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Promising review for the Original blend: "Every so often, you come across a company that builds their products for the right reasons: 1) to make money (of course), 2) to make the best possible product on the planet without taking shortcuts, proving that quality is their priority, 3) to make the world a better place by enhancing the lives of others. Most companies stop at the first reason, but Bulletproof embodies all three. Everything I have tried from Bulletproof is top notch, and some of the best possible products on the planet." —Storm
Another great choice for anyone looking to experiment with coffee from different roasters, MistoBox offers a highly personalized subscription. When you sign up, you’ll be asked about your personal coffee preferences. Based on your answers, MistoBox will select a variety of coffee for you to try and send it to your door. How often you get new coffee is completely up to you, as you can customize every part of your subscription experience with them.
“I’ve tried many coffee products in the organic, shade-grown genre, and this is by far the smoothest, most well-balanced bean yet. The beans arrived perfectly roasted, fresh, nicely oily, with an awesome aroma. Every cup has been perfect. I love dark-roast coffee but hate over-roasted darks … I use only French press and pour-over methods, by the way. Tiny Footprint really seem to have their techniques dialed in, and I’m a fan of the environmental stewardship they stand for. I’ll be a repeat customer and highly recommend this coffee.”
Love yourself enough not to drink Starbucks coffee at home. I don’t know a single black-coffee drinker who prefers Starbucks to Dunkin’ Donuts, and I’d wager the brands’ respective grocery-store offerings are likely to preserve these allegiances. Starbucks coffee black tastes like drip coffee made with day-old coffee instead of water, and the headache it produces is textbook coffeeache—right behind the eyes, accompanied by an involuntary grimace. Additionally, Starbucks coffee is almost hilariously expensive for how bad it is, and for how many other coffees there are to drink. Drink it out in the world if you must, but spare yourself the pain in your own damn kitchen.
If we’re discussing organic, attention-to-detail coffee producers, this discussion wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Koffee Kult and their process. The dedication starts with direct trade relationships with their coffee farmers around the world, support for micro-lot farms, and finishes in house when they apply the iconic Koffee Kult label. Don’t forget the impressive roasting process.
Also try The Portland hype may be leveling off (now it's just expensive, like everywhere else), but the coffee remains some of the best on the continent—if you haven't yet, make tracks for Coava, which managed to impress noted stickler Jerry Seinfeld, who filmed an episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee here. Over in Old Town, meanwhile, there's something utterly appealing about the self-described "snob free" ethic behind the very good Deadstock, opened by a former designer at Nike.
Featuring 100% Arabica Beans for high quality taste, and having USDA Organic credentials, First Colony Coffee is packed in 24 ounce bags of dark roasted beans. Many customers enjoyed the rich dark flavor they found in this rainforest blend. A few experts felt that their cup was average in taste. Some recommended cold brewing the beans, while others recommended grinding the beans at the last minute before brewing to enhance the flavor, using double the amount recommended per every six- ounce cup of coffee. Most appreciated that the coffee is advertised as Fair Trade.
New England Coffee was the dining hall coffee at my New England college—a bit on the nose, but a strong choice. Like Green Mountain coffee, New England Coffee locates its mythology north of Connecticut; its packaging includes a covered bridge, horse-drawn carriage, red barn, mill race, and church steeple in a landscape painted à la Grandma Moses. I hardly noticed I was drinking my pour-over cup until it was half gone, which is, unexpectedly, high praise for a cup of coffee. Like inexpensive wine, inexpensive coffee is best when its flavor is innocuous. A hint of sour coffee stomach waits in the wings, but with a hearty breakfast alongside, New England Coffee is a safe and delightful option.
If you are looking for an eco-friendly way of having your coffee using a K-Cup, you should not only choose the organic coffee but also pay attention to the characteristics of its package. Pay attention to find a K-Cup which is recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable (you’ll be able to see this mark on the package). Not all of the producers provide this type of cups but if you have the possibility of choosing a completely environmentally friendly option, don’t hesitate to do it. The coffee cultivation soil will appreciate it.
If you’re one of those people who just need a good cup of coffee to start their morning, then you just have to try out the Mastermind Coffee Co. Alkaline Buzz – Brain Enhancing Espresso Roast. Besides providing you with the best taste and flavor, you’ll also get other advantages with your morning coffee. If you’re ready to improve your cognitive function, your energy, and overall well-being, make sure that you try out the Mastermind Coffee Co. Alkaline Buzz – Brain Enhancing Espresso Roast.
Auto brew features are cool because they allow you to set the exact time you would like to have your brew ready. It is another option that we like, but would not consider seriously enough as a deciding factor. This is not a standard feature on low to mid-range coffee machines, which means that you need to be ready to drop $200 or more if you would like to have it.
Bryan is our cooking and kitchen expert, with more than 15 years of experience of cooking and testing kitchen products. When outside of the kitchen, he enjoys woodworking, photography, videography and figuring out how to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. He thoroughly enjoys discovering the best, whether it’s ingredients or equipment, and finding products that can stand the rigors of daily use.
This is one of the more popular ground coffee choices you can get at this point in time. It is 100% choice Arabica medium roast coffee at core, yet part of a formula that gives it that unique test you won’t usually get outside a high-end coffee shop. The secret behind the rich, flavorful, and aromatic coffee is Tim Hortons’ unique premium blending expertise, one that recommends them as some of the best ground coffee manufacturers in the industry.
One of the main advantages, when you get the Peak Performance High Altitude Organic Coffee, is the fact that it is USDA certified organic. So, you really can’t expect anything better than this. Besides, one of the things that turn a regular cup or organic coffee into a better one is the fact that the coffee has a single origin. And this is exactly the case of the Peak Performance High Altitude Organic Coffee.
K-cups are the ultimate in convenience – ideal for those who only want to brew one cup at a time, or for offices and large households where everyone wants something different or doesn’t want to assign anyone the duty of cleaning, prepping, and brewing for the masses. K-cups come in just about any kind of coffee, from dark to light roasts, organic, flavored, extremely caffeinated to decaf. You can also buy latte or cappuccino K-cups with the sweetener already mixed in. Other choices include tea, cider, and cocoa. And since they cost about 40 cents each, you can stock up on your favorites and treat yourself to something else with all the money you’d spend at a cafe for an almost identical beverage.
My husband thought this blend was okay, though not as good as the Breakfast Blend (he gives 3 stars). I did not like it at all (1 star). It left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth long after the coffee was gone. I tried it both hot and iced, and experienced the same bitterness. We tried making it weaker and stronger than suggested, brewed from different bags, alternated with the Breakfast Blend, and used fresh water - every pot tasted bitter to me and just okay to my husband. Can't recommend.
Coffee is also on the top ten list of products sold around the world. This makes it one of the most important ways for farmers and workers to earn their living. More than 25 million people work with coffee daily. Buying organic coffee helps to keep their environments and the coffee we drink each day healthier. Here are some tasty choices for exploring coffee the organic way:
Organic. Awaken your consciousness. Balanced with full body, rich flavor & sweet overtones. From small farmer co-ops in Latin America. A product of Equal Exchange. Certified organic by Oregon Tilth. Our Commitment: To pay a fair price to the farmer; To trade directly with democratic cooperatives; To offer pre-harvested credit to aid farmers throughout their growing season; To develop long-term trade partnerships; To support sustainable and shade grown farming practices. We are committed to these principles on 100% of our coffees, teas, cocoas & chocolate. Farmer as Equals: Equal Exchanges is much more to us than just a buyer of our coffee. We see you as a partner who treats farmers as equals. You share our commitment to growers and to the land, and are helping us create a better future. Our Quality: Equal Exchange, a worker-owned Fair Trade organization, has been offering gourmet sustainably grown coffees since 1986. Because of our close relationships with farmers, we get their best beans. We then roast our coffees in small batches to bring out their best characteristics. But our commitment to quality extends beyond the beans to include the quality of life of the farmers with whom we work. We hope you will enjoy this coffee brought to you pride by Equal Exchange and our small farmer partners in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Fair Trade at Work: Much of the world's coffee is grown by small farmers, purchased at negligible prices by middlemen, and then brought and sold on a commodities market thousands of miles away. Equal Exchange provides an alternative by working directly with small farmer cooperatives, helping to build pride, independence and community empowerment. With the added income and stability provided by this relationship, farmers can make improvements in their own lives. Women's leadership development in Guatemala, eco-tourism projects in Nicaragua, savings and loan projects in Mexico - these are some of the most vivid examples of the benefits of Fair Trade.
My husband and I decided that if we are going to be drinking something everything morning for the next 50 years of our life, we want it to be organic. Fair trade just happens to be another bonus. Both coffee and sugar are the highest sprayed crops in the world. Coffee especially so we first made the switch over this brand and tried this flavor first. We grind it at home and brew it with an AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker with Bonus 350 Micro Filters. The combination of grinding it fresh every morning and brewing it with the aeropress makes for the best cup of morning coffee EVER. We use a simple Krups 203-42 Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder with Stainless-Steel blades, Black and simply grind it for 15-18 seconds. We also switched sugars and now use organic and fair trade sugar as well along with locally bought raw milk. The best sugar for this is Rapunzel Pure Organic Whole Cane Sugar, 24-Ounce Packages (Pack of 6).
This was my first time purchasing Newman Own's brand coffee. I was impressed with the high reviews found online from various sites that I picked up a box. The coffee has nice smooth flavor but bold enough to give you that boost to revive you from sleep. I have already used half the cups and none have had any issues in the Keurig. No grounds in the bottom of my cup and punctures without fail. I will be buying this brand again.
Offering 100% Ethiopian Yirgacheffe in 8- ounce vacuum packed bags, Marley Coffee is sustainably grown in Jamaica. Customers enjoy it for its fruity, medium bodied flavor. It is said to have berry and floral notes with no bitter after taste. Some noted that it has a smooth flavor that is worth trying for its low acid and good taste. It is one of many popular coffees in the Marley Coffee brand.
“What’s the worst thing about coffee? Bitter. Bitter is bad. Bizzy has conquered bitter with this cold-brew blend. I brew for 24 hours, in the fridge, leaving a smooth, sweet concentrate available when needed. I just pour over ice, add a splash of sweet cream, and abracadabra, magic. The blend is organic, a huge plus [with] a mix of light to dark roasts, perfectly course ground for cold brewing. I’m in love. Thank you, Bizzy!”
Ben and Jessica Schellack bootstrapped their way to building one of the best roasting operations in the state, this year bringing home a Good Food Award—not their first, either. That's quite the climb from their early days in the rented basement of a New Brunswick non-profit. Today, a lively café, just across the river from Rutgers' Old Queens campus, hence the name, is a hub of creativity.
A coffee crop also requires a great deal of water, particularly when it is being grown quickly. It takes 37 gallons of water to produce enough beans for just one cup of coffee. Coffee is often produced in countries with a shortage of water, such as Ethiopia, and the combination of high water consumption and high fertilizer and pesticide use can lead to water degradation and pollution in water runoff.
Now you can have the highest quality coffee through the convenience of your singe serve brewer. OneCups mesh bottoms allow us to package the freshest product possible, just open up one of these bags and smell it for yourself! The OneCup pods are comprised of wood pulp lidding, a corn ring and mesh coffee filter. The end result? A more environmentally friendly, certified kosher, single serve coffee option with a great taste, allowing you to taste the difference, while you make a difference.


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by J. D. Heyes, Natural News:
One of the many promises made by President Obama and his supporters regarding the Affordable Care Act was that, finally, all Americans would have health insurance.
Well, like most of the other promises regarding the law, this one has been broken as well. In fact, the data is in: More people have lost health insurance coverage because of Obamacare than have been insured by it, as reported by The Daily Caller Jan. 1:
Obamacare may have promised health insurance for the masses. But on its first day, it’s left more Americans without coverage than before the law was passed.
More than 4.7 million Americans had their health insurance canceled as a result of any of the thousand-plus-page law’s new rules, The Associated Press reports, but the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed Tuesday that between federal and state exchanges, just two million Americans have signed up for Obamacare coverage.
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domain: law


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Rihanna is one of the prominent pop icons who is well known for her superhit songs. Recently, Rihanna shared a topless picture on her social media handle. The bold picture has been posted on Rihanna official Twitter and Instagram account. Rihanna poses on her topless picture by wearing Ganesha figurine necklace for her lingerie brand. Several fans have said Rihanna do Breast Implants. The photo goes viral within a second and several people started commenting on her picture.
Rihanna Breast Implants Photo Scandalized On Social Media
There are a lot of people who started talking and curious to know that Rihanna had breast implants in the picture. The singer reveals her modesty with her hands showing off her new clothes. She accompanied her clothes with purple accessories. The picture has already received millions of likes and shares on several platforms.
However, this is not the first time when Rihanna become the centre of discussion on her look. The speculation of a breast implant surgery first noticing when she appeared at the premiere of ‘Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ movie.
On the special occasion of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ movie, Rihanna wears a red gown. The fans get shocked because of her now look at that time. Some fans had said, she looked different because of a boob job. On the other side, the rest of said she become healthier, which resulted in her change look. So far, Rihanna has not openly discussed the topic of breast implant surgery.
RIHANNA ON BODY POSITIVITY
The singer has long been an advocate of body positivity. In a statement she said, One day I can literally fit into something that is a bodycon, and then the next day. The next week. I need something oversized; I want a little crop here and a high waist to hide that part, you know?”
Later on, she revealed that she dressed up as per her moods. She said, “What week are you having? Are you having a skinny week? Are you having a fat week? Are we doing arms this week? We doing legs this week? We doing oversized?”
Notably, this is not the first incident when Rihanna has been in controversy over disrespect for her particular religion. Back in 2013, Rihanna did a photoshoot at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center in Abu Dhabi leave after clicking some ‘inappropriate photos’. Several people backlash Rihanna topless photo. Check out the fans reactions below.
U can wear or not wear anything thats your choice but please don’t disrespect our Lord Ganesha
— Ankita Thakur (@ankita_thakur2) February 16, 2021
Rihanna wearing Ganesha necklace in that pic don’t sit right with me
— pawan (@dosaboi92) February 15, 2021
I lost all my respect for Rihanna ✋🏻 how can you wear the Ganesha necklace and think it’s ok to pose like that? Lol.
— Amrita 👑🕉 (@swamyamrita) February 15, 2021
Rihanna poses a toples photo wearing Lord Ganesha pendant..!
— Rocky Jakati🚩 (@Bulletrakya) February 16, 2021
Stay Tuned with us for more trending news and gossips.

domain: celebrity


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Gambling ads ban during live televised sport set to come into force
The gambling sector's self-imposed 'whistle-to-whistle' advertising ban during televised sport comes into force on Thursday, with industry representatives saying they will be reviewing other forms of marketing.
The Industry Group for Responsible Gambling, a collective body for the five key gambling trade associations in the UK, last year announced changes to its advertising code following criticism of the levels of gambling ads during the 2018 football World Cup in Russia.
As a result, all TV betting adverts will be banned during pre-watershed live sport, starting five minutes before the event begins and ending five minutes after it finishes.
Additional measures include an end to betting adverts around highlight shows and re-runs, as well as a ban on pre-watershed bookmaker sponsorship of sports programmes.
However, the code does make an exception for adverts during horseracing and greyhound racing programmes.
Remote Gambling Association chief executive Wes Himes said: "The intent is the diminution of pre-watershed televised advertising around sport with the exception of horseracing and greyhounds.
"We acknowledged the concerns that were raised in various quarters, particularly after the World Cup, and the industry took a proactive, unprompted approach to addressing the issue with the fifth edition of the IGRG code and the whistle-to-whistle ban."
While the industry's announcement was welcomed by politicians and other stakeholders, there have been calls for restrictions on betting advertising around sports to be extended to shirt sponsorship and hoardings at grounds.
Himes said the industry would be conducting a study to evaluate the whistle-to-whistle ban.
He added: "That doesn't prevent us from looking at other areas of advertising such as sponsorship, online advertising and so on, as part of our overall approach to responsible and safer gambling and the role that advertising and marketing plays in that debate.
"It's always under live review and we will look to do more, particularly around digital advertising to close the various anomalies on social media platforms, for instance to ensure that advertising is not going to under-18s or vulnerable people.
"We're reviewing technology and we're reviewing our guidance in that area to see if we need to strengthen it."
Himes was also at pains to point out the changes were aimed at the specific issue of advertising around live sport before the watershed.
"It was not a finite limit on advertising across the board and operators choose the advertising mix that's appropriate for them," he added.
The debate around gambling advertising and sport reignited in recent weeks with Paddy Power's 'Save Our Shirts' campaign, in which they have sponsored a number of football clubs without having their name on the teams' shirts.
Read The Briefing from 8.30am daily on racingpost.com with all the day's latest going, weather, market moves and non-runner news

domain: news


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When making fermented vegetables, we often add different kinds or amounts of spices. Their impacts on flavor may be obvious, but what do these spices do at the microbial level? A recent study took a careful look at how the addition of red pepper changes the course of microbial development in kimchi.
Kimchi is a naturally fermented pickle that has become emblematic of Korean food. Hundreds of variations combine different vegetables, spices, and techniques to achieve a wide range of pungent and delicious effects. Numerous studies on the microbiology of kimchi have identified three major genera of lactic acid bacteria—Leuconostocs, Lactobacilli, and Weissella—that dominate the finished product. The progress of any individual fermentation depends on environmental factors, such as the temperature, acidity, oxygen level of the mixture, and nutrients present, to name a few. While many non-scientific sources allude to the use of hot spices to control microbial activity in foods, very few studies have been done on the extent of this effect and how the presence of hot pepper impacts the fermentation process when all other factors are held constant.
A recent paper in the International Journal of Food Microbiology asked a simple question: how does hot red pepper influence the fermentation of kimchi?
Two batches of kimchi (cabbage and radish) were made using the same method, with the only difference being the presence or absence of hot red pepper powder. The ‘kimchi soups’ (liquors) were sampled nine times between day 0 and day 40, and several aspects were examined:
1) pH and total cell count were measured.
2) The composition of the communities in each kimchi sample (at the genus level) was assessed using a high-throughput technique known as pyrosequencing. Comparing these results over time and between samples gave a glimpse into what fermentation microbes dominated at different periods of time as the fermentations progressed.
3) A technique called 1H NMR spectroscopy was used at each point to measure the concentration of both fermentation fuel (the sugars provided by the vegetables as they broke down) and selected flavourful fermentation products, including lactate, acetate, and mannitol. This provided a third way of tracking the progress of the fermentations and looking for differences between the samples.
Summary of Findings
The teams verified that all of the kimchis behaved similarly to those in previous studies, with a wide diversity of bacteria present at the beginning of the process, followed by a dominance of three main genera (Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Weissella) as fermentation progressed. The biggest differences between the peppery and pepperless kimchis was that the bacterial diversity of the community decreased more slowly over the course of the fermentation when pepper was present, and that in both kimchis with pepper, Weissella was significantly more prevalent in the finished product.
While the successions occurred along similar paths in all the kimchis, pepper decreased the speed of the early stages of fermentation in both cabbage and radish kimchis. Once the early phase was complete, however, the pH decreased at a similar rate, leading them to conclude that pepper did not affect the speed of the middle or late stages of fermentation.
The comparison of the fermentation precursor and by-product levels showed that the finished kimchis did not differ significantly from one another; as far as the five major compounds measured were concerned, all the kimchis ended up in the same place. However, the consumption and production rates of the compounds differed in the early stages depending on the addition of pepper; once again establishing that peppery kimchis ferment more slowly in the early stages.
While the paper showed that pepper has an effect on the microbial communities, we do not yet know what the mechanisms are that cause these effects: are they direct (bacteria responding to a compound in the pepper) or indirect (pepper buffering the pH of the mixture in a way that gives Weissella a competitive advantage, for example)?
It would also be interesting to know how the kimchis with and without pepper differed from a flavour perspective (beyond spicyness, of course). The authors looked at the amount of five flavourful compounds and found no significant differences between the kimchis at the end of fermentation, but those five compounds aren’t the only ones that a person would taste, as a wide variety of metabolites (including carbon dioxide, ethanol, and organic acids present at lower levels) also contribute to kimchi flavor. As the proportion of Weissella was so much greater in the pepper-containing kimchis, were other potentially Weissella-specific metabolites or flavours present? Or less of the Leuconostoc or Lactobacillus related metabolites? These differences could have a big impact on the taste of the kimchi that the methods used in this paper would not detect.
At the beginning of the fermentations, there were a large number of bacteria present (between 10^4 and 10^5), representing a very high diversity of organisms (including significant amounts of spoilage and ‘undesirable’ organisms, such as Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas). The process by which useful microorganisms come to dominate the mixture and exclude the undesirables is a fascinating and important one. While many of the organisms present at the beginning do not survive the fermentation, it would be interesting to know where they are coming from (what proportion from solar salt? spices? the vegetables themselves?), and if any of their metabolites or enzymes affect the flavours of the finished kimchi, even if the organisms themselves are long gone by then.
Kimchi’s reliance on native microbes for its fermentation has been identified as a roadblock to effective industrialization of the process, and several studies—including this one—have identified better-standardized industrial kimchi as the ultimate goal of their research. As the power of these microbial communities to tend themselves when presented with the proper conditions is so striking, it would be useful to better understand the variation that industrial producers are experiencing, and to see whether their problems could be better dealt with through an environmental approach rather than inoculation.
Article by Bronwen Percival
For the original article, see:
Jeong et al. (2013) Effects of red pepper powder on microbial communities and metabolites during kimchi fermentation. Int J Food Microbio 160: 252-259.
For more information about kimchi fermentation, see also:
Jung et al. (2014) Kimchi microflora: history, current status, and perspectives for industrial kimchi production. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. DOI 10.1007/s00253-014-5513-1.

domain: chemistry


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Booth, most recently social VR director for Facebook, is best known as the creator and lead designer of survival horror game Left 4 Dead. He will report to Anna Sweet, CEO Bad Robot Games.
Bad Robot Games will now have two teams: an in-house studio and a creative co-development team working with external partners. Bad Robot Games Studios will uniquely develop original IP for all platforms in collaboration with colleagues from Bad Robot’s Film and TV departments. The studio will create gaming destinations whose worlds and stories designed for multiple mediums.
The official announcement described the goal as “making them as much fun to watch as they are to play.” The first game under the new division will be “a AAA title for PC/console that is designed to immerse both players and streaming audiences into a co-op, cinematic experience,” the announcement added.
“All our projects unite our games industry veterans, our film and TV colleagues, and our larger network of talent (writers, composers, sound designers, concept artists, and more), which uniquely allows us to blend artists, areas of expertise, and perspectives across industries to create truly innovative games. Because of this constant collaboration, we’re able to bring a novel, fully integrated approach to cross-medium worldbuilding,” Sweet said. “Mike is one of the most accomplished game developers in the world and he is constantly looking for ways to advance and innovate to help deliver the most compelling experiences to players.”
Booth will help build out and lead a world class, diverse creative development team to develop this first game and future titles. The founder of Turtle Rock Studios and former Valve, Blizzard and EA/Westwood executive has created and designed many video game franchises. He was project lead / lead designer for CounterStrike: Condition Zero and Nox and was part of the creative teams for numerous other iterations of Counter-Strike as well as Team Fortress 2, Command & Conquer: Generals and C&C Red Alert 2.
“My career has been driven by a desire to innovate new ways of bringing people together for epic adventures online, leaving them with exciting stories they can tell their friends afterwards,” said Booth. “The games I create center around people working together to survive and thrive in fantastic worlds, which seems an excellent fit for JJ Abrams’ approach to moviemaking. As a huge fan of JJ’s work, I’m incredibly excited by the unique opportunity to create something new at Bad Robot Games Studios in collaboration with the world class talent at Bad Robot.”
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domain: artistic


Buddleja davidii, like many other species, exhibits a particularly diverse phenotype in the wild, with varying sized panicles of lavender, yellow-eyed flowers occurring up to 10,000 feet in elevation. During my first trip to Sichuan Province, China, in 1996, I collected this species at 5800 feet in the Wolong area of Sichuan, noting it was growing in open, somewhat degraded and dry sites among rocky outcrops. These seeds ultimately blossomed and showed significant variation from seedling to seedling. It’s precisely this genetic plasticity in this species that’s led to so many named cultivars, from pure white to near black and every shade between. Some of these cultivars show more fertility than others, and the species has shown a greater threat of bio-invasiveness in some areas of the continent than in others. Despite the beguiling fragrance, ornamental value and numerous species of butterflies that’ll appear, gardeners should refer to their local noxious weed lists to determine risk.
During the same trip to Sichuan, I was attracted to the silvery felted leaves of B. nivea, a species I’d grown in my garden for several years prior. Primarily a foliage plant—and a good one at that—its small light lavender heads of flowers are barely noticeable. A tetraploid form of this species, B. nivea var. yunnanensis, possesses extraordinarily large leaves, to eight inches long and four inches wide, though with this size, the silvery appeal is lessened.
In 2005, during my first trip to Sikkim, India, I was excited to at last encounter B. colvilei in the wild, between the Sikkim outposts of Lachung and Lachang, at 9,800 feet. It’s in this general vicinity that the young Joseph Dalton Hooker spent three years botanizing in the mid-1800s. He was briefly imprisoned by the Dewan of Sikkim. And it was here that Hooker discovered and introduced into cultivation B. colvilei, which he ordained as one of the most beautiful flowering shrubs of the Himalayas.
Common throughout the southern portions of the Republic of Chile, and noted as well from Peru, B. globosa is a very distinctive species in regard to both flower color and inflorescence. Panicles of orange flowers, presented in globose heads, appear in spring amid foliage that’s deep green above and tawny brown below. The blooms offer a light fragrance, but not to the degree I’ve come to associate with other members of the genus. Hybrids between B. globosa and B. davidii were created in England in the early 1900s and introduced under the name B. x weyeriana. They offer soft yellow, fragrant and politically correct sterile or pollen sterile flowers.
Relative to the size of the genus, my knowledge of it is miniscule but I’ve attached a bevy of memories to the members I’ve come to know and grow. With my promotion of this genus comes the demand to all of those who include it in their gardens for responsible choices in regard to possible bio-invasion in their climate. Be vigilant of those deemed safe.


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Date of Award
Union College Only
Bachelor of Arts
black, locust, soils, pine, soil
The black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a highly invasive, nitrogen-fixing plant. Black locust trees increase soil nitrogen concentrations, supplement soil nutrient pools, and enhances the rates of nitrogen transformations, all of which favor the growth of other non-native plant species and contributes to lower plant species diversity. In the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, black locust has invaded the globally rare pitch pine—scrub oak barrens community. Restoration has been initiated to remove black locust stands throughout the preserve in hopes of protecting the rare plant and animal species that reside there. The purpose of this study is to determine if the restoration of black locust stands ensures a successful return to preinvasion soil characteristics. Initially soils were collected from three different plots: pine-oak, black locust, and restored. Soils were then assessed for nutrient content, nitrogen availability, and soil fertility. To gauge soil fertility, plant growth experiments were conducted in the Union College greenhouse using three native perennial grasses. Plant growth results showed that there was a significant difference between pine-oak soils and both black locust and restored soils. Plants grown in the pine-oak soil treatments had the greatest amount of biomass with restored and black locust trailing behind. There was no significant difference between black locust and restored soils. Nutrient content and nitrogen availability results showed that black locust soils have the greatest nutrient content and nitrogen availability, restored soils have intermediate values, while pine-oak soils have the lowest values. Restoration efforts in the Albany Pine Bush Preserve appear to have been successful as restored plots display soil characteristics prior to the invasion of the black locust.
Kesel, Kyle Charles, "Does the removal of invasive nitrogen-fixing black locust in a pine-oak community ensure a successful return to pre-invasion soil characteristics?" (2009). Honors Theses. 1331.

domain: agronomy


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After whirlwind first 100 days, can Sarkozy stay the course?
Nicolas Sarkozy's hectic first 100 days in power have earned him the nickname of "hyperpresident," but analysts are waiting to see if France's new leader can keep up the dizzying pace to deliver his promised reforms.
13 August 2007
PARIS - For three months, France's new-look president has grabbed the spotlight: jetting off to meet world leaders, micro-managing his government team, even dropping by to comment on the Tour de France or doling out advice to the French rugby team.
"Nicolas Sarkozy has turned his presidency into a reality TV show," wrote the Marianne weekly. "It's about an ordinary guy who's been given extraordinary powers. His goal: to save an ageing country from decline."
Whether posing with the glamorous first lady Cecilia Sarkozy, jogging before the cameras or hosting a rock concert on France's national holiday, everything about the 52-year-old marks a break with the days of Jacques Chirac.
Nicolas and Cecilia Sarkozy
According to an IFOP poll published in the Journal du Dimanche on Sunday, 64 percent of the French approve of his up-front style of government.
For Dominique Moisi of the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI), "Sarkozy has rallied the French people behind him with a government that embodies the new face of France."
His choice of summer holiday spot, an elite US lakeside property an hour's drive from the residence of his US counterpart George W. Bush, tells the world: "The days of Gaullist France are over. A page has been turned, and now is time for a new France, young and without hang-ups," Moisi said.
The president has defied French bourgeois convention by displaying a relaxed attitude towards money, from his public friendship with business moguls to a taste for luxury yachts and Italian suits.
Though mocked by part of the establishment - Marianne dubbed him "leader of the bling-bling right" - polls suggest ordinary French people are unfazed by the display of wealth.
But beyond the image revolution, how much has Sarkozy achieved so far?
On the diplomatic front, he notched up a big success early on by helping to break the deadlock on a new European treaty: "Suddenly, France was no longer a source of problems but of solutions," said Dominique Reynie of the Sciences Po political science institute.
But his refusal to commit to reining in France's budget deficit, and his decision to send his wife to Tripoli for the final stage of European Union negotiations on the release of the Bulgarian medics imprisoned in Libya have strained ties with Europe.
"There is already a lot of tension between Sarkozy and the EU - he has really, really, irritated a lot of people," said Moisi.
The Libyan case may come back to bite him, with France's left-wing opposition demanding a parliamentary inquiry to determine whether Sarkozy traded the medics' release for an arms deal with Libya.
The Bulgarian nurses and the Palestinian Doctor facing death sentences in Libya
"If at some point there were an attack in which Libya was involved, it would be catastrophic for him."
At home, Sarkozy used a special session of parliament to push through a first set of reforms, including a package of tax breaks, a law giving universities more autonomy, tougher sentencing rules for repeat young offenders, and a law to keep public transport running during strikes.
Hugely popular, the tax measures have been approved by between 64 and 87 percent of the public, according to IFOP, while 84 percent back the crime bill and 72 the strike measures.
But critics worry Sarkozy has started to renege on promises to reduce state spending, shelving plans to raise tuition fees in public universities and watering down a key, but unpopular pledge, to cut civil service jobs, from 35,000 to 22,000 in 2008.
Reforms scheduled for after the summer, including reforming employment contract law, private pension funding and the health insurance deficit, will require making unpopular choices.
But Sarkozy appears in no doubt he can deliver the goods: he has warned his ministers - away on a brief summer break -- that he intends to ramp up the work pace when they get back.
Subject: French news

domain: politics


text:
Explorer staffers have begun traveling to other parks this summer to learn what lessons they may hold for managing popular trails and attractions. These stories will appear in the magazine later this fall and winter, and will focus largely on New England. This week, though, I’m mixing personal travel with some research, meeting my son at Grand Teton National Park for some backpacking on a permit that I reserved months ago.
Permits, of course, are a point of debate and contention in the Adirondacks. At Grand Teton and many other national parks, they’re standard for backcountry camping, though not generally for day hikes. August is a busy month on Teton roads, known for their moose jams (pictured above). The backcountry is different, and strictly regulated. Reservations are required months in advance if you’re traveling great distances and want to be assured of a spot. But you can also take your chances on a walk-up permit when you arrive. I did a little of both, reserving one of the few spots I could find back in the spring, just to be sure I’d have something, and then changing it to one of the available walk-up permits when I checked in at the visitor center.
By the time you read this, I will have walked up the trail and out of contact for a few days. Here’s hoping the rest of the trip goes as planned. It hasn’t been the simplest process, and I expect a lot of hikers who are used to the freedom of access in the Adirondacks might bristle at all the planning — and especially at having to show up in person to collect the permit far from the intended trailhead access. I imagine it’s especially challenging for long-distance thru-hikers who need to plan long strings of campsites. I’ll see what I can gather from others I meet on the trail, and would also be interested in knowing how Adirondack backpackers feel about this kind of system.
Editor’s note: This first appeared in the Explorer’s weekly “Explore More” newsletter. Click here to sign up.

domain: geography


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The Queen received an honorary Bafta tonight in recognition of a lifetime's support of British film and television, and was praised for her starring role in last year's Olympics.
John Willis, chairman of Bafta, paid tribute to the Queen's "outstanding" patronage of the organisation, whilst Sir Kenneth Branagh joked that her "sensational" performance will prompt other directors to solicit her skills.
ITV News Correspondent Nina Nannar reports:
In a short speech, Mr Willis drew laughter from the crowd and from The Queen when he said:
Her Majesty the Queen starred at the London Olympics as the most memorable Bond girl yet.
Her Majesty appeared delighted and quite shocked to be awarded the accolade:
Hollywood star Sir Kenneth Branagh presented the award during a glittering Windsor Castle reception attended by stars of stage, screen and television celebrating their industry. To the laughter of the audience he told the Queen:
Your sensational appearance at the opening ceremony of last year's Olympics was especially memorable.
So much so that several of my colleagues here tonight want you to know that should you wish to take it further into the world of British films that they have a number of scripts with them here this evening. I have to warn you,


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Slow Cooker Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Creamy, hearty and filling this Slow Cooker Chicken Wild Rice Soup is the perfect comfort soup for those cool winter nights!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time4 hrs
Total Time4 hrs 10 mins
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup wild rice
- 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 medium onion
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water you could use all chicken broth as well
- 1 tsp rosemary chopped
- 2 tsp parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1/2 Tbs salt
- 1/2 Tbs pepper
- 4 Tbs butter
- 3 Tbs flour
- 2 cup half and half
In slow cooker add your chicken, rice, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves, chicken broth, water, rosemary, parsley, garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hour or on high for 4-5 hours.
Remove your chicken from slow cooker and shred, setting aside.
In saute pan on medium heat, melt your butter and then whisk in your flour mixing for about 1 minute until light brown.
Slowly whisk in your half and half and continue to whisk until it starts to thicken up.
Once thick add your chicken and your half and half mixture back into your slow cooker and stir until blended.
Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 1374mg | Potassium: 769mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 113% | Vitamin C: 20.1% | Calcium: 13.1% | Iron: 9%

domain: food


No doubt you’d have a blast after a few good rounds with your shotgun, but not without some good bruising, too. Guns often come with their own cushioning but these are not often the best shotgun recoil pad for you.
Pads of very soft materials will give in more easily than sturdier materials. Aside from the material, the pad’s face shape, design and texture also matter.
If you’ve been bruising more than enjoying the hunting season, consider changing shells or looking into some of the following shotgun recoil pads to soften the kick of your shotgun.
Read customer reviews of shotgun pads on Amazon.
Limbsaver 10201 Recoil Pad Mossberg
Touted as the top recoil protection for shotguns in the market nowadays, the LimbSaver 10201Precision-Fit Recoil pad significantly absorbs and reduces up to 50% felt recoil than other standard manufacturer stock pads.
Moreover, it incorporates an Anti-Muzzle Jump Technology for added shooting accuracy sans discomfort and shoulder bruising.
Simply screw-in the LimbSaver pad on the gun stock for body protection and comfort. It measures 5.175″ x 1.680″.
The Limbsaver fits a 12 gauge perfectly; shaving may be required for guns other than that calibre. The product material itself is of high quality, the only issue being the fit of the pad to various guns’ stock.
Pachmayr Decelerator Slip-On Recoil Pad
The Pachmayr Decelerator features an innovative egg-crate construction that makes it light and sturdy that gives it the ultimate in look and recoil suppression.
You need no gunsmith to install this slip-on pad and will fit the stock quite easily and quick.
It is designed to fit within .050-inch tolerance on most factory-made stocks, and fits perfectly with shotguns like the Mossberg 500, and the Winchester 1200/1300 using the small size.
There had been complaints about not being the perfect fit, but the product does come with a list of gun stocks that it promised would fit.
If your gun is not on the list, then it’s not Pachmayr’s fault that your gun’s butt won’t fit.
As to reducing kick, the Pachmayr Decelerator holds well against recoil but not as much as Kick-Eez which is the next item. Pachmayr is sold a few dollars cheaper than LimbSaver.
Kick-EEZ All-Purpose Recoil Pad
Kick-EEZ All-Purpose Recoil slip-over system is designed (as its name suggests) for all shooting sports.
It is available in three varying sizes for quick and easy fitting, and comes with a ½” Sorbothane insert for full recoil suppression and vibration control, which makes shooting experience pain-free and enjoyable.
At 11 oz, this particular pad may be quite thick and heavier than most rival pads, but it’s really built for durability as it is made from top-quality rubber.
Here’s an important thing with this product – the pad and insert add up to a thickness of 1 inch, adding that same length to the gun’s reach.
See first if that’s fine with you or consider shaving the stock off; if it is made of wood, that is. Recoil reduction is definitely effective. Kick-EEZ sells at around $40.
Best shotgun recoil pad
The bottom line is: you need a recoil pad that works to absorb recoil; fits the butt plate snugly without complicated smithing necessary; made of a material that is not gooey or slippery but soft and holds its shape through some heavy shooting.
Kick-EEZ gets all the check marks here. We have not mentioned weight in the criteria because we believe that a little added constant weight from a pad is far tolerable than a mule’s kick, which is often likened to the recoil from many guns.
Let it also be noted that of the pads compared in this review, Kick-EEZ is the heaviest and the most expensive, too. We believe that you’d live through those two “minor” issues, so we’ve factored them out.


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This is a demo store. Any orders placed through this store will not be honored or fulfilled.
A stylish and convenient solution to soothing your baby! This Babymoov Bubble Bouncer is ideal for baby with its safe, compact and comfy seat - with enough wiggle room! With a reclining back, foot rest and an option for swinging or a fixed position, it is everything a parent would need to keep baby occupied and entertained.
The Gymini Bouncer is a complete activity environment that accompanies him throughout his day and developmental milestones. With exclusive, adjustable arches, allowing multiple positions for each developmental stage, baby-activated lights and music stand alone crab and a soft and cozy seat the Gymini Bouncer is sure to become baby's favorite. Easy parental access, 2 seat positions and calming vibrations will make baby's parents pleased too.
Did you know that the Tiny Love Gymini bouncer ha some great features which help it stand out from the competition!
This innovative Tiny Love product features a fun seat fitted with an engaging toy, a rocker that soothes baby with gentle rocking movements, and a flat mattress (180 ° ) with raised borders, which makes for a safe and cozy sleeping environment. Three uses in one product!
With the Bubble rocker swing, your baby can relax, lulled by soothing music.
A restful portable swing makes a perfect place for baby to relax. The Swing is part of the Rest & Play range and features the stylish geometric Solitaire print with neutral grey and aqua trim. It includes adjustable waist and shoulder straps to keep baby secure, and the seat pad is removable for washing. The musical mobile plays 6 different tunes, and the 3 soft hanging toys feature a mirror, rattle and squeaker.
The perfect, incredibly easy to fold and carry, infant seat for home, travel and outdoors. Comfy seat, with stylish design, features fun bouncing movement. Light and easy, weighs less than 4 pounds and comes with bonus carry bag.

domain: design


Ever since March 2000, Garcia Sheet Metal has been a primary supplier of sheet metal products in Northern California. As a family owned business, Garcia Sheet Metal features state of the art equipment, and the higher level of customer service. Experience and pride allows Garcia Sheet Metal to accommodate their client’s needs at the higher level. Garcia Sheet Metal strives to make your metal product experience as relieving as possible, while providing unparalleled customer service and satisfaction.
|Company Name||Garcia Sheet Metal|
|Address||4 Wayne Ct |
|Hours of Operation||NA|


Ladd delivers opening prayer
Pictured, from left, are Rep. Jill Ford, Dr. Breck Ladd, Speaker Jason White and Rep. Andy Boyd.
Dr. Breck Ladd gave the opening prayer to the Mississippi House of Representatives recently.
Dr. Ladd is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Madison.
He was invited by Representative Jill Ford (R – Madison) and Representative Andy Boyd (R – Columbus).


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While communities throughout the state are facing an influx of “Internet cafe” gaming establishments, the township finds itself in a unique position.
While trustees have put a hold on issuing occupancy permits to new “sweepstakes caf ” businesses, some existing businesses are getting in on the game.
“The Red Onion is already advertising that they have it and I believe a couple more are looking into it,” Trustee Christine Kusnerak said this week. “The issue we are facing is not new businesses coming in, but those adding to existing businesses.”
She added that while the township — along with municipalities across the state — awaits a ruling regarding the legality, or potential regulation of the establishments — there isn’t much that can be done.
“We certainly don’t want to put anyone out of business, but the state needs to determine what the definition of gambling would be so that we can regulate it if we decide we want to,” Kusnerak said. “But we haven’t had any problems so far that I know of.”
Township Police Chief Sharon MacKay concurred, but said that in spite of the lack of criminal activity, there are still law enforcment concerns.
“As far as Brunswick Hills specifically, we’ve had no increase in criminal activity from the caf on Marks Road or the businesses that have machines in them,” she said. “But there is always concern with any business that is open 24-7, with money inside and patrons that hang around for long periods of time. But again, getting legal clarity from the state is the critical component.”
See more Brunswick news at cleveland.com/brunswicksun
Contact Lisik at

domain: economics


Leviton, the nice thing is that the serial debugger interface is built into the development kit so you won't need an external tool. I've had great experiences so far with the IAR I-Jet. and the I-Scope for low power measurement.
What are the engineering and design challenges in creating successful IoT devices? These devices are usually small, resource-constrained electronics designed to sense, collect, send, and/or interpret data. Some of the devices need to be smart enough to act upon data in real time, 24/7. Specifically the guests will discuss sensors, security, and lessons from IoT deployments.


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HANA PET Waterless Bubble Shampoo
is now in SingaporeKeep your pet clean, anytime, anywhere.Waterless Bubble Shampoo
is the best way to keep your pets clean and smelling great without water!
MADE IN KOREA. WBS comes in 4 varieties:
- Simply massage the foam into fur and towel dry.
- It is the only product that contains high-end cosmetic grade peptide to keep the fur silky and shiny.
- The mini version comes with a removable silicone brush for easy paw cleaning.
- Our products offer one of the favourite scents in the market and won’t make the fur sticky.
-Waterless Bubble Shampoo Lavender (320ml)
-Waterless Bubble Shampoo Baby Powder (320ml)
-Waterless Bubble Shampoo Mini Lavender (130ml)
-Waterless Bubble Shampoo Mini Baby Powder (130ml)

domain: pet


Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today.
by Dr Ronnie Yearwood
It is important that there is critique of the government’s COVID policy and generally of any government policy.
Perhaps a good place to start is to have a look at a recent critique by Dr. Melissa Goddard and a response to that critique by the Prime Minister.
In an article (23 Feb 2020), ‘COVID Surge in Barbados points to Policy Failures’, Dr. Melissa Goddard, states that, “Despite warnings from clinicians, Barbados held on to a too-short quarantine and test protocol when its borders opened last summer.
Now, a new surge in COVID cases and deaths begs retrospective policy questions . . . It seems likely that the ongoing surge in Barbados may be due to specific policy failures, frequently in opposition to expert guidance, and with attempts at correction faring little better.
The final hopes now rest in the recently procured vaccine, and that science will finally be enough to overcome fumbles where it has too often been ignored.”
The Prime Minister responded to Dr. Goddard’s article in a news report (24 Feb 2020) to say, “I felt that all views must contend, I do not necessarily agree with Dr. Goddard, but I think she has a perspective that needs to be heard and I am hoping at some point we can meet with her and hear what she has to say in more detail. But I do not know if there is much to be gained at this time from focusing on the rear-view mirror, we have to get ahead of this issue.”
A flawed response
In her response to Dr. Goddard the Prime Minister sets out an approach to policy making that I believe is flawed and incorrect. If we go by the science, this may not be the last pandemic or major national crisis we face in our lifetime.
Therefore, it is not about focusing on the rear view mirror, so much as government accepting responsibility for its policy failures, fixing the failures, addressing current issues and planning for future issues.
This does not negate any of the hard work that the government has done. However, “we are working hard”, the “crisis is global” or the “government is faced with a difficult job” are not policy responses. Governments are elected to do difficult things.
Based on the Prime Minister’s approach to past criticism a meeting with Dr. Goddard will likely be used, and I will say what many are probably thinking, to perhaps offer Dr. Goddard a government role or a place on a government committee, thus using tax payers’ money in an attempt to placate or curtail criticism of the government.
It is a fallacy to think that critique has to come “through” the government or be institutionalised by the government. Citizens are free to critique government in the public space and not come into some government institutional set up or government led conversation. That approach does a democracy and the development of Barbados no good,
even if it looks like good political strategy.
It is up to a responsible government to take note of the critique and address the issues as best as they can, instead of trying to absorb the critique from public view, while filling the air with platitudes about being “in this together” or “many hands making light work.”
Let’s us not pretend, since we all like to “keep it real”, that we live in an equal society and that we are all in this crisis together in the same way, even if we are all in this crisis together until the crisis ends.
In the national interest
Critique and probing policy can lead to changes or improvement in policy or its execution. There is always more than one way to love our country.
And anyone pushing the view that now is not the time or it is not in the national interest or its unpatriotic to critique government’s COVID policy is wrong and misunderstands the value of criticism in the public space of a democracy.
I am certain that I am part of the national interest as were all Bajans who said late last year that the COVID protocols were incorrect and not based on the science. Did critique then not cause the improvements in the current protocols?
I am certain that I am part of the national interest, as were all Bajans forced out to supermarkets in a panic, because closure was announced the day before the supermarkets were to close. Did critique then not cause more notice to be given before the current lockdown?
I am certain that I am part of the national interest as were all Barbadians, especially the elderly, who were made to stand in the hot sun and rain to cash cheques at the post offices or more recently for vaccines. Sadly, ongoing critique has not yet helped with these.
I am certain that we are all part of the national interest when people in need still have not received the “carepackages” handed out from the back of a truck.
Are you telling me we can do no better in 2021? In fact, people who do not need care packages are getting them. How is it that getting relief to people cannot be properly organised and reach the people who actually need it?
Real time critique
It is therefore key to critique a government and its leadership response to this crisis. It is important to do so while in the crisis so that lessons can be learned in real time and errors corrected quickly, particularly in a public health crisis when lives are at stake above all else.
Bad policymaking and execution in this crisis are not like getting a road repaired wrong or mismanaging public funds because there can be a direct correlation between bad policy in this crisis and the death of our people.
Criticism is key in moments like these and it is in the national or public interest. Above all else, it is the lives of our people that matter most. Critique aides the evolution of solutions.
You do not need permission
I do not think anyone should feel that critiquing the government at this time is about complicating, or adding to what is a difficult process. That is a sophomoric view.
The reason is that critique is key to democratic governance. It is a hallmark of the best of our democratic traditions, especially those of freedom of expression guaranteed by Article 20 the Constitution of Barbados.
Your view or perspective does not require “permission” or approval from the government to be “heard.” It is not an accident that the framers of our Constitution baked into law your freedoms of expression and opinion.
They did this to protect us from the worse aspects of ourselves and to try to prevent the political class from using their powers to control public discourse. Stay safe everyone.
Dr Ronnie Yearwood holds degrees in Political Science, Sociology and Law. He is currently a lecturer in law at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill. He is a Chevening Scholar, National Development Scholar, and Overseas Research Scholar. He is called as a lawyer in Barbados, England & Wales, and the British Virgin Islands. His areas of interest are varied and include commercial law, international trade, politics and law, education and governance. Email: [email protected]


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photobydante got their new logo design by running a design contest:
New logo wanted for Simple Shooter
Check out photobydante's Logo design contest…
Photography Studio - a collective of top tier photographers shooting weddings and events. Making the process of getting top tier photography simple.
Logo types to explore
Design brief Brief Overview Simple Shooter is a new branch of a successful wedding photography studio set in New York City. Modern, Sleek, Simple Aesthetic, yet colorful, bright and vibrant is the best way to describe the studio's current event photography, as well as it's current brand. Target Audience Couples getting married. Non traditional. Cost conscious yet chic. Simple yet savvy. Requirements Must be Web and Print freindly Reproduceable in B+W Reproduceable in full color spectrum Ideally, horizontal in orientation Open to a minimalist approach. Ideally, would love a logo that can be reproduced without words and just initials..it will likely be used as a watermark as well Image should be somewhat consistent with already existing Photography brand logo attached.
Every design category has flexible pricing for all budgets. Logo design starts at $429.
Full copyright with production-ready files for digital and/or print.
It all began with a design brief.
A quick, interactive guide helped them understand their design style and captured exactly what they needed in their logo design.
Designers across the globe delivered design magic.
photobydante collaborated with designers to refine their ideas
When design entries come in, you can rate them so designers know what you’re looking for in your logo design.
99designs has great collaboration tools so you can pinpoint and capture your ideas
And then… they selected a winner!
Along the way, they met lots of talented designers…
We think contests are a super fun way to get design.
Recently completed contests:
Baddie Supreme is a brand for modeling. We produce digital video/ photo content and we also focus on marketing and promo
I am an urban explorer who searches and photographs abandoned places most of which reside in the inner city. I am passi
My business is based around travel/landscape photography. I sell prints, custom landscape photos, have a blog, and would
Surf-brand style photography logo for fine art seascape studio w/ versatility to make apparel/merch.
Seascape Fine Art Photography, & portraiture on-location at the beach
Photography and Media company specialising in boudoir and kink photography. Main demographics are 20-50 in the kink scen
Professional, classic design to appeal to the recently engaged, families or realtors needing photos.
We provide photographic services for real estate (residential, commercial, interior design, etc.), weddings, portraits o
I'm a headshot and model photographer; a good chunk of the time I will be shooting corporate and acting headshots. The o


Tomorrow, August 3rd, Google will finally unveil the new Pixel 4a smartphone. On the eve of the announcement, insider Ishan Agarwal (Ishan
What to expect
As expected, the smartphone will receive a 5.81-inchOLED display with FHD + resolution, HDR and 19.5: 9 aspect ratio. For the 8-megapixel front camera (f / 2.0, 84 degrees), there is a round notch right in the screen.
Inside is a Snapdragon 730G processor paired with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of ROM, as well as a 3140 mAh battery with support for 18W charging.
The main camera is single: it is a 12.2 megapixel sensor (f / 1.7) with autofocus and optical stabilization. It is made in the form of a square block.
The dimensions of the smartphone are 144 × 69.4 × 8.2 mm, weight - 143 g.
According to an insider, Google Pixel 4a was rated in$ 349. There should also be a 5G version with a different processor (most likely Snapdragon 765G) for $ 499. But tomorrow it is unlikely to be presented - it seems that the announcement of the older version will take place along with the Pixel 5.</ p>


text: Today we are excited to announce that Shane Harris has officially joined The Balance Podcast..or shall I say "The Balance MOVIE Podcast. Just a little twekk but yes, we've changed our name. Today we discuss the Netflix film "The Mitchells vs the Machines." A brilliant piece of animation brought to you from the same humans who gave us Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse. This film has comedy, heart and a whole lot of technology we have all grown to love and fear. Enjoy the episode!


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A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION ARGUMENT UNEARTHS
ANOTHER SECRET, ON ABC'S THE GATES
"Dog Eat Dog" -- When Lukas' father is assaulted and left for dead, Nick must diffuse a potential turf war between Vampires and Werewolves; finding solace in their shared angst, Andie and Brett rekindle their relationship; Mia, upset that Peg won't teach her the secrets of witchcraft, turns to Devon for tutelage; and Claire reaches a crossroads when Christian threatens to reveal the true nature of their relationship, on "The Gates," SUNDAY, AUGUST 15 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
"The Gates" stars Frank Grillo as Nick Monohan, Marisol Nichols as Sarah Monahan, Rhona Mitra as Claire Radcliff, Luke Mably as Dylan Radcliff, Travis Caldwell as Charlie Monohan, Skyler Samuels as Andie Bates, Colton Haynes as Brett Crezski, Chandra West as Devon, Justin Miles as Marcus Jordan and Janina Gavankar as Leigh Turner.
Guest Starring are Victoria Platt as Peg Mueller, Georgia Cole as Emily Radcliffe, James Preston as Lukas Ford, Devyn Tyler as Mia Mueller, Roger cross as Coach Ross, Louis Herthum as Simon Ford, Linden Ashby as Ben McAllister, Andrea Powell as Karen Crezeki, Paul Blackthorne as Christian Harper, and Rachel DiPillo as Lexie, Cheryl White as Joan Ford and Leland Jones as Doctor..
"Dog Eat Dog" was directed by David Barrett and written by Gabrielle Stanton.
"The Gates is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound. A TV parental guideline will be posted closer to airdate.

domain: entertainment


Erika Franklin Fowler, assistant professor of government and co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project, recently joined the Campaign Finance Institute’s (CFI) Academic Advisory Board.
Fowler was one of 16 academics appointed to the board, which advises CFI as it plans and works through its research agenda. Also appointed was Michael Franz, co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project and a professor at Bowdoin College.
Founded in 1999, CFI is a campaign finance policy think tank. According to the website, its original work is published in academic journals, and is regularly used by the media and policymakers. Its tools are made available to stimulate new research by others, while its bibliographies bring the results of recent scholarship to the attention of the policy community. More information about the board is available here.


I have a 1997 Indy Trail where the cylinder has some scratches in it. Can it be honed or ru. It like it is?
If you can snag you fingernail on it, bore it
I would use plenty of WD40 and hone it for a minute or even two
Then see what it looks like
Boreing jugs can be done at any local Auto Machine shop
Just be sure to radius the ports real well


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German prosecutors have extended an investigation into a tax-stripping scheme, with around 70 current and former executives of Deutsche Bank now being treated as suspects, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Thursday.
Among those suspected by the Cologne prosecutor’s office is Garth Ritchie, the head of Deutsche’s investment banking arm, the newspaper wrote in a report that cited unnamed sources. Ritchie, through a Deutsche Bank spokesman, declined comment.
No comment was immediately available outside office hours from the Cologne prosecutor.
In a statement, Deutsche Bank confirmed that further current and former managers were under investigation, but did not say who they were. It also said they were not involved in the tax scheme.


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Indepth Arts News: |
"Vietnamese Emotions II: Work by Trinh Tuan"
2001-04-21 until 2001-05-13
Trinh Tuan uses lacquer paintings as a medium to express inner feelings and emotions. His subjects are sometimes shown single, depicting loneliness or perhaps sadness. Often his paintings show a man or woman with warm feelings for each other, or at times the opposite. They seem to have emotions inside which they are unable to release.
The technique of lacquer paintings came to Vietnam around A.D. 1450 when a Vietnamese Mandarin was sent to China to learn about this particular form of art. The lacquer painting technique has hit a renaissance due to a group of artists in Vietnam who have taken the difficult art form into the 21st Century. It is a very meticulous work to produce a lacquer painting, and the process can take several months to complete. First, a piece of board is being prepared and polished to serve as a template. The lacquer substance is then applied and polished, often in 8 – 10 layers. Colours, silver and gold leaf, mother of pearl, eggshell and other substances are applied between the layers of lacquer. The process is very time consuming and requires a lot of skills. It is difficult to know the final result and have full control of the colours, even with many years of experience.
This is the second exhibition by Trinh Tuan at Thavibu Gallery. He is a young artist, 39 years old, but already a Professor at the Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts College and a Member of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association with several shows abroad, such as in China (1996), Japan (1996, 2000), Germany (1997), Singapore (1997, 2000), Denmark (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000), France (1998), Laos (1999), Australia (1999), Argentina (1999), USA (1999), Thailand (1999, 2000, 2001), Israel (2000), Netherlands (2000), and Taiwan (2000).
Lonely III, 2000
Lacquer on board
40 x 40 cm


Ship ballasting and de-ballasting are critical to a ship’s stability, and a major part of ship and port operations. Here, we examine the current procedures and potential issues that can arise when a quick turnaround in port is required. Through time-based modeling of the ship’s systems, new methods were used to analyze the feasibility of each scenario as well as ensure the systems were operating optimally. After rigorous testing, a new approach was developed to decrease time in port, increase system reliability/safety, and improve overall efficiency.
Paper published with permission.


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It’s now 2020, which means tournaments are in full swing. Even the Evolution Championship Series, better known as Evo, had a great start to the year, with the second year of Evo Japan going smoothly (minus one literal slip-up). Now, as everyone scrambles to start summer plans, the main Evo event unveiled the games competitors have to look forward to.
The annual Las Vegas tournament hosted its annual announcement stream last night. In it, the eight games were announced, and common questions were answered. The stream gave a few small surprises that kept spectators talking well after the stream.
But first! The eight games, and their 2019 totals if applicable, are as follows:
- Super Smash Bros Ultimate (3,534)
- Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition (1,951)
- Tekken 7 (1,899)
- Samurai Shodown 2 (1729)
- Dragon Ball FighterZ (1200)
- Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r] (AKA UNICLR, last year as UNIST w/ 1157)
- Soulcalibur 6 (746)
- Granblue Fantasy: Versus (NEW GAME)
Most of these are returning titles in some shape or form. The main changes are UNICLR, which is the next game in the Under Night In-Birth series. Last year, UNIST represented the franchise for the second time, with the first in 2018.
Another change is the inclusion of Granblue Fantasy: Versus, which had an unofficial preview tournament last year. Technically, the game comes out in March, but the preview event let fans get a look at what the hotly-anticipated Arc System Works game looks like. Now, with the game coming out in March, fans will finally really get to fight it out.
Plus, Evo 2020 includes one major surprise game: Marvel Vs Capcom 2. The small ninth “official” tournament celebrates the 20th anniversary of the game. However, the tournament acts as eye candy instead of a major event, as other Evo games are. This invitational brings a total of eight players, including four past Evo winners. (Yes, Evo has been going for that long.)
Many FGC players noticed a major omission from the announcements this year, though — Mortal Kombat 11. MK11 and the Mortal Kombat franchise as a whole is considered a staple in the FGC, as it’s featured at most major FGC events. And the confusion is definitely justified, given its continued popularity. Last year, MK11 featured over 1500 participants, making it the fifth biggest game at Evo.
Some speculated that the drop is because MK11 isn’t quite audience-friendly, to say the least. The game’s cartoonish but uncanny ultra-violence is nearly inseparable from the Mortal Kombat brand. If Evo plans to broadcast finals this year on a larger platform than just streaming, a cleaner game would be desirable.
Also teased during the stream was extra space for the event. Apparently, over 100,00 square feet will be added — I can’t tell if he said “116” or “160” — meaning more space for… well, a lot of things. For instance, the BYOC controller was pretty limited last year, with only space for about 60 or so setups, tops. (I know this because I helped set up most of the monitors.) With the upped rallying cry of “run a community tournament,” the extra space is likely welcome. Plus, there’ll be more room for sponsors, vendors, and pools.
More Like This:
- How Granblue Fantasy Players Built a Community
- What We Talk About When We Talk About Fighting Games
- Why Does S Come Before A in Video Game Rankings?
[Content warnings for sexual harassment and assault discussions in this paragraph.] But speaking of logistics, one issue left unaddressed in the announcement stream was player safety. At Evo 2019, attendees reported at least case of harassment and sexual assault at an official after-party. The same event saw several “date rape drug” reports. The after-party didn’t require a badge or any admission, so anyone in Las Vegas could walk in. Soon after Evo 2019 in August, I reached out to lead TO Joey “MrWiz” Cuellar to inquire about the issue, but his press rep declined to comment.
Whatever you’re looking forward to, hopefully Evo 2020 turns out to be bigger and better than ever. After all, once an FGC event starts growing, it’s hard to kill its momentum — and there’s none like Evo. And if you’re going, registration is now up.
[DISCLAIMER: I helped run brackets and set up at Evo 2019, and while I didn’t know they would at the time, they gave us money for it. Go help do stuff at Evo, by the way, it’s perspective-changing stuff.]


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(Updated: UPDATING 2ND GRAPH with records and next week's game)
Fellow rookie Alfred Morris added his 10th rushing score with a 10-yard touchdown for the Redskins (9-6), who have won six in a row for the first time since 1996. Washington, which moved a game ahead of Dallas (8-6) and New York (8-6), will host the Cowboys next week with the division title at stake.
Dion Lewis had a 17-yard touchdown run to bring Philadelphia (4-11) to within a touchdown at 27-20. After forcing Washington to punt, the Eagles drove to the Redskins' 5-yard line before rookie Nick Foles was penalized for intentional grounding with one second remaining. A 10-second runoff was enforced, ending the game.
After throwing for four scores against Philadelphia on Thanksgiving, Griffin picked up where he left off. He tossed a quick strike to Josh Morgan along the sideline to give Washington a 13-7 lead in the second quarter before lofting a 22-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss in the third as the Redskins extended their advantage to 27-13.
Foles threw for 345 yards - including a 27-yard touchdown to Jeremy Maclin on the opening drive - as the Eagles fell for the 10th time in 11 games.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Washington K Kai Forbath set an NFL record for consecutive field goals to begin a career after connecting from 45 and 42 yards out. Forbath, who has made 17 straight, surpassed New Orleans' Garrett Hartley (16) for the honor. ... Philadelphia RB LeSean McCoy returned following a four-game absence due to a concussion. McCoy rushed 13 times for 45 yards and had nine receptions for 77 yards. ... Colt Anderson picked off Griffin in the fourth quarter, marking the Eagles' first interception in nine games (Oct. 14).


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The NICS Improvement Amendments Act (H.R. 2640) would require federal agencies to provide relevant records for use in NICS. It would also provide financial incentives to states to do the same, by rewarding states that provide records to NICS and penalizing those that refuse to do so over an extended period of time.
Some pro-gun groups have claimed that H.R. 2640 would “prohibit” thousands of people from owning guns. This is not true; these bills would only enforce current prohibitions. In fact, H.R. 2640 would allow some people now unfairly prohibited from owning guns to have their rights restored, and to have their names removed from the instant check system.
The following are the key provisions of H.R. 2640, introduced by Reps. John Dingell (D-Mich.), Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), Lamar Smith (R-Tex.) and Rick Boucher (D-Va.), which passed the House of Representatives by a voice vote on June 13, 2007.
Key Provisions of H.R. 2640
- H.R. 2640 would prevent use of federal “adjudications” that consist only of medical diagnoses without findings that the people involved are dangerous or mentally incompetent. This would ensure that purely medical records are never used in NICS. Gun ownership rights would only be lost as a result of a finding that the person is a danger to himself or others, or lacks the capacity to manage his own affairs.
- H.R. 2640 would require all federal agencies that impose mental health adjudications or commitments (such as the VA) to provide a process for “relief from disabilities.” The bill allows de novo judicial review when an agency denies relief—that is, the court would look at the application on its merits, rather than deferring to the agency’s earlier decision.
- As a practical matter, the mental health disability is the only firearm disqualifier that can never be removed. Criminal records can be expunged or pardoned, but mental records cannot.
- While BATFE used to have the ability to accept applications to remove individuals’ prohibited status, appropriations riders every year since 1992 have barred it from doing so. Allowing this process through H.R. 2640 would be an improvement over the current law.
- Under H.R. 2640, even if a person is inappropriately committed or declared incompetent by a federal agency, the person would have an opportunity to correct the error—either through the agency or in court.
- H.R. 2640 would prevent reporting of mental adjudications or commitments by federal agencies when those adjudications or commitments have been removed.
- H.R. 2640 would also make clear that if a federal adjudication or commitment has expired or been removed, it would no longer bar a person from possessing or receiving firearms under the Gun Control Act.
- This actually restores the person’s rights, as well as deleting the record from NICS—a significant improvement over current law.
- States that receive funding would also need to have a relief from disabilities program for mental adjudications and commitments. State relief programs would have to provide for de novo judicial review, as in the federal programs.
- Relief granted by a state program would remove the federal prohibition on the person possessing or receiving a firearm under the Gun Control Act—again, an improvement over current law.
- Many states have processes for temporary emergency commitments that allow a short-term commitment based only on affidavits from police, doctors or family members, without opportunity for a hearing. Because federal law prohibits gun possession by a person who “has been” committed, a person committed under such a process can’t possess a gun even after full release from the temporary order. By requiring participating states to have a relief program that actually removes the disability, H.R. 2640 would be a significant improvement over current law.
- The legislation would improve the accuracy and completeness of NICS by requiring federal agencies and participating states to provide relevant records. For instance, it would give states an incentive to report people such as Virginia Tech murderer Seung-Hui Cho—that is, people who were found after a full court hearing to be a danger to themselves or others, but not reported to NICS due to lack of funding or contrary state laws.
- The legislation requires removal of expired, incorrect or otherwise irrelevant records. Today, totally innocent people (e.g., individuals with arrest records, who were never convicted of the crime charged) are sometimes subject to delayed or denied firearm purchases because of incomplete records in the system.
- The legislation prohibits federal fees for NICS checks. Under current law, only annual appropriations riders prohibit the FBI from trying to impose fees by regulation (as the Clinton Administration proposed in 1998). A permanent ban on such a “gun tax” has been an NRA priority for nearly a decade.
- The legislation requires an audit by the Government Accountability Office of funds already spent for criminal history improvements. There has only been limited documentation of how hundreds of millions of dollars intended for NICS were spent on non-NICS programs such as automated fingerprint systems.
Voluntary Psychological Treatment
Neither current federal law, nor H.R. 2640, would prohibit gun possession by people who have voluntarily sought psychological counseling or checked themselves into a hospital:
- Current law only prohibits gun possession by people who have been “adjudicated as a mental defective” or “committed to any mental institution.” Current BATFE regulations specifically exclude commitments for observation and voluntary commitments. Records of voluntary treatment also would not be available under federal and state health privacy laws.
- Similarly, voluntary drug or alcohol treatment would not be reported to NICS. First, voluntary treatment is not a “commitment.” Second, current federal law on gun possession by drug users, as applied in BATFE regulations, only prohibits gun ownership by those whose “unlawful [drug] use has occurred recently enough to indicate that the individual is actively engaged in such conduct.”
- In short, neither current law nor this legislation would affect those who voluntarily get psychological help. No person who needs help for a mental health or substance abuse problem should be deterred from seeking that help due to fear of losing Second Amendment rights.


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These essays were part of a panel at the Society of Biblical Literature 2018 Annual Meeting reviewing Robin Jensen’s The Cross: History, Art and Controversy (2018) and Steven Fine’s The Menorah: From the Bible to Modern Israel (2016).
Independently, the units Early Jewish Christian Relations (co-chaired by Eric Smith and Shira Lander), and Arts and Religions of Antiquity (co-chaired by Lee Jefferson and Felicity Harley-McGowan) engage scholarship that brings Judaism and Christianity into dialogue with each other, and with other religious practices in the Greco-Roman world. The publication of the two books, giving wide-ranging treatment of the central image of Christianity on the one hand, and the most ancient of all Jewish symbols on the other, presented a unique and important opportunity for the units to collaborate.
With these two very learned and very accessible books Harvard University Press might seem to be embarking on a series on core religious symbols. Steve Fine assures us that they are not doing so, but the whole idea of matching Cross and Menorah volumes invites an immediate question: is there anything uniquely or especially valuable in focusing on such symbols?
Both Steven Fine’s The Menorah and Robin Jensen’s The Cross are impressive works of scholarship that provide well-informed, thoughtful consideration of the tremendously varied compendia of textual and visual artifacts relating to the Christian cross and Jewish menorah. The authors trace the development and transformation of these two symbols chronologically from their origins to the twentieth century.
by Robin Jensen
Given that my subject, the cross, is one that just about everyone has some feelings about, whether positive or negative, I expected to get even more than usual of these suggestions, critiques, and corrections. My expectations have been fulfilled. I have a folder of letters and email messages from folks who cannot believe that I overlooked some crucial aspect of my topic, strongly disagree with my treatment of one detail or another, or just want to ask why I thought one thing or another worthy for discussion. I am mostly grateful for these missives, because they tell me that the effort of pulling this together must have been worth it. People are interested enough to write – which I find slightly amazing.
by Steven Fine
My own research neither focuses upon text nor artifact, but on the humans who made and lived with both. The prerequisite to this work is the ability to read texts as a philologist and see things with the visual complexity of an art historian. My hope is to come close to the people I find so fascinating by standing in the places where they may have stood, by touching the kinds of “stuff” that they touched, deploying the newest technology when necessary and listening closely to their words— even when those are preserved on scraps of parchment or in texts that are both cultural and physical palimpsests.


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July 6, 2011
Auckland’s measles outbreak is worsening with 50 people now confirmed to have the disease, a number expected to rise.
At least four sufferers have been hospitalised.
“These new cases have been in several early childhood centres and we are now working with those centres to quarantine susceptible contacts at home in case they develop measles,” said Dr Richard Hoskins, Auckland Regional Public Health Service Medical Officer of Health.
Of the over 400 people contacted by the ARPHS over the outbreak, not counting schools ”over 200 have been assessed as immune to measles and do not need to be in quarantine”, he said.
The rest, Hoskins said, either did not know their immune status or were not immune.
“Both of these groups need to stay in quarantine, either until after the risk period of 14 days since last contact with an infectious person or until a blood test shows they are immune.”
He said measles was a serious and highly infectious disease and people needed to get immunised – a free procedure for children, young people and unimmunised adults.
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domain: health


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Andre graduated from Ulster BOCES as an LPN in 2016. Since then, he has gained experience in a variety of settings, including OB/GYN, Family Practice and more. Andre joined Emergency One in 2018.
He is an integral part of our Occupational Medicine and Urgent Care team, conducting respiratory clearance physicals, audiometric testing, blood draws, pulmonary function tests and much more. He has provided services onsite throughout New York State with Emergency One’s onsite team. While working at Emergency One, Andre is continuing his education while he pursues his Registered Nursing degree. His excellent skill, caring attitude and beaming smile have been a great addition to the Emergency One family.

domain: medical


MESA, AZ - Three people were taken to the hospital after their vehicle rolled into an East Mesa wash, authorities say.
Mesa fire Capt. Forrest Smith said crews from Gilbert, Mesa and Queen Creek responded to a call of a vehicle rollover at Power and William Field roads where they failed to find an accident scene.
They continued to check the area and found that a vehicle had rolled into a wash off Power Road between Williams Field and Pecos.
Smith said firefighters found three patients, a female in her 20s who was driving, and two females in their mid-50s in the back seat.
The driver was taken out of the vehicle without complications, but the passengers in the back seat had to be extricated using power tools.
Smith said moving the patients to a treatment area was also a problem because the vehicle was 10 feet below street level in a dirt wash.
All three patients had serious injuries and were flown to local trauma centers. Smith said all are expected to survive.
There was no word on how the accident happened.


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Lisa Moore and James Langer in Nova Scotia
Lisa Moore and James Langer toured the east coast — Sandy Cove, NS; Bear River, NS; Annapolis, NS; Saint John, NB.
House of Anansi Press President Sarah MacLachlan was their chauffeur and official tour photographer. She files this report:
James Langer and Lisa Moore read from their new works and talked with audiences in Saint John, New Brunswick and Annapolis Royal, Sandy Cove, Bear River, and Halifax in Nova Scotia. Everywhere we went, we were greeted with warmth and hospitality! From Pat Joas at the UNB bookstore, inprint, to Donna and Bev at the Library in Sandy Cove, to Kim Richard who organized the bookseller breakfast in Halifax. James and Lisa found attentive readers eager to ask questions and even more eager to buy books and have them autographed! We’ve decided to make the summer Maritime tour a permanent fixture on the Anansi literary calendar! Maybe next year we’ll add PEI! Thanks to everyone who made it all possible. — Sarah MacLachlan


text: "I am legend". These words make me shudder. But if you have only seen that Will Smith movie that went 180 degrees on the book's message, the soul-crushing impact of these words will be lost on you.That makes me sad...To quote Stephen King, "I think the author who influenced me the most as a writer was Richard Matheson." This was enough of a recommendation for me to go and dig up this book. And it's great."Full circle. A new terror born in death, a new superstition entering the unassailable fortress of forever. I am legend.” Robert Neville, as you may already know from the countless cinematic adaptations of the story, seems to be a sole survivor of a vampirism-like pandemic. (The old-fashioned burn-in-the-sunlight stake-through-the-heart vampirism, none of that newfangled emo sparkliness.) Neville stakes vampires by day, and researches the cause of the plague in his spare time. The long segments of the story are devoted to the relentless monotony of his scientific pursuit of the vampirism mystery - which he does figure out, by the way. And it's quite neat.We witness the years of deep depression, alcoholism, and the suffocating isolation, loneliness and despair. Then one day he meets Ruth who may be another survivor of the pandemic. And that's where any similarities to the movie stop, and the story becomes less of a lone-hero-tale and more of the soul-crushing-hopeless-revelation-tale. "And suddenly he thought, I'm the abnormal one now. Normalcy was a majority concept, the standard of many and not the standard of just one man."The story of the lone righteous hero, the brave vampire hunter has a sure guaranteed readers' appeal (I, for instance, adore Stephen King's Salem's Lot). Matheson, however, brilliantly decides to take the road less traveled and turns the legend on its head. He introduces an unexpected perspective that forces the protagonist and the reader look at things in a new - and shocking - light. After all, the line between a hero and a horror is very thin, and usually very subjectively drawn.This is not a traditional vampire story in any shape or form. There is no supernatural element - unless you think so of germs. Instead it involves evolution - of the hero and the monsters alike, and not in the ways that are comforting to the reader. The horror lies in its unsettling revelations about the human nature. It is also a story in which happy ending is impossible by default - which Hollywood, of course, promptly 'fixes'. At least Will Smith got a blockbuster out of the butchered story. Given the number of the cinematic adaptations of this book, it continues to fascinate Hollywood. I'm just waiting for the day when they make one that actually captures the intended impact of Matheson's story.-------------------------------------------------------------------------The writing is a bit dry, the science sections drag on a bit, and the protagonist is rather unlikable, but I forgive all this for the punch-in-the-gut impact the story had on me. 4 stars.


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Dayana is 178cm (5’10) wearing a size S
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