text:
Kathryn was a human empath whose world and life were destroyed when, as a young child, she watched helplessly as the alien S'sinn slaughtered her parents before her very eyes. Only the Translators, an elite guild of empaths, were able to free her from the trauma and give her a new life.
Jarrikk was a young S'sinn, an unproven warrior who saw his flight mates slaughtered by the humans who sought to colonize his world. Crippled so that he could never fly again, he would have chosen death, but he wasn't allowed a choice. Instead, he too was trained to be a Translator.
As humans and S'sinn find themselves poised on the brink of a war that could not only destroy their own species, but also disrupt the delicate balance of the multiracial Commonwealth, these two Translators—who have every reason to hate one another—must work together to find a common ground and avert catastrophe. But whether their Translators' oath and training can overcome the enemies leagued against them remains to be seen.
"Thisin-depth look at an alien culturemakes for fascinating reading."– Midwest Book Review
Jarrikk watched the humans crossing the polished black basalt floor of the Great Hall of the Flock as closely as if they were prey, hearing their strange footsteps echoing back from the distant walls. Spidery red columns, studded with perches and platforms, soared to the haze-hidden roof, S'sinn clinging to them in dozens and hundreds. Jarrikk could feel his people's hatred of the humans beating down like desert sun, hot enough to turn the bitterness in his own hearts into bloodfury were he to allow it.
His crippled left wing ached, ached as it had not since the day of his injury, the pain throbbing in the withered flight muscles in his shoulder and chest and into his left arm. Humans! The plague of his childhood, the cancer that had eaten away the best parts of his life, the poison that now threatened the Commonwealth itself. He had first seen the ugly, flightless, four-limbed creatures twenty years past. War had followed. He would gladly have gone another twenty without seeing them again, but the Translators' Guild had called him to this duty.
These negotiations had almost not happened at all. Without Full Translation, they would be impossible. S'sinn Translators were few and far-flung among the Seven Races; at this time and this place, he was the only one available, though he had never Translated with humans before.
He wished that could have remained true, but his Oath bound him. He would do his duty.
If war came this time, it would not be his doing.
The giant hall whispered with the rustlings of the S'sinn, here stretching batlike wings, there yawning to display gleaming white fangs or grooming themselves with their ventral arms, but mostly just staring, staring with the blood-red eyes of a thousand nightmares.
The damp chill and near-choking scent of musk pervading the Hall of the Flock might have come from those same dark dreams, Kathryn Bircher thought, shivering in her sleeveless Translator's uniform. As might the sense of foreboding that gripped her. For a moment, she envied Ambassador Matthews and his aides, cut off from the seething sea of alien emotion she'd begun to feel the moment she stepped out of the shuttle. She knew the other five races of the Commonwealth considered humans and S'sinn primitive, almost barbaric, barely free of their animal pasts. Maybe that was why she could read the aliens so clearly, with very little effort, as clearly as she could read Matthews himself, his cold, passionless soul a spire of ice among the smoldering red fires of the aliens' hatred.
Or maybe it was because the last time she had been exposed to the raw emotions of the S'sinn, her world had shattered.
She stared ahead at the waiting S'sinn leaders on the small, circular dais, still impossibly far away. The fires of rage in this room could shatter a great deal more than just her world; they could shatter a thousand.
She wondered if anyone could stop them.
Jarrikk focused on the human Translator, sharpening his gaze to hunting mode. He could see every strand of her blond hair, every tiny imperfection in her pale skin, could even count the stitches that held the triangle-within-a-circle-within-a-square symbol of the Translators' Guild in place above the curve of her left breast. He raked his eyes over her figure from a distance of fifty spans, memorizing every claw's breadth of her within the space of five of her steps. Within that time he knew how she walked, how she breathed, which hand she favored, and where her uniform chafed her. Within minutes, he would know her interior landscape just as perfectly.
He didn't even notice his claws gouging splinters from the golden wood of the dais.
Feeling that she carried not only her small metal Translator's case but also the weight of a thousand S'sinn, and the lead ball and chain of her own nightmares, Kathryn stumbled as she mounted the platform. Ambassador Matthews steadied her with a strong hand. It was all she could do to keep from flinching; she could shut out much of the hatred beating down on her from the S'sinn, but touch strengthened empathy a hundredfold, and for that moment of contact, his little candle of hatred burned brighter than all the red eyes of the S'sinn—and he held the fate of negotiations in his hands as much as she did.
She pulled free, took a deep breath, straightened, and looked around. The dais bore a black, glass-topped table and metal chairs for the humans and, for the S'sinn, the padded resting racks called shikks, which to Kathryn looked more like torture devices than comfortable body supports, even for creatures with two wings in addition to the normal complement of arms and legs, and bizarre musculature to match. Matthews and his aides sat at the table; a female S'sinn, already reclining on one of the shikks, watched them in silence. Three others stood just behind her.
Each S'sinn wore only a broad metal collar, marked with a sign. The female on the shikk, on whose red-gold collar a sapphire-studded lightning bolt slashed across a spiral of rubies, would be Akkanndikk, the Supreme Flight Leader. The other two, male and female, would be her Left Wing and Right Wing, her aides and bodyguards. On their copper collars, dull red stones picked out the spiral, minus the lightning bolt. As Matthews sat down, they spread their arms and their wings, revealing the insignia repeated in metallic red on the black, leathery membrane.
The fourth S'sinn also unfolded his arms and wings in greeting, but though his arms moved normally, only his right wing extended fully; the left opened only halfway, and Kathryn glimpsed lurid purple scars zigzagging across it. On his silver collar and on his one goodwing gleamed a triangle inside a circle inside a square.
Kathryn felt him trying to read her empathically, and blocked frantically, instinctively, though the effort made her head throb. By Guild etiquette that was unforgivably rude, but she couldn't help it. Facing the S'sinn Translator, all she could think of was the first time she'd seen a S'sinn this close, and the memory threatened to send her screaming from the room.
Yet now she had to get even closer. Now, she had to Link.
As the human blocked his polite probe, Jarrikk growled deep in his throat. How dare she! What it had cost him to make the effort, she could never know . . .
Except she would know, in a moment. His anger dimmed slightly, damped by curiosity. Why block the initial contact when the deeper contact was heartbeats away? Did she fear it as much as he? Was fear the sharp smell that mingled with the humans' strange salty stench?
Fear or not, the Link could not be avoided. They were sworn to Translate, and that meant they must Link.
It seemed the human recognized that fact as well as he; she stepped to the center of the dais, set her case on the floor, opened it, and took out the injector, a small glass cylinder with an absurdly tiny needle. Is human skin really so thin? Jarrikk wondered. He stepped forward with his own case, removed the much larger metal injector, and without giving himself time to think, drove it into his left arm.
As the warm tingling of the Programming spread through his blood, he looked at the human. She still held her tiny syringe in trembling hands, staring at it as though it might explode, and the sharp scent was strong in the thin film of moisture that had suddenly covered her skin; but then her strange blue eyes came up to meet his gaze, and with a jerky, ungraceful motion, she stabbed the little needle into her arm. The syringe still shook in her hand as she returned it to her case.
Jarrikk reached into his own case, took out the warm silvery cord of the Link, and touched it to the contact patch behind his right ear. He proffered the other end to the human, but she didn't take it, staring instead at his polished black claws. Behind her the dominant male, the Ambassador, stirred and muttered something, but the human Translator didn't respond. Jarrikk wondered if even now she would refuse the Link, and felt shame at his half-born hope that she would; or, more accurately, shame at his lack of shame at the thought.
Confusion, he thought. Humans bring nothing but confusion. Confusion and pain.
But he had sworn an Oath, and so he kept the Link extended: and, at last, the human took it, careful not to touch his clawed hand, careful to the last, though it seemed she, too, would uphold her Oath, and all her care would mean nothing momentarily.
For the last time, the human hesitated, staring at her end of the Link. Then the Ambassador cleared his throat and said something, his voice deep and painfully harsh to Jarrikk's ears.
The human Translator snapped something even harsher and louder in return, and firmly touched the cord to the patch under her own ear.
As human and S'sinn memories, terrors, and anger melded and fused, a great many things became clear.

domain: artistic


text:
A. The Council may refuse to grant a certification, may revoke or suspend a prior approval or certification, including any approval or authorization issued prior to July 1, 1980, and may add conditions to any approval or certification on such grounds as may be provided in its regulations or if the postsecondary school:
B. The Council may refuse to grant an approval or may place conditions on an approval for a request to use a name that incorporates terms deemed by the Council to be misleading to consumers, students, or the general public regarding the postsecondary school’s affiliation or association with any public institution of higher education but shall not add conditions to, revoke, or suspend a prior approval of a name. The Council shall, by regulation, designate the terms deemed to be misleading, which shall include “public university,” “public college,” and “community college.”
C. The Council shall notify a postsecondary school by certified mail, return receipt requested, of its intention to deny an application, suspend or revoke a prior approval or certification, or add conditions to an approval or certification and state in writing the reasons for the denial, suspension, revocation, or conditions. The postsecondary school may, within 10 days of receipt of the certified mail notice, submit a written request for a proceeding before the Council pursuant to Article 3 (§ 2.2-4018 et seq.) of Chapter 40 of Title 2.2.
D. The Council may issue orders to comply with its regulations or the provisions of this article; unless an emergency exists, such orders shall only be issued after a proceeding pursuant to Article 3 (§ 2.2-4018 et seq.) of Chapter 40 of Title 2.2.
E. In accordance with Article 3 (§ 2.2-4018 et seq.) of Chapter 40 of Title 2.2, any postsecondary school aggrieved by (i) a decision of the Council to deny an application, suspend or revoke a prior approval or certification, or add conditions to an approval or certification or (ii) any order to comply with this article or the Council’s regulations may appeal such decision. The Council shall make a final administrative decision on such appeal in accordance with the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.).
F. In order to regain approval, a postsecondary school that has had its approval or certification revoked or suspended by the Council shall file a new application for certification and provide clear and convincing evidence that the conditions resulting in the suspension or revocation have been remedied and the postsecondary school is in compliance with this article and the Council’s regulations.
Code 1950, § 23-271; 1980, c. 658; 1996, cc. 691, 832; 2002, c. 178, § 23-276.6; 2003, c. 461; 2004, c. 991; 2005, c. 447; 2016, c. 588.

domain: law


Heroic Moments: Wanderers veteran overshadows Popovic’s return to Western Sydney
When Tony Popovic was appointed as the inaugural coach of Western Sydney Wanderers back in 2012, one of the first players he signed was Tarek Elrich.
And it was his former protégé and Hyundai A-League veteran that came back to haunt him on Sunday.
Elrich struck in the last minute of injury time to rescue a 1-1 draw against Perth Glory in the dying seconds of Round 20, denying Popovic a win on his Western Sydney comeback.
Popovic – who was in charge of the Wanderers for five seasons and guided the club to the AFC Champions League title in 2014 – was the main talking point heading into the eagerly anticipated clash.
However, Elrich stole all the headlines as his last-gasp strike halted the Glory juggernaut and ensured the Wanderers concluded their temporary residence at Spotless Stadium on a positive note.
“I’m just glad to get the result. It feels like a win,” Elrich admitted to Fox Sports post-match.
“The majority of the games this season we were in Perth’s position but slipped up [late].
“But to come back against a quality team and get a point, it’s better than nothing and it shows we have slightly turned things around.”
Elrich’s moment of euphoria was a fitting reward for his stoicism in 2018/19.
The 32-year-old is the only Wanderers player to have started every single Hyundai A-League match this campaign – all this after playing just 121 minutes for Adelaide United in 2017/18 after recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament rupture.
He has been frequently shifted across the rearguard by Markus Babbel, who told the defender he simply could not afford to rest him as injuries and fatigue set in over the busy summer schedule.
In doing so, Elrich has helped marshal a defence which has bordered on makeshift almost every weekend, one that has at times contained up to three teenagers.
With Babbel blooding a stack of youngsters from the club’s impressive youth team, the Parramatta Eagles junior’s experience and maturity has been worth its weight in gold.
And it hasn’t just been his defensive work that has caught the eye, with Elrich’s late strike the second time this month he has found the net.
It’s pretty impressive stuff considering his last goal before this hot-streak came almost two years ago.
But ever the team man, Elrich preferred to focus on what the goal and result means for the improving Wanderers.
“It’s great to get that feeling of getting an equaliser. It’s happened to us against Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne City, you can count a number of games that it’s happened to us,” he said.
“We’ll keep fighting…we’ve really been focusing on it the last month and it’s been showing.”
REPORT: Elrich's injury-time stunner as Wanderers hold Glory
WATCH FOR FREE: How to watch the Hyundai A-League LIVE and FREE
King Bridge returns
Between Popovic’s comeback and Elrich’s heroics, Sunday’s stalemate at Spotless really was a throwback to the Wanderers’ first steps in the competition.
And on an evening charged with high emotion, the return of club legend Mark Bridge only deepened the nostalgia.
Bridge, 33, has not seen a minute of action this season due to a calf injury but made his first appearance for the Red and Black since March 24, 2018 after replacing Oriol Riera in the 77th minute to a standing ovation.
After announcing his retirement late last week, the Wanderers will hope the reappearance of a club legend can continue the club’s positive momentum.
Brisbane's imports turn on the style
It's hard to know whether Brisbane Roar fans will be enthralled or frustrated with their 5-3 victory over Central Coast Mariners on Friday evening.
In it, the Queenslanders mustered two goal of the season contenders in the space of five minutes to all but consign the Mariners to the wooden spoon.
Eric Bautheac opened proceedings with a bicycle kick before Alex Lopez thundered in a volley to tee up a resounding victory for Darren Davies' side.
It was a glimpse of what could have been for Roar fans, who have watched the high-profile pair struggle to display their class consistently amid a poor Brisbane season.
However, should the Frenchman and Spaniard continue to finish the season in this vein, they would both offer strong candidacy to lead the club's re-build in 2019/20.
Three in a row for returning hero
He may not have swung the Melbourne Derby in his team's favour, but Jamie Maclaren is already making a difference for Melbourne City.
The Caltex Socceroos' striker scored his third consecutive goal for Warren Joyce's side in Saturday night's 1-1 draw with Melbourne Victory, becoming the first player in City's history to achieve that feat.
Maclaren was felled by Georg Niedermeier early in the second half, a challenge which resulted in a red card for the German, and promptly dispatched the resulting penalty kick.
Although City's attack still requires some tinkering in order to stake a real shot at silverware, Maclaren's presence in the front line offers the likelihood of goals despite the inefficiencies that may exist.
A colossal effort from Topor-Stanley
Newcastle's hectic schedule has pushed the Jets to the brink of their physical capacity.
But it is a run in which Nikolai Topor-Stanley has defied such limits.
The 33-year-old completed his fourth 90-minute performance in 12 days in Sunday's 0-0 stalemate with Adelaide United.
Unsurprisingly, it was a challenge the veteran defender relished, and Topor-Stanley was a key figure in helping the Jets keep Adelaide at bay in a result which keeps them in the finals hunt.
Let's just hope he's not too sore for Newcastle's trip to Melbourne Victory next Saturday.


text:
You may have felt relieved when you were able to help your elderly parent transition to a Texas nursing home. You no doubt worried about the change as well. Knowing that you can’t be with your loved one 24/7, you have to have a certain amount of trust for his or her caretakers. However, nursing home negligence and, specifically, elder abuse is problematic throughout the state.
Researchers have concluded that elder abuse is a serious patient issue that is not getting enough attention in this country and worldwide. Do you think you would be able to recognize symptoms of elder abuse in your family member? It’s a good idea to learn about such issues so that you can step in and help your loved one if you suspect a problem.
These are the most common types of elder abuse
There is no excuse for abusing an elderly patient under a nursing home staff’s care. The following list shows the most common types of abuse that have afflicted many nursing home patients in this state and others:
- Verbal abuse
- Physical abuse
- Psychological abuse
- Financial abuse
The licensed staff members in a nursing home are tasked with providing your loved one quality care in accordance with all federal and state laws and accepted safety standards that govern nursing home care.
Studies suggest care managers need to monitor this issue more closely
Current research suggests that part of the reason elder abuse occurs at such high rates in the United States and across the world is that care managers lack awareness of the prevalence of the problem. It is helpful if you speak with your loved one’s care manager periodically to inquire about how many reported incidents of abuse there have been at your loved one’s residence.
The officials in the nursing home where your family member resides are morally and legally obligated to ensure his or her safety. Suppose you ask about statistics or a specific issue involving your loved one and are not satisfied with the explanation or answers you receive. In that case, it is always best to trust your instincts and further investigate the matter.
Does your elderly loved one have a mental health condition?
It is imperative to closely monitor your family member’s condition if he or she has special needs because of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or some other neurological or mental health condition. It can be difficult to spot signs of elder abuse when such conditions are present.
For instance, a change in mood, lack of appetite or apparent paranoia or fear are common symptoms of elder abuse; however, they are also common symptoms of numerous mental health or cognitive disorders. If you suspect a problem, you can enlist support from knowledgeable advocates.

domain: medical


A rezoning request that involved a simple granny flat and prompted a protest that required some tricky math is rooted in a long and complex history and connects Denver to communities across the country.
The protest — a supermajority petition protest — also raises some philosophical questions.
“The more land you own, the more your vote means,” Mary Beth Susman said of the petition process on July 8, during her last public session representing District 5 on City Council.
Then she cast her own vote along with all 12 of her colleagues, surmounting a supermajority protest from eight petitioners to approve rezoning to allow that granny flat, also known as an accessory dwelling unit.
Say you’re a homeowner like Steve Elkins, who wanted to build an accessory dwelling unit behind his East Colfax home. Or a developer who wants to build something much bigger that perhaps includes dozens of units that will be offered at below-market rates to low- or moderate-income families.
When the neighbors hear, some worry that their streets will be choked with cars, parked or otherwise. That their views will be ruined. That they’ll be pushed out by newcomers pushing up property values, or see their retirement plans destroyed if the values go the other direction. That the place they call home will be transformed in profound ways they can’t even imagine.
Such concerns might motivate a neighbor to peruse the voluminous Denver Zoning Code, which includes this passage about “official map amendments,” the term planners use for rezonings:
“If a protest to an official map amendment signed by the owners of 20 percent or more either of (1) the area of the lots included in such proposed change; or (2) the total land area from the perimeter of the area proposed for change to a distance of 200 feet outside of the perimeter of the area proposed for change, is filed with the City Council … then the amendment shall not become effective except by the favorable vote of 10 members of the City Council.”
That would make a rezoning, which can normally be approved by a simple majority, more difficult to obtain than an override of a mayoral veto, which takes nine votes of Denver’s 13-member council.
It’s not a matter of 20 percent of the neighbors forcing a supermajority. If one person owns 20 percent of the land adjacent to a new development, that one person’s signature would be enough for a protest petition to be valid — even if everyone else in the neighborhood loved the idea, say, of new affordable housing. In the case of the East Colfax ADU, the eight neighbors who signed the petition owned 21.6 percent of the land around Elkins’ lot.
“I think the 20-percent is a really low threshold and a somewhat arbitrary number,” said Denver architect and urbanist Gosia Kung.
“One person could potentially file a veto petition for a project that could be potentially beneficial for the community,” she said “It’s kind of an imbalance of power. It gives more affluent residents more power.”
On the other hand, said Christine O’Connor of Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, a savvy developer could buy up all the land bordering his or her own project, ensuring no one could pursue a supermajority even if the whole neighborhood hated that proposed apartment building.
O’Connor co-chairs the zoning and planning committee of the registered neighborhood organization umbrella group known as INC. But she said the committee has not taken an official position on supermajority petitions. She said she was speaking on only her own behalf when she said the protest process, while imperfect, was key to giving neighbors a voice. Particularly given that, she said, before many residents who care deeply about their neighborhoods hear about proposed projects, developers have had a chance to refine their plans with help from city staff.
“As I have frequently commented, INC … is far from ideal in representing community throughout Denver,” she said, stressing “far.”
“But it is the best vehicle we have. Similarly, this protest process is far from ideal and in most cases can’t even be used, but should stay in the toolbox for now.”
Rafael Espinoza, who left City Council in July after representing District 1 for a term, believes the city has pursued a one-size-fits-all approach to development that has made it hard for residents to shape their neighborhoods.
“The administration is still far too beholden to the notion that developers have a stronger voice than the people of the city who live here,” he added.
Espinoza said he has seen the protest mechanism help his West Denver neighbors bring concerns to politicians and officials who “basically felt like they did not need to listen to the community.”
But he would like to do some perfecting, noting the lack of any mechanism to usher through a proposal if it is supported by most of those directly affected. If he were to revise the rules, Espinoza said, he would look for a way to enable the people who would be most affected “to have the most traction.”
Sometimes, that could be renters. Not to mention people who might want to live or own in a neighborhood but have been prevented from doing so by, for example, historic red-lining.
The supermajority trigger can only be pulled by landowners. Espinoza said that has deep roots in American politics, saying the Constitution basically takes the position that “if you want to have property rights, you should purchase the land.”
The supermajority mechanism isn’t the only example of the persistence of that idea. Only property owners, including those who don’t live in the city, got to vote in balloting that ended July 31 on whether to remove the name Stapleton from that northeast Denver neighborhood. Some people got more votes because they owned multiple properties.
Benjamin Stapleton, who was a member of the Ku Klux Klan, was mayor at the time the supermajority provision became Denver law. It was adopted as part of the city charter — it’s included in zoning documents as well for convenience sake — in the 1920s. At the time, communities across the country were adopting similar provisions, following zoning models devised at the national level.
Zoning was seen as a way to protect and even enhance property values. Zoning also codified social and racist norms, entrenching segregation, for example. And it created realities now being questioned, such as the preponderance of single-family homes in neighborhoods, a pattern that bedevils modern-day planners trying to bring down home prices and reduce traffic with multifamily housing or multi-home lots.
A quick internet search shows supermajority mechanisms in cities and counties in Alaska, California, Kansas, New York, Texas and Wisconsin. In 2017, amid concern at the power wielded by an extreme minority of property owners, Arizona lawmakers made it harder in that state to force supermajorities in zoning cases.
Housing activist Randy Shaw sees Denver as a progressive, innovative city when it comes to addressing an affordability crisis it shares with metros across the country. That makes him wonder why Denver hasn’t taken steps similar to Arizona’s to reform its supermajority mechanism,
Requiring a supermajority for a housing proposal is unfair and Denver’s threshold seems particularly low, said Shaw, founder and director of San Francisco’s Tenderloin Housing Clinic and author of “Generation Priced Out: Who gets to live in the new urban America.”
Urbanist Kung, no fan of the supermajority provision, points out that because it is in the city charter, changing it requires organizing an initiative to put to a vote of the people of Denver.
“Not an easy project for someone to take on,” she said.
Zocalo Community Development principal David Zucker is resigned to the supermajority as part of the landscape he has to navigate.
The mechanism was invoked when Zocalo proposed a range of buildings of up to 16 stories — housing, retail and community space as well as 320 apartments and condos, 160 priced below market rate for low-income residents. When it came time for a City Council vote in June on the project slated for near Sloan Lake, one member had to recuse himself because he had sponsored the rezoning application and another was absent. That meant Zucker could afford to lose only one vote. He squeaked through.
Zucker said when the supermajority mechanism is invoked, it often means “we obviously failed with the neighbors, which is unfortunate.”
When neighbors push for a supermajority vote, Zucker sees it in the context of the stress many in Denver are feeling as the city changes quickly.
“I certainly would wish that it was not there,” he said. “But I understand it and recognize it.”
For a developer, the uncertainty creates its own stress. One way to address that “capricious” aspect, Zucker mused only half-seriously, might be to require 10 votes to approve any rezoning.


text:
Back Roads Dog Rescue focuses on dogs but the mission of the rescue is to help any animals in need in the long term plan. Stay tuned for exciting changes and growth as we gain momentum with community support and action. We are currently seeking qualified foster homes for all of the animals we encounter.
Scroll to Top
Separate tags by commas
To access this feature, please upgrade your account.

domain: pet


text:
Elite Race suits were designed specifically for the endurance and multisport athlete to promote exceptional comfort and unbeatable performance. The race suits were designed using our 3 principles: Aero / Hydrodynamics, comfort, and performance using the latest fabrics specifically designed for multi-sport athletes.
- Super Low Drag fabrics specifically developed for triathlon and water sports
- Body Contour design hugs your muscles and conforms to the curves of your body
- Back Zip pocket
- UPF50 fabric, sun protection from harmful UV rays
- Breathable, quick drying and keeps you cool
- Hydrofoil waterproof zippers minimizing drag and turbulent boundary layer
- Chlorine Resistant

domain: design


The International Maritime Organization has adopted the landmark “Polar Code”, the first mandatory blanket legislation for the improved safety of ships operating in the world’s polar regions. The new Code specifically addresses potential hazards unique to arctic and antarctic environments, such as ice, remoteness and rapidly changing and severe weather conditions.
But what exactly does the new Polar Code mean for ship safety? This infographic explains it:
The Polar Code will be mandatory under both SOLAS and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).
The expected date of entry into force of the Polar Code and related SOLAS amendments is 1 January 2017 for new ships constructed after that date. Ships constructed before 1 January 2017 will be required to meet the relevant requirements of the Polar Code by the first intermediate or renewal survey, whichever occurs first, after 1 January 2018.
You can read more about the Polar Code here.


(607d) First-Principles Modeling of Redox Potential of Organic Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries
In this talk, we present the first-principles density functional theory modeling of redox properties of various organic materials as positive electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries. First, from the density functional theory (DFT) calculations to understand the binding behaviors of Li atoms interacting with the quinone derivatives, we find that the Li atoms prefer to bind with the carbonyl groups in the molecules. Next, we observe that the redox properties of organic materials can be harnessed by designing their chemical structures. In particular, introducing electron-withdrawing functional groups is beneficial to enhance the redox potential. In addition, we present the change in the redox properties of organic materials as a function of the number of bound Li atoms, which would be related to the change of redox characteristics during the discharging process. In general, the redox potential is decreased with increasing the number of bound Li atoms, meaning that the charge capacity is limited by the number of carbonyl groups. However, it should be noted that the functionalization of organic materials with carboxylic acids can improve their charge capacity. Through this study, it is highlighted that the cathodic activity of organic materials during the discharging process relies strongly on the solvation effect as well as on the number of carbonyl groups available for further Li binding.


text:
Due to a bunker fuel spill in English Bay just over a week ago, Vancouver Coastal Health continues to warn people to stay away from the shore and water at Sunset, Second, Third, and English Bay beaches.
Similar warnings have been issued at several West Vancouver beaches, including Ambleside, Dundarave and Sandy Cove.
"At the moment we're still telling people not to use the beaches, but there is a plan underway to make sure they're safe to get people back on the beaches," Vancouver Coastal Health medical health officer Mark Lysyshyn told The Early Edition's Rick Cluff.
"There are teams out there doing visual inspections. We've also taken samples of water and beach sediment, so when those come back, we'll know a lot more about the safety."
Earlier this week, Fisheries and Oceans Canada closed Burrard Inlet to all recreational fishing for shellfish and groundfish due to the oil spill. The closure covers the water between Point Grey in Vancouver and Point Atkinson in West Vancouver, and goes as far as the Lions Gate Bridge.
If you have touched contaminated water or sand, or have oil on you, Vancouver Coastal Health suggests washing immediately with soap.
Health effects could range from redness or a rash on the skin to a headache or nausea due to the oil's smell. Other symptoms may also emerge.
To hear the full interview with Mark Lysyshyn, listen to the audio labelled: Stay off the beaches, warns Vancouver Coastal Health

domain: news


text:
Shoutout to all the fantastic maternal health nurses out there! Thank you for your hard work and compassionate care!
Our MCH Team cares for ages 0–18 years and postpartum women with complications like wounds, Postpartum Depression, and Preeclampsia. Our pediatric practice can include children with cardiac anomalies, liver disease, seizure disorders, new diabetics, and eating disorders, as well as premature infants and newborns with breast-feeding dysfunction.
**Did you know that RSV in early preemies or in infants with cardiac disease are at greater risk for hospitalization/severe disease? We are delighted there is a new vaccine!


HID recently announced partnerships with four leading biometric technology providers. The partners are introducing a new range of eProx-enabled biometric readers that are compatible with all HID-based card access systems. The dual technology readers enhance the security of highly sensitive areas without requiring additional systems or infrastructure.
“The industry has been asking for a lower cost, easy-to-instal biometric solution that integrates seamlessly into existing installations,” said Julia Webb, Director of Marketing at Biometric Identification. “One of the technologies they requested was HID’s proximity technology. Our new eProx-enabled Veriprox reader interfaces with existing 26 bit access control systems, is less than two-and-a-half inches wide (60 mm) and is competitively priced.”
“Proximity is the dominant identification technology, so it was important to work in conjunction with it,” said Bill Spence, Vice-President of Biometric Security at Identix. “We wanted our products to be compatible with HID’s large installed base. Our eProx-enabled biometric reader, the Fingerscan V20 is uniquely designed for maximum ergonomics and easy integration with existing card access systems.”
“The addition of eProx proximity technology will speed up verification times while making our biometric readers more accurate and reliable,” said Joe Turek, President of Biometrics 2000.com. “HID is the most widely accepted technology provider in the industry. By using a technology everyone is familiar with, we have eliminated the need for additional training and given dealers a biometric reader that is easier to sell.”
“With the addition of HID’s eProx technology, we were able to eliminate the requirement for users to manually enter a PIN code and accelerate verification to less than a second,” explain Pete Rauholt, Product Marketing Engineer with Recognition Systems. “Our choice of HID as a technology provider was based on their leadership of the proximity access market.”
“The new eProx-enabled biometric readers easily enable end-users and dealers to add biometric identification to their current portfolio of technology solutions,” said John Menzel, Technology Integration Manager for HID. “Dealers now have the opportunity to offer an affordably priced biometric solution to the worldwide community of HID users.”
The eProx-enabled biometric readers feature dual identity verification capability that provides the highest levels of security available. Users will present their HID proximity card and their finger or hand to the readers simultaneously. The readers compare the cardholder information and scan against a database of templates. Positive or negative verification occurs within seconds.
For details contact Bobbie Ferraro, Marketing Manager, Access Control, HID on tel: (091) 949 598 1675, fax: (091) 949 598 1690 or e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org
© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved


Bhubaneswar: The State Commission for Women (SCW) on Saturday recommended to Odisha government to conduct a Crime Branch inquiry into last month`s clash during a Congress rally besides reward for a woman police constable who was allegedly molested in the mob.
SCW`s recommendations came after Odisha governor M C Bhandare ordered a Lokpal probe into the clash at the Congress rally here on September 6 where about 250 people including 60 security personnel were injured.
A woman constable was allegedly molested and seriously injured after being assaulted by the mob during the rally.
"The persons who are directly or indirectly responsible for the assault and outraging the modesty of the lady constable should be identified and action taken," SCW chairperson Jyoti Panigrahi said in her six-page inquiry report submitted to the Chief Minister, Women and Child Development minister and Chief Secretary.
Panigrahi also recommended action against the persons for violation of terms and condition of the agreement for permission of rally or meeting or demonstration peacefully.
"All agitational programmes at lower PMG lead to inconvenience to the common people. It should be avoided to give permission in the crowded area," she said in the report.
SCW also suggested the state government to compensate the medical expense of the woman constable and provide her compensation for loss of her modesty.
"The departmental good service award may be given to the lady constable which will encourage other women to work effectively," Panigrahi said.
On Congress leader Jagdish Tytler against whom criminal cases have been lodged by police, SCW said though the rally was peaceful even as local Congress leaders were giving speech against state government, Tytler directly instigated the gathering to break the cordon and gherao Assembly.
"The words used by Tytler like "Todo" indicated to break the cordon. So gathering took law into their own hands," Panigrahi said in the report.


Panasonic, the Japanese giant, had decided to take the mobile world by storm when it decided to introduce the Eluga series of smartphones. Just today, we got the news that one of its primary competitors, the Xiaomi Redmi 5A 3GB RAM version, had started offline sales. Now, the Panasonic Eluga 500 has started offline sales as well.
When the Panasonic Eluga 500 was first listed on online shopping giant Flipkart, we had reported the same at that time. The Eluga range has proven to be pretty popular. In its offline avatar, there are three color variants on offer: Champagne Gold, Mocha Gold, and Marine Blue.
As far as the specs and features are concerned, the new Panasonic Eluga Ray 500 smartphone has onboard a 5-inch HD display that also has a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. Under the hood is a 1.25GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6737 processor. As far as the cameras and optics are concerned, the device has dual rear cameras which have one 13-megapixel primary camera armed with a 5P lens, f/2.0 aperture besides a dual-LED flash. Complementing that primary sensor is another 8-megapixel secondary camera that boasts a 6P lens and f/2.4 aperture. The front has a 5-megapixel shooter meant for pretty decent selfies and video calling features. The front cam has a 3P lens and a f/2.4 aperture.
The new phone has a Li-ion Polymer 4000mAh battery while the dimensions are 144.26 x 71.26 x 9.2mm. At a mere 163 grams, it is also ideal for single-handed use.
Other hardware specs are also rather decent. The new device from Panasonic has 3GB of RAM and is ably backed by 32GB of internal or native storage, the latter of which is also expandable to up to 128GB thanks to the micro SD card slot. Lastly, if we take the fingerprint scanner (embedded in the home button pat on the front), the Panasonic Eluga Ray 500 definitely seems to be a good buy. Tell us if you would like to buy the phone below.


text:
Writer. Adventurer. Currently working on The Dreamless City, a series of steampunk novels and short stories.
Although it is probably the lions, tigers, and bears I should be worried about, oh my!
My final paper for my MBA program is due today, and I’ll probably puke from the stress at some point. I’m sooooo worried it isn’t good enough. Please don’t say that you’re sure it is good. You haven’t seen this 40 page business monstrosity in action.
So I’ve been self-medicating with music to counteract the nerves. Emily and The Woods (another clever reference to the post title, right?) has been keeping me calm and keeping the coffee down. Check her out is you enjoy sweet songbird British voices and indie-folk guitars.
I think this video is so cute! (But I don’t condone stealing bikes as a way to get boys to notice you)
And here’s a more recent video of hers.
I hope to be back to my regularly scheduled blogging tomorrow… if I survive this paper. Argh!!!! Wish me luck in fighting the good academic fight. ;)


text:
Children Show Signs of Stress Long Before School Starts
Stress response to entering primary school is temporary for most children
TUESDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Children entering primary school have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol months before school begins, U.K. researchers report in a study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
Julie Turner-Cobb, Ph.D., of the University of Bath in the United Kingdom, and colleagues compared cortisol levels, parent questionnaires and child-health diaries, and 74 teacher questionnaires involving 105 children three to six months before entering primary school in September 2004 or January 2005.
The researchers found unexpectedly high cortisol levels in the children months before entering school and as school started. However, shy children had lower stress levels than outgoing children.
Although high day-long cortisol levels may lower children's immune response, the researchers discovered that children with elevated cortisol levels throughout the day had less cold and flu risk the following half-year, but more illness risk during school holidays than other children. Cortisol levels for some children stayed high at follow-up, suggesting a need for continued monitoring.
"More extroverted children had consistently high levels of cortisol and their levels tended to remain high throughout the day, possibly because their more impulsive nature gets them into more confrontational situations," Turner-Cobb said in a statement.


text:
A place for Percy Jackson and the Olympians fans to roleplay.
This is a Warrior Cats Roleplay site, made by Silence. You can come here for basically anything that has to do with Warrior Cats, and even some Off-Topic Roleplay.
Free forum : A role-play site for fans of homestuck. Canons and ocs welcome.
This is a non canon fairy tail rp site that takes place 50-100 years after the canon events. Create your own character, your own unique magic and much, much more.
After the destruction of the multiverse, Portal Breach was created to be a safe haven for those that survived and managed to make their way here. Join us as any canon or original character!
This forum is for fans of Chuck Connors and/or The Rifleman TV series.
Free forum : Welcome To Fortune's Folly, an OC AU One Piece RP Site!
Kent's Match Site, Live Match Calender, Up to Date Results, Local Club News. Sea Fishing Chat.
A Christian fellowship where 'Believers' can come together to talk, discuss, enjoy, pray for others and give testimonies, chat, enjoy the fullness of being a Christian all in one site.
Greyknight fan site for table top gameing This order of light is dedicated to the way of the emperor and to stamp chaos in to dust
Sea fishing forums, reports, resources, chatroom, and friendly folk. . .
The goal of this site is to promote, inform, and create a community for those just discovering Hellenismos, those with interest, and those who have been practicing for an extensive amount of time.
The World in Your Hands
This is my site about weatherstar & weatherscan emulators
Elite Heroes of War [EHW], The latest and greatest gaming Clan. Join now and make new friends, Chat with friends and be part of this widely expanding clan.
A chat and news aggregation site covering digital card games, digital board games and indie titles.
A great place to ask questions, share your experiences or help other Coronado Springs visitors.
The place to be for all your Corrupted Force clan needs
We took One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, and Dragon Ball Z and wrapped them up into one big Anime Roleplaying site.
First and foremost this site is dedicated to honoring and respecting Mr. David Cook and his inspiring music career and life. Freedom means we want to encourage discussion on all aspects of his life from his professional to his personal, without feeli
A site meticulously put-together by a group of Dragonball enthusiasts, tailored to appeal to every passionate roleplayer. In an endless array of possibilities, here you will find the most credible can
This is the official site for the StarCraft map Ultimate Boss Battles. It's shown as "In Development" in battle.net at the moment.
A Planet Filled With Fun!Club Penguin Planet, Club Penguin, Forum, Cheats, Tutorials, Glitches, Bugs, Coins, Discussion, Games, Contests, Fun.
It's the great Warrior Cats roleplay, brought directly from Pokefarm to its own site!
This is the official site of Random260
Free forum : When memories are the only thing you hold with you when you're dead, would you keep them, or would you forget everything you hold dear?
Free forum : A community forum for all the fans of Medieval Character Maker to use.

domain: entertainment


text:
Warner Music Group and Dwight Yoakam have reached a preliminary settlement to end their contentious legal battle over the rights to his 1986 debut album Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., weeks after the country legend said his label was trying to “desperately hang on” to his music.
In papers filed late night on Sunday in Los Angeles federal court, attorneys for both Yoakam and Warner said they had reached “an agreement in principle to settle this dispute” and asked for two additional weeks to finalize the deal.
Yoakam sued Warner Music last year, claiming the label had wrongly rejected his efforts to win back his music via the termination right – a provision of federal copyright law that allows artists regain their copyrights decades after selling them to a publisher or label.
Before Sunday’s settlement, the case had been heading toward a major ruling. Yoakam was seeking a decision in his favor, arguing last month that the major labels had been flouting the termination provision and that Warner Music had shown “the depths to which they will sink to desperately hang on to plaintiff’s intellectual property.”
The specific terms of the agreement, including whether money was exchanged and who will control what rights, were not included in public filings. Yoakam’s attorney, Richard S. Busch, confirmed the tentative deal but told Billboard he was “not at liberty to provide any details of the settlement.” Representatives for Warner Music did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
If finalized, the agreement will resolve one of several major industry lawsuits over terminations. Two class actions, filed on behalf of huge groups of artists, are trying to regain control of masters owned by Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. Cher is currently litigating a termination case, as are the members of 2 Live Crew.
Yoakam’s dispute with Warner Music kicked off in February 2019, when he served notice that he intended to terminate the label’s control over Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. and two of its top singles. The album peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums and ultimately spent 142 weeks on the chart, the first of three consecutive chart-topping albums for Yoakam.
Two years later, he filed suit – alleging that Warner Music had essentially stonewalled him by refusing to formally confirm his termination. Yoakam asked a federal judge to do so, and said Warner Music had infringed his music by continuing to make it available on streaming platforms.
“Mr. Yoakam’s termination rights under the Copyright Act have been blatantly ignored by the defendants as they reject Mr. Yoakam’s timely and valid termination notices for no legitimate reason other than their own greed,” he wrote at the time, saying the label was holding his songs “hostage.”
In July, a judge denied Warner Music’s request to dismiss Yoakam’s case, ruling that a slight discrepancy in the dates listed on Yoakam’s notice had been the kind of legally “harmless error” that should not doom his termination. And last month, Yoakam moved for a ruling in his favor, arguing in a court filing on Monday that he followed all the rules and the label has no valid reason to reject his request.
“The powerful record industry should be told that it must adhere to Congress’s intent that authors have the right to reclaim their intellectual property regardless of the fact that the record labels do not want to give those rights up after making untold billions of dollars,” Yoakam’s lawyers wrote at the time.


text:
Optical Coherence Tomography
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive image technology used to obtain high resolution cross sectional images of the retina. This test can be compared to performing an “MRI of your retina”
Digital Fundus Photography
Digital Fundus Photography (Retinal Photography) utilizes a specialized microscope with an attached computer integrated camera designed to take photographs of the interior of the eye including the retina, optic nerve and macula.
These two tests are useful in diagnosing and monitoring various eye diseases. The images are immediately available for review and can be retrieved anytime.
Essential Retinal Photography
As our eye doctor can explain during your next eye exam why every patient should have both tests included in their permanent vision health records, but feels both OCT and retinal photography are essential for individuals in the following categories:
- Patients with a history of Diabetes or High Blood Pressure
- Patients with a family history of Glaucoma or Macular Degeneration
- Patients with complaints of flashes or floaters
- Patients with a high degree of nearsightedness
The fee for both these procedures is $40.


text:
Prizzy Prizzy Please is a hard act to get one's head around, what with its oddly shaped sound collages and sudden genre-bending. At times, the Bloomington, Indiana, quartet channels the spirit of blistering and energized hardcore punk — but then, just as easily, it can blend '70s avant-punk/funk fusion with melodic pop. But the band's hyper-self-aware brand of goofy weirdness only works because it's backed up by some serious musicality, endless energy and challenging arrangements. "Campfire Girls Weekend Party" bounces along on a danceable rhythm-section lockdown and an infectious, soulful falsetto melody line — while "Flash Taco" sounds more like Black Flag crossed with a low-budget television-commercial jingle.
Subscribe now to get the latest news delivered right to your inbox.


text: We had The Lion City package and it was an amazing experience! Each dish had a Singapore theme with the first dish featuring the supertree at Gardens by the Bay and the second dish featuring Marina Bay Sands. Every dish was immaculately plated and tasted delicious with hints of local flavour. My favourites are buah keluak butter, the laksa supertree and the langoustine cappuccino! The friendly chef and team were all attentive and explained every single dish that was presented.

domain: travel


text:
Easter Club-Party Flyer Template is very modern psd flyer that will give the perfect promotion for your upcoming bar or club party event at that day!
2 PSD files –A5 and 5×7 size with 0.3mm bleed
Clearly labeled folders and layers
CMYK – 300dpi – Ready to print with guides
TITILLIUM TEXT: http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/TitilliumText
MODEL NOT INCLUDED!!
Hope you like it!
Don’t forget to check my portfolio for more designs…

domain: hobby


text:
Thanksgiving is coming up and we could not be more excited to get together with our loved ones and create some amazing memories! While we love cooking, we also want to spend time with our guests, so here are some helpful tips on how to enjoy your day!
Choose the Right Bird
Choosing the right turkey for your needs is incredibly important. How many guests are you planning on feeding? Do you want leftovers? Should you prepare two small turkeys or one huge bird? For a larger party you will need about 1- 1 /2 lbs per person, per turkey. Smaller birds have a smaller amount of meat, so you will need to find 2 lbs of turkey per person. It’s best to have extras – because who doesn’t love a good next-day turkey sandwich?
Some folks don’t brine turkeys (example: the pilgrims did not use a brine!) and others swear by it. We’ve talked about our love of a good brine before, so you know where we stand on the issue. We suggest brining for 12-24 hours for a more moist, flavorful turkey. Add a couple of bay leaves and garlic cloves for extra flavor. Add sprigs of your favorite spices and let sit!
We cannot stress this enough! Seek out recipes in which you can prep ahead of time. Dishes that can be made and stored in the fridge the night before are key. Having certain items done will allow you to mingle with your guests so prep ahead of their arrival. Pies can be made a couple days before, and the same goes for side dishes.
It’s time to stop second guessing, you must accept the meat thermometer into your life! No one wants food poisoning on Thanksgiving! Keep a digital meat thermometer to measure the heat of your turkey and other protein dishes. You can learn more about the basics of cooking meat in this previous blog post.
Clear the Fridge
As trivial as this may sound, you don’t need your weekday yogurts and sack lunches crowding your turkey and pre-made sides. You need space! Clear out items you don’t need and do what you can to maximize your space. Designate a spot for the turkey and set aside space for the items you know you’ll need quickly.

domain: food


Prof. J. Baillieul
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Professor Baillieul focuses on robotics, the control of mechanical systems, and mathematical system theory. His work in the late 1980’s led to seminal papers on motion planning for kinematically redundant manipulators. Earlier work on nonlinear optimal control theory foreshadowed much of the current literature on singular Riemannian geometry. Current research focuses on extending and applying principles from nonlinear control theory to complex mechanical systems composed of interconnected rigid and elastic components.


text:
Gorgeous gardens, beautiful flowers and shrubs and a walking path along the river. Peace fountain that constantly changes and the views of the Detroit skyline in the background all make for a lovely place to take a walk at anytime of the day.
Very spacious park with well maintained trails, right on the south shore of the Detroit River, across from Belle Isle. You can enjoy the various configurations of the Peace Fountain (which changes frequently) while watching the boat traffic on the river.
The garden features lots...更多
Lots and lots of natural beauty to take in while you stroll through this free park. Trees are sculpted to appear as animals ,and many monuments to look at as well ,The park is the home to Windsors peace fountain ,which is one of a...更多
Over looking the Detroit River and the Detroit Skyline, we are blessed to have this in our community for everyone to enjoy.
In the summer the Peace fountain comes alive and at night is light up with multiple light colors to show its beauty !
Very romantic park with amazing shrubbery sculptures and gardens. The unique Peace Fountain changes colour and sprays. This is the place you want to be on a humid Windsor summer evening. If it's breezy, the spray will cool you off and the kids love it....更多
One of my favourite places. Parking on and off site just 1\2 block up Pillette. Grab an ice cream cone and stroll along the river to the huge floating fountain which not only is illuminated with colour changing lights but it also changes water patterns....更多


text:
Two years ago, on March 9, 2022, India misfired a Brahmos supersonic cruise missile that maneuvered and crashed near a town in Pakistan, Mian Chanu. Brahmos is India’s advanced weapon system with strategic implications. The misfiring of this missile did not only violate the airspace but also the territorial integrity of Pakistan. Despite the existence of a Direct Line of Communication/Hotline mechanism between India and Pakistan, India did not bother to inform immediately on the Brahmos misfiring incident to clarify if the misfiring was accidental or incidental. It is yet to be known to the world community as India closes the file unilaterally.
It is important to note that the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile is the world’s fastest cruise missile. It is believed that Brahmos is both a conventional and nuclear-capable cruise missile.
India has already acquired Brahmos missile capability in collaboration with Russia and since 2001, it has been carrying out several tests. We now know that the supersonic Brahmos have developed several variants that can be launched from the land, air, and sea with varying ranges and payloads.
As technology advances, India is currently planning to develop Brahmos II, perceived to be a hypersonic missile with an increased range of 1500km without any technical restriction, since both Russia and India are part of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTRC), established in 1987 by the G-7 countries aiming at curbing the payloads and ranges to others not party to the MTCR.
While calling this an “accident”, India unilaterally probed the incident and declared on August 23, 2022, that “it sacked three air force officers for deviating from standard operating procedures that had led to the accidental firing of a missile into Pakistan on March 9.” Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) initially asked India for a joint probe on this reckless incident, but it produced no result. MOFA categorically termed India’s so-called unilateral probe on this serious incident as “unsatisfactory, deficient, and inadequate”.
MOFA went further by emphasizing that, “India has not only failed to respond to Pakistan’s demand for a joint inquiry but has also evaded the questions raised by Pakistan regarding the command-and-control system in place in India, the safety and security protocols and the reason for India’s delayed admission of the Missile launch.”
By critically analyzing India’s misfiring of an advanced missile system particularly when it has already tested this missile so many times from the land, sea, and air, a serious security analyst would raise many questions: why the missile only maneuver to crash in Pakistan? Does India have rogue elements working in its defense system threatening international security? Are there unknown flaws in the existing India’s command and control and safety and security mechanisms for its strategic and non-strategic forces? Will this episode occur in the future as well? The international community needs to pay attention to the seriousness of this issue.
Being a responsible nuclear weapon state, Pakistan’s security leadership had shown maximum restraint while closely monitoring the crash incident. One wonders about the level of restraint and scenario if Brahmos was loaded with conventional and nuclear warheads. It is argued that demonstrating restraint is part of strategy, but not a sign of weakness. One may ask if restraint must have its restraint.
The temptation for crossing too many thresholds may increase the chances of escalation to a dangerous level in South Asia especially when the rivals are nuclear weapon states.
India appears to be testing Pakistan’s strategic patience through its temptation for preemptive strikes, escalation dominance, and power projection in the South Asian region. India was tempted in the Balakot incident in 2019. This happened on 9 March two years ago by misfiring the Brahmos missile. It might get tempted in the future as well.
Conceptually, India may develop such temptation for preemptive strikes and escalation dominance out of its hubris through its increasing economic progress and strategic partnership with the leading powers more importantly with the US for containing China since China is perceived to be a security threat to the US in the broader Asia-Pacific region. India exploits the essence of geopolitical, geoeconomic, and geo-strategic imperatives out of the leading powers vis-à-vis China to the best of its advantage.
India’s temptation for dangerous confidence to preempt Pakistan may also come from India’s acquisition of emerging technologies such as speed, remote sensing, stealth, and lethality in addition to its development of nuclear-powered submarines, tactical nuclear weapons, ballistic missile defense systems, sophisticated air defense system in the form of S-400, Multiple-Independently-Targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs), Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), aircraft carriers, supersonic missiles, acquisition of technologies for hypersonic missiles, anti-satellite weapons, plans for testing the H-bomb and even acquiring the strategic bombers.
All these acquisitions create strategic imbalances, crisis instability, arms race, and security dilemmas to undermine the broader strategic stability in South Asia. The acquisition of such forces, including emerging technologies, tends to make India more offensive, undermining nuclear deterrence in South Asia. With this flawed and dangerous confidence, South Asia is becoming riskier than ever before.
Two arguments exist for India’s misfiring of the Brahmos missile two years ago. One, if the misfiring of the missile was intentional to figure out Pakistan’s resolve, then India attempts to find loopholes in Pakistan’s deterrent force capability. Such loopholes could further be exploited for preemptive strikes. Two, if the firing of Brahmos was accidental as India proclaims this to be, then there is a serious question mark on India’s command and control and safety and security mechanism about its strategic and non-strategic forces that can be preemptively launched with no warning.
On the first argument, India may not simply undermine Pakistan’s deterrent forces which may broadly be concealed, dispersed, hardened, and sheltered. Countries that develop nuclear forces must also know how to protect them from potential adversary preemptive strikes. It will be a risk in competition, a flawed strategy, and a dangerous confidence if one nuclear weapon state strategizes to preempt another nuclear rival despite the existence of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD). Because of the logic of MAD, both the Soviet Union and the US did not go for preemptive strikes against each other despite possessing the first strike capabilities.
Besides, Pakistan practices a full-spectrum deterrence under the ambit of credible minimum deterrence. Full spectrum deterrence needs not to be connoted with increasing numbers of nuclear forces as many perceive in the West, but rather this has much to do with the “spectrum” -that is, to be consistent in plugging the loopholes in deterrence capabilities so that the adversary may not exploit for preemptive strikes.
On the second argument regarding the so-called accidental launch of the Brahmos missile, the international community needs to pay serious attention to the safety and security mechanism of India’s strategic forces. This becomes a threat to international peace and security if one seriously assesses India’s command and control including the safety and security mechanism of its deterrent forces.
India needs to follow up on the nuclear confidence-building measures already in place in South Asia.
There is a need for strategic dialogue in South Asia on these imperatives. Suppose India issues advance notices for its missile tests. In that case, it will help reduce the chances of miscalculation, accidents, and the risk of escalation in South Asia even if the missile is accidentally fired. Misfiring a missile of strategic significance without immediately notifying Pakistan creates mistrust, miscalculation, and accidental war between the South Asian rivals.
Dr. Zafar Khan is currently a Professor with the Department of International Relations, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering, and Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Quetta. He has his MSC in International Politics from University of Glasgow, UK and PhD in Strategic Studies from University of Hull, Yorkshire, UK. He has taught at the Department of Strategic Studies, National Defence University, Islamabad, Pakistan. His papers have appeared in various international peer-reviewed journals such as Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Comparative Strategy, Washington Quarterly, Journal of Contemporary China, Contemporary Security Policy, East Asia, and International Journal of Conflict Management. He has authored Books such as Pakistan’s Nuclear Policy: A Minimum Credible Deterrence (2015), Nuclear Deterrence in South Asia: New Technologies and Challenges to Sustainable Peace (2020), and India’s Evolving Deterrent Force Posture: Temptation for Pre-emptive Strikes, Power Projection, and Escalation Dominance (London & New York: Palgrave McMillan, 2021).


As per the report, Nikon, the Japanese camera maker, will be exiting the DSLR market. The rumor mills are agog that smartphone advanced technology pushes Nikon to drop itself from manufacturing single-lens reflex models.
Speculations are rife after withdrawing from the single-lens reflex camera business. So instead, Nikon will focus on digital mirrorless cameras.
However, Nikon is the second-largest SLR maker after Canon; professional photographers have used its SLR cameras for more than 60 years. But due to intensifying competition from smartphone cameras, Nikon has been “losing out” to smartphones as its powerful cameras are substituting most of the features of DSLR cameras.
Moreover, Nikon aims to fight back by offering digital products with more unique features. One of them is mirrorless cameras which have become recognized products with more advanced digital technologies.
Nikon responded to this morning’s shocking news by neither confirming nor denying the report but said, “Nikon is continuing the production, sales, and service of digital SLR.” “There was a media article regarding Nikon’s withdrawal of SLR development. However, this media article is only speculation, and Nikon has not announce in this regard,” Nikon explained.
When Nikon launched its flagship D6 SLR, no new SLR models were released since June 2021. Therefore, it concluded that the company had already terminated the development of the compact single-lens reflex cameras. Additionally, Mirrorless cameras have a different viewing system that can use image sensors to convert light into electrical signals. Like SLRs, mirrorless cameras also accept interchangeable lenses, which offer much more range than the fixed focal lengths used in most smartphone cameras.
According to the Japan Camera and Imaging Products Association, the shipments of mirrorless cameras beat SLRs for the first time in 2020, with 2.93 million and 2.37 million units shipped, respectively.
In 2021, the market for mirrorless cameras expanded 31% to 324.5 billion yen, even as SLR cameras dropped 6% to 91.2 billion yen. The reasons behind Nikon are concentrating on digital mirrorless cameras for its potential growth.
What are the iconic features of Mirrorless cameras?
Mirrorless cameras have potent capabilities as their artificial intelligence provides facial and pupil recognition by identifying animals, vehicles, and objects. These unique features make them ideal for sports and wildlife photography. In addition, Mirrorless cameras are lighter, smaller, and soundless without the shutter.
Last year, Nikon Z9, the top-selling professional flagship, was released, which can shoot 120 images per second, more than ten times faster than most SLRs, without the wear and tear of a moving shutter.
Also, Mirrorless cameras have been coming down in price to below 100,000 yen ($730), which is less than comparable SLRs. With enhanced viewfinders and less lag, quicker image processing helps photographers in fast-moving situations. Moreover, Nikon’s competitor, Canon, also plans to follow it and stop producing SLRs within a few years.
End of an Era
The most-loved professional camera brand, Nikon, has existed since 1917 and adopted the company name in 1946. In 1959 it released its first SLR, held in high esteem by professional photographers and journalists. It made its name by offering top-quality alternatives to German makes, such as Leica, which once dominated the market.
In the late 1990s, Nikon began offering DSLRs along with competitor Canon, which strongly influenced the DSLR market.


Bad week for the Foreign Office: Getting Britons out of Libya did not go well. Andrew Neil tweeted yesterday that ministers were angry at the incompetence of FCO officials. And so they should be but that excuse cannot ever be used again. Lessons need to be learnt and lessons need to be learnt quickly. Another country in the region could be the next domino to fall. Cameron established the National Security Council to coordinate foreign, defence and homeland protection policies. It needs to recommend a way forward - perhaps putting the military in full charge of overseeing emergency evacuations.
Good week for Tory foreign policy. Cameron edged to a more hopeful view of democratic change in the Middle East and it's not just he who is moving. In an important article Sir Malcolm Rifkind also suggested that there are good reasons to think democracy could now flower in the Arab world. Michael Gove will feel vindicated for all the reasons set out here.
Bad week for the United Nations. Yet again it has proved itself little more than a talking shop. At some point Conservatives need to become as UNsceptic as they are EUsceptic - only more so. We need to move to a world of maxilateralism - not waiting for the slowest, most reluctant nation in the convoy in order to make progress on an issue but to form coalitions of the willing, involving the maximum possible number of willing nations.
Good week for Eric Pickles. The best Tory councils are showing you can cut budgets AND protect frontline services. See this piece from the Leader of Southampton Council. We have another such encouraging story on the Local government blog tomorrow.
Statistic of the Week: "An analysis of papers sent to Downing Street and the Cabinet Office has revealed that just 40% are directly related to the Coalition's programme. Roughly 30% come from the Whitehall bureaucracy and another 30% from the EU." The new Downing Street structure - profiled here - is designed, in large part, to force Whitehall to focus more more on the Coalition's agenda. A key component of that agenda is a new presumption that alternative suppliers can deliver public services, ending the state monopoly.
Frontbencher of the Week: Eric Pickles. Last week ended with nearly half of the LibDem establishment in local government attacking the Communities Secretary. A fightback is now well and truly underway with the Sun, Telegraph, Express and Mail doing (1) a particularly good job at highlighting waste in those councils making the biggest cuts in local government and (2) also the massive inflation in councillor remuneration. The BBC has also started to pick up on the changed narrative with Nick Robinson comparing Tory Trafford's budget with that of Labour's shroud-waving Manchester. At the moment voters are blaming central and local government almost equally. How that changes will be interesting to watch.
Team of the Week: The Work & Pension ministers. Both IDS and Chris Grayling took more important steps towards a reshaping of the welfare system that makes work pay and focuses help on the genuinely needy. Some of the facts highlighted by Chris Grayling are chilling:
Rebel of the Week: Lord Lamont. The former Chancellor led the ultimately unsuccessful effort to get a 40% turnout threshold for the AV referendum. He convinced unlikely Tory peers including Lord Howe and Baroness Trumpington to vote with him. The Commons prevailed although I haven't met a Tory MP who doesn't (privately) agree with the case that Norman Lamont made in Monday's Times (£).
A big week in politics. Difficult to choose the biggest moment:
The third story is not obviously as big as the first two stories but they have a uniting theme: rebellion. The challenge for all of us - activists, bloggers, pundits, politicians - is to understand that more frequent, bigger rebellions are going to be the stuff of Coalition government. Few MPs and councillors feel loyal to the Coalition or the Coalition Agreement in the same way they are loyal to their Party or their Party's manifesto. Tory MPs, rebelling in very large numbers, aren't so much rebelling aghainst Cameron but against the Coalition. Rebellions that would be of crisis proportions if we were a one colour government need to be seen differently.
Frontbencher of the Week: George Osborne. I didn't like him announcing an £800 million tax increase on the Today programme but he got the balancing act right on the banks. He did just enough to ride the public's anti-banker mood but not enough to undermine the City. He also bested Ed Balls in their first Commons battle.
Good move of the Week: Boris got big coverage in the London Evening Standard for his announcement of more police officers for the capital's streets. Harry Phibbs noted it here.
David Cameron's moment of the Week: His multiculturalism speech. It was exactly the right message on extremism and will reinforce his security credentials.
Bias of the Week: The BBC probably deserves the award... every morning I wake up to the Today programme and another cuts story - one day they'll lead on waste, or the burdens facing British business but unlikely... but I'll give this award to the Local Government Chronicle for the latest in a lengthening line of anti-Coalition stories.
Worry of the Week: On last night's Question Time, Francis Maude was roundly jeered for blaming Labour for the deficit. It was a Question Time audience and not necessarily representative but we need to explain the deficit reduction programme in more varied terms. I've argued that a moral explanation for living within our means is essential.
If you have an idea for next week's Review please email Tim.
By Tim Montgomerie
Good frontbencher of the week: Nick Herbert. His crime maps really caught the public imagination this week with five million hits an hour at one stage. Over time they'll become an important tool via which the public will be able to hold the police to account. Watch him explain the policy.
Bad frontbencher of the week: Ken Clarke. The Justice Secretary and his weak approach to crime are big vulnerabilities for the Coalition. The Sun called for him to be sacked yesterday. Today they paint him as being less than honest on knife crime. The newspaper is going to pursue the Justice Secretary until he is moved or sacked.
Backbenchers of the week: David Davis and Dominic Raab. The former Shadow Home Secretary was the first prominent Tory to say that Parliament should say 'no' to the European courts who wanted Britain to give votes to prisoners. The Government first proposed that prisoners should have voting rights unless they'd been sentenced to four years or less but are now giving backbenchers (and PPS's) a free vote. Mr Davis recommends that the Coalition stands up to the Whitehall lawyers who are always ready to agree to European instructions. Dom Raab MP made similar arguments in a superb piece for yesterday's Telegraph. The Mail described the whole episode as "a line in the sand". "Tory MPs," it said, "are to be given the green light to assert the supremacy of Parliament in a defining battle with the European courts."
Good rebels of the week. The twenty Tory MPs who voted for an in/out referendum on the EU. They are listed here. Their time will come.
Naughty rebels of the week: The three Conservative MPs who voted with Labour against sale of forestry lands. For the reasons I outlined here Tories shouldn't assume private ownership is bad and public ownership is good.
Non-rebellion of the week: The NHS Bill. Not a single Tory MP (or Lib Dem) voted against the government's NHS plans.
Cameron moment of the week: The PM's robust BBC interview defending the NHS reforms - proving (again) that he's best with his back against the wall.
Mindreader of the week: Ed Balls. Mervyn King may have said, re the deficit reduction plan, that ‘The right course has been set and it is important to maintain it’ but the Shadow Chancellor told Andrew Marr that the Governor of the Bank of England didn't really believe it.
Tweet of the week: Since 2005, Britain's economy has grown by 2%, the eurozone's by 4%, Brazil's by 25%, India's by 47% and China's by 69% http://j.mp/fPfE18 ...from @plegrain.
Opinion poll finding of the week: Ed Miliband is seen as more left-wing than Brown.
Photograph of the week: Sally Bercow in that bedsheet. If she really doesn't want to be seen as a bimbo ("A woman regarded as vacuous or as having an exaggerated interest in her sexual appeal") she really shouldn't act like one.
If you have a suggestion for next week's Review please email it in.


You don't build a car like that and *NOT* Try to eke out every bit of performance possible. Hell, some of the LeMans cars are using ELECTRIC power steering pumps with a motor that only turns the pump on while cornering. They say that when turning, drag does increase on the alternator that's about the same as having the PS Pump on, but there's no power steering drag on the engine when going straight. that saves what? half a horsepower?heh, you think you would notice the A/C is on in this car?it's no 4 banger that gets sucked of all it's performance when it's turned on. Besides ,can you imagine how hot it would get inside that car!?


text:
Skip the store-bought stuff: You and the kids can make custom cards, tags, decorations and goodie-bag toppers. They're inexpensive and easy. Just download our editable templates, add your name and the recipient's name and print.
Giving a cupcake or yummy pastry? Add a note of appreciation to really impress them!
We sent a note to our support staff about the glitch you just experienced. Please click the button below to reload your content.
How to Install Wainscoting (12:40)
Bathroom Technology (01:00)
Install a Wood Parquet Floor (01:00)
Installing a Mantel on Stone (00:03:53)
Super Suite! (20:00)
Installing a Vessel Sink (01:00)
The Joy of Outdoor Kitchens (02:21)
Perfect Pitch for a Patio (01:25)
Applying Stucco to DIY Project (00:01:00)
Installing Sliding Glass Doors (00:01:00)
How To Make a Coffee Bean Backsplash 14 Photos
15 Romantic Bathroom Designs 15 Photos
How To Make a Corset T-Shirt Dress 8 Photos
How To Make a Classic Tulle Tutu 15 Photos
Setting up a Basic DIY Toolkit 26 Photos
Outdoor Kitchens and Grilling Spaces 29 Photos
© 2014 Scripps Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.


Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar are now back to recreate the same magic on screen after Dam Laga Ke Haisha.
Both will be seen in Aanand L Rai’s film Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. According to the film’s director, RS Prasanna, the film is said to be a spiritual remake of the Tamil film Kalyana Samayal Sadham.
Filmmaker Aanand L Rai took to Twitter to announce the release date of the film. He captioned the picture as, “Seems they’re almost there… coming to you on 1stSeptember! #ShubhMangalSaavdhan1stSEP.”
This film revolves around the less talked about and sensitive issue of erectile dysfunction. It is going to release on Sep 01.


text:
Aviation regulators around the world have introduced waivers for airport slot allocation systems, allowing airlines to cancel unnecessary flights without risking their precious slot real estate. How have these relief measures been rolled out around the world, and for how long might they be needed?
For decades, the world’s busiest airports have used slot allocation to make sure precious slots for take-offs and landings are allocated efficiently, making the best possible use of flight movements to maximise passenger throughput.
The World Slot Guidelines (WSG), published and overseen by the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Joint Slot Advisory Group, provide a standardised framework for managing these slots, with the document’s standards evolving since 1974.
According to IATA, there were 204 airports worldwide in summer 2019 that had enough constraint on capacity to require slot coordination, representing 1.5 billion annual passenger departures, or around 43% of global departing passengers.
“Aviation is the most global of industries, so where capacity constraints exist, there is a need for a single, harmonized, global set of guidelines,” notes an IATA WSG document. “The basic principles of slot management are transparency, certainty, flexibility and sustainability. Flights operate between two airports; it’s vital that the rules at both ends work consistently and in harmony.”
Among the host of guidelines surrounding airport slot allocation, there is a central tenet – the so-called ‘80-20’ or ‘use it or lose it’ rule. Under normal circumstances, this principle requires airlines to operate flights on at least 80% of their allocated slots, or face losing their rights to operate the slot in the next equivalent season.
But with the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) spreading across the globe and countries implementing increasingly stringent lockdown measures and travel restrictions, these are anything but normal circumstances for airlines and airports. How is the enforcement of slot allocation guidelines changing in response?