"It's not his fault," were Dr. David Bercuson's final words as he introduced David Pratt, Liberal Member of Parliament for Nepean-Carleton and chair of the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans' Affairs. Bercuson was referring to the current state of Canada's military, bemoaned by many as one rapidly falling into disrepair.
Last week, Pratt spoke about the subject at the University of Calgary in a lecture entitled "Managing Canada's Defence."
Pratt became Chair of SCNDVA, a committee of 16 MPs, in November, 2000 after being elected to a second term in Parliament. Immediately, the committee members set out to "immerse themselves in the defence culture," taking a base-to-base journey that led them from Trenton to Yellowknife to Esquimalt, then to Germany and Bosnia, meeting and living with members of Canada's armed forces. The committee was greeted with skepticism wherever it went and has since issued a report with 90 recommendations to improve the living situation of those serving in the armed forces.
"The government responded with roughly $300 million in improvements to the quality of life," said Pratt.
That was the first step toward making Canada's military relevant.
"It was the people that were suffering most," Pratt pointed out. "We had to address the people issues before we even began talking about equipment."
SCNDVA's interim report recommended increasing the defence budget, training military reserves for homeland defence, enhancing our response capability to nuclear and biological warfare, and improving strategic airlift capabilities. The December 2001 budget "accepted a number of our recommendations," said Pratt.
SCNDVA's final report in May, 2002 addressed the operational readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces. The committee's main recommendation was to increase defence spending from 1.1 per cent to 1.5 per cent of the GDP over three years.
"Canada has lagged at the bottom of the NATO defence spending list, and we are suffering as a result of that," said Pratt. "[The increase] will allow us to play a more significant role with our allies."
Pratt has the difficult job of securing funding for the military in an environment that has lost much of its concern for international security.
"We've gotten to the point where our focus has shifted so dramatically toward domestic issues that defence has been forgotten," he said.
Budget cuts since 1994-95 affected every government department. According to Pratt, the defence budget was reduced by 23 per cent.
"That was a huge dent in the funding base of the Canadian Armed Forces," he explained. "It eliminated our wiggle room as far as the budget was concerned. There was no opportunity for flexibility."
Since 1948, Pratt said, the Canadian military has participated in 70 overseas missions. Despite drastic financial cuts over the last 10-15 years, two thirds of those missions have come since 1989-90.
"The security environment has become more demanding," he stated, citing recent Canadian involvement in East Timor, Bosnia, Sierra Leone and Operation Apollo in Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf.
Pratt said the challenge for SCNDVA and the Minister of Defence has been to "make the case to the government that spending on defence now is an insurance plan for the future, as well as a way of earning respect from our allies."
"We have a reputation as something of an international freeloader as far as security is concerned," he said.
Pratt himself was surprised at how much the Canadian government did contribute to Operation Apollo.
"All of that falls back on the shoulders of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces," he explained. "We didn't have enough back up to maintain or sustain that commitment."
Recalling Canada's role as a NATO founder, Pratt pointed out that we were once at the forefront of collective security but that we are moving toward a neo-isolationist position" with our recent approach to defence issues.
Canadians have seen themselves as valuable contributors to international peacekeeping, and also as being safe in our corner of the globe, but that is no longer the case.
"It puts some national myths in some jeopardy," said Pratt. "The planet isn't getting any safer."
One of the dangers of military cutbacks is that it is difficult to return to the previous state once those cuts have occurred.
"If we start losing capabilities in particular areas, it's very expensive to get them back... [For example] if we don't get supply ships for our navy, we could end up with a navy that is reduced to coastal patrol."


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A sad day is soon to come for movie buffs: on Nov. 29, 2018, the film-streaming subscription service FilmStruck will be discontinued due to the decision by WarnerMedia — recently merged with AT&T — to cut the service. FilmStruck was known for its selection of independent and classic movies provided by Turner Classic Movies and the Criterion Collection.
The announcement of the streaming service’s closure has struck a hard blow to its users, who have only a few weeks left to cross its selection of films off their watch list before it goes.
“It’s a real shame, what’s happening. Here was easily the richest and best-curated repository of films alternative to mass-market Hollywood material — which is not to disparage that material — gathered in one place, beautifully presented, annotated and available on a subscription model. Now purchased, written off as a loss and in the process of being dismantled,” said Benjamin Stevens, classics professor and faculty advisor to the Trinity University Film Club.
Although FilmStruck users have turned to a Change.org petition — which has now gathered over 50,000 signatures — in an attempt to save the streaming service, the aftermath of its discontinuation has brought up a question: what will this mean for film preservation and access from now on?
Patrick Keating, communication professor and chair of the film studies minor, saw a vague future for the content made available via FilmStruck.
“I expect within a year most of this content will be available somewhere. Maybe Criterion will strike another deal with Hulu, or maybe they’ll set up their own thing, but clearly Criterion would like this content to be out there somehow. As for the Turner Classic Movies collection, hopefully that will find a home somewhere,” Keating said.
While alternative streaming services exist, it was FilmStruck’s selection and curation of movies that drew in many loyal users. Junior Connie Laing, communication major and film studies minor, has observed a gap left in the world of streaming.
“It’s getting inaccessible movies to people, movies that are really difficult for low-income people [to access] or even just having the money to invest in them. It’s really an investment. I think it was more valuable to me than Netflix and Hulu because of that,” Laing said.
In the absence of FilmStruck, while it’s possible to turn to more mainstream streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, cinephiles may not be aware that Trinity also offers access to the Coates Library-linked services Kanopy and Hoopla. Liaison librarian Michael Hughes emphasized the value of having access to these services, but also noted some limitations.
“What they lack is the comprehensiveness and the curation. I can’t really distinguish the presence of … a person who’s educated in the history of cinema who’s making decisions about what to present and why. And so when you get a channel on FilmStruck that is bringing attention to the overlooked films of women directors, that’s not something that Kanopy and Hoopla are doing to the best of my knowledge. … There’s a real effort [with FilmStruck] to help people make discoveries among all these titles so you aren’t paralyzed by choice alone,” Hughes said.
Although the future of accessing classic and independent films may appear bleak with the announcement of FilmStruck’s shutdown, Hughes is currently working to maintain and grow the collection of DVDs available to Trinity students and faculty in Coates Library. This selection includes various Criterion Collection titles and Best Picture winners, which corresponds with some of FilmStruck’s offerings.
For students interested in viewing and discussing film, Stevens emphasized that the Trinity University Film Club, which is up and running as of this semester, is looking to provide these kinds of opportunities.
“Not to recommend illegality, but … to recommend finding other people who like these sorts of things and asking them. It’s within your rights to screen films for private consumption, and people should do that with each other and share the things that they really love,” Stevens said.
|Class of 2021 | Majors: English and Theatre |

domain: library


Ruger’s really been doing great things in the concealed carry community. Both the Sp101 and Ruger LCR have been dominating the concealed carry market.
It has the strength of the powerful .357 magnum round without the bulk of the S&W 686 or GP100. It’s pretty obvious why it’s one of the most popular concealed carry revolvers on the market. With the right
Which is the Best Sp101 Holster For Ruger Revolvers
Check Price: Amazon
Masc holsters makes an exceptional holster for the SP101. Unlike most of the other holsters Masc designed it specifically for the Ruger Sp101. This holster is available for all makes of the Ruger Sp101. . If you are looking for an OWB holster you need to check this one out.
Masc holsters are made from genuine leather and come
One of the best features on this holster is the adjustable paddle so that you can change the carrying angle. You can go between
Check Price: Amazon
Another great option for your revolver is made by Cebeci Holsters. Cebeci designed their holster for inside waistband use. You really can’t go wrong with the excellent craftsmanship found in this holster.
Pair that with an affordable price tag and you have a recipe for success. Designed to be perfect for deep concealment, the holster is barely visible in
Where Cebeci holsters really shine is their leather quality. Using high quality top-grain cowhide leather that’s sure to last through years of daily use. The inside of this holster is felt lined to protect your gun and minimize snags.
It’s made for the man on the go, whether you’re riding a motorcycle or mowing the lawn. You won’t have to worry about dropping your gun no matter your profession. Cebeci designed their holster to be compatible with any barrel length or grip. If you’re looking for an Iwb holster check out this option from Cebeci.
Check Price: Amazon
When you need to carry an ankle holster Galco’s one of your only quality options. The Galco Ankle Lite is easily the most comfortable ankle holster currently on the market.
All of the other holsters are either uncomfortable or offer horrible retention. Ankle holsters have a tendency to be uncomfortable, but this holster is the exception. You can easily go all day wearing this holster without any chafing or rubbing. The only downside to this holster is that it’s only available in 2 1/4″ barrel configuration.
What makes the Ankle glove so comfortable is the neoprene ankle band. This neoprene band is wide enough to give your gun good support without moving as you walk. Most people find that this holster is so comfortable that they will eventually forget it’s even there.
There is additional sheepskin padding added to this holster to further protect your ankle. With its reinforced thumb break and perfectly molded shell you won’t have to worry about your gun moving around.
I really like that this holster doesn’t have a retention strap. Instead they use a modified tension unit that secures your firearm and speeds up your draw. The tension unit allows you to dial in either your hammered or hammerless sp101.
Check Price: Amazon
Pocket holsters are often overlooked in the concealed carry world. They don’t offer the same gun security as more traditional holsters. What they do offer is added comfort and deep concealment.
If you’ve never tried the Desantis pocket holster you probably wonder if the holster comes out with the gun. I can easily say that 99 percent of the time the holster will stay in your pocket when you draw the gun.
The only time I had an issue with this is carrying this holster on the inside pocket of my suit. The pocket isn’t the same shape as a pants pocket so it didn’t grip the sides properly.
It can stay in your pocket because of the sticky rubber material that this holster is made out of. The holster will grab a hold of your pocket and allow you to easily draw your gun. The way this holster is shaped you have a hard time seeing the outline of your gun.
Concealed Carry Tips
If you have never shot the Sp101 you might wonder why you would want to carry one. This little snubnose revolver shoots the powerful .357 magnum round. You would be surprised at how little recoil you can actually feel. You can feel even less recoil shooting 38 special rounds. There is a huge demand for snub nose revolvers in the concealed carry world.
A lot of people like to choose a Ruger LCR or Smith and Wesson 642. Both of these are fantastic choices but they aren’t made for everybody. You see a lot of women and men that have weak wrists struggling with the recoil on these revolvers. I personally am recovering from a wrist surgery on my dominant hand and have a hard time shooting my 642. So that’s where the Ruger Sp101 comes in. I can load the Sp101 with hot 38 special loads and there is very minimal recoil. This allows you to increase the speed of follow up shots and stay on target. The only downside to this revolver is that it only holds 5 rounds.
Different types of Holsters
There is a vast world of holsters out there and it can get hard to choose which one is the best. There are quite a few open carry holsters available for the Sp101, but I personally prefer a full size revolver if I’m going to open carry. So for the majority of this article I’m going to stick with concealed carry holsters. The majority of Ruger Sp101 Holsters fall into the categories of Inside Waistband Holsters, Outside Waistband Holsters, Ankle Holsters and Pocket Holsters.
- Inside Waistband Holsters- Inside Waistband Holsters aka IWB holsters are the primary holsters people use while concealed carrying. As the name implies this type of holster goes within your beltline and is difficult to see while concealed. Inside waistband holsters are probably the most effective concealed carry solution for most people.
- Outside Waistband Holsters– Outside the waistband holsters aka owb holsters are typically used for open carry. It is possible to concealed carry with an OWB holster if you are wearing loose fitting clothes. If you don’t live in an open carry state I would be hesitant about carrying this way. You could end up with a charge for brandishing a weapon which is a serious offense in most instances.
- Ankle Holsters- Ankle holsters are a very convenient way to concealed carry. You typically don’t have to worry about printing and they are relatively comfortable and secure. The biggest issue with this type of holster is the draw speed. You really have to practice frequently to quickly draw from your ankle. This type of holster is great for a law enforcement backup gun or for settings that guns wouldn’t be acceptable. I typically use an ankle holster when I go to meetings at outside locations. That way I don’t make anyone that I’m working with uncomfortable.
- Pocket Holsters– Pocket Holsters are actually very convenient. You don’t have to worry about your belt sagging or the gun rubbing on your skin. The downside is that you lose a pocket to carry your keys or phone and they can be difficult to take out of your pocket.
What’s The Best SP101 Holster???
There is no one right choice when choosing a holster. The best holster is going to depend on what you do everyday. I personally like to have a few different options depending on what I’m doing that day. Most shooters will enjoy the quality of the Cebeci IWB Holster. An inside the waistband holster is the most versatile concealed carry option. If for some reason you don’t like to carry with an IWB holster, any of the other holsters listed above would be an excellent alternative.


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Paragon School For Girls is a new web series by Jim Hansen, whose production company the Orphans has created Chloe videos starring Drew Droege as a name-dropping ingenue who resembles an actress of the same name, and the Eirick videos starring Out.com contributor Jeffery Self as a self- (ha!) obsessed summer scarf-wearer, among other creations.
At the series outset, Violet (Michael J. Willet, Faking It) is being delivered by helicopter to a remote school on a rocky pinnacle, with no seeming escape. Welcomed, in a manner of speaking by Ms. Click (Droege) and Mrs. Copperpenny (Sam Pancake, Legally Blonde 2), Violet soon meets her fellow students at the creepy school, including Millicent (Self) who takes Violet under her blonde wings. Meanwhile, the long-suffering Maid (Space Station 76 writer Jack Plotnick) watches, and all from a set comprised of some model train set parts, and a few dollhouses.
Is Paragon like Hogwarts? Is it a school for assassins? What are the mysterious skills the girls exhibit, before suddenly disappearing? Each short episode is accompanied by a 2-minute interlude full of intrigue, mediocre wigs, and more of the all-female cast of characters. Tom Lenk (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) plays agent V., and Bryan Safi ("That's Gay") plays Agent Cutter.

domain: entertainment


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Team Kool Kaleb
Is this photo a winner?
"Austism speaks walk for autism in Minnesota. It was a great event. The t-shirts really helped us find each other amongst all of the people. " - Kool Kaleb (Oct 01, 2010)
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The Chamber of Commerce recently had a Ribbon Cutting for Haven of Hope's new location. After 8 years of service to the community, Haven of Hope Counseling has moved to 301 West Main, Smithville.
Kay Quintero, MA, LPC, LSPE states that the bigger space, otherwise known as The Magnolia House, will allow for more community outreach. Currently Haven of Hope Counseling offers individual and family counseling. All of the counselors have been trained in EMDR which is very effective for various trauma. Child-Centered Play Therapy is utilized for children age 3 through elementary school.
In addition to regular parenting classes, they have co-parenting classes for parents who do not live in the same home. Haven of Hope Counseling also offers help with grief issues, addiction issues and much more. They can screen for depression and suicidal thinking for both minors and adults. In fact, they can accommodate most mental health needs with their 3 Masters level counselors in addition to the work of Mrs. Quintero. The other counselors are Samanthia Curtis, Carrie Farmer, and Elisa Allen. All the staff at the Haven are deeply grateful for the community support during the move including Haven volunteers, youth groups, sporting teams, drug court participants and local churches.
Haven of Hope of DeKalb County is led by Board of Directors Thomas Groom, John Quintero, Sandy Harney, Brenda Hooper, Michael Carpenter, and Brenda Prichard. Everyone connected with the Haven invites the public to their open house scheduled for Friday, May 6th from 1 to 6pm. In the meantime, if you feel that they may be of assistance to you or your family, just stop by 301 West Main, Smithville or call 615-597-4673. Rita Bell or Susan Gray will be glad to answer some basic questions about the Haven and schedule you an appointment with one of the professional counselors
Rita Bell, Susan Gray, Isaac Gray, Kay Quintero, John Quintero, Carrie Farmer, County Mayor Tim Stribling, Chamber President Kathy Hendrixson, Chamber Director Suzanne Williams, and Samantha Curtis
The Sheriff's Department nabs another fugitive from justice during a traffic stop.
51 year old Gregory Scott Larue of Clarkrange is charged with being a fugitive from justice. His bond is $50,000 and he will be in court April 7.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Friday, March 20 Larue was stopped for a traffic violation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. It was discovered through the National Criminal Information Center (NCIC) that Larue has warrants against him from Catoosa, Georgia. Authorities there were contacted and said they would seek extradition of Larue on the outstanding warrants.
45 year old Russell Cranford Dreyer of Baxter is charged with domestic assault. His bond is $3,500 and he will make a court appearance on April 14.
Sheriff Ray said that on Monday, March 28 a deputy responded to Ford Road in the Austin Bottom area due to a physical domestic in progress. Upon arrival the officer spoke with Dreyer and his wife. She told the deputy that the two of them got in a verbal argument which became physical when Dreyer placed her in a headlock and slung her to the ground. He later grabbed and squeezed her hand causing bruising. Dreyer was determined to have been the primary aggressor and he was placed under arrest for domestic assault.
36 year old Rebecca Jade Andrews of Cookeville Highway, Smithville is charged with domestic assault and resisting arrest. Her bond is $6,500 and she will be in court April 14.
Sheriff Ray said that on Saturday, April 2 a deputy responded to a physical domestic call at a residence on Cookeville Highway. Upon arrival the officer spoke with a man who said that his wife had assaulted him with a closed fist to his left eye causing him to fall. Andrews was determined to have been the primary aggressor during the incident. While she was being placed in custody Andrews pulled away from the arresting officer.
35 year old Samer Abdalla of Morgan Drive, Smithville is cited for violation of the light law, violation of financial responsibility, driving on a revoked license, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He will make a court appearance on April 14.
Sheriff Ray said that on Wednesday, March 30 a Sheriff's Department Detective pulled over Abdalla on Morgan Drive in a 1998 Cadillac. He was stopped for a brake light violation. Abdalla could not provide proof of insurance. A computer check revealed that his driver license were revoked for failure to pay fines in Wilson County in 2013. A search of his vehicle revealed in the passenger side door a spoon containing a white powdery substance.
27 year old Bruce Carlen Cantrell of Bobby Hayes Road, Dowelltown is cited for simple possession of a controlled substance and simple possession of drug paraphernalia. He will be in court April 7.
Sheriff Ray said that on Thursday, March 31 a deputy arrested Cantrell on active warrants. After being placed under arrest, Cantrell was asked if he had anything in his pockets. Cantrell replied that he only had his wallet. But a syringe was found in his right front pocket. Inside his front left jacket pocket was a package believed to contain a 15 milligram oxycodone pill.
51 year old Bobby Duggin of Dale Ridge Road, Dowelltown is cited for driving on a suspended license, violation of the light law, and simple possession of a schedule II drug. He will make a court appearance on April 21.
Sheriff Ray said that on Thursday, March 31 a deputy was patrolling Highway 70 west when he spotted a small white two door car with a head light out. The officer stopped the vehicle and spoke with the driver, Duggin. A computer check revealed that his license were suspended. He was also in possession of a schedule II drug (Hydrodocodone).
The DeKalb Prevention Coalition (DPC) and DeKalb Community Advisory Board (CAB) are hosting “A Day at the Park” on April 23 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Greenbrook Park in Smithville. The day is designed to be a Child Abuse Prevention and Foster Family Recruitment Event. It is a free event for families and individuals designed to educate the community about child abuse prevention and to also provide families with information about becoming Foster Parents. Food, games and activities will be available for children and speakers and vendors will be at the park. The CAB’s mission is to identify, utilize and create resources to help families and the community as a whole. While the DPC works to promote a safe, healthy and productive environment that prevents destructive opportunities among the youth and adults of our community. The DPC and CAB meet together the last Tuesday of each month at 12:00pm in the DeKalb County courthouse basement.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month and throughout the year, the DeKalb Prevention Coalition and DeKalb Community Advisory Board encourage all individuals and organizations to play a role in making DeKalb County a better place for children and families. By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, we can help prevent child abuse and neglect by making meaningful connections with children, youth and families in our communities.
Research shows that protective factors are present in healthy families. Promoting these factors is among the most effective ways to reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect. They are:
•Nurturing and attachment
•Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development
• Parental resilience
• Concrete supports for parents
• Social and emotional competence of children
“April is a time to celebrate the important role that communities play in protecting children and strengthening families,” said Norene Puckett CAB Vice-President. “Everyone’s participation is critical. Focusing on ways to connect with families is the best thing our community can do to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect.”
In support of these efforts, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, its Child Welfare Information Gateway, the FRIENDS National Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention and over 30 National Prevention Partners have created 2016 Prevention Resource Guide: Building Community, Building Hope. The resource guide, designed for service providers who work throughout the community to strengthen families, is available online at https://childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/resource-guide/
For more information about child abuse prevention programs and activities during the month of April and throughout the year, contact Norene Puckett 615-215-8690 or email@example.com
He caught it on April Fools’ Day, but Sasa Krezic has a fish tale that has been verified and placed in the record books by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. It is no joke!
A new northern brook trout state record was on the Caney Fork River near Smithville by Krezic, a resident of Nashville. Will Collier, a TWRA fish biologist, verified the record weight at 4 lbs., 12 oz.
The old state record was set in 1973 by Jerry Wells while fishing the Hiwassee River near Chattanooga. It weighed 3 lbs., 14 oz. and stood the test of time over 43 years and during millions of fishing trips.
Krezić has fished the Caney Fork River near Smithville for many years, specifically for trout. One of his favorite holes seemed busier than normal when he arrived to the Caney today, so he moved to a more open space, baited his line with a live minnow, and on his first cast caught the record and a great April 1 story to tell the rest of his life.
Krezić assumed the fish was a brown trout while fighting it because brown and brook trout are similar in color, but brown trout get much larger. After reeling it in and giving it a closer look, he recognized it might be more special than he already thought.
Still, he wanted to get a second opinion and discussed it with a nearby angler. After seeing the size of the fish, the angler suggested Krezić contact TWRA.
Dekalb County Wildlife Officer Tony Cross received Krezic’s call.
“I expected to see a brown trout and was surprised when I arrived,” said Cross, who in turn telephoned Collier per state protocol that requires a TWRA biologists verify the catch.
The fish was weighed on certified scale at nearby Big Rock Market. “This is a once in a career event,” stated Will Collier. “We were thrilled to be part of it, and we’re happy for Mr. Krezić. It is great to see successful anglers and even better to see a new state record.”
Northern strain brook trout have been stocked on the Caney Fork River since 2008. The northern strain grows much larger than the southern strain brook trout, which resides only in cold headwater streams at high elevations. Brook trout are Tennessee’s only native trout. For more information on brook trout or state records, visit www.tnwildlife.org and search under the “For Anglers” menu.
One man was airlifted after a motorcycle crash Sunday on Four Seasons Road near the intersection of Hooper Road.
Trooper Chris Delong of the Tennessee Highway Patrol told WJLE that 35 year old Noe Roberto was traveling in the direction of Four Seasons on a 1990 Yamaha FZ1 when he went off the right side of the road and hit a tree.
Roberto was treated by DeKalb EMS and flown from the scene by helicopter ambulance to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga.
Members of the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department and DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department were also there.
Meanwhile, 55 year old Mark England of Smithville was injured in a separate motorcycle crash Sunday afternoon on Highway 70 east near the Smithville Water Treatment Plant.
Trooper T.J. Withers of the Tennessee Highay Patrol told WJLE that England was traveling east on a 1997 Honda motorcycle when he failed to negotiate a curve and wrecked.
He was taken by DeKalb EMS to the hospital for treatment. The DeKalb County Sheriff's Department was also on the scene.
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) announced Thursday the HiSet product from Educational Testing Service will become the only high school equivalency test given in the state.
Prior to April 1, 2016, adult learners in Tennessee had the option to choose between the HiSet test and the GED Testing Service product.
Beginning, April 1, 2016, new test takers will no longer be able to sign up for the GED test. As of that date HiSet will be the sole provider of high school equivalency testing in Tennessee.
There are currently 132 students, in 95 counties, who have taken at least one module of the GED test, but have not completed it. Those students will continue to have access to the remaining modules of the GED test through June 30, 2016.
Effective July 1, 2016, HiSet will be the only test available to students in Tennessee who wish to obtain their high school equivalency diploma.
The Adult Education Division of the TDLWD is working with Educational Testing Service to develop a new Tennessee Adult Education curriculum. This joint venture will create the first of its kind curriculum in the nation. The change to HiSet testing will ensure the new curriculum will be aligned with the test students take to earn the high school equivalency diploma.
The HiSet test will provide other benefits to adult learners in Tennessee. The cost of the HiSet test is $75, compared to the $120 fee to take the GED test. HiSet is also more convenient for students, it offers the option of on-line testing, as well as a standard paper test.
With the qualifying deadline fast approaching, there are still positions for which no petition has been issued or no petition has been returned for two August city elections.
As of noon Friday, no petition had been issued for one of two Alderman seats in Dowelltown, an issued petition for Mayor had not been returned, and petitions for two Aldermen positions in Liberty had yet to be returned, according to Dennis Stanley, Administrator of Elections. The qualifying deadline for all races in August is NOON Thursday (April 7).
At last report, only William A. Davis had returned a petition for Alderman in Dowelltown with another alderman seat and the mayor’s seat up for election.
In Liberty, Dwayne Blair and Todd Dodd have returned petitions with another 4-year alderman seat and a seat of one year to fill an unexpired term up for election.
In Smithville, three alderman seats are up for grabs in August and 5 petitions have been returned with two outstanding. Those who have returned petitions are Richard Steinbach, Ronald Dale Stanley, and incumbents Shawn Jacobs, Josh Miller and Danny Washer.
In the August 4 DeKalb County General Election, all seats up for grabs have a candidate, including the recently created vacancy on the county commission.
Petitions returned or candidates chosen by party conventions are as follows:
1st District County Commission—Thomas Chandler, Republican and Julie Williams Young, Democrat
4th District School Board—Kate Miller
5th District School Board—W.J. (Dub) Evins, Kevin Hale and Barry Mabe
6th District School Board—Doug Stephens.
Other candidates chosen in the March 1 Democratic Primary or by party convention are:
Scott Cantrell, Assessor of Property, Democrat; Shannon Cantrell, Assessor of Property, Republican
Constable 1st district—Lee Plummer, Republican and Jason Taylor, Democrat
Meanwhile, the picture is coming in focus on the state level as petitions are being filed for State House 40 and 46.
In House District 40 petitions have been filed by incumbent Terry Lynn Weaver, Republican and Democrat Gayla Colvert Hendrix. In House District 46 petitions have been filed by incumbent Mark Pody, Republican; Jim Gibbs, Republican; and Amelia Hipps, Democrat.
"The Retreat at Center Hill Lake" will be operated as a retreat center by the Timothy Hill Ranch organization for the purpose of hosting individuals, families, churches and groups in an alcohol and tobacco free environment. It will not be used as a residential center for youth.
Luke Collins, Executive Director of the Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency (UCHRA) turned over the keys of the facility Thursday morning to Thaddaeus Hill, Executive Director of Timothy Hill Ranch, an organization whose mission is “strengthening character by modeling Christ-centered values.”
The final sales agreement was signed on Wednesday.
(CLICK LINK BELOW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE TIMOTHY HILL RANCH)
"We are so excited about it. What a great community partner Timothy Hill is. They are Christian based and an organization full of love and full of super people," Collins told WJLE.
"I just think it's a great fit for us and for DeKalb County. Other people have been interested in this property but I just think it was God's will that it worked out like it did. We have nothing against the other folks that wanted the property but we just could not have found a better fit than the folks here at Timothy Hill. I just admire them so much. I admire them for what they do and what they stand for. It's just a beautiful organization. They are going to make a lot of investment. They already have. They have been trimming a lot of trees and they are going to put a beach in and do a lot of great things. It really has a great future," Collins added.
Following the Thursday ceremony held at Lakeside, Hill told WJLE that the final development plans for the Retreat will have to be approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but “we have the impression they are very excited to have us as a partner. I think they know we’ll take our stewardship of this property very seriously.”
Under terms of the sale, Timothy Hill Ranch has put forward a $600,000 purchase, $50,000 deposit and $100,000 in services over 10 years ($10,000 per year). Those services are to include staff retreats, annual meetings, employee training and other events. UCHRA will pay off its USDA Rural Development loan debt of $1,285,550 relating to Lakeside Resort by applying the $600,000 from Timothy Hill and borrowing from the Bank of Putnam County $685,550.35 to be repaid in 4 years.
The organization, founded by Jerrell and Fern Hill, is named after their son Timothy Hill, a Columbia, TN native who died at age 13 but who already had a vision and business plan for helping others.
The first location was opened in 1980 in New York as a residential facility working with young people coming out of foster care. About 15 years later a retreat center was opened in the mountains of Massachusetts.
“As our board began exploring our next phase of expansion we said we really wanted to have the opportunity to do things in Tennessee where Timothy was born and dad was raised and felt this would be like coming home for us” Thaddaeus Hill told WJLE.
“At this location our intent is to continue to run this as a retreat center and host conferences and events for individuals, families, churches and groups who want to come and use this place,” Hill explained. “I’m sure there’s a lot of questions about our residential end of what we do. That will not exist on this site. At some point in the future we do have intent to work with some young people who have aged out of foster care. That is the population we’re looking at. The ones who have aged out of foster care that are 18 and above that may not have families to support them through their college years or finding their career paths. We’re not talking about criminals. We’re going to do our best to love on those folks and at some point use this facility as part of their training ground for some of their education and vocational training opportunities but we do not have a concrete date as to when that is going to happen. That will be some time in the future," said Hill
“Our main focus for the immediate future is to get the facility up to our standards and get it running in a direction that we feel like is a blessing to the people who are using it,” he added.
"I think for the next two to three years we're going to really focus on improving what is here before doing too much expansion. Expanding some of the trails in the woods to allow for hiking and passive recreation and at some point having horses on campus is definitely important to us. This is something we have on all of our locations is horses and an equestrian opportunity for young people and families to be able to participate in that. I absolutely expect that this will be something somewhere down the road that we will do. But again to me the real magic is the view, the lake, and the nature that's around us and we want to make sure that we're steering people toward that and have the opportunity to really go all throughout this 160 acres. We're not going to let it lie dormant and not do anything with it. But we have to do it in cooperation with the Corps and what they will allow us to do but they have indicated to us that using the entire property for passive recreation is absolutely an allowable use and something they encourage," Hill concluded.
Guest cottages and apartments are maintained on the property including thirteen cabins or houses, four condominiums, along with the lakeside lodge, featuring 26 units. The resort also has a dock and a swimming pool.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer today released TDOT’s annual three year transportation program (2017-19), featuring approximately $2 billion in infrastructure investments for 79 individual project phases in 42 counties including DeKalb, as well as 15 statewide programs.
Among the projects in Region 2 is the widening of Highway 56 from south of State Route 288 near Magness Road to East Bryant Street in Smithville (4.5 miles). Budgeted for construction in Fiscal Year 2017.
The Warren-DeKalb Highway 56 project from south of the Warren County line to near Magness Road is scheduled for a construction letting this summer. It was scheduled for the June 24 letting but may shift to the August 19 letting, according to TDOT.
The three-year program (2017-19) continues the state’s focus on providing a high quality state transportation network that is safe and reliable and supports Tennessee’s economic development efforts. New federal transportation funding through the FAST Act federal legislation includes a roughly two percent increase for FY 2017 over FY 2016’s funding. The FAST Act also provides some one-time flexibility that allows TDOT to tap into an additional $147 million in federal money.
These increases combined with the $100 million repayment to the highway fund in the Haslam administration’s proposed FY 16-17 budget will give the department a somewhat larger building program in the upcoming fiscal year - an estimated $965 million in FY 2017, compared to $660 million in FY 2016.
Despite the increase in revenue for FY 2017, the department still has a multi-billion dollar backlog of unfunded highway and bridge projects that have been approved by the General Assembly, but lack available funding to move forward.
“This program reflects our commitment to increasing safety and economic development opportunities, while also remaining debt free on our roads, and these one-time funding increases will allow TDOT to move forward with nearly a billion dollars in much needed road projects in communities across the state,” Haslam said.
In addition to the 2017 budgeted program, partial plans for 2018 and 2019 are included, along with funding for 15 transportation programs including Rockfall Mitigation, Spot Safety Improvement, and the statewide HELP Program. The program also provides funding for transit agencies in all 95 counties, as well as Metropolitan and Rural Planning Organizations.
The County Commission Monday night named Mason Carter to fill the remaining two year unexpired term of Elmer Ellis, Jr. on the DeKalb County Emergency Communications District (911) Board of Directors.
Ellis resigned last month.
Carter also serves as a 1st district county commissioner.
The appointment was made upon the recommendation of the DeKalb County ECD Board. County Mayor Tim Stribling read the letter of recommendation Monday night sent to the county commission by Local ECD Director Bradley Mullinax on behalf of the 911 Board.
"During the March meeting of the DeKalb 911 ECD Board of Directors discussion was made of the appointment of a board member to the 911 board to serve in the position recently vacated by Elmer Ellis. The board unanimously recommended Mason Carter from the DeKalb County Commission to serve in this position to fill the unexpired term. We feel his background and experience will be invaluable to the success of our organization," Mullinax wrote
Carter will serve out the existing four year term of Mr. Ellis ending August 31, 2018.

domain: news


text:
Sales Development Executive – Tax Services
30-40k Base, 60-80k OTE + Excellent Benefits
As a leading and award-winning provider of global tax solutions, our technically advanced client has an impressive and easily recognisable list of international blue-chip clients. Headquartered in the US, their extensive portfolio of solutions include advocacy, compliance, consulting and recovery to list just a few. Experiencing continued global growth, they now have an immediate and exciting opening for a Sales Development Executive to liaise at C-Level.
As a Sales Development Executive, you will:
Assume responsibility for researching and identifying target markets and accounts
Research prospects to fully understand potential requirements
Liaise throughout the C-Suite
Work in a new business capacity, generating your own prospects
Book qualified appointments
Undertake ongoing training
Move into a closing role within 6 months
The ideal sales candidate will:
Possess a minimum of 2+ year’s sales experience ideally gained in financial services or a related sector
Be new business focused and have a consultative approach
Have a credible, sophisticated and intelligent approach to sales
Possess first-class communication and presentation skills along with the ability to liaise at the highest of levels within a wide variety of companies
Be on the way up in your career, motivated by reward and looking for a fun, dynamic and autonomous place to work
The successful candidate can expect a base salary circa 30-40k with an uncapped OTE of 60-80k plus an additional and executive benefits package, fast track progression and an autonomous workplace.
The Certus Recruitment Group is an established and experienced specialist consultancy providing sales, marketing and IT recruitment services to the business community throughout the UK, Europe and Australia.

domain: finance


text:
SLR - November 2018 - Nicole S. Zahn
Lower-Extremity Salvage with Thoracodorsal Artery Perforator Free Flap in Condition of Symmetrical Peripheral Gangrene
Reference: Soo Yeon Lim, Gyeong Hoe Kim, Il Hoon Sung, Dong Woo Jang, Jung Soo Yoon, Youn Hwan Kim, and Sang Wha Kim. Lower-Extremity Salvage with Thoracodorsal Artery Perforator Free Flap in Condition of Symmetrical Peripheral Gangrene. BioMed Research International. Volume 2018, Article ID 6508607.
Scientific Literature Review
Reviewed By: Nicole S. Zahn, DPM
Residency Program: Bethesda Memorial Hospital, Boynton Beach, FL
Podiatric Relevance: Symmetrical peripheral gangrene is devastating, has a mortality rate of more than 40 percent and its cause is poorly understood. Half of the patients who survive will require amputation of the affected extremities. Disseminated intravascular coagulation is present in 85 to 100 percent of cases, and the lower extremities are most often affected. After a period of nonsurgical management, major reconstructive procedures are required for limb salvage with aims to retain functional length of the limbs for preservation of function. Reconstruction with free flaps can be extremely effective in this regard.
Methods: Ten thoracodorsal artery perforator free flaps were performed in six patients with symmetrical peripheral gangrene between the dates of January 2007 and February 2016. All patients were in shock accompanied by disseminated intravascular coagulation. After the patient’s general condition had stabilized and necrotic areas demarcated, radical debridement and amputation was performed, after which, negative pressure wound therapy was applied. Wounds subsequently underwent serial debridement every 24 to 48 hours to ensure wound stability and health. All patients then underwent computed tomography angiography to confirm vascularity and to locate viable recipient vessels. All defects were reconstructed using thoracodorsal arterial perforator free flaps and after insetting of the flap into the defect, microanastamosis was performed and venous return was checked. Donor sites were then closed primarily, or a split-thickness skin graft was applied. Intravenous prostaglandin was administered for 14 days postoperatively.
Results: A total of 10 amputations with reconstruction via thoracodorsal artery perforator free flaps were performed in six patients; eight of which were transmetatarsal and two Lisfranc. Flap size varied from 7 x 11 cm to 25 x 15 cm. The mean pedicle length of the flaps was 8.5 cm. All TDAP flaps included one perforator except for one chimeric flap including a 4 x 4 cm LD muscle flap. The recipient vessels used were located above the ankle level away from the zones of injury. The anterior tibial vessels were used in five cases and posterior tibial vessels in the five others. Final ambulation states and late complications were evaluated in outpatient clinics during the follow-up period. Ambulatory states were evaluated by the Functional Ambulation Classification (FAC) in outpatient clinics. All of the patients were able to walk alone. Three were able to walk independently at FAC level 6 using foot orthoses and footwear, and one could walk independently on level surfaces at FAC level 5. The remaining two patients could walk independently at FAC level 4 using walking aids. The average FAC level was 5.2.
Conclusions: There are no specific preventions or treatments for symmetrical peripheral gangrene. As a result, amputation is often inevitable due to the irreversibly necrotic tissue that can cause secondary infection. Past efforts have been made to preserve the length of the limb by distal amputation depending on available soft-tissue coverage. After minimal bony amputation, reconstruction with the thoracodorsal free flap was performed and found to be successful in foot salvage in patients with symmetrical peripheral gangrene.

domain: medical


text:
FER DE LANCE – Colossus LP
A Hammerheart-era Bathory-meets-atmospheric epic metal tour-de-force! Featuring members of Professor Emeritus, Moros Nyx and Smoulder. For fans of Bathory, Amorphis, Atlantean Kodex, Rotting Christ, but also Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, and unsung Canadian folk artist Stan Rogers!
Cruz del Sur, 2020 – includes download card
1 in stock

domain: artistic


text:
Former One Direction member Zayn Malik has shared a sentimental single titled “There You Are”. He has released the lyrical video on YouTube for his followers to view. The single has dropped days before his forthcoming project.
Zayn has been blessing his fans with tracks after tracks. “There You Are” has premiered on Beats 1 and serves as a follow-up to his previous releases “Good Years”, “Rainberry”, and “No Candle No Light”, which features rap queen Nicki Minaj.
“There You Are” consists of a smooth and dreamy beat that is accompanied by echoing vocals. The emotional single deals with the reassuring and unconditional love the singer has for his significant other:
“There you are, there you are, you’re there with opens arms”, he sings. “Only you know me the way you know me, only you forgive me when I’m sorry”.
Along with “Rainberry” and “Good Years”, the fresh banger belongs to Zayn’s upcoming album Icarus Falls, which will be released on Friday, December 14 and is said to be a 27-track project.
Icarus Falls will follow Zayn’s 2016 Mind of Mine project. Fans await impatiently for this masterpiece to drop. But until then we can enjoy his brand new single.

domain: celebrity


text:
Nana Patole Viral Leaked Video Trending All over Social Media
Recently, a video featuring Maharashtra Congress Leader Nana Patole and another woman broke the internet when a famous BJP leader shared it. A woman is shown with the leader in the video. On discovering the incident on the Internet, Nana Patole contacted the police.
The BJP leader is threatened with legal action by him. Through her official Twitter account, Bhartiya Janta Party vice president Chitra Wagh released the video of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. The viral Twitter video of Congress Leader Nana Patole can be found at the end of article.
As well as Nana Patole, Chitra Wagh tagged the official Twitter account of the Mumbai Congress. There was a caption on the video that read “Romance in Cherapunji, Meghalaya”. As a man sits close to a woman, an onlooker records the video from behind. Although she said she wasn’t poking her nose into someone’s life, the video has been circulating on the Internet and being shared on other platforms by people.
Her voice was raised in cases involving BJP leaders as well in the past. The Congress leader also responded by alleging the BJP leader was spoiling his character. According to him, she assassinated his character.
In addition to threatening legal action against Wagh, Patole has asked for a team of investigators to investigate the video. Throughout the state and gradually across the nation, the entire matter has become the talk of the town.
Uddhav Thackeray’s Maha Vikas Aghadi government collapsed recently after Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shine led a revolution against him in Maharashtra, according to latest reports.
Moreover, Eknath Shinde is currently appointed as the Chief Minister of the state by the BJP, while Devendra Fadnavis is the Deputy Chief Minister. Stay tuned with Social Telecast for the latest updates until we get back to you with more information.
Watch Nana Patole Viral Leaked Video
At Entertainment, Bisma Shakeel writes about US Entertainment news. After working as the editor of her college Entertainment news magazine, Bisma went into the Entertainment news industry. Being a fan of Simone Biles, she naturally chose the US Entertainment news. As a dedicated writer, Bisma is particularly interested in writing about the Entertainment. She keeps an eye on Allyson Felix, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and Simone Biles in addition to Usain Bolt. Whenever Bisma isn’t writing, she likes to ride her bike around or watch web series and movies.


text: Neural networks have proven effective for solving many difficult computational problems. Implementing complex neural networks in software is very computationally expensive. To explore the limits of information processing, it will be necessary to implement new hardware platforms with large numbers of neurons, each with a large number of connections to other neurons. Here we propose a hybrid semiconductor-superconductor hardware platform for the implementation of neural networks and large-scale neuromorphic computing. The platform combines semiconducting few-photon light-emitting diodes with superconducting-nanowire single-photon detectors to behave as spiking neurons. These processing units are connected via a network of optical waveguides, and variable weights of connection can be implemented using several approaches. The use of light as a signaling mechanism overcomes fanout and parasitic constraints on electrical signals while simultaneously introducing physical degrees of freedom which can be employed for computation. The use of supercurrents achieves the low power density necessary to scale to systems with enormous entropy. The proposed processing units can operate at speeds of at least $20$ MHz with fully asynchronous activity, light-speed-limited latency, and power densities on the order of 1 mW/cm$^2$ for neurons with 700 connections operating at full speed at 2 K. The processing units achieve an energy efficiency of $\approx 20$ aJ per synapse event. By leveraging multilayer photonics with deposited waveguides and superconductors with feature sizes $>$ 100 nm, this approach could scale to systems with massive interconnectivity and complexity for advanced computing as well as explorations of information processing capacity in systems with an enormous number of information-bearing microstates.


text:
Mobileiron Inc (NASDAQ:MOBL) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,413,400 shares, a drop of 5.5% from the June 30th total of 1,494,900 shares. Approximately 1.9% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 1,000,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.4 days.
In other Mobileiron news, major shareholder Ventures Fund Lp Storm III sold 1,300,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.74, for a total value of $8,762,000.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Tae Hea Nahm sold 274,427 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.76, for a total transaction of $1,855,126.52. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 158,781 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,073,359.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 2,230,912 shares of company stock valued at $15,007,297 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 13.48% of the company’s stock.
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MOBL. Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in Mobileiron by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 881,218 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $4,045,000 after purchasing an additional 8,217 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Mobileiron by 22.8% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 881,132 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $4,043,000 after purchasing an additional 163,536 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP boosted its holdings in Mobileiron by 60.6% in the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 81,400 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $374,000 after purchasing an additional 30,700 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in Mobileiron by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 95,274 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $437,000 after purchasing an additional 2,915 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. NY boosted its holdings in Mobileiron by 290.3% in the fourth quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. NY now owns 21,024 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $97,000 after purchasing an additional 15,637 shares during the last quarter. 59.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on MOBL shares. Northland Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $9.00 price objective on shares of Mobileiron in a report on Friday, August 2nd. ValuEngine upgraded shares of Mobileiron from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 4th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Mobileiron from $5.00 to $8.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Craig Hallum started coverage on shares of Mobileiron in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $11.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Mobileiron from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $7.75 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Mobileiron has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $8.94.
Shares of NASDAQ MOBL opened at $6.82 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $714.30 million, a P/E ratio of -16.24 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $6.58 and a 200-day moving average price of $5.70. Mobileiron has a 1 year low of $3.98 and a 1 year high of $7.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.31 and a quick ratio of 1.31.
Mobileiron (NASDAQ:MOBL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The software maker reported ($0.04) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.14) by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $50.87 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $50.66 million. Mobileiron had a negative net margin of 23.43% and a negative return on equity of 89.20%. The business’s revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.04) earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Mobileiron will post -0.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Mobileiron Company Profile
MobileIron, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides mobile IT platform that enables enterprises to manage and secure mobile applications, content, and devices while offering their employees with device choice, privacy, and a native user experience worldwide. It offers MobileIron security platform, which includes MobileIron unified endpoint management, a comprehensive security platform that provides the fundamental visibility and IT controls to secure, manage, and monitor various corporate or employee-owned mobile devices or desktops that access business-critical data; MobileIron Access to block untrusted devices and apps from accessing cloud services based on security posture and compliance, as well as provide single sign-on and multifactor authentication for applications on the device; and MobileIron Tunnel that provides secure connectivity through a per-app VPN to connect applications to back-end services.
See Also: Understanding Analyst Recommendations
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text:
All Recipe Master
Submit a Recipe
|Jaggery Lemon Ginger Juice
- Jaggery 100 gms
- Ginger 10 gms
- Pepper powder 2 teaspoons
- 4 to 5 teaspoonful lemon juice
- A pinch of salt
- Add jaggery to 4 cups of water and stir continuously to make it dissolve.
- Crush ginger, add it to this water, add pepper, lemon juice and salt.
- Then filter this to remove ginger pieces etc.

domain: food


text:
Wanna Dance? Hell Yeah. We love this slogan hoodie. It's super soft and perfect to throw on after dance class. It comes in these lovely colours too, ballet pink, heather grey and black. With its balance of typical hoodie details and trendy cropped cut. A hood makes it a comfortable must-have. Wide ribbed cuffs on the sleeves and hem make the perfect look to show off your dancer identity.
Fabric: 65% Cotton, 35% Polyester
Size4/6 29" 7/8 31" 9/10 33" 11/12 35" 13/14 38"

domain: hobby


Rights groups criticize Nigeria
Sixteen human-rights groups wrote to Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on March 23 demanding he withdraw legislation that will criminalize gay relationships and same-sex marriage as well as ban gay organizations and activism.
They said the bill violates both the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
'The bill criminalizes public expressions of love and any defense of lesbian and gay rights, denying fundamental freedoms,' said Scott Long, director of Human Rights Watch's gay-rights program.
The measure has been approved by the Federal Executive Council and awaits action by the National Assembly.
It calls for five years' imprisonment for anyone who 'goes through the ceremony of marriage with a person of the same sex,' 'performs, witnesses, aids or abets the ceremony of same sex marriage' or 'is involved in the registration of gay clubs, societies and organizations.' It also criminalizes public displays of a 'same-sex amorous relationship' and bans gay adoption.
The U.S. State Department also has denounced the bill, saying it 'would restrict or prohibit citizens from assembling, organizing, holding events or rallies, and participating in ceremonies of religious union, based upon sexual orientation and gender identity.'
'The freedoms of speech, association, expression, assembly and religion are long-standing international commitments and are universally recognized,' the U.S. government said. 'Nigeria, as a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, has assumed important obligations on these matters. We expect the Government of Nigeria to act in a manner consistent with those obligations.'
Gay sex is already illegal nationwide in Nigeria—and in several northern states ruled by Islamic Sharia law, it is punishable with stoning.
Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation, with 130 million residents.
The letter to Obasanjo was signed by Africa Action ( U.S. ) , the African Human Rights Organization ( Cameroon ) , Alliance Rights ( Nigeria ) , Amnesty International, the Center for Democracy & Development ( Nigeria ) , the Centre for Human Rights, Democracy and Transitional Justice Studies ( Congo ) , the Civil Liberties Organisation ( Nigeria ) , Global Rights ( U.S. ) , Human Rights Watch, the International Commission of Jurists ( Switzerland ) , the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission ( U.S. ) , International Service for Human Rights ( Switzerland ) , the Legal Defence and Assistance Project ( Nigeria ) , the National Black Justice Coalition ( U.S. ) , Support Project in Nigeria and the University of Pretoria Centre for Human Rights ( South Africa ) .
South Korea to OK gays in the military
South Korea's Ministry of Defense will lift its ban on gays in the military in April, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported.
The decision follows a recommendation by the National Human Rights Commission that the forces eliminate antigay discrimination and prejudice.
Under the new policy, the military will not out gay members of the armed forces—and anyone who comes out voluntarily will receive special supervision to protect his or her human rights, personal life and living situation, the report said.
Taiwan extends domestic-violence law to cover gays
Taiwan's interior minister, Lee Yi-Yang, announced March 22 that the Domestic Violence Prevention Law is applicable to same-sex couples, the Taipei Times reported.
The determination was made public as legislators reviewed the law in a Judiciary Committee meeting.
Speaking in support of the move, Legislator Kuo Lin-Yung said gays 'have been derided, persecuted and constrained in the past, but now they have begun to speak out [ and ] must now be equally protected by the law.'
Swazi prince rejects same-sex marriage
Swaziland's minister of justice and constitutional affairs, Prince David Dlamini, said March 25 that there will be no same-sex marriages in Swaziland.
'The constitution reflects the custom, culture as well as the religious tendencies of our people,' he said. 'Swaziland is not about to endorse human sexuality at a time when a number of African countries are making specific legal provisions banning such a practice.'
Activists meet with Mexican media
Representatives of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and Mexico's Media Movement for Objectivity in Topics of Sexual Orientation and Identity ( MOVEMOS ) met with Spanish-language media giants Televisa, TV Azteca and TV y Novelas México in Mexico City this month.
They discussed the quantity and quality of GLBT images in the novela genre, entertainment print media, and comedy and variety television programs.
'Historically and culturally LGBT people have been sensationalized and stereotyped in comedy and entertainment-related shows,' said Mónica Taher, GLAAD's people of color media director. 'These meetings are an important opportunity to work with these influential media outlets in order to ensure that LGBT programming and content are fair, accurate and inclusive in the United States and in all of Latin America.'
Televisa and TV Azteca produce about 80 percent of the programs that air on the U.S. networks Univision, Galavisión and Azteca América.
Televisa is the world's largest Spanish-language content producer.
Similarly, many articles from the magazine TV y Novelas México are published in the United States by TV y Novelas USA. The publications have a circulation of 2 million across 18 countries.
'These meetings with the main TV commercial networks in Mexico are a great step towards equality and respect for LGBT people,' said MOVEMOS coordinator Sergio Alan Villarreal. 'Their content exercises a great influence on society in our country as well as in the Hispanic community in the U.S.'


text:
I get lots of questions from friends and readers for healthy recipes, diet food and soups. I even have some who ask me if I never cook diet food :P. Talking about diet that is a totally a different subject which I am far to perfect to talk about. But all I can say is I do try healthy recipes at home and one such recipe is this broken wheat upma. Sometimes I temper it, other times I don't, I basically mix and match by even adding what ever vegetables I have at hand like ~ beans, carrot, peas, sweet corn or even greens like spinach. This for sure is a great alternative to rice and keeps you as full as rice, slow in digestion and when paired with vegetables you get the necessary fiber needed. I plan to share some healthy recipes in my little blog since that is also a part of me. I don't swear by bakes and rich food alone :-)
Serves ~ 2 generously
Cook & Prep time ~ 10 mins
Wheat rawa/ samba - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 4-5
Chana dal - 1/4 tsp
Dry red chili - 2
Salt - as needed
- In a non stick wok hear oil, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter, then add chana dal, roast until it changes color. Now add red chilli, curry leaves.
- Now add the broken wheat and roast for a minute in medium flame. Add 2 cups water and bring it to a boil. Cover lid and let it cook for 4-5 mins until the water evaporates and rava is cooked well.
Serve hot with sambar, dal or any curry
- you can totally skip the tempering part and make it plain if you have a curry to accompany the wheat rava
- you can add your preferred veg after roasting rava


text:
Pretend آپ are two people.
The first, (we'll call them "J") is a good person. They are intelligent, popular, and is a respected member of the community. J can almost always tell right from wrong and deeply cares about others. A role model for young children, and for some adults as well, they are at the top. Truthful and social, they shall always be loved.
The second, (let's call them "H") is the exact opposite. They are not the brightest, infamous, and deeply feared سے طرف کی all who sees them. H will do whatever they think is right from a single glance and often jumps to conclusions. Twisted and cruel, H commits murder at least once a week, even over the tiniest little things. Yet they never get found سے طرف کی the law.
Now let's say آپ are "J". Every night آپ retire to your ڈیسک and do little experiments. But the سیکنڈ the sun sinks under the horizon, آپ turn into "H" and commit mass murder. When the sun rises again, آپ know آپ have caused a stir in your town. The guilt builds inside you, getting worse and worse.
Sounds terrible, right? But the person I have just described is the one who happens to be writing down these words at this very moment.
Before آپ ask anything, I'm afraid this letter is coming to an end. The sky is beginning to darken...

domain: literature


text:
YILONG 3'x5' Pink Hand Made Persian Silk Carpet Bedroom Indoor Area Rug 455B
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text:
Today, as the priest was saying Mass,
I thought of you.
Impure were my thoughts,
clashing with the Gloria and the Sanctus,
fueled by the girl in front of me,
her jeans ripe with a fullness obvious.
I thought of you,
and wondered where you were,
Confederate Summer touching your blonde hair
as the sing-song of a language not understood
swirled about me,
my mind trying to focus on the goodness and the purity,
the image before me of Christ, arms open,
and yet the girl, weight shifted to one leg,
an accent of curves
and a fullness of flesh
singing Alleluia in this granite temple.
First published in The Powhatan Review, Summer 2003.
Copyright 2003 by Peter A. Stinson.
Reproduced by Poetry 360 with permission of the author.
All rights reserved.


By Eric | March 24, 2004 1:53 pm
Last night, due to the generosity of one of my co-workers, I got free tickets to see the Sno-Core tour at Water Street last night. Trapt headlined, and they were pretty decent, about as good as when I saw them open for Nickelback. Smile Empty Soul wasn’t any better than in Buffalo (which wasn’t good to begin with, and the meet-and-greet was lame too). Finger Eleven only got 30 minutes to play, and 5 of the 6 songs were from the new album (the one that wasn’t was Costume for a Gutterball, which I’ve *never* heard them do), and newcomers Strata weren’t bad at all for openers.
Tonight after work we’re going to a Tiff show… Edwin McCain at the Tralf. Should be a nice intimate show, not too many people, good tunes, good times, etc 🙂


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Iowa Residents Have Lost Over $85,000
It's tax season. While we all hope to get nice refunds, many will unfortunately owe. However, each year, some pay out much more than they anticipated, as tax time also means tax scams. The latest data from the IRS has us floored too, as over just the last 3 seasons, there been 20 different victims of these scams, with a total loss of almost $85,500. That's an average of almost $4,300 each! I know I certainly can't afford that kind of loss. So here's what to look for to stay protected.
- The IRS will never call you demanding or threatening immediate payment, or threaten to have you arrested for not paying, be it a real person giving you a badge number, or a "robo-call" demanding an urgent call back.
- If you receive a call about taxes owed, without having received a bill first, be very cautious.
- You will never be asked to make a payment without first being given the opportunity to appeal the amount owed.
- You will never be required to use a specific form of payment. Be especially suspicious if they ask you to use a prepaid debit card.
- The IRS will never ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
Basically, if the IRS is unexpectedly calling you, it's most likely NOT the IRS, especially if they are rude, threatening, or demanding in anyway. Just because your caller ID makes it look like it's the IRS, it most likely isn't. Be extremely suspicious if you don't feel that you do owe taxes. Make sure you don't give them any information. In fact, the IRS encourages you to simply hang up, then call the Treasury Inspector General at 800-366-4484, or head to their website by clicking here.
If you think you might owe, you can always contact the IRS directly at 800-829-1040
On the flipside, if they call saying you're owed a huge refund, as tempting as it sounds, it most likely is too good to be true. So hang up, and call them back at the number above.
By the way, many of the same rules go for mail and e-mail. If it doesn't seem to make sense, either refund or demand for payment, call the IRS to be sure before giving up any money or information. Also, know you are not alone, over 895,000 contacts have been made since October 2013. The IRS is aware of over 5,000 victims, paying over $26.5 millions, with over $85,000 of that coming from the 20 Iowa victims. Know the facts and protect yourself.
For more information, watch the video below. You can also check out the latest info on current scams here.


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Lutine is excited to announce that Ride4Life (R4L) is taking place again this year on Friday 17 July, and this time the team will be riding 115 miles from Cheltenham to Leadenhall Market. As per past R4L challenges, we've picked a location with ties to Lutine, and so we've chosen to start, from the the Cheltenham office of fellow Ardonagh Group Company.
This year's challenge will include even more colleagues from across our wider group of companies, another early start and almost 5,000ft of climbing through the Cotswolds and Chilterns!
Cyclists Fighting Cancer (CFC) as its chosen charity for 2020. As a passionate supporter of charitable causes and holding regular charitable cycling challenges, underlines CFC as the perfect partner for Lutine.
This year we're delighted to announce that we'll be raising funds for our 2020 charity partner, Cyclists Fighting Cancer (CFC). CFC is a strong advocate for cycling and exercise, to support those who have been affected by cancer, to help improve both their physical and mental wellbeing. The charity provides young people affected by cancer and their families, with new bikes, tandems and specially adapted trikes to enable them to exercise. Lutine will work together with CFC throughout the year to support fundraising activities and help raise further awareness of CFC’s brilliant work.
Andy Coles, Lutine Director comments on the partnership:
“The work which Mike’s charity does in helping kids regain their physical fitness, strength, mental wellness and confidence through giving them new bikes, is as inspiring as he is. Any man who sets a personal target of completing 20 Iron man triathlons in a year has our attention and respect!
So this year, we will be holding our annual Lutine Ride4Life challenge in July with even more members from across our business taking part in a long distance ride, grinding out miles to raise money for CFC .”
Mike Grisenthwaite, Cycling Fighting Cancer CEO and Cancer Exercise Specialist, said:
"CFC is a small charity making a massive impact on the lives of children living with and beyond cancer across the UK through exercise and activity. Our bikes and trikes provide motivation, excitement and fun whilst simultaneously providing the key benefits of physical and mental health.
We are super excited to be working in partnership with Lutine, the directors and company clearly share our core values, with their support we aim to help one thousand children in 2020."
To support the team's fundraising challenge this year, you can donate via our Moneygiving page


Barriers to AI and Machine Learning Adoption
Recently at FinovateSpring, we at Enova Decisions transformed a Whac-a-Mole game into “Whac-a-Hurdle: Barriers to AI and ML Adoption” to illustrate what we learned from our discussions with executives at businesses like yours. Top barriers include the following:
- Unclean Data
- Legacy Systems
- Developer Queue
This is why we launched Enova Decisions Cloud, machine-learning enabled decision management SaaS designed to take marketing, fraud, and credit decisioning out of your standard software development life cycle. The end result? Smarter, faster decisioning that scales with your business in a secure and regulatory compliant manner.
Watch this 90-second video on Enova Decisions Cloud to learn more.


Remote desktop stopped working over internet but works over local net
Ive been using remote desktop for a very long time now. Recently it stopped working over the internet, but i can still log into another computer on home network from home and i can log into another computer at work from work. I control router at my office and my home and nothing has changed on either network. I even rebooted both routers and i disabled windows firewall. This has been driving me crazy. home computers r win xp and at work one is xp and one is win7pro-64bit. Could cablevision(my provider at work)or Fios(home provider) of blocked this some how because i do it so much?
Well first check if your IP hasnt changed for your router.
Second thing is check if the ports 3389 is open on your router and windows firewall...
to check these ports go to the comp)uter that you want to remote desktop to (the one at home) and look for a site called sheilds up (or just online port scan) and enter the port 3389
Try those suggestions and get back to me ok.
the port is open and ip's are the same. i was wrong about something in my original post. I can remote desktop into my house(xp based) from my office(win7-64bit based), but i cant from home to office. and at home i still can remote desktop into another home computer and at work i can into another work computer. So over internet works only in one direction
Your office's internet connection and configuration is the issue.
You have your home set up that if you RDP into your public IP address, it'll connect to your home computer. Your office internet connection needs to be configured the same way. If you RDP to your office's IP address, you'll need to have it port forward to your office PC.
This would be relatively easy if at the office you have a small network. If you have a larger network and network admins, etc, it'll be harder. That part will require a VPN solution most likely.
If you have control over your office network, you'll have to configure the router to forward port 3389 to the IP address of your work computer. When you RDP to the office's IP address, it'll forward it to your computer.
i have everything setup already. I changed the port for one of the computers at each location to port 3390 and the RDP registry key. I did this months ago and i checked and settings are the same. I can only log into one computer at home from the office. I cant log into either computer at the office from either computer at home. I was starting to think it was the one computer at home that i cant log into, but the fact that i cant log into the office from either home pc has me thinking it cant be.
You made a registry change? Not the right way of going about it.
On the office router, you need to set up port forwarding. You assign a port to forward (3389) and forward to a destination IP address (your work computer's IP address).
Make sure RDP is enabled on your work computer and the correct users have access. From there you will need to RDP to your office router's public IP address and it will redirect it to your computer.
If you don't have access to the router, you won't have access to RDP to your work computer. RDP'ing out will be easier since you would then have full control over the router and computer at home.
I have 2 pc's at each location so i had to change the port's on one at each location....
Either way, i made the changes over 6 months ago and had no problems until last week.
I have the exact same problem. My Remote connection was working till some time ago and then it stopped working (only one way). I disabled the firewall, checked my port and IP and read a bunch of stuff on the net but still no luck.
Did you manage to solve your problem?
EDIT: And yes, remote desktop works using my local ip within my network like you said.
Thanks for the reply, I almost gave up on fixing my problem (it still have the same problem).
I am not sure I understood what you meant. I followed everything on the following site (including adding port 3389 to "Port Forwarding"). I just checked my router and these settings are still there. Do I need to do anything else? How come a change in my local IP will change what I do since I am not actually entering it anywhere? Also do you mean something else than the router port forward settings when you say "NAT part of router"?
Port-Forwarding for DIR-655
Thanks a lot,


OLYMPIA, Wash. - In a folder on his work computer labeled "Personal Pics," Steve Powell maintained a peculiar collection of photos: 55 depicting his daughter-in-law Susan but few if any showing his son.
Thousands of images and emails on his Washington state government-issued laptop provide a small glimpse into his increasingly scrutinized world. Authorities said this week that he is a person of interest in her 2009 disappearance in Utah.
The files, obtained by The Associated Press as part of a public records request, portray Steve Powell as a meticulous worker who gathered photos by the thousands and had his life upended by the constant inquiries that ensued after Susan vanished.
Powell is currently in jail on voyeurism and child pornography charges, some that he allegedly recorded himself. He is currently on suicide watch.
One of Powell's children, Jennifer Graves, told the Salt Lake City Tribune her father had a pornography addition, and she never left her children alone around him because of past questionable behavior. In a court statement, Graves wrote that her father had watched a television show with naked women in front of her when she was 12.
"Pornography has been an issue in this family for three decades," Graves wrote.
Josh Powell was found with computer-generated images of "incestuous" parent-child situations. Because the images didn't involve real people, they can't be classified as pornography, but they were concerning enough that a judge that a psychologist recommended that Josh Powell undergo an intensive psychological evaluation.
"It's family-oriented in nature," Pierce County Sheriff's Detective Ed Troyer confirmed. "It is incestuous."
The Salt Lake City Tribune reported Steve Powell is not expected to attend his grandsons' funeral. As of Friday morning, he had not been granted a transport from the Pierce County Jail to attend the funeral, which will be held on Saturday. Criminal defendants are allowed to attend family members' funerals, but the request must be granted by a judge. Court documents do not indicate that Powell even made the request.
Until this week, authorities have only publicly discussed Steve Powell in relation to the charges he now faces. But a warrant and emails indicate that he has been dragged deeply into the Utah investigation surrounding his son, and police say they want to interview him to see if he knows anything about his daughter-in-law's disappearance.
"He may or may not have information that may be beneficial to us," said Sgt. Mike Powell in West Valley City, Utah, where Josh and Susan Powell lived at the time of her disappearance. Sgt. Powell is not related to the family.
According to the Salt Lake City Tribune, Powell claimed his daughter-in-law made sexual advances toward him, and made national television appearances where he professed his feelings for his daughter-in-law and his desire for sexual intimacy.
"Susan was very sexual with me," Steve Powell told ABC's Good Morning America. "We interacted in a lot of sexual ways because Susan enjoys doing that."
Susan Powell's friends and family have denied that she had any feelings of the sort or made advances towards Steve Powell.
In a search of Steve Powell's Washington state home last year, authorities found explicit images on his computers and images of people being photographed without their knowledge. Among them were pictures of Susan Powell.
Those findings led to the charges of voyeurism and child porn, to which he has pleaded not guilty. The state took custody of Josh Powell's boys and turned them over to Susan's parents, Chuck and Judy Cox.
Powell's work computer has a batch of photos of Susan Powell, though none appear to be sexual. They depict her and the kids opening Christmas presents and out during Halloween. A few show Susan Powell and the kids more formally dressed. It's not clear who the photographer is.
An attorney for Steve Powell did not return a call seeking comment.
Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist, who is overseeing the voyeurism prosecution, said it's his understanding from the images collected that Susan Powell is the subject of much of Steve Powell's photographic attention.
He said the many images of Susan Powell might be of some interest to Utah authorities, but he has seen no evidence connecting Steve Powell to what he calls Susan Powell's murder.
Emails show that Powell was actively working in the days around when Susan Powell disappeared on Dec. 6, 2009. He responded to emails the next morning, even drawing praise from a manager for pointing out an oversight related to holiday cards.
A school district contact that he was scheduled to meet with that week said she never had any problems with Steve Powell and never realized he was Josh Powell's father until seeing him later on television.
"He was always professional and did what he was supposed to do," Susan Garthwaite said.
A couple weeks later, on Dec. 21, he wrote to a colleague about how Josh and the boys had moved back to live with him and that the children were traumatized by the bright lights of the media and "the searches."
"Even with Josh and the boys here, I am so numb much of each day that I have to put myself on auto-pilot to get things done," he wrote. "I know there are people with worse problems, but when it's yourself experiencing the suffering, you can't just tune it out."
He then added: "I still need to send a card to Susan's folks."
Her parents said no such card ever arrived.
Powell later described to a colleague in 2011 how he and Josh were baffled by the ongoing investigation in Utah.
The case appeared to take an increasing toll on him. He requested time off around the time of the search warrants and then later complained of harassing phone calls from Utah that accused him of "harboring a criminal, accusing my son of murder."
In the search warrant used to examine Powell's belongings, authorities said, they were investigating a murder in West Valley City, Utah, though nobody has ever been charged with a crime.
Utah investigators say the case remains open and they are still publicly calling it a "missing persons" matter.


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Gadar – Ek Prem Katha is one of the most popular and successful films at the box office in the history of Hindi cinema. Now 20 years after its release, its sequel Gadar 2...
- Photographer Viral Bhayani Shares How Urfi Javed’s Pictures Sell More Than Any Bollywood Celeb!
- Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2: Producers Reduce Ticket Prices Of the Film; Read On Here To Know Why!
- Popular Bengali Actress Pallavi Dey, 20, Commits Suicide; Recently Moved In With Her Boyfriend !
- Akshay Kumar Tests Positive For Covid-19; The Actor Will Skip Cannes 2022
- Maanayata Dutt Settles In Dubai With Kids, Sanjay Dutt Says Move Was ‘Unplanned’ But They Love Living There
- Taapsee Pannu Applauds Boyfriend Mathias Boe On India’s Thomas Cup Victory; Deeys Inside!
- Shantanu Maheshwari Says, “Long-distance Relationship Does Not Work For Me”
- Kangana Ranaut Says Bollywood Star Kids Look Weird Like ‘Boiled Eggs’, Blames For Downfall Of Hindi Films
- Shaheen Bhatt Shared A Picture Of Alia-Ranbir’s Wedding On One Month Anniversary; Said This Big Thing!
- Kajal Aggarwal’s Husband Gautam Kitchlu Fulfills His Duty As Father; See Pictures Here!


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ISBN-13: 9780192690678 / Angielski / Miękka / 1996 / 360 str.
This book provides engineers and computer scientists with all the tools necessary to implement modern error-processing techniques. It assumes only a basic knowledge of linear algebra and develops the mathematical theory in parallel with the codes. Central to the text are worked examples which motivate and explain the theory. The first part introduces the basic ideas of coding theory. The second and third cover the theory of finite fields and give a detailed treatment of BCH and Reed-Solomon codes. The fourth part is devoted to Goppa codes, both classical and geometric, concluding with the Skorobogatov-Vladut error processor. A special feature is a simplified (but rigorous) treatment of the geometry of curves.


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It's March, which is Women's History Month, and the time to shine an even brighter light on women making an impact across L.A. County.
These women, all United Way of Greater Los Angeles partners, spoke with us about how their work is changing our communities towards a more just and inclusive Los Angeles County.
Margarita Alvarez Gomez, Executive Director, Central City Neighborhood Partners
Margarita Alvarez Gomez, Executive Director of Central City Neighborhood Partners (CCNP), connects families in the City of Los Angeles with key public services like SNAP food benefits to meet urgent needs such as food insecurity. A long time United Way partner, CCNP also counsels families to meet longer term goals like budget planning, such as the Free Tax Prep LA program. Over the last decade, they’ve helped low-income working families recover hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own money in tax credits. They’ve made strong inroads with youth programs such as tutoring and academic support through the Westlake/Pico-Union FamilySource Center, and they also run annual college tours for rising seniors who are seeking higher education.
Perhaps the most enduring legacy of Margarita’s work with CCNP has been the platform she has given to women for professional development. “Four years ago, I decided that we needed to have a women’s conference,” Margarita mentioned. The conference focuses on female empowerment, education, and leadership development across neighborhoods and generations. More than 200 women across L.A. County plan to participate in this year’s conference.
We are proud to work with Margarita and the CCNP team as they strengthen our communities with the tools and strategies for healthy, successful lives.
Kristina Dixon - CFO and Managing Director, Nonprofit Finance Fund
The multi-talented Kristina Dixon has worn many hats—from spearheading Women United EmpowerHER events to her previous role of Director of Finance at LAHSA—but in every one, she represents the UWGLA mission of equity, opportunity, and education.
Through her work as Chief Financial Officer at the Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF), she leads efforts to better fund other advocacy groups led by and serving communities of color. Kristina considers herself an activist CFO, as she says, “I came in with a unique perspective as a Black woman in finance to challenge them and help them move forward.”
As she became increasingly aware of the added challenges of the pandemic for women—in particular, mothers—on her team, Kristina ensured that NFF prioritized adjusting staff hours, pay scales, and cutting down on meetings to ensure that the organization modeled the behavior it aimed to promote in the world.
Kristina credits her achievements to “women who empowered me to be my authentic self and lifted me up, encouraged me to lean in and go for opportunities that I didn’t think I was qualified for, and supported me along the way.”
We applaud Kristina’s efforts to uplift women and foster environments that promote achievement and success. “I like to do that for others, and to be able to instill that sentiment in women in particular is such an impactful way to use your power, your position, and your privilege to keep that momentum going,” Kristina said.
Azucena “Susy” Hernandez, Co-Director, Community Transformation, Promesa Boyle Heights
Azucena Hernandez, best known as Susy, focuses on the intersectional issues of education justice, immigration advocacy, and health and wellness as the Co-Director of Community Transformation with Promesa Boyle Heights. The organization is a key partner in our education work and the CLASS coalition, comprising a collective of families, students, schools, and organizations who work together to ensure a strong, vibrant, and well resourced community.
Susy’s own experience as an undocumented student trying to navigate a complex school system without the proper resources informs her work in education reform. “Acknowledging that knowledge doesn’t always come from a textbook or a degree, really honoring that and valuing that has been really important to me. It’s really guided me to feel comfortable in spaces where it might’ve looked really different a few years ago, and it’s allowed me to own my story,” she said.
Susy led critical efforts to implement social and emotional learning opportunities for students in partnership with LAUSD officials, elected leaders, and community-based organizations. These include mental health programs, planned wellness days, and other spaces for students to explore unconventional education outside of the rigors of traditional academia. In Susy’s words, “we cannot expect young people to thrive, if they are unable to feel safe, heard, supported, and empowered.”
Susy’s leadership demonstrates that local change can have huge ripple effects beyond a neighborhood.
Hazel Lopez - Director of CES and Community Engagement, The People Concern
Hazel Lopez spearheads The People Concern’s work with the Coordinated Entry System for the county's Service Planning Area 4, responsible for connecting more than 15,000 people experiencing homelessness in the region with housing and services. A critical partner in United Way’s work on housing and homelessness, The People Concern provides support such as housing, medical services, and counseling for people throughout Downtown L.A., on the West Side, and in South L.A.
Hazel and her team recognize that authentic street-level care is the first step to connecting our neighbors living outside to long-term supportive services that folks may receive through The People Concern, such as its financial management program, which is aimed at increasing economic independence and pairs clients with a case manager. This program was launched in Skid Row over a decade ago and continues across Los Angeles today.
“We matched 80 people in Skid Row to new housing and three months later I went to do a site visit,” Hazel said. “It was amazing to see the difference from when I first met them. They looked so much healthier and stronger. That left such an impression on me about the connection between housing and health.”
Los Angeles is lucky to have leaders like Hazel, and her work is essential as we strive to bring Everyone In.
These amazing women are four examples of the thousands of remarkable women who show up and do the work to improve our communities everyday. We celebrate their accomplishments and will continue to do so beyond the month of March.
If you’d like to share who has made a difference in your life please reach out to us at [email protected]org

domain: sociology