.
Crappy shots. Literally, metaphorically, photographically, this shot is crap. And it's not even properly exposed crap. Actually there's a lot of crappy photographs in my Lightroom catalog (not literal crap, but photographically crappy). Why is there so much crap? Perhaps I had an idea for a shot in my mind, but it just didn't come out like I thought it would. Or maybe I took the shot to tell a story, but later forgot the story behind the shot. Or in the case of wildlife or birds I'll often spray and pray and shoot a whole bunch of shots in the hope of getting one good one.
I once read that for every article published in National Geographic, there are 29,000 frames that are shot. Out of that 29,000 only a handful are published. So even the best photographers in the world have a lot of crap. Of course their crap is probably better than my pictures that I consider good. But I guess the lesson from this is: Keep shooting. Most of it will be crap. That's okay. (And who knows, maybe that crap can be useful, say for example to write a crappy blog post about crappy pictures…)
Diffraction, DOF, and hyperfocal distance. This was shot with the aperture set at f/22 on my ultra-wide 10mm lens. At the time I knew a little bit about DOF (depth of field), but didn't know anything about diffraction or hyperfocal distances. All I knew is that I wanted enough depth of field to get both the sign and all of the Grand Canyon in focus and as sharp as possible, so I naively set my camera for f/22 to maximize depth of field.
What I didn't know is that if you stop down past about f/8 you start to lose sharpness due to diffraction. And at the time I didn't know about hyperfocal distances. I know now that the hyperfocal distance for my 10mm lens at f/8 is just over 2 feet away. I'm pretty sure my lens was more than 2 feet away from that sign, so at f/8 I could have had everything in focus without losing sharpness due to diffraction.
Nowadays, in the smartphone era, there are apps that you can use to calculate the hyperfocal distances. On old manual lenses there are DOF scales, so these calculators weren't needed, but most new autofocus lenses don't seem to have them anymore. But anyways for landscape photography I find it useful to memorize at least the hyperfocal distance at f/8 of my lenses at their widest focal length. So for my ultrawide 10mm I know it's a bit over two feet, and on my 16-50mm (which is with me 90% of the time) it's a little over five feet at 16mm & f/8. I guess the lesson from this is: Get to know your lenses.
Leaving the camera at home. They say the best camera is the one that you have with you. In a lot of cases that's the camera on my phone. But there's been a lot of times when I've taken pictures with my phone and wished that I had a better camera with me. Sometimes I've left my camera at home because I didn't want to carry it on a long grueling hike or a crazy long bike ride. Other times it's been because of harsh conditions, such as snow backpacking. Over the years I've found that it's often the crazy long hikes or bike rides or crazy conditions that make for the best photographs. So nowadays I try to bring the SLR (or at least my mirrorless or even my waterproof action cam) every time I'm outdoors for an extended amoount of time. The one main exception is on road bike rides because there's usually no where to carry a camera. Lesson learned: Bring the big guns when possible.
One of the things I love about photography is that I'm constantly learning. Photographs 10,001 to 20,000 were hopefully a little better than 1-10,000. I still make a lot of the mistakes that I made during those first 10,000 shots, though nowadays I'm usually more conscious about how to adjust my camera to fix the mistakes for the next shot. So I guess I've learned a few things from my worst shots.


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Trust deficit across Irish society: Can business respond?
Trust levels in Ireland sit close to the bottom of 26 countries surveyed, just ahead of Russia, Japan, South Africa and Spain. The majority of respondents distrust government, NGOs, the media and business; do not see their economic prospects improving over the coming years; and believe that in its current form, capitalism does more harm than good.
At a time of high employment and economic growth, trust across Irish society should be surfing high on the wave of prosperity. That is not the case and Ireland finds itself in a type of trust paradox with strong economic performance on the one hand and issues of belief in our institutions on the other. The 2020 Trust Barometer points to seeds of public discontent.
There appears to be two very different realities at play, with higher levels of trust (17 per cent gap) recorded amongst those who are wealthier and more frequent consumers of news. In comparison, Ireland looks very different for others who do not trust business, Government, NGOs and the media to do the right thing.
There is a sobering reality in how Irish people view their economic prospects. This may in part be explained by concerns many have that the generational promise of a better future is becoming remote. Just 37 per cent of the public believe that they and their families will be better off in five years' time, and more than four in ten fear being left behind.
As an open economy, issues relating to globalisation are also causing concern and there is growing employment anxiety. 79 per cent of respondents said they are worried about losing their job due to the possibility of a looming recession, proliferation of AI and automation, and the impact of the gig economy.
The majority (57 per cent) agree that in its current form, capitalism does more harm than good and that "the system" is failing them. There can be no doubt that capitalism has been proven to work for society. No other system in the history of economic and political management has emerged that has outperformed responsible capitalism. Without profit there is no opportunity to reinvest, to innovate or to allocate the resources that society needs to protect itself and to prosper. However, it would appear that the Irish public is questioning the fairness of the system. Perhaps not a surprise as capitalism is always the most obvious target of discontent.
Over twenty years of the Edelman Trust Barometer, people's sense of trust has been influenced by whether an organisation is good at what it does. This is changing. As we face into a new decade, people are looking for more and the battle for trust is set to be fought based on ethics more than on competence.
When it comes to business, the public sees competence as a given, accounting for only a quarter of its trust capital. Financial performance, good product quality and sound strategy are basic requirements. Business is now expected to operate to another standard with ethical behaviour three times more important to company trust than competence. People want to be treated as citizens by companies not just as consumers.
Many companies are recognising this and are taking action to re-align behaviours in ways that are more inclusive. In the US the Business Roundtable has redefined the purpose of a corporation. Some 181 leading Chief Executives have committed to improving society by not only meeting the needs of shareholders but also the needs of customers, employees, suppliers and communities.
These are positive developments led by business leaders who understand that their mandate has gone beyond corporate social responsibility to embrace fundamental operational change. For businesses, it is no longer only a matter of what you do—it's also how you do it.
It would appear that this is also the public expectation in Ireland. The vast majority (91 per cent) believe that customers, employees, suppliers and communities, rather than shareholders, are most important to the long-term success of a company. They want companies to be profitable and improve the communities where they operate. 72 per cent agree that a company can do both.
Increasingly, CEOs are also expected to lead from the front: 90 per cent believe that business leaders should be vocal on issues that impact people's future, including training for jobs of the future, automation's impact on jobs, technology's impact on ethics, privacy and climate change. Three in four believe CEOs should lead on change, rather than waiting for government to step in – a 12 point increase in the last two years.
Business is also expected to empower employees to be part of the solution. People trust that which is local, and so employers continue to be the most trusted relationship amongst almost three-quarters of workers. They want jobs that empower them to play a role in shaping the future of society (66 per cent) and to have a voice in planning that future (67 per cent).
Business has nothing to fear as the twin objectives of profit and societal improvement are complementary. If a business is ethically strong, it is more attractive to investors, employees and consumers, resilient to risk and insulated from regulation.
Balancing what shareholders want with what society needs yields a trust premium. The opportunity for business is to meet that challenge.


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Young Empires Detail Debut LP 'The Gates'
Published Aug 04, 2015Having issued their "The Gates" single a few months back, Toronto pop group Young Empires have announced that they'll soon be treating us to an album of the same name. Their debut LP drops September 4 via Pirates Blend.
A press release notes that the record marks the first full-length effort from the Ontario, who had previously issued the electro-house-minded Wake All My Youth EP in 2012. Work on this latest, 10-song outing started back in 2013 at vocalist Matthew Vlahovich's home studio, with the group later tracking the set with producers Stephen "Koz" Kozmeniuk (Kendrick Lamar, Madonna), Jimmy Messer (AWOLNATION) and Kevin Seaton (Snoop Lion, Active Child).
The set is said to be a "genre-blending" affair that finds the unit working with electronic and avant-pop flavours. Apparently, the recording sessions also found the act taking an instrument-swapping approach.
"We weren't sticking to our own instruments; it was very fluid," Vlahovich said in a statement. "Sometimes Taylor [Hill, drummer] or Jake [Palahnuk, bass] would jump on the piano to come up with a lick or I would find a beat."
The record features previously revealed singles "The Gates," "So Cruel" and "Sunshine." You'll find the tracklisting down below, along with a few upcoming tour dates. An audio stream of "The Gates" can be found below, while a video for the track can be viewed on the MUCH website.
The Gates:
1. Mercy
2. The Gates
3. So Cruel
4. Ghosts
5. Stranglehold
6. House Lights
7. Never Die Young
8. The Unknown
9. Sunshine
10. Uncover Your Eyes
Tour dates:
08/15 Hamilton, ON – A Midsummer's Dream Festival
08/16 Toronto, ON – Harbourfront Centre
08/22 Georgetown, ON – Rock The Hills Music Festival
09/03 Toronto, ON – The Drake Underground Album Release Party
09/04 Sarnia, ON – Festival of Good Things
09/05 Edmonton, AB – Sonic Boom
09/06 Calgary, AB – X-Fest
09/17 Vancouver, BC – Fortune Sound Club
09/19 Victoria, BC – Rifflandia Festival


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HBIF Announces José R. Mas As Keynote Speaker For Miami Success Stories Luncheon
25 Aug, 2016, 12:35 ET
MIAMI, Aug. 25, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MasTec CEO José R. Mas has confirmed his participation as the keynote speaker at the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund's annual Success Stories Luncheon on Tuesday, September 27 at the Treetop Ballroom in Jungle Island.
"I am very happy and grateful to share this event with such a special organization. HBIF has created, and continues to create, invaluable support to help entrepreneurs in the Hispanic community succeed," says José R. Mas.
José R. Mas leads MasTec, one of the most prestigious and diversified companies in the U.S., as well as one of the leading providers of infrastructure services in the country. MasTec currently has more than 18,000 employees and more than 400 locations across the U.S. In 2015 they reported $4.2 billion in revenue.
"It's a real honor to count on the presence of José R. Mas so that he can share his own life story, which will surely be an inspiration for those beginning to realize their dream of entrepreneurship and having their own business," says Myrna Sonora, vice president of HBIF in South Florida. "Mr. Mas is a leading Hispanic entrepreneur whom we should all want to hear, and our event is a unique opportunity to do so."
The Success Stories Luncheon recognizes three of HBIF's clients who have demonstrated success as entrepreneurs. With over 400 expected attendees, HBIF brings together the business community of South Florida to celebrate Hispanic entrepreneurship. Funds raised through the event help provide consulting and grants for technical assistance to Hispanic entrepreneurs. These include business plans, marketing, website development and legal assistance, among others.
Event sponsors: AT&T, Bank of America, Walmart, 1 First Bank, UDT, JP Morgan Chase, T&G Constructors and Telemundo.
For more information about the 2016 Success Stories Luncheon or to purchase a table, please call 786-329-5830 or visit www.hbifflorida.org.
About HBIF
The Hispanic Business Initiative Fund of Florida, Inc. (HBIF) is the leading Hispanic nonprofit economic development organization in Florida specializing in providing free and bilingual business development to entrepreneurs trying to establish or expand their business. Since 1991, HBIF has promoted the Hispanic entrepreneur, offering programs and creating partnerships to advance economic development and foster job creation. HBIF is headquartered in Orlando and has offices in Miami, Kissimmee and Tampa. For more information, visit www.HBIFFlorida.org.
Media contact:
Myrna Sonora, 786-329-5830, [email protected]
SOURCE Hispanic Business Initiative Fund of Florida, Inc. (HBIF)


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Your health and well-being are at the forefront of our mission.
State of CT Reopening Certified
Socially Distanced and 'Expertly Ventilated', according to a leading virologist – Sama Yoga Center exceeds CDC standards.
- In accordance with CT state guidelines, fully vaccinated people are not required to wear a mask in our studio anymore
- Fully vaccinated means 2 weeks post your final COVID-19 dose
- Please email a picture of your vaccination card to email@example.com if you wish to practice without a mask
- We can't wait to see your smile
- We still operate at a 50% capacity for now to offer ample space to socially distance
- Dedicated entrance, expanded studio including a larger welcome area and additional practice space
- Socially Distanced & Expertly Ventilated
- Molekule Air Purification System (runs constantly & destroys 99% of viruses, airborne bacteria and pollutants)
- Upgraded UV Air Sanitizing System
- New Industrial Fan Duct and Air Exchange (11,000 CFM per minute)
- Contactless Entry & Exit
- Expanded Private 'Pod" and Private Group Sessions for Families, Friends, Minis, Kids, Teens, Athletes and Cohorts
- Designated Mat Placement & Limited Class Sizes
- Lower Impact Classes
- Full Disinfection Before and After Class
- Hand Sanitizer Stations Throughout
- Reserved Spots for our Immunocompromised Students
These are just a few of the measures we are taking to exceed standards and provide optimal safety for our Sama community.
Follow covered parking to the end and enter through garden, register to reserve, bring your own mat or purchase curated goods at our studio or through our online Sama Store.
Thank you for your presence and support – our beloved Sama Community.
— Rebekah and all of us at Sama
How Do You Want to Practice with Us? Welcome back to the studio. We can't wait to see you.
In Studio Register to reserve your spot in a safe, supportive atmosphere. Reserve
Outdoor Classes Reserve a class on our spacious, outdoor garden deck. Reserve
Private Class Book a private class for you or some friends to practice together! Book
Online Offerings Join the Sama community from home!
Live Streaming Join us from home for weekly live, online streaming classes. Explore
Instant Sama Our most popular online classes that you can rent or purchase right on our website. Explore
On Demand Classes Explore our growing catalogue of classes at Sama Connect. Explore


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Carlo Gavazzi is pleased to announce two new product lines designed specifically for harsh environments. The new ICS Inductive Proximity Sensors comply with or are certified to IP69K, ECOLAB, and FDA standards, and easily accommodate both hot and cold temperature extremes. New IP69K CONB Series Cordsets are ECOLAB certified, and have one of the highest temperature ratings in the market. IP69K ensures the sensor and cordset will withstand high pressure and high temperature cleaning processes. ECOLAB certification ensures resistance to many harsh acids, alkalines, aggressive chemicals, cleaning agents and disinfectants. FDA compliance assures that ICS Series sensors are made of materials approved for use in the food industry.
ICS Series sensors are the ideal solution for harsh environments such as those found in the Food and Beverage, Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Mobile Equipment and Agricultural industries. They have a wide operating range of ‑40°C to +80°C (‑40° to +176°F), and will work reliably for up to 15 minutes in boiling water (100°C/212°F) – thus accommodating cleaning process requirements! ICS Series sensors share many of the same important features as Carlo Gavazzi's established ICB sensors, including highly reliable and customizable microprocessor-based design, LEDs easily viewed from any direction, fast operating frequency (up to 2,000 Hz), and permanent laser-engraved part number, serial number, and cULus and CE certification marks. The 3-wire DC ICS Series is available in M12, M18, and M30 316L stainless steel housings, with single or double sensing distance, flush or non-flush mounting, and normally open or normally closed outputs with 200mA PNP or NPN transistor output.
By pairing IP69K sensors with the new CONB Series cordsets, a complete solution is available for the Food and Beverage industry. Besides being IP69K rated, ECOLAB and UL certified, CONB Series cordsets are rated from ‑40°C to 105°C (‑40°F to 221°F). The CONB Series cord sets are the perfect complement to any IP69K rated sensor, including inductive, photoelectric, and capacitive sensors offered from Carlo Gavazzi. They are available with 2 or 5 meter lengths, with straight or 90° connector, with non-illuminated or LED versions. The IP69K ICS Series Sensors and CONB Series Cordsets are available from Carlo Gavazzi's North American network of sales offices, distributors, and online at www.GavazziOnline.com.
Carlo Gavazzi
Original Post found on www.SensorTips.com
Filed Under: Connectors (electrical) • crimp technologies, Networks • connectivity • fieldbuses


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Having an app is no longer a competitive advantage – in many cases it's a must-have. To make sure that the users choose your product, you need to meet their needs, prove that you are doing it better than the others, and provide them with a flawless experience within the app. Easy to say?
If you want to learn how to design digital products that the users will love and want to use, you are in the right place. In these articles, you will find experts' advice on UI and UX design, real-life examples of good designs, and answers to most burning questions related to designing web and mobile apps that help you satisfy your clients and achieve your business goals.
Tips, insights, and latest news on Artificial Intelligence brought by world's top AI devs.


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Oninaki Announced For Nintendo Switch
Square Enix and Tokyo RPG Factory have announced that the action RPG Oninaki will launch for Nintendo Switch in Summer 2019.
About the game
Slay Monsters, Save Souls, and Wield Their Power. This is the story of one Watcher.
Players assume the role of a Watcher named Kagachi, doing battle by "manifesting" the souls of Daemons, which act as the classes found in traditional role-playing games. Each Daemon has its own unique weapons and skills, and players can shift between them in real time to gain the upper hand in battle.
Moving between the Living World and the realm of the dead known as the Beyond, Kagachi must save the souls of the Lost, as the story of life and reincarnation in this wondrous kingdom unfolds.
- Action role-playing battle system with real-time shifting between Daemons (classes)
- A tale of life and reincarnation spanning the Living World and the Beyond
Check out the Oninaki Screenshots:
Check out the Oninaki Announcement Trailer:
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