Can a Liposuction Pill serve as an alternative for weight loss?
In the present
21st century, Liposuction still rules the world and is considered as the
best cosmetic procedure for getting rid of the unwanted fat. However,
research is going on at greater level on liposuction pill for making the
pill as a viable alternative for shedding weight. There is a wide spread
speculation that suggests that liposuction pill is indeed a viable method
for weight loss.
So far the tests were carried out only on mice and no clinical trials were carried out on humans. But, there is a very big claim, both in support and against, that the pill can increase the metabolism rates and can result in weight reduction to a considerable extent.
There are no proven results and the pill still continue to be a controversial one even today.
Beware of the wonder drug Ephedra
The controversial wonder drug Ephedra for weight reduction is again making its entry into the markets. Though a small dose of ephedra has been proved harmless, the usage of ephedra drug as a liposuction pill is yet to be ascertained, as there are no clinical trials conducted.
Canada law permits usage of ephedra drug as long as it is used in isolation
and the same cannot be used with any other similar drug. You can get tons
of more reliable and other interesting information about the ephedra drug
if you search the net with a single word ephedra in the search
The liposuction pill may be a good alternative for persons who would like to shed extra weight without adhering to taxing exercise schedules and for persons who do not mind paying a high price for the liposuction pill.
Many people look for quick results and hence they tend to believe in tall claims that can offer a quick remedy for their weight loss aspirations.
You may even come across advertisements saying want to lose 5 to 6 pounds, then this is not for you and you may be tempted to buy without understanding the hidden meaning in the advertisement.
Companies selling such pills pretty well know that any suggestion towards diet restriction will deter the people away and they lure people to get their product purchased with just a mention about the weight loss.
Once you find that the liposuction pill not working, they will counter the claim with a saying that the pill is not for people like you.
Ephedra cannot be taken as a solution for obese management and cannot be used for any weight loss programmes.
Though the drug was termed as not dangerous, that doesnt mean that the liposuction pill is safe and can be used with favourable results for any weight loss programmes.
As of today
liposuction is the only known procedure for weight management without
any side effects and other complications.


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- POSITION DEFINITION
- This position is a thirty–five (35) hour work week. Salary is commensurate to experience and training. The working hours include 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and must be available to work one (1) Saturday per month (4 hours).
This posting will remain open until sufficient applications have been received.
- ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
- Responsible for providing direct nutrition services, including nutrition assessment, education breastfeeding promotion and support and referrals to WIC participants.
- As a competent Professional Authority (CPA) on the staff of the local program, conducts a complete WIC nutrition assessment, determines and documents nutritional risk of WIC participants.
- Is responsible for appropriate food package assignment and tailoring of WIC participants.
- Assures proper certification of eligible applicants.
- Assists with the implementation of the nutrition and breastfeeding promotion and support component of the local agency plan.
- Assists with meeting State and local objectives.
- Provides nutrition education, counseling and breastfeeding support appropriate to the WIC participant
- As a Competent Professional Authority (CPA) on the staff of the local program, conducts a complete WIC nutrition assessment, determines and documents nutritional risk of WIC participants as appropriate develops and follow-up on care plans for high-risk participants.
- Is responsible for the appropriate assignment and tailoring of WIC food packages for participants;
- Other duties as assigned.
- JOB QUALIFICATIONS AND LICENSING
- A Bachelor’s degree from a four-year institution accredited by a recognized regional accrediting body with a major in foods and nutrition, community nutrition, nutrition education, or nutritional sciences. Preferably has credentials of a Registered Dietitian (R.D.) or eligibility with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Commission on Dietetic Registration; if applicable, has State license or certified as a nutritionist/dietitian OR
A Master’s degree from an institution accredited by a recognized regional accrediting body in nutritional sciences, community nutrition, clinical nutrition, dietetics, public health nutrition, home economics with a major in foods and nutrition.
Persons with a Master’s degree in nutrition who do not have a Bachelor’s degree in foods and nutrition must have successfully completed the equivalent subject matter at the graduate level to compensate for any courses not completed at the undergraduate level.
- Town of East Hartford
740 Main St.
East Hartford, Connecticut, 06108

domain: food


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You’ve finally bought your dream home and have started making payments to your lender. Now you may be wondering, where exactly do your payments go? That’s where mortgage amortization comes in.
An important part of having a mortgage is understanding when your mortgage amortizes — this is when you go from paying towards your mortgage’s interest to mostly paying down the principal amount of debt. If you’re looking to save money on your mortgage amortization, there are a few ways to see if you’re eligible to reduce the amortization window.
What is a mortgage amortization?
Mortgage amortization is when you pay-off of your mortgage using a schedule and set monthly payments. These fixed monthly payments remain the same throughout your loan, whether that’s 15 or 30 years, and do not change over time — unless you choose to pay more than your monthly payment. This allows for predictability as you pay your loan over time.
Before we go into exactly how a mortgage amortizes, here are some helpful terms to know:
- Interest: Interest is the percentage a lender charges on the amount you’ve borrowed.
- Principal: Principal is the actual amount of money you’ve borrowed from your lender.
What does mortgage amortization do for homeowners?
Mortgage amortization gives homeowners a predictable schedule to follow while paying off their mortgage. Homeowners have money going towards both their interest and principal each month on this set schedule for the life of their loan to eliminate outstanding debt and increase their home equity value.
How does a mortgage amortization schedule work?
At the beginning of your loan, you’ll likely be paying more towards interest than principal. As your interest depletes, you’ll start paying more towards your principal and earn more and more home equity later in your loan. But every month your payment will still look the same.
So, let’s say you pay $500 a month towards your mortgage. In the beginning, $400 would go to your interest and $100 towards your principal. Down the line, it will slowly flip to $100 towards interest and $400 towards your principal. You build equity faster further into your loan because you start making bigger payments towards your principal.
How do you calculate your mortgage amortization?
If you want to figure out how much interest you owe on your loan and see how your mortgage amortizes over time, the following steps will give you an idea of how to plan out your payments.
Let’s say you have a 15-year mortgage loan for $350,000 at 3.1 percent interest. Your monthly payment is around $1,265. Using this example, here’s how to calculate your mortgage amortization:
- Take the total loan amount and multiply it by the interest rate determined by your lender – that’ll represent your annual interest payment amount. The math will look something like this: $350,000 x .031 = $10,850.
- Divide the annual interest payment amount by twelve to determine your first monthly interest payment. $10.850/12 = $904.16
- Now, subtract this interest amount from your monthly payment to calculate how much you’re paying for the principal: $1,265.00 – $904.16 = $361.00
- Now, update the loan balance to reflect the first payment and repeat this process every month until you reach a principal balance of zero.
How to reduce your mortgage amortization
- Make extra payments: Although you have a 12-month schedule, making 13 plus payments can potentially shave years off your loan. Our extra payments calculator can help you estimate how much you can save when you make additional payments on your home mortgage.
- Refinance your loan: Down the line, you may be able to refinance for lower interest rates.
- Make more frequent payments: Set up a bi-weekly payment schedule rather than monthly. More frequent payments can help you beat the amortization schedule.
- Pay more up front: A larger down payment can help with lower interest rates. If you’ve already made your down payment, see if your lender accepts a lump sum of money towards your principal.
Learning how to save money on a mortgage amortization can help plan for your financial future, understand where your monthly payments go, and how to better prepare for buying your new home. With this new knowledge in your homebuying toolkit, you’re able to buy your next home with a deeper understanding of your payment options.

domain: finance


text:
VLADIMIR A. BOCHKOVSKY, Appellant,
STATE OF ALASKA, Appellee.
Appeal from the Superior Court, Third Judicial District, Palmer, No. 3PA-10-1771 CR Eric Smith, Judge.
Hanley Smith, Assistant Public Defender, and Quinlan Steiner, Public Defender, Anchorage, for the Appellant.
Timothy W. Terrell, Assistant Attorney General, Office of Special Prosecutions & Appeals, Anchorage, and Michael C. Geraghty, Attorney General, Juneau, for the Appellee.
Before: Mannheimer, Chief Judge, Allard, Judge, and Matthews, Senior Supreme Court Justice. [*]
MATTHEWS, Senior Justice
Vladimir A. Bochkovsky was convicted after a jury trial of misconduct involving a controlled substance in the second degree in violation of AS 11.71.020(a)(1) (possession of oxycodone with intent to deliver). At sentencing, the superior court rejected a proposed mitigating factor that the offense involved a small quantity of drugs and sentenced Bochkovsky to 6 years of imprisonment. On appeal, Bochkovsky contends that: (1) a state trooper lacked reasonable suspicion to subject a drug-containing package to a canine sniff; (2) there was insufficient evidence that Bochkovsky intended to deliver the oxycodone; and (3) the superior court erred in rejecting the "small quantities" mitigator. We conclude that none of these contentions has merit and affirm.
Summary of facts and proceedings
In July 2010, a FedEx manager in Wasilla contacted the Alaska State Troopers about a package he believed was suspicious. The troopers also thought the package was suspicious and had a trained dog sniff it in the FedEx offices. When the dogalerted, a trooper obtained a searchwarrant, opened the package, and discovered that it contained 129 OxyContin pills disguised as rolls of candy inside a cellophane bag. Subsequently, the troopers prepared a substitute package for delivery. They put only one of the OxyContin pills in the new package along with some candy and the rest of the contents of the original package. They also equipped the new package with an electronic device that would emit a signal when the package was opened.
The troopers obtained another warrant to search the residence where the package was to be delivered. When the package was delivered, Bochkovsky answered the door and accepted delivery. Shortly after delivery, the electronic device sounded and the troopers knocked on the door of the residence. When no one answered, they forced their way in and found Bochkovsky in a bedroom with the opened package and its contents on the floor.
Prior to his trial, Bochkovsky moved to suppress the contents of the package on the ground that the troopers lacked reasonable suspicion to subject it to a dog sniff. After an evidentiary hearing, the superior court denied the motion.
A jury then convicted Bochkovsky of second-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance on the theory that he possessed the oxycodone (the active ingredient in OxyContin) with intent to deliver and fourth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance on the theory that he possessed any amount of oxycodone. The superior court merged the two counts at sentencing.
Bochkovsky asked the sentencing court to impose a mitigated sentence because there was only one OxyContin pill in the package at the time he was apprehended. He also proposed the "least serious conduct" mitigator and the "minor harm" mitigator. The sentencing court rejected the proposed mitigating factors and sentenced Bochkovsky to 6 years to serve, a sentence within the presumptive range of 5 to 8 years for a first felony offender.
Facts concerning Bochkovsky's package and the canine sniff
The package, a cardboard box supplied by FedEx, was taped shut, but not all the seams were sealed. A FedEx airbill was taped to the top indicating that the recipient was Mikey Sheeby of 341 East Heather Way, Apartment 1, Wasilla. The sender's name was Mark Vu of 3111132nd St. SE, Apartment A104, Everett, Washington, and a phone number was listed. The airbill was filled out by hand. It called for next-day delivery. The sender paid $67.98 in cash to ship the package. The package was sent from a Kinko's/FedEx facility in Everett, Washington, on July 1, 2010.
Trooper Mike Ingram was dispatched to FedEx in Wasilla after a manager identified the package as suspicious. Ingram had been assigned to the Mat-Su narcotics unit for some six and a half years and had received substantial training in narcotics investigations, including "drug interdictions via commercial modes of transportation." Based on this training and experience, Ingram looked for "key indicators" on packages that have a "high probability of having drugs."
Ingram noted several indicators that led him to suspect that this package contained drugs. The package had a handwritten label, which indicated that it was probably not a commercial shipment, which constituted most of FedEx's business. The shipment was paid in cash and had been sent by next day air, which is relatively expensive - $67.98 in this case. Ingram found this factor "pretty significant" because "[w]e know that individuals [who] are shipping drugs through commercial modes ... often pay cash because the items inside are more valuable than the money they're [spending] to have a speedy delivery of that package." The shipment was also made at a "[Kinko's] FedEx copy, which is basically a drop-box I believe at Everett, Washington." Ingram explained that this mode of delivery, like a cash payment, "helps to further distance [the sender] from being tied back to the package if it were to be intercepted via law enforcement."
The final indicator was Ingram's belief that the recipient, "Mikey Sheeby, " was fictitious. Before the dog sniff, Ingram checked the Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN) and found no one named Mike, Michael, or Mikey Sheeby. According to Ingram, APSIN contains the names of people with an Alaska identification card or driver's license, and people who have had contact with the criminal justice system. Ingram also checked the "Mat-Com ... computer automated dispatch, " a database compiled by the combined dispatch center for all police in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. Ingram explained that Mat-Com indicates a "history [of police contact] at a house and who ha[s] been previously contacted at a [particular] residence." This database did have some history of individuals at the address given on the package, but none concerning a person named Sheeby. Ingram decided that these factors, taken together, justified subjecting the package to a canine sniff.
To facilitate the dogs niff, the package was placed on the floor of the FedEx facility, along with other packages. The package remained on the floor for a short time until the dog sniff was conducted. There is no suggestion that any delay in delivery would have occurred if the dog had not indicated that contraband was present.
Why we conclude that the troopers had reasonable suspicion to briefly detain the package and subject it to a dog sniff
Bochkovsky claims that Ingram lacked reasonable suspicion to subject the package to a canine sniff for narcotics. He argues that the indicators Ingram relied on to conclude that the package probably contained narcotics were innocuous and that the trooper conducted an inadequate investigation before concluding that "Mikey Sheeby" was a fictitious name.
Under our case law, police are required to have reasonable suspicion that a package contains illegal drugs before they may temporarily detain it or subject it to sniffing by a drug detection dog. This means that there must be some evidence that "serve[s] to differentiate the suspected package from the body of innocent packages."But it does not mean that every factor the police rely on must be suggestive of narcotics; reasonable suspicion may be based on a series of seemingly innocent acts which, when "taken together[, ] warranted further investigation." "Moreover, circumstances which appear innocent to the outside observer may suggest criminal activity to experienced law enforcement officers."
In arguing that there was no reasonable suspicion for the dog sniff in this case, Bochkovsky relies primarily on McGee v. State, a case in which this Court found that the police lacked reasonable suspicion to subject a FedEx package to a spectrometer test. A spectrometer test, like a ...

domain: law


Google might want to announce the Pixel 3 as soon as possible. While the launch event for new hardware isn’t expected to go down until early October, the flagship duo can’t seem to stay out of the spotlight. It’s the Pixel 3 XL, in particular, that won’t remain hidden for the official unveiling later this year. All of us may be thrilled about the early peak, but Google is sure to be far from pleased about these leaks.
In a new series of photos, the larger model is shown from every angle. The Pixel 3 XL, which will have a notch at the top of its edge-to-edge display, was spotted by Wylsacom and Rozetked. Both are international media outlets claiming multiple preproduction units were left unattended and scooped up on the sly.
The two units aren’t full of any surprises. Since Google’s Pixel 3 XL has been in an endless cycle of leaking, we don’t have much new information to comment on.
Based on the photos from the latest leaks, Google will stick with a modest design that doesn’t exactly exude innovation. It looks like a Pixel 2 XL that adopted a notch to keep up with the industry trend. While the top bezel is ultra-thin, the bottom bezel is still thick.
The Pixel 3 XL will ship with front-facing stereo speakers, and that explains why the notch is larger-than-usual and the bottom bezel remains noticeable. Google can’t deliver premium audio unless the speaker grilles are given ample space. Yet the edge-to-edge display will be roomy because of the 18:9 aspect ratio stretching up and down.
Google is expected to include its own type of facial recognition software, too. The notch acts as a hub for two front-facing cameras.
Android Pie is running on these units. That’s not a shocker, though we should remind you that you’ll be stuck with gesture-based navigation on the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. In 2019, we’ll start seeing more Android devices lean on this form of navigation.
Here’s what the retail box includes, courtesy of Rozetked:
If you purchase the Pixel 3 XL, you’ll get a decent selection of accessories. Google should be tossing in a wall charger, a USB-C cable, a micro-USB adapter, a headphone jack adapter, and USB-C earbuds. That’s a nice bonus considering the Pixel 3 XL should cost more than $800.
Most of the specifications have been kept in the dark, but there’s speculation as to what the Pixel 3 XL will feature. The flagship will likely include a Quad HD+ (2960×1440) AMOLED display, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845, 4GB of memory, and up to 128GB of storage. Because of Google’s optimizations for hardware and software, the Pixel 3 XL should run incredibly smooth.
The smaller Pixel 3, meanwhile, will offer minor downgrades from the Pixel 3 XL. Areas like the display size and resolution as well as the battery capacity are likely to be reduced.
Over on Twitter, someone posted this video of the Pixel 3 XL on a wireless charger:https://twitter.com/khoroshev/status/1032245675990441985?ref_src=twsrc%5...
As of now, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are lined up for a global debut on October 4. Google hasn’t sent out invites, but all signs indicate that date will be used for the third year in a row. Until then, we’ll be on the lookout for another batch of leaks.


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Very Low Pip Risk for Maximum R:R
Whilst I find today's events in Ukraine to be beyond words and terribly worrying, the consequent liquidity in the markets has been staggering, with countless opportunities for really nice trades. We're seeing one minute bars cover the distance that we might have been lucky to see 15 minute bars cover in the past, so finding optimum entries that offer the lowest pip (or point) risk can be trickier than usual;
We call these trades VLPR (very low pip risk) in the Skype Trading Group, or VVVVVLPR if it's extra tight. It's a bit of an art of technical analysis to find them but we had three today, the above is just one example, and there were more to be had. Without a doubt, these are the most fun to trade, not just because of the rewards but because of the patience required to wait until exactly the right minute to pull the trigger. - split-second timing is often required if you're using the Buy/Sell Market Order button of ATM, which just adds to the fun,
There aren't many indicators that can give you the precision entries like this - it really needs the "mark one human eyeball". Obviously I use eWavesHarmonics and the ABC123 indicators - and they make trading a lot easier - but you still need to read the price action and see what happened around price levels to the left of the chart. It's all in the confluence and the more there is the better your chances.
Want to know how we do it? It's all covered in the Trader Training Course, that's still free for eWH and ATM users.
ABC123 for MT5 released
The ABC123 indi (that's been available on MT4 for some years now) is an extremely helpful add-on to eWavesHarmonics (eWH), especially good at identifying price targets and potential reversal zones, for corrective and impulsive moves, on any time frame (we use it all the time, with much success on M1). The on-the-fly Elliott Wave guidelines is also a great feature, for those who like Elliott Waves but don't have the main rules stored in their memory banks..
The ABC123 indi is now available for MT5 users who already have eWH. Get in touch if you'd like to purchase a copy.
Available on Amazon Kindle
and Google Books


India’s quest for modernization and the addition of modern weapons to its conventional and strategic armory has become a specter for the South Asian region. In an already fragile landscape with close geographical contiguity to Pakistan, Indian missiles loaded with nuclear warheads can land in Pakistan within no time. This was witnessed via the BrahMos nuclear missile launch and the Indian Balakot air strike.
India started acquiring its installments of three regiments of S-400 anti-ballistic missiles from Russia. India is likely to get the remaining two regiments by the end of 2023 and is expected to deploy the bulk of these missiles against Pakistan.
The US granted a special waiver to India on sanctions of Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for importing S-400 from the former’s arch adversary. India plays all camps at one time, pitching one of its suitors against the other and making each believe that it is closest to that country. The US relations with Turkey, its NATO ally, took a bad turn once it cut an S-400 deal with Russia and Washington clamped CAATSA-related sanctions.
Since the S-400 can destroy incoming ballistic missiles, it may increase the sense of security in India and exacerbate the security dilemma of Pakistan. Deterrence works on mutual vulnerability. Ostensibly, S-400 generates a sense of invulnerability and India can be tempted to pre-empt, fearing no retaliation. However, S-400 is not a 100% secure system, and few nuclear-capable missiles can slip through its umbrella. India’s false sense of security and Pakistan’s elevated sense of insecurity can lead to assured nuclear use during a crisis. If India is a rational actor, it would not logically seek such an outcome unless it is confident that it can take out all Pakistani missiles in the first strike.
Like other weapons of its ilk, the S-400 system has some automation built into it for speedy response against incoming missiles. Such semi-autonomous systems fuse the decision-making loop, and any rational actor would opt for the first use of nuclear weapons, fearing that it may lose the chance of ever using them in a conflict.
The more autonomy built into weapon systems and the more humans looped out of decision-making, the greater the risk of fail-deadly situations in crises.
The Soviet Union was working on its early-warning system and BMDs since the early 1960s, which became the motivation for the development of computers. More importantly, human involvement is crucial in the decision-making process, especially during high-alert situations. In the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, the guardians of nuclear weapons gave priority to humanity rather than nuclear use. In another incident in 1983, Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov detected five US missiles launched from US territory on a warning system. He took it as a false alarm and trusted his human instincts. In response, he reported missile detection by the system to his superiors as a technical fault and saved the world from a great disaster.
Autonomy for the machine creates ease for humans. However, when it comes to weapons, it is way too dangerous. Likewise, in March 2003, the US computer-based missile defense system Patriot hit its friendly war aircraft, the Tornado of Royal Air Force, by recognizing Iraqi missiles towards the system. It failed to distinguish a friend from a foe. The inquiry investigated that the autonomous operation of the system was a technical error.
A report identifies India as the top arms purchaser in the global market. Indian overspending on the import of modern technological weapons, such as the S-400, will harm strategic stability.
India maintains ambiguity on its so-called NFU pledge but the developments in force posture are more revealing i.e. it is developing first-strike capabilities.
According to its claims, Indian nuclear capability is designed to massively retaliate the first strike and inflict unacceptable damage by Credible Minimum Deterrence. To justify vertical proliferation, India uses China as a bogey to array its forces primarily against Pakistan. Hence, post-acquisition of S-400, India seeks a first-strike capability against Pakistan. It remains a moot point whether India will have a true or false sense of security for the first strike against Pakistan in a crisis. One cannot rely on luck alone to avert a disastrous nuclear war. Strategic stability rests on first-strike stability. S-400 will take India in another direction.
In the Cuban missile crisis, human nature embraced caveat in its strategic behavior instead of launching nuclear missiles. In the same vein, on 9 March 2022, when India “accidentally” launched nuclear-capable BrahMos on Pakistan’s soil, only Islamabad’s strategic restraint saved a nuclear war. It represents two important factors. First, instead of retaliation like Patriot missiles did in Iraq in 2003, Pakistan’s human decision-makers handled the situation wisely. Secondly, Pakistan’s intelligence, surveillance, command, and control are credible as a nuclear weapon state. Pakistan’s responsible nuclear behavior was exemplary.
The Indian procurement of high-speed precision weapons and their deployment on the borders facing Pakistan poses serious threats to the already fragile strategic stability in South Asia. Such Indian military modernization is increasing nuclear risk. Pakistan needs to enhance its space program, which not only helps in space technology, communications, and security but also benefits multiple civilian domains like agriculture and valuable scientific data, among others. Doing so will help guarantee the survivability of the state in the realist paradigm. Additionally, Pakistan may start working on artificial intelligence and machine learning tools. In this era of the fourth industrial revolution, states have to struggle and strive for emerging technologies for survival.
The author is an Associate Research Officer at the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS), Islamabad. He is also an M. Phil. scholar from the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. He tweets @alibaig111.


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Photos by Lloyd Horgan
Providing electrical power across the U.K. is far from a simple task. Since its creation in 1928, the grid that carries electricity from the point of generation to the point of use has been growing, shifting, and morphing to keep pace with both demand and geography.
While National Grid takes electricity from power stations and transmits it at up to 400kV (400,000 volts) across the whole of the U.K., it is the Distribution Network Operators like Western Power Distribution (WPD) that must bridge the gap between that high-voltage grid and the customer.
Robin Tutcher is the accountable manager at WPD’s Helicopter Unit: a specialist team that operates the company’s helicopters at treetop height for up to five hours every day. Their job is to survey, inspect and report on the condition of almost every piece of equipment involved in getting electricity from the grid to the end user.
“The customer is at the heart of everything we do,” explained Tutcher. “And given the size of the area we cover, we effectively have over 23 million customers.”
The team’s beat covers 21,600 square miles (56,000 square kilometers) from the far southwest corner of England, across Southern Wales, and up to the east coast. But it is the sheer number of towers, poles and transformers — known to the professionals as “assets” — that provides the challenge.
Walking the line
With almost every property in the country connected to electricity, looking at a map of the distribution network highlights the scale of the task.
While the high voltage distribution lines on large steel towers connect the main regions relatively logically, the smaller poles are scattered seemingly at random, with some circuits threading their way between large built-up areas, while other spurs run out to individual cottages in the middle of nowhere.
“The customer is at the heart of everything we do, and given the size of the area we cover, we effectively have over 23 million customers.”
“It’s a spider’s web — there are around 17,000 towers and 1.3 million wooden poles,” said Tutcher. “A defect on any of them could develop into a fault which presents a risk to the public, or a potential power outage.”
Each of these towers must be inspected every year, and the poles every four years. Using the traditional method, a foot and vehicle team can expect to cover about three miles (five kilometers) every day. By contrast, one helicopter can cover that distance in as little as 15 minutes. With such quick response times, the helicopters are often used to investigate faults where the precise location and nature of the defect is not known. It is little wonder that helicopters were being pressed into service almost as soon as they became available to civilian operators.
In fact, WPD’s Helicopter Unit began its life before the company itself. In 1963, while the British electricity infrastructure was still under national control, contractor-operated Bell 47Js flew linesmen to inaccessible areas to carry out repairs. With the privatization of the electricity sector from 1990, the companies that eventually became WPD modernized the helicopter operation that they had inherited (by then a mixed fleet of Bell 206 JetRangers and Eurocopter AS355 Twin Squirrels). In 2011, the unit transitioned to an Airbus Helicopters fleet with the purchase of two EC135 P1 variants, later supplementing them with two more, and adding a P2e in 2015. The unit is kept busy, as Tutcher explained.
“It’s a spider’s web — there are around 17,000 towers and 1.3 million wooden poles. A defect on any of them could develop into a fault which presents a risk to the public, or a potential power outage.”
“We inspect around 2,500 assets every day,” he said. “In the time we have operated them, we’ve flown over 27,000 hours on the EC135.”
Unsurprisingly, most of this flying is at very low level. An 11kV pole is only 25 feet (7.5 meters) tall.
“We will usually position just a few meters away from the pole,” said Dominic Brachet, one of the five pilots at the WPD Helicopter Unit. “You need to be able to see defects like cracks on the insulator, which are very small.”
Each asset will have around 50 inspectable items, from the placement of danger signage to the physical integrity of the pole, conductor, and insulators. However, this doesn’t mean that the helicopter will necessarily enter the hover. Seated in the front left seat, the observers are trained to conduct a full inspection at breathtaking pace, only needing to pause if an item isn’t immediately visible or a problem requires further investigation.
“We will try to keep moving,” said Brachet. “But we can hover or orbit if we need to go back for another look.”
Defects are logged by the observer on a touchscreen display as they go. The infrastructure needs to be constantly maintained as water ingress, vegetation growth, wildlife and even human interference can all cause damage.
“The primary inspection is a visual inspection,” explained Brachet. “We will place the observer so that they can assess the general condition of the asset and we’ve then got various sensors to add value to that. If we need to move away from the pole because of livestock or other hazards, then we will go to the sensors.”
Those sensors are housed on the left skid and feed into a customized mission system, all integrated by Babcock. On the skid’s leading edge is a TrakkaCam SWE-400 Quad from Trakka Systems. This allows the mission system operator (MSO) seated in the rear left of the helicopter to bring high-definition video, thermal or ultraviolet (UV) cameras to bear either manually, or by selecting a specific asset on the mission system map.
“The UV [camera] gives us the potential to detect discharge,” explained Scott Robinson, one of the MSOs at the Helicopter Unit. “Most of the time, though, we’ll be using the thermal camera to pick out hot spots.”
These thermal inconsistencies are not always indicative of a fault, but contribute to the overall assessment that the crew make about an asset. While on-task there is a constant flow of communication between the pilot, the observer and the MSO. Not only to safely navigate in close proximity to the wires, but also to aid each other’s wider situational awareness. It is often instinct that leads them to uncovering defects.
Robinson described how during a recent survey of a line, the observer’s eyes were drawn to another asset on a line that crossed over the one being surveyed. While the pilot repositioned the aircraft to allow a second look, Robinson corroborated the observer’s hunch with the thermal camera. Upon closer inspection, the crew discovered that a wooden pole had nearly been burned through by electricity from an 11kV line that had become earthed through the supporting structure.
Dominic Brachet, one of the five pilots at WPD Helicopter Unit. The various sensors on WPD’s EC135s are cutting edge. A look at the gauges in the cockpit of the EC135. Refitting the TrakkaCam SWE-400 Quad. Morning briefing at the company’s facility at Bristol Airport. If crews need to move away from poles because of livestock, they are able to utilize the sensors. The Riegl VUX-1LDR lidar (light direction and ranging) sensor.
The fusion of the various sensors and systems within the aircraft is certainly powerful, but arguably the most impressive piece of equipment on the WPD EC135 fleet is the Riegl VUX-1LR lidar (light detection and ranging) sensor. Utilizing a scanning laser, this pod is mounted on the rear of the left skid and continuously measures the distance to its surroundings to produce a georeferenced “point-cloud” — in essence, a three-dimensional model of anything within a swathe of space that the aircraft has flown over. While the LiDAR does not require in-flight monitoring, it produces around 1GB of data per minute for processing once back on the ground, so its usage must be managed to reduce redundancy. Once uploaded, an algorithm differentiates power distribution equipment from the ground and vegetation, and automatically searches the swathe for hazards such as tree encroachment or conductors sagging too close to objects or the ground.
The challenges of processing that quantity of information pay off once it is fused with other data from the company, as Tutcher explained.
“It’s a huge amount of data, and we are only just scratching the surface of what we can do with it at the moment,” he said. “For example, lines sag when they get hot. We can use the LiDAR data along with ambient temperature and line load to calculate whether it will still be a safe distance from the ground when the conductor is at its hottest or under its maximum load.”
Observer Pete Galvin said the system has also increased the crew’s efficiency, reducing the time spent trying to estimate the proximity of trees to power lines.
“From the aircraft, it’s almost impossible to judge whether a tree is one meter from the conductor or three meters away,” he said. “We will still report where we see a hazard from vegetation, but the lidar provides much better accuracy.”
In contrast to the sensors, the aircraft might be considered relatively low tech.
“Our aircraft are very manual,” said Brachet. “The P1s only have a stability augmentation system, but that makes them ideal for this job as it requires a lot of manual flying.”
The lack of advanced avionics or an autopilot also means a lower basic weight of the machine, which confers additional benefits.
“Given that we can operate down to 200 feet in urban environments, having an OEI (one engine inoperative) flyaway capability is essential,” explained Brachet. “We can take three people and all the kit, and still have the power and the maneuverability to operate safely at low level. There aren’t any other light twins that can do that with such a small footprint.”
Staying safe at low level is something that occupies a great deal of thought at the WPD Helicopter Unit. Most technology integrated into modern helicopters is designed to keep them as far away from the ground as practicable, but those avionics are less helpful when the job demands flying next to the wires and towers that the computers are telling you to avoid. However, at WPD’s frequently held safety meetings, wires are not considered the top risk. Alongside the inherent risk of fatigue when spending five hours a day in such a high-workload environment is the risk of getting too used to it.
“All your training as a helicopter pilot is to stay away from the wires,” said Brachet. “And yet our job is to get as close as them as possible. Actually, our main risk is complacency, because of the amount of time that we spend at very low level among the wires. It becomes very normal, and it could become easy to underrate the threats and/or hazards. There is a really heavy focus on the three-way communication, and everyone in the cockpit depends on one another to do the job and stay safe.”
Power to the people
It’s a job that the WPD Helicopter Unit is evidently energized about doing. And it’s sometimes hard to tell whether they are more excited about the undoubtedly thrilling experience of flying around the countryside at 30 feet, or the gadgets that they get to work with.
However, Tutcher said it’s the highly experienced and professional people working the aircraft and technology that allows the unit to work as efficiently as it does.
And the team expects it will only get busier in the future. With demand for electricity increasing, the maintenance of that infrastructure will be more important than ever.
One constant will be the WPD’s yellow helicopters and their crews, flitting between the poles and lines that connect cities, towns and villages, doing their bit to keep Great Britain’s lights on.

domain: geography


Red Newt Winemaker Brings Harvest to Social Media
The fall grape harvest has been underway for a couple of weeks in the Finger Lakes. I stopped by Red Newt Cellars on Saturday to talk to winemaker Kelby Russell about how harvest is going.
“It’s a really long, slow leg phase to the start of harvest this year. We’ve had some fruit come in, but everything for the most part is hanging nicely. The fruit looks good and it was a cool, damp summer so things are lagging behind in terms of general ripenesses as opposed to what we would generally expect at the end of September.”
Some of the fruit that has come in for Russell is his first Riesling pick of the year, which he celebrated with great enthusiasm on his Instagram account. That’s an increasingly valuable tool for Russell both as a winemaker and an advocate for Finger Lakes wines.
“Social media is, I think, always a form of performance art even if you’re just using it for your personal life. But, especially in the wine industry whether it’s a sommelier or a winemaker where there’s intense fascination behind the scenes. It’s really a chance for us to show what does happen behind the scenes and not just when we’re dressed up for a wine dinner, which is real performance art in terms of how artificial it is. So, to actually show people, whether they’re in the industry or not what’s happening in the winery...even the mundane things, we like putting up videos or posts of bottling, which is a dirge to us. But, is something that most people didn’t have a chance to see or experience. To present that in a way that’s both fresh and honest resonates with people.”


Scenario planning: A tool to manage future water utility uncertainty
Posted January 2006
By Ed Means, Roger Patrick, Lorena Ospina, and Nicole West
This article, from the October 2005 edition of the AWWA Journal, takes a timely look at Scenario planning: A tool to manage future water utility uncertainty. This powerful tool can be used by strategic planners to frame the future, and is useful in guiding representatives of the public water supply community when planning for future uncertainty.
This article presents five scenarios that were discussed at a 2002 AWWA Research Foundation workshop in which participants evaluated societal, business, and utility trends and used scenario planning to craft a water utility strategy for future success. A complete scenario regarding global warming is presented in the article, along with four condensed scenarios dealing with how utilities will assimilate developing technology, the effects of changes in the population on demands exerted on utilities, the development of creative partnering and regionalization, and water utility response to catastrophic events.
If you are an AWWA member, you can access the whole story by clicking here.
To become an AWWA member so you can access the whole story, call AWWA’s Customer Service Group at 1-800-926-7337 or visit www.awwa.org.


text:
What you need to know
Many developed countries such as the US, UK and Spain all permit HIV patients to receive organ transplants to increase their survival rate. Taiwan also plans to follow in these steps in March and aims to allow HIV patients to donate their organs to other HIV patients in the future.
Translated by Shin-wei Chang
On February 3, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that starting from March, HIV patients with conditions under control can be listed as candidates for organ transplant. The Centers for Disease Control is also planning to amend the legislation in order to allow HIV patients to donate their organs under certain conditions.
According to the Department of Medical Affairs under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, originally, because of limited organ sources, HIV carriers or patients with uncontrollable infectious diseases are not allowed to receive organ transplant operations. However, as medical techniques develop, the conditions of many HIV patients have been maintained under control with tracing observation and active treatment. As a result, developed countries such as the US, UK and Spain all permit HIV patients to receive organ transplants to increase their survival rate.
After the Ministry of Health and Welfare called several meetings with associations specialized in organ transplants and HIV studies, they devised four conditions for HIV patients to become organ transplant candidates, including:
1. The patients’ CD4 index has to be maintained above 200 cells/μl for at least six months.
2. The patients have to follow their prescriptions and keep receiving HAART. Their HIV viral load should also be less than 50 copies/ml.
3. The possibility for the patients to suffer from uncontrollable or potentially fatal diseases or trauma should be eliminated.
4. After discussing with infectious disease physicians, the patients may choose to receive antiretroviral therapy after transplants.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, there are 30 thousand HIV patients, 8,500 candidates for organ transplants and an estimated number of ten eligible HIV patients.
To tally with the principle of fairness and justice, the ministry referred to the HOPE act of the US and hopes to amend the “HIV Infection Control and Patient Rights Protection Act,” lifting the ban for HIV patients to donate their organs to other HIV patients in the future.
Edited by Olivia Yang

domain: medical


text: The oxygenase domain of the inducible nitric oxide synthase, Δ65 iNOSox is a dimer that binds heme, L-Arginine (L-Arg), and tetrahydrobiopterin (H4B) and is the site for NO synthesis. The role of H4B in iNOS structure-function is complex and its exact structural role is presently unknown. The present paper provides a simple mechanistic account of interaction of the cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (H4B) with the bacterially expressed Δ65 iNOSox protein. Transverse urea gradient gel electrophoresis studies indicated the presence of different conformers in the cofactor-incubated and cofactor-free Δ65 iNOSox protein. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) studies of cofactor-incubated and cofactor-free Δ65 iNOSox protein also showed two distinct populations of two different diameter ranges. Cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (H4B) shifted one population, with higher diameter, to the lower diameter ranges indicating conformational changes. The additional role played by the cofactor is to elevate the heme retaining capacity even in presence of denaturing stress. Together, these findings confirm that the H4B is essential in modulating the iNOS heme environment and the protein environment in the dimeric iNOS oxygenase domain. © Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2005.

domain: biology


text:
The Uttarakhand government today sanctioned a medical college and a university for New Tehri, and also gave nod to develop the Tehri reservoir as a tourism hub. Decisions to this effect were taken by Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar after holding talks with agitating Congress leaders from Tehri, party MLA Kishore Upadhyay said here. New roads and a drinking water scheme for the area was also sanctioned, Upadhyay, an MLA from Tehri, said. Barring a few issues, most of the demands of the Tehri region have now been accepted by the government, the MLA said. Upadhyay early this year had resorted to a fortnight-long fast on these issues.
The government has sanctioned a new university at Padshahithaur and a degree college for Dhauldhar area of Tehri district, Upadhyay said. It will also upgrade four other colleges, he said adding the government has also decided to utilise Rs 250 crore, which was sanctioned by the Centre, for the purpose of development of the Tehri reservoir as a major tourist attraction. The people have also asked the government to provide passage from Tehri Dam for the residents of Pratapnagar and other nearby areas after the submergence of bridges and roads in the Tehri reservoir. “A deadlock still persists on the passage from Tehri dam,” Upadhyay said. He said the government has also agreed to sanction 22 kms of new roads for better connectivity in Tehri region.

domain: news


text:
Aurawave Super T.E.N.S. Dual Pain Relief by Tony LittleWhat would you do if muscle aches and pains didn’t get in the way? Hit the golf course? Enjoy an afternoon walk or a morning run? With 10 different modes to suit your personal comfort level, this portable, dual-output T.E.N.S. device uses low-frequency pulses to provide temporary pain relief, soothing relaxation and even deep-tissue stimulation. It’s time to take control of your pain management and get your life back.
What You Get
- Aurawave Dual Dial T.E.N.S. device
- Belt clip carrying case
- Adjustable garment belt
- (2) Long lead wires
- (2) Short lead wires
- USB cable
- (4) 2″ x 2″ Single-snap square accupad electrode pads
- (2) 6″ x 4″ Dual-snap large butterfly electrode pads
- (2) 2-1/4″ x 1-1/2″ Dual-snap small butterfly electrode pads
- (1) 13″ x 1-1/2″ Dual-snap oval long thigh electrode pad
- (2) 4-1/2″ x 1-1/4″ Single-snap half-moon electrode pads
- Zippered storage bag
- Quick start guide
- User’s manual
- Manufacturer’s 1-year limited warranty (excludes electrode pads)
Good to Know
- T.E.N.S. stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation.
- The Aurawave Dual Dial T.E.N.S. is an FDA-cleared, over-the-counter Class II medical device.
- Do not use near the heart or across the chest.
- Do not use on the head or neck.
- Do not use while sleeping, driving, bathing or showering.
- Electrode pads should only be applied to normal, intact, clean skin.
- Electrode pads should not be applied over open wounds or over swollen, infected or inflamed areas.
- Electrode pads should not be applied over skin eruptions, phlebitis, thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, private parts, eyes, fractures or areas of recent surgery.
- Consult a physician prior to use if you have high blood pressure, a heart condition, arthritis, cancer, cognitive dysfunction, epilepsy, a hernia, ischemia, a blood flow deficiency, a pacemaker, defibrillator or other implanted metallic or electronic device.
- Consult a physician prior to use if you have had recent surgery or injury, are under medical care or are pregnant.
- Do not use if you have undiagnosed chronic pain.
- The safety of the use electrical stimulation during pregnancy has not been established.
- The long-term effects of chronic electronic stimulation are unknown.
- Product not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease or medical condition.
- Do not use in close proximity (1 yard) to short wave or microwave therapy equipment or if connected to high-frequency surgical equipment because of the risk of device malfunction due to electronic interference.
- Results not typical. Individual results will vary.
|Color Choices:||Silver, Black and White|
|Measurements:||T.E.N.S. device approx. 5-1/2″L x 2-5/8″W x 6/8″HGarment belt approx. 51″L|
|Country of Origin:||China|

domain: health


text:
Thor is a 9 month old tan and white pit bull terrier. He is a very sweet and loving dog. He loves attention and to have his belly scratched. He has come a long way since he has entered his foster home. He was abandoned in a forest with scars left on his face and two front legs. He might have been used for fighting but his sweet nature prevailed the cruel world of dog fighting. He is still ...
Hulk is a 9 month old tan and white pit bull terrier. He is a big baby. He loves attention and to give kisses. He was abandoned in a forest with his brother Thor. He has a more timid and calm nature but is still a puppy with energy. He does not get too excited around dogs or other animals and is learning very well who is the pack leader. He is comfortable with his foster family's dachshunds. ...
Phantom is a big teddy bear.Loves people & children. He is used to being around other dogs. He weighs in at about 190 lbs. He comes from euro lines ...harlequin & black. He is AKC full reg. He is proven & throws pups w nice size.He has no health issues. He is 100% house trained. I do crate him in a large open top 5x5 cage while we are not home.
Please take care when buying and selling
animals. To avoid buying a sick pet or dealing with unscrupulous pet
dealers, be sure to meet any animal and owner in person. Do not buy unless you can ensure that the animals
are kept in sanitary and humane conditions. Learn more about responsible pet acquisition, ownership and
adoption. eBay Classifieds does not offer any transaction or payment
services. Stay safe - read our safety tips.

domain: pet


text:
For more information, please visit the Funding Resources Page.
Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG)
Internal Medicine Interest Group (IMIG)
Med+Peds Student Interest Group (Med+Peds SIG)
Peds Interest Group (PedSIG)
OBGYN Student Interest Group (OBGYN-SIG)
USC Student Run Clinic (USC SRC)
The philanthropic arm of the Academy works to improve the health of all people through humanitarian, educational and scientific activities.
The American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Its mission is to advance the values of Family Medicine by promoting humanitarian, educational and scientific initiatives that improve the health of all people. The AAFP Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization and supports more than 20 programs each year.
AAFP Virtual Family Medicine Interest Group
Virtual FMIG provides medical students with information that is relevant at each point in their medical education from admission to graduation.
American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM)
As the certifying body of family medicine, the ABFM works to ensure family physicians are skilled and trained to provide care.
Association of Departments of Family Medicine (ADFM)
The ADFM supports the philosophy, interests and activities of family medicine in medical schools.
Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors (AFMRD)
AFMRD is dedicated to promoting the excellence of family medicine graduate education in order to meet the health care needs of the American public.
California Academy of Family Physicians
Since 1948, CAFP has championed the cause of family physicians and their patients. With more than 7,000 members, including practicing family physicians, residents, and medical students, CAFP is the largest primary care medical society in California, and the largest chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Membership with CAFP and AAFP is invaluable for physicians – it not only gives you access to services and tools that will assist your personal and professional development, it also contributes to the overall strength of family medicine as a specialty. Both CAFP and AAFP can provide the resources you need from general information about a family medicine career and opportunities to work with a family physician mentor, to information about the residency match process. If you are a medical student attending school in California, becoming a member of the AAFP gives you automatic membership in CAFP, and vice versa. Membership in CAFP is free to students!
The CAFP Foundation
The mission of the California Academy of Family Physicians Foundation is to recruit diverse philanthropic resources to support the goals and projects of the California Academy of Family Physicians, in order to advance the delivery of accessible, compassionate and comprehensive health care to the people of California.
North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG)
This multidisciplinary organization for primary care researchers in North America aims to advance the purpose of primary care.
Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM)
Founded to respond to the needs of family medicine educators, STFM enhances communication and facilitates the activities of its members.
World Organizations of Family Doctors (WONCA)
This organization, made up of colleges, academies and organizations from around the world, serves as an advocate for family medicine and its members at the international level.
AAFP National Conference of Family Medicine Residents & Medical Students
Planned by residents and students for residents and students, the National Conference is held annually. Highlights include educational workshops, procedural skills workshops, the National Congress of Student Members, and an exhibit hall featuring over 450 exhibits, including family medicine residency programs from all over the U.S.
California Conference for Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students
Every fall CSAFM officers plan a conference especially designed for California family medicine students. Usually accompanied with a residency fair, this is a unique opportunity to learn while networking with most California residency programs.
PCCMP Shadowing & ICM Focus Experiences
Family Medicine Clerkship Preceptors
USC KSOM Educational Resources
Academy in Action
This twice monthly e-newsletter keeps CAFP members up to date on news that affects California family physicians.
California Family Physician
Our quarterly magazine spotlights hot topics pertinent to family medicine.
Our toolkit are designed as practical, easy-to-implement resources for family physicians from all practice types and those just starting out in practice.
Monographs on Health Issues
Monographs on health issues are written by our Medical Practice Affairs department.
Practice Management News
This monthly e-newsletter focuses on quality improvement, practice redesign, and coding and billing best practices.
© 2021 | University of Southern California
KECK SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA


text:
- 2D Echo with color doppler
- CBP (Complete Blood Picture)
- Serum Creatinine
- CUE (Complete Urine Examination)
- FBS (Fasting Blood Sugar)
- Lipid Profile
- PLBS (Post Lunch Blood Sugar)
- TMT (Treadmill Test)
- X-ray Chest PA View – without film
- Cardiologist consultation
- Dietitian consultation
- Maintain a minimum 12-hour fasting period before undergoing any checkup.
- Avoid having tea/coffee before the tests. You may sip some water.
- Do not apply cream, oil, powder, etc. on your chest on the day of the checkup.
- Inform the team of your medical history, pregnancy / suspected pregnancy ( if any), prior to the health checkup.
- Please carry all your past medical records, if any.
- * Terms and conditions apply.
- * Note: X-ray films will not be provided under this package.


The effect of liquid viscosity on gas wall and interfacial shear stress in horizontal two-phase pipe flow
- ISSN: 00092509
- DOI: 10.1016/S0009-2509(98)00423-0
An experimental investigation of gasliquid flow in horizontal pipes is conducted. Consideration of a stationary liquid phase allows the direct calculation of gas wall and interfacial shear stress from measurements of gas velocity, pressure drop, and liquid height without the need for any empirical input. The experiments are conducted to determine the effects of liquid viscosity. The results show that commonly used correlations for interfacial friction factor, which are generally developed in rectangular ducts, are inadequate, especially under conditions of increased liquid viscosity. It is shown that more success can be achieved if the effect of liquid viscosity is considered in the transition to wavy flow. New correlations for shear generated by smooth, rippled and wavy interfaces are proposed.


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How can I create a character, using Maya, to develop an organic 3D model using texture?
The inspirations for my project. Growing up, I was a horse fanatic and my love for the movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron spurred me to draw fan art galore. Spirit was the movie that really made me start taking art a bit more seriously at a young age, and thus also got me interested in even being an artist at all. I also played a series of PC horse games called StarShine Legacy when I was younger, and they inspired me to think about doing 3D stuff like that. I still love these games and am still inspired by them every day.
I am still greatly influenced by these two, thanks to Spirit's son having his own show on Netflix called Spirit Riding Free, as well as a sequel to the StarShine Legacy games via a popular MMORPG called Star Stable Online. Having grown as an artist after all these years and having a deeper understanding of how 3D modeling works now, I look to these as not only inspirations, but also as a reference point for the project that I will be working on. I want to be able to combine the expressions and personality from Spirit with the quality I am constantly blown away by in Star Stable.
Star Stable Online
Spirit Riding Free
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
And a video separate from the slideshow because it wouldn't allow me to put a video in there. But this displays the newer graphics in Star Stable Online, and the level of quality I hope to eventually achieve, though I know I have limitations simply based on my current lack of experience. This game is honestly my main source of inspiration, simply due to the stunning level of detail in just the horses alone.
The reasons why I choose to do an equine character model are because for one, I am already pretty good at drawing equines and essentially have memorized how they move, which will be useful for next semester, when I hope to rig and animate it to create a small demo reel. I can currently only model basic geometric inanimate objects, and through this character, I want to be able to learn how to not only do more organic modeling, but also later learn how to rig and animate with it. And secondly, horses are everywhere in media. If you haven't noticed it, take a closer look. In games alone, horses are probably some of the animals your player will interact with the most. With their prevalence, I feel like it would be beneficial for me to work on one now because there is a decent chance I may have to work on one later.
His name: Black Star. While his design may appear to be pretty but rather plain, he was the chosen character for a few reasons. If you want to settle for the simple reason, it's because his design is plain and symmetrical, therefore easy to bring onto a 3D surface. If you want the more complex reason, it's because Black Star was my very first original character that I created when I was 9 years old. He was created as a fan character to the computer games I loved to play nonstop as a child. In fact, his design was mainly inspired by the blue and white horse in the slideshow above! He is very dear to me, and with his history, it's only fitting that he should be the first 3D character I model.
Maya is not a program that's very friendly to beginners, or even to professionals, despite it being such a powerful and wonderful program. In order to make life a bit easier on myself since I am still learning, I thought that it would be good to go with a rather simplistic style for my first character model.
The 3D Part
Oh boy. In all honesty, this is what intimidates me the most. For me, drawing isn't an issue. I've made art as long as I was able to hold a crayon, and having been doing digital art for about a decade now. Drawing comes naturally to me, and is something I am confident with. However 3D? It's far different from what I'm used to and requires a different way of thinking than what your traditional 2D art requires. 3D is difficult, no matter the medium. Be it a sculpture, clothing, a stuffed animal, or digital. But despite my hesitance, I want to do this since being able to do a 3D character model is something I've wanted to do for a long time, and I know that even if the end result isn't quite up to my perfectionist standards, I will be proud because it's the first stepping stone to getting better at this 3D modeling and animation stuff. And taking that first step will be a wonderful feeling.
The first step in the 3D process has begun, and most of what I am doing here in the beginning is trying to remember what does what. It's been a few months since I last used Maya, so I am a little rusty but it's starting to come back quickly as I attempt to make the model conform with the reference images.
Refined the body here and added the neck and head. I was really intimidated by the head because the way it extruded out was weird and it took some time to put all the vertices where they needed to be and then the geometry overall looked pretty gross. Unfortunately I found an issue that I didn't know how to fix, and so this work had to be scrapped and I had to go back to an older iteration I saved.
So after I had to scrap the iteration with the head, I went back and made it so that even if the issue occurred again, it wouldn't affect my process. I split the model in two and then mirrored the sides (thanks YouTube, for showing me how!) and then went back to work redoing the head and adding in the legs.
And after I fixed the the issue I had before, I found out that I had another one while I began to work on the front view. And this time, I couldn't go back to an older iteration without almost starting over completely. I ended up having to fix it in a very awkward way. As for shaping the model... Let's just say that I remembered a bit too late that soft selection exists.
Hair and eyes finally added, with a snazzy texture! I decided not to smooth the hair because I simply didn't like the look when I tried it. The texture was definitely the easiest part of the model, and I honestly hated how the model look until it got some color. I guess gray isn't the most flattering color there is. I also messed around with the texture specularity to try and get somewhat close to how actually shiny they'd be in real life.
And here we see the finished project. Overall, I am honestly not entirely happy with how it turned out, the model is still too blocky for my liking but after fiddling with it for hours and hour, I realized that I just had to let it be, and that I'll do better next time around. I do really like the addition of the textures and I think they are what overall saved this model from me hating it completely. I did face issues trying to figure out how to export it so I could upload it to Sketchfab, and after the lengthy process it took for me to finally figure that out and mostly get it right... As you can see below, the export stripped my model of the specularity it had and also messed with Black Star's forelock. Perhaps one day I'll figure out how to fix these so the export won't mess with them again.
My overall goal for this project was a simple one: to learn. And I certainly did! I learned how to mirror objects as well as combine them, and I most certainly learned that this was a lot harder than I expected it to be. I also learned that there are still things I need to learn, or at least get better at. In the future I'll practice making more character models and hope that they'll just get better and better.

domain: design


text:
Cookie Recipes You Need to Try this Holiday Season
As the temperature continues to drop, it is the perfect time of year to put your oven to good use! In honor of the holiday season, here are 8 must-try, tested and TRUE-ly delicious, recipes. These cookies are perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth, or a great way to change up your holiday cookie spread!
Christmas Butter Cookies
These buttery, delicious cookies are perfect for holiday cutouts! Sprinkle sugar on the dough before baking or decorate with your favorite frosting.
- 1 cup – 2 sticks of butter
- un-buttered cookie sheet
- 1 ½ cups sifted confection sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 ½ cups sifted flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Cream butter then add sugar gradually. Cream until fluffy, add egg and vanilla, and beat well. Sift together all dry ingredients into another bowl (flour, baking soda, and salt). Blend into wet mixture. Divide dough into ½ and refidgerate. After dough has chilled, roll dough our to ¼ of an inch thick and use cookie cutters to create cookies. Bake at 400 degrees until very lightly golden brown.
Hot Chocolate Cookies – Averie Cooks
What is more seasonal than holiday cookies and hot chocolate? Hot chocolate cookies!
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- one 12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- about 8 ounces dark chocolate, diced into 1/2-inch pieces (I used a Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Dark Chocolate Bar)
- about 12 large marshmallows, cut in half
- To a medium, microwave-safe bowl, add the butter, chocolate chips, and heat on high power to melt for 1 minute. Stop to check and stir. Heat in 15-second bursts, stopping to stir after each burst, until chocolate has melted and can be stirred smooth (You’ll likely only need 1 or 2 bursts). Alternatively, melt the chocolate chips and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until just melted. Allow melted chocolate mixture to stand for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
- To a separate large bowl, add the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat with a handheld electric mixer on medium speed just until blended, about 1 minute.
- Add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat on medium speed until just until combined, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low speed just until combined, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover bowl with plasticwrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until dough has firmed up significantly. If you accidentally over-chill it and it becomes too firm, allow bowl to rest on counter until you can scoop it.
- Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop form dough mounds and place them on the baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet). Flatten slightly and bake for 10 minutes, or until edges and tops have just set, even if slightly undercooked and glossy in the center.
- Remove baking sheet from oven, add 1 piece of dark chocolate to the center of each cookie, pushing down very slightly just so it breaks the surface and sinks down.
- Place one marshmallow half on the top of each piece of chocolate on all the cookies, pushing down very slightly so the marshmallow adheres.
- Return baking sheet to oven and bake for about 5 minutes, or just until marshmallows have puffed; don’t let them brown and don’t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.
Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Chewy Ginger Cookies – Taste of Home
Soft, chewy, and the seasonal spices make this the perfect holiday cookie.
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Additional sugar
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls, then roll in sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie n’ Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar – Kevin and Amanda
Can’t decide what to make for dessert? These are the perfect problem-solving treats to satisfy any taste!
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (12 ounces) milk chocolate chips
- 1 pkg Double Stuffed Oreos
- 1 Family Size (9×13) Brownie mix + eggs and oil as called for on the back of the box
- ¼ cup hot fudge topping
Cream the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well to thoroughly combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt, then slowly incorporate into the mixer until the flour is just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.Spread the cookie dough in the bottom of prepared pan. Top with a layer of Oreos. Mix together brownie mix according to directions, adding an optional ¼ cup of hot fudge topping to the mix. Pour the brownie batter over the cookie dough and Oreos. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting. Brownies may still be gooey in the middle when still warm, but will set up perfectly once cooled.
Homemade Peppermint Patties (Healthy Version) – The Prairie Homestead
TRUE Model Claire’s favorite “nice” cookie recipe is Homemade Peppermint Patties from The Prairie Homestead. Claire notes, “This healthy recipe uses coconut oil, so you must keep them cold. Which highlights another great thing about the holidays, your fire escape can double as a refrigerator! :)”
Ingredients (makes 12 patties)
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (where to buy)
- 3-4 tablespoons honey (where to buy)
- 1/2 t. vanilla (how to make vanilla extract)
- 6-10 drops peppermint essential oil OR 1 teaspoon peppermint extract (*see note below)
- 2/3-3/4 cups chocolate chips, melted (where to buy)
- With a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the coconut oil, honey, and vanilla until very smooth.
- Drip in the peppermint essential oil or extract. Taste as you go to make sure you are satisfied with the level of mintiness.
- Place this mixture in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to allow it to slightly harden (It will be far too sticky to handle at this point.)
- Once the mixture is firm enough to handle, divide the coconut oil mixture into 12 portions, and roll them into small balls.
- Place the balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently flatten them to form a disc. (I found using a flat-bottomed glass periodically dipped in warm water worked the best)
- Place the cookie sheet back in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to allow them to firm up once more.
- While the discs are chilling, melt the chocolate chips.
- Remove the discs from the freezer and dip them into the melted chocolate. Place them back onto the parchment paper and allow to set.
- Store your homemade peppermint patties in the fridge to prevent them from getting sticky and melting.
California Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies – California Avocados
Avocado is a great substitute for butter when baking cookies. Another excellent version of the recipe is to use rolled oats and cinnamon to make a delicious batch of oatmeal raisin or chocolate chip cookies!
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (you can also use 2 1/2 cups of white whole wheat flour instead).
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup finely mashed avocado from 1 large, ripe California Avocado
- 4 oz. butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 pkg 12-ounce semi-sweet chocolate ships
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 egg yolks, from 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-size bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the mashed avocado and butter until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the brown and white sugar and mix on medium speed until fluffy and well combined.
- Add egg yolks, one a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla
- With mixer on low speed. slowly add flour mixture. Beat just until all flour is incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop up dough into rounded mounds on prepared sheet pans, spacing mounds two inches apart. Flatten slightly with your fingertips.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Grain Free Sugar Cookies – Chocolate Covered Katie
This recipe makes for the perfect grain-free holiday cutout cookies! There is even a paleo option.
- 1 cup finely-ground almond meal (also known as almond flour. For substitutions, see nutrition link at the end of this recipe.) (75g)
- a little over 1/8 tsp salt (1/8 plus 1/16 tsp)
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup, or stevia to taste (For substitutions, see nutrition link below.) (30g)
- 1 1/2 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil (15g)
- For maple syrup version: up to 2 level teaspoons milk of choice or extra oil, as needed (5-10g). For stevia version: 1 tbsp milk of choice, added with the liquid ingredients. (15g)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- optional: pure almond extract
Grain Free Sugar Cookies Recipe: Combine all liquid ingredients (except milk of choice if using maple syrup version). In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and stir very well. Now mix wet into dry and keep stirring, breaking up clumps as you mix—it may seem dry at first, and you can add the extra 2 tsp milk or oil (I did add this when I made the maple syrup version), but do not add any more liquid than the recipe calls for. It will eventually form something that can either be squished into a ball with your hands or put into a plastic bag and smushed from inside the bag (the less-messy option). Roll out dough to cut-out-cookie width, either between sheets of parchment paper or from inside the bag, then cut into shapes. Freeze dough at least 20 minutes before cooking 10-13 minutes (depending on desired crispiness) at 325 F on a greased cookie sheet. Let cool another 10 minutes before even attempting to remove cookies from the sheet. They should firm up nicely. For troubleshooting, see nutrition link below. I store these in a glass container, not fully covered, as I like them crispier.
Peppermint Meringues – Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker’s meringues, adapted from Martha Stewart’s recipe, exude holiday cheer with their festive red stripes. These airy treats are Nice in moderation, but they can quickly become Naughty, as they are hard to resist!
- 3 large egg whites
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- Red gel-paste food coloring
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; secure corners with masking tape. Fit a pastry bag with a small open-star tip (such as Ateco #22). Set aside.
- Make meringues: Put egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water, and stir gently until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Mix in peppermint extract.
- Using a new small paintbrush, paint 2 or 3 stripes of red food coloring inside the pastry bag. Fill bag with 1 to 2 cups meringue. Pipe small (3/4-inch-high) star shapes onto prepared baking sheets. Refill bag as necessary, adding food coloring each time.
- Bake cookies until crisp but not brown, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.


IBM Director is a comprehensive systems manager designed for use across the full IBM Systems product family. An integrated, easy-to-use suite of tools, IBM Director provides clients with flexible systems-management abilities to help maximize system availability and lower IT costs. With IBM Director, IT administrators can view and track the hardware configuration of remote systems and monitor the component performance of processors, disks, and memory.
The IBM z/VM Center extension for IBM Director allows you to manage and clone Linux guests running on z/VM. This IBM Redpaper provides complete instructions for the z/VM System Programmer on how to enable a z/VM Version 5.2 system to be managed using IBM Director and the z/VM Center extension and how to use z/VM Center to deploy and manage Linux guests.
Table of contents
Chapter 1. Overview
Chapter 2. Planning and preparation
Chapter 3. Installation
Chapter 4. Using IBM z/VM Center
Chapter 5. Scenario: provisioning test systems with z/VM complexes