This article from The Conversation is a great starting point for education in information visualization, the challenges in creating clear graphs, and what an information consumer can do to understand what they are seeing.
The author is in the Geosciences, so it’s not surprising that her best example comes from that domain. The map at the top of this post flips the colors of the “landslide” areas in a way that makes it clear which areas are susceptible.
This NPR interview with Danielle Ofri, author of a new book on medical errors (and their prevention), had some interesting insight into how human factors play out during a pandemic.
Her new book is “When We Do Harm,” and I was most interested in these excerpts from the interview:
“…we got many donated ventilators. Many hospitals got that, and we needed them. … But it’s like having 10 different remote controls for 10 different TVs. It takes some time to figure that out. And we definitely saw things go wrong as people struggled to figure out how this remote control works from that one.”
“We had many patients being transferred from overloaded hospitals. And when patients come in a batch of 10 or 20, 30, 40, it is really a setup for things going wrong. So you have to be extremely careful in keeping the patients distinguished. We have to have a system set up to accept the transfers … [and] take the time to carefully sort patients out, especially if every patient comes with the same diagnosis, it is easy to mix patients up.”
And my favorite, even though it isn’t necessarily COVID-19 related:
“For example, … [with] a patient with diabetes … it won’t let me just put “diabetes.” It has to pick out one of the 50 possible variations of on- or off- insulin — with kidney problems, with neurologic problems and to what degree, in what stage — which are important, but I know that it’s there for billing. And each time I’m about to write about it, these 25 different things pop up and I have to address them right now. But of course, I’m not thinking about the billing diagnosis. I want to think about the diabetes. But this gets in the way of my train of thought. And it distracts me. And so I lose what I’m doing if I have to attend to these many things. And that’s really kind of the theme of medical records in the electronic form is that they’re made to be simple for billing and they’re not as logical, or they don’t think in the same logical way that clinicians do.”
CREATE (www.create-center.org ) is offering one on Designing for Older Adults. The workshop will present guidelines and best practices for designing for older adults. Topics include: Existing & Emerging Technologies, Usability Protocols, Interface & Instructional Design, and design for Social Engagement, Living Environments, Healthcare, Transportation, Leisure, and Work. Each participant will receive a complimentary copy of CREATE’s book Designing for Older Adults, 3rd Ed., winner of the Richard Kalish Innovative Publication Award (2019), and a USB with CREATE publications and tools.
Additional information on the workshop can be found below.
Today we present a guest post by Ragan Wilson, PhD student in Human Factors and Applied Cognitive Psychology at NC State University.
Saying that goalies in professional ice hockey see the puck a lot is an understatement. They are the last line of defense for their team against scoring, putting their bodies in the way of the puck to block shots in ways that sometimes do not seem human. In order to do that, they rely on their skills as well as their protective equipment, including chest protectors. As written by In Goal Magazine’s Kevin Woodley and Greg Balloch, at the professional level this and other equipment is being re-examined by the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League’s Player’s Association (NHLPA).
For the 2018-2019 NHL season, there has been a change in goal-tending equipment rules involving chest protectors according to NHL’s columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonika. This rule, Rule 11.3, states that “The chest and arm protector worn by each goalkeeper must be anatomically proportional and size-specific based on the individual physical characteristics of that goalkeeper”. In practical terms, what this rule means is that goaltender chest protection needs to be size-wise in proportion to the goaltender using it so, for instance, a 185-pound goalie would seem more like a 185-pound goalie versus a 200-210 pound goalie. The reasoning for the rule change was to try to make saves by the goalie more based on ability than on extra padding and to potentially increase scoring in the league. Overall, this is a continuation of a mission for both the NHL and NHLPA to make goalie equipment slimmer, which was kick-started by changes in goalie pants and leg pads. The difference between previously approved chest protectors and the approved models are shown below thanks to the website Goalie Coaches who labeled images from Brian’s Custom Sports Instagram page below.
To a non-hockey player, the visual differences between non-NHL approved and the NHL approved pads look minuscule. However, according to In Goal Magazine, implementing these changes have been an interesting challenge for the NHL as well as hockey gear companies such as Brian’s and CCM). Whereas changing the pants rule was more straightforward, the dimensions of chest protectors are more complicated and personal to goalies (NHL). This challenge could be seen earlier in the season with mixed feedback about the new gear change. Some current NHL such as Vegas Golden Knights’ Marc-Andre Fleury (In Goal Magazine) and Winnipeg Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck (Sports Illustrated) noted more pain from blocking pucks in the upper body region. On the other hand, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Frederik Andersen and Garrett Sparks have not had problems with these changes (Sports Illustrated).
What always makes me happy as a student of human factors psychology is when final users are made an active part of the discussion for changes. Thankfully, that is what appears to be happening so far with this rule change since the NHL and NHLPA seemed to be actively interested in and considering feedback from current NHL goaltenders about what could make them more comfortable with the new equipment standards at the beginning of the season (In Goal Magazine). Hopefully, that continues into the next season with all the rigorous, real-life testing that a season’s worth of regular and playoff games can provide. Considering there are already some interesting, individualized adjustments to the new equipment rules such as changing companies (Washington Capitals’ Braden Holtby), or adding another layer of protection such as a padded undershirt (Marc-Andre Fleury) (USA Today), it’ll be interesting what the situation is for this equipment come the next off-season, especially in terms of innovation from the companies that produce this gear at a professional level.
Ragan Wilson is a first-year human factors and applied cognitive psychology doctoral student at NC State University. She is mainly interested in the ways that human factors and all areas of sports can be interlinked, from player safety to consumer experiences of live action games.
In December 2016, Pius “Gene” Hobbs was raking gravel with the Meade County public works crew when a dump truck backed over him. The driver then accelerated forward, hitting him a second time. Hobbs was crushed to death.
The sole eyewitness to the incident said that the dump truck’s backup beeper wasn’t audible at the noisy worksite. The Kentucky State Police trooper on the scene concurred. Hobbs might not have been able to hear the truck coming.
But when Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health arrived, hours later, the inspector tested the beeper on a quiet street and said it wasn’t a problem.
“These shortcomings are very concerning,” says Jordan Barab, a workplace safety expert who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health under President Barack Obama. “Identifying the causes of these incidents is … vitally important.” Otherwise, the employer doesn’t know how to avoid the next incident, he says.
Gene Hobbs’ case is not the exception. In fact, it’s the norm, according to a recent federal audit.
Kentucky is what’s known as a “state plan,” meaning the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has authorized it to run its own worker safety program.
Every year, federal OSHA conducts an audit of all 28 state plans to ensure they are “at least as effective” as the federal agency at identifying and preventing workplace hazards.
According to this year’s audit of Kentucky, which covered fiscal year 2017, KY OSH is not meeting that standard. In fact, federal OSHA identified more shortcomings in Kentucky’s program than any other state.
We know that we must have regulations and enforcement of those regulations to have safe environments. Left to our own choices, people tend to choose what appears to be the fastest and easiest options, not the most safe ones. For an interesting read on the history of safety regulation, see this article from the Department of Labor.
In 1898 the Wisconsin bureau reported that it was often difficult to find safety devices that did not reduce efficiency. Sanitary improvements and fire escapes were expensive, which led many employers to resist their adoption. Constant pressure and attention were needed to obtain compliance. Employers objected to the posting of laws in their establishments and some tore them down. The proprietor of a shoe factory with very poor fire escape routes showed “a disposition to defeat” an inspector’s request for more fire escapes, though he complied in the end. A cloak maker who was also found to have inadequate fire escapes went to the extreme of relocating his operation to avoid compliance. Such delays were not uncommon.
When an inspector found abominable conditions in the dipping rooms of a match factory — poorly ventilated rooms filled with poisonous fumes from the liquid phosphorus which made up the match heads — he tried to persuade the operators to make improvements. They objected because of the costs involved and the inspector “left without expecting to see the changes made.” When a machinery manufacturer equipped his ripsaws with guards after an inspection, a reinspection revealed that the employees had removed the guards.
Without regulation, we’ll be back to 1898 in short order.
The passengers on the Lion Air 610 flight were on board one of Boeing’s newest, most advanced planes. The pilot and co-pilot of the 737 MAX 8 were more than experienced, with around 11,000 flying hours between them. The weather conditions were not an issue and the flight was routine. So what caused that plane to crash into the Java Sea just 13 minutes after takeoff?
I’ve been waiting for updated information on the Lion Air crash before posting details. When I first read about the accident it struck me as a collection of human factors safety violations in design. I’ve pulled together some of the news reports on the crash, organized by the types of problems experienced on the airplane.
1. “a cacophony of warnings” Fortune Magazine reported on the number of warnings and alarms that began to sound as soon as the plane took flight. These same alarms occurred on its previous flight and there is some blaming of the victims here when they ask “If a previous crew was able to handle it, why not this one?”
The alerts included a so-called stick shaker — a loud device that makes a thumping noise and vibrates the control column to warn pilots they’re in danger of losing lift on the wings — and instruments that registered different readings for the captain and copilot, according to data presented to a panel of lawmakers in Jakarta Thursday.
2. New automation features, no training
The plane included new “anti-stall” technology that the airlines say was not explained well nor included in Boeing training materials.
In the past week, Boeing has stepped up its response by pushing back on suggestions that the company could have better alerted its customers to the jet’s new anti-stall feature. The three largest U.S. pilot unions and Lion Air’s operations director, Zwingly Silalahi, have expressed concern over what they said was a lack of information.
As was previously revealed by investigators, the plane’s angle-of-attack sensor on the captain’s side was providing dramatically different readings than the same device feeding the copilot’s instruments.
Angle of attack registers whether the plane’s nose is pointed above or below the oncoming air flow. A reading showing the nose is too high could signal a dangerous stall and the captain’s sensor was indicating more than 20 degrees higher than its counterpart. The stick shaker was activated on the captain’s side of the plane, but not the copilot’s, according to the data.
And more from CNN:
“Generally speaking, when there is a new delivery of aircraft — even though they are the same family — airline operators are required to send their pilots for training,” Bijan Vasigh, professor of economics and finance at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, told CNN.
Those training sessions generally take only a few days, but they give the pilots time to familiarize themselves with any new features or changes to the system, Vasigh said.
One of the MAX 8’s new features is an anti-stalling device, the maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS). If the MCAS detects that the plane is flying too slowly or steeply, and at risk of stalling, it can automatically lower the airplane’s nose.
It’s meant to be a safety mechanism. But the problem, according to Lion Air and a growing chorus of international pilots, was that no one knew about that system. Zwingli Silalahi, Lion Air’s operational director, said that Boeing did not suggest additional training for pilots operating the 737 MAX 8. “We didn’t receive any information from Boeing or from regulator about that additional training for our pilots,” Zwingli told CNN Wednesday.
“We don’t have that in the manual of the Boeing 737 MAX 8. That’s why we don’t have the special training for that specific situation,” he said.
New NPR story on the non-usability of ballots, voting software, and other factors affecting our elections:
New York City’s voters were subject to a series of setbacks after the election board unrolled a perforated two-page ballot. Voters who didn’t know they had to tear at the edges to get at the entire ballot ended up skipping the middle pages. Then the fat ballots jammed the scanners, long lines formed, and people’s ballots got soaked in the rain. When voters fed the soggy ballots into scanners, more machines malfunctioned.
In Georgia, hundreds blundered on their absentee ballot, incorrectly filling out the birth date section. Counties originally threw out the ballots before a federal judge ordered they be counted.
And in Broward County, Fla., 30,000 people who voted for governor skipped the contest for U.S. Senate. The county’s election board had placed that contest under a block of multi-lingual instructions, which ran halfway down the page. Quesenbery says voters scanning the instructions likely skimmed right over the race.
She has seen this design before. In 2009, King County, Wash., buried a tax initiative under a text-heavy column of instructions. An estimated 40,000 voters ended up missing the contest, leading the state to pass a bill mandating ballot directions look significantly different from the contests below.
“We know the answers,” says Quesenbery. “I wish we were making new mistakes, not making the same old mistakes.”
The story didn’t even mention the issues with the “butterfly ballot” from Florida in 2000. Whitney Queensbery is right. We do know the answers, and we certainly know the methods for getting the answers. We need the will to apply them in our civics, not just commercial industry.
Right after the Hawaii false nuclear alarm, I posted about how the user interface seemed to contribute to the error. At the time, sources were reporting it as a “dropdown” menu. Well, that wasn’t exactly true, but in the last few weeks it’s become clear that truth is stranger than fiction. Here is a run-down of the news on the story (spoiler, every step is a human factors-related issue):
Hawaii nuclear attack alarms are sounded, also sending alerts to cell phones across the state
Alarm is noted as false and the state struggles to get that message out to the panicked public
The actual interface is found and shown – rather than a drop-down menu it’s just closely clustered links on a 1990s-era website-looking interface that say “DRILL-PACOM(CDW)-STATE ONLY” and “PACOM(CDW)-STATE ONLY”
Latest news: the employee who sounded the alarm says it wasn’t an error, he heard this was “not a drill” and acted accordingly to trigger the real alarm
The now-fired employee has spoken up, saying he was sure of his actions and “did what I was trained to do.” When asked what he’d do differently, he said “nothing,” because everything he saw and heard at the time made him think this was not a drill. His firing is clearly an attempt by Hawaii to get rid of a ‘bad apple.’ Problem solved?
It seems like a good time for my favorite reminder from Sidney Dekker’s book, “The Field Guide to Human Error Investigations” (abridged):
To protect safe systems from the vagaries of human behavior, recommendations typically propose to:
• Tighten procedures and close regulatory gaps. This reduces the bandwidth in which people operate. It leaves less room for error.
• Introduce more technology to monitor or replace human work. If machines do the work, then humans can no longer make errors doing it. And if machines monitor human work, they ca
snuff out any erratic human behavior.
• Make sure that defective practitioners (the bad apples) do not contribute to system breakdown again. Put them on “administrative leave”; demote them to a lower status; educate or pressure them to behave better next time; instill some fear in them and their peers by taking them to court or reprimanding them.
In this view of human error, investigations can safely conclude with the label “human error”—by whatever name (for example: ignoring a warning light, violating a procedure). Such a conclusion and its implications supposedly get to the causes of system failure.
AN ILLUSION OF PROGRESS ON SAFETY The shortcomings of the bad apple theory are severe and deep. Progress on safety based on this view is often a short-lived illusion. For example, focusing on individual failures does not take away the underlying problem. Removing “defective” practitioners (throwing out the bad apples) fails to remove the potential for the errors they made.
…[T]rying to change your people by setting examples, or changing the make-up of your operational workforce by removing bad apples, has little long-term effect if the basic conditions that people work under are left unamended.
A ‘bad apple’ is often just a scapegoat that makes people feel better by giving a focus for blame. Real improvements and safety happen by improving the system, not by getting rid of employees who were forced to work within a problematic system.
The morning of January 13th, people in Hawaii received a false alarm that the island was under nuclear attack. One of the messages people received was via cell phones and it said:“BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” Today, the Washington Post reported that the alarm was due to an employee pushing the “wrong button” when trying to test the nuclear alarm system.
To sum up the issue, the alarm is triggered by choosing an option in a drop down menu, which had options for “Test missile alert” and “Missile alert.” The employee chose the wrong dropdown and, once chosen, the system had no way to reverse the alarm.
A nuclear alarm system should be subjected to particularly high usability requirements, but this system didn’t even conform to Nielson’s 10 heuristics. It violates:
User control and freedom: Users often choose system functions by mistake and will need a clearly marked “emergency exit” to leave the unwanted state without having to go through an extended dialogue. Support undo and redo.
Visibility of system status: The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
Error prevention: Even better than good error messages is a careful design which prevents a problem from occurring in the first place. Either eliminate error-prone conditions or check for them and present users with a confirmation option before they commit to the action.
Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors: Error messages should be expressed in plain language (no codes), precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.
And those are just the ones I could identify from reading the Washington Post article! Perhaps a human factors analysis will become regulated for these systems as it has been for the FDA and medical devices.
I chose a provocative title for this post after reading the report on what caused the wreck of the USS John McCain in August of 2017. A summary of the accident is that the USS John McCain was in high-traffic waters when they believed they lost control of steering the ship. Despite attempts to slow or maneuver, it was hit by another large vessel. The bodies of 10 sailors were eventually recovered and five others suffered injury.
Today marks the final report on the accident released by the Navy. After reading it, it seems to me the report blames the crew. Here are some quotes from the offical Naval report:
Loss of situational awareness in response to mistakes in the operation of the JOHN S MCCAIN’s steering and propulsion system, while in the presence of a high density of maritime traffic
Failure to follow the International Nautical Rules of the Road, a system of rules to govern the maneuvering of vessels when risk of collision is present
Watchstanders operating the JOHN S MCCAIN’s steering and propulsion systems had insufficient proficiency and knowledge of the systems
And a rather devestating:
In the Navy, the responsibility of the Commanding Officer for his or her ship is absolute. Many of the decisions made that led to this incident were the result of poor judgment and decision making of the Commanding Officer. That said, no single person bears full responsibility for this incident. The crew was unprepared for the situation in which they found themselves through a lack of preparation, ineffective command and control and deficiencies in training and preparations for navigation.
Ars Technica called my attention to an important but not specifically called out reason for the accident: the poor feedback design of the control system. I think it is a problem that the report focused on “failures” of the people involved, not the design of the machines and systems they used. After my reading, I would summarize the reason for the accident as “The ship could be controlled from many locations. This control was transferred using a computer interface. That interface did not give sufficient information about its current state or feedback about what station controlled what functions of the ship. This made the crew think they had lost steering control when actually that control had just been moved to another location.” I based this on information from the report, including:
Steering was never physically lost. Rather, it had been shifted to a different control station and watchstanders failed to recognize this configuration. Complicating this, the steering control transfer to the Lee Helm caused the rudder to go amidships (centerline). Since the Helmsman had been steering 1-4 degrees of right rudder to maintain course before the transfer, the amidships rudder deviated the ship’s course to the left.
Even this section calls out the “failure to recognize this configuration.” If the system is designed well, one shouldn’t have to expend any cognitive or physical resources to know from where the ship is being controlled.
Overall I was surprised at the tone of this report regarding crew performance. Perhaps some is deserved, but without a hard look at the systems the crew use, I don’t have much faith we can avoid future accidents. Fitts and Jones were the start of the human factors field in 1947, when they insisted that the design of the cockpit created accident-prone situations. This went against the beliefs of the times, which was that “pilot error” was the main factor. This ushered in a new era, one where we try to improve the systems people must use as well as their training and decision making. The picture below is of the interface of the USS John S McCain, commissioned in 1994. I would be very interested to see how it appears in action.


Hensley 24 inch bucket for 160 size machine. Very good condition. $2,900.
Don't waste your valuable time and money paying to get your equipment to auction without seeing results. We'll sell your equipment while it stays on your worksite for you to use until it sells. Simple, no-hassle, and no risk selling of your equipment! Contact us today to get the best deal on your equipment sale.
TALK TO US


text:
Dubliners waking up on Saturday morning will be greeted by a welcome mini-heatwave - before autumn fully snaps into gear on Monday morning.
Saturday morning will be dull to start, with some risk of isolated showers, but it should brighten up as the day goes on, with highest temperatures of 21C and moderate southwest winds.
Tonight will also see patchy drizzle developing in parts of the capital, but for most it will remain dry, with lowest temperatures of just 14C.
That heat will persist into Sunday - though it may not be joined by as much sun.
It will be a sunny start to the morning, but cloud will creep in and there's a big risk of heavy showers hitting Dublin by tomorrow evening, so get your weekend plans done early.
Blustery winds will keep things cool as well, with highest temperatures of 20C - the last time we'll be seeing the mercury that high for a while..
Here is how the rest of the week is looking:
Sunday night: Heavy rain in the east will gradually clear into the Irish Sea on Sunday night, followed by a mix of clear spells and scattered showers from the west. Turning cooler with the clearance of the rain with lowest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees in moderate southwest winds.
Monday: A much cooler and fresher day with a mix of sunny spells and heavy showers. Showers will be most frequent over the western half of the country with the potential for thunderstorms. Highest temperatures falling back to around normal for the time of year at 12 to 15 degrees in moderate to fresh southwest winds.
Monday night: Showers will become more confined to southern and western coastal areas through Monday night, with drier and clearer spells developing elsewhere. However, it will become cloudier across the country towards morning. Lowest temperatures of 6 to 10 degrees in moderate southwest winds.
Tuesday: A wet day with widespread heavy showers or longer spells of rain developing again on Tuesday. Feeling cool with highest temperatures of 11 to 15 degrees in moderate southerly winds.
Tuesday night: The heaviest showers will gradually clear to the north on Tuesday night, leaving a mix of clear spells and scattered showers. Lowest temperatures of 6 to 9 degrees.
Wednesday: Another showery day on Wednesday, with showers feeding in across the country on a moderate to fresh westerly airflow. Highest temperatures of 10 to 13 degrees.
Further outlook: Remaining generally unsettled into next weekend with spells of rain and heavy showers at times. Staying cooler too, with temperatures in the low to mid-teens.
For the latest news and breaking news visit dublinlive.ie/news.
Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.
Follow us on Twitter @DublinLive - the official Dublin Live Twitter account - real news in real time.
We're also on Facebook/dublinlive - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the capital.
For the latest breaking news, sign up to our free newsletter.

domain: news


text:
The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee (pictured) has pledged to publish a bill that will include new criminal offences for stalking, and for non-fatal strangulation.
The minister told TDs that the new bill would be published “before Easter”.
Pointing out that the act of stalking itself was already covered by existing law, she said that her proposals would make the law “clearer and stronger”.
The bill will:
- Explicitly reference stalking as a criminal offence,
- Make it clear that stalking includes watching or following a victim, even where they are not aware of being watched or followed,
- Make it clear that impersonating the victim, and then communicating with a third party, is illegal,
- Update the law to ensure that it covers all forms of modern communications.
Minister McEntee said that she would also consider introducing a provision to allow a victim, in very serious cases, to apply to the court for an order to prevent the alleged perpetrator from communicating with them in advance of a trial.
“While choking and strangling are already illegal, creating a new, stand-alone offence should encourage victims to come forward and report what has happened to them,” she stated.
“It has been shown that this crime can be an indication of future, lethal violence, and is a risk factor for homicides against women in the home,” she added.

domain: law


Major Lazer, alt-J, Marshmello and more artists took the stage at the 2018 VH1 Supersonic in Pune.
Sean Paul joins Marshmello, Major Lazer, Alt-J and Incubus as the headlining act for the Vh1 Supersonic festival to be held in Pune in February
Vh1 Supersonic just rounded up the artists that'll perform in Phase 1 of the 3-day festival in Pune and it includes Marshmello, Incubus and Dillon Francis
Discover a cover of Sia's 'Chandelier' and a whole lot more in this week's playlist
The Firstpost Playlist: The Beatles’ heartbreak, Ilaiyaraaja’s classical strains and Chitra Singh’s ghazal
This weekend, Firstpost Playlist pays tribute to the legends of music – from Ilaiyaraaja to The Beatles and from Julie Andrews to Chitra Singh.
The Firstpost Playlist covers songs on a wide spectrum - from Udta Punjab to Imogen Heap.
Firstpost Playlist: Quixotic imaginations, musical accompaniment for surrealist art and ballads for unrequited love
This week, give in to breezy tracks by Alt-J and Devendra Banhart. For the bleeding hearts, yearning for lost love, there's Opeth and Dead Man's Bones.


text:
By Prince Okafor
Ariston thermo, a global leader in the thermal comfort industry with its origin from Italy, rewarded its loyal customers and retail partners across Nigeria.
In the promotion tagged Road to Success and Fortune 3.0, customers won gift items worth millions of Naira including household items, free Ariston Water heaters among several other exciting prizes.
Hundreds of retailers and distributors across the country actively participated in the three-month long promotion.
The company has significant presence in Europe and Asia, with production sites in Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Tunisia, U.S.A, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
Expressing her delight and excitement with the promotion, a Key Distributor of Ariston Water heaters Mrs Ifeoma said that Ariston has been doing this annually for a few years and every year, it gets better.
”Ariston has been supporting my business since I joined them, and this promotion is a great way to reward customers and encourage them to keep doing business with us.
“I believe this initiative also keeps Ariston ahead of the game in the Nigerian market.”
In one of the reward events held at the popular Coker market, Orile arguably the largest plumbing materials market in Nigeria, visibly excited retailers, distributors and other customers expressed their satisfaction with the Ariston brand.
The event was graced by senior executives from the Italian Head Office, the Senior Director for Africa Mr. Giampaolo Provvedi, SCM & Logistics Director for the region Mr Francesco Romoli and Mr. Gaurav Bisaria, the Director for Central Africa.
According to the Marketing manager for Central Africa, Mr Solomon Vincent Umoh, the company’s commitment to sustaining mutually profitable customer relationships.
‘‘We have been in Nigeria for years and these relationships with our trade partners have kept us going. This is one of the programs we have set up to appreciate and give back to our customers.’’

domain: geography


text:
Running from July 1st – September 4th, the CrossIron Mills Shopping Shuttle will pick up guests from 3 locations:
CrossIron Mills is excited to announce the launch of the Summer Shopping Shuttle
Brought to you by ECCO Shoes
- Red Arrow Downtown Depot 101, 205 9th Avenue SE (East of Calgary Tower).
- Brentwood LRT Station NW, #8 Transit Stop (outside Wendy’s).
- Calgary International Airport Arrivals Ground Transportation, Lane 11, 2000 Airport Rd. NE.
Summer Shuttle Schedule
**Service Interruption Sunday, September 3rd: Downtown pick up location will be closed until 3pm, pick up will be made instead at the Red Arrow North Office at 304 – 35th Avenue NE due to the Calgary Pride Parade. Return schedule will operate as normal.
*Long weekend service: Civic Holiday - Monday, August 7th and Labour Day - Monday, September 4th will be running the weekend schedule.
Win an Ecco Back to School Prize Pack!Ride the shuttle from August 21st - September 4th and automatically be entered to win a back to school prize pack from Ecco Shoes Canada.
ECCO Finley backpack, $100 ECCO gift card, leather notebook, leather pencil case, umbrella, pen, leather luggage tag and water bottle.
For only $10, the shuttle provides a convenient round-trip service to arrive in style! Reserve your seat today.
Last Minute Seat ReservationIndividuals who have not reserved a ticket one hour prior to scheduled departure time will be able to purchase a ticket on the bus if there are seats available. *Please note there will be no pick-up at the Calgary International Airport if there are no guests registered one hour prior to departure time.
Travelling with Small ChildrenWe welcome families on board the Shopping Shuttle. Please note that babies and toddlers are the responsibility of the parent or accompanying adult and must be properly secured while travelling.
Travelling with PetsService animals, including guide dogs or any other animal trained to perform tasks for an individual with a disability are permitted and welcome on board the Shuttle. All other pets are not permitted.
PaymentThe CrossIron Mills Shopping Shuttle accepts Debit, Visa, MasterCard and Cash for pre registered guests. All walk on passengers must pay with cash.
For more information or additional inquiries, please email us [email protected]

domain: travel


The Skiff Reader was meant to be the savior of newspapers and magazines. Prototypes of the bendable e-reader, flaunted at CES 2010, were impressive. Newspaper and magazine articles would appear on the 11.5-inch touchscreen as they did in print, with high-resolution photos, graphics and other design elements intact. The hardware was a thin sheet of stainless steel foil, so flexible that it could be bent nearly in half.
Skiff promised to launch a digital store later in the year, but it never got the chance. Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. bought out the company in June 2010 for its publishing platform. It had no interest in the hardware, which it killed.
CES launched some history-making devices -- and several major disasters.
|Larry Wilmore missed a chance to boost his sagging 'Nightly Show'|
|Sports Authority bankruptcy sale could close remaining stores|
|In 'Game of Thrones' twist, Jon Snow is...|
|273,000 union workers and retirees brace for pension cuts|
|Puerto Rico defaults on $422 million|


text:
The Karnataka State Government has given permission to Kerala-based Kitex Garments, part of the Anna-Kitex group of companies, to invest Rs. 493 cr in a readymade garments unit in Hassan. The company plans to start commercial production by March 2019. The unit will be quickly set up by housing in an assembled steel building, imported from the Gulf.
Kitex produces 6.5 lakh pieces of finished garments per day, targeted at just-borns to babies up to the age of 24 months. It exports about 95 per cent of infant wear to the United States and the rest to Europe. The company also engages in contract manufacturing for private labels such as Jockey, Carter, Babies R Us, Gerber and Mothercare.


text:
Introduction Marijuana Growing Permit Oregon
Pot (also known as weed, herb and Mary Jane) is a mixture of the cannabis plant. It is also known as a psychoactive drug because of its impacts. It is a drug which is used for medicinal and recreational purposes. It is made of more than 500 chemicals. Cannabis can be used to deal with a variety of health conditions. Increased desire, the use of marijuana contributes to greater mental and physical comfort, pain reduction and better sleep. A person who ingests marijuana is frequently referred to as a stoner.Before the widespread popularity of marijuana emerged, stoners could stay covert using the number 420 as a code for swallowing cannabis (marijuana). The code 420 describes 4:20 pm. This term was coined because this was when extracurricular activities ended and seemed liked the perfect time to ingest cannabis. Marijuana is illegal in most US States and Europe. It has been legalized in Canada and some other countries. Marijuana is growing and making millions, although in years past conditions for growing marijuana proved considerably different. Marijuana Growing Permit Oregon
Nowadays, The cultivation of cannabis has become more popular than it was previously. More people want to grow their own cannabis as the trend is rising. Are you also seeking the methods to cultivate your own cannabis plant but do not have the knowledge and expertise that is necessary for your operation that is growing? Because we’re here to make it easy for a small or micro scale to grow your cannabis on don’t worry. Micro or small development is a natural way to cultivate cannabis for novices to get an experience and knowledge, without running the risk of destroying a huge growth (crop). If you’re a beginner and are trying to develop a big scale, you may wind up making mistakes that impact quality and you may wind up losing a bunch of money.
Choosing a suitable breed and soil quantity
Selecting When you’re growing at small scales, the ideal quantity of soil and the right breed, for the rise of cannabis is quite important. A good friable soil that’s combined with rich compatibles, vitamins, minerals and dwelling organisms are significant. This mix can can supply enough food to a plant because of its full life cycle. The loudness of the pot of dirt you will utilize to cultivate your plant depends upon how big a plant is forecast to grow. The development of your cannabis plant depends upon which sort of strain you’re currently using. There are two strains available, one is sativa and another is indica. Sativa plants are thin tall and have leaves that are narrow. Whereas, Indica plants are short, bushy with broad leaves. Sativa plants undergo a 200-300% increase in elevation whereas indica plants increase only by 50-100% throughout the flowering phase. So indica plants are more acceptable for small and micro growth. However breeds are another option for cannabis’ rise . These strains stay small in each condition as it’s in their genes and a number of them are even smaller than indica plants. Additionally they grow independent of light, meaning that their time to harvest is most often briefer. Some outdoor growers also use auto-flowering as soon as they get mature, they begin blooming. Growers use two plants of year to grow.
The Ideal Number of Lighting, Air and Water Supply for the Sprouting of Seed
Light Is a significant factor in cannabis because, without proper light, you can’t develop good quality cannabis. Air and water distribution are equally important. For your cannabis’ growth, deciding on an ideal lighting is an important choice. It’s crucial wattage that the lighting produces and to keep your eye. Lamps like fluorescent tubes, HPs, HPI, and LED bulbs are great for micro and indoor growers. There is A 400W average the required wattage per square meter. Lamps like HPS and HPI have high output which makes them suitable for those that are growing cannabis indoors. But the warmth that this light bulb produces is high which will not be acceptable for cannabis plant’s indoor and micro rise. The air needs to be circulated so that air is disseminated properly, which is needed for plants’ process. Because space is constrained it’s going to become really hot and all of the plants are going to be at the danger of drying out. For this issue, it’s recommended that you use a ventilation system or computer fan to blow the air out. An alternative to this is to use CFLs and tubes. Because electrical and CFLs have light output without heat production they are perfect compared to HPS and HPI options. LED bulbs are also a excellent alternative since they make no heat and have a wide light spectrum. Lastly, the water needed for small-scale growth would be less compared to expansion at high scale. Marijuana Growing Permit Oregon
Germination and Flowering for Harvesting
Germination Of seeds in smaller pots is simpler than bigger pots. But, seeds placed on a moist paper towel and set in a dark warm place is also a fantastic method for seed’s germination. After a few days or months, your seeds will sprout. When your crops burst through the surface true photosynthesis starts and cotyledons have shed their seed husk. Here is where they show their true leaves. Interesting arrangements begin, depending on the strain that you selected. A noticeable shift can be seen at the start of the flowering period from the pattern of growth. Cannabis responds to hormonal changes depending upon the species that starts blooming. There are two types – auto-flowering and Absolute Photo Determinate. Absolute Photo Determinate (APD) plants rely upon a hormone which is sensitive to light so as to sustain growth and plant. In breeds that are auto-flowering, their growth hormone is age dependent. These plants stop producing whenever they reach a certain age. Calyxes emerge and form pistil coated puffballs. Along with their spike, these puffballs will start to stretch. These leaves are thicker and bigger compared to sugar leaves and they’re covered in trichomes. Colas are formed by the flower clusters and will be covered in trichomes. Trichomes and calyxes will swell with an abundant amount of resin. Maturity will shortly be complete and also the colour of these pistils will start to change from orange, mauve, scarlet, brown. Additionally, the resins that are bloated change its colour from clear to smoky and smoky to amber. Now it’s time to harvest. Wet the trims and eliminate the leaves subsequently split down the plant further. Another technique would be to cut the branch’s stem .
Growing Marijuana is a pastime that is rewarding and also you are able to make a fantastic income if you acquire a license, due to its price tag. But growing bud in a large scale, at the same time, particularly if you are a beginner is not a fantastic idea. You risk when you’re a beginner ruining of the weed. We recommend you grow on a micro or smaller scale in losing a big investment so that if some thing goes wrong, you will not end up. There is absolutely no guarantee what you will end up with while marijuana from seeds. This is the only drawback of using cannabis seeds. Unless you chose an seed lineup, you can not truly be sure exactly what the final product will look like. Each inbred seed will likely produce a plant that is distinct and is exceptional. You can use the strains of indica plants and sativa plants based upon the type of expansion you want. We suggest you use indica plants such as smaller-scale increase and sativa crops for growth. Cannabis is a plant that is sexed therefore that it produces both females and males. Whenever they reach their sexual maturity, You’ll have to gender your plant , otherwise seeds that are feminized can be used by you. Due to marijuana’s side effects like memory loss, severe anxiety, anxiety attacks, hallucination, increased heart rate and increased risk of strokes, marijuana’s growth is not legalized in several countries. Be cautious about this or or you might end up in trouble. Since the Canadian government has legalized it, but if you’re somewhere in Canada it is possible to grow your marijuana. Marijuana Growing Permit Oregon
Hopefully, You have heard enough to start your very own indoor cannabis garden. Growing and Cultivation should be a pleasant hobby along with a result. So, Have fun and keep in mind to take care of your plants!

domain: agronomy


text:
IIAT is pleased to endorse Scottish American as an IIAT Advantage market resource for members seeking markets for carriers they can not access on their own. Scottish American
has access to both traditional Excess and Surplus Lines coverages as well as several special programs for targeted industries.
Two years ago, IIAT transitioned the management of its LevelFirst MGA to Scottish American in order to increase market availability, improve levels of service, and gain access to new technologies.
IIAT has been pleased with the transition and, effective Jan. 1, 2020, Scottish American has acquired the LevelFirst book of business. Scottish American will continue servicing IIAT members’ LevelFirst policies moving forward. As a LevelFirst producer, you will continue with the same producer code as originally provided with no changes.
“Scottish American is a great resource and we want to continue a relationship with them that will be beneficial to IIAT members,” said IIAT President and Executive Director Marit Peters.
For additional information, please contact Marit Peters, email@example.com
, or 512.476.6281.

domain: economics


Your car's belts and hoses will probably never be the most exciting topic of conversation at the next cocktail party you attend, nor are they destined for fame in song and verse. In fact, a person could lead a productive and interesting life without ever having an encounter with one of them. But, then, a belt or hose could break, leaving you stranded in the middle of nowhere and you could face a nose-bleeding-type of repair bill.
Before getting too carried away at either extreme, let's find out just what these belts and hoses do directly for your car and indirectly to you.
First, the fan, water pump, alternator, power steering, air conditioner and emissions control air pump all are driven by belts. Radiator hoses and heater hoses circulate coolant between the engine, heater and radiator to keep your engine cool and you warm in the winter. Vacuum hoses are important for a smooth-running engine and proper control of emissions.
Like some other car parts and components, regular checking and maintenance of these drive belts and hoses should help you to prevent major repair or the complete overhaul of your engine. With this in mind, here's some tips from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) on what to do and look for when checking on those belts and hoses.
- To help avoid a dead battery, check the alternator belt every month or two. If it looks frayed or worn, or if the fabric plies of the belt are separating, have it replaced. If it is loose enough so that the pulley can be turned by hand, have it tightened. A faulty belt won't drive the water pump or alternator fast enough for normal operation. Squeaking belts also may be loose and should be checked.
- As part of a regular tune-up, be sure that vacuum hoses are checked visually for splits, kinks and proper connections.
Inspect both the top and bottom radiator hoses for cracks, leaks or bulges. While the hoses are cool, squeeze them. They should be flexible, not stiff. If the hose is rotten and soft and collapses easily when squeezed, it should be replaced. Replacing the hoses every two years is a good way to ensure that you won't have to patch a cracked hose out on the road.
- At the same time, check the drive belts. Press down on each belt to check tension. Belts should not give more than about half an inch. Look for fraying also. Twist them around to check the underside for deep cracks or chunking. Tighten or replace the belts if necessary.
- A word of caution. When checking belts and hoses, beware of the electric cooling fan which in some cars may operate even with the ignition off.
If you follow these simple tips, you'll reduce your chances of being caught with a broken belt or leaking hose out on the road. However, sometimes such breakdowns happen without warning. If while on the road you encounter an overheating problem due to a leaking hose, duct tape or a screwdriver may help temporarily. If you see a small leak in the radiator or heater hose, let the engine cool enough so you can touch the radiator cap comfortably. Remove the radiator cap. Clean grease, water and dirt from the hose. Then tape the leak, keeping the tape taut while wrapping it around the hose. If the leak is under a clamp, try tightening the clamp with a screwdriver. Next, with the engine running, add water to the radiator. Leave the radiator cap loose when replacing it - a tight cap will create pressure which will blow open your patch quickly. Turn on the heater and drive to the nearest service station to have the hose replaced. (Keep the air conditioning off until the hose is replaced.)
A broken fan belt might also be the cause of an overheating problem. Normally this will also be accompanied by the red charge warning light showing that the battery is no longer being charged. By stopping to let the engine cool, driving showly until the warning light comes on, then stopping again, you can probably limp to get help. Some drivers carry a spare fan belt in their emergency repair kit - just in case the tow truck or service station doesn't have the right size.
Chrysler/Plymouth Division of Chrysler Motors is teaming up with "SELF" magazine as part of a marketing program directed towards women. In its first such tie-in with a women's magazine, Chrysler/Plymouth is sponsoring SELF's Fresh Start Program, a contest honoring women who have had the courage to make major changes in their lives.
According to the automaker, Chrysler has long been aware of the growing impact of the women's market (42 percent or 4.6 million car sales last year as reported in last week's column). Chrysler formed a women's marketing committee in 1978. It was the first such committee in the auto industry, and it has given Chrysler an idea of how women view its advertising, merchandising, financing and the cars themselves. The company has also commissioned substantial market research on women consumers.


text:
Following the acclaimed 2017 vinyl reissue of the Noir et Blanc album, Crammed Discs announces a special edition of the experimental electronic duo Zazou Bikaye’s second record, Mr. Manager.
Resulting from a torrid encounter between Congolese singer Bony Bikaye, Algerian-born French composer Hector Zazou and mad scientists CY1, Zazou Bikaye created a head-on collision between traditional Central African vocals and uncompromising analog electronics. The band made history with their debut, cult album Noir et Blanc (1983), a groundbreaking afro/electronic experiment which has been adulated to this day by generations and often compared to David Byrne & Brian Eno’s Bush Of Ghosts, or to an imaginary meeting between Fela Kuti and Kraftwerk.
With “Mr Manager”, their music became less overtly experimental and took on original shades of digital afrobeat/afrofunk. Mr Manager was a 5-track mini-album. Coming out on Oct 16, the expanded edition will comprise no less than 14 tracks, to which “Nostalgie” serves as a great introduction.
Mr. Manager was acclaimed when it came out on Crammed, and two of the tracks from the record (“Angel” and “Nostalgie”) became underground club hits in the US and Europe. As for the other rediscovered tracks, they were recorded at the same time in 1985 with additional sessions in 1986. It includes tracks like “Nakangi“, “Yondo” and “Sopa (Don’t Stand Back In Red)”. These songs are true revelations, as much thanks to Bikaye’s vocal performances as to Zazou’s programming & arrangements, inspired by the then-current electro-hip-hop fusion sound, yet highly original and unique.
Mr. Manager will be available on October 16th via Crammed Discs.
01. Mr. Manager
03. Soki Akei
04. (Little) Angel
05. Signorina *
07. Viva La Musica **
08. Le Menteur (Mokosi) *
09. Sopa (Don’t Stand Back In Red) *
10. Nakangi *
11. Yondo *
12. Dubby Musica *
13. Get Back (Longwa) **
14. Get Back (instrumental) **
** Released only on vinyl with limited edition

domain: entertainment


text:
After witnessing their father's tragic death 15 years ago, twin sisters end up on very different life paths. One sister becomes a famous writer, living a life of wealth and fame, while the other is destroyed by the darkness of their past, and ends up locked in a mental institution. The hospitalized sister, hatches a devious plan to switch places with her sister, believing she stole the life that she deserves. Will the sisters be able to make amends with their past and end up in their true and rightful place in life? Or will revenge and jealousy destroy both of them?
Available Streaming & On Demand Sep 01 2022 - Feb 29 2024

domain: artistic


text:
Researchers in the southern U.S. have found what they say is the first broadleaf weed in the world to beat the active ingredient in BASF’s Liberty herbicide.
The University of Arkansas last week announced its ag researchers had found glufosinate-resistant Palmer amaranth in crops in two eastern Arkansas counties across the Mississippi River from Memphis.
The finding “does not appear to be widespread” in those counties, they said — and among other weeds, only four grasses are known to have developed glufosinate resistance, three of those in other countries overseas.
But the finding may not bode well for the chemical’s expanded use against weeds that have already developed resistance to other chemistries.
Bayer, for example, recently expanded its Roundup Ready Xtend crop system to include a new line of XtendFlex soybeans, which have tolerance not only to glyphosate and dicamba but to glufosinate as well, partly as a way to expand growers’ options against herbicide-resistant weeds throughout the growing season.
Glufosinate, a broad-spectrum Group 10 product, “is one of the few remaining chemistries that are effective in controlling pigweed in soybeans and other crops,” Arkansas extension weed scientist Tom Barber said Thursday in a release.
“We have put a lot of selection pressure on glufosinate the last 10 years or more, so no, it is not surprising… and likely was inevitable.”
The resistance in Palmer amaranth was first reported last summer in two “fields of concern” in Mississippi County where three applications of the chemical had failed to control the weed. “These two fields had that ‘look’ and were very suspicious, to say the least,” Barber and other researchers wrote in a blog post last week.
Putting the strain of Palmer amaranth through the screening process to confirm resistance, the researchers found the biotype from Crittenden County was 3.5 times less sensitive to glufosinate, and the cases in Mississippi County “appear to be at least 15 times more resistant than the susceptible standard used for evaluation in the screening.”
Without glufosinate, “in cotton or soybean crops, the options are limited, especially post-emergence,” Barber said, recommending the use of two residual herbicides at planting, along with “paraquat at planting to make sure we start clean.” Dicamba and use of the Enlist system are also options.
However, “the best plan is to rotate to corn or rice on the acre if possible as well as remove all pigweed escapes, which will reduce seed returning to the seed bank,” he said.
Tommy Butts, also an extension weed scientist and co-author of the blog post, said growers can slow herbicide resistance in weed populations by avoiding “overreliance” on a single control method.
“Now, more than ever, it is a must to diversify weed control strategies and implement an integrated weed management approach including cultural, mechanical and preventative tactics,” he said. — Glacier FarmMedia Network


text:
You can choose no more than 4 products
Home>>RESOURCES>>Publications >>Effect of ozone oxidative preconditioning on inflammation and oxidative stress injury in rat model of renal transplantation.
The association of serum angiogenic growth factors with renal structure and function in patients with adult autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.
Ajuba receptor mediates the internalization of tumor-secreted GRP78 into macrophages through different endocytosis pathways.
Subscribe to get resources and special offers
Focus on your research, Service for life science

domain: health


text: The concept of the Amphitheater was included in the original park plan. The ground was initially flat, so soil was dug out to create the hollow at the foot of the space. Later, the hollow was effectively split in two by a large gabion wall upon which the Wisteria Pergola was later built. Massive granite blocks frame out the space and create ample seating. The Amphitheater has served as an intimate location for concerts, events, and relaxation. A wooded glen composed of trees including river birch, katusra, weeping beech and southern magnolia, separates the Amphitheater from the rest of the park, adding to its secluded ambiance.


text:
I really wanted a healthy snack this Easter and I saw how cute these were! They are super easy to make and super delicious! Give them a try! (And yes, they are topped with peanut m&ms as “eggs”. The nests are super healthy though! I also wanted to thank Joyfoodsunshine for this recipe! Enjoy!
½ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ maple syrup
¼ cup coconut oil measured in solid state.
2 TBS unsweetened cacao powder
¼ tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup quick cooking oats
¼ cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Set aside.
Combine maple syrup, peanut butter, salt and coconut oil in a saucepan and heat until melted and well-combined.
Stir in vanilla and cocoa powder.
Add quick-cooking oats and mix well.
Add coconut flakes and stir until completely combined.
Drop 1 TBS portions of mixture onto your prepared baking sheet. Press into the shape of nests (if desired). Continue until you’ve used all your cookie mixture.
Let cool in the refrigerator or freezer until hardened. Top with your favorite candy eggs.
Serve cool or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator!

domain: food


text:
Leading property maintenance and decarbonisation specialist Novus Property Solutions is celebrating a series of wins for its dedicated Sustain service, having been named as an approved supplier for several prestigious frameworks and organisations.
Since its launch less than 12 months ago, Sustain has offered Novus’ customers across the housing sector a one-stop-shop for specialist assistance in achieving net zero targets through the contractor’s Centre of Excellence comprising in-house professionals and external partners.
The contractor’s Sustain service has been successfully named in the CHIC North Wales eight-year programme, which will see Novus carrying out optimised retrofit installations across properties in the region. Furthermore, the contractor has also secured a place on the national CHIC Optimised Retrofit Programme for Lot 1 and Lot 5, covering low and zero carbon retrofit solutions.
Procure Plus, a social housing regeneration consortium, has named Novus in its five-year domestic retrofit delivery programme across the North West. Novus has been successful in Lot 2 and Lot 3, which refer to turnkey programme delivery and installation delivery respectively.
The contractor has also been awarded a place on each of the ten lots within the £500 million Prosper Procurement framework. The two-year framework involves a range of decarbonisation retrofit works on domestic and public buildings across all regions of England and Wales.
Commenting on Novus’ recent decarbonisation successes, Matt Hiley, Executive Director at Novus Property Solutions said: “We’re proud to have been named as an approved supplier for several prestigious frameworks in recent months, further establishing Novus’ position as an expert in decarbonisation retrofit services.
“Our dedicated Sustain service is an important element of our ambitious plans for growth, and has already proven its value for our clients across the housing sector. It offers a partnered approach to an end-to-end service, helping local authorities and housing associations not only complete important net zero refurbishments but also secure the funding to do so, and we look forward to continuing to grow this vital service.”
To find out more about the impact Novus’ Sustain service can have on your property portfolio, visit the contractor’s stand at Homes UK exhibition on the 23rd and 24th November in the Unlock Net Zero area.
Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals


text:
Corporations push “insetting” as new offsetting but report claims it is even worse
(Climate Home News, 20 Feb 2023) For Nestlé, planting millions of trees in and around plantations supplying its coffee is an ideal “net zero” fix.
This – the Swiss giant says – not only captures carbon from the atmosphere, generating credits to be claimed against its climate targets.
But it also protects crops, reduces water reliance and supports workers on the very farms the company sources materials from.
This practice is called insetting, a term creeping into the “net zero” plans of a rising number of corporations.
Instead of buying carbon credits from unrelated third parties – as they would in traditional offsetting schemes – through insetting, companies invest in carbon reduction or removal projects on their own land or the land of their suppliers.


Drai’s Las Vegas
Memorial Day Weekend atop The Cromwell will feature live concerts by hip-hop artists and DJ sets. Future (pictured), 2 Chainz and Trey Songz, and Migos perform Friday through Sunday at Drai’s Nightclub. The beach club features TroyBoi, Rae Sremmurd with A-Trak, and Trey Songz with Pauly D. Doors open at 11 a.m. for the dayclub and 10:30 p.m. for the nightclub. Ticket prices vary (draislv.com).
Playboi Carti kicks off the holiday weekend, and two-year anniversary party, at Jewel Nightclub. The rapper performs Friday, followed by Lil Uzi Vert on Saturday and Steve Aoki on Monday. Doors open at 10:30 p.m. at Aria. Tickets start at $20 for women and $30 for men (jewelnightclub.com).
XS Nightclub last week began nine nights of parties to celebrate its nine-year anniversary. Close out the bash Friday through Monday with resident DJs the Chainsmokers, David Guetta, Kygo and Marshmello. Doors open at 10:30 p.m. at Wynn Las Vegas. Ticket prices vary (wynnsocial.com/xs9year).
The Pool at the Plaza hosts its annual Memorial Day Luau on Saturday. The rooftop beach party features performances by Polynesian dancers, an all-you-can-eat buffet of Hawaiian cuisine, cash bar and fireworks from 8 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $50 (plazahotelcasino.com).
Model and actress Amber Rose hosts and DJ Eric Forbes spins at the Daybeats pool party Saturday at the Flamingo’s Go Pool. The fun continues Sunday when DJs from Mars join resident DJ JD Live. Doors open at 9 a.m., and drink specials are available until 1 p.m. Tickets start at $15 Saturday, and admission is free Sunday (gopoolvegas.com).


text:
full entry is available only in the Guide’s print edition. Guide Book Vouchers This hotel does NOT accept the 25% discount vouchers in the print guide. Buy the guide
More hotels nearby
Here are some other hotels nearby that we have reviewed
Grove of Narberth Narberth -
1.7 miles away
Turn off a country lane down a tree-lined drive and your tensions will slip away when you glimpse this white stucco building with its pleasing Georgian symmetry.
Mellieha Guest House Amroth -
7 miles away
The owners are retiring, and no further bookings will be taken.
St Brides Spa Hotel Saundersfoot -
7 miles away
High above the town, a modern hotel with ‘exceptional’ seascapes, as restorative, perhaps, as the calm that washes over guests in the award-winning spa.
Penally Abbey Tenby -
10 miles away
You would need a heart of stone not to be charmed by the creeper-covered facade of this Strawberry Hill Gothic house, with its pretty ogee windows, decorative eaves and hilltop position above gardens tumbling to the sea.
Roch Castle Hotel Haverford West -
13 miles away
On a rocky outcrop, high above the Pembrokeshire landscape, stands a 12th Century castle with contemporary B&B accommodation and spectacular panoramas.
Browns Hotel Laugharne -
14 miles away
A favourite watering hole of Dylan Thomas, this refurbished 18th Century inn, in a lively coastal town, remains a characterful place.
Cnapan Newport -
15 miles away
With a home-from-home ambience, this Georgian B&B on Newport’s main street is an ideal base from which to explore the Pembrokeshire Coast national park.
The Manor Town House - 'Fizz and Free Lunches' Special Offer Fishguard -
16 miles away
Behind Helen and Chris Sheldon’s pastel blue-painted B&B is a secluded garden terrace with ‘spectacular’ views over Lower Town harbour and across Cardigan Bay.
BUY THE 46th EDITION OF THE GUIDE
Buy the 46th Edition of the Guide to read reviews of 650 hotels.
Please note that the print edition no longer contains discount vouchers. Buy the guide
JOIN THE GHG
Get our free monthly newsletter, latest special offers, and updates. Join more than 14,000 other members.
Read more about it here
Close this module
Get special offers and more Join more than 15,000 other members and receive:
✔ Monthly newsletter
✔ Special Offers
✔ GHG updates
Add to Homescreen?
Tap below to add an icon to your home screen for quick access!


text:
Many airlines offer flexible change policies
Sign up to receive text alerts about your trip
Prices starting at $336 for return flights and $150 for one-way flights to Winnipeg were the cheapest prices found within the past 7 days, for the period specified. Prices and availability are subject to change. Additional terms apply.
|Origin Airport IATA Code||SEA|
|Destination Airport IATA Code||YWG|
|Direct Flight Airlines|
|Earliest Flight Arrival|
|Latest Flight Arrival|
While Seattle is home to several airports, the only one that handles commercial flights is the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Also known as Sea-Tac, this airport is responsible for all incoming flights, along with flights from Seattle. Alaska Airlines, Air Canada, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and US Airways are a few airlines that operate out of this airport. Located in SeaTac, Washington, the airport sits along the intersection of three state routes: 99, 518, and 509. Though the airport has three terminals, only the Concourse Terminal and North Satellite Terminal handle domestic flights. The South Satellite Terminal specializes in international flights. It's just a short drive from the airport to downtown.
When you need to reach your hotel quickly, head for the public transportation system, which consists of Sound Transit and Metro Transit. The buses and light rails only cost a few dollars, and you can visit the sales counter at any station to purchase tickets for your trip. The light rail system drops passengers directly at some of the top hotels in the downtown area. Seattle uses a grid system for its roads, which makes finding your hotel easy if you drive. You can use the Orbitz.com sign to look for rental cars from the airport.
If you visit during the spring, winter, or fall, you need a warm coat and an umbrella. Though the city does not get snow, it does get a high amount of rain during these seasons, and temperatures that can drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The summer is much warmer, with temperatures in the high 70s and less rainfall.
Seattle is home to dozens of cultural activities and attractions, including the Seattle International Film Festival, the Henry Art Galley, the Woodland Park Zoo, and the Seattle Underground Tour, which takes you through older parts of the city. When you look for flights from Seattle on Orbitz.com, take a few minutes to look for other low-cost attractions in the city.
Whether you are looking for cheap flights to Winnipeg, accommodations in the Winnipeg area, or vacation packages in Manitoba, Canada, Orbitz.com can get you a great deal. Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport serves the Winnipeg area and acts as an air hub to more isolated areas in northern Canada, such as Saskatchewan. Airlines served by this airport include Air Canada, Delta Connection, United Express, and Sunwing Airlines.
Unicity Taxi is the exclusive taxi service for the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport. Taxi rates are typically between $15 and $18 from the airport to the city. Limousine services and hotel shuttles are also popular options for travelers arriving at this airport. For travelers on a budget, Winnipeg Transit operates public buses that go from the airport to various areas of the city. You can also use Orbitz.com to find and book a car from one of the car rental companies in the airport, such as Avis, Enterprise, Hertz, or National Car Rental.
Winters in Winnipeg are cold and dry, with below-zero temperatures in January and February being the norm. The average high in the summer months ranges from 73 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit, and lows drop into the 50s, even in midsummer. Winnipeg skies tend to be clear, and the city only gets about 20 inches of precipitation a year.
Art lovers will enjoy exploring the Winnipeg Art Gallery and the art galleries and historic architecture of the Exchange District National Historic Site. Those interested in history may want to check out the Manitoba Museum, while nature lovers should head to the Bison Safari adventure at FortWhyte Alive. Winnipeg is also home to a multitude of festivals, including the Winnipeg Fringe Festival in July and Folklorama in August. No matter what your preferred activity, rely on Orbitz.com for cheap flights to Winnipeg.
Fare, taxes & fees: Fares include all taxes and fees, except baggage fees. Rates shown reflect fares found by other Orbitz users over the past 7 days. Due to rapidly changing airline prices & seat availability, these fares may no longer be available.
Refunds/changes/cancellations: Itinerary changes, if permitted for the fare, will have a $30 service fee charged by Orbitz. Additional airline charges may apply.
Other conditions: Schedules, fares and rules are subject to change without notice. Seats are limited and may not be available on all flights/dates or in all markets. Lower fares may be available. Fares will not be honored retroactively or in exchange for any wholly/partially unused ticket. Tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable. Fare rules are provided for the selected itinerary before booking.


text:
| Old Dalby|
Closes to goods
| London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London Midland Region of British Railways|
East Langton railway st, Bardon Hill railway station, Asfordby railway station, Brooksby railway station
Old Dalby railway station served Old Dalby in the English county of Leicestershire. It was opened on the Midland Railway Melton direct route between London and Nottingham, avoiding Leicester. The line still exists today as the Old Dalby Test Track.
Old Dalby railway station Wikipedia
The station was opened for goods on 1 November 1879 and to passengers on 2 February 1880 by the Midland Railway. The station was designed by the Midland Railway company architect John Holloway Sanders.
It was on its cut-off line from Melton Mowbray to Nottingham, which had opened the previous year to allow the railway company's expresses between London and the North to avoid reversal at Nottingham. It also improved access to and from the iron-ore fields in Leicestershire and Rutland. Local traffic was minimal but the presence of two army bases built during the last war and the exchange sidings traffic prolonged the life of the station but it eventually succumbed and closed to passengers in 1966.
According to the Official Handbook of Stations the following classes of traffic were handled by this station in 1956: G, P, F, L, H, C and there was a 1-ton 10 cwt crane.
Following the closure of the line as a through-route in 1968, the track between Melton Mowbray and Edwalton was converted for use as the Old Dalby Test Track, used initially for the Advanced Passenger Train project and, more recently, for Class 390 Pendolino units. The station building was timber and did not survive but the timber goods shed still exists. Old Dalby was the site of the original control centre for the line in BR days equipped with utility buildings and a small workshop. Later the operations centre was moved to Asfordby when Alstom took over. Today there are still sidings at Old Dalby and an enlarged workshop and new track layout to accommodate the LUL trains on test. The transformer and 750DC power supply for the 3rd/4th rail system is also located here. The station master's house survives by the roadside as a private residence and the weighbridge as a domestic garage.


text:
Part of The Art of Treepling Weekend culminating the First Footing Residency.
In the final chapter of dance collectors Joan and Tom Flett’s 1964 book
Traditional Dancing in Scotland, the authors make reference to “the art
of treepling.” At the time of the text’s publication, treepling,
“beating out the rhythm of the music with the feet,” was one of the
lesser-known features of Scottish dancing and had almost entirely
disappeared. (Flett & Flett, 1964, p. 260) This new solo step dance
work-in-progress engages the Flett’s original research, re-imagining
treepling as a locus of creative interpretation of traditional music &
dance in Scotland and other geographies in which treepling is found,
including Ireland, Canada, and the Appalachian region of the United
Followed by Q&A with invited guests Colin Dunne, Sandy Silva, Dr. Mats Melin and Anita Clark.
Nic Gareiss is a percussive dance artist and dance researcher, voted one
of Dance Magazine’s 2019 “25 to Watch” and hailed by the Boston Herald
as “the most inventive and expressive step dancer on the scene”. His
work re-imagines movement as a musical practice, recasting dance as
medium that appeals to both eyes and ears. Originally from Michigan,
Gareiss draws from many percussive dance traditions, weaving together a
dance technique facilitating his love of improvisation, traditional
dance footwork vocabulary and musical collaboration.


text:
Find Out What Our Researchers Are Working on Right Now
The Parkinson’s Foundation has provided funding to more than 550 researchers since 2010. These scientists and researchers receive Foundation awards to improve our understanding of Parkinson’s disease (PD), which will ultimately lead us to better treatments and a cure. We recently sat down with nine of them to get the latest highlights of their ongoing PD research:
Stay up-to-date on the latest Parkinson’s research:
- Join our email list at Parkinson.org
- Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
- Watch the latest Parkinson’s disease videos on our YouTube channel.
Related Blog Posts
How a Neurologist is Using Data to Make Parkinson’s Research and Care More Inclusive
Parkinson’s Foundation Presents Findings on Depression, Genetics and Palliative Care at Annual Neurology Meeting
How a Movement Disorders Fellow is Building Her Career Around Parkinson’s Care and Research


text:
The typical Happy Meal (or Kids’ Meal or what have you) with an included toy has just been banned in the City and County of San Francisco. Check it:
“This legislation is aimed at promoting healthy eating habits and to address issues related to childhood obesity. The legislation encourages restaurants to provide healthier meal options. To provide an incentive item, meals must contain fruits and vegetables, not exceed 600 calories, and must not have beverages that have excessive fat or sugar.”
Today’s vote at the Board of Supervisors was 8-3, which means that any veto from Mayor Gavin Newsom would get overridden with a quickness, one would presume. Robble robble, indeed.
Legislation author and District One Supervisor Eric Mar is aiming to “challenge the restaurant industry.” Well, mission accomplished.
Get all the deets from this uploaded doc: Healthymlsdig3
So, either McDonalds will alter its menu accordingly or you won’t be able to get the likes of these Barbie dolls, these “Youth-Focused Incentive Items” in the 415 come December 1, 2011:
The upshot is that McDonald’s es infeliz. Muy infeliz. See?
“Just after the vote, McDonald’s spokeswoman Danya Proud said, ‘We are extremely disappointed with today’s decision. It’s not what our customers want, nor is it something they asked for.'”
So there you go.
All the deets:
“Supervisor Eric Mar’s Healthy Meal Legislation passes with a supermajority
The Healthy Meal Legislation sets nutritional standards for restaurant food that is accompanied by toys or other youth focused incentive items. Supervisor Eric Mar’s legislation is co-sponsored by Supervisors Campos, Chiu and Avalos and was supported by a broad coalition of grassroots community organizations, parents and health professionals. Supervisors Avalos, Campos, Chiu, Daly, Dufty, Mar, Maxwell, and Mirkarimi voted in support of the legislation.
This legislation is aimed at promoting healthy eating habits and to address issues related to childhood obesity. The legislation encourages restaurants to provide healthier meal options. To provide an incentive item, meals must contain fruits and vegetables, not exceed 600 calories, and must not have beverages that have excessive fat or sugar.
“This is a tremendous victory for our children’s health. Our children are sick. Rates of obesity in San Francisco are disturbingly high, especially among children of color,” said Supervisor Eric Mar. “This is a challenge to the restaurant industry to think about children’s health first and join the wide range of local restaurants that have already made this commitment.”
The effective date of the legislation is December 1, 2011.
What the suits had to say about this plus Your Amended Legislative Digest, after the jump.
“SF Votes to Curb Junk Food Marketing to Kids
Measure limits toy giveaways linked to range of diet-related health conditions
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 2, 2010 – Today the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted in favor of an ordinance to limit toy giveaways in children’s meals that have excessive calories, sodium and fat, making San Francisco the first city in the nation to take such action. The measure passed on first reading with a veto-proof majority of 8-3. It will take effect December 1, 2011.
Since the introduction of the McDonald’s Happy Meal in 1979, toy giveaways have been a primary vehicle for marketing junk food to kids. Each year, fast food chains sell more than a billion unhealthy kids’ meals with toys to children ages 12 or younger.
“This is a tremendous victory for our children’s health. Our children are sick. Rates of obesity in San Francisco are disturbingly high, especially among children of color,” said Supervisor Eric Mar, the ordinance’s sponsor. “This is a challenge to the restaurant industry to think about children’s health first and join the range of local restaurants that have already made this commitment.”
More than a dozen local restaurants supported the measure, joining an eclectic mix of public health professionals, educators, parents, organizations, small businesses, community advocates, and faith leaders. This broad coalition was up against a formidable foe in McDonald’s and its surrogates, which spared no expense in opposing the measure. From aggressively lobbying public officials to threatening lawsuits, it quickly became clear just how critical toy giveaways are in peddling fast food to kids.
Each year, McDonald’s and its competitors pump hundreds of millions of dollars into toy promotions and other forms of predatory marketing because the return on investment is high…for them, at least. Children up to age 12 command $40-50 billion in directing purchasing power, and influence another $670 billion in family purchases each year.
The downsides are the direct implications for children’s health. Reducing even one form of predatory marketing – fast food TV advertisements, for instance – could reduce the number of overweight U.S. children and adolescents by nearly 20 percent.
“Supervisor Mar and his colleagues took a courageous stand in advancing this common sense measure,” said Kelle Louaillier, executive director of Corporate Accountability International. “As the city has so many times before, it put children’s health first and paved the way for other cities to curb the predatory marketing that continues to hold public health education back.”
Corporate Accountability International’s recent report, “Clowning with Kids’ Health” analyzes how the industry has in the past avoided accountability for its role in today’s epidemic. For one, fast food chains have defended giveaways and other predatory marketing by claiming they are increasingly offering “healthier” options (such as apple dippers with a sugary caramel dipping sauce). Not only is “healthier” a relative term, a recent survey reveals that the “healthier” options are seldom the default option on the menu – a parent must explicitly ask for them. The toys are always included.
“So many of us are on the front lines of this children’s health crisis,” said Dr. Carmen Rita Nevarez, vice president of the Public Health Institute. “One in three kids are, or will become, sick from the food they eat. We see it not only in our city’s waiting rooms and classrooms, but in our soaring health care bills. It’s time for fast food promotions to stop contravening our efforts to change this reality.”
Santa Clara County took comparable action this spring, to address the similarly staggering local rates of diet-related children’s health conditions like diabetes.”
AMENDED LEGISLATIVE DIGEST
[Setting Nutritional Standards for Restaurant Food Sold Accompanied by Toys or other Youth Focused Incentive Items.]
Ordinance amending Article 8 of the San Francisco Ordinance Health Code by adding Sections 471.1 through 471.9, to set nutritional standards for restaurant food sold accompanied by toys or other youth focused incentive items.
The San Francisco Health Department permits all restaurants in San Francisco under Article 8 of the San Francisco Health Code. The department inspects the permitted establishments and enforces the applicable health and safety requirements.
Amendments to Current Law
The proposed legislation amends Article 8 of the San Francisco Health Code by adding Sections 471.1 through 471.9, to set nutritional standards for restaurant food sold accompanied by toys or other youth focused incentive items. The ordinance defines “Incentive Item” as meaning (1) any toy, game, trading card, admission ticket or other consumer product, whether physical or digital, with particular appeal to children and teens but not including “Single Use Articles” as defined in California Health & Safety Code Section 113914 as of January 1, 2009, or (2) any coupon, voucher, ticket, token, code, or password redeemable for or granting digital or other access to an item listed in (1).
A restaurant may combine a free toy or Incentive Item with the purchase of a meal if the meal does not include any of the following as defined in the ordinance: excessive calories, excessive sodium, excessive fat including saturated fat, and trans fat exceeding 0.5 grams. A meal must also contain at least 0.5 cups or more of fruits or vegetables. Breakfast items must contain 0.5 cups of fruits or vegetables.
A Restaurant may provide a free toy or Incentive Item in combination with the purchase of a single food item or beverage if the food or beverage includes less than 35% of total calories from fat and less than 10% of calories from added caloric sweeteners.
The ordinance has been amended to remove the requirement that a meal include whole grains. The ordinance has also been amended to take effect on December 1, 2011.
The Department of Public Health shall enforce the ordinance and the Director of the Health Department may issue administrative citations for the violations of the ordinance under San Francisco Administrative Code Chapter 100.
The intent of this proposed ordinance is to improve the health of children and adolescents in San Francisco by setting healthy nutritional standards for children’s meals accompanied by toys or other incentive items. These standards will support families seeking healthy eating choices for their children by permitting restaurants to offer toys and other incentive items only in conjunction with foods meeting specified nutritional criteria. This legislation imposes no requirements for the advertising or labeling of food or beverages or disclosure of ingredients.
Tags: 1, 2010, 2011, Alioto-Pier, approved, avalos, Barbie, bay area, bevan dufty, board of supervisors, Burger King, california, campos, carmen chu, children, chiu, Chris daly, chu, City Hall, Daly, Danya Proud, david campos, David Chiu, December 1, district, district one, doll, dufty, elsbernd, eric mar, fast food, food, fruits, ggra, goldne gate restaurant association, happy meal, john avalos, majorty, mar, Maxwell, McDonalds, Michela Alioto Pier, Mirkarim, no, Nutritional Standards, one, restaurant, restaurants, richmond, ross Mirkarim, San Francisco, Sean Elsbernd, sophie maxwell, spokeswoman, supermajority, Supervisor, supervisor eric mar, toy, vegetables, veto, veto-proof, voted, yes