Kateryna Schwartz16:35, 08.12.22
All these years, Putin declared that Russia is not a party to the conflict in Donbas.
The head of the Just Russia party, Serhiy Mironov, who is a close ally of Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin, admitted that Russia had been supplying Donbas with weapons since 2014.
“Since 2014, the SRZP party has been supplying Donbass not only with medicines and food products. I will say it carefully: we supply dual-purpose products. Today we can talk about this openly. We help all those who, with weapons in their hands, defend the right to speak their native Russian language.” , he wrote on Twitter .
As noted by journalist Denys Kazanskyi in his story, Mironov thus openly admitted that Russia supplied Donbass not only with humanitarian aid, but also with dual-use products, i.e. weapons or components for creating weapons and military equipment.
“Here is the answer to the question ‘where were you for 8 years?’ For eight years, Russia waged war in Donbas, turning this region into ruins and turning people’s lives into an endless hell,” the journalist wrote.
According to him, Putin’s associate did not reveal any previously unknown facts, he only confirmed what had been known for a long time.
“All this time, Russia declared that it does not take part in hostilities in Donbas, that some miners and tractor drivers are allegedly fighting there, and that weapons, tanks and other equipment were found somewhere… Putin declared that Russia is not a party to the conflict in Donbas “, Kazansky recalled.
The war in Ukraine: Putin’s latest statements
Today, December 8, Putin accused Ukraine of the fact that the Russian army is shelling the country’s critical infrastructure:
“Now there is a lot of noise about our strikes on the energy infrastructure of a neighboring country. Yes, we are doing it. But who started it? Who struck the Crimean bridge, who blew up power lines from the Kursk nuclear power plant, who is not supplying water to Donetsk?”.
On December 7, Putin said that the war in Ukraine could become a “long process.” He called the “emergence of new territories” a “significant result” of the war waged against Ukraine.
In addition, Putin said that “the threat of nuclear war is growing, what a sin to hide” : “Russia will not be the first to use nuclear weapons, but if it does not use the first, it means that it will not use the second.”
Though some were fooled and still are thinking it was some sort of separatist action being supported by rashists. There are those of us who always knew it was a ruse and always was a rashist land grab by rashists sent to destabilize Ukraine and make the lives of those close to and ensnared by a living hell.


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A portable offering from Green Mountain Grills, the Davy Crocket is the most affordable pellet grill on our list, and the only one with WiFi capability. It’s compact, weighs only 57 pounds, and has folding legs so you can pack it up and bring it camping, tailgating, or to the beach. That’s something you can’t do with the Traeger Pro 22, and something we’re really excited about.
Bought the Costco trade show model after about 4 years of debating the purchase... OK, first one broke on day one as "auger" stopped spinning. Returned and received a new unit. 2nd one smoked a turkey for 4.5 hours. After 4 hours temp. dropped to 100 degrees and it was set to 350. When I opened the smoker to check on why this happened, it exploded into a ball of flames! There was fire shooting out from all sides of the grill and smoke and heat coming from the feeder side of the grill... This was SCARY and could have absolutely caused a major fire, and/or injury!!!
Wood pellet grills look like standard barbecue grills but some with a separate firebox for making smoked meats that will also let you smoke vegetables and other ingredients. As Traeger and Pit Boss both get good reviews from customers, it’s important that you look at the top features of this grills and how each company compares in relation to those features.
The 36 in. Wide Body LP Gas Smoker The 36 in. Wide Body LP Gas Smoker from Dyna-Glo is the perfect solution for year-round backyard cooking. The dual cast iron burners provide 20 000 total BTUs for reliable cooking performance in any weather while the pre-installed door seals help retain heat and minimize smoke loss for improved cooking ... More + Product Details Close
You are eligible for a full refund if no ShippingPass-eligible orders have been placed. You cannot receive a refund if you have placed a ShippingPass-eligible order. In this case, the Customer Care team will remove your account from auto-renewal to ensure you are not charged for an additional year and you can continue to use the subscription until the end of your subscription term.
Precision Chef 4 Burner Gas Grill with PTS Precision Chef 4 Burner Gas Grill with PTS Even heat cooking system die-cast aluminum lid end caps and double walled lid and extra-large side shelves with 2 tool hooks. 4 smooth running casters and 2 with locks. High quality 304 stainless steel main burners 619 total sq. in. cooking area ... More + Product Details Close
You want longevity in a pellet grill: As the Traeger brand name has been around for a few decades, you can have some peace of mind that you’re purchasing a grill that should have replacement parts available for the foreseeable future. And Traeger grills tend to have good longevity ratings, working in top condition for several years, as long as you follow the manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations.
Versus other hardwood pellet grills, Traeger represents a good value whether for a gift or for general use, although if you’re looking for a fully Made in America grill, you’ll want to consider other options. If you decide to go with Traeger, be certain you’ve thought about how much grilling area for food you’ll need and pick an adequate model, as the various Traeger grill price points depend heavily on available grilling area.
Purchased my grill last fall at Costco, overall it works OK, some meats like Lamb Chops are just delicious. However, customer service seems to be deteriorating as the company is having success. My kids recently purchased me an add on to my Pro 34, a cold smoker. Traeger sells this but does not support it. The installation instructions are incomplete, I was sent parts that do not go with the unit, then customer service couldn't figure it out, this went on for weeks. After getting it installed, I asked for some instructions or recipes on how to use it, there are none. The old cover does not fit now, and Traeger does not sell one to go with a unit with a cold smoker, or plan on doing so. After a web search, I found one at Charbroil that kinda fits. Also, I just saw the same model at Orchard Supply, it now comes with more shelves and upgrades which I now have to buy as extras.
Portability Even if you never take your pellet grill on a road trip, you might want to move it from one side of the yard to the other when you’re having a party, or move it out of the way when you’re not using it. While some pellet grills are light enough to pick up and carry, wheels make the job easier. Of course, if you have a permanent spot for your grill, portability is less of a consideration.

domain: hobby


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This is my journal on documenting love, finding joy, and living life to the fullest. I'm so glad you're here, and hope you enjoy your stay!
This is my journal on documenting love,
finding joy, and living life to the fullest. I'm so glad you're here, and hope you enjoy your stay!
Something I tell each of my couples before we start their portraits is “you can’t mess this up”. It’s true…they are JUST photos, so let your guards down and enjoy it! I think we all get nervous about what we look like in photos and not knowing what to do, but that’s why you hire professionals. I’m going to help you with posing and fixing hairs, so stop the worrying and enjoy your time in front of the camera. I promise you’ll get the best results that way!
And that’s exactly what Hallie and Kyle did for their Jeter Mountain engagement session. I could not stop gushing over these two during our time together! Truthfully, they barely needed any direction because they were so in tune with each other, holding hands, touching cheeks, and getting close. It was such a treat to photograph their interactions.
Hallie and Kyle met on the tennis courts, and Kyle actually proposed there too! He said he had it planned for months in advance to get down on one knee after their last match together. Hallie was super surprised, but it was the perfect start to their journey of becoming husband and wife.
Again, I just adore these two and can’t wait to be a part of their wedding at this same location. Enjoy some of my favorites from their Jeter Mountain engagement session!
This is the spot they will exchange vows next September! Can’t wait to recreate this shot in their wedding attire!
Want to see more wedding photography galleries? Please click HERE.
Follow along for more of my life, recent work, and everything in between.

domain: artistic


Don't miss this!
FOR THE RACERS!!
This is a trial run and may never happen again!
We are offering the opportunity to get hold of your own system so that you can start maximising the off-season. Whether that is a case of squeezing more out of the bike you own, setting up a new rig or maybe you're raising the bar to World Cup level and want to take it with you.
The package includes:
1x Motion Instruments Expert kit pulse a variety of mounts enabling installation onto your DH bike and/or enduro bike. This will be packed up in a neat box with some other bits and pieces that we have found to be useful when you're testing. (If you want to upgrade to Pro kit I can get a price)
For the first time ever you'll receive your system along with a day of face-to-face training with me (Dave). You'll learn how to get the system installed, calibrated and up and running. You'll learn some suspension fundamentals and what to look for in the data you collect.
This will be followed up with a day at Revolution Bike Park (uplift and lunch included) where you can test your kit out alongside your peers and with me there to share my experience.
I'll also be available for online support as you need it throughout the season.


A Hedge Fund Manager Reluctantly Challenged — Then Collaborated With — Harry Markowitz
How Sander Gerber found a better way to measure diversification.
When Hudson Bay Capital’s Sander Gerber set out to build a portfolio management system, he didn’t plan to challenge Harry Markowitz.
Yet after developing a new statistic to understand how two securities move relative to each other — so-called co-movement — that’s exactly what he ended up doing. Gerber’s goal was to have a clearer understanding of exactly how diversified his portfolio was after finding that historical covariance, the measure used by Markowitz adherents, wasn’t cutting it.
To Gerber’s surprise, the father of Modern Portfolio Theory, which laid out a framework for the now-ubiquitous investment management strategy, was receptive. The two eventually collaborated to research whether this measure, now known as the Gerber Statistic, held water.
It did. The research, published in the February 2022 issue of the Journal of Portfolio Management, shows that using the Gerber Statistic instead of historical covariance — a measure used by most investors — leads to outperformance in cumulative return, average geometric return, and Sharpe ratio.
The Gerber statistic assesses the level of risk and diversification in a portfolio by determining whether securities move in tandem, in opposition to one another, or have no relationship at all. The stat uses certain thresholds to filter out noisy data that may signal that relationships exist, even when, in reality, they do not.
Without the Gerber statistic, investors could end up building portfolios that aren’t as diversified as they think.
Blind Reliance on Models Is a Mistake
The statistic’s development has its roots in Gerber’s own background as an equity options market maker on the floor of the American Stock Exchange, where he said he learned from a “guttural perspective” how the markets operated. Between the yelling, the hand signals, and paper orders, Gerber said he saw firsthand that there’s a “crescendo and diminuendo in the markets” that can indicate human error. For Gerber, it was a perfect illustration of behavioral economics.
“I saw how models broke down,” Gerber said, commenting on how his time on the floor made him think of the limits of all models, including MPT. He added: “I’m not saying all models are bad. To have a blind reliance on the model is a common failure. It happens again and again and again. People don’t understand the risk they have.”
After gaining experience on the exchange floor, Gerber decided to start a firm to trade his own capital. Originally called Gerber Asset Management, the firm grew into Hudson Bay Capital, a multi-strategy hedge fund that now manages $13.6 billion in assets. In 2021, the fund returned 13.5 percent net of fees.
“I had multiple risk-takers trading my money and I didn’t want to lose money,” Gerber said. “I wanted to give them the freedom to trade and exercise their talent and their alacrity.”
To do that he developed a system for portfolio management that eventually included the Gerber Statistic. Gerber, who studied both philosophy and finance in college, was used to thinking in frameworks and found them useful in managing money. But in Gerber’s view, the widely-used MPT framework was fed data that misrepresents a portfolio’s diversification.
For instance, say the S&P 500 moves 10 basis points. While that movement may dovetail with a 10 basis point move of another index used within a portfolio, an investor may deem the move too small to show a true relationship between the two. Using historical covariance, that relationship would show up as a co-movement.
The Gerber Statistic allows investors to filter out these small movements. Unlike historical covariance, it does not calculate the degree of movement, only attempting to measure whether or not the movement indicates a meaningful relationship.
Gerber used the statistic for years within Hudson Bay’s Deal Code System, a portfolio management framework for a high conviction strategy that is not correlated with the broader markets and with thresholds set to limit losses.
But Gerber thought his idea could use input from a heavy-weight academic.
Is There Another Way to Express Markowitz’s Ideas?
After an email exchange with Markowitz, Gerber flew out to San Diego, where Markowitz is based, so the two could discuss the idea in person.
Walking down the beach, with the wind whipping loudly, Gerber told the legendary economist that he believed the way MPT was being applied was based on a faulty assumption.
In 1952, Markowitz laid out the tenets of MPT, which emphasized the benefits of an entire portfolio of investments, including its risks, diversification benefits, and correlations between securities. Markowitz, along with William Sharpe and Merton Miller, shared the 1990 Nobel Prize. Their work changed the way people invested and is still the backbone of the asset management industry.
Also called mean variance, MPT’s practical application relies on inputting a covariance matrix, which shows relationships between two data points — in this case, securities. In the decades that followed MPT’s development, industry practitioners began calculating covariance using historical data, Gerber said. They are still using that practice today.
“That’s not what Harry wanted to have done,” Gerber said. “He wanted it to be based on the human judgment of forward-looking assumptions, not based on number-crunching of the past. The Gerber statistic solved for something he had been looking for.”
In the early 2000s, researchers came up with a way to exclude some of the market noise showing up in the model using an approach called the shrinkage estimator. The shrinkage model, however, still relies on the historical covariance matrix.
In Gerber’s view, historical correlation is not as useful as forward-looking assumptions. This is what the beach meeting was about — explaining to Markowitz that there could be another way to express his ideas.
“I thought this might be insulting, so I tried to be soft with it,” Gerber said. But Markowitz agreed. At first, Gerber thought he had misheard him. After all, it was noisy along the beach. Gerber asked Markowitz to repeat himself.
“He said, ‘I don’t think [historical correlation is] useful,’” Gerber recalled. “It was from that time we decided to collaborate.”
After more conversation, they began to work with Philip Ernst, a tenured associate professor of statistics at Rice University. “It’s great when you latch onto a new idea that really works well,” Ernst said of the research. Other co-authors included Yinsen Miao, Babak Javid, and Paul Sargen.
In a mathematical sense, the Gerber Statistic is a generalization of a statistic called Kendall’s Tau, which shows movement relationships between pairs. The Gerber Statistic also layers thresholds for co-movements into the measurement.
“We want to strip out noise and focus on meaningful relationships,” Gerber said.
It worked. The research showed that in every risk scenario, the Gerber statistic offered a more favorable risk-return profile than the historical correlation model. In all but the most conservative risk target, it also beats out the shrinkage estimator.
Diversification Is Still the Only Free Lunch
“You don’t have to input the past,” Ernst said of the benefits of the Gerber statistic versus these other two models. “You can decide what is a meaningful co-movement and what isn’t.”
Hudson Bay has been using the statistic as a part of an internal risk monitoring system to make investment decisions.
As an example, the risk model showed a relationship between a Chinese stock index and certain U.S. equities. After doing some research, the team came to realize that these U.S. companies, particularly when they were combined in a portfolio, had significant exposure to China.
“When China didn’t move a lot, you wouldn’t see it,” Gerber said. Aggregated, it did. The firm chose to layer on a China hedge to mitigate some of that risk, a decision based on the Gerber statistic.
The hedge fund manager emphasized that the model doesn’t make decisions for Hudson Bay. Instead, it helps the firm decide where and how it needs to diversify.
And that comes back to Markowitz’s original work.
“There’s only one free lunch in the markets,” Gerber said. “The free lunch is diversification because if you can achieve it, you can lower risk and achieve the same return stream.”


HPSC recruitment scam: HC grants bail to former HCS officer, three others
The bail was granted in cash for job scam relating to recruitment of dental surgeons in Haryana, being conducted by Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC), in 2021
: The Punjab and Haryana high court has granted bail to former HCS officer Anil Nagar and three others in the cash for job scam relating to recruitment of dental surgeons in Haryana, being conducted by Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC), in 2021.
Besides Nagar, a 2016-batch officer, who was posted as the HPSC deputy secretary in March 2021, those who were granted bail include Naveen, a government employee, Ashwani Kumar, a data processing company representative and one Pawan Gupta.
The FIR was registered on November 17, 2021 after Naveen Kumar was caught red-handed while accepting ₹20 lakh. Based on his confession and other evidence, the vigilance team arrested Ashwani Kumar and seized ₹ 1.07 crore during a search at his house.
The allegations were in the recruitments of dental surgeons, HCS officers, staff nurses and ANMs. The jobs were ‘sold’ for ₹10 lakh to ₹35 lakh per candidate in a well organised racket involving HPSC officials and the agency involved in exam by the HPSC. The challan by Haryana police was submitted in January 2022.
The petitioners’ counsels had told the court that while Naveen, Ashwani and Anil Dagar had been behind bars for more than a year, Pawan Gupta has been in jail for 6-7 months. None of the petitioners otherwise were involved in any other case and trial is likely to take some time to conclude.
The court observed that the petitioners have been behind bars for a substantial period and otherwise enjoy a “clean record”. The trial has not even commenced and charges are yet to be framed. Hence, further their detention was not “justified”, it said granting bail.


If today has taught us anything, it's that Lenovo doesn't like keeping its feet on the ground. The company's crazy concepts and ideas department, which is obviously not getting along on a shoestring, hasn't been dragging its feet in the last year. It has just unveiled a new Smart Cast phone concept, a Magic View smartwatch prototype, and now it's time for the other shoe to drop — literally.
See, usually humans use their face to convey their mood and expressions to the world, but if most people are goody two-shoes who walk with their head tilted down to avoid looking at others in the eyes, you have to find another way to get their attention. Read More
Lenovo's Tech World conference seems to be a never-ending parade of real products and crazy concepts, and this Magic View smartwatch joins the ranks of the latter while still having some grounds in reality. "But Rita, what is Magic View?" I hear you ask. It's a smartwatch with two screens. Yesssss. Let that sink in for a moment.
The second screen, dubbed a "Virtual Interactive Display," is physically smaller than the main round display (which is reminiscent of the Moto 360, flat-tire and all), but can project an image up to 20 times its size. Read More
A couple of years ago, I couldn't talk to anyone about smartphones for two minutes without them shouting in ecstatic delirium, "Have you seen the new iPhone 5?" Of course, they were talking about this concept video, which everyone in their right mind knew was a "concept" for no less obvious reason than the fact that it was titled as such and created by an animation studio. Except hundreds of people around me still believed it was the real deal. Read More
Lenovo has taken the opportunity at its Tech World 2015 conference to announce the Lenovo Cast, a new accessory that aims to mirror your Android device's screen to the TV. The device is puck-shaped and connects through a cable to the HDMI port on your television. Read More
Lenovo's brand new "Lenovo Tech World" event kicked off in Beijing today with some good news for would-be Moto makers in China - Moto Maker, Motorola's customization tool for the Moto X is opening up shop.
Customers in China will have access to all the same options current Moto Maker users enjoy - front and back color, accents, materials, and optional laser etching.
For now, Moto Maker is limited to the Moto X, but Lenovorola is offering promotional prices until June 2nd on the X, G, and the Nexus 6's cousin the Moto X Pro.
The Moto X will be available for RMB2,699 (with customized versions starting at RMB2,799), the Moto G from RMB999, and the X Pro from RMB3,999. Read More
Back in April, some Project Tango invitees reported that the tablet development kit's price had dropped from $1024 down to the "special price" of $512. In an email notification to invited buyers, Google advised, "We're opening up sales more broadly, so now is the last chance to buy the device we've reserved for you."
Evidently Google wasn't joking, as today Project Tango can be bought for the same $512 price invite-free from the Google Store.
Dropping the invitation requirement just one day before the 2015 I/O keynote is certainly an interesting move, and may suggest that Google will have more to tell us about its 3D sensing and tracking efforts during the conference. Read More
If you are sharing a link, you want whoever opens it to access the web service in whichever way makes the most sense on their device. On a desktop, you probably want to see it in a browser. On a mobile device, it often works better to open up that service's app. Google's URL shortening service, goog.gl, now offers that functionality. The same link will open either app or browser depending on the OS and whether an appropriate app is installed. Deep linking works on both Android and iOS.
This news is maybe most relevant to developers, but it should end up benefiting end users as well since you shouldn't have to deal with the confusion. Read More
Verizon will be ready to take your money in exchange for an LG G4 tomorrow, May 28th. The phone won't be in stores until June 4th, but pre-orders will start shipping before then. Also on the 28th, you'll be able to walk into a Verizon store and walk out with the new LG G Pad X8.3, which leaked a few weeks ago.
Ever since Android 5.1 began rolling out to the Nexus 6 a few months ago, there have been numerous builds at the same time, depending on country and carrier. This can be a lot for even the most hardcore of Nexus fans. Fret no more, however. We are here to help.
This post is intended for people who have locked bootloaders and flash OTAs - you know, the people who keep their phones stock. While I realize that a lot of Android Police's readership are power users, a very large number of us, myself included, have neither the time nor sufficient amounts of interest to unlock bootloaders, root devices, etc. Read More


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I love to make things that I like to use, so I have a wide variety of patterns as a result of that. I have sewn for more years than I care to admit to...let's just say, for decades. I enjoy making ...
I love to make things that I like to use, so I have a wide variety of patterns as a result of that. I have sewn for more years than I care to admit to...let's just say, for decades. I enjoy making patterns and sharing them with others. I try very hard to make them as easy to understand as I can. It is my hope that this is a way of helping others make things they like to use too.View all patterns by designer (78) »
These really are fast and easy enough for a beginner. You could get your family stockings made quickly and move on to friends on your list! Pattern comes with 22 photos, full instructions, full size patterns and sewing tips.
I recommend using eco felt or wool felt. Eco felt is made from recycled plastic bottles so it gets them out of the landfill and reused in a positive way.
Would you like to make your own trendy Felt Stockings? It is a great way to personalize your stockings and even make them eco friendly! I have included four different stockings with full pattern pieces. The small stocking(6" x 4") is perfect for small gifts or gift cards, full size candy bars, etc. The Medium(9 1/4" x 6") is a great size for stuffing multiple gifts, cards, candy, etc. The Extra Large(10 1/2" x 20")is for those big gifts or bags full of stuff! I share embellishment patterns and instructions as well. Don't forget that Elf-style(9 1/4" x 7") with the curly toe, it is included as well! NEW Bonus size of 9 1/2" x 6 1/8".

domain: design


508 (lot 11771)
3 Item Items
Warning: Last items in stock!
Indiecita Hand Dyed is 100%, very nice in touch, hand
dyed, alpaca yarn. It is very soft and not acrid.
Ideally suited for all kinds of scarves, shawls, sweaters and blouses
and other knitted projects. Just like her sister Indiecita, due to their
anti-static and hypoallergenic properties is especially recommended
for children and sensitive people. Alpaca is 3 times stronger and seven times
warmer than wool.
- It is recommended to hand wash only
- Do not use too much detergent, just a little
- Wash on the outside
- Keep away from moisture
- Dry flat, do not put up
- Save all tags until the end of needlework
- Do not bleach
- Maximum ironing temperature is 150 degrees
- Do not dry in an automatic dryer
10cm sample 30 mesh
Composition: 100% Alpaca
Estimated length: 320m
Recommended: wire: 2.5 - 3.5mm
We recommend washing in eucalan :)


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What is Yield Farming?
Yield Farming is a way to generate passive income by investing your digital assets. The term got popularized by the DeFi community in the summer of 2020, through the launch of various different projects such as Yearn, Sushiswap, and Yam Finance.
Where does the yield come from?
The yield comes from the distribution of governance tokens. You can imagine these tokens as a company share or a voting right.
What qualifies as Yield Farming
Yield farming has become somewhat of a marketing term in the crypto space so it's important one understands what is and what is NOT yield farming.
- Yield farming requires a permissionless and trustless application or protocol built on a decentralized blockchain like Ethereum.
- Hence, it is not yield farming if the program requires a user signup (name, email, etc) or users to submit to KYC (know-your-customer).
- Yield farming often requires lending liquidity as a liquidity provider (aka LP) in an automated market maker like Uniswap. Remember, the point of most yield farming programs is to bootstrap liquidity and so it starts with this core concept.
- Yield farming should result in one earning multiple forms of yield simultaneously. Those yield include but are not limited to lending interest, trading fees, and/or governance tokens.
- It is not mandatory but it is common for DeFi teams to require yield farmers to signal their intent to support the protocol by depositing (aka staking) the LP token received in exchange for providing liquidity.
How to get started Yield Farming
Yield farming requires just a few tools to begin discovering and engaging with opportunities.
Wallet: A compatible wallet like MetaMask or a hardware wallet paired with MetaMask such as the Ledger or the GridPlus Lattice1 allows one to securely interact with DeFi applications that host yield farming programs.
Zapper Farms: To discover hundreds of yield farming opportunities, go to zapper.fi/farm and search by token or protocol for potential farms that might interest you. If a farm requires you to be a liquidity provider, return to the Zapper Farm tab to click Show Available to Stake and then click the Stake button to deposit the LP token and start earning rewards.
Zapper Pools: Go to the Zapper Pool tab to easily add liquidity to over 1500 liquidity pools, using any token. Zapper will trade your starter tokens for the appropriate pool tokens in the correct pool ratio.
Here's some helpful links to get you started:

domain: economics


Brad E. Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald joins Nate Wells to preview the Gophers long-awaited return to Ralph Engelstad Arena to face North Dakota this weekend.
10K RINKS RADIO: Let’s Talk About Eks
By Tony Abbott - May 5, 2022
CnD NBA SHOW: DLollapalooza
By Dylan Carlson - May 2, 2022


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Here is an interesting story about two techies VinamraPandiya and Ashwini Rathod who tried their luck in the food industry.
The modern Dabbawallas as they could be called. They have started an enterprise which caters to providing food to the employees who are frustrated by the monotonous canteen food. Their USP is that they provide no frills food and no repeats for 30days. This does not end there. It is India's first customised calorie count meal service only at Rs.150.
All this started at Pune with an initial investment of Rs. 1 lakh each. This investment was put into 7 motorbikes for delivering the food efficiently in the Pune traffic. These young entrepreneurs aim to make a Rs.65 lakh sales out this enterprise.
And all this is cooking at Mom's Kitchen...............

domain: food


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I Am Hope
A team for ALEXAS HOPE
"I Am Hope" a team to help ALEXA'S HOPE increase organ donor registration across the nation
Monica Kersting founded Alexa’s Hope in honor of her daughter, Alexa, who died
awaiting a lung transplant. As a new charitable corporation Alexa’s Hope exists
to end the waiting list for organ donations, such that no person in need of an
organ transplant is denied due to a lack of available organs. Initial emphasis will
be placed on pediatric transplant issues.
Alexa's Hope is committed to increasing the number of consent donors and removing
obstacles that hinder organ donation and transplantation. Creating awareness is
the single most important course of action in ending the waiting list and
It is “Alexa’s Hope” that one day soon no child, no person, will die awaiting a
life-saving transplant, because the answer to organ donation is always, “Yes”.
As of January, 2013 almost 117,000 Americans are candidates on the UNOS (United
Network for Organ Sharing) wait list. More than 18 people die each day awaiting
a life-saving transplant. There is a long way to go to meet the need of those
waiting and hoping for a gift that will save their lives.

domain: medical


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The Bush administration announced a relaxation in federal logging guidelines last week, allowing for swifter land development in national forests and stoking a furor among environmentalists already angered by the administration's November decision to loosen air pollution controls.
The rule changes would clear the way for national forest managers to move forward with logging and commercial development without first conducting environmental impact studies.
According to the Forest Service, the new rules would simply give managers greater leeway in whether and how to conduct environmental impact studies before they revise or develop a forest's 15-year management plan. It also would give them options in meeting plant and animal protection requirements.
Forest Service officials, billing the changes as simpler and more efficient, said reviews would take about two years to conduct, compared with the seven years now. The new regulations could take effect after a three-month public comment period.
Administration officials say the current planning process imposes wasteful requirements that divert resources from the outdoors. Under the new system, public input would be restricted, and form letters and preprinted postcards would be disregarded.
Tom Partin, president of the American Forest Resource Council, an organization representing forest product manufacturers and forest landowners, said the decision to revamp logging rules is key to improving land management and is long overdue.
Environmental activists say the changes radically depart from standards that have been in place for 25 years. Many of the managers of the 155 national forests, environmentalists say, are close to loggers and other developers in their region, and now they will not have to consult with independent scientists before allowing more development.
Conservationists also said they fear that forest managers, if given the option of avoiding environmental studies, would do so simply to escape the work.
Eight Democrats in the Senate and six in the House wrote a letter to Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth last week, expressing concern that the changes would significantly weaken the National Forest Management Act and would bode poorly for preservation.
"We do not understand why your agency has released a draft rule that eliminates any assurance of protection for fish and wildlife and their habitat," the letter says. It goes on to question the wisdom behind weakening the requirements for environmental studies, independent scientific review of resource management plans, and public input.

domain: news


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Swanson takes the stand in Bowman County homicide trial
Editor's note: This story contains content that may be graphic for some readers. One of two defendants charged in the 2016 death of a Rhame, N.D., man took the stand Tuesday, Feb. 20 at the Stark County Courthouse in Dickinson. Madison Beth West,...
Editor's note: This story contains content that may be graphic for some readers.
One of two defendants charged in the 2016 death of a Rhame, N.D., man took the stand Tuesday, Feb. 20 at the Stark County Courthouse in Dickinson.
Madison Beth West, 27, of Dickinson, and Chase Duane Swanson, 22, of Bowman, have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, a Class AA felony, in Bowman County District Court.
The charges stem from the death of Nicholas Johnson, 23, of Rhame, who was found dead in a room at the El-Vu motel in Bowman on Aug. 20, 2016. A Class AA felony faces a maximum of life in prison without parole.
Swanson testified on his own behalf Tuesday for three hours, saying he worked during the day before Johnson's death and then went with West to his family home for dinner. After dinner, they went to Windy's Bar in Bowman around 8 p.m., Swanson testified.
He said Johnson came into the bar at about 8:30 p.m., and Johnson said he would have to buy Swanson a drink because he had recently turned 21. Swanson then testified he told West around 10 p.m. they needed to leave because they had to work in the morning. Eventually, they left about 11 p.m., and Johnson offered to give them a ride home. West's car was left at the bar.
In the vehicle, Johnson spoke about a threesome he had had at the Sturgis motorcycle rally, Swanson testified, adding Johnson never brought up having a threesome between the three of them.
Once they got to the motel, Johnson shut off the truck and followed West into the room. Swanson claimed he told Johnson he was tired and wanted to go to sleep because he and West had to work in the morning.
Swanson testified Johnson made his way to the bed where West was and asked for oral sex. Johnson later said West was going to perform oral sex on him and pulled out a knife, Swanson testified.
After Johnson allegedly pulled out the knife, Swanson said he began to strike Johnson in the face several times. He believed Johnson was trying to kill him.
Eventually, the two ended up on the bed, according to Swanson. Johnson had dropped the knife, and Swanson said he threw it across the room.
He said Johnson eventually got ahold of the knife again and did not let go until after Swanson had struck Johnson in the back of the head with a ratchet four times.
Swanson said West came up to him hugging him and said "You saved my life. You're my hero."
At that point, Swanson said, Todd Pashano knocked on the door and then walked in. He said he told Pashano about an alleged attempted rape and claimed Pashano later kicked Johnson, as well.
Swanson said he left the room. He said he could hear Pashano and West laughing inside the motel room. When he walked back in, he said, there was a flashlight up Johnson's rectum and a belt around his neck. He claimed Pashano tightened the belt and hit Johnson in the head with a flashlight before they left.
He said it was Pashano's idea to take Johnson's truck, and that Pashano drove first. They first made a stop at Swanson's family home where he got a gun to protect himself and West, Swanson claimed. He said two nights prior to the incident he had had a "run-in" with Pashano where Pashano allegedly picked Swanson up and slammed him to the ground.
Swanson claimed Pashano's driving was erratic and that he was speeding a lot on country roads. He also claimed Pashano had his phone the entire time in the truck. At some point Swanson took over driving and made the suggestion that they turn themselves in. He said Pashano and he came up with a plan to say that Pashano had been kidnapped by West and Swanson.
Swanson also said when they arrived at West's father's home in Cheyenne, Wyo., that they should remove the license plates from the truck to potentially get pulled over. A Rhame fire department license plate plaque was found in the trash at the West home in Wyoming, but the license plates were later put back on.
Once in Denver and after going to a marijuana dispensary, Swanson claimed that they should turn themselves in or get themselves arrested. He claimed he told Pashano to call authorities, which he later would do and the three were later arrested.
Swanson also claimed West had dumped water on the floor at the El-Vu motel room to clean up the scene, as well spoke about a fight the two had had about an ex-boyfriend of West's that led to him leaving the room and the later confrontation with Pashano. Swanson also claimed he had "slipped" West the gun he had gotten from the family shop while in the truck, and he said West had picked up a camo knife at the motel. All of these were incidents he said he was speaking about for the first time in front of authorities at the courthouse on Tuesday. It was also the first time he had spoken about the alleged prior incident with Pashano.
When asked by the state if he was a "jealous person" Swanson said no, but he added, "I can be protective."
He would later go onto say, "I didn't kill anyone."
The state rested its case before Swanson's testimony on Tuesday morning with North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations Special Agent Timothy Helmer taking the stand yet again.
Upon cross examination, Helmer testified about the fingerprinting that was done at the crime scene. Helmer said investigators did not do any fingerprinting at the scene, but noted several items were sent to the state lab for fingerprints, which came back negative.
Additionally, Helmer testified about bloody shoe prints that were found in the motel room on Aug. 20, 2016. He said shoe prints found at the scene were consistent with the pattern and size of the shoes that West was wearing when she was arrested. He said they did not find shoe prints matching Pashano's or Swanson's.
During Helmer's testimony, Kevin McCabe, West's attorney, and Thomas Murtha, Swanson's attorney, asked questions about inconsistencies and discrepancies in Pashano's story to law enforcement in court and to officers. Pashano has been charged with hindering law enforcement, a Class C felony, in connection with the case.
McCabe noted his client was not totally innocent, but he said, "she is not a monster."
"Madison West at no point agreed to murder Nicholas Johnson," McCabe said.
McCabe indicated West may take the stand, as well.
The case is set to begin again Wednesday morning.

domain: law


text: In Spring 2018 fashion designer Erdem collaborated with NARS to create a limited edition makeup collection. Feminine designs, beautiful fabrics and an excess of flowers characterise his style. In line with his style, which is also found in the collection’s products, we organised an intimate press lunch. Guests were treated to a workshop by Anna Priadka, former Global Artist of the brand. They were immersed in the limited collection, as they were surrounded by an opulence of flowers and the products. The very instagrammable surroundings were a feast for the eye and for everyone’s social channels, on which the attendees posted a lot of event- and launch related content.


Banks Constructions have been engaged on this project by Hanson Construction Materials to construct the civil and plumbing components for a wet mix concrete batching plant.
This concrete plant has been purpose built to supply wet mix batched concrete to Lend Lease for constructions of major NSW Government Infrastructure projects which include West Connex Stage 3A, M4/M5 Link Tunnels and Stage 3B Rozelle Interchange Projects.
Banks Constructions are contracted to complete below ground sewer, stormwater and water services. Design and construct of the concrete plant and roof structure foundations. Cast insitu concrete washout pits and settling pits.
Installation of the water management plumbing system for concrete production and truck barrel washout.


text: This is the BEST coffee cake ever. It has been around as long as I can remember. My Mom says back in 1966, my father used to go have coffee with his boss in a little coffee shop that served a coffee cake much like this one - he wanted her to figure out how to make it and this is what she came up with. Christmas is not christmas without it. My daughter makes it and takes it camping, it has gone fishing, we give it as gifts ... its just a family favorite. Its moist and easy to make.


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Comment on Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom Musical Review by John Linwood.
I think it’s a bit rich to claim I was insulting you with my comment about your failure to appreciate something new, when you say “it felt like a drunk Australian had written it and was experiencing regular blackout’s!” I believe they do have the internet in Australia these days.
Of course, you are entitled to your opinion. However, your stated love of Vampires Rock rather betrays the level of your taste. I found VR loud and lazy. Old covers of rock songs strung together with a load of crude and lewd jokes. I seem to remember Steinman effing and blinding and using language far worse than the word ‘rape’. I think Steinman (or whatever his real name is) didn’t do this piece justice. I thought the songs were great and very catchy, and the storyline original, and I look forward to seeing it again with a new company when it plays again, as no doubt it will.

domain: entertainment


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on December 1st, 2013
Genres: Contemporary, Historical, Romance, Young Adult
Buy on Amazon
Finnian bears the scar of an unspeakable crime. Tiria hides the pain of a terrible betrayal. When all their secrets are laid bare, will the truth rip them apart or forever silence the echoes of the past?
Seventeen-year-old Finnian Bell has been on the run for years, but he finally has a chance to rebuild his life while restoring an abandoned lighthouse on the Oregon Coast. Tiria Lucas, the lightkeeper's daughter, is still reeling from the pain of an event that has shattered her innocence. Fear and bitterness have turned her heart from Finnian, but he is determined not to let her go.
The lighthouse harbors dark secrets of its own... When Finnian and Tiria uncover the story of two teens hidden in the tower back in 1935, they discover a shocking connection that bridges time and death.
Crossing genres into worlds you've never seen... Echoes in the Glass is half-contemporary, half-historical with enough mystery, romance and lighthouse lore to ignite your imagination.
The cover art of this book is what drew my attention. When I saw it I knew I had to read it. The lighthouse called out to me. I’ve never read a book based around a lighthouse, so I had to give this book a shot. What’s really great about this story is that there is TWO stories being told. It’s half historical, half contemporary with a bit of mystery. I couldn’t put my iPad down once I started reading this.
The details that the author gave to us really helped me visualize the Lighthouse, as it was in both time periods. I had no problem envisioning how it might have looked when we were visiting it in 1935 or if we were visiting it in the present.
Cheri also did an amazing job with the character development, I fell in love with both couples, though for the most part I think I enjoyed Carina and Morgan’s story more. We get thrown some unexpected twists in both stories and at one point I could
almost feel my heart breaking. It’s a very bittersweet story that gave me one hell of a book hangover and left my heart a wee bit sore. Thank you for giving me the chance to read and review this book, Cheri & ATOMR. I really enjoyed it!


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Well, today is President George W. Bush's last day in office. To commemorate this, I thought I'd take a moment to revisit some of President Bush and his cabinet's most memorable moments while in office. So, without further ado, here are--in no particular order--25 things that will define this presidency (feel free to add your own).
1) The Iraq War (see also: deliberatly invading the wrong country) 2) Hurricane Katrina (see also: "You're doin' a heck of a job, Brownie.") 3) Walter Reed 4) Guantanamo Bay/Abu Ghraib 5) Outing U.S. spy Valerie Plane 6) Illegal Wiretaps 7) Alberto Gonzales firing the prosecutors Non-existant WMDs 9) National Debt 10) Dick Cheney shooting a guy in the face 11) Karl Rove 12) Abandoning the Kyoto Protocol 13) "Mission Accomplished" 14) Doing nothing for several minutes after being told of the terrorists attacks on 9/11 15) Water boarding 16) Jeff Ganon 17) Jack Abranoff 18) Harriet Myers 19) Black sites 20) No bid contracts (see also: Halliburton) 21) Not catching Bin Laden 22) No body armor for our troops 23) No exit strategy to get out of Iraq/Afghanistan 24) Getting a shoe thrown at his head 25) "The Decider"
Adios, Decided Dude. We'll miss your crazy "Bushisms" and your silly smirk...but that's about it.

domain: politics


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Audiology Today May/June 2018
The American Academy of Audiology promotes quality hearing and balance care by advancing the profession of audiology through leadership, advocacy, education, public awareness, and support of research. Dive into the May/June 2018 Audiology Today issue below!
I’ve wanted to be an audiologist since I was a kid. I recall an art project in elementary school to draw a picture of what you wanted to be when you grow up.
Concussions are a public health crisis. Millions of athletes and thousands of service members a year, for instance, suffer concussive injuries.
- Vestibular Assessment
- Vestibular Evaluation
It is important that audiologists have an understanding of pharmacology. At the very least, information of drug and withdrawal effects should be included in vestibular courses, and possibly an entire course in pharmacology should be offered.
- Middle Ear Disorder
- Sensorineural Hearing Loss
The purpose of this article is to provide audiologists with an overview of published criteria on when to refer patients for medical evaluation.
As the emerging professional works to further her or his career, biases surrounding leadership attributes and promotion are hurdles that must be faced not only in audiology but all professions and occupations.
- Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials
This article is a clinically based summary of the recently published “Safe Use of Acoustic Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potential Stimuli: Protocol and Patient-Specific Considerations” by Cory Portnuff, Samantha Kleindienst Robler, and Jamie M.
The founders created a structure upon which to formulate a mission. Our call to action today is the opportunity to fully bring the intention of the American Academy of Audiology to fruition. YOU are audiology.
- Audiometric Test
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
Welcome back to an ongoing series that challenges the audiologist to identify a diagnosis for a case study based on a listing and explanation of the nonaudiology and audiology test battery.
You may have received a notification to revalidate your Medicare enrollment, or heard others discussing Medicare revalidation, and were unsure what this process was, or if you were required to do anything.
The Foundation was proud to be part of the AAA Annual Conference as the Academy celebrated its 30th anniversary in Nashville.
As members of the Student Academy of Audiology (SAA) Board, we often hear that one of the greatest challenges local SAA chapters and our student members face is incorporating advocacy into their daily and chapter activities. When students think about advocacy, it tends to be on a large scale.
Recent AuD graduates discuss reasons why they chose ABA Board Certification.
ACAE CORNER | The Importance of the Accreditation Site Visit to the Accreditation Agency and the Program
ACAE prides itself on having the most sophisticated, interactive, and up-to-date electronic system for accreditation not only for audiology, but the electronic platform rivals any other discipline for seamless data entry, retrieval, interaction between reviewers and programs, and ability to updat
The Academy’s Political Action Committee (PAC) plays a key role in supporting federal advocacy initiatives.
The American Academy of Audiology is excited to launch a new initiative aimed at providing audiologists with a unique way to access continuing education through individualized, experiential learning.


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Anyone who is interested in Ireland or who had ancestors who came from there is sure to enjoy the latest issue of Irish Lives Remembered Genealogy Magazine. The July issue is available free to view and/or download at http://www.irishlivesremembered.com.
DANVILLE — Danville Area Community College will break ground on a much-needed expansion to the Harry J. Braun Technology Center this fall, thanks to a donation of upwards of $3 million from an area resident with strong ties to the college.
CHAMPAIGN — First and foremost, be patient.
"Most people, they get frustrated when things don't go their way. It's a trial-and-error process," said Ilkyoo Choi, who, as a high school senior in Seoul, South Korea, practiced solving the Rubik's Cube five hours a day for 10 days before he nailed it.
CHAMPAIGN — The man who helped launch the Blue Waters supercomputing project at the University of Illinois has been recruited back from Moscow to lead the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.
Several local private schools have new administrators this year, and The News-Gazette caught up with some of them to ask them about themselves, their jobs and their hopes for the future.
Here's how they responded.
Principal at Holy Cross School in Champaign
Each week, we offer an email Q&A with a local personality. Here, Paul Wood chats with King Elementary School kindergarten teacher and actress Mary Lynda (Mindy) Manolakes of Urbana.
What time do you typically get up? What do you do the first hour of the morning?
Studio visit is a Q&A with a local artist. Here, Melissa Merli chats with saxophonist Clark Gibson.
Q: You seem really accomplished for your age. When did you start playing the sax?
Thopiah, Lohano join Christie. Dr. Prakash Thopiah and Dr. Takeem Lohano have joined Christie Clinic.
Thopiah, who is in the Department of Cardiology, has served as an interventional cardiologist in the Champaign area for 25 years.
Another day in Chi-town and I find myself back in Millennium Park. Later, Emily and I will take a cab up to have dinner at a pie shop.
For information about services available to older adults, contact Karen Bodnar, director of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and Helen Mary Stevick Senior Citizens Center, 48 E. Main St., Champaign, IL 61820, phone 359-6500.
RSVP and the Stevick Senior Center are administered by Family Services of Champaign County.


Through the lens of optical remote sensing, we uncover a world illuminated by the intricate interplay of light and data. Delving into the electromagnetic spectrum, we navigate the realms of visible and infrared wavelengths to capture the essence of our surroundings. How does light unveil the unseen?
Embark on a journey with us as we unravel the complexities of multispectral and hyperspectral imaging, unraveling layers of information that shape our understanding of the environment. Join us in exploring the innovative instruments that propel optical remote sensing to new frontiers, shaping fields from vegetation studies to climate change research.
Understanding Optical Remote Sensing
Optical remote sensing involves capturing and analyzing electromagnetic radiation within the visible and infrared spectra. By utilizing sensors that detect and record light energy emitted or reflected from objects on Earth’s surface, this technology enables the observation of various environmental phenomena. Through the analysis of the light spectrum, valuable insights can be gained regarding vegetation health, water quality, atmospheric conditions, land use patterns, and climate change impacts.
The key principle behind optical remote sensing is the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and the Earth’s surface. Different materials interact with light in unique ways, leading to distinctive signatures that can be interpreted to extract valuable information. This technology allows for the non-invasive assessment of natural and man-made features across vast areas, providing a comprehensive view of our surroundings. By understanding how light interacts with the environment, scientists can derive crucial data for research and monitoring purposes.
Moreover, optical remote sensing plays a pivotal role in scientific endeavors such as vegetation studies, water quality assessments, atmospheric monitoring, and land cover mapping. By leveraging the capabilities of optical remote sensing instruments, researchers can gather data on a wide range of parameters, aiding in the understanding of complex environmental processes. This technology continues to evolve, offering new possibilities for addressing global challenges and enhancing our understanding of the Earth’s dynamics.
Visible and Infrared Remote Sensing
Visible and Infrared Remote Sensing play a significant role in capturing information beyond the human eye’s capabilities. By utilizing the electromagnetic spectrum, these technologies enable the detection of various features that are crucial in diverse fields of study.
• Visible remote sensing focuses on capturing data within the spectral range visible to the human eye, typically between 400 to 700 nanometers. This spectral band allows for the identification of surface characteristics like vegetation health, urban areas, and soil types.
• In contrast, Infrared remote sensing extends beyond the visible spectrum, capturing information in wavelengths longer than those visible to the human eye. This includes near-infrared (NIR), short-wave infrared (SWIR), mid-wave infrared (MWIR), and long-wave infrared (LWIR), each offering unique insights into different materials and phenomena.
• Multispectral sensors combine both visible and infrared bands to provide a more comprehensive view of the Earth’s surface, enabling analysis across a broader spectrum. Conversely, hyperspectral sensors offer even more detailed information by capturing data in numerous narrow bands, allowing for precise identification of materials based on their spectral signatures.
• Through the integration of visible and infrared remote sensing techniques, researchers can gather detailed information on various environmental parameters, enhancing our understanding of vegetation health, land use dynamics, climate change effects, and other critical factors that shape our world.
Multispectral and Hyperspectral Remote Sensing
Multispectral and hyperspectral remote sensing utilize different segments of the electromagnetic spectrum to gather information about the Earth’s surface. Multispectral sensors capture data in several specific spectral bands, each representing a range of wavelengths, such as visible light, near-infrared, and thermal infrared. These bands provide valuable insights into various environmental features and processes.
On the other hand, hyperspectral sensors have a higher spectral resolution, breaking down the spectrum into numerous narrow bands. This detailed spectral information enables the identification of specific materials and substances based on their unique spectral signatures. Hyperspectral remote sensing is particularly useful in applications requiring precise discrimination between different vegetation types, minerals, or pollutants.
Both multispectral and hyperspectral remote sensing techniques offer advantages in different scenarios. Multispectral imagery is suitable for broad-scale classification and mapping, such as land cover analysis. In contrast, hyperspectral data provides more detailed and accurate information, making it valuable for tasks like mineral exploration, precision agriculture, and environmental monitoring. By combining the strengths of these approaches, researchers can enhance the understanding and interpretation of optical remote sensing data for a wide range of applications.
Optical Remote Sensing Instruments
In the realm of optical remote sensing, a diverse array of sophisticated instruments plays a pivotal role in capturing and analyzing data from the electromagnetic spectrum. These instruments are meticulously designed to detect and measure the interaction of light with various surfaces and materials, enabling researchers to gather valuable insights for a wide range of applications.
One of the most common optical remote sensing instruments is the spectroradiometer, which measures the intensity of light at different wavelengths. This device helps in characterizing the spectral signatures of objects and surfaces, facilitating the identification of specific materials based on their unique reflectance properties. By analyzing the reflected light across the optical spectrum, researchers can derive crucial information about the composition and properties of the target area.
Additionally, hyperspectral imaging sensors are widely utilized in optical remote sensing applications. These advanced instruments capture spectral information with high spectral resolution, allowing for detailed analysis of the electromagnetic spectrum beyond the capabilities of traditional multispectral sensors. By providing a wealth of spectral data, hyperspectral instruments enable enhanced classification and mapping of land cover, vegetation types, and environmental parameters with unprecedented precision.
Moreover, optical remote sensing instruments like imaging spectrometers and multispectral cameras offer valuable tools for monitoring and studying the Earth’s surface and atmosphere. These instruments capture high-resolution images across specific spectral bands, aiding in the detection of subtle variations in surface features, atmospheric properties, and environmental changes. Through the integration of cutting-edge optical technologies, these instruments continue to revolutionize the field of remote sensing, driving innovation and advancements in scientific research and environmental monitoring.
Optical Remote Sensing in Vegetation Studies
Optical remote sensing plays a crucial role in vegetation studies by utilizing the light reflected or emitted by plants to gather valuable data. By analyzing the optical spectrum captured, researchers can assess various vegetation parameters such as health, biomass, and species composition. This non-destructive method aids in monitoring changes in vegetation cover over time with high accuracy.
One significant application of optical remote sensing in vegetation studies is the mapping of land cover types, including forests, grasslands, and crops. Through satellite imagery and airborne sensors, detailed information on the distribution and dynamics of various vegetation types can be obtained. This data is vital for ecosystem management, biodiversity conservation, and understanding the impact of land-use changes on vegetation health.
Moreover, optical remote sensing enables the detection of stress factors affecting vegetation, such as drought, disease, and pollution. By analyzing specific spectral signatures related to stress indicators, researchers can identify areas of vegetation under duress and implement targeted interventions for conservation and restoration efforts. This proactive approach aids in maintaining the ecological balance and resilience of plant communities in the face of environmental challenges.
Overall, optical remote sensing in vegetation studies provides a comprehensive and efficient means of monitoring and analyzing the Earth’s vegetation cover on a large scale. Its ability to capture detailed information about plant characteristics and environmental interactions contributes significantly to scientific research, resource management, and sustainable development efforts.
Optical Remote Sensing in Water Quality Assessment
Optical remote sensing plays a crucial role in water quality assessment by utilizing the light spectrum to analyze various parameters such as turbidity, chlorophyll concentration, and suspended solids. This allows for the detection of pollutants and changes in water quality over time.
By measuring the reflectance and absorption of light wavelengths in water, optical remote sensing can provide valuable insights into the health of aquatic ecosystems and the presence of contaminants. Different water constituents exhibit unique spectral signatures, enabling researchers to identify and monitor specific factors affecting water quality.
One real-world application of optical remote sensing in water quality assessment is the monitoring of harmful algal blooms in lakes and coastal areas. By capturing and analyzing optical images, researchers can track the growth patterns of algae, assess their impact on water quality, and facilitate early warning systems to protect human health and aquatic ecosystems.
Overall, optical remote sensing offers a non-invasive and efficient means of assessing water quality, providing essential data for decision-making in resource management and environmental conservation efforts. Its ability to gather detailed information from a distance makes it a valuable tool for monitoring and safeguarding water bodies worldwide.
Optical Remote Sensing in Atmospheric Studies
In atmospheric studies, optical remote sensing plays a pivotal role in monitoring various components of the Earth’s atmosphere. By utilizing the light spectrum to analyze atmospheric properties like aerosols, gases, and cloud cover, researchers can gain valuable insights into climate patterns and air quality.
Key applications of optical remote sensing in atmospheric studies include measuring atmospheric composition, tracking pollution levels, and studying the interactions between different atmospheric layers. This technology enables scientists to assess the impact of human activities on the environment and facilitate better decision-making for environmental protection and resource management.
Through the use of multispectral and hyperspectral imaging, optical remote sensing allows for the detection of specific atmospheric pollutants such as ozone, particulate matter, and greenhouse gases. These observations aid in understanding the dynamics of air pollution, climate change effects, and overall atmospheric behavior, contributing to the advancement of atmospheric science research.
By integrating optical remote sensing data with atmospheric modeling techniques, researchers can develop comprehensive atmospheric models that enhance our understanding of complex atmospheric processes and phenomena. This interdisciplinary approach promotes a deeper comprehension of atmospheric dynamics, leading to more accurate climate predictions and improved strategies for environmental conservation.
Optical Remote Sensing in Land Use and Land Cover Mapping
Optical remote sensing plays a vital role in land use and land cover mapping by utilizing light sensors to capture and analyze data about the Earth’s surface. By interpreting the reflected light from different land features, such as vegetation, soil, and water bodies, optical remote sensing can categorize and map various land cover types with high accuracy.
One significant advantage of using optical remote sensing in land use and land cover mapping is its ability to provide detailed and up-to-date information over large geographic areas. This technology enables researchers and decision-makers to monitor changes in land cover over time, identify trends in urban expansion, deforestation, agricultural practices, and assess the impact of human activities on the environment.
Moreover, optical remote sensing allows for the creation of land cover classification maps that are essential for urban planning, natural resource management, and environmental monitoring. These maps help in identifying areas at risk of degradation, monitoring the health of ecosystems, and implementing sustainable land use practices to support biodiversity conservation and mitigate climate change effects.
Overall, optical remote sensing in land use and land cover mapping offers a powerful tool for understanding spatial patterns, dynamics, and changes in land cover types, contributing to informed decision-making processes and effective land management strategies. By harnessing the capabilities of optical sensors and advanced image processing techniques, this technology continues to revolutionize the field of geospatial analysis and environmental monitoring.
Optical Remote Sensing in Climate Change Studies
Optical Remote Sensing plays a significant role in Climate Change Studies by providing crucial data for monitoring and understanding environmental changes. Through analyzing the Earth’s surface and atmosphere using optical sensors, researchers can track variations in key parameters related to climate change.
Some key applications of Optical Remote Sensing in Climate Change Studies include:
- Monitoring changes in land surface temperature to assess urban heat island effects.
- Studying glacier retreat through the analysis of optical imagery for ice cover variations.
- Tracking changes in vegetation cover and health to understand shifts in ecosystems and biodiversity.
- Assessing cloud cover patterns and properties to investigate their impact on climate dynamics.
By utilizing optical data, scientists can create accurate models and predictions related to climate change trends, aiding in decision-making for mitigation and adaptation strategies. Optical Remote Sensing provides a valuable tool in the comprehensive study of the Earth’s climate system and its evolving patterns over time.
The Future of Optical Remote Sensing
Looking ahead, the future of optical remote sensing is poised for significant advancements. Rapid technological progress is driving the development of more sophisticated sensors capable of capturing a broader range of the electromagnetic spectrum. This expansion beyond visible and infrared wavelengths will enhance the precision and depth of data collected in various applications.
Moreover, the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms into optical remote sensing systems holds immense potential. These advancements will enable automated data processing, analysis, and interpretation, leading to quicker and more accurate insights. Such innovations will revolutionize how optical remote sensing is utilized across diverse fields, from environmental monitoring to urban planning.
Furthermore, ongoing research focuses on miniaturizing optical remote sensing instruments, making them more accessible and cost-effective. This democratization of technology will empower researchers, government agencies, and industries worldwide to leverage optical sensing for a wide array of applications. As these tools become more user-friendly and affordable, the adoption of optical remote sensing is expected to surge, driving innovation and discovery in the years to come.
In conclusion, Optical Remote Sensing plays a pivotal role in diverse fields such as vegetation studies, water quality assessment, atmospheric research, and climate change analysis. Its ability to capture data across the light spectrum offers valuable insights for environmental monitoring and resource management.
Looking ahead, advancements in optical remote sensing technology will continue to enhance our capacity to monitor the Earth’s dynamic systems with greater precision and efficiency, contributing to informed decision-making in an ever-changing world. The future holds promising opportunities for leveraging optical remote sensing to address global challenges and promote sustainability.


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I have a confession to make: bananas are just not my thing. I know, how dare I be saying that, first of all my name is Anna and half the world calls me banana, and second of all they are pretty much the make or break part of all the vegan and health world’s green smoothies. I mean, lets face it, what would you rather have, a creamy green smoothie because of the addition of a frozen banana, or a watery, potently green tasting, not very sweet drink? I think most would go for the first. But me, I can’t say so definitively. I find the creamy tropical fruit to have an annoying aspect of taking over all other delicate tastes that one would wish for in a smoothie. For example, what if I want a creamy green blueberry smoothie? Well, I would need to add a banana to get the creaminess aspect, but then my poor smoothie would savor of bananas way more than my blueberry intention. My oh my, what an issue!
But most of all, bananas make me constipated. When ever I exclaim this to people, they are utterly confused, aren’t bananas supposed to cure constipation? Well, this my friend is where the ancient traditional practices of Oriental medicine come in, such as my love, Ayurveda. I will post a more complete post on this issue in the near future, but for now, my message is to know what suits you body in terms of substances and food you put into it. For me, bananas aren’t something I can have everyday. For others, it might be a necessity.
But for all you banana filled green smoothie lovers, I have a recipe for you! I invented this with the desire to mask the strong flavors of the creamy banana. With the addition of raw cacao and peppermint extract, I have successfully completed my task and been rewarded with a creamy, dreamy, thin mint girl scout cookieish, superfood packed smoothie. I’ve added chia seeds for extra creamyiness=superfood! Raw cacao for deliciousness=superfood! Tons and tons of raw spinach for an extra dose of my daily dark leafies=superfood! And the remaining ingredients simply help bring this lovely morning (or afternoon, or night) treat together. I hope you will enjoy this smoothie as much as I do!
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup unsweetened nut or seed milk
1 tbsp. chia seeds
1 tbsp. raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder, just not as many superfood benefits)
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
huge amount of spinach (or other dark leafy green) , maybe 2 cups *see note
Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender such as a Vita-mix (will work in a regular blender too.) Blend for a minute or so until smooth and creamy, make sure you allow the chia seeds to soak up so liquid to allow for an even more creamy texture! Add more spinach as needed. * see note
*Note on spinach amount:
I didn’t want to put a specific amount on how much spinach to add because I find myself many times adding more and more to try to find the line between tasting any bitterness and tasting nothing in regards to the spinach. I usually start with about two cups and once my smoothie is blended, I add a few more large handfuls to try to pack in as much nutrition as I am able!


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File photo: The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) logo is displayed at its headquarters in New State, Taiwan on August 31, 2018. Reuters / Tyrone Siu
8 October 2021
TOKYO (Reuters) – TSMC in Taiwan and Sony Group Corporation in Japan are looking to jointly build a chip factory in Japan, and the government will pay a portion of an investment of about 800 billion yen ($7.15 billion), according to Nikkei told on Friday that it was ready.
The factory in Kumamoto City, southern Japan, is expected to produce semiconductors for automobiles and camera image sensors, which have been hit by global chip shortages, and is expected to begin operations by 2024.
Sony and TSMC declined to comment. However, TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip maker and a major supplier of Apple Inc., said in July that it was considering production plans in Japan.
TSMC is concerned that its chip manufacturing capability is concentrated in Taiwan, which produces the world’s most advanced chips. China has not ruled out using force to bring the democratic islands under control.
Japanese officials are also concerned about the stability of the industry’s supply chain as global chip shortages force automakers to cut production.
($1 = 111.8600 yen)
(Reporting by Shinji Kitamura in Tokyo and Ben Blanchard in Taipei, written by Ritsuko Ando, edited by Kim Coghill and Kirsten Donovan)


Already posted in media and arts, but i though I would let my fellow aussies know about it too.
So below is an edit made by a new editor for Lunatic Studios. The edit was primarily made by him and both athletes featured were still recovering from injuries in particular torn ankle ligaments. Anyways it is by no means the best edit we have created but definitely a different attempt, after all we are only a group of aussies who love skiing.
+K to any suggestions, opinions or improvements.
Also a short edit from falls creek to drop soon


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Taylor Swift is enjoying her success. The entertainer who has hit every major award show and holiday event to pitch her music announced on Monday that her hit I Knew You Were Trouble is currently on the top spot at radio stations around the country. Announcing the song is number one on pop radio, Taylor Swift shared her joyous news with fans.
“It's official--'I Knew You Were Trouble' is #1 on pop radio!! You guys are unbelievable. I'm smiling SO big right now,” tweeted Taylor Swift from her official Twitter account. She probably expects to stay at the top spot for a while as she will be performing at the Grammys in a few weeks to give her songs another heavy boost.
While Taylor Swift did acknowledge the fans are driving the success of the song, it’s odd that she didn't thank the fans. Eluding to how she feels and who is responsible, the message never directly gives props to the people who make her success. Other artists usually fall all over the fans when a big milestone is tackled, which really has people wondering if Swift forgot.
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Newborn Photographer Lenses
A question I am asked frequently by both clients and photographers alike is what equipment I am using. This is a multifaceted question as we have a variety of camera bodies, lenses, strobes and light modifiers. Today I’m going to focus on what’s in my camera bag and the essential newborn photographer lenses.
As photographers we have many choices we make regarding the equipment we purchase. Canon or Nikon. Quality versus price. Zoom versus prime lenses. Personally, I am a Canon girl. Love, love, love all of my Canon products. I have two Canon camera bodies and several lenses. I also tend to focus on quality over price. I always want to be able to create the best images I can for clients and therefore make sure I am shooting with the very best equipment. I also am a prime lens fan. You just can’t beat the clarity of an L series prime lens. So let’s take a look at the lenses I use and how I use them.
This wide angle fisheye lens is a recent new addition to our studio. It is amazing for capturing dramatic and scenic outdoor images. We have big plans for how to use this lens for our maternity and family sessions. This is our only non-prime lens and we are loving playing with it.
A photo in use with the fisheye lens of our cute studio.
The Sigma Art 35mm is our workhorse lens during newborn sessions. We use if during about 90% of a newborn photography session. We love the sharpness as well as the ability to capture the larger scenes we are best known for creating for our clients. This is our only non-Canon lens as well and we just can’t say enough good things about it.
The Canon 50mm is the iconic “nifty-fifty” that just about every photographer likes to have in their bag. We recently upgraded from the 1.4 to the 1.2 L series lens and holy guacamole it is awesome! We love the beautiful bokeh we get with less distortion than the 35mm. We plan to use this for many of our in studio family images.
The Canon 85mm L series lens is an incredible and versatile lens. We love using this lens for all sorts of sessions. We occasionally use it for certain newborn images when we are trying to get tight on a backdrop. We use it often for milestone sessions for the same reason. And we love using it in studio for maternity sessions as it doesn’t have the distortion of the wider lenses and is beautifully sharp.
The Canon 100mm L series lens can be used as a portrait or macro lens. We primarily use it in studio for our adorable macro images. These are those close-up detail shots of your baby’s adorable features that you just never want to forget.
The Canon 135mm L series lens has been one of our favorite lenses for years. If we are shooting outdoors we likely have this lens on our camera almost exclusively and shoot with it wide open at 2.0. You can’t beat the clarity and the beautiful bokeh it creates in the background. We use this for all of our outdoor maternity, family and milestone sessions. It is absolutely dreamy. That wraps up our list of our top newborn photographer lenses (at least for now until we get another one!). Feel free to ask questions about any of our lenses or other equipment. You can reach us through our contact form here.


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If you or someone you know is being treated for osteoporosis using one of Actonel, Boniva, or Fosamax, then you/they are receiving bisphosphonate therapy.
We're used to thinking of bones as being static objects once we reach adulthood, but they are of course really collections of living (and dying) cells that must be constantly maintained over time. The body produces two types of specialized cells that are responsible for this maintenance. Osteoclasts "digest" what they think are old, ineffective bone cells, and osteoblasts create their replacements. In patients with osteoporosis or multiple myeloma, the osteoclasts outrun the osteoblasts for a variety of reasons, resulting in gradual bone loss. The bisphosphonates inhibit the osteoclasts' activities, either by interfering with their creation, or by interfering with their attachment to the bones' surfaces.
The bisphosphonates used to treat multiple myeloma, either Aredia or Zometa, are much more powerful and dangerous (in terms of possible side effects) than those used to treat osteoporosis. They are delivered monthly, via an IV drip, oral versions being unavailable. This Friday, I will get my first monthly dose of Aredia via an IV drip lasting approximately two hours.


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Jorge Claros will report back to Hibs for pre-season training, his agent has confirmed.
The future of the Honduran midfielder had been unclear as Pat Fenlon began a clear-out at Easter Road in the wake of their 5-1 Scottish Cup final defeat to Hearts.
Claros signed up for a 12 month loan from parent club Motagua in January and made 13 appearances last season, including a start in the Hampden final on May 19.
Speaking to Honduras paper Diez, Claros’ agent Paulo Hernandez confirmed he will be back in Edinburgh for the season’s preparations.
Hernandez said: “Claros has a contract with Hibernian until December and as far as I know he will report back for pre-season training.
“Claros is under contract at the club and is still there.”
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sick of serving food mixed with artificial flavors, food additives and
chemicals to your dog? Have you ever thought about purchasing eco-friendly and
healthy dog food? Not everyone has time to cook for their dog or the money to
buy fresh meat for them every day. But fortunately, there are quite a few
online shops out there that specialize in eco-friendly pet products including
organic dog and cat food. Asides from organic pet food, many websites offer
other interesting organic and eco-friendly products.


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“You’re dealing with huge trucks on very small roads that aren’t necessarily designed for them,” says Green Party city councillor Patrick Costello.
Who's Lobbied Dublin City Council in the Last Few Months?
As of late on Tuesday night, 20 organisations had filed returns to say that they lobbied Dublin city officials or councillors in the last months of 2015.
The Battle Continues Over the Future of Wolfe Tone Park
If all goes as planned, we will see Dublin City Council’s draft proposal for Wolfe Tone Park early next year. Should it include a new cafe?
Councillors Push Back Plans to Sell Off Temple Bar Properties
At Monday’s meeting, councillors said they wanted to reflect before going ahead with the sale of commercial properties in Temple Bar.
In Rathmines, Councillors Split Over Protecting Old Fire Station
The building would be protected if it weren’t for a clerical error. Now there’s talk of tearing it down to make way for an access road to a site behind it.
Residents: Don't Let Our Temple Bar Turn Into "That" Temple Bar
Dublin City Council has decided to sell 25 properties it owns in the west end of Temple Bar. Affected businesses seem largely unruffled, but residents are worried their quiet enclave could turn into something like the temple of bars to the east.


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MBI's Kevin O'Sullivan on why biotechs are thriving in Worcester (Video)
Ask Worcester's business and academic leaders why the city's prospects are rising, and the answers vary. Some cite the relative value of property and labor versus Boston. Others point to the rising prominence of the area’s biotechnology cluster and the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, which employs roughly one in five Worcester workers.
- Why Boston-area investors are flocking to Worcester (BBJ premium content)
Kevin O’Sullivan, a former state legislator who runs a biotech incubator out of a WPI academic building, said the city’s leaders are far less provincial than predecessors who felt Worcester needed to define itself as a standalone economic hub. He said the result is a greater and more coordinated effort to brand the city as pillar of, rather than an alternative to, the technology and financial corridor stretching out of Boston.
O’Sullivan named a handful of tenants at his incubator, Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, that launched from Boston-area biotechs such as Genzyme Corp., Waters Corp.and Pfizer, among others. “Number one, I think it’s cost, and number two I think it’s convenience,” he said, listing reasons for the westward flow of intellectual property. “And number three, I think (Worcester has) a pretty good operation here.”
O’Sullivan said around 50 of his former tenants have successfully spun out of MBI since its founding around a decade ago, with most staying local thereafter. Some work closely with major life sciences operations at Abbvie, formerly Abbott Labs, and UMass Medical Center.
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Deutsche Telekom to invest 6bn euros in European network
The move fits into a sector trend of selling multi-service packages comprising broadband, television, and fixed and mobile services. Vodafone's 7 billion pound (\$10.75 billion) investment programme dubbed "Project Spring", for example, also aims to improve its networks to better handle its various products.
Deutsche Telekom's integrated network, based on internet protocol or so-called IP-network, will make it easier and cheaper to operate its services.
The company said it allows subscribers to add products such as television and internet with a few clicks of a mouse, rather than having to wait for a technician to establish the connection.
"We are adding as much as 100,000 connections a week to the IP-platform," management board member Claudia Nemat said at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, adding that it had already finished the upgrade in Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia.
By 2018, half of households connected to Deutsche Telekom's network in Europe will be able to surf the Internet via broadband connections at speeds of at least 100 megabits per second, the company said.
Speeds in its fixed-line network will reach up to 500 megabits per second for around 12 percent of households, it added.
Deutsche Telekom aims to achieve this through the combination of fibre optic technology and new technologies such as so-called Super Vectoring, a method of optimising existing copper cables.
The firm had 29.8 million fixed network lines in Europe at the end of last year, of which 20.8 million were in Germany, according the company's annual report. At the end of the year it had 17.4 million broadband connections across Europe.


Soloist Peter Mellinger and Conductor Eric Lindholm
Last Night the Pomona College Orchestra performed Fauré’s Pavane, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, and Brahms’ Fourth Symphony at Sunset Center in Carmel. It was a class act. Since it is not often that the Monterey Peninsula receives a visit from a touring college orchestra, the two concerts in Salinas and Carmel given by the Pomona College Orchestra this week provided an opportunity to observe at first hand serious music making in academia. Although the majority of its members are Pomona College students, the orchestra also has players from Scripps, Harvey Mudd, Claremont McKenna, and Pitzer colleges, as well as from the greater Claremont community.
Pomona College Orchestra’s conductor Eric Lindholm is a former child prodigy in mathematics, taking college calculus at age 10 and completing a year of college physics by age 13. He switched to a music major while in the middle of an undergraduate physics degree program at Princeton, going on to earn advanced degrees in conducting from Boston University and the Yale School of Music.
Would it be surprising to learn that the majority of players in the Pomona Orchestra are non-music majors. Why? Well, let’s start with the old joke, “There were two men walking down the street. One was a musician, and the other didn’t have any money, either.” To pursue a career in music has always been a difficult way to make a living, and it is not getting any easier.
Observing another university orchestra, the Stanford Symphony, we know that 95% of the students performing in its orchestra are non-music majors pursuing degrees leading to careers in such fields as medicine, law, engineering and the sciences. Like the Pomona College Orchestra, the Stanford Orchestra players are students pursuing two paths in their lives, with musical skills on such a high level they would be welcome in any professional orchestra anywhere.
One of the reasons the Pomona College Orchestra is performing here is that the orchestra’s featured soloist in the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto on this occasion is Peter Mellinger, a 2014 Carmel High School graduate who last November entered Pomona’s Concerto Competition and won. His winning the competition is all the more remarkable since Mellinger is a freshman at Pomona and thus was competing against older students.
Mellinger, a pupil of Rochelle Walton for ten years, covered himself with honors as a high school student on the Monterey Peninsula. He was concertmaster of the YMMC Honors Orchestra, appeared several times with the Carmel Bach Festival Young Musicians Showcase and appeared as soloist in the Bruch Concerto with the Monterey Peninsula College Orchestra under the direction of David Dally in 2014.
Tonight’s concert began with a lovely performance of Fauré’s Pavanne (composed in 1887), which contained many lovely moments with rich sounds and textures and elegant ensemble. There was a lot of subtlety is this performance.
When Peter Mellinger walked out on stage out to play the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, you could tell from the enthusiastic greeting he received from the audience that family and friends were there in force. And, he did not disappoint them. It was easy to forget he is an 18-year-old college freshman, because we were hearing mature and artistic playing of a very high order. In addition to elegant and dynamic phrasing, he dazzled us with his superb technical mastery, fabulous harmonics and his natural modesty on stage. Wow!
The concert ended with a richly detailed and exciting performance of Brahms’ Symphony No. 4. In this work we heard more of what the Pomona College Orchestra is capable of. Youthful enthusiasm and instrumental mastery is a great combination. Let’s hope for a return engagement.


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I suppose I should not be surprised that my first word offered by my readers is "asinine" as most of the time, I'm living proof that word was necessary for proper descriptions to exist. Despite the fact that I cannot spell it to save my life.
I have a hard time being foolish on purpose. By accident, I am quite a natural at it -- that's another story. But for many years, I was the straight laced stick in the mud. It came from a lack of confidence in who I was and a deep fear of being judged by others.
As the years have gone on and I have grown up, I'm more comfortable being silly and ridiculous. I hope by the time I'm 80, I'm nothing but silly and ridiculous.
|Pull your finger? Oh no!|

domain: literature


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Winger Michael Barnes has left AFC Fylde, having made over 250 appearances for the club
The 26-year-old former Manchester United youngster has spent the past six seasons at Kellamergh Park, becoming a firm fans’ favourite.
He managed to scored six goals in 35 appearances last season, despite an injury-hit campaign.
Barnes was named players’ player of the Year and Supporters’ Club player of the year two seasons running, featuring in both th Evo-Stik Division One North and Evo-Stik Premier Division teams of the season.
Manager Dave Challinor said: “Barnesy has been great for us and a mainstay in the side. Our pace in wide areas is something we’re renowned for and he has been a big part of that.
“We had to make a difficult decision as he’s been out for long periods over the last two seasons with injuries.
“As he was one of our top earners, we can’t afford to have him not involved. This, combined with the emergence of Dion Charles, and Cory Bent led us to this decision.”
Chairman David Haythornthwaite said: “Michael has been a terrific servant to this club and has been instrumental in helping us reach the level we are at today.”

domain: sports


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There’s a beautiful vividness to Gigi Rose Gray’s illustrations – reds are crimsons, blues are ceruleans and yellows have seeped into deep ochres. Gigi crops into the small moments and hones in on a handful of people or the facade of a building.
It gives the American illustrator’s images intrigue as the viewer deciphers where the figures are and what they’re looking at. Her work feels graphic but Gigi’s style means her black lines house a wonderful mix of shapes and tones giving it great depth. This series is taken from the illustrator’s show at the NAC gallery in New York, and interestingly only female silhouettes are used. We never see the faces of those women, but it’s the level of detail Gigi has gone into with their clothes and coiffured hair that gives them their identity and sassiness.


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Saira is the co-creator of "If We Were . . ." a children's picture book, and "Seek Joy, Find Beauty, Share Love" a contemplative coffee table book filled with beautiful images of our natural world and a meditative reflection on finding our place in it. Her latest book is "Zen of Hoarding - 108 offerings for deciding what we own." In it, she hopes to help others clear the space between the clutter and their calling. Her forthcoming book is a children's adventure novel, set to be released in 2013.
She has come a long way from her birthplace in Uganda, Africa to a mid-western life in Ohio. She embarked on a lifelong journey of self-study after getting her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Business at Capital University. For many years, she earned her living as an accounting professional though she longed to explore her artistic soul "someday."
Her books are some of the many fruits that are being produced as a result of "someday" having arrived. Saira envisions the positive potential in both people and situations and strives to maximize the brilliance of those with whom she makes contact. As she awakens to this calling, Saira is deepening her exploration as a creative spirit in being an avid photographer, enthusiastic writer, and spiritual seeker. With great enjoyment, she expresses creativity in the kitchen and garden; in parenting, meditating, reading, traveling and being in nature. If you want to see her vibrancy come alive, ask her about The Silk Road, Monarchs, Children, Sandhill Cranes, Spirituality or Labyrinths.
Where to find Saira Priest online
Where to buy in print
Zen of Hoarding
by Saira Priest
Zen of Hoarding is a book infused with light-hearted spiritual wisdom, offered in koan-sized pieces for meditation. Each offering provides a thought for reflection as we unravel the mysteries behind our habits of hoarding.
Zen of Hoarding strips the labels and stigma and unearths what lies at the heart of our decisions regarding things.
Saira Priest's tag cloud


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#3. Easy Crockpot Orange Chicken | 12 Mind-Blowing Ways To Cook Meat In Your Crockpot
This is an inexpensive, easy and delicious lasagna recipe that everyone will enjoy!
Crock Pot Chicken and Gravy recipe from The Country Cook
One-Pan Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Skillet - my go-to for an easy dinner. the-girl-who-ate-...
Parmesan Garlic Spaghetti - 5 ingredients. 20 minutes. The perfect dinner for busy nights!
Find and share everyday cooking inspiration on Healthydish
A delicious and cheap dinner the family will love!
Easy, Cheap Meal Ideas to Cook When You're Broke - Thrillist
Comfort in a bowl for $1 a serving. Savory beef, the sweetness of peas and carrots topped with creamy mashed potatoes. This satisfies the tummy and soothes the soul.
Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole- simple, delicious, and hearty. Perfect for a weeknight dinner!


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12.29.21 | Wednesday, December 29th | Ratatouille
French Provençal summer stew made of zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Served over a grain medley with goat cheese & fresh basil. Comes with side baguette and a slice of cake.
Grain medley: quinoa, rice, chicken base, onion, garlic, butter
Baguette: flour, water, yeast, salt