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August 14, 2017 § Leave a comment
This post continues from the last on the idea that the self or ego is a steady state system. Note that a steady state is neither fixed nor locked in place. The self is not always sad or always happy. On the contrary, its thoughts and moods continuously rise and fall. What doesn’t change, what remains steady, is the system’s tendency to return again and again to a specific state of thought and feeling that is identified as the self. For instance, an optimistic person is one who continuously identifies over time with positive and cheerful thoughts.
Ayya Khema, in her book, “Being Nobody, Going Nowhere” wrote, “We’re all being reborn at every moment. Very few people have the mindfulness or the attentiveness to become aware of that. But we can become aware of being reborn…”
Being “reborn at every minute” is another way of saying that the self continually returns to its steady state. This happens in a variety of ways. The optimistic self selectively attends only to positive thoughts while ignoring or denying negative ones. Most of us maintain our steady state by only associating with people who hold similar views to our own. We may exercise or diet to maintain the image that we feel most defines our self and dress in a particular style to suit that self. We will also tend to avoid situations that require we act in ways that run contrary to our self-image.
On a level that few of us are aware of, the self will continuously impress or superimpose upon our true nature, images and feelings that define or limit it. Similarly, the self will superimpose upon the present moment its beliefs about the world. It does this to maintain a sense of continuity because your true nature, like that of the present moment, is constant change. So as each new moment is reborn, the self counters with its own rebirth by saying, “This is what I am and this is the way the world is.”
At its core, this superimposition is a lie that seeks to define your true nature and the present moment as something that remains relatively unchanged. Regarding this, you may have heard that a characteristic of the spiritual seeker is that he or she has a feeling that there is something fundamentally wrong with the world. I suspect that this feeling arises from an unconscious recognition of this lie trying to break through to conscious awareness.
The life of the spiritual seeker may be defined as a continuous waking from lies to the truth. Put another way, the spiritual seeker is one who continuously works to unseat the false authority of the ego and what it says about the true nature of the present moment.
The self’s superimpositions can be quite subtle and it’s up to each seeker to realize their own particular hidden assumptions about themselves and the world. One way to do this is to be mindful of what it is you are telling yourself. Are you telling yourself that you’re unworthy? Are you walking about thinking others are out to get you or that the world is dangerous? Whatever you are continuously telling yourself is what you have to wake up from so you can see the world and your true nature as it really is.
One thing that I’d like to mention before closing this post is that it is not necessary to change your steady state self to realize your true nature. It is, of course, natural to want an end to suffering and we all have things that we’d like to change. We can continue to work on ourselves but in mindfulness meditation all you truly need do is realize the difference between your true nature and the present moment, and what is being superimposed upon them. Then continually work on not letting your superimpositions distract you from being who and what you truly are.
May 28, 2017 § Leave a comment
I am intrigued by the following description of Mae Chee Kaew’s inner activity before her enlightenment, found in “Mae CheeKaew. Her Journey to Spiritual Awakening and Enlightenment.” By Bhikkhu Silaratano.
The author writes that Mae Chee Kaew “began to meticulously scrutinize her mind’s extraordinary radiance, looking for any signs of imperfection. The luminous mind appeared unblemished, untroubled and exceedingly pure at first. But when she looked at it more closely she began to notice that an equally refined dullness occasionally emerged to tarnish that radiant, crystal-clear essence of knowing.”
Although it may not be readily apparent, what the author describes is essentially the same meditation practice that you or I undertake each time we sit.
Mae Chee Kaew’s meticulously scrutiny is analogous to the mental alertness that we aspire to in meditation. Her search for imperfection is our endeavor to wake up from distracting thought. And the dullness that tarnished her ‘crystal-clear essence of knowing’ is just a highly refined or subtle thought. Unlike Mae Chee Kaew, our thoughts are less subtle and our own knowing not crystal-clear. Nonetheless, when we sit in meditation we examine the same Buddha mind she did in the same way.
Whether a thought is coarse or refined, it still dulls awareness of the present moment. Whether the mind is clear or murky, it is still Buddha mind. Your mind is the radiant, luminous mind. All you need do to see this is wake from the thoughts that dull your awareness, the crystal-clear essence of knowing.
To quote Mumon from The Gateless Gate, if one sees this clearly “there is no Shakyamuni Buddha before him and no future Buddha after him.” That is to say, all concepts obscure the ever-present Buddha Mind, even the concept of Buddha. So when you sit, drop all expectation of ‘something else’ because the very mind you have right now is Buddha mind.
Dropping all expectation is returning to the present moment. In the present moment there is delusion and realization, practice, life and death, buddhas and living beings. When we sit with simple awareness, flowers die and weeds grow without clinging or aversion. When we stray into thinking, we return once again to the present moment, expecting nothing, seeking nothing.
Realizing that practice is simply stepping back on the path each time you step off, with no expectation of anything happening, may make you feel a bit like King Sisyphus. In Greek myth he was forced, over and over for eternity, to roll an immense boulder up a hill only to have it roll back down upon him. But if we awaken to the fact that this simple returning to the path each time we step off is the actualization of our own Buddha nature, then we are firmly on the path to realizing the luminous Buddha mind.
Upon her enlightenment Mae Chee Kaew’s said,
“Body, mind and essence are all distinct and separate realities. Absolutely everything is known — earth, water, fire and wind; body, feeling, memory, thought and consciousness; sounds, sights, smells, tastes, touches and emotions; anger, greed and delusion — all are known.
“I know them all as they exist — in their own natural states.
“But no matter how much I am exposed to them, I am unable to detect even an instant when they have any power over my heart. They arise, they cease. They are forever changing. But the presence that knows them never changes for an instant. It is forever unborn and undying.”
To quote Mumon, again, “If you understand this intimately, you yourself can enter the great meditation while you are living in the world of delusion.”
May 6, 2017 § Leave a comment
An oak tree in the garden stands on its own. It doesn’t seek a teacher to tell it where it must go or how to get there. An oak tree in the garden knows there are no enlightened ones and no enlightenment.
An oak tree in the garden doesn’t think this is what it must do or this is what it must achieve. It knows there is nothing to do and nothing to achieve. An oak tree in the garden knows there is no delusion and no realization.
An oak tree in the garden knows the fallen rain rising up through its roots. Yet it does not feel lack or something missing when, reaching its leaves, the rain returns to the sky. Within the oak things arise and fall yet all the while the oak remains unaffected. The oak tree in the garden is forever unborn and undying.
An oak tree in the garden actualizes itself exactly as it is in every moment. In delusion and realization, life and death, buddhas and living beings. It does not need to think about this. It does not need words to describe it. The heart’s message cannot be delivered in words.
March 16, 2017 § Leave a comment
Meditation may be described as ‘awareness waking to the present moment from all distraction,’ those distractions being mostly thought or thinking (includes emotion).
Initial instruction on meditation is to focus on some object, such as the breath, to steady the mind and develop concentration. After a state of relative calmness is attained and the novice no longer falls into fanciful reverie, the stage is set for deeper contemplation and insight.
Contemplation is more often linked with western mysticism but is also found in Buddhism. In its highest sense contemplation is a ‘power of knowing’ that comes from total concentration of one’s entire being on a single object, resulting in a fusion of the subject with the object. Western Contemplation is similar to eastern Samadhi that also results in fusion but just as there are various kinds of Samadhi, so are there different levels of contemplation.
As used here, contemplation is still a power of knowing but lacks the fusion of subject and object. In this type of contemplation thought is held in awareness for examination where, through an act of discrimination, insight into its true nature is revealed.
Examination of this type is not so much an intellectual process as an observational one. Imagine, for instance, watching some people off in the distance. You can see they are doing something but don’t know what. So you watch, hoping it’ll all make sense. Although there may be some silent attempt to put the activity into context, by and large thinking is suspended as you wait for the situation to reveal itself. This inquiring observation without thought or prejudgment is what is meant by examination.
Where discrimination comes in lies in the above mentioned ‘silent’ attempt to put the activity into some context. To put something in context requires it be discriminated from all things that it is not. Discrimination is used in meditation, for example, to see the difference between distracting thought and the present moment. In contemplation, this act of discrimination is taken further to reveal the true nature of thought.
Higher contemplation doesn’t develop until the mind has attained a certain level of calm and is able to hold an object in mind without distraction. But as the word is used here, it is possible to contemplate those complex aggregates of thought that arouse intense emotion. In fact, many times one can do nothing but attend to bothersome thoughts and feelings during meditation.
At times when emotions are intense, walking away is sometimes necessary. But when the mind has developed sufficient strength it becomes possible to hold complex aggregates of thought and feeling up for examination. The aim is not to psychoanalyze but to discriminate them from what is actually going on in the present moment. In so doing thought is eventually seen to be of the same stuff as a dream, a dream from which one may wake.
By fully separating what is going on in the head from the outside world, the difference between the two is seen and a certain degree of freedom attained. Then the full power of contemplation may be turned upon the ego or self. Not to compare it to the outer world but to That which is contemplating this self. This is Contemplation in the higher sense that leads to Self-Transcendence and the eventual realization of no self or Identity with Suchness.
February 23, 2017 § Leave a comment
When Priest Yaoshan was sitting in meditation a monk asked, ”What do you think about, sitting in steadfast composure?”
Yaoshan said, “I think not thinking.”
The monk said, “How do you think not thinking?”
Yaoshan said, “Non-thinking.”
This brief Zen story may seem abstruse but when ‘thinking not thinking’ is interpreted as not following thought, it falls into place with meditation as the practice of continuous waking from distraction to the present moment.
We come to realize the extent of our distraction only after some attempts to practice being in the present moment. We find that our days have been spent watching thought play out on an inner screen. The stories we’ve projected about life, what people say about us, and what we think about ourselves, we’ve taken to be real. And we come to see that we’ve been interacting with these stories more than we have to the actual world.
To stop this we must first create an intention not to follow thought or, as Yaoshan said, ‘think not thinking.’ One way of doing this is described in the yoga aphorisms of Patanjali. He described thoughts as waves that have a certain force that must be countered by opposing waves of thought. Hateful thoughts, for example, are to be countered with thoughts of loving-kindness. By continually creating opposing waves of thought, the mind is eventually stilled.
In other practice thoughts are simply labeled as ‘thinking, thinking, thinking’. Emotions are identified as ‘fear, fear, fear’ or ‘boredom, boredom, boredom’, etc. The same is done with other distractions such as noises or physical discomfort. All distractions are labeled and the attention is returned to the present moment. In this way the mind uses thought to not follow thought.
Labeling thought has its place with simple distractions but there are more complex aggregates of thought and emotion that are not so easily named. These are the thoughts that are identified as self, and they naturally arise with thoughts that stand in opposition to the self. In psychology these opposing forces have many descriptors like the id and superego, the inner child and internalized parent or the underdog and the top dog. However they’re called, the conflict they produce may often make it impossible to simply sit and be in the present moment.
Holding these opposing forces up for thoughtful examination often helps to clarify and resolve conflicts. The aim is not so much psychoanalysis but a genuine attempt to realize these forces as merely thoughts that do not need to be followed or obeyed. When, for example, an inner parent has you feeling like a child again, by continually comparing your inner situation to the outer, i.e., the present moment, you come to realize that the parent exists only in your mind. Seeing this clearly means there is no need to follow the parent’s dictates, if they are not appropriate to the situation. It may have been in part related to these conflicts that Zen Master Dogen said, “Sometimes you study the way by casting off the mind. Sometimes you study the way by taking up the mind. Either way, study the way with thinking, and study the way with non-thinking.”
In the beginning of practice it is necessary to use thought to stop following thought. But when the intention not to think has become so established that it is carried out without thinking, as in a habit, thoughts are dropped automatically. Awareness of the present moment then arises naturally. That moment may still contain thoughts but they remain off to the side, so to speak. This alert awareness is non-thinking.
Non-thinking is not some far off goal. Whenever we are alert and momentarily not following thought; that is non-thinking. Whenever awareness is centered in the present, this is non-thinking. These may not be states that occur often in our practice but they are something we can experience today. And that is our practice, to take our isolated moments of non-thinking and turn them into a continuous string of never ending pearls.
January 21, 2017 § 5 Comments
Meditation is the continuous waking to the present moment from distracting thoughts. This description implies a need to learn the difference between thinking and non-thinking. In practice this means we must be as the heron that has one eye out for food, while the other looks steadfastly to the sky.
It is a sad fact that the vast majority of humanity is so caught up in distraction that life seems barren without it. There is little of the light of the higher life in these masses who disdain the silence of meditation in a fruitless quest to satisfy their cravings.
Above the majority are those whose circumstance and desire has enabled this light to burn a little brighter. These are the quasi-intellectual, semi-cultured ones who often gravitate towards ideology and dogmatism. In these the conceit of ego often erupts in senseless disputes that may at times lead to political chaos and even war.
There are fewer still above these two lower levels who, though still possessing of ego, have learned to put it aside in favor of humanity. We may say of them that their stream of thought is actively dedicated to helping others.
For the most part, thinking dominates the minds of all who are led by ego and desire. In the actual day-to-day experience it plays out as an on-going dialogue and stream of emotion that is often described as a movie projected onto an inner, mental screen. To the greater mass of humanity this movie is fragmented and chaotic. The quasi-intellectual may have more of a story line but it is the rare few above them whose movies may be of ‘epic’ proportions.
For those who meditate and practice mindfulness it may take a long time before they can just observe their movies without being caught up in them. The individual suffering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder provides an extreme example of this.
For most of us, even when focused upon a simple task the mind plays a story that we soon find ourselves following. When we become aware of this we can usually drop it and return to the task. For the individual suffering PTSD, however, there is no end to the movie. Worst still, the movie doesn’t just involve the mind but has the entire body reacting to the horrific images being screened. And at the height of anxiety the movie may even jump off the screen into the outside world, leaving the individual feeling as if he or she were trapped in a theatre with no exit.
Whereas PTSD is produced by trauma, our movie producers are our culture, family, personal talents and other attributes that go into making us who we are. It is because our movies are so intricately involved with our identity that they are difficult to drop. And why when we persist on the path that a point comes when anxiety sets in. This anxiety is a signal that we are loosening the very attachments that make us feel safe and secure. Having pruned the tree of distraction, we begin to realize that we must leave its cool shade if we are to fully enter the light.
This is where many fail to progress to the next level that we may call Cosmic or Transcendent Consciousness. The ego, in sensing a Voice that says “I am I yet also Others,” fears the loss of its personal identity. So it hesitates. But if we continue to set one eye on the sky and the other on what lies below the surface, we will eventually see that we’ve been standing in an Ocean of Consciousness, all along.
December 24, 2016 § 1 Comment
The more we practice, the more difficult it seems to stay in the present moment. Hardly a moment goes by that we are not drawn into some pleasant fantasy or actively engaged in some inner act of denial. When walking, our minds are elsewhere. When listening, we are formulating a response. It seems that all that’s needed for a new distraction to arise is a turn of the head or a blink of the eyes. Yet distracting thoughts have not increased. Practice has simply made us more aware of their presence.
Lest we become discouraged, remember that just before his great enlightenment the Buddha’s mind was filled with images of greatness, riches and beautiful women; followed by frightening images of armies threatening his life. These, we are told, were caused by the demon Mara. But if we strip away the mythology are they not just distractions? The same distractions you and I have everyday? If so, it seems that up to the moment of his enlightenment, the Buddha’s mind was not unlike our own.
The Buddha saw through his distractions. We, on the other hand, have yet to penetrate the fog of distraction that stands between the world and our awareness of it. When we sit in practice, however, this fog begins to reveal itself as our own judgments, fears, hopes and desires. It is these we drift into in our effort to stay in the present moment. It is our deepest fears and greatest longings into which we are pulled. “Desire,” said some adept, “is never-ending. The mind is always thinking.”
Through mindfulness practice we see this fog descending upon our awareness in daily life. Yet it is just because we are more aware of our distractions that we are better equipped to wake from them to the present moment or, that is, our actual surroundings. Admittedly, we are like the dreamer who only dreams he is awake but that, at least, is a start.
If we are diligent in our practice some small hints of what’s to come will appear. These will be brief glimpses of the unreality of thought. It will be easier to resist falling prey to fear and anger. Desire may take a bit longer as we find ourselves praying, as St. Augustine did, “Give me chastity and continence, but not yet.” Nevertheless, if we have reached the point where we see a difference between the awareness of now and the distracted state, we have created a foundation to deepen our practice. And, we have taken the first step on the long path to Buddhahood.

domain: literature


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All the characteristics of Realme GT Neo 5. What will be the inexpensive Chinese sub-flagship?
The upcoming sub-flagship Realme GT Neo 5 keeps fewer and fewer secrets. We already wrote about a major smartphone design leak , it’s time to find out its characteristics!
What will Realme GT Neo 5 offer? According to the Digital Chat Station insider, the device will be equipped with a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2772 × 1240 pixels, that is, 1.5K. The refresh rate will be 144 Hz, there will be a fingerprint scanner under the screen, as well as a miniature hole for a 32-megapixel selfie camera.
The rear chamber should be triple, although framed by two large circles. It is known that the main module will be a Sony IMX890 matrix with a resolution of 50 MP, equipped with an optical stabilization lens, f / 1.79 aperture and an equivalent focal length of 25 mm.
The other two modules will probably be responsible for wide-angle photos and macro (or blurring the background). Their resolution is known – 8 and 2 MP.
The heart of the smartphone will be the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor, which will be accompanied by fast LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 memory. But most of all, Realme GT Neo 5 will surprise you with its charging speed. There will be two versions of the smartphone. The first with a 5000 mAh battery and 150 W charging, and the second with a smaller 4600 mAh battery, but with 240 W reactive charging! The Chinese have provided several levels of protection, including protection against overheating, short circuits and voltage surges. They already showed off a concept with 240-watt charging at MWC 2022, then a device with a 4500 mAh battery was charged from 0 to 100% in 9 minutes. So here you can count on 10-11 minutes of a full cycle.
All of this will be packaged in a case with stereo speakers. The side frame of the GT Neo 5 is made of plastic, but the back will remain glass. The lack of moisture protection, wireless charging and a microSD slot will be compromises to maintain an affordable price for the model. Recall that the previous generation GT Neo 3 cost $362 in China.
There is no official release date for Realme GT Neo 5 yet, but insiders are talking about the premiere in March 2023.

domain: design


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Why Choose Lab Furniture and Fume Hoods?
The number one answer from our clients is their unique experience as a customer.
Our founder pioneered a simple concept decades ago, and we call it The Power of One. We believe that a single point of contact is the best way to facilitate your lab design and installation project from start to finish.
Our approach has been copied, but never duplicated. The concept is simple – one person is 100% responsible for your project from start to finish. Our goal is to continue growing long-term, satisfying relationships.
The Power of One is a simple six point system ensuring a rewarding, efficient, cost-effective experience with continuity from day one.
You will have the lab that you need, on time and on budget. In addition, we provide the first three steps of our six point plan free of charge to give you an opportunity to get acquainted with our extraordinary level of service and professionalism before purchase and installation.
The Power Of One©
Step 1: Laboratory Planning – Initial Discussion
Meet your Lab Design Professional who will personally work with your team and complete each step of the process. All of our Lab Design Professionals have a minimum of 10 years of experience in laboratory planning and design. As the design of your new lab develops, your Lab Design Professional will integrate into your laboratory build team by providing product information, lab design expertise, and alternate solutions for every aspect of your project. By offering value engineering and providing an interface for each member of your team, the Lab Design Professional helps make every other job more efficient and ensures the end result of your project is delivered as expected.
Step 2: Revisions, Revisions, Revisions – Personal Responsibility
Your Lab Design Professional will complete all drawings and revisions to refine and revise a finished set of drawings, a price quote, and an itemized list of materials for your review. Personal responsibility is the key to our success – no waiting on the drafting department, estimating department or others – everything is handled with care by your Lab Design Professional.
Every laboratory is a unique environment. Getting every detail correct with an eye on future growth is critical. We want to create a laboratory environment that meets your needs today and evolves with you as your work grows and changes over the years. We will help you stay on budget and provide value engineering any time during the process.
Step 3: Decision Time
By the time you reach Step 3 in our Power of One© system, you have gotten a glimpse of our commitment to exceptional service and made a decision to work with us. We have built our reputation one laboratory at a time, and we continue to grow because SERVICE is the cornerstone of our philosophy. Over the years our clients have confirmed that Lab Furniture and Fume Hoods is their first choice because of our exceptional service.
Step 4: Approval
After choosing Lab Furniture and Fume Hoods, your Lab Design Professional will review the final laboratory design plans with your team to reach final approval. Once approved with a signed agreement or purchase order, your Lab Design Professional will personally order all the materials for your project. Our team at LFFH will review the plan and double check the purchase order internally to make sure every necessary part and piece is included. At this point our top priority is a smooth delivery and installation process. Within 5-7 business days, you will receive the order acknowledgment and final set of drawings. If you have questions or concerns, contact us immediately. There is a 48-hour window to submit changes to the order.
Step 5: Delivery and Installation
Your Lab Design Professional personally manages the delivery and installation schedule. This step requires scheduling our installation team, coordinating with your contractors, and tracking shipments. Delivery and installation is unique to each project. Some projects require delivery ahead of installation. Some projects coordinate installations to begin on delivery day. In most cases our installation team will arrive to unload and distribute materials and begin installation immediately. Typical time from APPROVAL to DELIVERY is 6-8 weeks. Custom materials can take longer, however, and smaller orders may be delivered as quickly as 4 weeks.
Step 6: Final Approval
When the installation is complete, your Lab Design Professional will work with your team to ensure satisfaction, complete any punch list items and obtain your final approval. If there are any necessary corrections or changes, your Lab Design Professional will handle them. After this final confirmation, you are ready to move into your new space, and we will issue an invoice due net 30.
The cornerstone of our six point Power of One plan is your Lab Design Professional. As an expert in laboratory furniture, fixtures, and space planning, your assigned lab planner will be available throughout the entire project to answer questions, make changes, and keep the project moving. We believe the best way to deliver the highest quality of service is to provide you with a team member you can depend on throughout the entire process. Your Lab Design Professional will be available to you as you move forward — to answer questions, provide the same high quality service, and assist you in taking your lab into the future as your work evolves and expands.
* Revit Drawings are available; they require a signed agreement with Last Right of Refusal on the project, or we can provide a price quote to provide them. Revit is a very labor-intensive program, and these drawings are only created after the layout is approved in AutoCAD.
© Copyright 2016 by LFFH, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and the American Soybean Association (ASA) have written to President Donald Trump in hopes that he can provide further support to the biodiesel industry.
The two associations have asked that he provide biodiesel room for growth under the Renewable Fuel Standard; restore lost demand for biodiesel resulting from small refinery exemptions, and back legislative extension of biodiesel and renewable diesel tax incentives.
In the letter, they asked that the president “provide additional help to the nation’s farmers and rural communities by supporting policies that expand production and use of biodiesel.”
CEO’s of NBB and ASA, Ryan Findly and Donnell Rehagen stated that “Biodiesel adds value to every bushel of soybeans and plays an important role by providing a market for surplus soybean oil. Today, farming income is at its lowest level in more than a decade. Even as soybean growers set production records this year, they are experiencing depressed prices and market uncertainty.”
The president has also been urged by the associations to back the industry’s request to Congress to provide long-term certainty for the biodiesel and renewable diesel tax incentive.
The letter sent to Trump ended by affirming that “Your support for these policies can further grow the RFS and provide an economic boost for rural America when it is most needed.”


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A: The thing that is so defining when I look over my career in public service was being a PTA mom. You always had to go to this board to get things done, and I said, “I want to be on that board, because they don’t get it.” I didn’t know anything about politics. I was just a little Black girl from the east side of Detroit who worked her way through college, married her childhood sweetheart and wanted to do the right thing. But man, the election night, the campaign, it was so energizing. And when I got to sit on that board and take a vote, knowing the responsibility, it consumed me.
When my children left school, I ran for city council. I wanted to keep serving, and then I had the audacity to step up and say, “I want to be mayor.” There had never been a woman [mayor of Southfield], never been an African American.
And then to have the audacity to run for Congress and serve alongside some of the giants — to serve with Elijah Cummings, to serve with John Lewis, to be part of the Black Caucus and be reminded of the humility of being a member of Congress, to walk the halls of Congress built by slaves. It’s a constant reminder of this country’s always striving for a perfect union. Because every time we start talking about what’s bad in America, historically, we can look at so many good things. There’s not a day that I don’t look at the Capitol dome, and just take a deep breath and say, “Wow, this is amazing. It’s amazing to serve.”
Some people take it to another level with their arrogance, because they forget this is about service. It’s not about your title and your swagger and how many staff people you have.
Q: You talked about having audacity. What does that mean to you?

domain: sociology


text:
2 edition of Control of Meloidogyne sp. with special reference to the cultivation of tobacco in Southern Rhodesia. found in the catalog.
Control of Meloidogyne sp. with special reference to the cultivation of tobacco in Southern Rhodesia.
Robert Alexander Cameron Daulton
Written in English
Thesis (M. Agr.)--The Queen"s University of Belfast, 1953.
|The Physical Object|
Micro-regional central place system in India
Integrating principles of social psychology
Islam for Hindus
Evidence (Volume 2) Taken by the Royal Commissioners of Inquiry on the Condition of Crofters and Cottars in the Highlands of Scotland, 1884.
Assay of the marine resources of Massachusetts Bay.
Romeo and Juliet, V. iii. 107-8.
Yancy and Bear
National Workshop on Bus-Wheelchair Accessibility
Methodism in the light of the early church
Science and medicine of exercise and sports.
Hoyles rules of games
Practical facts for printers.
Royal government in America

domain: library


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[This posting is in response to a tiny thread on the NGC4Lib mailing list about the decline of books. –ELM]
Yes, books are on the decline, but in order to keep this trend in perspective it is important to not confuse the medium with the message. The issue is not necessarily about books as much as it is about the stuff inside the books.
Books — codexes — are a particular type of technology. Print words and pictures on leaves of paper. Number the pages. Add an outline of the book’s contents — a table of contents. Make the book somewhat searchable by adding an index. Wrap the whole thing between a couple of boards. The result is a thing that is portable, durable, long- lasting, and relatively free-standing as well as independent of other technology. But all of this is really a transport medium, a container for the content.
Consider the content of books. Upon close examination it is a recorded manifestation of humanity. Books — just like the Web — are a reflection of humankind because just anything you can think of can be manifested in printed form. Birth. Growth. Love. Marriage. Aging. Death. Poetry. Prose. Mathematics. Astronomy. Business. Instructions. Facts. Directories. Gardening. Theses and dissertations. News. White papers. Plans. History. Descriptions. Dreams. Weather. Stock quotes. The price of gold. Things for sale. Stories both real and fictional. Etc. Etc. Etc.
Consider the length of time humankind has been recording things in written form. Maybe five thousand years. What were the mediums used? Stone and clay tablets? Papyrus scrolls. Vellum. Paper. To what extent did people bemoan the death of clay tablets? To what extent did they bemoan the movement from scrolls to codexes? Probably the cultures who valued verbal traditions as opposed to written traditions (think of the American Indians) had more to complain about than the migration from one written from to another. The medium is not as important as the message.
Different types of content lend themselves to different mediums. Music can be communicated via the written score, but music is really intended to be experienced through hearing. Sculpture is, by definition, a three-dimensional medium, yet we take photographs of it, a two-dimensional medium. The poetry and prose lend themselves very well to the written word, but they can be seen as forms of storytelling, and while there are many advantages to stories being written down, there are disadvantages as well. No sound effects. Where to put the emphasis on phrases? Hand gestures to communicate subtle distinctions are lost. It is for all of these reasons that libraries (and museums and archives) also collect the mediums that better represent this content. Paintings. Sound recordings. Artifacts. CDs and DVDs.
The containers of information will continue to change, but I assert that the content will not. The content will continue to be a reflection of humankind. It will represent all of the things that it means to be men, woman, and children. It will continue to be an exposition of our collective thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and experiences.
Libraries and other “cultural heritage institutions” do not have and never did have a monopoly on recorded content, but now, more than ever, and as we have moved away from an industrial-based economy to a more service-based economy whose communication channels are electronic and global, the delivery of recorded content, in whatever form, is more profitable. Consequently there is more competition. Libraries need to get a grip on what they are all about. If it is about the medium — books, CDs, articles — then the future is grim. If it is about content and making that content useful to their clientele, then the opportunities are wide open. Shifting a person’s focus from the how to the what is challenging. Looking at the forest from the trees is sometimes overwhelming. Anybody can get information these days. We are still drinking from the proverbial fire hose. The problem to be solved is less about discovery and more about use. It is about placing content in context. Providing a means to understanding it, manipulating it, and using it to solve the problems revolving around what it means to be human.
We are a set of educated people. If we put our collective minds to the problem, then I sincerely believe libraries can and will remain relevant. In fact, that is why I instituted this [the NGC4Lib] mailing list.


text:
Possible strong pullback towards the trend line
. Price has broken trend line
channel to the upside and now would be a good time to place a sell trade on the pullback to the trend line
. Price has also been moving under both the 200 and 50 EMA
which is still indicating a strong short bias. I expect the price to move back to the trend line
and then go all the way up. The first target will be the first support turned resistance. FX:AUDNZD
Will be holding until next week as it is Friday tomorrow.

domain: economics


John Licciardi, Naples
Another horrific gun massacre has occurred, in Orlando.
Congress responds with new gun bills. There are an estimated 32,000 gun deaths in the U.S. annually, 60 percent by suicide and roughly 11,000 are homicides.
Now there are many millions of guns in our country. If a bad guy wants one, he probably won't be deterred by gun laws.
There are an estimated 300,000 preventable deaths attributed to obesity every year. Using the anti-gun view, should we outlaw silverware?


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The Apheresis market is segmented on the lines of its product, application, procedure and technology. Based on product segmentation it covers apheresis machine and disposable apheresis kits. Under application segmentation it covers renal diseases, neurology, hematology and others. The apheresis market is segmented on the lines of its procedure like plasmapheresis, leukapheresis, LDL-apheresis, plateletpheresis, erythrocytapheresis, photopheresis and others. Based on technology segmentation it covers membrane filtration and centrifugation. The apheresis market on geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geography market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.
The apheresis market is expected to exceed more than US$ 3.5 billion by 2024 and will grow at a CAGR of more than 11.5% in the given forecast period.
Brows Full Report from here: https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/apheresis-market-report
Inside the past few a long time, the clinical community all the world over has increasingly more engaged in the use of apheresis. In healing apheresis, an affected person’s plasma or blood cellular elements are cut up and removed from the blood and changed through replacement plasma or substitute blood fluids. The rationale at the back of apheresis is that the strange substances or cells inside the affected person’s blood are eliminated thru apheresis, thereby main to treatment or manipulate of the disease. Healing apheresis isn’t a brand new utility, however its volume and scope has rapidly grown in the ultimate many years. At gift, apheresis is often prevalent as an acute healing method in a selection of illnesses, and millions of patients undergo the remedy every year. These days, apheresis is being evaluated as a remedy choice for a huge range of persistent sicknesses inclusive of rheumatoid arthritis, one of a kind sorts of most cancers, polyneuropathies, more than one sclerosis, and others.
The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for Global Apheresis Market with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.
The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Fresenius Kabi; Haemonetics; Terumo BCT; Therakos, Inc.; Asahi Kasei Kuraray Medical Co Ltd; and B. Braun Melsungen AG. Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.
This report provides:
1) An overview of the Global Apheresis Market and related technologies.
2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2024.
3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for Global Apheresis Market.
4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.
5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.
The major driving factors of Global Apheresis Market are as follows:
- Increasing number of platelet donors
• Development in the demand for plasma
• Reimbursement policies
The restraining factors of Global Apheresis Market are as follows:
- Expensive therapy
• Need of donor availability and histocompatibility
• Risks related with apheresis
• Lack of highly skilled professionals
The Global Apheresis Market has been segmented as below:
The Global Apheresis Market is Segmented on the lines of Technology Analysis, Product Segment Analysis, Application Analysis, Procedure Analysis and Regional Analysis. By Technology Analysis this market is segmented on the basis of Membrane Filtration and Centrifugation. By Product Segment Analysis this market is segmented on the basis of Apheresis machine and Disposable apheresis kits.
By Application Analysis this market is segmented on the basis of Renal diseases, Neurology, Hematology and Others. By Procedure Analysis this market is segmented on the basis of Plasmapheresis, Leukapheresis, LDL-apheresis, Plateletpheresis, Erythrocytapheresis, Photopheresis and Others. By Regional Analysis this market is segmented on the basis of North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World.
Request Sample Report from here: https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/apheresis-market-report
Table of Contents
2 Research Methodology
3 Executive Summary
4 Premium Insights
5 Market Overview
6 Industry Insights
7 Global Apheresis Market, By Procedure
8 Global Apheresis Market, By Product
9 Global Apheresis Market, By Technology
10 Global Apheresis Market, By Application
11 Apheresis Market, By Region
12 Competitive Landscape
13 Company Profiles
13.2 Cerus Corporation
13.3 Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA
13.4 Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd. (A Subsidiary of Asahi Kasei Corporation)
13.5 Haemonetics Corporation
13.6 Terumo BCT, Inc.
13.7 Hemacare Corporation
13.8 B. Braun Melsungen AG
13.9 Kaneka Corporation
13.10 Kawasumi Laboratories Inc.
13.11 Nikkiso Co., Ltd.
Other Related Market Research Reports:
Company Name: Market Research Engine
Contact Person: John Bay
Country: United States

domain: geography


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Betaretrovirus may infect sufferers with principal biliary cirrhosis In a fresh study released in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, experts at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry show a betaretrovirus which resembles a mouse mammary tumor virus infects sufferers with the rare liver disease, main biliary cirrhosis . Using next generation sequencing, the united team of researchers at the University of Alberta along with co-workers at Beijing Genomics Institute, in Shenzhen, China, determined over 2,000 junction regions where in fact the betaretrovirus DNA experienced inserted into the individual's genome.
Better behavioral health administration can improve wellness, lower costs Greater than a third of hospitalization costs in 13 low-income NJ communities are connected with behavioral health circumstances, including mental health chemical and disorders make use of, accounting for $880 million in annual inpatient costs, according to a fresh Rutgers study. The statement by the Rutgers Middle for State Health Plan also discovered that 75 % of individuals who are categorized as ‘high users’ – people that have at least four medical center stays between 2008-2011 – were identified as having a number of behavioral health conditions in comparison to 32 % of less-regular users. Furthermore to hospitalizations of high users, the analysis also examined possibly preventable medical center admissions that might have been prevented with high-quality ambulatory treatment locally, e.g., hospitalizations due to uncontrolled diabetes.

domain: medical


text:
#1 in Home Personal Training®
GYM FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY IN Gillingham
GYM Franchise Opportunities in Gillingham
GYMGUYZ Home Personal Training franchise in Gillingham is low-cost and we continue to be one of the fastest growing franchises in the fitness industry.
Personal Training in Gillingham
The great thing about home personal training in Gillingham, is we will visit you almost anywhere and at a time that is convenient to you.
Gillingham is a town in the county of Kent in South East England.


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Who doesn’t love waffles?
For the most part, your typical store-bought waffle mix isn’t going to provide you with many (if any) of the nutrients you truly need to kick off your day.
If there were a waffle recipe that could guarantee the amount of protein you need to fuel your body with energy and keep you satiated until your next meal along with a concourse of other nutrients and benefits, wouldn’t you be diving for it?
Well, look no further, because we have one for you right here! Give these Golden Pumpkin Protein Waffles a try!
What Makes These Waffles Absolutely Golden
These waffles aren’t just a load of gluten and fluff. In fact, this recipe is gluten free, dairy free, naturally sweetened, infused with benefits and incredibly delicious. You’ll be drooling for more before you know it.
Especially during the colder season, pumpkin is a fall favorite. These waffles are made with real pumpkin, which gives them the nourishing benefits that come along with pumpkin, including dietary fiber, vision improvement, lowered blood pressure, boosted heart health, promoted weight loss and more.
A significant amount of the power behind these waffles comes from our very own Organifi Complete Protein, which is formulated with only the best plant-based sources of protein, such as pea protein, quinoa and pumpkin seeds. This powder doubles as a multivitamin and just a couple scoops of it can fuel your body with 20 grams of protein. It provides you with energy, a digestive boost, immunity support, help with weight loss and much more.
What gives this recipe its golden quality and pumpkin flavor is our Limited Edition Organifi Gold Pumpkin Spice, which is in-house herbalist formulated with a mixture of some of nature’s most soothing, yet powerful superfoods, including turmeric, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, Reishi, turkey tail, lemon balm, coconut milk, acacia fiber, monk fruit and vanilla. This blend is designed to provide you with inflammation-reducing, sleep-enhancing, brain power-boosting, digestive-improving benefits. It can be enjoyed as a warming drink or be included in delicious recipes like these waffles.
Along with the cinnamon that provides antioxidants, sea salt that provides electrolytes, flax seed that provides omega-3 fatty acids and other health-enhancing ingredients, you simply can’t go wrong with these golden waffles. Let’s get making them!
Golden Pumpkin Protein Waffles
Makes: 3 regular sized waffles
- 1 ¾ cup gluten free all-purpose flour blend
- ½ cup oat flour (or just finely ground rolled oats)
- 1-2 scoops of Organifi Vanilla Complete Protein
- 1 scoop Organifi Gold Pumpkin Spice
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 tbsp flax seed
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup (or honey)
- ½ cup canned pumpkin
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Suggested toppings: chopped walnuts & finely chopped dark chocolate
Instructions: Mix all ingredients in a bowl until just combined. Pour batter on a heated, greased waffle iron until cooked.
Along with enjoying this recipe for breakfast, it would also make a great post-workout meal or even dinner if you're a breakfast-for-dinner sort of person.

domain: food


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Definition of House of Commons
House of Commons
- (Politics, British, Canadian) The lower house of the UK and Canadian Houses of Parliament
* 1842, William Chambers, Robert Chambers, Chambers's Information for the People, page 178
Reckoning from 1802 till November 15, 1837, there were thirteen Houses of Commons
- Wiktionary. Published under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

domain: law


text:
Intel has used this year's Mobile World Congress to flesh out its 5G plans, including partnering with the biggest names in the networking industry to start trialling the next-gen technology. For Intel,...
Sidewalk will use low-bandwidth 900 megahertz spectrum to enable communication with IoT devices a mile away
CTRL-labs is developing technology to enable computers to be controlled by the brain
Ad trackers 'pervasive' across Roku and Amazon set-top boxes
Laura Nolan, who resigned from Google last year over military drone project, warns over 'killer robots'
IoT devices the 'soft underbelly' of corporate networks by Russia's Fancy Bear hackers, targeting VoIP phones and printers

domain: news


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Certain body parts don’t define male or female gender, according to Planned Parenthood’s updated guidelines on how parents should talk to their kids about sexuality.
Planned Parenthood has long been a believer in hard science, arguing that a fetus is just a clump of cells, but the organization now purports that genitals don’t make a child a boy or girl. While the old Planned Parenthood recommendations rely on science to talk to preschoolers about sexuality, the new guidelines reject former advice and expound upon gender details far beyond any normal preschooler’s comprehension.
The old guidelines advised parents to tell their kids that:
Women have breasts. Men don’t.
Boys have penises and girls have vulvas. I’m a woman — a girl who is all grown up — so I have a vulva instead of a penis. And you’re a boy, so you have a penis instead of a vulva.
The new guidelines advise parents to say:
Those are nipples. Everybody has nipples.
Boy, girl, man, and woman are words that describe gender identity, and some people with the gender identities “boy” or “man” have vulvas, and some with the gender identity “girl” or “woman” have penises/testicles.
Your genitals don’t make you a boy or a girl.
It doesn’t matter too much what parts someone has.
Planned Parenthood’s new recommendations reject the “birds and the bees” metaphor and opt to explicitly explain how mothers get pregnant to children. The new guidelines also encourage parents to use the real names of body parts — like vulva, clitoris, penis and vagina — instead of creating nicknames when talking to their preschoolers.
Source: Daily Caller


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When Kecoughtan hired Ivan Thomas last year as its boys basketball coach, the hope was that he'd eventually build a state championship contender. Guess what? Eventually might be here.
The Warriors already returned good talent in guard Anthony Dorsey, the Peninsula District's leading scorer last year at 21.9 points a game. And several underclassmen, like shooter Joshua Fortune.
But (as is the lay of the land in high school athletics these days) there's been an influx of talent. Kecoughtan has four transfers, each of whom should make an immediate — and significant — impact.
Guard Dimitri Batten averaged 18.3 points a game at Heritage last season and has already committed to Old Dominion. Guard Jezreel "Macho" DeJesus played his junior season at Bethel, where he averaged 11.8 points a game.
Forward Tyrone Tucker scored 11.0 ppg at Smithfield last season. And Jake Cave, known more for his incredible baseball talent, was a pretty fair hoops player at Hampton Christian.
I know what you're thinking … will there enough basketballs to go around? That's a good question. But that's a pretty nice problem to have.


New York, NY (Top40 Charts) "Beautiful songs that find hope in the not-so-beautiful moments in life" - "Powerful Rock and Roll"
The Riflery Readies Debut EP, Mining an American Rock Sound That Evokes Jack's Mannequin, Augustana, Jimmy Eat World
Lead Vocalist/Songwriter Shannon McArthur Recalls the Serendipity That Brought the Band Together
American rock band The Riflery looks forward to the release of their debut EP, 'Falcon'. With a sound that evokes Jack's Mannequin, Augustana, The Script and Jimmy Eat World, The Riflery aims to tackle life's 'big questions', as lead vocalist and songwriter Shannon McArthur shares this perspective via Elmore Magazine and AXS/Examiner exclusive premieres, below.
ELMORE EXCLUSIVE: Song Premiere From Nashville's the Riflery- "Getting There"
Singer-songwriter Shannon McArthur, of Nashville's the Riflery, considers Tom Petty and Third Eye Blind to be among his influences. His band also evokes Jack's Mannequin, Augustana, The Script and Jimmy Eat World. McArthur, now 28-years-old, has been in the music industry for several years. It was sheer serendipity, though, that brought him to fellow band member Sam Bowler two years ago in San Francisco. Together with Jordan Fitzsimmons, Jonny Riggs and Shanan Lau, they formed the Riflery.
Their upcoming EP includes "Getting There", a powerful rock and roll track referencing McArthur's struggles with faith. Instead of letting the struggle dominate and confuse him, McArthur instead decided to turn it into something beautiful. "That song is very largely about a struggle with God that I've experienced since my time in Nashville," he has said. "I wrote it with a good friend, Krista Angelucci. We were initially trying to write a song for her album, and then "Getting There" just kinda fell out into the artistic atmosphere."
The Riflery's debut, four-song EP, Falcon, will be out soon. For more info on upcoming tour dates (Jan 7th - The Vinyl - Atlanta, GA, Jan 9th - The Pour House- Raleigh, NC, Jan 13th - Pianos - New York, NY), visit the band's website .
Shannon McArthur comments:
"From a young age, I have struggled with restlessness. As a child, they attributed it to ADD, and maybe that is it, but I've always thought it was something more. I believe that every man struggles with the big questions of life... "Who are we?" "Why were we put on Earth?" "Is there a God?" "If so, what is his purpose for me?" I started seriously thinking about these things around age 18, and the struggle has not stopped. After 10 years of this wrestle, I finally came to the realization that I can take this struggle and choose to let it dominate and confuse me, or I can take it and make it into something beautiful. That is what The Riflery is for me. It is all my struggles and emotions converted into song. It originally started with me making an acoustic EP of songs, but by the time I was ready to release the record, I realized that I wanted a more band/rather than acoustic, sound. I wanted the sound of other musicians throwing themselves into the songs, so I decided to release the other songs as a solo record and then got to work on recording these other songs to make EP 1, "Falcon."
AXS/EXAMINER - Exclusive Interview, Song/Video Premiere By Laurie Fanelli 11//15
Exclusive video premiere and Q&A with Shannon McArthur of The Riflery
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWCr5jLD7ZE
Over the years, Shannon McArthur has gained a reputation for being a talented solo artist, but his latest project finds him collaborating with a collection of accomplished musicians for his new band, The Riflery . The group is gearing up for the release of their debut EP, Falcon, which is filled with beautiful songs that find hope in the not-so-beautiful moments in life.
The EP's new single "Either Way" is a great example of engaging, genuine emotions being captured perfectly in song by The Riflery. An exclusive premiere of the compelling track can be seen above.
AXS got the chance to pick McArthur's brain about his inspiration behind the project and the emotions behind the music.
Laurie Fanelli (AXS): Congrats on the upcoming release of your debut EP, Falcon. I got a chance to listen to a preview and the songs all sound very personal while highlighting various emotions, unanswered questions and hopes that we all experience. What would you say is the overall theme of the release?
Shannon McArthur: The Riflery is a story of redemption. We live in a broken world - where everyone experiences pain - but how we respond to the pain is what makes us who we are. Some of the songs on the record may sound dark, but it is my hope that each one of them has a flicker of light for the listener to move towards after listening. For me, a lot of those flickers came from moments when I finally faced and accepted some truths rather than running from them as if they weren't there. That's where a lot of the songs came from.
The production on Falcon is crisp and flawless. Can you share a bit about how the EP was recorded?
SM: The project started as what I thought would be just another "Shannon McArthur" solo artist album. Throughout college I had self-recorded multiple acoustic/pop solo artist records, but this time I really wanted to achieve a new sound, and I knew I'd need help. To make the record happen, I picked up a side job and used the money to hire a team for the recording process. Working with Thomas Doeve on "Either Way" and "Leaves" was cool because he introduced a lot of new sounds into the production. He's definitely the best Juno player I've ever met. I had a good time working with Josh Crosby on "Getting There" because we were able to communicate really well on the flow of the song, and he brought in rhythmic ideas that I wouldn't have thought of on my own. Aaron Sprinkle was one of the first people I met moving to Nashville, and we had actually worked together before but not in the context of me being the artist. Bringing him in on "You" was kind of a last minute thing, but it was incredible having him on board because his level of intensity really matched what the song needed. I had Jon Kaplan mix everything to help all the songs flow together well, and I was really happy with the turnout.
LF: The Riflery is a fairly new band. How did you all come together as a group?
Rounding the bend of closing out the record, I saw the path ahead of me for trying to go out and tour it by myself, and I immediately came to the decision that it would be more fun to do as a team. I considered having my buddy, Sam Bowler (piano, vocals) join the project. I had met him with Shanan Lau (lead guitar) playing music in the streets of San Francisco almost three years earlier, and we had always talked on the phone about starting a band, but nothing had come of it. I was in LA producing another artist's record around this same time, so I had Sam drive down from SantaBarbara and we played some songs to see how we sounded together. That one session was enough for us to know it was a good fit, so he moved to Nashville about a month and a half later. Two weeks after he had been in town, we met Jordan Fitzsimmons (drummer) at a coffee shop. He had a broken arm at the time, so we had him try out by letting him write a MIDI drum part to an acoustic demo. Then we had Jonny Riggs (bassist) write and record a bass part to that MIDI for his tryout. When Shanan heard of all this, he quit his job in Seattle and made the decision to move down to join the group.
LF: "Either Way" is the track that stuck with me the most from the EP. It's such a beautiful, bittersweet love song. Do you consider it to be a happy song, a sad song, or does it live somewhere in the middle?
SM: Yeah, "Either Way" is the song that sticks with me the most too. A lot of people would probably think of it as a sad song, but to me it's just a real song. The words needed to come out. I wrote it with Caitlin Linney shortly after leaving LA to move to Nashville. At the time I'd been doing all I could to convince myself and others that I wasn't hurting, and "Either Way" was that moment when I decided to stop doing that and just let people see me where I was.
LF: What are some of the emotions that you are feeling as you get closer to the EP's release? Have you already been thinking about a follow-up album?
SM: I feel excitement about the songs getting out and relief about being finished with all the pre-release coordinating. There will definitely be a follow-up album, and I look forward to being able to write it as a band.
LF: Will The Riflery be heading out on tour in support of Falcon?
SM: We will be touring a small run up the East Coast this winter - Jan 7 at The Vinyl in Atlanta, GA, Jan 9 at The Pour House in Raleigh, NC and Jan 13 at Pianos in New York, NY - and we will be keeping listeners updated on more dates at https://www.theriflery.com/ .
LF: Do you have anything else you would like to share with AXS readers?
SM: To AXS readers, I'd just say, if any of those songs can meet you where you are in life and make you feel understood, then the record has succeeded for me. Check out the brand new video for "Either Way," exclusively on AXS, above and click here to pick-up tickets to see The Riflery live in a city near you.
In addition to McArthur on lead vocals, The Riflery features musician/singer Sam Bowler, drummer Jordan Fitzsimmons, bassist Jonny Riggs, and lead guitarist Shanan Lau. Their four song EP is anchored by 'Getting There', a powerful rock track about McArthur's struggle with faith, as he references above. Another highlight, 'Either Way', chronicles a relationship in crisis. 'Leaves' and 'You' round out the band's debut - as McArthur comments,
"Every single one of the songs from "Falcon" has a deep place in my soul.
- "Either Way" - Listening to the lyrics, it's pretty obvious what this song is about… That was a tough time for me, and that song is very special to me.
- "Getting There" - That song is very largely about a struggle with God that I've experienced since my time in Nashville. I wrote it with a good friend, Krista Angelucci. We were initially trying to write a song for her album, and then "Getting There" just kinda fell out into the artistic atmosphere.
- "Leaves" - I wrote this song with my friends Nicole Johnson and Jeremy Lister. We all met at a writing camp, and to me, this song has been about the fight between who you've been told you're supposed to be and who you actually want to be.
- "You" is a song about someone coming back for you after it took so long to finally move on. I had a lot of personal experience with that, and I think it's relatable to a lot of people. This track was written with P.J. Pacifico.
Upcoming tour dates include:
Jan 7th - The Vinyl - Atlanta, GA
Jan 9th - The Pour House- Raleigh, NC
Jan 13th - Pianos - New York, NY
Shannon McArthur cites Third Eye Blind and Tom Petty among his influences, and is able to walk the line between understated acoustic tracks and full-band rock songs. For 'Falcon', a bit of serendipity was involved, and he talks about it here:
"I didn't actually have a single band member when I started this group. I just had the desire to make music in community, and I was fortunate enough to come across so many awesome guys. Shortly after finishing the record, I realized that I would rather embark on this endeavor with a friend, rather than by myself. Sam Bowler and I met in San Francisco at a group hang one night about 3 years ago, and we have stayed in touch ever since. Before about 3 months ago, we had only played together one time… However, we stayed in touch and regularly spoke on the phone in regard to music and our ambitions of what we would like to eventually do with it. Both of us feel that is something meant to be done in community and for a bigger purpose than our own entertainment. We both like a lot of the same groups too… U2, the Killers, Brandon Flowers, Coldplay. Anyway, I called him up to ask him if he wanted to join the project and so he asked his boss at Starbucks if they could transfer him to Nashville and they could so he did. Jordan - I met him at a coffee shop, mistaking him for another artist, and then got to conversation about how he would be a good drummer…Jonny Riggs - A friend referred me to him…Shanan Lau - I met him in San Francisco the same night I met Sam. They had been friends playing music before I knew either of them.
More about The Riflery:
Beyond the Nashville skyline and away from the bustle of Broadway, over the Cumberland River that splits the city in two, and into the East, Shannon McArthur sits across from a 24-year-old musician from Homer, Alaska - Sam Bowler. Two years of phone conversations about "Joshua Tree", "Battle Born", and God has finally materialized.
Shannon McArthur, now 28-years-old, has been around the industry for several years now. His experiences, for better and for worse, have revealed music to hold something completely different, but significantly more valuable than anything he was ever looking for.
Rewind two years, and in what can only be characterized as sheer serendipity, Sam and Shannon met each other in San Francisco, California. Neither had been acquainted, nor knew the other existed, but were nonetheless introduced at a mutual friend's party. "I thought he was either completely nuts or the most genuine person I had ever met," Sam laughs. "He had just had his credit card stolen and both of us were strapped for cash, so we just talked about music." Both cannot help but laugh at the absurdity of it all as they lean back and lose themselves in reminiscence. "I guess he was the latter."
"There's definitely a strength in numbers that has taken place, Sam brings only the purest elements to the table. He doesn't really know how to care about what people or the industry thinks, I'm definitely ok with that..." Shannon explains. "His perspective is different than mine, yet bizarrely the same, as if it's the same message, but written in a different language."
Together with Jordan Fitzsimmons, Jonny Riggs and Shanan Lau, they form The Riflery, a name that Shannon has been embracing for some time. "Every man struggles with the big questions of life… How did we end up here? For what purpose? You can choose to let questions like this weigh you down, or you can focus your thoughts into something beautiful that resonates with those in the same struggle. This is what the Riflery is for me."


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Post-colonial drama by black Canadian women: the plays of Djanet Sears, Lorena Gale, and M. NourbeSe Philip
Contemporary Canadian theatre is influenced largely by a White, male perspective that was introduced to the country by colonial powers. Consequently, Black women playwrights have faced exclusion from Canadian theatre. The Black Canadian playwrights Djanet Sears, Lorena Gale, and M. NourbeSe Philip are marginalized for their colour, which is compounded by their gender. Their plays reflect the diverse experiences of Black Canadian women, yet the three playwrights share a common goal of resisting the forces of colonization by redefining and centralizing the portrayal of Black women in their plays. Chapter One, "Reclaiming Black Canadian History," explores dramatic responses to historical interpretations that privilege the dominant group; Chapter Two, "Counter-Canonical Discourse," considers plays that interrogate the power of canonized theatrical works; and Chapter Three, "Belonging in the Black Diaspora," examines the dramatization of the issues of displacement, place, identity, and belonging that stem from colonization, affecting Black people throughout the Diaspora.
Bibliography: p. 99-104
Mendelsohn, J. (2004). Post-colonial drama by black Canadian women: the plays of Djanet Sears, Lorena Gale, and M. NourbeSe Philip (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/17943


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Last Updated on May 7, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Word Count: 539
In 1973, Oliver Sacks published the first edition of Awakenings, a brilliant account of his work with a group of elderly patients who had contracted sleeping sickness (encephalitis lethargica) in the great epidemic after World War I and had later developed symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Sacks presents twenty case histories, in which he describes the remarkable “awakenings” these patients experienced when, beginning in the spring of 1969, the new drug laevo-dihydroxyphenylaline (L-Dopa) was administered to them. Many of these patients had been existing in a catatonic state for decades, since the onset of their illness, “dormant volcanoes” whose lives were suddenly transformed when they were “awakened.” In the third edition of Awakenings, published in 1987, a new foreword, an epilogue in which he updates the case histories of his twenty patients since 1973, and a section discussing the aftermath of their awakenings have been added.
In 1969, Sacks was a young neurologist, one year out of his residency, working with postencephalitic patients on the wards of his fictionalized Mount Carmel Hospital (actually Beth Abraham Hospital in the Bronx). As he witnessed the effects of the then-new miracle drug L-Dopa, he started keeping careful notes and urging his patients to keep journals to record their remarkable transformations. Dissatisfied with the limitations of clinical case histories, Sacks decided to keep biographical accounts of his patients’ experiences as they awakened from their isolation and struggled to recover their lives. Sacks writes of the tremendous excitement felt by the staff and patientsat seeing lives which had once been thought irremediably blighted suddenly bloom into a wonderful renewal, at seeing individuals in all of their vitality and richness emerge from the almost cadaveric state where they had been frozen and hidden for decades.
Unfortunately, the awakenings experienced by Sacks’s patients were often temporary or were followed by bizarre neurological reactions that necessitated curtailing the medication, thus returning the patients to an even more severe state than before. Many of his patients found themselves in the ironic position of needing L-Dopa but being unable to tolerate it. They found themselves living on a razor’s edge, trying unsuccessfully to balance between too much and too little medication. With great compassion, Sacks charts this cycle of awakening, tribulation, and accommodation. He raises some profound questions about the nature of health and illness and demonstrates that no human life can ever be dismissed as being beyond the concern of a caring physician.
The text of Awakenings is divided into three sections: “Introduction,” “Awakenings,” and “Perspectives.” In his introduction, Sacks provides detailed clinical descriptions of Parkinson’s disease, of the ten-year sleeping sickness epidemic of 1917 through 1927, and of the lives of the afflicted patients between 1927 and 1967. Then he provides a sketch of institutional life at Mount Carmel Hospital, contrasting the euphoric hopes that accompanied the introduction of L-Dopa with the treatment of parkinsonian patients twelve years later in 1981. The major section of the book, “Awakenings,” provides a detailed clinical case history of each of twenty selected patients, tracing each person’s history before the introduction of L-Dopa, describing his response to L-Dopa, and giving a clinical follow up. The last section, “Perspectives,” presents an overall disease pattern for postencephalitic parkinsonism and offers a philosophical perspective on the nature of this affliction.
Last Updated on May 7, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Word Count: 49
Klawans, Harold L. “Awakenings,” in The Journal of the American Medical Association. CCLX (July 8, 1988), pp. 273-274.
Kohn, Marek. “Oliver Sacks,” in New Statesman. CXII (November 28, 1986), pp. 19-20.
Liebmann-Smith, Richard. “More Clinical Tales,” in The New Yorker. LXIII ( May 4, 1987), pp. 30-31.
Prescott, P. S. Review in Newsweek. LXXXIV (July 15, 1974), p. 85.


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The iFanboy.com Comic Book Podcast is a weekly talk show all about the best new current comic book releases. Lifelong friends, Conor Kilpatrick and Josh Flanagan talk about what they loved and (sometimes) hated in the current weekly books, from publishers like Marvel, DC, Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, BOOM! Studios, IDW, Aftershock, Valiant, and more. The aim is to have a fun time, some laughs, but to also really understand what makes comic books work and what doesn’t, and trying to under ...
Manage series 2826486
StoryShots tarafından hazırlanmış olup, Player FM ve topluluğumuz tarafından keşfedilmiştir. Telif hakkı Player FM'e değil, yayıncıya ait olup; yayın direkt olarak onların sunucularından gelmektedir. Abone Ol'a basarak Player FM'den takip edebilir ya da URL'yi diğer podcast uygulamalarına kopyalarak devam edebilirsiniz.
Nothing replaces reading a great book cover to cover. But have you ever left one unfinished? Oh, well, life gets busy. Instead, learn or review the key takeaways of bestselling nonfiction books in minutes, instead of hours or never. For Free. Use StoryShots to get through your stack of unfinished books or meet your next great read. Learn more at https://www.getstoryshots.com/ For sponsorship opportunities on our fast-growing podcast or any other inquiries, contact email@example.com

domain: entertainment


The Involvement of Iran in the Syrian War
All living human beings will find comfort in the arms of their friends during any moment of difficulty. For the whole period that the war has gone on in Syria, Iran has shown steadiness and commitment in provision of support to the Syrian government. Iran in Syria has been of great importance and value to Syria. These two countries may not have too many common interests that they all pursue but it is important that these two governments have come together to help in the regaining of stability in Syria. There is no question on the nobility and boldness shown by Iran in choosing to help Syria in these trying moments.
Being a Syrian ally, Iran has continued to offer necessary military aid that has gone on for years now. The use of air in delivering these essential has been popular among the Iranians. Iran has also chosen to provide further security and intelligence information to Syria. Military weapons and other necessities are also provided by the Iranians. They have also shown financial aid to the Syrians. These security and military support offered to the Syrians has made them a little bit stronger. Iran has also shown the willingness to use its military outside its borders to ensure reigning of peace in other countries. For this reason, Iran has shown growth in its expeditionary missions. This move has actually facilitated the current Syrian head of state to remain in power. This is a good move that purposes to uphold the rights of the people of Syria. By this Iran has advanced both its economic and political agenda as well as social itinerary too.
The move to support a local regime by an outsider is usually one that demands lots of boldness. Iran has actually shown support for pro-government militias in Syria. These militias have actually welcomed the friendship between Syria and Iran. This kind of support has allowed Iran to operate with lots of ease within Syrian borders. While on the same issue, Iran has continuously fought both the moderate and extremist factions that are unwanted in Syria. Conquering these factions actually hastens the process of regaining stability. Whoever takes control of the government does not necessarily matter.
The aim of Iran is to ensure that a corridor has been created from Iran to Lebanon. The corridor is to go through Iraq and Syria. This corridor is a direct link to the Mediterranean. It will allow for the easy and convenient movement of Iranian-allied soldiers, Iranian soldiers and weapons. This will grow both Syria’s ally, Iran, Iran and Syria itself. This will be beneficial since it will actually lead to Iran gaining more muscles of authority within this particular region.
Another Source: moved here


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Hugh Hefner, the oldest sexually active womanizer on the planet, is planning to go under the knife soon for a face lift. The 81-year old founder of Playboy believes that there is nothing wrong with men wanting to have plastic surgery. Hefner has already had a neck lift and teeth implants.
“I’m thinking of having a little face-lift. There is nothing wrong with plastic surgery. I think it is absolutely fine for men – I have already had teeth implants, and a few years ago I had a neck tuck.”
With Hugh Hefner having to tend to his three blonde girlfriends — Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson — it is only normal that he wants to look his best for his companions.
Hefner’s openness about wanting to have plastic surgery epitomizes the change in men’s attitudes about cosmetic surgery. Men are now flocking to have plastic surgery to be more competitive in the workplace and also to look more attractive for their mates and themselves. While 10-15 years ago, the idea of a man getting plastic surgery was considered as un-manly, men today are not ashamed about being into self-grooming and plastic surgery. “We are dealing with a whole different set of things physically now because we live so much longer,” says Hugh Hefner.
It should not be forgotten that Hugh Hefner and his Playboy empire have played an important role in spreading plasic surgery to the masses by featuring women with large breast implants and broadcasting the message that this is the modern man’s ideal of female beauty. Playboy has helped reshape the female standards of beauty and make the breast implants look very appealing to men and women. The plastic surgery industry is forever indebted to Hefner for his contribution in popularizing breast implants. Hefner helped build the plastic surgery world and plastic surgery has helped build the house of Playboy.
We love Hef and wish him the very best, as a well-executed face lift should help keep Hef’s mojo running and extend his sex life for a couple more decades to come.
Tags: celebrity, plastic, surgery


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5416 N Winthrop Ave is very walkable, which means most errands can be accomplished on foot.
This location has excellent transit with 11 nearby bus routes and 1 rail route.
There are some bike lanes and the terrain is flat as a pancake. 5416 N Winthrop Ave is very bikeable, biking is convenient for most trips.
Explore how far you can travel by car, bus, bike and foot from 5416 N Winthrop Ave.
Transit is convenient for most trips.
UP-N Union Pacific North
136 Sheridan/LaSalle Express
147 Outer Drive Express
146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express


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WWTR Travel | Camping & Trekking In Outback Australia
Have you ever wanted to swim with Manta Rays in Queensland, trek the Larapinta Trail in the Northern Territory, or explore the Whitsunday Islands? How about cycling through Tasmania, or camping under the stars in Alice Springs?
With WWTR travel, you can have access to all of these unique eco-tours! There’s truly something for everyone, too. If you want to challenge your body, why not hike through shadowed gorges, snaking riverbanks, open plains and towering mountains on NT’s Larapinta Trail? If you want to camp under the stars, discover rugged landscapes, hike through gorges, and gain insight into First Nations culture — then you’ll love WWTR Travel’s Outback Camping Adventure.

domain: hobby


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Africa | Black Americans
Nigerian Tribune Trolls Sasha Obama While Nigerians Call her ‘Akata’ & Insult Blacks Raised In America
Black Americans can be minding their business and end up getting insulted by their own Black people
Friday, 8 September 2023
By: TB Obwoge
*Note there is an affiliate link in this story to buy anti-colorism tee shirts as well as shirts that ask not to be called an ‘Akata’
Black Americans (African Americans) swear that there is this Black family super hero thing going on with African and Blacks from America. Just because you call yourself an African doesn’t mean you are one. The definition means born and raised on the African continent, even those born and raised in other countries technically aren’t Africans. But call me stupid for thinking the definition of the word is what it is.
Hell in Africa most Black Americans are not even considered Black people, yet there are the “Back To Africans” that want to rush to countries that are not even treating their own citizens well. Accra, Ghana is now growing in xenophobia because of the high costs of living and today 80–90% of Ghana was in the dark, even Togo.
I’ve noticed the Nigerian Tribune and Punch News Nigeria are both starting to troll Black Americans and posting them on their social media platforms. It gains a lot of comments and attention from Nigerians, it also gains insults as well.
I read the news in so many African countries everyday, so much so that I’ve actually started writing less. I have gotten overwhelmed by the violence in the news but also by the hateful comments by Africans. The hate can be directed at anyone no matter what, even other Africans.
Colorism comments, tribalism and the hate speech about Americans is growing. People all over the world are not understanding that the American citizens are not the American government. But that doesn’t stop the hate speech, the sad things is millions still want to relocate to the United States of America. Why?


Amid merger talks, Wells Fargo answered employees directly Wells Fargo responded to employee concerns with surveys and e-mail during the company’s merger talks with Wachovia. By Michael SebastianOct. 29, 2008 SHARE To read the full story, log in. Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content. Sign up today Already a member? Log in here. Learn more about Ragan Insider.


Behavioral Health Response Program
The Behavioral Health Response Program is a co-responder program that pairs law enforcement officers with behavioral health specialists to respond to calls for service that involve persons with mental illness, behavioral health crisis and emotionally charged situations. The teams utilize the combined expertise of the deputy and the behavioral health specialist to de-escalate situations and help get individuals the appropriate mental health services they need. Co-responders also provide clinical assessments including M1 holds and relieving deputies of providing behavioral health services that have generally been placed on them.
Under general supervision of the ACSO Program Manager, there are five full-time licensed clinicians who work alongside sheriff deputies.
Co-responders assist with mandatory reporting to appropriate agencies, safely transporting individuals to hospital emergency rooms or walk-in centers and connect individuals with services that can provide continued behavioral health support.
Crisis Intervention Program
The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) is a community effort, bringing law enforcement officers and the stakeholders together for the common goals of safety, understanding and service to the mentally ill and their families. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in five families are directly affected by severe mental illness, either having a family member or a friend who is mentally ill.
The CIT model has been instrumental in offering specially trained deputies to respond to immediate crisis calls, ongoing training of CIT deputies and establishments of partnerships of law enforcement, NAMI, mental health providers and mental health consumers.
When available, CIT deputies along with co-responders called upon to respond to crisis calls that present them with complex issues relating to mental illness, co-occurring disorders, and developmental disabilities. When a co-responder is unavailable to respond and assist with these types of calls, deputies will make a CIT referral to the Behavioral Health Response Program for follow up. CIT deputies also perform their regular assignment as patrol deputies.
- To facilitate the return of deputies to their patrol duties
- To provide a more appropriate response to mental health crisis
- To reduce involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations
- To reduce repeated mental health encounters with law enforcement
Contact Information: Email Behavioral Health Response Program Manager, Julie Jacobs


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A village on one of the Aegean Islands.
Aegean definition by Webster's New World
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- in or of the Aegean Sea
- designating or of the culture of the Bronze Age people who lived in the Aegean Islands and nearby regions
Aegean definition by American Heritage Dictionary
- Of or relating to the Aegean Sea.
- Of or relating to the Bronze Age civilization that flourished in the area of the Aegean Sea, as at Crete.


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Mongoose Block is the largest and arguably the best boulder in the Snake Pit. This perfect, bullet sandstone block features many easy to moderate routes with mostly flat, sandy landings. Sit down starts can be added to almost any problem for a grade boost, but its two overhanging aretes are fun at any grade.
To find Mongoose Block, park at the South Parking Lot and hike north on the Ute Trail that lies just east of the road. Hike a couple hundred meters, and Mongoose is the large, chalked-up boulder on your left.
Browse More Classics in Mongoose Block
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Mongoose Block:
Unknown V4 V4 Boulder, 10 feet
East Overhang of Mongoose Block V7-8 Boulder, 10 feet
Unknown V7 aka Slapper V7-8 Boulder, 12 feet
Low Traverse into Slapper V9 Boulder, 20 feet
Featured Route For Mongoose Block


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There is only ONE of these bracelets available, so when it sells out it is gone forever! This is a part of our B Side collection: The B Side collection consists of the reclaimed cymbals we come across that stand out in their character and uniqueness. Precision cut and hand sanded and assembled.
- Cymbal piece is 1.25" x 0.5"
- Reclaimed from broken cymbals made from bronze
- Bracelet cord is a strong paracord
- You will receive THIS exact bracelet!
- Water resistant, but for longest life keep away from water
- Made in Salt Lake City, Utah
- 30 day returns + 1 year warranty
I love that each B side item is unique and you get exactly the one you pick out! My other favorite thing about Full Circle bracelets is how easy they are to adjust. I have small wrists and I never have to worry about my bracelet sliding off. I have ordered several pieces!

domain: artistic


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McCann-Erickson Worldwide has named chief creative officer Marcio Moreira to the new post of director of global brands, effective Jan. 1.
Moreira's mission is to act as chairman John Dooner's "chief brand builder" for McCann's
28 global clients, including General Motors and Unilever. Many ad agencies are repositioning themselves to fend off management consultants and brand identity firms.
"We haven't had someone here to talk with the CEOs and worldwide marketing officers about brand development, which is an art form," said Moreira.
Moreira, 50, will retain his chief creative officer title but relinquish his duties as regional director of McCann-Erickson Asia Pacific. Peter Hamilton, based in Sydney, Australia, will replace him in this role. Hamilton was based in New York as an executive vice president with global new business responsibilities.
Moreira will leave the day-to-day management of McCann's global accounts to the global account directors, who report to him.
Agencies that have made similar appointments recently include Ammirati Puris Lintas, another Interpublic Group of Cos. agency, which named Rick Hadala, an ex-McKinsey & Co. executive, its CEO of North America.


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Finland has announced a support package worth some 15 billion euros to try and support businesses and individuals as the economy enters a downturn.
The broad range of measures announced on Friday aim to assist people and businesses suffering from the financial downturn as the coronavirus pandemic strengthens its grip on the world.
The government says the measures amount to some 15 billion euros in support, with some allocated to loan guarantees and some to labour market support.
The package of measures is expected to radically increase state debt in Finland, but Prime Minister Sanna Marin said that was a secondary consideration.
"We are not thinking primarily of how much additional debt the state will have to take on," said Marin.
Finance Minister Katri Kulmuni added that once the crisis is over, Finland will have to focus on repairing the state finances.
Some 10 billion euros is to be allocated to the Finnish state’s financing arm Finnvera in order to prop up businesses as the crisis continues.
Minister for Employment and Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä said that businesses should in the first instance contact their bank to ask for support, with Finnvera guaranteeing the loan.
In addition, ministers in Helsinki announced they would shorten the notice period for temporary lay-offs from fourteen to five days, saving firms salary costs as they cut back.
Workers laid off can claim income-linked benefits, provided they are a member of an unemployment fund through their trade union or independently.
In addition, the government will eliminate the waiting period before people can claim unemployment benefits, and allow freelancers and sole traders to claim unemployment benefits without shutting down their businesses.
Forecasts for economic growth in Finland have been slashed this week, with the Bank of Finland predicting that GDP will fall by between 1.5 and 4 percent in 2020.


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Beyond the fact that next month’s X Games Aspen at Buttermilk Ski Area will be held without fans due to Pitkin County coronavirus regulations, the capacity limitations also trickle down to affect the competitions and athletes themselves.
More specifically, the capacity limits mean fewer of the world’s top winter sports athletes got the invite to compete.
The 2021 invite list includes 89 athletes compared with the 180-athlete invite list for the 2020 event. Fewer disciplines this winter, 14 compared to last season’s 21, contribute to the decrease in athletes, but the capacity restrictions also are seen year-over-year in individual competitions. Eight athletes are on the men’s snowboard superpipe invite list compared with 15 in 2020. It’s that men’s snowboard superpipe list — what many regard as X Games’ crown jewel event — that garnered the most debate this week.
Breckenridge resident and former U.S. snowboard team member Benji Farrow has been at the heart of that social media conversation. The former X Games Aspen superpipe competitor has shared his criticism of the X Games invite list on Instagram in support of his friends on the U.S. snowboard team, namely fellow Breckenridge resident and Steamboat Springs native Taylor Gold. Last winter, Gold won the men’s snowboard superpipe session event, a new addition to the 2020 games that won’t take place this season.
Farrow said he understands X Games is a “made for TV” event and that there’s a business element — and he feels American halfpipe legend Shaun White “without a doubt” should have an invite — but he still pushed X Games to reconsider inviting Gold and other top-rated American men’s halfpipe snowboarders.
X Games could turn out to be the only halfpipe competition of the season. The Grand Prix and Dew Tour have been canceled at Copper Mountain Resort. Add that to the Mammoth Mountain Grand Prix being on the ropes with California’s current regulations and uncertainty surrounding American travel to next month’s Laax Open in Switzerland. Farrow also wonders how the shakeout will affect the 2022 Olympic qualifying process.
“I understand the event had to downsize to meet with COVID regulations,” Farrow said. “But when you do that, I think it becomes more imperative you truly be very, very aware who you’re including in an event and not.
“The decision to not invite Taylor and Chase (Josey) baffles me, particularly. Because Taylor, if you go to the World Snowboard (Tour) points list, he’s the No. 1 ranked U.S. man in the world in halfpipe snowboarding and No. 6 overall in the world. The Americans who got invited aren’t even ranked in top 10. And you have Taylor at No. 6 in the world, (Josey) No. 8 and Chase Blackwell No. 9. So I just — I feel like it is a disservice to the integrity of the snowboard competition circuit to not have the No. 1-ranked rider in the host country at your event.”
Farrow’s Instagram post received more support than he expected, culminating in 400 shares as of Friday morning, he said. That includes Snowboarder Magazine echoing the message on its Instagram. Since, Farrow said he’s received responses on social media asking, “What about this or that athlete?”
“Standing up for Taylor, I hope it permeates a little bit and will work its way around,” Farrow said.
Farrow said Gold received an email from X Games stipulating he’s an alternate, meaning if another rider is unable to ride, he could be able to drop into the contest. That leaves Farrow wondering if the alternate slots for athletes like Gold mean they are able to be on-site at Buttermilk training and undertaking the same COVID-19 testing as invited riders. In that case, Farrow asks, why can’t X Games bump up the number of competitors to include alternates?
In response to questions about the capacity, invitation process and alternate situation, ESPN officials wrote in an email that its “No. 1 priority” is the safety of athletes and staff with a multitude of regulations and protocols in place, including “utilizing a finals-only format for competition.”
“We look forward to a time when we can welcome all athletes, staff and fans back to a more traditional X Games event in the near future,” the statement read.