By V.S. Roseman
Anthracite Railroads Historical Society Inc., P.O. Box 519 Lansdale, PA 19446; 110 pages, 70 b/w photos; spiral bound, 8.5 x 11 inches; $25.98
Thirty-three years is a long time to wait for a book update, and for fans of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, the end result seems to be worth the wait. The Anthracite Railroads Historical Society Inc. has released an updated version of its Central of New Jersey Steam Locomotive Planbook – Postwar Power, which now checks in at 110 double-sided pages (an increase from its original 77 single-sided pages in 1983). The book covers every class of steam locomotive active on the railroad at the close of World War II.
The book presents a roster of the railroad’s steam locomotives as of Dec. 1, 1945, which also serves as a table of contents for the volume. This arrangement is functional, if not intuitive for the reader first-time reader.
Each entry includes vital statistics for each locomotive type, including locomotive weights, dimensions, and capacities; horsepower and tractive effort ratings; and minimum operating track radius. Black-and-white photos and line drawings for each locomotive class are also included. The photos were chosen, according to the author, to show both sides of each class of locomotive where possible. Many of the drawings are scaled to 1:87, the popular HO scale in model railroading, which is an enhancement of this second edition. Further roster data on each locomotive class entry includes builder’s numbers and dates and dispositions for each locomotive.
There are two appendices: one covering various types of CNJ locomotive tenders and another noting operating restrictions by class and railroad division.
Central of New Jersey Steam Locomotive Planbook – Postwar Power, 2nd edition is a comprehensive volume for modelers and enthusiasts of “The Big Little Railroad,” which is now gone 40 years in 2016.


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383 High Hickory Trail Trail #27Swannanoa, NC 28778
Due to the health concerns created by COVID-19, we are offering personal video walk-through tours upon request (via Facetime, Skype, or Google Duo). For traditional in-person showings, we are using best practices as recommended by the CDC.
Spectacular long range views across Swannanoa valley toward Asheville. Bordered by nature conservancy parcel with direct access to the trail system. Easy access to I-40 - only 10 minutes to downtown Asheville and 5 minutes to Black Mountain. High Hickory is an environmentally conscious community featuring apiaries, community gardens, flowing water with multiple waterfalls and a 150+ acre nature preserve with hiking and bike trails.
|2 months ago||Listing updated with changes from the MLS|
|9 months ago||Listing first seen online|

domain: geography


text:
Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange on Friday, March 27:
BBG - BILLABONG INTERNATIONAL - down 0.5 cents, or 0.8 per cent, at 60 cents
Surfwear group Billabong International has vowed to fight a shareholder class action launched over a 2011 earnings downgrade that led to massive share price falls.
BKW - BRICKWORKS - up 25 cents, or 1.8 per cent, at $13.81
More land and bricklayers are urgently needed to meet the surging housing demand, says building products group Brickworks.
BOQ - BANK OF QUEENSLAND - down 47 cents, or 3.3 per cent, at $13.89
Bank of Queensland is forecasting economic uncertainty after posting a record half year cash profit.
FMG - FORTESCUE METALS GROUP - up eight cents, or 3.9 per cent, at $2.12
RIO - RIO TINTO - down 33 cents, or 0.6 per cent, at $56.50
Rio Tinto chief executive Sam Walsh has described as absolute nonsense and harebrained Fortescue Metals chairman Andrew Forrest's call for a cap on iron ore production to prop up plunging prices, while Mr Forrest has stood by his controversial statement.
FXJ - FAIRFAX MEDIA - down three cents, or 3.1 per cent, at 94 cents
Former Network Ten boss Nick Falloon will take over from Fairfax chairman Roger Corbett in August.
LOV - LOVISA - up 10 cents, or 4.2 per cent, at $2.50
Jewellery retailer Lovisa is primed for a $2.25 million acquisition of 21 fashion accessory stores across South Africa.
MYR - MYER - down 6.5 cents, or 4.6 per cent, at $1.35
A renowned class action instigator has taken aim at Myer, claiming the retailer should never have told investors its profit would grow.
PPX - PAPERLINX - in a trading halt at 1.7 cents
Packaging group Paperlinx is in talks with its European financiers amid fears it may have breached the terms of a loan.
SOL - SOUL PATTINSON - up 16 cents, or 1.1 per cent, at $14.80
Investment group Washington H Soul Pattinson's first half profit has declined due to impairments but it's enjoyed earnings rises from its major investments.
VET - VOCATION - up 4.6 cents, or 58.2 per cent, at 12.5 cents
Vocation's interim chief financial officer Stewart Cummins will take the helm of the embattled education provider as it works to recover from a scandal over its services.

domain: news


The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has recently approved a grant of USD 717,000 aimed to minimise on the spread of the deadly Ebola virus to the neighbouring country Uganda.
The fund was launched on April 2 in the western district of Kisoro. Kisoro is one of the district that borders with DRC and has for more than five years been hosting refugees from DRC.
According to World Health Organisation (who) this grant will help build on more strategies and structures targeted on building stronger disease surveillance.
In a 2018 report published by WHO, increased conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo by local militias has forced members in affected communities and patients to flee for safety in neighbouring countries which makes it hard to contain the disease and prevent its total control. The epidemic has also claimed more than 500 lives.
Further a local media report showed that disease had been surfaced in a Congolese fishing village near Uganda.
In partnership with the Congolese Ministry of Health, Uganda government and the International Monitory Organisation (IOM), the three parties have agreed to focus on national preparedness and public health response strategies with comprehensive population mobility-related information at the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Further IOM interventions in Uganda include training border officials on managing borders during humanitarian emergencies, screening refugees confirmed for resettlement and establishing flow monitoring using IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM)
The first ever known cases of the Ebola virus emerged in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976 infecting over 284 people. Many people died as result and the epidemic attracted global attention, countries such as France, the US, Belgium rushed to provide medical help to these victims. Since then, the virus has majorly in the DRC had recurrent occurrences with the latest in 2018 being classified as the “second largest Ebola epidemic in history,”
Reports from the Ministry of Health, Uganda, showed that the deadly Ebola Virus has emerged thrice since 2000 with a total of about 600 cases.


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We have all made mistakes in life, some of them costly. However, the richer you are there are correspondingly more chances of your mistakes being costlier. This is exactly what a gentleman in Germany realised recently when he “accidentally” ordered 28 Tesla cars worth a total of 1.4 million euros!
According to a man who goes by the username ‘Ballon-Man’ on Reddit, his dad wanted to replace their old family car with a brand new Tesla Model 3, encouraged by the cashback incentive to buy an electric car in Germany being doubled during the coronavirus pandemic. However, due to some technical glitch, the purchase order wouldn’t go through and the old gentleman kept trying to get the transaction confirmed several times. After a couple of hours of trying, the purchase was finally confirmed, not once, but for all the 28 attempts he made in that period!
This meant the overall purchase amounted to a whopping 1,404,000 euros (Dh5.8 million), along with 2,800 euros in non-refundable deposits.
Thankfully for him though, once Tesla was convinced it was a genuine mistake, the company helped him cancel all the orders. They even refunded the 2,800 euros in deposits.
While this is a lesson for all of us to be more careful when making online transactions, the fact is many of us will have credit card/bank account balances enough to cover the cost of 28 cars, let alone one!


text:
After 11 years, $400M freeway project nears end
After 11 years of temporary lanes and closed exit ramps, work is finally nearly complete on an Interstate 29 expansion project through Sioux City.
The Sioux City Journal reports the Iowa Department of Transportation hopes to finish work on the project by Christmas. Final construction includes pouring concrete bridge approaches, installing guardrails and painting pavement.
It was 2008 when crews began the $400 million to widen the freeway to three lanes in each direction from Sergeant Bluff through Sioux City and to the South Dakota border.
Although major construction will be over, workers still will need to make unexpected repairs to a bridge damaged by fire this fall.
State transportation planner Dakin Schultz acknowledged “there are times when it seemed it would never end.”


text:
Bolla for one or two!
2 Bolla (par baked and frozen, ready to bake off in five minutes, cooking instructions included)
Fresh Mozarella or Burrata (depending on availability) OR Vegan cheeze
1 small marinara
Semonlina for dusting
Hyper local delivery (within 10 mile radius) or Pick-up only by appt.
Please place orders no later than 48 hours in advance.

domain: food


Thursday, September 25, 2008
Bush Warns "Entire Economy Is In Danger"
Media reports are casting President Bush's televised address last night as both a warning to the nation on the severity of the financial crisis and an attempt to push Congress into passing his proposed bailout. A number of the stories remark on Bush's stark warnings about the health of the economy. Roll Call, for example, says Bush "sketched a frightening view of the economic danger," and used "unusually blunt and even dramatic language." The New York Times reports Bush told the country that "'a long and painful recession' could occur if Congress does not act quickly." Like many other media outlets this morning, the Times quotes the President saying, "Our entire economy is in danger." Bush's speech highlighted "a growing sense of urgency on the part of the administration that Congress must act to avert a far-reaching economic collapse." USA Today notes the President also said, "Without immediate action by Congress, America could slip into a financial panic. ... More banks could fail, including some in your community." He also "warned that inaction could cause millions of layoffs, bank failures, business closures, lost retirement savings, more foreclosures, a further drying up of credit." McClatchy, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post run similar reports.
The speech is also seen as a response to critics who accused the President of not having played a lead role in the government's efforts to defuse the crisis. USA Today reports, for example, that Bush faced "criticism from some Democrats for being AWOL in the debate," and the Wall Street Journal says that "until now," the President had "relied largely on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson -- a former Goldman Sachs CEO -- and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to make the case for the plan," but "Republican support has been so soft that Democrats worried they would have to take on most of the responsibility -- and political risk -- for passing the package." And "to spread that risk, Democrats on Tuesday called on Mr. Bush to address the nation."
The Politico describes Paulson as "the captain of a crowded lifeboat" who "struggled to stay afloat in Congress Wednesday, battling the waves crashing in on his Wall Street rescue plan." With his speech, Bush was "lending a hand" and taking "back the helm long enough Wednesday night to deliver a nationally televised address," but "to the surprise of some in his own administration, Bush spent precious political capital by using the speech to try to help McCain by bringing him into what have been delicate negotiations with Congress."
McCain, Obama To Attend White House Talks Today The AP notes Bush "spoke just after inviting Democrat Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain, one of whom will inherit the mess in four months, and key congressional leaders to an extraordinary White House meeting Thursday to hammer out a compromise." In his speech, the President "explicitly endorsed several of the changes that have been demanded in recent days from the right and left. But he warned that he would draw the line at regulations he determined would hamper economic growth." Another AP story and a report in the Los Angeles Times, among other media stories, note both Obama and McCain have said they will attend the meeting.


Red-green color blindness doesn’t stop people from navigating through traffic. That’s because the rules for pedestrians are simple.
For people with visual impairments, however, the big city remains a dangerous place.
A smartphone app, devised at the University of Minnesota, tested how to help people who are partially sighted cross the road safely. It’s been dubbed as Google Maps for the visually impaired.
Upon reaching an intersection the app connects with a traffic light. The pedestrian taps the screen to receive audio-visual information about their location and the number of traffic lanes.
If the light changes to green, they are told how long they have to cross. The goal? To make cities accessible for all.
Walk this way!


text: Located along the southeastern shores of Hudson Bay in Quebec, the Chippewa Treaty 9 Reservation settlement of Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik has a population of 877 (Wha-pa-ma-goo-stu-i) according to the 2011 census and 657 (Kuujjuarapik) according to the same census. The community (Whapmagoostui) has 195 housing units and an average household size of 4.5 persons per housing unit. Around 765 continue to speak Anishinabe at Whapmagoostui. After Hudson Bay Company built a trading post at Whapmagoostui in 1820, many Odawah or Ottawa's, joined with the Chippewa's, and frequented the region. However, they confined themselves to the interior. Whapmagoostui did not became a dangerous location until relatively late. After the white confederation commenced to establishing trading posts in the interior after 1774, it took some while before they decided to build a trade post at Whapmagoostui. They first established trading posts in northwestern Canada and in central and northern Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. They were more interested in the Northwest Passage. In 1940, the whites may have forced many of the interior Chippewa's to relocate to Whapmagoostui and Kuujjuarapik. The region may have been a conflict zone. It was foreign Asians who first settled permanently in the Whapmagoostui and Kuujjuarapik region. It has climate conditions similar to Churchill but slightly cooler summers. It may be further south than Churchill but their summers are cooler. Kuujjuarapik is located in Nunavik. Below is a link to a picture of the Chippewa Treaty 9 Reservation settlement of Whapmagoostui-Kuujuarapik.


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Before the year-end, six top Filipino salon professionals collaborated to come up with what is to be the hottest trends in hair color for 2015. They compiled their work in the second Cynos look book project titled, The Ethereal Collection, which was officially unveiled at the World Trade Center.
The hairstyle bible is a must-have for all aspiring and professional hairstylists in the country as it showcases fresh concepts, new techniques and trendy hair color and styles.
The Ethereal look features hair color creations that are whimsical, classic, edgy and romantic, as designed by Cynos Inside Hair Care’s handpicked team of Alex Carbonell creative artistic director of Studio Fix Salon; Herbert Coralde of David’s Salon; Jaymar Lahaylahay of Creations by Lourd Ramos; Jonel Sebastian of Jesi Mendez Salon; Tinette Puyat of Tinette & Co. Salon Professionals; and Michael de Leon of Studio Fix by Alex Carbonell.
With each artist delivering distinctly unique interpretations of this season’s key looks, variations of the latest hair colors accompanied by modern hairstyles are achieved using the following four shades:
Ashen Touch is a flattering shade for people with warm undertones mixed with golden tones for a hint of sparkle.
Copper Her/Him is a color trend that is making a big comeback with sun-kissed gold shade creating depth and dimension when combined with variations of coppery reds and browns.
Chocolate Delight, also popularly referred to as brunette, is compatible with any skin tone.
Violet Reaction come from whimsical shades of violets, lilacs, purples and violet pinks mixed with ash brown. Together, this exudes a youthful, quirky and a stylish vibe.
According to the look book’s authors, “Cynos adheres to its CRP system—Cleanse, Repair and Protect—that guarantees true product results without compromising hair’s vibrancy and condition. That’s why salon users like us can do more because we are sure we don’t harm the hair of our clients.”
For more on the New Year’s hottest hair trends @cynosinsidehaircare on Instagram.

domain: artistic


text:
Although amount of payday loans of readers is on the rise these days, numerous of book lovers is slowly shrinking. Yes, it holds true that just about always unquestionably be a market to great old fashioned books but a great deal of readers are making the switch from traditional novels to e-books. The invention of Kindle, iPad, iPhone, The Nook and keep in mind trusty Macs and personal computers greatly led to its growing popularity. Much more perfect need. Why lug around a whole stack of books when everything calm ever to be able to read would fit in one handy item? It is like bringing a whole library of books along with you wherever you go minus all of the bulk and weight. It is because of those reason that Network Review was constructed.
Art WebDogin theme. Yes, you can get by on stick figures. XKCD is a famous case study. However, the artist Randall Munroe gets away with that because he’s a programmer with a degree in physics; his jokes are not only funny but very high-brow, and he attracts a key audience pc and science geeks. A bland strip with recycled jokes and stick figures wouldn’t succeed on this is equally level.
Although Japanese started out drawing on card boards, you don’t need begin that way since paper is for abundance. I would recommend having at least 4-5 drawing blocks of A4 size white dollar.
Do impact . that that’s even plan birthday parties for you with animation as if perhaps theme? Anime usually has a good article. You can catch these stories upon the television collection. Some of these series run for quite a long while.
Japanese Read manga cartoons influenced the European market differently from the U.S. field. Japan has greatly influenced French art since the 19th century. It then became a relatively easy step forward for France to adopt manga drawings from Japan.
Graphic or manga novels are a less traditional reading selections. First popularized in Japan, graphic novels have transitioned towards the United States and undoubtedly sort of novel-comic book hybrid. Graphic novels contain both an attractive visual and written premise.
I’m biased of course but hey, I’m penning this article. Construct your own list and remember to look out for the adult warning on some books. Their storylines are varied, multifaceted and entirely addictive. Allow โดจิน to share several to select from.
There a person three books to help you get started if you are learning to get comics. A great idea is brainstorming, then get planning, and get drawing. Entire world awaits your creations!

domain: literature


text:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday warned that the United States would not be able to partner with or share information with countries that adopt Huawei Technologies Co Ltd systems, citing security concerns.
Federal grand juries in New York and Washington state have indicted Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies and its subsidiaries for stealing robotics secrets from T-Mobile, and illegally doing business with Iran, Trump administration officials announced Monday.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) praised the Justice Department’s formal charges against Chinese telecom giant Huawei and its chief financial officer on Monday, saying they gave the U.S. more information about the company’s “campaign of theft and economic sabotage against America.”
Congressional leaders are working on a new piece of legislation that would penalize Chinese telecom companies known to be conducting espionage in the United States on behalf of the Communist government, according to lawmakers and senior congressional officials.
Huawei Technologies, the global telecommunications giant at the center of an international diplomatic battle, is a major target in the Trump administration’s campaign to halt China’s theft of American technology.
Sens. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) and Mark Warner (D., Va.) introduced legislation Friday to help combat tech-specific threats to national security posed by foreign actors,” naming China in particular.
The Defense Department is investigating research partnerships between Chinese companies and American universities amid threats of spying and technology theft on behalf of Beijing’s government, a senior official said Thursday.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Defense has stopped selling mobile phones and modems made by the Chinese technology companies Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp in stores on its military bases, citing potential security risks.
The Pentagon and U.S. Cyber Command have blocked the use of telecommunications equipment produced by the global Chinese company Huawei Technologies over cyber spying fears, according to congressional testimony last week.
A Chinese telecommunications company linked to the People’s Liberation Army provided U.S.-origin equipment to Cuba in apparent violation of U.S. economic sanctions on the communist-ruled island.

domain: law


A revolutionary technology developed by BAE Systems that allows data to pass wirelessly through several inches of solid steel could save millions of pounds in the way submarines are designed, built and maintained. It also promises to enhance protection offered to soldiers using armored fighting vehicles.
The through-hull data link system removes in one swoop the need to create hundreds of holes in a submarine hull to send and receive data from sensors and other external equipment.
The system is safer and more cost efficient. The current method of using holes fitted with specials ‘penetrators’ that have to be welded to the hull is expensive. There could be up to 300 penetrations in any single submarine and inserting each one represents a significant build cost.
Drilling the holes also necessitates additional strengthening of the hull to counteract the consequent structural weaknesses. The penetrations are prone to stress fatigue associated with repeated submarine dives. Tackling that fatigue substantially increases the through-life maintenance costs.
“We’ve developed a number of technology demonstrators and are currently testing it in a submarine environment,” says John Bagshaw, the technology executive from BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre who has helped develop the system.
“We have demonstrated how signals from a video camera can pass through an armored vehicle’s hull. This could offer significant advantages in increasing the crew’s situational awareness without reducing their protection.”
In due course, the oil, civil nuclear and gas industries could also benefit from this technology.


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The city council in Covington, Ga., has approved the acquisition of five bi-fuel compressed natural gas (CNG) RAM pickup trucks from Chrysler Group through Mississippi-based dealership Ginn Motor Co.
According to a report from The Covington News, the city will pay $35,250 for each vehicle – a figure that includes a discount ‘because the trucks are part of a sale that fell through’ for Memphis, Miss., the report says.
Covington will have its own CNG refueling station online by April 2014. The city had previously budgeted $500,000 for the purchase of natural gas vehicles, and at least four additional trucks are currently being eyed for retirement and subsequent replacement with NGVs.
Read The Covington News' article HERE.


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European teams were faced with a mountain to climb in Brazil 2014, but both the Netherlands and Germany look increasingly formidable as the tournament progresses.
Netherlands scrape through
Netherlands were admittedly lucky to reach the last eight, scraping through against Mexico in injury time.
The heat looked to be taking its toll on a tired Netherlands, with temperatures on the touchline reaching 38, but despite fears that the South American climate could prove too much for players from milder countries, Netherlands marched on.
The last-16 tie with Mexico saw the first appearance of ‘cooling breaks’ at this World Cup, but as neither Brazil nor Argentina have looked particularly impressive, it looks increasingly likely that for just the third time in the competition’s history, the trophy could be won by a team from a continent other than the one on which it is being contested.
Two of the strongest teams
With Spain, Portugal, and Italy all falling at the first hurdle, Germany and Netherlands lead the way from Europe. However, neither side has cruised up until now. Germany’s first stumble came in the 2-2 draw against Ghana in the group stage, while Netherlands' limitations were exposed against Mexico.
Nonetheless, in such a World Cup as this one, the ultimate winners will undoubtedly be tested at some stage. Though Netherlands failed to deliver their mesmerising brand of ‘total football’, they found a way to win while not at their best.
Wesley Sneijder had been criticised for failing to make an impact in the early stages, but roared to life with Netherlands' equaliser in the 89th minute. Louis van Gaal’s men showed immense character to come from 1-0 against Mexico, having fallen behind to a Giovani dos Santos screamer.
Parting gift for Van Gaal?
It remains to be seen whether they can give him a parting gift before he leaves to take charge of Manchester United, but key men Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie have lit up their progress so far, the latter’s flying header one of the goals of the tournament in their 5-1 win over Spain.
Van Gaal also managed a stroke of tactical genius, raising eyebrows when taking off Van Persie, only for substitute Klaas Jan-Huntelaar to score the winner from the penalty spot. There are certainly many strings to the Dutch bow.
Likewise, Germany can rely on legend Miroslav Klose, who recently equalled the Brazilian Ronaldo’s record as the World Cup’s all-time top scorer with 15. However, he faces competition as Germany’s star man, as man of the moment Thomas Muller keeps up his phenomenal record of nine goals in nine World Cup games.
Germany are overwhelming favourites to reach the quarter finals, facing minnows Algeria on Monday evening. While Netherlands reached yet another unsuccessful final in 2010, Germany also found South Africa to have come too early for them.
This time round, though, even the soaring Amazonian heat may not be enough to stop their respective progress to the final.
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text:
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PHL - Philadelphia Intl. Airlines
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Staff at Churchill Retirement swapped their office for the streets when they spent the night sleeping rough to raise money for a homelessness charity.
Chairman and Chief Executive, Spencer J McCarthy, was joined by more than 50 colleagues from the retirement housebuilder and its management company Millstream Management Services.
Employees at the company’s Ringwood, Byfleet and Bromgrove offices braved sub-zero temperatures in the car park of Churchill’s Ringwood branch for the sleep out, which was organised by the firm’s charitable arm, the Churchill Foundation.
The team, who made do with cardboard beds and basic shelters provided by Castle Marquees of Burley, raised more than £20,000 for End Youth Homelessness, in support of homeless young people across the UK.
Spencer J McCarthy said: “Homelessness can happen to anyone at any time, and helping to support young people who find themselves in this situation is a cause I feel very strongly about. That’s why the Churchill Foundation chose End Youth Homelessness as one of our main charity partners in 2019, and why I was keen to take part in the Sleep Out challenge to experience just a small taste of what life is like for the people we’re supporting.
“I’m very proud of our team for braving the cold conditions and raising such an impressive total to date.”
End Youth Homelessness is a UK-wide movement of local charities that have joined forces to tackle youth homelessness together. It provides a national platform to raise awareness, share experience and generate voluntary income, working to end youth homelessness on a national scale to give vulnerable young people a future. Its member charities house and support over 30,000 young people facing homelessness each year.


text:
supports The Friends' School in implementing Quaker values.
You are here
The Friends' School Quaker Values Committee
supports The Friends' School in implementing Quaker values and its Statement of Purpose and Concerns throughout the School community.
encourages and facilitates connections between the School and the Quaker community.
Identifies lessons from running an organisation the size of The Friends' School on Quaker principles and, where possible, advances these lessons beyond the School community.
The Committee is a subcommittee of The Friends' School Board which appoints one person nominated by each Regional Meeting, together with other members.
Thus the Committee is not technically a Committee of Quakers Australia, but is closely connected with us.

domain: sociology


text:
Despite scandal, VW in running for global sales crown
FRANKFURT, GERMANY: It’s ironic: Volkswagen spent 2016 battling a huge scandal over cars it rigged to cheat on emissions tests.
And now stands a decent chance to pass Toyota for the title of world’s biggest carmaker for the year.
Booming business in China helped Volkswagen increase its sales to 10.31 million vehicles last year across all its brands, which include Audi, Porsche and Skoda, the company said Tuesday.
That was an increase of 3.8 percent over 2015, when Volkswagen came in second to Toyota. And a strong finish to the year in December — 11.8 percent better than the same month the year before — improves the company’s chances of moving from No. 2 to No. 1 in global sales.
That Volkswagen is even in the running for top spot seems remarkable considering how terrible the year was on the legal and image front.
The company based in Wolfsburg, Germany, said Tuesday it was in advanced talks on a draft settlement with the U.S. Justice Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection under which it would pay $4.3 billion in criminal and civil penalties in the emissions scandal.
That sum would come on top of a $15 billion civil settlement with U.S. environmental authorities and owners of 500,000 cars. Volkswagen also faces investor lawsuits and criminal probes in Germany. Volkswagen has admitted to equipping diesel cars with software that turned emission controls on when the vehicle was being tested and off during daily driving.
The scandal news kept coming this week as Oliver Schmidt, Volkswagen’s former head of U.S. environmental compliance, was arrested in Florida and appeared in a Detroit court in prison garb and shackles. Engineer James Liang had earlier pleaded guilty and offered to assist federal law enforcement in their investigation.
Despite all that, huge demand in China may be enough to push Volkswagen past its Japanese rival and Detroit-based General Motors. Neither rival has reported 2016 sales yet. For 2015, Toyota Motor Co. came in first with 10.15 million, Volkswagen was second with 9.93 million, and GM third with 9.8 million.
Volkswagen’s improved sales show how crucial China has become for Germany’s carmakers, including BMW and Daimler. Of the three, Volkswagen is the most dependent on the Middle Kingdom. It sold 3.98 million cars there last year, more than a third of its total unit sales.
Volkswagen was barely behind Toyota after 11 months of 2016, but China in particular fueled the strong December. U.S. sales, which are much smaller, were off 2.6 percent for the year.
To add a layer of irony, overtaking Toyota would come only after Volkswagen abandoned its goal of achieving global supremacy in raw sales numbers.
Dethroning Toyota was part of the company’s Strategy 2018 pushed by CEO Martin Winterkorn, who lost his job due to the scandal. But the new CEO, Matthias Mueller, has dropped that emphasis on unit sales in the latest strategy, amid concerns it fostered a management culture that could have helped create the emissions scandal. The new plan focuses more on profitability and a greater emphasis on electric vehicles and digital services such as car-sharing and ride-hailing. Toyota also downplays the sales race.
Other factors helping Volkswagen sales: The company’s other brands, particularly Audi, Porsche and Skoda, helped make up for any weakness at the namesake grand.
And Volkswagen didn’t sell many cars in the first place in the U.S., where the scandal first broke in September 2015.
“China is the big equalizer,” Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the CAR-Center Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen, said in an email. “Diesel plays no role there, so your reputation can’t suffer. China today is the center of the automotive world, for Volkswagen as well.”
“And when you look more closely at the numbers, Volkswagen didn’t lose so much in the end in Europe, because Audi and Skoda were able to buck the trend a little.”


Havana, Feb 5 – Cuban Foreign Ministry rejected today statements made by U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, at the beginning of his tour of Latin American and Caribbean tour, describing them as a message of arrogance and disdain.
According to his words, published today in Granma daily, Tillerson said on February 1, the eve of his trip to the region, disturbing and interfering declarations that openly call to overthrow, by any means possible, the legitimate government of Venezuela.
Those words are also directed to undermine the unanimous rejection of the región to the setback and harshening of the economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba, who have the purpose of harming the economy and Cuban people to try put the country on its knees, highlights the Foreign Ministry.
The declarations of the U.S. Secretary of State are clearly following the scheme of regime-changing that has taken the lives of millions of innocent victims in several parts of the world and promoted violence, war, humanitarian crisis and instability, showing their failure, it adds.
Later on it highlights that the U.S. government does not recognize this is a region committed to the defense of peace, as it became consecrated in Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as Zone of Peace, signed by heads of State and Government in Havana, January 29, 2014, during the 2nd Summit of Clacs (Celac).
According to secretary Tillerson, ‘In the history of Venezuela and in fact, the history of other Latin Anerican and South American countries, frequently are the military (who) take care of this, when things are so bad off that military leaders become aware they can no longer respond to citizens and they lead a pacific transition. If this is the case or not, I do not know’.
In his speech before starting his Latin American and Caribbean tour, the head of diplomacy of the government of Donald Trump defended the principles of the famous doctrine that established as policy that America is the U.S. backyard, by declaring that ‘sometimes we forget the importance of the Monroe Doctrine and what it means to our hemisphere, making it as relevant now as when it was written’, denounced the Cuban Foreign Ministry.
‘His words are clearly a call to â€˜change of regime’. In his instructions to the region, Tillerson went so far as to suggest that president Nicolas Maduro should abandon his post as head of State democratically elected by an undisputable majority of votes.
‘In his speech, he returns to the failed conditionings to Cuba, without any moral authority, to meddle in Cuban internal affairs, criticizing our next election process, changes that are acceptable to the United States, it highlights.
‘With his statements, the high official of the U.S. government, adds a new act to what has been a patron of successive outrages in the history of domination of our region and ratifies the sustained disdain with which the government of president Donald Trump has inequivocally referred to the nations of Latin America and the Caribbean, whose peoples it discredits every time he has the chance.
The Ministry of Foreign Relations of the Republic of Cuba condemns today in its declaration ‘this new aggression against Cuba and Venezuela, after the recent disrespectful declarations of President Trump in his speech on the State of the Union’.
‘Before starting off in his imperialist tour, the Secretary of State announces that 2018 will be the year of the Americas and it is clear it will try to encourage division and submission among the Latin American governments.
‘By so doing, it will stumble on the rejection inspired by his announcements and with the dignity of the peoples of the region, who carry in their memories the hundred thousands of dead and disappeared persons by military dictatorships sponsored by the United States and which Secretary Tillerson encourages to reissue’.
It is outrageous and unacceptable that the U.S. Secretary of State calls openly to a coup d’état in Venezuela, prodding unstability , the overthrowal of democratically elected governments and violence, affirms Cuban Foreign Ministry.
‘It is obvious and deplorable that the president of the United States nor his Secretary of State know Latin America and the Caribbean. Ours has been a continent submitted to the humiliating dominion of the U.S., interested in only extracti9ng its resources in an unequal relation. But Our Amnerica has awakened and will not easily be put on her knees’ highlights the declaration dated today in Havana. (Prensa Latina)


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Rotary Scholarships for Excellence 2020/21
Schwerpunkt: Jugend/Family of Rotary
Art: District Grant
Projektziel: Since 2012 RC Sarajevo has established “Rotary Scholarship for Excellence” project, with the purpose of supporting and awarding excellence in education and promoting RI and its mission to the local community. Project starts every new school year and it is implemented in cooperation with 7 High Schools including SOS Kinderdorf in Sarajevo. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we had to cancel our concert this year, which was scheduled for March 21 st 2020, and the number available scholarships had to be reduced. However, due to an excellent quality of applicants from the last years, and a strong underlying need and importance of this project, with support of our sponsors and hopefully the District, we plan to again increase the budget for upcoming Rotarian year to at least pre- Covid-19 levels. For the Rotarian year 2020/21 our goal is to grant scholarships for 20 high school students through trustworthy web application and interviewing procedure, where we expect to have around 60-80 applicants. Scholarships are awarded to the talented students for their excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities. Each student will receive 100,00 BAM/month on its banking account or the banking account of its parents for 9 consecutive months. The remaining amount will be used on organising and promoting co-founding event “Concert for Excellence”.
Währung: Euro (€)
Land: Bosnien und Herzegowina
Kontaktperson: Maho TasoZurück

domain: finance


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The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is highlighting the increased prevalence of alcohol misuse, alcohol use disorder (AUD), and available treatment options during National Alcohol Awareness Month.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA), an estimated 95,000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third-leading preventable cause of death in the United States. The NIAA also reports that less than 4 percent of people with AUD were prescribed a medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat their disorder. Additionally, DDAP data shows that treatment admissions for alcohol as the primary substance accounted for almost 33 percent of all treatment admissions across Pennsylvania last year.
Read the press release for information on treatment resources.

domain: health


By Mike Sawyer, TheFreeThoughtProject.com
Baltimore, MD — Jermaine Lyons was riding his bike on May 3, 2013 on his way to the park when he was stopped at a store in the 200 block of North Highland Avenue.
According to the lawsuit, police asked Lyons if he had any drugs on him, to which he responded, “no.”
However the police did not believe him. Baltimore Police proceeded to pull down this man’s pants, spread his legs, and conduct a cavity search in the middle of the sidewalk in full view of passersby, according to the lawsuit.
“It’s as simple and outlandish as it appears,” said Isaac Klein, attorney for Lyons. Lyons “was embarrassed and outraged.”
Jermaine Lyons is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for battery, false arrest, false imprisonment and violations of the Maryland Declaration of Human Rights, according to the lawsuit, filed in Baltimore City Circuit Court.
10 days after the alleged cavity search, Lyons was charged with narcotics possession. According to Klein, the two events were not related and court records show that the charges were subsequently dropped in August of 2013. According to Klein, this was yet another negligent error by police who mistakenly arrested and charged Lyons, for which they are filing another civil suit.
The war on drugs has reached prodigious asininity. Police now find it acceptable to sodomize a man in public in a search for an arbitrary substance deemed ‘illegal’ by the state. What person, police officer or not, would be okay with carrying out such a heinous act of sexual abuse to perform their job?
The post Had Enough Drug War Yet? Man Suing Baltimore Police for Sodomizing Him on a Public Sidewalk appeared first on The Joint Blog.
Read this full story…..: Had Enough Drug War Yet? Man Suing Baltimore Police for Sodomizing Him on a Public Sidewalk


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Heidi watney dating jason
Heidi Watney, an American sportscaster, is a host and reporter for MLB Network.She is hosting the weeknight baseball highlights show Quick Pitch.She is married to former Major League Baseball first baseman Kevin Barker.On April 26, 2013, former Toronto Maple Leafs President and GM Brian Burke filed a lawsuit against 18 individuals who anonymously posted on websites claims that the real reason he was fired from the Leafs was for allegedly having an affair with Mae and fathering her child.Since, 2013 she is been featured in the MLB Network's show Quick Pitch every weeknight. She is married to married to Mike Wickham since 2014.Heidi Watney was in a relationship with baseball player Jake Peavy.
Hazel Mae Barker (born April 7, 1970) is a Canadian sportscaster.Mae anchored the 6pm edition of the show until July 1, 2015, when the 6pm edition was replaced by Tim & Sid.She currently works on Sportsnet broadcasts of Toronto Blue Jays games.They also lived in Vietnam for two year and after returning from Vietnam her parents got divorced. From her high school days she was very active in extracurricular activities she used to participate in diving, gymnastics, hurdles and also she was a cheerleader.Later she chooses her mother to live with, though her father remarried but Heidi was close to her father as they lived nearby. As she was a National Merit Scholar she attended University of San Diego on an academic scholarship. In 2002, she was the first runner-up of Miss California pageant.
In 2011, she worked as a sideline reporter for the upcoming regional sports network Time Warner Cable Sports Net.

domain: celebrity


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Published on Nov 13, 2009
A music video we made to the song S.I.M.P. (Squirrels in my Pants) from Phineas and Ferb. The first video we've made with our new Canon Vixia HF S10. Want to help us make our shows? Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/XaviousPictures

domain: entertainment


text: Georgina Adams 24, who was raped in her home by her boyfriend at the time Peter Cotterill 29 while she has a seizure. December 07, 2016. A brave lady who revealed how she was raped by her fiance as she was having an epileptic seizure, has urged other victims suffering in silence to call the police. See NTI story NTIRAPE. In an emotional interview, Georgina Adams (24) has waived her right to anonymity to speak about the abuse meted out by her boyfriend. Sex beast Peter Cotterill was the 'childhood crush' and the love of her life who became Georgina's full-time carer after she was diagnosed with epilepsy. But binman Cotterill abused Georgina's medical problems - and raped her during one 20-minute seizure. The couple were in a relationship for almost five years and engaged for two years.


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4 Days tour from Marrakech to Sahara
Day 1 Marrakech – High Atlas – Ait Ben haddou – Ouarzazate – Dades Valley :
Departure towards Ouarzazate crossing the High Atlas, where we will stop to take photos of the beautiful “Berber” settlements lost in the middle of the Atlas.We will pass through a mountain pass with more than 2,260 meters high, the highest in the entire country. Then we will continue to Ouarzazate, known as the Hollywood of Morocco. Visit of the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, a jewel of the region, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is a fortified town with beautiful crenellated and decorated towers, one of the most beautiful in the Atlas region. We will continue via Ouarzazate and along the road of “the Thousand Kasbahs” passing through the Valley of the Roses, continuing through the Valley of Dades. We will arrive at Boumalne Dades, a Berber town famous for its high gorges and its views of the Atlas, now on the horizon. Night in a charming Riad.
Day 2 Dades valley – Todra gorges – Erfoud – Merzouga :
After breakfast, we will leave for the Sahara desert through one of the most spectacular places in Morocco the Gorges Todra. An ideal place to walk and discover its impressive and natural rocky walls ” 200 meters high”, and a crystal clear river that runs through them. We will have time to take a walk through the gorges and then continue to Merzouga. Arrival at the hotel where we will change the vehicle for the dromedaries. You will make a beautiful trip through the desert of Merzouga on the back of the Camels, on a two-hour journey to the tents camp, located in the largest dunes in all of North Africa. You will contemplate the sunset from the top of the dunes,enjoy some of the most beautiful starry skies in the world. Night and dinner in Berber tents.
Day 3 Erg Chebbi – Rissani – N´Kob – Draa Valley- Ouarzazate :
You will get up early to enjoy the spectacular sunrise from the dunes, After this beautiful moments have you a breakfast. We will take the way to Ouarzazate through Rissani, where we will stop to visit its traditional medina, which is considered the largest in southern Morocco. Then we will continue towards Alnif, Tazarine and the Draa valley, with its impressive palm groves. Arrival in Ouarzazate and accommodation at the hotel.
Day 4 Ouarzazate – High Atlas – Marrakech :
After breakfast and before continuing to Marrakech, you will visit the famous Kasbah de Taourirt, built in adobe with crenellated towers and which, due to its importance, its architecture and its decoration, is one of the most beautiful in Morocco. It has the honor of having been the largest residence of the Glaoui, the ‘pacha’ of Marrakech. After seeing it, we will continue to the red city of Marrakech crossing the High Atlas mountains through: ” Tizi N’tichka” pass. On the slopes of the mountains you will see remote Berber villages and farms that blend in with the landscape. Arrival in Marrakech, transfer to the airport or to your hotel in Marrakech and end of the route.
The tour included:
– Confortable transportation (4×4 toyota land cruiser – micro bus).
– Driver-guide who speaks your language.
– Hotels – riad with half board.
– Camel ride.
– Overnight in desert camp.
– Plane tickets to and from Morocco
– Tickets of the Historical Monuments
If the itineraries that we offer does not match what you’re looking for, Contact us and we will prepare the trip to your measurements and needs.

domain: travel


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Series: The Honey Series
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on March 7th, 2017
Genres: BDSM, Erotica
Enter a decadent sensual world where gorgeous alpha males are pleasure slaves committed to fulfilling a woman's every desire. At the elite Honey club, no boundary will be left untested, and one's darkest desires will become a sensual reality.
Olivier isn’t sure what he’s gotten himself into when he joins the Honey Club, only that a dark part of him craves the lifestyle offered by this secret, exclusive club.
When Amèlie invites Olivier to surrender, she pushes him to explore his deepest desires as a submissive. As they grow closer and find themselves falling harder than either of them anticipated, the truth about Olivier’s past could threaten the budding relationship they both long for.
She slid out of the booth with murmurings of “good night” and “have fun,” taking her stiletto-heeled-sandal-shod feet with the will of steel her mother had begun the process of instilling in her and her training as a Domme had completed.
She could not have her legs give out on her and she could not expose her nervous anticipation.
And she wouldn’t.
But, God, she had not felt like this in years. That sub she’d spied or she’d had who was so promising or such a transcendent experience to play with that she could barely control her own reactions to exploring that promise or again feeling the wholeness, togetherness, oneness with another.
She moved in his direction, no game playing. She didn’t even glance at Stellan in his booth.
Amélie didn’t participate in those games, not ever. There was no reason for her to be coy with a sub.
And she moved with the gait and bearing that it was solely her mother who’d ingrained in her in the sporadic times they’d had together, doing it with an unrelenting fervor that it would take the threat of death to force her to move any other way.
Chin up. Shoulders straight and slightly back. A sway of her hips so subtle, it was elusive. Long, confident strides.
Amélie could walk a catwalk.
She could also make a specimen she was approaching get so hard his cock was aching by the time she made it to him.
She hadn’t even gone halfway when he sensed her approach and she was gratified that his response was instantaneous.
He pushed from the wall. He turned fully to face her. And she felt his eyes drop not with the respect a sub owed a Domme, but to take her in from sandals to hair.
Then his gaze locked on hers and he didn’t look away.
He didn’t look away.
He watched her approach not like he was taking the risky liberty he was taking but like it was his God-given right.
Amélie felt her clit quiver.
She arrived at him, stopping several feet away, knowing that the minute her body language made it clear she was going in for the capture, most eyes in the room, if not all, were on her.
She did not care about this. Not that she’d ever care about this (which she wouldn’t), but because, now close to him, she found to her enchanted surprise, he was not big.
He was colossal.
A mighty beast.
A magnificent beast.
He was not six foot five. He was six-six, more likely six-seven. A mountain of compacted muscle encased in a very fine, very expensive suit.
Taking him in, in proximity, she wanted him more than she’d already wanted him. She wanted no boundaries. She wanted everything. Her diverse skill set, experience, imagination, creativity, and if it came down to it, sheer determination and grit, she’d utilize it all to wring him dry in a way he’d contemplate murder in order to have the opportunity to come back for more.
She was on the verge of speaking when he did.
His direct gaze appreciative, and arrogant smile curving his full lips, he asked, “How you doin’ sweetheart?”
Full eye contact. Speaking without being spoken to. Using an unconsented and unearned endearment.
The already damp gusset of her panties soaked to the point her wet crept up the silk of her front and back sides.
But her brows snapped together, her censure clear, and her lips ordered, “Follow me.”
Wowzer……. I am a bit unsure still today (weeks later) of where to go with this review. I have sat on it and sat on it, just overall unsure what to say. Did I enjoy The Deep End…YES absolutely, however it isn’t quiet that simple (though some would disagree and think, it should be as simple as that). It is not even close to what you would expect from Kristen Ashley, with that being said- no ones artistic creativity should ever be limited. I went into this book thinking I was getting typical KA- I know I know, we were forwarned. But But But….. I still thought- It’s KA, it can’t be that far off the mark…………. yeah- NO……. it wasn’t only off the mark it was out of the stratosphere (though not in a bad way)!!
I still caught many peeks of her typical alpha in the main character Olivier’s personality. He was still very very much a mans man, just simply one that knew what he wanted when it came to his sexual nature and did not shy from it. He was simply just who and what he is, he knows what he likes and does not let his masculinity get in the way of getting it. He plays the role that he knows he is into, but he is still very much the man (alpha) that he is. Our heroine Amelie is confident and totally in control but there were a few times where I simply just didn’t understand where she was coming from. Their relationship didn’t allow for a slow burn of falling for one another because the majority of the book was scene after scene. Knowing this going in, I can still enjoy it for what it is, just don’t go in expecting what you have gotten from KA in the past because it is not what your going to get. I know many people will want to shy away from the whole male submissive, thinking there is no way it can be pulled off- especially by the QUEEN of alphas but, trust me- it’s something your going to want to read.
I won’t get into the meat of the book for a review, I think going in blind and what everyone seems to already know about the book is plenty. I also won’t ever be able to star rate it- there are just to many mixed emotions about the book itself. I am interested to see what she does with the next book in this series and now having a little more idea of what to expect, I really think I will enjoy it even more than The Deep End.


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Located in the centre of Rome, 300 metres from Vatican Museums and 700 metres from The Vatican, 3 bedrooms vatican rome city center apt offers air conditioning. The property has city views and is 700 metres from St Peter's Square and 700 metres from St. Peter's Basilica. The apartment features 3 bedrooms, a flat-screen TV, an equipped kitchen with a dishwasher and a microwave, a washing machine, and 2 bathrooms with a bidet. Towels and bed linen are provided. Staff at the 24-hour front desk speak German, English, Spanish and Italian. Popular points of interest near the apartment include Castel Sant'Angelo, Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona. The nearest airport is Rome Ciampino Airport, 16 km from 3 bedrooms vatican rome city center apt.
Three-Bedroom Apartment from 53.06 to 200
Please enter the dates of your stay to check availability


Influence of Gr, MoS2 and BN on the Hardness and Wear Resistance of AA2014 Hybrid Composite After Artificial Aging
Sachin K Murali1, A. Shanmugasundaram2
1Sachin K Murali, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amrita School of Engineering, Coimbatore, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, India.
2A Shanmugasundaram, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amrita School of Engineering, Coimbatore, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, India.
Manuscript received on 10 August 2019 | Revised Manuscript received on 16 August 2019 | Manuscript published on 30 August 2019 | PP: 3608-3613 | Volume-8 Issue-10, August 2019 | Retrieval Number: J97840881019/19©BEIESP | DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.J9784.0881019
Open Access | Ethics and Policies | Cite | Mendeley | Indexing and Abstracting
© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: The main objective of this research work is to study the effect of tribological behaviors and mechanical properties of Aluminium alloy 2014 (AA2014) hybrid composite reinforced with Boron Nitride (BN), Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and graphite (Gr). Stir casting technique is used for the fabrication of this composite material. The composite is subjected to three step ageing process which consists of solution heat treatment, quenching and aging. The base alloy was reinforced with 4 wt.% of BN, 4wt.% MoS2 and 4, 6, 8 wt.% of Gr. The hardness of the composite steadily increased up to 6 wt. % of graphite and further increase in graphite decreases the hardness. The sample with Graphite of 4 wt. % resulted in maximum hardness of 192 HV with respect to AA2014 base hardness. Addition of graphite up to 6% resulted in lower wear rate when compared to the base metal. The wear rate of sample with Graphite of 4 wt. % is reduced by 49 % from that of the base metal at maximum wear condition. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) were used for the characterization of composite.
Index Terms: Stir Casting, AA2014, Boron Nitride, Graphite.
Scope of the Article: Composite Materials


Jack 'n Rox Show
Weekday Mornings 7-8 on WKRM & WKOM
The "Jack 'n Rox Show" starts your mornings off with a great mix of upbeat music and social topics geared to make you think but most importantly make you smile. Each show highlights "Foxy's Box of Rocks" as well as a flair of local topics. Join Jack and Foxy Roxy for the "Jack 'n Rox" Show" weekday mornings from 7-8 on Front Porch Radio, WKRM & WKOM.
Americana Central Time
Weekdays 10am - 1pm on MuleTown Radio, 103.7 FM, WKRM
Hosted by George Hamilton V, ACT features Classic Country gems from artists like his father George Hamilton IV, Americana and Bluegrass. Plus storytelling from George's 30-plus years in the music industry. And on Fridays Americana Anne with the Americana Music Triangle joins G5 along with artists and guests from within the Triangle.
Around the Bend w/Brenda Lynn
Weekdays 1 - 4pm on MuleTown Radio, 103.7 FM, WKRM
Brenda Lynn Allen is a local artist born and raised in Columbia, Tennessee. She is a singer, songwriter and entertainer. Her music has been described by radio DJs and producers as Traditional Country, Americana or "just simply musical".


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Hudson Valley Fresh is a dairy farmer partnership located in the Hudson Valley. This group of farmers are “dedicated to preserving the agricultural heritage of the Hudson River Valley and promoting it as one of the premier food regions of the United States.”
Hudson Valley Fresh is the brainchild of Dr. Sam Simon who owns Plankenhorn Farm.
Dr. Sam Simon knows (and loves) cows. His father Kurt was a cattle dealer and Sam learned long ago how to spot a quality cow. […]


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We’re a place that values authenticity, where lasting friendships are born and where all different kinds of students share a spirit of kinship. We incubate ingenuity, creativity and potential in talented, curious and diverse students; sending graduates into the world who are prepared to put their talents to work. For nearly 200 years, our valley campus has been changing lives by encouraging students to step inside their uncomfort zone. Mix and match courses in the sciences and engineering, in the arts, in psychology, performing arts and business to tailor your education to your aspirations and develop the skills you need to succeed. Here, innovation and technology meet wilderness trails and Baja buggy challenges. See for yourself the magic in our valley. Alfred University. Outside of Ordinary.
At Alfred University, you'll be part of a "maker culture" - a university alive with ideas that become inventions, award-winning art and performances, scientific breakthroughs and humanitarian initiatives. Our students are creative, talented, quirky, authentic and involved. If that sounds like you, you're in the right place.
Open House Events!
An Alfred Open House is not your typical Open House. Register for one of our upcoming program-specific events and get excited—you’re going to love every minute.


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Part 1: Emotional Availability
When it comes to relationships, emotional availability is a cornerstone for building a strong and lasting connection. It is through this availability that individuals can form a deep bond, paving the way for commitment. Here are some promising signs that indicate a partner’s readiness to commit, grounded in their emotional availability.
1.1 Open Communication
The Significance of Vulnerability in Conversations
Open communication is vital in any relationship, and its essence lies in the ability to be vulnerable with each other. When a partner feels comfortable enough to share their innermost thoughts, fears, and dreams, it’s a clear indication of trust and emotional openness. Vulnerability allows both partners to understand each other on a deeper level, fostering a sense of closeness and intimacy. This mutual understanding is a strong foundation for a committed relationship, as it signifies that both individuals are willing to share their true selves, warts and all.
Sharing Future Dreams and Past Fears
Another sign of a potential commitment is when conversations extend beyond the present, encompassing both future aspirations and past challenges. When a partner openly discusses their future dreams with you, it suggests that they see you as a part of their life moving forward. Similarly, sharing past fears or challenges indicates a level of comfort and trust that is crucial for a committed relationship. These discussions not only bring partners closer but also help in building a shared vision of the future, a key element in any committed relationship.
1.2 Consistent Emotional Support
Being There During the Lows as Well as the Highs
Life is a rollercoaster of emotions, and having a partner who stands by you through both the highs and the lows is invaluable. Consistent emotional support from a partner demonstrates their commitment to you and the relationship. It shows that they are willing to face challenges together and are invested in your well-being, a clear sign of readiness for a deeper commitment.
The Art of Listening and Empathy
The ability to listen and empathize with a partner is a hallmark of emotional availability and a precursor to commitment. Empathy allows individuals to understand and connect with each other’s feelings on a profound level, facilitating a supportive and nurturing relationship. A partner who listens attentively and responds with empathy to your concerns and feelings is not just there for the good times but is prepared to navigate the complexities of a relationship. This level of understanding and support is indicative of a partner who values the relationship and is likely to commit.
Part 2: Integration into His Life
A significant step towards commitment in a relationship is how well you are integrated into your partner’s life. This integration not only demonstrates the seriousness of your partner’s intentions but also reflects their desire to include you in their broader social and personal circle. Here are some promising signs within this domain.
2.1 Introductions to Family and Friends
What It Signifies When He Brings You Into His Circle
When your partner introduces you to their family and friends, it’s a strong indication that they see you as an important part of their life. This step is often a precursor to commitment because it shows that your partner is willing to open up their most personal worlds to you. It signifies a readiness to blend their life with yours, suggesting a level of seriousness about the relationship. Being introduced to the people who matter most to your partner is a clear sign that they value your presence and are seeking their loved ones’ approval and support for the relationship.
The Role of His Loved Ones’ Opinions
The opinions of family and friends can play a significant role in the dynamics of a relationship. When a partner makes an effort to introduce you to their loved ones, it often means they are looking for their approval or want to see how well you fit into their existing social circle. Positive feedback and acceptance from these important individuals can reinforce your partner’s feelings and decisions about the relationship, moving it closer to commitment. This integration into their social and familial circles underscores the importance of the relationship in their life and their desire for it to flourish.
2.2 Inclusion in Future Plans
Making Plans That Naturally Include You
A partner thinking about the future and making plans that naturally include you is a promising sign of commitment. Whether it’s planning a vacation months ahead, including you in holiday plans, or simply considering you when making decisions about the upcoming weekend, these actions indicate that your partner envisions a future with you in it. This level of inclusion is a testament to the seriousness of their intentions and their desire to build a life together.
Discussing Long-Term Goals Together
Talking about long-term goals, such as career aspirations, living arrangements, or even family planning, is a significant step towards commitment. These discussions suggest that your partner not only sees a future with you but is also interested in aligning your mutual goals and dreams. This alignment is crucial for a committed relationship, as it ensures that both partners are working towards a common future. It reflects a deep level of connection and mutual respect, where both individuals are willing to support and help each other achieve their long-term objectives.
Part 3: Commitment Through Actions
Actions often speak louder than words in relationships, and consistent behavior over time is a strong indicator of a partner’s commitment. This part explores how commitment is demonstrated through consistent effort, prioritizing happiness, and mutual respect and support.
3.1 Consistency in Effort
The Importance of Consistency Over Grand Gestures
While grand gestures can be memorable, it’s the consistency in effort that truly shows commitment in a relationship. Consistent actions, such as making time for each other, communicating regularly, and showing care and affection, are fundamental. These everyday actions build trust and security, showing that a partner is committed not just in the high moments but also through the mundane aspects of life. Consistency demonstrates a steadfast dedication to the relationship and the willingness to maintain and nurture it.
Everyday Actions That Show Commitment
Everyday actions that exhibit commitment might include always saying goodnight, making sure to check in during a busy day, or doing small things that make your partner’s life easier or happier. It can be as simple as making coffee in the morning or as thoughtful as planning a date night to keep the spark alive. These actions, while seemingly minor, collectively create a strong foundation for a committed relationship.
3.2 Prioritizing Your Happiness
Making Sacrifices and Compromises
A committed relationship often involves making sacrifices and compromises to ensure the happiness of both partners. This could mean adjusting personal schedules to spend more time together, taking turns in making decisions, or even relocating for a partner’s career opportunity. These sacrifices and compromises, made out of love and respect, signify a deep level of commitment and the desire to see the relationship succeed.
The Balance Between Self and the Relationship
While sacrifices are important, maintaining a balance between individual needs and the relationship is crucial. A committed partner understands the importance of supporting their partner’s happiness and well-being, without losing sight of their own. This balance ensures that both partners feel fulfilled and valued, fostering a healthy, committed relationship.
3.3 Mutual Respect and Support
Supporting Each Other’s Goals and Dreams
A hallmark of a committed relationship is the mutual support for each other’s goals and dreams. Whether it’s a career aspiration, a personal project, or a shared goal, showing genuine interest and support strengthens the bond between partners. This support reflects a commitment to each other’s growth and happiness, beyond the confines of the relationship.
The Significance of Mutual Respect in Commitment
Mutual respect is the cornerstone of any committed relationship. It involves honoring each other’s feelings, boundaries, and differences without judgment. Respectful communication, acknowledging each other’s contributions, and valuing each other’s opinions are all manifestations of mutual respect. This respect lays the groundwork for a deep and lasting commitment, where both partners feel valued, understood, and supported.
Part 4: Signs of Deepening Trust
Trust is a fundamental element in the foundation of a committed relationship. As trust deepens, it manifests in various forms, including shared responsibilities and the comfort found in silence. Here’s how these signs indicate a strengthening bond and deepening trust between partners.
4.1 Sharing Personal and Financial Responsibilities
Joint Decisions on Finances and Future Planning
When partners start making joint decisions regarding finances and future planning, it’s a significant sign of deepening trust. This includes managing budgets, saving for future goals, or making investment choices together. Engaging in these activities requires a high level of trust and confidence in each other’s judgment and reliability. It signifies that both partners are committed to building a future together and are willing to share the responsibilities that come with it.
Trusting Each Other with Personal Vulnerabilities
Another profound aspect of trust is the ability to share personal vulnerabilities without fear of judgment. When a partner feels comfortable enough to discuss their fears, insecurities, or past experiences that have shaped them, it indicates a deep level of trust. This openness fosters intimacy and understanding, strengthening the bond between partners. It shows that they trust each other’s empathy and support, which is crucial for a committed and healthy relationship.
4.2 The Comfort in Silence
Understanding the Value of Quiet Moments Together
The comfort in silence between partners speaks volumes about the depth of their relationship. It’s a sign that both individuals are content and secure in each other’s presence, without the need for constant conversation. This understanding and appreciation of quiet moments together demonstrate a deep connection and trust. It signifies that the relationship has matured to a point where simply being together is comforting and fulfilling.
Comfort and Security in Non-Verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication, such as eye contact, touch, and body language, becomes more profound as trust deepens. The ability to communicate emotions and support through non-verbal cues indicates a high level of understanding and empathy between partners. It reflects a comfort and security in the relationship, where love and care can be expressed without words. This non-verbal connection is a powerful sign of trust and a deep emotional bond.
Part 5: Readiness for the Next Steps
As relationships grow and evolve, discussions about the future and observations of actions can provide clear indications of readiness for the next steps. This readiness often encompasses both partners’ willingness to envision a shared future and their actions that align with those visions.
5.1 Conversations About the Future
How He Talks About Future Scenarios Involving You
When your partner includes you in their future scenarios, it’s a promising sign of their readiness to take the relationship to the next level. Whether it’s discussing living arrangements, family planning, or even smaller future events, these conversations indicate that he sees you as an integral part of his life moving forward. The willingness to openly discuss and plan for the future together highlights a commitment to the relationship and a desire to build a life together.
The Significance of Discussing Life’s Big Decisions Together
Engaging in conversations about life’s significant decisions, such as career moves, buying a house, or making lifestyle changes, is crucial. These discussions signify a deep level of partnership and trust, as both individuals consider each other’s opinions, dreams, and concerns. Making these decisions together demonstrates a shared commitment to navigating life’s journey as a team, reinforcing the bond between partners.
5.2 Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Observing His Readiness Through Actions
Actions indeed speak louder than words when it comes to assessing a partner’s readiness for the next steps in a relationship. Observing how he follows through on promises, invests time and effort into the relationship, and makes tangible plans for the future can offer clear evidence of his commitment and readiness. These actions show that he is not only talking about a future together but is also willing to put in the work to make it a reality.
The Difference Between Saying and Doing
While verbal affirmations of love and commitment are important, they must be backed by consistent actions. The difference between merely saying things and actually doing them is critical in assessing a partner’s true readiness for the next steps. Actions that align with future plans and commitments offer tangible proof of his seriousness about the relationship and willingness to advance to deeper levels of commitment.
Part 6: Navigating Challenges Together
6.1 Handling Conflicts Constructively
The Role of Conflict Resolution in Strengthening Commitment
Conflict is a natural part of any relationship, but the way it’s handled can significantly impact the strength and longevity of the partnership. Constructive conflict resolution involves open communication, empathy, and a willingness to understand and address each other’s perspectives. Successfully navigating disagreements in a healthy manner can strengthen the commitment, as it demonstrates the ability to work together through challenges, deepening trust and understanding.
Strategies for Healthy Communication During Disagreements
Employing strategies such as active listening, avoiding blame, and expressing feelings and needs calmly can greatly improve communication during conflicts. These approaches foster a supportive environment where both partners feel heard and respected, facilitating a resolution that strengthens the relationship.
6.2 Growth and Adaptation
Evolving Together Through Life’s Challenges
Life inevitably brings challenges, but facing them together and adapting as a couple can significantly strengthen the bond between partners. This growth involves both individuals evolving in response to new experiences and challenges, supporting each other’s personal development, and finding ways to grow closer through adversity.
How Adversity Can Strengthen Your Bond
Adversity tests the resilience and depth of a relationship. Overcoming obstacles together builds a shared history of strength and resilience, proving that the partnership can withstand life’s tests. These experiences can deepen emotional intimacy and trust, reinforcing the commitment and readiness to face whatever the future holds together.


“The Nokia 1 is now the most affordable Android Go smartphone from a major brand”
HMD Global, the licensee brand of Nokia smartphones, has decided to make its most popular smartphones more accessible to the masses in India. To that extent, the company has reduced the prices of the Nokia 1 (first impressions), Nokia 2.1, and Nokia 6.1 Plus (review) 6GB + 64GB variant in India. The smartphones are already available at the reduced prices.
Nokia 1, Nokia 2.1 and Nokia 6.1 Plus prices in India
The Nokia 1 has become one of the cheapest Android Go smartphones from a premium brand with a new price tag of Rs 3,999, which is a drop of Rs 1,000. With the new price, the smartphone has undercut the Redmi Go to become the cheapest Android Go offering in India. The Nokia 2.1 also received a price cut of Rs 1,000 and can now be picked up for Rs 5,499. The 6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant of the Nokia 6.1 Plus, on the other hand, is Rs 1,500 cheaper and can be bought for Rs 16,999. HMD Global is also offering HDFC debit and credit card users a 15 percent cashback between April 5 and April 20.
Nokia 1, Nokia 2.1 and Nokia 6.1 Plus specifications
Talking about specifications, Nokia 1 is an Android Go phone, which means it boots Android 8.1 Oreo (Go) Edition out of the box. The smartphone ships with a 4.5-inch FWVGA display and is powered by a 1.1GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6737M processor. In the imaging department, the phone features 5MP rear snapper and a 2MP front shooter. A 2,150mAh battery rounds up the spec sheet of the handset.
The Nokia 2.1 offers a 5.5-inch HD display and gets the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor at its core. the chipset is mated to 1GB of RAM and 8GB storage. The smartphone is also an Android Go phone and runs Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition) out of the box. There is an 8MP camera on the rear and 5MP shooter on the front for selfies. The phone is backed by a beefy 4,000mAh battery.
Lastly, the Nokia 6.1 Plus is equipped with a a 5.8-inch full-HD+ screen and octa-core Snapdragon 636 SoC at its core. The processor is mated to either 4GB or 6GB RAM depending on the variant. For imaging, the phone offers a 16MP shooter and a 5MP monochrome sensor with LED flash on the rear. There is a 16MP sensor in the front for selfies and video calling. As for the software, the phone boots stock Android 8.1 Oreo and is powered by a 3,060mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 3.0 technology.


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Fort Greene store:
Saturday, April 22, 11:30 AM
Story Time: Nandana Dev Sen presents Kangaroo Kisses
Fundraising event for Extreme Kids & Crew
Award-winning actor, writer, and child-rights activist Nandana Dev Sen has acted in over 20 feature films on three continents, worked with Operation Smile, and played Princess Jasmine at Disneyland, among other accomplishments. Her fun and playful new picture book Kangaroo Kisses is a lovely mix of fantasy and real life, as one mischievous child delays getting ready for bed, encountering some much-loved animals along the way. In conjunction with Nandana’s interactive story time, Greenlight hosts an all-day fundraiser for Extreme Kids & Crew, a play space for children with disabilities and their friends and families with multiple locations in New York City. Mention Extreme Kids & Crew at checkout at either Greenlight location or online to have 20% of your purchase donated to Extreme Kids & Crew! Ages 3 to 8.


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The Liminal Cycle, an interdisciplinary media experience.
It is presented in three acts across multiple mediums.
Liminal: By Cameron
A novella presented as a movie treatment for a movie that was “suppressed.” Written under the pen name, Cameron Whiteside.
Part one of The Liminal Cycle.
Available as a Kindle, print, or audiobook
Archive.org ebook and audio versions.
“This autobiographical novella could easily be compared to some of the best cyber-punk science fiction available to us. Over his journey, throughout this period of his life, Cameron is confronted by symbols from Ancient Mesopotamian and Buddhist theology, goth and punk subcultures, and anarchist traditions, all the while confronted by questions that are both strange and common to us all – “what is going on?”, “what is happening to me?”, “what do I trust as real?”, etc.” – From a review by Julian Langer, author of Feral Consciousness: Deconstruction of the Modern Myth and Return to the Woods and other great works
Possibly the best story I’ve ever experienced. (not just read, as it is an Experience}. I tip my hat and bow. –Brent Keala Kekua
“It was a lovely May Day gift receiving this book as part of an email giveaway. A quick enjoyable read with so many literary counter-culture touchstones from Conrad to Burroughs. You can use this book as a shopping list or as a synopsis synchronizing us for the next step.” –Andrew Ceyton, Goodreads
“I made the mistake of reading Liminal before going to bed. It really influenced my dreams = every person and everything has a hidden purpose some of which you are in on and some not. After I had finished the “proposal” I saw my collection of laptops and pads as sinister apertures into a clinging needy system that only wants to do me good (your buying habits indicate that you’d probably like this new Wampus) at an indeterminate price (you’re basically nobody unless you own a Limulus D).
It’s a scary piece of writing. And a nice logo too: reminded me of my early algebra classes — draw a circle of radius R on the Cartesian X-Y plane in such a way that it encloses the origin but is not centered there.
What is the equation for this circle?
Where does this symbol come from?
A preview of a slice of madness.” – Nick Herbert
“Reading this is like learning to write with your non-dominant hand. It opens new pathways in the brain.” – Reader/Winner of the print book giveaway
“I shit you not, I’ve seen that sigil in Glasgow. Probably a few weeks before the quarantine. Plus Cameron is a Scottish name so maybe they’re from here?
I’ll check it out and see it I can get pics of the symbol once lockdown is over, but I’m 100% sure it’s the same one.” – The Weirdnet (@TheWeirdnet) April 28, 2020
All of this is a strange combination of intriguing and silly, but that range is completely dependent on the weather and the time of day. Read those same words at night in a rainstorm, and you end up with a different emotion. That’s true of all fiction… or non-fiction masquerading as fiction… or fiction masquerading as non-fiction masquerading as fiction… My head hurts. – Bots and Bee
Xen: The Zen of the Other by Ezra Buckley
Xen: The Zen of the Other is a work that confronts the questions of identity, modernity, life, the other, and the place for rites of passage in the modern world.
This audio-play version of Xen includes a fully hyperlinked ebook for reference use. Presented as a series of audio notes left by the protagonist on his phone. Written under the pen name of Ezra Buckley.
Available as an audio drama with ebook accompanment.
Streaming + Download
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC, and more. Also includes ebook in multiple formats.
Also available on Audible.com
Available as a print only book for bibliophiles.
“I enjoyed reading Xen: The Zen of the Other, but the audio radio play is even better. Its gusto voice acting, hypnotic musicscapes, and mystical plot all add up to a transporting experience that’s beyond what we normally expect from a book recording.” – Joe Nolan, The Contributor
“…wildly creative experiments with form…through a down-to-earth lens and with a sense of humor. … I felt spoken to many times as Ezra articulated his own frustrations with life and with his own expectations of the world.” – DAVID AMITO, award-winning Actor. Writer, Producer, Director of Antrum
“I just finished reading this a few minutes ago. I guess “finished” isn’t really the correct wording… because I’ve really just begun.” Reader on Reddit
Statio Numero: an interdisciplinary media experience.
This limited series is the third and final act of The Liminal Cycle, a meta-trilogy.
Knowledge of Liminal and Xen, which make up the first two parts of the trilogy, will be necessary for understanding this work.


Jobless claims drop in South Tyneside
The number of people claiming out-of-work benefits in South Tyneside fell last month '“ but the borough still has one of the highest jobless rates in the country.
There were 4,505 people claimants in the borough in April, a drop of 20 on March.
That is the equivalent of a claimant rate of 4.8%, the eighth highest in the country.
Coun John Anglin, Lead Member for Regeneration and Economy, said: “This is a cause for concern, but despite unprecedented cuts from central Government, as a council we continue to do all we can to create jobs and opportunities for local people.
“We remain committed to working with our partners to deliver schemes that aim to get people back into work across the borough and encourage private-sector growth.
“Our work to bring forward the International Advanced Manufacturing Park with Sunderland Council on land north of Nissan, which will create more than 7,000 high-quality jobs for local people, is a measure of our success.”
Steve McCall, from JobCentre Plus, said the figure had been affected by the continued introduction of Universal Credit in the borough, which sees more people included in the figures than the previous Jobseeker’s Allowance.
“We have had Universal Credit previously, but the full service is just rolling out in South Tyneside,” he said.
“We are also seeing an increase in the number of people who are becoming economically active. If someone was previously classed as economically inactive and is now looking for work, that would see a rise. There are a lot of opportunities out there ate the moment – BT is recruiting in South Shields.
“They offer people under 24 work experience, then we put them through a training course, after which they are guaranteed an interview.
“Careline Care Homes are recruiting heavily in Shields and we also have vacancies in warehousing and logistics.”
Employment in the North East stands at 1,233,000 or 73.6% – an increase of 14,000 over the quarter and 14,000 over the year.
This compares to a rate of 75.6% nationally.
North East unemployment stands at 63,000 or 4.9% – a fall of 6,000 over the quarter and 13,000 over the year. This compares to a rate of 4.2% nationally.
North East Chamber of Commerce policy adviser Paul Carbert said: “Our employment rate is now at a record high which is a great testament to the hard work and determination of businesses. It is also excellent news the gap between the North East and the national average has been closing.”


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46th Street and 54th Road I SERIOUSLY doubt that half of any New York City guidebooks even mention the two areas in southwest Queens we’ll visit today, ensconced on either side of Calvary Cemetery just east of Greenpoint, north of Ridgewood and in the middle of exactly nowhere. Surprises, however, can be squeezed from these unknown […]
Office Space for Rent200 sq ft. $600/month office - avail now! Freshly painted, carpeted, new restrooms, professional/non-profit floor, most convenient location in western Queens, shopping restaurants across street, includes shelving and desk, new carpet, and new air conditioner. Elevator; Four blocks from N, R, Q, M service. 15 minutes from mid-town. 2 blocks from Kaufman Arts Center
Tenth Great Year!


Ever since the Intel Ivy Bridge launched, people are coming out of the woodwork to declare that the discrete graphics
Discrete and Integrated Graphics
It helps first to understand the two main types of PC graphics. Modern PC graphics come in two forms today; integrated and discrete. Modern day integrated PC graphics come from Intel and AMD, and are tightly integrated onto the same silicon die as the CPU. These chips share the same system memory as the rest of the PC components and are typically, all things equal, slower than discrete graphics. Discrete graphics are dedicated graphics chips from NVIDIA and AMD that also utilize high-speed dedicated graphics memory. These chips are either soldered on the mainboard, as in the case of most notebooks, or utilize PCI Express cards for desktop, workstation and server implementations.
Ivy Bridge Graphics
On April 23, Intel launched their Ivy Bridge processor. The new processor added manufacturing improvements, namely a shrink from 32nm to 22nm and the use of Intel's Tri-Gate transistor. Intel also added improvements to its general purpose X86 processor cores and added a new media encoder and graphics subsystem. It's important to note that the entire lineup didn't convert to a Core i7 with HD 4000 graphics. Here is what we can expect at different price points for the majority of desktop PCs in the marketplace in 2012:
$250+ Intel Core i7 Intel HD 4000 graphics Ivy Bridge
$250-180 Intel Core i5 Intel HD 2500 graphics Ivy Bridge
$150-100 Intel Core i3 Intel HD 2000 graphics Sandy Bridge
>$100 Celeron/Pentium Intel HD 2000 graphics Sandy Bridge
(NOTE: There are some exceptions to the grid above such as the 5255 K-Series, but for the majority of 2012, this will be what you will see in-market.)
The $250+ processor price point typically occupies around 10% of the volume and is typically married with a mid-range or high-end graphics card. The lower end discrete graphics cards from NVIDIA and AMD will be paired with Core i5s, Core i3s, and Pentiums. So, the comparison that needs to be made is between the new Intel Core i5 with the Intel HD 2500 graphics and $40-50 discrete graphics cards. You fall into the trap of misunderstanding if you compare the new Intel Core i7 with the Intel HD 4000 to these lower end discrete graphics cards. Intel isn't even making those comparisons and you shouldn't either.
Myths around Higher End Graphics
I thought the best way to describe the discrete graphics situation was to go after the myths that we all hear.
Myth #1: U.S. market dynamics reflect the rest of the world
Believe it or not, there is a world outside of the U.S. and that's a good thing for discrete graphics. The U.S. has a very low consumer discrete graphics "attach rate" at approximately 30%. Attach rate is the percentage of PCs that ship with discrete graphics. Comparatively, EMEA has approximately 65% attach rate, Russia is at approximately a 70% rate and China has a staggering 80% attach rate. The CAGR rate looks impressive as well.
Myth #2: U.S. retail dynamics reflect the rest of the world
Retail outside the U.S. is very different, particularly in China, India, Eastern Europe, and Russia. I have personally toured PC malls in Russia, China, and India and, let me tell you, this is not Best Buy. Think of five to ten story buildings full of hundreds of manufacturers, assemblers, and retailers all vying for your business. PC purchases have a lot to do with personal touch and deals that can be struck. As with any consultative sale, the seller asks the buyer how they want to use their PC and what results many times is a graphics attach.
Myth #3 High-end PC game market is tiny
Games are a huge business that gets even bigger every year. We need to just do some comparisons to games versus movies in their first week of sales revenue to get an idea of just how big this is. In 2010, Call of Duty Black Ops generated $650M in its first week of sales. That same year, Iron Man 2 had $128M in box office revenue in its first week. These blockbuster hit games aren't Farmville. They're high end games that require good graphics.
Myth #4: Games are dumbing down on graphics
Those same blockbuster hits that have outsold the top movies in their first weeks generally have one thing in common. The graphical qualities keep increasing, generation by generation. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was state of the art graphics in 2009 but doesn't hold a candle graphically to Battlefield 3 in 2012. So, what is the end consumer impact if they bought too low of graphics back in 2009? That's right, they cannot play the newer games. Had they spent $100 on a discrete graphics card, with their initial 2009 purchase, they probably wouldn't have had the issue.
Myth #5: Discrete graphics are only good for games
Many of us even inside the industry only talk about games as it relates to the GPU. The fact is, a better GPU can accelerate many non-game applications. Here are just a few apps that are accelerated by GPU computing: Adobe Photoshop CS6, ArcSoft Panorama Maker Pro 6.0/ShowBiz 5/TotalMedia Theatre 5.2, Autodesk Maya Bullet Physics Plug-in, Corel WinZIP 16.5, CyberLink PowerDirector 10, Dassault Systemes SIMULIA Abaqus FEA, MainConcept H.264/AVC Pro Encoder, MotionDSP Ikena ISR, MotionDSP vReveal 3.0, Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD 11/Vegas Pro 11, Viewdle and Wolfram Mathematica®. This is just a beginning as GPU computing is just in its infancy.
Intel has undoubtedly improved their integrated graphics subsystems in Ivy Bridge, delivering in two flavors; the higher end Intel Core i7 utilizes the HD 4000 graphics and the majority of Intel Core i5 utilizes the HD 2500 graphics. The predecessor, Sandy Bridge, utilized the HD 3000 and HD 2000 graphics systems. Therefore, the real, in-market comparisons won't be between Core i7's and discrete graphics cards between $50-100. They will be between Core i5 with HD 2500 and those lower end graphics cards.
As you will see when the comparisons are done, there are significant performance and experience advantages that the discrete cards provide when paired up with corresponding CPUs. Games and other photo and video software isn't static, either and grow in sophistication. Games get richer and non-game GPU-compute capabilities are growing every year which adds yet another benefit discrete graphics cards deliver. When I map all of this next to consumer's preference for discrete graphics today in the world's largest and fasting growing markets, I do not see a case for discrete graphics attach rate to drop. Perhaps I’ll archive this article and dust it off for publication in another year!


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Rail chiefs set to bring in full booze ban on all trains in Scotland
The alcohol ban is being planned after Old Firm fans were warned by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon not to travel to pubs to watch the Glasgow derby match this weekend.
The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) Union revealed that ScotRail informed them it will bring in a full all-hours drinking ban on trains in a bid to tighten up on Covid-19 safety measures.
But they claimed the move has been put on hold after the British Transport Police called for more time to consider the resource implications.
The union said they welcomed the move to extend the current ban to daytime hours but also warned of a 'double whammy' of pressure on frontline staff who can't enforce rules on trains.
Mick Hogg, Regional Organiser for the RMT in Scotland said: "We have been told by ScotRail that there will be a full ban on alcohol on trains as a covid-19 measure. We welcome that.
"But it has to be resourced or it puts more pressure on our staff. It's a double whammy for them. They can't enforce the wearing of masks or police passengers drinking alcohol. That has been a big issue for a while. We know the BTP don't have enough staff as it is."
One conductor said that he is terrified on packed Saturday night trains.
He said: "I've seen people swapping their masks and some refuse to wear them. I'd say about a third don’t wear them. Things can quickly get out of hand. Even though we are not expected to police the rule sometimes I do ask passengers to comply. We can ask drunk passengers to leave but that can lead to confrontation.”
"Busy weekend nights haven't calmed down in recent weeks. People from Edinburgh and Glasgow have been piling on trains across to Fife to go to the pub. I've seen packed trains with the vast majority of passengers drunk."
The worker has been assaulted, sworn at and his colleagues have been spat on. After asking one rowdy group of passengers to put their masks on after a passenger sitting near them complained, the group asked for his details and said they would report him because they said ‘you’re not allowed to make us wear them’.
"Passengers know there is nothing we can do. What's the point of making it mandatory to wear masks if there's no consequences when people don't do it?We could phone the transport police but then we face massive delays while we wait for them to get here. On a busy Saturday night, that'd take about 45 minutes or more."
Alcohol is already banned on trains between the hours of 9pm and 10am. The RMT says the all-hours ban should be permanent. Mr Hogg said: "It's nuts to say that it only be in place as a covid-19 measure. Drinking should be banned on trains permanently, as it is in football grounds and shopping centres.”
A ScotRail spokesperson said: "A ban on daytime drinking on trains is something we're looking at. I can't give any more details."
Scottish Labour transport spokesperson Colin Smyth MSP welcomed the proposed alcohol ban.
He said: “Any new measures designed to keep transport staff and other passengers safe from harm are to be welcomed.
“Nonetheless, it is vital that staff are properly supported to ensure that they are able to manage this additional rule safely.
“Transport workers have kept this country moving throughout this pandemic, often under exceptionally challenging circumstances.
“We all owe it to Scotland’s transport workers to keep them safe from harm.”
British Transport Police were asked for comment.