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Printer Friendly Chapter XX The remainder of the day passed uneventfully. The young slip of a gale, having wetted our gills, proceeded to moderate. The fourth engineer and the three oilers, after a warm interview with Wolf Larsen, were furnished with outfits from the slop-chests, assigned places under the hunters in the various boats and watches on the vessel, and bundled forward into the forecastle. They went protestingly, but their voices were not loud. They were awed by what they had already seen of Wolf Larsen's character, while the tale of woe they speedily heard in the forecastle took the last bit of rebellion out of them. Miss Brewster--we had learned her name from the engineer--slept on and on. At supper I requested the hunters to lower their voices, so she was not disturbed; and it was not till next morning that she made her appearance. It had been my intention to have her meals served apart, but Wolf Larsen put down his foot. Who was she that she should be too good for cabin table and cabin society? had been his demand. But her coming to the table had something amusing in it. The hunters fell silent as clams. Jock Horner and Smoke alone were unabashed, stealing stealthy glances at her now and again, and even taking part in the conversation. The other four men glued their eyes on their plates and chewed steadily and with thoughtful precision, their ears moving and wobbling, in time with their jaws, like the ears of so many animals. Wolf Larsen had little to say at first, doing no more than reply when he was addressed. Not that he was abashed. Far from it. This woman was a new type to him, a different breed from any he had ever known, and he was curious. He studied her, his eyes rarely leaving her face unless to follow the movements of her hands or shoulders. I studied her myself, and though it was I who maintained the conversation, I know that I was a bit shy, not quite self-possessed. His was the perfect poise, the supreme confidence in self, which nothing could shake; and he was no more timid of a woman than he was of storm and battle. "And when shall we arrive at Yokohama?" she asked, turning to him and looking him squarely in the eyes. There it was, the question flat. The jaws stopped working, the ears ceased wobbling, and though eyes remained glued on plates, each man listened greedily for the answer. "In four months, possibly three if the season closes early," Wolf Larsen said. She caught her breath and stammered, "I--I thought--I was given to understand that Yokohama was only a day's sail away. It--" Here she paused and looked about the table at the circle of unsympathetic faces staring hard at the plates. "It is not right," she concluded. "That is a question you must settle with Mr. Van Weyden there," he replied, nodding to me with a mischievous twinkle. "Mr. Van Weyden is what you may call an authority on such things as rights. Now I, who am only a sailor, would look upon the situation somewhat differently. It may possibly be your misfortune that you have to remain with us, but it is certainly our good fortune." He regarded her smilingly. Her eyes fell before his gaze, but she lifted them again, and defiantly, to mine. I read the unspoken question there: was it right? But I had decided that the part I was to play must be a neutral one, so I did not answer. "What do you think?" she demanded. "That it is unfortunate, especially if you have any engagements falling due in the course of the next several months. But, since you say that you were voyaging to Japan for your health, I can assure you that it will improve no better anywhere than aboard the Ghost." I saw her eyes flash with indignation, and this time it was I who dropped mine, while I felt my face flushing under her gaze. It was cowardly, but what else could I do? "Mr. Van Weyden speaks with the voice of authority," Wolf Larsen laughed. I nodded my head, and she, having recovered herself, waited expectantly. "Not that he is much to speak of now," Wolf Larsen went on, "but he has improved wonderfully. You should have seen him when he came on board. A more scrawny, pitiful specimen of humanity one could hardly conceive. Isn't that so, Kerfoot?" Kerfoot, thus directly addressed, was startled into dropping his knife on the floor, though he managed to grunt affirmation. "Developed himself by peeling potatoes and washing dishes. Eh, Kerfoot?" Again that worthy grunted. "Look at him now. True, he is not what you would term muscular, but still he has muscles, which is more than he had when he came aboard. Also, he has legs to stand on. You would not think so to look at him, but he was quite unable to stand alone at first." The hunters were snickering, but she looked at me with a sympathy in her eyes which more than compensated for Wolf Larsen's nastiness. In truth, it had been so long since I had received sympathy that I was softened, and I became then, and gladly, her willing slave. But I was angry with Wolf Larsen. He was challenging my manhood with his slurs, challenging the very legs he claimed to be instrumental in getting for me. "I may have learned to stand on my own legs," I retorted. "But I have yet to stamp upon others with them." He looked at me insolently. "Your education is only half completed, then," he said dryly, and turned to her. "We are very hospitable upon the Ghost. Mr. Van Weyden has discovered that. We do everything to make our guests feel at home, eh, Mr. Van Weyden?" "Even to the peeling of potatoes and the washing of dishes," I answered, "to say nothing to wringing their necks out of very fellowship." "I beg of you not to receive false impressions of us from Mr. Van Weyden," he interposed with mock anxiety. "You will observe, Miss Brewster, that he carries a dirk in his belt, a--ahem--a most unusual thing for a ship's officer to do. While really very estimable, Mr. Van Weyden is sometimes--how shall I say?--er-- quarrelsome, and harsh measures are necessary. He is quite reasonable and fair in his calm moments, and as he is calm now he will not deny that only yesterday he threatened my life." I was well-nigh choking, and my eyes were certainly fiery. He drew attention to me. "Look at him now. He can scarcely control himself in your presence. He is not accustomed to the presence of ladies anyway. I shall have to arm myself before I dare go on deck with him." He shook his head sadly, murmuring, "Too bad, too bad," while the hunters burst into guffaws of laughter. The deep-sea voices of these men, rumbling and bellowing in the confined space, produced a wild effect. The whole setting was wild, and for the first time, regarding this strange woman and realizing how incongruous she was in it, I was aware of how much a part of it I was myself. I knew these men and their mental processes, was one of them myself, living the seal-hunting life, eating the seal-hunting fare, thinking, largely, the seal-hunting thoughts. There was for me no strangeness to it, to the rough clothes, the coarse faces, the wild laughter, and the lurching cabin walls and swaying sea-lamps. As I buttered a piece of bread my eyes chanced to rest upon my hand. The knuckles were skinned and inflamed clear across, the fingers swollen, the nails rimmed with black. I felt the mattress- like growth of beard on my neck, knew that the sleeve of my coat was ripped, that a button was missing from the throat of the blue shirt I wore. The dirk mentioned by Wolf Larsen rested in its sheath on my hip. It was very natural that it should be there,-- how natural I had not imagined until now, when I looked upon it with her eyes and knew how strange it and all that went with it must appear to her. But she divined the mockery in Wolf Larsen's words, and again favoured me with a sympathetic glance. But there was a look of bewilderment also in her eyes. That it was mockery made the situation more puzzling to her. "I may be taken off by some passing vessel, perhaps," she suggested. "There will be no passing vessels, except other sealing-schooners," Wolf Larsen made answer. "I have no clothes, nothing," she objected. "You hardly realize, sir, that I am not a man, or that I am unaccustomed to the vagrant, careless life which you and your men seem to lead." "The sooner you get accustomed to it, the better," he said. "I'll furnish you with cloth, needles, and thread," he added. "I hope it will not be too dreadful a hardship for you to make yourself a dress or two." She made a wry pucker with her mouth, as though to advertise her ignorance of dressmaking. That she was frightened and bewildered, and that she was bravely striving to hide it, was quite plain to me. "I suppose you're like Mr. Van Weyden there, accustomed to having things done for you. Well, I think doing a few things for yourself will hardly dislocate any joints. By the way, what do you do for a living?" She regarded him with amazement unconcealed. "I mean no offence, believe me. People eat, therefore they must procure the wherewithal. These men here shoot seals in order to live; for the same reason I sail this schooner; and Mr. Van Weyden, for the present at any rate, earns his salty grub by assisting me. Now what do you do?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Do you feed yourself? Or does some one else feed you?" "I'm afraid some one else has fed me most of my life," she laughed, trying bravely to enter into the spirit of his quizzing, though I could see a terror dawning and growing in her eyes as she watched Wolf Larsen. "And I suppose some one else makes your bed for you?" "I HAVE made beds," she replied. "Very often?" She shook her head with mock ruefulness. "Do you know what they do to poor men in the States, who, like you, do not work for their living?" "I am very ignorant," she pleaded. "What do they do to the poor men who are like me?" "They send them to jail. The crime of not earning a living, in their case, is called vagrancy. If I were Mr. Van Weyden, who harps eternally on questions of right and wrong, I'd ask, by what right do you live when you do nothing to deserve living?" "But as you are not Mr. Van Weyden, I don't have to answer, do I?" She beamed upon him through her terror-filled eyes, and the pathos of it cut me to the heart. I must in some way break in and lead the conversation into other channels. "Have you ever earned a dollar by your own labour?" he demanded, certain of her answer, a triumphant vindictiveness in his voice. "Yes, I have," she answered slowly, and I could have laughed aloud at his crestfallen visage. "I remember my father giving me a dollar once, when I was a little girl, for remaining absolutely quiet for five minutes." He smiled indulgently. "But that was long ago," she continued. "And you would scarcely demand a little girl of nine to earn her own living." "At present, however," she said, after another slight pause, "I earn about eighteen hundred dollars a year." With one accord, all eyes left the plates and settled on her. A woman who earned eighteen hundred dollars a year was worth looking at. Wolf Larsen was undisguised in his admiration. "Salary, or piece-work?" he asked. "Piece-work," she answered promptly. "Eighteen hundred," he calculated. "That's a hundred and fifty dollars a month. Well, Miss Brewster, there is nothing small about the Ghost. Consider yourself on salary during the time you remain with us." She made no acknowledgment. She was too unused as yet to the whims of the man to accept them with equanimity. "I forgot to inquire," he went on suavely, "as to the nature of your occupation. What commodities do you turn out? What tools and materials do you require?" "Paper and ink," she laughed. "And, oh! also a typewriter." "You are Maud Brewster," I said slowly and with certainty, almost as though I were charging her with a crime. Her eyes lifted curiously to mine. "How do you know?" "Aren't you?" I demanded. She acknowledged her identity with a nod. It was Wolf Larsen's turn to be puzzled. The name and its magic signified nothing to him. I was proud that it did mean something to me, and for the first time in a weary while I was convincingly conscious of a superiority over him. "I remember writing a review of a thin little volume--" I had begun carelessly, when she interrupted me. "You!" she cried. "You are--" She was now staring at me in wide-eyed wonder. I nodded my identity, in turn. "Humphrey Van Weyden," she concluded; then added with a sigh of relief, and unaware that she had glanced that relief at Wolf Larsen, "I am so glad." "I remember the review," she went on hastily, becoming aware of the awkwardness of her remark; "that too, too flattering review." "Not at all," I denied valiantly. "You impeach my sober judgment and make my canons of little worth. Besides, all my brother critics were with me. Didn't Lang include your 'Kiss Endured' among the four supreme sonnets by women in the English language?" "But you called me the American Mrs. Meynell!" "Was it not true?" I demanded. "No, not that," she answered. "I was hurt." "We can measure the unknown only by the known," I replied, in my finest academic manner. "As a critic I was compelled to place you. You have now become a yardstick yourself. Seven of your thin little volumes are on my shelves; and there are two thicker volumes, the essays, which, you will pardon my saying, and I know not which is flattered more, fully equal your verse. The time is not far distant when some unknown will arise in England and the critics will name her the English Maud Brewster." "You are very kind, I am sure," she murmured; and the very conventionality of her tones and words, with the host of associations it aroused of the old life on the other side of the world, gave me a quick thrill--rich with remembrance but stinging sharp with home-sickness. "And you are Maud Brewster," I said solemnly, gazing across at her. "And you are Humphrey Van Weyden," she said, gazing back at me with equal solemnity and awe. "How unusual! I don't understand. We surely are not to expect some wildly romantic sea-story from your sober pen." "No, I am not gathering material, I assure you," was my answer. "I have neither aptitude nor inclination for fiction." "Tell me, why have you always buried yourself in California?" she next asked. "It has not been kind of you. We of the East have seen to very little of you--too little, indeed, of the Dean of American Letters, the Second." I bowed to, and disclaimed, the compliment. "I nearly met you, once, in Philadelphia, some Browning affair or other--you were to lecture, you know. My train was four hours late." And then we quite forgot where we were, leaving Wolf Larsen stranded and silent in the midst of our flood of gossip. The hunters left the table and went on deck, and still we talked. Wolf Larsen alone remained. Suddenly I became aware of him, leaning back from the table and listening curiously to our alien speech of a world he did not know. I broke short off in the middle of a sentence. The present, with all its perils and anxieties, rushed upon me with stunning force. It smote Miss Brewster likewise, a vague and nameless terror rushing into her eyes as she regarded Wolf Larsen. He rose to his feet and laughed awkwardly. The sound of it was metallic. "Oh, don't mind me," he said, with a self-depreciatory wave of his hand. "I don't count. Go on, go on, I pray you." But the gates of speech were closed, and we, too, rose from the table and laughed awkwardly.
Former Megadeth and King Diamond guitarist Glen Drover was the latest guest on Full Metal Jackie's weekend radio program. The guitarist discussed his latest album, Imperium, which was released under the name Walls of Blood. The record features a number of guest musicians, including Chuck Billy (Testament), Tim 'Ripper Owens (ex-Judas Priest, The Three Tremors), Todd La Torre (Queensryche) and others. In the interview below, he explained the writing process behind Imperium and how his approach differs for full songs compared to instrumental ones as heard on his solo album Metalusion, which was released in 2011. He has plans for a follow-up, which he also elaborated on. Check out the chat below. Imperium features a diverse lineup of singers representing a wide spectrum of different metal voices. In what ways did you tailor different tracks for the different vocalists? Good question. Basically, I think for the most part what I did was I would have a singer in mind that I wanted to have included on the record and then plan a song around that — write a song around that particular singer's style in hopes that it would work. It is a long distance collaboration, so it is just about trying to find the right song to suit that singer's style and hope all is going to turn out really well and for the most part, it did. I think it was only two songs that didn't work out and everything else was great. What you hear for the most part, from all the different singers on the album, is pretty much what they did and I really didn't mess around with it too much. It worked out really well. It was released under the name Walls of Blood rather than Glen Drover. Why is that distinction important? Probably to alleviate some confusion between past stuff that I have done. Like for example, I did Metalusion, which was an instrumental album and it was not metal, although, there are elements of that I suppose because of some of my playing. But there is also some elements of progressive '70s style kind of rock and jazz fusion and all that kind of - just basically the stuff that I grew up with and some of the musicians that were involved in that project grew up with, as well. I wanted to have that - again to alleviate that confusion between the two and I had already had people ask me if it was going to be another instrumental album and I just wanted to come up with something that was going to be with that title it is very clear as to what you are going to hear. It is not going to sound like Anne Murray. With that title you know it is going to be a metal album. So that was pretty much that main driving force behind it. There's an Alice in Chains cover on the album that features your brother Shawn on drums. What is unique about the musical connection between the two of you? Actually, for a correction here, he actually didn't play on that track, but he did have his hand in a lot of the stuff on the album like lyrics and co-wrote a lot of the music with me. But to answer the question about - me and Shawn have been working together since we were very young, so it is a natural thing. He will help me with my stuff and I help him with his stuff. We just always have a hand in each other's projects, aside from what we do together and I don't think I would ever do anything without bouncing anything off of him whether it is a mix or just part of a song or whatever it is. He is always my main reference point for what I am working on to either give me the thumbs up or not. In addition to Imperium you've also been working on something of a follow up to Metalusion, your instrumental album. What's different behind instrumental songs compared to songs with lyrics? It is just basically approaching the song when I am trying to assemble it, getting a structure together, have that thing in mind... "Okay, this is going to be a vocal" and so you have that thing in mind of, "Okay well here this is going to probably be the verse section and it is going to be this long" and the same thing for all the other sections, bridges and choruses and whatnot. Whereas with instrumental, I suppose you can take it to a lot of different places and get away with more I think. But still, certain things like some of the songs that I write are more complex. Some of them are more straightforward. The ones that are more straightforward are usually a little more melodic. So I will kind of almost treat it like a vocalized song where this is the verse kind of section where I am going to be doing like a theme melody line on guitar, which is basically taking place of the vocals. So there are some similarities, but, I think, for the most part, the more complex stuff and that kind of thing — you can play around with it more and get away with more rather than just the vocalized stuff. So you just have to have that in mind while you are structuring a song. Glen, you've spent several years with Megadeth but people might also remember you from King Diamond before that. How did you grow as a musician from being in those bands? Well, when I joined King Diamond, it was back in '97-'98, this was the first band that I had ever joined where it was a more professional level. Going out and touring and recording albums on a higher scale and you are green going in, basically. But you learn quickly once you get on the road — what to do, what not to do. And then going from King Diamond to Megadeth, I played a lot more with them, and that again was another step up the ladder in terms of popularity, if you want to call it that. I learned a lot from both bands. Tons of stuff. Again, a lot to do with how to conduct yourself, things to avoid and things you should do while you are on the road and learning a lot of tricks and stuff in the studio as well -- different things that I had never been exposed to. You learn from that. You learn from both the live and the studio experiences. What other plans do you have for the rest of this year? There's a couple of things, I am not going to get into right now because it is not 100 percent, so it would be foolish of me to comment on that right now or talk about it. But there are a few things that are very cool coming up, possibly. The instrumental album follow-up — [I'm] going to be trying to finish that up in the next few months or so, hopefully, and putting that out at some point. I don't know, aside from that, it is really hard to say [with] the whole Walls of Blood thing — is it just going to be a recording project? Is it something that might streamline and possible play some shows? I don't know but the one sure thing is the instrumental album, follow-up to the Metalusion one, to get that finished and put it out. Thanks to Glen Drover for the interview. Get your copy of Walls of Blood's 'Imperium' here and follow the band on FacebookFind out where you can hear Full Metal Jackie’s weekend show here. The Best Metal Song of Each Year Since 1970
'RHOA' Recap: Kenya Moore and Sheree Whitfield Upset Sanya Richards-Ross and Her Husband In a new episode, Kenya and Sheree accuse Sanya of 'disinviting' them to a commercial filming during the cast members' trip to Jamaica even though they miss the activity because of their own fault. AceShowbiz - "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" kicked off a new episode with a race between Marlo Hampton and Drew Sidora. Airing on Sunday, August 14, the outing saw Sanya Richards-Ross taking them to a track she used to train at in Jamaica. Marlo won the race, but since Drew tore her achilles tendon, they let her win instead. Kenya Moore, who refused to get on the bus at the time, later arrived. While she claimed like she wasn't ready in time, editing showed that she wasted some time lounging on the balcony of her hotel room. When confronted about it, Kenya said she had to deal with her daughter, Brooklyn, who allegedly didn't want to see her dad, Marc Daly. She even cried while recounting the story, but Sanya didn't react to it too much. Sanya felt like Kenya is always using her divorce as an excuse for her behavior. The next day, Kenya and Sheree Whitfield missed the day's activity because they didn't get on the bus by 9:30 A.M. After they missed the bus by 20 minutes, they then complained that Sanya "disinvited" them to a commercial filming for her new business venture. Instead, Kenya and Sheree decided to have fun on a boat. When everyone gathered for dinner at the hotel later that night, Sheree and Kenya lashed out at Sanya for "disinviting" them but Sanya refused to engage in the conversation. Sanya was upset that they blamed her for their tardiness as editing even showed Sheree hanging out on the beach at 9:30 A.M. It debunked Sheree's claims in which she said that she was in the lobby looking for the bus. As Sanya kept refusing to entertain Kenya and Sheree, the two ladies got louder and demanded some answers. Things became chaotic to the point Sanya's husband had to stand up and tell them to stop. The episode also saw Marlo trying to end her feud with Kandi Burruss. Kandi, however, didn't seem to be open to it as she wouldn't even give Marlo the time of day. Not stopping there, Kandi even told Marlo to stop speaking to her altogether. "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" airs on Sundays at 8 P.M. on Bravo. You can share this post! Related Posts
Future of War: defence spending by superpowers, hybrid conflicts, space weapons, new nuclear risks, next global arms race, satellite wars, military drones, robot fighters, future arms industry. Assymetric threats and terrorism, dealing with failed states Futurist Keynote Speaker: Posts, Slides, Videos - Government, Politics, Democracy, War - Future Extract from The Future of Almost Everything book - written 2019. More than $1.8 trillion is spent every year on weapons and other defence costs, or 2.5% of global GDP, down from 4% in the last days of the Cold War, equivalent to $250 per person on earth. Combined sales of the largest 100 arms companies is around $320bn a year. However, 40% of all global military spending is by one nation alone: America, which burns up more in this way than the next 15 highest-spending nations combined. This is a truly spectacular imbalance of military fire-power, and will be unsustainable in the longer term, as we will see. Next is China with 9.5% of global military spending, followed by Russia at 5.2%, UK 3.5% and Japan 3.4%. America needs to spend just 3% of GDP on arms to achieve such dominance – compared to Russia, which today spends 4% of a much smaller economy, China 2%, India 2%, UK 2%, France 2%, Israel 6%, Saudi Arabia 9% and Oman 12%. This relentless build-up of ultra-powerful weaponry will continue to feed tension, resentment and fear over the next two decades. America’s army, navy and air force will be dominant globally for the next 15‒20 years, despite rapidly increasing military budgets in Russia and China. However, the perceived ‘moral strength’ of America and its reputation as the world’s ‘police force’ is likely to continue to weaken rapidly around the world, following adventures in Afghanistan and Iraq, yet more news reports on abuse or torture of prisoners, held sometimes for years without trial, and because of more routine killings using drones of foreign citizens in other nations. China and Russia will enter a new arms race with America also stepping up So how long will it take China to catch up with the global military power of America? The answer depends on whether you measure this in size of armies or smartness of missiles and other tech. Even if China were to raise military spending from 2% to 5% of GDP, and even if China’s GDP were to grow 4% faster each year than America’s, it would probably take over two decades for overall capability to catch up with US military might, unless America slashed spending. Russia will not be able to create such global strength in 40 years, but within 5 years could easily mass a million troops in Eastern Europe, up from half a million today, backed by huge numbers of lower-tech weapons, and smart tactical nuclear delivery systems. And Russia will continue to boast of new and spectacular military weaponry, such as undetectable hypersonic missiles, as part of a national strategy to project strength around the world, and huge new nuclear warheads on submarines. So, then, both China and Russia will be able to engage in significant military excursions in their own regions, if they choose, even if far-flung conflicts of any size will be difficult to sustain should they act alone. Only America will have the global power to try to stop them, which, on the whole, it will be very reluctant to try to do. New nuclear threats and the Space Race Expect to see major nuclear scares over the next 30 years as various countries or groups claim to have got hold of nuclear weapons or material, or to have developed their own, and threaten to use them. We will see an accelerating nuclear arms race in a growing number of emerging nations, with rapid upgrades of small tactical nuclear weapons by Russia and America, and tearing up of 30 year old nuclear weapon treaties. The two nations between them could spend over $2 trillion chasing nuclear weapon supremacy over the next two decades. America will really struggle to develop an effective anti-ballistic missile defence, following many failed attempts to shoot down intercontinental rockets in tests, despite spending almost $100bn in 12 years. Russia and China will also try to crack this problem. The trouble is that intercontinental missiles travel at 10km per second, and can release large numbers of decoys in flight. And ‘ordinary’ looking satellites could also be launched, containing hidden nuclear devices that could be detonated while flying over a country like America or Russia. No nuclear warhead has been used in anger since 1945. As I say, expect someone to use this threat somewhere and for massive international confusion about how to respond. Do other countries threaten to go to war against a nuclear weapon-using nation, if a warhead is used by such a country in self-defence, after repeated warnings to an aggressor? How would such a war be waged? Where do you target your first or second strike(s)? How many warheads do you retaliate with, of what size, and how rapidly do you press the fire button? How do you counterstrike against an invisible terrorist group that has no national support base? What happens if a group threatens again, and explodes a second warhead? Countries in such a crisis may have only hours or at most a couple of days to work out how to respond. National arms industries As I predicted, there has been significant consolidation in the arms industry, and there will be more to come. Defence research is only cost-effective when there are large economies of scale. That means selling to other nations whose policies and behaviour may make many uneasy, despite the argument that if one country doesn’t sell to them, then another will just step in. Rethink about high-tech weapons High-tech weaponry will not be enough to win future wars. Most wars will be fought inside nations rather than between them, and low-tech, as we have seen in Syria: guerrilla wars fought wall by wall and house by house, ethnic conflicts or terrorist attacks; mucky wars where tank commanders park their vehicles inside a large children’s hospital, where civilians are caught up in bombing attacks; traditional military hardware and chemical weapons, fired in shopping precincts, around public libraries, by ancient stone bridges and in fields of corn, reducing entire cities to rubble. Landmines and other messy weapons New weapons replace old, which move down the arms chain, into the hands of the poorest (and often most unstable) nations where they are frequently used for internal repression. Then arms fall into the hands of criminals. Weapons are also lost or unaccounted for, like the machine gun I stumbled across in woodland near London one day. Landmines are a global menace, designed to be hidden and ‘lost’ from the moment they are scattered. Tens of thousands of square miles will remain uninhabitable because of the indiscriminate use of anti-personnel devices, which will remain dangerous for at least three more decades. Over 110 million mines have been laid and lost, affecting at least 70 countries, and 2 million more are planted each year. Each mine costs $700 to detect and recover, in work that kills many experts every year. A million ordinary people have been injured or killed in 25 years, mainly children (who often pick them up as toys), women and old people. A further 100 million landmines are neatly boxed in military stores across the world, waiting to be used. Landmines will continue to be scattered widely, not only to protect bases and kill armed men, but also to stop farming, travel and trade. Power of the few will break the mighty Gigantic military strength is almost useless in delivering many types of strategic objectives – as America has repeatedly discovered. For 50 years, America has struggled to ‘win’ a single ‘foreign’ war, and even more to ‘win’ a lasting peace, whether in Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan. This will reduce America’s willingness to embark on yet another major war in the next 10‒15 years, barring a NATO-triggered response to a major Russian offensive against Europe, or more major terror attacks. As Stalin once said: ‘A single death is a tragedy, but a million deaths are just a statistic’. Surveys show that Americans paid more attention to the beheadings of two US journalists in the Middle East than to any other news report over the previous 5 years. As a direct result, 75% of Americans said they supported air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq, with 66% supporting air strikes against rebels in Syria. This was a complete reversal – 12 months earlier, only 20% supported missile attacks on the Syrian government after chemical weapons were used. Such huge emotional reactions to tiny numbers of American deaths are proof of how vulnerable the nation is to being provoked and goaded into large-scale military reactions. This makes further beheadings of hostages or similar atrocities inevitable. Enemies of the US will ask: ‘What will it take to tempt America into another asymmetric conflict that will wear it down further? Another ten journalists beheaded, or would it take twenty, or a larger attack on US soil?’ The answer of course is that it will depend on many different factors, but probably far fewer deaths than many might suppose. Fewer unilateral decisions to embark on major wars As we have seen, by 2030, global military power will be more equally distributed, with the relative decline of American military dominance, and this will also result in an eventual restructuring of the old UN security council. Individual nations will be less able or likely to embark on major military action some distance from their borders, without acting jointly with several other nations. This also means that major multinational wars (or a Third World War) will become less likely, but expect many minor conflicts over resources/borders/sea-bed rights and other similar issues. Worrying results from war games Every large nation in the world is playing war games on a regular basis, the Pentagon more than most, exploring outcomes of imaginary conflicts in faraway places. However, many such war games reveal the same pattern as in the Middle East. Small, highly motivated groups on the ground, with tiny budgets, easily provoking large, foreign military powers into long-term fighting at enormous cost. War games also show rather worrying outcomes from any scenarios that begin with a sudden, major Russian assault. The greatest weakness of American military strategy is that the public is not usually prepared for more than a handful of American forces to be killed abroad. Servicemen are rarely motivated enough by the ‘cause’ to engage in widespread suicide missions. Therefore, future military strategies will be based mainly on technical power, firing long-distance weapons, at eye-watering cost, using very few human beings on the ground. So a young drone operator sits in an American city watching live video, firing smart missiles into targets in a nation he has never visited, on the other side of the world. He thinks the enemy are terrorists that could threaten America. On the other side, perhaps, is a young man with a gun who will soon sacrifice his own life as a local hero, for his own people, and for the ‘rightness’ of his cause. He thinks that he is a freedom fighter. The trouble is that the history of warfare shows that those who fight with greatest passion for the ‘rightness’ of their cause tend to win in the long term. So which of the above has the strongest passion? Terrorist or freedom fighter? This battle over perception will be central to many future conflicts, as during the Second World War with the French Resistance, and with the Nicaraguan Contra movement that was covertly funded by America in the 1980s, along with the Afghan mujahideen. More double and treble agents – with strange results America’s intelligence agency budget has more than doubled in real terms since 2001, to $75bn a year, including the Military Intelligence Budget, while Russia’s intelligence spending has also soared. Expect huge growth in double agents, treble agents, quadruple agents – people or networks working for more than one intelligence service, infiltrating activists and militia groups, playing one off against the other with disinformation and subterfuge (such as sending a fake report to a drone operator, hoping that women and children will be killed ‘by mistake’). Expect many strange events and news headlines. At times the numbers of spies planted inside some smaller terrorist cells may form a very significant proportion of the number of genuine members, as has already happened from time to time in Northern Ireland. Expect many moral dilemmas, and legal action in future – spies will often have to prove they are not spies by carrying out attacks or atrocities themselves. And one day the shocking truth will be revealed… with ethical and legal questions. This strange world is being shaped further by the massive expansion of cyber-monitoring and surveillance, which in future will be added to by many tens of thousands of tiny low-cost drones, to watch us from the skies. (See Chapter 1 for more on cyber-crime and state monitoring). Hybrid wars – blurring of war and peace Our world is being subverted by hybrid conflicts that are hard to track, recognize or measure. Future hybrid conflicts will mainly be about enhancing national interests and economic growth in a hyper-competitive world. We will see combinations of the following being used as foreign policy strategies by various nations: traditional military; threats and economic bullying; humanitarian aid; paramilitary groups; informal militia (volunteers and mercenaries); concealed, rebadged or disguised armed forces with official deniability; criminal gangs; terrorist acts; killing “unfriendly” journalists; mass rape of women and children; drone assassinations; insurgency of all kinds and cyberattacks – sometimes accompanied by large secret, teams running social media, fear campaigns, disinformation, subtle propaganda, bending the truth. The gap between war and peace is already blurred. And future conflicts will be very confusing, hard to interpret – with conflicting reports, and uncertainty about who the ‘enemy’ is, or if there really is a conflict at all. Covert activities will include commercial espionage; buying members of parliament as consultants; buying up key companies; blackmailing influential bankers, business leaders, media owners or government leaders; indirectly funding political campaigns and secretly funding dissident groups. Blackmail will be a particular risk for high-profile business leaders who take senior jobs in some emerging nations, where they will be targeted, compromised and corrupted, with the aim of controlling them when they return home. Challenges from failed states Time and again, the might of the most powerful nations will be tempered by the difficulties of ensuring stable regime change. Whether in Zimbabwe, North Korea, Sudan or Syria, it will become even clearer that mending so-called ‘broken states’ by sending in foreign armies in traditional fighting machines is a near-impossible task. One of the greatest challenges will be how to find ways to bring stability and security by other mechanisms, which may include friendly support from neighbouring countries, IMF development loans, NGO activity, use of UN peacekeepers, and so on. The net result of all these trends will be a radical reshaping of military spending by all major military powers over the next two decades. It will always be true that ‘real’ wars will require ‘boots on the ground’. Tens of thousands of troops, artillery, tanks and other hardware will always be persuasive when massed close to borders. But we can also expect developed nations to invest in more drones, smart missiles, rapid response troop vehicles and helicopters, and better intelligence, for longer-distance operations. Related news items: Older news items: Join the Debate! What are your own views? Our cookie policy
Vietnam - faster growth than some other parts of Asia There are advantages in being left behind for a while: market forces usually ensure rapid catch up will follow. Take for example Vietnam’s economy. You can see from the graph that the GDP per head of population has grown well since 1986, but has fallen behind the average of other Asian countries. This GDP gap is now a competitive advantage: it means, very simply, that workers in China, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand and Japan are contributing more their national economies than workers in Vietnam. That means they are less productive, and paid less. Hardly surprising then that there has been a stampede now by international corporations to invest in new Vietnamese factories, in real estate projects, infrastructure and a host of other business opportunities (with a slowdown in 2011-2012). These corporations can see that Vietnam has lagged behind in economic development, and is now ripe for growth that is likely to outstrip their comparatively over-developed and expensive neighbours. Labour costs are only half that in China, for same job in same kind of factory. But that only makes sense if productivity is half, which is unlikely, especially in any newly built manufacturing base. Expect therefore that the investments will continue – although it may be a challenge to consistently top more than $10bn a year, as has been the case recently, because there are even cheaper destinations such as Myanmar that are opening up. Related news items: Newer news items: Older news items: Join the Debate! What are your own views? Our cookie policy
Master Kunst Luzern Master Projekte Tune in Master Projekte Kernteam Aktuelles Team Ehemalige Alle anzeigen »» Tune in Ximena Sol Gomez Della Valle Art in Public Spheres Tune in How does listening enhance a sense of place, help us orientating in space, and what sounds reinforce or create meaning in the urban surrounding environment? Tune in is a participatory sonic artwork that is presented at Staldenbach Center in Pfäffikon SZ. Passers-by and the invited art public can take part in the artwork by donning a combined headphone set that functions as a multi-station receiver available at the site. The sounds are coming from the everyday human activity collected around Pfäffikon. It’s the mundane sounds and noises from everyday life, which might not always be associated specifically to this place, however, contribute to the consolidation of its sonic identity. Listeners will discover the different sounds that they are receiving triggered by various locally dispersed transmitters. Fading in or out, depending on the participant’s proximity to the hidden transmitter, the sounds derive from the artist’s recordings of everyday activities around Pfäffikon. Here, they not only serve orientation (and dis-orientation), but also create (and destroy) a sense of place. Listening is explored as total body engagement: Are the movements of the body determined by the sounds one longs to hear? Or do the sounds that are heard determine the path the body takes through the space? Considering that the sense of hearing is instrumental in navigating and defining the environment, Tune in makes manifest how settings can turn into more familiar ones when combined with a specific set of sounds that are always waiting to be attended to and re-created. Punktlandung Ausserschwyz publikationen > Punktlandung Ausserschwyz Zur Publikation Art in Public Spheres Zur den Majors
Starter Question: Here is a thought provoking question we would like you to consider when offering your comments and feedback below: With inmates clearly gaining access to illegal drugs and Claude Auger inevitably spending time in jail serving his sentence(s). What do you think is the likelihood that Jean-Claude Auger will use drugs again? What Should You Do? 1. Please watch the video above 2. Feel free to also: • Browse the discussion comments below, or Thank you. Background Facts: Between 2007 and 2011, the amounts of drugs, intoxicants, weapons and other unauthorized items confiscated by staff at Canadian prisons has steadily risen, in some cases by more than 170 per cent (reference from
Day 8 (Howl) – 30 Day Writing Challenge I just started reading “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg and am already taken off my feet by the remarkably flippant and deep feeling fuck off embodiment of a massive struggle we/he face(d). I absolutely love the thick atmosphere of dirt riddled dis-ease and aggressively sexual overtones that demand I open my eyes and ears to the realism of what goes on beneath and behind the scenes. The title fits so perfectly as the first section seems to roil up a primal scream. A shout for attention to be paid to the damned masses and the rollicking unbridled injustice they endure and are forced to thrive within. Fucking. Magical. Here’s a snippet: Who broke down crying in white gymnasiums naked and trembling before the machinery of other skeletons; who bit detectives in the neck and shrieked with delight in policecars for committing no crime but their own wild cooking pederasty and intoxication; who howled on their knees in the subway and were dragged off the roof waving genitals and manuscripts Allen Ginsberg, “Howl” How vivid and intense are the words? How brilliantly anarchistic and rebellious is the feeling? How just, fucking, magical, are those words? At least for me, reading Ginsberg is an unfettering of the constraints and standard normative I find in so much of my own and other writing. It takes me back to the wilderness of my own mind and demands that I purge the violence and sickness that resides there in some glorious fountain of verbal spew that it might infect the mainstream with decades of sweat and tears and failure and endurance and broken spirits and unbroken souls. I am so glad I picked this up, and sometime in the next 30 days I might start an homage piece to what I’m personally characterizing as (with my limited scope of awareness to be sure) one of the most scandalously beautiful pieces of literature I have ever run across. Thank you for your pain and horror Mr. Ginsberg, thank you. Comments, questions, feedback, thoughts? You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change ) Twitter picture Facebook photo Connecting to %s
Three Important Benefits of Lean Management in the Medical Industry Lean management is an effective managerial strategy that has played a vital role in helping medical facilities remain successful long-term. Following are three important benefits of this style of management that no medical facility will want to miss out on. Three Important Benefits of Lean Management in the Medical Industry Better Service to Patients Lean management allows those who are closest to patients to handle matters in the way that best suits a patient's interest instead of sticking to hard and fast general rules that do not take into account the uniqueness of each medical situation. It promotes a culture in which information is shared and managers are present to provide instruction and enable efficiency rather than dictate particular policies. Furthermore, lean management calls for the close examination of each medical process. This not only applies to surgery, in-patient stays and doctor appointments but also but also waiting times, payments, phone calls and other types of administrational work. The team tasked with examining each process then draws up detailed plans for how to make each process better. New ways of operating are implemented as needed and patients receive the benefits of working with a streamlined, efficient yet friendly medical institution. Cutting Costs Lean management eliminates the common habit of buying large quantities of items in order to get a discounted rate. While this purchase strategy saves a hospital money in the short-term, it is counterproductive because a hospital usually has to build more storage space to accommodate additional items and risks increasing its waste due to expiry. What is more, ongoing developments in the medical field commonly make items in stock redundant before they can be used. Lean management also enables managers and supervisors to adjust workloads so that there is no need to hire additional personnel to fill certain job positions. This saves a hospital money that would have been spent on additional salaries and training new workers. Furthermore, the detailed analysis of each medical process usually reveals unnecessary expenses that can be reduced or cut back to save money without reducing efficiency or patient satisfaction. Boosting Employee Morale A core principal of lean management is the "no layoff" policy. Workers are free to give their jobs their best shot, knowing that there is no need to worry about improving the process to a point there is no need for a position at some point in the future. In most facilities, these process improvements are required to make the process more manageable for the employees that are over tasked today. Additionally, a hospital is able to use some of the money that it has saved by implementing lean management principles to purchase items that employees need in order to provide better and faster service. Top of the line mobile computer carts, medication carts and clinical procedure carts are just some of the many convenient new items available to save time, prevent mistakes and make life simpler and more convenient for hospital personnel.iStock-689524668 Lean management is a way of operating that can improve every aspect of medical care. Its main goal is to provide better care for patients; at the same time, it always reduces waste, improves employee morale and boosts efficiency. Any institution that wants to provide better service on an ongoing basis will find that lean management is the key to running a successful medical facility long-term. Ready to go lean? Let the experts at Metro help you put space to work in your facility. Find your local Metro representative today.
Joy Buolamwini just wanted to make something positive. Her idea: An aspiration mirror, which looks like any other mirror, only with a camera. The idea is, the camera takes a photo of your face and then maps an image over it so that when you look into the mirror, you see your reflection shadowed by something to inspire you. Say, a lion or Serena Williams. But when Buolamwini hooked up her device, the camera had a hard time mapping her face. So, Buolamwini, who is Black, tried something—she put on a neutral, expressionless white mask, and presto! The camera found Buolamwini without issue. But the camera was not the problem, Buolamwini discovered, the code was. And not by happenstance: Eight men, all white, developed the building blocks of artificial intelligence at Dartmouth College in 1956. Unwittingly or not, these men imbued their bias into the code that has given birth to countless more in the past 60-plus years. Those codes—aka algorithms or artificial intelligence (AI)—have permeated and invaded every aspect of our daily lives. From retail recommendations (Amazon) to information searches (Google) and social connections (Facebook), the code shapes our individual worlds by presenting this, not that. Joy Buolamwini in Coded Bias. All photos courtesy The 2050 Group. The why of “this not that” is the engine behind writer/director Shalini Kantayya’s documentary, Coded Bias. Buolamwini is her primary protagonist, but Kantayya collects multiple voices—all women—to navigate the myriad ways these codes are employed. Social media is the most recognizable, but law enforcement is where the sinister side shines. As Buolamwini discovers, facial recognition software—of which there is only a handful globally—can recognize a white male face with high accuracy. That accuracy plummets when the face is female and a person of color. And since governments worldwide use facial-recognition software to identify dissidents, as it is employed in Hong Kong for the pro-Democracy protests, or suspected terrorist, as it is on the streets of London, women and persons of color find themselves at a sizable disadvantage. Worse yet, there is a Kafkaesque aspect to that disadvantage. Government agencies use it, so do banks and credit lenders to help make risk assessments. But since no one really seems to understand how the code works, there is no arbitration and retribution once an outcome is determined. Primarily working with on-camera interviews, Katayya bombards you with plenty of that kind of data—enough to send chills down your spine. The pitfalls are many, and we’ve already fallen into a good deal of them. Facebook’s political influence is well-mined territory, but Coded Bias presents a terrifying story of power from 2010 that I either missed entirely or lost in the shuffle. One piece of data I’ve never forgotten: In 2005, the New York Civil Liberties Union conducted an exhaustive count of the cameras in Manhattan and came up with a number around 5,000. Five years later, they went back to count again, this time coming back with the verdict “uncountable.” Ten years have passed since, and the uncountable has become unfathomable. And if all of those cameras, and the code behind them, have a biased gaze, there’s no telling what kind of noirish hellscape awaits us. Rating: 3.5 out of 5. Coded Bias (2020) Written, produced, and directed by Shalini Kantayya Starring: Joy Buolamwini, Meredith Broussard, Zaynep Tufekci, Amy Webb, Silkie Carlo, Jenny Jones, Tranae Moran, Cathy O’Neil 7th Empire Media, Not rated, Running time 90 minutes, Now playing CU-Boulder’s International Film Series virtual theater.
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, has increasingly become a modern societal health concern, though it has been known under different names for hundreds of years. A Brief History of PTSD Historical records suggest that people recognized various trauma symptoms following battle, such as nightmares, difficulty sleeping, or a rapid pulse. After the American Civil War, medical professionals attempted to create a diagnosis, which they called “soldier’s heart,” regarding the cardiac symptoms observed during panic attacks. Sigmund Freud’s early career focused on studying “hysteria” in women, which he and his colleagues were able to connect to traumatic experiences. The Industrial Revolution brought “railway spine” in reference to people who experienced railway accidents and suffered ongoing psychological symptoms. World War I called it “shell shock” or “war neurosis,” and World War II called it “battle fatigue” or “combat stress reaction.” For decades, traumatic stress responses were seen as a weakness or failing, an inability to face the hardships of life; but after years and years of research and advocacy, we know this to be untrue. In 1980, the diagnosis “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” was developed in response to the numerous psychological symptoms seen by veterans returning from the Vietnam War. But these symptoms were noticed in civilians as well, who had never experienced military combat — for example, Holocaust survivors. Lenore Terr documented the long-term psychological effects of the children who were involved in the 1976 Chowchilla Kidnapping, and the feminist movements of the 1970s continued to bring more light to the connection between trauma responses and sexual assault, rape, and domestic violence. PTSD Today: The Statistics Nearly 40 years after an official diagnosis was developed and validity was given to the experiences of trauma survivors, here are current statistics. Overall lifetime prevalence in U.S. adults under the age of 75 is about 8.7%. That means, over the course of an entire lifetime, about 8.7% of American adults will meet criteria to be diagnosed with PTSD. Yearly prevalence among U.S. adults is about 3.5%, meaning that over the course of twelve months, about 3.5% of American adults will meet criteria for a PTSD diagnosis. There are higher rates of PTSD among women. Other risk factors include prior mental health diagnoses, childhood adversity, lack of support systems, lack of internal coping skills, severity of threat to personal wellbeing (or that of a loved one), dissociation during and extending afterwards, and for those who experienced combat, killing someone or perpetrating violence. It is important to remember that just because a person experiences a traumatic event or traumatic amounts of stress does not mean they will fully develop PTSD. There are numerous mitigating factors — such as supportive people in a person’s life and well-attached parental relationships — that can help a person recover from trauma relatively efficiently. Also, just because a person does not meet full criteria for a PTSD diagnosis does not mean they are not experiencing trauma-related symptomatology. These symptoms can happen along a spectrum, and trauma-informed therapeutic techniques can be used with people who may have experienced traumatic events, but do not meet full PTSD diagnostic criteria. PTSD Symptoms When evaluating a client for a diagnosis, PTSD symptoms often fall into one of four categories: re-experiencing, avoidance, arousal, and/or reactivity, and negative changes to cognition and/or mood. The symptoms usually begin within three months of the traumatic event, and they need to be present for more than one month to qualify for a PTSD diagnosis. If it has been less than that, a diagnosis of Acute Stress Disorder may be considered. Please note that there are different diagnostic criteria for children. This is a set of symptoms in which the survivor will “re-play” the event, either through flashbacks, nightmares, or vivid, intrusive memories. These can be triggered by external events (like seeing a similar face to one who abused you) or internal events (like a feeling that you felt moments before your trauma). This happens either internally — blocking emotions or memories that remind you of the trauma — or externally — avoiding people, places, activities, objects, or situations that remind you of the trauma. A straightforward example of this would be someone who avoids driving or being in a car after a motor vehicle accident, but it can also include things like drinking excessively in order to forget or filling time with binge watching shows in order to avoid silence and space to ponder memories. An intense form of avoidance that can happen during the traumatic event and/or repeatedly afterwards is dissociation or depersonalization — when the trauma is so overwhelming that your mind sort of shuts down to protect itself. It can be felt in milder forms as physical numbness or as much as a person mentally removing themselves and feeling as though they are watching it happen from the outside. Arousal and Reactivity This can of course bring to mind the hyper-vigilant veteran who is always looking around corners for an enemy, but it can also include things like being easily startled, feeling unsafe everywhere you go, or feeling irritable or anxious. Thrill-seeking or reckless behaviors can also be considered a symptom in this category. The arousal symptoms tend to be ongoing, rather than initiated by a trigger, and can interfere with sleep or concentration. Negative Changes in Cognition and Mood Trauma can affect the way our brain remembers and processes the world around us. This can lead to difficulty remembering certain aspects or timelines of the traumatic event. It can also be experienced in the form of negative thoughts or beliefs about self and the surrounding world. For example, someone may come to believe “I am inherently bad” or “I am guilty” or “No one can ever be trusted.” It may also include a declining interest in enjoyable activities, and feelings of estrangement from loved ones. PTSD Treatment Options These general categories can encompass many potential symptoms. If you believe you or a loved on may be experiencing PTSD symptoms, talk to a provider about a diagnosis and next steps. But even if you do not have symptoms in every category, you can still benefit from trauma-informed therapy. I wish there was one magic solution that would work to heal all trauma symptoms, but there simply isn’t. Different therapies will work for different people, depending on the person, presenting symptoms, co-occurring disorders (like substance abuse), type of trauma, and the mental health professional guiding the treatment. Here are some trauma-informed therapies and interventions recommended by the VA: Prolonged Exposure This is a type of talk therapy in which the mental health professional and the client target distressing triggers/memories and avoidance symptoms. They work towards decreasing their effects by slowly increasing the amount of exposure to the trigger or memory. Cognitive Processing Therapy This is a mix of talk therapy and writing prompts that work towards processing the trauma and challenging and changing negative thoughts about yourself and the world. Sometimes writing can help distance distressing memories and give better perspective. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) This is a therapy in which the mental health professional will utilize bilateral stimulation while processing memories and cognitions surrounding the traumatic events. This requires the mental health professional to have completed extra trainings and certifications to utilize the protocols. PTSD Coach (Free App) This is a free app developed by the VA that can help someone both track symptoms and triggers, and use relaxation techniques (such as deep breathing, mindfulness, or guided imagery). It also helps you learn more about traumatic experiences and how they affect you. I frequently recommend this to clients who struggle with anxiety, whether it is related to trauma or not, because the symptom management tasks can be very helpful when you feel panicked. And, it’s free. Some medications have been shown to be helpful in managing PTSD symptoms. If you are interested in seeking out medication, you need to talk to a medical doctor or psychiatrist about what options might be right for you. Other types of therapy that have been indicated as helpful methods of PTSD treatment can include: Talk Therapy There are several different types of talk therapy that mental health professionals may use to guide their treatment plans. These might include Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, narrative therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction, or Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, to name a few. Most will contain elements of learning how to manage and reduce physical symptoms, challenging and reframing distorted thoughts and beliefs, revisiting the traumatic experience in various ways until it is less distressing, and learning self-care and boundaries. Somatic Therapies Sometimes there are no more words left to describe your trauma. Different therapies have been developed that focus on bodily experiences and allowing the trauma to be released from where it is stored in the body. This can include trauma-informed yoga, dance/movement therapy, play therapy for kids, and a more recently-developed therapy called Somatic Experiencing. These will all be focused around processing what aspects of the trauma are stuck in the body and learning how to let them go. Next Steps for Treating PTSD Symptoms If you feel like you may be experiencing some trauma-related or PTSD symptoms, please do not hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional or another provider to talk about how to get counseling or resources. In the meantime, you want to make sure you are taking care of yourself. Eat a healthy, balanced diet and avoid substances that alter your mind. Try incorporating more exercise and reach out to loved ones to let them know you are struggling. Here are some other helpful relaxation tools: Progressive Muscle Relaxation You can find guides for Progressive Muscle Relaxation on YouTube, or even the PTSD coach app I recommended earlier. This is basically focusing on muscle groups individually and tensing them before relaxing them again. You progressively move through each muscle group (i.e. your forearms or your cheeks), tensing and relaxing until you have focused on each of your body’s muscles. Pay attention to the physical sensation of the relaxation. Deep Breathing This isn’t just taking in successive deep breaths — there is actually a technique to use for relaxation breathing. You want to make sure you are pulling air down into your diaphragm — as in, your stomach should move more than your shoulders when you inhale. You also want to make sure you exhale as much as or more than you inhale. This can be observed through counting. Start with inhaling for a count of four, then exhaling for a count of five, and proceed from there. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 This is a mindful exercise meant to bring your attention to your present physical senses and orient your mind to the present. Look for 5 things you see that you haven’t noticed before. Then listen for 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can touch or feel, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. When your mind races to the past or future — the “What if’s” or “What could’ve/should’ve been’s” — you need to work on focusing your mind in the present moment. Draw your attention to the now by focusing in on what your feet feel like. What does the ground feel like beneath you? Notice where your body is in contact with clothes or a chair, and focus in on those physical sensations. You’ll find other relaxation tools in the PTSD Coach app, and there may even be other helpful apps you can utilize. But reach out for help, and take hope that what you are experiencing now doesn’t have to be the rest of your future. Healing from PTSD symptoms and traumatic experiences is possible. Friedman, M. (2018). History of PTSD in Veterans: Civil War to DSM-5. Retrieved from National Institute of Mental Health (2016). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Retrieved from Ringel, S. & Brandell, J. (2012). Trauma: Contemporary directions in theory, practice, and research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. Retrieved from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2019). PTSD: National Center for PTSD. Retrieved from “Train Wreck,” courtesy of WikiImages,, CC0 License; “Emotional,” courtesy of MasimbaTinasheMadondo,, CC0 License; “Germany,” courtesy of Simon Migaj,, CC0 License; “Mindfulness,” courtesy of Lesly Juarez,, CC0 License
facebook-reach-mobloggy-social-media-marketingIt seems like a silly question to be asking. Is your Facebook reach really as bad as you think it is? We’ve all heard our fellow business owners complaining about how their Facebook posts are reaching less of an audience than ever. They may be experimenting with Facebook ads to boost posts or bring more likes to their page. They may even be thinking about buying likes. But is their Facebook organic reach really that bad? Well, yes it is. Those numbers in your page insights reflect a pretty small percentage of your actual fans. And that, friends, is pretty depressing. But before you plan to dump your Facebook page and rush over to Twitter or G+, you should know a few things. First, Twitter’s organic reach isn’t much better. With Twitter, if you send out a tweet at 10 am, and most of your followers are off doing other stuff, they aren’t likely to scroll far enough through their timeline to see that tweet. But are your followers any more likely to be online at 2 pm, or 7 pm? Without some in-depth research, that a lot of small to mid-sized businesses don’t have the money or time to complete, it’s hard to know when your tweet is most likely to be seen by your followers. You can look at your analytics to get some ideas, but they aren’t going to give you any ideas for when to post. You can invest in apps to help tell you when you should be posting, but on top of the cost of social media management, it may be an investment you’re not willing to make. We decided to gather some stats for a few accounts that we’re familiar with (the account owners have given us permission to share these numbers). On one with about 1,500 Twitter followers, the top tweet is the one currently pinned. In fourteen days, it’s received 686 impressions, which really isn’t too bad for an account of that size. In total for the last fourteen days, 54 tweets have received 4,190 impressions. That roughly translates to a reach per tweet of 78. That means that about .01% of that account’s followers saw a tweet. On an account with 6,500 followers, the top tweet received only 388 impressions, proving that bigger isn’t always better (although, to be fair, this tweet was targeted at a much smaller audience). In total for the last fourteen days, 374 tweets have received 25,700 impressions. That roughly translates to a reach per tweet of 69. That means about .01% of that account’s followers saw a tweet. See a pattern here? Looking at fourteen days’ of posts on a Facebook page with 500 likes, we see 83 posts with a reach of 943. That’s an organic reach per tweet of eleven. It’s a huge difference from Twitter, but remember the smaller number of likes. A solid 2% of fans saw a post on the Facebook page. Granted, it’s still a ridiculously small number, but it’s larger than the number we saw on both Twitter accounts. Now, clearly this sample is not large enough to be considered scientific. But it does give us some hard numbers from established social media accounts. Each of these social media accounts are over a year old, and the owners of each account are working on a regular basis to grow the accounts. They are engaging with users and posting a mixture of evergreen and fresh content. None of them has ever used paid methods to grow followers or post engagement. All of them employ a part-time social media manager. And their reach is less than spectacular. When we had the numbers crunched, we asked the owners if they would ever consider pulling back on their social media presence, given their reach numbers, and the answer for all three accounts was no. By using link tracking software (such as Hootsuite) and specialized landing pages, the owners of these accounts are able to track conversions and sales, and they know that their social media presence is bringing them clients. They feel that the cost of maintaining those accounts is worth the return on investment. While your organic reach on social media platforms may be low, it’s important to look at other measurements to determine your true return on investment. Reach alone doesn’t tell you if you’re getting eyes on your content or if those eyes are converting to customers. Look at the total picture as you craft your ever-changing social media strategy. We can help! Let’s CHAT!
Skip to content The duration is for all procedures (together) that are done through the same incision. If the hysterectomy takes 90 minutes and the appendectomy takes 20 minutes, then the duration for the hysterectomy is 1 hour 50 minutes and the duration for the appendectomy is 1 hour 50 minutes. Feedback and Knowledge Base
middle childhood post an analysis of the child at school. Explain the influence of the individual child (including personality development, temperament, and learning style), family, and broader social forces (e.g., culture, SES) on the school experience. Conclude your post by offering your ideas as to how to create a “caring community” for every child at school. "Do you have an upcoming essay or assignment due? Get any topic done in as little as 6 hours If yes Order Similar Paper
What is the order of procedure at trial? The city will present their case first. After each witness you will have an opportunity to cross examine the witness. The city may ask additional questions when you are done (re-direct) and then you would have the opportunity to cross examine the witness on any new information that has come up. After the city has presented all of its evidence, they will rest their case. It is then your opportunity to present your case. You may call witnesses, including yourself, to testify. Your witnesses will be subject to cross examination by the city. When you are done presenting evidence, the court will give each party the opportunity to present a closing argument (the city will go first, then rebuttal by the defendant, and the city may make a final comment (the party with the burden of proof always goes last). After all evidence has been presented and closing arguments made, the trial is over. The court may then make an oral decision from the bench or may issue a written decision. Show All Answers 1. Are trials recorded? 2. Do I have to have an attorney? 3. How can I subpoena witnesses? 4. How can I use other types of evidence? 5. How long will a trial take? 9. What is the order of procedure at trial? 10. What will happen at trial? 11. Who has the burden of proof at a trial? 12. Who will be present at a trial? 13. Will I be sworn in?
Book Title: Love Does Author: Bob Goff Theme: Discover a secretly incredible life in an ordinary world For me, this is the best book I have read this year. It was one book I didn’t finish in a hurry, I was slowly ‘sipping’ each page till I came to the 218th page feeling so blessed yet almost sad that it had come to an end. It’s a book filled with incredible real life stories, told with such simplicity you won’t believe them. Let me share a little part of a beautiful story I found in the 10th chapter, I kept ‘wow-ing’ after reading it. Bob Goff talked about how after the September 11 terrorist attack in the US, he rushed home and gathered his kids around their dining table and told them what had just happened. They talked about the presence of good and the presence of evil and how good ultimately wins. With sadness and questions in their hearts he asked the kids this “If you had five minutes in front of a group of world leaders, what would you ask them to help make sense of life, faith, hope and the events that are unfolding around them?” The youngest who was 7 years said that he would ask the world leaders if they wanted to come over to their house, the next one said he will ask each of the world leaders what they were hoping for and the eldest said that if the world leaders couldn’t come over to their house, then she will suggest that she and her two brothers could go to their houses to ask them what they were hoping for. Lol They didn’t even consider that what they were asking for was absurd and naïve. He went ahead and asked the kids to put their ideas together in one letter and then they downloaded the names of every President, Prime minister or dictator of every country in the world from the CIA website. Next, they got to a post office box mailed the letters, hundreds and hundreds of them. They waited a week or two and then day after day, they would check the kid’s post office box for any mail. It wasn’t long before the responses started coming in. They got a small globe of planet Earth and stuck a pin in every country whose leader responded and it wasn’t long before their little earth was peppered with hundreds of pins. Many said No; thanks in the politest of ways that still made the kids feel great. But guess what, they got another mail that said yes…they were invited to the palace to meet at the state house in Bulgaria. A day or two later, they got another mail from the prime minister of Switzerland inviting them to Bern. Then the President of Israel, and on and on it went till they got twenty-nine invitations over the following weeks. Wow! He had promised the kids that they would go, so he had to keep to his words. They quickly had a family training program to spruce up their manners, learn how to bow and curtsy too. He and his wife set out with the kids and their cameras. What happened more often than not was that the kids would begin in an official reception room and have an official meeting with the leader. But then, the leaders would realize these were just kids who had no agenda other than to be friends and they would be invited into their private offices where they could just talk as friends. If they were grownups, they would have been talking about boring things like having more jobs, gross domestic product, fight against terrorism, better schools and security, but no, they would talk about their children and grandchildren, what they were doing when they were the kids’ age and dreams of friendship between people from the two countries. In one of the countries, the leaders peered at the kids and said in Russian “Children, I’m more nervous meeting you than if I were meeting with President Bush right now, and when I get nervous, I get hungry!”(lol). That was how he clapped his hands and the palace servants flooded into the room with trays and trays of kid food. The leader sat back and with much excitement shouted “Eat!” the kids tried to practice their manners but they were appropriately swept into the enormity of what was before them. By the time they were finished, their faces were almost totally smudged with sugar and happiness. He ended his talk with them with these words “You know what it is about someone that makes them a friend? A friend doesn’t just say things; a friend does.” So true Let me stop here before I type the whole book but believe me, every chapter is filled with great acts moved by a heart of love. You will realize that you don’t have to be somebody to accomplish things, Jesus uses ordinary people. Go ahead and read the book and don’t stop being a blessing. Love doesn’t just sit around and ‘love’, Love does! Get your copy and find out how. Written by Hey there, Welcome to my blog!
Jel Classification E62, D31, J62, H26, P16 N° Pages The Political Economy of Inequality, Mobility and Redistribution How does the interaction between inequality and social mobility affect the choice of fiscal policy? I analyze this question in a model of democratic politics with imperfect tax enforcement, where the ability of individuals to evade taxes limits the amount of redistribution in the economy. Social mobility creates an insurance motive that increases voluntary compliance, favoring the tax enforcement process. In such an environment, redistributive pressures brought about by an increase in inequality are only implementable in highly mobile societies. On the contrary, when mobility is low, higher inequality reduces tax rates and does not translate into higher redistribution. I empirically analyze the predictions of the model for a sample of 72 countries during the period 1960-2015. Using cross-sectional as well as panel estimation techniques, the results point to a positive relation between market inequality and the level of redistribution only when social mobility is relatively high. Inequality, Social Mobility, Fiscal Policy, Tax Evasion
More than 500 motorcyclists paid tribute to murdered police in Sweden SWEDEN. Hundreds of motorcyclists gathered at Gotaplatsen in the Swedish city of Gothenburg to form a procession through the town. The MC-riders paid tribute to a murdered policeman named Andreas Danman. The policeman that talked to a couple of people in the “no-go zone” Biskopsgarden on Hisingen was unprovokedly shot. Witnesses say three shots were fired. Polismord i Biskopsgården, Hisingen, Göteborg. Foton: läsarbilder Image: ANDREAS DANMAN, a policeman was murdered. Foton: läsarbilder Per Danman father of the killed policeman says to the news channel Nya Riks (New State): “The whole of Swedish society is in chaos and now it was my boy who happened to end up in the chaos. The kindest nicest man. He was going to be a father. They would build houses”. “I received a text message from the Prime Minister and some party leaders who apologize for the grief, but they are sitting on Lidingo [island] in their palaces. We have a boy who has passed away. That is the difference.” Text: NewsVoice Lämna Twitter - Byt till Twitter och friheten
NL AUTHORS \| Darrell Duke’s ‘The Garden Gate’ Pam Pardy speaks with local author and musician Darrell Duke about his new work, ‘The Garden Gate’ Darrell Duke grew up listening to family stories. “In 1941, the first American survey plane landed in Argentia Harbour. My grandfather told me about it and wrote about it. As we all know, this place is synonymous with fog,” he began. “There’s rarely a day without it. When I grew up, it was foggy all the time and it can be depressing. But that fog has advantages,” Duke added. One advantage? Fog provides a great cover. “My grandfather said, when it came to sizing up Argentia as a possible location for a strategic outlet to stop the Germans from coming across in support of Hitler’s Germany. That was the deciding factor for the Americans to build a base there as it had everything they needed. And that’s why ultimately it was so successful as a base,” he continued. It was a crazy time in this province’s history, and much of it was captured by Duke’s grandfather in his journals. “It was a horrific time for our ancestors, the upheaval they experienced. I use my grandfather’s words that he typed in 1968 as the preface for the book. I let him have the final say too as what is in The Garden Gate is coming from someone who witnessed it.” Argentia Naval Base 1943 ‘Downright horrific’ Where Duke’s great-grandparents’ home was situated was needed for the war effort. While it made sense, it was also tough. It was its own form of resettlement essentially. “To the people who experienced this upheaval, it was downright horrific. These people were given letters of expropriation stating that this was a wartime measure, and that the government was confiscating property and people were going to have to leave. And there was no questions allowed.” Homes were burnt to the ground, and his great-grandparent’s home was one of the first to be destroyed. “My great-grandmother was hanging her clothes one day. Great-grandfather was away fishing, and two American servicemen pull up in a truck and they came through the gate, and they told her, ‘we’re here to take your home. Go in, take what you can as quickly as you can, and don’t ever come back.’” Seven of her 12 children were still living at home at the time, he continued. “They were from ages 12 up. My great-grandmother took things that were her most prized possessions. She had a pump organ, which the boys managed to get out which couldn’t have been very easy. And she always said, ‘by the time I got to the garden gate, the house was up in flames.’ That’s how quick it happened.” A tale of survival Locals couldn’t fathom the magnitude of what was going on, he added. “People knew about the war because their sons, like my great Uncle Joe, had been overseas fighting with the Royal British Navy. But when it came to receiving the letter of expropriation, they just lit the fire with it. They didn’t take it seriously. They didn’t understand. But they lost the home. And in the meantime, they had nowhere to go. All these people, there was almost a thousand, lost their homes. They’d been there for centuries.” Duke says The Garden Gate, like his An Irish Tale of Leaving, tells the tale of family history. “Write what you know. So I wrote what I knew. I wrote what I was told growing up. Understanding the significance of the garden gate helped.” The significance of the gate is powerful. “They didn’t take the fence down. The garden gate remained standing there while there was just a pile of rubble that fell down in the home as it burnt. They left great-grandfather’s store, or shed. That’s where he and his friends congregated every night to discuss the matter, what they were going to do. They were all mortified by the burning of the homes.” The smells. The sights. It was so powerful, he continued. “People had to make do, live in a dilapidated old home. Some people had it far worse off because they were living under tarps strung between trees in meadows. There’s multiple stories of women having babies outside in the cold fall with winter coming on.” While it’s horrific, it’s also powerful and inspirational, he added, because these people, including his own ancestors, survived. “I stick to my family’s story while representing the whole community. Every family would have had different experiences. But picture the garden gate as the only thing standing as you see your home burn down, the place where you had pictured seeing your children grow up. It’s quite the tale.” For more information on Darrell Duke, visit One thought on “NL AUTHORS \| Darrell Duke’s ‘The Garden Gate’ 1. Emily Barbour May 14, 2021 This must have been such a painful time for those people. I cant even imagine what they went through. I have my autographed copy of the garden gate and so far its amazing! • Name: Emily Barbour • Email: Post a comment Your email address will not be published.
What are you looking for? Space to ask new questions, to reflect, to reconsider assumptions persian rose garden How the tree-shadows cross the lawn ambling, encircling, never stopping. Standing still like a beech among bushes. The will to grow is a Law: of living, but what do we know of the birds that nestle between leaves and branches within us? Is there tender happiness ready to hatch? It strains to emerge here where the sun’s slanting rays embrace us. Between us eggshells drop to the earth. To ken the seasons is as impossible as bearing the crown: do you feel our heart flexing with each gust of wind? Getting used to the renewed every morning. Endure. A storm is brewing. Do not fail. 1. Application deadlines Are you our next fellow? 2. What's going on see all 3. News Vacancy: NIAS Institute Manager NIAS is seeking an Institute Manager for a max. hours of 30.4 per week. Candidates may submit their CV and letter of motivation until 30 September 2022. 4. Insights 19 September 2022 Practices of Interdisciplinarity 5. News Inge Meijer Researches Houseplants in Museums during NIAS Residency 6. News NIAS-Wesseling series 7. News Announcing the NIAS Fellows of 2022/23
Envisioning the future of retail banking The nature of competitive advantage has changed. Businesses need to go beyond digital to address new dynamics in order to stand out. Find out how to develop the unique capabilities that enable differentiation at PwC transform page. Imagine a future in which customers do all their financial services through digital wallets run by non-banks like Apple, Google and Uber. Or imagine another potential future, in which a handful of megabanks dominate global markets. Or yet another, in which traditional currency loses relevance and transactions are largely done through cryptocurrencies and digital tokens. Looking to the future, it is evident that there is no clear future for the vast retail banking industry. On the contrary, there are several possibilities as to how the next decade might unfold. Retail banking today is at a critical inflection point, and it’s no exaggeration to say that in ten years the industry as we know it could become obsolete. To avoid this fate, incumbent retail banking management teams need to understand the current trends affecting the industry, extrapolate them, and project what the industry might look like in the 2030s, so they can prepare. We have sketched out a vision of potential futures in our new report: Five Scenarios for the Future of Retail Banking: Strengthening the Transition. Each of the five scenarios is based on trends that have already begun to emerge. But we deliberately pushed these changes to their logical extremes to achieve effect and provide a useful thought-provoking exercise for retail banking management teams. Our work highlights the need to look far, far ahead in planning for the future. And it helps clarify where and how banks can compete to stay relevant. A confluence of challenges Before charting the future, it is necessary to consider the present: retail banks around the world face a confluence of challenges, which together create more complexity and competition for established players. Embedded finance, for example, is a powerful new trend in which new market entrants, including large tech companies, fintech players and retailers, are offering financial services such as loans, payments and digital wallets, generally operating with much weaker regulatory oversight. Customer expectations are also changing, as people now demand fast, seamless, personalized and intuitive experiences, both across digital channels and in person (all with the appropriate level of data security). Meeting these new customer expectations requires new capabilities, in areas such as Web 3.0, AI and machine learning, as well as distributed ledger technologies like blockchain, all of which are outside the domains of traditional banking expertise. Meanwhile, the regulatory landscape is changing as policymakers seek to balance the rapid pace of innovation, societal expectations and competitiveness with financial stability. This complex and evolving web of trends rewrites long-established ideas about who consumers trust and how they prefer to conduct their financial lives, while forcing banks to answer the fundamental question of what is a financial institution and what value it offers. Five scenarios for the future of retail banking To help retail banks adapt to these current market shifts and prepare for the future, here are the five scenarios we’ve developed to determine what the industry might look like over the next decade. Frontal revolution. As integrated finance gains momentum, new players outside of traditional banking are taking over customer relationships – the “front-end” of banking – and integrating financial services into their platforms. Well-known, cash-rich brands in technology, media and entertainment are rolling out enhanced user experience and hyper-personalized offers to further control the customer relationship. Established banks – typically faced with higher regulatory burdens and outdated technology – compete as the backbone of the financial system infrastructure, acting as utility providers that offer licensed services and products . The winner takes it all. A wave of consolidation results in a few mega banks and fintech companies dominating the banking landscape. These massive technology-driven institutions generate competitive advantage through their scale. Customers are turning to the largest, most personalized, and most convenient platforms, and generally have no concerns about data privacy or choice. Only banks with advantages of scale will be able to make the significant (and potentially risky) technology investments needed to unify their architecture and create the end-to-end data link necessary for a truly differentiated customer experience. Scattered landscape. Amid deteriorating societal trust, customers doubt global institutions. Customers and assets flow from global players to more local banks with smaller balance sheets, deposits and lending facilities, and to players specializing in micro-niches. Winning players identify a clear target segment and develop a cohesive offering to meet the needs of those customers. Renaissance Regulators. Regulators are taking an active approach in the face of a wave of Big Tech and other non-traditional entrants to ensure a safe and sound financial system. Specifically, regulators are expanding their cyber risk technologies and capabilities and increasing their monitoring and oversight, with the explicit goal of protecting customers. Government antitrust actions are pushing tech players out of the industry and raising barriers to entry; competition comes only from companies that hold full financial services licenses. This regulatory burden makes it harder for banks to innovate, leading to increased standardization of products and services, with fewer opportunities for businesses to differentiate themselves. The rise of central bank digital currencies. The steady decline in the use of cash continues alongside the rollout of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). These digital currencies are widely accepted in the B2B, B2C and C2C segments. Incumbent banks are losing the core bank account to central banks, making traditional banking business models unsustainable. To compete, some big banks and tech companies are acquiring top players in the crypto ecosystem to continue their existing service offerings (albeit subject to intense regulatory scrutiny by central banks). Data, security, computing power and algorithms will be the key success factors. No one can accurately predict what the future of the industry will look like. But reflecting on the challenges posed by these scenarios should push retail banks of all sizes to rethink both the value they bring to customers and the role they want to play in society and the new banking ecosystem. Whichever scenario prevails, institutions that focus on driving technology-driven transformation, building data-driven customer-centricity, and building pervasive trust will win the right to win. to be competitive. Author Profiles: • Eugenie Krijnsen is a Financial Markets Industry Leader for PwC Europe. Based in Amsterdam, she is a partner at PwC Netherlands. • Roberto Hernandez advises financial services clients on PwC’s transformation. Based in Dallas, he is a director at PwC US. • Kurtis Babczenko is the global leader in banking and capital markets for PwC. Based in New York, he is a director at PwC US. 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What Attributes Qualify a High Performing Nonprofit Board? What Attributes Qualify a High Performing Nonprofit Board? By: Eugene Fram Free Digital Image (http://bit.ly/1f5Yt7F) Following are my views on how these questions can be applied to nonprofits. Such information may help directors to assess their own organizational impacts. What do the various stakeholders expect from the nonprofit and the board in its oversight role? Many high performing nonprofits boards now recognize that they must be more proactive in communicating with stakeholders in order to compete for funding. Such actions include listing their annual IRS Form 990 on their websites and attempting to assess qualitative impacts by using imperfect metrics to drive change over time. In addition, the increase in the number of high profile boards suffering fraud losses has increased stakeholder interest in nonprofit board oversight evaluations. What does the CEO need and expect from the board and its chair in terms of functional expertise, senior team building and succession planning, strategic guidance, etc.? I believe, and have worked with high performance boards where the two are seen as forming a partnership, each understanding their different roles. This view is hotly contested because many nonprofit directors view the CEO as a board “servant” reporting to director “bosses.” Many nonprofit managers reinforce this view by referring to boards as their bosses. The nonprofit board needs to recognize that the CEO is a managerial professional, capable of managing a senior team, and a spark plug for effective strategic guidance. In turn, a CEO must be comfortable with a robust overview of his and the organization’s performance, at least once a year. Both CEO and board are responsible for CEO succession planning in the event the CEO is temporarily incapacitated. Also the board is responsible for ensuring that capable people are promoted. Are the board’s policies and practices as rigorous and effective as they should be? Beyond the mere meeting of regulatory requirements, (making certain the budget is balanced annually) does the board use its experience and expertise to help drive the nonprofit’s performance? Too many nonprofits are content to allow the CEO to “mind the store”—keep a balanced budget and make small incremental changes in outcomes or processes. What is needed is for nonprofit directors to ask questions and make suggestions that allow the organization to be as effective as it can be in terms of offering maximum client services. For example, board members now question as to why some nationally focused universities need to have billions of dollars in endowments, when much of the money could be used to support financially poor but able students. How does the Nominations Committee assess the competencies and skills needed for the board given the (nonprofit’s) particular opportunities and challenges…? The usual candidates for nonprofit boards are person defined by their occupations—lawyers, teachers, accountants, etc. Little attention is traditionally given to add behavioral characteristics to their skill matrices. These include such strengths as strategic and leadership skills. While these are harder to define and assess, they are critical for a board to meet the challenges of a fast changing nonprofit environment. Does the board have the strength and depth to steer the nonprofit through a financial crisis, a reputation-damaging event or a sudden CEO resignation? There is sufficient empirical data to indicate that many nonprofit boards are unable to handle these types of situations. In addition, the board and CEO, have to develop an ability to develop working relations with a continuing “parade” of board chairs/presidents, many only holding the position for one year. Are there well-defined boundaries between the board and the executive team so that oversight does not encroach upon operations? There are two ways of accomplishing this objective. One is to attempt to define the boundaries involved in detail. It requires producing a document that is similar to a job description for operation boundaries. . Another method is to define the duties of the board and to allow all other management actions to be operational, subject to robust overview. This requires a great deal of mutual trust between the board and management. It assumes that, on occasion, each may mistakenly overstep a boundary line and that the other does not do its job perfectly. It involves an action oriented learning process that further enhances trust and build a partnership environment. As an example of the second approach, the board has the following responsibilities: A. Direct management 1. Establishes long-term organizational objectives 2. Sets, in conjunction with management, overall policy affecting strategies designed to achieve objectives 3. Employs the CEO B. Overview management actions 1. Evaluates short-term and long-term management performance in terms of outcomes and impacts. 2. Determines whether policies are being carried out and goals achieved C. Approve management actions 1. Critically reviews, approves, or disapproves proposals in policy areas (for example, major capital need/expenditures and major contracts) 2. Provide for recognition and acceptance of executive decisions when related to operational concerns. D. Advise management 1. Acts in an advisory or consultative capacity on operations when sought by management E. Receive information from management 1. Regularly receive reports on the organizations (e.g., performance program development, external factors, concerns) F. Act as a public community relations resource to management 1. Keeps the organization attuned to the external environment in which it operates. G. Form a partnership with management to achieve fundraising objectives Nonprofit boards need to be aligned with the attributes cited above. Their stakeholders are starting to demand that more nonprofit boards become high performing ones. Leave a Reply WordPress.com Logo Twitter picture Facebook photo Connecting to %s
No one agrees what coworking is, academic finds A UT researcher spent several years asking Austin area coworkers and space proprietors to define what the movement was all about. The wide array of different and even contradictory answers he came up with is both intriguing and bewildering. Can anyone define coworking?
web analytics Specialists survive now. But we have, none of us, have a profession. That's why we aren't happy. Like being sober around drunks—its a curse. To walk out or to get drunk? -Jonas Mekas [This pamphlet was written during a spat of unemployment way back at the beginning of the Obama era. It was printed and published by the good folks at Microcosm Press. I never put it up online for whatever reason, probably thinking at the time that it was cool for obscure print objects to exist out in the world with no corresponding online version. Here it is now. Print copies are available from Microcosm here.] There’s nothing quite like the nagging doubt that accompanies a period of unemployment. That horrible, slow-dawning realization that you won’t actually do all the cool things you said you would do when you finally got some free time. Instead of painting with watercolors or finally getting around to going to the museum, you sit in your room depressed, unable to give up judging yourself against society’s standards—LOSER! The voices of a million movies and television shows all seem to shout. Shifty-eyed looks from people come off as critical, as if to silently say, “Well if you aren’t working, what could you possibly be doing?” to which the answer might be, “Well, a lot”, but it’s hard to encapsulate the details—what to say? I ate, slept, shat and breathed like everyone else? I did some writing and then wandered the streets like a golem, animated to life by the search for a bathroom or a place to get some free food? Unemployment inevitably leads to a harrowing kind of self-questioning of your social worth and intrinsic value. The guilt and ultimate freedom of not working while everyone else does becomes unbearable, causing you to ramble on unnecessarily in an effort to explain what exactly it is you’ve been up to. You begin to see the routinized lives of others through a foggy window, growing strange and Hunchback-like in your exile. “So safe! So secure!” you rasp as you shamble past their suburban front yards late at night, shaking your fists at their well lit, warm windows. The machinations of society grind on unhaltingly, abuzz with activity. The world has moved on by the time you drag yourself out of bed to eat a soggy bowl of Corn Flakes. It is this purgatorial, in-between place of not being able to stomach the humiliating process of finding another job but not really knowing what else to do that the unemployed find themselves trapped. The anxiety of not having a means to survive begins to devour all your time and energy, steadily creeping up as an obsession. You scheme and brood endlessly on new ways to make money, your efforts yielding no palpable results—the ideas contrived in the throes of financial necessity come off like propped-up cardboard, somehow tainted by the overreach. After all the scheming, you wake up one day to find yourself not only without a job but also four months in the hole with nothing to show for it—no beautiful, authentic painting, no onerous novel to justify the time. The days shuffle forward as you anxiously wait for some Human Resources person to phone and provide you a reason to live. Instead of waking up early and working diligently without regard for fads or social trends as you know you should, you leap out of bed and jump to the computer to see if anyone has responded to your desperate inquiries for employment. After seeing that they haven’t and momentarily fretting over your empty, spam-filled inbox, you spend the first four hours of the day firing off your resume like mortar into drain-like email addresses where it will almost certainly never be read. By the time you’ve consecrated this ritualized dehumanization, you’re no longer up for doing any work, and have inevitably been siphoned into multiple Gchat conversations with your friends—You should have hit ‘invisible’, Goddammit! Don’t they understand you’re trying to work? You’re hit with another Battleship-sinking realization, you unemployed dolt—they’re the ones at work, the ones sitting in cubicles and getting paid for it while you sit in your room and do it for free, postponing all efforts to make something of your life. This stresses you out so much that by early afternoon, dull and empty-headed, the day spreading out before you like an empty plain, why not start drinking? The morning has been so exhausting already you can no longer abide by your rule of not starting until after dark. This is the vicious paradox of joblessness—if you’re not in school and not working its generally assumed you’re up to no good. You can’t get a job without having a job or lying about having had a job and the curve is steep in working up the motivation to get something done without someone first giving you something to do. It’s not just the material certainty that a job provides–the benefits, the means to continue paying for rent, bills, and a comfortable lifestyle. It’s also about the vital sense of stability that comes from serving a dedicated social function and having a regular schedule imposed on the otherwise looping and indistinguishable days. The production process has been streamlined, leaving us an infinite option of kinds of specialized workers we can be. We are all reaching to become something now—dilettantism has been routed as foppish and shameful. And yet, we flit about from one thing to another, becoming really good at nothing, left with a dispersed body of trivial knowledge that would make us great on a TV game show, but leaves us totally helpless when it comes to experiential skills. ‘Pick the thing you want to do’, they say! Once you’ve found it, allow the intoxicating feeling of trying to become a leader in your field will propel you forward. Unemployed, I am unable to immure my life with the most basic structure. Although I’ve always thought of myself as a ‘motivated self-starter’, most mornings I lie in bed wondering, ‘What’s the point?’ too existentially charred to get up and walk to the yoga class down the block. All the great plans and projects that I have unlimited time to undertake and empty days for are never started. The sense of being separated from society is at root—being alone while the rest are at work feels in some ways like being sent to detention back in school. The first couple of days of exile in the detention trailer carving ‘FUCK’ into your desk is pretty awesome, but the novelty quickly subsides, leaving the delinquent with a sense of horror at having been isolated from their fellow students. But is this the way unemployment has to be? Prolonged isolation, droning anxiety and purgatorial days spent lying around, wishing for someone to come and tell you what to do? I think about the laid-off Commodities trader I met in a medical study I did just after the economy tanked. I addressed him with all the empathy one would usually extent toward someone who’s just seen their career laid to waste. “I’m sorry to hear you lost your job,” I said. “Don’t be,” he chuckled, “I hated that job anyway—it was so cutthroat. All those Wall Street guys were assholes. Now I’ve started my own landscaping and exotic plants business, and do these medical studies on the side. It’s great—I just work outside and play in the garden all day.” Right now, over 7 percent of America is unemployed, and according to the cover story of today’s New York Times, that number is rising steadily, with companies announcing major layoffs every other day. The corpulent and cash-bloated 90s that spawned a zine and punk rock renaissance are officially over. Good–we can get back to working in secret, gaunt and mean, with no infusion of money or recognition to muck things up. My sympathies are not with the apocalypse-cheerleaders, but with the families who didn’t know this was going to happen and don’t know how they’re going to pay their rent, the people watching their retirement get wiped out after a life of servitude. We can’t help but stand in awe of our own destruction at the hand of this mysterious new Great Depression, like a pestilent wind cutting through our decadence like soft butter–where did it come from? Where will it end? The condos and subdivisions have been repossessed and sit empty, all construction grinding to a standstill. Development has halted. Unemployed of the world—we’re all sitting at home watching DVDs —Why not come together and try to do something cool? While uninspired, despair-filled unemployment totally sucks, on the deathbed, when you watch the retrospective montage of your life and have to face the question, ‘Was it worth it?’ it is probably preferable to the years-consuming forgetfulness of a long-term job. Without a job to daily provide you instant credibility, instant raison d'être, each day requires the remaking of your own reality. Dreams become not just something to forget as you’re getting dressed, but a major determinate in your thought process and mental state. You discover that you can lift yourself up from the quagmire of self-pity with positive reinforcement—Hey, you’re really good at this Sudoko game–and my, do you look handsome today! After a while you begin to realize that you can shape all the days by your attitude toward them. Something is only totally awesome as you think it is, if you fill it with enough of that invisible ether of enthusiasm that makes kisses feel tingly and makes certain bands really good. Things start to look like a wide-open vista of possibility—you can decide what time you get up, how much work you get done, and whether you stay in and mope all day or get out and ride the bus, drink coffee and explore. Life can be a prison sentence or an endless pleasure, depending on you. Unemployment presses you down to the metal of day-to-day existence, where you have the time to contemplate the big ethical questions that will later, in the heat of the moment, be put to the test. As an allegorical example, take the plot of the Spider-Man comic book—what if Peter Parker, with his newfound spider-like super powers, had never chosen to don the suit and mask, but instead had just focused on the freelance photo work that made up his mundane reality at the Daily Bugle? Parker was ambitious and talented—he was getting along just fine. But once bit by that irradiated spider, Parker chose to become the Spider-Man, rolling with the punches and abandoning his old dreams. Becoming a Spider-Man is obviously the kind of incident, like getting trampled by a horse or becoming sick that by its nature reshapes your concept of ‘success’ and ‘failure’ as they are narrowly defined in the blighted American present. So the curse became a blessing. Peter Parker was taken out of the marathon that everyone is running towards that nebulous something—career, happiness, success, the next cool town; and put on track to his destiny. In donning the Spidey mask, and accepting his eternal duty, Parker voluntarily entered into a world of pain that would essentially ruin all his future relationships and happiness. But like Cliff Burton, whose fate was described in the Metallica song “Shortest Straw,” his destiny was predetermined. The Bugle wasn’t a bad gig—if he would have forgotten the whole Spider-Man thing and just focused, he probably would have gotten his stuff out there and become a name in the pecking order. But you can’t really ignore your destiny—a shunted sense of responsibility would have nagged him over the years, causing him to fail at all his other endeavors, like some kind of universal self-correcting mechanism. Luckily for comic history, Parker made the decision to dive off the bridge and fulfill his Nietzschian potential. Instead of just documenting the news, he started making headlines, snapping photos of his own work to make ends meet and bolster his alter ego’s renown. Instead of just being a spectator, he became a participant. He blazed a new path in fire, his invention borne of necessity and ingenuity. Spider-Man was a superhero because he gave up the selfish pursuit of his own happiness and normality to labor for the good of the entire human family. There is a myth of the perfectly balanced creative life, the fever dream of commercial success, intellect, family and friends, equally distributed—work time and play time equally balanced. But when you lean in heavily on one, the other parts of life inevitably suffer. This explains how many great writers have had a very difficult time ‘living’ at the same time. Some arts and pursuits are conjoined with life (the performance artist, the musician) but many are solitary endeavors in direct conflict with happiness, stability, and love. And let’s face it: touchingthe bottom has historically had some pretty serious consequences. The madness, failure, loneliness and xenophobia are well documented. Do you think Tolstoy put away his tome-like War and Peace at the end of the day, and could go out to dinner at Golden Corral? Would Nietzsche have been all right and laughed it off at the bar if someone had just given him a prescription of Paxil? The Puritans were right–work is its own reward. But work, like happiness, or travel, or gainful employment—isn’t enough to save us. There’s something at the root of the days that has no name. Time plows by violently, and soon enough it becomes unavoidably evident that every moment was a choice. Zane and I wander the city spending time as if it were an infinite resource, making poor choices. We consume distractions hungrily, trying to fill the void—movies, cheap food, art openings, drinks, blowing our money so we will be forced to get jobs quicker. Zane seems a little more settled into his life and manages to find a Zen acceptance of his current unemployed scenario, seeing it as a fleeting blessing. “You just gotta be happy unemployed,” he smiles, “Man, I’m gonna have you read this pamphlet these squatters wrote about it—Happy Unemployed. Look, I’ll pull it up for you.” He finds a digitized version of the pamphlet on the Internet but I can only read a couple of lines before my vision blurs and I can no longer bear any life advice from these cheery German squatters, whose self-help advice emanates from some welfare-state parasite utopia. The pamphlet seems to serve the same purpose as Xanax, helping the anxiety-ridden reader lean back into life and accept their fate. But unlike Zane and the squatters, I just can’t be with it–I squirm unhappily without a job, desperately scanning the day for something that seems to be missing, browsing Craigslist job postings in hopes of stumbling upon a new set of chains. I panic upon waking to find no routine waiting for me, beckoning me out from bed. My mornings start off defiantly trying to ignore this fact—I get up early for no reason and lunge at the coffee maker, immediately needing a fix to continue wanting to be alive and not to crawl back into the bedtomb. Drinking coffee only serves to intensify the panic so that I can’t eat breakfast or hang around the apartment. I step out onto the icy sidewalk and stroll through the outer reaches of my neighborhood, wearing holes in the concrete. Hey, it’s not so bad. The sun in shining—I’m unemployed! My heart races—Why now, with the coffee, I don’t even want to die, but want to live! I dance down the sparkling streets of Brooklyn, paved in dreams, and lift my coffee mug, shouting the lyrics to Black Flag’s “Bastard in Love”: You! Keep waiting for the love that you wanna feel! But you never believe it! My love is real! My love is real! My love is real! The grizzled-looking guys at the flat-fix places and mechanic shops turn and stare. Having recently learned that Larry Livermore, founder of Lookout Records, lives somewhere along the route of my epic morning walk, I begin to harbor vain hopes that one morning he will be out on his front stoop getting the paper and will hear my clarion call, joining me in a chorus that would imbue my otherwise uneventful life with a kick-ass Broadway-musical production of Newsies quality. The walk calms me down and diminishes the effect of the caffeine so I can go back to my apartment and consider an austere breakfast of oatmeal before staring the day down from there. I blaze a path of righteousness through the morning, laying out new pamphlets as a way to ignore the blank, paycheck-less future, reaching into the blissed-out void of engaging work to lose track of time. By afternoon, I’ve gotten quite a bit of work done but begin to feel the kudzu-like creep of fear. My to-do list stares at me with cold pragmatic eye, and I slowly turn away from the fulfilling creative work toward duty. By midday, I’m throwing out applications and scanning Internet news; half-heartedly trying to fit into a world where people know things, have opinions and are ‘serious’. Walking home from the Library one afternoon, I’m struck by the trivial seesaw-ness of this existence. I’ve failed to reconcile the big questions that people have had to grapple with since the birth of art—How to live? How did the primitive artist justify his cave paintings to the rest of the tribe who ventured out on life-threatening missions to hunt mastodon? Should we find a place in their world or build our own? I remember reading somewhere that Walt Whitman spent the first third of his life as a newspaper editor for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle before he resolved to stop working for “the usual rewards” and become a poet. It’s this full-on-ness that seems to be key—to drop out completely, possessed by a singular driving passion that never relents. It doesn’t seem like there is a truly ethical path because a balance is unachievable, each one fraught with its own pitfalls and benefits. Making zines is navel-gazing and microcosmic, but finding a place in the ‘real world’ is also lackluster. There’s a middle way, but that just seems compromised and blandly noncommittal—if you’re not going all the way, what’s the point of going at all. Is it possible to see shades of gray without becoming one? It seems best to just become a wandering bard, a philosopher-romantic, but how? Holding a book from the library that I don’t really want to read in my hand, I realize I am utterly paralyzed by what to do. While I’m unemployed and have infinite time to read and work, I don’t, because I’m too panicked about trying to land another job. Once I get a steady job, all I can do is daydream about the freedom I would have if I quit, all the books I would read and the time I would spend rolling around in the green grass. It appears that I am chronically incapable of balancing my life or accepting the present. There are a million places to go and a million things to do, but who’s going to do them? It’s a question of psychological freedom—freedom is no good if you’re under self-martial law and don’t want to use it, preferring instead to pace like a caged animal. That night, Zane and I talk on the phone and agree that we’ve got to stop applying for jobs. “I’m done, man. I’ve applied for like twenty. If they don’t call me, fuck ‘em, I’m just done, completely over it.” He explains, “I’ve got enough money to live for two months. Then I can borrow some money for April and May and after that the comic book contract will start paying us off. And who knows then.” I admire his resolve to give up on the world of ‘usual rewards’ and bland pseudo-success, borrowing money like the artists of yore, to stay afloat until he can reach his ultimate goal. I’ve also applied for about a dozen jobs, and have enough to live on for a couple of months, but no comic book at the end of the tunnel, though my primary motive has become psychological rather than financial. At this point, my only desire is to wake up in the morning without a job and feel OK–for one single day, to not feel skittish and anxious, unappreciative of the freedom in the moment. This seems to be the first step on the path to wandering barddom—overcoming the psychological barriers. Why not dance at the party? I want to wake up and watch the sunrise and appreciate another day, guiltlessly thinking about how much ass it kicks to be alive and not have to clock in. On the recommendation of a new-age friend of mine, I’ve even taken to saying a strange little prayer before I go to sleep: “Dear infinite—Please give me the strength to accept my life. Help me to be understanding and receptive and give me the grace to face tomorrow.” But in the mornings, the Infinite still hasn’t spoken to me. Still marooned in the world! I’m standing on a precipice, overlooking an uncertain future like everyone else, but can’t seem to pull it together. This guilt, this puritan work ethic! To make more marketables, more 21st century blips? How many people are told daily through rhythmic social pressure to follow their dreams, but ‘to make money doing it’? Many of the driven and talented have already sold themselves into hackdom—I can’t help but think of that duplicitous ad on the subway for the college Digital Design program that shows a hip young man perched on a cliff, working away at his laptop overlooking a crystal-blue ocean and tropical islands. The only kind of scenery the people with Digital Design degrees are likely to see is a blank cubicle wall. How cleverly duped we were into thinking that we were following our dreams, only to find out that they led us to the exact opposite of what we originally wanted. Everything seems to say: get a job, start a successful website, fit your peg into the available holes, become a reputable independent contractor for the system. Buck the horse, sure, but not too much. The symbiosis of dreams of artistic grandeur with commercial aspiration has historically been a disastrous letdown. We knew this. There’s a horrible sinking feeling that rises when you stare into the busted face of the world and realize that, at bottom, the options are to sell yourself in a way that gets you paid or to pack your hobo bindle and leave it behind. It seems like the only ethical route for the artist was what I was already doing before I entered the world of fear—to continue just scraping by and surviving—making things, attempting voyages and living low. After submitting a resume and a cover letter for an editorial assistant position at a well-known online magazine, I scan idly over their website. It’s jam-packed with news commentary, opinion, perspective and daily columns by intellectual pseudo-stars. Looking over it all, I can’t find a single thing that I really want to read. My eyes flicker past the cardboard opinions and wasted words, lengthy diatribes delving into subjects of vital importance like whether or not Michelle Obama is overweight and a feature called Change We Can Taste: Bush's White House served terrible wine. Obama should do better! I let go of the mouse and wonder why I’m begging to be imprisoned in a cubicle for a couple of decades—only to be released when I’m old and mole-like from windowless years of staring at a computer, like an animal who’s been domesticated for too long and no longer knows how to survive in the wild. I would give away the fresh air all so I could afford nice dinners and go to parties and benefit from that glimmer of piqued interest in people’s eyes when they find out that you’re under the aegis of some notable employer. People lose years this way, crystallized in ice caverns of credibility. Morrissey condensed millions of our crushing personal histories into a few simple lines: Niki has referred Zane and I as possible candidates for some temp work that they need done at her nonprofit. Upon hearing about this opportunity, Zane and I both rush to laptops to zap out our resumes and then sit twiddling our thumbs in metered anticipation for several days waiting for someone to get back to us. When they finally do, we’re broken down and desperate, at our lowest ebb and already sure we’ve been rejected. Zane gets his call first. I can tell by the look on his face that its bad news. He shakes his head dubiously and purses up his lips, a look of shocked disbelief passing over his unshaven face as he talks on the cell phone, “I’m sorry,” he drawls in his thick North Texas accent, “I just can’t do that. I just can’t do it. That’s not enough.” “What happened?” I ask once he’s hung up. “They offered me eight dollars an hour, that’s what happened!” he shakes his head disbelieving. “So what did you do?” “I said Hell no, I won’t do it for eight dollars an hour. She was nice, though. She said she’d talk to Human Resources about getting me more and would call me back.” About thirty minutes later Zane got his callback—they offered him two dollars more, which he summarily rejected, being 29 years old and in possession of two Master’s degrees. If anyone’s time is worth more than eight dollars an hour, it’s his. But in the topsy-turvy nonprofit world, the amount a company purports to save the world seems to be inversely linked to the quality of life they assure their employees—they are regularly overworked and underpaid, and routinely expected to sacrifice their personal lives to toil away for the company’s vision. Apparently, they have no scruples about doing this to temps also, the hired hands that have no vested interest in their do-gooder operation. My callback comes an hour later while I’m aimlessly browsing in a thrift store. I pick up and am greeted by a nice girl named Erin, who has a silky phone voice and sounds like she’s in her pajamas. She kids around with me and doesn’t bother to put on the veneer of professionalism that usually accompanies these kinds of calls. “It’s just data entry work—soooo easy, probably a little dull for you,” Erin rambles on, “you can totally just bring in your iPod and zone out.” “Uh yeah, sounds great,” I say, suddenly uncomfortable with my lack of the seemingly indispensable iPod. Eventually the social niceties and chatting wears thin and we approach the Marxist heart of the matter—the question that lurks under the surface of every “Team Member” badge, every staff luncheon and every invocation to sacrifice–What will they offer you in exchange for a chunk of your life? “Eight dollars an hour” Erin says, sounding sober and straight-faced. I pause for a couple of seconds to give the illusion that I’m thinking it over, even though I have already waved the sword of righteousness against this lowball offer in solidarity with Zane. I hem and haw and politely refuse, explaining to her that I’m just used to making more than that, you know, how my other freelance jobs pay me $20-25 an hour. This is a boldfaced lie—but so is the entire poker-faced game of wage negotiations—like the casino and the gambler, the cards were rigged from the outset in the employer’s favor. Company’s saying they ‘don’t have the budget’ is subterfuge, because they would have it if their executives started flying coach instead of first-class. Although not seeming to really get why I wouldn’t just take the taxed $8, Erin is polite and explains that she will speak with the ignominiously named Human Resources Department to see if they could possibly make me a better offer. I turn off the phone and am left shaking my head like Zane, unable to believe their nerve—eight dollars an hour? That’s how they’re gonna shortchange me? How much you get paid for your labor inevitably leads to discomfiting self-questioning like, what is your intrinsic value as a human being. It seems like those who exude self-confidence and occupy a cozy little niche of the capitalist ecosystem have figured out the secret of being a specialist by demanding an exorbitant rate for their unique knowledge and skill. The rest of don’t have any profession—We slide around, uncertain of our worth, and are just happy to be offered anything. For a fear and anxiety-riddled week, I wait for Erin to get back to me about the job, and in the meantime think about the implications of my future temp-life scenario. I don’t even want the job at the nonprofit—if I can stay above depression, I have enough work to keep me busy for a lifetime. But opportunities, as far as survival, certainly become more attractive as they become more lucrative—lured by lust for money and necessity I become kind of attached to the idea of being chosen for an unflattering and mindless job that could sustain me for a while—new co-workers to smile at in the hallways, coffee in the morning, people to get drinks with. After almost a week and a half, I check my inbox and find an email: Hi Aaron, I just heard back today from our Human Resources dept. We can offer you $12 an hour, for approx. 30–40 hours a week, for 4 weeks. 12 dollars an hour? With all my faux-credentials? The stingy bastards! I consult a couple of friends to see if I should ask for more. They shrug their shoulders and say, wait Aaron, twelve is pretty good. It’s too late—my mind has been made up and it seems as good a time as any to take a stand. The problem with wages and economic necessity is that they have the money and we’re overeager to get to it. If everyone could somehow refuse and stop accepting their offers, all the wages would eventually have to go up. But after going through the exhaustive interview process, the drug tests, the paperwork and W-4s, most are so psychologically beaten down that we just want it to be done with. Temps, freelancers, jobseekers—Do they owe us a living? Of course they fucking do. I type out my righteous missive: Dear Erin, I’m sorry to be a hassle. The absolute minimum I would need for the job is $18/hr. I believe that's fair, given my experience and current rates. Most of my other jobs pay $20-30/hr. I get that my pay requirements might lead some to suggest just finding someone else on Craigslist–that's fine, but hey, you’ll be missing out. Well maybe it wasn’t so righteous, but it felt good. I had decided to retain some measure of dignity for once rather than begging for a job. I really expected to be called back by a cigar-chomping Rich Uncle Pennybags who would say, “Well, Son–You drive a hard bargain but you got chutzpah!” But later that night, in the wee hours of the morning, doubts began to creep in about my approach. Had I been too brash? Maybe I was too impertinent? I tossed and turned, sleepless, stewing in the uncertainty of it all, the empty-canvas future. The next afternoon, wandering the city on one of my nebulous errands, I received a text message from Niki: I guess your email backfired. What could it possibly mean? I ran home as fast as I could and checked my email. Waiting in my inbox was a note from Erin: Hi Aaron, Thanks for your email. Unfortunately, while we would certainly appreciate your experience, we cannot stretch our budget beyond the $12. Well, I’d certainly fucked up, hadn’t I? Asking for too much—the great fear of laborers and tenants everywhere, realized. And being a member of a fragmented and desperately needy labor force such as temps, there was surely someone in line behind me who would do the job for cheaper. I was utterly replaceable. It was like a Borges story with the battle of the wills—I had lost so easily. My pride was wounded but there was something relieving about not have to venture into the nonprofit salt mines. I didn’t write Erin an email back, harboring some delusion that at the last minute she wouldn’t be able to find anybody and would write me back, accepting my ludicrous wage demands and begging for me to come in on short notice. I waited and the first day of the job rolled around. This never happened. After hanging around my room most of the day, I decide to go to a free yoga class in the city to release some of the accumulated jobless tension. All this not working sure is hard work! When considering exercise, there are always those hesitant moments where you can’t possibly conceive of the point of it, even though you know from repeated experience that you will feel better if you just do it. The fusty old mind throws a tantrum, screaming, “But what if I DON’T WANT to feel better?” and can only be shut up by turning off the brain and walking out the door as quickly as possible. I arrive in the vicinity of the yoga place a little early, and duck into a nearby bookstore to waste some time until the class starts. I am magnetically drawn by habit to the Zine/Small Press section to look for comfort and familiarity from the labors and anthologized efforts of my contemporary obscurants. Prominently displayed on the shelf at eye level is the full catalog of titles from Crimethinc, the incendiary anonymous publishing endeavor from Greensboro that has made an unmistakable imprint on the direction of DIY culture in the last decade. There’s been plenty of valid criticism about Crimethinc’s propaganda-cheerleader approach and primary cadre of disillusioned, angry suburban youth, but the material and mystique has undoubtedly caused a sea change in the ebb of the underground over the past years. The kids are stealing, dumpster diving, and living collectively more than ever before, like ticks silently riding their succulent hosts, sapping their blood and lifeforce over time. Crimethinc has grown into a powerhouse, one awkwardly saddled with its stated mission of dismantling power. They’ve released millions of copies of books, newspapers, and propaganda into the nether, becoming an abstemious force on their own terms, a large unidentifiable blip far to the left of the cultural consensus. Given this massive thrust of effort and the seed-sharing nature of their approach, their critics genuinely beg to be asked, “Well, what exactly have you done?” Crimethinc is about the only real game in town, aside from some unmemorable polemics, and some over thought academic attempts, Despite their increasingly desperate open calls for competition and debate, they remain essentially unchallenged in the anarchist stable–winner and still champion of their nonhierarchical and champion-less sport. They are an interesting case, having cornered the market and become a kind of incidental monopoly in the world of radical propaganda, simply by the fact of their continued growth and refusal to call it quits or change the brand name or image. My eyes find a copy of Days of War, Nights of Love, the first and most indispensable Crimethinc publication. I haven’t laid eyes on in years. It’s an encyclopedia that rehashes the tactics and minor triumphs of anarchism over the course of the past couple of centuries, functioning as a kind of suburban guerilla warfare manual. It cries out to me, strangely prophetic and singular in a time of blog hype, depressing testaments to ‘indie’ fame like the movie Juno, and the “Don’t tase me, bro!” guy on Youtube who experienced his electrifying 15-seconds. I first read a second-hand copy of it in 2001, when I was a troubled seventeen-year-old in suburban North Carolina. I was immediately captivated—it wasn’t anything like the books with barcodes on the back you could get at Barnes and Noble. The mailing address was less than an hour from my mother’s house and I liked the idea that there was a mysterious cabal of people living right down the road, who seemed to be actively working to destroy civilization. I read it carefully, in one sitting, and then put it down. There was fire in my eyes. The book had tapped into some hidden reservoir of anti-capitalist angst that undoubtedly bubbles under the surface of every teenager. Like a biblical convert, I shared the book with everyone I knew. I gave up meat and refused to pay for food, and began to live like a voluntary hunter-gatherer. I traveled on a bus for the first time, from Durham to a massive Mumia protest in Philadelphia, and marched with strange dirty people who looked like Ewoks (my first sighting of ‘crusties’ was bizarrely dissociative, not unlike how the Native Americans reacted at first sight of the colonists). I read and read and sat by the Raleigh train tracks baking in the hot sun and talking to hobos, pulling out a worn copy of the book to recite my new Gospels. Never work! Be defiant! Live free! Amen! The book had undeniably changed my life. I saw the world with new eyes, and could now realize the bubbling possibilities of existence. It shredded my ambitions, setting me on a path of aimless travel around the country, leaving a trail of photocopied zines behind me like breadcrumbs. But the sheen faded—I saw their collectives and met the authors and like a child who’s learned that there’s no Santa Claus, I felt bitter and magicless. It’s disorienting to look back years later to see a bit more objectively how substantial the effect of certain bands or certain books were—on one hand, you’re grateful to them for giving a voice to your anger, but on the other hand, you can’t help but wonder if they fucked up your life. What if I had never gotten a hold of that confounded Crimethinc book? Who cares? The time and life-lived can’t be taken back. The point of Days of War, Nights of Love wasn’t to be a step-by-step guide to utopia and a better world. It was just a catalyst, food for thought to get readers to develop their own survival system—a provocative illustration of some attempts that had been made. But instead of taking the hint and developing our own generational definition of resistance, we just lazily adopted theirs. Now having lived and worked in the world, I’ve come full circle back to the original adolescent impression—the anarchists were right all along. Flipping through the book, I’m amazed by how many little details, how many prophetic pronouncements I missed the first time around, as if my virgin eyes weren’t ready to take it all in. But looking through all the Crimethinc stuff in the store, I feel a sharp pang of shame that I’m on my way to a bourgeois yoga class. And worse, I don’t even know where my original copy of this seminal text is. I wince to think that it’s probably packed up in a storage shed somewhere, its dog-eared pages gathering dust. What would the anarchists would think of me now, living in this city Babylon, melded in unholy daily symbiosis with the grinding capitalist apparatus? I’ve strayed from the original plan of just hopping trains and riding buses for the rest of my life, now dwelling in some questionable artistic nether realm of being a writer, trying to get jobs. They wrote their great work under pseudonyms, choosing to stay anonymous and sidetracking the question of literary success and infamy. Look at me—pitching stories, buying food, paying rent on a tiny room, owning a computer, giving up in all the tiniest ways. I feel a strong urge to steal a copy of Days of War, Nights of Love and somehow renew my creeds and prove to myself that I haven’t become reticent. But the ethical quandary of stealing from an independent bookstore is too much to bear. I shakily bring the book to the front counter and hand it to the hipster cashier, meeting his eyes, hoping to share a moment of common affinity. None occurs. I hand him my ten dollars—an hour of my labor at the Human Resources department offered rate—he judges my selection, and gives me a look that seems to say, ‘Aren’t you a little bit too old to be a crust-punk?’ It’s humiliating. Carrying my plastic bag out, I ball up the receipt and clench my hand into a fist. The motion feels familiar, nostalgic–like some piece of discarded adolescent wisdom being recaptured. In a dream, the primary author of much of the Crimethinc literature appears to me like some anarchist Christ, bearded and with a long flowing mane. I am one of his disciples. He shakes his head at me in bitter disappointment, “Aaron—why would you want to buttress their rotten institutions?” “I don’t know!” I gasp into the darkness, “Maybe some childhood shortcoming? The need to be loved? The fear of being forgotten?” He looks pained, like an angry Zeus. “You’ll never find self-respect and dignity in working for them. You’re wasting your time, and the clock’s running out…” I wake up early to a streaked sky and tiptoe around the apartment cautiously, turning off the lights and leaving. Down the street at the neighborhood café, everything seems much cheerier than usual—the music blaring over the café speakers is not the familiar despondent Cat Power, but something that sounds more like a cocaine-fueled soundtrack for middle-agers who are gathering to ‘get funky’. It’s Inauguration Day. The glowing counter people offer me free miniature cupcakes, “Cupcake?” “Obama cupcakes?” they titter excitedly. In the corner of the café on a loveseat a couple is making out and petting each other flagrantly, celebrating the victory of hope with the ultimate shameless PDA. I sit down and gingerly read through the notes I made the night before. Having spent my entire adult life under the yoke of the Bush Administration, it seems like it’d be nice to forget the last eight years ever happened. But my curiosity to be informed gets the better of me. I close the notebook and walk back home to watch the day’s proceedings. Transfixed sitting in front of a flat screen, I listen to the white-noise banter pouring from the commentator’s mouths as they attempt to fill the seemingly endless cable airtime. A Pepsi commercial, timed for maximum exposure during an advertising moment more coveted than the Super Bowl Halftime show punctuates the live coverage–minimalist flashes of text glow coldly, We can. We did. We will. Come Together. Pepsi, a raspy voice reads the words, then the screen displays a new can logo bearing suspicious trademark-infringing resemblance to Obama’s ubiquitous HOPE logo. Former presidents in pea coats, flush-faced and jowly from too many pheasant dinners step gingerly through the marbled halls. Cameras scan and comment on George H.W. Bush struggling to get along with a cane beside his wife, and Jimmy Carter bounds by like a cheerful Golden Retriever, radiating the righteousness of historical vindication. Everyone shakes hands and hugs and smiles together, even the most bitter partisan enemies are united in oligarchic union, understanding each others burdens and struggles far better that the common people of this country ever could. Finally, after what seems like an eternity of staring at the little clock at the bottom of the screen, the coronation begins—the camera flashes over the millions of people crowded together in the cold watching an enormous flat screen that is set up in front of the Capitol. The screen bubbles and pops with plasma blasts of color and light, making it look like a black hole has been ripped in the space-time continuum and opened up on the Mall. The camera cuts to an image of President Bush walking through the halls alone, sad and shifty eyed (no doubt mulling over his impending war crimes prosecution) behind an escort of smiling politicians and spouses who look like they are on their way to a church service. Barack Obama walks alone too, but was somehow more noble, a Washington ghost, the reluctant Savior of American mythology who seems to carry a secret vindication pursed inside his lips, totally aware that he’s moving into a house built by slaves but has prepped himself with a secret plan. Barack Obama, God’s lonely man, closes his eyes and savors his last moments of non-presidency. I feel for him, thinking back to the earnest requiem he gave for his solitude and anonymity in a Sixty Minutes interview after he won the election: Kroft: How has your life changed in the last ten days? Michelle Obama: Like what? Mr. Obama: Like– Michelle Obama: What do you want? Michelle Obama: Oh, well, you know. The cadence of Rick Warren’s red-blooded penitential prayer is hypnotizing until he gets weird and starts talking about Obama’s family, “Of course there’s Michelle, and how could we forget…,” his tone changes abruptly as if possessed, “Sashhhhaahhh and Maliaaahhh” he rasps, saying their names like he’s announcing a pair of Amazonian jungle cats. The Obamas’ humility, their genuine averageness amongst the gathered American aristocracy makes them stand out notably. It is reassuring in some fundamentally cinematic way, like watching a heartwarming Hollywood movie where the humble good guy triumphs. Obama seizes the podium and calls for the renewal of the spirit of service, for a new puritan work ethic. He manages to convey the sense wordlessly that America is just a fragile experiment, a burning ember that has to be blown on and kept burning in the palm of the hand. How do you describe watching a President publically acknowledging the frail, damaged state of his empire? “Historic?” Don’t worry about the government, he seemed to say; put your faith in yourself and your community. But what does remaking America even mean? In the short 232-year history of this country, we’ve spread across the continent like a creeping virus, leaving no land undisturbed—our ancestors chopped down all the forests and pioneered the plains, interned all the Indians, built all the cities and towns, and manifested a civilization which seemed to hasten for no lesser goal than to see every inch of the country poured over with concrete. Could we unmake this country? Could we roll back the roads and melt down the buildings? Could we reestablish some kind of stalemated trust with nature and other sentient creatures? Do we really need more wireless Internet access? This is the sad state of the dream that we’ve come to, where we’ve already dreamt too much. The new highways floats invisibly around us, inundating us with an infinite supply of irradiated information, a seemingly endless supply of potential parties and friendships and careers. The goal now seems to be to maintain our lifestyles, to put the tourniquet on and slow the bleeding of American dominance. A crumpled and fading empire—A make-believe economy in shambles—Starbucks franchises shuttering their doors by the hundreds. An anti-capitalists dream, made reality. So why does it feel so bad to be right? Like that asshole who scoffs, “There’s got to be massive die-offs of the world’s population to get it back to sustainable levels. That’s got to happen soon.” And who’s going to die? Certainly not the rich, bunkered in padded compounds with five-year supplies of Trader Joe’s organic food. “Isn’t the Depression great? —So many possibilities to radicalize the people!” End of the world 2012, blah blah blah, return to scarcity and primitivism, blah blah blah, apocalypse fantasies of the last four thousand years. It doesn’t take much of a seer to talk about ruins and predict that everything falls apart, as it always has and always will. But it’s sad to think about all the other empires and how little remains of each—the Mayans, the Romans, the Egyptians, the Ottomans. They were each so mighty, like Rocky, like us, thinking they would always be on top. We popped open the champagne and celebrated a new era of HOPE to magically vaccinate our young American attempt against FAILURE, but what if the candle has already blown out and we are the last to know? We’ve had a good run of it, and damn, it’s been a lot of fun—but how long could we have expected to be-in-the-world where we have anything we desired delivered? A world where we can drive across the country in two and a half days straight and cross oceans in under four hours in thin metal hulls, where the floodlights stay on all night every night? It’s been a rough eight years. We’re on the ropes. Maybe it’s been a rough eight hundred—we won’t know. The downloadable history books of the future will condense our complex story into a couple of sterile sentences, “The American empire slowly waned in influence in the 2000s, its outposts periodically attacked by barbarians” or something like that. But Hope, in spite of all the reasons to not have it, somehow manages to just give people more hope. And when people are hoping and laughing and smiling, it’s good. Definitely better than despairing and doom-saying. I’m hoping with them—for whatever. For another cup of coffee, or for a secret kiss. For Spring to come. For us to fix our world before the sand runs out of the hourglass. And if the story has already been written and it’s too late–for fragments of our beauty to be found in the rubble of this civilization.
Omegaburn Sweat Activated Shirts Shirts with an invisible motivational message that only shows when you sweat! "I think of these shirts as my personal trainer. Makes me not want to stop until I can read it all" - Yoima ✅ 100% Invisible Until You Sweat! ✅ Motivation to Push Harder ✅ Premium Quality Fabric ✅ Amazing Fit There is Only 1 Rule: Your workout is not done until you can read the entire message! Is it Washable? YES, You can wash it like any other shirt. Once the shirt is dry, the design will be invisible and ready to show again when you work out hard and sweat! Is it Skin Safe? Absolutely. We use hypoallergenic, materials to achieve the invisible design effect. How does it Fit? Men's shirts fit True to Size. Ladies tanks are true to size but fitted. We recommend getting a size up if you want a roomier fit on the women's tanks. Can you make custom designs? Yes. More info Here. Designed & Printed in the USA We proudly make all of our products in our Miami Beach, FL shop. omegaburn sweat activated shirts!
Vai direttamente ai contenuti 1 di 3 Black Glass Crystal Ball - The Fortune Teller Prezzo di listino Prezzo di vendita Prezzo di listino Black Glass Crystal Ball - The Fortune TellerBlack Glass Crystal Ball - The Fortune Teller H18cm x W9cm x D9cm Colour: Black Made of Glass Comes with a beginners instructions guide. If you can relate to any of these statements, crystal balls can benefit you: • You love the feel of smooth stones in your hands • You are ready to elevate your meditation to the next level • You are seeking a soothing shaped gemstone for massage • You need group harmony for shared living and/or work spaces • You want to access metaphysical messages through scrying The crystal ball represents the most perfect shape in the Universe because it is equal on all sides. • When using natural stones as crystal balls, the healing energies emit equally throughout the whole sphere. Whereas if you are using a pointed crystal, the healing energy will be concentrated through the tip of the stone. Scrying is the act of gazing into a reflective or translucent object to open your intuition. This allows the scryer to gain the information they may not have access to in their conscious mind. Scrying can be done with hundreds of reflective surfaces, but the most popular way (perhaps thanks to history), is through crystal balls. Of all things, why do fortune-tellers use crystal balls? Crystal balls are used for scrying and gazing because they are uniform all around and form a spherical lens. Because of its shape, any clear ball (such as Quartz crystals or glass) will have a curvature that bends the rays of light to form a focal point. Since crystal balls have no edge like traditional lenses do, the focal point is omnidirectional. This makes it ideal for gazing. No matter which way the crystal ball is positioned, it is perfect for the psychic to look deep within. Customer Reviews Based on 1 review Lisa Hassall Love it So special and magical. Looks great on my Altar Sold Out
New Orleans, LA Here are 45 New Words or Phrases I Heard in New Orleans Rene Cizio Even English-speaking visitors will have to learn some New Orleans yatspeak and slang to understand everything they hear in the city. I was constantly delighted by the new words and usage I heard during my month’s stay. Despite speaking “English,” between the various colorful dialects and the words I’d never heard before, I was constantly trying to figure out what I’d just heard and what did it mean? I heard many words, sayings, and phrases in New Orleans that I had to look up, figure out or ask someone about. Most of these words derive from other languages, disciplines – like architecture- or cultural activities unique to New Orleans. You’ve likely heard of a few of them. I’m from the Midwest, so much of it was new to me, though we have unique words and phrases too. I laughed with one of my tour guides about it and she said “Yeah, it’s dat yatspeak. Ya get used to it doh.” Even the slang has slang. A banquette is a sidewalk – if you’re lucky enough to have one – it’s the concrete strip between the house or business and the street. I had to ask what this was the first time someone said it to me. You might hear someone say, “I saw him this mornin’ walkin’ down the banquette.” I learned this one during alligator hunting. Kidding! I wasn’t hunting; I was hiding. A bayou, while appearing swamp-like, is a slow-moving river. A swamp is just a piece of spongy land saturated with stagnant water. Cajuns hang out on the bayous. (see below) To people outside of the city, when referencing beads, we’re probably talking about jewelry making, but in New Orleans, they’re more likely talking about the many-colored plastic beaded necklaces commonly referred to as Mardi Gras beads. Rene Cizio A beignet is a French doughnut covered in powdered sugar. You eat them by the dozen. Wait, maybe that’s just me. Pair with chicory coffee for an authentic New Orleans breakfast. Repeat daily. The big easy is a slang term for the city and its laid-back way of life that comes from survival, celebration and knowing how to have fun. That’s just life in the big easy. It’s not just a spice. Cajuns are descended mainly from French Canadians from Acadia who settled in southern Louisiana in the bayou areas. Cajuns are a white subset of Creoles derived from African, French, Spanish and Native American peoples. My bayou boat captain was a Cajun. We’re you thinking the opposite of a camel toe? No. It’s a shotgun house (see below) with a second-story addition only on the back. If you go on a Garden District tour, the guides will tell you all about the different house styles. Not the weekend companies that pull into town and sell super expensive tickets for dubious mechanical rides. In New Orleans, it’s the party season weeks beginning in January (Twelfth Night) and leading up to Mardi Gras. Pronounced like the famous singer, but not her. Cher is a term of endearment. You can use it for someone you love, or if you’re a service provider, anyone you’re providing service to. Same as “hon,” “sweetie,” and “dear.” Also, not just a spice. They’re people of French, Spanish, and Caribbean origins. A Creole Cottage is a typical New Orleans single-story house with French and Caribbean influences, making it both fancy and colorful. I didn’t hear anyone call it this, but you’ll see it on the water caps and niknaks sold around town, nicknamed the Crescent City because the Mississippi River bends in a crescent shape as it passes through New Orleans Parish. Rene Cizio Krewe maskers toss doubloon coins, stamped with the krewes logos, from parade floats. You can’t spend them, but people scramble for them anyway. Wait, I take that back. Since they’re popular collector items, you could sell them, so in theory, you can spend them. We didn’t even have one parlor where I grew up, but in New Orleans, having two is so common they named a house after it. This is a big house with a big parlor that separates into two via pocket doors. Guys and gals, if ya please. There are a lot of French words in New Orleans usage. Faubourg is a French word for a suburb outside the original city limits, such as Faubourg Marigny or Faubourg Tremé. I’ve studied French many times throughout my life. I’m still not any good. You may be familiar with the three-petal lily symbol seen adorning everything everywhere in the city, but did you know it’s called a fleur-de-lis? Literally “lily flower.” French royalty has used it to represent Catholic saints, purity, light and, surprise, it’s the badge of France. Rene Cizio If you’re not from New Orleans, you probably call those glorious cast-iron balconies “balconies,” but they’re galleries. You can only stand on a balcony, re: Juliet. But a gallery is a long, second-story outdoor walkway. Rene Cizio A go-cup is what you ask for when you want to take your alcohol with you to leave the bar. This is why people love New Orleans. Just kidding, it’s only one reason. A gris-gris (gree-gree) is a voodoo spell or amulet. Typically created by a voodoo priestess, they can be used for good luck or to send evil wishes to someone else. You’d call it “putting a gris-gris” on someone in the bad case. (So don’t piss me off ; ) This oval ring cake is sort of like a cinnamon Danish but covered in purple, green and gold icing and sugar. A plastic baby is baked inside the cake (yep) and if you get the piece with the baby, you get to host the party the next year! Or at least buy the cake, something like that. A krewe, not unlike the famed hairband of yore, “Motley Crue,” is a social club that host a parade, parties, or other events. Actually, they have nothing to do with the hair band; it’s just they’re just the only other “krewe” I know. There are 70+ krewes in New Orleans and, thus, many parades and parties! A lagniappe (lan-yap) is a Cajun-French-inspired word meaning “a little extra.” It’s usually something good and typically free, like pretzels with your beer. The phrase Laissez les bon temps rouler is all over the city. On flags, towels, t-shirts, shot glasses, and even public buildings. It’s the city motto, of sorts, if not actually. It’s a Cajun expression meaning “let the good times roll.” As kids in Michigan, they taught us to identify an “oak leaf,” and I feel really cheated. They never mentioned the southern live oak. It’s an evergreen that always has comparatively tiny leaves. Plus, it grows long, wild branches that bend and bow over whatever the hell they want to. They’re spectacular. Rene Cizio In New Orleans, they don’t shop for groceries. They make them. The first time I heard it, I thought it was an error, the second time, I looked it up. Like most things in the big easy, it comes from French: “Faire son marché,” meaning to shop. But it got lost in translation and “faire” meaning “to do” or “to make,” and eventually, it broke down into makin’ groceries. Speaking of groceries, there’s an entire lexicon on New Orleans food. What’s the difference between a gumbo, jambalaya, and a boil? Plenty. And about a million French food terms that you’ll have to go to culinary school to understand. You call a person on a float a masker. And they’re supposed to be anonymous and always keep their mask on. Like Jason Voorhees or Michael Meyers, but more friendly. In New Orleans, they love to call a sandwich anything except a sandwich. They get specific. A muffuletta (mu-fa-latta) is a round Italian sandwich with ham, salami, provolone cheese, and olive salad. It’s the size of a medium pizza. To anyone not from New Orleans, it is a median. The area of grass or earth in between two streetcar lines or streets. Someone said it started on Canal Street and had to do with old, old-school land disputes during times around Lousiana Purchase (remember learning about that?) Now, people like to jog there. Said quickly like a name, “Nola” is abbreviated for New Orleans, Louisiana. If you’re in a hurry and saying New Orleans or typing it repeatedly is too much work, “N’awlins” also works. In other places, a parish is called a county. Louisiana has parishes because of its French and Spanish history. Parish comes from the French word “paroisse.” Seeing and hearing are two different things. Picayune (Pic-ee-yoon) is something small. Also used to describe someone as being nit-picky. I learned how to pronounce it when I heard a woman say, “It’s a picayune, but it bothas me.” It’s a sandwich, in this case, a long one. You might call it a sub with good bread. Yum, bread. When you order one “dressed,” you want mayonnaise (mynez), lettuce, pickles and tomatoes on top. If you prefer plain, you’ll have nuttinonit. A portico is a porch, though architecturally speaking, it’s a covered porch. However, I even heard it used to describe the seating area outside of a business, “They’re tables out on the portico near the banquette.” This one got me because I have always called it a “pray-line,” but in New Orleans, they called it a “praw-leen,” and I didn’t know what they were talking about until I saw it. It’s brown sugar and pecan candy patty. De-lish-ous. Rene Cizio No, not a gun, it’s a house. It’s a long, narrow house like a trailer, but they’re lovely and often feature old wood and charming Victorian embellishments. Rene Cizio The second line is the group of people that follow behind the main part of the parade – which is the first line. Sometimes the parades are so fun that people can’t help but join in off the streets. In Michigan, we threw them. In New Orleans, they eat them. It’s finely shaved ice with flavored syrup. It’s the closest they’ll ever get to the real thing in the balmy south. Where I come from, it’s not a good thing when one’s brother makes you eat a snowball, but here. Yum. I’m from the Motor City, so to me, a “street car” is for racing. In New Orleans, a “streetcar” is a vintage form of train transportation that is affordable, reliable, and environmentally friendly. Who would have thought 200-year-old transit could be so smart? Someone tell Ford and Telsa. Anything tossed or handed to you from a Mardi Gras parade float is a throw. It could be beads, doubloons, plastic cups, or other trinkets. This is a popular phrase you’ll hear a lot during Carnival and Mardi Gras parades from people begging in the streets for throws. I ain’t too proud. Some people and maps use Vieux Carré, which is French for “old square,” which is confusing because you probably know the area they’re referencing as the French Quarter. Sometimes people will tell you what “ward” a place is located. Huh? Wards are the 17 areas within New Orleans’ Parish. As a Detroiter, I was familiar with this one, but in New Orleans, they say it less literally – not just asking “where are you” but also “how are you?” They might ask it while you’re standing right in front of them. I had a tour guide ask me “Where y’at” when she greeted me, so I looked for the street sign to tell her. This is also where the phrase “yatspeak” comes. Said and heard a lot so it’s worth mentioning. If you’re an American football fan, you probably know it’s a chant for New Orleans Saints fans: “Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?” I learned this from my ma, who was a huge football fan. A shorter, better way to say “you all” which you hear around all parts of the south. But ya’ll really do need ta get down to N’awlins because you’re gonna love it. There are at least a dozen more odd pronunciations, words, vernacular, terms and phrases, especially about food, places and conversation, but I think you get my point. In New Orleans, yatspeak is real, slang rules, and talking is just as colorful as everything else. What other words or phrases have I missed? What other place has a lot of slang? Comments / 12 Published by Solo nomad writing about travel and experiences Detroit, MI More from Rene Cizio Comments / 0
Are you confused why your child is not able to write within the four lines? Why he/she isn’t able to trace properly on the given lines? This is a very important topic in early learning when it comes to toddlers and preschoolers and even kindergarteners. So to better understand the steps involved, I have divided […] Continue Reading
Common errors in processing EDI documents using BizTalk Server 2013 Following are some errors I encountered while setting up an EDI in BizTalk Server 2013. These are quite common errors but I thought to write a post showing the exact reason of the problem which may help someone configuring EDI. I will try to keep update this article the more errors I come across so it will be used as a reference. ERROR 1: Agreement Resolution based on the context properties for x12 Protocol has failed In order to resolve this error check the Identifiers values in parties agreement and when sending an EDI document specify the exact values that have been set for ISA6 and ISA8 in the identifiers tab of the Source Party agreement. These values should match the value of an EDI document for the same ISA6 and ISA6 properties. In the above screen shot ISA6 and ISA8 values are PartyA and PartyB and the Sender and Receiver qualifiers are ZZ-Mutually Defined (X12) So the EDI document header should be something like below ISA^00^ ^00^ ^ZZ^PartyA ^ZZ^PartyB ERROR 2: Delimiters are not unique, field and segment separator are the same. The sequence number of the suspended message is 1. EDI document is fixed length format. This error comes up when the values length exceeded or does not meet the fixed length format. When structuring EDI document its better to define the values properly otherwise sometimes it becomes hard to rectify this type of error. Step by Step guide of setting up an EDI in BizTalk Server 2013 What is an EDI EDI – Electronic Data Interchange is an electronic communication medium that is use to exchange documents between different trading partners. EDI have specific text file format followed with specific version and document Id. For example, the Warehouse shipping order document is termed as 940 EDI document. Why do company prefer EDI to exchange documents? There are many benefits. Computer to computer exchange is much less expensive, cost is a primary reason, as it’s a standard every business understands and parse the documents easily. Role of BizTalk Server BizTalk server is a powerful server side product developed by Microsoft that is used for integrating distributed systems or applications. It acts as a middle hub where the businesses can submit documents and the destination client can get it in his specific format. It works on the publisher/subscriber model in which the client can subscribe to the incoming messages and the publisher publishes it to that port. On the other hand if you need to tweak some attributes of the document or to transform the inputted document into the client’s specific format can be done using mapping or pipeline. In this article I will give the complete step by step in sending 940 EDI document and converting it to the client’s specific XML format, and placing it to the destination folder. 1. Open Visual Studio 2012. (With BizTalk 2013 you can create BizTalk projects using VS 2012) 2. Create a new empty BizTalk project 3. Specify name and click OK. 4. As we have to process EDI 940 document we need to add its schema 5. Right click the project and add existing schema from C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft BizTalk Server 2013\XSD_Schema\EDI 6. Now create another schema which you wanted to send to the destination client. 7. Now add some child elements into the schema as shown below 8. Now add a map to provide mapping between the 940 schema file to our custom created schema file. 9. Once this is added, we can see screen like this 10. Now click on the Open Source schema and select 940 schema document 11. Now click on the Open destination schema and select client specific one we recently created 12. For demo only, I am mapping ST01 with OrderNo and ST02 with CompanyCode 1. Save the project and build it. 2. Before deploying sign the assembly from project properties signing tab 3. Go to the deployment tab and select Restart host Instances to True and specify the Application Name 4. Rebuild and deploy the solution, you will see the application added under the Applications 5. Go to the BizTalk administrative console and you can see the application added in the Applications tab 6. Now create a receive port where you will submit the EDI 940 text file. Right click the Receive Ports and click add New -> One way receive port 7. In order to process EDI document we have add a reference to BizTalk EDI Application 8. Right click the application and click properties 9. Go to the references tab 10. Add application reference as BizTalk EDI Application 11. Click on the Receive Locations and add new receive location by hitting the New button 12. Specify Receive location name as RecieveLocation 13. Select Type as File as we will be putting the EDI txt file on particular folder 14. Click configure to select the path and other attributes 15. Specify the receive folder and select file mask as *.txt 16. I have specified C:\demo\in as folder path where I will put EDI txt files 17. Now add a send port where the file after processing by BizTalk will be send. 18. In the SendPort window select TYPE as file and configure the path where the document will be placed after processing from BizTalk. I have selected file extension as .xml as I will be sending the custom formatter xml on the folder. 19. Select send pipeline as XMLTransmit 20. Add Outbound Maps and select the map you have created above. 21. Specify Filter to process only those messages that have specific attributes. 22. Here I will select BTS.RecievePortName = “RecievePort” 23. Click Ok Running Solution Now when you place the EDI text file at C:\Demo\In folder it will be picked, transformed into client specific xml format and placed it into the C:\Demo\out folder by BizTalk Server. Output file format looks like below <?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”utf-8″?><ns0:DemoData xmlns:ns0=”http://DemoPrj.clientspecific”><OrderNo>94A</OrderNo><CompanyCode>0001</CompanyCode></ns0:DemoData> Hope this helps to those who are new to BizTalk and EDI implementations.
Our Story From Sihanoukville to sydney Driven by a desire to make a difference Ozeano is more than just eyewear, it's a global family bound by a love for experiencing the natural world and a deep passion for protecting it. We started out as two travellers left horrified by the sight of a heavily littered beach in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, and our desire to make a difference led to the forming of an environmentally-friendly eyewear brand headquartered on the east coast of Sydney, Australia. Our core objective is to encourage people to see the natural world, whilst ensuring we help to protect its future. We seek to achieve that with our unwavering commitment to provide the highest natural quality eyewear, with the lowest environmental impact. Over 80% of the Western population wear sunglasses, yet traditional plastic frames take upwards of 450 years to decompose. That's hundreds of millions of virgin plastic sunglasses that are discarded in to our ecosystem and contributing to the pollution problem our planet is facing. We're here to offer an alternative. All Ozeano sunglasses are inspired by (and named after) the beauty of the natural world and are designed and ethically handmade in Australia using a 100% biodegradable plant-based bio-acetate. All accessories are either 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton or FSC-certified Portuguese cork, and all our products are PETA-approved vegan. Our shipping is carbon-neutral, and courier packaging is 100% biodegradable. With every sale, we fund the removal of 12kg of marine litter from our oceans and waterways (equivalent to over 900 plastic bottles). We're a proud gold-standard member of the '1% for the planet' organisation, and our circular economy offering means you can return sunglasses at any time to receive 25% off your next purchase, ensuring our products never go to waste. That's where we are today. We don't claim to be perfect, and are constantly evolving in pursuit of finding better ways in everything that we do. Ozeano's ability to make a difference is only made possible by your support, and for that, no words could possibly portray our gratitude to you. Thank you for visiting, and we look forward to welcoming you to the family! Ozeano ~ Experience nature, protect its future. Mark & Nicola Ozeano Founders Mark, Ozeano FounderNicola, Ozeano Founder From the very beginning We're just two people who share a love for exploring and enjoying the natural beauty of our planet. We formed Ozeano (pronounced "o-ze-a-no" and a Basque Spanish word for ‘Ocean’) out of a desire to make a difference. As young backpackers, we first had that desire in 2012 when walking along Serendipity beach in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, and being left horrified by the amount of plastic pollution and litter that had been washed ashore on this otherwise magical part of the world. Our experience triggered a feeling of deep sadness, and an obligation to do something about it. From that point on we started to dig deeper in to the problem, and the more we learned, the bigger and scarier it became. We soon realised that our oceans, beaches and precious planet as a whole was literally drowning in plastic waste at an alarming rate. We knew we had to do something, we just didn't really know what, or how. Ocean litter Why eyewear? Having spent a few years researching the issue and contemplating how to help, the Ozeano concept was first formed one Saturday afternoon on Freshwater beach in Sydney, Australia. Whilst aimlessly people watching and noticing everyone's plastic sunglasses, the curious mind thought; "sunnies must create a lot of plastic pollution", and after some investigation, it was soon confirmed that they absolutely do! Estimates suggest over 80% of the Western population wear sunglasses, which means hundreds of millions of plastic sunglasses are bought, worn for a while, then thrown away. The issue is, when they're thrown away, plastic sunglasses take upwards of 450 years to decompose. That got us thinking, if we could inform people about the issue, and offer an eco-friendly alternative to virgin plastic sunglasses, maybe we could be the ones to make a difference for the hundreds of millions of people across the world who are actively contributing to the problem, without necessarily realising it? Research in to the eyewear industry was eye-opening, to say the least. When trying to establish whether any of the major brands were offering eco-friendly options, to our surprise, we found that most of the eyewear industry is dominated by just one company. Eyewear brands such as Armani, Brooks Brothers, Burberry, Chanel, Coach, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana, Michael Kors, Oakley, Oliver Peoples, Persol, Polo Ralph Lauren, Ray-Ban, Tiffany, Valentino, Vogue and Versace are either owned. or licensed, by the same company. As well as owning or licensing all those eyewear brands and more, businesses such as LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sears Optical, Sunglass Hut and Target Optical are also run by the same company. Once we realised this, it all started to make sense. No wonder none of the major brands were trying to do things differently and offer eco-friendly options. We knew there had to be a better way. So that's why we started Ozeano; to offer an environmentally friendly alternative and drive a much-needed positive impact in the eyewear industry. Enter Ozeano Ozeano Vision And so Ozeano was born. We set a mission to provide the highest quality eyewear, with the lowest environmental impact. Our first foray into the eyewear industry was developing frames made from 100% recycled plastic using an injection-moulding manufacturing system. We loved them, and our first 5 large-scale production runs sold out, but the truth is recycled plastic still creates a lot of waste in the recycling and manufacturing process, and it's still putting plastic back into the environment. Injection-moulding also makes it difficult to achieve the attention to detail and unique quality we demand. So, in a constant drive to find a better way and reduce the environmental impact, we changed everything (except the mission). Today, all Ozeano frames are made from innovative 100% biodegradable plant-based bio-acetate. Our frames are designed in Sydney, inspired by the beauty of our natural world, and ethically handmade just a few hours drive up the coast in the last remaining artisanal handmade eyewear facility in Australia. We use GOTS-certified 100% organic cotton for our pouches, and FSC-Certified Portuguese cork for our protective cases. We employ a carbon-neutral shipping provider and use 100% biodegradable courier packaging, Our mission remains the same to this day, yet our products will likely continually change, as we keep searching for better ways in everything that we do. optimise for impact, always The original motivation behind Ozeano was a desire to help solve the ocean and beach pollution problem, dating back to that day on the beach full of trash in Sihanoukville. When forming the company, we agreed on a principle to optimise for impact, always. That means we should never settle, and always be of the mindset that we have to do more to protect our planet. We knew selling environmentally friendly sunglasses alone wasn't enough, we had to increase our impact. That's why we partner with Australian company, the Seabin Project, to fund the removal of 12kg of plastic and marine litter (equivalent to over 900 plastic bottles) from our oceans and waterways with every sale of Ozeano sunglasses. Ozeano is a proud member of the '1% for the planet' organisation, meaning we contribute at least one percent of our annual sales each year to supporting environmental causes. Ozeano is also awaiting its B Corporation certification. Certified B Corporations, or B-Corps, are social enterprises verified by B Lab, a nonprofit organisation. Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Lab is currently performing a holistic assessment of our organisation, with the certification expected to be awarded in Q4 2020. Read more about our impact here
Why are my angelfish’s eyes cloudy? In this post, we will answer the question “Why are mu angelfish’s eyes cloudy?”. We will also discuss if it is possible to cure cloudy eyes in angelfish. Why are my angelfish’s eyes cloudy? Your angelfish’s eyes may have become cloudy due to the reasons below: • Genetics; • Physical injury; • Infection; • Cataracts • Poor water quality. If you can pinpoint the source of your fish’s foggy eyes, you may take steps to eradicate the problem and restore the fish’s health to its aquarium. Check to see whether your fish’s eyes are hazy and that this is not usual for their specific species before releasing them. There are a few fish species that have naturally murky or milky eyes, and these are called milky eyes. For example, the hazy eyes of goldfish are not a problem because they are a natural feature of their structure. The eyes of pufferfish and rabbitfish are naturally white because of the gloss on their skin. For cloudy eyes to be considered natural, the white sheen should be present in both eyes and should have been there since the eyes were first hatching out. Physical injury After you have eliminated all natural causes of the hazy eye, you should assess the severity of the clouded eye. Having a milky sheen in only one eye indicates that your fish has had physical damage, such as a scrape or bump on the eyelid. As long as there is no bacterial infection in the eye, this sort of damage will normally heal on its own in a few days. Because the cloudiness will just be present on the surface of the cornea and not include the pupil, you may also observe a more superficial milky sheen in your fish’s eye in this case. If this is the situation with your fish, you should try to identify what caused the physical damage to begin with. If it’s something you can easily remedy, such as a sharp angle in your aquarium’s decor, don’t hesitate to remove it from the tank. Apart from collisions with objects, eye injuries can also occur as a result of fights with other fish. Injury of this kind will heal on its own if the fish is generally healthy and well-fed, which is the case in most cases. When an aggressive species is present in the tank, you should consider removing it if the problem continues. If your fish’s eyes have a milky shine to them, however, there is a good possibility that it was not caused by physical damage. In this circumstance, it’s advisable to investigate whether there are any other causes for the hazy eyes. A weakened immune system can result in hazy eyes, which can be caused by an infection in particular. Bacteria is the most prevalent source of illness, and it is frequently caused by a lack of tank care. It is simple to avoid infections, whether they are caused by bacteria or parasites, by performing frequent tank cleanings. In addition, you should make certain that no hazardous germs or parasites enter your tank from outside. Remember to quarantine new fish before introducing them to a community tank to ensure that they are not sick or harbouring disease before introducing them. Cleaning everything that goes into your aquarium, including the décor, plants, and equipment, thoroughly is another effective approach to guarantee that you aren’t bringing hazardous organisms into your tank. A cataract is a condition in which the lens of the eye declines, leading it to become opaque. Cataracts are caused by a variety of eye conditions, including inadequate diet, infection, and genetics. Cataracts are also a normal part of the ageing process in fish. When fish reach an advanced age, they are more likely than people to have impaired vision and eventually cataracts, which makes it harder for them to travel and feed. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to reverse the damage done to your fish’s eyes in this situation. In contrast to the procedures that may be performed on people, there are just a few therapies accessible for aquatic animals. This is one of the most prevalent eye disorders in fish, and it is something that you have little control over. The best course of action is to maintain high-quality water conditions while avoiding the introduction of further pollutants. Cataracts can also be caused by parasites such as flukes, which enter the eye and cause damage from the inside. Symptoms of eye flukes in fish include an enlarging of the eye and milky patches in the inner iris. For the time being, there is no recognised treatment for ocular flukes. Once an infection has taken hold, there is little that can be done to stop it. Eye flukes are a kind of parasite that can cause blindness and are often found in the wild. Poor water quality Your fish’s disease may be less severe if they are not displaying any symptoms other than hazy eyes. If this is the case, their illness may be mild enough that they do not require medicine. If your fish’s hazy eye symptom has only recently appeared, your fish is likely suffering from this ailment as a result of a foggy fish tank. Cloudy eyes in fish are frequently caused by poor water quality, either directly or indirectly, and are most typically caused by a weaker immune system. As a result, it’s a regular occurrence in newly constructed tanks. Because poor water quality can be caused by a variety of factors, there are a few precautions you should take to reduce the symptoms of foggy eyes and red eyes. The eyeball of a fish has a structure that is comparable to that of a human. The outer layer of the eye is known as the cornea, and it serves to protect the interior structure of the eye from injury. The iris is located beneath the cornea and is responsible for adjusting the amount of light that enters the eyes. The lens, which is located behind the iris, bends the light that enters the eyes, allowing for improved perception. The lenses of a fish’s eyes are spherical, in contrast to the lenses in human eyes. This indicates that their eyesight is quite sharp in the centre, but becomes increasingly blurry as they approach the edges. The retina, which is located behind the lens and is responsible for processing light, is followed by the optic nerve, which is responsible for transmitting the processed information to the brain. When a fish’s eye is injured, cloudiness can appear in either the outer eye (containing the cornea) or the inner eye (consisting of the iris and pupil) (consisting of the rest of the eye structure). Is cloudy eye harmful? The appearance of a white coating on fish eyes should not be seen as a reason for alarm, and a hazy eye is not a medical condition in and of itself. Rather, it is a sign of something else. In other cases, it might be an indication that something more severe is going on in your tank and that you should take steps to prevent the problem from getting worse. Can you treat and cure cloudy eyes in angelfish? Fortunately, if the underlying cause of the cloudy eye has been identified and eradicated, the condition will usually resolve on its own. A simple cleaning of your tank, as well as the administration of medication to your fish, may swiftly remedy diseases and illnesses caused by poor water conditions or parasites. Treatment will be determined by the origin of the water condition as well as the kind of ailment. However, it is conceivable that the damage to your fish’s eyes has been done so badly that it will be impossible to rectify the situation. In this situation, the most important thing to do is to avoid more harm while still keeping your fish comfortable. If you respond promptly, you may be able to avoid further damage to your eyes as well as harm to the eyes of other fish. You may be able to heal your fish’s hazy eyes if you can identify the underlying problem in the early stages. In this post, we answered the question “Why are mu angelfish’s eyes cloudy?”. We also discussed if it is possible to cure cloudy eyes in angelfish. If you have any thoughts or doubts, feel free to drop us a comment below! Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Why are my angelfish’s eyes cloudy? What is the best way to treat Popeye in angelfish? To get rid of the illness, feed the fish a broad-spectrum antibiotic meal that has been prescribed by your pet supplier or veterinarian. If more than one fish is ill, it may be essential to treat the main tank with antibiotics as well, depending on the severity of the infection. Is pop-eye in a fish a thing of the past? It may take several weeks or months for the swelling to subside, and damage to the fish’s cornea may take even longer to cure than the edema. Even if the swelling subsides, serious damage to the fish’s eye may remain for a long time after it has occurred. Is Melafix effective in treating pop-eye? Infections caused by bacteria, such as fin and tail rot, eye cloud, pop eye, body slime and mouth fungus, can be treated with API MELAFIX cure fish. What is the source of my angelfish’s crimson eyes? The presence of a red eye in any angelfish indicates that it is fully mature and in good health. Not all kinds are susceptible to developing red eyes. What is causing my fish to swim sideways? It is the most often seen form of swim bladder illness, especially in goldfish, and manifests itself as positive buoyancy disorder, in which the fish floats at the surface or on its side. The most likely reason is an overinflation of the swim bladder. bladder. Overinflation usually takes place in the posterior chamber. What Causes Cloudy Eyes In Aquarium Fish? https://be.chewy.com/what-causes-cloudy-eyes-in-aquarium-fish/ Fish Cloudy Eyes. https://cafishvet.com/fish-health-disease/fish-cloudy-eyes/ Angel Fish With A Cloudy Eye. https://www.fishforums.net/threads/angel-fish-with-a-cloudy-eye.347147/
Skip to main content PSC accredited companies are sustainably-led and measured businesses that drive positive impact for pets, people and the planet. These companies are meeting consumer demand for actionable and transparent business practices, which are verified during the PSC accreditation process. PSC Accreditation is in addition to a PSC Membership since it requires the applicant to complete a third-party assessment, submit documentation for its answers, and meet a minimum scoring requirement. When a pet company becomes accredited, it gains access to additional earned media and marketing support. See Who Achieved the PSC Accreditation
Tradeoff Breaking as a Model of Evolutionary Transitions in Individuality and Limits of the Fitness-Decoupling Metaphor Evolutionary transitions in individuality (ETIs) involve the formation of Darwinian collectives from Darwinian particles. The transition from cells to multicellular life is a prime example. During an ETI, collectives become units of selection in their own right. However, the underlying processes are poorly understood. One observation used to identify the completion of an ETI is an increase in collective-level performance accompanied by a decrease in particle-level performance, for example measured by growth rate. This seemingly counterintuitive dynamic has been referred to as fitness decoupling and has been used to interpret both models and experimental data. Extending and unifying results from the literature, we show that fitness of particles and collectives can never decouple because calculations of fitness performed over appropriate and equivalent time intervals are necessarily the same provided the population reaches a stable collective size distribution. By way of solution, we draw attention to the value of mechanistic approaches that emphasise traits, and tradeoffs among traits, as opposed to fitness. This trait-based approach is sufficient to capture dynamics that underpin evolutionary transitions. In addition, drawing upon both experimental and theoretical studies, we show that while early stages of transitions might often involve tradeoffs among particle traits, later - and critical - stages are likely to involve the rupture of such tradeoffs. Thus, when observed in the context of ETIs, tradeoff-breaking events stand as a useful marker of these transitions. ELife, 11, e73715 Pierrick Bourrat Pierrick Bourrat Senior Lecturer & DECRA Fellow My research interests include the various concepts deployed in evolutionary theory, causation, and the interplay between biological and cultural evolution.
Eps 1588: Keep Learning, Keep Growing The too lazy to register an account podcast Host image: StyleGAN neural net Content creation: GPT-2, transformers, CTRL Dylan Stephens Dylan Stephens Podcast Content Here are top learning quotes to give you motivation to continue learning and growing, because learning never stops. The right learning quotes can feed your voracious appetite for knowledge. You are never too old to learn, nor are you ever too old to extend the scope of the topic that you learned years ago. The world keeps moving on, and that means that there is always more to learn, even on subjects that you have already perfected. In todays rapidly moving world, if you are not constantly learning, you are not standing still, you are falling behind. The best way to keep up, to stay effective as a leader, is to continue learning. In our hectic world, people are engaging with learning in new and different ways. Training & Organizational Development has developed many new training materials that can help you learn in new ways, on your own terms. You can find various apps which would be an excellent resource for learning easy skills. There are tons of apps out there that will help you learn languages or boost your math skills. You have a lot going for you, and the right tools can help move in the direction of your goals. If you want to achieve your goals, you need to master the skills that get you there. Having a team who can work from home but also remain productive, upbeat, and meet expectations is something that will lead to success. Adopting a growth mindset will enable us to learn and grow through challenging times. You can generally learn from and grow as leaders through interactions with others. As you grow older, look for individuals that are growing up and learning, and share their lives with them. Whether it is networking groups for women, or meetings where you learn more about the latest tech in your field, you can find ways to grow and communicate more with other leaders just like you. Read books, listen to podcasts, and learn from others regularly. It is important to meet new people, discover new places, do new things, learn new skills, whenever you can. Even if you are out of school, this time of year usually signals a shift, an opportunity to learn something new, build skills, and work toward a new goal. Just because school is over does not mean that you have learned everything and you can stop learning now. Read anything and everything, as much as often as you can, and you will learn a lot. It is also a lot easier to learn more about a topic that you are already interested in. You might want to start learning about something totally new you do not know anything about. No matter how clever you believe you are, there is always more to learn. Whatever it is that is beggared from inside of that brain of yours, know that pace in life is the key to staying curious about learning at all times. Once you exhaust your mind creatively, your inner self will beg you to learn something new. On days that I do not feel like I have learned anything, I turn to the little book that I wrote called Live, Learn, and Pass it On. I have a thirst for knowledge, and I try to slake that thirst by learning. I think that in this changing world, the greatest compliment you can pay an individual is to say they are students of something, constantly striving to learn and grow. All of the individuals that I know that are committed to learning for a lifetime share a few characteristics. They really want to learn, and they find learning to be engaging, fun, and challenging. People talk about mentality, persistence, passion, etc., but oftentimes, we neglect the power of learning. Lifelong learning is one of those keys to success that people seldom talk about. Start your lifelong learning journey by focusing on your strengths and working on improving each and every day. Learning while you are going gives you real-world experience and helps you build expertise more quickly. Remember, learning can come in a variety of forms, like reading, watching, networking, etc. Let us take a look at some of the main ways leaders can make learning a part of their routine. Renewable learning is essential for individuals of all ages. As a leader, a manager, or an employee, it can be tempting to feel like you have learned everything there is to know; but learning and growth are not only reserved for the epochs of college careers. What makes leadership a rich experience is the continual growing and learning as you lead the company and work with others. You are going to solve problems, you are going to grow, you are going to help others - that makes learning one of the most important things you can do as a leader. We all learn best differently, and depending on your lifestyle and goals, some methods might be a better fit than others. I learned that if you want to be promoted, you need to do things that make you noticed. I have learned that if you wait until everything is perfect before acting, you will never act. As you embark on your life of learning, be sure to keep curiosity alive. Often, simply finding someone whose way of living their life fascinates you will help you grow in ways you did not expect. These are the people willing to leave behind their old ways of doing things in order to create new ways to get things done in the future. In this webinar, managers/leaders will discover ways to use components of emotional intelligence to effectively lead in these trying times. In this session, we will explore what each style of behavior believes is stressful, what cues we each provide when stressed, and flexible tips for helping one another lower their stress levels to improve collaboration and performance during These trying times, and beyond. The Continuing Growing At UF podcast features UF T&OD-produced training presented as an audio format, so that you can listen and learn whenever it is convenient. You can use the freed-up time to read and learn something entirely new, all the while keeping up with your favorite shows late each week.
Can you wash golf shoes? Can you wash golf shoes? Cleaning your golf shoes is about as difficult as washing the dishes after dinner. In other words, not very. According to FootJoy, you should clean leather or synthetic golf shoes after each round by removing dirt and residue using a shoe cleaner or mild soap and water, then air dry at room temperature. Can I machine wash golf shoes? Use a bit of laundry detergent on particularly stubborn stains. Protect the shoes by placing them in a washing bag before setting the machine on a gentle or delicate cycle. Can you wash golf shoes with spikes? After your round, you can already begin to remove excess mud accumulated by your shoes. But before completely washing your golf shoes, you should also do it again and take off the remaining dirt. Normally, it gets stuck at the spikes of your shoes. Use a scrubbing cloth or a wire brush to clean the spikes. Can I wash my shoes in the washing machine? Generally, it is safe to wash canvas shoes and athletic shoes made of nylon, cotton or polyester in your washing machine. You want to make sure you drop your shoes in a mesh bag before you drop them into the wash cycle. It is also important to use a good laundry detergent to ensure thorough cleaning of your shoes. Can you wash golf shoes? – Similar Questions Is the golf stream an eastern boundary currents? The Gulf Stream is a powerful western boundary current in the North Atlantic Ocean that strongly influences the climate of the East Coast of the United States and many Western European countries. Is golf aerobic or anaerobic exercise? Anaerobic training is the type in which a person works hard and is out of breath afterwards. An example of this training is rigorous weight lifting or sprinting. The casual golfer will most likely use aerobic training. This is type of training includes walking, jogging and using a cardio machine at a gym. Are golf carts street legal in alabama? A: It is illegal in Alabama to operate a golf cart or any other motorized vehicle lacking proper safety features on public roadways. Can i golf after vasectomy? You won’t be able to engage in physically strenuous activities (walking & standing all day or carrying more than 10-15 kg) for 1 week after your procedure. If you play non-contact sport (golf, tennis, swimming, etc.) you will have to take 2 weeks off before returning to it. What is a bunker in golf terms? A bunker is a depression near the green or fairway that is usually filled with sand. It is difficult to hit the ball out of the bunker and to enter it is therefore considered punitive to a golfer who misses the target with the previous shot. How many spectators at masters golf tournament? There are roughly 40,000 to 50,000 patrons per day on average during a normal Masters tournament, according to Golf Digest, but speculation is that the number will be cut to approximately 12,000 per day this weekend. What to wear as spectator at golf tournament? Believe it or not, there is also a dress code for golf spectators. Female spectators tend to wear comfortable flat or tennis sneakers, shorts or skorts, a sundress, or a wide edge hat. Some things to avoid at all costs are graphic tees, tube tops or strapless garments, Spandex, jeans, heels, or flip flops. How much can you make golfing? The average player on the PGA Tour in the 2021 season earned nearly $1.5 million for his work, according to PGA Tour stats. Jon Rahm won $7,705,933 in prize money for the 2021 season.. The average player on the PGA Tour in the 2021 season earned a tidy $1,485,055 for his work, according to PGA Tour stats. What to wear to glow in the dark mini golf? The chances clothes will glow will increase with the brightness of the neon color. Leather and dark-colored clothes must be avoided as they don’t pick up the black light. The best colors to wear are fluorescent green, pink, orange, and yellow. Who won the golf tournament in phoenix today? Scottie Scheffler rolled in a 26-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Ariz., and won his first title on the PGA Tour after Patrick Cantlay missed his chance to extend. How does olympic qualifying work golf? How does golf work in the Olympics? Both men’s and women’s golf tournaments are 72-hole individual stroke play events taking place over four rounds. Unlike PGA events, there will be no halfway eliminations or cuts, so all 60 players will play the full four rounds. Do golf carts need license plates in virginia? No person shall be required to obtain the registration certificate, license plates, or decals for or pay any registration fee for any golf cart or utility vehicle that either (i) is not operated on or over any public highway in the Commonwealth or (ii) is operated on or over a public highway as authorized by Article … Do golf clubs come with bags? Any golfer’s bag usually will include these clubs, but it is up to the individual golfer to determine the various combinations. Some golf manufacturers make complete golf sets, all-inclusive boxed sets that contain a driver, a combination of woods/hybrids/irons, a wedge or two, and a putter. When did tiger return to golf? 2012: Back to form and winning again. His 2012 season started at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on the European Tour in late January. For the first two days of play Tiger was grouped with Rory McIlroy and world No. 1 Luke Donald. Which arm controls the golf swing? Third, Hall said golfers must have their lead arm and hand in control of their swing. That’s the left arm for right-handed golfers and the right arm for lefties. By leading, you avoid hitting at the ball. Who designed riviera golf course? The Riviera was designed by golf course architects George C. Thomas Jr. and William P. Bell, it has been the primary host for the Genesis Invitational (originally the Los Angeles Open), an annual event on the PGA Tour in February. How does rating affect golf score? Every set of tees on every course will have a Slope Rating and those numbers will vary between 55 and 155. The higher the Slope Rating, the greater the difference expected between the scores of those scratch and bogey golfers. A higher rating doesn’t necessarily mean that the course is more difficult than another. How many knuckes in golf grip? A strong grip is where you can see 3-4 knuckles on your left hand, with your right almost under the club. Vice versa, a weak grip is where just one knuckle can be seen on your left hand and two or more knuckles can be seen on your right hand. What do ladies wear playing golf? Most women golfers prefer wearing slacks when playing in the season of early spring or fall. On a bit hotter days, shorter slacks like the crops, shorts or capris are a very good option. Some other popular choices worth considering are golf dresses, skorts and shorter pants (of knee length or longer). What is pub golf game? Pub golf or bar golf is a recreational drinking game involving a selection of either nine or eighteen pubs (Public House/Bar), creating a “course” to be played by two or more people. It is essentially a pub crawl made into a game. Unlike the actual game of golf, pub golf involves no ball or fairway. How to stop leaning forward in golf swing? Malaska recommends keeping your arms and hands relaxed during the swing. He says this makes it easier to start the downswing with the lower body. As a result, you will find it easier to keep your upper body behind the ball coming down. Leave a Comment Your email address will not be published.
Is it legal to live in an rv in texas? Is it legal to live in an rv in texas? Yes, it’s perfectly legal to live in your RV in Texas. You just need to register the vehicle in Texas and have your driver’s license be from Texas. Most RVers will choose one state to claim as their primary residence. Can I live in an RV on my property in Texas? Most cities and counties have zoning ordinances that prohibit RVs and campers as permanent residences when they are parked in the owner’s yard. Texas law allows cities and counties to adopt and implement zoning regulations. What address do you use if you live in an RV? You need a permanent address for all that legal stuff like driver’s license, banking accounts, vehicle registration, passport, insurance, credit cards, filing your taxes and all those other things that require an actual address be attached. Is it legal to live in an rv in texas? – Similar Questions Can you screw into rv walls? How much rv antifreeze to winterize camper? Do rv generators have a bonded neutral? How wide are typical rv doors? The average RV entrance door is 26 inches wide and 70 inches tall. That said, larger RVs have larger doors, while smaller campers have smaller entryways. What’s more, your RV has several different doors. The dimensions of your RV’s access door will be different than those of your front door. Can butyl tape be used on all rv windows? What Size Butyl Tape Should I Use for RV Windows? A 5/16″ to 3/8″ thick butyl sealant tape will suffice for most RV window applications. Can you use toilet bowl cleaner on a rv toilet? The general consensus, based on recommendations from most RV toilet manufacturers, is that you should avoid the use of harsh or abrasive cleaners. That’s because they want to be sure these products don’t damage the bowl, the toilet’s blade valve and seal, and/or the black water tank. Do rv refrigerators have ice makers? Some RV refrigerators have ice makers built into the freezer. Both Norcold and Dometic manufacture models with ice makers. You will need water and electricity to run these. Additionally, some RVs come equipped with residential refrigerators that often have ice makers. Is rv piping resistant to freezing? In general, the temperature has to dip below freezing (32 F) for approximately 24 hours for RV pipes to freeze. This is all dependent on many factors such as if you have an enclosed underbelly, heated underbelly, heat tape, insulation, or other preventative measures in place. What is a rv dog bone? A dog bone adapter allows you to hook any RV up to a power source with different amps. For example, many large RVs come with a 50-amp electric service. The plug for this type of RV has four prongs, making it impossible to plug the RV into any outlet that is not 50-amps. What is mobile rv repair services? Mobile RV repair services are convenient and, in some instances, can be less expensive than it would be to tow your RV to the shop. As opposed to taking your RV into a shop and leaving it there for a few days, your RV will be repaired right then and there. How to get antifreeze taste out of rv? After flushing your water system for several minutes, your water should taste clean and fresh, but if it still has a residual antifreeze taste, you can add baking soda to help remove this unpleasant flavor. Simply sprinkle baking soda directly into each drain or dissolve it in water and pour it down the drains. How much is a small rv to rent? Why are camping world stores being renamed to gander rv? Since the beginning of 2018, Camping World has opened 50 outdoor gear stores rebranded as Gander Outdoors. The company plans to “aggressively pursue opportunistic acquisitions and new store development” to boost market share through a national expansion, CEO Marcus Lemonis said in a statement. Can you drive beartooth highway in 27 rv? Yes people drive the Beartooth Hwy with RV’s. But you need to be a skilled RV driver and know the layout of the road- there are a lot of switchbacks. Can you paint over wallpaper in a rv? Most RV interior walls are constructed from luan plywood sheets with a wallpaper texture adhered to them, which you don’t want to remove, but can paint over. How to align rv slide out rails? Remove cotter pin from idler drive shaft. Push the idler drive shaft toward opposite rail to disengage the gear from the gear rack. Push the idler drive shaft back into position, engaging the gear onto the gear rack. Reinstall cotter pin into idler drive shaft. What is the longest rv allowed in state parks? What’s the maximum RV size for state and national parks? The maximum recommended size RV for national parks is 29 feet with this number holding true for most state parks as well. The reason for this is that many state and national parks will not allow campers that are longer than 30 feet. How to keep mice out of rv in storage? Keep in mind a mouse can fit through a hole the size of a dime. Spray foam is a great way to fill in these holes – especially on the underbelly of your RV and in storage compartments. Clear out any loose papers, fabric and cloth – anything a mouse might use as a cozy nesting place. Should you empty the fresh water tank on rv? Do rv sitres have 15 or 30 amp shore power? Understanding RV shore power is essential to properly manage your electrical usage in camp. Motorhomes, depending on size, may be capable of using a 30-amp or a 50-amp service maximum. With adaptors, all will operate on a 15/20 amp, albeit a minimum service. How much propane does a small rv fridge use? RV Propane Refrigerator. The Dometic RV fridge with 8 cubic feet of internal space is rated at 1500 BTUs (British thermal units) per hour. One gallon of propane has 91,502 BTUs. So essentially you could run your fridge for roughly 61 hours off 1 gallon of propane. Leave a Comment Your email address will not be published.
Polprog's papers mirror Contact polprog at Esper/DALnet/Libera for info Back to homepage Icon Name Last modified Size Description [PARENTDIR] Parent Directory - [DIR] progpc/ 2019-12-20 22:47 - [TXT] HD44780.c 2007-03-25 11:16 5.6K [ ] Makefile 2019-04-10 23:29 444 [TXT] HD44780.h 2019-04-10 23:30 3.2K [ ] HD44780.o 2019-04-10 23:30 1.7K [TXT] main.c 2019-04-11 13:25 3.0K [ ] main.hex 2019-04-11 13:25 2.0K [ ] main.o 2019-04-11 13:25 2.3K [TXT] readme.txt 2019-10-03 00:10 4.8K [ ] 485slave.tar.gz 2019-10-03 00:14 11K ____ \|- ATmega8L \|--[103]-- /\|\ \ / /\ '\|\|\|'''''''''''' [_] 680 \|\/o /__\ ___ ___ ___ ___ .-- \| \| '-o-+--/_ / /__ /__/ /__/ /__------.----.---' \| \| 120 '------'-/ \ __/ / /__/ ___\--.--+-.--+---. \|_\| //\| o__\| \| \| '---\| o--. .---'/ o \ / o/\\| [ ] 680 .\|-\| / \/ /__\ _\|_ \| -\|-' MAX485 [+x] ~plpg RS485 example code for AVR and Linux/NetBSD http://polprog.net/ #avrs on Freenode IRC network Released on the terms of the 3-clause BSD license. Hardware demo as seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB3f8T9BxUs 1. Directory tree 2. Short intro to RS485 3. Useful functions 4. Notes on software 5. Notes on hardware 6. Links 1. Directory tree 485slave/ - root directory for the project \|- 485slave.tar.gz - this whole directory as a tar.gz file \|- hd44780.{c,h} - HD44780 library for AVR by Radosław Kwiecień [1]- http://radzio.dxp.pl \|- main.c - AVR slave program \|- main.hex - ihex file for atmega8 \|- Makefile - AVR program Makefile '- progpc/ - root directory for the PC programs \|- linux.c - Sources for the smple transmitter program (send lines from stdin to display) \|- zegarek.c - Display current time on the slave LCD \|- util.{c,h} - Various serial port related utilities, as seen in [2] \|- Makefile - simple makefile for the PC programs (targets: linux, zegarek; default linux) '- .txt - test txt files. strzalki.txt displays a cool animation. 2. Short intro to RS485 RS485 is a half-duplex, differential, multi-drop serial bus that is the basis of many popular systems and protocols including Modbus RTU (used for cotrolling industrial automation systems) and DMX512 (stage lighting control). It can carry data over long ranges (up to 1200 m at 10MBaud) and support up to 32 receivers. Typically, a bus topology is used. RS485 only defines the electrical specification of the bus, that is voltages, timing, typical impedances, and termination resistors. It does not specify any addressing, packets, or checksums - that is specified by higher level protocols. 3. Useful functions Disclaimer: not all of these are perfect. Many may overflow when mistreated. This code was written to in major part demonstrate the ideas and teach the basics. There is a uart_print(volatile uint8_t ) function that is very reudimentary, but that's what contains the logic for sending strings over 485 (switch to TX, send, switch to RX) on the wire. It expects a null terminated string. Demonstrates the basic 485 transceiver operation. This file contains an xxd(char ) function that hexdumps a null terminated string. I've written many a those functions, this one is very simple - you can easily improve it for longer payloads by doing the following things: 1) change it so that it takes a len argument (for dumpbing binary strings with zeros in them) 2) then chenge the loop code to make it more xxd(1) style (print offsets and break the line every 16 bytes): if(i % 16 == 0) printf("\n%04x: " + i); printf("%02x ", d[i]); This file is full of useful string-oriented functions for interfacing with the serial port int open_port(char devname) - open a serial port (wrapper) bool write_chars(int fd, char data) char read_line(int fd, char buf) - write and read a string to the port set_rts, clr_rts, set_cts, clr_cts - modem lines control (ioctl wrappers) 4. Notes on software The AVR program is pretty much the result of the Linux-AVR serial tutorial [2] with the init code modified and some 485 logic added (mostly in the uart_print function). It implements an interrupt based state machine for listening and uses the UART peripheral along with a GPIO pin to control the 485 transceiver. The pin number can be changed in the main.c file (it's a macro). LCD GPIO assignments may be changed in the hd44780.h header file. The firmare checks the address assigned by the dip switches, and stores it for display. It's not used when receiving packets. Modifying the ISR is one of, and the easiest way, to implement this. 5. Notes on hardware As mentioned before, the RS485 transceiver is switched between Tx and Rx mode by a GPIO pin. The HD44780 display is being run in 4-bit mode. 6. Links http://polprog.net - my blog http://avrs.fi - AVR programming related links 1 - http://radzio.dxp.pl/hd44780/ HD44780 library by Radosław Kwiecień 2 - https://polprog.net/blog/serial/ Linux-AVR serial communication tutorial
Press "Enter" to skip to content Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon? Answer Expert Verified Answer: B. Explanation: You don’t place a semicolon before coordinating conjunctions like “and”, “but” or “so.” Sentences A and D would be correct without the semicolon, and in sentence C, we should replace it with a comma (which is also an acceptable solution in sentences A and D). What is the use of a semicolon? A semicolon is most commonly used to link (in a single sentence) two independent clauses that are closely related in thought. When a semicolon is used to join two or more ideas (parts) in a sentence, those ideas are then given equal position or rank. How do you use a colon and semicolon in a list? How do you make a list in a paragraph? Series. If you are including a simple, relatively short list of three to five items within a paragraph —also known as a series—the proper formatting is to: (a) precede the list with a comma, (b) label each item with a lowercase letter enclosed in parentheses, and (c) separate each item with commas or semicolons. How do you quote a list in an essay? In the paragraph text before the list, introduce the source with a signal phrase, using verbs such as “stated” or “declared.” Then include a citation after the last list item. If the list ends with a period, place your citation after that period. How do you list a direct quote in APA? According to the APA Style Blog (linked below), you treat a direct quote that is a list as a block quote. A block quote is indented “. 5 with no quotation marks. The parenthetical citation is at the end of the last sentence, after the punctuation. Can MLA format have bullet points? Bullets in written text are used to draw the reader’s attention to a list found either inside of a paragraph or standing alone. Write the citation at the end of each line when the bulleted items are each a separate sentence. … How do you list something in MLA format? One way to write a list in MLA format is to keep it within your sentence. Use a colon to introduce it. If the items in your list include commas, use semicolons instead of commas to separate them.
Most Common Crimes in California during Covid-19 Most Common Crimes in California during Covid-19 Most Common Crimes in California during Covid-19 Most Common Crimes in California during Covid-19 When the government first started to shut things down, many of us tensed, positive that the changes would trigger a surge in crime. That didn’t happen. During the first few months of the pandemic, crime rates dropped. It’s difficult to track down just how much crime rates decreased during the early months of the pandemic. The main metric used to determine the crime rate in most areas is the number of 911 calls dispatchers receive. From March 16 through April 22, 2020, nearly every major city reported that 911 calls had decreased. In Chicago, 911 calls decreased by an impressive 25%. In California, there was a noticeable decrease in jail bookings. Why did the crime rate decrease? Many suspect that the big issue is that most of the crimes that didn’t happen involved peer groups who got into trouble together. There are two working theories as to why the police weren’t getting called out to investigate these types of crimes. The first is that the gangs were actually adhering to social distancing suggestions. The second is that the people who normally noticed the crimes and reported them simply weren’t out and about. There are always exceptions to the rules and in the case of crime decreasing during the COVID-19 pandemic, San Jose was an exception. Not only did San Jose’s crime rate increase, but the crimes that were committed were also violent. For example, in 2019 San Jose had a total of 34 homicides. That number climbed to 44 in 2020. Experts are confident that when the numbers are tallied, San Jose commercial property crimes will have increased by a minimum of 4%. Other California police departments have noticed that the crime rates are starting to increase. They’ve noticed a particular increase in violent crimes. According to the Los Angeles police department, the most common crimes in California during COVID-19 are: ✦ Car thefts increased by 25% during the pandemic ✦ Homicides increased by 36% during the pandemic According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the most noticeable dips were in the reporting of child abuse and domestic violence. Authorities say instances of abuse didn’t go down, but the overall reporting of abuse for the year is down about 10%.
Hoping to expand its Luxembourg offer in the alternative assets space, Jersey-based fund services provider Ocorian has acquired Allegro S.à r.l, a Luxembourg-based third-party management company and fund administrator. According to the press release by Ocorian, Allegro “is fully licenced to provide ManCo and fund administration services to AIF, RAIF, non-AIF and UCITS funds”. It is said to have assets worth 8.7 billion euro under its management “primarily in underlying investment strategies with a PE/RE focus”. Judging by the LinkedIn page and web site team picture of Allegro, the company sports 10–15 employees. Ocorian emphasises the value of Allegro’s multiple licenses, not least in alternative assets. “Together Ocorian and Allegro can offer a one-stop-shop for fund groups so they can maximise the benefit of centralising their administration to create economies of scale,” it writes. Ocorian is a broad fund services actor, present in a large number of fund-centre jurisdictions across the world. The firm’s LinkedIn page puts it in the span of 1001–5000 employees, of whom some 970 are connected by their own LinkedIn profiles. Handshake 2020. (Image by Niek Verlaan / Pixabay)
Get our free mobile app Palm Sunday will be celebrated Sunday March 28th across the nation in many various religious groups and churches across the globe. The holiday normally kicks off the start to the traditional Holy Week which concludes with Easter Sunday. As a child I would wonder why we would have palm branches and bring them to church and wave them in the sanctuary. Well, I am an adult now, and now I know what the holiday is and why we celebrate. Some 2,000 years ago, traditionally known as Palm Sunday, the long-anticipated Messiah approached the city of Jerusalem with the disciples. The crowd shouted with joy and welcomed Jesus as their king as He rode on a donkey (Mark 11:1–11). The people waved palm branches and laid them at his feet as he rode through and the people shouted "Hosanna". However, Jesus’ emotional reaction was the opposite of that of the crowd and His disciples. He cried for the city (Luke 19:41), knowing that Jerusalem did not recognize the king of Kings (vv. 41–44; Matthew 23:37–38). The temple was no longer fulfilling its function of drawing people close to God, leading Jesus to cleanse it the following day (Mark 11:15–19), and subsequently to predict its destruction (13:1–2). The temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. Palm Sunday, also called Passion Sunday, in Christianity is the first day of Holy Week and the Sunday before Easter. Many Christians wear red or purple to celebrate the day. In my experience, Palm Sunday is the first day that leads to the ultimate death of Jesus Christ. We wave palm branches but what do they represent? The palm branch represents goodness and victory and was symbolic of the final victory Jesus would soon fulfill over death and he gave us the VICTORY! Celebrate this Holy Week and start by celebrating Jesus entry into your life and know that you have the VICTORY by waving your palm branch. Sunrises from Around the World Sunrises from Around the World More From Praise 93.3
February 23, 2015 Would Americans travel to Cuba for health care? Daily Briefing As the United States moves to ease travel restrictions to Cuba, observers say there may be new opportunities for medical tourism—even if it does not strictly conform with the new regulations, William Neuman reports for the New York Times. High-quality care in Cuba Cuba invested heavily in health care after its revolution in 1959, and has gained a reputation for providing high-quality, inexpensive care. In fact, Cuba often "exports" its health care expertise to other developing countries in return for currency or commodities such as oil. Now, with the Obama administration moving to relax travel and trade restrictions to the country, some see an opportunity for expanded medical tourism from the United States. Anuja Agrawal, CEO of Health Flights Solutions, a Florida-based medical tourism company, says there are many reasons why Cuba is an appealing medical-tourism destination. "They've got extremely good health care," she says. Agrawal adds that the country's close proximity to the United States is also appealing. As to how Cuban providers feel about the prospect of an influx of American patients: "They're looking at it literally like winning the lottery," she says. How D.C. hopes to become a medical tourism destination Wink and a nod Under the new travel rules, medical tourism from the United States to Cuba is still not allowed. A Treasury Department spokesperson said exceptions could be made on a case-by-case basis, but travelers looking to skirt the rules could be audited to make sure they are in compliance with law. Observers note that even under the old rules people often traveled to Cuba under false pretenses. And Agrawal argues that even if medical tourism is not legal yet, she expects it will be soon. "I always think it's going to get looser and looser," she says of the regulations. Jonathan Edelheit, CEO of the Florida-based Medical Tourism Association (MTA), agrees. "You're going to see a tremendous amount of movement, whether it's' travel agents or medical tourism facilitators, so once it does normalize, they can start sending patients over there," he says. Currently, the most popular destinations for American medical tourism are Canada, the United Kingdom, Israel, Singapore, and Costa Rica. And according to MTA, Americans most often travel for spinal procedures, cosmetic surgery, and cancer treatment. Location, location? Most adults would consider medical tourism However, the Cuban health system is not without its challenges. Although Cuban citizens receive free care, prescriptions are paid for out-of-pocket, and many medicines are not available. Moreover, many facilities may not have up-to-date equipment. And doctors in the country recently received a monthly salary increase to $67, up from $26. Gail Reed, an American editor of a medical journal in Havana, hopes that new revenue from medical tourism is reinvested in the country's health system. "Any injection of real, new sources of funding into the health system would be a boon to Cuba and Cubans," she says (Neuman, New York Times, 2/17). The takeaway: Eased travel restrictions could make Cuba an appealing medical tourism destination for Americans, but such travel is not yet legal without special authorization. More from today's Daily Briefing 1. Current ArticleWould Americans travel to Cuba for health care? Have a Question?
Select Page DORMA Automatic Sensor Glass Sliding Door- ES200 DORMA Automatic Sensor Glass Sliding Door- ES200 Easy in the attractive Dorma design stands for simple automation of sliding door units in all areas of application. DORMA Automatic Sensor Glass Sliding Door- ES200 is the innovative drive system for door units, is of modular construction with world-wide tried and trusted electronics and new mechanics comprising only a few components. The prefabricated mini drive unit is also impressive; DORMA Automatic Sensor Glass Sliding Door- ES200 is tested industrially with all the necessary electrical and electronic components. ES 200 Automatic Sliding Door Operator DORMA Automatic Sensor Glass Sliding Door- ES200 is a modular sliding door operator available in various track heights. It is ideal for small to medium-sized automatic sliding doors. It can be programmed directly at the control unit or via a handheld terminal. DORMA Automatic Sensor Glass Sliding Door- ES200also has a battery backup system that monitors the battery charge and switches the unit on when needed. The completely redesigned sliding door operator DORMA Automatic Sensor Glass Sliding Door- ES200 has a microprocessor that automatically controls the speed at which the door opens and closes. This allows the user to open and close the door very quickly without having to use their hands to hold the door open or closed for an extended period of time. The microprocessor also ensures that the door is completely and evenly shut each and every time it is used. DORMA Automatic Sensor Glass Sliding Door- ES200 is available in three different models, each with a different type of door to accommodate different applications. These models are: * Model ES 200 for sliding glass patio doors * Model ES 400 for sectional sliding glass doors A modular design means that the ES 200 can be tailored to your specific requirements. The standardized mechanical components and the replaceable track rail can be combined with different operators (consisting of drive and control unit, motor, and power supply unit) to create an operator set that meets your needs. Fields of application The Efco ES 200 Emergency Escape System is a unique system that provides a safe means of egress from buildings in an emergency. It’s an ideal solution for high-traffic public buildings, such as hospitals, schools, universities, and shopping centers. The system can also be installed in private buildings to provide an effective escape route in case of fire. The system is designed to comply with legislation to ensure disabled access and is suitable for use on emergency escape routes. Can I make my sliding door automatic? If you have a sliding patio door, you can use Autoslide with your existing door. It’s easy to install, it requires no modifications to your existing door and it works with all types of doors including: wood, fiberglass, vinyl and steel. What is an automatic glass sliding door? An automatic glass sliding door is a door that has a motorized mechanism attached to it. These doors can be opened and closed automatically based on the movement of a person or object, or even automatically by sensing the presence of a person nearby. They are commonly found in large homes, commercial buildings, and other places where security is a concern. They come in two styles – manually controlled and automatic. You can also find them in combination with a security system, or even with an automated gate. What is automatic door system? An automatic door system (also called an “auto-opener”) is an electronic device that automatically opens your garage door or any other type of door for you when it detects your vehicle approaching. It senses when your car is within a certain range, and then sends a signal to the door to open up. These are especially helpful when you are getting ready to leave in the morning and don’t want to struggle with opening the garage door manually. They can also be helpful if you are going on vacation or any other time when you don’t need to open the door yourself. How do automatic sliding doors open? They use a radio frequency (RF) signal sent out by a transmitter device located near the door. The door then has a small antenna built into it, which picks up this signal and opens the door. Some doors have an RF receiver device located near the door opening, which sends a signal to close the door if it detects an unexpected RF signal. How do automatic swing doors work? An automatic door is a mechanical device that opens or closes a hinged door, without human intervention. They are usually activated by a motion sensor or a push button. They can be used to reduce the need for a human operator, and also to provide access to areas that are not accessible to people. Do automatic doors use magnets? No, magnets are not used in automatic doors. They are more often used to open and close windows, garage doors, and gates. In fact, most modern automatic doors don’t even have any moving parts. There are no reviews yet. Be the first to review “DORMA Automatic Sensor Glass Sliding Door- ES200”
SEARCH en hu ro Our News . Hollywood Gossip, New Projects, First Looks. in Trailers / 19.02.2019 Hilary Duff in the first trailer for The Haunting of Sharon Tate The Haunting of Sharon Tate reimagines the last days of Sharon Tate’s life before being tragically cut down at the age of 26 by Charles Manson’s family of followers. Sharon has just moved into the house where she and director Roman Polanski would start their family as Sharon is eight months pregnant with their first child. Sharon’s friends keep her company until Roman returns from Europe. What should be an enjoyable time turns sinister when a series of strange events occur - a creepy man named Charlie comes around looking for the previous owner of the house, strange hippie-girls pass the house as if stalking it, the family dog goes missing… The movie is directed by Daniel Farrands and stars Hilary Duff, Jonathan Bennett, Lydia Hearst. Prorom has the rights for this movie in: Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Moldova.
Saturday, September 22, 2012 Conversion of Rockaway firehouse in limbo From the Daily News: They are hoping to be reimbursed with promised grants. Anonymous said... Now if they wanted to put in a 30 story building the entire machinery of the city would be placed at their disposal. Anonymous said... Bloomberg is probably stalling tem because he thinks the old firehouse would be a llovely place for a new mosque. Anonymous said... If they wanted to get HPD in the mix like they did at the Averne by the Sea & other condos, this would be hurried through. Cos everybody can scam when HPD is involved. Beach 59th Street? what a lousy gangbanger location.
Pharmacy Assistant resume examples A modern resume example for a Pharmacy Assistant position. Based on the best resume writing practices. Use this example as an inspiration approved by recruiters Rated 4.5/5 out of 67 reviews This resume is created in 7 minutes. Rated 4.5/5 out of 67 reviews This resume is created in 7 minutes. Rated 4.5/5 out of 67 reviews This resume is created in 7 minutes. Average Pharmacy Assistant Salary / year Avg. Base Salary (USD) k $ k $ k $ k $ k $ / hour Avg. Base Hourly Rate (USD) What is the Pay by Experience Level for Pharmacy Assistant? Try our resume builder today! Tips for building a strong Pharmacy Assistant resume. Every person who hopes to acquire a Pharmacy Assistant job position understands that the correct curriculum vitae may do roughly 50 percent of the job. For it to be accurate, we persuade you to read our recommendations, which we diligently collected to aid you to refrain from common errors. Concentrate on your capabilities and expertise in Pharmacy - these things are highly crucial in preparing a CV. Common Key Skills and Action Verbs for Pharmacy Assistant The more fundamental abilities and action words you add to the resume, the greater are the probability that a recruiting agent will spot your application. As you're applying to a Pharmacy Assistant job in the Pharmacy, try including related key terms into your personal CV: hipaa regulations, labeling prescriptions, or updating computer database. Key Skills & Proficiencies Laboratory Practices Laboratory Operations Stocking Shelves Reading Comprehension Cash Register Operation Patient Care Customer Billing Drug Storage Action Verbs Drug Formulation and Compounding Display Set-Up Drug Delivery Mechanisms Processing Orders HIPAA Compliance Cash register operations Insurance Knowledge Pharmacy Assistant CV Phrases To Use It is now found that introducing specific terms and terminology to your CV will help you acquire the job as a Pharmacy Assistant faster and easier. We've identified what key phrases you might need to take into account in your personal resume to reinforce your success in case you want to attain a job of Pharmacy Assistant: reading comprehension, drug formulation and compounding, insurance knowledge. Phrases To Use Greeted customers and responded to questions in friendly and knowledgeable way. Established and maintained patient profiles, updating organizational database with current information. Answered telephones and provided information about order status, store hours and pharmacy procedures. Verified order information against computer database. Monitored inventory levels to inform pharmacists of shortages and facilitate resupply. Provided administrative support including, filing, copying and faxing. Met with customers and answered questions in friendly and knowledgeable way. Helped pharmacy staff prepare medications and fill orders. Prepared medication labels with item name and quantity. Performed clerical functions, including filing, copying and faxing. Arranged retail products in pharmacy area according to merchandising planograms and end cap placement needs. Updated and submitted documentation for insurance, store and liability purposes. Best Pharmacy Assistant Resume Objective Examples Each of the Pharmacy Assistant job candidates are advised to consider the importance of an intention statement. The following assertion is more preferable set at the beginning of your resume to be able to engage the most recognition of a recruiting professional to your desire. Right after that, it is advisable to go on to reveal all of the related abilities and competence most valuable in the Pharmacy you selected. Alert Pharmacy Assistant with [Number] years of experience in carrying out day-to-day activities in active pharmacy settings. Knowledgeable and capable in managing pharmacy inventory, providing prescription medications, following regulations and protocols and providing customer service. Consistent in prioritizing safety by disposing of outdated medications properly and reporting any issues or unsafe situations. Detail-oriented Pharmacy Clerk with [Number] years of experience in pharmacy settings. Highly skilled in dispersing and packaging prescriptions accurately and quickly. Proven history of providing exceptional customer service to drive client retention. Hardworking Pharmacy Assistant knowledgeable about insurance procedures and compliance. Experience in daily inventory stocking, controlled drug inventory maintenance and inventory security. Expert user of [Brand] pharmacy software. Ambitious student pursuing [Area of study] degree eager to contribute developed knowledge in Pharmacy Assistant role. Skilled in Drug Formulation and Compounding and Drug Formulation and Compounding in [Type] settings. Adaptable and driven with strong work ethic and ability to thrive in team-based or individually motivated settings. Hardworking and reliable Pharmacy Assistant with strong ability in [Task] and [Task]. Offering Display Set-Up, Display Set-Up and Display Set-Up. Highly organized, proactive and punctual with team-oriented mentality. Build Your Resume! Create My Resume How To Use Resume Examples To Create A Job-winning Resume • What are Resume Examples? • How do I create my own resume with Resume Examples? • How do Professional Resume Examples work? • Why do we suggest using Resume Examples? • Can I edit Resume Examples according to my needs? Let's get right into the details! What are Resume Samples? Read on! How do I create my own resume with Resume Examples? • Include your resume objective or summary, following the pattern • Mention your education using the structure in the example How do Professional Resume Examples work? Why do we suggest using Resume Examples? Here's why we recommend you use them: • Makes writing a top-notch resume Easier • Most of them are written by resume experts • Helps you to avoid the mistakes most job seekers make • Saves you time Makes Writing a Top-notch Resume Easier Here's what you can do to make things better: Most of them are written by resume experts Helps you to avoid the mistakes that most job seekers make Saves you time • Ensure they are industry-related resume Can I edit Resume Examples according to my needs? Final Words We wish you success in your job hunting.
Penalty Kick Sport Game Penalty Kick Sport Game is an exciting soccer game in which you have to score a goal when performing penalty. Aim and kick exactly to get the highest score! When you watch soccer matches on TV, you often see penalties after each mistake of the opposing team. Now, you can experience the feeling of a professional player when performing penalties. Your mission is to aim, kick and score. The gameplay is so simple. However, be careful because there is always a goalkeeper who will prevent you from gaining a score. You will lose if the goalkeeper gets three balls. Besides that, the game's speed is gradually increased to make it more difficult. It requires your fast reflexes and reaction. Let's demonstrate your soccer prowess to the rest of the world! Features of Penalty Kick Sport Game • Exciting soccer game • Simple gameplay • Singleplayer How to play • On mobile: Touch on screen. • On PC: Use mouse.
What Is Coaching? What is life coaching? All world-class athletes—no matter the sport—have one thing in common: they have a coach. If you want to excel, if you want to be world-class, if you want to achieve more than you think you are capable of—you need a coach. And, if you are not getting what you want in life, if your life is gray and dusty, full of frustrations and upsets, stresses and failures—you need a coach. It’s fairly clear what, say, a baseball coach coaches, but what does a life coach coach? Let’s give “life coach” some context. Ever since humans became humans, we have had life coaches. We just called them by different names—like mom and dad, elder, shaman or religious leader, philosopher, or anyone wise in the ways of living life. These were the good folks who schooled you in life as you grew into adulthood to become, in turn, coaches to the next generation. What is life coaching? A life coach coaches in the ways of living life—how to live it well and to your design. You might think this is odd, what do you need to know about living your life? You’d be surprised. To live the brief span of years we’ve been given well, is probably the most difficult task we have before us. Far more difficult than flying jets or writing great plays. It’s made more difficult because our training in living life is pretty haphazard: if you were lucky enough to be born to good parents in a culture that nurtures and embraces you, you might have all you need. If you were not so lucky, navigating life could be difficult. But in either case—whether well or ineptly schooled in life—if you’d like to live your one life well, if you’d like to achieve more, love more, revel in life more, a coach can help. How? Let me break coaching down into three areas: Skills, behaviors, and ways of thinking. Do you ever mess up and, when you apologized (I’m sorry you feel that way), you just stepped into it deeper? Or tried to tell someone you didn’t like what they were doing (Oh, it’s alright) and they kept doing it? Or got angry because someone isn’t meeting your expectations (Why does he insist on pissing me off)? What would it be like if you could be straight, clear, and effective in all your dealings with others? There are powerful ways to apologize, to communicate difficult things, and ways to manage expectations. Ways that bring people along with you—instead of pushing them away. These are just a few examples of life skills—there are many more. Mastering them will make life easier and more stress-free. Each of us has a suite of behaviors that we use to get us through life. Some behaviors might work well for us—being gracious, for example; some might not—being easily angered; some work well in some situations but get us in trouble in others. Behaviors are the tools with which we engage life; they are what we use to make life work for us. The more we have and the more effectively we use them the more likely we are to have a richer and more engaged life. Because we are all limited in some ways, there are behaviors that we don’t have that, if we added them to our repertoire, could come in handy in situations we don’t do well in now. Being assertive, for example, or staying calm when others are losing it, being attentive to details, empathetic, curious, or knowing when to stay quiet and listen. This second area of coaching is about expanding your range, about developing new behaviors, and developing the ability to choose the appropriate behavior for a given situation. Ways of thinking At a very early age, we form a way of looking at ourselves and the world around us. We generally mistake the way we understand the world for reality—for how the world really is—when, in fact, your understanding of the world is an interpretation of reality. It is easy to see this today when our political and cultural environment is so polarized. People on the left and people on the right are equally convinced of the truth of their points of view. Mistaking our interpretation of reality for reality happens just as commonly in our day-to-day lives. How we see the world (the technical term is “structural interpretation”) determines how we act and engage it. It also largely determines the results that we get in life. If we see others as untrustworthy and out to get us, we will behave differently than if we see others as trusting and helpful. Similarly, if we see ourselves as, say, not “loveable”; or “better than others”—we will behave differently than if we see ourselves as “loveable” or “one of the boys/gals.” Many of my clients are very high-performing professionals whose work ethic is stunning. They work hard and produce extraordinary results. However, they are often not having much fun; they are stressed, they ignore other important parts of their lives, and they are burned out. It doesn’t take much digging to discover that they—at the very core of their beings—don’t believe they are good enough. The only way they know how to fight that feeling is to work all the time. The irony, or the tragedy, is that no amount of work will satiate that story. If they never learn to change their interpretation of themselves, no matter what they accomplish in life, they will never see themselves as good enough. The third area of coaching then, is to sniff out those structural interpretations that don’t work for you and shift them to interpretations that do. All together In truth, we can’t tease these three aspects of coaching out separately; they are each connected to the other. You can have a doctorate in the techniques (skill) of apologizing, for example, but if you’re unable to be vulnerable (behavior) or you’re walking around with a belief (way of thinking) that you are better than others, you won’t be uttering many effective apologies. What’s impossible What is impossible for you? What is something that you could never do? Give a talk to hundreds? Make cold calls? Double your business? Write a novel? Never get angry again? Truly love another person? The list of possible impossibilities is endless. Doing the impossible becomes possible when you master the skills, develop the appropriate behaviors, and replace self-sabotaging ways of thinking with more effective and powerful ways. Case study: A young woman came to me stressed and desperately bored at her job. But, as she saw it, she had no way out—she couldn’t leave her job (she was the sole breadwinner for her family) and there was no other position available to her where she worked. She was stuck. A year later she’d created a new job for herself that was unique in the company, built a team, and asked for and received a 20% raise. Such an outcome had not only been impossible for her to produce when she started coaching, it was utterly inconceivable. This is the gift of a good coach—clearing out your limiting ways of thinking, developing new and powerful behaviors, and providing the necessary skills to do what you don’t—today—believe yourself capable of. Get started now What difference would it make to you if you could make that impossible dream happen? Let’s find out—get in touch with me today.
How To Tell When ATV Shocks Are Bad Shocks aren’t as noticeable as a tire being flat, or the starter motor not working yet it’s very important to have your ATV shocks in good condition. Because of that, it’s important to be able to identify when your ATV shocks are bad. Here’s a summary of the warning signs that indicate they are bad and should be looked at. When you notice the nose dive when braking, the body tilting sideways in one or both directions as you turn, the ride feels more harsh and bumpy than normal, the rear sags when you accelerate, you have less traction than normal are all signs your ATV shocks are bad. Shocks, and the springs they connect to, get worse slowly over time. Because of this fact, you can be unaware of an issue with your shocks because it developed so slowly. With that said if you take note of each of these signs then notice next time you ride your ATV for any of these symptoms you will be able to identify if there’s an issue. Quad III shocks Multiple Symptoms Indicate Your ATV Shocks or Springs Are Bad It’s possible that your ATV will only have one sign that the shocks or springs are bad but it can show multiple. The symptoms are: • Nose diving when braking • Body tilting (side to side) • The ride feels harsh – bumpier than before • When you accelerate the rear sags • The rear axle bottoms out when you go over a bump • Swerve – you need to turn harder than normal when turning Before explaining what to look for, for each of these symptoms, it’s important to first understand that the shocks are attached to the top of the springs. The springs of ATVs are the big metal coil you can typically see. The springs can be adjusted so they are tighter or looser. The springs can be loose or tight and simply need to be adjusted. In the owner’s manual of ATVs, it lists the exact specifications for the tightness and height of the springs. To understand this better here’s a really good video that shows the anatomy of ATV shocks and springs so you know how to see if the springs simply need adjusting. Note: It goes into a bit of jargon and seems a bit complicated but simply put there’s a large screw that you wind up or down to adjust the spring height. Nose diving when braking – front shocks/springs are bad The weight of the ATV moves forward when you brake due to the tires being positioned at the bottom of an ATV. There will be a minor amount of nose-diving if you brake hard at high speeds but if it seems to have gotten worse. And/or it’s more noticeable, then it indicates that the front shocks or springs are bad. Body tilt – the body leans to one side when you corner As you corner the body of your ATV it will dip to the far side. For example, if you turn right the body will lean to the left. And if you’re turning left it will lean to the right. This is due to the weight of the ATV not being kept up with the shocks or springs. Instead of holding the body rigid the shocks or springs give too much. The ride is bumpier and not as smooth and comfortable This one can be difficult to detect because it occurs gradually over time. However, the shocks/springs can be broken or have come loose suddenly. In this case, it will be much more noticeable. When you accelerate the rear becomes lower Accelerating on shocks that aren’t performing correctly or the springs have come loose causes the rear of the ATV to dip low, and the front to come up slightly. This causes a loss of traction in the front wheels which is undesirable. And leads steering is not as responsive. It’s pretty easy to notice this one especially when it occurs when you accelerate slowly. It can help to watch videos of people riding your ATV model to see what amount of rear sag is normal. Motocross ATV The read axle bottoms out when you go over a bump If you encounter speed bumps, or a similar type of road condition in off-roading, a sign the shocks or springs need replacing or adjusting is if the rear bottoms out. The rear wheels come much closer to the wheel hub than looks or feels normal. Swerve – you need to turn harder than normal when turning As an ATV or other vehicle with 4 wheels corners the shocks/springs on the far side will keep the body perfectly flat. This is another way to tell if the ATV is experiencing body tilt but is easier to identify if you’re riding your ATV. If the shocks are not performing correctly as you corner the ATV will dip to the side and put additional pressure on the far side wheels. Making it more difficult to turn. You will need to turn sharper than you needed to when you first got it. The reason is the force of the weight of the ATV is concentrated more on the outside tires. Rather than being spread evenly between all four tires. In the owner’s manual of popular ATVs like the Polaris Sportsman, it’s recommended to inspect the shocks every time before you ride. Any signs of leakages around the shocks indicate an issue. Also, it’s best practice to clear away any twigs, leaves, or anything else stuck in the shocks. They also recommend to thoroughly inspecting and adjusting them every 50 hours of riding, after 6 months, or after 500 miles or 800 km, whichever comes first. The owner’s manual doesn’t list any specific checks to do, in my opinion, you should have them checked over by a mechanic as part of the service. Another part of an ATV that will eventually experience issues is the clutch. In another article, I explained how to know when an ATV clutch is bad and when it needs to be serviced or replaced. Closeup of ATV chassis suspension How Do You Stiffen ATV Shocks? When riding your ATV you can feel like the shocks are a bit bouncy and you would be more comfortable if the shocks didn’t have so much give in them. Here’s how to adjust the ATV shocks so they’re stiffer. Adjust the height of the spring so that it’s shorter to stiffen ATV shocks. This is done by adjusting what is called the preload. Every ATV has a stock spring height virtually always listed in the owner’s manual. From the stock spring height make the spring shorter by adjusting it to your liking. One issue when the spring is shorter is you can get more rebound. This is because the spring is under more tension. When you go over bumps it will bounce back more which can be a bit uncomfortable. It’s also not possible to adjust the spring height on some ATVs. In the owner’s manual see if they provide any guidelines about how much you can adjust the spring height from the stock height. And if in doubt contact your ATV manufacturer to enquire about whether it’s OK to do on your specific make and model. How Can I Make My ATV Suspension Softer? The suspension on an ATV can be a bit stiff. Softening the suspension makes it more comfortable. So here’s how to make the suspension on an ATV softer. The height of the spring can be increased. This will cause the spring to be under less tension and make the suspension softer. The owner’s manual will list the recommended spring height. Start with that and increase it a small amount at a time until it’s to your liking. It’s important to only adjust it as much as it needs, as the springs are designed to provide proper suspension within a height range. If you’re unsure or would rather have a professional do it, then contact the nearest dealer for your ATV. Or, your nearest motorcycle/ATV mechanic to have them adjust it for you. I’m Rob, the owner of RX Riders Place. My family and I have a long history of riding dirt bikes and ATVs and want to share what we have learned. Recent Posts
GO BACK TO MENU Tag: creative pursuit October 9, 2021 ˝ Reclaiming well-being ˝ mental health talks; creative pursuit with Gaelle Jolly (8/10) On my journey of reclaiming well-being creativity played a major roll. One of the women who unknwoingly held their light on that path is Gaelle Jollly, whose reflecions on how creativity helped her r...
Biting Bugs in Florida: What Do You Need To Know! In Florida, there are bugs that can bite you. As if the heat and humidity weren’t enough to worry about while living in Florida, now there are bugs that can bite you, too. In fact, there are a variety of bugs in Florida that can potentially deliver a painful bite. While most of these bugs are generally not considered dangerous, they can still be quite annoying. This article will discuss the Biting bugs in Florida, its unique geographical situation and its danger to humans, these led to many cases where their population flourished. What are biting bugs? Biting bugs are insects that feed on other insects. There are numerous different kinds of biting bugs, and each one is known for having a different bite. Some of the most severe biting bugs in Florida include mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks. The Types of Biting Bugs in Florida Biting bugs are a common nuisance in Florida, especially during the summertime. While there are many different types of biting bugs in Florida, Some of the most common biting bugs include: Biting Bugs in Florida Mosquitoes are by far the most ubiquitous and troublesome bug in Florida. They can carry a variety of diseases, such as the West Nile virus, malaria, and dengue fever. In addition to their potential to transmit disease, mosquitoes are also a major nuisance. They can bite through clothing, and their bites are extremely itchy. There are quite a few things you can do to reduce your exposure to mosquitoes. First, make sure that you use repellent when you go outside. DEET repellents are by far the most effective method of preventing mosquito bites. You can also wear long pants and sleeves if you’re going to be in an area where there are a lot of mosquitoes. Finally, make sure that you eliminate any sources of standing water near your home, as this is where mosquitoes breed. Biting Bugs in Florida As the temperature rises, residents and visitors of Florida are warned of an increase in the population of biting bugs in Florida. Ticks are among the most common of these pests and can pose a serious health risk if left untreated. Ticks are small parasites that come into contact with animals or humans in order to feed on their blood. They can be found anywhere there is tall grass or shrubs and can be difficult to spot until they have begun to feed. Some symptoms of a tick bite include fever, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. If left untreated, tick bites can lead to serious illnesses such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and encephalitis. Biting Bugs in Florida There are many biting bugs in Florida, but the two most common types of ants are fire ants and carpenter ants. Fire ants are small red ants that sting and bite. They’re found in any part of Florida, but they are more common in the southern part of the state. Carpenter ants are black ants that are large and able to sting and bite. They are found mostly in the northern part of Florida. Ants are among the most common types of biting bugs in Florida and can be found in both rural and urban areas. They are known for their painful bites, which can cause welts and swelling. In Florida, ants are most active during the summer months. Biting Bugs in Florida Scorpions are not especially common in Florida, but they can be dangerous if you encounter them. If you are bitten by a scorpion, do not attempt to catch or kill the scorpion. Scorpion stings are incredibly painful and even deadly. Instead, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Scorpions can be found in most areas of Florida, but they are most commonly found in the tropics. Scorpions are generally shy and will avoid humans, but they can become agitated if they feel threatened. If you see a scorpion in your yard, keep your distance and do not try to capture or kill it. Biting Bugs in Florida Chiggers are tiny, red mites that can cause serious irritation. They live in the soil and can attach themselves to your skin when you walk through tall grass, brush, or other areas where they lay their eggs. Chiggers can also be picked up when you touch something that has been bitten by a chigger. When you get chigger bites, they will feel like itchy bumps and may be swollen. Biting Bugs in Florida Fleas are small, brownish insects that subsist off of the warm blood of various animal species. They are most commonly found on dogs and cats, but they can also bite humans. Flea bites can cause itching and skin irritation. They can transmit certain diseases, such as typhus and plague. Fleas are most active in the summer months, so it is important to take precautions against them during this time. Fleas are parasitic insects that can cause skin problems and hair loss. Fleas can be a major annoyance for humans, but they can also cause serious skin problems and hair loss. Fleas are parasites that subsist on the blood of their hosts, which means they can cause a wide range of health problems. If you’re experiencing any of these signs and symptoms, it’s important to get checked out by a doctor. Biting Bugs in Florida Bed Bugs are small, reddish-brown bugs that live in mattresses and other areas where people sleep. They can bite people and spread diseases, so it’s important to know how to get rid of them. Here are four tips for getting rid of bedbugs: 1. Get a bedbug extermination kit. This includes everything you need to identify and treat the bugs, such as heat, insecticide, and a vacuum cleaner. 2. Seal all cracks and crevices in the bedroom where the bugs may be hiding. 3. Clean surfaces that the bugs may be hiding on, such as nightstands and dressers. 4. Vacuum frequently and use a DEET-based mosquito repellent if you’re going outside. Sand Flies: Biting Bugs in Florida Sandflies are a common problem in Florida. They are tiny, fast-flying insects that can cause intense pain if they bite you. Sandflies are attracted to body heat, so avoid being out in the sun or wearing loose clothing. If you do get bitten, remove any dried blood with a cotton ball and apply an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen. These tiny insects can deliver a painful bite that often becomes infected. They are particularly common near beaches and other coastal areas. Biting Bugs in Florida In Florida, there are many different types of spiders. The most common spiders in Florida are the brown recluse and the black widow. Both of these spiders can bite humans, but only the brown recluse is known to cause serious injury. The black widow is more likely to Venomous spider bites in Florida typically result from a spider that has been disturbed while it is hunting for food. These bites may cause pain, swelling, tingling, and redness and can lead to fever and vomiting. Venomous spider bites in Florida are rare but should be taken seriously if they occur. Biting Bugs in Florida There are many different types of biting bugs in Florida that can make your summer vacation less than enjoyable. The most common of these is the black and yellow striped ladybug, which can be found in both rural and urban areas. These bugs are attracted to light, so they often congregate around porch lights and other sources of illumination. Although they may not look particularly dangerous, these bugs can give a nasty bite. Their saliva is irritating and can cause anaphylactic shock in some people. If you are bitten by a black and yellow striped ladybug, it’s important to thoroughly clean the wound and call for medical aid if necessary. American Dog Tick: Biting Bugs in Florida Summertime in Florida usually means lots of outdoor activities. But, beware of the bugs that can bite you! The American dog tick is a blood-sucking parasite that can be found throughout Florida. These ticks are a source of a number of serious diseases, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, and Lyme disease. They are active from spring through fall and can be found in wooded areas, grassy fields, and along trails. While they are most commonly found in the southeastern United States, they can also be found in other parts of the country. They are also commonly found on dogs, so make sure to check your pet for ticks after taking them for a walk. If, in case, you detect a tick on yourself or your pet, don’t panic! Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight up. Wash the area with soap and water. Brown recluse spider: Biting Bugs in Florida The brown recluse spider is a deadly spider that is frequently located in dark, secluded areas such as closets, garages, and sheds. These spiders are known for their characteristic violin-shaped marking on their heads. Although their bites are rarely fatal, they can cause severe pain, swelling, and tissue damage. The Brown recluse spider is one of the most dangerous. They can cause serious health problems. The brown recluse spider has a venomous bite that can lead to skin ulcers and tissue death. While not all brown recluse bites are deadly, it is best to avoid these spiders if possible. Tips for Preventing from Biting Bugs in Florida Bites from bugs can cause a variety of injuries, including skin infections, allergic reactions, and even death. In Florida, there are a number of bugs that can bite, including mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas. While most bug bites are harmless, it is important to take steps to prevent and treat any injuries that may occur. It’s critical to take preventative measures when it comes to dealing with awoken bugs. There are a few simple things that you can do to help prevent bites from these bugs: • Wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt to cover as much skin as possible. • Apply insect repellent containing DEET to your skin and clothing. • Avoid areas where there are lots of bugs, such as swamps and marshes. • Keep your home and yard free of standing water, which is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. If you do get bitten by a bug, there are a few things you can do to relieve the itch and inflammation. Apply ice packs or cold compresses to the area. While Florida may be known for its hot, humid summers, biting bugs in Florida are also common in the state. To help you deal with these pesky critters, we’ve put together a few tips on how to avoid being bitten and treated should you become infected. Whether it’s using insect repellent or staying dry and covered when outdoors, taking these simple steps can go a long way in preventing bites and stings from turning into serious health problems. What to do if You Get Bitten by a Biting Bug? If you get bitten by a biting bug, the best thing to do is clean the wound with soap and water. If the bite is on the hand or arm, you can apply an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin or Ibuprofen. What to Do if You Find a Biting Bug in Your Home? If you find a biting bug in your home, the first step is to identify it. Biting bugs are small and can be hard to see. They are usually black and yellow, but there is a wide variety of species. The best way to identify a biting bug is by looking at its mouthparts. Biting bugs have two sharp mandibles that they use to pierce the skin. Leave a Comment
Westernport Bay is a beautiful, wise, unsung quiet achiever; gentle beach coves, surf beaches, nature walking trails, unparalleled bird watching, unique coastal scrub and freshwater lakes. Westernport Bay has a natural integrity that is precious and irreplaceable. That is evident in its listing as an internationally recognised, significant Ramsar Wetland site since 1982. It is well known as one of the three most important areas for migratory shorebirds in south-east Australia. The Bay was also declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2002 (one of only nine in Australia). I have been a visitor to many parts of the bay consistently over the past 20 years. To walk, observe, regenerate and to take photographs for my art practice. When I alight on any part of Westernport’s shores, she is instantly recognisable as being a very important and unique natural environment with a great deal to offer. The bay’s wetland areas are so fascinating to me. I particularly love mangroves and am so in awe of their quiet strength in stabilising coastal systems, nutrient cycling and the wildlife habitat they provide. I gain much inspiration from their resilience and subtle complexities. Westernport Bay is an understated beauty, a jewel in Victoria’s crown, a surviving example of other precious environments that are now just a memory…. a memory of ones that heavy industry has smashed down before for short term financial gains. My love is for the mud, marshy swampland that is hard to traverse, tangled roots of mangrove, seagrass meadows and saltmarshes. It doesn’t seem like much is going on there………but underneath the water, inside the mud and marsh, skittering along the shoreline around the mangrove roots and in the scrubby trees is a complex, fragile, incredibly rich diversity of fauna, flora and marine life, the likes of which are not seen anywhere else in the world. It is a bay with extraordinary, ecological values. The wetland flora diversity creates the food chains that sustain marine life and provide food for the 36 species of migratory shorebirds that land there for a sustained time every single year coming from within the Arctic Circle. It provides for thousands of local avian lives every day. It is very quiet there, lapping water a constant companion, major tidal swings always bringing a different view and places to explore. It is a place for meandering, observing, sitting, contemplating, regenerating and somewhere just to be with an unsung hero…nature. As I said, Westernport Bay is a quiet achiever. AGL I believe you are being dishonest with Australians. Claiming that Victoria needs a gas terminal in Westernport Bay for its domestic needs and not owning up to the facts that the huge sell off in 2015 to GLNG and then selling your entire free gas portfolio to the LNG plants as the real reason for the shortfall. That the plant will drive gas prices down is blatantly untrue. The LNG will be imported at raised international prices. AGL, you are a gas company, how could you not have been acutely aware of the decline in Bass Strait and stepped up sooner in moving to renewables? AGL you do not have social approval to go ahead with this project. There is overwhelming community protest. AGL your risk assessments merely contain regurgitated publicly known facts but contain no real, scientific investigations into the specific impacts of the plant on Westernport Bays environment. AGL if you go ahead with your proposed re-gasification plant and the subsequent, inevitable and irreversible major degradation of the fragile ecosystems of Westernport Bay you will be responsible for creating a cultural malaise amongst the millions of local and visiting people who love unique Westernport Bay for what she is, a rare opportunity to experience a sense of wilderness less than 2 hours from Melbourne. My message to our politicians is, ‘How could you even consider agreeing to the senseless pollution and despoiling of such a precious environment and be prepared to lose Victoria’s premier tourism destination worth billions of dollars?’ Personally, I will feel an incredible environmental grief if this Bay is pulled asunder by AGL’s dirty gas plan. Will there never be an end to our desecration of nature?
Anna Chuprkova from Ekaterinburg, Russia a Russian scammer? ScamCheck dating scammer. Is Anna Chuprkova the Russian scammer? Rating:rating Voted:0 russian dating scammer Anna Chuprkova`s photo russian dating scammer Anna Chuprkova`s photo Anna Chuprkova Is she the russian scammer? We known where she lives! Ekaterinburg, Russia No info Anna Chuprkova/Russian Girls Marriage Agency (Ekaterinburg, Russia)I was about to send money to the above agency and girl when I came upon this site. I have checked many times the balck list of girls and have not found Anna Chuprakova until I notice the same city, Etaterinberg, and descriptions of the photos of Alena Fedorovskaya. She is the same girl as Anna Chuprkova whom I have been corresponding with the past 4 months. The scammers are very determined, I counted over 70 letters that they have wrote to me and many appear unscripted. I did become concerned when I noticed the man answering the phone at the agency had exceptionally good English language skills and then noticed phrases in letters that just did not seem to come from a girl with a limited command of the English language. I even spoke 2 or 3 times on the phone to "Anna" and she seemed very sweet. She even sang russian songs to me on the phone. She did seem to speak fairly good English for a relatively poor Russian girl but when asked about a story she told me of an old women in one of her letters she did not seem to understand. That made me wonder. Attached are some other photos she sent me. Anna claims to be 23 years old have a father who is in the police force and works in a video store. Her home address was given as Russia, Ekaterinburg, Gurzuvskaya 15-79. The scam agencys web site is WWW.RG.TELENET.RU and they request email be sent direct to: I even asked the for an American reference and they had someone in the US send me an email reference including a US phone number and return email address. The "American reference" used British phrases that also made me suspicious. Greg Commentary of our visitor(s) Enter (lowercase) code:
Pool Safety Each year, hundreds of young children die and thousands come close to death due to submersion in residential swimming pools. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has estimated that each year, about 300 children under the age of 5 drown in swimming pools. Hospital emergency-room treatment is required for more than 2,000 children under 5 who were submerged in residential pools. The CPSC did an extensive study of swimming pool accidents, both fatal drownings and near-fatal submersions, in California, Arizona and Florida — states in which home swimming pools are very popular and used during much of the year. • Seventy-five percent of the children involved in swimming pool submersion or drowning accidents were between 1 and 3 years old. • Most of the victims were in the presence of one or both parents when the swimming pool accident occurred. • Nearly half of the child victims were last seen in the house before the pool accident occurred. In addition, 23% of the accident victims were last seen on the porch or patio, or in the yard. • This means that 69% of the children who became victims in swimming pool accidents were not expected to be in or at the pool, but were found drowned or submerged in the water. • Sixty-five percent of the accidents occurred in a pool owned by the victim’s immediate family, and 33% of the accidents occurred in pools owned by relatives or friends. • Seventy-seven percent of the swimming pool accident victims had been missing for five minutes or less when they were found in the pool, drowned or submerged. Anyone who has cared for a toddler knows how fast young children can move. Toddlers are inquisitive and impulsive, and lack a realistic sense of danger. The best way to reduce child drownings in residential pools is for pool owners to construct and maintain barriers that prevent young children from gaining access to pools. However, there is no substitute for diligent supervision. Swimming Pool Barriers A safe pool barrier prevents a child from getting over, under or through, and keeps the child from gaining access to the pool except when supervising adults are present. A young child can get over a pool barrier if the barrier is too low, or if the barrier has handholds or footholds for a child to use for climbing. The top of a pool barrier be at least 48 inches above grade, measured on the side of the barrier which faces away from the swimming pool. Eliminating handholds and footholds, and minimizing the size of openings in a barrier’s construction, can prevent inquisitive children from climbing pool barriers. For a chain-link fence, the mesh size should not exceed 1-1/4 inches square, unless slats fastened at the top or bottom of the fence are used to reduce mesh openings to no more than 1-3/4 inches. For a fence made up of diagonal members (lattice work), the maximum opening in the lattice should not exceed 1-3/4 inches. Above-ground pools should also have barriers. The pool structure itself can sometimes serves as a barrier, or a barrier can be mounted on top of the pool structure. Then, there are two possible ways to prevent young children from climbing up into an above-ground pool. The steps or ladder can be designed to be secured, locked or removed to prevent access, or the steps or ladder can be surrounded by a barrier, such as those described above. For any pool barrier, the maximum clearance at the bottom of the barrier should not exceed 4 inches above grade, when the measurement is done on the side of the barrier facing away from the pool. To prevent a young child from getting through a fence or other barrier, all openings should be small enough so that a 4-inch diameter sphere cannot pass through. This size is based on the head- breadth and chest-depth of a young child. Preventing a child from getting through a pool barrier can be done by restricting the sizes of openings in a barrier, and by using self-closing and self-latching gates. There are two kinds of gates that might be found on a residential property. Both can play a part in the design of a swimming pool barrier. Pedestrian gates are the gates people walk through. Swimming pool barriers should be equipped with a gate that restricts access to the pool. A locking device should be included in the gate’s design. Gates should open out from the pool and should be self-closing and self-latching. If a gate is properly designed, even if the gate is not completely latched, a young child pushing on the gate in order to enter the pool area will at least close the gate and may actually engage the latch. When the release mechanism of the self-latching device is less than 54 inches from the bottom of the gate, the release mechanism for the gate should be at least 3 inches below the top of the gate on the side facing the pool. Placing the release mechanism at this height prevents a young child from reaching over the top of a gate and releasing the latch. Also, the gate and barrier should have no opening greater than 1/2-inch within 18 inches of the latch release mechanism. This prevents a young child from reaching through the gate and releasing the latch. All doors of the home that provide direct access to a swimming pool should be equipped with an audible alarm that sounds when the door and/or screen are opened. The alarm should sound for 30 seconds or more within seven seconds after the door is opened. It should also be loud, at least 85 decibels, when measured 10 feet away from the alarm mechanism. The alarm sound should be distinct from other sounds in the house, such as the telephone, doorbell and smoke alarm. The alarm should have an automatic re-set feature. Because adults will want to pass through house doors in the pool barrier without setting off the alarm, the alarm should have a switch that allows adults to temporarily de-activate the alarm for up to 15 seconds. The de-activation switch could be a touch pad (keypad) or a manual switch, and should be located at least 54 inches above the threshold of the door covered by the alarm. This height was determined based on the reaching ability of young children. Pool Alarms Hazards of Pool Drains Here are some ways that pool drains can be made safer:
Siege Diaries 5/4/2021 Today’s Daily Stoic writing prompt: Where can I spend money to help others? I am not sure I like the phrasing of this particular prompt. “Spending” money implies a purchase, or hiring someone to do something in exchange for cash. I donate a certain amount of money to charity every year. But in general what I do to help other people has to do with time or labour, not money. I’m not rich. Beyond a few personal luxuries–very few of which are any kind of conspicuous consumption–I am not spending money on possessions rather than turning it to philanthropy. I guess one thing I do do is to try to support my artist friends. I don’t have big enough pockets to be a high-level patron, but buying a piece of jewellery here, an art print there, or other things that my talented friends make–or attending a concert they put on– benefits both them and me. These are not always items I truly “need”, but I tend to believe that the arts make the world a better place. In the midst of that odd dual holiday/commemoration that is May 4–the contrast of a jokey pun about Star Wars that has turned into a quasi-holiday for geeks everywhere, and the much more real anniversary of the Kent State shootings–I instead found myself going down a rabbit hole of Chernobyl history. On May 4, 1986, it had been eight days since the accident at the power plant, and seven days since Pripyat had begun to be evacuated. Liquid nitrogen was being pumped into the reactor to cool it down. The city has been abandoned–but no one knows that yet (and it will actually be a number of years before it is completely foresaken, being used as It started with the Chernobyl Gallery–which is mostly more recent photos of the vicinity of the plant–but a few photos showing various locations before the disaster sent me to, a Russian-language site (thanks, Google Translate). This one has pages and pages of photos of what the city looked like before the disaster, rather than the abandoned monument of decay that it’s become. There are photos there of it being built, and then, gradually, there are photos of people. It’s often forgotten that the city was built, from the ground up, on the site of a former collective farm starting in 1970. Its entire existence as a living city was just 16 years; the population had reached about 50,000 in 1986. The thing that is really striking is how vast and spread out and empty it looks–even in the photos taken within the last year of its habitation. That’s partially the impact of the Brutalist-style architecture, but this was a city whose centre was built around vast, windswept plazas and wide boulevards. It barely looks occupied. It seems static. The lack of vehicles is striking as well. And it doesn’t look finished–because construction was still ongoing, both in the city and at the power plant itself. Only in the photos featuring parades does it look at all peopled. It’s almost as if it were designed to be abandoned. However, there are lots of photos in the collection of the interiors of buildings, and all of a sudden you see people and faces, and the city just comes to life. There are scenes in restaurants and schools and grocery stores. There are groups of friends palling around, shots of families on playground equipment, kids playing in marching bands, various festivals (some with music), and the like. And all of a sudden Pripyat becomes more than a collection of abandoned buildings with quaint Soviet agitprop memorabilia strewn about. There’s some gorgeous artwork (more on that in a moment.) It starts to feel like a town again, a place where people were proud to live, a place that was shiny and new, a place full of hope and smart people with brilliant futures ahead of them (the average age of the residents was just 26). That’s certainly not what the Western observer typically was trained to see in the Soviet Union in the final years of its existence. In hindsight, we look at Pripyat and know the town is doomed, that the reactor had a faulty design, and that there would be a futile attempt to cover up the disaster. That leads those photos of normal people doing normal people things, sometimes with the power plant in the background, a searing kind of poignancy. I’ve been particularly taken by the mosaic work of Ivan Semyonovich Litovchenko , born in 1921 in Ukraine. There are several monumental murals created by Litovchenko, who was the official artist for the town and its nuclear complex, in Pripyat. The most abstract of these, “Music”, adorned the front of the music school. Litovchenko died in 1996, years before it would be realized that his works could be again seen as tours of Pripyat became possible. I am considering attempting to embroider either this or one of the other mosaics at some point. That may require some thought, given the mosaic techniques used to give them a polychromatic glow, but I love the design and think it deserves to be remembered.
I Want to Be Amish…Well, Not Really Travel through the American countryside and you’ll possibly come across an Amish community. You’ll find no TV sets, no telephones and no electricity in their homes. Ask why and you’ll learn that it’s all about community. This is how an Amish bishop once explained it to Tony Campolo. The Amish aren’t against telephones. In fact many communities have a shared telephone available. A telephone was handy to have in an emergency or to call distant family and friends. But why bring it into the house? “Telephones intrude into the most precious moments of life” the bishop explained. “You may be talking to your children or sharing something important with your wife; if the phone rings, you will allow it to interrupt what you’re saying. The family can be at prayer, and if the phone rings you will stop and answer it.” Similarly electricity could be a good thing, if kept in its proper place. The Amish in the bishop’s community had electricity in their barns to refrigerate their milk, but they kept it out of their homes. Why? Because they felt it disrupted the natural rhythms of life. With electricity people stay up late instead of going to bed. With electricity people listen to radios and watch TV which involves them with the outside world rather than their Amish community. What about tractors? If the Amish will use electricity in their barns, why not tractors in their fields? The Bishop explained that with a tractor a person can plow their field on their own. But using a horse drawn plow the whole family needed to be involved. So rejecting the tractor was a way to create family solidarity. I don’t share the Amish view of technology, and I suspect communities like these entrench some pretty constricting social systems, but I find something warms within me as I hear their story. We live in a culture where I wonder if we have gone to the opposite extreme to the Amish. I know I have become almost compelled to be “on” 24/7, always checking my smartphone for the latest email, news update, facebook post or sports score. Always reachable. When I was in Cambodia it struck me that we thousands who gathered to watch the sunrise over the Angkor Watt temples experienced it through the lenses of our cameras rather than simply soaking up the experience. I recently heard of someone who throws dinner parties and asks everyone to turn off their mobile phones and leave them at the door. I suspect we need, I need, a little more of that in my life. Notify of Newest Most Voted Inline Feedbacks View all comments 9 years ago I would like to propose a “Sabbath” from electronics. one day a week without these gadgets. how would people survive? Recent Posts Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
Thursday, January 20, 2011 A bed of bluebells in the Sound of Mull. From Glensanda quarry the wild and remote SE coast of Morvern continued for another 12 km... ...until we approached Rubha an Ridire... ...which marked the turning point of our route. We now ran before the light wind, to the NW, up the Sound of Mull which separates the Island of Mull from the SW coast of Morvern. It was getting late when we finally arrived at a curving beach at the end of our day. The sun was setting as we prepared our evening meal on the shore. Unfortunately as the sun went down, the midges unleashed their attack. David was fine in his jacket but Phil had forgotten his in the rush to pack. Not even a fine malt was able to fully restore Phil's equilibrium. We went off to explore a nearby bothy... a potential sleeping quarters. It was clean enough but someone had left some food and some well fed mice had pooed and peed everywhere. It did not smell too fresh so we decided to settle... for camping on the bluebell meadow outside.
Webinar Banner 2 WP_Term Object [term_id] => 71 [name] => Xilinx [slug] => xilinx [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 71 [taxonomy] => category [description] => [parent] => 106 [count] => 114 [filter] => raw [cat_ID] => 71 [category_count] => 114 [category_description] => [cat_name] => Xilinx [category_nicename] => xilinx [category_parent] => 106 by Luke Miller on 04-21-2013 at 7:00 pm Now Michael Bloomberg probably wouldn’t want FATLAB but let’s face it, to think like him you need a lot of education, alot. He may be banning 14nm because it will increase FPGAs densities and thus the consumer as well. Stay tuned. After some comments from my dear readers, one who said to watch it with respect to my harshness about AccelDSP; I needed to address this issue immediately. I actually woke up with a Virtex-II in my bed missing some pins. Yes, this is serious. The idea behind AccelDSP was good. As a system developer, like the rest of the world, I use MATLAB or Octave. (Now don’t tell anyone about the Octave, as I’m frugal and wise, but not cheap!) MATLAB is the best systems modeling tool, period. Rhapsody, SysML, UML and the likes to model some grandiose system is never going to replace MATLAB and frankly it is another thing to do on the ever growing design checklist. The disconnect as you know is how to get that great system you have modeled in MATLAB into silicon, in particular an FPGA. Well AccelDSP tried doing that but had limitations. For me the big limitation is the one that it needed to work. You know click that magic button and bingo VHDL. True it would work for a FIR filter but for larger more nested loop structures, no worky. No floating point either and I like floating point, who doesn’t? I also enjoyed the tool hanging up for hours on end, then just going away. It had a way of making me feel productive and of course I would just sit and stare at the screen until it finished. The other issue was cost; it was like a billion dollars. ($100k+) My earlier article about HLS being Real is true but there is still a disconnect from the modeling realm into the Silicon. MATLAB does have C Coder, which takes your MATLAB and converts to C and then Vivado HLS can work on that. I have used that path and it works but it is not ideal for obvious reasons. The major one is the penalty for abstracting a level higher. So can I make a plea with the FPGA companies? Would you consider partnering with MATLAB (besides Simulink, I know all about that, and that is not the solution either) or maybe buying MATLAB? Every DSP house, Medical, RADAR, Automotive, Wall Street etc… USE MATLAB. I’ll share a secret with you. I cast my C from MATLAB by hand. I know, you’re saying how inefficient, how error prone Luke! What are you thinking? I know, it’s terrible and I am ashamed.If we think about it, system engineers model the design and flow down / partition the requirements to hardware (FPGAs) and software (CPU). The Modeling tool is MATLAB (Have I said that enough?). It would be orders of magnitude more efficient to flow down the model to the FPGA guys to work the ‘FATLAB’ tool instead of writing the VHDL by hand. One thing is true; the idea that we are going to hand code a 6.8 Billion transistor FPGA is totally absurd. Try it and your competition is going to blow your doors off using HLS. But FPGAs have inherent frustrations on the programming language. CPU’s have C; FPGAs well now have C, C++, SystemC, Verilog, VHDL, (Zync) EDKs, etc… And now I want a MATLAB HLS, Again? Perhaps the group is smaller than I think but the programming of the FPGAs cannot be bird shot and MATLAB is where most start; why not leverage that correctly to synthesize, again? Ok, time to dust of AccelDSP and create FATLAB? If it existed, most I know would use it and would probably pay for it, I know I would. lang: en_US Share this post via: 0 Replies to “FPGA + MATLAB = FATLAB” You must register or log in to view/post comments.
The Wishing Stick Once upon a time, there lived in a small suburb , a tailor named Matthew with his wife Olivia. Matthew had just made a new dress in his shop and wanted to sell it in the market to earn some money. Oliva did not want the dress Matthew had made to be sold and she […]
Living in a Water World – Sungai Buluh, Riau, Indonesia So I’ve just spent 2 days living in an isolated place called Sungai Buluh. And now I’m happy to be back again to the city. I’ll tell you what – it was a mind blowing experience. Water World is REAL, as real as it could be. Except, there were no guns and fights, only expensive water. So I’ll tell you a bit about this place. Sungai Buluh Indonesia Our ride from Kuala Tungkal to Sungai Buluh Sungai Buluh Riau Indonesia Other “passengers” All of the houses there were built on top of the river. You can’t really touch the ground as there were no ground. You can’t walk fast if you’re not used to the assembled woods. You can’t play basketball, or soccer. You can, however, ride your bikes around the neighbourhoods, learn to drive a speedboat, go fishing, have some cats at home. There are still a lot of things you can possibly do. Sungai Buluh Indonesia Sungai Buluh And I’ll tell you what. There are no garbage man. They just dump every single waste (be it organic or non organic) to the river, said it’s okay as the water will “take” them away and cling your surroundings will be clean as new. Your waste goes here! I felt guilty at first, but considering there were no better choice, I did it anyway. sigh Sungai Buluh Riau There were approximately 2 km long of houses there, with just one elementary school for all. People who aim to pursue higher degree of education will eventually move to a bigger city nearby, like Batam, Jambi, Tembilahan. Some even moved to Jakarta & Bogor and decided to start a new fresh life there. There rest will just stay there, enjoying their hometown, doing what their parents have been doing their entire life. They mostly catch fish, shrimp, or make something from it, like dried salted fish and ebi. Some of them even sell their catches to Singapore and even Hong Kong! Awesome, isn’t it?! Sungai Buluh Riau Dried Salted Fish Sungai Buluh Riau Getak Shrimp All people here know other people’s businesses. Oh imagine how gossips fly fast. They all know each other and the only way they make the day pass faster is by talking to the neighbours, watch television, cook something, or just simply take a nap. Sungai Buluh Riau Indonesia My phone was useless as there were no signals at all. I couldn’t make a phone call, or send texts. It made me feel anxious at the first few hours but then I felt so so much relaxed! Like all of the suddens, my burdens just woosh went away. When I lived there, there were literally nothing to worry about. No works, no email, no social media notifications, no people trying to make small talks via chat messaging (which is the worst), no nothing! Only silence, and food, and sleep, and food all over again. Sungai Buluh Riau I literally spent my days eating, reading thank God I brought my kindle with me, and sleeping – day and night. And of course, drink some cup of coffee in between. I woke up feeling greater than ever. There are however downsides. Being isolated means everything is more expensive than it normally is (except for fresh seafood). Especially water. I felt like I was living in Water World, you know. This is what you do when the rain comes You want to save as much water as possible. Oh, there was also this Cap Go Me event being held there. There was an auction, and singers wearing thigh costumes. I didn’t really care about the event, but it was nice to know. Cag Go Me di Sungai Buluh Indonesia Cap Go Me di Sungai Buluh Indonesia Lelang Cap Go Me Sungai Buluh Lelang Cap Go Me Sungai Buluh The 2 days stay is a mind blowing experience for me. It was… something I’ve never experienced before. And it was a great one. Thank you people of Sungai Buluh! You’ve been so kind and warm. I might not come back any other time, but I’m fortunate enough to live the life you’ve been living this whole time. Sungai Buluh Riau Indonesia How To Get There Go to Pelabuhan Kuala Tungkal (Kuala Tungkal Port) in Kuala Tungkal. Buy a one-way ticket to Sungai Buluh. Follow my Instagram if you haven’t already email : 13 Komentar 1. persiaprinses berkata: Wow, water world !! 2. winnymarlina berkata: aku kemaren juga nemu sungai kampar sharoh 3. Ceritaeka berkata: Walau kampung tapi teerlihat damai sekali yah. Btw nampung hujan di ember.. ah jadi inget masa kecil dulu 🙂 1. Sharon Loh berkata: Iya, enak deh tinggal dua malem, sueger tanpa internet hihi. Iya, banyak drum juga tuh dipake untuk nampung hujan. 4. It’s a bit funny knowing that they live in “water world” but they have to save water when it is raining 😀 Anyway, it’s such a great experience, Sharon! Living different way that we’re used to. Being in the middle of nowhere gives us chance to contemplate, time to real interaction, and have a peaceful life without smartphone or laptop. 1. Sharon Loh berkata: Hahaha if you watched “Water World”, you’ll know what I mean! Yes it was an incredible experience, and I think I might come back for more shrimp :9 Let’s see~ 5. Dita berkata: fotonya keren-keren dehh 🙂 1. Sharon Loh berkata: Uuuu makasih Ditaaaa 😀 6. IDTravelGuide berkata: So nice experience mbak Sharon. Btw I’m wondering if they throw all the garbage to the water, then the water become smelly or not? Tinggalkan Komentar You are commenting using your account. Logout / Ubah ) Gambar Twitter You are commenting using your Twitter account. Logout / Ubah ) Foto Facebook You are commenting using your Facebook account. Logout / Ubah ) Connecting to %s
How to settle in Canada if you are an approved immigrant Contact Us How to settle in Canada if you are an approved immigrant What you need to know as you make Canada your home. After 15 months of waiting due to the COVID-19 pandemic border closures, all valid Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) holders are now able to complete the process of calling Canada home. While the world has come a long way since the start of the pandemic in early 2020, Canada still has several COVID-related immigration regulations in place that newcomers should be aware of, like proof of a COVID test for all travellers five and older. The following tips will help you navigate finalizing your Canadian residency. Pre-arrival tips to make the transition seamless Canadian borders are open again, and if you are fully vaccinated, you may not need to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. If you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms before you leave, play it safe by rescheduling your arrival date. It is also essential to check with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) if you have any questions or concerns. Ensure that your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) is still valid and not expired. IRCC has helpful resources to get your COPR reinstated so that you can move and travel to Canada once again. Establishing housing Have your living situation established before you arrive, especially if you will need to quarantine for 14 days. Landlords check your credit score before signing rental agreements, but as a new Canadian, you may not have a credit score. Some landlords will accept proof of your country’s credit score as an exception. You may also want to travel with a copy of your resume, your educational transcripts or proof of a degree, your driver’s license and your birth certificate to further prove you are not a risky tenant. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation suggests looking for rental listings through local newspapers and real estate offices in your desired province. Remember, your first place doesn’t have to be permanent or perfect. This is your landing pad so you can figure out where you will set down roots. Even individuals who know the country well might want to consider setting up a short-term apartment lease or long-stay hotel reservation rather than purchasing a new home sight unseen. Setting up your finances as a newcomer Book an appointment to meet with an advisor at a bank you trust as soon as you can. Not only can an advisor help you set up your bank account as a newcomer, but they can also be an invaluable resource to help you learn some financial basics like how to build your credit history quickly or qualify for a new vehicle loan. Many of Scotiabank’s advisors are immigrants themselves, so they have walked the same path as you, while also helping hundreds of newcomers do the same. Scotiabank’s advisors can help you set up a savings account, get access to credit and complete no-fee international money transfers with the Start Right Program designed for newcomers1. Additionally, newcomers will pay no monthly fees for the first year with the Preferred Package chequing account2. As soon as you have a bank account established, it is a good time to set up a realistic budget. A budget calculator can quickly help you set dollar amounts for needs versus wants. The top needs you will have to budget for on arrival are your rent or mortgage, transportation costs, utilities and grocery costs. Some wants that might not fit into your new budget right away might be a gym membership, cable TV and new home decor. It is also wise to set aside additional funds each month to get adjusted to your new cost of living. Groceries and utilities might cost more in some provinces than your home country and the extra funds set aside can help you adjust to this change without coming up short in your budget. If possible, get a credit card as soon as you can to start building up your new credit history. In Canada, landlords, utilities, lenders and potential employers look at your credit history and credit score to establish if you are financially stable. For example, if you are applying to a job position that requires you to handle money or sensitive information, a potential employer might want to check to see that your own finances are in order. Newcomers, even those without credit history, are eligible for an unsecured credit card at Scotia3. You can start building your credit as soon as you arrive. Getting important documents As soon as you arrive, focus on getting your documents in order. A new Canadian resident will need: 1. Permanent Resident (PR) Card: This card should be obtained through your immigration process and sent to you before traveling. Use this card for traveling and for obtaining a bank account and other government documents. 2. Provincial Health Card: This health card is a necessity for seeing a doctor, visiting a hospital or taking care of other medical needs. Without this card, you will be expected to pay your costly medical bills out of pocket. Many provinces offer access to medical coverage right away, but some provinces and territories require a three-month waiting period. If you are moving to one of the following places, you will need to get temporary private insurance to cover the gap: • British Columbia • Ontario • Quebec • Saskatchewan • Northwest Territories • Nunavut • Yukon 1. Social Insurance Number (SIN): At the moment, you can only apply for SIN cards online or via mail. Use your PR card to apply for your SIN as soon as you arrive. You will need your SIN to pay taxes, apply for interest-earning bank accounts and investments and to find employment. Additional resources for newcomers to Canada You are so close to establishing your permanent residency in Canada. To answer any additional questions you may have, the Canadian Government has a Welcome to Canada eBook that covers everything from housing to employment to your rights and civil protections. Scotiabank also has a huge library of newcomer resources, including how to thrive in Canadian life and how to navigate Canada through COVID-19 restrictions. About Scotiabank We also launched ScotiaRISE – for our new, 10-year, $500 million community investment program designed to help promote economic resilience among disadvantaged people and communities. In particular, this program is centered on using funding and partnerships to increase graduation rates and postsecondary enrollment, help newcomers feel at home faster and secure meaningful employment and senior opportunities for underrepresented groups. It’s all part of why Scotiabank is the bank for newcomers. Share this post?
How Long After Male Shockwave Therapy Can You Have Sex? Featured Image Many physiological issues used to require complicated, potentially ineffective medical techniques. It's especially true in the realm of male health. Older treatments, such as those for erectile dysfunction (ED), included surgical procedures or drugs. These options could sideline you for an extended period or cause various adverse side effects. And they don't assure you of better sexual wellness afterward. Fortunately, newer and better techniques can provide life-changing results without the drawbacks or risks. One of the flagship ED treatments is known as male shockwave therapy. Also called LI-ESWT (low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy), it utilizes sound waves to help yield intimacy-improving sexual function, stamina, and sensation. If you'd like to learn more or explore your options with Dr. Thomas Burke, reach out to Burke Wellness today or pay us a visit in Newark, DE. How long after male shockwave therapy can I have sex? Unlike other treatments, not just for sexual concerns but for almost all issues, male shockwave therapy does not need to cause any stress, and it is noninvasive. This makes it one of the few modalities with virtually zero downtime, so you're good to go right after treatment. You'll be free to enjoy daily activities – and this will likely include sex on the same day, though the specifics are patient-dependent. However, we'll clear up any questions you may have once you see us for your comprehensive consultation, and Dr. Burke can ascertain your medical and lifestyle factors. Based on your expectations and unique needs, we'll tailor the best possible solution for you. Generally, this will require about six sessions. For many patients, we typically schedule two sessions per week for three weeks. It's convenient and doesn't take long, unlike the more involved and outdated ED treatments of the medical past. And it doesn't require any work or preparation on your part. You'll simply relax in our comfortable treatment room while we pass the Alma Duo handpiece over the targeted treatment area. What makes male shockwave therapy such a revolutionary treatment? The gentle but potent sound waves will reach deep into the penile tissues, stimulating nervous and circulatory wellness while kick-starting cell renewal from the inside out. This procedure is as short and easy as it is effective, and should take no longer than about 20 minutes. Afterward, you may go about your day as usual. Many patients notice an improvement in sensation, function, or both after a couple of sessions, and once you've undergone your full shockwave regimen, the results can last for over a year. That's over a year of improved sex, with the ability to achieve and maintain stronger, firmer, larger erections. Your stamina will increase as well, leading to fulfilling intercourse that can leave you and your partner satisfied. Have better sex tomorrow by calling today Thanks to the wonders of modern medicine, and our expert physicians at Burke Wellness, all these benefits can be yours without any trouble or pain. You'll also gain a nice confidence boost, which you'll find following you throughout your day and imbuing you with an additional zest for life. You won't spend hours in a treatment chair or be sidelined for who knows how long after. You'll just be a healthier, more confident version of yourself. If you are interested in learning more about potentially life-changing results, contact Dr. Thomas Burke today and schedule a consultation in Newark, DE.
What is cottagecore?! Think flowers, mushrooms, bits of nature and lace, in a romantic, nostalgic aesthetic. The cottagecore trend is a movement taking us back to a simpler, more harmonious existence with nature. With a focus on honing skills and crafts that are more agricultural and domestic in nature, this trend really blossomed during the pandemic as people turned to nesting and creating to pass the time. Shop our curated selection of cottagecore jewery-making and craft supplies.
Supermarket Sweep The idea of Supermarket Sweep is to answer riddles and if the answer is correct dash around filling up your shopping trolley with high-value items. The winner finds the highest value items using the least amount of effort. Here is my shopping list for my 9–12-year-old kids football teams. Things you might notice: Some items take longer to complete but no one item is more valuable than the other. Not every item is stocked in one shop Every recipe requires at least one item from each of the 5 sections. A communication tool. Shopping lists become useful when more than one person can use them. The work is to pass on the message by making the label clear, you can see this is a work in progress for me by following the links in the shopping list. Let me leave you with my own riddle. I have the highest value. I cannot be bought, yet I am created. What am I? Get the Medium app Simon A Harling Simon A Harling Coach, speaker, blogger on fitness, coaching & personal leadership
The Silent Architect, Album, 2007 TSAsleevepromopicFourth solo album by Susan Matthews Susan Matthews The Silent Architect The Silent Architect (SW75) was made in 2007. On it, Ms Matthews appears on the cover (photographed by Mark Ingram) posing alongside the old stones of a country wall entangled with ivy creepers, with various expressions of uncertainty on her gaunt visage. On the grooves we hear ten ambiguous and semi-poetic explorations in sound, where the weather, the seasons, and the times of day are used to express aspects of unknown states of mind. Her own thin voice is aided by the eerie vocals of Hoel le Quenven on four of these cuts, some of which are enhanced with appropriate field recordings and sound effects, such as ocean waves on ‘The Mariner’s Lament’. Come to that, since there is the sound of a bonfire on ‘Samhain Lullaby’, I wouldn’t be surprised if all four elements (fire, air, earth and water) are represented hereon. Ed Pinsent, The Sound Projector, November 2008 Susan Matthews The Silent Architect Using the most fragile and lucid instrumentation and composition Susan guides us on journeys across the loneliest of landscapes. Her musicianship transporting us on a most melancholic distraction from reality. Beautiful. Ian Holloway, Wonderful Wooden Reasons, April 2008 Susan Matthews The Silent Architect/Silent Variations Siren Wire The Silent Architect and Silent Variations, its corresponding EP of outtakes and alternate versions, represent Susan Matthews’ second album and EP releases of 2007 and her fourth full-length album for Siren Wire Recordings in three years. With every release Matthews introduces new facets of her musical ability to her listeners, in this case a gentler, more serene aspect not immediately evident in her previous work. Matthews’ work is always intensely heartfelt and often tackles personal issues and feelings with passionate conviction. Frequently dark and impassioned but always experimental, her work shows a musician on a journey documented by each album’s release. The Silent Architect sees Matthews strip back the layers and work at a more intricate level than ever before. Her recognizable style is still very much intact and the experimentation is still there but the whole mood and feel of the album is calmer and more relaxed. The opening tracks, “Dawn” and “Spring Dancing,” set the mood nicely with a chorus of birdsong accompanied by the folky harmonies of guest vocalist Hoel le Quenven followed by the soothing tones of Matthews herself. Maintaining the gentle mood is “The Mariner’s Lament,” a mournful track featuring melancholy piano set to the sound of waves on the shore, seagulls crowing and a buoy clanging. Although this track is essentially classical in nature and consists entirely of just Matthews at the piano, the sentiment is one of sadly reflecting at sailors long lost at sea, almost as an ode to them and those they left behind. For “Spiegelkabinett” and “Almost February” Matthews sets poet Alexander Booth’s prose to her own music, the former a cascading flow of hypnotic chimes and the latter focusing solely on the heartfelt longing in Matthews’ reading. It is not until “Through Form” that we see Matthews’ familiar experimental leanings start to show through, the mix of le Quenven’s harmonies, spliced chimes and percussive elements further depicting the stripped back nature of The Silent Architect. Stripped back further still is the piano-based track “Weals,” with its careful use of space, silence and the creakings of the piano as it is played. Although one of the most minimal tracks on the whole album “Weals” exhibits an intimate insight into the contemplative thoughts and feelings of the player. Continuing the theme of utilizing field recordings into the album is “Samhain Lullaby;” the crackle of a roaring fire vividly juxtaposing a baby crying, the electronic sounds of conflict and the fragile French meanderings of le Quenven apparently trying to shield the child from the dangers lying outside with a gentle song and comforting safety of home. Le Quenven’s manipulated harmonies also appear on “Keel,” initially a sinister track of dark intent featuring torrential rain and a thunderstorm that takes on an entirely more welcoming tone with the introduction of Matthews’ gentle piano playing. Closing the album is the hymn-like “The Passing” with its sombre clock chimes and Matthews’ gentle harmonies. The Silent Architect’s sister EP, Silent Variations, features alternate versions of four tracks from the album. Released at the same time as the album, Silent Variations gives Matthews an opportunity to experiment further with some of the album tracks and present them in a different light. The alternate version of “Weals” for example is essentially the same as the album version but augmented by a low buzzing drone while “Spiegelkabinett” is slightly more stripped back and less layered than its album counterpart. “Through Form to Form,” one of the more experimental tracks on The Silent Architect, loses its underlying organ-like drone to emphasize its more experimental qualities and effectively change it’s ending, putting the whole track in a different context to the album version. The Silent Variations version of “The Mariner’s Lament” entitled “Lily (The Mariner’s Lament)” strips away the field recordings and leaves just Matthews’ piano playing in its full glory, switching the mood of the track to one that could quite easily represent the sound of an after dinner soiree in a salubrious drawing room many years ago. Closing the EP is “Keel (Impression)” which dispenses with le Quenven’s slightly disturbing opening harmonies and thunderclaps throughout, transforming the track into an entirely more comforting prospect complete with the sound of gentle rainfall. The Silent Architect represents a real change in focus for Matthews; gone are the complex intertwining layers of dark sound, the emphasis being on gentle minimal sounds accompanied by carefully chosen field recordings. The end result is an interesting one as Matthews’ is still able to create an album that, while it is markedly different in content and style to her previous albums, is still very much recognizable as her work. Silent Variations takes the concept a stage further and makes subtle but significant changes to a handful of album tracks, often changing the mood and atmosphere completely. Following Matthews on her journey of discovery and exploring her next release is often a revelation as you never quite know what to expect but you know it will be equally as captivating and absorbing as her previous output. Never one to sit still for very long, Matthews is already hard at work on her next album and has a slew of other projects in the pipeline including compilation tracks, a handful of collaborations and a remix album. Matthews is a truly talented artist who is constantly pushing the boundaries of her musical style. Paul Lloyd, Igloo Magazine, March 2008 Susan Matthews Album: The Silent Architect Label: Sirenwire The word experimental can be conjoured up to cover a wide range of ideas, themes and sins. It covers anything from abstract noise thrown together in cacophony, through to minimalist soundscapes. It’s a catchall for music that defies conventional description. I don’t have the vocabulary to describe it, but then that’s half the point. Music doesn’t need words to invoke thoughts and feelings. It can affect you without lyrics. “The Silent Architect” is thought provoking and evocative. I just can’t decide if I like it. Neil, Fatea, Jan 2008 Leave a Reply You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change ) Twitter picture Facebook photo Connecting to %s
助理建筑师羲和清零 153 Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling Chapter 153: The Uniform Since the trip was a company sponsored event, Gu Yu wanted to uphold the company’s expectations as the team leader. He wasn’t particularly happy about their protests, but he also couldn’t ignore them. In the end he made a compromise: “The company shirts must be worn on the first day of travel and on the last day of departure. During the week, you may wear your own clothes.” In fact, for male colleagues, there wasn’t an issue. Since it was the summertime, it was normal for them to wear a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Whether the shirt has the company’s logo printed on it or something else, it made no difference. Zhang Siyi thought the company shirt was rather nice. When he got home, he tried it on with Gu Yu. With matching shirts, Zhang Siyi felt like a young couple from a television drama. Having won the prize in the photography competition last year, Zhang Siyi was the official photographer for the trip and the task wasn’t any easier than Gu Yu’s. In anticipation of the trip, the people’s excitement grew and finally, the day of travel arrived. At eight in the morning on June twentieth, a total of twenty-eight people from both the architectural design department and the landscape planning and design team gathered at the Haicheng International Airport. Zhang Siyi and Gu Yu took the subway together to the airport and since they were both wearing the company uniform, they received many sideways glances along the way to the airport. Before their arrival, there was already a group of colleagues at the airport waiting for the remaining people to show up. Several female colleagues gathered around to gossip and guess what Director Gu would wear today. As the team leader, would he be like a tour guide and carry a small flag to raise with a megaphone to speak through? Thinking about the possibility, the girls laughed. The laughter was short lived however, as Zhang Siyi and Gu Yu appeared together. Instead, the girls hung their mouths wide open, gawking at the two approaching men. Even though Gu Yu was wearing the company shirt, he didn’t look anything like a tour guide. Besides the company shirt, he wore a lightweight outer layer, like a windbreaker, and a pair of black jeans and black sneakers. He made the most mundane article of clothing look like a famous fashion brand. Wearing a pair of sunglasses, his handsome features and graceful strides were accentuated further. Like young school girls, some of them covered their faces and silently screamed. Having such an unobtainable and eye-catching boss to gaze at everyday was worth any bitter feelings they had. Of course, the most critical point isn’t Gu Yu himself, it is the fact that Zhang Siyi and Gu Yu appeared together. Slightly staggered, Gu Yu dragged his suitcase behind him at arms-length and gave the impression that he was directly holding Zhang Siyi’s hand. Moreover, the two of them were smiling and chatting with one another. Although there was some distance between them, the sweet atmosphere between them was tangible as if there was an invisible thread that tightly bound them together. With his camera hanging loosely around his neck, Zhang Siyi looked like a small youthful student standing next to Gu Yu. Teasing, Bi Lele smiled and said: “The game hasn’t even started and yet, the atmosphere between the two of you is better than a real couple!” The surrounding people chuckled at Bi Lele’s joke. Only Zhang Siyi and Gu Yu themselves knew that they are true lovers! One after another, more people in the company arrived and by eight-forty, everyone going on the trip was present except for one person: Tao Fei. The group was feeling more and more anxious at his absence and because it was nearing the time to board the plane, some people were ready to leave him behind. Since Zhang Siyi had traveled with him before, he was familiar with Tao Fei’s last-minute behavior and he remained calm. Since everyone had decided to participate in the couples’ game, when they depart, the players would pair up according to their assigned partners. Without him, one of the pairings would be incomplete. Watching Tao Fei arrive at the airport, no one said anything to rebuke him for his tardiness. His beauty was unmatched and having an enchanting figure in the group was also a bonus. (=_=) Tao Fei hadn’t noticed it, but Lu Qiao had walked in behind him like an obedient child. When he realized who was behind him, his eyes twitched. From the start, Tao Fei had no interest in playing the couples game, but he went along with it anyway. He didn’t expect Lu Qiao, with his little white arms and thin legs to follow along so easily. Tao Fei turned to look behind and saw Ji Feiyu holding Du Rui’s hand. When they made eye contact, Ji Feiyu winked and gave him a victory gesture. Tao Fei suddenly felt a little irritated at being manipulated by the situation that Ji Feiyu created in order to flirt with the girl Ji Feiyu liked. “Hey!” Tao Fei called out to Lu Qiao: “Come here.” Lu Qiao: “…ah?” Tao Fei pushed his suitcase to him and said: “Help me pull it.” “Oh…….” Lu Qiao obediently took the bag and followed him carefully. Tao Fei raised his eyebrow in surprise. – So obedient? Just like a personal assistant. Lu Qiao thought Tao Fei had a reason he requested help, but he only saw Tao Fei reach for his phone from his pocket. He followed him all the while Tao Fei played on his mobile phone…… Well, at first glance, Tao Fei was just like a young master. Lu Qiao wasn’t surprised at his behavior. Since both Zhang Siyi and Lu Qiao have it in their personality to want to please the person they admire and respect, they have a similar character trait. As long as they recognize the other person’s strength, they are happy to do the extra things requested of them. That said, in fact, at first as did Zhang Siyi, Lu Qiao disliked Tao Fei very much. First of all, he didn’t like Tao Fei appearance. With his long hair and beautiful features, he seems neither male nor female; just like a demon. Second, without background, Lu Qiao had worked very hard step by step on his own to get to the position he is in now at the company. Being alongside so many capable people made him feel proud at his achievement. Therefore, he hated unfair competition. Tao Fei appearance at the company gave Lu Qiao the most negative feeling. From the very first moment at the company, it was clear he had a special relationship with Director Gu. His antics had continuously broken the normally harmonious atmosphere of the team. At the beginning, Lu Qiao noticed that even the most liked member of their group, Zhang Siyi, didn’t get along with him either. Three months later, Lu Qiao was the most surprised at how well Tao Fei integrated himself into the group. He not only won the bid for a commercial high-rise building; he also won the bid on the hotel project that he worked on with Zhang Siyi. As a result, he became close friends with Zhang Siyi as well as gaining the trust of everyone else in the department. Even Lu Qiao was swayed by Tao Fei’s diligent work. In particular, he admired Tao Fei when he was seriously working at his desk with his hair tied up. The concentrated expression that Tao Fei exhibited while leaning over his desk made Lu Qiao feel like he was watching a genderless celestial being hard at work. In addition, Lu Qiao gradually realized Tao Fei also had we he thought of as ‘the-beauty-disease.’ Namely, Tao Fei was a bit self-centered and narcissistic. However, while his flaws weren’t hidden, his professional strength outshined them all. Like Zhang Siyi’s sunny and convivial nature, Tao Fei self-confidence is something that was inborn. Because this quality is something Lu Qiao thinks he lacks, now, he also admired Tao Fei…… 8 thoughts on “助理建筑师羲和清零 153 Leave a Reply to hashihash Cancel reply WordPress.com Logo Twitter picture Facebook photo Connecting to %s
Big Data: Fundamental Questions Big Data Week is the second theme of Software Engineering Daily. “Big Data” is a legitimate trend as well as an overhyped buzzword. Big Data is not a scam, but putting “Big Data” on your resume today has negative expected value. There is tension and confusion around the reality and surreality of Big Data engineering. From August 3-9, there will be podcast interviews with experts on Spark, Hadoop, Zookeeper, Kafka, and other components of the Big Data ecosystem. Below is a collection of fundamental questions about the space: • How do customers of multiple managed big data companies deal with the heterogeneity? • Are there enough knowledgeable support technicians at managed big data companies to handle the customers? • How does a big data customer augment a batch pipeline with streaming? • Are Hadoop queries mostly written in Pig or Hive? • Is a measurement of Big Data throughput the new Moore’s Law? • Where does Kafka fit in? • What is the difference between Spark, Storm, Flink, Samza, and other streaming technologies? • How has the database world been affected by Big Data? • What is at the intersection of JavaScript and Big Data? • What is at the intersection of Bitcoin and Big Data? Software Daily Software Daily
Foundation: Season 1 – Bear McCreary Reading books is something I rarely do anymore. I used to read a lot in my youth, but I borrowed most of my books from the library and, as a result, there are not many books on my shelves. I do, however, own some, including the Foundation trilogy, written by Isaac Asimov, and I was quite happy when I found out that there was a new TV show Foundation coming out on Apple TV+, based on these books. The announcement of the show itself was not the only good news, because I heard about it when Bear McCreary, one of my favorite composers at the moment, announced on his social media platforms that he would be responsible for writing the music. One of McCreary’s strong points is his theme writing, and there are obviously thematic ideas to be found in the music for Foundation. The title’s theme can be heard in “Foundation Main Title,” which is also, unsurprisingly, the main theme for the show, and it represents The Foundation, which is a concept in the story to save humanity. It is quite an interesting theme, with a wonderful story behind it. The foundation of The Foundation is math, and McCreary found a brilliant way to incorporate the concept of mathematics into his score, by feeding the sound of an instrument into a computer, which then generates all kinds of patterns that McCreary can use in his score. What makes McCreary one of the best composers for media is his understanding of what kind of music a show needs. The mathematical patterns add a very wonderful atmospheric layer, but, as McCreary mentions in the video seen below, he still needed an orchestra to support all the powerful emotions. His vision for the show can be heard perfectly in the Foundation theme, which is a beautiful orchestral theme that has a recognizable melody and the mathematical atmosphere playing in the background. If you are familiar with McCreary’s music, you will know that he likes to create many themes for all kinds of characters and concepts. Since this album does only contain the highlights of the first season of the show, some of them can only be heard once, with “Anacreon“ being a good example. Some other themes, however, do appear more often. The second important theme is for one of the main characters, Gaal Dornick. The gorgeous, slow and emotional melody is introduced on a duduk in “Gaal Leaves Synnax,” in which it slowly transforms into a magnificent orchestral piece. The final theme I would like to mention is for the empire, and it is a short melody of longer notes, which sounds like it is performed on some kind of amplified cello. It sounds quite emotional and human, which is in contrast to what you would expect for this big influential empire. It can be heard, for example, at the start of “Visions and Arrest”. In the final part of “Journey to Trantor” you can hear a more heroic and orchestral version of the same theme. Most tracks on the album are wonderful pieces of music with one or more themes integrated into them, and they should be listened to at least once. Two of them deserve some extra attention, and both involve some gorgeous vocals by McCreary’s partner Raya Yarbrough. The first is the ten-minute cue “The Dream of Cleon the First,” which is a gorgeous emotional track that includes the Empire’s theme, but also Yarbrough’s soothing voice, performing a wonderful song. After watching another episode while I am writing this review, I found out that the melody of the song is meant as a theme for the android Demerzel. The second vocal highlight is “The Chant Of The Luminous,” which, as the title states, is a vocal piece, and it sounds like a choir in which only Yarbrough is performing, singing each layer. When I first started listening to this album, I liked it but I was not really impressed. Only after reading and hearing more about the backstory of the score, and listening to it in more detail, did it start to grow on me. The music is not as bombastic as the music for Battlestar Galactica, God of War or Godzilla: King of the Monsters, but that does not mean the music is less in quality. McCreary is able to always come up with excellent music for a movie, game or television show, as is the case with Foundation. I am only halfway through watching this season, and I am looking forward to seeing where the show goes, and how McCreary’s music fits in it. Listen or buy The highlights are in bold. 1. Foundation Main Title (1:26) 2. The Only Story (2:45) 3. Gaal Leaves Synnax (4:04) 4. Journey to Trantor (4:03) 5. The Imperial Library (3:49) 6. Visions and Arrest (4:57) 7. The Trial of Hari Seldon (5:06) 8. Star Bridge (4:37) 9. Over the Horizon (4:11) 10. The Promise of the Imperium (5:26) 11. Escape Pod (4:53) 12. The Dream of Cleon the First (10:18) 13. Anacreon (2:00) 14. The Chant Of The Luminous (2:45) 15. Foundation End Credits (1:04) Total length: 1 hour and 1 minute Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published.
Stopping the Overuse of Standardized Tests Stopping the Overuse of Standardized Tests By Monty Neill Vol. 11, No. 4, 1989, pp. 9-10, 12-14 During the past decade, a tidal wave of standardized testing has washed over the school systems of America. In its report, Fallout From the Testing Explosion, FairTest (the National Center for Fair and Open Testing) calculated that at least 100 million tests are given in the public schools each year. And, FairTest found, testing is more frequent in the Southern states than in the rest of the country. In the past several years, however, a movement to turn back the wave of testing has developed. In 1988, North Carolina passed a law banning the use of standardized achievement tests in the first and second grades. Mississippi will discontinue use of its kindergarten test after the 1988-89 school year. Georgia will do the same, even though it only enacted the testing requirement last year. And in June, Texas approved legislation to eliminate its first grade test. These are contradictory trends: simultaneously a continuing push toward more testing and an effort to reduce the massive overuse, misuse and abuse of standardized testing. To understand why the testing explosion has generated a growing movement for testing reform, we need to answer a number of key questions: What are the effects of tests on students? How does testing hurt school curricula and instruction? Why does testing negatively impact on school accountability and reform? What are the limitations of standardized tests? Why are standardized exams biased? After responding to each of these questions, we will discuss what is being done in the South to counter the dangers of too much testing. Harming Individual Students In the U.S., children from lower-income, rural, inner-city and minority backgrounds often receive an inadequate education. To some extent, the lower average test scores of students from these backgrounds reflects this fact. But often at a very young age, children are tested and placed in programs that virtually guarantee they will never receive an adequate education. Based on standardized test scores, thousands of children are placed in programs for the “educable, mentally retarded” or similar special education programs. Students in such programs rarely rise out of them. Instead, they usually fall further and further behind more advanced students. Minority students are far more likely to be placed in these programs than are majority-group students. For example, across the nation, blacks are three times as likely as whites to be in “educable mentally retarded” or similar programs. After hearing evidence about the construction of the exams, a California federal judge concluded that “IQ” tests had never been validated for use on black children. Basing himself on information about placement and construction, the judge banned the use of “IQ” tests in assigning black children to special education programs anywhere in the state. The same tests are also a common method of determining eligibility for “gifted and talented” programs. Blacks are only half as likely as whites to be in these programs, which often provide a more enriched education. Despite the racial disparities and the California decision, test uses such as these remain all too common elsewhere in the U.S. Students also are put in or removed from Chapter I, bilingual and other remedial programs on the basis of their test scores. In many districts, scores are used to keep children out of kindergarten or first grade or to place them in “transitional” programs. Testing is also an important factor in decisions to retain students in grade. Not only are the tests of questionable merit in such decisions, but retention itself is of dubious educational value. Current evidence indicates that at the end of the third grade, children who were retained before grade three do not perform better than others who scored the same but were not held back, even though the children who were held back are a year older at this point. Students who have been retained are also more likely to drop out of school. So using tests to retain children often does not help them but only increases the likelihood that they will drop out or otherwise fail in school. Tests are also misused for placing students in tracks within schools. Tracking is often justified on the grounds that it protects slower children from being overwhelmed and helps advanced children by keeping them moving at a faster, more interesting pace. In fact, research shows that tracking does not help advanced students–they do just as well in a mixed-ability group–but does hurt lower-ranked students. Page 10 In many districts, tracking based on test scores begins at a very early age. At every grade, low-income and minority-group students are more likely to be in the slower tracks. As a result, they are put at greater educational risk by the testing and placement process. However, many students who do not score well on tests can in fact do regular academic work. This was demonstrated recently when the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) adopted Proposition 42, which barred awarding athletic scholarships to students who did not score 700 on the SAT or 15 on the ACT. That is, the NCAA concluded that a student who scores under 700 or 15 could not do college level work. But a recent University of Michigan study found that 86 percent of the athletes who would have been denied entrance because of low test scores actually succeeded in their freshman course work. A large percentage of them went on to graduate. Evidence such as this has forced the NCAA to reconsider the wisdom of Proposition 42. It confirms, yet again, the fact that tests are extremely fallible devices for predicting how well an individual will perform. Thus testing acts as a major barrier to gaining a decent education and reduces the life-chances of many children. This barrier affects students from low-income and minority backgrounds most strongly. Facts such as these have helped create an emerging testing reform movement. Damage to the Curriculum The damage caused by testing does not stop at barring minority and low-income children from access to a quality education. Tests have also come to control the curriculum in many schools, with often-disastrous results. Several major reports issued during the past year all concluded that U.S. students are not developing “higher order thinking skills.” Research also has shown that the methods commonly used to raise standardized test scores–drill, memorization, rote learning and repetition–are counterproductive to teaching higher order skills. In preparing students to score high on the tests, teachers divert educational time and energy from the “higher order” curriculum, as well as from any nonacademic efforts. As tests have come to drive the schools, the curriculum has been “dumbed-down.” For example, basal readers often contain material of little interest to students, written in a totally dry manner using none of the language of real life or good literature. Children who score high on the tests at the end of each basal lesson are given the opportunity to read other things. But children who do not do well are given more of what did not work the first time. This simplistic and repetitive curriculum bores them and turns them off to schooling. The point is not whether children need basic skills or whether there is a role for memorization or repetition. They do, and there is. But these methods are not the essence of education and learning. Unfortunately, testing’s harmful effects on curriculum and instruction fall most heavily on those who have already been victimized by standardized tests. For too many of today’s students, especially those from low-income and minority families, schooling has been reduced to test-coaching. A Spurious Accountability Despite these flaws, testing is often defended on the grounds that it improves the ability to assess the performance of students, teachers, schools and districts, and thereby improves accountability. However, instruments as full of problems as standardized tests can never be adequate measures of educational quality. Reducing accountability to test scores provides the illusion of quality without its substance. As testing spreads and increasingly defines the content of the curriculum, decision-making power over our schools is removed from parents, teachers, and local government. Control either shifts to the testing office of the state education department or is put in the hands of the testing industry. Unlike food, drugs or transportation, the billion dollar a year testing industry operates with little public oversight or control. Moreover, as the late Oscar Buros, founder of the authoritative Mental Measurement Yearbook, lamented, “It is practically impossible for a competent test technician or test consumer to make a thorough appraisal of the construction, validation and use of standardized tests…because of the limited amount of trustworthy information supplied by the the [sic] publishers.” Advocates of standardized testing expect parents and community to leave important decisions about the lives of their children in the hands of this unregulated, unaccountable industry. Limitations of Tests Reliance on standardized tests will ensure that quality education remains unavailable to many students. Moreover, the problems of testing cannot be fixed simply by changing some of the questions or other minor tinkering. The basic structure of the standardized test means that it is an extremely limited tool for measuring learning. The typical multiple choice format prohibits measuring more than a very narrow range of student performance. In the real world, people are not given a problem designed to confuse and mislead and asked to pick the one correct answer out of four or five options. Real world problems may have more than one correct answer. Though many questions on standardized test also have more than one correct answer, the format allows for only one to be marked as “correct.” Page 12 For example, consider this question, presented by Hoover, Politzer and Taylor (in Negro Educational Review, April-July 1987, p.91 ): “Father said: Once there was a land where boys and girls never grew up. They were always growing. What was Father telling? the truth, a lie, a story.” As the authors explain, “The ‘right’ answer could be any of them. Metaphorically, it could be the ‘truth’ if the growth were mental and not physical. It could be a ‘lie’ in that the word ‘lie’ in black speech can also mean a joke or a story, and it could also be a ‘story.'” This question demonstrates how tests can penalize creative thinking or cultural diversity. It also indicates that understanding how the test maker thinks is a key to doing well on these exams. In general, standardized tests cannot measure knowledge in any complex or in-depth fashion. They often trivialize subjects in order to fit the multiple-choice, one correct answer format. They emphasize simple, memorizable definitions and formulas. And they certainly do not measure critical thinking, problem-solving skills, use of knowledge in the field, or creativity. Moreover, test reliability and validity is often inadequate for the purposes to which tests are put (see related article [Al Clayton. Issues of Reliability and Validity. Vol. 11, No. 4]). Test Bias Misuse of standardized tests is one major reasons why children from low-income and minority backgrounds are so often mix-placed on the basis of test scores. Bias in the tests themselves is another important reason. Test proponents claim that standardized exams are “objective.” However, the only thing about them that is objective is the mechanical method by which they are scored. The decisions about what academic areas to cover, what questions to put in the test, what language style to use, how difficult to make the test, and how scores are interpreted and used–all these are subjective, not objective, decisions. All can be biased. As with any human activity or product, every test is grounded in a particular culture. Contemporary U.S. society contains many cultures organized around factors such as language, regional or national origin, race and ethnicity, gender and class. Page 13 Basing a test on one culture can lead to its being biased against people from other backgrounds. Consider the following item from the WISC-R (Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children-Revised), the most widely used “IQ” test: “What is the thing to do when you cut your finger?” Two-point response: “Put a Band-Aid on it…” One point response: “…Go to the doctor (hospital)…Get it stitched up…” Zero-point response: “…Suck blood…Don’t panic…Let it bleed.” A Maryland sociologist discovered that minority children usually score low on this item. She asked youths in inner-city Baltimore why they answered the question the way they did. She found that many answered “go to the hospital” because they thought that “cut” meant a big cut. When told it was a small cut, almost every child said to use a Band-Aid. Even getting a few questions like this “wrong” can dramatically lower a child’s “intelligence” score. However, on the WISC-R as on many other tests, the problem is not one or two questions but that the cultural background built into the exams simply does not match the experiences of many children. Item selection and norming are the processes that enable individual scores to be distributed on a “normal” bell-shaped curve. In order to construct the curve, item selection and norming must be based primarily on the responses of subjects from the majority culture. As a result, all major tests in the U.S. are constructed to fit the culture of white middle to upper classes. Thus, they are biased against those who are not from that culture. Standardizing a test means standardizing bias. Assuming that a given test has some validity as a measure for the majority population, bias means that the test will not adequately measure the true abilities of people from minority groups. That means the tests will not be valid for use on minority populations. It was for reasons such as this that the California court found that “IQ” tests were biased against black children. Test-makers do not recognize that they might be measuring class or culture rather than ability or achievement, and do not grasp the fundamental nature of bias in testing. Thus, the procedures test-makers use to remove bias treat the problem as occurring only accidentally, in an occasional item, not as underlying the instrument as a whole. As a result, test-makers’ “fairness standards” fail to eradicate test bias. Deeply rooted bias is one additional Page 14 reason why standardized tests are inadequate as primary tools in educational evaluation. What Can Be Done? Test misuse and overuse threatens the educational health of our nation. But what can be done about these problems? To develop a strong educational system for all, the testing tidal wave must be fumed back. In its place, more useful, appropriate and unbiased assessments must be developed and implemented. Parents, educators and concerned citizens need to make certain that standardized, multiple-choice tests are not used to harm students or dictate the shape of education. FairTest believes that education can be improved if all testing programs are evaluated on the following principles: • Tests must be relevant. They should only be used where they can be shown to be directly helpful to educators and students. The quest to score high on standardized exams must not be allowed to drive schooling. • Tests must be open. Parents, teachers and independent evaluators should have a right to know how tests are constructed, validated and used. • Tests must be fair and unbiased. No student should be assessed based on culturally specific instruments. FairTest is working closely with groups around the nation to implement this agenda. In mid-March, FairTest convened, in Atlanta, a Southern Regional Conference on Testing Reform in the Public Schools. Civil rights, educational reform and children’s rights advocates from many Southern states attended. This conference launched the Southern Network for Testing Reform. Thus far, its major emphasis has been on repealing the use of tests on young children. For example, educators from Alabama plan to win a moratorium on all mass standardized testing through grade three. In this, they are largely following the example of North Carolina, where the Atlantic Center for Research in Education (ACRE) initiated a campaign to ban testing in grades one and two after the state mandated use of the California Achievement Test (CAT) in those grades [see sidebar]. ACRE opposed the tests because they have low reliability and validity for young children, the scores are not useful to teachers, too much time was spent on testing, and the tests began to drive the curriculum. ACRE’s testing reform initiative was joined by the 1700-member North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children. The two organizations developed a strategy of public education, watch-dogging the state’s Testing Commission, and lobbying the legislature. In time, they were joined by teacher organizations and school psychologists. In 1987, the legislature ended funding for testing in grades one and two. The following year, the state legislated an outright ban on the use of standardized achievement tests in those grades and mandated that alternative assessments be devised. These alternative evaluation tools were developed out of an analysis of the state’s curriculum and are based on child development theory. They will be introduced across the state in the fall of 1989. The movement to stop testing young children is only the beginning. While testing young children often causes the most harm, test misuse does great damage all the way through high school graduation–or non-graduation. Activists in each state and district must consider how best to combat all types of test misuse and abuse. In summary, standardized tests are being used to deprive many children of a quality education. Though the negative effect falls most heavily on young children and students from low-income and minority backgrounds, test overuse blocks the ability to improve education for all students. While many of these problems are due to misuse of the instruments, the instruments themselves are often flawed. Therefore, standardized tests should be used with great caution, and even then only with additional information about students or programs. Readers who are interested in working with others in their state on testing reform should contact FairTest. We will put you in touch with local activists, send you information, and help you initiate and develop coalitions and campaigns to end the overuse, misuse and abuse of standardized testing. Monty Neill is the Associate Director of FairTest, the National Center for Fair Open Testing. Documentation, as well as a more extensive discussion of most of the points in this article, can be found in Fallout Prom the Testing Explosion: How 100 Million Standardized Exams Undermine Equality and Excellence in America’s Public Schools, by Noe Medina and D. Monty Neill, available for $8.95 from FairTest, 342 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139; (617) 864-4810.
Actos Lawsuit Explained – Trials and Settlements [2022] Latest posts by Lindsay Pietroluongo (see all) When you’re prescribed a medication by your doctor to help treat a health problem, you expect the medication to help you get better, not worse. But when Big Pharma doesn’t provide adequate health information to the public about the proven risks of the drug, patients are more vulnerable than ever. While the cases against Takeda Pharmaceuticals regarding its drug Actos were settled years ago, it’s still an important case to understand, especially to make you aware of the not-communicated risks of any type of medication. Actos is an oral type 2 diabetes drug that helps to control blood sugar levels; it’s only intended for people with type 2 diabetes, not type 1. Actos is made by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, a company that’s come under fire for allegedly leaving out important information about the major risks of the drug. In this article, we’ll talk about the major lawsuits against Takeda Pharmaceuticals regarding Actos, and we’ll also explain some business and legal terms that will help you better understand the lawsuits. A Brief Overview of the Big Pharma Industry Big Pharma is a nickname for the worldwide pharmaceutical industry, made up of publicly traded pharmaceutical companies. Many of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies are based in the United States, such as Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Pfizer, among many others. In addition to pharmaceuticals, many Big Pharma companies have subsidiaries that create medical devices, like hip implants or syringes. The term Big Pharma takes in both pharmaceutical companies and its subsidiaries. Overall, the Big Pharma industry has had major trouble with lawsuits and scandals, including bribery and fraud issues, but many of the companies continue to operate their business. For example, Merck had a voluntary, worldwide recall of its painkiller Vioxx in 2004, four years after there was evidence of a link between the drug and major health risks. Merck’s executives had opted to not study the drug’s cardiovascular risks, and the FDA found that the drug could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. This is just one example of many Big Pharma lawsuits through the years. The Dangers of the Drug Actos In 2011, French and German drug regulators required doctors to stop prescribing Actos. This was in response to a French study that found a link between the drug and a higher risk of bladder cancer. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that Takeda Pharmaceuticals had to update the warning section of Actos to say that it could increase the risk of bladder cancer by 40 percent. That wasn’t the only health risk associated with the drug, though. Many of the others were laid out in lawsuits filed by patients, which we’ll talk about next. Actos Lawsuits Against Takeda Pharmaceuticals There have been over 10 thousand Actos lawsuits against Takeda Pharmaceuticals, accusing the company of not warning patients that the drug carried the risk of bladder cancer and heart failure. While litigation is not currently happening, there were once over 5 thousand federal cases that were part of MDL (which stands for multidistrict litigation) in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. Additionally, there were 4.5 thousand more lawsuits filed in other state courts, including those in California, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Patients and family members of patients wanted to be compensated for bone fractures, bladder cancer, chronic kidney disease, congestive heart failure, lactic acidosis and liver failure. According to many of the lawsuits, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, along with the marketer of Actos, Eli Lilly, allegedly knew about the risks of those major side effects, including bladder cancer, but did not tell the public. The Dr. Helen Ge Lawsuit Against Takeda Pharmaceuticals There was also a lawsuit against Takeda Pharmaceuticals in 2012 by a former employee, Dr. Helen Ge. Ge sued Takeda Pharmaceuticals for allegedly hiding Actos information, including side effects, from the FDA. Ge was part of Takeda Pharmaceuticals’ pharmacovigilance division, working as a safety consultant. She claimed that the company knew about Actos’ link to a dozen or more kinds of cancer but did not publicly recognize the risks. Later in 2012, the lawsuit was dismissed. This followed a judge’s order that allowed Actos patients to join the MDL by filing directly with the Louisiana court. The Terrence Allen Lawsuit Against Takeda Pharmaceuticals Terrence Allen, who had been a shopkeeper in New York, filed a lawsuit claiming that Actos had given him bladder cancer. This was the fifth case against Takeda Pharmaceuticals that went to trial, but it was the first in the MDL, which is referred to as a bellwether trial. In 2014, a jury in Louisiana awarded Allen $9 billion in punitive damages and $1.5 million in compensatory damages. Takeda Pharmaceuticals was found 75% liable, while Lilly was found 25% liable, resulting in $9 billion in punitive damages ($6 billion from Takeda Pharmaceuticals and $3 billion from Lilly). However, a judge eventually reduced this amount from $9 billion to a little under $37 million. Compensatory and Punitive Damages “Damages” is the term for the sum of money that the law requires when there’s been a violation. Damages tend to fall into two types: compensatory and punitive. Compensatory damages, also referred to as actual damages, are meant to compensate the injured party for their injury or loss. Punitive damages are awarded to the injured party for the sake of punishing the wrongdoer. Trials and Settlements Takeda Pharmaceuticals did not admit guilt regarding many of the lawsuits. However, in 2015, they did settle approximately 9 thousand claims for a total of around $2.4 billion. By September of that year, over 96% of the people who were suing Takeda Pharmaceuticals signed up to be part of the settlement. When this took place toward the end of the 2010s, it was one of the largest settlements of a Big Pharma company in United States history. Before the 2015 settlement was announced by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, nine of the cases went to trial. Juries ordered the company to pay upwards of $22 million to patients. Two of the verdicts were thrown out, but one of them was reinstated by an appeals court. When Takeda Pharmaceuticals announced that it would settle, the company’s goal was to have settlement plans with seven of the nine cases that had been tried. The seven cases were in different stages of the appeals process. Since a majority of the Actos cases were resolved with the settlement, the MDL closed in April 2018. The Appeals Process When a party loses in the trial court, they have the opportunity at another chance to win. Commonly, the losing party is allowed to appeal the decision. In the court of appeals, a time-limited oral argument – which is actually a structured discussion, not a typical argument – is allowed between the panel of judges and the appellate lawyers. The focus is on the legal principles that are part of the dispute. Each side is given around 15 minutes to present their argument. Once the court of appeals makes its decision, that’s usually the final call. However, the case can sometimes be sent back to the trial court for more proceedings, or the U.S. Supreme Court can be asked by the parties to review the case. It’s also possible that the decision will be reviewed by a larger group of judges (most often, all of the judges) of the appeals court, which is termed “reviewed en banc.” The Points Matrix The amount that claimants were awarded from the settlement was based on a points matrix. Each claimant was awarded an amount based on the criteria they met. The more points they had, they more they were awarded. Criteria included: • Age of the patient • Dosage of Actos • Duration of time on Actos • Extent of the injury or treatment • Other risk factors for bladder cancer, like smoking Also, if a patient had especially severe injuries resulting from Actos, additional money was made available to them from an Extraordinary Injury Fund. Many of the claimants who were eligible for the settlement payout were people who had bladder cancer and who used Actos for the first time before December 1, 2011, which is when the FDA instructed Takeda Pharmaceuticals to update the Actos label. West Virginia Jury Orders Takeda Pharmaceuticals to Pay $155,000 In November of 2014, jurors concluded that Takeda Pharmaceuticals officials purposely destroyed files relating to the development and marketing of the drug. A jury in West Virginia ordered Takeda Pharmaceuticals to pay $155 thousand dollars for the destruction of documents that showed the link between Actos and bladder cancer. Frequently Asked Questions Question: Are There any Active Lawsuits Against Actos? Answer: Not as of the writing of this article. There were a number of lawsuits against Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the makers of Actos, in the mid-2010s, but the company settled in 2015. Also, the FDA required Takeda Pharmaceuticals to add additional health warnings to the Actos label. A major issue in the lawsuits was that Takeda Pharmaceuticals didn’t warn patients about the side effects of the drug, namely its links to cancer and cardiovascular health. Question: When was Actos Taken off the Market? Answer: Actos was not taken off the market in the United States. The FDA required Takeda Pharmaceuticals to add a warning to the Actos label that clarified the increased risk of major side effects. In 2011, France and Germany took Actos off the market after a study showed the link between the drug and bladder cancer and heart problems. India’s government has also banned Actos. Question: Is Actos Safe to Take? Answer: Overall, Actos was approved by the FDA, meaning it’s safe and effective for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, that’s a generalization, as the drug is not safe for some people with preexisting conditions. Also, Actos is not meant to be used by people with type 1 diabetes, only type 2. You also shouldn’t use Actos if you have diabetic ketoacidosis, which is when there’s too high of an amount of acid in your blood. Certain conditions, like congestive heart failure or liver failure, may get worse if you take Actos. The drug can also have bad interactions with certain medications. It’s important to talk to your doctor about your health history and the medications you’re on before taking Actos. Recommended Reads: Leave a Comment Your email address will not be published. Scroll to Top
How To Change A BeReal Emoji share to other networks share to twitter share to facebook How To Change A BeReal Emoji Have no idea how to change a BeReal emoji? We've got you covered! It is as easy as changing your BeReal username. Since the BeReal app is relatively new, users are struggling to figure out things like how to retake a BeReal post or how to make BeReal public. Changing a BeReal emoji is another tricky thing. So, if you're looking for a way to change one of your BeReal emojis, keep reading! Here we're going to go over the process for changing a BeReal emoji. How To Change A BeReal Emoji BeReal doesn't have an option to retake an emoji once it has been saved. However, you can delete the emoji and take a new one, which is almost the same as retaking it. To change a BeReal emoji, here is what you need to do. 1. Tap on the emoji icon at the bottom right of any BeReal post. 2. Tap and hold the RealMoji you wish to change. An x icon will appear on it. 3. Tap on the RealMoji again. On Android, select Confirm to delete it. On iPhone, tap Delete. 4. Now you can take a new RealMoji. Tap on the RealMoji to capture a new one as you would normally do. That's it! Easy, right? Now that you have learned how to change a BeReal emoji, how about enriching your BeReal knowledge by learning how to see BeReal without posting and how to delete a BeReal post twice? How To Delete A RealMoji From A BeReal Post It's actually pretty easy to delete a RealMoji from a BeReal. However, the unintuitive UI of the app is making it hard for some users. No worries! We'll walk you through how to do it. 1. Find the BeReal post and tap on your RealMoji at the bottom left. 2. On your iPhone, tap on your username and select Remove my RealMoji to delete it. On Android, tap and hold your username and select Delete. Job done! Now you can capture a new RealMoji and react to the BeReal post - if you wish to. By the way, do you want to know the BeReal time for today or how to take two pictures on BeReal? We've got the scoop on that here.
This may get lost in the rhetoric over how this all happened, but I think I remember it pretty well. President Trump took the advice from Anthony Fauci and recommended that people stay home for fourteen days, two weeks, so we could flatten the curve. President Trump being considerate to the Christian community was hoping that we could accomplish this before Easter Sunday. The curve didn’t flatten, and outbreaks in New York, New Jersey, and Seattle pushed the panic button. The president contacted the state governors and told them to decide for themselves how they were going to address the problem, and he would back them up with the necessary equipment, and PPE. Suddenly, Nancy Pelosi disappears from public view for a couple of weeks. Almost simultaneously the governors announce severe lock downs like no one has seen in modern history. Business was stopped in it’s tracks, millions of people lost their jobs overnight. There was no scientific data to warrant such drastic measures. Very little was really known about the virus at that point in time. People were scratching their heads trying to make sense of closing down small businesses and allowing big box stores to stay open servicing hundreds of customers daily. Churches were closed but liquor stores were open. Restaurants were closed but pot shops were open. Elective surgeries were cancelled but abortion clinics were doing a booming business as usual. None of it makes sense until you start looking behind the curtains where the liars are hiding. No one will ever convince me otherwise, that while Looney Nancy was AWOL, she was rallying her troops, the blue state governors and mayors to help her tank the economy. I’m sure she was telling them Trumps approval ratings were at an all time high and the economy is on fire. The Dems have a really weak candidate. The only way we are going to take back the White House is to kill the economy. If you help me she says, I will make sure you are rewarded well from a massive stimulus bill. Which by the way, she proposed such a bill the minute she returned to D.C. It was looking like the public was on to the scheme and cracks were starting to appear in the plan. Then a miracle happened, a white cop killed a black man. What a break, the Democrats hit pay dirt. The mobs showed up and started looting and burning entire neighborhoods, the riots were going be the death knell to the economy that Bill Maher, and Nutty Nancy have been praying for. The Democrats have not one time, urged the rioters to stop burning and looting. The Democrat Governors and mayors are refusing help from the National Guard. They say they can handle it on their own. They are saying this while people are getting killed, maimed, and whole neighborhoods are going up in smoke. They are throwing the public to the wolves, in order to win back the presidency and get that pesky Donald Trump out of office before he ruins the whole rotten set up. Every single word that is uttered from the mouth of a Democrat is a lie. They are delighted to do everything possible to drive bigger and bigger wedges between the blacks and whites. They want the discord to grow to cause social upheaval. They are at their best when everything is in disarray, then they claim they know how to fix the problems they created. I have to admit, I am very concerned, now more than ever before, for the following reasons. This is an assault on civilization by some very clever actors. It’s also a collaboration between a primarily black organization and a primarily white organization. It’s unclear who the financial backers are at this point, but they are making sure these groups are well funded. Before is was obvious there were a lot of locals running helter skelter setting things on fire and grabbing whatever loot they could get their hands on. This is different, everyone is carrying a hand held communication device, and they can receive orders from a central commander on what to hit next, and where the police are concentrated. They can create diversions, to allow a more complete hit on a major retailer like Saks Fifth Ave. or Maceys. The authorities would benefit greatly by shutting down cell service during these attacks. The calamity and confusion caused by the riots are also a great opportunity for Islamic terrorists, or any other fringe factor to operate in. There are car theft rings taking advantage of the rioting, a $330,000.00 Rolls Royce SUV was stolen from a New York City dealer yesterday. In California, the car thieves stole forty high end luxury cars from a single dealership. These riots are causing a complete breakdown in law and order and the Democrats are cheering it on. To what extent are the Democrats willing to go, to regain power? That is a question you need to ask yourself when you are in the voting booth. So in closing, think about this, states are still urging people to social distance, wear masks, and all sorts of ridiculous things, including only having 50% of the tables operating in restaurants, and they refuse to take the necessary steps to quell the rioting and looting. The mayors and police and other leaders are kneeling down in front of the protesters, the ultimate sign of capitulation and humiliation, while they impose utterly stupid regulations on law abiding citizens. Do you still think you are living in America, the Land Of The Free and the Home Of the Brave? It’s looking more and more like they are going to have to retire that slogan. As for me, the only one I bow to is The Lord Jesus Christ, I will bow to no man, or no government. One more thing, I was born Caucasian 99% European. I am proud of my heritage. Europeans are responsible for the bulk of the world’s greatest inventions, creations, buildings, bridges, medicine, and civilization. My family were all working folks, farmers, mechanics, and the like. None of my family ever owned a slave, and were never responsible for mistreating other human beings. I have absolutely no guilt about who I am. As far as white privilege, I had to work for every single thing I have, sometimes two jobs to take care of my family. Nobody ever gave me a damn thing. So you can take your white privilege crap and put it where the sun don’t shine. Screw you and the horse you rode in on. If I am bowing in front of you, it’s to steady my aim. Smile and wait for the flash. Leave a Reply You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change ) Twitter picture Facebook photo Connecting to %s
FA WR Sammy Watkins Leaves Baltimore Visit Without Signing A Contract, But Remains In Play Sammy Watkins Chiefs The Baltimore Ravens reportedly offered Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster a one-year contract worth $9 million that also included $4 million in incentives. The guaranteed value was only $1 million more than what he agreed to with Pittsburgh, but without knowledge of what the incentives are, it’s hard to ascertain how likely he would have been to earn some of that extra $4 million. But this isn’t about comparing Smith-Schuster’s various offers and whether or not his decision to stay with the Steelers was really about love for the team. This is about the Ravens’ legitimate efforts to land a wide receiver. They had also previously made a push for Kenny Golladay, who signed a big deal with the New York Giants. More recently, they just hosted Sammy Watkins, though he left without signing a deal. It’s unclear if that was a decision on their part, or if Watkins simply wanted to hear out the other teams with whom he had lined up meetings. Golladay cancelled a visit that he had previously scheduled after signing with New York. One of the narratives that has developed over the past year or two was the idea that wide receivers will not want to play for the Ravens because of their focus on the running game, which includes the quarterback, Lamar Jackson, who has the three highest totals of rushing attempts of any quarterback in a single season in NFL history—in his first three seasons. The narrative was strong enough that it has gotten back to the Ravens in the form of reporters asking head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Eric DeCosta about it, and whether or not they had any concerns about their ability to attract free agents at the position. It’s understandable, though, why Smith-Schuster would have turned down a deal that was worth a maximum of $14 million in such a weak market. It’s reasonable that Golladay signed on for the $18 million per year that he got. Given their interest in some of the biggest available names, however, it seems clear that the Ravens really would like to secure the talents of a veteran wide receiver in free agency. We’ll see what happens for Watkins, as he meets with other teams, but there are some other possibilities. T.Y. Hilton is one, the long-time member of the Indianapolis Colts. They could sign Antonio Brown, about whom they have talked openly in the past. But after that, and Watkins, you’re really running pretty thin in terms of who remains available. Which means the Ravens had better hope they have better luck with the position in the draft than they normally do. To Top error: Alert: Content is protected !!
Data Availability StatementAll data generated or analyzed in this research are one of them published content or can be found through the corresponding writer on reasonable demand Data Availability StatementAll data generated or analyzed in this research are one of them published content or can be found through the corresponding writer on reasonable demand. of Gln rate of metabolism, mainly because regulated by Gln ROS and intermediates. Thus, overall, the results of the scholarly research demonstrate that Gln promotes the proliferation from the Gln-dependent bladder tumor cell range, T24, by supplementing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) creation and neutralizing ROS to activate the STAT3 pathway. (13) suggested that Gln activates sign transducer and activator Trolox of transcription 3 (STAT3) to regulate tumor cell proliferation, of its activity like a metabolic gas or ROS scavenger Trolox independently. The overactivation of STAT3, a proteins within the cytoplasm that’s in conjunction with the tyrosine phosphorylation signaling pathway, leads to aberrant cell apoptosis and proliferation, and promotes tumor formation and advancement (14,15). It really is popular that STAT3 can be triggered through phosphorylation on Y705 or S727, and it binds to extracellular signaling protein. The triggered proteins could be translocated towards the nucleus, where they bind towards the promoters of genes involved with cell success, cell cycling, invasion, migration and angiogenesis (16). Consequently, we wanted to determine if the features of Gln rate of metabolism in the bladder tumor cell range, T24, are in keeping with the systems suggested by Cacace (13). Existing study on the systems by which Gln promotes the proliferation of bladder tumor cells remains insufficient. Strategies and Components Cells and reagents The bladder tumor cell range, T24, purchased through the Cell Bank from the Chinese language Academy of Sciences, was regularly cultured in RPMI-1640 moderate (BI) including 2 g/l blood sugar and 300 mg/l Gln. The assay moderate was revised Eagle’s moderate (BI) without blood sugar or Gln reconstituted with 2 g/l of blood sugar. Both media had been supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and 1% penicillin and streptomycin. The cells had been expanded at 37C inside a humidified 5% CO2 atmosphere. L-Gln (Sigma-Aldrich), D-(+)-blood sugar (Sigma-Aldrich), 0-100 (18). The assay buffer was blended with the substrate at space temp lightly, and the combined reagent (100 (23) discovered that Gln deprivation affected the proliferation prices of many bladder tumor cell lines, like the T24 and UM-UC-3 lines. In this scholarly study, the T24 cell proliferation prices were positively associated with the Gln concentrations. Compared with that in the Gln(+) group, the proportion of cells in the S phase was much higher in the Gln(-) group. In response to Gln deprivation, K-Ras-driven cancer cells can arrest in either the S or G2/M phase due to insufficient nucleotide biosynthesis (24-26). Aspartate, which is essential for nucleotide biosynthesis, is produced in a transamination reaction catalyzed by GOT2. Therefore, in the absence of Gln, a lack of aspartate for the GOT2 catalytic reaction leads to replication stress due to insufficient nucleotides, which may be the cause of the S phase arrest observed in this study. Consistent with this hypothesis, S phase arrest can be overcome by Trolox providing cells with -ketoglutarate and aspartic acid (24). To confirm the direct association between Gln and bladder cancer, T24 cell proliferation was further examined by using the Gln analog, Don. Compared to Gln alone [in Rabbit Polyclonal to CDC25C (phospho-Ser198) the Gln(+) group], Don markedly inhibited the proliferation of the T24 cells and significantly decreased the protein expression of the key enzymes, GLS and GLUD1, which participate in Gln metabolism. Cancer cells undergo metabolic transformation to meet their increased anabolic demand for glycolytic and TCA cycle intermediates to synthesize important biomolecules required for cell growth. The key to this metabolic transformation is the mitochondrial excretion of. Comments are closed. Post Navigation
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Google Ads (AdWords) Data Connector Setting Up Google Ads (AdWords) Quick Details Data Connector Technology API (Google Ads API v10) Data breakdown (segmentation) In the default configuration, your data is broken down by: • Country • Campaign • Sub Campaign (Ad Group) • Sub Ad Network (Ad Network Type). To choose a different configuration, see Data Mapping below. How far back we pull data Every day, Singular pulls data from 7 days back. Once a week on Mondays, Singular pulls data from 30 days back. Time zone Defined by the customer in Google settings, per account Is data available on the creative (ad) level? Yes Does Singular show your creative assets? Yes (excluding YouTube videos, which Singular only shows thumbnails for) Known Limitations • Country granularity is not available for creatives. • In creative reports, the Installs metric is not available at asset granularity (you can't run a report showing the number of installs per asset). Data Mapping You can get your data in one of several breakdown configurations, each providing a different set of dimensions and each with its own advantages and limitations. • The default configuration is Country. To choose a different one, contact Singular support. • The Metro (DMA) configuration is only useful for US-based advertising, (DMA information is only available in the US). If some or all of your campaigns operate outside of the US, use the City configuration instead. • The Keyword and Publisher configurations do not include data for UAC campaigns due to Google Ads API limitations. • While the Keyword and Publisher configurations do not include country or other location dimensions, Singular may be able to provide the country based on the targeted countries settings. Tips on terminology: • Singular’s Creative corresponds to Google Ads’ Ad. • Singular’s new Asset dimension corresponds to Google Ads’ Asset. We have added this new level of granularity because in Google, some types of ads, such as UAC (mobile app) ads, contain multiple assets. • For descriptions on all the fields in Singular reporting, see the Singular Metrics and Dimensions Glossary. Country Metro (DMA) City Keyword Keyword+Quality Score Publisher Shopping Video Field in Singular UI Field in Singular API Field in Google Country Breakdown Account ID adn_account_id Account Name adn_account_name customer.descriptiveName App Site ID app_site_id campaign.appCampaignSetting.appId Asset ID asset_id Asset Name asset_name (for assets of type Video we use “asset.youtubeVideoAsset.youtubeVideoTitle”) Campaign URL adn_campaign_url ad.finalUrl if not available, then ad.trackingUrlTemplate Country country_field geographicView.countryCriterionId Creative Format creative_format ad.type Creative ID creative_id Creative Name creative_name Creative Reported URL creative_reported_url Date date_field Final URL final_url campaign.finalUrls OR adGroupCriterion.finalUrls OR Network Campaign ID adn_campaign_id Network Campaign Name adn_campaign_name Network Creative ID adn_creative_id Network Creative Name adn_creative_name Network Sub Campaign ID adn_sub_campaign_id Network Sub Campaign Name adn_sub_campaign_name OS os campaign.appCampaignSetting.appStore Platform platform A combination of campaign.appCampaignSetting.appStore and segments.device Public Id site_public_id campaign.appCampaignSetting.appId Retargeting retention campaign.advertisingChannelSubType == ‘APP_CAMPAIGN_FOR_ENGAGEMENT_’ Sub Ad Network adn_subadnetwork segments.adNetworkType Target Countries target_countries_str See country Text creative_text To create this field, we take any available text fields in the ad, which may differ based on the ad type. E.g., for UAC, the field in Google Ads is asset.textAsset.text. If there is more than one text (e.g. headline + description), we concatenate them into one string. Timezone adn_timezone customer.timeZone (Singular receives time data from Adwords in the client's timezone and converts it to UTC.) Tracking URL tracking_url Cost adn_cost metrics.costMicro Network Clicks adn_clicks metrics.clicks Network Impressions adn_impressions metrics.impressions Network Installs adn_installs metrics.conversions / metrics.allConversions Original Cost adn_original_cost metrics.costMicro Original Currency adn_original_currency customer.currencyCode Video Views video_views metrics.videoViews Completed Video Views completed_video_views metrics.video_quartile_p100_rate Video Views - 25% video_views_25pct metrics.video_quartile_p25_rate Video Views - 50% video_views_50pct metrics.video_quartile_p50_rate Video Views - 75% video_views_75pct metrics.video_quartile_p75_rate Special Setup Instructions See the Data Connectors FAQ for general information about setting up a data connector. When you set up the AdWords data connector you are asked to log in using a Google Ads account. We highly recommend signing in with a Google Ads Manager account (previously known as an MCC account). A Google Manager account (MCC) gives us access to all your advertising accounts at once. Then you can pick and choose from the list which accounts you want to include in your Singular reports. If you don't use a Manager account (MCC), you will have to add a separate data connector for each advertising account. To locate your customer ID (for both manager and individual accounts): 1. Log into your Google Ads account. 2. Click the help icon in the top right corner. 3. Find Customer ID at the bottom of the menu. Conversion Events In addition to the default metrics in the table above, Singular can pull any metrics that you need from Google Ads and display their stats in your Singular reports. To get these additional metrics, you need to set them up as conversion events in Singular: 1. In Singular, go to Settings > Events. If you have both Custom Events and Conversion Events tabs, select Conversion Events. 2. Click New Event. 3. In the AdWords dropdown, you will see a list of the metrics available from AdWords. You can map each activity into a separate Singular event or combine multiple metrics into a single event. The next day, when Singular pulls daily data for your account, it will pull these activities' stats as well. 4. After Singular has populated the new conversion event(s) with some data, when you run a report in the Reports page, choose the conversion event(s) from the Events dropdown. FAQ and Troubleshooting How do I find my Manager account ID (MCC ID)? 1. Log into your Google Ads account. 2. Click the help icon in the top right corner. 3. Find Customer ID at the bottom of the menu. For more information, see About Google Ads Manager Accounts in Google's documentation. Why am I unable to authenticate my Google Ads Manager account? In your Google Ads Manager account, go to Settings > Network Settings. Ensure that you've toggled on API access. Then attempt to re-authenticate your Google Ads Manager account in Singular. Why do I sometimes still see country data in the report, even if I'm using a different breakdown? When you use a breakdown that doesn't provide country information, Singular tries to provide country granularity anyway, by looking at the campaign targeting settings in Google and/or tracker data (if we have it): 1. If the campaign is targeted at one country, we'll show that country in the report. 2. If there are multiple countries targeted, and we also have tracker data for the same campaign, we'll estimate the cost per country based on the ratio of installs per country in the tracker data. See How is the Cost metric calculated per country? How does Singular pull Network Installs for AdWords campaigns? Google Ads tracks different types of what it calls “conversion actions” - including app downloads, user sign-ups, purchases, and more. By default, since most of our customers are interested in app installs, we pull conversions of the type download and show their metrics in the Network Installs field in our reports. Note: Network Installs is a metric in Singular that reflects the number of installs reported by the ad network - not to be confused with Installs, which is usually based on data from the attribution tracker. For Adwords, Network Installs is the number of "first_open" conversions reported by Adwords. When you build a report query, you can select Network Installs in the Source Metrics section. See What are Source Metrics? for more information. Does Singular pull creatives from AdWords? Yes, Singular pulls creative metrics as well as the creatives themselves (images, texts, videos, etc.). This is true whether you use the old version of the AdWords integration or the new one. However, only the new integration shows creatives for UAC campaigns. What is a "creative" in the AdWords context? What is the difference between a “creative” and an “asset”? Singular’s Creative corresponds to Google Ads’ Ad. Note: Due to a Google Ads API limitation, you currently can't see Installs broken down by asset, only by creative. In other words, if you run a report that includes the Asset ID or Asset Name dimensions, you can see other metrics, but not installs. What Google ad types does Singular support? Singular supports the following Google ad types: Ad Type Ad Asset(s) Included Text Image Video Expanded Text Expanded Dynamic Search Shopping Product Shopping Smart Call Only HTML5 Upload Dynamic HTML5 Responsive Search Legacy Responsive Search Legacy App Install Responsive Display App (UAC) App Engagement (UAC - deep linked ads) Note: Google's name for the ad type (“App Engagement”, “Responsive Search” etc.) does not appear in your Singular reports. The Creative Type dimension you see in your reports is unrelated - it shows whether the creative is an image, text, or video. I am pulling the country breakdown. Why do I see rows without country information? This can happen when there are discrepancies between the data that Google provides in different endpoints for the same campaigns. When Singular pulls data from the Google Ads API, it performs the following steps: 1. Pulls data in your selected breakdown from the corresponding Google Ads API endpoint, in this case - the location_view endpoint, which provides country information. 2. Pulls data for the same campaigns from Google's campaign endpoint to get the full metrics. 3. Compares the metrics for each campaign and if necessary, adds a row to align the data. See the illustration below for an example. Note that the campaign-level data is considered the source of truth. Why can’t I see videos in my creative reports? Google’s privacy policy does not allow us to download YouTube videos. Therefore, for video creatives, we include the video thumbnail + a link to the video on YouTube. What can't I see Media Bundles in my creative reports? A Media Bundle is another type of creative, along with "Image", "Text", and "Video". If any of your ad creatives are media bundles, you will be able to see metrics for these creatives, but not the creative itself, because the Google Ads API does not provide the creative. Why is the Creative Name dimension not always available? For UAC creatives, Google does not provide a name, only an ID.
The basic product type you can use in X-Cart are regular products. You can enhance standard products with extra features to sell e-goods, services, pins, and subscriptions. Each new product type is activated via enabling a relevant add-on in the X-Cart App Store. With all possible extensions, X-Cart supports the following types of products: There are several ways to add products to your store. For example, you can use the built-in add/edit tool to manually create products one by one in the store Admin area. Alternatively, you can upload products to your store in bulk using a CSV-formatted file. There’s also an option for some X-Cart versions to migrate your product catalog from another platform to X-Cart using a migration app. Related pages: Did this answer your question?
Meinhard is amongst the alot more notable of them cases Because the conveyed more than, the latest fiduciary layout anxieties methods out-of habits that must be ascribed to help you by the those carrying command over brand new welfare out of other people from inside the specific socially and you will economically called for otherwise extremely important relations off large believe and depend on. These foundational fiduciary thinking-which i have previously explained when you look at the a young blog post since the «holy grail» off fiduciary laws (152)–disagree notably away from people existing within deal, tort, and you may unjust enrichment. Rather than the newest fiduciary build, these types of latter forms of civil obligation, «even if substantively conscious of equity, are not on the any equivalent symbolic mention of the what is actually simply.» (153) Warren Seavey and you may Austin Scott also claim that when you’re price and you can tort work at «wrong and you can harm», restitution are premised up on the reason for reaching fairness. (154) Although they mean that the newest fiduciary style is additionally predicated abreast of achieving fairness, it stress that forms of fairness sought from the fiduciary build disagree significantly of those pursued because of the restitution. (155) Fiduciary rules is even capable best couples seeking men hookup sites supplement or complete holes in this what the law states out of civil responsibility where expected; for this reason, with the ability to enhance an average legislation where it is deficient or where its lack of self-reliance can result in the latest assertion away from justice Despite brand new Best Judge out of Canada’s greeting of the idea off good faith just like the an effective foundational ability off package rules in Bhasin, (157) there can be a strong root rationale as to the reasons the new fiduciary design wants more than just what contract law or even the stability of average company practices you are going to dictate, as Chief Fairness Cardozo teaches you when you look at the Meinhard, that’s talked about below. The worth of the fresh lease ranged ranging from $350,100000 and you will $475,100000 (as compared to a worth of $55,000 underneath the Bristol Resorts book finalized inside 1902) Actually, equitable concepts such as fiduciary laws arrive at beyond the average laws for their willingness in order to extrapolate outside of the common-law compliment of principles designed to lay official decision-making far more solidly inside framework. That it goal is completed, no less than in part, as a consequence of equity’s emphasis on the human being section of relations together with types of affairs regarding personal relations instead of just their courtroom component. Which focus encourages equity’s ability to address different things by emphasizing the law’s soul and intention, besides the strict or restrictive software. The latest heart and you can intention of your own fiduciary concept be crisper whenever investigating just how so it spirit and you can intent was delivered to lives because of their application during the particular instances when it requires centre stage. The latest landous case amongst the applying of fiduciary values, exceeding probably the seminal matter-of Keech. It can be one of the leading providers law times in American legislation. Past any doubt, it’s the frequently cited and eloquent exposition out-of fiduciary law’s foundational goal. In the case, Chief Fairness Cardozo produces full access to equity’s novel methods to help you styles good situationally-appropriate result that’s in line with fiduciary law’s mandate and the equities dictated by the issues, in spite of the existence of barriers that can has or even restricted such as for example an outcome. Into the 1902, combined venturers Morton Meinhard and you can Walter J. Fish engaged in a corporate suggestion to develop property when you look at the Nyc. Fish stored a great twenty-season lease to the Bristol Hotel and you may subsequently registered on the a keen contract having Meinhard to fund its renovation. In regards to its agreement, Salmon encountered the best capacity to «carry out, book, underlet and you may services» the house. (158) If the rent drew close their avoid, Elbridge Gerry, the owner of the hotel, planned to go into a long-term lease since the Bristol Resort and lots of adjacent properties. He designed to destroy the existing buildings and you may redevelop the complete website. Fish wasn’t Gerry’s basic selection for that it endeavor, but he had been incapable of select an eager companion. Less than five days through to the stop of the Bristol Hotel book, Gerry contacted Salmon which have a proposal into the redevelopment. Eventually, an excellent twenty-season lease for the whole tract (with possible renewals having a further eighty years) try granted towards the Midpoint Realty Team, an entity subject to Fish. (159) Deja una respuesta
Wage costs losses Wage costs losses Wage costs losses are the losses that you incur as an employer due to having to pay your employee’s wages during his illness. In some cases you can recover your wage costs losses from a third party. This applies where your employee has become incapacitated as a result of an accident for which the person who caused the accident can be held liable. For example, you may be able to recover wage costs losses if your employee is involved in a traffic accident or a violent crime. The person liable for the occurrence of the traffic accident or the violent crime should compensate not only your employee but also his employer. The possibility of making such a claim is based on Article 6:107a, part 2 of the Dutch Civil Code: "If an employer (…) is required to continue the payment of wages to the injured person during sickness or incapacity to work and the injured person’s incapacity to work is the result of an event for which another person is liable, then the employer is entitled to claim compensation from this other person in the amount of the wages he has paid, but not exceeding the sum for which the liable person would have been liable if the employer had not had an obligation to continue to pay wages to the injured person, being an amount equal to the compensatory damages that the liable person is bound to pay to the injured person." This provision means that in such situations the amount claimed cannot exceed the net wages paid to the employee. If, as an employer, you want to recover these wage costs losses, it helps if your employee is prepared to cooperate. This is because you will need quite a lot of medical data for your employee. After all, you will have to prove that the employee’s incapacity to work was directly related to the unlawful action (for example the traffic accident or violent crime) by the person you are making a claim against. It is also useful to assess in advance the financial situation of the person who is liable, in terms of income and capital. It would be a waste of time, energy and costs to discover after a difficult court case that the person liable did not have the financial means to actually pay the compensation. Liability as a result of a traffic accident is usually covered by an insurer, so in that case any compensation awarded is likely to be recoverable. You can find more specific information about the recovery of sums awarded in court judgments under Debt Collection. Information required If you are an employer and would like an assessment of your legal options and the risks involved, you will need the following information and documents: • the employment contract and any applicable collective employment agreement • a specification of the net wage costs losses on a month-by-month basis • pay slips for the period for which wage costs losses are claimed • an extract containing the details of your company’s registration in the commercial register at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce • the name and address of the party who is liable • in the case of a traffic accident: if possible, a completed and signed accident report form • in the case of a violent crime: if possible, the complete police report • if available: a guilty judgment from the magistrates’ court • if the party liable is not known: date, time and location of the accident • medical reports (and progress reports) from the occupational health doctor • the names and addresses of the medical professionals treating the employee • the name and address of the employee’s GP • documents granting authority to obtain medical records signed by your employee (the same number as the number of medical treatment professionals indicated plus 1 for the occupational health doctor and 1 for the GP) • any correspondence with the employee and/or the party liable. Are you looking for legal support ?
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Wisconsin: Elective passthrough entity tax regime enacted December 21, 2018 Legislation has been enacted in Wisconsin to allow entities treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes—and S corporations—to elect to pay tax at the entity level. Senate Bill 883 was signed into law on December 14, 2018. The election to pay tax at the entity level is available if consent is obtained from the persons who hold more than 50% of the capital and profits of a partnership or shares of an S corporation. With this consent, the partnership or S corporation may elect to be taxed at the entity level at an income tax rate of 7.9% of net income reportable to Wisconsin (the 7.9% rate is higher than the top marginal individual income tax rate of 7.65%). The election must be made annually on or before the due date, or the extended due date if applicable, of the entity’s return. If the owners decide to revoke an election, that revocation must also occur on or before the due date, or the extended due date if applicable, of the entity’s return. KPMG observation The general effect of making the election is that the income would be taxed at the entity level—and not taxed again at the individual level because the individual owners will be allowed to subtract from their Wisconsin adjusted gross income, the owner’s share of income or gain from the partnership or S corporation. A particular owner who receives a loss or deduction allocation from a partnership or S corporation would need to add back these amounts. Read a December 2018 report [PDF 38 KB] prepared by KPMG LLP Privacy \| Legal
Basic of C language • C is a basic programming language and most commonly used programming language. • C is known as structured high level language. • C programming language is purely a procedural oriented language because it is mainly focuses on the procedures in which we write the program. • C first developed by Dennis Ritchie at At and T bell Laboratory in US. • We write c program to perform different task and their is a compiler which checks and execute the program and produce the output. C program structure : As we write the code in c. Their is some well defined structure to write code which is as follow. 123456#include<stdio.h>//include external filesvoid main(){//Code} In above c program structure first line is a preprocessor directives files. Preprocessor directives file: These are the first statement of c code. Preprocessor directives tells the compiler to include the standard input and output file. ( or which is used to include the library files such as standard input and output file) Second, is the external files after library file we include the external files to our program. Then the actual start of our program void main() indicates the starting point of program from which the code execution starts.void states that this method does not return anything, main indicated its main method and the () indicates that function does not accept anything (sometimes main accepts parameters) The curly braces { } is used to bind our all code statements. Writing first program: 123456#include<stdio.h>void main() { printf(“Programming in c “); } In above our first program First line includes the input and output library. during #include preprocessor tells the compiler to include the i/o library in program. Second line is the start of the program from which execution starts . next is our program statement printf is the function which is used to output the statement to the screen, the semicolon after the printf function indicates the end of the statement. The output of the above program is : Programming in c Leave a Comment Your email address will not be published.
THE COLUMN: In the Ukraine Proxy War, What Price Victory? "Victory has a thousand fathers," said John F. Kennedy, "but defeat is an orphan." By that measure, America is running a military establishment that more closely resembles an overpopulated Dickensian sweat shop than a modern war machine. Indeed, it's been so long since the United States has won a war -- back when the War Department still existed, in fact -- that hardly any living American knows what "victory" means any more. But what difference does it make? This man's army is now the province of pregnant females, transsexuals, and born-male admirals in skirts. No wonder it can't fight. But whose army can? As it happens, today is "Victory Day" in the former Soviet Union, marking the defeat of the Wehrmacht by the Red Army under Stalin and Marshal Zhukov in 1945. The occasion will be marked in Russia by strutting military parades, of the good old-fashioned Soviet kind, but minus the, you know, victory. With Russia tied down in its slog against Plucky Little Ukraine, the hollow nature of what was once the world's most formidable land army has now been laid bare for all to see. Accordingly, Vladimir Putin is now at a crossroads: to go all in, including the use of tactical or other nuclear weapons, or to withdraw in defeat? Since his grasp on power wouldn't survive the second option, betting the collective farms and the tractor factories of his youth in the U.S.S.R. is the only path open to him, absent some kind of deus ex machina who magically appears and somehow restores the status quo ante. And even then, we're right back where we started. Where it ended: May 8, 1945. As I remarked on Facebook the other day (the fascists at Twitter having closed that platform to me for the past two years for no reason they can adequately explain), I'd sleep more easily at night if I thought that a single member of the Biden administration or the "Defense" Department establishment had read War and Peace, a poem by Pushkin, or taken in a performance of Tchaikovsky's opera, Eugene Onegin. The least we could expect from our crack team of diplomats and REMFs is that they know what or where the Third Rome is, or the story of the conversion of the Kievan Rus, or how deep the roots of the Orthodox Church run in the Muslim-desecrated occupation of the Church of Holy Wisdom and the ruins of Constantinople and the Eastern Roman Empire. But no, that would be asking too much of the credentialed empty suits who prowl the corridors of "Defense" or State and see the world through the partisan lenses of the JFK School of Government-- which basically comes down to, what have you done for me lately? Not to mention, had read Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, heard a live performance of Shostakovich's Fifth or Seventh ("Leningrad") symphonies, or seen either Prokofiev's The Fiery Angel or Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at least once in their miserable, Harvard-educated lives. Then, perhaps, they might catch a glimpse, or hear an echo, of the Russian soul, as in this memorably manic scene from the Shostakovich opera's third act, when a shabby peasant in search of booze stumbles upon Zinovy's body hidden in the wine-cellar and the orchestra explodes in an orgy of pent-up, violent hysteria: But no, that would be too much to ask. Far better to commit the characteristic American sin of regarding all the rest of the world's peoples, cultures, and nations as the rough equivalent, albeit inferior, of our own, and expecting that their savage denizens will react in the same way to the same carrot-and-stick stimuli as our own peasants do. After all, as we learned in Vietnam, inside every benighted foreigner is an American screaming to get out. Why, just look at the southern border! On the other hand, it would provide a clue to the members of Biden war party why Putin launched his attack on the Ukraine and what he hopes to gain from it. It is wise to remember that this is a man who saw his country shot out from underneath him between 1989 and 1991, and his world turned upside down. Imagine an American politician who witnessed Texas and the southwest being handed back to Mexico and the disputed Oregon Country returned to British Canada in the wake of a catastrophic military defeat or governmental collapse. Slowly, Putin has been trying to piece together the old Mother Russia, at least as he understands it, which means off-loading the 'stans, neutralizing the Georgians and the Armenians, but reuniting Slavic lands such as Ukraine and Belarus (already firmly in his camp), and eyeing the Baltics as well. His alliance with the Russian Orthodox Church at least gives him a religious fig leaf in his quest to resurrect the Third Rome and motivate his demographically dying country with dreams of past and possibly future glory. The Kremlin's allies once more. The bigger, more important question, however, is this: why are the Clinton-Obama-Biden Democrats trying to make the conflict in the Ukraine into a proxy war against Russia? Why, knowing of Putin's increasing desperation to finish the job, have they given him no diplomatic way out? Why instead have they pushed an obsolete NATO right up to his borders, when if there's one thing that makes Russians crazy it's territorial encroachment from the west? Just ask Napoleon how that worked out for him. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization won its war against the U.S.S.R. at the end of 1991 when the Soviet Union was dissolved on Christmas Day. Accordingly, it has no further reason for existence and should have been dissolved itself decades ago. As Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, reported to the combined Allied chiefs of staff upon General Jodl's surrender: "The mission of this Allied Force was fulfilled at 0241, local time, May 7th, 1945." Short and sweet. But don't forget the exception to every rule: a bureaucracy, especially the demon child of the military-industrial complex, will never willingly commit suicide. And so NATO has staggered on, expanding rather than contracting, waving the Russian flag as a kind of bogeyman/talisman in order to keep its coffers full and its officers well-fed. The fact is that the Russians -- the Democrats' favorite allies right up to the minute they cast off Communism! -- needed to be maintained as a threat. And so, in the direct aftermath of her 2016 election loss, Hillary Clinton and her flying monkeys in the media concocted the so-called "Russian collusion" hoax, which is only just beginning to finally unravel in the courts now. In the meantime, the Biden forces, hell-bent on finishing the job of "fundamental transformation" of the country that Barack Hussein Obama was just too lazy to complete, are doing everything they can to provoke a shooting war with Putin's Russia. "A weakened Russia" is one of the administration's explicit goals, as the current secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, has declared. And while the administration has denied it, it does appear that the U.S. has been sharing intelligence regarding the targeting of Russian military commanders and other high-value targets -- which is an overt act of war and no doubt is regarded as such by Putin and his officers. And that is very dangerous, especially since they have nowhere else to go. Many in the American commentariat were on record right up to the moment that Putin sent in his tanks that the Russians wouldn't dare invade; I was convinced he would, on historical and revanchist grounds. Once he did, most expected an easy rollover. What followed was not so much surprise at the rusty Russians' lack of military capability (armies that are not used disintegrate; armies that never know victory are easily demoralized) but the alacrity with which the U.S. and most of Western Europe sprang into action. Sanctions flew, signs sprouted, and the propaganda machine immediately cranked into overdrive, elevating the comedian-president of one of the most corrupt nations in Europe -- and the Bidens' private piggy bank -- to Churchillian status almost overnight with a unanimity remarkable even by current corporate-media lickspittle standards. America is now flirting with disaster as it engages with a wounded, nuclear-armed bear that won't hesitate to use theater or tactical nukes if it feels an existential threat. And why wouldn't it? It's seen this movie before. Even Jill Biden is currently kicking sand in Putin's face. Meanwhile, here at home, the U.S. is cratering almost as surely as the Soviet Union, riven by irreconcilable domestic moral and political differences; all of its principal constitutional edifices under attack by the Left, including the Supreme Court; the economy circling the drain; the supply chain thoroughly disrupted by an outrageous medical alarum bordering on a malignant hoax; our woke military emasculated; and our civic faith in almost every institution destroyed. Meanwhile, a gerontological elite that rivals in its longevity the Struldbruggs in Swift's Gulliver's Travels continues to heedlessly shuffle its way toward disaster. So what will it take to bring America to either its senses or its knees? What does victory look like in this pointless war? In 1945 Soviet soldiers waved the hammer and sickle over the ruins of Berlin. In 1989, I stood at the crumbling Wall between the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag, and somehow wound up with some Grepo's cap as a souvenir. Luckily, the Cold War never quite turned hot. But if this war -- Biden's War -- goes nuclear, what will be left to grasp? A handful of radioactive dust? Pray that somebody in Washington comes to his senses, and soon -- but don't count on it.
The Royal Leap-Frog The Royal Leap-Frog The Royal Leap-Frog The Royal Leap-Frog Peter Bently Claire Powell Bloomsbury, 2022 32pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99 Q: What do a grasshopper, a flea and a frog have in common? A: They can all leap. Q; But who can leap the highest? A: Read this funny, colourful re-imagining of Hans Christian Andersen‘s classic The Leaping Match Told in rhyme with hilarious illustrations, this is a fast-paced retelling of one of Andersen’s lesser-known stories that offers all sorts of opportunities from investigating his works, to exploring the concept of fables and the lessons they teach, to having a competition to see who in the class can jump the greatest distance and comparing the difference between standing and stationary starts. Slightly different to the original in which a flea and a grasshopper both vain and ambitious, and a frog, patient wise and humble arrange a contest to see who can jump highest with the King offering the hand of the princess to the victor, it also enables students to look at various versions of some of these classic tales and compare and contrast how their telling has changed over time and generations, while the core message remains relevant. Or just read it for the fun of it… Print Friendly, PDF & Email
The Wild Decline of Chevron’s Stock Price When you read Charlie Munger’s biography by Janet Lowe (“Damn Right”), you will frequently encounter the financial premise that dominated Munger’s thought process from the age of thirty onward: he sought ownership positions in assets that pounded out cash. The spectacular personal success was the result of being patient enough to get a good price on those very assets that pounded cash. The unique aspects of Munger’s life is that: (1) he did not mind the subsequent volatility of stocks he purchased, often seeing some of his stocks slide more than 50% after he made his initial purchase, and (2) he got in the business of using money to make more money, taking income from undervalued cash-generative assets to buy other assets that meet the same conditions. As time passes by, you get to reap the benefits of receiving income from the original assets that paid dividends and then you get the new assets that create regular income as well. For some, this may be stating the obvious, but it is worthy of repeating because it is the North Star against which everything else is affixed. During the throes of the financial crisis, Munger was buying Wells Fargo at $16 for the Daily Journal. Then, when it went down to $8, he bought a lot more. It was incredibly rational behavior when the rest of the world was losing its mind. There is a surprisingly large faction of the investor community that thinks a good deal is somehow undermined when the price of a given security subsequently drops. If a scalper sells you World Series tickets with a $300 face value for $150, your good deal isn’t undermined because some other guy was able to get $100 tickets from a scalper. With Wells Fargo now trading at $54, the decision to pay $16 in 2009 was a great investment decision. The beauty of the $16 per share Wells Fargo investment isn’t blemished because you could have also bought those shares at $8. Once a stock gets cheaper than fair value, you don’t have any right to expect an even better deal than that, and you should have a posture of gratitude any time you get a deal better than that. This concept was on my mind when I started following various investor message boards in response to the recent decline in oil. Volatility in the oil sector has been with us since the advent of the Standard Oil Trust in 1882. Chevron, which is the original Standard Oil of California, has delivered 12% annual returns since 1969. It has had price declines of at 40% on eight different occasions since then. The dividend gets frozen when oil collapses (see the late 1990s for an extended period of this) and then marches upward when the energy market turns and gets more expensive. All this happened while the price of oil hemmed and hawed between $10 and $135. The sentiment towards oil stocks is subject to quick and sudden emotional changes. Do a custom controlled google search for articles about Exxon and Chevron in the summer of 2008. Pundits were writing about the indispensable nature of the asset, the lack of price competitiveness among alternative fuel sources, and the growing demand for global energy that exists over the long term. That brought the price of both stocks to north of $100. People couldn’t help themselves from piling in. Now, people talk of an oil glut and can’t get away from the energy sector fast enough. It is amazing to repeatedly observe the disconnect between people who nod their head affirmatively at the notion of value investing and getting assets cheap, yet never actually engage in the practice when the abstract theory gets applied to specific circumstances. The power of knowing the right mental and analytical models lose all value if they cannot be applied to the real-life examples that present themselves. Since Chevron merged with Texaco, there have only been a few brief periods when the dividend yield exceeded 4% (2002, 2003, 2009). At no point has the yield become 5.65% like we have now. Since the modern Chevron got created in 2000, the current valuation gives investors the highest starting yield out of any point in the past fifteen years. It still passes the “pound out cash” test. Even with oil projected at $45 per barrel, Chevron is still targeted to make $8.5 billion in profit. I dare you to find more than three dozen companies in the world that currently make more profit than that. The current profits do not support the capital expenditures plus dividends without requiring additional borrowing, but $75 is a more than fair price to pay for an asset that churns out $8.5 billion in profits during the bad times and can quickly churn out more than $20+ billion in annual profits based on a reversion to profits regularly seen in the past ten years. The advantage of owning Chevron, compared to a fast growth company like Visa, is that you regularly receive cash that you can direct towards your personal life or use to make brand new investments. It is a case of compounding that provides regular income to alert you to the beneficial aspects of the growth. If your Visa position grew to $100,000 in market value, you would only be receiving $670 in annual income. Unless you sell, there is no benefit to the company. Of course, it is growing so fast that it’s fun to be along for the ride, and of course very few portfolios will regret holding onto Visa for the long term. But there is also a place for Chevron in the portfolio. With a $100,000 Chevron market value, you get to collect $5,650 in annual income. That alone is the equivalent to 10% of what the average American household generates in a year. It can provide immediate cash to pay the bills, save for college, go on vacation, or build up reserve buffers. There is value in that. Also, the results become pronounced if you do choose to reinvest into Chevron outright. Imagine putting that $5,650 right back into more shares of Chevron. You’d automatically be picking up 75 more shares next year at current market prices. Even if the dividend didn’t get raised, you add $321 to your dividend stream as you wait for more favorable conditions ahead. Cyclical companies are notorious for experiencing fluctuations in market value that exceed actual changes in the fundamentals. For someone that doesn’t appreciate a company that is producing over 1.5 million barrels of oil per day, it can be easy to be disconcerted by the quick changes in the stock price. But good investing requires an abandonment of recency bias, and instead forces us to identify intrinsic value and then acknowledge that any given stock is perfectly free to trade at an even greater discount to intrinsic value. I would classify the wide band between $85 and $105 per share as the “fair value” range for Chevron. As the company trades into the $70s, the discount has continued to become greater. For people with long horizons that recognize the long-term global appetite for energy, any further declines in Chevron stock should be regarded as an opportunity for an opportunistic addition. Originally posted 2015-08-24 05:01:45.
Karbala \| Orooj-e-Zafar On the same earth, consciences can’t shift weight, Karbala shook time as the only dimension it could touch. How else would I know the taste of dry soil in my throat? How else would I celebrate neck-birthmarks as proximity to martyrs? I have often wondered how Karbala never ran out of sand. We have filled bottles of its skin, in hopes of knowing, in the least, the blood of the Seal. How else would I have learned to fear crowds outside my nasal margin? How else would I know exactly what a stake through the heart feels like? I have history tattooed on the backs of all my toes, so the earth that hasn’t touched blood yet knows what it is to house an ache that even time hesitates to mention. Too many of us have constructed bliss from the ruins of a loss we excuse to forget– it was a different time, we say. Our three days of mourning are over. A blood the Seal did not touch once cried out, anyone with open eyes wouldn’t want to be anywhere near us. We scared life out of our Galaxy. It is easier to live, to ache only when our knees scratch, only when roommates remember to be their own people. Why taste tainted earth when you can savour sweet deceit? Why else would we still remember? (How can you forget?) Orooj-e-Zafar knew she was a spoken word poet when a stranger told her she should read out books for a living. She was most recently published in America is Not the World – a Pankhearst anthology, Sula Collective, Persephone’s Daughters and Rising Phoenix Review. She resides in her hometown, Islamabad, Pakistan. Respond to this piece. WordPress.com Logo Twitter picture Facebook photo Connecting to %s
Caleb Christopher Adams resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and goes to school at UWM for the art of film. After studying psychology in Green Bay in his first year of college, he realized he has a passion for storytelling, and has many to share. Naturally, he moved to Milwaukee where he could write, film, and easily root for the Milwaukee Bucks. Caleb is a new author, “Demands of a Wicked Mind” is his first published work, but he continues to write on a daily basis and is expecting some more work very soon. Caleb is the son of two loving parents, David and Marcia Adams, as well as an older brother to his best friend Collin, and a younger brother to his biggest inspiration, Marisa. He could not keep writing and living his dream without the support of his friends Dylan, Noah, Ian, Jack Greta, and Mayya. He also wants to thank Lily, Giorgia, and The Horror Zine for helping him through this whole process. by Caleb Christopher Adams (for Giorgia Cavestro) “Not early enough!” she cried when the telephone on her nightstand table began to ring. She glanced at her full-length mirror that leaned against the wall. Her white nightgown was black in the shadows. She took the phone, raised it to the left of her head, and deepened her voice. “Yes, Hagger.” The rotary phone seemed to suspend in midair and in her mind, the rest of the world paused while she waited for whoever was on the other end of the corkscrew wire to say something. She was listening hard, like the phone was too quiet for her. She was alone in her room, and the stale, unmoving air was still. Her brow was furrowed when she nodded eight times, forgetting that the person on the other end could not see her. She hesitated, but didn’t want her trepidation to show in her voice. “Yes, yes, I’ll be there,” she said and gently replaced the phone back in its cradle. The budding glow of daybreak illuminated the cold space of the room. The rays that penetrated the sun-catcher hanging over the east window created drops of color on the white walls. Through the arched door frame patrolled, again, the Lady Madra. As she glided above the white tiled floor, she contemplated whether she should buy a new phone, a more reliable phone, and keep up with the world around her, but rejected the idea because of the upcoming millennial. She was afraid of many things, and Y2K was one of them. She took off her nightgown. Instead, she threw on an obnoxious green blouse. It was silken and reflected the light. The buttons were far too big to be real, and there was a pocket on the left breast too small to hold anything. She sat on the north-most chair at a tiny table looking out the south window, breathing in the fumes of the heater. Two minutes passed before she decided to leave the house. It was not a decision that she took lightly. While she was gone, the room remained empty, and there was not one call, no strangers filling the gap, and an overabundance of colorful drops from the crystal sun-catcher. But even these disappeared ahead of Madra’s reappearance because the sun was going down. When Madra entered her bedroom, the stars were responsible for the small amount of light in the room. Her face was red and swollen. Her blouse draped across her right forearm and she carried a Mason jar with a yellow-hued liquid inside. She wore a thick, torturous sweater to cover her raisin skin. The heat and musk in the isolated room forced her to open the west window with a crank on the sill. She placed the jar next to it, and lay down on her bed, waiting for sunrise. She couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned until the sun rose anew, its beams casting a dreamy painting on the blank surfaces of her room. A battle of noises drifted to her ears from the open window, and she knew they came from somewhere afar. From outside the window, an esoteric chirping bird brought the sky to life. Eight times, the bird chirped, and then suddenly it landed atop the exposed ledge of her window, and knocked the Mason jar to the ground with a great crash. She jumped out of bed at the sound, only to step on a substantial bit of glass with her right foot. This cut a mass from her flesh, staining the tiles the moment she crossed the floor. “Damn!” The clouds shifted in front of the dawn sunrise, and the many colors of the sun-catcher dissolved soon after. Sunlight gleamed off the shards and substance of the jar, the yellow elixir clashing with magenta but not mixing, like they were going to war. A brain—or rather, half a brain—rested on the floor of the room, and an odor so toxic that when Madra came back, her foot wrapped in red-stained white bandage, she doubled over and heaved twice, just making it to the garbage can in time. She plugged her nose, and produced an unblemished jar seemingly from nowhere. She filled it with water, and carefully dropped the brain in it, and shut the silver lid. She locked the window. For the first time since the phone rang, Madra went to her kitchen and sat at the tiny table, devouring stale bread and a tall goblet of red sherry. She held a stack of photographs two inches thick, each distantly portraying the same young man with a curly orange mop. The photographs caught him lying on a tattered bed, his eyes partially closed or otherwise bloodshot, and others quite the contrary; pupils dilated. A couple of the photos exhibited a cigarette halfway out of his teeth. In none of the photos did the young man look at the camera. In fact, essentially every picture was concentrated on a distracted, off-centered gaze. One by one, she chose a photo from the top of the pile, tore it into two halves, and used the candle to burn them; all the while muttering to herself about her son Benjamin. She poured the photographs’ ashes into the wine and cried a little when she continued to sip from the bottle of wine that now contained the burned images of Benjamin. The drink quickly consumed her mind. Madra smothered the candle with a nearby silver cap, and left the room through the golden door frame. By the time Madra returned to her bedroom, the sludge on the rug from the broken Mason jar was dark. On the windowsill, she could barely make out the crescent shape of the half-brain floating in the new Mason jar. “Well, what’s left of the brain is now floating in tap water instead of the elixir. I wonder how this should be handled now,” she whispered to herself. Madra reached for the telephone that sat silently in its cradle, and pushed it again to her left ear, dialing quickly and with ease a complex series of digits. She stood, listening to every tone and staring sideways at the brain. “Yes, Hagger.” Pause. “Ummm...we need to talk about the brain. An, um, unfortunate accident required me to replace the jar with a new…oh yes, I can wait.” Eight minutes ticked by. Finally Hagger came back on the line. Madra continued where she left off. “I replaced the broken jar with a new one filled with water from the tap. I’m wondering what to do now.” She paused to listen. “Ah, yes. Well...” Pause. “No, only water.” Pause. “Ah, yes, well...that will be just fine then, thank you. I want Benjamin back...at any price. Good day.” She hung the phone up and strode to the jar. She opened the window and the breeze whistled through the torn screen as Madra’s footfalls—causing the loose floorboards to screech like the fallen fowl—echoed around the room. She had found out what she needed to know. Madra took the jar in her left hand, pried the lid free with her right, and drained the polluted tap water into the drain while making sure the brain didn’t fall out into the sink. Then, after refilling it with fresh water and splashing some of the blood from her foot in as well, she arranged it on the same sill, and watched to see if it would come to life or stay just the same. The scent from the brain was pungent because she didn’t replace the jar lid. It smelled sour and rotten like the carcass of a molding crow. Her nose shriveled with each breath. “I hope this works.” Over the next few days, Madra repeated the act of ridding the jar of the murky slop and replenishing it each morning with fresh tap water and a dash of her own blood. She was disappointed because each morning, the liquid surrounding the brain refused to illuminate. Something overnight was convincing the jar to stay in dimness. The brain was decaying; decomposing progressively as the sun-catcher tossed around dying color...until one morning. She woke up and her heart nearly stopped at what she saw. The tap water in the jar was glowing a bright red. A long-haired, strange man was standing on her bedroom rug, glaring at her with sulking, damp eyes. The sun shined, but the shadow of a bird on the clothesline running by the east window blocked the sun-catcher and broke the color. Somehow, Madra found her voice. “Can you return my son, Benjamin?” “For a price,” the man said. “A price?” “Yes.” This voice was lethal. “Then tell me now.” “Yes. Listen to my every sentence. You will carry out these demands absolutely and without fail. This is my price.” He gave her instructions. Madra grasped her chin with her right hand. “I want my son in return.” Gray fog spilled in through the open window. “In return, Miss, you shall see your son.” She was afraid again, but this time not for herself. “Well, yes, then. Please explain how you came to know Benjamin and how you will bring him back?” Madra peered expectantly around the room and out the window. The breeze proceeded to sneak through the screen and the color of the Mason jar dropped. It returned for a brief moment, and then the bright red color seeped out of the jar and crept up the walls of her bedroom. “I am the brain, Miss, that has been placed in this vessel of your own nurturance. I am here because of you,” the strange man with long hair said. “You know my son and I want him back!” “You shall. Now, change my water once more and place me on the south sill where the sun shines more strongly. There my thoughts may settle, and the water, accordingly, will be changed to the color silver. Once you have completed your tasks, you will have your son back and my brain will disappear from your window.” With that, the man vanished. Madra willingly performed these tasks, but after she situated the jar on the window, the brain seemed to go dormant because the man didn’t reappear. She entered and exited through the door frame throughout the day to satisfy her wonder, but there were no new demands. The water failed to change to silver as promised. Instead, the water was a cloudy gray like the mist that swept in. The moon came inevitably again and at this time the brain awakened, and Madra saw a split in the round of the lump, countering the flat, sliced edge. The ends of the hole attracted and repelled each other as if they were human lips. The lips moved up and down, as though trying to speak. And then it spoke through the open jar lid. The voice was deep, most definitely masculine; warm, pure and consistent as if scripted. And it was familiar. “Benjamin!” Madra cried. She meandered to the south window to confront his voice. The window smelled rotten with the decomposing brain’s scent of decay. “Are you ready for me?” Benjamin’s voice asked. She was forced to rid the home of everything she formerly cherished. This included the white tiles of the floor. It took Madra two days to remove the twenty tiles from the rough floor before being mandated to paint the four walls burgundy. She burned the rotary phone to follow the demands of the brain. The jar’s glass shreds were the only original pieces that lasted, still spread upon her bedroom rug. The room was barren of anything holy and she spent her time serving the jar on her southernmost window. Spiders were nestling in the crevices of the room. She left them undisturbed. Their webs hung and floated in the breeze from the constantly-opened window. On the eighth day, she clutched the jar in both hands, cradling it. Accepting the chill, left through the doorway which was framed in gold paint to go out in the weather. The tempest, pushing the ice horizontal, roared, but she could hear the voice over the noise of the weather. The long-haired man reappeared in the shadows. “Yes, this spot. Dig, Miss, in the snow. Just below the window.” “With what, I wonder?” Madra asked “Your hands, Miss. Use your hands.” Her hands lost their feeling as she dug. She briefly wondered if she would get frostbite and lose her fingers, but ultimately, the quest to bring back her son was worth any price. Including the ones she knew she had to do. And then she found it. “Once it was an animal. Probably a bird,” Madra observed. The long-haired man’s voice said, “It is a vulture that I called far from the scorching desert it called home, I summoned it to fly through the dangerous storms of the north. This bird achieved the goal I set it to achieve. Like the vulture, Miss, I would not customarily reside here in these conditions but now, under the most unfortunate circumstances, I must. You see, I am supposed to survive like this bird, living off the land, but instead I was circumstantially stuck in your house so I was forced to make it my own. I don’t belong here but you, Miss, forced my hands. So now pick me up in your hands.” The brain was expanding and contracting in her hands like it was breathing. With each exhale it oozed a brown excretion from the many folds of its brain like a drooling dog. “Take this bird inside your bedroom, and you shall shortly have what you wish for.” She picked up the frozen carcass and carried it in one hand, the brain in the other hand. She placed it on the bedroom floor, now bare of tiles. And then suddenly, a new form appeared in the place of the man with long hair. “Well, here I am.” The figure had curly orange hair. She rose to embrace Benjamin. “Don’t touch me,” he told her. “You brought me back. I didn’t want to come back. I wasn’t murdered. It wasn’t an accident. You punished an innocent man and stole his brain, because I had died at my own hands. I don’t want to be back.” “You killed yourself? You chose to leave me?” Madra imagined herself spitting on him, her own son. How could he be so selfish? “But I brought you back now. Brand new and better!” “My choice was not about you. It was about my pain. Can you try to see this for once? You knew I was ill, but you refused to accept that my illness could not be changed. I begged you and begged you to love me for who I was, to respect my choices. But you wouldn’t. It was my decision to let go, to move on, and you should have respected that. Instead, you became a murderer of an innocent man’s peace. A man you were so convinced had killed me.” “I don’t believe you!” Madra cried. “Anything can be cured! There are drugs for pain.” “I wanted to be free. You stopped me from joining the souls in Heaven.” “There is no Heaven or Hell!” she cried. “Where do you think that man you summoned from the brain came from? Where do you think I came from?” “I don’t believe you!” “You will find out for yourself soon enough. You wished me back. There’s an old saying: Be careful what you wish for.” The spring came and the house stayed empty. Nobody came in and so nobody walked out. The windows stayed closed and the room slept. The hole in the ground where the vulture had been extracted stayed there, the deep black one. People walking by the hole instinctively avoided it without even knowing why. But they seemed to be aware of a dark mood hovering over it. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe it was meant to be left alone. A bird, a small blue one, perched itself onto the window of the bedroom in the vacant house. It sang a song fit for an angel on the wing. It was lovely to behold. It stayed for a while. There was peace and serenity in this little bird. There was anger and horror in the bedroom beyond the windowsill where the bird perched. And they were meant to be opposites. They loved each other.
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Why I Support Community Matters It is with pleasure that I write to express my political support of the Community Matters team running in the CSU Elections. My experience with three specific representatives exemplifies why this team has the skills to deliver their promises. Benjamin Prunty was a spectacular asset to ASFA in 2012-2013—his commitment to transparency and ability to ask challenging questions made him a strong voice for all students. As a member of the CSU Sustainability Committee, I see Benjamin as an inspiring leader, presenting interesting projects through passionate communication. He democratically utilizes the committee by allowing us to express opinions and concerns. Having attended many events where Benjamin has publicly spoken on important issues, I can attest that he is a talented orator, informed on many scales. I believe Benjamin’s valuable experience, paired with humble presidential qualities, resonate with what the Concordia student body deserves for the upcoming year. Charles Bourassa demonstrates exceptional initiative on ASFA Council, being enthusiastic and motivated even when facing majority opposition. He has exemplified fortitude in thinking outside-the-box and persevering important topics, even forming and chairing ad-hoc committees to deal with contentious issues. Charles also sits on CSU Sustainability Committee—through this I learned of his strong values in education as academics and student engagement experiences. Charles possesses the unique quality of seeing the big picture and recognizing smaller flaws within the overall structure—this type of intuition is integral as a leader. Jessica Cabana is a kind, well-rounded student. Representing the Loyola College Student Association on ASFA Council, she takes it upon herself to pursue individual projects performing research and later presenting her findings to council—this type of drive has the capacity to make major contributions in student-government. Outside of politics, Jessica is a coordinator at Sustainable Concordia, where I am actively involved as an intern. She maintains excellent relationships with peers and supervisors due to her outstanding level of professionalism, which has gained her respect and admiration. Jessica has a wealth of knowledge and large sustainable networking base. I admire all team members’ sustainable profiles and accomplished reputations: the aptitudes of these students shine brightly individually, and I can only anxiously anticipate their intellectual capacities as a team. Concordia is a community that needs capable leaders to ensure all needs are heard, therefore I formally endorse Community Matters, as I wholly believe this team has the strength to unwaveringly serve our student body. —Meghan Lamb, ASFA Chairperson
Aries Horoscope Weekly 2020 Aries Weekly Horoscope for 25 - 31 May 2020: Your attitude will be properly rewarded If there's good news in your friends' circle, be happy for them Communication between couple members could be scarce this week. You should reconsider certain issues related to the world of love and dating, Aries. You don't really know what to expect from your current bond, nor in what ways you could launch it into the next stage. If your love story is seriously wounded, don't hesitate to ask a couples' therapist for advice to get the best tools you can use to reignite the flames that used to burn bright. Don't let them puff out by themselves. If you're still single, you'll bump into someone who will reawaken old hopes and wishes. They will casually show up in your life while walking around the street or visiting a cultural exhibit or monument. Leave envy out of this because it's a highly toxic element. And if there's good news in your friends' circle, be happy for them and don't start questioning your friends' successful endeavours. Things are going great at work and you're doing really well; stay on that track and your attitude will be dutifully rewarded (although a little later than you'd want). Leave everyone open-mouthed and prove that you're more skilled than they thought you were. There is an old adage saying that talent is divided in inspiration and perspiration, so work hard this week; if muses are to visit you over the next few days, they should find you down to your elbows in work. That'll make it easier to prove that you're a worthy employee. And watch out with high-risk investments, especially as far as real estate is concerned; you could make a lot of money, but also lose more than you can afford to. Don't do the same things the person beside you is doing: each person is a whole new world, and what might be good for one person might be inefficient or even harmful for the other. More specifically, we're talking about certain diet and weight loss plans, where there are factors to be taken into consideration, such as diabetes, tension or the gallbladder's proper functioning. Watch your sleep quality, because proper rest will be key to face all your responsibilities and duties with no trouble weighing down on your shoulders.
Skip to content Relationship Trauma: What Does Being With An Abusive Partner Feel Like? Relationship Trauma Abusive relationships can be deeply distressing as they can do a lot of damage to your emotional and mental well-being. Learn more about Relationship trauma and being with an abusive partner. Falling in love is not a voluntary action. Though you have a list of qualities in your mind for how you would like your partner to be when the time comes no checklist is ever checked. You fall in love anyway and while some fall in love others fall prey! Yes, prey to the Narcissist. Being in a relationship with someone who has NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder) you are subjected to various emotional, physical, and mental abuses. Abusive Relationship PTSD Abusive Relationship PTSD: Trauma After Abusive Relationship Relationship Trauma From A Past Relationship Living in terror and walking on eggshells in fear of triggering them, you are trapped in the 7th circle of hell. Now you might wonder why anyone would choose to live in such pain and fear. That’s the trick of a narcissist, they just don’t let you realize that you’re being abused, and by the time you realize this you’re too broken and emotionally drained. Related: The Effects of Gaslighting in Narcissistic Victim Syndrome You won’t even know you are being abused because the abuses are covert, slowly numbing you to a point where you lose all the self-confidence and ability to judge what’s better for you. You won’t be able to take important life decisions and you’re rendered incapable to look for help or escape. Relationship trauma Past Relationship Trauma: Living With Trauma After Abusive Relationship It takes a lot of effort and a lot of time to pull yourself out of this abyss and by the time you think you’re finally at the shore away from the depths of hell, the real nightmare begins. Related: Identifying Emotional Abuse before it Happens. Shivering even to touch of wind, such terrified and weak you’ve become. The flashback of tortures and torments almost pushes you to blackout. When you live with trauma and stress, it leads you to depression, more precisely C-PTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder). C-PTSD is a result of persistent psychological trauma in an environment where the victim believes they are powerless and that there is no escape. Abusive Relationship PTSD: Living With Trauma From A Past Relationship Even after leaving the relationship, for many months the flashback of the events haunts you. You struggle to sleep at night which adds to your depression and even at the times when you can sleep you’re woken up trembling by the experience of some haunting recurring dream. Every time you wake up you feel tired, you don’t want to sleep but you don’t to wake either. You’re tired of lying on the bed yet you don’t want to leave the bed. When you live with trauma, you are so terrified that even the slightest change in surroundings would scare you. On the occurrence of any event or object that reminds you of the trauma and torture you feel dizzy and fatigued, your fists clutch and your heart starts racing. Your concentration abilities and memory power are severely affected when you live with trauma. You get a hard time trying to memories long phrases and focus on certain tasks. Emotionally Abusive Relationship Trauma After Relationship With A Narcissist Emotionally Abusive Relationship Trauma After Relationship With A Narcissist When you live with trauma, you’re in constant anxiety and even small things start to upset you. Appetite is lost and you have no motivation, this is the time when suicidal thoughts start flooding in. You lose your faith in friendship, romance, and relationships. When you live with trauma, it gets very difficult to trust people and you’re always insecure about their hidden motives behind their actions. You reach a point where you fear none but the man in the mirror- you! You shutdown yourself. The confidence and will to face the world is gone, you don’t want to step outside the house, you’re too scared to open up and connect with people. You fear they might see the pain in your eyes. Though you muster enough courage and strength to walk away from the relationship for your sound mental and physical health deep down the pain remains the same. You are far from okay, you are emaciated and numb trying to suppress all the emotions and feelings inside you. Even after the end of a tragic chapter of your life (the relationship), the new leaf is no green, the new chapter is equally if not more haunting and terrifying. You have lost the sense of existence and trying to ignore and numb down the feelings is doing you more harm than good. Related: Lingering Effects of Emotional Abuse and Ways to Heal The charm of narcissists makes you believe that whatever you’re going through is normal and slowly you adapt to this and you endure it for so long that when you finally return to normal the world seems alienated and so does your feelings, it feels like a whole new world and you’ve no idea how to live in it. emotional abuse Being With An Abusive Partner: Relationship PTSD Healing From Abusive Relationship It’s about time you realize that you can either lie their tattered feeling pity on your own condition or stand upon the focus on your healing for the injuries that you have in your heart may soon become fatal. It’s time you don’t let the past hold you captive anymore. It is up to you to stand bank up and gain your composure before the damage gets bigger and you end up falling in much deeper hell. The first step towards your healing is acceptance, you need to accept what you’ve through and what you’re feeling is real. You need to accept that you have broken emotionally and mentally. You have been cheated, lied, used, abused, and manipulated for far too long. The past relationship was an illusion and you were merely prey. The torment was real and now you have lost your faith and conscience, you get a hard time trusting people and often even yourself You need to allow yourself to heal. The damage is deep and you should let it have the time it needs to do healing, the pieces will be put back together with time and there is no need to hurry. Slowly everything will fall back in place if you take a leap of faith and allow it. Though the relationship was abusive and you hate to love that person or love to hate that person but still the most difficult part is there are few aspects that you still miss and this stops you from talking to anyone about the relationship. You don’t have an answer to how could you miss someone who abused and tortured you for so long. The main reason for having difficulty in getting over this type of relationship is the charm of a narcissist. At one moment they take you on cloud 9 and the next moment drag you to hell. You fall in love so deeply with one side of the person that you completely miss to see the other dark side but when you do you lose yourself whirlpool of emotions. Past Relationship Trauma Past Relationship Trauma: Relationship With Someone Who Has NPD You miss the person for all the qualities you loved and then at the same time fear and hate the dark side. You hate him so much that just the mention of his name trembles you. This crazy dilemma of loving and hating a person at the same time feels so natural yet is your reality now. To heal, you must focus on building yourself. The process is not easy and cannot be achieved in a hurry. Once you have accepted it you’ve taken the first step to heal. You need to build new friendships, open your mind and eyes for different views, and forgive the past. There is no point holding on to something that hurts you to the core. Another important step when you live with trauma is finding someone you can open up to without being judged. It can be a friend or a counselor understanding the C-PTSD post abusive relationship. Slowly the light within you will shine again. If you are determined nothing can stop you, you will rise again. Remember, let it take it’s time there is no hurry. Healing comes slowly, have faith in yourself. Related: What is Narcissistic Abuse: 16 Signs To Identify And How To Protect And how odd is it to be haunted by someone that is still alive? You wake up to a different feeling this morning, something feels missing. You come outside through this scrambled page of your life and find nothing has changed, the songbirds are still singing, the old man is again there at the park bench with his newspaper, the kid who is always late for school is still rushing to catch his school bus. Your bottle of milk and newspaper is there at your doorstep and as you walk barefoot on the roads pondering upon what has changed, a gust of wind kisses you, you stand still- frozen! Now you realize what is missing, something inside of you! You’ve carried away in a different world again, a world where she is holding your hands, looking into your eyes and smiles on your faces, the moments of heavenly bliss! peeep peep “ Go die somewhere else stupid!” Screamed the driver of black Honda honking behind you. Another wind of realization hits you and you realize the dreams are shattered- to never be dreamt again. You move aside, fists clutched and moist eyes, you know you’re strong, you’ve always been. That cute lil girl from neighborhood waves and smiles at you, a smile beautiful than ever before but you see a phantom behind her, it was the one that is gone. You turn blue but you don’t lose your composer because you’re strong, always have been. You feel a vibration in your pocket, it’s your phone. The usual time to receive the morning greetings, today it’s not, the screen reads some offer from the service provider. A little bit of hope and a little bit of you dies inside. Relationship PTSD Relationship PTSD: Living With Trauma After Abusive Relationship The girl in blacktop, light brown hair crosses the road, it’s her, you know it’s her. You scream her name..she doesn’t respond or maybe she didn’t hear. You scream louder- “Hey!! Wait!” She turns around “Yes” with a perplexed look. You turn numb, your throat dries and you want to apologize but words don’t escape your mouth, you turn around and run, run as fast as you could but your legs don’t seem to be owned by you today, your mind and heart races faster than your leg and gravity seem to be playing its cruelest game on you. Every day you pray to be normal again but deep down you know this was a one-way journey and there is no going back, this is the new normal. You learn to hide the fears and pain inside. You stick a permanent smile on your face. Now you’re the happiest person in this world they say, if only they could see the shadow that stands behind them while they talk to you, the face you see in every face that appears before you, everywhere you go. The whispering of the walls and her voices in the wind. You can’t even mourn for the undead and how odd is it to be haunted by someone that is still alive? That’s how it feels like to live with trauma after abusive relationship. If you could relate to the article leave a comment below. Can PTSD from a previous abusive relationship prevent me from marrying in a new relationship? Dating or marrying someone after an abusive relationship can be challenging as the person may find it difficult trust people in the future. What does PTSD from abusive relationship look like? PTSD from abusive relationships can be experienced in terms of having flashbacks, nightmares or intrusive thoughts about the person and remembering the abuse. Can you be traumatized by a relationship? Live With Trauma Relationship Trauma: Living With Trauma After Abusive Relationship Relationship PTSD Emotionally Abusive Relationship Trauma: Relationship PTSD Relationship Trauma pinex Relationship Trauma pin Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.In search of truth.View Author posts
Skip to content 15 Questions Psychological Test To Find Out Your Purpose In Life Psychological Test Find Your Purpose In Life Here is the one experiment which helps you to discover your purpose in life. Read the below steps carefully and do it. The following is a list of questions that can assist you in discovering your life’s purpose. They are meant as a guide to help you get into a frame of mind that will be conducive to defining your personal mission. Simple Instructions: 1. Take out a few sheets of loose paper and a pen. 6. Be honest. Nobody will read it. It’s important to write without editing. 7. Enjoy the moment and smile as you write. Related: How To Find A Purpose in Life and Give Your Life Meaning? 15 questions to find out your purpose in life: 3. What activities make you lose track of time? 4. What makes you feel great about yourself? 6. What are you naturally good at? (Skills, abilities, gifts, etc.) 7. What do people typically ask you for help in? 11. What are your deepest values? Select 3 to 6 (Achievement, Adventure, Beauty, Being the best, Challenge, Comfort, Courage, Creativity, Curiosity, Education, Health, Honesty, Independence, Inner peace , Performance, Personal growth, Play, Productivity, Relationship) and prioritize the words in order of importance to you. 12. What were some challenges, difficulties, and hardships you’ve overcome or are in the process of overcoming? How did you do it? 15. Given your talents, passions, and values. How could you use these resources to serve, to help, to contribute? ( to people, beings, causes, organization, environment, planet, etc.) Watch this interesting video on finding the purpose in life: Your Personal Mission Statement A personal mission consists of 3 parts: • What do I want to do? • Who do I want to help? • What is the result? What value will I create? Related: The 7 Soul Groups In Our Life and The Purpose Each Serves Steps to Creating Your Personal Mission Statement: 1. List out actions words you connect with. 4. Combine steps 2-4 into a sentence, or 2-3 sentences. What is your purpose in life? What is your mission? We’d love to hear about your goals and aspirations. Please share it with a comment! Psychological Test Find Your Purpose In Life pin James America
Fentanyl laced marijuana renders young Monroe man unresponsive Print More MONROE, Conn. – A 24-year-old Monroe man survived a medical scare after smoking marijuana with a female friend at the entrance to Webb Mountain Park Friday morning. Police later found it was laced with fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that has caused many overdose deaths in the state. Officers responded to the report of an unresponsive man in a tan Volvo outside the park on Old Fish House Road around 11:26 a.m., but when they arrived, he was breathing and responsive, according to police. Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service personnel evaluated him at the scene and the man was taken to a hospital for further treatment. Police said it was unclear why he suffered the side effects, until the marijuana tested positive for fentanyl. According to a Hartford Courant article on Feb. 14, “1,200 people died of some sort of drug overdose in Connecticut in 2019, a nearly 20% increase from the prior year, mostly attributed to the continued rise in” deaths from fentanyl mixed with other drugs, “including a muscle relaxant for horses.” ID theft nightmare A Monroe man filed a fraud complaint at the Monroe Police Department on Saturday, in a case of identity theft that spread from his credit card to his bank account and his home mortgage. Police said the man discovered $10,000 worth of fraudulent charges on his credit card on Jan. 10 and his credit card company corrected the charges, so he did not file a police report at the time. Then on Feb. 8, $3,000 was withdrawn from his bank account. The bank reimbursed him and changed his account number. But that was not the end of it. The victim’s mortgage company notified him that someone filed a change of address request for his account. Police are investigating the incidents. Illegal dumping Stevenson firefighters reported illegal dumping outside Firehouse 1 at 1580 Monroe Turnpike Sunday. Police said the lock was cut to the Dumpster and unauthorized trash was placed inside. 6 thoughts on “Fentanyl laced marijuana renders young Monroe man unresponsive 1. If the dealer KNEW that the marijuana was laced with Fentanyl, then he should be tried for attempted MURDER ! Better yet, MAKE HIM SMOKE IT HIMSELF ! 2. Legalizing any drug will just make it easier for anyone to get and if it is Fentanyl, kids no nothing of it. It is the most dangerous and damaging drug to those who use it. I hate Fentanyl! • Listen there’s so much going on in this world now it’s just scared and believe it’s going to get worse but the thing is those whom are using drugs are hurting themselves and if they get there hands on bad drugs it’s on them because drugs do what there suppose to do harm ,kill,and takes away from the individual brain cells it may seem like it’s good but in reality it’s dangerous to themself and others it’s not going to stop until they stop doing it so with that said it’s all in there hands of they stop the problems will be over and if they don’t the problem remains drugs are eventually going to harm in someway because there putting all types of added stuff in it today why because people wants just the money and money is the root of evil so that Leeds to cruelty to man ,not ,girl,and bored which is an animal so with all that we can’t change them they want to be changed and in order for that to happen man must get saved and trust me I know everyone whom gets saved still have troubled but staying saved is the key to a healthy life keeping your mind stayed on good thoughts ,dreams,and things that will help you and then you can help others so all that to say it works if you work it in your life.I didn’t say it would be easy but it does get easier when you put your all into wanting to save your own life cause no-one can live your life for you but you and then trust me you only live once .so this is just a thought so you wanna live or not and make it worth it while your alive .I know a lot of people that’s dead today Thank the Lord I am Still alive .Jesus Saves. Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published.
« A Week on the Wall \| Main \| Quote o' the Day: Jeremy Clarkson » Friday, 06 February 2015 Leica had 6 models in it's first 15 years, and would factory update your camera to the latest spec for a quite small fee. I'm going to have to look in to the case of the new Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II Three things: New viewfinder is now desirable rather than useable, as previously. Improved video and improved IS combine to make it a compelling (amateur) video machine. Still life resolution is genuinely amazing: The OM-D E-M5 Mark II actually seems like a good update. It addresses the weaknesses of the original (build quality, handling and viewfinder) and puts the model in its proper place in the model hierarchy while keeping the basic formula intact. But it seems they moved the price more upmarket too. Refinement can be a good thing, and often a product doesn't fall completely into place until the second or third iteration. Ahem - blog on! We all know you "need" to replace the one you sold ... There was such unanimity about the few glaring flaws (and many hits) of the EM5 that a MkII essentially started to take shape immediately. From a distance, Olympus seems to have addressed the major issues, and then some, but I look forward to your assessment. I agree, Reynolds' passage is brilliantly wrought. What a metaphor! Alas, I don't think my computer is ready for these megapixel-packing "refreshes". I like the looks of the EM5 Mark II refresh (better to leave out the OMD at this point). It's a conservative release in some ways (no increase in megapixels, no new sensor that will wow the DXO lab) but nicely improved all around according to early reports. Even better shutter sound, and a new silent shutter option, for instance. Better stabilization. Flippy twisty screen, which I like, and which of course allows selfies. Better weather sealing and build. Hi-res mode for certain types of photography (still life studio and architecture come to mind). We are so lucky in some ways today, the speed at which things progress. I mean, how much better at taking photos was the OM4 than the OM1 in the hands of a skilled operator? I wonder what the EM5 Mark IV will be like, if we see it? Hi Mike, You stated "Personally I hope we're entering an era when camera model introductions will slow down some." I don't want Nikon to slow down until they have the D400 in production. My D300 is getting a bit long in the tooth. Eight years is a little too long to wait for the D300 replacement so now I'm now considering moving to a Mirrorless camera. Regards ...... Aubrey Actually, although Chrysler-Fiat (Alfa) did have a hand in the development of the new Miata they have decided not to introduce their own version, mumbling something about using their own chassis. We shall see. In my not so humble opinion I think the new Oly camera is the pinnacle of prosumer cameras today. If my D700 wasn't performing so wonderfully I would probably buy a D750. A 50 mega pixel 35mm FF sensor camera does not excite me in the least. The downsides far out way the supposed advantages. In my commercial market the need for huge prints is non existent. If something did come up I would rent a D810 for the job. Gear heads with lots of discretionary cash can go ahead and chase the carrot. HURRY MIKE, HURRY…We need your detailed report on the Canon 5DS and 5DSr. You do not want us loyal TOP'ers to get behind in the pack of speculators, nay-sayers, and those who just MUST unload their archaic 5D MKIIIs. We need yours sage take on the new pixel-king! Just saying :-)) Even though they both use the same frame and driveline, there is a Huge styling difference between a 1958 and a 1959 Chevy. By about 1960 the year-to-year changes became much smaller. Things come and go, by the mid 1950's home-built Hot Rods were replaced by Factory Hot Rods like the 1957 Chevy with it's 283 HP engine and four speed transmission. British Sports Cars were their own worst enemy with antiquated design and poor quality control. When the Toyota "Z" cars came along with more performance, comfort and passenger car like reliability you knew the end was near (same applied to British Motorcycles). My $0.02 worth is that Full Frame DSLRs (antiquated design) will be the end of both Canon and Nikon. Sorta like MG vs Toyota sportscars, or BSA vs Honda motorcycles. Innovation like like HiRes Sensor-Shift technology isn't coming from Canon or Nikon. They'll continue to live in the past until they have no present. Can anyone say Kodak? I would disagree with Moose--the E5 M II is not a camera without Bayer matrix problems. It's just a camera with a whole new batch of problems associated with an attempt to get around Bayer matrix problems. Ah yes, I had a '55 with hand rebuilt, ported and balanced engine bored out to the 283 cu.in. of '56 and later, CR Vette 4speed on the floor. (So the bench seat wouldn't go forward much.) A very goin' machine - but a piece of junk by contemporary ride and handling standards. Very few of the Duntov one HP per cu.in. cars were made. The fuel injection was hard to maintain. The dual 4BBL 270 HP was more common and practical. I have to admit I really don't understand what Canon's thinking is behind these two new 5D 50 megapixel models. From a business and technology perspective, this is a phenomenon known as incrementalism at it's worst, because they address a niche market at best. They went down this "more and more megapixels" road with the G-series only to have to back off and put less megapixels in the sensor just to get the noise performance to a level acceptable even to "enthusiast" photographers. You would have thought they would have learned this lesson at that time. But, apparently not. If Canon thinks these cameras will recover their tanking camera sales, they are, IMHO, misguided in their thinking. The operative question is: Just what is going to cause Canon to wake up and smell the coffee? No wonder Olympus, Panasonic, Sony and Fuji are kicking their butt with their innovative mirrorless offerings. Oh shucks, I was looking forward to drive a Japanese Alfa.... Reliable ;-( Don't recall any MX-5 recalls on a scale comparable to the D750, do you? I want that new Mazda. Sadly, while I could afford it, a summer car would complicate my life. How deal with it in the winter? How sad is that? [My Miata (NB, 2nd gen) was strictly a fair weather, summer car. The only time I drove in rain was when I got caught out in it. I drove it one time in the slush, snow, and ice, and learned my lesson! Never did that again. --Mike] Triumph came out with the TR8 - finally got it right and then went out of business. Nothing quite like a TR4a tho. One fun car to drive. The TR6 was more refined, in some ways but less enjoyable. Bug Eye sprites were in a class all their own as fun cars. As far as Canon and the newest 50MB chip - SAME damn Dynamic Range as the 5D MkIII which means they are still a few years behind Nikon. Mike, the word now is that the FCA version of this new Miata will be a Fiat or Abarth, not an Alfa. But there apparently is still a new compact Alfa Romeo sports car in the pipeline. Old model: The Miata product shots were probably done by selected Japanese photo-hobbyists. Mazda just forgot to credit the Flickr accounts of those great photogs. LOL Aubrey, I admire your patience. I personally switched to Micro Four Thirds after it was clear Nikon had no interest in bringing out a D400. Let's call it the M52. Succinct. The Miata, or Mazda MX5 as it's called in Australia, is ostensibly a girl's car. I'm not sure about other parts of the world, but real men don't drive a Miata/MX5 in Oz. [Sounds like those men in Oz fret too much about their manliness, then. Real men don't worry about what other people think of them. Just sayin'. --Mike] The 50mp chip in the 5d makes perfect sense: the portrait and fashion photogs who love the current 5d are the folks that ditch their 5d and rent MF for jobs where they need more pixels. Then they moan to the assistant because none of the MF cameras work as well as the 5d. An entertaining and insightful British TV series on restoring Classic British cars. This episode is about the much-maligned Triumph Stag: A refreshingly good looking sports car. I was afraid that cars and cameras were on the one way road to ugly. I have to applaud Olympus with their MkII - it really is a second generation of the E-M5, just...better. I can live with that update - new technology gets cheaper so quickly, not updating a digital body often is a disservice to your customers buying a 2 year + old product. We're very, very spoiled right now, photographically - the entire history of film cameras at tiny tiny prices for the vast majority of them, amazing new digital bodies popping out, and the second and third generation back of cameras are still so nice you can get amazing gear for cheap. Except lenses. Lenses always cost. Speaking of Alfas... It looks like the photography was done by Jeff Ludes. (Found via google image search) Doing a Google search with the Mazda image brought me to Why an E-M5II? Why not an E-M1 II? Or an E-M2? Olympus now has three OMD cameras near the "top" of their line that control differently, have different feature sets and use different accessories. Just the control differences are probably enough to make me think before considering this machine. On the other hand, just the new "Play" button might be worth the price of admission, since that button on the E-M5 is the worst one ever conceived by a human camera designer. I often wonder who manages product design for the camera companies. They seem to have no clue how to add functionality and/or improve things while not disrupting the existing interfaces too much. Intriguingly, Pentax's new 'full frame' offering is rumoured to use sensor shift tech of some kind for increased resolution. What I didn't realise was the Ricoh had already put a rudimentary version of this into production 15 (fifteen !) years ago: Hmm, all this ads up to something for me; I've a D700 as well as an EM-5. I turn 40 this year so it's the traditional time for treating myself to midlife crisis purchases. Perhaps I should upgrade to a 750 and an EM-5II...and then consider the new MX5! However, considering that my last experience in a Miata ended in the (nearly) worst accident possible underneath an 18 wheeler and subsequent helicopter ambulance ride I may just limit myself to the less risky camera shop visits. http://www.edgeofsomewhere.com/weblog/2009/06/09/trauma-t1571 [Jesu, Jason, that is horrible. So glad you made it through. --Mike] I think it speaks to the resilience of tiny cars; the investigating officer said that, had I been driving anything larger, I'd have been decapitated. I'm not sure if that can be extrapolated out to the rest of the post and speak to the benefits of Micro 4/3 cameras though. On the topic of new models and updates, I know it's impossible to really predict this but I wonder if or when the camera companies will slow down in some sense with the updates. I've been more than satisfied over the past several years with my D700. I can see upgrading to the 810—that would easily stand me in good stead for almost anything I would want to do for a long time. Just give me substantive firmware updates and a service plan that guarantees parts availability for a reasonable time. The comments to this entry are closed. Blog powered by Typepad Member since 06/2007
Sunday, March 22, 2015 How to create grids in Revit using DynamoBIM Its easy to create grids in Revit using DynamoBIM. If you use design script then it only takes two nodes. The image below summarizes this process. The key is to use range values that I discussed in a previous post here and then multiple grids will be generated. This example only shows grids in one direction. If you wanted grids in the other (east west) direction then simple create these nodes again and switch the x and y values! Enjoy I hope this helps. You may be asking yourself why would I want to create grids using dynamobim because you may not want DynamoBIM to "monitor" the grids locations. This may be true but that does not mean you should not use DynamoBIM. In other words, you could use DynamoBIM to help create the grids then cut the link with DynamoBIM from your Revit model. Really? Yes! I do this all the time. Remember DynamoBIM is an amazing parametric tool used for computational design but it is also just an amazing Revit modeling tool. I ask myself these questions on every modeling task in Revit............................ How long does it take for me to model the grids/(any element) myself in Revit? How long does it take me to create a DynamoBIM graph to create the grids/(any element) in Revit? Then I use the method that takes the shortest amount of time.... Anonymous said... Can you tell me what the purpose is of Dynamo ? Is it supposed to be AutoDesk's covert way of heading their parametric products towards Generative Components in terms of presenting a code based way for BIM users to model ? What is the point here of having to code ? or go through a variety of text based code lines to be able to do things, which (in my opinion) we ought not have to do to achieve the modeling result we want ? Similarly, there are many modelling products on the market that are able to do these tasks without the need for any User intervention code ? (just because we can, should that be a reason to ?). I look at this development and see lots of possibilities, however, also a long time user of AutoDesk products makes me very wary of what this is really about. This is not a case of a troll, its standing back and being aware of Revit , Solidworks, Generative Components type products et al, and wondering why transformations, and a range of other more varied modelling tools are not being developed inside Revit, but rather, this seems to be aimed at another path altogether, and one which is probably more aimed towards creating yet another slab of new products that add in / add on or become necessarily additional to the work inside Revit, such that it is an additional workflow tool and not an improvement for Revit. If this is the case, then it is another example of how Revit is not being developed and continued but spring boarding for loads more probably unnecessary tools that ought to be built inside Revit as part of its growing functionality - we should not forget that it has always been hailed as a "premium product" and subscription holders have been paying that premium for many years but have not seen the type of development of the product ti could be having but rather, the range of additional products to drive new markets. I suspect that Dynamo is such a product here. We should have tools that are easier to use with the smarts being under the hood, rather than promoting a set of additional tools, that require ongoing upskilling just to use at the fundamental level. Dynamo might seem smart and easy to use to those particularly interested in coding, or cool to those whose bent is deeply inside Revits chambers, however, it is not necessarily a smart tool when it takes lots of effort to use and rather than being inside Revit, is just another add on. Unknown said... How can I create grids in Revit using Dynamo, if I have the grid coordinates in an excel spreadsheet from another program? And does it create radial grids? Anonymous said... When I try to rename my grid 'a' it changes the whole grid to an alphabetical order starting from 'b'. It seems to "remember" that 'a' was used and continue from there. How can i make the grid being generated start from 'a' in stead of 'b'? Marcello Sgambelluri said... In your case to start with a You have to set the grids using the set parameter nodes Not difficult That's what I do Unknown said... Hi Marcello, I wish you answer to the first comment. Though, I can answer to that, but I would really love to hear from you first.
Play The Ball, Don’t Let the Ball Play You!!! One of the most popular phrases a baseball coach will yell out during a game to a fielder is “Hey, play the ball. Don’t let the ball play you!!!” Whether you are a 6 year old, first time infielder or a 5 tool college shortstop, the message is still the same. Baseball players are more likely to make plays when they are actively moving as opposed to just standing still, picking daises, or just not focused defensively. A ground ball up the middle is more likely to be grabbed by an infielder who is on their toes, rather than their heels standing flat footed. A fly ball into the gap is more likely to be caught by an outfielder who is moving with the crack of the bat, as opposed to a late reacting fielder who was not focused on his/her position. I posed this question to Coach Jason Harvey of Ken Ryan Express. “What exactly do coaches mean when they shout out the phrase ‘Play the Ball, Don’t Let the Ball Play You!’ As always, Coach Harvey was up to the challenge! ready pos1 Baseball is a game that must be played on the move. If you get caught flat footed, the chance of fielding the baseball becomes a lot more difficult. Players should be taught at a young age how to be ready when the pitch is made. Whether they are outfielders or infielders, they should be ready to move on contact. Even when the ball is hit directly at the player, the player should take a small circular route to be moving toward their target as they field the baseball. Players should try to avoid just staying directly in front of the ball. They should get their body in front of the baseball as it arrives in their glove. This way their momentum is moving toward where they intend to throw. If the ball happens to hit them in the chest or in the leg, the ball will be moving toward the target making it easier to pick up and throw. By moving toward the target, the player is able to move into a crow hop or quickly position their feet to make the throw. This is not exclusive to infielders. Outfielders should also move into a position to catch a fly ball as they are moving in toward the infield. If the player stays flat footed waiting for the fly ball, the ball will have a tendency to carry over their head, to the side, or they will take their eye off the ball before they catch it. Training players to make the catch coming in, will keep them focused on the ball right through the catch and get them into a good throwing position. ready position1By training to be moving as you catch the ball, the player trains to play the ball instead of the ball playing them. It will not only increase the chances of making the catch but it is ideal for getting the body prepared to make a quick, accurate, and hard throw toward the desired target. Even when the throw is not necessary in the case of a fly ball, the player should always continue to catch the ball as if they will have to throw after the catch. Three of my favorite drills to work on this are: 1. Right/Left Drill: Place two balls approximately three feet apart. Have the player approach the balls and step with the right foot in front of one ball and then the left foot in front of the other ball while you roll a ball between the stationary balls. This would be for a right handed player. For a left handed player, the steps would be opposite. This trains the player to time the approach to the ball with the right foot followed by the left foot. The player can then work on coming out of the catch with the right foot followed by the left foot to make the throw. 2. Triangle Cone Groundball Drill: Place one cone in front of the player, another cone approximately 10′ in front of that cone, and then one cone between those cones approximately 6-8′ to the right. This will create a triangle with the cones. As you roll the ball toward the lead cone, the player will learn to run around the middle cone and approach the ball on the move heading toward their target. It helps them work on footwork, timing, and quickness. 3. Square Cone Flyball Drill: Place four cones in the shape of a square approximately 15′ apart. Have the player start at the cone to your left. Have the player run toward the cone in front of you, as they run toward the cone loft a pop up for the player to run under to make the catch. After the catch, have the player throw the ball to you and begin running toward the cone you were standing next to. Loft another pop up for the player to run under to make the catch. The player should then toss you the ball and begin running toward the cone diagonally away from the cone that you were standing at. You would then loft the ball toward that cone for them to catch the ball over their shoulder. They again stop and make a throw back to you. The next player would then start the drill and that player would jog back in line. bball drills Thanks again for the great insight Coach Harvey. Jason Harvey is the Co-owner/ Physical Therapist at Elite Physical Therapy and an active baseball coach for youth baseball here in RI. Here is more about Coach Jason Harvey: I’ve been coaching in Ken Ryan’s KR Express AAU program for the last two seasons. As a Physical Therapist, I’ve also partnered with Ken to offer Elite Velocity Training for youth baseball players to enhance throwing velocity, hitting exit velocity, and running velocity. I’ve done countless hours of research on mechanics and the physics of baseball. I’ve engineered a class that fills the gaps in a youth baseball players physical strength and flexibility so that they can properly perform the mechanics that coaches try to teach youth players. Leave a Reply
6 Signs of a Great Social Work Supervisor Supervision in social work is an essential part of effective practice, support, and preventing burnout. A supervisor can make or break your experience at an organization, and is essential for licensure and growth. I’ve had mixed experiences with supervisors, and through this, have gained insight on what really makes a good social work supervisor. 1. They make time for you. I’ve had supervisors that were so burned out and overwhelmed themselves, we would not meet regularly, or they would forget we had a supervision meeting. As a novice social worker, it was essential for my practice and skills growth, but also for my licensure requirements, that I maintain weekly supervision. A supervisor that’s organized and is intentional about carving out time for you is vital. Not only is making the time important, but being present during this time. Supervision is meaningless if it’s not met with attentive support. 2. They care about your wellbeing in work and out of work. My current supervisor begins our individual and group supervision with a check in about our work week, but also about our personal lives. We of course have boundaries, but there is a genuine interest in our lives and wellbeing, and shows an understanding that we are more than our job. We are complex, and can have stressors that impact our work elsewhere. This can also promote a compassionate relationship with your supervisor and coworkers, and improves organizational cohesion. 3. They offer helpful feedback and not criticism. This is a HUGE factor for me. It is draining to constantly be receiving criticism, even if it’s the truth. There is way to offer supportive feedback that allows for growth, rather that criticism that can reduce motivation and increase resentment towards the work and the workplace. When we feel punished, we’re less likely to create positive change in a lasting way. 4. They lead with empathy. Empathy is the blanket that covers each of these signs. As it is in social work, one of our biggest foundational pieces is empathetic care. We see the impact of this on the therapeutic relationship, and it’s not a far jump to see how this can be helpful for the supervisor-social worker relationship. Empathy allows for supervisees to be humanized and seen within full context of their life, and maintains a growth & strengths oriented perspective. 5. They are both therapist-centered and client-centered. Agencies can be both therapist and client-centered, and it ultimately comes down to policy practices and expectations. This can be time off, pay, overtime, working evenings/weekends, holiday schedules, and all of the vital administrative pieces that influence a therapist’s ability to be present and practice well. Policies that don’t promote the social worker’s wellbeing, ultimately are not client-centered. 6. They don’t just talk about self care, but actively promote it. Self care doesn’t just mean time off and taking a bubble bath. Promoting self care means supervisors are making sure you take time off, checking in with your mental health and stress levels, providing good insurance coverage and benefits, and having appropriate pay for the level of education and work that you do. All of these things ultimately impact retention, turnover, burnout, and the care that the communities we support are receiving. These are just a few factors that are essential to have in a supervisor, that I’ve noticed in my time as a social worker. Share some of your non-negotiables in the comments! Leave a Reply Powered by WordPress.com. Up ↑ %d bloggers like this:
Crassula Muscosa (Watch Chain Plant) The Crassula Muscosa (Watch Chain Plant) is a succulent plant belonging to the Crassulaceae family This species is native to the African continent, specifically South Africa. It is a small plant (reaches between 30-45 cm maximum height) and very branched. The stems in this plant are succulent and very thin, mainly observed, the leaves; these are erect but tend to bend over time. The leaves are arranged in linear rosettes of 4 rows of leaves arranged in an upright position that are placed one above the other (the rosettes). This plant is multiplied asexually by a constant and irregular branching of the stem that will eventually form a small but very dense plant (foliage). The leaves are small, thick and pointed at their apex (some tend to be rounded). They are very small reaching less than 0.5 cm long. Leaf rosettes are compacted a lot making the visibility of the stem of this plant impossible. The leaves are completely green varying in some cases the intensity (the intense sun causes the leaves to become darker; between gray and red). Both the arrangement of the leaves and the high branching of the stem cause this plant to be so curious and beautiful. The flowers are arranged in small lateral inflorescences that arise from the larger stems (usually). They are very small in size and number and not very showy; they are almost indistinguishable because of their coloration (yellow-green) they can be confused between the leaves. The flowering season begins in late summer and early fall. They can bloom at any time of the year if temperatures remain above 24 ° C. Fun Fact: This plant is very long reaching more than 20 years if it is grown in a pot with the necessary care. You may like this plant. Tips to take care of the crassula muscosa (watch chain plant) This species is quite resistant to the climates and droughts present in the tropics. In tropical countries, it is very easy to grow but in temperate areas, you must take more precautions. To cultivate this plant you must take into account the following aspects. Unlike many succulents, the Crassula Muscosa species prefers to grow in shaded-somewhat lit places. Do not locate in full sun (burn its leaves). It prefers to grow mainly at temperatures above 20 ° C and remain stable throughout the year. Temperatures below 10 ° C can deteriorate or kill our plant. It does not support frost. It grows best in environments where the relative humidity is quite low (dry heat). We must water frequently in warm times because the substrate tends to dry quickly. In cold times we should only water it when the substrate is completely dry. We must provide a substrate with good drainage and rich in organic matter. To improve drainage it is recommended to use small stones, soil and sand. Where to plant It can be planted easily in pots but you must transplant them every 1-2 years for larger ones and favor growth. Very easy! We can reproduce it by cuttings of the stems that appear when branching. We can also use leaves to obtain new plants. Pests and diseases: The main pests that attack this plant are aphids (aphids) and mealybugs that we must eliminate with insecticides. Excess watering and / or substrate pooling favors the appearance of fungi and root rot. The Crassula is made up of more than 600 species of succulent plants originating, almost all, from South Africa. They are usually used in indoor pots or greenhouses and also, if the weather allows it, in rockery. Although they can live in full sun exposures they prefer a light shade outside or a very bright location indoors. They do not tolerate temperatures below 5 ° C. A good soil would be a mixture of peat or leaf mulch with enough siliceous sand. In summer, watering will be medium, waiting for the land to dry before the next water supply. In winter they require a certain rest, so the risks will be greatly reduced. They appreciate a light fertilizer with organic matter every 2 years. They do not need pruning. They do not usually present problems with pests and diseases; we just have to avoid watering them in excess. They can be multiplied from stem cuttings quite simply.
The yacht will commence its cruise from either marina (depending on where the yacht is berthed) and will sail out for the southern islands. The yacht will then anchor around the Pulau Seringat pontoon or in front of Lazarus beach, for guests to commence on various activities such as exploring the island, swimming, kayaking or walking along the sandy beach. Please note that the yacht will anchor at one location as per the Captain’s discretion, depending on the sea current on that day. The yacht will not change location after anchoring. For safety reasons due to visibility, all water activities will also have to stop by 7pm. Around 45 minutes before the charter ends, the yacht will do a city skyline cruise and sail back to either marina where guests will disembark. Please note that the city skyline cruise may be an optional add-on depending on the yacht you have chosen. Please refer to the rate chart for your selected yacht for details.

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