text:
- Car Reviews
- AMG A45
Brilliant new engine, clever 4WD system, well judged ride/handling balance, interior design
It’s a £50k hot hatch, needlessly complicated screens and set-up
What is it?
The most powerful hot hatch in series production. Well, until Audi puts the bit between the RS3’s teeth once again. But of course it is. Ding-dong, seconds out, round one, the A45 is the bone-cruncher-in-chief of the hot hatch power wars. And now all-new from the ground up.
The first A45 appeared in 2013 with 355bhp, and proceeded to more than double AMG’s sales target. Plus spawn variants: GLA crossover, CLA saloon, CLA Shooting Brake estate. The same will happen this time – the business is too good for it not to. The new one copies the 4WD, 4cyl turbo template but that’s about it: I ask Ralph Illenberger, AMG’s head of engine design if anything has been carried over, “yes, two bolts I think”. I’ll talk more about the engine, but before I get carried away, here’s what else you need to know.
As with other AMGs, the A45 now comes in two variants, plain A45 and A45 S. The latter, with an extra 33bhp, more standard kit, bigger wheels (19s not 18s), larger exhaust pipes, double the number of diffuser fins, bigger brakes, variable driving modes etc, is the only one coming to the UK. It’ll cost around £50,000. The CLA saloon goes on sale at the same time, costing about £2,000 more and delivering an almost identical driving experience: the hardware is the same for both cars (barring a tiny adjustment to the rear track width), the software tweaked to give the CLA a moderately less hardcore outlook.
The body has been majorly reinforced with a new shearing plate under the engine, a strut-mounted cross brace, diagonal bars across the front and rear underbody to support the subframes and inserts in the front wheelarches that connect the side members to the A-pillars and stop deformation under suspension compression. That’s quite a set-up.
Where the old car had a relatively crude 4WD system (front drive until it detected slip), this is much more sophisticated. The system takes information from everywhere: yaw sensors, steering angle, throttle, that bottle rolling around in the footwell, then distributes it (typically 50:50) between the axles. At the front a mechanical slip diff distributes power to either side, but at the rear it’s fully electronic: a pair of sophisticated clutch packs can send 100 per cent to either wheel. No 4WS, but the effect is similar. Drift mode, available if you maximise every setting and put the ESP to sleep, neatly limits torque to the front axle provided you’re giving it maximum sideways attack with the steering and throttle.
Now, this engine: it’s hard to consider a humble four cylinder as being very specialised, but keep that in mind as I tell you about it. It’s been turned through 180 degrees, so the intake is on the front, exhaust and single turbo on the back, helpfully shortening the tract lengths and lowering the engine height at the front, allowing a more aerodynamic bonnet line. Now consider the heat build up. Forget the hot-vee V8, Illenberger refers to this as ‘hot-back’ as exhaust and turbo sit cheek by jowl.
The cooling is unbelieveable. The turbo is water, oil and air cooled, with the latter ducted through an intake behind the grille, under the engine cover, and then down past exhaust and turbo and out through an opening left purposefully in the floor. The heat-shielding is considerable. There are three water pumps: electrically driven for the intercooler and cylinder block, plus a beefier mechanical pump for the head. That last can pump 280 litres of water per minute – over twice the flow of a standard car. The intercooler has to get inlet temperatures down from 200 degrees to 50. When it can’t cope it’s able to call on the cabin air conditioning system for help.
The engine block is all new and used nowhere else. It’s able to withstand combustion pressures of 160 bar – as tough as a diesel block, basically. Illenberger admits to having considered twin turbos and both turbo and supercharger layout before dismissing both for packaging reasons. Apparently AMG boss Tobias Moers’ eyes widened when Illenberger went in and stated that he thought he could get 415bhp from a single turbo 2.0-litre with the right power characteristics, response, emissions and so on. The twinscroll blower, running on roller bearings, has two separate air feeds, from cylinders 1-2 and 3-4. It pressurises to 2.1 bar.
Speaking of power characteristics, these are fundamentally changed. In the old car torque peaked at 2,250rpm and plateaued across to 5k. To feel more naturally aspirated and give you a reason to hold on to each gear, maximum torque (369lb ft) now doesn’t arrive until 5,000rpm, the delivery ramping up through the mid-range, rather than jumping at the bottom end and then simply sustaining.
Other stuff: there is a cabin sound generator which takes its cues from a sensor in the exhaust, the gearbox is an eight-speed multi-clutch DCT, it weighs 1,550kg, promises 0-62mph in 3.9secs, a 167mph max, plus 34.0mpg and 189g/km of CO2. It’s a very different beast from the AMG A35 that appeared last year, using an AMG-tuned version of a 2.0-litre Merc unit. The current A-Class has majored on design and technology. Can the full-house AMG take the fight to the Audi RS3 and BMW M2 and get the focus back on the driver?
Our choice from the range
What's the verdict?
The last A45 was a big sales success. So Mercedes-AMG has done what it does best: invest heavily in the R&D of its replacement. The 415bhp engine, the 4WD system, body stiffness, suspension, the electronics that support everything – all are highly impressive and very well integrated.
It is a very particular type of car: a bombastic hatch, big on speed and extrovert gestures, lacking a little in delicacy and adjustability. Leave that to coupes such as the BMW M2 or Alpine A110. The A45 has a different brief: to go fast and have fun. That aligns it precisely with the Audi RS3, a car that is both less talented and less charismatic. The A45 has a pretty big sweet spot: it looks good inside and out, operates unobtrusively when you don’t demand much, and goes properly feral when you do.


text:
Cyclobutane malonoyl peroxide (7), prepared in a single step from the commercially available diacid 6, is an effective reagent for the dihydroxylation of alkenes. Reaction of a chloroform solution of 7 with an alkene in the presence of one equivalent of water at 40 °C followed by alkaline hydrolysis leads to the corresponding diol (30–84%). With 1,2-disubstituted alkenes the reaction proceeds with syn-selectivity (3:1–>50:1). A mechanism consistent with experimental findings is proposed which is supported by deuterium and oxygen labeling studies and explains the stereoselectivity observed. Alternative reaction pathways that are dependent on the structure of the starting alkene are also described leading to the synthesis of allylic alcohols and γ-lactones.
- cyclobutane malonoyl peroxide

domain: chemistry


DMS integration compliant with dealer standards
This means that Pinnacle provides many ways for Lexus dealers to streamline processes and reduce costs, including:
Parts Franchise File
Manufacturer part files that contain part information (e.g. part number, purchase codes etc.). Provides the ability to create genuine franchise parts directly from a manufacturer price file.
Parts Price Updates
Ensure that parts prices are updated with the latest prices when available.
Parts Stock Order Transmission
Pinnacle allows parts orders to be transmitted automatically to Lexus, improving efficiency.
Sends part sales to the manufacturer.
Sends an export of the dealer’s repair order to the manufacturer.
Sales Activity Feed/RIS
Feeds customer information, sales opportunity contacts and VHC outcomes.
Value Chain Reporting
Sends customer and vehicle record amendments.


text:
With the worst natural disaster in our country’s history now more than 90 days old (and counting), I started thinking about how BP and its major U.S. competitors are using marketing tactics to respond.
It may have taken them longer than many would like, but BP has revamped their entire marketing presence to address what they are doing in the Gulf. From their television spots to their press releases, website, Twitter and RSS feeds, Facebook and Flickr accounts, and even their YouTube channel, BP is now using all their available outlets to try and keep people informed about what they are doing to stop the leak and repair the damage.
In the old days, if a company had a crisis, they would control the media and the conversation with a traditional PR effort, and their competitors would be silent (e.g., the airline industry after a crash). But the proliferation of social media (and BP’s slow marketing response) has made it next to impossible for them to control the dialogue and get in front of the conversation. Consider this:
- Facebook: “Boycott BP” and “BP Sucks” pages on Facebook have more than a million combined fans, while the real BP Facebook page only has about 34,000.
- Twitter: There are more than 185,000 followers on the main anti-BP page (BPGlobalPR) on Twitter, while the real page has only 16,800 followers.
Social media can really bite a company in the butt in times of disaster if they don’t have a plan, don’t say the right things, or don’t act quickly enough.
From a competitive standpoint, it surprised me that I haven’t seen any television spots, nor could I find one thing about the disaster on the corporate or brand websites for ExxonMobil, Chevron or Texaco. Shell was the only brand that even mentioned it on their site, and that was only one buried link to an article that speaks about the support and assets they have been providing to BP. They also seem to be the only brand heavily promoting the work they are doing to tap into alternative sources of energy.
But, as you can imagine, that hasn’t stopped people from making angry posts about all these brands as well, and even rehashing their prior wrongdoings and mishaps. BP’s competitors look to be hiding their heads in the sand vs. responding and engaging in the conversation.
What do you think of the marketing response from BP and its competitors? What would you be doing if you were the CMO of one of these brands?
— Stephen Weinstein, EVP, Director of Account Management

domain: news


Some folks caught a glimpse of the trailer early, but here it is straight from Konami. Have a look at Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, with BIg Boss taking the lead again this time. It's set in 1984 and sports a brand new engine.
I haven't played Ground Zeroes yet, but The Phantom Pain definitely looks impressive. The engine gives the characters some realistic look and movement and I'm sure we'll see plenty of it during 30 minute cut scenes.
Look for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain on the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4 with a release date to be determined.


CVE-2021-44521 is a recently discovered vulnerability in Apache Cassandra, a highly available and distributed database management system. When certain configurations are used, this security flaw can allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on the host system. This post will provide an in-depth look at the vulnerability, including code snippets, original references, and exploit details. It is vital for users of Apache Cassandra to understand the risks associated with this configuration and take action to secure their systems.
By using these settings, an attacker with sufficient permissions can create user-defined functions (UDFs) in the Apache Cassandra cluster and execute arbitrary code on the host.
To exploit the CVE-2021-44521 vulnerability, an attacker may utilize a Cassandra Query Language (CQL) script to create a malicious UDF. For example:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION malicious_udf(arg1 text, arg2 int)
CALLED ON NULL INPUT
AS 'code to execute arbitrary commands here';
Here, an attacker creates a UDF called malicious_udf that may contain arbitrary Java code designed to execute malicious commands.
The vulnerability was first reported and documented on the CVE List website, which provides a comprehensive database of publicly known cybersecurity vulnerabilities:
CVE-2021-44521 CVE List Page
Additionally, the Apache Cassandra project has published a security advisory providing technical details and guidance for mitigation:
Apache Cassandra Security Advisory for CVE-2021-44521
It is important to note that this configuration is documented as unsafe, and will continue to be considered unsafe even after the CVE has been addressed.
To mitigate the risk associated with CVE-2021-44521, the following steps should be taken
1. Disable user-defined functions (UDFs) by setting enable_user_defined_functions to false in the cassandra.yaml configuration file:
2. Ensure that the enable_scripted_user_defined_functions and enable_user_defined_functions_threads settings are also set to false:
4. Audit and assess the security of any existing UDFs in the cluster to ensure they do not contain malicious code.
The CVE-2021-44521 vulnerability in Apache Cassandra poses a significant risk for systems configured with unsafe settings. By understanding the nature of this security flaw and implementing proper mitigation measures, users can protect their Apache Cassandra clusters and host systems from potential exploitation. Always be cautious when enabling UDFs and follow security best practices as documented by the Apache Cassandra project.
Published on: 02/11/2022 13:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 08/09/2022 00:39:00 UTC


text:
Orkin Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington Exterminator, Pest Control & Termite Inspector
Orkin service may be available in your area. Please call 877-216-4070 for assistance.
Orkin serves the following communities near Huntington :
Charleston, Huntington, Saint Albans, Hurricane, South Point, Barboursville, Elkview, Proctorville, Dunbar, Chapmanville, Milton, Point Pleasant, Nitro, Chesapeake, Scott Depot, Williamson, Wayne, Kenova, Delbarton, Clendenin, Winfield, Logan, Poca, Culloden, Branchland,

domain: geography


text:
THERE are 2,141 female police officers working for West Midlands Police, and 5,604 male officers, according to latest statistics.
Across the whole force there are three female chief superintendents - who run police stations - out of a total of 33. They include Deborah Harrod, who runs Chace Avenue police station in Willenhall, Coventry.
There are a total of 650 community support officers, 937 volunteer special constables, 25 traffic wardens and 4,039 civilian staff who also work for the force, papers from West Midlands Police Authority state.
* IN 2006 20 police officers were dismissed, required to resign or whose performance was found to be below the standard set by West Midlands Police, papers before the West Midlands Police Authority claim.


text:
Sears Holding announces latest closures Thursday
Taft's Kmart Store will be closing in early April.
Sears Holdings, the parent company of Kmart, made the announcement Thursday.
"Sears Holdings continues its strategic assessment of the productivity of our Kmart and Sears store base and will continue to right size our store footprint in number and size, Sears Holding said in a statement released Thursday. "In the process, as previously announced we will continue to close some unprofitable stores as we transform our business model so that our physical store footprint and our digital capabilities match the needs and preferences of our members. The company on Thursday, January 4 informed associates at 64 Kmart stores and 39 Sears stores that we will be closing these stores between early March and early April 2018."
Sears wouldn't say how many of its employees would be impacted by the closings but did say the majority of the jobs are part-time positions, and eligible associates will receive severance."
The Taft Kmart had been open for a quarter of a century and had survived several earlier rounds of store closures.
But there were cutbacks that signaled the local store was struggling.
The store's garden entrance was closed.
In the fall, Kmart closed the local pharmacy.
The Taft store is one of five California Kmarts closing in the latest round. The others are in Cudahy, Redding, Arroyo Grande and Ontario.

domain: economics


text:
Ranieri, who signed Lampard from West Ham for £11 million in 2001, declared: "We are full in midfield and won't be signing anyone else there.
"Frank is a fantastic player - I know that better than anyone - but the only player we need before the start of the season is a central defender."
However, Ranieri is a confirmed admirer of the 28-year-old midfielder.
He said: "Many people said Frank wasn't worth the money when I signed him but he worked very hard and went on to become one of the best midfielders in the world. That made me very proud.
"We had a great relationship when we were at Chelsea and it was good to catch up with him after England's game against Brazil last month."

domain: sports


text:
Reading Matthew, Trusting Jesus: Christian Tradition and First-Century Fulfillment within Matthew 24-25
The Vindication of Jesus Christ: A Brief Reader's Guide to Revelation
Why the End is Not Near
Why Baptize Babies?
Why Christian Kids Need a Christian Education
Why Ministers Must Be Men

domain: library


Democrat Connor Lamb held onto a narrow lead Wednesday as counting of absentee and provisional ballots continued from Tuesday’s election to replace resigned and disgraced Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy in a Pennsylvania congressional district.
Lamb was ahead by just a few hundred votes – less than a percentage point – in a district near Pittsburgh that Donald Trump carried by 20 points in 2016. Based on the numbers, Republicans should have been able carry their candidate, Rick Saccone, to an easy victory.
With the race so close, Republican officials said they will seek a court order to impound voting machines pending a recount.
Lamb’s strong showing, which will probably result in his victory, is the clearest signal yet that Republicans are in trouble heading into the November congressional elections. The trends line should make it clear: the GOP is going down, slowly, but down.
Now that the economy is no longer flat on its back, Republicans need to talk about the future. They need to address education, spending and the cost of health care – issues that show up atop most polls as being of major concerns to voters now that they feel better about jobs and the economy.
Since President Trump was elected, Republicans have held onto congressional seats that became vacant – mostly safe seats like Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District and Kansas’ Fourth Congressional District – by margins much closer than they should have been in special elections.
But Republicans have lost nearly 40 state legislative seats in special elections – in some cases seats they have held for decades – since November 2016. For those in charge of the party, the trend should be alarming.
Each race can be discussed on its own. Many of the losses have been blamed on bad candidates and bad campaign strategies. Indeed, the post-election spin around the Pennsylvania race is already starting to shape up that way.
Republican Saccone has been labeled a weak candidate and a poor fit for the district. At the same time, Lamb is being hailed as just the kind of conservative-to-moderate military veteran the Democrats need to win back the House in November.
All that may be true, but this was just one race, the dynamics of which will be hard to repeat.
Republicans are in trouble not just because of President Trump and his poor approval ratings. On a national level, they haven’t developed a strategy for victory in the upcoming election. They’re running around the country campaigning to get America to embrace a tax cut that’s already been enacted – but voters want to know what politicians are going to do for them or to them in the future.
The GOP majority in the U.S. Senate got moving after the Republicans lost the special election in Alabama in December. Losing that seat, in a state President Trump carried by 28 points, was like a bucket of cold water to the face of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and others who realized they needed to break the logjam.
Self-preservation, the most important single thing to any member of the Senate, overtook most other political concerns on the GOP side. Hopefully, the Pennsylvania race – no matter who eventually ends up the winner – will have the same effect on House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and other members of the GOP leadership.
In the short term, now that the economy is no longer flat on its back, Republicans need to talk about the future. They need to address education, spending and the cost of health care – issues that show up atop most polls as being of major concerns to voters now that they feel better about jobs and the economy.
It’s alright to talk about what it would mean to have Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., become speaker in a Democratic House and how the Democrats have already promised to raise taxes by $1 trillion or more if they regain power. But the Republicans have to offer a meaningful contrast – one that doesn’t necessarily involve the president – hard as that may be.
The voters, especially the ones the GOP needs to stay in charge, want to see some daylight between President Trump and Congress.
Some years ago, the marketing geniuses in Hollywood pushed a horror picture on the American public using the tagline “Be Afraid … Be Very Afraid.” If the Republicans are smart, especially Republicans in the House, they’ll adopt the same words as a mantra as the November elections draw closer to warn voters not to elect Democratic majorities in Congress.


text:
I was interviewed a couple of weeks ago by Radio 666 ABC’s Alex Sloan on International Positive Thinking Day, and during the interview, Alex referred me to Oliver Burkeman’s book ‘The Antidote: Happiness for people who can’t stand positive thinking’.
Alex suggested I would enjoy reading the book and while I’m only about a third of the way in so far, I can certainly report that ‘enjoy’ isn’t an adjective I can use so far to describe how I feel about the book.
It’s one of those books where I’m battling to suppress my reactive want to attack almost everything I’m reading because it challenges my personal beliefs, understanding, and validated extensive academic research findings around the value of intentionally realistic positivity.
Intentionally realistic positivity acknowledges the realities of life – the ups and downs, the positives and negatives. It is not about removing all negativity from one’s life, it’s about accepting that negativity can be part of our life, but ought not stop us from taking intentional action to move forward to live more happy, flourishing and prosperous lives.
This intentional realistic positivity is quite different to the more ‘hypey’ and unrealistic power of positive thinking that is the fuel for many self-help and motivational speakers.
So while at this stage I’m not enjoying Burkeman’s book because of the challenge it’s presenting to me, in a paradoxical way, I’m certainly intrigued.
The reason I’m reporting early on the challenge I’m facing with this book, (and I promise to give a comprehensive review when I complete it), is the challenge I’m facing is one that almost every one of us (or at least the majority of us) face on a daily basis… and that challenge is to be open to ideas, information and viewpoints that challenge our own understanding about our personal and business lives.
Something I learned from a video program titled ‘The Business Of Paradigms’ by Joel Barker many years ago was that our boundaries of belief and understanding can block us from discovering new ways to approach our various life roles.
While not always easy to do, what Barker taught me was to be constantly aware of when I reactively feel challenged, when I don’t agree with something, when I feel the need to defend my beliefs and position. The reason I try to be aware of these types of feelings and to become mindfully engaged in the moment, is there’s a strong chance that I am right at the edge of my boundary of belief and thought – and I may be my own worst enemy at that point and unintentionally either distort, change or ignore the new evidence or information being presented.
One of my research tools that I draw upon when reading (not when I’m reading fiction) is at the end of each chapter, I ask the following questions:
1. What have I learned or relearned?
2. Where’s the evidence in my own life of this?
3. What hasn’t been covered that might need further investigation?
4. What’s challenged me?
6. What lesson might I be missing because of this challenge?
You, me and every one of us have a boundary of belief or thought that if we unintentionally let it take control, can block us from seeing the world in any way other than our own experiences.
However, by being intentionally open to the lessons and experiences that others have had, that we may not have experienced, while challenging at times, can potentially be one of our most powerful learning tools.
When I wrote the book Intentionomics and decided to present the Intentionomics Blueprint of 9 Inescapable Truths for a Prosperous Life, I certainly never suggested that these 9 inescapable truths were THE 9 inescapable truths, in the same way I’m sure Stephen Covey wasn’t suggesting that the 7 Habits were THE 7 habits. While it’s easy to criticise those of us who might draw a line in the sand and arrive at a number of guiding principles, suggestions or summarise the research and evidence down into a number of key points, the reality is, it’s impossible to provide all of the permutations and combinations of what the research (and our personal experiences) validates will help us live more happy, flourishing and prosperous lives.
So with a big thanks to Alex Sloan for recommending I read Burkeman’s book, I remain challenged, but intentionally open to continue to explore this counterintuitive discussion on the perils of positivity.
Let me leave you with a rephrasing of the question in the title to this post. What beliefs do you currently have that could be so strong that they may be blocking you from seeing new potential to live an even more happy, flourishing and prosperous personal and work life?
To answer the question, keep a look out over the next days and weeks when you feel like you’re being challenged or that you want to defend your point of view… you may just be at the edge of a paradigm, a boundary of belief or thought that could be blocking you to discover what you might need to move forward.
More to come.

domain: literature


text:
Added sugars are empty calories. Your body doesn’t need them, and they can pack on the pounds pretty quickly. The average American eats about 22 teaspoons a day. That’s more than triple what women should get and double the recommended amount for men. But it’s not hard to cut back on sugar – and maybe not even miss it.
It may be an obviously smart move to reach for cookies, candy, and other sweets less often. But sugar lurks in processed foods, including savory ones like sauces and dressing. Food manufacturers use sugar to extend their products’ shelf life. Aim to eat more fresh foods and fewer of those that are sold in packaging.
1. Be a Sugar Sleuth
These are few of the names for added sugar. Many food labels will have to list the amount starting in January 2020:
- Evaporated cane juice
- Fruit juice concentrate
- Brown rice syrup, malt syrup, corn syrup, date syrup
- Barley malt
- Galactose or glucose
A teaspoon holds 4 grams of sugar. Men should get no more than 9 teaspoons and women no more than 6 teaspoons a day.
2. Go Slow
Some people find it hard to give up sugar cold turkey. So it’s best to cut back in steps. If you usually enjoy your coffee with 2 spoonfuls of sugar, try it with 1½. Keep stirring in a bit less and less over time. Who knows, you just might discover that your prefer your java black.
3. Smart Swaps for Coffee and Tea
Lemon, licorice, and anise are good flavorings for your tea. For coffee, try cinnamon, vanilla extract, or unsweetened cocoa powder. If you can drink milk, stir some in to add sugar that’s natural, but not sweet.
Tip: Scan the nutrition information for your favorite coffee-shop beverage to learn which ones are loaded with the sweet stuff.
4. Rethink Soft Drinks
A regular 12-ounce can of soda has 8 teaspoons of sugar. So swap your sodas. Sip on ones with less sugar, artificial sweeteners, or nothing at all. Ease your taste buds off sugar over time. Someday, your go-to drink might be sparkling water with a splash of fruit juice.
5. Favor Fruit
The sugar found in fruits is a great way to sweeten meals. Sprinkle raisins and chopped dates into salads and grain dishes. Add fruit salsas and chutneys to grilled or roasted meats, poultry, and fish. Mind the fruit portions, since natural sugar is still sugar.
6. Better Breakfast
Some servings of children’s cereal have as much sugar as three chocolate chip cookies! Try switching to whole-grain hot cereals like regular cooked (not instant) oatmeal. They usually have very little or no sugar. Mix in some mashed bananas or apples and cinnamon to kick the flavor up a notch.
7. Bring on the Heat
Grilling or roasting brings out the sweetness in fruits. Add them to desserts or enjoy them all by themselves. Think baked apples, poached pears, grilled pineapple, and the like. You can do the same with veggies. Roasted sweet potatoes and carrots are surprisingly sweet, compared to their raw versions. Sautéed onions and fire-roasted red peppers add sweet notes to many savory dishes.
8. Sub in Spices
You detect 80% of flavor through your nose. So trick your brain by cutting a quarter of the sugar in non-baking recipes and replacing it with sweet-smelling spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Spices are good for your body, too. They’re packed with nutrients like calcium, fiber, iron, magnesium, and vitamins like C, K, and A.
9. Stir in Applesauce
Bake with unsweetened applesauce in place of sugar in your muffins, banana bread, and cakes. It adds texture and taste, and no added sugar. Try a 1-to-1 swap to start, and experiment until you hit the right balance. Since applesauce is watery, cut down on liquids in your recipe by about a quarter-cup.
10. Healthier Frosting
Try this chocolate-avocado frosting on your next cake. It has less sugar then regular chocolate frosting and packs nutrients like fiber, healthy fats, and protein:
- Mix 2 ripe avocados in a blender or food processor.
- Add ½ cup cocoa powder, ¼ cup maple syrup, and ¼ tsp vanilla extract.
- Salt to taste.
11. Pick Dark Chocolate
Love chocolates? No need to deny yourself. Just choose dark chocolate. It usually has less sugar and fat than milk or white chocolate. Studies have shown that dark chocolate can keep your heart healthy, too. The higher the cocoa content, the better. So look for dark chocolate that has 70% cocoa or higher. Nibble 1-2 ounces a few times a week for a smarter way to satisfy your sweet tooth.
12. Watch Condiments
Sugar lurks in many bottles. Barbecue sauce, ketchup, and salad dressings are often loaded with surprising amounts of sugar. Why not make your own seasonings and condiments? Whip up an easy vinaigrette with olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian spices, and garlic. Fresh or dried herbs can add flavor to meats.
Another tip: Try no-sugar-added pasta or marinara sauce, with a dash of your own spices.
13. Limit No-Calorie Substitutes
Artificial sweeteners can be 150 times sweeter than sugar but have little or no calories. What’s not to like? For one thing, they may make you crave sweets more and lead to unhealthy food choices. Artificial sweeteners don’t spike your blood sugar, so they can help you manage your diabetes. Ask your doctor if and how long you should use sugar substitutes.

domain: food


Just back from Kawasaki’s annual dealer conference in Orlando, Florida, here’s photos I shot of the two biggest news items unveiled there. The 2012 Kawasaki ZX-14R is a mild facelift of the existing bike, but thanks to a larger stroke upping capacity to 1,441cc, it should put out something in the region of 200bhp sans ram air in American trim, a slight advantage over the European model, which is held back to 197bhp by EU noise regulations. The 2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650 is pretty much all-new with the exception of its parallel-twin motor. That’s good, this is now a very, very good-looking budget middleweight.
In person, the ZX-14 refresh does little to reduce the bloated proportions of the old model. The new headlights do flow a little better, but that huge upper fairing — there to make the bike practical for high-speed touring, its raison d’etre in other markets — still looks ungainly and the overall package still appears exceedingly long and oddly detailed.
In contrast, the Ninja 650 appears positively svelte, and not just parked next to its very big brother. The new swingarm, especially, contributes to a design that feels way more desirable and upmarket than its $7,500 price and basic spec suggest. The exception there is the plethora of cheap black plastic fill panels nearly everywhere you look — even between the otherwise very nice-looking frame tubes ahead of the rider’s knees. Those are an odd touch of cheapness in a component that otherwise evokes tactility, quality and solid engineering. Still, with the SV650 going the way of the Gladius, this is now the best option for new-ish riders upgrading from a 250, commuters looking for something practical and capable or riders on a budget looking for a do-it-all quasi-sports tourer.


text:
Yachts Miami Beach Show, February 11-15, 2016
The show is still located in the same place on Collins Ave. It has just been renamed the "Yachts Miami Beach".
PLUS there is a new location at Island Deep Harbor on Watson Island for very large yachts, think over 150' and over 12' draft.
Download Complete List of Boats at the Show 252' to 60'
The All Ocean Yachts Crew will be attending the show and we look forward to seeing you there, spending some time showing your Explorer Yachts, long range yachts, speaking to you about your individual needs and about design and construction of Explorer Yachts and Discovery Yachts.
Impetus the 95' Inace Explorer will be located in Dania, Florida and available for inspection.
Please Contact Us for a list of Explorer Yachts that will be at the show about setting up appointments for inspections.
Regards,Download Complete List of Boats at the Show 252' to 60'
Back to the News
|Broker John DeCaro|
|Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 USA|


SIM has a rich history of publishing. Read and download a selection of books.
Listen to samples of worship music from "every nation, tribe, people, and language" and purchase the music that you like!
Read articles published in our official mission publication.
Look here for health education tools!
Help support the work of SIM around the world by purchasing items from our online stores.
Download media information from SIM's online press kit.
Check out this list of websites related to SIM's work around the world.


text:
Forum Translational Medicine 2018
The FORUM Translational Medicine 2018 focuses on the challenges and possibilities of the translational process of biomedical research, clinical development and precision therapies. The conference will present highlights in research & development from academia, clinic and industry. In this way, FORUM Translational Medicine brings together key players of the translational process: biologists, physicians, data scientists, technology providers and innovators.
As an exhibitor, BayFOR will advise interested visitors on European funding opportunities in the field of Health Research und Biotechnology.
For further information, please click here.
Date and time
28 November 2018, 18:00- 21:00 hrs
29 November 2018, 9:00-18:00 hrs
Please register here until 22 November 2018.
Industry Participants: € 280
Participants from academia, physicians, start-ups: € 120
Students: € 32
Contact at BayFOR
Dr Mikhail Antonkin (Antonkine)
Health Research and Biotechnology
Phone: +49 (0)911 50715-950

domain: medical


During the past year 21 miles of gas lines and 930 customers have been added to the city-owned gas system, and this is only the beginning of a move to bring all new city developments on line with natural gas, according to the head of the Gas Department.
Sunrise is the only Broward County city that operates its own gas department. By 1990, sales of more than $5 million annually will not be unusual, according to Gas Department Superintendent Harry Zehender.
"I think we're coming along faster than a lot of people expected," Zehender said.
He said about 75 percent of the city is hooked up to the system with only a small area south of Sunrise Boulevard not yet on line.
Zehender said he hopes to bring the entire city on line following the results of a feasibility study, expected to be completed in two to three weeks.
Council President Larry Hoffman said the City Council recently passed a resolution encouraging residents to convert to gas use.
He said developers are being asked to become a part of the system as well. "It might increase the cost of a house, but in the long run it's more energy efficient."
Acting Mayor Bob Butterworth agreed. "I don't think people realize that by using gas, their utility bills can be drastically reduced," he said.
The gas system has expanded from 37 miles of distribution mains and 2,300 customer accounts in 1973 to 127 miles of lines and about 9,000 customers, generating about $3 million in annual revenue, about 25 percent of which is profit.
Zehender said the first 100 feet of service line, more than enough for residential users, is free.
"Gas is being found in more new homes in the city than ever before," Zehender said. "It's cheaper to use than electricity and a lot of people from up north are used to it."
Zehender said the main reason for the increased use is natural gas costs about half of what electricity would cost for appliances that can use either.
Zehender said gas also is safer than electricity.
"The odor in gas is very detectable," he said. "The only way to detect a problem in electricity is by touching it."
Since the system went on line in 1973, he said there have been no safety problems.
Most recently the Gas Department expanded into the propane sales business. Liquid propane, used mostly for barbecue grills, is sold at the city utility plant at Northwest 44th Street and Springtree Lakes Drive. The hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
The cost is $6 to fill a 20-pound cylinder and $1.25 a gallon for larger cylinders.
"We just began in the propane business in July and the response has been pretty good," Zehender said. "We're getting about $70 per day as it stands and we expect it to increase as the public becomes more aware of what we're doing."
Zehender has been pushing gas lately to the City Council and mayor, hoping to get support to more actively advertise the city's gas supply.
In an informal study by Zehender of seven other Florida cities that run gas companies, Zehender found that Sunrise runs more accounts per worker than any of the other cities. Sunrise has about twice as many customers served per employee than Pensacola, the next closest city. Sunrise also collects more revenue than any other city.


text:
Rouleete: The Only Way to Double Your Chances of Winning on the Roulette Wheel
If you imagine Rouleete it is when you think of images of the traditional French wooden horses and the charming old square in the city. The game of Rouleete has evolved and has developed a whole new identity through the years. Today, Rouleete has a variety of casino-style gambling tables in addition to classic cars and exciting racing games. Rouleete may even be considered as the origin of online roulette betting. Roulette has been in existence since 16th century. Online roulette was only recognized on the European continent until 1960s.
The roulette casino is where players place their bets by flipping a coin. For every flip one rolls the wheel, and then looks at the image on the face card. The amount of bets placed and the color are what determine the odds of getting exactly the same number either a letter, number or combination of cards. A higher stake means a higher chance of getting a winning.
There are a variety of roulette games that can be played by people. Rodeo is the only game is played with only one ball. Place a wager by simply placing your ball on the edge of the wheel. When playing this game, the odds are lower compared to other roulette games.
Another variation of the game called Baccarat. The player places their wagers through the use of numbers on the wheel of roulette. It is the player's responsibility to get all of the pot's balls if there is more than one number that comes up. If the ball lands on the number that is the final it is getting points.
There are various interesting variations of the game such as Texas Holdem. There are so many players and you get to choose the rules. It is possible to bet an unlimitable amount on roulette tables if you opt for the no limit holdem option. It is despite the fact that there are others on the table. There are however plenty of players on the roulette table, so there is no guarantee of winning.
There are many different ways that you can play live-action roulette. Some of them are the minimum bet, the maximum bet, and double bet. The minimum bet is usually determined at two to three dollars. The maximum bet can go up to ten dollars. Double bets are a form of wagering where you multiply the amount you stake. The highest stake is generally set at twenty-five dollars.
You would think that the higher the amount of people at the table the better are the odds of winning bets. However, this isn't true. The odds for the next wager are equal for every person. The real attraction is given to the players who have beent the least amount of bets. In the end, it doesn't matter which player wins or loses, since as long as their last wager hasn't brought the amount to over twenty, they will get their winnings.
The chance of winning a game or a game has nothing to have anything to do with the chance of winning the spin. In fact, all of the turns on the wheel of roulette will have the same chance. All probabilities can be compared. A person's win doesn't have any impact on the loss or win of the other.
Most of the wagers placed at the roulette table go to the left. The idea is that it helps the player by allowing greater odds of winning, but it isn't the case. The reason is that the wheel can only be utilized in one manner. The wheel rotates counterclockwise every turn. This means that bets that are placed on one of the sides of the wheel will lose less eventually.
Rouleete can be a method to increase the odds of winning. The chances of Rouleete being utilized as a betting method is excellent because it provides an innovative solution to the problems traditional betting strategies. The system allows gamblers to increase the odds of winning when placing bets either on the left or right side. This technique allows players to obtain greater odds of winning as over traditional systems of betting that are found on roulette wheels in casinos across the globe.

domain: game


RUAG Aviation in Munich fulfilled a 15-month and 30-month heavy maintenance inspection on a Gulfstream G550. Long-time partner Sky-Tech Maintenance Service SL awarded the contract which was optimised to include full aircraft painting and engine maintenance. The Gulfstream G550 project ran according to schedule and was delivered to complete customer satisfaction.
“The full selection of one-stop shop solutions available at RUAG allowed us to cater to our Gulfstream G550 customer’s individual needs,” states Victor Soria Sainz, Manager, Sky-Tech Maintenance Service SL. “Over the years, on previous aircraft projects, RUAG has consistently proven to be a reliable partner for heavy maintenance events and on-schedule aircraft availability. So we are very pleased they include the Gulfstream G550 in their service portfolio,” he confirms.
The 15-month and 30-month maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) event required a five-week downtime which Sky-Tech chose to combine with a full exterior repainting of the Gulfstream G550, at the owner’s request. The completed repainting required the RUAG aircraft painting specialists to adapt a new livery design, matching the owner’s vision and requirements. The exterior repainting in the dedicated aircraft painting shop followed on the in-house production of the design masks. In addition to MRO and aircraft painting, RUAG technicians fulfilled line maintenance services on the Rolls-Royce engines. RUAG also supported partner Sky-Tech with specific Gulfstream G550 knowledge sharing, enabling on-the-job training for their own engineering technician.
RUAG Aviation’s one-stop shop proves itself a reliable outsourcing partner to other aircraft service providers seeking to enhance and expand the solutions they offer their customers. “Our organisation remains responsive to meeting individual customer needs. Aircraft services providers appreciate this and regularly approach us for the complementary solutions we bring to their projects,” explains Volker Wallrodt, Senior Vice President Business Jets, Dornier 228 & Components, RUAG Aviation.
Engineering is at the centre of RUAG Aviation’s capabilities. It is a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Part 145 Maintenance Organisation, a Part 21G and 21J Design Organisation (DOA), and retains Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approvals to include full maintenance services for business aircraft.
RUAG Aviation is a one-stop shop for the support of business aircraft, performing all required services within one single downtime, adapted to suit individual schedules. The comprehensive portfolio of services include line, base and heavy maintenance, C-checks, modifications, complete cockpit and avionics reconfigurations, cabin interior restylings and refurbishments, aircraft painting, system upgrades, component services, AOG, PPI, aircraft remarketing, FBO, and support and consulting.
Sky-Tech Maintenance Services is an approved Part 145 EASA Maintenance Organisation for Bombardier Global Series and Challenger CL604 and CL605 and Gulfstream G550.
RUAG Aviation is a leading supplier, support provider and integrator of systems and components for civil and military aviation worldwide.
Servicing aircraft and helicopters throughout their entire life cycle, the company’s core competencies include maintenance, repair and overhaul services, upgrades, and the development, manufacturing and integration of subsystems.
RUAG is an authorised service centre for OEMs of renown, such as Airbus Helicopters, Bell, Bombardier, Cirrus, Diamond, Dassault Aviation, Embraer, Leonardo, Piaggio, Sikorsky, Textron Aviation, and Piper, as well as a service centre for 328 Support Services, Viking and MD Helicopters. RUAG Aviation is also a partner to the Swiss Armed Forces and other international air forces.
The company is also the manufacturer (OEM) of the Dornier 228, a versatile aircraft for special missions, as well as passenger and cargo operations.
RUAG Aviation is an approved Part 21/J EASA Design Organisation, Part 21/G EASA Production Organisation, and Part 145 EASA Maintenance Organisation.
Contact for Corporate Information:
Integrated Communication Manager
Tel. +41 76 319 28 58
RUAG develops and markets internationally sought-after technology applications in the fields of aerospace, security and defence for use on land, in the air and in space. 57% of RUAG’s products and services are destined for the civil market and 43% for the military market. The Group is headquartered in Bern (Switzerland). It has production sites in Switzerland and in 13 other countries in Europe, the USA and Asia-Pacific. Around 8700 employees – of whom 430 are trainees – represent 48 nationalities and generate sales of some CHF 1.86 billion.


text:
Master of Fine Art
My practice utilises slow, diaristic filming paired with large scale, multi-channel installation to draw attention to the rituals and nuances of everyday domestic life. My works exhibit highly considered, almost architecturally framed, compositions which allow me to interpret my place in a given environment. Through the works, I ask the audience to slowly observe, meditating on their expectations and connections with the world on the screen. The scale of the installation is intended to emphasise this connection, positioning the audience to feel at one with the mundane details of my world. I film my world as a form of ritual, observant and reflective. I follow the patterns of my daily life, embracing uncertainty and vulnerability as vital ongoing conditions that are at the core of my understanding of self.

domain: artistic


text:
Camping in general is a relatively inexpensive family activity, but you can spend too much money if you’re not careful. Use these tips to keep your camping expenses under control.
Test Before You Commit
Before you go out and buy all of the latest camping gear, make sure it’s something your family will do on a regular basis. Try camping with friends first so you don’t have to buy your own gear. Borrow a tent for the test run. Once you know it’s something you enjoy, you can start buying your own camping gear.
Start With the Basics
Even if you know you’re going to camp regularly, you should build up your camping gear stash slowly. Start with the essentials. The tent is usually the biggest expense. You don’t need to get a fancy tent. Get something large enough to hold your family and your belongings. Anything bigger just takes up more of your campsite and creates more work to set up. You can eventually add more gear, such as a camp stove or camping convenience items.
Buying used camping gear can save you a lot of money. Check with friends and family to see if they have any old gear they want to sell. Watch garage sales and secondhand shops to find basic camping supplies. You can save a great deal of money by choosing used camping gear that is still in good shape.
Campsites are generally much cheaper than a hotel room, but you’ll find a big difference in cost. Check around with several different campgrounds in the area you plan to stay. You can compare the amenities and the cost of each option. You might also notice a difference in price for different campsites within the same campground. Prime spots will generally cost more than other campsites.
Camping with another family can also save you money. Check with the campground to see if you can have more than one tent on the same campsite. If so, you can split the cost of the campsite with your camping partners. Or try all fitting into one tent.
You don’t need to go all out with your camping activities or menus. Stick with inexpensive, basic foods for the trip. This means buying fewer ingredients and having less work. Stay entertained with activities available for free at the campground. You can explore nature, go for a hike and swim in the lake for free. By cutting back on extra activities that cost more money, you keep your overall trip budget low.

domain: travel


text:
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, EXPLORE SOUTH AFRICA’S NATIONAL PARKS FROM YOUR ARMCHAIR
- 200+ volunteers travel 50,000km to map out 360-degree views of South Africa’s wildest areas
- Search for cheetah, elephant and other wildlife now visible on Google Street View
FOR THE first time ever, all of South Africa’s 19 national parks are available to explore from anywhere in the world on Google Street View, thanks to a volunteer effort involving more than 200 people.
Rangers, nature enthusiasts, guides and tech fans trekked for 12 months, covering more than 900km on foot with a Google Street View camera, to map out 232 points of interest across all nine provinces in the country, including 6 UNESCO World Heritage sites.
As a result, prominent tourist attractions including Kruger National Park, Table Mountain and Cape Point – as well as 17 previously un-trekked nature reserves – are now available to explore via Google Street View.
On their journeys, the volunteers stumbled across some of the country’s most famous wildlife, including cheetah and elephant.
The project forms part of Google’s Street View Camera Loan Program, which encourages anyone to apply to borrow the 360-degree camera technology and help map the planet.
The team of volunteers was coordinated by loan program partner Drive South Africa.
Andre Van Kets, outdoor enthusiast and founder of the Cape Town-based travel company, approached Google about loaning the Street View Camera in order to, showcase South Africa to travellers around the globe.
Van Kets comments: “We’re delighted to be able to showcase some of South Africa’s best sites to people all over the world, including incredible untrekked nature reserves. Travellers and nature enthusiasts can explore some of the most beautiful areas in South Africa as though they are there themselves, all from the comfort of their armchair.
“The Trekker camera is a 22kg custom-made backpack fitted with 15 cameras pointing in all directions. The on-board technology plots the camera’s exact location on the trail. While recording, the camera takes a 360-degree photo every two-seconds. It’s basically the off-road equivalent of Google’s Street View cars.
Street View users can now walk in the footsteps of struggle icon Nelson Mandela, climb seven new trails to the top of Table Mountain, hike the famous five-day Otter Trail, track cheetah on foot and walk with elephant and other incredible wildlife.
Additionally, six of South Africa’s eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites are now waiting to be experienced. Users can see Mapungubwe Hill, home to an ancient African civilisation, the Richtersveld with its arid moonscapes, the towering Drakensberg Mountains, and iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa’s oldest UNESCO site and a critical habitat for a range of species.
The new trails extend the existing Street View imagery of South Africa’s wilderness areas to include all 19 national parks, 17 previously ‘un-trekked’ nature reserves and many sites of natural, cultural and historical significance in all nine provinces of South Africa.
To showcase the launch of South Africa’s new Street View imagery, Drive South Africa has launched a microsite that gives would-be travellers a virtual experience of South Africa, South Africa 360.
The microsite South Africa in 360 – inspired by a similar project showcasing the US National Parks – is an immersive VR-adventure through South Africa’s four top tourist destinations and a collection of its lesser-known gems. The site is a culmination of Street View imagery with video, photos and stories from the trail, offering viewers unique perspectives.
More than 200 South African volunteers from across the country were involved in the 12-month project, mapping out the parts of South Africa that they call home. Many were SANParks, CapeNature and KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife rangers and guides. Others were avid hikers, nature-lovers and tech enthusiasts.


text:
Two-Post Standard Rack
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, California, US – September 2013 - Chatsworth Products (CPI) has enhanced its popular Two-Post Standard Rack, otherwise known as “THE Rack” or “55053,” the product customers ask for by number.
The industry-leading Standard Rack is a high quality, cost-effective storage solution for patch panels and network switches. The rack features a small footprint, making it the best choice in many telecommunications and equipment rooms where floor space is limited.
Made from aluminum extrusion, the Standard Rack features unmatched sturdiness and durability. A convenient element is the rack’s 19” EIA universal rail spacing with marked and numbered U spaces. It is available in three heights: 7 feet (2.1 m), 8 feet (2.5 m) and 9 feet (2.7 m). The heavy-duty rack is UL Listed with up to 1,000 lb. (454 kg) weight capacity.
The new features added to CPI’s Standard Rack include:
- Grounding and Bonding with integrated ground studs
- Rack Ground Jumper Kit (ordered separately)
- 52U height on 8’H racks
- Glacier White finish
Now with 52 rack units and bonded assembly, the Standard Rack has a prepared grounding location added to one side of the rack channel. The Rack Ground Jumper Kit (ordered separately) allows for quick and easy attachment to the Telecommunications Grounding System, thus reducing installation labor.
Michael Moore, CPI’s Product Manager of Open Architecture, stated, “CPI’s new integrated grounding features included with the Standard Rack ensure proper grounding and bonding, as well as reduction in labor time. This new design does not use any RMU space in the rack footprint, which in return saves money and allows full utilization for equipment.”
It is now available in Glacier White, which is a new standard CPI color. Glacier White finish is highly reflective and helps brighten narrow equipment rows, provide better visibility and reduce energy costs.
For more information about the updates made to CPI’s Standard Rack, visit our Two-Post Rack web page.

domain: design


While Apple’s component suppliers have started producing a tablet device smaller than the current iPad, makers of protective cases for Apple products are also preparing for the launch of what they refer to as the “iPad Mini.”
A search on Alibaba.com, China’s biggest business-to-business e-commerce site, turns up many postings of “iPad Mini” cases in various colors and materials. Some of the postings even say the cases are for “iPad Mini 7.85-inch tablet.”
Alibaba.com is a website that connects many Chinese manufacturers with buyers in China or overseas. Potential buyers of the cases could be retail stores that want to sell them as soon as Apple launches the new tablet.
Ahead of every new product launch by Apple, Alibaba.com usually becomes the trading platform for cases purportedly made for the upcoming Apple product. Before the U.S. company released the iPhone 5 on Sept. 21, there were already many iPhone 5 cases sold on Alibaba.com. Many of the manufacturers of those cases are based in or around Shenzhen, where Foxconn’s factories assemble Apple products.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple’s Asian component suppliers have started manufacturing a new tablet with a 7.85-inch screen, compared with the 9.7-inch screen for the existing iPad. The size of the iPad’s screen has never changed since the first model came out in 2010.
Technology blog website AllThingsD, a sister publication of The Wall Street Journal, reported in August that Apple planned to unveil the smaller tablet in October.
An Apple spokeswoman wasn’t immmediately reachable for comment.
Watch a video of WSJ ‘Digits’ blogger Matthew Lynley talking about the upcoming unveiling of a new smaller iPad on Digits:


text:
The History of Chemistry started with the roots of civilization, about 40,000 years ago. Gold (Au), Copper (Cu), Silver (Ag), Mercury (Hg), and a few other elements were found naturally occurring. We find evidence of humans collecting, shaping, and forming these small beads and nuggets often found in rivers and streams—or in the case of mercury, in the deserts.
The next evidence is in the form of pottery, about 20,000 years ago. To make pottery, you need two ingredients: Clay, and Heat. Heat required burning (oxidation) of wood, coal, or other combustibles.
This means geology (the study of what the Earth is made from) is integral to understanding the history of chemistry.
The actual use and study of chemistry almost always involves heat. Heat allows us to shape, change, study and modify what we see. In some of the earliest evidence of men learning about the elements around them, we see that once making pottery was common, and specialized kilns were made to heat the clays for the potters, rocks “melted” to find new substances like lead (Pb), tin (Sn) and iron (Fe).
Please note that all of the elements we’ve listed up to this point, have Two-letter names on the Periodic Table of the elements that don’t seem to relate to the English words. That’s because they don’t: The two-letter designation comes from the Latin for these oldest known elements.
“Gold” in English
was “Arum” in Latin
“Silver” in English was “Argentum” in Latin
“Copper” in English was “Cuprum” in Latin
“Mercury” in English was “Hydragyrum” in Latin
“Iron” in English was “Ferrum” in Latin
“Lead” in English was “Plumbum” in Latin
“Tin” in English was “Stannum” in Latin
Clay is chemically a mixture of three chemicals: Aluminum (in the form AlO4) and Silicon (in the form SiO4) and Oxygen which is the “O4“ although none of these elements were known in ancient times—certainly clay was known. Chemistry starts with understanding clay. Clay forms in microscopic sheets (similar to the rock-like substance “mica”) which allows the particles to “slide” past one another, yet unlike mica, when clay slides around, it also is bound together by the water molecules. Then, when the water is removed by drying, firing, or heating it hot enough, it holds its shape indefinitely.
The first chemists would have probably been potters, or perhaps the metal workers. Clays are naturally occurring deposits of dissolved rocks. The rocks themselves would have been eroded by acidic materials (like water) or volcanic-created liquids (like sulphuric acid.) Because these clay deposits would have likely contained various contaminants, they would sometimes act, or appear, differently while the potter would use them. The most striking changes were physical. Some clays turned yellow, others red, and a few might be black or even white. Each clay was contaminated with differing naturally occurring substances—and the potter wanted to control his art. A natural curiosity would cause the potter to wonder why one clay would produce one color, and another a different color. This would have been the beginning of discovery—the beginning of chemistry.


text:
The adventures of Calvin and Hobbes is a wide known comic strip- infused with subtle humor about family life, politics and person views/ opinions about things going on in the world. The cartoonist Bill Watson use the simplicity of black and white cartooning to first set the places of the characters. Calvin was a six year old with an active imagination who had a stuffed tiger who he called Hobbes, and together they took part in quick witted- sardonic adventures. The quick line work within the comic further simplifies the mood of the comic. Calvin hair is no more than a zig-zag which is continued in Hobbes' facial hair; not too much definition in facial features which i think conveys some sort of innocence, after all he is only six years old those traits will evolve.
The pair were named after John Calvin (a French Reformatist in the 16th century) and Thomas Hobbes (a Political Philosopher in the 17th century).
This comic is about Religion and the public education system. Religion in school is a constant reminder about how there should be a seperation between church and state- it simply should not be tolorated. However the cartoonist, Watson takes the subject of religion and transforms it into a subject rarely enjoyed by students, MATH! The conversation between Calvin and Hobbes is the story line- you want to hear the reasoning behind such a claim, especially coming from a six year old child and his personified doll!
Looking at my sheet I understand that this could fall under the categories of allegory, hyperbole, satire, irony, personification, comedy, caricature and character! To accomplish so many traits within such a short strip is amazing. It shows that the illustrator knows how to capture the readers attention while imposing his views subtly through the humorous mind of a six year old and his doll.


Herriman City Council holds off on voting to amend city’s general plan
Aug 30, 2017 04:55PM
● By Jana Klopsch
Draft one of an amendment, brought before Herriman city council on Aug. 9, that would change the general plan for the city. (Herriman City)
Drafts [2 Images] Click Any Image To Expand
Members of the Herriman city council debated about redrafting the city’s general plan, which was adopted in 2013, late into the night during their Aug. 9 business meeting.
Council members have discussed redrafting certain aspects of this plan for months , and Mayor Carmen Freeman pushed to vote on key areas that night. However, other council members said they weren’t ready to make important amendment decisions without deliberating it further among themselves and fellow residents.
The two drafts brought before the council by City Planner Bryn McCarty during the Aug. 9 meetings were new to the council — with slight adjustments made regarding population density and land use to the key areas council members are looking to change.
“To adopt a general plan without seeing it before tonight [is rushing things too much],” said Councilwoman Coralee Moser. “There’s a lot of public feedback; more than 200 residents have reached out about this issue, and I don’t know if everyone has reviewed that feedback yet.”
During the public hearing section of the discussion, a few residents stood up to state their desire to give the redrafting of the general plan more time. Prior to the meeting on Aug. 9, several other outreach efforts were conducted by city leaders to hear feedback from residents regarding the changes the council were looking to make.
Herriman resident Lisa Brown said she was frustrated because full answers weren’t given to residents regarding the changes that were to be made to the general plan at an open house held prior to the city council meeting. She advised the council to be careful and take their time when amending the general plan.
“The purpose is to further preserve community identity—review the specific purposes behind the general plan so we aren’t cutting and pasting within the document,” Brown said. “Take a little more time in discussion and don’t vote on this tonight.”
One problem Councilwomen Martin saw with conversations about the current drafts is that what high-density, medium-density and low-density specifically mean isn’t clearly defined. Martin was also in favor of continuing discussion at a later date, as long as residents and council members don’t downplay the fact that city officials have worked hard to reach out to residents and get their input.
“Let’s do this in a deliberative and collaborative manner,” Martin said. “But let’s not denigrate the many hours that have gone into this.”
Councilmembers mentioned throughout the meeting that they were receiving messages and emails from concerned Herriman residents who were watching the live stream of the meeting at home. The live-time feedback from residents encouraged some on the council to advocate continuing discussion for another meeting.
Councilmember Jared Henderson said residents hadn’t heard about the drafts brought forward to the meeting, and that it wasn’t fair to vote on it without discussing more among city officials, developers and residents.
“Residents were told different things; they had different expectations,” Henderson said.
Toward the end of the meeting, as the council voted 4-1 to continue discussion of the amendment on a later date, Councilmember Craig Tischner spoke up saying that debating and reviewing things is part of government. He said he has respect for what happened during the meeting — discussing important items is part of the governmental process.
“We have to hash things out and do it in public,” Tischner said. “I think we are doing our due diligence reaching out to the residents so we can make the best decision for the city.”
However, Freeman spoke up saying that though he agrees public outreach is important when the council makes decisions, he said city officials have already done that to the best of its ability. He said they’ve already had two open houses and numerous public hearings about the issue.
“I wonder to what extent do we keep doing public outreach?” Freeman said after firmly standing by his conviction to vote on the issue that night. “I appreciate it, and I’m supportive of it, but we’ve gone above and beyond to get this information out. And now we are just going to continue to ride the wave, and I just can’t support that.”


text: The pathways of oxidant generation in mouse epidermis were investigated by 32P-postlabeling analysis of diastereomeric DNA adducts derived from oxidation of (7S,8S)-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo(a)pyrene ((+)-BP-7,8-diol). The pattern of deoxynucleoside-3'-5'-bis-phosphate adducts in epidermal scrapings from female CD-1 mice indicated that cytochrome P-450 was the major oxidant. When animals were pretreated with the tumor-promoting phorbol ester, tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA), 24 h before coadministration of TPA and (+)-BP-7,8-diol, the pattern of DNA adducts indicated that peroxyl radicals made a major contribution to (+)-BP-7,8-diol epoxidation. Peroxy radical-dependent epoxidation was maximal when the time between the 2 TPA administrations was 24-72 h. No increase in radical-derived adducts was observed when the non-tumor-promoting phorbol ester 4-O-methyl-TPA was substituted for TPA. The calcium ionophore A23187 stimulated radical generation when substituted for the first, but not the second, TPA treatment. The antiinflammatory steroid fluocinolone acetonide inhibited (-)-anti-BPDE-DNA adduct formation when coadministered with the first but not the second TPA treatment. In contrast, all-trans-retinoic acid inhibited (-)-anti-BPDE-DNA adduct formation when coadministered with the second but not the first TPA treatment. These findings demonstrate that tumor promoting phorbol esters stimulate oxygen radical generation in mouse skin and that radical generation is blocked by inhibitors of tumor promotion.


text:
Bangkok, Thailand – When the primary COVID-19 case was detected within the Thai border city of Mae Sot in April final 12 months, *Hnin Hnin, was in a position to preserve her college for migrant youngsters open, spending her mornings as she normally did, drawing up phrase video games on a big whiteboard as her five-year-old pupils appeared on.
Infections and deaths on the time remained within the single digits, and Hnin Hnin, a trainer from Myanmar, was cautiously optimistic that the pandemic would finish quickly. Her college, which runs on help from a neighborhood charity, obtained ample donations of meals, hygiene kits and masks.
However one 12 months later, an outbreak pushed by the extremely contagious Delta variant has led to spiralling infections at factories within the space, overwhelming hospitals and prompting a chronic lockdown of the provinces on the Thai-Myanmar border and forcing Hnin Hnin’s college to shut.
“A number of folks began dying,” she instructed Al Jazeera. “A number of my mates died. It unfold in a short time and now many areas in Mae Sot are contaminated.”
The virus hit notably near house when Hnin Hnin’s pal and her fellow trainer fell sick resulting from COVID-19 in July. Her pal had tried to go to hospital when her situation deteriorated however was turned away – they mentioned they didn’t have a mattress for her. When she made makes an attempt to name for help to succeed in her home, nobody got here.
“She obtained no assist from the Thai authorities,” Hnin Hnin mentioned, including that paramedics solely reply to calls from Thai nationals. Hnin Hnin’s pal ultimately died at house on the finish of July.
“She was simply one in every of lots of my mates who bought sick.”
‘The true resolution’
The most recent wave has shaken Thailand, pushing COVID-19 circumstances to virtually 1.3 million with greater than 13,000 recorded deaths. Thailand is reporting a minimum of 15,000 circumstances a day with a median of about 175 day by day deaths – in distinction to final 12 months’s figures when day by day circumstances have been few and deaths uncommon.
As COVID-19 surges, organisations engaged on the border say that the 1000’s of migrants and greater than 90,000 refugees there are going through a variety of challenges resembling the shortage of entry to coronavirus-related healthcare. And as factories and locations of labor shut as soon as once more, their livelihoods are additionally in jeopardy, making a ripple impact on many migrants’ psychological well being, specialists say.
Hnin Hnin now faces the potential for closing her college for a lot of months.
“With the lockdown, folks began working out of jobs and cash,” Hin Hin instructed Al Jazeera. “At first we relied on donated cash, however it’s working out.”
Hnin Hnin used to make roughly 3,000 Thai baht ($100) per thirty days. However now, she will barely afford sufficient meals. She feels a duty to her college students, worries about their security, hoping they don’t fall into hassle whereas not at school.
“I actually hope migrant faculties will be capable to open quickly,” she mentioned. “As a result of numerous youngsters are actually compelled to work, or ending up on the streets.”
Authorities in Mae Sot imposed COVID-19 restrictions within the space after circumstances surged at a number of factories in late June. That month, greater than half the employees at three factories, numbering 452 folks, have been confirmed to have COVID-19, based on the Bangkok Publish newspaper. Following the manufacturing facility outbreak, the governor of the area ordered the three factories shut.
Then in July, native authorities carried out a nighttime curfew for the encompassing Tak province, banning folks from leaving their houses after 8pm. The Publish additionally reported that migrant employees weren’t allowed to maneuver between districts until they’d permits from the Mae Sot district chief.
On prime of the elevated restrictions, Hnin Hnin’s neighborhood has had little or no entry to vaccines, leaving them uncovered to the virus. Because the Thais round her began changing into inoculated, she puzzled why her total neighborhood was being not noted.
Al Jazeera made a number of requests to authorities spokespeople on the shortage of vaccine entry for migrants on the border. Not one of the officers responded.
“Lockdowns management COVID-19, however migrants don’t obtain any monetary help to climate these occasions once they lose their earnings. Vaccines are the actual resolution,” mentioned Braham Press, the director of MAP Basis, an NGO that seeks to empower migrant communities from Myanmar residing and dealing in Thailand. “But, for migrants, getting any vaccine is questionable. A handful of migrants have had employers present vaccination, however most have needed to pay service charges.”
With out ample safety and earnings, Brahm says the present scenario is taking a toll on migrants’ psychological well being. He provides that many migrant employees have been going into debt making an attempt to outlive the financial fallout from earlier waves.
‘Frightened for my household’
Thailand is a rustic of origin, vacation spot, and transit for migrant populations in Southeast Asia. The Kingdom shares 4 land borders with Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia, and right now, an estimated 4 to 5 million migrants from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and different regional nations are working in Thailand, based on the Worldwide Group for Migration. Refugees and displaced persons are additionally constantly transferring throughout the Myanmar border looking for security. The February 1 coup in Myanmar introduced a brand new wave of individuals fleeing the nation.
As COVID-19 circumstances improve, the 9 camps alongside the border are additionally going through lockdowns. This comes with restrictions on motion which have affected the movement of assets resembling meals and medication.
*Lily, a 23-year-old refugee who’s now working in Mae Sot, says she is anxious for her household who stay within the Umpiem Mai refugee camp she grew up in.
“I’m so anxious for my household. I need them to have entry to vaccines as a result of they’re outdated and my mother suffers from a power sickness,” Lilly mentioned. “She shouldn’t be in good well being. My dad and mom can’t go to work, and generally they don’t have cash to purchase meals. I ship cash every time I can.”
The United Nations refugee company (UNHCR) says migrants and refugees have to be absolutely included within the authorities’s COVID-19 response, together with therapies for the illness and its vaccine distribution plan.
“COVID-19 impacts everybody and POCs (folks of concern) in Thailand are on the identical threat of contracting and transmitting the virus as native populations,” mentioned Morgane Roussel Hemery, an affiliate Exterior Relations Officer at UNHCR. “The POCs might be notably weak on account of challenges they might face assembly primary wants, accessing details about COVID-19 and acquiring hygiene gadgets or medical help.”
In June, Thai authorities closed and sealed off greater than 600 development camps in Bangkok the place greater than 80,000 migrant employees lived. They weren’t allowed to depart their very own houses and have been successfully imprisoned. Authorities officers cited security issues after COVID-19 clusters have been present in migrant communities.
“Most migrants are paid a day by day wage and if they don’t work they don’t receives a commission. For some who’re in lockdown within the manufacturing facility compound, they might obtain help with some meals,” mentioned Sally Thompson, the chief director of The Border Consortium, a bunch that gives meals, shelter and different types of help to refugees from Myanmar. “For others who stay exterior the compound it’s tougher and if they’ve dependents to deal with, the burden will increase.”
The choice to segregate large teams of migrants has resulted in widespread mistrust of the authorities, and lots of migrant employees say they really feel that they’re constantly being mistreated by the Thai state.
In Mae Sot, Hnin Hnin worries about her college students’ lack of entry to education and fears that extra folks may perish with out vaccines and entry to healthcare.
“The issue is that in case you are Thai, you may get the vaccines free of charge,” she mentioned.
“For the migrants, we can’t get it even when we pay cash. I believe that some folks will die if they don’t have any entry to healthcare.”
Further reporting by Linn Let Arkar.
All migrant names have been modified to guard their id for privateness and safety issues.


text:
Although they only grow to about 1.6 to 3 meters (5 to 10 feet) in length, these sharks are the apex predators on the very delicate coral reefs. That means, around coral reefs, they are the top of the food chain. The significants of this goes largely unnoticed, but theWorld Wildlife Fund has classified the Reef Shark as one of the most important species on the entire planet!
Reproduction is viviparous; once the developing embryos exhaust their supply of yolk, the yolk sac develops into a placental connection through which they receive nourishment from their mother. Mating is apparently an aggressive affair, as females are often found with biting scars and wounds on their sides. At the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and Atol das Rocas off Brazil, parturition takes place at the end of the dry season from February to April, while at other locations in the Southern Hemisphere, females give birth during the Amazon summer in November and December. The average litter size is four to six, with a gestation period of one year. Females become pregnant every other year. The newborns measure no more than 74 cm (29 in) long; males mature sexually at 1.5–1.7 m (59–67 in) long and females at 2–3 m (79–118 in).
Social aggregation is well documented in grey reef sharks. In the northwestern Hawaiian Islands, large numbers of pregnant adult females have been observed slowly swimming in circles in shallow water, occasionally exposing their dorsal fins or backs. These groups last from 11:00 to 15:00, corresponding to peak daylight hours. Similarly, at Sand Island off Johnston Atoll, females form aggregations in shallow water from March to June. The number of sharks per group differs from year to year. Each day, the sharks begin arriving at the aggregation area at 09:00, reaching a peak in numbers during the hottest part of the day in the afternoon, and dispersing by 19:00. Individual sharks return to the aggregation site every one to six days. These female sharks are speculated to be taking advantage of the warmer water to speed their growth or that of their embryos. The shallow waters may also enable them to avoid unwanted attention by males.
A heavy-bodied shark with a "typical" streamlined shape, the Caribbean reef shark is difficult to distinguish from other large requiem shark species. It usually measures 2–2.5 m (6.6–8.2 ft) long; the maximum recorded length is 3 m (9.8 ft) and the maximum reported weight is 70 kg (150 lb). The coloration is dark gray or gray-brown above and white or white-yellow below, with an inconspicuous white band on the flanks. The fins are not prominently marked, and the undersides of the paired fins, the anal fin, and the lower lobe of the caudal fin are dusky.
At Reef Dispensaries, our core philosophy is to put people first, extending to both our customers and our team. Our mission is to inspire hope in a healthy community, enhancing everyday life through a wide variety of products for every level of patient. Our unprecedented, innovative cultivation and production facilities ensure consistent quality of flower and concentrates. We value knowledge, trust, respect and a sense of urgency.
Adults begin to reproduce once they attain a size of 2 to 3 meters (female) or 1.5 to 1.7 meters (male). They reproduce once per year but childbirth is biennial since the females get pregnant every other year. The reproduction method is Viviparous which means the pups develop inside of the mother. There is evidence that the reproduction method is aggressive and violent since many female Caribbean Reef Sharks have been found with deep wounds on their sides during mating season. These wounds are caused by bites and heal in time leaving large and highly visible scars.
A profitable ecotourism industry has arisen around this species involving organized "shark feeds", in which groups of reef sharks are attracted to divers using bait. Some US$6,000,000 is spent annually on shark viewing in the Bahamas, where at some sites a single living Caribbean reef shark has a value between US$13,000 and US$40,000 (compared to a one-time value of US$50–60 for a dead shark). This practice has drawn controversy, as opponents argue that the sharks may learn to associate humans with food, increasing the chances of a shark attack, and that the removal of reef fishes for bait may damage the local ecosystem. Conversely, proponents maintain that shark feeds contribute to conservation by incentivizing the protection of sharks and educating people about them. Thus far, there has been little evidence that shark feeds have increased the risk of attack in the surrounding area. Shark feeding has been outlawed off the coast of Florida, but continues at other locations in the Caribbean.
Dutch ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker first described the grey reef shark in 1856 as Carcharias (Prionodon) amblyrhynchos, in the scientific journal Natuurkundig Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsch-Indië. Later authors moved this species to the genus Carcharhinus. The type specimen was a 1.5 metres (4.9 ft)-long female from the Java Sea. Other common names used for this shark around the world include black-vee whaler, bronze whaler, Fowler's whaler shark, graceful shark, graceful whaler shark, grey shark, grey whaler shark, longnose blacktail shark, school shark, and shortnose blacktail shark. Some of these names are also applied to other species.
The Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi) is a species of requiem shark, belonging to the family Carcharhinidae. It is found in the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Brazil, and is the most commonly encountered reef shark in the Caribbean Sea. With a robust, streamlined body typical of the requiem sharks, this species is difficult to tell apart from other large members of its family such as the dusky shark (C. obscurus) and the silky shark (C. falciformis). Distinguishing characteristics include dusky-colored fins without prominent markings, a short free rear tip on the second dorsal fin, and tooth shape and number.
Another danger posed to humans by the Caribbean reef shark involves the accumulation of toxins in the flesh of the shark. Since sharks are apex marine predators, they may contain toxic levels of mercury and other heavy metals due to bioaccumulation (increasing concentrations at higher levels in the food web). It was found that methylmercury levels (MeHg) in sharks off the coast of Florida were higher than the FDA guidelines.
Reef’s® 30-year heritage was born out of an idea by Fernando and Santiago Aguerre, entrepreneur brothers from South America with a love of surf and beach culture, to create a high-quality active lifestyle sandal. To bring their vision to life, the brothers moved to Southern California to manage the Reef brand, and they set up production in Sao Paulo Brazil in 1984, where they first produced the iconic sandal that made Reef the leader in open-toe footwear.
Like many sharks, the Caribbean reef shark mainly eats bony fishes. The shark uses six keen senses to locate its prey: olfactory, visual, tactile (including water vibration sensitivity through a lateralis canal system), auditory, gustatory, and electric reception. The Caribbean reef shark is especially adapted to detecting low frequency sounds (indicative of a struggling fish nearby).
During mating, the male grey reef shark will bite at the female's body or fins to hold onto her for copulation. Like other requiem sharks, it is viviparous: once the developing embryos exhaust their supply of yolk, the yolk sac develops into a placental connection that sustains them to term. Each female has a single functional ovary (on the right side) and two functional uteruses. One to four pups (six in Hawaii) are born every other year; the number of young increases with female size. Estimates of the gestation period range from 9 to 14 months. Parturition is thought to take place from July to August in the Southern Hemisphere and from March to July in the Northern Hemisphere. However, females with "full-term embryos" have also been reported in the fall off Enewetak. The newborns measure 45–60 cm (18–24 in) long. Sexual maturation occurs at around seven years of age, when the males are 1.3–1.5 m (4.3–4.9 ft) long and females are 1.2–1.4 m (3.9–4.6 ft) long. Females on the Great Barrier Reef mature at 11 years of age, later than at other locations, and at a slightly larger size. The lifespan is at least 25 years.
Investing in oil and gas is speculative and involves a high degree of risk. There is no guarantee that any returns on investment will be achieved. Investors could lose all or substantially all of their investment. The content provided on this site is for information purposes only and is not a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell any securities. The general information on this site is not intended to be used as individual investment or tax advice. Potential investors should consult their personal tax advisor, attorney, accountant, and financial advisor before investing in oil and gas.
Walk through an amazing tropical entryway and be transported to a Long Beach hideaway. Fresh seafood, prime cuts, and innovative fare with a subtle Polynesian twist, The Reef on the Water puts a classy and delectable spin on California’s surf and turf cuisine. Bask in the beautiful California sun by day and experience the twinkling lights of the Long Beach Harbor by night. The Reef offers an unforgettable culinary experience with unmatchable views of the Long Beach skyline that is sure to impress.

domain: biology


Boy do we have a good smartphone comparison for you today – the new HTC Desire 820 versus the new Huawei Ascend Mate 7. Both devices are nice looking and feel solid and good in your hand…especially the Ascend Mate 7 with its small bezels, and full metal body. This is not to say that the Desire 820 is not a nice looking phone, but more in a 'fun' way with its many colored bands.
These two devices are quite a bit different from each other when it comes to specifications. They both have the same size 13MP sensor for the main camera with auto-focus and an LED flash and both have larger than normal front-facing cameras – the Desire 820 has an 8MP sensor and the Ascend Mate 7 uses a 5MP sensor, while most smartphones are using 2-3MP FFC.
Both of these devices are almost identical in size, although the Ascend Mate 7 does weigh 30 grams more…because of the metal body and larger battery. They both have the usual Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, a microUSB connector for charging and data transfer. They both use Android 4.4 KitKat with their own UI overlay.
Please look at the detailed Specification sheet listed below to determine exactly how these two devices are different or alike. Next, we will take a look at each individual device to try to determine which device will be the winner of this smartphone comparison.
HTC Desire 820
The HTC Desire 820 falls in their Desire line of devices, generally reserved for lower-end models, whereas the Desire 820 is HTC's first smartphone with a 64-bit processor and other fairly decent specs, although they saved some money by using an HD display. This device was definitely created for the younger crowd into social media with its fun with colors and large FFC for selfies or video chatting with family or friends. Even though it is plastic, it feels solid and well-built in your hand.
The Desire 820 comes to us with a nice sized 5.5-inch display, but only an HD resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels per inch at 267 pixels-per inch (PPI) compared to the FHD display of the 6-inch Ascend Mate 7 display at 368 PPI. When it comes to processing power, we have a double edged sword here – the Desire 820 uses a great Qualcomm Snapdragon 64-bit octa-core clocked at 1.5GHz and 1.0GHz, but without Android 5.0 Lollipop, an upgrade that the Desire 820 may never receive, so the 64-bit processor will never really be useful. Both devices have a model with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory and both devices have room for expansion – the Desire 820 has 128GB and the Ascend Mate 7 only 32GB, although it does have a 3GB of Ram and 32GB storage 'gold' model as well.
The Desire 820 shares its main camera specifications with the Ascend Mate 7 – 13MP sensor with auto-focus and an LED flash. The Desire 820 adds a nice 8MP FFC for social media freaks that like to take selfies and video chat with friends. It does take a hit in the battery department with only a 2600mAh battery versus the huge 4100mAh battery found on the Ascend Mate 7.
The Desire 820 does have Dual-SIM capabilities and features the front-facing stereo BoomSound speakers that HTC made famous on their flagship, the HTC One M7 and M8. It also features an FM radio and comes in multiple color trims. It is running Android 4.4.2 with Sense 6.0 and can be purchased on Amazon or online for $360 – $400 off-contract.
Huawei Ascend Mate 7
The Huawei Ascend Mate 7 comes to us with a full metal design and it is a beauty to behold – from its very thin bezels to the rounded metal back, it looks and feels like a premium device…albeit, a rather large 6-inch device with a FHD IPS LCD display resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 368 PPI. With its slim bezels, the 5.5-inch Desire 820 is almost identical in size. The Ascend Mate 7 uses a homegrown Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 925 octa-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz and 1.3GHz – only 32-bits, but with more than enough power and speed to allow the device to run fast and smooth, even with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.
The main 13MP, auto-focus and LED camera has the same specs that the Desire 820 has, but matched up against the Desire's 8MP FFC, Huawei still manages to include a 5MP FFC, which is larger than the normal 2MP that we see a lot of around the different models. One area that the Ascend Mate kills is with its huge 4100mAh battery – easily getting 2 days of service out of a charge.
The Ascend Mate 7 only has a single speaker on the back of the device, but does employ a fingerprint scanner. It also runs 4.4 Android KitKat with its own EMUI 3.0 skin on top and works with 4G LTE on T-Mobile's network, but only HSPA+ on AT&T's network. It will run you close to $700 off-contract.
…And The Winner Is…
For my selection, I had to choose the Huawei Ascend Mate 7 as the winner of this comparison. It is certainly the more premium looking of the two devices and it has a much better display. When it comes to processors, the Desire 820 may be 64-bit, but until Android 5.0 Lollipop gets on the Desire 820 – if it ever does – that really doesn't mean that much. We could possibly give a slight edge to the Qualcomm Snapdragon, but Huawei's homegrown Hisilicon Kirin processor is nothing to dismiss in this comparison, as in our review it performed flawlessly.
The Ascend Mate 7 offers a 'gold' model with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, although both devices do offer expansion via a microSD card slot, the Desire 820 allows a full 128GB and the Ascend Mate 7 only 32GB. The Ascend Mate 7's 4100mAh battery blows out the smaller 2600mAh on the Desire 820. The Ascend Mate 7 does have NFC and a fingerprint scanner as well. It will also work fine on T-Mobile's 4G LTE and AT&T's HSPA+ (no LTE) and will run you about $700 off contract.
Give us a shout out on our Google+ Page and let us know which one of these two devices you would pick as the winner of this comparison and WHY…as always, we would love to hear from you.


text:
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) daily basket price stood at $44.24 per barrel on Wednesday, compared with $44.29 per barrel the previous day, according to the latest OPEC Secretariat calculations.
The average of 13 crudes prices dropped 5 cents or 0.11 per cent day-on-day as prices generally fell at the market due to rise in crude inventories just as fresh tensions rose between the United States and China is beginning to make traders fret.
The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).
In other OPEC related news, Angola is resisting pressure by OPEC for a steeper oil output cut to comply fully with record supply curbs.
An alliance of oil producers have been cutting oil output since May by a record 9.7 million barrels per day after the coronavirus crisis destroyed a third of global demand. But from next months, the cuts are due to taper to 7.7 million barrels daily until December.
Saudi Arabia, which chairs a panel that monitors adherence with the oil cuts, has been heading efforts to press laggards such as Iraq, Kazakhstan, Nigeria and Angola to improve compliance with the reductions and compensate for May overproduction in July to September.
However, Angola is saying it will not compensate for its overproduction in July – September like the rest of the countries but would be able to compensate only in October-December.
Reports cited sources that fellow OPEC members, Nigeria and Algeria have reached out to Angola to convince it to execute the agreement or risk facing an embargo.
In May, Angola pumped 1.28 million barrels per day, according to OPEC data, or 100,000 barrels daily more than its target.
It then trimmed production to 1.24 million barrels per day in June. However, this was 60,000 barrels per day above its target.
There is no clear cut what decision that will be taken yet but sources say the Angolan national oil company, Sonangol will supply full volumes in August to buyers such as India’s refiner MRPL and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) as well as to Unipec, the trading arm of Chinese refiner Sinopec, and China’s state-owned Sinochem.