With the optimal solution of citywide connected LED lighting, cities can enjoy energy savings and improve their emissions profile, and even added benefits like preservation of dark skies when lighting is not being used – without any reduction in quality of life. Urban areas feel safer and more welcoming. And when street lighting is connected, the possibilities expand well beyond lighting itself. Sensor-equipped light poles can detect audio from an auto accident or gunshot, alert emergency services, and adjust lighting on the scene to assist recovery. Air quality sensors, enabled through the connected lighting infrastructure, can monitor pollution levels and provide insights for urban planners.
Of course, these public projects can be hard to achieve when budgets are stretched. Finance, too, demands greater innovation. For example, product as a service or shared ownership models can help lower capital investment and kick start projects hampered by slow-moving public finances.
Energy efficiency has an essential role in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to a more sustainable future for our planet. And if cities are to set an example, this should include making use of solutions that are both widely available, and highly effective- in lighting, in energy renovation of public buildings, and electrification of municipal fleets.
When we tell citizens that reducing energy consumption requires sacrifice, we risk fuelling unhelpful grudges and resistance that slow our progress against our bigger picture goals. On the contrary, by accelerating adoption of the plentiful, viable solutions at our fingertips, we can demonstrate that these measures are part of our progress to a smarter, more comfortable, and more sustainable way of life.
Find out more on how making the Green Switch can benefit your city and citizens, and our planet.


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- This event has passed.
CANCELED Adult Workshop » Imaginary Species Matthew Ronay
This workshop has been canceled.
Take part in this Summer’s Adult Workshop series, perfect for the artist who wants to explore! Inspired by the special exhibition, The Beyond: Georgia O’Keeffe & Contemporary Art, each evening will feature an artist from the exhibition, guiding guests in innovative and inspiring new techniques that draw upon nature, abstraction, and the in-between.
Artist Matthew Ronay will inspire guests to create imaginary species in this abstract drawing class combining fun warm up activities and experimental processes! All materials are provided
$45 ($36/members), register online or with Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

domain: artistic


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Financial advice isn't an exact science, so it's hard to really sift through the cruft and know what you should do with your money—especially if you've never had enough money to make an actual budget. We asked three different experts for their thoughts on what a recent college aged grad (or dropout for that matter) should do with an average post-college salary. Here's what we learned.
We talk a lot about budgets and investments, but if you're just entering the real world, it's probably the first time you've had actual money to budget—and you probably have no idea where to start. In the spirit of three households, three budgets, we decided to get advice from three financial experts to see how they'd spend their money in their mid-20s.
We spoke with three experts, Ramit Sethi, author of I Will Teach You To Be Rich, Bill Schultheis, author of The Coffeehouse Investor - How to Build Wealth, Ignore Wall Street, and Get On with Your Life, and Arthur Isabella, author of FAFSA Made Easy: Getting the Most Out of College Financial Aid. Here's how each of them recommend you spend your money.
Ramit Sethi: Divide Your Spending Into Four Categories
For the most part, Ramit Sethi is against budgeting because most people simply aren’t good at following a budget. That said, he sent us the above graphic as an example of how a recent college grad or younger person should be thinking about spending.
The breakdown isn't exactly what you'd usually expect to see. Sethi describes his approach as a "conscious spending plan" and it's what he recommends for younger people. The bulk of your income (about 50-60%) should go to fixed costs. This includes rent (or mortgage), utilities, cell phone, medical insurance, car payments, loans, groceries, clothes, internet, and other things like that.
Next up, Sethi recommends dedicating 10% of your income to investments (after taxes). This includes a 401(k) or Roth IRA (individual retirement plan). If you haven't started a 401(k), it’s a really good time to start and we've got you covered on understanding the basics.
Next up, Sethi recommends you set aside around 5-10% for your savings. The specifics are really up to you and depend on what you'd like to do in the future. Sethi suggests 20-somethings think about saving for things like vacations, a down payment on a house, a wedding, and unexpected expenses.
Finally, Sethi's last category is for guilt-free spending. Everyone needs a little fun money, but 20-somethings are going to blow through it more than others might. This includes covering expenses like bars, movies, taxis, games, and whatever else you like to blow your cash on.
Sethi's approach is all about spending a lot on the things you love, cutting costs on the things you hate, and still saving for the future. If you'd like to read some more about his "conscious spending plan," he's giving Lifehacker readers a free copy of that chapter of his book here.
Bill Schultheis: Save Some for Later, but Invest Now
Bill Schultheis' approach is a bit different than Sethi's, and definitely more controversial. While he recommends a similar formula for budgeting, he also suggests that you can invest in the stock market and mutual funds early if you've got the mind for it.
Like Sethi, Schultheis recommends investing 10% of your salary into a retirement plan like a 401(k). He also recommends paying down debt at pretty much any rate you can handle. It might sound odd to invest and pay off student loans at the same time, but we've mentioned before that it's possible (and often a good idea if your loan interest rate is low enough). Once basic living expenses, debt repayment, and long term savings are taken care, he says he'd invest:
Building a portfolio is the easiest part of this exercise. One mutual fund (yes, only one!) will allow you to build a simple and sophisticated portfolio that rivals the best portfolios owned by billion dollar college endowment funds and pension funds. I like
this Vanguard Target Retirement 2055 Fund.
One final thought I’d like to share with young investors: On many occasions I hear comments by younger investors that they don’t want to lose money in the stock market. I’d like to turn this thought upside down, and suggest that you DO want to lose (some) money in the stock market. If I was to start investing in the stock market at 25, I would hope that I lose half my portfolio or more early on. This allows me to invest my future contributions at much lower levels, which will almost certainly generate much higher portfolio returns with the additional contributions down the road.
Schultheis' portfolio consists of four low cost index funds rolled into one simple investment, allowing you to completely ignore the short term swings in the market. Instead, you can focus on the daily decisions you make in your everyday life around saving and spending, factors that you have a degree of control over, and impact you most of all. You don't have to use a lot of money to do this, either. The stock market certainly isn't the easiest thing to get started with, but we've put together a starter guide to set you off in the right direction and highlighted a number of other ways to put your money to work for you.
Arthur Isabella: Implement the 50-30-20 Plan
Arthur Isabella recommends the same basic budgeting rule as Sethi: 50% to fixed living costs, 30% to fun stuff, and 20% into retirement and debt management. His method for doing so is a bit different, however:
Regardless of the budgeting school you subscribe to, use the
. It is best to recognize that your money is coming in and being spent in a closed ecosystem. That shirt you buy doesn't get paid for magically—it's
money for electric, or groceries, or for cable
Isabella also suggests setting up multiple budgets, which makes a lot of sense when you're young and in a fluctuating job market:
I suggest setting up multiple budgets for yourself—a fat budget, a regular budget, and what I call an apocalypse budget. The fat budget is for when times are good and you can afford multiple luxuries and fun stuff. This is on your current salary, and should not exceed 80% of your total income. That other 20% is for debts and retirement. The regular budget if you had to scale back on your income by 20%. Again, you should be sure to set aside 20% of this for debts and retirement if possible. The apocalypse budget would be if you were earning only 50% of what you're currently making, just to show what you can get by on. I find that the apocalypse budget is reassuring when times get tough, because you can see how bad it could be and what you can still survive on.
So, where should you be throwing that 20% you're setting aside for retirement? Isabella suggests a Roth IRA or mutual fund. If you're not risk averse, go with 50 year plans (they've have the phrase 50 years or the number 50 in the name). These are made for investors who won't retire for about 50 years. If you are risk averse, go with a 10 year plan instead. Isabella also suggests dividing your savings between a bunch of different accounts:
Don't be afraid to split up your savings over multiple accounts. I have a mutual fund, a Roth IRA, an employer-match retirement fund, and a 401(k). Diversity is key, as it allows you to hedge your bets and play it safe with some funds while investing with more risk in others. Some I'm contributing hundreds of dollars to, and others are getting only $20 a month.
I also use
, and I cannot recommend it enough. I've been contributing a low amount, but I've got an aggressive plan, so I've already earned 12% on the amount I've invested. As time goes on, I've been able to afford larger and larger contributions, but I've been splitting that with a savings account so I have an emergency fund.
It sounds like a lot of work, but the nice thing about something like Betterment (or an employer matched 401(k) is that once it's set up, your savings are automated so you don't need to think about them again. We've talked about this before and it really is as easy as Isabella makes it sound. Once you're set up, you'll probably never think about them again.
The fact of the matter is, everyone's financial advice is a bit different, so it's really about finding a plan that works with your long and short term goals and sticking to it. There's not exactly a right or wrong way to go about dividing up your income, so go with what works best for you and don't be afraid to experiment a little.

domain: finance


Bike tunnel through I-35W bridge
The City Council has decided to spend up to $1.2 million on a bike tunnel under the I-35W bridge.
The tunnel on the south side of the river would allow bikers to come into Downtown on Bridge 9 and connect to 13th Avenue South. Without the tunnel, bikes would cross I-35W by either traveling downhill and taking West River Parkway or heading uphill to take Washington Avenue.
With the Council’s recent budget authorization, bikers will travel under the bridge through a tunnel that is about 230 feet long, 20 feet wide and 16 feet high.
Council members debated the amount of money to authorize for the project because the bridge contractor estimated a cost hundreds of thousands more than city staff anticipated. Council members lamented the disadvantage of publicly announcing the funding limit they would allow, but most agreed they must seize the opportunity to extend the trail.
The cost of the tunnel would not delay any city projects this year. The expense will draw down money for the city’s railroad quiet zone in future years.
Lyndale Avenue reconstruction
The City Council accepted cost estimates for Lyndale Avenue’s new lighting and reconstruction at its last meeting.
Plans to overhaul Lyndale have been in the works since the early 1990s, and construction is scheduled to start late this spring and will continue through the 2008 and 2009 construction seasons.
A public hearing on the $13.3 million reconstruction, as well as the $965,000 lighting district on Lyndale, is scheduled for Mar. 25. Part of the cost for reconstruction will be assessed to properties along Lyndale. About $8,625 per year will be assessed to pay for the new lighting, and the total assessment for the reconstruction project has not yet been determined.
The reconstruction will cover Lyndale Avenue South from West 31st Street to Minnehaha Parkway and will impact the street’s pavement, curb and gutter, sidewalk, storm drain, signals, signage, and striping.
Bowling and beer
The Council decided to relax an ordinance requiring a 60/40 perent food-to-liquor sales ratio. The threshold was reduced to 50 percent.
Most of the six bowling alleys in Minneapolis do not have that 60/40 food requirement for varying reasons, but Bryant-Lake Bowl at 810 W. Lake St. does. City staff said the change would level the playing field for licensees, especially because bowling alleys do not have a nightclub-like atmosphere and the 60/40 requirement is more applicable to restaurants.
Neighborhood Revitalization Program
The City Council has formally added the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) to this year’s legislative agenda.
NRP currently funnels city tax dollars into neighborhood organizations, and neighborhoods independently decide how that money should be spent. The funding source for NRP expires in 2009, and the city is working to overhaul the program.
Meanwhile, the funding for existing neighborhood budgets is running low. Council members heard a report last week on one way to patch that deficit, which would indirectly draw down an investment fund that has paid for things like foreclosure prevention. The investment fund, which is called the Legacy Fund, is comprised of what is left of the $40 million in proceeds from the sale of the Hilton Hotel in 1999. The city lost part of the fund in the stock market and borrowed part of the fund to bail out pensions and make various development expenses. To beef up the Legacy Fund, the city has taken money from the source that funds NRP. If the city stops those payments to the Legacy Fund in order to give more money to NRP, NRP would receive an additional $6.6 million and the Legacy Fund balance would drop to $15.3 million by January 2010.
City Council Member Barb Johnson (4th Ward) said the funding challenges illustrate that a constant stream of money for neighborhoods is not entirely within the city’s control.
“To think that we have the obligation to create a program that is isolated in its vulnerability is crazy,” she said.
The Council is seeking input on its proposed framework for the future of NRP, and when the Council chooses the final structure, it will sponsor legislation needed to implement that plan.
The Council approved the appointment of Susan Segal as the new city attorney on Feb. 15, and gave outgoing City Attorney Jay Heffern a send-off with a lengthy round of applause.
Segal, a Minneapolis native, currently lives in the Lowry Hill neighborhood. She practiced for 25 years in the private sector and spent four years at the Hennepin County Attorney’s office. She has served as president of the Mental Health Association of Minnesota and was an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota Law School and William Mitchell College of Law.
Segal’s appointment is effective until Jan. 4, 2010.


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Ubisoft have released a new title update for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla which includes the ability to change armor and weapon appearances through transmog and more.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Update Adds Transmog, More Cats, New Skills and More
New additions with the latest Assassin’s Creed Valhalla update 1.2.0 now let’s players use transmog to customise the appear of both armor and weapons. Players can change the look of their gear within the same category at a cost of 50 silver which you will need to pay the Gunnar‘s blacksmith at Raventhorpe. Any armor or weapons that have a changed appearance will get a star in the inventory screen.
There is also the addition of camera options now in patch 1.2.0, players can zoom out during combat and there is the addition of three new skills. These new skills include a leap attack with a larger area of effect at any height, a higher chance of looting food from dead bodies and now your raven Synin can loot targets killed by ranged attacks.
A new event is also coming to the game on March 18th called the Ostara Festival. The event will feature some Easter inspired activities including “a bloomy Ravensthorpe, some unique side activities (such as egg hunts), and special rewards”. The event will take place from March 18th to April 8th.
The patch also addresses many issues across the game including the recent addition of River Raids and other improvements such as additional cats can be found across England, as well as small boats can now be lit on fire with a torch.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla update 1.2.0 is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Playstation 5, Playstation 4, Ubisoft Connect, Epic Games Store, Stadia and Amazon Luna. If you want to know what we thought of the game be sure to check out our Assassin’s Creed Vahalla Review. If you’re just starting out check out our Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Beginner Guide.
For more news be sure to check out next Dragon Quest 11 Joins Google Stadia and Dark Alliance A D&D Action RPG Release Date Announced.

domain: news


SEATTLE (AP) -- This time, the Seattle Mariners' bullpen didn't let them down.
The beleaguered relief corps almost did after Randy Johnson left with a 7-4 lead after six innings, but Kevin Mitchell and the Mariners' defense refused to let it happen.
Mitchell, who had hit a three-run homer off Melido Perez in the first inning, added a solo homer off Tim Burke in the eighth as the Mariners beat the New York Yankees 8-5 Sunday.
Mitchell's sixth and seventh homers of the season were his first against the Yankees this year.
"You have to be pretty lucky to go a dozen games and not have Kevin Mitchell hurt you," Yankees manager Buck Showalter said. "I wouldn't be surprised to see him have a very good second half."
The bullpen, the main reason why Seattle is 22 games under .500 for the worst record in the major leagues, had to get the final nine outs because Johnson once again was his own worst enemy.
Given leads of 3-0 after the first inning and 6-2 after three innings, Johnson (6-11) ended a personal eightgame losing streak dating from May but had to leave the game after throwing 144 pitches.
In six innings, Johnson yielded four runs on seven hits and six walks, and he extended his club record by hitting his 14th batter of the season.
"I've really been down," Johnson said, "but as the game was going on, Mitch came up to me and gave me a lot of encouragement. I think the team really wanted to win the game for me."
Johnson has given up 91 hits and has walked 87 batters in 112 innings, and has a 4.15 ERA.
"Maybe this game will turn things around for me," Johnson said. "I sure hope so."
In addition to Mitchell's two homers for four RBIs and a solo homer by Lance Parrish in the sixth, Johnson got solid relief from rookie Kerry Woodson and Russ Swan.
Rich DeLucia replaced Johnson at the start of the seventh and got an out before Charlie Hayes doubled, Mike Stanley hit an RBI single and Mel Hall hit a pinch single.
Woodson came in and got Andy Stankiewicz to hit into a double play to end the seventh. First baseman Pete O'Brien turned in an unassisted double play behind Woodson in the eighth. Swan pitched the ninth for his seventh save.
By winning the final two games of a four-game series, the Mariners completed a 3-8 homestand, matching their worst 11-game homestand ever.
The Yankees stranded a dozen runners to two for the Mariners.
Mitchell's two homers -- the 14th multi-homer game of his career -- were his first since June 28. He had a twohomer game June 4 at Cleveland.
Mitchell has been bothered all season with a sore right wrist.
"It's doing a little better," he said.
The four RBIs gave him 52 for the season, tied for second on the team with Jay Buhner behind Ken Griffey Jr.'s 57. Although Mitchell is hitting .272, he said he's not happy with his season.
He said his goal is to lead the Mariners in RBIs. Mitchell bats cleanup behind No. 3 hitter Griffey.
"Every time he (Griffey) leaves somebody out there, I'm going to do my best to drive them in," Mitchell said.
"I'm really happy the way Mitch is driving in runs," Mariners manager Bill Plummer said.
Perez (9-9) was pounded for seven runs and eight hits in 52/3 innings.
The Yankees finished an 11-game road trip at 5-6.
Randy Velarde's two-run single pulled the Yankees to 3-2 in the second, but Seattle got three unearned runs in the third on an error by second baseman Pat Kelly, and RBI singles by Jay Buhner and Shane Turner.
Velarde's RBI double and Don Mattingly's run-scoring single closed New York to 6-4 in the fourth, but Parrish hit his eighth homer of the season in the sixth, his fourth since signing with Seattle on June 27, to chase Perez.


Grant Performance Analysis
Aidspan has developed a data tool that allows for the comparison and analysis of grant performance by a number of different criteria: region, country, disease component, health system or principal recipient.
Grant performance is assessed according to a ratings scale developed by the Global Fund. Aidspan has done no independent assessment of the performance of the grants.
Comparisons may be done over time or at a certain point in time. Grant performance data available for analysis using the Aidspan data tool is as complete as it is on the Global Fund website. This means that performance ratings may not be as comprehensive for certain grants, or certain countries, owing to gaps in reporting.
Each line graph joins temporal points that reflect the completeness of the data available from the Global Fund. Graphs can be single lines reflecting a grant’s performance over time or layered lines comparing different countries, regions or disease components.
Each graph’s line should be labelled as precisely and completely as possible for ease of identification for future analysis.
The tool automatically limits the number of available data points based on selected filters.
For best use of the tool each line graph should be named precisely and completely. To compare multiple lines, click ‘Add Graph’ to clear filters and enter new criteria selection.
For a more detailed tutorial, please click here.


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Russia: decision to stop grain purchasing interventions to be taken in the nearest days – N.Fedorov
The Government of Russia may take the decision to stop the current grain purchasing interventions in the country in the nearest days, declared Nikolai Fedorov, Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, on February 13.
He said that at the current moment the officials still did not put on the agenda the issue of termination of grain purchasing interventions.
As a reminder, since the beginning of the current year the grain volumes purchased at auction to the intervention fund steadily declined, and reached their minimum indices.
You should be authorized to post comment
As of October 1, Russia harvested 95.8 mln tonnes of grains – Rosstat
October 24, 14:00
In 2015 Russia to produce 96-104 mln tonnes of grains – Rusagrotrans
October 23, 15:20
Rosselkhoznadzor banned the imports of all varieties of Ukrainian plant growing products
October 23, 12:00
In October Russia to export 3.5-3.6 mln tonnes of grains – Rusagrotrans
October 23, 11:50
On October 22, Russia purchased over 15 thsd tonnes of grains to the intervention fund
October 22, 12:00
In January-September Russia doubled grain exports - Rosstat
October 22, 10:40
Russia harvested over 106 mln tonnes of grains
October 22, 10:10

domain: agronomy


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The Executive Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) Friday unanimously adopted a resolution stating that former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake had been “subjected to absolutely unnecessary harassment and humiliation” at the office of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and corruption.
The resolution stated that on April 1 the former Chief Justice was directed to appear before the Commission on May 17 to record her statement and raise her objections, if any, on the constitution of the Commission.
She was then requested to attend the Commission at 10 am on May 10 by letter hand delivered to her residence on May 2 despite the original intimation of the May 17 date.
Dr. Bandaranayake and her lawyers had appeared on Friday at the specified time but had been kept waiting for over half an hour and then told that there was no officer present to record her statement. She was turned away and directed to return on May 17.
“The Executive Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka considers that her ladyship, Dr. Mrs. Shirani Bandaranayake, has been subjected to absolutely unnecessary harassment and humiliation which the Executive Committee deplores,” the resolution said.
While condemning such arbitrary action unreservedly, the Committee urged that the harassment and humiliation of the former CJ is stopped forthwith in the name of democracy, justice and fair play as guaranteed in the Constitution of the Republic of Sri Lanka.


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plating, anodizing, & finishing Q&As since 1989
Polishing & Passivation of Titanium
Q. I am looking for a process that can polish the Hip Ball used on hip replacements. The cap is a spherical shape with a 'face' on one side drilled inside to fit the tapered stem. So the cap can only rotate to polish.Sean Walsh
medical hip replacements - Cork, Ireland
A. Not sure of your question. Most medical inplants are processed smooth to eliminate porosity of the surface metal for a couple of reasons. If this is the case, the most common procedure is to use high energy centrifugal force type equipment in a 2 or 3 step process to achieve 12 RMS or finer. If you are asking about a one sided polish, then you must consider some type of wheel system.
retired business owner - Hatboro, Pennsylvania
A. The medical implants made from cobalt, titanium, stainless steel, Nitinol - are best to electropolish by specially designed high-voltage environmentally safe polishing equipment and electrolyte. In comparison to mechanical polishing this process increases strength of the material surface. You save on time of processing (5-10 minutes), do not need to adjust your equipment to complex shapes, you obtain surgically clean surface without any impurities, and you do not need to passivate surface after polishing.
April 4, 2013
Polishing of all sorts of implants with difficult shapes can be achieved with a six axis robot and polishing wheels.
Q. Dear Sir/Mad.:
I am working with titanium and Ti-6Al-7Nb screw and I want to ask about metal passivation with nitric acid. what is the exact mechanism of this treatment, does it only remove the remnant of metal after machining or it also aids in the formation of the oxide layer on the metal surface? If there is any reference that could be helpful in my research dealing with this matter I will be grateful.
Postgraduate student - Penang, Malaysia
Q. A customer is calling out a passivation specification of ASTM A967 / A967M [affil. link to spec at Techstreet] less section 12 thru 21. What exactly is section 12 thru 21 eliminating in the process? The material being processed is Titanium 6AL-4VJerry Flathers
- Santa Ana, California, USA
A. Those sections describe various testing requirements such as frequency of testing and test selection (water immersion, high humidity, salt spray, copper sulfate, etc.). It is curious that your customer would be specifying that passivation be performed according to ASTM A 967, which is not appropriate for titanium alloys. ASTM B600 [affil. link to spec at Techstreet] is the proper standard for cleaning and descaling titanium alloys.Toby Padfield
Automotive module supplier - Michigan
A. ASTM A967 is often specified for passivation of titanium, although it is a misnomer for sure. What you are removing by "passivation" of titanium is any iron or iron oxide that may have been put on the surface in the fabrication process of the parts. Even though you do not truly passivate the titanium metal itself, you need to remove any iron from the surface so that it does not rust. If you have not put ANY iron or other contaminants on the surface in the fabrication process there should not be a need to "passivate".
Testing of the parts per ASTM A967 would verify whether you have an iron contamination problem.
Stellar Solutions, Inc.
Passivation of heat treated titaniumOctober 21, 2008
I am passivating heat treated Titanium and would like to know if there is an easier way to break the heat coating prior to alkaline cleaning and Acid passivation. I am currently breaking the surface with scotch-brite pads, but this is very labor intensive. If I don't prep the parts with the scotch-brite, it takes a long time for the acid to react with the oxide layer. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
Metal Finishing - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
October 22, 2008
A. Change your heat treat process to a vacuum furnace or a reducing atmosphere and you will not get the oxide coating.
Abrasive blasting is a lot quicker and probably cheaper than scotch brite after the initial cost.
- Navarre, Florida
October 30, 2008
tuo Mr. Watts,
We tried as you suggested with the abrasive blasting and the passivation process is working quite nicely now. It is a lot quicker and with a more uniform finish.
Thank you !
- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
How to verify passivation treatment of Ti alloy?March 31, 2010
How to check passivation treatment of the Ti alloy?Mufit Yalcin
test engineer - Warner Robins, Georgia
April 4, 2010
A. What were you intending to do with passivation? If it's simply to remove embedded iron one could do a copper sulfate verification (reddish metallic copper immersion forms on iron) or salt spray test -- would only need a couple of hours to verify. Titanium is a pretty passive metal as is without passivation! You might want to review a white paper on this site entitled "Why Coat Titanium?" which tells a little more about "coating" titanium.
Milt Stevenson, Jr.
Syracuse, New York
September 4, 2014
So, if "passivating" titanium, would you follow A967 (which apparently is strictly for SS) or would you follow B600 (which refers to it as "cleaning")? Or is there no correct answer- can you "passivate" per the stainless steel spec?
A. Disregard my question. I believe I found my answer. ASTM F86 [affil. link to spec at Techstreet]
calls out the "final surface treatment" for metal medical implants (which titanium would fall into). This gives the possibility of "passivation" (misnomer as many apparently consider it) of said metal implants without the use of hydroflouric acid
"Immerse in 20 to 45 volume % nitric acid (specific gravity 1.1197 to 1.285) at room temperature for a minimum of 30 min. For an accelerated process, a 20 to 25% acid solution, heated to 120 to 140 °F (49 to 60 °C), may be used for a minimum of 20 min. (See Specification A967 and Practice ASTM A380 [link is to the practice at TechStreet] ). This treatment provides passivation by surface oxidation and can dissolve certain foreign material that might be present from previous operations"
- New Haven, Connecticut, USA
September 19, 2014
It's a complex issue. A967 is written for stainless steel, so a lot of people might resist accepting it as an authority for nonferrous metals. The recent revision of B600 includes "surface iron removal", which is a way of saying passivation without using the word itself, and procedures copied straight out of A967.
F86, which takes precedence when the parts are implants, includes, among other things:
5.2.3 An acidic cleaning process may be used. For titanium, titanium alloys, and tantalum, some possible cleaning processes may be found in Guide B600."
"6. Final Surface Treatment
6.1 Implants shall be given a final surface treatment before
they are packaged. Anumber of different surface treatments are acceptable, including acid treatment, electropolishing, anodizing, and oxidation. The following surface treatments should not be considered restrictive:"
6.2.1 is what you quoted. I know a number of places that are doing a final passivation with citric acid instead of nitric under the auspices of this clause:
"6.5 If acceptable alternative surface treatments for implants are used, these treatments should be specified in the production procedure documentation."
It really all depends on what your goal is. If you want an electropolished or anodized surface, do that. If the surface is already looking how you want it and you just need to ensure there is no iron contamination on the surface, then "passivate" with nitric or citric acid.
Stellar Solutions, Inc.
Brushing titanium with steel brushes after passivationJuly 18, 2016
Q. A company I know of is using a steel brush with air tools to clean out contaminants in the inner bores of Titanium that have been through passivation. These parts are received to install on assembly; however, during the assembly process they gather FOD to the extent they need to be "cleaned" and the method of cleaning is to use a steel cylinder brush inside the bore. Does this or not negate the passivation certification, and if so, is this explicitly stated in a specification or otherwise documented that this should not be the practice. Please advise. Thank you for your time.Darryl Brown
Metrologist - Indianapolis, Indiana
July 22, 2016
A. As always, we need to carefully define "passivation" here so that everybody is on the same page.
When we talk about dipping stainless steel in acid to passivate, we are removing iron from the surface. Much of the iron is inherent to the alloy, but it can also be contaminant iron introduced from external sources. The remaining iron-depleted surface is high in chromium (and sometimes nickel also) which reacts with air to form stable (passive) metal oxide layer.
Titanium alloys do not contain iron, and therefore the surface does not need an acid treatment to enable formation of a passive metal oxide layer. Unless! If the surface is (or may have been) contaminated with iron from an external source, then that iron can become rust down the road if it is not removed. Since it's fundamentally the same task as passivating stainless steel (removing iron from the surface) we use the same process (nitric or citric acid treatment) and tend to use the same terminology. (Though note that ASTM B600 [affil. link to spec at Techstreet] specifically avoids using the words passivate or passivation even while describing treatments borrowed directly from ASTM A967 / A967M [affil. link to spec at Techstreet] !)
I hope you can see now that putting it in terms of "undoing the passivation" or "negating the passivation" is not really accurate. For a non-ferrous alloy like titanium, it doesn't really matter what the history is. If you have an iron-free surface, and then contaminate it with iron, you create the possibility of surface rust unless that iron is removed via an acid passivation treatment.
It is extremely destructive to use a carbon steel wire brush on anything that isn't also carbon steel. In your case, even a stainless steel wire brush, regardless of whether or not it sets up a rust problem, would be contaminating your titanium surface with not-titanium material.
Since you did not describe your application or the nature of the foreign object damage that needs to be cleaned, I cannot say what is or isn't potentially a problem for you here.
Stellar Solutions, Inc.
July 23, 2016
The FOD is non-metallic bonding material that nestles in some of the bores as part of the assembly process. This material is quite robust in that in some cases it is the only means of securing the details to the assembly. The assembly is a non-critical flight part that is ITAR controlled. I understand that the "passivation" cannot be undone, but it seems to me that introduction of a steel, whether it is carbon, or stainless might contaminate the fittings to the extent that they no longer would meet the requirement of the customer that the titanium be "passivated" certified at the time that the customer takes possession. Thank you for your expertise in this subject matter and of course, your time.Darryl Brown [returning]
- Indianapolis, Indiana USA
July 27, 2016
Well, again you use the term "undoing the passivation". If you want to think of it that way, you can. It's sort of similar to saying that your pet dog "undid his bath" by rolling in the mud. Most people would just say he "got dirty".
So, if I can make sense of all that properly, this is a titanium part that is getting glued into place, and some of the glue is getting into some holes, so they clean out the holes with a steel wire brush.
I would think this to be one of those ounce of prevention vs pound of cure situations. Could an addition be made to the standard assembly procedure involving some sort of temporary plugs to keep the holes clear and clean? Assuming of course that it would be futile to merely give a dire warning against using too much glue near the holes.
Stellar Solutions, Inc.
Please see also --
• Topic 6885 "Problems & Solutions in Passivation of Titanium"
Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.
If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories:

domain: chemistry


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If not for Lady Gaga, Heidi Montag says, she might have been a pop star.
Appearing this week on the “Unpopular with Jacques Peterson” podcast, the reality star talked about her once-promising music career in the late ’00s, working with producer RedOne.
“[RedOne] and I were going to pair up and we were going to do what him and Lady Gaga ended up doing, which is writing every song together and producing,” the “Hills” star said.
Montag ended up recording the song “Fashion”, produced by RedOne and written by Gaga.
“He was like, ‘I just need to get the consent of the writer.’ And so I just thought Lady Gaga was a writer, because she was a writer on the song,” Montag recalled. “And he was like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna cut ‘Fashion’ with Heidi. I have her in the studio, she loves it.’ And [Gaga’s] like, ‘Great. Sure, she can have that song.'”
She continued, “So then I recorded it and it was my song. That was the impression I was under.”
Montag ended up performing the song on “The View” to promote her clothing line, but then Gaga took the song back to record herself for the soundtrack to the 2009 film “Confessions of a Shopaholic”.
“It’s hard because people are like, ‘I love Lady Gaga!’ And I’m like, ‘I’m sure she’s great but I have not had the best encounter with her,'” Montag said.
“She did not want me working with RedOne and she told RedOne she wouldn’t work with him anymore if I kept working with him,” she claimed. “And he’s like, ‘I’m sorry. She’s my writing partner for huge things.’ We even went out to dinner with him several times and we were hanging out with him and she pulled the cord.”
Montag added of RedOne and Gaga’s working relationship, “He wrote ‘Just Dance’ for her, he wrote almost every song with her and produced it. So, of course, she’s not going to want to share that when at that moment I was a potential rival for what she was doing.”

domain: celebrity


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Who would have believed at the start of 2016 that Angelique Kerber would be a Grand Slam champion? Not even her! The 28-year-old German stunned the tennis world beating heavily favored Serena Williams in the Australian Open final last month.
Now, she arrives into Doha as a Grand Slam champion.
“It’s actually a great feeling because,” Kerber said. “I had great two weeks in Melbourne. I won my first Grand Slams. A lot things change.
“I had first a long flight to go back to Germany. And then when I arrive at Frankfurt and go out, I had a lot of camera on my faces and asking me a lot of questions.
“And, for me the most nicest thing was that I really saw the people that they are happy for me and that all Germany was like watching the final on TV because it was Saturday morning there. And to see that a lot of more people recognize me on the streets. They are coming to me, yeah, congratulations I got from a lot of people in Germany and actually around the world.”
Kerber said when she landed in Germany her friends and family through her a surprise party at a restaurant.
“We had a great evening with all my families, all my friends there,” Kerber said. ‘They came so, we had a big, big table. That was something really special for me because all the people knows my career. They know me from really young. They know how many up and downs I have and how many times I was frustrating.”
Kerber becomes the first German woman to win a Slam since Steffi Graf, but the lefty says she’s no Steffi.
“I don’t know if I’m the new Steffi Graf, but I’m the next German woman who won the Grand Slam after Steffi,” she said. “This is something really special because Steffi is a legend. I mean she won everything. She was always my idle.”
Kerber begins in Doha against Saisai Zheng.
“I’m still the same person how I was before the Australian Open,” she added. “Of course it changed that I can always say that I’m a Grand Slam champion and it’s forever.”
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domain: sports


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BRUSSELS: Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler speaks on Sustainability for agriculture and fisheries. Breakfast meeting organised by the European Policy Centre (Contact: 32/2 231 0340).
NIJMEGEN, THE NETHERLANDS: Cross-border insolvencies: the impact of the EU insolvency regulation law conference organised by the University of Nijmegen (Contact: 31/24 361 3090 or a.cornelisse.kun.nl).
Saturday 5 May
NYKÖPING, SWEDEN: Informal meeting of foreign affairs ministers (to 6 May).
Monday 7 May
BRUSSELS: EU finance ministers meet.
BRUSSELS: EU employment and social policy ministers meet.
Tuesday 8 May
UNITED STATES: Internal Market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein visits (to 12 May).
CYPRUS: Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner David Byrne visits (to 13 May).
BRUSSELS: Asia-Europe exploratory roundtable on foreign direct investment and the environment. Organised by the European Partners for the Environment
Wednesday 9 May
NORWAY: Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler visits (to 10 May).
STOCKHOLM: Bridging the gap – sustainability research and sectoral integration. Conference organised by the Swedish government with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the European Commission, the European Environment Agency and the EU Joint Research Centre (Contact: 46/8 698 1436).
Thursday 10 May
RUSSIA: Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström visits (to 11 May).
BALKANS: External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten visits (to 11 May).
BRUSSELS: The European Rio+10 Coalition holds second annual progress conference entitled Tackling poverty through sustainable agriculture, energy finance trade and peoples’ empowerment. (Contact: 32/2 771 1534).
Friday 11 May
SLOVENIA: Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy visits (to 12 May).


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The announcement was made following the first meeting between Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay and B.C. Agriculture Minister Lana Popham.
"The AgriRecovery response will help B.C. ranchers and farmers recover from their losses, and return to their land and their livelihoods. Our governments are working with producers, local officials and stakeholders, and the results and spirit of resilience is collective and clear, we will work together to respond to this emergency until the job is done," Lana Popham, B.C. Minister of Agriculture said.
Government officials are working together to quickly assess the extraordinary costs farmers are incurring and what additional assistance may be required to recover and return to production following the wildfires.
The types of costs under consideration include:
- Costs related to ensuring animal health and safety.
- Feed, shelter and transportation costs.
- Costs to re-establish perennial crop and pasture production damaged by fire.


Legal & Regulatory
Dec. 2 – In a positive sign for doing business in India, a new anti-corruption bill is currently awaiting approval by the Indian parliament. The Prevention of Bribery of Foreign Public Officials and Officials of Public International Organizations Bill (Bill) seeks to amend the loopholes that existed within the original Prevention of Corruption Act (Act) that was passed in 1988.
The Bill was originally introduced to the Lok Sabha in 2011 and was then referred to a parliamentary standing committee. It has only now reemerged for approval by the Indian parliament.
The new Bill will also finally bring India into accordance with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), which was ratified by the country on May 9, 2011.
By Kavita Patel
Nov. 25 – India’s voracious appetite for gold may be an obstacle to its economic growth. The subcontinent is the world’s leading consumer of gold but has almost no domestic supply. As rising income boosts demand, gold imports jumped from about 471 tons in 2001 to around 1,017 tons in 2012. Demand is inelastic as this precious metal plays an integral role in Indian culture; almost half of all purchases are used during weddings. Unfortunately, gold is an unproductive store of wealth. It deepens the current account deficit and slows capital investment, weakening the economy.
Inflows of the yellow metal have weighed on the country. In the past, almost 40 percent of India’s gold imports were processed by its skilled and inexpensive labor for subsequent export. This number has decreased to just 29 percent, and gold imports helped push the current account deficit to the US$87.8 billion it reached last financial year, an unmanageable 4.8 percent of GDP.
By Shawn Greene
Nov. 21 – Navigating foreign investment in India can be daunting. The World Bank’s Doing Business 2014 report ranks India among the most difficult countries in which to start a business – 179th out of 189 countries analyzed. As such, foreign firms are highly recommended to hire a professional services firm to assist with setup and investment in the country.
For foreign institutional investors (FII) and firms considering foreign direct investment (FDI), a familiarity with India’s recent changes in FDI policy is critical. Below, important amendments made to India’s foreign investment policy in 2013 are summarized, and changes currently under discussion for 2014 explored.
Amendments made this year in Indian FDI policy impact a number of key business sectors, and in many instances eliminate the need for foreign investors to obtain approval from the Indian Government before investing. Additionally, policy changes in 2013 alter the legal definition of ‘control’ and regulations for single and multi-brand retail trading.
Nov. 15 – The Reserve Bank of India has issued a new circular designed to increase capital inflows by allowing foreign investors to purchase credit-enhanced bonds issued in India. The new decree, Circular No. 74, will allow foreign institutional investors (FII) and qualified foreign investors (QFI) to purchase a total of US$5 billion in domestically issued credit-enhanced bonds.
A credit-enhanced bond is a debt instrument issued with a third-party guarantee, often in the form of collateral or cash promises. These enhancements improve the bond’s credit rating and lower the issuing company’s interest obligations, resulting in a lower cost of debt.
As per Circular No. 94, issued in April of this year, the maximum investment quota for FIIs will remain fixed at US$51 billion for corporate debt and US$25 billion for government-issued debt.
Nov. 11 – Arvind Mayaram, economic affairs secretary at the Indian Finance Ministry, has called upon Raghuram Rajan, governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), to transform the rules relating to infrastructure financing as well as the treatment of non-performing loans in that sector. The Finance Ministry views these potential moves as key to reviving growth and investment in India.
In particular, the Ministry would like to see the new rules take effect in cases where infrastructure projects were delayed but not at the fault of the developers. These types of projects should be allowed to refinance without being treated as restructured loans as that would require higher provisioning.
“During the last three years, on account of [the] economic downturn, we are seeing an increase in such projects. There is, therefore, a need for the RBI to permit refinancing without it being treated as [a] restructuring of the loan,” said Mayaram.
Nov. 8 – The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand this week during Deputy Governor K.C. Chakrabarty’s visit to the two countries.
The new MoU establishes “supervisory cooperation and supervisory exchange of information” between Australia and New Zealand’s monetary authorities and the RBI, according to a press release issued by the Indian government today.
As signatories to the MoU, India, Australia and New Zealand will increase monetary cooperation through frequent meetings of high-level officials and on-site visits between government representatives. The deal will encourage greater sharing of monetary strategies between the countries to create stronger economic ties and market stability.
Nov. 7 – After markets closed on Wednesday, the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s Central Bank, announced a series of new regulations that will allow foreign banks much greater access to the country’s domestic market. The domestic market had previously been highly protected against added competition from foreign banks.
In essence, under the new regulations, foreign banks will be treated the same as domestic banks.
In order to be eligible under the new regulations, foreign banks much switch from how they currently operate in India by upgrading from a branch to a wholly owned subsidiary structure. Upon forming the subsidiary, foreign banks are required to invest at least US$80 million (5 billion rupees).
Oct. 28 – Following years of production deficits, the Indian government will now seek public-private partnerships (PPP) in the coal sector to boost domestic production, according to a draft agreement submitted this month by the Planning Commission.
The coal sector, which is largely dominated by the state-owned mining company Coal India, has experienced perennial production deficits and meets only three-quarters of the 773 million ton annual domestic demand.
By allowing PPPs, the Planning Commission hopes to rekindle the Indian energy sector through increased competition among coal producers.
“The only option before us is to increase domestic production and since Coal India is struggling to meet domestic requirement, it is best to involve private players, who will produce faster and cheaper coal,” said a senior official with the Planning Commission.


It’s official - Snapchat is the future of music. We have Diplo and Skrillex to thank, too - they’ve teased a new collaboration with none other than Florence Welch (of + The Machine fame) via the temporary platform.
The pair - who together make up Jack Ü - offered up snippets of the new track earlier this week. Thankfully somebody managed to nab them before they became lost to Snapchat’s infinite chasm. In both clips you can hear Welch sing the line “constellation around your heart”, which sounds very lovey dovey indeed.
Check out both clips below.
Records & Merch
More like this
Gorillaz, Burna Boy and Fred again.. provide standout moments as the Finnish festival opens its gates once again.
Florence and the Machine invoke a communal gathering and Kings of Leon bring (some of) the hits to Mad Cool 2022’s Saturday night
With Royal Blood, Pixies and Leon Bridges in tow, Day Four lands with an almighty bang.
A welcome shot of fairy-tale hedonism ripe for post-pandemic dancefloor indulgence.
It’s the latest single lifted from her new album, ‘Dance Fever’.


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Offer applies to bookings made between Thursday 22nd 12pm and Tuesday 27th October 9am inclusive, travel from applicable UK airports between 1 April-30 September 2021 (inclusive). With luxury shopping and a fabulous nightlife, Dubai is also a popular destination for summer holidays. It’s the perfect place to unwind and have fun with plenty of resorts, a picturesque old town, and the famous Carnaval de Santa Cruz, a large festival with parades, music, dancing and elaborate costumes. Sun-seekers can enjoy the private beach or beautiful infinity pool for lazy days.
These dates may be modified as official changes are announced, so … Venture to Spain and stay at the PortAventura Hotel PortAventura. Transfers are shared with other customers. From all-inclusive treats, to lazy days on the beach, and holidays for couples and families, we’ve plenty of tempting offers to help you plan your getaway. You're in the right place. Take a holiday with the whole family.
Whether you’re looking for Caribbean-style beaches closer to home or want to indulge in a hefty dose of culture without the crowds, these alternative escapes are guaranteed to make your summer sizzle. Visit historical attractions or theme parks and book a table for afternoon tea. So, escape the unpredictable British summer and plump for sunshine holidays with vitamin D guaranteed. For more information about financial protection and ATOL Certificates go to: www.caa.co.uk. email@example.com @thelocalfrance. Explore the islands to find sun-kissed beaches and crystal-clear waters. Soak up the sun on spectacular golden-sand beaches, hike up mountains or cycle down them, go to a music festival with friends or just eat great food, relax and be happy. Take a break from the unpredictable weather and catch some sun in Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands with a spring-like climate, white sandy beaches, and a popular clubbing scene. Prices subject to change at any time. Everybody needs a little break now and then. The Algarve in southern Portugal features a typical Mediterranean climate, dramatic clifftops, golden beaches and great golf courses such as Oceanico Golf in Vilamoura with an impressive seven courses. We want to give you certainty when you book so we only offer destinations with no quarantine. Summer holidays for the family. The most popular of the Balearics is Majorca. With a superb selection of family stays, enjoy copious amounts of ice cream by the swimming pool and dine beachside for evening meals together.
May Holiday Deals | June Holiday Deals | July Holiday Deals | August Holiday Deals | September Holiday Deals | October Holiday Deals | Summer 2021 Holiday Deals | Winter 2020 Holiday Deals, View all of our current discount codes here, Our top deals tailored to you, straight to your inbox Sign up for offers.
10% deposit; Balance to be paid 10 days before arrival; If you cannot travel due to Covid-19 restrictions, we will offer a full refund or change the date of your summer booking; To book, call +44 20 3745 3452 or email firstname.lastname@example.org Europe is opening up for vacationers from the continent. Free Child Places: One free child place for every two full paying adults sharing accommodation is available on selected holidays departing between 1 April and 31 October 2020, where you see the ‘Free child place’ label, subject to availability.
3 July 2020 17:49 CEST+02:00 travel tourism summer holidays.
Feel the salt breeze on a sailing day out or bask by the beachfront infinity pool.

domain: travel


text:
"Working together to be our best"
If you are struggling to find something to read, here are links to some book lists that you might find helpful. The lists are grouped by Year, however, this is just a guide. If you visit your local library, there will be librarians there who can help you choose a great book. Happy reading!

domain: library


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An inclusive event for first aiders in the region, the disabled community and all other citizens will premiere on Friday, August 6th in St. Albans.
The St. Albans Parks and Recreation Department, the St. Albans Fire Department, and the St. Albans On Purpose Project have teamed up to host the premier first-aid disability event. The activities take place on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. in the loop in downtown St. Albans.
The event includes security vehicles for close inspection, along with speakers, vendors, giveaways for school supplies, and other attractions. An accessibility guide developed by local companies will be available. The Charleston sled hockey team will be on hand for people to see and try. Local vendors like Crafts of the Coal, Coal River Coffee, and Domino’s Pizza offer ice cream, pizza, and other goodies.
Buzz Browning from WWSA radio station St. Albans will host the event.
National Down Syndrome Society’s DS Ambassador and Champion of Change Award recipient Steve Slack will speak on Friday evening. Slack, a hurricane resident, received the NDSS award during the Advocacy Association’s 2018 Buddy Walk in Washington, as well as the DS Ambassador of the Year Award. He is the father of teenage self-advocate Sophie Slack and has authored several articles and columns on inclusion and disability rights. He was also a member of the NDSS Inclusive Education Task Force.
“Events like this provide an opportunity for first responders to meet and interact with people in their communities who may have different needs,” said Travis Miller, a local disability officer. “When you know each other, it is easier to feel good.”
“We have worked with the St. Albans On Purpose Project for the past several years and have seen an advantage from the perspective of first responders,” said St. Albans Fire Marshal Lt. Chris Collins.
“Often, first responders can interact with people with intellectual or physical disabilities without realizing it,” added Collins. “It can be things like autism; depending on what part of the spectrum they are in, and other intellectual disorders can sometimes cause them problems, such as: B. Difficulty interacting with other people.
“From the first aider’s point of view, we may not always understand what is going on, or we may not be sufficiently aware to recognize these things, that we may misinterpret someone as a potentially combative person. This could create problems that could be avoided if we had this information in advance.
“This type of awareness event allows us to gain some awareness of our side in an informal, non-emergency setting, and it benefits families and people with disabilities who can interact with us in the same relaxed, informal environment” said the fireman. “You can see what kind of uniforms and equipment we are using, as well as the strange noises and even some of the smells that come from an emergency situation. And we can give them tips on how to deal with first aiders to avoid misunderstandings.
“It depends on being able to communicate. Most of our job is communication, and events like this help with that, ”said Collins.
The event on Friday will also be overseen by St. Albans On Purpose founder and project manager Angie Breeden.
“The idea behind it is basically to build trust between the two communities,” explained Breeden. “For people with disabilities, the first or only encounter with a person in uniform can be an emergency or a traumatic experience. This is an opportunity for them to get to know each other in a non-emergency setting so that they can see that first responders are someone they can trust and for the first responders to enable them to become familiar with people with disabilities . People with disabilities are a heterogeneous group. The more first aiders they get to know, the more comfortable they feel.
“Our goal with the St. Albans On Purpose Project is that people with disabilities know that they belong to the community, and part of the community is access to first aiders,” said Breeden.
The St. Albans On Purpose Project was originally funded in 2019 by a grant from the West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council. It was launched in October 2019.
Breeden said in a June 2020 Metro article that she developed the city’s inclusion program the year before based on personal experience. “I have children with disabilities and have done some advocacy work for the disabled,” the St. Albans resident said in the article. “I realized that one of the things that is missing in the disabled world is an additional aspect of the community. … There is much more to life than school and work; People want to get involved in their community. People with disabilities are citizens and it is good for them to be part of the community and to contribute in some way. “
The St. Albans On Purpose project partners plant and maintain flower beds across the city, along with several other civil society efforts to beautify the city.
The St. Albans Parks and Recreation Department worked with the St. Albans On Purpose Project to create an inclusive playground in St. Albans Roadside Park. The playground with wheelchair-accessible picnic tables and swing equipment is open once a month on Saturday morning for families in a play group.
The St. Albans On Purpose Project maintains accounts on the social media sites of Facebook and Instagram.

domain: sociology


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Stoney Creek development called “abomination” by neighbours; developer’s appeal labelled “bogus”
Published February 8, 2024 at 11:20 am
A 304-unit development in Stoney Creek called an “ultra density abomination” by local residents has been forwarded to Hamilton’s City Solicitor after the developer filed an appeal with the Ontario Land Tribunal over delays in granting re-zoning approvals.
Mikmada Homes wants to build an eight-storey building and three-and-a-half and four-storey stacked townhouses on a 1.61-hectare lot on Paramount Drive, a proposal neighbours, City staff and Ward 9 Councillor Brad Clark say is “too high and too dense” for the community.
The initial application for the development was submitted on behalf of Mikmada on November 18, 2022. No decision was rendered by Council in the ensuing year but a report by planning staff outlined several areas of concerns with the scope of the project, including inadequate infrastructure capacity to service the proposed development.
“The applicant had also not yet demonstrated to the City’s satisfaction that shadow impacts had been mitigated, that there was an appropriate transition in height to the adjacent school site, and that the proposed development was compatible with existing, and future uses in the surrounding area and enhanced the character of the existing neighbourhood.”
An open house attracted hundreds of people publicly voicing their displeasure with the project and the City received 449 pages of documents from residents of the east Hamilton community. There were also more than a dozen public delegates at Tuesday’s Planning Committee meeting and 19 written submissions, all in opposition.
- “It’s proximity (sandwiched between) TWO schools and TWO daycares has always been worrisome. The request to rezone the land to high density in order to cram an 8-story building and over 100 town homes is outrageous.” – Cathy Biggs
- “We are not averse to it being developed but to add 300 plus units to an area just over 2 acres is in our opinion dangerous.” – Marsha Pead
- “There is absolutely no justification for this ultra density abomination.” – Chris Peckham
“We support density and height when it makes sense,” Clark said at Tuesday’s committee meeting. “This doesn’t make sense.”
He also said the community made it “very clear” their feelings on the proposal. “The developer ignored them.”
Clark emphasized development can happen at the location at 1065 Paramount Drive, “but at lower density and lower height” and called Mikmada “obstinate” for not modifying the application to better suit the neighbourhood.
According to the provincial Planning Act, an Official Plan Amendment and a Zoning By-law Amendment application may be appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal after 120 days if a municipality has not made a decision on an application.
Clark, however, called Mikmada’s appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal “bogus.”
“They’re appealing because they didn’t like the staff report.”
The vote to refer the development to the solicitor to “inform the City’s position” on the application was approved unanimously.inthehammer's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising

domain: law


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Safe or Unsafe? Choice is Yours!Landscaping Basics
If you were looking to produce a unique statement or enhance the attractiveness of a property?s exterior appearance then French doors would be the popular approach to take. Some homeowners tend to install French doors in the interior of their home and rehearse them to provide use of an elegant dining or dining area. look at these guys French doors installed for exterior access usually overlook the garden or yard/deck area. In home and garden magazines, it?s common to see French doors overlooking a colorful garden populated by wildflowers, exotic plants and garden furniture.
- If money is no object then you definitely should choose a fine timber door which offers remote opening and closing
- These doors have grown to be increasingly popular and are actually very reliable and intensely secure
- Imagine driving approximately your garage and opening the threshold and never have to get out
- This would be so convenient when the weather is bad
- Simply drive in along with the door will lock since it closes behind you or you can choose to close the entranceway yourself in case your garage just isn't connected to your home
Mounting Lights Are Not Hard To Install
The biggest thing that people will want to look at will be the electricity souped up that they may be using. This could be the most used coming from all sources of energy. a knockout post To help save about the energy that your property is using is usually to be careful about the amount of lights you have on in the house. The light bulb is now extremely effective in the past but it doesn't imply you should leave the lights on in the house. That can waste big money. Then you should also be sure the volume of appliances that are running in your home be into a nominal amount. People are often attached to running more than one fridge or freezer in your house. These are some of the most expensive appliances to own in the home.- Design : Column heaters are rather unusual
- They were popular in the past, but they fell out of fashion somewhat
- However, radiator designers nowadays have remodeled, redesigned and recreated these traditional radiators into a fresh style
- For this reason, they tend to possess some leaning towards a vintage look, but they do so in the highly modern manner
- They do look exceptionally fashionable, and they can be used as the centerpiece in your house decor
These are my overall thoughts. There are few disadvantages of deciding on the stainless kitchen cart in comparison with other carts. read more here: http://augustdwoev.ampedpages.com/Gutter-in-Saint-Charles-Things-To-Know-Before-You-Buy-16231086It is best to pinpoint the advantages and invest in a good quality cart that may last quite a long time and are all to easy to maintain. If you choose the one that is portable you may also move it at home, and use it or place it in another room. So get your stainless kitchen cart today.

domain: design


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Resources We offer a number of resources to help you and your family make sense of the financial world
Community SeminarsHere at Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union we believe that the more you know the more financially sound you are. That is why we offer FREE Financial Seminars! There's no cost to attend these seminars and you do not have to be a member to reserve a seat!
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When emailing us - please provide your phone number, the number of people who will be attending the seminar as well as their names.
Owning a Business: How to Write a Business Plan
Presenter: Dennis Boyd, Center Director, Hawaii Small Business Development Center Network
Date: March 12, 2016
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30a.m.
Where: John Y. Iwane Credit Union Center - Training Room
73-5611 Olowalu Street
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
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Seats are limited, Call to reserve yours today!


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Senior Honors Thesis
Author ORCID Identifier
First Advisor Department
Department of Earth Sciences
Glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) are membrane-spanning lipids of archaea that are ubiquitous in hot spring, ocean, lake, and soil environments. These lipids allow for microbial acclimatization to environmental stress and serve as the basis for important paleotemperature proxies. The number of cyclopentyl rings in the core structure of archaeal GDGTs change in response to temperature, pH, and oxidant load in both environmental samples and in cultured marine and acidophilic hot spring strains. Archaea from acidic hot springs can produce GDGT moieties with up to eight cyclopentyl rings (GDGT-0 to -8). Biophysical models show that synthesizing more cyclopentyl rings promotes tighter membrane packing and decreased permeability, enabling archaea to occupy hotter, more acidic, and more oxidizing environments. A unique GDGT found in both marine and hot spring archaea, crenarchaeol, contains four cyclopentyl and one cyclohexyl ring. While the function of this lipid in archaeal membranes is not well understood, it has been proposed that the cyclohexyl ring allowed archaea adapted to acidic, high temperature hot springs to adapt to cooler and circumneutral waters, eventually allowing for diversification into oceanic environments. To improve the understanding of crenarchaeol’s function in membranes, its role in archaeal evolution, and its distribution in the geologic record, we quantify the relationship between pH, temperature, redox, and other parameters with crenarchaeol abundance in the natural thermal springs of Yellowstone National Park, where these parameters vary widely. We evaluate our data in the context of a comprehensive compilation of previously reported GDGT data from hot spring environments, focusing particularly on crenarchaeol, to examine the environmental factors that likely control its distribution. These results shed new light on the role of crenarchaeol in the diversification of archaea into lower temperature, circumneutral environments.
Crenarchaeol, archaea, lipids, GDGT, Award
Biogeochemistry | Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology | Geochemistry
Dartmouth Digital Commons Citation
Calhoun, Amanda; Blewett, Jerome; Colman, Daniel; Harris, Carolynn; Boyd, Eric; Pearson, Ann; and Leavitt, William, "On the origins of crenarchaeol: environmental controls on an enigmatic archaeal lipid in hot springs" (2023). Wetterhahn Science Symposium Posters 2023. 6.
Available to Dartmouth community via local IP address.


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An advocate for open government is under fire this week, after allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior surfaced.
Robert Freeman, who has spent decades fighting for open government and advising journalists across the state, has been let go from his job.
This state Inspector General released preliminary results from their investigation into his alleged behavior. The state issued a letter this week outlining the details of alleged sexually inappropriate behavior.
Freeman is accused of unwanted contact, both during and after, a meeting related to open meetings.
The victim stated he allegedly squeezed her shoulder, touched her waist, back, and buttocks. She says he also hugged and kissed her cheek. He’s also accused of making a racially based derogatory comment.
Freeman was the executive director of the state committee on Open Government, for decades. He’s served as a consultant and advisor to members of the media across the state.
The state declined to comment for the story but issued a statement:
“Based on the preliminary findings of our office’s ongoing investigation into a recent complaint filed against Mr. Freeman, I appreciate the swift action taken by the Department of State. The abuse of a publicposition to engage in illicit conduct will not be tolerated by anyone at any level in New York State government. We are continuing to work closely with our law enforcement partners on this investigation and encourage anyone who may have additional informationregarding this matter to contact our offices.”
The state’s investigation also revealed that he was counseled for “inappropriate behavior in the workplace” back in 2013.
The investigation is ongoing.
Here’s a link to the state IG’s letter https://www.scribd.com/document/414464916/IG-Letter


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FULTON, NY – Dennise Clark (15 years) and Peggy Bundy (10 years) of Oswego County Opportunities Day / Community Hab program were recently recognized for their years of service to Oswego County Opportunities and its consumers.
" data-medium-file="https://oswegocountytoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/OCO-Recognizes-Pair-300x252.jpg" data-large-file="https://oswegocountytoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/OCO-Recognizes-Pair-460x386.jpg" class="size-medium wp-image-230576" src="https://oswegocountytoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/OCO-Recognizes-Pair-300x252.jpg" alt="Dennise Clark (left) and Peggy Bundy." width="300" height="252" srcset="https://oswegocountytoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/OCO-Recognizes-Pair-300x252.jpg 300w, https://oswegocountytoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/OCO-Recognizes-Pair-150x126.jpg 150w, https://oswegocountytoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/OCO-Recognizes-Pair-460x386.jpg 460w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Dennise Clark (left) and Peggy Bundy.
OCO is a private, non-profit agency that has been supporting communities throughout Oswego County since 1966.
A member agency of the United Way of Greater Oswego County, OCO provides more than 50 vital services throughout 100 separate locations.

domain: geography


text: Minecraft Dungeons has been updated and had three DLCs added into the game. The first DLC was called Jungle Awakens, which featured significant changes to the game and was released in July of this year. This was the first DLC to be added to the highly popular game of Minecraft Dungeons, and this DLC offers three new missions that take place in the heart of the jungle. \nThe second DLC released was called Creeping Winter; this DLC was added in August. The Creeping Winter DLC added mobs, new levels, new weapons, and even new weapon enhancements. This Creeping Winter DLC added the freezing effect into Minecraft Dungeons. \nThe most recent DLC released for Howling Peaks, The Howling Peaks DLC may be the most adventurous compared to any of the previous DLCs. \nThis Howling Peaks DLC has added mobs and new adventure gear, including the armor called Climbing Gear. This gear has an in-game description of “Sturdy, all-weather clothing and a pair of spiked boots, perfect for braving the harsh conditions encountered on the mountains.” \nWhile the newest expansion to Minecraft Dungeons may not be a DLC but is instead a seasonal event, this seasonal event has new trials and unique collectable items available for Minecraft Dungeons players. \n \nThis seasonal event is called the Chills and Thrills trials. This seasonal event starts on December 18 and will continue until December 30, and this new seasonal event will have six new winter-themed trials with two new trial modifiers. These trial modifiers including changing the number of chests, changing the cooldown on artifacts, and even making the mobs completely invisible. \nThis seasonal event has a reward of up to three different unique collectible items as rewards! These items include the Arctic Fox Armor, The Frost Slayer, and the Shivering Bow. These items are all designed to offer a much more wintery approach to combat than the items released by the Creeping Winter DLC. \n \nThe Arctic Fox Armor offers a unique design, having the helmet looking like a fox compared to the other armors released in Minecraft Dungeons. \nThe other two items are called the Frost Slayer and the Shivering Bow; the Frost Slayer is a Melee Weapon and behaves identically to the Broadsword previously released in Minecraft Dungeons. The Shivering Bow is a ranged weapon that behaves like the Nocturnal Bow and steals speed from its target.


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Ancient Fruit Bowl Pedestal by Falcon Miniatures. Designed for the 1:12 scale miniature setting. Made of resin. Measures 4 3/4 inches tall.
John Kerr (verified owner) – April 28, 2018
The best. A majestic piece, redolent with antiquity.
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2 Piece Victorian Bird Bath in Ivory by Falcon Miniatures
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domain: hobby


Sebastian Vettel is determined to seize any opportunity that arises during Sunday’s British GP as he looks to overhaul pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton.
Ferrari fell short of Hamilton’s mark in qualifying for the British Grand Prix.
While the Mercedes driver claimed his fifth Silverstone pole, Kimi Raikkonen was half a second down with Vettel a further two-tenths off the pace.
But while he may have lost out in qualifying, the championship leader is determined to get the better of his title rival in the grand prix.
“There’s always an opportunity, so we’ll see,” he said.
“The target is to put him under pressure.
“He’s been certainly very competitive all weekend, nevertheless I think it’s been a positive day for us.”
He added: “It’s a decent result, the most important [thing] is car is good, we improved it for today and also tomorrow it should be better.”


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At the end of 2012, the website managers at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial realized they had a problem: Interest in their Arabic-language website had dropped drastically since its launch in 2008.
- Ex-anti-Semite Now Keeps Shabbat
- Mystery Surrounds Righteous Gentile Who Saved Dozens of Jews
- Who Is 'Righteous' Enough for Yad Vashem?
- Berlin School and a Righteous Muslim
That year, the site had 168,000 visitors, but by 2012 the number had fallen to 94,000. The Internet staff understood that it was not enough to create interesting, quality content. They needed to learn how to push it at their target audiences.
“We don’t have a Facebook page in Arabic, so we sought help with audience segmentation so that we could reach people who would be interested in the Holocaust. We knew this is an audience that wouldn’t necessarily be searching for the Yad Vashem website,” said Dana Porath, director of Yad Vashem’s Internet department.
Porath contacted Yoni Shadmi, a University of Haifa researcher who specializes in dialoguing with “difficult” populations, as he put it. He asked that we put “difficult” in quotation marks. “It means people who aren’t necessarily open to your message and sometimes downright object to it and don’t want to hear it,” he explained.
Shadmi started by mapping out audiences that would be “open to the message.” He identified 13 groups with potential, such as the students, faculty and alumni of the Arab world’s 10 leading universities, Arabic-speakers interested in history or documentary films, and those active in groups promoting peace, coexistence and nonviolence.
The campaign he created for Yad Vashem comprised ads targeting Arabic-speaking Facebook users, which referred them to specific items on Yad Vashem’s Arabic website. Some of the ads led to content relevant to the Arab world, like a story about Muslims in Albania who saved Jews during the Holocaust. Another ad led to the film “We Were There,” about a joint Arab-Jewish mission to the death camps. Still another ad led to stories about Muslim righteous gentiles in Europe.
Some ads featured content that was not necessarily Muslim specific, like a link to a YouTube video with Arabic subtitles in which twins experimented on by the notorious Dr. Josef Mengele at Auschwitz tell their stories.
Shadmi created the ads himself and then had them translated into Arabic by a Lebanese man who lives in Israel and understands the nuances of the different target audiences Yad Vashem wanted to reach. The analytic tools now available to website managers made it clear almost immediately what was working and what wasn’t. “Sometimes you change one word in the ad — the most minor change — and suddenly something no one was looking at before becomes a hit,” Shadmi said.
He notes that the term “Holocaust” was referred to differently in almost every ad. “In one place, we transliterated the term ‘Holocaust’ into Arabic; in others, we used the word ‘conflagration,’ an accepted term for the Holocaust.” Some ads referred to “the burning of the Jews” and others to “the disaster.”
The results were a pleasant surprise, he said. With a modest budget by any measure, the Yad Vashem ads were viewed by 2.4 million people from 41 different regions, led by Egypt, the territories, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, Morocco, Israel, Libya and Yemen. The ads also led to a sharp increase in traffic on the Yad Vashem site, which finished 2013 with 242,000 visitors.
“The success wasn’t just because of me, but because the subject really does interest the Arab world,” Shadmi said. “There are a lot of good stories to be presented in this context. You just have to know how to do it right.”


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Vitamins: Essential Micronutrients
Vitamins are organic compounds crucial for body functions. Unlike macronutrients, they're needed in small amounts. They don't provide energy but facilitate metabolic processes. Most vitamins can't be synthesized by the body and must be obtained through diet.
Minerals: Inorganic Necessities
Minerals, unlike vitamins, are inorganic and maintain structural functions. They're essential for building bones (calcium, phosphorus), and managing muscle contractions and nerve signaling (magnesium, potassium). Trace minerals like iron and zinc are vital despite their tiny required amounts.
Vitamin D: The Sun Catalyst
Vitamin D is unique as it can be synthesized by the body with sunlight exposure. It's vital for bone health, immune function, and reducing inflammation. Surprisingly, it acts more like a hormone than a typical vitamin, regulating calcium and phosphate homeostasis.
Vitamin C: Beyond Immunity
Known for its immune-boosting properties, Vitamin C also plays a pivotal role in collagen synthesis, aiding wound healing and maintaining skin integrity. It's an antioxidant, countering free radicals. Intriguingly, most animals can produce it, except humans, primates, and some bats.
Iron: Oxygen's Vessel
Iron is notorious for its role in hemoglobin, which transports oxygen in the blood. What's less known is its involvement in brain function. Iron deficiency can impair cognitive abilities and development, highlighting its importance beyond just keeping anemia at bay.
Zinc: A Multifaceted Mineral
Zinc affects over 300 enzymes in the body, impacting various functions like DNA synthesis, cell division, and protein production. It's also crucial for a healthy immune system. Surprisingly, it has the ability to influence taste and smell sensory activity.
Vitamins and minerals often work synergistically. For example, Vitamin C enhances iron absorption from plant-based foods, optimizing its benefit. Conversely, excess calcium can hinder iron and zinc absorption, showcasing the delicate balance needed in micronutrient intake.


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Someone asked me recently what my favorite feature of mine is – I said my hands. A hand tells so many stories. That’s what I love most about them. The lines on your palms reveal crucial moments in your lifetime, the roughness of your hands shows the labor you’ve used them for, the bites in your nails expose the anxieties you struggle with, and the wrinkles you collect uncover the experiences you’ve undergone. I truly believe our hands are the windows to our souls.
That’s why, when I came across SIDIA’s newest Hand Care Duo ($72): a wonderful Hand Exfoliant ($38) and Hand Serum ($34) that launched last month, I was particularly drawn to it. I’d never seen a brand that screams: ‘our hands are the highlight of what we do!’ Yet founder Erin Kleinberg noticed “that so many brands focus on hand care as the last step, almost as an afterthought. But they work the hardest for us. You love with your hands, you work with your hands, you create, you craft.” In making hands the new focus of its wellness space, SIDIA takes a strong stance of celebrating the underserved, underloved parts of ourselves. Evoking the feeling of ‘coming home to yourself,’ this new daily routine has truly become my favorite treat.
Toronto-based Erin Kleinberg identifies as a serial entrepreneur, a storyteller at heart and a loving mom of two. After founding various companies, her newest baby is the product of a natural, continuous progression of entrepreneurship. Although SIDIA began with caftans and candles, Erin strived to create something powerful enough to change someone's mood by evoking an ounce of joy even during the darkest of times. This feeling was inspired by her grandmother: a Holocaust survivor, the matriarch of her family, and the namesake of her brand. “She essentially inspired my whole career – my love for fashion, beauty, and care. She was such a graceful, elegant vision and I saw so much strength in her.”
Two weeks before Sidia passed, Erin had the opportunity to tell her grandmother that she named the brand after her, to honor the legacy of Sidia herself. As a way to channel her grief, Erin aimed to share the unparalleled source of comfort she’s always felt from her grandmother with the wellness world, creating the oasis we’ve all been waiting for. And it shows! From the subtle, yet soothing fragrances to the dark and sexy packaging, you can tell that SIDIA’s intention is to change your mood and environment for the better.
CHANGING THE GAME
The first step of the hand care experience is a gentle exfoliant, which smells delicious like bergamot and vetiver (a small pump goes a long way!). While removing dirt & dead skin, my hands are left feeling smooth and hydrated due to the softening effect of the rambutan. I’ve noticed I like to do this step with really warm water. I’ll stand in front of my sink for two minutes rubbing my hands together as I get lost in the mesmerizing massage-like atmosphere. It’s a really nice act of care to give your attention to, even for a short period of time.
The luxe serum is lightweight, grease-free and absorbs beautifully into the skin. Containing shea butter, avocado butter and a unique prickly pear extract, it has a citrus and amber smell, which pairs really nicely with the exfoliant. As someone who washes their hands a lot, it's comforting knowing I can return to any task right after, rather than dreading the oily fingerprints left on my computer keyboard. And as a Brown woman, I’ve noticed that many hand creams leave a whitecast on my skin, while this serum enhances my shade and leaves it glistening. The airless pump is the cherry on top; it’s not only the most hygienic option but I can use the serum on the go at any moment!
THE THREAD OF IT ALL
You can tell SIDIA is a design-focused brand by the way the products look beautiful just sitting on your counter. The deep green and black packaging creates a moody vibe – it stands out, it makes me want to take an hour-long, candle-lit bath with ambient music playing in the background. Erin explains: “our approach is that minimalism and maximalism can live together, and that we’re not just another beige beauty brand.”
Natural ingredients call for natural moments. SIDIA’s scent is made up of essential oils and its products are: sulfate free, paraben free, cruelty free, vegan and credo clean approved. The environment and the universe means a lot to SIDIA’s team, which is seen in the beautiful red threads the brand gives you alongside the hand care set. Erin’s grandmother was very superstitious and always believed that the red thread would protect one from all evil. SIDIA shares that belief through this gift in hopes of extending good luck and protection to their greater community.
ON CARE FOR THE FUTURE
As an extension of ‘coming home to yourself,’ Erin believes you must take time out of your day to recharge, otherwise it’s impossible to show up for those you love. She’s a big champion of women, believing we need to uplift and support each other more and tell the right stories. With a powerful, female team by her side, and as a mother, Erin feels strongly about women’s health, especially in the pre, during and post pregnancy world; “having kids and raising them is so impossible, and at the same time your body goes through all these hormones, stages and then postpartum. I feel like people just expected me to bounce back, and that showed a deep lack of understanding.” In hopes of making changes on a bigger scale, SIDIA will be donating 10% of sales during launch month to the Brigid Alliance Fund, which supports people who must travel long distances across the U.S. for abortion care.
You can tell this brand really values celebrating the power of the matriarchs that came before us, so that we can better understand ourselves – past, present and future. This special hand care set truly acts as a vehicle for nostalgia and melancholia: “My intention is to use a devastating past and make something meaningful out of it. I hope that using or smelling one of our products might transport you back to a time with your grandmother.” Whether you take that sometimes forgotten self-care, mental health moment whilst soaking in a relaxing bath or lighting up a bedtime joint, SIDIA provides its consumers a connection with their body, soul and mind by creating a soothing environment that makes you fall more in love with your space every day.


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Violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt will be among the performers at the second annual Boscobel Chamber Music Festival, which starts today (Sept. 1) in Garrison.
Do you guard your arms or your instrument more assiduously?
After a performance, I nearly tripped down some stairs, and my instinct was to lift the instrument high, like you would a child. So that must mean something.
Once you become a professional, do you still study with a teacher?
It’s rare to get a lesson. Your time is taken up, though colleagues and peers give us feedback. Luckily for me, I had 14 years playing in the Dover String Quartet, so I got input from three other musicians whom I highly respected. It was like having three free lessons every day.
Was there a moment when you realized the viola was your instrument?
I grew up playing violin, piano and trombone — each was a hobby. But I fell in love with chamber music and the viola. I gravitated to it. It wasn’t until I played viola that I wanted to become a professional musician. I loved its deeper, more mellow and human tones. The viola has the range that is the average range of a human voice. The instruments vary in sound and personality. When a composer writes a viola solo, it means there’s something behind it, because when a composer chooses to write for not the top voice, it’s meaningful.
It’s easy for me to make friends with other violists; there’s an unspoken bond. Violists are a little more laid back. You have the tough skin, a purity of heart and soul, a good ego-check. It’s easy to make friends with violists.
You’ll be performing indoors and outdoors at the festival. Does the sound and emotion carry differently?
The sound in a performance venue is like another player. If you’re playing in a church — resonant and boomy — it affects how you draw out the instruments. Your performance is always affected by the people who are there, which is satisfying, because it shows that when you have good music, you can experience it in so many ways. We were as excited to be there [last year] playing in that gorgeous setting as the people attending were in welcoming us. And the village nearby is so cute!
What’s the most blissful part of being a violist, and what’s the most frustrating?
What’s blissful is the sound of it and its role inside a chamber group. It’s so tasty. They always say a string quartet is like a bottle of wine. The cello is the bottle itself, holding everything together, the foundation. The first violin is the label, and the second violin and the viola are the wine itself — the flavor. It’s a fun thing, to make music on it.
What’s frustrating? It’s an awkward instrument to play. And it’s one of the hardest instruments to play. It sounds easier than it is, and if you mess up, it just sounds bad.


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Police in Egypt are employing dating that is fake to entrap, imprison, and torture LGBT individuals, a unique report claims.
Human Rights Watch report that Egyptian police are employing media that are social apps such as for instance Grindr to meet up with homosexual, lesbian, bisexual and trans individuals before selecting them up from the road and arresting them.
Their report also claims that authorities frequently search the phones unlawfully of these they will have arrested to justify maintaining them in detention.
Yasser, 27, told the liberties team he had been arrested after fulfilling up with a man heвЂ™d spoken to on Grindr. (more…)