text:
The inflammatory protein interleukin-6 (IL-6) appears at significantly higher levels in the blood of ovarian cancer patients in comparison with women with benign masses in the ovaries and healthy women, new research has found.
Thus, determining IL-6 levels may supplement conventional tests and biomarker assessments used to diagnose the disease, the findings suggest.
The study, “Pre-operative sera interleukin-6 in the diagnosis of high-grade serous ovarian cancer,” was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
“Developing tests that are simpler and more practical may help get more women to hospital for treatment more effectively, with the hope that survival rates will improve,” Magdalena Plebanski, PhD, a professor at RMIT University, in Australia, and the study’s senior author, said in a press release.
Figuring out before surgery if suspicious ovarian masses are benign or malignant is a critical step in ensuring that patients receive the most appropriate care in a timely manner.
A couple of blood markers currently exist that help diagnose ovarian cancer. But they lack accuracy, are greatly affected by a women’s menopausal status, and are not very reliable in differentiating patients with malignant versus benign masses.
This led researchers to turn to inflammation markers as potential biomarkers of disease. A link between local inflammation and ovarian cancer has been described in several studies, with most ovarian cancers linked to increased amounts of pro-inflammatory proteins. Such findings led researchers to hypothesize that these markers could be measured in a woman’s blood to help diagnose the disease.
To find out, scientists at the Monash University, in Australia examined the levels of 28 inflammatory proteins in the blood of 66 women who were undergoing surgery from 2014-2016, due to suspected ovarian cancer.
Among them, 33 had advanced — stage 3-4 — ovarian cancer, 12 had a benign ovarian mass, and 21 had no ovarian growth but were undergoing risk reduction surgery due to a family history of breast or ovarian cancer or a known genetic mutation.
Only two of the 28 proteins measured — Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 — showed significant differences in concentration between women with malignant tumors and healthy individuals (controls), and between those with benign tumors and healthy controls.
However, while IL-6 levels also were significantly different between malignant and benign masses, IL-8 was unable to distinguish between those two groups. Therefore, all three groups could be successfully identified by IL-6 levels alone.
To confirm these results, the researchers then collected blood samples from 25 ovarian cancer patients, 25 women with a benign mass, and 19 healthy volunteers. Using statistical analyses, the research team again was able to distinguish each group based on the levels of IL-6.
The usefulness of IL-6 was then compared against four additional tests, including those for CA-125 and HE-4. The other two were mathematical approaches, the Risk of Malignancy Index (RMI) and the Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm (ROMA).
Established in 1990, the RMI method for calculating risk includes a measurement of CA-125, the menopausal status of the patient, and findings from ultrasound. It is the most widely used method for assessing ovarian cancer risk. The much-newer ROMA method, designed in 2008, incorporates HE4 and CA-125 measurements, as well as menopausal status, to predict the likelihood of ovarian cancer.
All four measures do have drawbacks. CA-125 measurements can be inaccurate in pre-menopausal women, in detecting early stage cancers, and in distinguishing benign and malignant growths. HE4 and ROMA are considered more accurate, but testing for HE4 is expensive and not readily available in disadvantaged communities and in underdeveloped countries. Similarly, RMI requires ultrasound imaging, which also can be difficult to obtain in certain parts of the world.
“Our new test is as accurate as the combined results of a standard blood test and ultrasound,” Plebanski said. “This is especially important for women in remote or disadvantaged communities, where under-resourced hospitals may not have access to complex and expensive equipment like ultrasound machines or MRI scanners.”
Ultimately, the researchers concluded that IL-6 has significant predictive capabilities for ovarian cancer as a standalone test. They also indicate that testing for IL-6 could complement the results of other measures, especially when distinguishing between benign and malignant tumors.
“Patients with benign cysts identified through imaging could potentially be spared unnecessary surgeries,” Plebanski said.
One shortcoming of the study was that only patients with advanced ovarian cancer were studied, meaning that there is no data to indicate whether IL-6 is a strong indicator of early stage ovarian cancer. The researchers believe that IL-6 will still be predictive of early stage tumors, but did not have a sufficient amount of samples to investigate. Further research ultimately will be necessary to make that determination.


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Was a Victorian Illustrator the Godfather of the Graphic Novel? A New Exhibition of Aubrey Beardsley Explores the Question
The Grolier Club in New York presents the provocative and prescient artist.
Few skewered Victorian Britain’s social mores as relentlessly as Aubrey Beardsley. None did so more salaciously, as an exhibition at America’s oldest club for bibliophiles proves.
In the confines of its second-floor gallery, the Grolier Club of New York presents an intimate snapshot of a man whose erotic and satirical illustrations challenged contemporary norms of sexuality and gender. With images of bare-chested women, phalluses, and flagellation, it’s unsurprising Beardsley continues to be a favorite of precocious and artsy teens.
Marking the 150th anniversary of Beardsley’s birth, the exhibition showcases 69 works related to the artist. These include swirling and intricate ink-on-paper illustrations, provocative magazine cover designs, coquettish theater posters, and photographic portraits (including one he sent to a friend months before he died at the age of 25 from tuberculosis, a disease that had plagued him since boyhood).
“This is a moment when new notions of gender and sexuality, beyond binaries, are all around us, including in art. Beardsley got there first,” Margaret D. Stetz, the exhibition’s cocurator, told Artnet News. “He changed the look of everything, from magazine publishing and book illustration to prints and posters.”
As “Aubrey Beardsley, 150 Years Young” makes clear, in both reach and inspiration, the Brighton-born artist was forward-looking and international. He was an early champion of photochemical reproduction and benefited from the development of phototelegraphy, or the electric transmission of pictures, a technology that allowed his images to printed in countries across the world. His use of vacant space in his monochromatic illustrations owe much to Japanese woodblock prints, and he was a devout reader of English, French, and American literature—with his cover illustrations for works by Alexander Pope and Edgar Allan Poe on display at the Grolier Club.
Moreover, Beardsley’s distinctive sense of line and provocative spirit remain influential. “Certain genres, such as the graphic novel, would be inconceivable without the example of Beardsley’s style,” said Stetz, a professor of women’s studies at the University of Delaware. “We can trace a line from Beardsley’s outrageous street art to the idea of contemporary street graffiti as an artistic and political medium that assaults convention.”Beardsley’s most celebrated artistic connection, however, is with Oscar Wilde. In 1894, Beardsley provided the illustrations for Wilde’s translation of Salomé, including a grotesque one shown at the Grolier Club that depicts the dancer holding John the Baptist’s severed head aloft. The work displeased Wilde. He felt the illustrations overpowered the text, and when he criticized Beardsley publicly, a rift developed. Beardsley’s response, inevitably, was to pen a caricature. In Oscar Wilde at Work, the writer appears a lazy dandy who postures by surrounding himself with books. (On the subject of hard work, Beardsley stood on solid ground: born into a modest family, he’d been an insurance clerk until he got his break.)
The association with Wilde, who went on trial for “gross indecency” in 1895, would cost Beardsley his position on The Yellow Book quarterly, for which he was the art editor. But it mattered little: Beardsley’s talents were in demand and widely recognized, as evidenced by the fact that between 1892 and his death in 1898, he produced more than 1,000 completed drawings. The works on display here continue to titillate and surprise even the modern viewer.
“Aubrey Beardsley, 150 Years Young” is on view at the Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street, New York, NY, 10022, through November 12, 2022.
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domain: library


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Two Choral Arts Concerts: Mozart: Requiem and Northern Lights
* Additional fees apply.
The last date listed for Choral Arts Society: Mozart: Requiem and Northern Lights was Sunday April 10, 2011 / 3:00pm (and May 22 at 5:00pm).
Currently at The Kennedy Center - Concert Hall
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Canadian pianist and former child prodigy Angela Hewitt may be best known for her nine-year recor...Learn More
When you go to an event at the Kennedy Center, make certain to see what is playing at the Millenium Stage. A free performance is offered at 6:00 every night. I saw a wonderful set of Broadway show tune sung by very talented students from Catholic University.NSO: Koh Plays Barber info • Nov 01 2013 star this tip starred
Reviews & Ratings
Featured review from Goldstar Member
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It was a wonderful concert. The 45 minute "What Makes This Great" exploration of the requiem which preceded the performance was very well done. We had orchestra seats which I appreciated. The orchestra, chorus and soloists were all superb.
Quotes & Highlights
“You’ve never heard a classical music concert like this before … Kapilow’s exuberance transported the audience back into the mind of the composer and his contemporaries…. it brings a whole new level of appreciation.” —San Diego Union-Tribune
“This was a knockout combination of education and entertainment … Hearing each song after Kapilow revealed its musical secrets was like meeting a celebrity just after reading his or her autobiography. Throughout the show Kapilow never once sounded dry or academic — but he did sound smart, enthusiastic, and stunningly articulate. He has a remarkable ability to make genius understandable to a general audience.” —Theatermania.com
_Mozart: Requiem _
_What Makes It Great?™ with _"_Rob Kapilow _":http://www.robkapilow.com
Sunday, April 10, 2011 | 3:00pm || Kennedy Center Concert Hall
Ever wonder why the Requiem is universally recognized as one of music’s greatest masterpieces? Wonder no longer! Kapilow unravels the mysteries of this profound work, the composer’s final composition, written as Mozart faced his own imminent death.
Norman Scribner, conductor
Rob Kapilow, commentator
_Northern Lights _
Choral Illuminations from Scandinavia and Beyond
Sunday, May 22, 2011 | 5:00pm || Kennedy Center Concert Hall
A beautiful journey through choral glories reveals musical gems from the Nordic and Baltic masters, including a world premiere commission from Finnish composer Olli Kortekangas which explores the rich relationship between man and nature.
Norman Scribner, conductor
Children’s Chorus of Washington — Joan Gregoryk, Artistic Director

domain: artistic


Prognoz or SO-M is a series of soviet research satellites to study processes of solar activity, their influence on interplanetary environment and the Earth magnetosphere.
The SO-M series was a follow on to the original Prognoz SO series.
The Prognoz spacecraft, built by Lavochkin, consists of a hermetically sealed cylinder-shaped mainframe of 2 m diameter and 0.925 m height with spherical caps, which houses the instrumentation and equipment. The sensors and scientific instrumentation was installed on the outside surface of the main body. Power supply was provided by four solar panels unfolding in orbit with a 6 m span and batteries. The satellite featured an active temperature control system with the side surfaces of the hermetically sealed body is used as a radiator. The mass of the SO-M satellites was in the range from 900 kg to 1050 kg.
The satellites were spin-stabilized with the spin axis pointed towards the Sun, and were repointed every few days by cold gas thrusters using compressed nitrogen.
All satellites were launched by Molniya-M (Blok-SO-L) rockets into highly elliptical orbits.
Prognoz 4 was launched into a 634 km × 199000 km, 65° orbit.
Prognoz 5 was launched into a 777 km × 198560 km, 65.2° orbit.
Prognoz 6 was launched into a 488 km × 197867 km, 65° orbit.
Prognoz 7 was launched into a 472 km × 202627 km, 64.9° orbit.
Prognoz 8 was launched into a 978 km × 197364 km, 65.8° orbit.
Prognoz 9 was launched into a 480 km × 700000 km, 65° orbit. It included the Relikt-1 experiment to investigate the anisotropy of the cosmic micropwave background at 37 GHz, using a Dicke-type modulation radiometer. During 1983 and 1984 some 15 million individual measurements were made (with 10% near the galactic plane providing some 5000 measurements per point). The entire sky was observed in 6 months. The angular resolution was 5.5°, with a temperature resolution of 0.6 mK. Additionally it observed gamma flares in deep space, and solar corpuscular and electromagnetic radiation plasma flows and magnetic fields in circumterrestrial space to determine the effects of solar activity on the interpl anetary medium and the earth's magnetosphere.
Prognoz 10, also known as Interkosmos 23, was launched into a 5975 km × 194734 km, 65° orbit to investigate the structure of interplanetary and circumterrestrial shock waves generated by the interaction of the solar wind and the earth's magnetosphere. Special focus was the boundary and the bow shock and how particles leaked from the bow shock into the magnetosphere. It carried scientific instuments developed by scientists and specialists of the USSR and the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic as part of the Interkosmos program of international space cooperation.
|Type / Application:||Science, magnetosphere|
|Power:||4 deployable fixed solar arrays, batteries|
|Mass:||905 kg (#4); 930 kg (#5); 910 kg (#6); 950 kg (#7); 910 kg (#8); 1060 kg (#9); 1000 kg (#10)|
|Orbit:||634 km × 199000 km, 65° (#4); 777 km × 198560 km, 65.2° (#5); 488 km × 197867 km, 65° (#6); 472 km × 202627 km, 64.9° (#7); 978 km × 197364 km, 65.8° (#8); 480 km × 700000 km, 65°(#9); 5975 km × 194734 km, 65° (#10);|
|Prognoz 4 (SO-M 504)||1975-122A||22.12.1975||Ba LC-31/6||Molniya-M (Blok-SO-L)|
|Prognoz 5 (SO-M 505)||1976-112A||25.11.1976||Ba LC-31/6||Molniya-M (Blok-SO-L)|
|Prognoz 6 (SO-M 506)||1977-093A||22.09.1977||Ba LC-31/6||Molniya-M (Blok-SO-L)|
|Prognoz 7 (SO-M 507)||1978-101A||30.10.1978||Ba LC-31/6||Molniya-M (Blok-SO-L)|
|Prognoz 8 (SO-M 508)||1980-103A||25.12.1980||Ba LC-31/6||Molniya-M (Blok-SO-L)|
|Prognoz 9 (Relikt, SO-M 509)||1983-067A||01.07.1983||Ba LC-31/6||Molniya-M (Blok-SO-L)|
|Prognoz 10 (Interkosmos 23, SO-M 510)||1985-033A||26.04.1985||Ba LC-31/6||Molniya-M (Blok-SO-L)|
|Prognoz (SO-M 511)||-||cancelled||Ba||Molniya-M (Blok-SO-L)|
Further Interkosmos missions:


Northrop Grumman B2 Spirit T-Shirt
Since its debut in 1988 the Northrop Grumman B2 Spirit has operated under a veil of secrecy. Its unique 'stealth' design makes it virtually undetectable by enemy radar allowing it to carry out its clandestine bombing missions. At a cost of $737 million per aircraft a total of 20 B2 Spirits currently operate with the USAF.
Copyright 2016 trademarks and Design Rights - Diverse Images Limited and Sera Staples.
Classic Heavyweight Combed Cotton Russell T-Shirt. Black Only.
Front coverseaming on neck band.
Shoulder to shoulder taping.
Twin needle sleeves and hem.
WRAP certified production.
Weight 215 gsm.
S - 36 / 38
M - 38 / 40
L - 40 / 42
XL - 42 / 44
XXL - 44 /46
Warm machine wash at 40 degrees C inside out with like colours.
Do not tumble dry or dry clean.
Do not iron over design.
This design is also available on a mug here.


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Advocate Art was founded in 1992, with a group of illustrators who liked the idea of having an agent but not the other things that often came with that. We call our ethos four “F.A.C.T.s”: Fairness, Ability, Creativity and Trust. It’s about doing the right thing and being with the right people. We think our principles set us apart from conventional agencies, sticking to them has meant we have attracted the most creative illustrators and artists who in turn attract (with a little help) the best clients.
The people we represent are perfectly able to conduct their own affairs but like working with Advocate Art because we offer value to them in the services we provide. Clients are assured that we represent artists that are like-minded professionals, pre-vetted and able not only to get the job done without fuss, but also to surpass expectations.
It’s their choice to be with us, we have a high retention rate - with the most popular artists in our group being with us from the start!
We were one of the first Agencies to give direct client contact with our illustrators, allowing creativity to flow without being diluted in translation. We were one of the first to offer re-sales as an important secondary income to artists. Now we have gone beyond that too, with the development of an on-line portal - ARTicle which enables artists to have transparency into the back office functions of the business, such as royalty management and credit control, amongst other things.
Business is all about relationships, which is why we have a very high artist to agent ratio, clients often use us as artistic advisors, project managers as well a trend forward resource for pre- qualified talent.
It is for these reasons that Advocate Art has become the largest illustration agency around and I’d like to think one of the most respected but- we understand we didn’t get that way by acting like the biggest. Come and find out for yourself...
We run an active internship program here at Advocate that we hope many students or career seekers will find very beneficial. We attract students in art history, design, illustration and related courses. We also employ bilingual agents so we attract language students as well.
We forge close links with many colleges and also invite students in for Q&A sessions where they can get advice on their portfolios. We were sponsors of the illustration exam question for the D&AD board and offered competition prizes including cash of £5000!
If you would like to see the inner workings of the leading artist representation agency, then the best way is to spend some time with us as an intern. You will share in our daily tasks such as folio management, site maintenance, project managing etc etc but no tea making I promise! You will learn how artists are briefed, what’s hot and what you have to do as an illustrator to get work in the real world. We will give you a reference that will make a future employer cry, for the right reasons of course. Finally as a souvenir you get a sought after Advocate courier bag and we will pick up lunch and travel expenses if you complete the term. Minimum term is 10 working days - Maximum 30.
There is no mistaking that interns have become essential to the running of this busy agency. We get to spread the Advocate message around tomorrow’s art and design professionals - internationally. We are also a recruiting platform (10 of our current staff were recruited from internships) and we get help, not cheap labour.
We also welcome international interns. If you have basic spoken and written English, we would love to hear from you. We would accommodate you in a local hotel and provide a meal and travel allowance. Interns must be EU citizens or have a valid work permit to work in the UK.


From Obama administration scandals at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Veterans Affairs Department (VA) to the truth about ObamaCare, Benghazi, and Operation Fast and Furious, Speaker Boehner has been a strong advocate for honesty, transparency, and accountability in government.
Today, the House laid down another marker by passing the Federal Reserve Transparency Act (H.R. 24), a bipartisan bill that requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a full audit of the Federal Reserve within one year.
As Speaker Boehner said today, “It’s time to audit the fed and make sure it’s accountable to the American people.”
A November 2013 Rasmussen poll found that 74 percent of Americans favor auditing the Federal Reserve. House Republicans have made the American people’s priorities our priorities; will Senate Democrats join us and act on this legislation?
At least 44 jobs bills are still being blocked by Senate Democrats, but here’s to hoping they’ll stop blocking progress, transparency, and accountability and get to work for the American people.


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NTT Communications expands global IP network with Boston PoP
19 November 2014 |
Capacity Asia day 2 – NTT Communications has expanded its Tier-1 global IP network with the launch of a PoP in Boston, US, at the Markley Group’s One Summer Street data centre.
The Markley Group facility is one of the largest and longest-operating multi-tenant telecoms and data centre units in the New England region, and NTT Com hopes the PoP will enable it to provide enhanced services to ISPs, content-orientated companies, hosting and CDN providers.
Customers of the Markley Group facility will in turn benefit from a direct link to NTT Com’s global IP network and increased global connectivity options.
“We are thrilled to extend our footprint with Markley in the New England region to serve a broader community of internet-centric business and organisations,” said Michael Wheeler, EVP of NTT Com’s global IP network at NTT America.
“We chose Markley because One Summer Street provides a centralised location, exceptional performance and reliability that are an excellent match to NTT Com’s fully redundant Tier-1 IP backbone.”
The Markley Group facility is a 920,000 square foot, carrier-neutral data centre with connectivity to more than 80 domestic and international network providers and utility feeds from a network grid system.
“One Summer Street is a world-class facility with cutting-edge infrastructure that offers NTT Com the opportunity to expand its presence with the industry leading reliability and performance its customers expect,” said Patrick Gilmore, CTO at Markley Group.
“We are excited that NTT Com chose Markley as a PoP for its global IP network as our customers will benefit from increased global connectivity options.”
Don’t miss today’s executive spotlight from CAT Telecom’s Viroj Tocharoenvanith on the key drivers for voice business at 9.30am in the conference room at Capacity Asia 2014 in Bangkok.
03 July 2018 | Alan Burkitt-Gray
28 June 2018 | Alan Burkitt-Gray
20 June 2018 | Natalie Bannerman
19 June 2018 | James Pearce

domain: geography


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My name is Katelijne Boerma and I was elected as Bicycle Mayor of Amsterdam in November 2017. I am the second Bicycle Mayor of Amsterdam and my focus is on bicycle safety for kids, stimulating cycling in certain communities, and creating ‘bike decency’ among Amsterdam cyclists.
How would you describe your mission?
One of my missions is to make cycling better, safer and more fun for kids in Amsterdam. Amsterdam has come a really long way when it comes to cycling, but there is still a lot of room for improvement when it comes to kids and cycling in Amsterdam. Thats why I organized a campaign to elect a Junior Bicycle Mayor. The campaign was in the form of a design challenge. Lotta Crok (8 years old) won the competition and is now the worlds first Junior Bicycle Mayor, and my right hand when it comes to kids and cycling in Amsterdam.
What are the obstacles and challenges you are facing in your city?
One of the obstacles I am facing at the moment, is that while cycling is widely accepted in a large part of society in Amsterdam, there are also (poorer) communities, where cycling is not accepted at all yet. This is something I want to work on. Another challenge in Amsterdam is that, although the infrastructure for cycling is good, cycling for kids isn’t that well thought out yet, which is something I am going to work on with the new Junior Bicycle Mayor: Lotta Crok.
What are your next steps now that you are the Bicycle Mayor?
My next step is to work closely with Lotta, and part of the dutch public transport system (NS) to implement a public transport bicycle for kids. In Holland we have bicycles as part of our public transport system. Lotta came up with the idea to implement child friendly bicycles in the public transport system as well. This is a plan I would love to see coming to life in the coming months.
What can other cities learn from your city?
you should really look at the challenges in your city and start tackling the ones you are facing today, however big they may be. Every city needs its own approach to accelerating cycling progress
I think the main lesson other countries can learn from the Amsterdam program is that every city has its own challenges, and that the Bicycle Mayor & Leaders Program has to be tailored to the city itself. In Amsterdam cycling is extremely normal, and the first steps of implementing cycling have already been taken. This really gives us the luxury, to start focussing on cycling safety for kids, where as other cities should be focussing on cycling infrastructure or safety in general.
Overall, I would say that what other cities can learn from the Amsterdam program is that you should really look at the challenges in your city, and start tackling the ones you are facing today, however big they may be. Every city needs its own approach to accelerating cycling progress.

domain: sociology


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The planet's fresh water supplies are limited, climate change is adding to periods of intense rain and subsequent drought and the structure of the earth’s subsurface is easily damaged if the water table is not able to remain relatively consistent or to be replenished. The installation of deep wells contributes to the lowering of the water table, impacting on plants and animal life and contributing to the occurrence of landslides.
The Alam Santi design team have been working with the UN, governments, businesses and local communities to design rainwater harvesting systems that can be used by everyone to help replenish natural fresh-water resources.
The team have worked out a system for both calculating the size of tank needed to store water, to remove debris and to filter the water itself, ready to store and deliver with a pump by demand. They recommend the use of traditional, corrugated steel cladding and a maximum roof length for optimal drainage. Their calculator for working out the size of the system needed per household or per building is easily adapted for different environments. Their design further specifies materials needed to build and install the system.
Alam Santi’s work makes recommendations for devices to reduce water use by adapting shower and tap heads and by installing specially designed toilets that extract urine with separate flushes for faeces or urine. The latter allows for water with diluted urine to be reused in irrigation and to add additional nutrients to plants.
Combined with simple technology (like perforated bamboo pipes inserted next to trees and plants to ensure water reaches their roots directly) and landscaping and storm drains designed to capture and use any water run-off, the planet’s limited freshwater supplies can be conserved and used most effectively.
IMPACT ON PEOPLE
Heightening public awareness of the water they use and the difference they are able to make
Ensuring water is more equitably shared and available for all sections of the population
Enabling people to reuse and recycle water in order to cultivate gardens and produce their own food
IMPACT ON PLANET
Prevents the desertification of land caused by lowering the water table through excessive drilling of wells
Limits the landslides caused when the water table is unable to be replenished
Provides irrigation (and urine fed irrigation) for plants and vegetables avoiding excessive use of pesticides or GM crops
WHAT MAKES THIS REGENERATIVE?
How can water harvesting deepen human relationships with natural systems?
Water harvesting, at individual household, community, or state level brings


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The Highland County Commissioners on Wednesday approved a 40-cent raise across the board for employees of Highland County Job and Family Services following a visit from the agency director, who said her department’s pay rates are comparatively lower than a number of similar Ohio counties.
The increase, which will be allocated from state funds that cannot be used for child placement, totals $41,000, according to JFS Director Katie Adams.
Adams cited a number of reasons for requesting the increase at the commissioners’ regular meeting on Wednesday.
Adams said the average salary at the agency is $36,400, while the average county employee salary is $39,100; JFS employees in seven Ohio counties similar to Highland top out at $3 more per hour than agency employees here; and agency employees here have not received a raise in several years.
Adams and Board of Commissioners President Shane Wilkin also discussed staff turnover at the agency.
Adams said the agency has lost 10 or 12 workers in the past year. As a result, the agency’s effectiveness has taken a hit, Adams said, since it takes time for new employees to be trained and become adept at their jobs.
Wilkin said while approving the pay increase may draw criticism, it is in the best interest of the agency.
“I don’t have an issue with it,” he said.
Commissioners Jeff Duncan and Terry Britton said they had no objection. The board voted 3-0 in favor.
Wilkin also lamented poor funding from the state for children services.
“We rank 50th in the nation for what we do for child protection,” said Wilkin.
Adams said she has been able to slash the county’s placement costs by more than $1 million since she was hired three years ago. Currently, annual placement costs for the agency total $1.5 million, she said.
Adams said as of Wednesday morning there were 110 children in the agency’s custody.
Also Wednesday, Britton said the Highland County Community Action Organization recently expressed interest in taking over the county’s recycling program after Heidi Devine, the current county recycling outreach specialist, offered her resignation effective March 31.
Britton said while Devine performed excellently as outreach specialist, the position itself has been somewhat of a “revolving door,” since it is only part time and attractive to individuals who are retired or otherwise engaged.
Wilkin said if the CAO takes over management of the program on a contract basis with the county, it would allow more than one person to oversee operations.
Highland County Prosecuting Attorney Anneka Collins will review the matter, Wilkin said.
“I think it’s going to be a great move for the county,” Britton said.
In other recycling news, the deadline to apply for the 2018 Recycling Grant has been extended to April 1, according to a release from Devine. For more information, call Devine at 937-509-2899, or email firstname.lastname@example.org.
Duncan said Highland County Emergency Management Agency Director Dave Bushelman told him the agency applied for a state grant for computer upgrades at the office, and was denied. Duncan said Bushelman will continue to look for funding opportunities for the computers, which are in need of an upgrade.
Also in need of an upgrade are the cast-iron drain pipes beneath the Highland County Justice Center, according to Britton. Britton said the pipes are deteriorating, and he is getting quotes for repairs.
The board also discussed the benefits of the Rocky Fork Lake sewer. Wilkin and Britton said the water quality of the lake has improved thanks to the sewer system, and as a result more events have been held at the lake.
Wilkin said the board will soon issue an official response to a series of letters from a property owner at the lake asking for a reduction in sewer assessments on his property.
“I don’t think there’s anything we can do,” to reduce the assessments, Wilkin said.
Wilkin said the dates have been set for the 2018 Smokin’ in the Hills event at Rocky Fork. The barbecue cook off will be held Sept. 21-22 this year, and coordinators are working on making the event “bigger and better” than the inaugural cook off last year, Wilkin said.
Britton said Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Mel McKenzie brought in designs for a fountain to possibly be placed in front of the county courthouse.
In other business, the commissioners appointed Commission Clerk Mary Remsing to the Highland Metropolitan Housing Authority Board; appointed Michael Richards to the Highland County Board of Developmental Disabilities; and approved routine financial resolutions.
Reach David Wright at 937-402-2570, or on Twitter @DavidWrighter.

domain: news


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Judges are exploring whether there is precedent in upholding law requiring purchases. |AP Photo
By JENNIFER HABERKORN | 6/8/11 4:09 PM EDT
ATLANTA — A federal appeals panel asked pointed questions Wednesday about how much of President Barack Obama’s health care law would have to be struck down if they ruled that its individual insurance mandate is unconstitutional.
But the three 11th Circuit Court of Appeals judges also were receptive to the government’s argument that the health care market is different from all others and needs that kind of regulation — giving the law’s supporters some hope that the appeals panel would side with them.
The judges’ questions were mixed enough to give encouragement to both sides in the oral arguments in the multistate lawsuit, the most significant of the legal challenges against Obama’s health care overhaul.
But supporters of the health law cringed as the judges spent a significant amount of time questioning both sides over how much of the law they would have to void if they struck down the most controversial provision at the center of the suit: the requirement to buy insurance. (more…)
Filed under: Health Care Law Implementation, In The Courts, Medicaid | Tagged: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Congress, Frank Hull, George H.W. Bush, individual mandate, Joel Dubina, National Federation of Independent Business, Neal Katyal, Pacific Justice Institute, Roger Vinson, Supreme Court, Thomas More Law Center, Walter Dellinger | Leave a Comment »


text:
6309 Monarch Park Place, Suite 203
Niwot, CO 80503, USA
Phone (303) 443-5060
Toll free (888) 742-5060
Timothy T. Tevens, president and CEO, commented, ''We continue to have a strong market position and generate positive cash flow, despite the prolonged weakness in industrial markets largely due to low levels of industrial capacity utilization and capital spending. Over the last year, our quarterly sales seemed to have stabilized for most of our businesses and we have maintained a leading market share in our key product lines. We have taken significant costs out of our business through our Lean Manufacturing, facility rationalization, and other initiatives so we are well positioned to benefit from incremental increases in volumes going forward.''
Tevens continued, ''We have made significant progress in reducing and restructuring debt that will substantially improve our future financial flexibility. Columbus McKinnon's long-term debt at first quarter-end was at its lowest level in over five years. We anticipate closing today on our previously announced $115 million offering of 10 percent senior secured notes which will reduce annual interest expense by about $3.0 million, and extend the maturity of a significant portion of our long-term debt by three years. To generate additional cash for debt reduction, we are also actively marketing several pieces of property and continue to evaluate the possible sale of less synergistic businesses.''
Results for the first quarter of fiscal 2004 include a $3.3 million pre-tax gain related to the sale of real estate recorded as other income and expense, net, and a $1.2 million charge for amending the credit agreements in June 2003 recorded in interest and debt expense. The fiscal 2004 first quarter included restructuring charges of $0.8 million, compared with no restructuring charges in the year-ago quarter. Net cash provided by operating activities in the fiscal 2004 first quarter includes a $10.6 million cash tax refund related to the May 2002 sale of the ASI business that was received in late June 2003 and was applied to debt reduction. Fiscal 2003 first quarter results include a $3.5 million pre-tax gain included in other income and expense, net related to the sale of a portion of the equity portfolio of Columbus McKinnon's captive insurance subsidiary.
At June 29, 2003, Columbus McKinnon's funded debt, net of cash, was $305.3 million, a $9.1 million reduction from $314.4 million at March 31, 2003 and a reduction of $21.3 million from $326.6 million at June 30, 2002. The company was in compliance with its senior bank debt covenants at June 29, 2003. Inventory at June 29, 2003 was $75.2 million, a 14.6% decrease from $88.1 million, a year earlier.
Tevens concluded, ''Columbus McKinnon's strategic focus going forward is on our core Products business, which makes up over 85 percent of revenues and continues to generate gross margins of over 25 percent even in the current weak sales environment. While the current sales of our Products business are below normal levels, this business continues to sell into almost every major industrial and commercial market and is one where Columbus McKinnon holds a very strong reputation and competitive position. To further reduce costs and improve operating results going forward, we are targeting additional debt reduction from operations of $10 to $20 million during the remainder of fiscal 2004, not including additional cash we may generate from the potential sale of real estate and less synergistic businesses. We are also looking for $6 to $9 million in inventory reductions this year while continuing to emphasize excellent customer service and on-time deliveries. We will remain very focused on protecting and expanding Columbus McKinnon's market share and coverage, while continuing to reduce costs and debt to make further improvements in our operating results and financial position.''

domain: finance


MetroFocus: February 5, 2019
02/05/2019 | 27m 16s
The decriminalization of pot brings promises of tax windfalls and potential tourism. But, one former "New York Times" reporter is going against the grain, taking a deeper look at the mental and medical dangers of the drug. What’s the state of Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation into allegations of Russian collusion? And, has the media been fair and accurate?
Aired: 02/05/19Video has closed captioning.


Monitoring tropical forests using spaceborne and airborne remote sensing capabilities is important for informing environmental policies and conservation actions. Developing large-scale machine learning estimation models of forest structure is instrumental in bridging the gap between retrospective analysis and near-real-time monitoring. However, most approaches use moderate spatial resolution satellite data with limited capabilities of frequent updating. Here, we take advantage of the high spatial and temporal resolutions of Planet Dove images and aim to automatically estimate top-of-canopy height (TCH) for the biologically diverse country of Peru from satellite imagery at 1 ha spatial resolution by building a model that associates Planet Dove textural features with airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) measurements of TCH.We use and modify features derived from Fourier textural ordination (FOTO) of Planet Dove images using spectral projection and train a gradient boosted regression for TCH estimation. We discuss the technical and scientific challenges involved in the generation of reliable mechanisms for estimating TCH from Planet Dove satellite image spectral and textural features. Our developed software toolchain is a robust and generalizable regression model that provides a root mean square error (RMSE) of 4.36 m for Peru. This represents a helpful advancement towards better monitoring of tropical forests and improves efforts in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), an important climate change mitigation approach.
- Canopy texture
- Machine learning
- Satellite images
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)


text:
Who Is More Toxic And Abusive Among Burna Boy, Davido And Wizkid Fans?
Who is more toxic among the fans of Davido, Wizkid and Burna Boy?
There have been discussions over the years on which fanbase is the most toxic among Wizkid Fc (Wizkid Fans), 30BG (Davido Fans) and Outsiders (Burna Boy Fans). The three fanbase are popular for saying all kind of negative things against anyone who is against their favorite artiste.
The issue of fans toxicity reached a new height when one of Wizkid FC says Davido’s son is Peruzzi’s. The matter was so heated up that Davido said he will go all out to make the fan pay for speaking ill of his son.
Not forgetting the recent outburst between Burna Boy and Wizkid FC and other hateful and spiteful comments the fans of the three artistes have said against one another. If you are now asked to mention, who would you say is the most toxic among the three fanbase?
Leave a Reply
Leave a Reply
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September 22, 2022 at 16:41
I think Wizkid fans are more toxic
Because they can do anything to anyone who tries eliminating Machala
September 20, 2022 at 13:33
Wizkid fc are more toxic they don’t spare anyone
Lansana kamanor Conteh
September 8, 2022 at 09:02
Wizkid fan club can do anything to anyone trying to mess around Wizkid.


text:
We are delighted to introduce our new magazine, The Green Room. Published quarterly, The Green Room will feature news and stories from the artists and projects we manage, as well as discuss wider topics affecting our profession. Each issue will have a central focus, in addition to general content.
Issue 1 Spring 2018: Conductor focus
Yannick Nézet-Séguin talks to Rupert Chandler about the importance of showing love, his journey towards opera, freedom within discipline, and reflects on the dichotomy between opera and symphonic conducting; Sir George Benjamin offers insight on the interplay between composing and conducting; Nathalie Stutzmann tells us about how she realised her long-held aspiration to pursue a dual career as a singer and conductor; words of wisdom from young conductors Kensho Watanabe, Karina Canellakis and Roderick Cox; Tim Menah reflects on the new challenges for young singers in a digital age; and Sir Thomas Allen and Sue Spence pay tribute to our dear colleague Robert Rattray.
Read the issue here:
The Green Room is available primarily as a digital publication. If you would like to receive copies by post, you can request this by emailing [email protected]co.uk.


Electrical accessories for the "TRACK IN" track from ALS
For the successful use of the built-in track, other components are required in addition to the rails themselves, depending on the requirements and specification. On our website you will find all components available via selection menus.
The overview below will help you find the right parts using the picture list.
Below the picture table you will find some application examples to help you configure your own.
Pictures and selection of electrical accessories for ALS TRACK IN track see here:
Planning example for the TRACK IN track:
Example 1: Requirement: 3.70m track black, recessed mounting, end feed
At least the following are required:
- 2x 3 Phase construction rail 2m --> SCH-620 (1x shorten to 1.70m)
- Electrical straight connector --> SCH-132062
- End feeder with ceiling cover --> SCH-132012 (depending on the orientation of the protective conductor)
- End cap for the other side --> SCH-032172
Example 2: Requirement: 2 x 90 ° arrangement of U-shaped busbar with the partial lengths 2m - 4m - 1.70m, white, feed in the middle of the 4m section, recessed mounting
- 2x 3 Phase construction rail 2m --> SCH-621N (1x kürzen auf 1,70m)
- 1x 3 Phase construction rail 4m --> SCH-641N
- 2x Corner connector protection inside --> SCH-132101N
- 1x DALI center feeder --> SCH-152031N
- 2x End cap --> SCH-032171N
|Lamp shape:||Power rail|


text:
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The Laws of Spirit: A Tale of Transformation Paperback – September, 2001
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Millman's parable of a wise woman and laws of spirit which help to make life work smoothly contains gentle reflection and spiritual education for all who consult his title. The laws of spirit are at the basis of all religious traditions: Millman's outline documents their importance. -- Midwest Book Review
Millman, the author of Way of the Peaceful Warrior, has another likely bestseller in his latest book. The fictional story begins with the author/hero taking a walk in the mountains and meeting a wise woman who leads him on a journey to places not connected by our understanding of spatial reality. Along this journey, she teaches our hero some simple spiritual principles, such as The Law of Balance, The Law of Integrity, The Law of Action. Each of the twelve laws is illustrated by coupling the heros simple ignorance with the wise woman's storytelling. Readers who have enjoyed Millman's other books will certainly want this one; his easy conversational style is still engaging. -- NAPRA ReVIEW, Fall 1995 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Top Customer Reviews
Standing in line with that ancient tradition of sharing truths through fable, the book tells of a fantastic Millman adventure; with his family away for a few days, the author heads out for a day-long hike into the nearby hills, and there he meets with a sage who extends his intended time away. In the course of a few days, she shows him all the most important laws of Spirit, and makes them real for him through immediate experience.
These laws begin and end with the important principles of balance and unity; but they also cover so many others that can transform lives: choice, process, presence, compassion, faith, expectation, integrity, action, cycles, and surrender. They're all here, and explained with humor, and with real art - this is the most beautifully written of all Millman's work!
I'm also a fan of the short and sweet - something people can use in our hurried world to slow themselves down just a little, and to get a real gem out of reading in those spare moments. The book itself is a lightweight champion, easy to keep on hand; each chapter is about eight pages, simple to tackle over breakfast, on the bus, wherever. It sort of kicks our excuses in the rear. Each chapter is poignant, and really filled with wisdom - almost like a book of wise quotes, so focused is the writing. But meanwhile, one enjoys the tale itself.Read more ›
I have never assumed religion and truth to be necessarily synonymous (although they could be). This book has nothing to do with religion and yet is everything about truth. I was consciously aware that my normally cynical attitude on matters spiritual was literally being reshaped with each turn of the page. For example, The Law of Faith really hit home for me when the Sage says to the Traveler, "What if you suddenly knew with certainty that a higher intelligence was working through you and everyone else for the highest good of humanity--that there is indeed a purpose for every pleasure and hardship?" and the Traveler says, "If I knew that, it would make a difference." The Sage responds, "The Law of Faith doesn't require you to believe this, Traveler, but it guides you to live your life as if this were true; in other words, on faith." Later adding, "Faith is not the opposite of reason. Applying the Law of Faith is one of the most practical, reasonable, constructive things you can do to live an inspired life."
The book seems to literally crescendo towards the final law--The Law of Unity: "Whether we are One or many depends more upon our perspective than on any objective reality. Conventional knowledge tells us that we are separate; higher wisdom informs us that we are One. We are all the same Consciousness, manifesting in different bodies, the way leaves are part of the same tree.Read more ›
The story is based around a man who has recently begun both a physical & spiritual journey, and the sage he meets along the way. This sage teaches him about each of the 12 laws, providing wonderful examples & showing him how to apply each one to every-day life.
I love that each "law" is explained in "down-to-earth" language and that, due to the examples given, it becomes quite easy to see how they can be used to better our lives on a day-to-day basis.
"The Laws of Spirit" is a relatively small book, as it can easily be read in 1 or 2 sittings. However, I would suggest either keeping the book handy so that you can re-read it, or taking some notes so that you can easily be reminded of the many insights given. (I chose to take notes, so it took me a little bit longer to finish the book - but I now have the info. I need to put into practice all that I learned).
Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in spirituality & personal growth. It's an easy, interesting read, that is jam packed with wonderful insights.
Laws of Spirit gets only four stars, however, because Dan truly has written better books. Way of the Peaceful Warrior impacted me the most of all his books, as it has for millions of readers around the world. It is an adventure story, but unlike Laws of Spirit, it is not corny, and it is mostly true. No Ordinary Moments is the other book I can testify to.. it is the guidebook version of Way of the Peaceful Warrior. They both were published in the 1970's, and therefore speak directly without flattening out the powerful philosophy into "layman's terms."
Dan's books are set apart from the other philosophies on my shelf because of this: he speaks in terms of actions. Lots of books give you great spiritual food for thought, but the wisest authors involve excercises or life examples that put philosophy into action. Thinking about something you read is useless- action is the only means by which positive change occurs.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
I am a bit confused. Still at beginning and as reading it it sounds like a fairy tale... I hope d more I read it it will make more sense...Published 1 month ago by Sara S.
This book is wonderful. it contains all of the spiritual principles I believe in. It is well written and succinct.Published 1 month ago by Barbara Williams
What a thought provoking approach to delving into the way to look at and "be" in the world. I think this is a book I will read over and over again. Read morePublished 4 months ago by Amazon Customer


text:
Received: 22 April 2020
Accepted: 20 December 2020
First Online: 18 January 2021
Ethics approval and consent to participate
: This study was approved by the ethical committee at Edith Wolfson Medical Center, number 0075–19-WOMC. The committee follows the Helsinki declaration.
: Not applicable.
: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

domain: medical


text:
Dr. Marilyn Sinkewicz is the Research Director of the Health Lab. Previously, she was the Director of Research and Evaluation for Children, Youth and Families at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She also conducted research on mental health and the criminal legal system with the Vera Institute of Justice. She is a faculty associate at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, and consults with local governments and communities about health equity and community development. She received a Ph.D. from Columbia University, and completed post-doctoral studies in the Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholars Program as well as the National Institute of Mental Health Psychiatric Epidemiology Training Program.
Dr. Sinkewicz’s academic research concerns the social and economic causes and consequences of health inequities. Her studies have been published in Demography, the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Psychiatric Services, the Journal of African American Studies, and other publications. Her work has been covered in the press, including the New York Times, The Nation, and the Louisiana Weekly, the oldest African American newspaper in the US.


text:
That's it for another day. Tomorrow is looking quite busy with both British Gas-owner Centrica and BAE Systems reporting full-year earnings. Asda-owner Wal-Mart reports fourth quarter earnings later in the day.
There are also profit figures from Nestle, Air France and Eurotunnel.
And we also have Chinese inflation data. Join us from 06:00.

domain: economics


text:
The Cowboys win without Dak Prescott, with backup Cooper Rush, as they they beat the Vikings 20-16 on Sunday Night Football
Panthers 19 Falcons 13
Zane Gonzalez kicked four field goals and Hubbard scored on a 6-yard run with 6 1/2 minutes remaining to seal Carolina’s 19-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons, snapping a four-game skid for the Panthers.
Carolina rushed for 203 yards, led by Hubbard with 82 yards on 24 bruising carries. Darnold chipped in with 66 yards on the ground – the second-best rushing performance of his career – before being knocked out of the game with a concussion.
A surprise scratch just before kickoff, Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley issued a statement during the game saying he was dealing with mental health issues and needed to take a break from football.
It was the second game he has missed his season to deal with what the team had described as a personal matter.
Eagles 44 Lions 6
Boston Scott and Jordan Howard each had two touchdowns on the ground, helping the Philadelphia Eagles run over the Detroit Lions in a 44-6 win Sunday.
Rams 38 Texans 22
Stafford threw for 305 yards and three touchdowns in three quarters, and the Rams dominated the inept Texans in every way in a 38-22 win Sunday.
Bengals 31 Jets 34
After Zach Wilson been ruled out for a few weeks, backup QB Mike White led the Jets to a stunning victory over Bengals 34-31.
White threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns, caught a 2-point conversion pass on the go-ahead score and joined Cam Newton (2011) as the only players since at least 1950 to throw for 400 or more yards in their first career start.
Dolphins 11 Bills 26
Tagovailoa finished 21 of 39 for 205 yards and an interception amid speculation on the Dolphins interest in acquiring Deshaun Watson from Houston before the NFL’s trade deadline on Tuesday. Tagovailoa’s career record dropped to 7-7.
Steelers 15 Browns 10
Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t mind that Myles Garrett included him in his cemetery of sacked quarterbacks.
Big Ben almost always feels at home in Cleveland.
Roethlisberger handed the Browns yet another painful loss as the Pittsburgh Steelers overcame losing kicker Chris Boswell for the entire second half with a concussion in a 15-10 win on Sunday.
The 38-year-old Roethlisberger finished 22 of 34 for 266 yards — 193 in the second half when the Steelers had no margin for error.
49ers 33 Bears 22
Garoppolo threw for 322 yards and ran for two touchdowns, and the San Francisco 49ers beat the short-handed Chicago Bears 33-22 Sunday to snap a four-game losing streak.
Fields threw for 175 yards and a touchdown. The rookie also ran for 103 yards and a score, becoming the first Bears QB to rush for 100 yards in a game since Bobby Douglass in 1973.
Titans 34 Cols 31
The Tennessee Titans were able to build on their impressive win streak on Sunday, as they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 34-31 in overtime to push the streak to four in a row. The 6-2 Titans — who also defeated Indy earlier this season — now have a considerable lead on the 3-5 Colts in the AFC South.
Jaguars 7 Seahawks 31
Geno Smith ran for one score and threw a pair of touchdown passes to DK Metcalf, and the Seahawks thumped the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-7 to help stabilize a season starting to spiral into trouble for Seattle.
Lockett finished with 12 catches for 142 yards, the fourth time in his career with at least 12 receptions.
Lawrence finished 32 of 53 for 238 yards
Patriots 27 Chargers 24
The New England safety intercepted two passes and returned one for the go-ahead touchdown as the Patriots rallied for a 27-24 victory over the Chargers.
Mac Jones, who was 18 of 35 for 218 yards
Damien Harris had 23 carries for 80 yards, including a 1-yard carry off left guard to tie the game at seven midway through the first quarter.
Herbert was 18 of 35 for 223 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Austin Ekeler had 124 scrimmage yards (64 rushing, 60 receiving). His 5-yard run to cap off the opening drive of the first quarter was his eighth TD of the season.
Bucs 27 Saints 36
P.J. Williams intercepted Brady and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown with 1:24 left, helping New Orleans seal an eventful but potentially costly 36-27 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Winston injured his left knee during a scramble early in the second quarter when pulled down from behind by former LSU star Devin White, who was flagged for a horse collar tackle.
Backup Trevor Siemian took over for Winston and completed 16 of 29 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown without a turnover, leading the Saints on five scoring drives that produced two touchdowns and three field goals.
Washington 10 Broncos 17
Justin Simmons and Denver held after a fumble gave Washington the ball back, and the Broncos blocked two field goals on their way to a 17-10 win Sunday that stopped a four-game slide.
Cowboys 20 Viking 16
Cooper Rush subbed for the injured Prescott and passed for 325 yards and two second-half touchdowns, the last a 5-yard throw to Amari Cooper with 51 seconds left in the Cowboys’ 20-16 victory over the Vikings on Sunday night.
Giants at Chiefs
What goes best with cinnamon? #nationalcinnomanday
Brown Sugar- 40%, Cinnamon Buns- 20%, French Toast – 20, Oatmeal- 0%
Santiago Leon is the Founder and CEO of the Sports Cast. He covers almost every sport: NFL, NBA, and world soccer. He’s also founder of sleon productions, which he specializes in technology and serves clients with solutions to make their business grow.


- Bachelor of Science Finance, University of Utah
- Masters of Science Financial Management, Naval Postgraduate School
Awards and Service
- Selected for the inaugural LBNL “Emerging Leader Training Program”
- LBNL Outstanding Performance Awards for DOE JGI Facility Expansion Project
- Numerous Navy Leadership Awards
Ray joined the DOE Joint Genome Institute in 2005 and oversees the Finance, Procurement, Human Resources, Facilities, Public Relations, Safety, Lab Automation and Administration departments. He came to the Bay Area after a 21-year Navy career, serving in roles as the Vice President of Finance and Vice President/General Manager of the Health Information Management Division at QuadraMed Corporation. He was commissioned into the United States Navy in 1980 and after completion of flight training, he served 21 years in the navy in various Strategic Management and Operations leadership positions, including Deputy Commander (COO) of the Navy Recruiting Western Region which covered the Western United States, Japan and Guam, Commanding Officer of the San Francisco Navy Recruiting District, and the Comptroller (CFO) of the Naval Air Station Alameda.


text:
Shymkent surgeons performed surgery on 17 foreigners
In Shymkent, doctors successfully performed 130 kidney transplants and 18 liver transplants.
Foreigners come to the important surgery in the south of Kazakhstan. For example, last year, a kidney transplant from a living donor was performed on 17 foreigners, including from Germany, Canada, Israel and Romania.
To date, the patient's condition is satisfactory. Donors and recipients are referred for outpatient treatment. All surgerieis were performed by qualified transplant doctors.
It should be noted that kidney transplantation surgeries started in 2013 in the city emergency hospital, now the city clinical hospital No. 1.


Champion Microelectronic Corporation - Champion for short - was established in 1999 with the express aim of designing and manufacturing quality power ... show more
Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations USA, Inc., (SEDU), a subsidiary of Sumitomo Electric Inc, is a leading provider of optical and RF solutions.
Alpha and Omega Semiconductor is committed to excellence in design, manufacturing, and responsiveness to our customers through the continued developme ... show more
Skyworks completed its acquisition of Advanced Analogic Technologies. Skyworks Solutions, Inc. is empowering the wireless networking revolution.
James S. Heaton started our Company in 1957 based on the concept that respect for others, truth and hard work were all good things to accomplish.
MagnaChip Semiconductor - We are a Korea-based designer and manufacturer of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products for consumer, computing, co ... show more
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text:
By: Aaron Hesmer Saturday April 13th will be the first time out on the new outdoor race track in Ancaster! It was originally scheduled as a race, but we’ve decided to make this date a [click here for more…]
It is the end of an era for flat track fans and riders in Paris Ontario. After increasing pressure from unhappy residents, the last checkered flag has been thrown at Paris Speedway as motorcycles will [click here for more…]
Round three of the Harley Davidson Canada series took place at the Leamington Fairgrounds on Saturday June 14th. Always known for its awesome racing with riders sometimes four wide in the corners, the third [click here for more…]
Source: Advanced Riding: Flat Track Racing | autoTRADER.ca Advanced Riding: Flat Track Racing by Jacob Black – April 8, 2016 image: http://wwwb.autotrader.ca/newsfeatures/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/14-BP-Honda-Flat-Track-620×413.jpg Ever fancied yourself a motorcycle racer? Wanted to give it a crack? Couldn’t [click here for more…]
Honda Canada unveils 2016 Red Rider contingency program – March 17 – Honda Canada today announced the details of its 2016 Red Rider Rewards Program, a contingency program for professional and amateur Canadian racers. [click here for more…]
To the untrained observer, most tracks that hold flat track races may appear to be very similar. This is to say that they are all somewhat oval, and they all have four turns. While the [click here for more…]
Check us out Friday the 13th!

domain: hobby


Onyx Fiber Arts is the South Jersey (USA!) indie dyer with a real passion for jewel tones and playful speckles. Adria caught our eye with her knitted and crocheted swatches of all of her fab colour ways on Instagram and ever since we brought the yarn in we have been hooked. More coming in Autumn 2020!
Yarn details - copied from Onyx Fiber Arts:
75% Superwash Merino (super soft) / 25% Nylon (super strong)
PLEASE NOTE: I use acid dyes and rinse the living daylights out of the yarn, but some light bleeding may occur during the first wash. This is completely normal with hand-dyed yarn. Speaking of wash...hand washing in cold water is highly recommended, along with laying flat to dry. This will keep your finished piece looking good for a long time.
Due to the human aspect of hand-dyed yarn, no two skeins will look the same, even though I use the same formulas every time. Because of this, I recommend buying enough yarn to finish your project and alternating skeins while crafting.
Dyed in a pet-free, smoke-free environment.
I do my best to represent the true color of the yarn, but due to monitor settings, etc, there may be slight variances.


text:
Currently streaming on Starz is a spectacular series in six parts entitled Maximilian and Marie de Bourgogne. It’s a German-Austrian co-production that I found extremely well done for a period piece, not at all minding the German and French spoken throughout with English subtitles. The story is engrossing enough to keep you glued to the dialogue as you are immersed in another time in history: 1477. Dust off your history books, because if you’re like me you’ll be glad to know this storyline does a good job of keeping to the historical facts. To add to the authenticity of this period drama are the sets and costumes that are well done, as well as the musical score.
The story centers around two key players in the chessboard of the fifteenth-century politics in Europe. Marie is the daughter of Charles the Bold, the Duke of Burgundy, who is killed in battle by the French. With no male heir, Marie is made duchess. However, Burgundy is a male fiefdom and from day one she becomes the pawn of those in power in Burgundy and France, each attempting to wield their political maneuvers. She is encouraged to marry the Dauphin of France, who is a mere boy, as France wants Burgandy back in its power.
Then, in a faraway land of Austria, resides Maximilian, the son of the Holy Roman Emperor. He is encouraged to wed Marie but balks at the idea until circumstances finally lead him to Burgundy. Like a knight in shining armor, with integrity and purpose, he comes to save the day. The series is a sweeping story of war, politics, and endearing love between two young people. Unfortunately, in real life, and portrayed with such emotion it made me cry at the end, their happiness is ended by tragedy.
I think what I liked about this series is the wonderful job the two leads did, emotionally portraying these historical characters learning to rule. Many of the children of the main monarchs in this tale — France and Austria are merely pawns of their parents in arranged marriages to other kingdoms.
Anyway, highly recommend if you have Starz. If not, you can get it on Amazon for $8.95 a month or purchase each episode for $2.99. It’s worth just paying $8.95 to watch the six episodes and then you can cancel.
There are a few sex scenes but tame compared to Outlander’s first two seasons. Also, it’s a brutal time of war and torture so you may see some unsettling scenes but it’s not overly graphic and gory.
Oh, and as a matter of trivia, Queen Elizabeth II is a descendant of Maximillian, which makes his character even more interesting.
“The Black Prince” is the first feature film adaptation of the story of Maharajah Duleep Singh, the last ruler of India’s Sikh kingdom, and his tormented life in the court of Queen Victoria.
I’m going to be busy at the movies! Another on my watch list.
4 Kernels for Content
5 Stars for Bravery
Yeah, yeah, I know most of you don’t like documentaries. This one is a little bit different because it’s a well-acted re-enactment of three significant events for the British Army during World War I. The episodes are based on written accounts by the soldiers who lived and survived to tell their stories and the men with which they served.
What can say about it? It’s emotional. It’s heartwrenching. It’s shocking. Well done, except for the oddity of the rock music in some of the scenes. The series actually puts you — the viewer — into the battles as if you were with the men and hearing the bullets whiz by your head. The tension prior to and in engagement with the enemy is palpable. Perhaps that is why this program will undoubtedly leave an impression on you. And if you lost distant cousins in the war like I did — six of them the ages of 18 to 42 — you will appreciate their sacrifice and you will draw closer to their memory as the young lads who served their country.
The first episode focuses on the first day that the British army encounters the German army in August 1914. Unprepared for the onslaught of Germans and their brutal advance, it’s difficult to watch the slaughter. The second episode is about the Manchester Pals, as they called them, who served at Somme. A few of my cousins were from Manchester. The third episode is about the invention of the tank, and how the British turned the tide of the war toward victory by these new machines.
As a caution before you watch, you might find the lads extremely difficult to understand with the myriad of different British accidents, along with Irish and Scottish. Hang in there and don’t surrender. Keep calm and carry on through the end.
If you possess a soul, you might end up a bit tearful watching this series. As the trailer says, “Modern warfare is brutal. 100 years ago it was unimaginable.”
“Rachel, my torment. “
Do not expect to have a definitive answer at the end of the movie if Rachel is good or evil. You will leave pondering that question for some time and for good reason. She is an intriguing character, tormenting you as you sift through the lies and innuendos to find the truth.
I came into this movie unfamiliar with the outcome never having read the original novel by Daphne du Maurier. Clueless as to the ending, I was quite satisfied as I left the theater asking the other four patrons around me, “did she or didn’t she?” Their responses I shall keep silent.
If you’re a period movie junkie, no doubt you’ll be running to watch this suspenseful tale of a very different kind of woman. She, too, is a wonder woman of sorts, as you’re dragged along wondering about her motives through the entire film. It borders on the Gothic melodrama with enough suspense to keep you guessing.
It begins with the narration of Ambrose Ashley’s cousin and how he takes in Philip to raise him after his parents die. Ambrose is like a father to him, but he becomes ill and goes to Italy to “take in the sun.” (This is England, you know, dark, gloomy, rains a lot, has gray clouds, etc.). Ambrose writes often and eventually announces he has met a woman named Rachel, who he marries. When Philip receives a disturbing letter from his cousin, asking him to come to him, he leaves. By the time he arrives, his cousin is dead and Rachel has left. Thinking that she had inherited his estate and land, he is surprised to discover that his cousin left everything to him in an unchanged will, which he will inherit upon his twenty-fifth birthday.
Rachel finally arrives in England. Philip, determined to confront her on the allegations she may have poisoned his cousin, discovers a very different female than he anticipated. With a charismatic personality and beauty, he falls desperately in love to the point of obsession. He rewrites his will and leaves everything to Rachel — his inheritance, the estate, and all the family jewels.
The relationship between the two individuals unfolds in a strange way. The insinuation constantly lurks that she plans to kill Philip because she’s always brewing strange cups of tea that taste disgusting. Philip’s godfather warns him about her rather questionable character, but he refuses to believe anything until they begin to have contentious periods after she allows him to make love to her.
The film slowly unfolds but it is needed to build up the questionable suspense as the characters’ personalities are revealed and begin to interact. Beautiful daytime landscapes and candlelight in the evening add to the authenticity of the times. It feels period perfect in the sense of costumes and scenery, but it’s difficult to come to a clear conclusion of who Rachel is underneath the black veil.
It is fresh on the Tomato Meter with a fine performance from Rachel Weisz (as Rachel) and Sam Claflin (as Philip). Though some reviewers term it as a romance, I disagree with that analogy. There is no romance. He loves her but there’s no reciprocation on her part. It’s a questionable relationship between two very different people whose personalities don’t blend together in love. Instead, there is obsession and suspicion that makes for a surprise ending that you do not see coming.
“Some historical events and characters have been altered in the film for dramatic purposes.”
You’ll quickly miss this statement as the ending credits roll by the screen. Keep that in mind, as you watch Episode 2 of The White Princess.
So far, the production is holding its own. King Henry is facing his challengers to the throne from a ten-year old boy, a mother-in-law who practices witchcraft, a wife who plots with her mother, and a kingdom in the midst of the sweating sickness plague, blaming him for God’s wrath upon the nation. If that isn’t enough trouble, he has the diehard York faction attempting to assassinate him as he puts forth an effort to visit his newly conquered corner of England.
Princess Elizabeth of York provides decent counsel to Henry, defying his mother’s often ploy to run the country on his behalf. As he begins to have a mind of his own in matters, Margaret Beaufort tightens her authority over the York ladies in the household. Poor ten-year-old Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, is sent to the Tower of London, which sent me off to Google to discover that eventually he loses his head at the age of twenty-four.
The production remains lavish in costume and sets, including the locations. However, much if it was not filmed where the historical events occurred. Here is a good reference article on the filming locations on Atlas of Wonders, with screenshots.
The series continues on a 4-star kernel rating, but I hate waiting each week for new episodes. If you’re a binge watcher, best to take it in all in one sitting. Hey, what’s a mere ten hours in front of the television?
In honor of Henry’s visit to the city of York, which you really do not see in the series, I thought I would post my video taken last year. I, as a lowly commoner, sat outside the cathedral and recorded the bells. Enjoy!
UPDATE: June 11, 2017 – Well, the series has ended after eight episodes, and though I may have been a bit gushy when writing the review above, I cannot in all honestly say it was as good as The White Queen. Perhaps the problem lies in the deviation from history, the rapidly moving timeline, and the characters themselves. Though semi-historically accurate about Henry VII’s personally (so I’m told by others), he came across as such a weak and insecure individual, that it was difficult to be loyal to the series. Does that sound odd? Well, I suppose it’s “off with my head.”
Ah, BritBox! My second series to binge upon was The Moonstone, which is a five episode drama based on a detective novel by Wilkie Collins written in 1868. This tale is a classic who-done-it that will keep you guessing until you find out who-did-it.
The moonstone is actually a yellow diamond that has been stolen by a corrupt British officer while in India. The stone is revered, precious, and outrageously big. When he dies, he bequeaths the stone to Rachel, his niece. Unfortunately, with that gift comes problems, greed, and danger.
Upon her eighteenth birthday party, Franklin Blake, Rachel’s cousin, has been entrusted to give her the stone now that she is of age. Once again we are faced with cousins romantically entangled with one another in the series as two vie for Rachel’s affections. She has a large birthday party celebration where everyone in attendance gets to see the fabulous diamond and handle it. Insistent that she merely keep it in a drawer in a cabinet in her room overnight, she discovers in the morning that it has been stolen.
The story is an interesting premises where the audience is brought along to remember the occurrences of that evening as reflected upon a year later. Franklin returns to England, hoping to win back Rachel’s heart, but he knows he must find the stone in order to do so. An interesting group of characters are all suspects, including Rachel, and the whereabouts of the stone and its current location remains a mystery. Even traveling Indian Hindu priests wanting to return the stone to India are suspects in the missing stone.
Of course, we are back in the Victorian era of cousins falling in love with cousins, and this time Rachel has two quite dashingly handsome men wanting her hand in marriage. If anything, the story kept me intrigued trying to figure out who stole the diamond, and the end has a few surprising twists and turns as the mystery is solved.
Apparently this is the second time this series has hit television, with Greg Wise being Edward Blake in an earlier BBC version in 1997. There is even another movie version in 1934, which is an American mystery film. Who knew? Apparently, not me because I’ve never heard of this gem (no pun intended) until I subscribed to BritBox.
Okay, I’m off my soap box. It’s worth the watch.
I’m really frustrated! Thirty-five years ago I visited the Valley of the Kings in Egypt and walked into Tutankhamun’s burial vault. I’ve been trying to find the slides from that trip that I’ve been hauling around for thirty-five years to no avail! Of course, I’ve moved probably twenty times since then. I know they are somewhere stuffed in a closet, and I’m going to find them one way or another! Nevertheless…
My first Britbox watch – Tutankhamun from ITV – a four-part series about the discovery of the tomb in that vast dusty desert of the Valley of the Kings. It’s based on the archaeologist Howard Carter, played by Max Irons, who is convinced the valley still holds wonderful discoveries, while his peers are packing up and leaving out of frustration.
On the other hand, we have Lord Carnarvon, played by Sam Neill, who has the funds and enthusiasm to find a tomb filled with riches. If you have no idea who this English Lord happens to be, think of Downton Abbey and the manor house you’ve been enjoying for years. It’s the family home of the Carnarvon’s at Highclere Castle, who was the 5th Earl of Carnarvon. Some believe he was the first to succumb to the so-called curse, having died from an infected mosquito bite he accidently cut with his razor. It turned into blood poisoning, and he passed away in Cairo after the discovery of the tomb.
The story begins pre-World War I when Carnarvon arrives excited to dig and discover wonders from the past. He hires Howard Carter, who recently finds himself without support to further his own digs. As a result, they head off to the dusty sands but their endeavors are cut short by the beginning of World War I. Finally after it’s ended, the story resumes and so does their search.
Carnarvon insists that Carter dig in a particular area, but Carter believes it’s in the wrong spot. After going through the majority of the Earl’s money, he’s about to throw in the towel. With one last plea to let him look where he thinks Tutankhamun is buried, they find the infamous treasures of the young King to everyone’s surprise and enter on November 26, 1922.
The story weaves a few love interests back and forth for Mr. Carter, the most important one being with Lady Evelyn Carnarvon, which is the Earl’s daughter. Whether that really happened is perhaps a possibility (read here). It does take up a large portion of the storyline in between the dirt, shovels, and rocks. The tale is also set among the rising distrust of the Egyptians against the British who promised to leave after the war but remain. The government, surprisingly at this point, changes the law six weeks before the discovery of Tut’s tomb that the ownership of discovered wealth reverts back to Egypt and is no longer split with the finder.
Max Irons, I thought, isn’t the best of actors except perhaps at that one point when he peeks inside the tomb and declares that he sees wonderful things. Only another spark of a broken heart is revealed upon his love interest’s departure. He’s a bit stiff and unemotional throughout most of the show, not to mention the dirt and sweat of the desert. In spite of it, he does clean up nicely in a dinner jacket. On the other side of the coin, there is the seasoned Sam Neill who is fantastic in all of his performances, filled with fire and emotion that makes up for the lackluster Irons.
When I visited in 1982, King Tut was not in his tomb. We saw the place where the gold coffins stood, which was just a huge empty space. There was no fancy lighting like you see in the picture. His remains had been placed in the Cario museum for some time but were subsequently returned to his resting place in a climate-controlled glass box (in 2007) to prevent further decomposition. Visitors can see him in his splendor. The treasures in the museum are unbelievably vast and gorgeous, and I can still remember standing before them in awe.
For my first BritBox, it was a good period drama, fueling memories of my past. I’m on my second right now, Moonstone, which is turning out to be a pretty good mystery.
Ah, British television. My favorite.
A new series, acquired by Netflix and popular in Italy, is now streaming – Medici: Masters of Florence. If you’re a history buff, you might enjoy this new binge-watching opportunity regarding the Medici family who were bankers in the 15th century in the Republic of Florence. For more historical information, run over to Wikipedia and READ HERE.
The story stars Richard Madden, Stuart Martin, and Dustin Hoffman, among others. It begins with the death of Giovanni, who is the founder of the Medici family empire. His son, Cosimo de’ Medici takes over the family business and learns that his father had been murdered. The intrigue begins.
Be prepared to flop back and forth between a twenty-year period when Giovanni is alive and teaching his sons, as well as manipulating their lives to do his will. Sometimes it’s difficult to discover if you’re twenty years in the past or twenty years in the future, except for the difference in the hairstyles of the two sons.
Controlling, conniving, and underhandedly through bribery, the elder Giovanni influences the choice of the next pope. Its reward is to be the Vatican’s banker, which leads to prestige and additional wealth. In addition, he arranges a marriage for Cosimo (after sending away the woman he loves), and forbids his son to follow his true interest in life of art and architecture. The family business comes first.
I didn’t exactly find it the best of series for a few reasons:
- Miscasting – Dustin Hoffman is a poor choice to play the matriarch of the family – Giovanni. His acting is not up to par, and he just doesn’t fit the historical character’s role.
- Sound quality is absolutely terrible. Constantly, I had to crank up the volume to hear what they were saying, which I found annoying. This is an Italian production acquired exclusively by Netflix (though not by Netflix), so I’m not sure if that is the reason.
- The semi-interesting historical story line.
- The ancient city of Florence and its architecture.
- The costumes.
- History lessons on screen, such as the Black Death pandemic that was estimated to have killed 30-60% of Europe’s population.
- The surprising plot twist at the end of Season 1.
Nevertheless, check it out for a new period drama feast but beware it may not be your best meal.


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andrew tosh ft. etana – eye to eye
by AndrewTosh Music
Andrew Tosh & Etana performing "Eye to Eye"
- You Made it to The End! -
- Suddenly you found yourself at The End! -
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How Soon to Expect Results After LiposuctionOctober 14, 2015
Many patients ask Dr. Donaldson about the typical recovery period after liposuction and how quickly they can expect to see the results of their surgery. It’s important to understand the typical timeline so you know what to expect from this procedure.
Liposuction results may be witnessed in three stages:
- The day of surgery: This is the most dramatic stage, when fat is physically removed from the body. Contours are immediately thinner, but swelling and bruising set in quickly and obscure the improvements.
- Week #1 through week #6: The body clears itself of bruising and swelling as it carries away loose oils, damaged fat cells and debris that was left behind from surgery. This comes with a pleasant tightening effect.
- Month #1 through month #6: Scar tissue organizes within the fatty layers that were liposuctioned, which causes further “shrink-wrapping” and tightening around the underlying muscle and bone.
Results are typically final after six months when patients ultimately enjoy less fat and a contoured shape!
Optimizing For Results Begins Before Far Before The Surgery
Before surgery, patients are advised to stop smoking, optimize nutrition and health status, drink plenty of fluids, and exercise as usual. These basic steps will speed recovery.
During surgery, Dr. Donaldson uses a “tumescent” liposuction technique that involves the injection of IV fluid, lidocaine and epinephrine (adrenaline) into the treatment areas. After waiting several minutes, this mixture provides numbness to the nerves and shrinks the tiny blood vessels surrounding the fat so that the liposuction is less traumatic. This method has proven to dramatically reduce post-operative pain, bruising, swelling, dehydration, and consequently overall recovery.
Aftercare Is Mission Critical To Ensuring Faster Results & Recovery
After surgery, compression garments are recommended. These are custom-fitted, medical-grade elasticized clothing that are worn next to the skin. They provide support to the skin and underlying tissue to ensure a smooth, contoured result and they also help reduce fluid accumulation and swelling. Patients should wear compression garments as much as possible for the first two to four weeks after surgery.
Lymphatic massages and exercise should be discussed in advance with your surgeon. They may be helpful in reducing fluid and opening lymphatic channels later in recovery, but they can be counter-productive during the initial healing phases.
About The Author
Jeffrey Donaldson, MD is one of the nation’s foremost experts when it comes to the tumescent technique with liposuction. Throughout his 20-year tenure, he has worked to perfect his craft in an effort to ensure a safer procedure with greater results and minimal downtime. He puts a substantial emphasis on both pre- and post-operative care to provide a greater overall patient experience.


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After a morning coffee with Jill from Caffe del Doge and our new friend Theresa we spent the morning and afternoon cooking with Venetian native Patrizia at her beautiful palazzo near San Marco. (see liveblogging video footage). Although we had hoped to meet the cooking group as they toured the Rialto fish market, one of the truly don’t miss experiences of any visit to Venice, they had departed for Patrizia’s palazzo just before we arrived. We did a quick round of the outdoor market, snapping some pictures and sorry that we had not been able to get a native’s explanation of the variety of strange fish with unrecognized names that are displayed on ice in this covered market. We then dedicated ourselves to the task at hand, trying to find a Venetian address armed only with the sestiere number. After a few false starts we arrived at Patrizia’s apartment, called upstairs and were buzzed in by Patrizia’s husband, lovingly referred to by her as “Cinderella Man,” presumably because he does the grunt work to Patrizia’s evil step sister.
Frankly, after the rambunctious, double-entendre filled afternoon with Patrizia, the only cure was a drink. Or several. So we followed Patrizia’s with an organized walking tour that called itself a "pub crawl." Starting at Ca Rezzonico we traversed practically the whole of the Venetian archipelago, stopping in 4 taverns for ombra and cichetti, the Venetian tradition of light cocktails and fingerfood. Along the way we enjoyed the company of an extended family from New Jersey and Florida and a solo traveller from Canada. We also made friends with Alessandro, who introduces himself as Alex for the benefit of his English speaking clients, the charming native tour guide who led us on the two and a half hour excursion.
While the tour was fashioned as a pub crawl, in reality it was a historic walking tour of this ancient republic. While we camped in the several taverns we visited, Alessandro held court about the wine and food, as well as the history of the buildings that now housed these taverns, some of them dating as far back as the 1300s. Between taverns he regaled us with a living history lesson of the city, showing us its dozens of historic churches, the important artwork they contained and glimpses of life under the Doges. All in all it was a very worthwhile couple of hours, even if it resulted in sore feet.
Bill and Suzy


Mount Pleasant is one of the few Vancouver Neighborhoods that spans the city’s East/West divide. An active neighborhood that includes Main St, Broadway, and Kingsway. It is close to the downtown core, but not actually downtown. It has a charming and comfortable vibe and is full of good eats, trendy shops and rich cultural history. It is largely residential, and includes some of Vancouver’s iconic landmarks like Science World and The Heritage Hall on Main St. It has been emerging in recent years as a very engaged and active art district while also hosting many speciality sports shops. Wildly diverse and inclusive, it’s community offers a wide variety of shops, restaurants, community centres, industrial areas, and carefully planned community growth projects.
In 2010, the Mount Pleasant Community Plan was adopted by City Council after an extensive public planning process. The plan contains community wide and sub area policies that primarily address issues and guide development for the neighborhood for the next 30 years.
This plan covers a wide range: land use, urban design, housing, economic development, parks and the public realm, transportation, community services, heritage and culture.
In 2013 the council adopted the Mount Pleasant Community Plan Implementation Package which will build on the Plan to clarify and advance policy direction. This package includes the following:
- Broadway East Revitalization Strategy.
- Urban Design Framework for Lower Main.
- Public Realm Plan ( Public Spaces).
- Public Benefits Strategy.


For the last few months, information and several leaks about a smartphone from the Taiwanese manufacturer called HTC M7 have been spotted. Late last week, we reported that a reliable source is claiming that the upcoming M7 will simply be known as the “HTC One” once it hits streets. It seems HTC One will indeed be the final product name of the HTC’s upcoming Android flagship product, which is currently known as M7. An alleged picture taken by a specific HTC One’s camera has appeared on Flickr.
@evleaks has tweeted this picture, who as responsible for the leak of the official product name of the HTC M7 phone. Thanks to EXIF data of the picture, which has confirmed that it comes from a device called the HTC One. Keep in mind that that EXIF data can be faked very well. Anyhow, the picture was shot at a resolution of 1520 x 2688 pixels. That means this photo was surely captured at 4.1MP. Unfortunately, the EXIF data doesn’t indicate that the picture was shot using the rumored “Ultrapixel” sensor technology. You might already know that the HTC M7 aka HTC One is rumored to ship with “Ultrapixel” sensor, which will have three separate sensors in action.
FYI, the HTC M7 aka HTC One will make its official debut at company’s gathering on February 19th. The device will have a 4.7-inch 1080p Full HD screen, along with other mouth-watering specifications. Stay tuned to Gadgetian for more details.


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A snapshot of residential property markets
With headline growth rates likely to trend lower in the Sydney and Melbourne property markets, SMSF investors may want to look further afield for capital gains prospects and healthy rental yields.
The national housing market is cooling down after a stellar five and a half year run of dramatic capital gains which have been mostly concentrated within the Sydney and Melbourne housing markets. The September quarter saw capital city dwelling values rise by only 0.7 per cent; less than half the rate of growth over the June quarter (1.6 per cent) and well below the recent peak rate of growth which was recorded at 4.2 per cent over the three months ending November 2016.
Since the beginning of 2012, national dwelling values have increased by 40 per cent. Over the same period, Sydney values are 74 per cent higher and Melbourne values are up by 56 per cent.
Home owners in Sydney and Melbourne have accrued a great deal of equity thanks to the dramatic capital gains, however other regions have seen dwelling values rise at a more subdued pace, or in some cases values have trended lower.
Clearly, the performance of the housing market is very different from region to region and across the different product types and spectrum of values.
With the pace of capital gains slowing down, investors may be reconsidering where they place their capital. While housing, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, has been a preferred option for many investors, prospects for lower capital gain coupled with low rental yields, tighter credit policies and mortgage rate premiums are likely to act as a disincentive.
The safer asset classes of cash and bonds are providing only mild returns, while equities remain volatile. For this reason I wouldn’t be surprised if a large proportion of investors continue to look for opportunities within the property sector.
However, investors may start to pay more attention to the total property return, rather than exclusively focusing on prospects for capital gain. The total return or accumulation index provides a broader measurement of the housing markets performance, including the gross yields as well as capital gains.
Hobart stands out as the most lucrative market on this measure, providing both a solid capital gain over the past 12 months, but also a healthy rental return. Hobart’s rate of capital gain has been accelerating while the pace of growth in Sydney and Melbourne has been slowing. The Canberra housing market has also gathered some momentum over the past 12 months and both Hobart and Canberra offer investors’ superior rental yields than those in Sydney and Melbourne.
Countercyclical opportunities are also becoming apparent for buyers looking to purchase at the bottom of the cycle.
Take the Perth housing market as a good example. Dwelling values have fallen by almost 11 per cent across the Perth market since peaking in mid-2012. While the trend across Perth is still negative, the month of September saw Perth dwelling values edge higher, and the annual decline in dwelling values has been losing steam, suggesting the market may be close to bottoming out. In line with a reduction in the rate of decline, there has been a substantial reduction in advertised housing stock, vendors are discounting their asking prices less and transaction numbers are trending higher
Regional markets are also starting to show more positive growth trends. Lifestyle markets in particular are seeing increased demand from buyers seeking holiday homes or retirement options as well as investors. Anecdotally, it seems the coastal and lifestyle markets are benefiting from the equity accrual realised in Sydney and Melbourne as well as a marked improvement in tourism numbers.
Some of the most iconic coastal markets have recorded substantial increases in the value of housing over past 12 months. Byron Bay is a prime example where house values are more than 26 per cent higher over the year. Coastal markets within close proximity to a major capital city appear to be the most popular, with strong results also evident in regions such as Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.
The investment options across the housing market are varied and it’s highly likely that more investors will start looking further afield than Sydney and Melbourne in the search for capital gain prospects as well as healthy rental yields. Headline growth rates are likely to trend lower and may turn negative in markets like Sydney and Melbourne where growth rates have been so high, however strong population growth and low mortgage rates are likely to keep a floor under housing values to some extent in these markets.
By Tim Lawless, head of research, CoreLogic Asia Pacific