text:
Race on for second place
With John Pugh odds-on favourite to win Southport for the LibDems, attention has now switched to which party will grab second place.
The Conservatives have held that position since Mr Pugh was first elected in 2001.
However, the resort's UKIP branch has a definite spring in its step and is determined to grab second place if they fail to win outright.
Deputy leader Paul Nuttall, speaking to me at a UKIP public meeting in the Royal Clifton Hotel on the Promenade last week, revealed his party's private polls show they are already in second place in the resort.
“What is so interesting about Southport is that it's a four-way marginal. We are the only party who can go on and beat the LibDems and remove John Pugh,” he said.
The resort's UKIP candidate Terry Durrance said: “I've never known such a positive response on the doorstep. Things are going really well.
“I have to say that this time around I am so optimistic that we could gain the seat and a number of councillors on the local authority.”
But aren't UKIP running out of steam in the polls I asked the party's national executive committee member Neil Hamilton: “Not at all, we're all running twice as fast as in any previous election.
“We were only 3% at this stage in 2010 and now we're on an average of 15% or more in the polls and we could do even better than that by the end of the campaign.
“Southport is very much a marginal seat with UKIP being the game-changers with the collapse of the LibDem vote, the Tories in the doldrums and Labour nowhere. We could take this seat without any great difficulty.”
The other main parties fighting to win Southport obviously do not share UKIP's optimism. But if they did come in second, this would be a major blow pushing the Tories into third position with Labour fourth.
You can see a video of UKIP's meeting in the Royal Clifton on www.channel1southport.co.uk
Damien does it his way
Supporters of Conservative candidate Damien Moore were unhappy with my claim last week that his party's campaign lacked fire and was too low profile.
Did I want a chat with him to discuss the points I made, it was suggested. Of course.
His campaign team is based in first floor offices in London Street (I didn't realise they had moved from their spacious headquarters in West Street).
After having a very friendly and interesting chat with him, I happily accept that Damien has been working hard, meeting people in the town centre, delivering leaflets and chatting to residents on the doorstep.
But why haven't we seen more of him in our local newspapers and online news sites? “The campaign approach that we've taken is to get out there, talk to people on the doorstep, to make sure that we're engaging with people.
“My approach is about talking to people and not about fighting for the latest headline (a dig at John Pugh's campaign, I suspect).
“We are getting a good reaction. I think most political commentators are saying the national result is too close to call and I think in Southport it will be very close.
“I think when people realise what I'm fighting for – whether it's getting Lord Street revitalised, protecting pensioners or sorting out the problem of immigration – they'll want someone who believes in the things that they do.”
You can see a video interview with Damien on www.channel1southport.co.uk
Simple is best
The simple questions are often the best. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon had been fielding a series of detailed and complicated questions at her party's manifesto launch in Edinburgh on Monday, when Channel 4's Alex Thompson suddenly asked: “Why are the English scared of you?”
This short but very important question was greeted with amusement by her lively and enthusiastic supporters before Mrs Sturgeon replied: “They're not.”
Nicola is the star of the 2015 general election campaign (despite being painted as the most dangerous woman in the UK by certain sections of the Press). She was the clear winner of the leaders' debates with her calm and assured performances plus her straight talking. Whether you agree with her or not, she has this ability to speak in a way people understand and respond to.
If as predicted Labour form the next government with the support of the SNP, Nicola Sturgeon will govern Scotland with her eye on England, while her former boss Alex Salmond holds court in Westminster.
Interesting times ahead.
We've got it
Aren't we the popular one? Southport has been the first port of call for local and national media organisations for pre-election reports.
We had the Channel 5 News cameras reporting live from outside Funland on the Promenade the other week, while Roger Johnson and his BBC North West Tonight team interviewed all six candidates in Lord Street last Thursday.
BBC Radio Merseyside with the excellent presenter Roger Phillips are due to broadcast a live debate today (11.30am-1pm) from the town centre, and tomorrow retirement housebuilders McCarthy and Stone host a pre-election hustings event in Southport.
Finally the six hopefuls try to sell their views to students in KGV College next week.


Resources > Research
Latin Americans are Booking More Travel Online
January 08, 2013
New research from eMarketer shows Latin Americans are making more and more travel arrangements via the Internet
Recent figures from eMarketer suggest that the travel industry should look to invest more in digital marketing to reach Latin American travelers. Here’s why:
- Online travel sales growth for Latin America is forecast to be 30% in 2013, after 35% growth in 2012—this is the largest growth in all regions in the world
- Online travel sales in Latin America will nearly double from 15 billion in 2012 to $29 billion by 2015
- By 2016, online travel sales will represent 39% of overall travel sales in Latin America
- 31% of Latin American Internet users access online travel sites, including 36% of Brazilian Internet users, 36% of Argentine Internet users and 26% of Mexican Internet users.
Read more here.


|Home||» Products||» Rice Destoner||» Paddy Cleaner Cum Destoner|
Paddy Cleaner Cum Destoner
In this domain, we have gained enormous appreciation for manufacturing and exporting superior grade of Paddy Cleaner Cum Destoner. This range of de-stoner is manufactured by our dexterous professionals by making use of high grade quality materials and latest technologies in compliance with the industrial quality standards. These cleaners can be availed by our precious patrons in various capacities, sizes and specifications as per their requirements. Paddy Cleaner Cum Destoner is ideally used to clean grains by separating impurities such as straw, clay, dust, sand and heavy particles.
Excellent cleaning efficiency
Long service life
The clean paddy sent to the rubber roll sheller to process further. The advantages with the paddy cleaner are it increases the life of rubber rollers and the percentage of oil in bran.
The function of the dust blower is to remove the dust from paddy through the pipeline connected to the paddy cleaner. This equipment is recommended for installation in conventional rice mills, also to get the same advantages as of modern rice mills.


text:
Why did forever end? Although ABC gave the series a full-season episode order on Novem, it cancelled Forever after one season. ABC cited the show’s low ratings as the rationale behind the decision.
What is forever based on? Origin. The concept for Forever came from a conversation between series creator Matt Miller and his five-year-old son about death.
What is immortality Chinese drama about? Synopsis. The story is set in a tumultuous era where the world is facing a probable invasion by the demon world due to a rift in the heavens.
Who is the killer in the One and Only? Into the mix comes Min Woo Cheon (Kim Kyung Nam), a meticulous, elite contract killer. Although he is one of the nation’s most deadly hitmen, he never intended to live his life this way and his cool exterior covers deep sadness.
Why did forever end? – Related Questions
Where was Forever and Ever filmed?
The remake followed much of the storyline as the original, with the only major change being its location-from Hong Kong to the US.
Is Forever love based on a true story?
This made-for-television drama film, loosely based on the true story of Canadian Annie Shapiro, tells the story of a woman who attempts to rebuild her life after awakening from a twenty-year coma.
What is the highest rating Chinese drama?
Top 100 Chinese Dramas
- #1. Nirvana in Fire. Chinese Drama – 2015, 54 episodes. …
- #2. The Untamed. Chinese Drama – 2019, 50 episodes. …
- #3. Reset. Chinese Drama – 2022, 15 episodes. …
- #4. Joy of Life. …
- #5. Love Like the Galaxy: Part 2. …
- #6. Go Ahead. …
- #7. Love Like the Galaxy: Part 1. …
- #8. Love Between Fairy and Devil.
What is the ending of One and Only Chinese drama?
Since I said that this drama made me cry, One and Only has a sad ending. Sheng-Chen was murdered by Jin-Rong and Zi-Ching. This causes Shi-Yi to be in her lowest state. Just imagine that you can’t have a relationship with the man you love, and then suddenly he was dead.
Is Forever and Ever continuation of One and Only?
To treat disappointment, the drama Forever and Ever can be an option. Because this drama is a sequel to the drama One and Only. Shi Yi’s love story continues in modern life through Forever and Ever.
What is Chinese drama Forever and Ever about?
Unable to forget the woman he met at the airport, Zhou Sheng Chen reaches out to Shi Yi with an unexpected offer of marriage. Accepting Zhou Sheng Chen’s offer, Shi Yi works alongside her new husband to save the family business. But the obstacles before them are great and fate is not always on their side.
Does Forever love have a happy ending?
This is a beautiful love story about a woman who was in a coma for 20 years and wakes up to find her husband and best friend are in love and her daughter is now grown. However, it does have a happy ending! It’s based on a true story and was quite unbelievable the first time I read the script.
Do you need to watch One and Only before Forever and Ever?
Technically, Forever and Ever is a continuation of One and Only so it would only be logical to watch the first half before the second half.
Is there a season 2 for forever?
The network refused to make Forever Season 2 after people watched the episodes days later, according to a television reviewer. There were 8.26 million viewers for the first episode of the show.

domain: artistic


text:
See our store section for gifts by different stores
See our top gift ideas section for most popular items.
Create your own personal gift registry. Register for any item, from any store, for any occasion. Find the gift registries of your family and friends.
Ever find the perfect gift idea for someone, but their birthday was months away? We make it easy to remember your gift ideas.
Provides timely email reminders for a birthday, anniversary, and other special occasions.
Get advice from friends and family on which gifts to buy.
Personalized First Name Framed Print
Personalized Glass Photo Plate of Baby or Child
Baby Girl Personalized Magazine Cover Digital Print
Personalized Baby Acrylic Photo Block
Bunny's Best Friend Art Print
Personalized Pastel Letter on Canvas
Safari Personalized Growth Chart
Personalized Mary's Ark Art Print
Personalized Storybook Adventure Framed Art Print
Jesus Loves Me Personalized Mini Canvas Wall Art
Personalized 'Angel' Masterpiece
Guardian Angel with Child Statue
Recycled Glass Sheep Night Light
Personalized Blue Alphabet Name Wall Canvas
Pink Polka Dots Personalized 12" Canvas Print
Sacred Heart of Jesus Statue
Personalized Square Photo and Name Art Print
Personalized Blue Dreams Masterpiece
I Love You Elephant Print Canvas Wall Art
Child's Will Move Mountains Framed Wall Art
Musical Rabbit Personalized Poster
The Chicken or the Egg II Personalized Art Print
Mermaid Lagoon Wall Art Canvas Reproduction
Kid's Face Art with Black Frame
Custom high quality canvas art created by your voice.
Choose from 500+ fun designs or create your own theme! From $29.
Use your photo collection in your very own photo mosaic!


RIM Blackberry users have been hit with a massive data outage that has cut them off email, web and instant message services for a few hours already. The outage started just after 1015 BST according to tweets from concerned users and mobile phone operators.
A rendering of what looks like the new Samsung Galaxy Nexus Prime has been published by a Greek website called Digital Life. The handset is positively massive with a curved profile and a huge screen, surrounded by a rather thin bezel.
A group of researchers from the Manchester University, known for their advanced work on graphene, has announced that they have successfully developed a new sandwich lookalike architecture which could soon introduce some revolutionary changes in the tech-world by replacing silicon.
Much to the disappointment of end users, as well as a majority of the service providers, the UK telecom watchdog Ofcom has decided to delay the auction of 4G spectrum. The auction, which was scheduled to held during the early days of the coming year, have been postponed to a later time.


text:
VISUAL BRAND IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT & DESIGN
Daintree Collections is new farming enterprise located on the banks of the Daintree River in Far North Queensland.
Totem Marketing worked with the Noli family to establish a brand vision for the company and create a visual brand identity.
We started out establishing a clear brief and brand position for Daintree Collections.
From here, we created various concepts and design options for the team to consider. We provided guidance on what they could scale, options which could be considered timeless, and how each concept would position them in the industry and their locale.
The result is a brand with the vibrancy and colour of the Daintree Rainforest. We applied a contemporary aesthetic which they can easily adapt for the business as their product catalogue and reach grows..
The full suite of deliverables we created included:
- a detailed visual identity brand guideline
- brand logo in various file formats
- brand element designs and files
- stationary designs and files for a business card, letterhead and email signature
- packaging files
- social media brand assets
With a clear visual brand direction, the ability for Daintree Collections to now present their product to new, exciting markets becomes easier and more impactful.


text:
Discover your own piece of paradise and experience Thailand's famed hospitality from our serene beachside location at Lamai Beach, on Koh Samui's east coast.
Explore the island's unique culture, local communities and breathtaking scenic surrounds, from our idyllic hotel.
Our hotel spaces, 63 guest suites and 14 stand alone villas, offer world class amenities and a fusion of timeless Sino Thai style, in keeping with Koh Samui's enchanting story, bar and lounge will enrich your experience and provide a perfect place to contemplate, create or share a day's personal adventures.
In line with Le Méridien's commitment to culture and tradition, the philosophy of "Feng Shui" living is integrated throughout the resorts design.
Within this traditional context, selected design principles of wood, water, earth, metal and fire are displayed in each of the 6 different room categories and spaces to reflect the principles of living by social status that is divided into 6 stages of life.
From the moment you enter through the Yin Yang porte cochere, leave worries behind and enter the resort with a neutral feeling and an open mind. Embrace the abundance of flowing water representing luck, wealth and happiness throughout the space of the resort.
Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa chic and spacious guest suites and villas offer an understated style that will impress the most seasoned travelers. Our in room facilities include: LCD TV, DVD player, iPod docking system, high speed internet access, and an open air bathroom with luxury bathroom amenities.
Pool villas and suites feature direct pool access or private pools for your relaxation. The distinctive Ocean Front Pool Villas feature stunning Gulf of Thailand views, infinity lap pools and sala pavilions for the ultimate in luxury. Discover the 224 meter floating ocean pier, a unique venue for private dinners and sunset cocktails or enjoy a relaxed sunrise with yoga in the morning.
:: Luxury Suite (Size: 45 m2) - 16 Suites ::
With contemporary style and a private enclosed verandah with day bed, the 45 square meter Verandah Suite is an oasis of tranquility where guests can fully unwind and relax. The bedroom features opaque draping that evoke the spirit of nature while a mélange of furnishings create an ambiance that is at once contemporary and traditional.
:: Suite with Terrace (Size: 50 m2) - 10 Suites ::
The stylish 50 square meter, one bedroom Terrace Suite features a private open-air terrace overlooking the swimming pool and resort grounds set with sumptuous day beds for relaxation. The suite is finished with rich, "new age" Thai and Chinese fixtures and furnishings, including an elegant chaise lounge.
:: Luxury Suite with Spa Pool (Size: 50 m2) - 16 Suites ::
The Plunge Pool Suite offers guests a secluded sanctuary that includes an internal open air private plunge pool in the centre of the room along with an enclosed verandah deck and day bed seating overlooking resort grounds.
Featuring Thai and Chinese contemporary decoration and measuring 50 square meters, a Plunge Pool Suite is the perfect choice for privacy and luxury combined.
:: Luxury Suite with Pool Access (Size: 50 m2) - 21 Suites ::
The refined 50 square meter Pool Access Suite offers direct connection to a private pool complex with its own open terrace and decking arrayed with day beds. A synthesis of Thai and Chinese decor creates an enchanting space where guests can fully experience the local culture as they unwind.
:: Pavilion Pool Villa (Size: 105 m2) - 7 Villas ::
Space and style combine to opulent effect in this 105 square meter private sanctuary. Distinguished design and luxurious appointments create a rarefied ambiance that is reinforced by a private infinity edge lap pool set with double size sun loungers. For the epitome of high living, private in villa dining with a personal chef and butler is available upon request.
:: Ocean Front Pool Villa (Size: 165 m2) - 7 Villas ::
With 165 square meters of internal and external living space, Le Méridien Koh Samui's exceptional Ocean Front Pool Villas offer limitless ocean views. These free standing villas feature an open air sala, air-conditioned sitting room sala, sumptuous double sun loungers and private ocean view facing an infinity lap pool. Discreet in villa dining with a personal chef and butler is available on request.
Exquisite settings and unparalleled service define the dining experience in our distinctive restaurant, lounge and bar.
- Delicious all day dining in a casual and lively setting. With international delights and local flavors creating a blend of east and west, discover a truly relaxed dining experience with limitless ocean views.
Opening Hours: 06.30 am. - 11.00 pm.
- The perfect place to enjoy culinary experiences inspired by a coffee house environment by day and international wine setting by night. Choose to savour fresh coffee and pastries to stimulate thinking or gather with new and old friends over conversation.
Opening Hours: 09.00 am. - 11.00 pm.
Cuisine: Beverages + Snacks
Ocean Pier Dining
SERVICES & FACILITIES
- Capture memorable moments and discover unique drink and dinner options on our 224 meter floating Ocean Pier with panoramic views across the Gulf of Thailand.
Opening Hours: 06.30 am. - 10.30 pm.
For a multi dimensional fitness experience and total relaxation, visit our inviting beach front or ocean pools and state of the art fitness centre. Active guests will appreciate our range of water sport activities, to explore the Gulf of Thailand.
:: Services & Facilities ::
- Latest Recipe
- Latitude 9
- Plunge Bar
- Experience Dining
- Ocean Pier Experience
- Le SPA
- Kid Clubs
- On Site Library
- Outdoor Ocean Pool
- Main Outdoor Resort Pool
- Fitness Centre
- Beach Access
- Tour Desk
- New Signature Breakfast
- Welcome Drinks
- Airport Transfer
- Complimentary Shuttle Service
- Tour / Excursion Service
- 24 Hour Security
- Luggage Storage
:: Complimentary Daily Shuttle ::
- Concierge Service
- Laundry Service
- Dry Cleaning Service
- Multilingual Staff
- Bellmen / Porters
- Wireless High Speed Internet Access
- Celebrating of The Day
- Meeting Venues
- Wedding packages
- Monday to Chaweng at 19:30 Hrs
- Tuesday to Lamai Beach at 15:00 Hrs
- Wednesday to Chaweng at 19:30 Hrs
- Thursday to Lamai Beach at 15:00 Hrs
- Friday to Fisherman Village Walking Street at 19:30
- Saturday to Chaweng Beach at 19:30 Hrs
:: Daily Activities ::
- Sunday to Lamai Walking Street at 19:30 Hrs
- Daily to Coral Cove and Silver Beach at 11:00 Hrs and return at 16:00 Hrs.
- Fish Feeding @ The Dock
- Fit Ball Exercise @ Fitness centre
- Champion Of The Day @ The Plunge Bar
- Batik Painting @ The Library *
- Table Tennis competition @ The court
- A Celebration Of The Day @ The Lobby
- Movie by The Pool @ The Pool
- Thai Language Class @ The Library
- Thai Cooking Class (Som Tum) @ The Latitude 9
- Basic Thai Boxing Class @ The Lawn
- Beach Soccer @ The Beach
- Gel Candle Making @ The Library *
Charges are applicable with activities marked with this * symbol
- Dumbbell Workout Upper Body @ The Fitness Centre
- Trip to Big Buddha by hotel Car @ The Lobby *
- Beach Volleyball @ The Beach
- Kayaks / fishing
For an unforgettable board meeting or stunning beachside function, Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa will inspire you with creativity and a dedicated team to ensure the success of your event. Our refined meeting room, The Library and a selection of breathtaking outdoor spaces can be transformed to suit your vision.
Le Méridien Koh Samui offers the world-class luxury Le SPA with a customized menu of rejuvenating experiences that combine ancient cultural methods and ingredients to revitalize the mind, body and spirit.
The doors that lead to the treatment suites date back to 1700´s, salvaged from a Chinese Mansion.
Traditionally leading to the family basement where the wealth of the family was securely kept, here at Le SPA, it doubles as a place of relaxation, rejuvenation and harmony.

domain: travel


text:
|Western Australia has recorded eleven consecutive quarters of growth in building activity in trend terms, according to June quarter data released October 20 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. |
Growth was experienced in Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. The Australian Capital Territory has experienced particularly strong growth over the last six quarters.
Building activity on the whole rose in Australia over the June Quarter, both in trend terms and in seasonally adjusted terms. However, compared to the same quarter last year, both series had decreased.
All components of total growth (new residential buildings commenced, newhouse commencements, other residential commencements, alterations and additions, and non residential building) grew over the last quarter.

domain: geography


The main or primary heating system in any building is generally accepted as being the system that heats the largest proportion of that building, usually by means of a central heating system. This is a system where either water or air is heated in a primary heating source. The furnace or boiler is fuelled by oil or gas or occasionally by electricity. Many buildings, particularly private dwellings, often require a secondary heating system in one or more rooms to supplement the primary source of heat.
Fixed Secondary Heaters
Secondary heaters may be either portable or fixed. Fixed heaters are usually in the form of a fireplace, a stove or a hearth and must be included in the description of the property if it is to be sold. Secondary heaters are often wood- or coal-burning and require a chimney or flue to remove any fumes or dangerous gases produced by the heater. Many fireplaces and hearths that once burnt wood or coal have been converted to burning gas, using artificial logs and displaying naked flames to simulate the visual warmth of a natural fire.
A secondary heating device that is completely self-contained and at the same time portable is generally known as a space heater. The space heater can be one of several forms. Gas heaters typically have an LP gas cylinder in a cabinet at their rear, and fire elements at the front that must be lit. These heaters pose a possible risk from carbon monoxide poisoning and should be used only in rooms that have plenty of ventilation. The more common space heaters are electric, either using direct radiation from a heating element or in the form of an oil-filled radiator that is heated by electricity. Paraffin, or kerosene, heaters are still used in some countries but are considered dangerous, often causing death by fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.
Underfloor heating is becoming more and more popular. Although in many houses it is the primary heating source, it is often used in a single room as an alternative secondary heating source. The concept of underfloor heating goes back thousands of years, having been used by ancient Chinese and later by the Romans. Heating in those days was often achieved by an external fire with flues that distributed the hot gases. Today, it usually is either by underfloor electric wiring, in a method similar to an electric blanket's wiring, or in some cases by sending hot water through underfloor pipes.


Panels with Mary Thomas: An Evening with Yeg Authors
LCCMedia hosts once a month a panel of top intellectuals to discuss pertinent issues across Alberta.
In April, the panel focused on the challenges of being immigrant female writers in Alberta. Most immigrant writers are independently published which is refreshing but it can be very expensive. We lack the sophisticated marketing structure authors have when they have agents and so on.
One wonders whether the fact that our books are not main stream is part of the problem. But we must advocate for our stories to be told. No one can tell our stories better than ourselves. Our stories are culturally rich, filled with values and morals and in many ways, we must tell our children the stories our parents told us. This is why we must advocate for immigrant writers in Alberta.
Immigrant writers need visibility primarily.
The authors are Eileen Omosa, Yaa Serwaa Somuah and Alison Clarke.
The panel was inspiring showing that if you are determined, all things are possible to you.


text:
Pozvánka na seminár (31.10.2022)
Všetkých srdečne pozývame na prednášku , ktorá sa uskutoční dňa 31. októbra 2022 o 13:00 h v miestnosti č. 107.
Profesor Hirotomo Nishihara
(Advanced Institute for Materials Research / Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, Japonsko)
- Functional carbon materials: new synthesis approaches and analysis method
In this talk, recent four topics of my laboratory will be introduced regarding the development of functional carbon materials and advanced analysis methods.
The first topic is nanoporous materials with single-graphene walls, graphene mesosponges (GMS) . There are many publications describing „graphene porous materials“ and „three-dimensional (3D) graphene materials“. However, most of them are materials with stacked graphene walls or materials with macropores rather than micro/mesopores. By contrast, GMS possesses unique properties such as developed mesopores, oxidation resistance, high conductivity, and mechanical flexibility. Thus, GMSis expected to have a variety of applications including supercapacitors, lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells, heat pumps , and catalyst supports.
The second topic is the synthesis of MOF-like ordered carbon materials called ordered carbonaceous frameworks (OCFs). Recently, carbonization of crystalline materials like metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has been intensively investigated, whereas only amorphous carbons have been synthesized. We have discovered a way to synthesize ordered carbonaceous frameworks (OCFs) which retain the structure regularity as well as molecular blocks of the precursor organic crystal[5,6]. OCFs are the hybrid of crystalline materials like MOFs and carbon materials, and we are developing new catalysts with atomically defined active sites.
The third topic is the development of honeycomb monoliths with very small channel sizes (1 to 200 μm) called microhoneycombs. When a solid/water mixture with appropriate rheology is unidirectionally frozen at a constant rate, uniform-sized ice rods are grown pallarelly to the freezing direction, and subsequent freeze-drying yields microhoneycombs . We have discovered a very strong structure-directing function of cellulose nanofibers, and it enables the inclusion of a variety of materials in the honeycomb walls .
The fourth topic is the development of new temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) technique up to 2300 °C with very high detection sensitivity. The advanced TPD enables the quantification of the number of graphene edge sites in any carbon materials including graphite and carbon nanotubes at a ppm level [2, 9]. We extend the advanced TPD to the analysis of N-doped carbons as a reliable qualitative and quantitative analysis method of N species at a ppm level.
 H. Nishihara, et al., Adv. Funct. Mater.,26, 6418-6427 (2016).
 K. Nomura, et al., Energy Environ. Sci., 12, 1542-1549 (2019).
 A. Ohma, et al., Electrochim. Acta, 370, 137705 (2021).
 K. Nomura, et al., Nat. Commun., 10, 2559 (2019).
 H. Nishihara, et al., Nat. Commun., 8, 109 (2017).
 T. Yoshii, et al.,Chem. Commun.,58, 3578 (2022).
 Z.-Z. Pan, et al., Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn.,95, 611(2022).
 Z.-Z. Pan, et al., ACS Nano,10, 10689(2016).
 R. Tang, et al.,J. Mater. Chem.A,7, 7480(2019).

domain: literature


text:
Where Special Events Happen
El Dorado Lake is located just north and east of the City of El Dorado at the edge of the scenic Flint Hills. The lake has approximately 8,000 surface acres of water with 98 miles of shoreline. There are approximately 6,000
El Dorado became, for a while, the world's storybook oil field. Butler County encompassed 1,800 producing oil wells on 25,000 acres. The El Dorado Field is a story of men and events that helped Kansas and the nation emerge from the draft-horse and kerosene-lamp years into the gasoline age. "
The historic Butler County Courthouse was built in 1909. Its Romanesque Style was designed by famed architect, George P. Washburn. Its terrazzo floors are still intact and reflect its elegant history.
The first woman jury in Kansas met here in 1912.
A true "Don't judge a book by its cover" stop; something for everyone can be found at Triple S Ranch Supply. They meet your ranching needs as well as a full line of clothing for the cowboy and cowgirl. Ropes, hats and boots are available. If they don'


text:
Located in California’s sunny San Francisco Bay Area, Palo Alto is a key part of the famous Silicon Valley and home to Stanford University. The firm has a beautiful downtown, upscale restaurants, great stores, and it serves as the headquarters of a number of impressive companies. Our editorial team has decided to list ten of Palo Alto’s best and leading general contractors, the names behind some of the city’s most noteworthy tenant improvements. These firms have had the opportunity to work with some of the area’s most sought-after brands and have received countless accolades.
150 E Dana Street, Mountain View, CA 94041
With over three decades of experience, BCCI provides a full range of commercial construction and renovation services and is best known for its tenant improvements, new construction, historic restorations, and seismic retrofits. The firm is privately owned and is recognized as one of the Greater Bay Area’s largest and best contractors. Engineering News-Record named BCCI one of the country’s Top 100 green building contractors and one of California’s best contractors in 2018. The firm’s multifaceted experience has enabled it to become an expert in structures, interiors, and sustainability projects. The BCCI portfolio is a gallery of projects from a variety of market sectors. The firm is affiliated with important industry organizations, including the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and several green building organizations.
Showcased above is one of the firm’s most impressive tenant improvements. Located in Sunnyvale, this project spans over 440,000 square feet and was completed in collaboration with the professionals at Gensler. The firm was tasked with having to rebrand three existing midrise office structures. Its scope encompassed working on open office upgrades, a new 2,400-square-foot wellness center, and an expanded cafeteria.
951 Mariners Island Boulevard, Suite #700, San Mateo, CA 94404
A proven trailblazer in the commercial construction industry, Truebeck Construction is a full-service general contractor that specializes in highly technical and complex projects and interiors. The firm provides building and renovation services, as well as preconstruction, construction management, and safety management work. The firm is also well known for its progressive, highly advanced methods. The firm has a history of tackling and delivering challenging projects, using a variety of methods, from design-build to Integrated Project Delivery. The firm also has expertise in a wide variety of mechanical and electrical systems. The firm’s interiors team specializes in designing offices equipped for living, working, and playing. The firm has been featured multiple times in the pages of Engineering News-Record, which has consistently placed the firm on its annual list of the country’s leading firms. Truebeck has also been recognized by leading industry organizations, including the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Located in Sunnyvale, the selected project spans over 22,000 square feet. The firm’s team had to work with the professionals at IA Interior Architects. The project consists of full-floor interior renovations, which included demolition and new partitions. The company also had to work on the mechanical, electrical, and fire alarm systems.
851 Buckeye Court, Milpitas, CA 95035
Headquartered in Milpitas, XL Construction Corporation assists its clients closely throughout the entire construction process and is highly regarded for its comprehensive methods and approaches. It is noted for completing its projects on time and within budget. The firm is also well-respected for the safety measures it implements before starting any build. Emphasizing the importance of close collaboration between contractor and client, XL utilizes the latest techniques, including BIM. The company’s portfolio includes a wide range of civic, corporate office, education, healthcare, and life science projects. In 2021, the firm ranked 11th on the Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Largest General Contractors Silicon Valley List, 18th on Modern Healthcare‘s Construction and Design List, and 14th on the Sacramento Business Journal’s General Contractors List.
Showcased above is an excellent example of the firm’s talent and expertise. Located in Los Gatos and finished together with the architects at Form4 Architecture, this project spans over 137,000 square feet. It is located in Netflix’s Albright Campus and also included work on high-end finishes, conference rooms, and office space.
South Bay Construction
1711 Dell Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008
Extending its services throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, South Bay Construction is composed of an experienced team of talented professionals. The firm draws inspiration from decades of industry experience and employs a design-build approach. It offers its clients stellar value engineering and consistently reaffirms long-term relationships with some of the area’s most notable household brands.
South Bay’s portfolio displays a wide range of project types, including commercial structures as well as education, healthcare, and hospitality facilities. It also manages several mixed-use, residential, tenant improvement, and retail projects. The featured project is an excellent example of the company’s talent and expertise. Located in Palo Alto, this project spans over 33,000 square feet and consists of two floors. Some of its details include new ceilings, flooring, fixtures, and several upgrades to the kitchen and offices.
2384 Walsh Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95051
Servicing the greater San Francisco Bay area, Skyline Construction is an employee-owned firm that specializes in working on corporate office interiors. The firm is a part of a family of construction companies that have serviced a variety of areas throughout the country. It is well-known for its team’s talents and expertise. The Skyline team has transformed various spaces into dynamic and unique offices, and it has received numerous recognitions. The firm has been in the industry since 1996 and it is also proud to be a woman-led enterprise. Sifting through its portfolio, you may notice that, in addition to corporate offices, it has completed projects in the healthcare, financial, and retail sectors. The firm has worked on a variety of headquarters.
The featured project features the firm’s work for Gibson Dunn, which hired the firm to build two of its offices in San Francisco and Palo Alto. Its San Francisco office spans over 65,000 square feet and achieved LEED Gold Certification. As for its Palo Alto office, it includes 15,000 square feet of remodeled offices, a kitchen, and a 10,000-square-foot expansion.
910 Thompson Place, Sunnyvale, CA 94085
Having completed over 2,000 projects since its inception, SC Builders offers its clients a complete and comprehensive range of general contracting services. It operates out of its headquarters in Sunnyvale and takes great pride in its 87% repeat clientele rate. The company is committed to the green building movement and infuses various sustainability practices into its spaces. The firm has been in business since 1999 and has had the opportunity to work on some of the best projects throughout Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay area.
This project features the firm’s work for Facebook’s Palo Alto campus. It spans roughly 337,000 square feet and achieved LEED Gold Certification. The company had to transform a former lab facility into an all-new corporate headquarters. It now includes a new cafe, several conference rooms, and server rooms.
1460 O’Brien Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025
NOVO Construction operates out of three offices located in Menlo Park, San Francisco, and Austin. The company upholds the highest standards and can handle projects of any size or scale. Its headquarters are located in Menlo Park, home to most of its employees. The firm has been in business since 2000 and has been involved with some of the most notable projects in the Bay Area. Specializing in small to large-scale build-outs, NOVO showcases its deep understanding of Menlo Park’s most popular architectural vernaculars. It has secured long-standing relationships with countless customers for the greater part of two decades. It describes its approach as similar to that of a “boutique” firm, assuring clients that it personalizes and tailors its methods for each project it takes on.
Completed back in 2021, the chosen photo showcases the firm’s work for Advent International. It spans over 16,200 square feet and is located in downtown Palo Alto. The project also includes private office space and excellently planned open office seating. The project required having to rework the existing mechanical system and rooftop equipment.
Vance Brown Builders
3197 Park Boulevard, Palo Alto, CA 94306
With over eight decades of industry experience, Vance Brown Builders values the long-term partnerships it has secured with both subcontractors and clients. It offers a complete and comprehensive range of services and achieves the best results through cost-effective methods. The firm is also an expert in the design-build process, which gives the clients the option to keep the entire process in-house. Its use of the latest Building Information Technology and affinity for sustainable practices are especially impressive.
The chosen project is located in the heart of Palo Alto. Labeled in its portfolio as 120 Hawthorne, this project was designed and constructed for R & M Properties. It spans around 8,400 square feet. The project included demolition work as well as new high-end offices, restrooms, and conference rooms.
1585 Terminal Avenue, San Jose, CA 95112
Headquartered in San Jose, TICO extends its services throughout the area surrounding it. It is composed of a talented and experienced team of professionals and provides its clients with a wide range of stellar general contracting services. The firm can take on projects regardless of size or scale and offers its services at highly competitive prices. Aside from the restaurant market, its portfolio also depicts various spaces completed for the automotive, biotechnology, financial, and healthcare sectors. The firm has also worked on various office and retail spaces.
Showcased above is the firm’s work for First Tech in San Jose. This tenant improvement served as a transformation for an existing building. It entailed the demolition of its existing lights and finishes, in addition to the construction of suspended ceilings, interior walls, doors, lights, and finishes. As for its exterior remodels, the firm also worked on ADA upgrades to its parking lot.


Ministers revive no-fault divorce bill to end blame game
The government is to revive its no-fault divorce bill that was shelved in November because of the proroguing of the last parliament and the General Election.
Now that the Conservative government has been returned, a new bill is to be introduced in the coming year.
There was no mention of it in the Queen’s Speech, but it was included in the government notes accompanying the speech.
Under the current system, there are five reasons for being granted a divorce by the courts: adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion, two years separation if both agree to the divorce, or five years separation, even if the husband or wife disagrees.
This has led to many couples using claims of unreasonable behaviour as a way of avoiding the requirement to wait two years.
Ministers are acting to change the law after responses also revealed that the current system can work against any prospect of reconciliation and can be damaging to children by undermining the relationship between parents after divorce.
The government hasn’t put forward any details about the new bill, but some of the proposals it put forward last year included.
retaining the irretrievable breakdown of a marriage as the sole ground for divorce.
replacing the requirement to provide evidence of a ‘fact’ around behaviour or separation with a requirement to provide a statement of irretrievable breakdown.
retaining the two-stage legal process currently referred to as decree nisi and decree absolute
creating the option of a joint application for divorce, alongside retaining the option for one party to initiate the process.
removing the ability to contest a divorce.
introducing a minimum timeframe of 6 months, from petition stage to final divorce (20 weeks from petition stage to decree nisi; 6 weeks from decree nisi to decree absolute).
The divorce will not be automatic at a fixed date at the end of the minimum timeframe but will require the applicant to continue to affirm their decision to seek a divorce. This keeps the important safeguards of the existing process.
Parallel changes will be made to the law governing the dissolution of a civil partnership which broadly mirrors the legal process for obtaining a divorce.
Last year’s proposed legislation did not cover other areas of matrimonial law such as financial provision. It’s not yet known whether that will still be the case with the new redrafted bill.
We shall keep clients informed of developments.
If you would like more information or advice about the issues raised in this article, or any aspect of family law please contact our expert legal team on 0208 004 0065, by email at email@example.com or using the form below.
The contents of this article is general information only. The information in this article is not legal or professional advice. The law may have changed since this article was published. Readers should not act on the basis of the information included and should obtain independent expert advice from qualified solicitors such as those within our firm.


text:
WHAT CRYPTOCURRENCIES CAN YOU TRADE IN NAGA TRADER?
You can trade: Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, NAGA Coin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, Dash, NEO and IOTA.
With NAGA TRADER you can become a part of the cryptocurrency boom that occured in the recent year.
You can open a Live account in NAGA TRADER to trade all above-mentioned cryptos and consult with our 24/7 Support Center to learn more about crypto trading, depositing and sending.
If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our staff.

domain: economics


text:
A vital dimension in diagnosing cellular health
Our mitochondria are key orchestrators of cellular health, responsible for our energy production, biosynthesis of cellular components, and cellular signalling. It has always been very difficult to measure the activity of these infinitely small cell organelles.
The Seahorse XF (please see “Energy pathways” video below) has opened up new diagnostic vistas: high-throughput respirometry has been developed that can dynamically assess the response of mitochondria to changes in their cellular environment. Multiple mitochondrial parameters are available that have the power to predict both disease progression and response to therapy. AONM is now able to offer a range of these new tests.
What tests are available?
Test 1. ATP profile
The ATP Profile determines the total ATP production and allows for a quantitative comparison of the cells’ energy engines – mitochondria and glycolysis. The ATP Profile consists of the following markers:
a) Total ATP
The maximum quantity of ATP that the cells are able to produce at rest via both mitochondrial and non-mitochondrial pathways. Total ATP is all the adenosine triphosphate (our cells’ energy currency) available to the cell. This makes it possible to assess the relative performance of anaerobic glycolysis versus mitochondrial respiration.
b) Mitochondrial ATP (also called ATP-linked respiration)
This is the rate of mitochondrial aTP synthesis in a defined basal state. An increase in the ATP-linked oxygen consumption rate would indicate an increase in ATP demand, whereas a decrease would indicate low ATP demand, lack of substrate availability, and/or damage to oxidative phosphorylation.
c) Glycolytic ATP
ATP can also be produced in the cytosol, outside the mitochondria (though still inside the cell). This is produced solely from glucose, and the amount of ATP per molecule of glucose is very low (just 2 ATP per molecule of glucose). This parameter measures the glycolytic capacity for ATP production: the maximum quantity of ATP that the cells are able to produce at rest via non-mitochondrial pathways, i.e. anaerobic glycolysis. This makes it possible to assess the relative performance of anaerobic glycolysis versus mitochondrial respiration.
d) Reserve capacity
Reserve capacity is the difference between the basal and the maximum respiration rate of the cell. It is a measure of the maximum potential respiration capacity that the cell can utilise under conditions of stress and/or increased energetic demand. Any lack of reserve respiratory capacity generally indicates mitochondrial dysfunction.
Test 2. Mitochondrial Health Index
The mitochondrial health index (MHI) in the circulating mononuclear cells of the blood (PBMCs) is a dynamic index composed of the parameters listed below. It can be used to measure improvement in mitochondrial function, and to help identify where the block to optimal functioning might lie.
a) Basal respiration rate
Basal respiration can be considered a threshold below which the cell cannot sustain oxidative phosphorylation to meet energy demand. Basal respiration is usually controlled strongly by mitochondrial ATP turnover and partly by proton leak .
b) Mitochondrial ATP turnover
This is the rate of mitochondrial ATP synthesis in a defined basal state. An increase in mitochondrial ATP turnover indicates an increase in ATP demand, e.g. by stimulation of ion pumps or metabolic cycles, whereas a decrease indicates low ATP demand, a lack of substrate availability and/or damage to oxidative phosphorylation.
c) Proton leak
This parameter reflects movement of any cations [click here for further explanation) or substrates across the mitochondrial inner membrane, including protons. An increase in proton leak is consistent with the mitochondria becoming less efficient.
d) Maximum respiration rate
This rate gives the maximum oxygen consumption that can take place at Cytochrome c oxidase (Complex IV), whether limited by availability of substrate or activity of the electron transport chain. A decrease in maximum respiratory capacity is then a strong indicator of potential mitochondrial dysfunction.
e) Reserve capacity
The difference between the basal respiration and maximum respiration rate is the reserve capacity of the mitochondrion, which is a measure of the maximum potential respiratory capacity the cell can utilize under conditions of stress and/or increased energetic demand. The lack of reserve respiratory capacity indicates a mitochondrial dysfunction that may not be particularly apparent under basal conditions.
f) Non-mitochondrial respiration rate
This parameter is an index of oxygen-consuming processes that are not mitochondrial. In leucocytes, the non-mitochondrial respiration rate is typically attributed to enzymes associated with inﬂammation, including cyclooxygenases, lipoxygenases and NADPH oxidases. An excessive level is regarded as a negative indicator of mitochondrial health.
g) Calculation of the MHI
This is calculated from the various parameters measured in the test, as follows:
MHI = log (reserve capacity) x (mitochondrial ATP turnover)
(non-mitochondrial) x (proton leak)
The figure calculated for the MHI provides a marker against which the impact of therapy can be measured. For further information, please refer to the seminal article by Chacko et al [i] It was on the basis of the work of Chacko et al at the University of Alabama that this metric was developed (see below for further information, it is well substantiated and recognised internationally).
(Must be ordered at same time as ATP or MHI tests)
Ratio of mtDNA to nDNA
The ratio of mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) to nDNA (nuclear DNA) makes it possible to calculate the number of mitochondria per cell. The amount of mitochondria decreases physiologically with age. However, various metabolic or neurodegenerative diseases are also associated with reduced numbers of mitochondria, which can be the cause of ATP deficiency.
PGC-1α stands for Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator-1Alpha. This is a transcriptional coactivator which is of central importance for the induction of mitochondrial biogenesis.
NRF-2, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, is a transcription factor whose physiological role is to protect cells from reactive oxygen species.
The lactate to pyruvate (L:P) reflects the equilibrium between the product and substrate of the reaction catalyzed by lactase dehydrogenase and indirectly reflects the NADH: NAD+ cytoplasmic redox state. An excess of lactate indicates poor mitochondrial function.
How are the tests conducted?
AONM is working with a laboratory in Magdeburg, Germany, called MMD, Magdeburg Molecular Detections that specialises in mitochondrial testing. MMD is a pioneer in the use of the Seahorse XF. Seahorse Biosciences has developed a unique extracellular flux analyser that is able to measure the two major energy-producing pathways of the cell: mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis. They use a microplate-based system with unprecedented throughput to make these measurements very sensitively, with extremely rapid kinetics. See these videos below for the full explanation:
How the Seahorse XF works
Seahorse: Energy pathways
The tests require only one vial of blood in a CPDA[i] tube. The laboratory uses PBMCs (peripheral blood mononuclear cells, no centrifuging); it is important that they reach Germany quickly. AONM supplies the kit and organises the shipping.
How did the Mitochondrial Health Index evolve?
Researchers at the University of Alabama developed a new set of biomarkers called the Bioenergetic Health Index (BHI) that measures mitochondrial dysfunction, indicating a susceptibility to certain disorders. The sequential addition of well-characterised modulators of oxidative phosphorylation (see more explanation here) allow a mitochondrial profile to be measured in cells (Figure 1). The relation of the different markers to each other reveals crucial information about cellular performance along a sliding scale from optimal to suboptimal. We have termed this the Mitochondrial Health Index rather than “Bioenergetic” Health Index to make it clearer what the main thrust of the parameters is – the mitochondria.
Fig 1. The Bioenergetic Health Index as a dynamic measure of the response of the body to stress
OCR = oxygen consumption rate
Basal = basal respiration;
AL = ATP-linked respiration (mitochondrial ATP turnover)
PL = proton leak; non-mitochondrial = non-mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate
Maximal = maximum oxygen consumption rate
ROS = reactive oxygen species
OxPhos = oxidative phosphorylation
ATP = adenosine triphosphate
Source: Chacko BK, Kramer PA, Ravi S, Benavides GA, Mitchell T, Dranka BP, Ferrick D, Singal AK, Ballinger SW, Bailey SM, Hardy RW, Zhang J, Zhi D, Darley-Usmar VM. The Bioenergetic Health Index: a new concept in mitochondrial translational research. Clin Sci (Lond). 2014 Sep;127(6):367–73

domain: medical


text:
A Seattle-area charter school’s controversial approach to holding students back
This is the second story in Broken Promises, an investigative series about Impact Public Schools, the largest charter school chain in Washington state.
Art Wheeler’s daughter and son were thriving in the fall of their second year at Impact Puget Sound Elementary, a charter school in Tukwila, Washington. Their grades were high, Wheeler said, and they got glowing reports from their teachers.
“Your kids are standouts,” he recalled teachers saying. “They’re a pleasure to have in class.”
But two months into the school year, in November 2019, Wheeler said letters arrived from Impact saying his children were failing, and may have to repeat the year — the year that had just begun. Wheeler was confused. “They messed up,” he thought. “This is for somebody else’s kids.”
The holdback letters were, in fact, for Wheeler's children. Others in their first- and second-grade classes had gotten them, too, teachers told him the next day, based on a single test, rather than students’ overall abilities. The teachers looked stricken, he said. One cried.
Three teachers told KUOW that they've had up to one-third of their students on the "promotion in doubt" list.
Impact said that its grade-retention practice is meant to ensure students master the material. Parents make the ultimate decision about whether to hold a child back, they said, and ultimately, only nine returning students — fewer than 3% — “chose to repeat a grade” in 2021.
But Baionne Coleman, a former Impact administrator, said its policy of sending grade-holdback letters was connected to funding.
Coleman said that Jen Davis Wickens, the co-founder and CEO of Impact, had been adamant that low-scoring students repeat the year.
“This is going to affect our third-grade scores,” Wickens said, according to Coleman.
Third grade is when students first take the state standardized reading and math tests. The state — and funders — use those test scores to determine whether a charter school has met its performance goals.
The tests are high-stakes: In 2021, Impact received a $10.1 million property loan from Equitable Facilities Fund, an organization focused on lending to charter schools. Loan documents include a covenant that students at Impact’s Tukwila school must outperform students in the surrounding school districts on the state math and reading tests.
Wickens declined multiple interview requests for this story and agreed to answer questions only via email through a spokesperson.
“Senior leaders at Impact have never encouraged families to have their child repeat a grade to improve the school ranking. Any claims to the contrary are false,” said Impact spokesperson Rowena Yow.
Impact’s 82-page student handbook explains how the determinations are made.
"If a student's promotion is in doubt based on formative assessments, the school, through the principal, will issue a promotion-in-doubt letter to the student and parents," the handbook states. A meeting will be held with the family, the handbook says, and "a plan will be created to address the issues raised in the letter."
The parents KUOW spoke with said they never received such a plan.
rt Wheeler is one of one of 50 parents and staff KUOW spoke with over the past six months who said Impact, the state’s largest charter school chain, shortchanges children. Among several of the parents’ concerns: That Impact was attempting to hold students back so the schools would look good — not because it benefits students.
Staff said many students unenrolled after receiving a holdback letter. After grade hold-back letters went out in November 2019, two dozen students unenrolled in the next couple months, state records show. In those records, Impact summarized nine students' reasons for leaving: “Family does not agree with school’s policies and practices.”
It’s unclear whether those November letters were meant as a warning, or a final recommendation. In other years, holdback notices were first given in April.
Some states, like Florida, require kids to repeat third grade if they don’t score high enough on standardized tests. (English learners and special education students can get exemptions.) But repeating a school year — or “grade retention” — is uncommon in Washington school districts.
Decades of research show that holding kids back a year can produce short-term academic gains, but long-term problems, including low self-esteem and a dramatically increased risk of high-school dropout.
The Washington State Charter School Commission formally approved of Impact holding students back. The commission accepted Impact’s plan in its charter contract to hold back students who didn’t master 80% of grade-level standards in reading, writing and math. Fifth-grade graduation would also depend on a student meeting “individually determined academic goals.”
Holding children back, even for the students’ benefit, has ardent critics.
In a position statement against grade retention, the National Association of School Psychologists said research demonstrates that “grade retention is a costly intervention with questionable benefits to students because, for students who attended school regularly, having them repeat the same grade with the same instruction will yield no improvement for the student.”
For former Impact administrator Baionne Coleman, whose children currently attend its Tukwila school, it was personal.
“These are people's kids, my nieces and nephews, people in my community, like, we cannot do that,” she recalled telling CEO Jen Davis Wickens in 2018.
As an educator, Coleman objected to the practice, and pointed to research that shows that holding kids back is traumatic for them.
Impact uses grade-retention as a strategy to help students master core academic skills, said Rowena Yow, spokesperson for the charter school chain.
“When a student is not yet meeting age-appropriate achievement levels in math and reading, we notify families and together develop a support plan,” Yow said by email. “If a child is still not making progress by late spring, we typically recommend for the student to repeat the grade.”
Of the seven parents who spoke with KUOW about their kids being potentially held back, none said they had been aware of Impact’s grade-retention policy. Parents and staff told KUOW that there was minimal extra support, if any, given to students after they were warned about grade retention.
Yow denied that Impact recommends children repeat a grade based on a single test.
But staff members said one test was all it took to get a “holdover letter.” In an internal email from November 2019 obtained by KUOW, Impact’s chief academic officer spelled it out:
“Hi K Team and 1st Team,” wrote Abby Cedano. “I made a mistake when creating the holdover list based on math scores. We decided that the cut off should be scholars who were below 30% and I made the list for scholars who were below 45%.”
Impact, Yow said, has “never recommended more than nine students in the entire school in a given year for non-promotion.”
State records show that nine is the largest number of students who’ve repeated a grade at any of Impact’s schools. But that does not reflect how many students were advised to stay back. Some parents said they ignored the recommendations and let their kids move up to the next grade. Others pulled their children from Impact and enrolled them elsewhere.
Teachers at Impact schools said they are coached on how to discuss the holdback recommendations with parents — and students.
In 2019, Abby Cedano sent an upbeat script for parents to use with their children, after they had agreed to hold them back:
"This year we have decided that you are going to get a 2nd year in 1st grade,” Cedano wrote. “This is actually really exciting because this year, 1st grade was really tough and we are so excited that you will get to be a 1st grade leader and master everything that you need to master in 1st grade.”
Aurora Pacheco, who taught at Impact Puget Sound Elementary from the year it opened until 2021, said that delivering the news was “awful.” Pacheco didn’t agree with grade retention, but said the administration would attend holdback meetings to observe what she told parents.
“Oh, they were devastated — every parent,” Pacheco said. Some were angry. Many cried, she said — and so did she when it happened to her. Pacheco’s daughter, who attended Puget Sound Elementary, was recommended to be held back at the end of first grade.
“It’s so bad. It’s so messed up. It’s based off of the last test, not the whole year,” Pacheco said. Although state law requires that parents — not schools — decide whether a student repeats the grade, she said parents were often made to feel it was not optional.
Behind the scenes Pacheco said she counseled parents not to have their kids repeat the grade.
heila Hanson had hoped Puget Sound Elementary would be just the place for her two kids to thrive. At a parent-teacher conference in fall 2019, the teacher said her daughter was doing well in reading, but was behind in writing and math.
The teacher said that her daughter might have to repeat the grade the following fall, Hanson said.
Hanson got upset.
“Why are you telling us this instead of giving us a plan of what is going to happen, and what we can do to make sure that she wouldn’t be retained?” she recalled asking the teacher.
The assistant principal abruptly joined the meeting at that point, Hanson said. The assistant principal “proceeded to tell me how her brother was retained and how great it was for him,” Hanson said. “They gave me this piece of paper with all these reasons why retention is good for kids.”
Hanson, an experienced teacher, said the only time she had considered grade retention for a student was when that student had missed most of the school year due to medical issues.
“This is wrong, that you are retaining kids who are not performing at or above grade level based on your assessment,” Hanson said she told the assistant principal.
“I was so livid,” she recalled. “It just really brings up all this emotion now as I talk about it.” She unenrolled her children from the school.
When parent Gabriana Martinez-Garcia agreed to have her son repeat second grade in 2020, it was partly because she wanted him to avoid having the same experience she had in school. Would she, she wondered, have avoided getting pregnant her freshman year of high school if she had repeated eighth grade as the school had recommended?
Martinez-Garcia didn’t want to hold her son back. She didn’t think he had a hard time understanding the concepts in second grade — he just had a hard time concentrating on his work.
But her son’s teacher was convincing. She said he didn’t have the focus for third grade. So Martinez-Garcia agreed, partly to teach her son about consequences.
When Martinez-Garcia told her son he was going to do second grade all over again, he didn’t say much, but she could read the shame on his face.
“It's an embarrassing thing. It makes kids feel insecure, like, ‘Oh, I'm stupid. I'm not in my right class or with my right peers,’ you know?” Martinez-Garcia said.
Her son’s second year in second grade was frustrating, she said.
“He was repeating what he had already learned. So now he feels like he's a know-it-all and knows all the answers and really not applying himself,” Martinez-Garcia said.
Martinez-Garcia asked the school if she could put her son back in his proper grade.
“They said no, because I had already made my decision,” she said.
An educator friend told Martinez-Garcia that she had the right to move her son back to his previous grade assignment. When she asked the school again, her son was allowed to join third grade.
Martinez-Garcia wonders about the many parents at Impact who don’t have access to such advice — especially those who don’t speak much English.
“I wouldn’t even know that I had a right to say, 'No, I don’t want that for my child,'” she said.
Art Wheeler, the dad who was warned in 2019 that his kids may need to be held back, immediately pulled his two kids from the Tukwila charter school.
“It was heartbreaking to have to take them out from their friends,” Wheeler said. But he said he refused to let his kids repeat a grade.
“There’s so many families who felt comfortable, like they finally had a place that would really serve them,” Wheeler said. “But it was all a ruse.”
Reach Ann Dornfeld at email@example.com or 206-486-6505.

domain: sociology


Two colossal celebrations collided in Elko this past Saturday night when the 45th Halleck Bar Party merged with Nevada’s Sesquicentennial Celebration at the best little museum in America.
As it happened 45 years ago, a magnificent bar and bar-back were donated to the museum on the condition that the museum throw a party once a year and serve Beefeater Gin.Though I went there determined to learn about the Beefeater connection, I asked and asked, and drank and drank, and never did find the answer to that conundrum.
On Saturday morning I headed out from Tahoe at dawn with Fats Domino singing into the sunrise and me drumming on the dashboard. America’s second loneliest drive boring? I think not. Longtime Nevadans learn to discern and appreciate various shades of grey — not fifty shades of grey, but ten or twelve. Heck, I saw upward of a dozen dust devils at Rose Creek, and I fear there might be more dust devils than roses there this summer.
It gladdened my heart to hear my Nevada surname mentioned on the radio twice in five hours. Shania Twain sang a song, and then on a Christian radio station they quoted from Mathew, “Whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, walk with him twain.”
Arriving at Nevada’s most engaging museum early, I was treated to a tour by the gracious and personable director, Claudia Wines. I found it interesting they had put on display a skull of Henry Halleck when he was a boy. They found it to be such an attraction that they put on display, in another room of the museum, a skull of Henry Halleck when he was a man. America does not call us “The State of Attractions” for nothing.
The entire town of Elko, those citizens over 21 years of age, turned out for the party. If anybody was left behind it was because they were in the privy when the truck left the yard.
The local high school chorus came out and sang a David Bugli arrangement of “Home Means Nevada” that brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to move to Elko and live in their museum forevermore.
Toward the end of the evening a distinguished looking Elko lady arrested me with her big brown eyes, and both of us being about the same age, well, we sort of fell in love, at least I did. When they blinked the lights for us to go home I was contented as a man with a stomach full of Beefeater can be, so I asked her for a ride to my hotel.
Were it not for the kindness of Lt. Governor Krolicki and Director Wines, I might have missed that party altogether. So I want to thank the NV 150 Commission and the Elko Museum staff for allowing Mark Twain to join in the fun.
Learn more about McAvoy Layne at www.ghostoftwain.com.


Setting the date for your annual boiler service should be as routine as booking in a yearly sight test, or a trip to the dentist or even a reminder to send someone’s birthday card. It needs to happen routinely. However, do you know why an annual boiler service is recommended or do you think it’s an area where you can cut corners? Let’s take a look at why you should have your boiler serviced regularly, and how it can in fact save you in the long run.
We’re very fortunate, thanks to modern utilities, that we can usually rely and depend on our boiler for our creature comforts. We take it for granted that there will be hot water for washing and bathing. We might try to keep our thermostat down a notch, but we fundamentally know we’ll be warm tonight.
However, your boiler is a workhorse that’s a bit of an unsung hero. It’s dependable. Until it breaks.
And you can almost bet that sod’s law means it will break down in the depths of an icy spell when you’ve got the in-laws coming to stay.
It’s great that you can depend on your modern boiler. However, your boiler is less likely to throw any nasty surprises your way, and last for a full life, if you have an annual boiler service. Like any other machine it needs regular checks and maintenance to ensure that all of its components are working properly, or replaced before they cause a cascade of problems.
So, an annual boiler service will save you from unexpected nasty surprises and unwanted disruption. However, it’s more than that – it will also ensure your boiler runs as efficiently as it can (and that means lower bills). It also makes sure that it is safe.
Well, rather like a car, things can and do occasionally go wrong with a boiler. Wear and tear from being used day in, day out, can create a problem that grows if it isn’t intercepted in time. By discovering a fault when it is small and simple, a qualified Gas Safe engineer can carry out the repairs quickly and cheaply and stop small faults becoming big issues. What’s more, the work is planned rather than happening in an emergency.
Modern boilers are considerably more efficient than their predecessors. However, in order to continue in that vein, they need to be adequately maintained. An annual boiler service is frequent enough to ensure excellent efficiency. During the service, the engineer will be ensuring that your boiler works to capacity by testing all of the parts, and replacing any if necessary.
Again, we take it for granted that our modern boilers are safe – and for the most part, they are. However, the consequences of excess carbon monoxide, or a gas leak, can be dire. To safeguard you and your family are safe from any potential problems, careful testing during an annual boiler service can ensure your boiler is safe. As carbon monoxide poisoning can mimic the first signs of flu, cough and colds, or a virus, you need to be sure your boiler is always operating safely.
However, we know that you don’t tend to think of your boiler on a regular basis. It’s doing its job and your life is busy, so why should you? That’s why we’ve developed our care service plans. All of our plans include an annual boiler service. That’s how important we believe it is.
We offer five different levels of Care Service Plan – all with an annual boiler service carried out by a Gas Safe engineer – which start from just £6 a month. That’s a small price to pay for the peace of mind that you don’t need to remember to diarise when the 12 months is up, and to know that your boiler is in safe and efficient condition.
Featured Image Source: Pixabay


text:
HAND PRESSED SOUVENIRS
a series of projects by Nicole Seisler
Skip to content
Seattle Art Museum Sculpture Park (solo project, 2015)
Write a Comment...
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here:


text:
Toronto, 13 April 2023 (TDI): As a result of the UAE and Canada’s newly extended air services agreement, Etihad Airways has announced it would enhance its flight capacity to Toronto.
In order to provide travellers with a daily connection, Etihad Airways will start operating an additional weekly flight between Abu Dhabi and Toronto in addition to its current six-per-week travel schedule on May 30.
According to Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer of Etihad Airlines, “Etihad is thrilled to begin flying daily between Abu Dhabi and Toronto, which has been one of our busiest routes in 2023 as a result of the rapid recovery and continued growth in travel demand between the UAE and Canada.”
It is said also said by Arik De, that a daily service will be provided to business and leisure travellers, the Canadian diaspora and the large body of students from the UAE enrolled in Canada’s world-class universities with a convenient flight option every day of the week.
The government and civil aviation authorities are thanked by him for laying the groundwork for the air links to be strengthened between the two countries, which are considered essential for tourism, trade and bilateral relations.
In October 2005, Etihad Airways began serving Toronto, and this year will mark its 18th anniversary of doing so. Etihad has collaborated with WestJet under an interline agreement and with Air Canada under a codeshare agreement to offer guests convenient connectivity to over 15 destinations in Toronto.
Toronto, the most populous city in Canada, is a dynamic and cosmopolitan destination that visitors must explore for its diverse culture, stunning architecture, and exciting food scene. Some of its iconic landmarks include the CN Tower, which is among over 80 skyscrapers in the city, as well as the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario.


text:
Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) want Rudy Giuliani’s indicted business associate Lev Parnas locked up ahead of trial for lying about his assets and income. Prosecutors made this clear in a Wednesday filing.
Parnas, the Ukrainian-Floridian co-founder of the company Fraud Guarantee (a company Giuliani said he was paid $500,000 to advise), was arrested on Oct. 9, along with Igor Fruman. The arrests occurred at Dulles Airport in Virginia, from where they were attempting to leave the U.S. via a one-way ticket.
Prosecutors in the SDNY now argue Parnas ought to be considered an “extreme flight risk” because he “made materially misleading and false statements to Pretrial Services and the Government regarding his assets and income” and “misled his supervising Pretrial Services officer in the Southern District of Florida regarding whether the Court had already approved of Parnas’s requested bail modification”:
The Government respectfully writes in opposition to defendant Lev Parnas’s letter motion dated December 4, 2019 seeking a “modification of the terms of his pre-trial release, to allow him to leave his home daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, provided that he avoids airports, boat docks or train terminals” (Dkt. 41). For the reasons set forth herein, the Government opposes Parnas’s request, and further asks the Court to revoke Parnas’s bail and remand him pending trial. It does so upon learning, in the course of preparing its response to Parnas’s motion, that: (i) Parnas made materially misleading and false statements to Pretrial Services and the Government regarding his assets and income; and (ii) Parnas misled his supervising Pretrial Services officer in the Southern District of Florida regarding whether the Court had already approved of Parnas’s requested bail modification. Parnas poses an extreme risk of flight, and that risk of flight is only compounded by his continued and troubling misrepresentations to the Pretrial Services office and the Government. Parnas’s actions in the two months that he has been released, coupled with his substantial risk of flight, have shown that there is no set of conditions that will reasonably ensure his appearance and compliance with the terms of his release. Accordingly, the Government moves to revoke Parnas’s bail and seeks his remand pending trial.
Prosecutors were not shy about repeating that the flight risk was “extreme,” nor were they shy about Parnas’s access to “foreign funding”:
In addition, Parnas’s close ties abroad include connections to Russian and Ukrainian nationals of nearly limitless means, including Foreign National-1 and a Ukrainian oligarch living in Vienna who is currently fighting extradition to this country. Parnas has proven adept at gaining access to foreign funding: in the last three years, Parnas received in excess of $1.5 million from Ukrainian and Russian sources. In sum, given Parnas’s significant, high-level connections to powerful and wealthy Ukrainians and at least one Russian national, he could quickly and easily flee the United States for Ukraine or another foreign country, and recoup the security posted to his bond. It is difficult to overstate the extreme flight risk that Parnas poses.
David Correia, a co-founder of Fraud Guarantee, and Andrey Kukushkin were also ensnared in the criminal probe.
Parnas and Fruman were each hit with two counts of conspiracy, one count of making false statements, and one count of falsification of records. They also just so happened to be instrumental in Giuliani’s efforts to convince the Ukrainian government to investigate Joe Biden and Hunter Biden. The charges are related to a “scheme to funnel foreign money” to Republican candidates (alleged campaign finance violations). Correia and Kukushkin were charged with one count of conspiracy. All defendants have pleaded not guilty.
You can read the rest of the SDNY filing below.
[Image via Stephanie Keith/Getty Images]
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

domain: politics


The package includes artillery rounds and Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
"Today, on behalf of [U.S.] President [Joe] Biden, I’m announcing an emergency package of security assistance of $300 million worth of weapons and equipment to address some of Ukraine's pressing needs," Sullivan said.
He also mentioned that the new package would allow "Ukrainian weapons to keep firing for a while," but this is far from sufficient to satisfy needs on the battlefield, and the Ukrainian Defense Forces risk running out of ammunition in the coming weeks. Sullivan urged the U.S. Congress to approve the $60 billion aid package for Ukraine as soon as possible.
Sullivan explained that the United States has managed to save money on Pentagon contracts by replacing equipment already delivered to Ukraine, thus allowing for additional funding to facilitate the aid package.
Earlier, Politico reported that, according to unnamed U.S. officials, the upcoming security assistance package will include ATACMS ballistic missiles with APAM (Anti-Personnel/Anti-Materiel) cluster warheads.
The last military aid package to Ukraine from Washington was allocated in late December 2023.
Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine


In a highly competitive market, Harari Baby is a well-known baby high chair supplier. The Baby Strollers is one of the main products of Suzhou Harari Baby Products Company LTD.. Harari Baby baby trend high chair is manufactured with high-quality standards. It is tested in terms of leak resistance, lubrication, and chemical corrosion resistance to meet the requirements in the mechanical seal industry. It is very easy to clean to avoid the accumulation of bacteria which are harmful to babies. The product eliminates users from scribbling down every idea on a piece of paper which may cause mess and chaos. This product will definitely make parents' lives much easier.
We adopt an environmentally friendly production strategy. With regard to resource uses, we will resort to cutting-edge manufacturing machines to fully utilize resources at disposal as well as to reduce wastes.


text:
The Italian import "Viva la Liberta" split American critics right down the middle.
The political comedy fared far better at the just-wrapped Starz Denver Film Festival.
“Viva la Liberta” earned Best Narrative Feature honors courtesy of the Starz People’s Choice Awards. Other films feted by the event’s attendees included “Capturing Grace” (Best Documentary Feature), “The Bravest, the Boldest” (Best Short Film) and “Save Me” (Best Music Video).
The festival’s juried award winners include:
“The Tribe” – The Krzysztof Kieślowski Award for Best Foreign Feature Film
“August Winds,” “Stations of the Cross”- Special Jury Award
“The Look of Silence” – The Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary Film
“The Midnight Swim” – The American Independent Award for Best Feature Film
The 37th Starz Denver Film Festival featured 252 films from 45 countries, with 16 titles being local Colorado productions. The 12-day event drew more than 55,000 film goers.


Virtual technology has made their way into the manufacturing market, helping corporations improve output and https://getodin.org/what-to-do-if-avast-vpn-not-working-3-tried-and-tested-solutions security. Although the technology has been around for more than 20 years, it has simply recently turn into a viable means to fix producers.
Manufacturers apply virtual technologies to reduce their expense, increase efficiency, and develop new products quicker. Companies utilize it to increase safety and reduce training costs.
Disruptive technology such as virtual reality and augmented reality have the prospect to dramatically get a new workplace. They can get people to more rewarding, safer, and happier. However , they require a specific level of tests and execution before they are simply used.
The first automaker to adopt virtual technology was Kia. It started out using it to improve manufacturing basic safety, develop more secure products, and fine-tune the design of its autos.
In 08, the company spent $408 mil on VR. At the time, this hired a team of dedicated VR specialists.
Today, the company uses virtual technology to help it design autonomous vehicles. It is also utilizing it to reproduce weather and road circumstances. This allows Honda engineers to explore alternatives that may be out of the question.
Another benefit for using VR is that it can benefit onboard and train new employees. The immersive experience gives them a sense of belonging and connection. Using virtual reality to conduct tension supervision programs is usually a great way to continue to keep workers cheerful and healthful.
Some companies are also using virtual technology in craft events. During an international workshop, a online interpreter can help with the language obstacle.


November 17, 2023
Backplane Systems Technology is pleased to present Neousys Nuvo-9650AWP. Neousys Technology, a leader in rugged embedded systems, proudly announces the Nuvo-9650AWP as a Silver honoree in the Embedded Computing category at the 2023 MAE Innovators Awards. This recognition, voted on by the engineering community, underscores the device’s remarkable contribution to the defense and aerospace sectors.
The MAE Innovators Awards are an annual celebration of innovation in defense and aerospace engineering. They recognize the outstanding achievements of companies and individuals who have significantly advanced technology through innovative and impactful designs. The inclusion of the Nuvo-9650AWP highlights its remarkable features and industry significance.
The Nuvo-9650AWP is a fanless embedded computer, boasting an IP66 rating for waterproof and dustproof performance. This makes it an ideal solution for demanding defense and military applications, where exposure to harsh environmental conditions is a regular occurrence. Its design features specialized molded o-rings and a durable stainless steel and aluminum chassis, ensuring robust protection against dust and water. This is particularly beneficial for use in challenging outdoor or mobile military settings, such as in armored vehicles or military trucks.
Notably, the Nuvo-9650AWP is MIL-STD-810H compliant, ensuring its reliability under strenuous conditions. It is equipped with commercial off-the-shelf availability of M12 connectors and essential I/Os, making it a cost-effective solution without compromising on durability and robustness. This product is especially suitable for budget-conscious projects within the defense and military sectors, offering an excellent balance between performance and cost.
Product Manager Dennis Chen of Neousys Technology emphasizes the company’s commitment to delivering innovative products to the defense and military markets, with the Nuvo-9650AWP being a prime example of their dedication to fulfilling customer needs for years to come.
The Nuvo-9650AWP stands out with its advanced specifications, including support for Intel® 13th /12th-Gen Core™ CPUs (up to 24C/32T), up to 64GB DDR5 4800 SODIMM, and a wide operating temperature range from -25°C to 70°C. It also features up to four 802.3at GbE PoE+ ports via M12 X-coded connectors and a USB3.2 Type-C port. The 8V to 48V DC input with built-in ignition power control further enhances its applicability in various military and defense scenarios.
The 2023 MAE Innovators Awards, judged by a panel selected by the editorial staff at Military + Aerospace Electronics, highlight the best in the field, with the Nuvo-9650AWP emerging as a significant contributor to embedded computing technology in defense applications.
- Intel® 13th /12th-Gen Core™, up to 24C/ 32T CPU (35W/ 65W)
- IP66-rated waterproof and dustproof
- Up to 64GB DDR5 4800 SODIMM
- -25°C to 70°C wide-temperature fanless operation
- Up to 4x 802.3at GbE PoE+ ports via M12 X-coded connectors
- 1x USB3.2 Type-C port supporting for display output and USB3.2 via waterproof connectors
- 8V to 48V DC input with built-in ignition power control


text:
A B O U T
My name is Cassandra.
I lived in a midwest town my entire life and then packed up and moved to Los Angeles. My love for all things adventure won over the small town comfort i had. Traveling is something I love so much.
I'm looking for those same ADVENTUROUS people. The people that have a love for climbing through mud to get to that one epic location, laugh so hard tears roll down your cheeks, and don’t mind feeling a little crazy when i ask you to “drunk run” through a field together.
I am a Photographer and videographer. If you are searching for the complete package, i’m your girl.


text:
NCASE Resource Library
Search for Resources ?
Expand All Filters
This series of 18 fact sheets summarizes data about state QRIS systems and includes state examples that can be helpful for state system planners building QRIS systems.
This interactive learning series is intended for professionals in Head Start and child care, including school-age programs. There are 8 modules with background information, resources, and scenarios with suggested responses.
This article defines parent engagement and why it benefits children, families, and afterschool programs. It provides 15 examples of promising practices. Sample outreach materials and parent surveys are included. This resource supports resilience.
This comprehensive guide on preventing child abuse and neglect uses a strength-based framework for protecting children and strengthening families and community networks. Most valuable are the short tip sheets designed for parents in Chapter 5; they build competencies on a wide range of topics and are presented in Spanish as well as English.
This brochure provides information for families on how to select a school-age program for their children. It includes a description of what a high-quality program looks like, a list of resources for how to find high-quality programs, and a guide for visiting a program. There is a list of what questions to ask and what to look for during a site visit.

domain: library


text:
Lacklustre Dole fuels Republican poll jitters
Known for his commentary on international relations and US politics, Rupert Cornwell also contributes obituaries and occasionally even a column for the sports pages. With The Independent since its launch in 1986, he was the paper's first Moscow correspondent - covering the collapse of the Soviet Union – during which time he won two British Press Awards. Previously a foreign correspondent for the Financial Times and Reuters, he has also been a diplomatic correspondent, leader writer and columnist, and has served as Washington bureau editor. In 1983 he published God's Banker, about Roberto Calvi, the Italian banker found hanging from Blackfriars Bridge.
Tuesday 23 April 1996
The second half of April was when Mr Dole was supposed to start the march to the White House, reinvigorated after the Easter recess and back in his natural habitat on Capitol Hill. Instead he has seen President Clinton widen his lead to 15 points or more and, far from using his Senate perch to define his policies, he has merely managed to expose Republican divisions on a host of major issues in the autumn campaign.
Even before the primaries, Mr Dole had decided he would be better served staying on as majority leader, rather than step aside to concentrate on the campaign. Better free air-time on the Senate floor, where he controlled the legislative agenda, he reasoned, than paid air time - especially when he was virtually out of money until the summer conventions.
Thus far, alas, the gamble has backfired miserably. On health care, Mr Dole last week manoeuvred himself into seeming to be trying to torpedo a modest but politically popular Bill that would expand insurance coverage for people who changed jobs or who suffered from pre-existing medical conditions. That measure now seems likely to go through, but only thanks to the defection of five Senate Republicans.
Much the same happened with a Bill to increase the minimum wage, pressed by Democrats to underline their concern for the worst-off. But Mr Dole resisted, only to be, in his words, "blindsided" by a group of House Republicans who support the proposed rise from $4.25 (pounds 2.81) to $5.15 (pounds 3.41) an hour. Now the increase will almost certainly be be voted upon, and approved - probably this week.
Mr Dole's basic problem, as he seeks metamorphosis from primary candidate to White House nominee, is his inability to follow the celebrated maxim of Richard Nixon; that a Republican candidate should play to the right during the primaries, where voters are more conservative, but once the nomination is secure, head back to the centre where elections are won and lost.
It is not his fault that he is easily identified with the deeply unpopular Speaker, Newt Gingrich, and the scarcely less unloved Republican Congress - or that the populist Pat Buchanan could still make trouble at the San Diego convention.
But despite a first-hand view of how George Bush suffered from identification with the far-right at the Houston convention of 1992, Mr Dole still courts social and Christian conservatives, as in a blistering attack last week on Mr Clinton for destroying America's moral fabric.
Barely six months before the vote, many already feel that only two developments (best of all, both together) can give the listless Dole campaign real hope. One is nomination of retired General Colin Powell as his running mate, the other is a Whitewater sensation. But Gen Powell continues to say no, while despite every effort of Mr Dole's allies on the Senate Banking Committee and of special prosecutor Kenneth Starr in Little Rock, the imagined misdeeds of the then Governor Clinton remain unproven.
- 2 Moscow voted the world's unfriendliest city
- 3 The excuses your boss is most likely to believe when you call in sick
- 4 I'm pansexual – here are the five biggest misconceptions about my sexuality
- 5 More than 11,000 Icelanders offer to house Syrian refugees to help European crisis
The one chart that shows how George Osborne is almost certainly going to be our next Prime Minister
The excuses your boss is most likely to believe when you call in sick
Bono's group has made more money from Facebook investment than from all his music
Three-year-old ultra-Orthodox Jewish children told 'the non-Jews' are 'evil' in worksheet produced by London school
Wikipedia rocked by 'rogue editors' blackmail scam targeting small businesses and celebrities
Climate change: 2015 will be the hottest year on record 'by a mile', experts say
Jeremy Corbyn calls Osama bin Laden's killing a 'tragedy' - but was it taken out of context?
If these extraordinarily powerful images of a dead Syrian child washed up on a beach don’t change Europe’s attitude to refugees, what will?
If you're not already angry about the refugee crisis, here's a history lesson to remind you why you really should be
Tony Blair attacks Jeremy Corbyn's 'Alice In Wonderland' politics
Theresa May says migrants should be banned from entering the UK unless they have jobs lined up
£40000 - £42000 per annum: Recruitment Genius: This is an exciting opportunity...
£35000 - £40000 per annum: Recruitment Genius: This IT support company has a n...
Negotiable: Recruitment Genius: A works engineer is required in a progressive ...
£21000 - £25000 per annum: Recruitment Genius: Our client is seeking someone w...


text:
Charli XCX gets turnt up with Lil Yachty on After The After Party. Charli has been featured on some pretty big songs over the last few years. Not to mention her own hit Boom Clap. Following up her 2014 debut release Sucker, she drops After The After Party to keep things lit. Listen below.
ASAP MOB release Telephone Calls and keep up the momentum of Cozy Tapes Vol. 1: Friends. The Harlem collective summon Tyler, The Creator, Playboi Carti and Yung Gleesh for this song. Cozy Tapes Vol. 1: Friends drops on October 31st. Listen below.
ASAP MOB release Runner featuring Lil Uzi Vert and ASAP Ant. This will be featured on the Cozy Tapes Vol. 1: Friends compilation. Pre-order the album before it drops on October 31st. Listen below.
Drake also unleashed his new collaboration with 21 Savage called Sneakin’. This song will appear on the forthcoming More Life project set to release in December. Here’s the CDQ version. produced by London On Da Track. Listen below.
Drake remixed Dave’s(@Santandave1) track Wanna Know and debuted it on OVO SOUND Radio. No telling if this will be on More Life as well but listen below.
Drake debuted Two Birds One Stone on OVO SOUND. This is the first of what’s to comefrom his new project More Life. Here’s the CDQ version. Listen below.
Common keeps the pace by dropping Red Wine, another new single from Black America Again. Chicago’s very own will deliver his highly anticipated project on November 4th. Common has already let loose of all the Bilal assisted tracks from the album. Now he shares a collaboration from Syd of The Internet and vocalist Elena. Listen…
Jeezy is just about ready to deliver Trap Or Die 3. As we wait the release, Jeezy has let loose “Bout That” and “G-Wagon” ahead of the album. Trap Or Die 3 will be in stores on October 28th. Produced by D-Rich. Listen below.
YG (@YG) kept his word and delivered One Time Comin as a new single. The Bompton rapper recently inked a new deal for his 4Hunnid imprint at Interscope where he will be releasing his next project. On this song in particular he addresses police brutality against black men in America. Listen below.

domain: entertainment