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Minister Lajčák in his address to ambassadors: "The challenge of managing three presidencies"
Minister Lajčák in his address to ambassadors: "The challenge of managing three presidencies"
Today (21 August 2018) Miroslav Lajčák, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, at the ministry addressed the ambassadors of the Slovak Republic abroad. They gathered in Bratislava to take part in a regular meeting of heads of representation missions of the Slovak Republic. The ministry organizes this forum every two years as a platform for discussion of principal issues of Slovak foreign policy and also as an opportunity to analyse in detail the achieved results and priorities set in the area of foreign policy. These were the issues that Minister Lajčák emphasized in his address. "We are facing new challenges in the form of several parallel presidencies – since July we have been presiding over the Visegrad 4 group and as of January we will be bearing on our shoulders the responsibility of taking part in the lead of the OSCE, and last but not least, we will be chairing the meetings of the OECD Council at Ministerial Level. Regarding the last two, it will be our premiere and it depends on us how we will manage, with dignity, the trust that our partners have placed in us and that our diplomacy will deliver an added value to the international arena," stated the chief of Slovak diplomacy.
Teodor-Viorel Meleşcanu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, also addressed the participants and discussed current international issues with the ambassadors. During the three days, the ambassadors will also meet with Thomas Greminger, General Secretary of OSCE, Alessandro Azzoni, the permanent representative of the chairing country of this organisation – Italy; Peter Pellegrini, Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic; and other distinguished officials of the Slovak government. The ambassadors will also be received by Andrej Danko, Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic.


text: A bit of an irreverent take on a simple, one-sheet boat. But even has a "glass bottom". I like the KISS, use plain old "stuff" and make a fun, toy boat. We've had other designs covered here and here.Watch this video on YouTubeRelated Posts:New Stuff!Squirrel!Frame glued to floorAll frames standingHull Skin Part 1Making a boat from a single 2×4

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Description
Enter a world of electric jams with this amazing stand up sherlock created by Liberty Glass. Using a carving affect, Liberty Glass has Electric Sam on the front of the body, a steal your roots on the mouthpiece, and the Grateful Dead logo on the neck. As well as lightening bolts and dancing bears all over the sherlock. Grab before someone else does!
- Length: 4"
- Width: 2.5"
- Height: 7"
- Weight: .5 lbs.
- Distance from base to joint:4.5 "
- Joint: 14mm female
- Bowl Style: slide not included
- Downstem: 19mm male to 14mm female removable 3-hole diffy downstem
- Percolator 1: removable 3-hole diffy
- Color: blue, green
- Logo: double layered carved jelly fishing images
- Splash Guard: bent neck
- Accent marks may vary
- Dimensions may vary
- Additional Information
Additional Information
Manufacturer No Artist Multi Liberty 503 Color Multi Blue Percolator(s) Downstem Multi-Hole Fitting 14mm Female Height Range 6-1/16" to 12" Size No


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The incorrect label on the lamp states that consumers can use 40 watt lightbulbs in the product. However, the socket is only designed to support 25 watt lightbulbs. Use of incorrect wattage lightbulbs can melt the power switch, posing a burn hazard.
Ashley Furniture at 800-477-2222 ext. 129155 from 7 a.m. to 5p.m. CT Monday through Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, or online at www.ashleyfurniture.com and click on the "Consumer Notifications" link at the bottom of the page for more information.
Recall Details
This recall involves Signature Design by Ashley Amnon floor lamps with a floor switch and 12 lightbulb sockets. The portable, electric floor lamps are metal with a bronze finish and measure about 64 inches tall. Model number L207971 is printed on a label on the underside of the lamp's base.
Consumers should immediately stop using and unplug the recalled floor lamps and contact Ashley Furniture for instructions on how to receive a full refund of the purchase price. Ashley Furniture is contacting all known purchasers directly.
Ashley Furniture has received seven incident reports, including six reports in the United States of the floor lamp's power switch melting with four of those reports resulting in minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.
Ashley Furniture Home stores, independently owned and operated furniture stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com, Ashleyfurniture.com, Walmart.com, Wayfair.com and other online retailer websites from February 2017 through April 2018 for between $160 and $300.
DBA Export India PVT Ltd., of India
Ashley Furniture Industries Inc., of Arcadia, Wis.
Ashley Furniture Industries Inc., of Arcadia, Wis.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to help ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals -– contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.
Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 or teletypewriter at 301-595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @USCPSC or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.
Please use the below phone number for all media requests.
Phone: (301) 504-7908
Spanish: (301) 504-7800


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Tagged: world star hip-hop
I Have An Attitude, Apparently
"You do NOT want to get political with me!" I'm screaming. Top of my lungs. Full force. I'm screaming, and I'm probably spitting all over my friend who is trying to calm me down.
My head weaves to the right of her face, so I can get a good look at my oppressor. She's too quick for me and continues to mirror my bobbing and weaving so that I can't make eye contact with this douchebag motherfucker.
"You do NOT want to get political with me!" I repeat, because clearly–he does not want to get political with me.
It's 5AM on a Saturday morning, post-club, we're standing in line to hail a cab, it's misting out, and I'm embarrassing myself and my friends in front of large percentage of the city's Danish youth. I am just raging at this giant Norwegian guy in the middle of the street–jumping towards his towering physique, flailing my arms in the air in all my fury, and just being extremely World Star Hip Hop-ish cray.
He had asked me in a very accusatory tone, "Why do you have to bring such an attitude to Denmark?" To which I was immediately offended by and when the yelling started.
"What the FUCK is that supposed to mean?" The East Van in me is awakened.
He subsequently calls me a racist.
In my drunken state, I transcend into this obnoxious know-it-all Canadian girl. "You want to talk about political correctedness? Let's do it LET'S DO IT NOW!" I shout.
"Kaylynn," this is about the fifth time one of my friends is clasping my shoulders. "Let's go home, it's not worth it. Ignore him."
More shouting ensues, further angry drunken words are exchanged, and I continue to make a scene despite the cajoling of my friends. Someone tells one of my friends to shut the fuck up. Tempers flare. I am going to kill someone via heated political discussion anytime now.
One of the Norwegian Guy's equally massive friends appears on my left, "We're really sorry. We're going to go home this way, and you and your friends can go home that way, and we'll never have to see each other ever again."
He's probably genuinely hoping he never runs into us ever again. In hindsight, I can understand why.
I don't remember what exactly happens next, but I somehow get shuffled away from the Norwegian Guy and his very tall friends, and we get into a cab. I vocally and very liberally express my hatred for the Norwegian Guy as the cab driver takes us back home to our dorm. What a fucking asshole. I complain the entire way home about my attitude. I complain about my attitude.
"Do I have an attitude problem?" I wail in the backseat of the cab.
Absolutely not.
I have no pictures from that night, but here is a picture of me when I'm not trying to antagonize strangers while studying abroad in a foreign country.
xx, k
Last night, I was a butterscotch waterfall.
Last night I saw Thor: The Dark World (I wish Dr. Erik Selvig was naked for more of the movie) and then went to Venue to see Morgan Page. I'm not gonna lie, I don't know who Morgan Page is ("Which one is he? The one with the toque or..?") but I went for moral support/it was free.
While standing in the archetypal mile-long line for the women's washroom, the girls my friend and I were sandwiched between had a conversation that went along the lines of:
Girl #1: Oh my God, it does not take that long to pee.
Girl #2: Oh my God, I know right? This is so ridiculous. Do you want to go bang on some doors? I'm down to do that.
Girl #1: *says something along the lines of agreeing–was not really listening because she was annoying*
Girl #2: I like you! You're from East Van, aren't you? Haha, oh my God, you're from East Van, aren't you!
What the fuck, dude. What is your problem? I'm from East Van. And I have friends who were born and raised in East Van, and we do not
go make empty threats about banging on washroom stall doors because inebriated chicks who are at the brink of puking are apparently taking more than 30 seconds to pee. Like y'all are sober, what is the rush? Can't we just all be in this together on this journey called life????
At the same time, we can all learn something from people who lack civility and who forget that they're living in a society that ideally aims towards a sense of community. These moments remind me to consider kindness and respect for other people. I actually watched an incredibly rude girl get kicked out before she even got in the club. Forreal, she was very loudly complaining about how disgusting Vancouver clubs are (so then why are you here?) and gave attitude to the guest line chick, and the bouncer came over and told her to leave. These people are like the World Star Hip-Hop of real life.
So always say please and thank you — and an especial thank you to those who remind us to be better.
Here's a toast for the douchebags.
What else happened last night?? Oh right, my friend almost gauged my eyeball out and the pain still reverberates in my eye socket today. My girlfriend covered a slice of pizza with an incredible amount of Tabasco sauce and ranch dressing–the point that it was soaked and dripping–it was really. Fucking. Good.
I'm still thinking about it right now.
But forreal..
I think I found my spirit animal.
xx, Butterscotch Waterfall


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Famous Green Rice Casserole
Green Rice Casserole
1/2 cup green onions with tops, thinly sliced
2 TB butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/4 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced OR 4 tsp. dried parsley flakes
Dash ground black pepper
1/4 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded, optional
In a skillet, sauté onions in butter until tender. stir in the broth, rice, green pepper, parsley and pepper; bring to a boil.
Remove from the heat; pour into a greased 1 quart baking dish.
Cover and bake at 350° F., oven for 25 minutes or until rice is tender.
Top with cheese if desired; bake 3 minutes longer or until melted.
Yield: 2 to 3 servings.
Famous Bacon and Horseradish Dip
Bacon and Horseradish Dip
2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup crumbled sautéed bacon
2 TB prepared horseradish sauce
2 TB fresh chives, chopped
Wheat Thins snack crackers
Place cheese, sour cream, bacon, horseradish sauce and chives in a large bowl; mix until smooth.
Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend.
Serve as a spread with crackers.
Makes: 12 servings, 2 tablespoons dip and 16 crackers each.
Champagne Grapefruit Sorbet
Champagne Grapefruit Sorbet
3 cups good quality Champagne
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup pink grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
1/3 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Pop cork from champagne bottle 1 to 2 hours before
using. Gradually pour champagne, allowing for foaming,
into a 2-quart container; set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar
and water. Stir until mixture comes to a boil; reduce
heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat,
cover, and let stand approximately 10 minutes or until
To champagne, add sugar syrup, grapefruit juice, and
lemon juice (do not strain pulp from juices); stir
until thoroughly blended.
Ice Cream Maker – Transfer mixture to ice cream maker,
process according to manufacturer's instructions.
Freezer Method – Pour into container, cover, and place
mixture in the freezer. When it is semi-solid, mash it
up with a fork and refreeze again. When frozen, place
in a food processor or blender and process until
smooth. Cover and refreeze until serving time.
NOTE: Can be prepared 3 days in advance. Cover and
keep frozen.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Mother's Day Recipes – Mother's Day Cake
Mother's Day Recipes – Mother's Day Cake
Cake Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Almonds; Skinned
6 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate; Chopped
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
6 oz. unsalted Butter
6 large Eggs; Yolks and Whites Separated
1 tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
Icing Ingredients:
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2 tsp. Instant Espresso or Coffee Powder
8 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate; Chopped
Toast almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet in a 350
degree oven for about 15-minutes or until the almonds are
lightly colored and fragrant. Make sure to shake the pan
occasionally to turn almonds while toasting.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray the bottom of a 9-inch
spring form pan with a non-stick cooking spray. Dust lightly
with flour or very fine, dry bread crumbs. Shake out any
excess and set prepared pan aside. Warm chopped chocolate
in the top of a small double boiler over warm water set at
moderate heat. Cover until partially melted, then stir until
smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Reserve 1/2
cup sugar and place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the
almonds in a food processor or blender and chop until nuts
are fine and powdery. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl beat the butter until soft. Add 1/4
cup of sugar and reserve the remaining 1/4 cup sugar for
use later. Beat sugar and butter until thoroughly combined.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and continue to beat until
smooth. Add the melted chocolate and blend on low speed until
combined. Add almonds and continue to beat mixture on a low
speed setting.
In a clean bowl with clean beaters, beat the egg whites with
salt and lemon juice. Start on low speed and gradually
increase until the egg whites hold a soft shape. Reduce speed
again and add remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Then on high speed,
beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into
the chocolate mixture about one-third at a time until blended.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared spring form pan an
quickly rotate to level the batter. Bake for 20-minutes at
375 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue to
bake an additional 50-minutes. Remove cake from pan when cooled,
after about 1-hour.
To prepare the icing, scald the heavy cream in a saucepan
over medium heat until a thin skin forms on the top. Add the
espresso or coffee powder and whisk to dissolve. Add the
chocolate and whisk to dissolve, for about a minute or two.
Remove from heat and continue to stir to finish melting the
chocolate. Let icing cool for about 15-minutes, then pour
over the top of the cake, starting at the center. Gently push
the icing with a spatula over the sides to dribble down the
cake. Top with shaved chocolate, or whipped cream just prior
to serving. A fresh strawberry is an optional garnish with
each served slice.
Famous Lobster Club Sandwiches
Lobster Club Sandwiches
*Add a twist to the classic turkey club by using lobster instead! To make preparation easy, contact a seafood specialty store to see if they offer prepared lobster meat, or use lobster tails from the seafood department.*
Serving: 4
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 90 minutes
1 pound fully cooked lobster meat, or 5 pounds live lobsters
1 medium cucumber (5-6 ounces), peeled, seeded and finely diced
3 small scallions (white and most of the green parts), thinly sliced
kosher or sea salt
freshly ground black
2 ripe medium tomatoes (5-ounces)
1 head iceberg lettuce
12-ounces smoky country bacon
12 slices dense white bread
pickles and olives for garnish
To make the lobster salad:
1. If using live lobsters, steam or boil them. Let cool at room temperature. Use a cleaver to crack and remove the meat from the claws, knuckles and tails. Remove the cartilage from the claws and the intestine from the tails of the cooked meat. Cut the meat into 1/2-inch dice. You may pick all the meat from the carcass and add it to the meat or freeze the carcass for soup or broth.
2. Place the cucumber in a colander for at least 5 minutes to drain the
excess liquid.
3. Combine the lobster, cucumber and mayonnaise. If the salad is to be
served within the hour, add the scallions. If not, add them 30 minutes
before serving. Season with salt if needed and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
To make the club sandwiches:
1. Prepare the lobster salad. You will need only three-quarters of the
salad, so you can make it with 12 ounces lobster meat and scale back the other ingrediets by a quarter or save the bit of leftover salad for a
late-night snack.
2. Slice the tomatoes about 1/3 inch thick.
3. Remove the stringy outer leaves of the lettuce and discard. Tear the other leaves into pieces about the size of the bread. You will need 3 or 4 pieces per sandwich (12-16 pices total).
4. Slice the bacon about 1/4 inch thick. Either spread the bacon on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F for 12 minutes or fry it in a skillet. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels and cover to keep warm.
5. Before slicing the bread, organize the ingredients so that they are
within reach. You must work fast if you intend to serve this even slightly warm. Toast all the bread either under the broiler or in a toaster. If using a toaster, have 8 slices ready before you start. The last 4 slices can toast while you are constructing the sandwiches.
6. Line up 4 slices of toasted bread. Cover them evenly with the lobster salad. Spread a little mayonnaise on the side of 4 other slices of toast and cover the lobster salad with these slices, mayonnaise side up. Place the lettuce on top of the toast. Distribute the bacon on top of the lettuce and cover with the tomato slices- 2 or 3 slices per sandwich, depending on the size of the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and a grind of black pepper. Spread mayonnaise on one side of the remaining 4 slices of toast and place them on top, mayonnaise side down. Place toothpicks or skewers in the center of what will be each quarter, then cut each sandwich into quarters. Garnish with
pickles and olives and serve at once.
Famous BLT Burritos
BLT Burritos
8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
2 cups bite-size pieces lettuce
1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup tomato, chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
6 flour tortillas (8″ in dia.)
Toss all ingredients except tortillas. Equally divide the bacon mixture on each tortilla.
Fold up bottom third of each tortilla; roll up to form cone
shape with folded end at bottom. Yield: 6 servings.
Famous Potato Hot Dog Salad
Potato Hot Dog Salad
3 medium russet potatoes (about 2-1/2 lb.), cooked, peeled and diced
1 lb. good quality hot dogs, grilled and cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup celery, finely diced
1 cup cucumber, peeled and finely diced
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
Olive Oil Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil, + additional olive oil, if necessary
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
2 TB fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
Mayonnaise Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. dill weed
12 tsp. salt
Dash ground black pepper
Toss the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Season the salad with salt
and pepper, to taste. Add the dressing of your choice to the salad, and toss lightly. Yield: 6 servings.
Famous Lemon Lush
Lemon Lush
1 cup flour
1 stick butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 large tub Cool Whip
2 cups powdered sugar
2 8-oz packages cream cheese
2 small boxes instant lemon pudding mix
3 3/4 cup milk
Mix together flour, sugar and butter. Press into a lightly greased
13 x 9 pan. Bake crust for 15 minutes. Let cool completely. Blend
together powdered sugar, cream cheese and 2 cup of cool whip.
Spread onto cooled crust. Mix together pudding mix and milk. Pour
over cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining cool whip. Refrigerate
before serving.
Famous Cream Cheese Apple Pie
Cream Cheese Apple Pie
2 9-inch unbaked pastry-lined pie shells
8-oz package cream cheese
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
4 cups chopped Granny Smith or other tart apples
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter (should be cold)
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
To make the topping: combine the sugar, flour and butter in a
shallow bowl. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut the
ingredients together until crumbly. Stir in the pecans.
In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, caramel topping, sugar, flour,
cinnamon, vanilla and salt andbeat until a smooth batter is formed.
Add the egg and beat until well mixed. Add the apples and stir
with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
Pour the mixture into the pastry-lined pans, dividing evenly. Bake
the pies for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees and
bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the pies and continue to bake for
an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until golden; cool slightly.
To serve, cut pie into wedges.
Makes Two 9-inch pies
Famous Mustardy Brats with Sauerkraut
Mustardy Brats with Sauerkraut
1 TB margarine or butter
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup onion, chopped
2 TB brown sugar
1 tsp. prepared yellow mustard
1/2 tsp. caraway seed
1 cup drained sauerkraut
6 fresh bratwurst (1-1/4 to 1-1/2 lb.)
6 hoagie buns, split
In a small skillet heat margarine or butter over medium heat until melted. Add green pepper and onion. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in brown sugar, mustard, and caraway seed. Add sauerkraut; toss to mix.
Tear off a 18″ x 36″ piece of heavy foil. Fold in half to make a double thickness of foil that measures 18″ x 18″. Place sauerkraut mixture in center of foil. Bring up two opposite edges of foil and seal with double fold. Then fold remaining ends to completely enclose sauerkraut mixture, leaving space for steam to build. Prick the bratwurst in several places with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife.
Arrange preheated coals around a drip pan in a covered grill. Test for medium heat above the pan. Place bratwurst and the foil packet on grill over pan. Cover and grill for 20 to 25 minutes or until bratwurst juices run clear, turning bratwurst over once. To serve, toast cut sides of buns on grill.
Serve bratwurst in the buns and top with sauerkraut mixture.
Makes 6 servings.


text:
Ad Blocking in Australia: The Consumer Perspective (Graphic and Report)
Published on Monday, 21 November 2016 in the category Research & Resources
The latest IAB AdBlocking in Australia study shows almost 30% of Australian consumers are now using ad blocking technology on one of their devices and that a fear of viruses and malware is the most common reason for installing the software (20 percent of respondents), but 16 percent of respondents reported that they had installed the ad blocker because they felt there were too many ads on sites.
Download the Infographic below.
Download the Report Deck below (Members Only).
16:9 Powerpoint-size slides for reports and presentations are available here.


text:
Stay tuned....next post I will have pictures....
2106 Blueberry Season
I'm ridiculously embarrassed about how long it's been since I last posted. A lot has happened this Spring. We closed in the pavilion. This is something I'm super excited about. No more flying boxes in the wind! Let's see....we also planted a few acres of garlic this year. Raspberries will be more plentiful this year as we are about one year away from full production. Along with the red raspberries, we have blackcaps and blackberries.
Stay tuned....next post I will have pictures....
So a few weeks back a van load of Polish tourists landed at the farm. They were stranded as their van had broke down. They needed a job and we needed berries picked! Days passed, then weeks and still no van repair. Each day they would come back with a smile on their face and we would joke about their adventure in Rodney. We learned that these Polish tourists were young professionals back at home and had left for North America for an adventure. Long story short, we discovered that one was a photographer....check out our family photo shoot after a day picking on the farm
We Are Officially ORGANIC!
Just thought I'd share that our blueberries are officially organic! Also thought I'd share this clear indication that our berries are ready
So Excited For The 2015 Season
We've been gearing up for the start of the 2015 season and we are so glad it's finally here. This week we put up our new sign, dug up our first bulbs of garlic and bottled some more honey....and picked a few blueberries! I made a surprise appearance at the Covent Garden Market this weekend and sold out very quickly. Looks like there were also some very excited customers to see us! So we are hoping to be up to full speed by the end of the week, weather permitting of course. Bring on the heat!
Officially Farm Girls
It got really quiet after supper so I popped my head out the door to see what was happening and this is what I found:
New farm clothes of choice include cute dresses and runners without socks
Farm Happenings
June has brought us some well timed rain. We went on a family farm tour last night on the golf cart. Here's what we found...
Blueberries are looking green but they are growing. We are looking forward to an early July start to picking season.
Garlic is looking great. We will be trimming scapes this weekend. If anyone wants some let me know.
Meet our family of geese. They look so sweet and innocent here. We weren't able to capture them hissing at us.
And our 2015 picking crew resting up for blueberry season.
....It's coming
That's right. Blueberry season is on its way! The berries are starting to form and we are aiming for the picking season to start around the first week or second week in July. We will keep updating our website or check us out on facebook. If you would like to pre-order already picked berries, just send me an email.
So our blueberry jam and honey are bottled and ready. We are very proud of our honey. You need to taste it to believe it! We loved the honey so much that we used it to sweeten our jam. This is not your grandma's jam. With only 40g of honey per jar the jam is sweet but not punch you in your face sweet :). Both jam and honey will be available at the farm this year.
On a personal note, we also added something to the farm. In March 2015 we welcomed another blueberry picker to the team: Calvin is baby #3 for us. He's been a great addition to the family.
Our website has been neglected for the past few months. I could make a million excuses, but need to admit that we just got busy. 2014 was a great first year for us. James, I and the girls had so much fun at the farm. We found some new markets for our blueberries and kept our returning customers happy. So what's new for 2015?
James happily harvested honey from the bees that pollinated our blueberries. It tastes amazing and with a little (ok, a lot) of help from my artist friend, Krista Schneider we have a very tastefully designed jar of honey for sale. We will be welcoming Colony Honey to our product list this year. Also, with the abundance of blueberries, we had some to spare for making jam. Watch for our blueberry jam at the market as well.
Market Season is Here!
My week was full of farmers' markets this week. We had a great response and sold out at all 3 markets! I was so proud to here such wonderful responses to our huge, great tasting berries. I've highlighted a few more awesome comments that were shared this week by Blueberry Hill customers:
They turned so quickly!!!! So our official grand opening will be July 16/14. Call now to order your frozen or fresh picked. Try me at the farm: 519-785-2217. Please leave me a message because we are BUSY! I will call you back.
Also, I wanted to share with you all a new Blueberry Hill Product that will be coming to the farm this year: Blueberry Hill Blueberry Honey. James has taken up beekeeping in all his spare time so we will now have honey. The bees pollinated Blueberry Hill blueberries. So its a true Blueberry Hill product.
Teresa Murray is the owner and operator of Blueberry Hill Farm. A farmer, occupational therapist and mother. who blogs in all her spare time. Whew, life just got hectic!
June 2016


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READ : The Apps mentioned here as Free – are free when this post is written. The Apps for Apples iOS device are made free by the developers, we don't know how long the apps remain free, unless the developers mention it. Download Quickly if you want them.
Blend Pro – Easy to Use Photo Editor for Masking, Layering and Combining Pictures
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Combine your photos easily with one click.
Use special effects to draw and erase layers.
Choose from various filters and frames.
Love your blend and share it on Instagram.


text:
My photographs are a part of who I am.
They are carefully crafted with the intention of stirring an emotion of some sort…
joy, hope, inspiration, appreciation, comfort and especially love…
My hope is, when you see my photos or greeting cards you will think,
"where can I hang this in my home, or whose face can I put a smile on by sending this card?"
It warms my heart to know one of my photographs or cards has touched someone enough to want it for their own.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, suggestions, or comments.
Carol's love of life shows in the magic of her work. She considers herself an eclectic photographer. She sees God's beauty everywhere and captures all she can. Her life long passion for photography combined with her computer skills has made her an award winning photographic designer.
Carol's talent goes beyond F-stops and shutter speeds when she is creating the final outcome of her photographs. Her creations come from her heart.
Sometimes she will just take a photograph and play with it until she comes up with a unique picture. Carol can add creative touches to photographs to make them appear like fine art. She can take a pile of pictures and create a unique collage of treasured moments. She also does some retouching and manipulating of the photos to bring back the memories.
She loves capturing God's beauty in the face of a child. Her favorite models being her four beautiful grandchildren and grand nieces and nephew.
Carol is a native of Connecticut, born and raised in Ridgefield; she now lives in Bethel with her husband and son. In addition to being a photographic designer, wife, mother and grandmother, she is an executive assistant and staff photographer for a relocation company in Connecticut. She is a member of the Candlewood Camera Club and is a graduate of the New York Institute of Photography.


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A running audio archive of all streamed services from Westminister PCA Church in Roanoke, VA.
1 Timothy 5:17-25 (1 Timothy 5:17-25)Kyle J. Ferguson, April 7, 2019
Part of the Thessalonians-Timothy series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
|Same day:
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|Psalm 50
|1 Timothy 6:1-2 »
1 Timothy 5:17-25
17Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 18For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward. 19Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. 20Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear. 21I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. 22Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure. 23Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities. 24Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. 25Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid. (KJV)


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Evgenija.Kasper Speaking out Fitted Top
- fair and ecological production
- 100% vegan
- supports a social project
One in 10 women suffers from endometriosis. Endo-what? unfortunately this is a questions a lot of people have. Endometriosis is one of the most common diseases among women. It often condemns severe pain and can lead to severe organ damage and infertility. As a person affected, it is of particular importance for Evgenija.Kasper to inform and educate about this topic. That is why she, together with us, has designed her first supporter collection for the benefit of the Endometriose-Vereinigung Deutschland (Endometriosis Association Germany). Speak it out. Because only when we talk about it something can change in the long run. So let´s talk about endometriosis and show us your style.
Evgenija loves her styles oversized. She is wearing size M on this picture.
Body fit: Our styles are rather small. If you are between two sizes, we recommend that you use the larger size. For additional information about our sizes, please visit our size guide.


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Why a nexus of regulatory requirements may take IT by surprise
Editor's note: This is part 2 of a four-part series covering the state of sustainable supply-chain management in the IT sector. Read part 1 focused on product takeback and e-waste recycling here.
My previous post Product takeback and e-waste recycling: A growing business opportunity discussed best-in-class solutions to the challenge posed by state-level legislation mandating e-waste recycling. To recap, Malk Sustainability Partners (MSP), a specialty management consultancy that guides businesses in developing profitable corporate sustainability strategies, engaged 29 global IT companies and five industry experts to investigate the key drivers, important issues, and popular strategies behind the sector's adoption of sustainable supply-chain management (SSCM). MSP then synthesized this information into a study describing the state of SSCM in IT, available for download here.
This post will discuss key drivers of SSCM strategies identified by interview respondents.
Sustainability and supply chain managers at IT companies identified four drivers of SSCM strategies as primary to their companies' efforts at similar frequencies:
- Stakeholder interest – 34 percent
- Leadership – 24 percent
- Risk and cost management – 31 percent
- Regulatory pressure and compliance – 31 percent
Managers who identified stakeholder interest as a primary driver of SSCM strategies typically referred to stakeholders as customers and investors. Customers, listed as government, enterprise buyers, individual consumers, universities, original equipment manufacturers, and retailers, communicate interest in corporate sustainability up the supply chain through self-assessment questionnaires and supplier codes of conduct. Public sector customers were reported as adding sustainability requirements to their procurement decisions by referencing standards such as the Electronics Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) registry. Apple's recent decision to remove and then subsequently re-list their products in the EPEAT registry demonstrates the power green labels can exert when coupled with increasing stakeholder interest in corporate sustainability.
The 24 percent of respondents who cited leadership as a primary driver of their companies' SSCM strategies highlighted pressure to implement originated from internal interest and industry forums. Respondents indicated internal interest in SSCM strategies originates from bottom up or top down initiatives. Bottom up efforts were characterized as struggling to maintain a consistent budget due to limited "buy-in" from top level management, but top down efforts were mentioned as lacking the "on-the-ground" understanding of functional silos required to implement a successful SSCM strategy. Industry forums, like the EICC and GeSI, were highlighted as both a driver and valuable tool for SSCM. Companies are driven to participate to remain competitive on sustainability issues because these forums provide a compass to navigate diverging regulatory standards across regions, tools to implement SSCM initiatives, and platforms to showcase accomplishments.
Respondents who referenced cost management as a primary driver of their companies' SSCM strategies identified reductions in operating, product delivery, and compliance costs. Specifically, SSCM strategies that focus on green purchasing policies improve the efficiency of internal production processes; often through decreased use of energy, water, and other production inputs. Likewise, SSCM strategies that partner with vendors to reduce packaging in product shipments improve cost competitiveness. In 2006, for instance, Nokia reduced the packaging for its phones by over 50 percent. By the end of 2007, this SSCM-improvement translated into financial savings of over $130 million. Finally, certain IT companies reported having developed life-cycle assessment (LCA) tools to leverage concern for compliance risk and drive new business.
Respondents who referenced risk management highlighted NGO efforts, like those of Greenpeace and the Enough Project, as compounding the risk associated with unsustainable business operations being discovered and driving corporate action in SSCM.
The 31 percent of respondents who reported regulatory pressure and compliance as a primary driver of their companies' SSCM strategies focused heavily on three regulations: the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), and Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act. The first is a state-level regulation that requires companies that earn a minimum of $100 million of revenue in California to audit suppliers, certify that there is no form of human trafficking or compulsory labor present in their supply chains, and disclose this information to the public. The second, as a response to the Enron scandal, requires C-suite executives to verify all information submitted to the SEC is factual and accurate. The third requires companies to report to the SEC whether or not their supply chains use minerals sourced from conflict regions in or around the Democratic Republic of Congo.
While the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act and Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act are clearly connected to SSCM, I found it surprising that respondents mentioned SOX as a regulatory driver of SSCM strategies in IT companies. A deeper look revealed an interesting nexus between Section 1502 and SOX. Specifically, Section 1502 currently relies on public pressure, not financial penalties or jail time, to deter U.S. companies from socially irresponsible business operations, but companies' compliance information is disseminated through the SEC. Thus, companies that fail to adhere to stipulations in Section 1502 threaten CEOs' SOX compliance.
This interaction between Section 1502 and SOX regulations reveals executives are likely to consider the potential ramifications of failing to comply with Section 1502 more seriously than they otherwise would have. After Section 1502 passed an SEC vote on August 22nd of this year, companies have a one- to two-year grace period, depending on their size, to report that they cannot determine the compliance status of their supply chains. Once these grace periods end, companies must disclose to the SEC whether or not their supply chains contain conflict minerals. Thus, the extent to which CEOs recognize that aloof compliance reporting for Section 1502 can lead to a breach of SOX will become more apparent as companies near the end of their grace periods.
In my next post, I'll discuss issues raised by respondents as pertinent to the implementation of SSCM strategies.
Image by Lightspring via Shutterstock


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Mayim Bialik signs at Barnes & Noble on Thursday, May 11, 2017 at 7:00 PM.
Actress, writer, neuroscientist, and founder of GrokNation.com, Mayim Bialik best known as Amy Farrah Fowler on America's #1 comedy, The Big Bang Theory, a role for which she has received 4 Emmy nominations and a Critics' Choice Award. She also starred in the early-1990s sitcom Blossom. GIRLING UP: How to Be Strong, Smart and Spectacular addresses what it means to grow from a girl to a woman biologically, psychologically, and sociologically. Pulling from her own experiences as an actress, scientist, and writer, Mayim discusses navigating everything from first kisses and first periods to rocky friendships, family responsibilities, gender questions, body image issues, and figuring out one's passion and place in the world.
Barnes & Noble – Union Square
33 East 17th Street, New York, NY 10003


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It is Week 5 in Multiliteracies for me. I know, the workshop finished a long time ago, but I have decided that for me the workshop is going to last as long as I need it to last. Or, rather, as long as it takes me to go through my weekly tasks.
I printed some of my Week 5 readings (I know, so old-fashioned) and settled down comfortably to read them. I got as far as half-way down the page of my first text before I knew exactly what I wanted to say in this post.
In Functional Literacy Vance Stevens quotes from S. Selber's Multiliteracies for a Digital Age. Selber explores the metaphor of computers as tools and says that 'a tool metaphor invariably influences how users think about and work with computers".
As I have already said, I had an idea for a blog post half-way down this page. My mind tends to drift that way a lot. I could never get through my readings at University without getting into a dialogue with the text on its margins. Which is why I advise you to read the article I have linked to above on your own (and, when you are there, you can read the rest of the Week 5 readings), because I am going to talk about something much more frivolous here.
How much does the way we see computers influence our digital literacy? How much do our 'computer metaphors' determine our abililty to use new technologies?
My mother's generation often sees computers as living things. "What does it want now?" she says when she hears a message tone on her mobile.
My mother is a voluntary digital refugee. She is not on friendly terms with her mobile, though she begrudgingly recognises its usefulness. With our home computer... Well, she is not even on speaking terms with our home computer. Because, according to her, it is evil.
The fact that she is a retired teacher is not quite surprising. Because it is precisely from teachers that I hear this opinion most. They are the ones who believe that computers are corrupting schoolchildren. Whenever my son had a New Year celebration at school, the 'Santa' would ask them if they had been good. I always cringed because I knew what was coming. After asking them whether they had listened to their parents and their teachers, he would ask them whether they had been sitting in front of their computers for too long.
Photo on Flickr by Wisconsin Historical Images
There are different metaphors at play here. Computers are seen as monsters or as evil magicians who will ensnare the children and turn them into game-playing zombies.
On the other hand, I see something quite different from the not-so-literate adults of my generation. Sometimes the children are left unsupervised to go online and do whatever they like. In this case the computer is seen as a babysitter.
Picture on Flickr by jpellgen
This, of course, is a bad idea. The reasons why this is a bad idea are so numerous that I will not even get into them here. But is it generally dangerous to let our children go online and play computer games?
While I was growing up, we were one of the first generations in my country who grew up watching TV. We watched Looney Tunes cartoons, which some people said were too violent for children. There were long discussions about what TV was going to do to our attention span. You know, I don't think we are that different from previous generations. Though, to tell you the truth, I don't like TV much. It is too passive. They talk to you, you listen. You can change the channel, but that's as far as you can go to change something.
It is different with computers. My son was only five when he created his first PowerPoint Presentation. It was a messy thing, but he was so proud of himself. And we still have it somewhere.
I don't know what my son's generation will grow up into. Living near computers and being exposed to them is no guarantee that chlidren will become multiliterate. They will have the technical skills, but without the ability to think critically and to question everything you read online, computers are reduced to interactive TV. Watching the teenagers from my neighbourhood, I get the idea that this is their computer metaphor - computers are 'fun boxes' for them. They go online to download music and movies, or to spend hours looking through their friends' Facebook albums.
Which is why I believe multiliteracies should be taught at school. Alongside with this, critical thinking skills should be developed. Yes, and there should be world peace and enough food for everyone. Birds should be singing and sun should be shining every day.
Between the digital refugees of my mother's generation and the digital natives of my son's generation, where does it leave the rest of us?
We should be somewhere in between, shouldn't we? Except that we are not and people my age are divided into two tribes - the technophobes and the geeks. With lots of variations in between, of course. Some of my friends dislike computers or limit themselves to checking their email. Others, like me, are enthusiastic about the internet in a way my son's generation will never be. For my son, having a computer in his life is quite normal and taken for granted. For me, the computer has opened new horizons.
Photo on Flickr by D. Sharon Pruitt
I see it as a geenie from a magic lamp, willing to do things for me and take me wherever I want to go. It is a magic wand helping me create things I never dreamed I was capable of creating. But primarily it is a communication tool, helping me connect to people.
I have used the chocolate metaphor in this blog before. I have compared myself to a child in a chocolate shop. Digital immigrants have the tendency to 'overeat' when they are online. They overload themselves with new information and new projects. Because they grew up in a society where they were expected to finish every project they started and because they still don't have the skills necessary to manage information online (such as filtering and sifting), they often feel overwhelmed. I believe that digital natives cope better in this situation. They start new projects, but they drop them as soon as they lose interest. They may not be as committed or as persistent as we are and we often accuse them of a short attention span, but maybe those are the characteristics necessary to 'survive' online. To use the chocolate metaphor again: maybe we should sample different kinds of chocolates, but we should also know when to stop before we overeat. Then one day you will find out what your favourite chocolate is and ignore everything else. And when someone offers something you are not interested in, you should find the strength in you to say: " Thank you, I have had enough."
Photo on Flickr By creativecommoners
Can you resist? I can't. But then, I am probably addicted.


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Ridgeline Engineering's civil engineering department provides a broad range of development services and can remain closely involved in every project from concept to completion.
Surveying is the science of measuring and mapping relative positions above, on, or under the surface of the ground, or establishing such positions from a technical plan.
We offer a variety of land planning and development services that allow us to create effective commercial properties built to the client's specifications and the regulatory entities' guidelines.
Ridgeline Engineering provides a wide-range of Special Inspection Services in order to ensure compliance with approved plans, specifications and applicable building codes and ordinances.


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As we approach Christmas, people begin searching for just the right gift. Sometimes that choice is an animal. Maybe it's because the kids have always wanted one and you're finally ready or maybe it's because time is running out and you're by the pet shop. Buying a living being should be totally thought out and the whole family should be in agreement. Around the first of the year, Craigslist and shelters will be full of animals who were presents and their owners didn't take time to think it through.
Pet shops make an extra effort to convince you that a pet is exactly what your family needs for Christmas. Of course they would say that, this is their busiest time of the year. They sell most of their puppies at Christmas followed closely by Valentine's Day. Don't buy into the ads that show a puppy with a big bow around its neck as the ultimate gift of love. Puppies in pet shops are almost always from puppy mills no matter what the shops claim. They use semantics to say they don't buy from puppy mills because they will use a broker so they are not buying directly from the mills. If they are not from puppy mills, then they are from backyard breeders, not the reputable loving breeders raising them in their homes as the pet shops would claim. Think of it this way, if you were a great breeder working to improve the breed, would you sell your puppies to a pet shop so they could be sold to anyone that had a high enough credit limit? No, you'd want to know who was buying your puppies and how they were going to care for them. Buying puppies at a pet shop is truly a gamble. They've had little veterinary care and you have no idea how they've been treated or what they've been fed. The real victims though are their parents who are still at the mill pumping out puppies to line the pockets of greedy uncaring people. The parents are kept in substandard conditions, often exposed to the elements, without veterinary care and used until they literally can't produce any more puppies. Some of the parents are missing eyes, ears, limbs and in some cases, can't even stand or walk but are kept because they produce beautiful puppies.
Do you want to make a difference in the lives of puppy mill dogs? Do not buy anything from pet shops that sell puppies. Caring stores will open their doors to rescues and shelters so they can help those animals find homes. Pet Supplies Plus is a great local pet store that does not sell animals but does support local rescues. They carry a huge supply of food and have a very knowledgeable staff. Buying anything from stores like Uncle Bills just allows them to continue buying and selling their puppy mill puppies. Uncle Bills is one of those stores that plays the word games. They buy their puppies from brokers who in turn have bought the puppies from Amish puppy mills. They have even stooped so low as to run a website claiming you can "adopt" any of the pictured puppies or you can special order a mixed breed. Don't be confused by their choice of words, you are buying a puppy from a puppy mill. And don't think you are "rescuing" the puppies by buying them from the store either. All you are doing is giving them money and allowing them to buy another puppy to fill its place.
Petshop Puppies wants to educate the public and help shut down puppy mills. You can learn more about them online or by attending one of their rallies. They will be holding rallies both this weekend to educate shoppers about where that cute pet shop puppy comes from. Their rallies are all peaceful, legal and family friendly. They will be in various locations throughout the city and it's as easy as standing and holding a sign. Here's the schedule for this weekend:
Saturday December 22nd
Location: Uncle Bill's Pet Center (Fishers)
14061 Mundy Drive Fishers, IN
Time: 10:00 am to 11:30am
Location: Uncle Bill's Pet Center (East Side)
9411 E. Washington St. Indianapolis, IN
Time: 12:30 pm to 2:00
Sunday: December 23rd
Location: Uncle Bill's Pet Center (Greenwood)
870 U.S. Hwy 31 Greenwood, IN.
Time: 11:00 am to 12:30
Monday December 24th
Location: Uncle Bill's Pet Center (Fishers)
14061 Mundy Drive Fishers, IN
Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Do not park near Uncle Bills or they can and will have your car towed. Dress warmly, signs are provided but you are welcome to take your own. Please spare a little time this weekend to help save the dogs left behind in the puppy mills.
As always, thanks for opting to adopt. If you would like to see your rescue group, shelter, event or adoptable pets featured here, send an email to email@example.com. To stay up to date on local rescue info, subscribe above.


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Hydrocephalus is a buildup of fluid inside the skull that leads to brain swelling.
Hydrocephalus means "water on the brain."
Hydrocephalus is due to a problem with the flow of the fluid that surrounds the brain. This fluid is called the cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF. The fluid surrounds the brain and spinal cord and helps cushion the brain.
CSF normally moves through the brain and the spinal cord and is soaked into the bloodstream. CSF levels in the brain can rise if:
Too much CSF puts pressure on the brain. This pushes the brain up against the skull and damages brain tissue.
Hydrocephalus may begin while the baby is growing in the womb. It is common in babies who have a myelomeningocele, a birth defect in which the spinal column does not close properly.
Hydrocephalus may also be due to:
In young children, hydrocephalus may be due to:
Hydrocephalus most often occurs in children. Another type, called normal pressure hydrocephalus, may occur in adults and older people.
Symptoms of hydrocephalus depend on:
In infants, hydrocephalus causes the fontanelle (soft spot) to bulge and the head to be larger than expected. Early symptoms may also include:
Symptoms that may occur in older children can include:
The health care provider will examine the baby. This may show:
Repeated head circumference measurements over time may show that the head is getting bigger.
A head CT scan is one of the best tests for identifying hydrocephalus. Other tests that may be done include:
The goal of treatment is to reduce or prevent brain damage by improving the flow of CSF.
Surgery may be done to remove a blockage, if possible.
If not, a flexible tube called a shunt may be placed in the brain to reroute the flow of CSF. The shunt sends CSF to another part of the body, such as the belly area, where it can be absorbed.
Other treatments may include:
The child will need regular check-ups to make sure there are no further problems. Tests will be done regularly to check the child's development, and to look for intellectual, neurological, or physical problems.
Visiting nurses, social services, support groups, and local agencies can provide emotional support and help with the care of a child with hydrocephalus who has serious brain damage.
Without treatment, up to 6 in 10 people with hydrocephalus will die. Those who survive will have different amounts of intellectual, physical, and neurological disabilities.
The outlook depends on the cause. Hydrocephalus that is not due to an infection has the best outlook. People with hydrocephalus caused by tumors will often do very poorly.
Most children with hydrocephalus who survive for 1 year will have a fairly normal lifespan.
The shunt may become blocked. Symptoms of such a blockage include headache and vomiting. Surgeons may be able to help the shunt open without having to replace it.
There may be other problems with the shunt, such as kinking, tube separation, or infection in the area of the shunt.
Other complications may include:
Seek medical care right away if your child has any symptoms of this disorder. Go to the emergency room or call 911 if emergency symptoms occur, such as:
You should also call your provider if:
Protect the head of an infant or child from injury. Prompt treatment of infections and other disorders associated with hydrocephalus may reduce the risk of developing the disorder.
Review Date:
Reviewed By: Alireza Minagar, MD, MBA, Professor, Department of Neurology, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.


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Green is the New Black
Operating large buildings can be expensive. Lighting, heating, cooling and water usage in an office building are some of the major expenses of an investment. Save on these expenses and you not only help the environment, but you also increase the value of your investment in more than one way. Being green can help a building stay in the black.
Sustainability is the latest buzzword when it comes to development and construction. Sustainability is based on the idea that everything we depend upon is directly or indirectly obtained from our natural environment.
Creating and maintaining the balance for our present and future needs in a environment-friendly, socially-aware and economically-attainable method is at the essence of sustainability.
A movement is underway in commercial real estate for building and managing "green" sustainable buildings. According to CBRE there are 8,405 Energy Star certified buildings and 5,470 LEED certified buildings throughout the US.
Energy Star and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) are the two major certifying agencies for commercial real estate. These agencies develop the standards a building must meet to be considered green. There are several levels of the rating systems each with their own incentives.
One of the big factors for moving in the direction of green buildings is to lower operating costs, which in-turn increases the value of the investment.
The return on your investment is a major consideration for developers and property owners. To be certified a developer or property owner has several standards or factors, which must be met. They are not alone in their endeavor though as there are many tools and programs available on a governmental level as well as a vendor-driven level. Financially, the developer and property owner have access to rebates, tax credits, grants, low interest loans and other incentives.
There is a new industry that has been created, which will only continue to grow of providers, consultants, certification specialists, product vendors, builders and analysts. Those with accreditations are in high demand.
Many Fortune 500 companies are attracted to green buildings as well in order to meet their internal environmental policies according to CBRE. These are the types of tenants desired and in high demand, therefore rent can oftentimes come at a premium.
However, you cannot just install a few solar panels and expect to reap the benefits of a certification. There are five factors involved with a LEED certified building: sustainable site design; water conservation and quality; energy and environment; indoor environmental quality; conservation of materials and resources.
A building owner could also reap the benefits of retrofitting some of the systems in his building and still impact his bottom line without being certified. A building owner could replace the lighting in his building or the HVAC (heating-ventilation-air conditioning) systems with minimal out-of-pocket and the use of rebates. Some of these property owners are recouping their costs after less than a year in operation with many years after that benefiting in the reduction of their operating expenses.
Photo Credit: "Downtown" courtesy of New Old Stock, free of known copyright restrictions


text: High Integrity Protective System Design Using a Risk Based Approach Source: CCPS - Center for Chemical Process Safety Type: Conference PresentationConference Type: AIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process Safety Presentation Date: March 22, 2010 Duration: 30 minutes Skill Level: Intermediate PDHs: 0.50 Share This Post: With the update of the High Integrity Protective System (HIPS) methodology by API in 2007, Dow Chemical updated its internal work process to apply Dow's risk based work processes to HIPS design, application and evaluation. Rather than just focusing on the vessel related consequences of substituting a HIPS for a pressure relief device (PRD), the work process calls for stepping back and looking at the overall scenario and all the potential consequence outcomes. Using a risk based methodology requires looking at a much wider consequence potential than what API has traditionally focused on. By using Layer Of Protection Analysis (LOPA) to evaluate the consequences of the overpressure scenarios and determine the consequence severity factor or LOPA Target Factor for each scenario, the wider consequence potential is covered. The High Integrity Protection System (HIPS) safety integrity level (SIL) is determined by the highest risk scenario, which is typically the scenario with the greatest LOPA consequence severity factor. The resulting SIL level for the HIPS is adjusted to close the HIPS scenario risk gap. Other applicable LOPA independent Protection Layers (IPLs) are included in the LOPA risk evaluation. The HIPS design is verified by calculation to meet the required SIL level. There are pressure relief device (PRD) services for which PRDs can't deliver the over-pressure protection that we need and expect. The updated work process also identified these as key opportunities for using a HIPS: - a conventional PRD is not practical or possible to use - a conventional PRD will not be reliable - a conventional PRD will work but will result in high treatment cost Each of these cases is discussed in the paper. The overall result is an efficient process that links together the existing work processes for conventional relief design, Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA) and Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS). This produces a risk based method for applying and designing protection layers for use in a HIPS. This paper gives an overview of this work process with some application examples and describes how it is used for improving safety while reducing risks, and potentially reducing costs. Preview Presentation: Presenter(s): Robert J. Stack Once the content has been viewed and you have attested to it, you will be able to download and print a certificate for PDH credits. If you have already viewed this content, please click here to login. Checkout Checkout Do you already own this? Log In for instructions on accessing this content. Pricing Individuals AIChE Member Credits 0.5 AIChE Members $15.00 Employees of CCPS Member Companies $15.00 AIChE Graduate Student Members Free AIChE Undergraduate Student Members Free Non-Members $25.00 Language: English


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Reducing ranching hazards in the sagebrush sea
East-central Montana is a beautiful but brutal landscape in December. Wind whips and snow drifts across the rugged, open scrublands. In this harsh climate lives the sage-grouse, a plucky bird that once thrived across the sagebrush sea. Today, however, the population is plummeting from habitat loss.
Livestock grazing occurs on large swaths of the sagebrush steppe that these birds need for mating, breeding and feeding. Livestock fencing can stretch for miles and be particularly dangerous to grouse. "Sage-grouse are low-flying birds without the best eyesight," says Kylie Paul, Defenders' Rockies and Plains representative. "That makes wire fences on farms and ranches near sage-grouse breeding and nesting habitat and wintering areas especially hazardous to the birds. They are often the cause of fatal collisions."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined in 2010 that sage-grouse warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act, but a final decision isn't expected until 2016. In the meantime, Defenders is exploring ways to reduce the threats. One option is clipping markers onto the wire strands to help sage-grouse better see the fences. Field research in Wyoming found that marking fences reduced sage-grouse mortality by 61 percent between 2007 and 2009. Another study conducted in Idaho in 2010 found an 83 percent reduction in collision rates at marked fences versus unmarked fences.
So, for the sake of the birds, Paul and Mark Salvo, Defenders' director of federal lands conservation and resident grouse expert, along with partners from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, spent a few blustery days braving the December cold on a Montana ranch near Winifred.
Here they "flagged" miles of fencing on a willing rancher's property—clipping vinyl tags to the wire fence at three- to four-foot intervals. "We'd like to use this ranch to demonstrate how such a simple task can have a big impact toward safeguarding sage-grouse," says Paul.
Fence flagging is one step that landowners can take to help save sage-grouse. Defenders also encourages ranchers to take advantage of federal programs that help landowners to protect and restore meadows and riparian habitat and to place conservation easements on important sage-grouse habitat.
"We hope that once ranchers and farmers see that small actions can have a positive impact on species conservation, they will join the conservation effort and help us preserve sage-grouse and other at-risk species—like bison and wolves—in the West," says Salvo.
–Courtney Sexton
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11-05-2017 09:49 PM - edited 11-06-2017 12:41 PM
I just purchased a new Canoscsn 9000F MarkII scanner which seems very similar to my old 8800F scanner and which I was quite happy with, (but I lost the software that came with it and when I got a new computer I couldn't get it to work without the CD).
OK so now I have this spiffy new scanner and it won't let me print with my old HP Deskjet D4260 printer which works perfectly well and I don't wish to replace. I had no problem with the 8800F Canoscan. This is very frustrating!
Thanks for any help!
Hi bettiola,
Installing the mot current version of the driver should resolve the issue.
Click HERE.
Scroll down to "Recommended Drivers."
Click "Select" next to "9000F Mark II Scanner Driver."
Press "Download."
Open and run the file.
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation.
Additional programs listed under "Software" can be installed the same way.
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SAP Extreme Sailing Team triumphs in 2017 Extreme Sailing Series™
Monday, December 4, 2017 8:36 AM
The wind tantalised the apprehensive teams, only filling in enough to run three scoring races in the final hour of the day. The Danes had victory in the bag by the time it came to the closing double-points race but the heat was still on between Alinghi and Oman Air in the war to win the first-ever Mexican Extreme Sailing Series Act.
For an ecstatic SAP Extreme Sailing Team co-skipper Rasmus Køstner this is a momentous occasion, as it is his first ever victory in the ultimate Stadium Racing championship since he began competing in 2012.
"It's a goal we've had for a long, long time, and it's actually the reason we started the project, so it is amazing," said an elated Køstner, who celebrated with his fellow crewmembers: Co-skipper and coach Jes Gram-Hansen, helm Adam Minoprio, headsail trimmer Pierluigi de Felice, trimmer and grinder Mads Emil Stephensen and bowman Richard Mason.
"It's been a great journey and a really fantastic achievement by the team and I'm very proud of them for the work they've put in. We're finally here and it's a good feeling, that's for sure," added Køstner, whose team's victory was topped off by winning the Zhik Speed Machine Trophy for reaching the top speed of the Act and of the year at 33.7 knots, an insight provided by SAP.
Although the season trophy was out of reach for Alinghi and Oman Air, their fate in Act standings was only decided in the last nail-biting race of the day. Not deterred by Oman Air's two race wins in the run-up, the Swiss finished ahead of the Omani syndicate to seal the Act 8 triumph.
"Today was quite tricky and we didn't start the day well but we came back in the second race and everything was on the table for the last one," said Arnaud Psarofaghis, co-skipper and helm of Alinghi, who finished second for the season.
"It was a great battle with Oman Air, but we managed to beat them. I think Phil Robertson [skipper of Oman Air] lost at his own game of trying to match race us and we got ahead in the end. Really well done to SAP Extreme Sailing Team; it's been a great season," he added.
Despite a commendable effort in the two opening races, Oman Air was unable to catch its adversary Alinghi and finished second for the Act and third for the season.
"It was a massive fight and we were very close to pulling off the event win. We were in the position a couple of times in that last race to do it, but unfortunately the Swiss sailed a little too well to make it easy for us. We had to get our hands dirty but it didn't go our way," said skipper Phil Robertson.
"It was a very good event, I'm pretty pleased with the way we sailed today but it would be nice to be on the top step," he added.
With SAP Extreme Sailing Team determined to keep its main threat at an arm's length, Red Bull Sailing Team had a tough battle on its hands and one which it lost.
"SAP Extreme Sailing Team were going at us from the start. We knew they were coming but Adam Minoprio is a very good match racer and I judged it wrong. We fought back but it still wasn't enough," said skipper Roman Hagara, whose team finished fourth for the Act and the season.
Land Rover BAR Academy was helmed this week by Olympic gold-medallist and 2017 America's Cup sailor Giles Scott, who managed to out sail his America's Cup rival, Kiwi Josh Junior, who was at the helm of NZ Extreme Sailing Team. A fifth-place finish in the Act for the Brits saw it leapfrog the New Zealand-entry on the overall leaderboard to take fifth.
The drama was heightened in the final double-points race when local wildcard Team Extreme México pulled off its first-ever race win. The crowds were overjoyed for the home team, which was skippered by Mexican sailor Erik Brockmann and helmed by Brit Chris Taylor.
"We couldn't have asked for more. We had a tough second race today so we had nothing to lose going into the final race. We thought 'let's go for it, let's give the crowd a show'," said Brockmann.
"We had a great start. We were the only ones on port and it gave us a good advantage over the fleet. In this fleet, you can't be leading at the first mark and just keep hold of that lead. We had to really fight for it to go our way and it was just amazing for the crowd. We could hear all the fans and that made it very special."
US-flagged wildcard Lupe Tortilla Demetrio, who competed for the second time here in Los Cabos following its debut at Act 7, San Diego, finished bottom of the Act leaderboard.
Act 8, Los Cabos, presented by SAP, rounded off a sensational 10-month long season that has seen the Stadium Racing championship visit eight cities across three continents. The high-octane action resumes in 2018 and the calendar will be announced in the coming weeks.
Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 8, Los Cabos, presented by SAP standings after Day 4, 20 races (03.12.17)
Position / Team / Points
1st Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Timothé Lapauw, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 224 points.
2nd Oman Air (OMA) Phil Robertson, Pete Greenhalgh, James Wierzbowski, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari 212 points.
3rd SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Rasmus Køstner, Adam Minoprio, Mads Emil Stephensen, Pierluigi de Felice, Richard Mason 209 points.
4th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Stewart Dodson, Adam Piggott, Will Tiller 191 points.
5th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) Rob Bunce, Giles Scott, Oli Greber, Sam Batten, Matt Brushwood 157 points.
6th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) Graeme Sutherland, Josh Junior, Harry Hull, Andy Maloney, Josh Salthouse 157 points.
7th Team Extreme México (MEX) Erik Brockmann, Chris Taylor, Alex Higby, Tom Buggy, Danel Belausteguigoitia Fierro, Armando Noriega Negrete 153 points.
8th Lupe Tortilla Demetrio (USA) John Tomko, Jonathan Atwood, Matthew Whitehead, Tripp Burd, Trevor Burd 125 points.
Extreme Sailing Series™ 2017 overall standings
Position / Team / Points
1st SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) 98 points.
2nd Alinghi (SUI) 96 points.
3rd Oman Air (OMA) 95 points.
4th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) 84 points.
5th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) 70 points.
6th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) 70 points.


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This page shows you how to configure the MaxMon app. It assumes you have already configured your Android phone and installed the MaxMon app. If you have also purchased a Quatropus bundle then it's a good idea to get the built-in phone sensors working first (see below) before attaching your Quatropus.
- License
- Home screen
- Settings
- General settings
- Sensors
- Actions
- Sequences
- Alerts
- Tasks
- Diagnostics
- Android
- Run mode
- Reports
- Alert reports
- On-phone reports
When you first run the MaxMon app (and when you subsequently update it) you must accept our terms and conditions (license). We've tried to make it short and genuinely readable. If you click "Accept" the MaxMon app will run, otherwise it will exit or keep presenting you with the MaxMon license.
Home screen
The MaxMon app home screen is a mouse hole with the faint outline of a cat (or minus a cat in older versions). If you see a more substantial cat you've been unable to resist touching the big buttons beneath the mousehole. Touch the 'Monitor' button again to make the cat go away. An empty mousehole means MaxMon is in CONFIG mode, because before proceeding you need to configure MaxMon. Be patient ... like the cat.
To configure MaxMon press the phone MENU button (or the ≡ icon at the top of the screen, see Q: Where is the MENU button?), then select "Settings" from the resulting menu.
This brings you to the main MaxMon settings screen, which is divided into categories. Select the "General" category.
In future we will refer to these categories as "Settings>General", "Settings>Sensors", "Settings>Actuators", etc.
General settings
This is what you would see if you could see all the "General" settings at once (you will have to scroll up and down to see and set them). But don't worry, they're all pretty obvious. To get started just configure the following settings:
To find out more about specific settings see Help: General settings (or select the Help option from the MENU button or ≡ icon).
For now you can ignore the other "General" settings. But before you leave this screen press the phone MENU button or the ≡ icon at the top of the screen. Every MaxMon app screen has a "Help" menu option, which will take you to detailed online help (see Help: Getting help). In this case it will take you Help: General settings where you can read about the other settings.
Press the BACK button to return to the MaxMon settings screen.
Click on the "Sensors" category.
The sensor settings screen lists the sensors available to the MaxMon app. If you have not connected a Quatropus unit they will be those built-in to the phone. You may see a different list depending on your phone and MaxMon app version. Touching a sensor row brings more detailed sensor settings (which we will ignore for now).
Stay on the sensor settings screen and disconnect the phone from its power source. Within a few seconds you should see the "Power" sensor go to its alert state (value changes to "OFF" and two ** and red text shows the alert). You will also see the "Battery(%)" very slowly declining. This assumes you had the phone connected to a power source. If not, connect it to power now and watch the alert state go away and the "Battery(%)" slowly increase.
We are going to ignore "Actuators" for now, since they have their own How to use MaxMon actuators tutorial (and require a Quatropus accessory).
Go BACK to the MaxMon settings and select "Actions".
MaxMon's action settings are split into four tabs (under "Settings>Actions").
The "Actions" tab lists predefined actions you can configure to happen on a scheduled basis or in response to sensor alerts - such as creating reports or taking photos and sending them to the email or text recipients you configured in "Settings>General". Some of the actions are delays, which are useful when defining sequences of actions (see below).
Select the "Sequences" tab.
Sequence are user-defined sequences of actions that you can configure to happen on a scheduled basis or in response to sensor alerts. The MaxMon app includes an example sequence that delays for a second before emailing a photo to the recipient(s) configured in "Settings>General". Press on "Example sequence" to show/hide its actions. We don't use sequences in this tutorial but you can read all about them in Help: Sequences.
Select the "Alerts" tab.
Alerts are where you connect actions or sequences (see above) to sensor alert conditions, and specify how often you want them to repeat (and in what order). In this tutorial we will just accept the default alerts created by the MaxMon app, all of which pertain to the phone's built-in sensors.
For more information on alerts see Q: How do I configure alerts? and Help: Alerts.
Select the "Tasks" tab.
Tasks are scheduled actions or sequences (as defined on the "Actions" and "Sequences" tabs), such as sending daily or weekly reports to the recipients(s) configured in "Settings>General". In this tutorial we'll accept the default tasks (morning and evening daily reports plus a weekly report on Friday) but you can read all about configuring your own tasks in Help: Tasks and Help: Actions.
Note that to receive scheduled task reports:
For now we'll ignore the "Devices" settings, which is where you check MaxMon app and Quatropus firmware compatibility and update the MaxMon app or Quatropus firmware if required (see Help: Devices).
Go BACK to the MaxMon settings and select "Diagnostics".
You don't normally need to use these diagnostic settings (they are for help in troubeshooting problems) but "Email test" provides a quick way of testing the phone and app email and network settings. Selecting it should send an email to the recipients(s) you configured earlier in "Settings>General".
Go BACK to the MaxMon settings and select "Android".
This screen provides a useful checklist of Android settings (as opposed to app settings) that need to be configured for MaxMon to work. The entries listed on this screen corresponds to the step-by-step settings in Configuring your Android phone.
Scroll down this screen and verify that the Android settings listed are configured correctly (see Help: Android). A warning icon shows that a required Android settings has not been set or conflicts with a MaxMon app setting. Lack of a warning icon does NOT mean Android is correctly configured - you should manually check each Android setting. Touch a setting to be taken to the corresponding Android setting screen.
Press the BACK button to return to the MaxMon home screen.
Run mode
For MaxMon to proactively do things it needs to be put into MONITOR or ARMED mode (see Q: how do I arm/disarm the MaxMon app?). Click on the 'Arm' button.
NOTE: Older versions of the MaxMon app only have a single 'start/stop' button. Time to update your MaxMon app!
Wait for the resulting countdown to complete (while familiarising yourself with MaxMon you can reduce this 'arming' delay on the "Settings> General" screen).
A substantial cat should appear in the mouse hole and a notification at the top of the screen (which you can pull down to read) tells you that MaxMon is monitoring and 'armed'. This icon will stay in the notification bar while MaxMon is active.
MaxMon is monitoring your mouse hole!
To test scheduled reporting:
Tum-te-tum. Yes, well, there's not much to see while MaxMon is running (in fact you can exit the MaxMon app and it will keep running in the background - see the MaxMon icon in the notification bar). You now have to wait 5 minutes until the task executes.
5 minutes later the MaxMon app should email a report to the configured "Recipient(s)". It will have a summary (similar to a text/SMS report) stating the current, min and max values logged for each sensor and actuator over the report period. Below the summary are graphs for each sensor and actuator, highlighting normal (green) and alert (red) values. These graphs will look sparse because you have only gathered 5 minutes of data.
See MaxMon reports/alerts for a detailed description of text and email report formats.
Below the graphs is a table of the raw log data gathered over the 5 minutes by the MaxMon app.
Note that the readings are only logged every 10 minutes (600 seconds), in the absence of any sensor alerts, which is the default "Log interval (secs)" in "Settings>General". Sensor alerts are logged whenever they occur (subject to their repeat interval - see below).
Alert reports
You don't need to set the "Log interval (secs)" to a low value to quickly respond to alerts. The log interval is the interval between routine log readings. To see this make sure that the MaxMon background service is running, "Log interval (secs)" is set to 600 seconds and power is connected to the phone. Wait a few seconds then disconnect power from the phone. The phone should almost immediately send an alert email. You can tell it's an alert because ALERT is in the subject line and alerting sensors are highlighted in the summary - see Email reports/alerts.
Note that if you add and remove power again from the phone you will not receive another alert for some time. This is because there are sensor settings to prevent too many alerts from being sent for the same alert condition. This is also where sensor alert thresholds are set. You can access these settings by touching the sensor on the "Settings>Sensor" screen.
On-phone reports
A useful feature of the MaxMon app is that while you are configuring MaxMon (and have access to the phone) you can view the same reports you will receive via email, on the phone. Go to the MaxMon app home screen, press MENU and select "Reports".
These on-phone reports offer shorter time period options (than email or text reports) so select "Last hour" to see what's been going on while you've been configuring MaxMon.
You should see the same type of report as you were previously emailed.
Note that location tracking data is attached to these reports as a KML file , which can be viewed using Google Earth on desktop computers. To view KML tracks on low-end Android phones try installing the MaxMonKML companion app.
That's it!
You've now pretty much seen every aspect of MaxMon and created a basic configuration. Next steps are to attach a Quatropus and external sensors, learn about how to use MaxMon actuators and read through the online help.


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2020 candidates on the issues: A voter's guide to where they stand on health care, gun control and more
We asked the 2020 presidential candidates questions on nine topics including gun violence, health care, climate change and immigration. Each candidate was given the same set of questions to answer.
Candidates who are not featured did not provide a response; answers have been edited for length. Read the candidate's responses to each question by browsing the links below.
2020 presidential election: A visual guide to the candidate's positions on healthcare, climate change, guns and more
2020 candidates views on the issues
Joe Biden
Do you believe the earth's climate is changing? If yes, do you believe it is caused by humans?
This shouldn't be a question. The science is clear that our climate is changing, and humans' contributions to it are indisputable. Climate change poses an existential threat to our environment, our health, and our communities. That's why I have introduced a bold plan — a Clean Energy Revolution — to address this grave threat and lead the world in addressing the climate emergency.
See what all the candidates have to say about climate change here.
How would you address gun violence in America?
Every day, there are shootings in America that don't make the national headlines. This nation faces a gun violence epidemic, and we have to take action. I have taken on the NRA and won – twice – and I will do it again. As president, I will ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require background checks on all gun sales, close other loopholes in the background check system like the "boyfriend loophole," accelerate smart gun technology and more.
See what all the candidates have to say about gun violence here.
Should the government forgive student loans? If yes, why and for whom? If no, why not?
Our country faces a student debt crisis. Even years after graduating, Americans are drowning in debt, and people of color are disproportionately affected. My plan will halve the payments on undergraduate federal student loans by simplifying and increasing the generosity of today's income-based repayment program, and not require payments or accrual of interest on undergraduate federal loans for those making less than $25,000 a year. I will also create a new, simple loan forgiveness program that offers $10,000 of student debt relief for every year of national or community service for up to five years.
See what all the candidates are saying about education, housing and jobs here.
Should the U.S. government offer subsidies for renewable energy, such as wind energy or ethanol? Why or why not?
I will make significant investments in clean energy technology and ensure we are curbing carbon emissions. I will allocate tax credits and subsidies to help businesses upgrade equipment, invest in expanded or new factories, and deploy low-carbon technologies — making sure there is bottom-line win for jobs, workers, clean energy, and long-term community investment. In addition, I'll invest $400 billion in clean energy research, innovation, and deployment — more than twice what America spent to put a man on the moon. As part of this effort, developing the next generation of biofuels will be a top priority.
See what all the candidates are saying about technology and alternative energy here.
Would you re-enter the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran? Why or why not?
The Iran Nuclear Deal was working — it blocked every one of Iran's paths to nuclear weapons, as repeatedly verified by international inspectors — but Trump abandoned it, isolating the U.S. on the world stage, with no plan for anything better. Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon; if Iran moves back into compliance with its nuclear obligations, I would re-enter the JCPOA as a starting point to work alongside our allies and other partners to extend the deal's nuclear constraints. I would leverage renewed international consensus around America's Iran policy — and a redoubled commitment to diplomacy — to push back against Tehran's other malign behavior in the region.
See what the other candidates are saying about foreign policy here.
Read all of Biden's answers here.
Bernie Sanders
What do you believe is the biggest health care issue facing Americans? How would you solve it?
America is the only major industrialized country that doesn't guarantee health care as a human right. Thirty million Americans remain uninsured, millions more are underinsured, and profit-driven pharmaceutical and insurance companies fill the system with bloat for their own benefit at the expense of patients. Despite the groundswell of support from Democrats, Republicans, and independents for Medicare for All, insurance, drug, and hospital lobbyists have teamed up to protect their profits by pouring large sums of money into an attack campaign on a plan that would guarantee health care to all.
See what all the candidates have to say about health care here.
What is your plan to address the growing national debt?
For too long in this country, there has been austerity for the poor but windfalls for the rich. Trump's tax cuts added trillions to the deficit for a giveaway to the wealthy and large corporations. Meanwhile, we've seen decades of cuts to essential public services and stagnant real wages for workers. Bernie will ensure the rich and corporations pay their fair share, and he'll reduce our bloated military budget. Bernie's proposals are fully paid for, but he will not make the deep cuts to Social Security and Medicare that many in both parties demand under the guise of deficit reduction.
See what all the candidates say on the economy here.
How would you address the opioid crisis?
The opioid epidemic is killing thousands of Americans every year, caused by the greed of pharmaceutical companies, which lied about the dangers of these products. These companies have profited billions each year and not one of them has been held fully accountable. Bernie will address this crisis with the urgency it requires by investing in treatment, prevention, and research and guaranteeing health care as a right to all, including substance abuse and mental health services. Bernie will hold pharmaceutical companies responsible for this epidemic by passing the Opioid Crisis Accountability Act.
See what all the candidates are saying about America's drug policies here.
Should it be a crime to enter the U.S. illegally?
Entering the U.S. without documentation should not be a criminal offense. Bernie believes that no human being is illegal, and we should not treat families who travel thousands of miles to escape violence and misery as criminals. The criminalization of border crossings does not serve public interest or safety, wastes valuable government resources and taxpayer dollars, and has been utilized by President Trump to rip families apart and cage children. As president, Bernie will handle border crossings as a civil matter and push Congress to repeal 8 US Code Section 1325.
Read what all the candidates say about immigration and voting rights here.
Read all of Sanders' answers here.


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Department of Energy, Clean Line Partnership Represents a Win for Energy Infrastructure
It is no secret that our nation's energy infrastructure is outdated and in need of significant investment and modernization. For example, as the mix of electricity generation resources evolves to include an abundance of gas as well as increasingly cost-competitive renewable generation, constructing the infrastructure to support the transmission and distribution of these resources will be essential to enabling clean, reliable, and affordable electricity.
Despite the clear need for new infrastructure, challenges related to siting, funding, and cost-allocation can slow or prevent its development. Electric transmission projects that cross state lines pose a particular challenge, as there is not currently a viable federal backstop siting authority, and resolutions are difficult to achieve if a state along a proposed line either can't (for example, if restrictions in existing statutes limit its ability to review a line passing through but not serving customers) or won't provide approval to lines that could benefit the system at large. The Bipartisan Policy Center has long argued that there is a role for the federal government in ensuring the development of interstate infrastructure with broad regional or national benefits.
For this reason, BPC was pleased to see the recent announcement by DOE on March 25 that it would participate in the development of the Plains & Eastern Clean Line Project, a 700-mile long high-voltage direct current line that would deliver wind energy from the Oklahoma Panhandle region to utilities and customers in the mid-south and southeastern United States. This public-private partnership is possible as a result of Section 1222 of the bipartisan Energy Policy Act of 2005, which permits the secretary of energy, acting through the Western or Southwestern Power Authorities, to participate in the development of electric transmission projects.
BPC Senior Fellows Sens. Pete Domenici and Byron Dorgan, former Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee chairman and member, respectively, submitted a letter to Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz during the review process, supporting DOE's use of Section 1222, noting that "Section 1222 provides an opportunity for DOE to play a leadership role in building much-needed energy infrastructure, with the risk borne by the private sector, rather than by ratepayers or taxpayers. We believe that this measure provides an important opportunity to ensure development of critical projects that enhance the reliability and security of our nation's electric grid."
BPC applauds Moniz's willingness to engage this never-used provision to ensure the development of valuable new transmission infrastructure. While the availability of Section 1222 does not undermine the need for reform of federal backstop authority for electric transmission siting, or the review of state siting statues and multistate siting processes more generally, this action provides an example of an innovative public-private partnership that will be instructive as a model going forward.
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BPC drives principled and politically viable policy solutions through the power of rigorous analysis, painstaking negotiation, and aggressive advocacy.


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Now that the leaves have all fallen, it is much easier to peer into the tree line.
Saturday, December 10, 2016
The View
Now that the leaves have all fallen, it is much easier to peer into the tree line.
10 comments:
- gld said...
Great view! Love the idea of old lace curtains.
You do seem to live in a wildlife area. The squirrels must know your dogs can't get to them.......
- December 10, 2016 at 7:51 AM
- Sandra said...
I love old lace and have it in kitchen and the computer room. spectacular TV show from the throne. we watched our family of five yesterday in the trees in the back yard, wish I had their energy. LOVE the eagle through the glass.
- December 10, 2016 at 9:11 AM
- only slightly confused said...
Damn you've got good eyes.
- December 10, 2016 at 9:57 AM
- Gayle said...
You may have seen my 'single' squirrel in my post. If I saw seven, my new outlook toward these rodents might be reversed.
Neat that the eagles arrived and you spied them.
- December 10, 2016 at 10:41 AM
- Susie said...
JP, That is a sight to behold. I want to see an eagle around here so badly....they have been spotted. Someone saw a snowy owl the other day by the Acadamy. I want to go hang out and see if I can catch a glimpse. Blessings, xoxo, Susie
- December 10, 2016 at 11:15 AM
- NanaDiana said...
LOL- Nothing like spending time in the bathroom with a friend...lol....I had a friend that used to follow me right into the bathroom so she could keep talking.
Love the view out your bathroom window, too! xo Diana
- December 10, 2016 at 1:44 PM
- Ann said...
Love the shot of the eagle. Nice to have a throne room with a view
- December 10, 2016 at 5:56 PM
- Lowcarb team member said...
What a great view and what a great shot of the eagle!
All the best Jan
- December 10, 2016 at 7:28 PM
- eileeninmd said...
Hello, awesome eagle shot. I would much rather see the eagle than those pesky squirrels. The poor birds do not get a chance at the feeders. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Sunday, enjoy your new week ahead!
- December 11, 2016 at 8:57 AM
- Bobbi M said...
Lace curtains add os much to a window.
- December 13, 2016 at 1:45 PM


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Current aging well is in danger of failing
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $144,000 to the Consolidated Public Water District #1 of Pemiscot County, Mo. The funds will be used to construct a new water supply well near Hayti, Mo. The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2012.
"It's always a pleasure to help provide safe, reliable and affordable water to Missouri communities. These water infrastructure funds will partially fund the construction project which is estimated to cost $456,000," said EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks.
The existing water supply well has exceeded its life expectancy and is in danger of failing. The new well will replace the existing one to ensure a continued adequate supply of drinking water. The well will be approximately 1,400 ft deep and will provide water at a rate of 450 gal per minute.


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The "Dream House" was built for the Dream Factory charity to donate the sale profits to grant wishes to children with terminal or chornic illness. It was designed by Jonathan Miller along with Penny for a steep walk out lot. The 4500 square foot home had numerous amenities and sold quickly to a family of four.
Click photo to view larger.