PORTSMOUTH — Thirty years ago, a bomb exploded in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 241 American Marines, sailors and soldiers.
Nine of those Marines were from Rhode Island, including four from Newport County: Lance Cpl. Thomas A. Julian, Cpl. James F. Silvia, Cpl. Edward Soares Jr. and Cpl. Stephen E. Spencer.
Some of their friends and relatives, fellow Marines and dignitaries from across the state joined others gathered at the Portsmouth Historical Society on Wednesday, the 30th anniversary of the attack on the 8th Marine Headquarters barracks in Beirut, to honor those who died in the terrorist attack.
No one should ever forget Oct. 23, 1983, or those who were killed in the bombing, which at the time was the biggest non-nuclear explosion in history, speakers told the gathering. But the United States should never back down from its mission to combat oppression around the world, no matter the opposition, the speakers added.
“We know that fight continues today, in Afghanistan and elsewhere,” said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. “We know these Marines who served, today inspire those who serve.”
“Thirty years have gone by, but I’m sure for many of you that day and the days that followed as the terrible news came home are as immediate as yesterday,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. “We must all stand together to make sure that the sacrifice of these young men is never forgotten.”
Capt. Cavan Croskey extended personal thanks to local resident Shirley Zdanuk, the driving force behind the annual ceremony to honor those killed in Beirut. Sitting in the front row of the historical society’s second-floor meeting room, Zdanuk accepted a resolution of thanks from the Marine Corps and another from a representative of Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee, who was unable to attend the observance.
Lt. Col. Donald Thieme, a Marine who serves on the faculty at the Naval War College in Newport, said the fallen Marines were on a peace-keeping mission in a war-torn zone.
“Beirut was a challenging mission,” Thieme said. “It was ill defined. It was laden with multiple circles of complexity. Syria, Iran, Israel and others all had deep interest in actions inside of Lebanon.”
The playing field was confusing, he said, with about 20 different factions at each other. Serving alongside forces from France, Great Britain and Italy, the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit out of Camp LeJeune, N.C., was tasked with acting as a buffer between the warring groups, he said.
“They carried out their mission of peacekeeping with strength and resolve,” Thieme said. “They sought first to do no harm, to protect the innocent and take care of each other.”
Muslim extremists targeted the United States forces as the enemy, leading to the unprompted, surprise attack during the early morning hours of Oct. 23, 1983, when a truck laden with 12,000 pounds of explosives slammed into the barracks.
“It was the deadliest single day in the history of the Marine Corps since Iwo Jima,” Thieme said. “Amongst the dead, nine Marines from the Ocean State, deployed far from home, with only occasional mail, no cell phones, no Sykpe, no Twitter. Just a steely-eyed determination to serve and protect.”
After the speaking program, those honoring the dead moved outside, where a lone bugler played taps. Traffic on East Main Road was stopped while attendees saluted and the Rhode Island Patriot Guard Riders stood with a row of American flags held high.


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You probably don’t think much about your credit score until you need to as it mostly affects bigger life decisions, like buying or renting property, getting an auto loan, or opening financial accounts. When one of those decisions comes along, though, a few extra points on your score can save you a lot of money on interest payments—or at least get you a credit card with better rewards and lower interest rates. It takes a long time and good financial habits to build a strong credit score, so it’s important to know what exactly goes into it and how what you do (or don’t do) can ultimately impact your financial future.
The reporting agencies
There are three main credit reporting agencies, or bureaus, that maintain files on people with credit histories in the U.S: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Their job is to keep track of your credit accounts, payment history, total available credit, bankruptcies, et cetera. They also know personal information, like employment history, addresses, and family, but that isn’t part of your score. Businesses that want to check up on you, from businesses to landlords, can request that these bureaus send over their report on you.
The big three credit bureaus each calculate their own score (your report is available from any of them on request), but they aren’t very widely used. Another metric, VantageScore, was created by the three major bureaus to compete with FICO, and is used by some lenders, but the score that really matters is the FICO, which is the measurement that “credit score” most often refers to.
For this reason, when you check your credit score online you should double-check to make sure it’s the official FICO score—you might just be seeing your Equifax/Experian/TransUnion score, which will be different. Each score is calculated differently and depends on slightly different data, but all of them, including the FICO, will give you a number ranging from around 300 to around 850, with higher scores reflecting a more reliable credit history.
Factors that affect your score
The exact algorithms that calculate your credit score are all proprietary, meaning it’s impossible to figure out exactly how each variable is weighted. The general information is out there, though, and it’s not hard to figure out the basic things you need to do to build a good score.
- Payment history: 35% This is the most important part of your score. It’s essentially your entire financial life, recording every payment you’ve made on time, every one you’ve missed, how late you’ve been, your bankruptcies, foreclosures, et cetera.How to get a good score: Missing even one payment will cut into your score quite a bit, and negative marks stay on your record for seven years. Try to pay 100% of your bills on or before the due date, or, if you’re already below 100%, make it your top priority to pay on time.
- Amounts owed/credit utilization: 30% The other major factor on your report is how much of your available credit you tend to use. For example, if you have two credit cards, each with a $5,000 limit, you have $10,000 of available credit in total. If you put $1,000 on your cards, you’ll be at 10% credit utilization, which isn’t a bad number.How to get a good score: Lower credit utilization is always better: common wisdom is that using more than 30% of your available credit will start raising red flags, but it’s better to stay closer to 0%. This is a fairly easy metric to get a good score on: just don’t spend as much on your cards or, if it makes sense for you, open up a few new lines of credit to increase your total available utilization.
- Length of credit history: 15% The top two factors make up the majority of your FICO score, but length of your credit history is also important. This one is basically just what it sounds like: it’s the total age of your accounts divided by the number of accounts you have open. Say you have two cards, A and B. Card A has been open for one year, Card B for two years. Your total credit history length is three years, but because you have two accounts, the average age is just 1.5 years.How to get a good score: If you’re new to credit or have a lot of accounts open, this could be an issue for you, but it only accounts for 15% of your score, so don’t worry too much.
This can also be an excellent reason not to cancel your credit card.
- New credit: 10% This number measures how much of your credit is “new,” mostly by keeping track of how many “hard inquiries” have been made about your credit. A hard inquiry or “pull” gets its name from the fact that it will lower your score by a few points, while soft inquiries won’t.How to get a good score: Unless you get a lot of pulls in a short amount of time, you don’t need to worry about this factor though. It’s more important to weigh the impact of a shorter average credit history vs the benefit of an increased line of credit, as these pulls come off your record in about year.
- Types of credit: 10%This is another one you don’t have to worry about much, but it can be useful to know. Having a good mix of credit on your account is seen positively by lenders because it shows you can handle lots of different responsibilities. The three main times of credit accounts are revolving, installment, and open credit:
- Revolving: the most common type, refers to credit cards/home equity where you make monthly payments
- Installment credit: this category is all about loans—student, auto, personal, mortgages, etc.
- Open credit: This one is quite rare, offering accounts that let you spend on credit, but require that you pay the full amount back each month (no minimum payments like with cards)
How to get a good score: Having a mix can help your credit score, but it’s not a big enough factor to merit you taking out any kind of loan to get a few extra points.
FICO scoring ranges
The average American has decent credit, with the 50th percentile being roughly 700 points, so as long as you haven’t made any major mistakes with your finances, you’ll probably be on the higher end of this scale. There are a few different ways to divide it up, but they all follow roughly this breakdown:
- 300-559: Poor. Your applications are unlikely to get very far, and the cards you do get will probably be secured or have a very high interest rate and low rewards.
- 580-669: Fair. You’ll probably be approved for lines of credit and loans, but you won’t get the best cards or rates.
- 670-739: Good. Most credit opportunities will be open to you, but interest rates will be higher.
- 740-799: Very good. Expect lenders to approve you pretty quickly and your interest rates to be attractively low.
- 800-850: Excellent. You’ve probably been using credit for a long time without any issues, and you will be rewarded with low-interest, high-reward cards and loans. Stay responsible!
Repairing bad credit
The first step in repairing bad credit is to start building good credit by having good financial habits (hint: do the stuff above), but if you need help getting started, there are some options especially for you.
- Apply for a secured credit card. These are credit cards that you pay in advance. It’s a lot like a gift card, except that technically the money you load the card with will be paying off the credit you use, getting you an automatic payment history.
- Credit-builder loans: Much like secured credit cards, these loans are a pay-upfront deal. Essentially, you borrow money, but the bank doesn’t give it to you—they lock it up in an account that stays locked until you’ve paid them the full amount, after which they release it to you.
- Become an authorized user: Being associated with someone else’s account can actually be good for your own credit (as long as their credit is decent!), whether you actually spend money on the card or not. All it really needs is to have your name on the account.
- Alternative credit: Try to get credit for rent, utility payments, and other bills that you consistently pay on time. These often aren’t reported to credit agencies, but your landlord/utility company may be able to do it for you.

domain: finance


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"An osprey taking fish to go". This photo of an osprey lifting off from its nest with a fish was taken along the Sacramento River in Redding, CA. An osprey pair have had a nest for several years at the top of a high pipe support tower crossing the river.
|Photo Location:||Redding, California, United States of America|
|Copyright:||© R Michael Kussow|

domain: geography


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The biggest, fastest, scariest, weirdest . . . most AMAZING dinosaurs!Learn all about the most incredible creatures to ever walk the earth. Fascinating facts, ingenious folding gatefolds and super-sized action flaps bring these weird and wonderful, dazzling and deadly dinosaurs to life.Age 3-7..
Ladybird's First Fabulous Facts is an illustrated non-fiction series for 3-5 year olds. Fun and fascinating facts engage young children and bring their favourite interests, hobbies and obsessions to life.Dinosaurs shows what these prehistoric creatures looked like, where they lived, what they ate an..
It is time for Dora the hen to feed her six chicks, but they are nowhere to be seen. Who's that following Penny Pig's piglets, and who's that about to jump into the pond after Doffy Duck's ducklings? One by one, Dora rounds up her chicks, but there is still one missing. Where can it be?..
An enchanting tale by Pippa Goodhart, perfect for children learning to read.Granda is different from other folk - he talks to the hills. One day, he tells his granddaughter, Lily, an old story about Dragon Boy - a human child who was raised by a dragon mother.The young lad lived happily with his fam..
A brand-new rescue story in this chunky collectible storybook series. This little book is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. Fans of TV’s best-loved firefighter will love following the many adventures of Fireman Sam and his team: Elvis Cridlington, Penny Morris, Tom Thomas, Station Officer ..
Pip and Pickle are very peckish penguins. They want their dinner. So SPLASH! WHOOSH! SWISH! they chase after a fish! But this fish is fast and clever – and soon Pip and Pickle are in a spot of bother!Turn the shaped pages, peep through the holes and follow the dinner-time dash! A fantastic underwate..
A delightful fairy story about a little girl discovering friendship in the most unexpected of places, perfect for children learning to read. From the author of Dilly the Dinosaur.Flora the fairy loves going to visit Nana and Grandpop. But she is scared of their cat Rufus. He stares at her and s..
A magical fairy story about believing in yourself, perfect for children learning to read. From the author of Dilly the Dinosaur.Flora the Fairy enjoys school. But one day, her teacher tells them they will be tested on their magic skills the next day. They have to change the class dragon, Smoky,..
The Stone Age is boring. Pod, with the help of his little brother Henge is determined to make the best game ever but they end up just making a mess. Will Pod be able to bring some rock and roll to the Stone Age?..

domain: entertainment


Date Added: 03/24/2012 by Aaron Winter
TXV1024 2.4 GHz 1000mW Plug & Play FPV Transmitter
Works like a charm. I have several of these but this one comes with the plug and play feature that allows you to select the camera voltage. The red LED also lets you know its working. The wire leads lock into the transmitter which is a great feature. Will buy more of these.


We have all heard on the media and on TV that solar and wind electrical energy is getting cheaper, and often much cheaper than that generated by coal, gas, oil, or nuclear. Here are some recent article titles:
- “Solar and wind costs continue to fall as power becomes cleaner,” Forbes, April 30, 2020
- “Solar power will cost less than coal, Bloomberg Green, June 2, 2020; Solar and wind power will cost less than coal by 2030 according to one analyst’s math,” Barrons, Energy Features, Nov 25, 2019
However, there are enormous scientific, technical, and economic barriers that these “new” energy forms must overcome before they can be regarded as economical — barriers that are, in reality, just about impossible to overcome. They have been described by recently by Michael Shellenberger, a well known environmentalist, in his recent book Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All.
The skeptical arguments, while correct, are not necessarily easy for a layman to follow. After all, who notices or cares if, to build solar panels, we have to dig up a lot of indium somewhere, most likely in some remote African country, which will not complain about us trashing its environment and paying its citizens slave wages?
However, one thing all of us do understand is price. There is “a gigantic laboratory” in Europe. It is France and Germany. France for years has generated most of its electricity (~75–80%) by nuclear power. Germany, in about 2000, adopted a different route. It has embarked on an “energiewende,” a German word for energy transformation to solar and wind. Accordingly, it has decommissioned many of its coal fired power plants and is in the process of decommissioning what once were its 17 nuclear power reactors. At this point, it is getting about 25–30% of its electrical power from wind and solar and the rest from other sources.
Look up articles on the energiewende, and you will see some articles calling it a smashing success. For instance, see “The spectacular success of the German Energiewende- and what needs to be done next” (The Energy Post, E.U., October 10, 2017). Others call it a dismal failure. For instance, see “German Failure on the Road to a Renewable Future,” Der Spiegel, May 13, 2019.
Where does the truth lie?
There is one thing anybody can easily figure out: despite all the claims of low cost solar and wind, how do the costs of electricity in Germany and France compare? Furthermore, since the whole purpose of the energiewende is to reduce the CO2 input into the atmosphere, how well do Germany and France do? This is simple, noncontroversial, and easy to find.
Below is a graph of the price of a kilowatt-hour of electric energy in Germany, France and, the United States, in euro cents, from 1980 to about 2020. Also shown on the graph are plots of per capita CO2 emission into the atmosphere in tons per year. These are taken and plotted from various internet sources.
The graph shows that, at least up to now, after about 20 years, the German energiewende has failed on both counts. It has not reduced the price of electricity, but rather has greatly increased it. It has not reduced the per capita German CO2 emission into the atmosphere as compared to France, or even the United States (in fact, most of the German reduction shown here predates on the energiewende).
The conclusion is obvious. Sunlight and wind are free, but solar- and wind-powered electricity is very, very expensive. Sunlight and wind are clean, but turning them into electricity is not.


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This study explores the management and counsellorship of Charles VI of France from his first bout of insanity until the outbreak of the Armagnac-Burgundian civil war (c. 1392-1410). Despite Charles political ‘absences’, previous scholarship has maintained that the feuding dukes were the primary cause of the governmental instabilities. Geared more towards assessing the details relating to their endless struggle for power, the historiography has neglected to give an in-depth analysis of how these political manoeuvrings impacted the sovereignty of the king, or whether any attempts were made to protect it. Hoping to open up this field of investigation, this study sets forth how Charles’ closest courtiers failed to guide their king nor conserve his reputation, often due to their unabashed and corrupt desire to have supreme authority.
Integral to this discussion have been the chronicle accounts of the Monk of Saint-Denis and Froissart, as well as Pierre Salmon’s Dialogues, a manuscript that intended to advise Charles on good kingship. Through an close-analysis of these sources, this study examines how the perception of the king was heavily impacted by court events and rumours. In particular, the Ball of the Burning Men and the accusations against the Duke and Duchess of Orléans of conspiring to harm the king undermined Charles’ authority. Salmon’s advisory text reveals that whilst Burgundian rhetoric could be employed to aid the king, ultimately the factional divides could not be overcome, and Charles’ credibility was unsalvageable.
PLEASE NOTE: You must be a member of the University of Lincoln to be able to view this dissertation. Please log in here.

domain: library


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1. Vision, Statement of Intent and Binding Agreement
The intention of this structure is to develop employee relations now and into the future in the spirit of partnership and continuous development in accordance with the following:
- The University, University Management and Trade Unions intend to work in partnership to achieve fair, equal and beneficial development of the University.
- This structure, the primary component of which is a University of York Joint Negotiating and Consultation Committee (UY/JNCC), aims to enhance effective communication with all staff throughout the University to achieve greater participation and involvement of all members of staff.
- The Trade Unions recognise the University’s responsibilities to plan, organise and manage its work in order to achieve the best possible results pursuing its overall aims and objectives.
- The University recognises the Trade Unions’ responsibilities to represent the interests of their members.
- It is expected that appropriate training will be undertaken by all people holding formal employee relations roles to enhance the operation of the structure.
- The right for time off and facilities for Trade Union duties is acknowledged by the University in line with employment legislation (Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, The Employment Protection Code of Practice (Time Off) Order 2003 and associated legislation).
All parties agree that it is in their mutual interest to create, observe and maintain an employee relations structure within which all issues arising between them can be considered and resolved.
3. Functions and Scope
To achieve this purpose, the University management and the recognised Trade Unions commit themselves:
- To maintain and improve employee relations between University management and University employees as represented by the recognised Trade Unions through regular communication, consultation and negotiation in the appropriate agreed forums.
- To work co-operatively wherever possible.
- To resolve all issues at the earliest stage and as expeditiously as possible.
- To seek to prevent differences arising and to resolve them where they do.
- To the smooth operation and expeditious implementation of agreements made.
- To make recommendations and take decisions as appropriate on relevant issues.
- To increase awareness of employee relations matters.
The parties to this agreement are committed to the University’s equal opportunities policies, schemes, plans and codes of practice, which seek to promote equality of opportunity in all areas of the University.
The parties recognise that there may be occasions where national agreements change and in so doing affect the UY/JNCC structure. All parties therefore agree that if national agreements change the UY/JNCC structure will be reviewed.
The UY/JNCC is created by both parties to operate within the structure of the University to achieve the aims set out above. As such, however, it cannot transcend the authority of either the University Council or the signatory Trade Unions, and decisions arrived at in the UY/JNCC are subject to any necessary ratification by the respective signatories.
5. Negotiation, Consultation and Communication
- Collective bargaining is the process by which the University of York and the recognised Trade Unions seek to reach agreement through negotiation on issues such as pay and terms and conditions of employment. It is distinct from consultation where the responsibility for decision making remains with management.
- Consultation is the process by which management and employees or their representatives jointly examine and discuss issues of mutual concern. It involves managers actively seeking and then taking account of the views of employees, either directly or through their representatives, before making a decision.
- Meaningful consultation depends on those being consulted having adequate information and time to consider it. It is important to remember that merely providing information does not constitute consultation.
- Communication is concerned with the interchange of information, instructions and ideas. Communication in this context enables the University of York to function efficiently and is either carried out directly (through face to face meetings and team briefings) or indirectly (through e-mails and newsletters).
Examples of matters for negotiation, consultation and communication are presented below for illustrative purposes only. The examples do not represent an exhaustive list and all parties are encouraged to bring what they deem legitimate items to the JNCC for negotiation, consultation, or communication purposes.
5.1 Matters for Negotiation
The UY/JNCC will consider the following matters for negotiation, in so far as these are not the subject of national bargaining procedures in which the parties to this agreement have the right to participate.
5.1.1 Pay for all staff in terms of the following
It is noted that certain exclusions may apply to professorial roles and senior managers.
- Basic pay, salary spine, grading structure and percentage uplift annually - excluding Professorial local discretionary bands and Senior Management grades
- Pay entitlements and additional payments, for example for illustrative purposes:
- Sick pay entitlement and rates
- Maternity pay entitlement and rates
- Overtime payments
- Pension schemes in terms of the following:
- University of York Pension Scheme – the right to join the scheme and to have a Negotiating Committee to negotiate rules and ancillary matters as defined in the Negotiating Committee’s terms of reference.
- Universities Superannuation Scheme – the right to join the scheme.
5.1.2 Terms and Conditions of Employment, for all staff, in terms of the following1
- Those terms and conditions of employment that affect the express, implied, incorporated and/or statutory contract of employment and the physical conditions in which any employee is required to work, for example for illustrative purposes:
- Grievance policy
- Disciplinary policy
- Promotion policy (ART staff only)
- Holiday entitlement
- Sick leave entitlement
- Engagement or non-engagement, or termination or suspension of employment or the duties of employment of employees.
- Allocation of work or the duties of employment between employees including the definition of the working week.
- Relevant University Statutes2
- Time off and other facilities for officials of Trade Unions
- Recognition of Trade Unions in terms of membership or non-membership.
- Collective bargaining machinery for negotiation, consultation and communication, and other procedures relating to any of the above matters.
5.2 Matters for Consultation
5.2.1 Terms and Conditions of Employment, for all staff covered by University policy in terms of the following
- The interpretation and implementation of new employment and anti-discrimination legislation, unless University management intends to enter into a collective agreement, whereupon it shall be a matter for negotiation and/or consultation.
- University policy that has a direct impact on staff conditions but which does not form part of the agreed definition of terms and conditions of employment as noted under matters for negotiation, for example for illustrative purposes:
- Staff training and career development.
- Substantial strategic planning decisions.
- Operational decisions resulting from planning that are likely to affect employment prospects or employment security.
5.3 Matters for Communication
- Briefings on strategic planning matters such as, for example for illustrative purposes: Departmental Reviews, the University Budget and the Corporate Plan and major development projects or plans.
5.4 Matters External to the JNCC Structure
It is recognised that there may be some matters relating to terms and conditions of employment that will be dealt with by appropriately structured committees, in that Trade Union representation will exist and the committees will be empowered to make decisions appropriate to their terms of reference. For example for illustrative purposes:
- Health and Safety issues dealt with by the Health, Safety and Welfare Committee.
- Equal Opportunities issues dealt with by the Equality and Diversity Committee.
6. Joint Negotiating and Consultation Structures
6.1 Joint Negotiating and Consultation Committee
The negotiating and consultation structure shall consist of a single primary University of York Joint Negotiating and Consultation Committee (hereafter UY/JNCC), with the power to establish such Joint Temporary Working Groups (JTWGs) as the Vice Chancellor (or her/his representatives) or a recognised trade union may propose to address particular issues. The UY/JNCC should also establish a subsidiary JNCC with each of the three recognised unions for negotiation and/or consultation (as defined above) on matters deemed pertinent only to the members of that particular union.
6.1.1 Composition of the UY/JNCC
The University of York Joint Negotiating and Consultation Committee shall consist of:
- A number of representatives of University Management that is equal to the number of Trade Union representatives, to be appointed by the University Council, one to be the Vice Chancellor (or her/his nominated deputy) and at least one to be the head of an academic department
- Two representatives from each of the recognised Trade Unions regardless of Trade Union membership, nominated by those unions in accordance with their specific requirements in terms of Trade Union appointment, with an additional representative for each 250 members or part thereof
- The quorum for any meeting shall be six: three representatives from Management and three representatives from the Trade Unions (one from UCU, one from Unison and one from Unite)
- By mutual consent all parties within the UY/ JNCC may co-opt either internal or external advisors (with the right to speak but not to vote), to aid the UY/JNCC with problem solving. Where co-opted such advisors may be invited to attend in an advisory capacity for specific issues
- In the case of local Trade Unions not being able to field a local executive representative which would otherwise result in the cancellation of a UY/JNCC meeting as not meeting quorum, Trade Unions may be represented by Full Time Officials who may act on their behalf. This representation may only be of sufficient number in order to meet quorum. At all other times and for all other purposes Full Time Officials will be co-opted in accordance with the above paragraph
- A secretary, not being a member of the committee, to provide administrative support to the UY/JNCC
It is the responsibility of the University Management to provide appropriate secretarial and other support services to the UY/JNCC
The Chair shall be appointed for each meeting by the UY/JNCC in rotation between University Management and the recognised Trade Unions.
If an appointed representative of any party is unable to attend a meeting then an accredited (named alternate) representative may attend in their place.
6.1.2 Meetings of the UY/JNCC
At least three ordinary meetings of the UY/JNCC will be scheduled on set days each academic year. Items for the agenda must be identified to the Secretary at least 10 working days before a meeting. The agenda and any supporting papers shall be distributed to all members at least 5 working days before a meeting. Any member of the UY/JNCC may ask for an extraordinary meeting of the UY/JNCC to be convened, at which all parties will endeavour to attend within 10 working days.
Minutes of meetings of the UY/JNCC shall be distributed, following agreement with the Chair, within 15 working days of the meeting.
6.2 Sub-Joint Negotiating and Consultation Committees
A sub-JNCC is the forum for negotiation and/or consultation (as defined above) on matters agreed to be pertinent solely to the members of that particular union. The UY/JNCC shall normally accept as agreed, without the need for further discussion any decisions and/or agreements reached in any sub-JNCC. However, the UY/JNCC may also refer any issue back to the relevant sub-JNCC, or other sub-JNCCs, if there is thought to be an overlap of interests. The Vice Chancellor (or her/his representatives) and the recognised Trade Unions reserve the right to transferany matters before the UY/JNCC that they consider to be a single union matter to the relevant sub-JNCC.
6.2.1 Matters solely for the sub-JNCCs
The UY/JNCC shall direct which issues may be dealt with by specific sub-JNCCs. This is to ensure that the matters that may be dealt with by each sub-JNCC shall not be a prescriptive list and shall not inhibit or constrain the sub-JNCCs. In particular, there is recognition that some issues may cross over two sub-JNCCs. This structure will therefore not constrain delegation by the UY/JNCC nor prevent the UY/JNCC from remitting certain issues back to the UY/JNCC. Each issue will therefore be dealt with on its merits.
6.2.2 Composition of the sub-JNCC’s
Each sub-JNCC shall consist of:
- Three members of University management as appointed by the University Council and/or drawn from the UY/JNCC
- Three Union representatives as nominated by the Trade Union branches and/or drawn from the UY/JNCC.
- The quorum for any meeting shall be 4: 2 representatives from University management and 2 representatives from the Trade Union
- By mutual consent all parties within the sub-JNCC may co-opt either internal or external advisors (with the right to speak but not to vote) to aid the sub-JNCC with problem solving. Where co-opted such advisors may be invited to attend in an advisory capacity for specific issues
- In the case of local Trade Unions not being able to field a local executive representative which would otherwise result in the cancellation of a sub-JNCC as not meeting quorum, Trade Unions may be represented by Full Time Officials who may act on their behalf. This representation may only be of sufficient number in order to meet quorum. For all other purposes and at all other times Full Time Officials would be co-opted in accordance with the above paragraph
- A secretary, as defined above
It is the responsibility of University management to provide appropriate secretarial and other support services to a sub-JNCC
Members of a sub-JNCC need not be members of the UY/JNCC, although some overlapping membership is considered to be likely to be helpful in most instances.
The Chair shall be appointed for each meeting by the sub-JNCC in rotation between University management and the recognised Trade Unions.
6.2.3 Meetings of the sub-JNCC
At least three ordinary meetings of a sub-JNCC will be scheduled to meet on set days each academic year, but need only convene if agenda items are proposed by either party. Items for the agenda must be identified to the Secretary at least 10 working days before a meeting. The agenda and any supporting papers shall be distributed to all members at least 5 working days before a meeting. If the Secretary receives no agenda items, she/he may propose at least 7 working days before the scheduled meeting that the Sub- JNC need not convene. Any voting member of a sub-JNCC may ask for an extraordinary meeting of a sub-JNCC to be convened, at which all parties will endeavour to attend within 10 working days.
Minutes of meetings of any sub-JNCC shall be distributed, following agreement with the Chair, within 15 working days of the meeting.
6.3 Joint Temporary Working Groups
The UY/JNCC has the power to establish such Joint Temporary Working Groups (JTWGs) as it considers necessary to resolve specific issues/policies/procedures referred to it. A JTWG will only ever have a temporary status and its cessation will be defined by the resolution of the matters for which it was established, or by the authority of the UY/JNCC. JTWGs will report their progress, findings, recommendations, decisions and/or agreements on the issues for which they were established to the UY/JNCC. The UY/JNCC will take a final view on any and all decisions and/or agreements reached in a JTWG.
6.3.1 Composition of Joint Temporary Working Groups
Each and any JTWG will consist of an equal number of University management and Union representatives as defined at the point of its formation by mutual consent within the UY/JNCC. Its members at the first convened meeting will decide the internal structure of each and any JTWG, save for the requirement for each JTWG to have a secretary, as defined above.
6.3.2 Meetings of the Joint Temporary Working Groups
The schedule of meetings for a JTWG will be decided by its members at the first convened meeting.
6.4 Special Interest Groups
There are certain groups whose work impacts upon, informs and/or adds to the work of the UY/JNCC. These groups will stand on their own merits but will have the status of Special Interest Groups (SIGs). Proposals, decisions and communications from SIGs will be disseminated to the UY/JNCC as part of the employee relations structure. If the SIGs noted below change their remit and or structure, or there is a breakdown in their operation, issues dealt with by the SIGs may be referred to the UY/JNCC for consideration. SIGs may vary from time to time but the primary SIGs at the time of writing are:
- Equal Opportunities in Employment Task Group
- The University of York Sustainable Transport Plan, Car Parking Working Group
7. Reaching Agreement
The UY/JNCC will aim to reach agreement by consensus on the issues presented before it, fully exploring all options available. The method of reaching agreement may be as defined by the UY/JNCC particular to the issues in hand and may include, but not limited to, options such as general agreement, consensus, ranking of options and voting. Where voting is considered it is agreed that there should be no more than 6 votes; 3 for Management and 3 for the Trade Unions (1 for UCU, 1 for Unison and 1 for Unite). Management votes will be afforded to the Deputy Vice Chancellor, the Registrar and Secretary and the Director of HR or, if absent, their nominated representatives. The Trade Unions votes will be afforded to the representatives nominated by the individual Trade Unions. There shall be no casting vote. There shall be no power of veto. Where an agreement is reached that, although by consensus, is not unanimous, a period of review will be incorporated within the agreement in order for the UY/JNCC to confirm the agreement. Where significant differences remain and agreement cannot be reached recourse to the Dispute Resolution Procedure will be considered.
8. Variation, Duration and Termination
There shall be no variation to this agreement except by joint agreement after negotiation within the UY/JNCC. Any party wishing to propose a variation or amendment to this agreement must do so in writing to all parties giving at least three calendar months notice.
Any party may withdraw from this agreement by presenting 12 calendar months notice in writing to all the other parties.
There shall be periodic reviews of the operational effectiveness of this agreement.
The initial review of this framework will be defined as an Agenda Item for the fifth meeting of the UY/JNCC as agreed by this framework. The UY/JNCC will decide whether a review is appropriate at that time.
The review shall not be an opportunity to cancel the agreement and revert back to previous agreements.
The review will aim either to confirm the adequacy of the agreement as it stands or to alter it in order to make it more effective and fit for purpose at the time of review and into the future.
10. Dispute Resolution Procedure
The University of York recognises that there are three main elements of Employee Relations discussions; Communication, Consultation and Negotiation. The definitions of these are as provided by ACAS/Employment legislation. However, where negotiation, as the last main element of Employee Relations, breaks down, it is accepted that there must be a procedure to enable further discussion. The following is the Dispute Resolution Procedure statement:
The parties to the negotiations at the University of York are committed to striving for agreed outcomes. If, exceptionally, these cannot be achieved, either the employers or the trade union(s) may invoke the following procedure:
- Where all parties agree that it appears that all scope for progress through the normal negotiations has been exhausted, either the employers or any of the trade unions recognised at the University of York may give formal notice to all parties that it is applying this dispute resolution procedure
- Following receipt of such notification the parties will agree within seven working days on dates for at least two meetings to seek to resolve the dispute. Unless agreed otherwise, these meetings will take place within the following fourteen working days
- Attendance at these meetings will normally include regional officials and representatives of the trade unions in dispute, together with senior University of York officials and representatives of the University of York Council
- The focus of these meetings will be on reaching a settlement of the issue(s) in dispute. Such settlement should also seek to include recommendations on how similar disputes might be avoided in the future
- Further meetings beyond this initial period may take place where it is agreed between the parties
- If it has not been possible to resolve the dispute through this series of meetings, the parties will consider whether third-party assistance – normally using ACAS for mediation and conciliation – would be helpful. A decision on this should be taken within the following seven working days
- Throughout the period for dispute resolution meetings, and for third-party assistance, the University of York will not impose a resolution and the trade unions will refrain from taking any form of industrial action until the procedure has been fully exhausted
- The Dispute Resolution procedure will be reviewed in line with any review of the UY/JNCC structure following any change to national agreements
- Outcomes from any stage in the procedure will be communicated jointly.
11. Joint Signatories
Registrar and Secretary, for the University of York
Dr Joanna de Groot
President, UCU University of York Branch
co-Chair, UNISON University of York Branch
Secretary, UNITE University of York Branch
Secretary, Employee Relations Working Group
- The wording for this section is, predominantly, from the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (c.52), section 178.
- Specifically Statutes 22, 23 and 24 (University Charter & Statutes, PDF)
- Approved on: 24 July 2008
- Last reviewed and updated: 31 May 2011

domain: law


The Model-Based Enterprise (MBE) program aims to answer how a manufacturer can match product needs to process capabilities to determine the best assets and ways to produce products to support U.S. industry’s competitiveness and address industry’s need for interoperability across decentralized systems. Replacing a manufacturing system completely is costly. Thus, manufacturers need the ability to manage the development, re-development, and deployment of new sub-systems in the immediate presence of existing (legacy) applications and systems. The MBE program will address the industrial need by researching the coupling of existing technologies with integrations of system, service, product, process, and logistics models, to enable advanced variant configuration -- allowing Industry to be agile and flexible enough to manufacture closer to the end user, in varying lot sizes, with better first-time yields.
OBJECTIVE: The Model-Based Enterprise (MBE) Program will develop and deploy advances in standards, test methods, and measurement science that enable manufacturers to integrate system, service, product, process, and logistics models across the manufacturing enterprise.
WHAT IS THE NEW TECHNICAL IDEA?
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)  and others advocate that democratizing emerging technologies into SMEs will ensure the U.S. industrial base remains competitive. To support U.S. industry’s competitiveness and address industry’s need for interoperability across decentralized systems, the MBE program aims to answer how a manufacturer can match product needs to process capabilities to determine the best assets and ways to produce products. Successfully addressing the aim would ensure distributed decision making with a system focus such that applying control across the product lifecycle is based on predicted and expected outcomes -- thus, enabling requirements-based operations. The program will make scientific and technical contributions to standards and test methods by delivering guidelines, recommended practices, and reference open architectures for requirements-based operations across the product lifecycle.
The new technical idea is to provide tools and guidance to industry for making decisions in distributed environments with a system focus using operational control methods to ensure outcomes are based on requirements. While the problem described previously is large, the MBE program will address a sub-set of the problem by scoping research to the use case of matching product-specification requirements to process-capability, including managing capacity and availability of the processes to enable dynamic scheduling. Both distributed and federated systems can be integrated using the digital thread to form a model-based enterprise. MBE supports linking each portion of the lifecycle and requires a means to integrate information and the structure of that information. The growing body of work from artificial intelligence (AI), industrial internet of things (IIoT), and cyber-physical systems (CPS) can support the continued development of MBE. Those bodies of work, in synergy with the other NIST smart manufacturing programs, will be leveraged to link the various phases, viewpoints, and systems of the product lifecycle, which will allow OEMs and manufacturers to make better decisions in delivering higher-quality products to market in distributed ways that are faster, cheaper, and more sustainable.
The new idea addresses the standards, test methods, and measurement science needs in smart manufacturing in the following ways:
WHAT IS THE RESEARCH PLAN?
The research plan consists of a portfolio of interrelated projects that focus on key areas of the standards, test methods, and measurement science needed to achieve successful development and implementation of model-based enterprise principles. Collectively the projects provide a comprehensive approach that will lead to new industry standards and practices, which will result in efficient dynamic manufacturing systems. Where appropriate, assessment efforts will be initiated to further elicit and analyze industrial requirements. These requirements will assist in scoping the projects and guiding the development and standardization work in subsequent years.
The MBE program will also assume responsibility for the planning and execution of the MBE Summit during the month of April each year of the program. The MBE Summit will be an anchor event of the program to support the dissemination of information, technical transfer, and adoption in MBE. Each project from the program will support the recruitment of high-quality publications and presentations, while also working to grow the MBE community of interest.
The use case of matching product-specification requirements to process-capability capacity and availability is a high priority of industry and will be used as the research theme that integrates the projects into a cohesive program. The program will address standards, test methods, and measurement science for product definitions and manufacturing capability definition to successfully address the research aim discussed earlier. Then, the program will work to recommend methods for matching, aligning, and analyzing product and capability definitions for making the best possible decisions in product development, manufacturing, and supply-chain planning. The program has seven projects focused on four areas: 1) enterprise integration, 2) product definition, 3) capability definition, and 4) operations and logistics. The MBE program structure is as follows:
The Model-Based Systems Definition and Analysis Integration for Smart Manufacturing Project will develop methods and protocols to enable efficient integration of smart manufacturing systems models and analysis models, by unifying discipline-specific analysis information and integrating it with existing systems modeling information. Smart manufacturing system development and operations are difficult to manage because information about the systems and their analysis is expressed in redundant and incompatible ways across the multiple engineering disciplines involved (e.g., electrical, materials, process). Integrating information about overall system requirements and structure with discipline-specific information is costly because analysis models use concepts and formats that are partially redundant and inconsistent with each other, and with overall systems models. Manufacturers and solution providers will be able to operate smart manufacturing systems faster and cheaper, by analyzing systems more efficiently. NIST has extensive and unique experience in enabling efficient exchange and use of systems and engineering information between tools. It is best positioned as a neutral party to make this available to manufacturers and solution providers developing and operating smart manufacturing systems.
The Model-Based Manufacturing Services project will develop measurement science, methods, and tools to reduce the costs and risks to manufacturers in making the transformation towards a service-oriented manufacturing system (SOMS). A SOMS is a dynamic composition of networked manufacturing software and cyber-physical components offered as services. Leveraging benefits from new smart manufacturing technologies (e.g., IIoT, AI, Big Data Analytics) requires manufacturing systems to transform towards a service-oriented architecture. Transformation to SOMS is necessary if manufacturing systems are to respond effectively to dynamic market demands and disruptions. Although manufacturers can see the benefits the new architecture may bring, they face several difficulties in making the transformation.
The Product Definitions for Smart Manufacturing project will deliver methods, protocols, and tools for developing, conformance testing, increasing user-awareness, and industrial adoption of product definition standards necessary for the digital transformation of manufacturing enterprises. Smart manufacturing research at NIST has promoted a vision of fully-integrated, collaborative manufacturing systems that respond in real time to meet changing demands and conditions in the factory, in the supply network, and in customer needs. This vision is increasingly achievable by small-to-medium sized enterprises due to development of increasingly capable standards for conveying industrial data. NIST has had success in developing and promulgating product definition standards for manufacturing, however, there is still a great need for NIST leadership and research to continue those efforts.
The goal of the Product Lifecycle Data Exploration and Visualization project is to develop and deploy advances in methods, standards, and software tools for data visualization and exploration for improving the efficiency and agility of smart manufacturing systems. The project will focus on developing, curating and disseminating reproducible, reference implementations of manufacturing data pipelines for improving the efficiency and agility of manufacturing operations. With the continuing emergence of low-cost, lightweight, and powerful hardware at the edge, opportunities grow for advancing methods, standards, and software tools for data exploration and visualization for smart manufacturing systems. Small and medium-sized enterprises have limited resources to effectively implement standard and reproducible analyses of their manufacturing operations to draw timely and actionable insight. Without formal standards, tacit knowledge embedded in the most experienced employees is not easily transferrable to novices. Given the recent advancements in computing efficiency (hardware) and intuitive visual interfaces (software), techniques for interactive data exploration can help close this gap. According to a 2016 McKinsey Report, the demand for visualization increased about 50% annually from 2010 to 2015. As the field of interactive visual exploration continues to grow, there will be deeper needs for standards to facilitate faster adoption.
The Model-Based Manufacturing Capability Definition project provides technical contributions to define, measure, and control these manufacturing capabilities. MBE requires information about the capability (i.e., provided value) of a manufacturing system to enable systems-focused decision making such that outcomes (i.e., requirements) drive control across the product lifecycle. The challenge of this work is that manufacturing capabilities are inherently dynamic and vary based on the type of manufacturing system to control and the type of decision to be made. The research in this project focuses on the manufacturing capability of a flexible, on-demand, pull-production work cell composed of a machine tool, coordinate measurement machine (CMM), robot, buffer, and material conveyance. Success in this research would improve the agility, flexibility, and competitiveness of the US manufacturing base by allowing decisions to be made based on the measured and predicted capability of manufacturing systems as well as additional part and process information.
The Model-based Smart Manufacturing Operations Management project will contribute to standards and test methods that normalize models and methods for specifying and connecting shop floor information to operations decision making and execution. This project will improve the utilization of available information by synthesizing and contextualizing information from traditionally incompatible sources (“linking” data together). This information is used by operations management systems to optimize system efficiency through operational control, reliability, and logistics. The result is increased manufacturing system efficiency through improved operations management capabilities leveraging linked data.
Lastly, Knowledge Extraction and Application for Manufacturing Operations proposes a hybridized AI and expert-driven framework for quantifying human knowledge, in which Natural Language Processing and graph-theoretic methods are introduced, to assist in “tagging” and analyzing unstructured information to enable decision making and continuous improvement. This project will contribute to domain-specific standards and associated open source toolkits for extracting knowledge to improve manufacturing decision making. The project will first focus on manufacturing maintenance work orders for FY19 and then will expand to analyzing other manufacturing natural language documents in future years.


text:
Social media went agog this week after the controversial singer, Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, released his song Soapy, and its accompanying dance-step following his release from EFCC’s custody.
Marley’s Soapy dance met brick walls from some Nigerian celebrities condemned the controversial dance step which mimics a masturbating man.
Queen of Dance, Kaffy, ridiculed the dance step, describing it as disgusting and immoral.
Unrelenting, the singer fired back at the dancer over her remark. He called her out on his Instagram live video on Thursday, July 4.
Meanwhile, Naira Marley has been accused by Nigerian artiste identified as Chief Ogbonnaya and his crew for allegedly stealing the dance step.
Nigerian singer, Zlatan Ibile also backed up the singer as he fired back at Joey Akan for calling Naira Marley’s fans, ‘Donkey’. He was also spotted in traffic giving out money to some children dancing in the rain the trending dance step.
The singer, who was born and raised in Agege area of Lagos State Nigeria, relocated to Peckham, England at the age of 11, where he became a voice-over artiste and MC.
Naira Marley came to limelight after the release of his hit track, Issa Goal which features popular indigenous rappers, Olamide and Lil Kesh.

domain: celebrity


text:
You searched for "+Saicorp+Health+Technologies"
Mysuru Dussehra: Artistes hailing from Parkala win hearts
Death Overs: India in search of 'Last Action Hero'
Labcorp Drug Development selects Dr. Deepa Desai as Country head for India
Udupi: Woman collapses to death
CBI closure report on Paresh Mesta death: Karnataka BJP to support reinvestigation?
123 new COVID-19 cases one death reported in Karnataka
Paresh Mesta Case: CBI files closure report, Concludes ‘death was accidental’
‘I hate my life…Dear death waiting for you’: JK cop murder case accused wrote in personal diary
Rahul turns heat on BJP govt in Karnataka, Yatra gets festive response in Mysuru
Sudden cardiac death prevention unit launched by MGM Healthcare
78 COVID-19 cases, zero death in Karnataka
Former UP CM Mulayam’s health deteriorates, shifted to ICU
Wild elephants trample man trying to protect his crops to death in Madhya Pradesh
To bowl and bat in death overs is very tough but we need to get our act together: Rohit
Govt to soon launch national tele-mental health prog, toll-free helpline no.
Karnataka reports 153 new COVID-19 cases, zero death on Oct 1
EXPLAINER: Woman’s death in custody sparks protests
Salman Khan pens heartfelt note after body double Sagar Pandey's death
'Bharat Jodo Yatra': Rahul Gandhi halt at Tandavapura on Oct 1
The queen’s death certificate says she died of ‘old age’. But what does that really mean?

domain: medical


Payload Software Interface
To log payload data and debug payload issues, payloads developed for the Spot platform should observe the following guidelines:
Payloads gather and generate their own log data.
Payloads generate and send their own text annotations to mark robot logs for preservation.
Each payload component provides access to its own debug data.
Logic on the payload determines what data to log and when to log it.
Payload API services
The API provides two services for managing and registering payloads and payload services:
Robot directory services are used to register services that a payload might offer so that they can be exposed on the robot.
Service and Payload Faults
The Fault Service enables external clients to raise service faults, which can be read by external clients via the robot state and are automatically displayed in the tablet. Service faults are a type of fault that can originate from both on the robot and external clients. Each service fault is associated with a service, a payload, or both.
Service faults enable services and payloads to easily display information about current systems health to operators. The faults should assist operators in effective debugging and resolution of any off-robot issues that arise during operation.
The Fault documentation provides more context on the different types of faults that may be used with Spot.
|GetServiceEntry||Get information about a specific service.|
|ListServiceEntries||List all known services at the time of the request.|
|RegisterService||Called by a system to announce, via the robot directory, a new service it is hosting.|
|UnregisterService||Called by a system to deregister a service from the robot directory.|
|UpdateService||Update the ServiceEntry for a system hosting a service.|
|ListPayloads||Query the robot for a list of currently-registered payloads.|
|RegisterPayload||Register a new payload with the robot.|
|GetPayloadAuthToken||Get an auth token to enable the payload.|
This code snippet example uses the API to communicate payload configuration settings to Spot. The example first registers a payload then lists all payloads on the robot, including the newly registered payload.
... # Authenticate robot before being able to use it bosdyn.client.util.authenticate(robot) # Create a payload registration client payload_registration_client = robot.ensure_client( PayloadRegistrationClient.default_service_name) # Create a payload payload = payload_protos.Payload() payload.GUID = '78b076a2-b4ba-491d-a099-738928c4410c' payload.name = 'Client Registered Payload Ex' payload.description = 'This payload was created and registered by the register_payload.py client example.' payload.label_prefix.append("test_payload") payload.is_authorized = False payload.is_enabled = False payload.is_noncompute_payload = False # Register the payload payload_registration_client.register_payload(payload) # Create a payload client payload_client = robot.ensure_client(PayloadClient.default_service_name) # List all payloads payloads = payload_client.list_payloads() print(payloads) ...
Refer to the Python payload registration code example in the Spot SDK for details.
The Payload Registration API gives developers the ability to deploy payloads that register themselves with the robot when they power on without the need to store user credentials on the payload.
The payload registration process completes after an admin operator accepts the payload using the robot’s admin console. If the payload has registered itself, it should appear in the Payload section of the admin console.
Payloads can register API services. Example: A LIDAR payload registers RemoteService callbacks to trigger scans during robot missions.
Payload and service registration do not require robot user credentials.
Once a payload has been authorized, its unique GUID and secret combination can be used as credentials to request a limited-access user token that will grant permission to the auth, directory, robot-state, and directory-registration services. The granted user token will be valid for 12 hours.
The Spot SDK Python code examples includes payload registration and service registration examples that provide sample scripts, protos, and a list of dependencies: Self-registration Python code examples in the Spot SDK.
Payload device network configuration
The robot’s default private IP address is 192.168.80.3. Users can configure these properties via the robot’s admin console. Use the network settings to change the robot’s network configuration from WiFi AP to WiFi client.
The robot’s rear ethernet port can be configured to a user desired IP address via the web interface. By default, its IP is set to 10.0.0.3.
Payload devices should use the following network configuration:
IP v4 host address 192.168.50.5 or 192.168.50.6 for either front or rear payload port
Do not use the same IP address for both front and rear payload port
Default gateway will be set to 192.168.50.3
Devices on the payload network can reach the robot at 192.168.50.3 via port 443. Devices on the robot network can reach payload services as follows:
TCP traffic sent to the robot’s IP address on ports 20022, 20080, or 20443 will be forwarded to 192.168.50.5 on ports 22, 80, or 443.
TCP/UDP traffic sent to the robot’s IP address on ports 21000-22000 will be forwarded to 192.168.50.5 on that same port.
TCP traffic sent to the robot’s IP address on ports 30022, 30080, or 30443 will be forwarded to 192.168.50.6 on ports 22, 80, or 443.
TCP/UDP traffic sent to the robot on ports 31000-32000 will be forwarded to 192.168.50.6.
TCP traffic sent to the robot’s IP address on ports 23022, 23080, or 23443 will be forwarded to 192.168.50.7 on ports 22, 80, or 443.
TCP/UDP traffic sent to the robot’s IP address on ports 23100-23199 will be forwarded to 192.168.50.7 on that same port.
TCP traffic sent to the robot’s IP address on ports 24022, 24080, or 24443 will be forwarded to 192.168.50.8 on ports 22, 80, or 443.
TCP/UDP traffic sent to the robot’s IP address on ports 24100-24199 will be forwarded to 192.168.50.8 on that same port.
TCP traffic sent to the robot’s IP address on ports 25022, 25080, or 25443 will be forwarded to 192.168.50.9 on ports 22, 80, or 443.
TCP/UDP traffic sent to the robot’s IP address on ports 25100-25199 will be forwarded to 192.168.50.9 on that same port.
Payload port forwarding table
|Standard Forwards 1||20000 + [22, 80, 443]||192.168.50.5:[22, 80, 443]||TCP|
|Fixed Forwards 1||21000-22000||192.168.50.5:21000-22000||TCP/UDP|
|Standard Forwards 2||30000 + [22, 80, 443]||192.168.50.6:[22, 80, 443]||TCP|
|Fixed Forwards 2||31000-32000||192.168.50.6:31000-32000||TCP/UDP|
|Standard Forwards 3||23000 + [22, 80, 443]||192.168.50.7:[22, 80, 443]||TCP|
|Fixed Forwards 3||23100-23199||192.168.50.7:23100-23199||TCP/UDP|
|Standard Forwards 3||24000 + [22, 80, 443]||192.168.50.8:[22, 80, 443]||TCP|
|Fixed Forwards 3||24100-24199||192.168.50.8:24100-24199||TCP/UDP|
|Standard Forwards 3||25000 + [22, 80, 443]||192.168.50.9:[22, 80, 443]||TCP|
|Fixed Forwards 3||25100-25199||192.168.50.9:25100-25199||TCP/UDP|
Robot port forwards for ports ending in 443, 22, and 80 now masquerade. They should allow the payload to respond to forwarded traffic to the robot on any of the robot’s interfaces.
All other forwarded ports are purely port forwarded, meaning that packets received by the payload still have the original address of the sender. These port forwards will only connect for hosts on one of the LANs attached to the robot OR for hosts located on the default route as configured in the robot network page.
Configuring payload mass properties
In order to locomote properly, the robot needs to know the physical properties of any payload it is carrying. This includes the center of mass location relative to the base link of the robot, moments of inertia, and other values.
A payload self-registration service is available as part of the Spot SDK.
The following payload configuration table shows configuration values for the rear-mounted CORE I/O EAP payload as they would appear in the robot’s admin console GUI.
This table provides a reference when developing a client application using the the RegisterPayload RPC to register a Spot payload.
Total mass (kg)
Position of Center of Mass (m)
Moment of inertia tensor (kg-m2)
Bounding boxes: Center (m)
The two bounding boxes for the CORE I/O EAP payload, one for the CORE I/O and one for the EAP on top of it, are listed separately.
Bounding boxes: Orientation (radians) ZXY
Bounding boxes: XYZ extent (m)
The payload.proto file in the Spot SDK provides details about fields and data types.


text: We evaluated endogenous serum erythropoietin (Epo) levels in 14 normal subjects (eight males and six females) after a single 400-ml phlebotomy. The subjects were followed up for 56 days. The hemoglobin (Hb) values of both males and females decreased to a nadir on days 3 to 7 post-phlebotomy. Hb values gradually increased, but did not completely recover to pre-phlebotomy levels by day 56. Serum Epo levels increased after 6 h post-phlebotomy, to 20.1 +/- 5.4 (mU/ml) in males and 20.7 +/- 7.0 in females, from the pre-phlebotomy levels of 14.6 +/- 4.0 in males and 13.4 +/- 4.1 in females, respectively. Epo levels continued to increase to peak levels of 25.5 +/- 6.3 in males and 28.7 +/- 11.5 in females on days 7 to 14 and thereafter decreased until day 56. Thus, the Epo response to a 400-ml phlebotomy was relatively small in magnitude and was not sufficient to initiate a significant increase in erythropoiesis. This finding suggests that the administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHu-Epo) may be effective for the prompt correction of anemia induced by autologous blood donation and for increasing the volume of predonated autologous blood.

domain: literature


text:
Redding – The Public Employee Union that represents over 3,000 public employees in 12 northern California Counties announced today it supports Ballot Measure F for the City of Redding.
The United Public Employees of California Local 792 said it supports the ¼ cent sales tax on the November 4th ballot. The measure, if passed, is estimated to raise 5 million dollars annually for six years.
UPEC Business Manager Chris Darker spoke in favor of the measure today saying the current crime rate will not be reduced without a temporary measure that increases the number of officers on the street and keeps repeat offenders accountable for their actions. “Personally, I think we have been taxed to death, but we can get behind this specific plan that targets the crime problem in Redding. It will provide additional law enforcement jobs in the City and County, restore the Police Community Service Officer Program, and begin to restore justice and public safety that we lost over the past 5 years during the downturn in the economy”, said Darker.
UPEC represents employees who work in the City of Redding, and has a working knowledge of City finances and the personal impact on city workers. “The City has been accountable to the community in their budgeting and has a balanced budget. The City Council, Administration and the public employee unions have made significant strides in making cuts to departmental budgets, and have negotiated reductions in employee benefits, such as CalPERS Retirement where employees pay their share of the costs and reduced employee health benefit costs, not filled vacant positions, and reduced the workweek for many non-emergency personnel,” said Darker.
“I am convinced that if there were money in City reserves to fund public safety, the City Council would have already funded the Police Chief’s plan to address the increasing crime problem in Redding. The fact is that any plan to improve public safety will cost money, and we can choose to wait until the economy improves or we can take a temporary step to stop the problem now”, said Darker.
Should the measure pass on November 4th, the newly elected City Council will work together and decide how each new tax dollar gets appropriated to address crime and improve public safety.

domain: sociology


text:
Southern African leaders have rejected plans by the leader of Madagascar to unilaterally organize national elections in March. And the leaders examined the situation in Zimbabwe at a summit Thursday evening in Maputo.
The leaders expressed concern over Madagascar in a statement issued following a special summit in Maputo of the security organ of the Southern African Development Community.
The statement said SADC "rejects any attempt to use democratic means, institutions and processes to," in its words, "legitimize governments that come to power through unconstitutional means."
It referred to the transfer of power last March in Madagascar that SADC has labeled a coup d'etat.
Current leader Andry Rajoelina took power, backed by the military, after then-President Marc Ravalomana was forced to resign and leave the country.
SADC has been mediating negotiations between the two leaders and two former Malagasy presidents, Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy, which had led to a power sharing agreement in August.
But Rajoelina last month rejected the accord and appointed a retired military officer to organize elections in March.
The SADC leaders are to report to the African Union summit next month in Ethiopia.
The southern African leaders also urged the parties to the unity government in Zimbabwe to fully implement a power-sharing agreement signed more than one year ago.
The accord brought President Robert Mugabe and his former rival, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, into a government that is to organize national elections by next year.
But the accord has been hindered by disputes over Mr. Mugabe's appointment of allies as attorney-general and central bank governor.
SADC's mediator on Zimbabwe, South African President Jacob Zuma, suggested on South African national radio that lesser issues be put on hold so that the process can move forward.
"We could have the issues that probably are very difficult to agree [upon] but still say if we cannot [agree] can we park them and proceed? Are they so fundamental that we cannot move without [them]?" he asked.
Other disputes center on the appointment of provincial governors, international sanctions against senior leaders of Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF party and ZANU-PF objections to international radio broadcasts to Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwean leaders are due to resume negotiations on the outstanding issues next week. Popular consultations on a new constitution leading to the elections are also to begin.

domain: news


A tee fitting, also known as a T-fitting, is a type of pipe fitting that is used to create a branch connection in a piping system. It features a T-shaped body with three openings, allowing for the flow of liquid or gas to be diverted or combined at a 90-degree angle from the main pipeline.
Key features and benefits of tee fittings:
- Branch connection: Tee fittings enable the creation of a branch in a piping system, allowing for the diversion or combination of flow from the main pipeline to a secondary line.
- Flow control: Tee fittings can be used in conjunction with valves or other flow control devices to regulate the flow of media through the branch connection.
- Material compatibility: Tee fittings are available in various materials, such as steel, stainless steel, copper, brass, and plastics like PVC and CPVC, ensuring compatibility with different piping systems and media.
- Size range: Tee fittings come in a wide range of sizes to accommodate different pipe diameters, allowing for seamless integration into existing piping systems.
- Connection types: Tee fittings can feature threaded, socket-weld, or slip-on connections, depending on the application and installation requirements.
Tee fittings find applications in numerous industries and settings, such as:
- Plumbing systems in residential and commercial buildings
- Heating and cooling systems
- Industrial process piping
- Hydraulic and pneumatic systems
- Fire sprinkler systems
- Irrigation and agricultural systems
The ability to create branch connections and control flow makes tee fittings an essential component in the design and construction of efficient and versatile piping networks.


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|Minimum Stay||7 nights|
This spacious 5 bedroom villa is situated directly on the beautiful white sand beaches of Longboat Key. Offering a large outdoor private heated swimming pool and glorious views of the Gulf of Mexico from almost every corner, fully-equipped gourmet kitchen, fireplace, BBQ, and much more - it is your glamorous private paradise at the ocean. Enjoy your own luxury retreat far away from the 'madding crowd' in idyllic Longboat Key. Longboat Key offers a relaxed, quiet , secluded atmosphere in an area of tasteful luxury.
Virtual Tour: To view a virtual tour of Gulf Side Villa, see the link below.
The Island: Longboat Key is a barrier island off the coast of Sarasota and Bradenton, approximately 60 miles south of Tampa and easily accessible by car from the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. Stretching 11 miles between the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay, Longboat Key provides an ideal beach and bay-front setting. The Key offers a relaxed, quiet, secluded atmosphere in an area of tasteful luxury.
Sports & Recreation: Average year-round temperatures of 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius) make this island paradise conducive to many sports and outdoor activities. Tennis and golf enthusiasts will find first class facilities on and off the island. Bikers and roller blades can tour Longboat’s bike path, winding 10 miles along Gulf of Mexico Drive.
The Intracoastal Waterway provides ample opportunities for windsurfers, water skiers, jet skiers, kayakers, boarders and fisherman to pursue their passions. Charter a boat and explore the area’s bays and backwaters, take to the ocean for deep sea fishing, scuba diving and snorkeling.
|Rate Period||Nightly||Weekend Night||Weekly||Monthly||Event|
My Standard Rate
7 night minimum stay
|Refundable damage deposit||$750|
$6,000 - $7,000/week (determined seasonally)
We require 50% of payment upon signing the rental agreement. The balance is due one month before check in.
Payment is usually accepted in the quoted currency (USD) unless the currency and the amount is specifically agreed in advance with the owner / advertiser.
Learn more about this vacation rental at the manager's website:


Texas brings you the best of Broadway, featuring many favorites in theaters across the state. Let’s take a tour of the great state of Texas and find out what’s on stage this summer and fall!
First stop – San Antonio, Texas, a place where modern attractions are combined with celebrated monuments of Texas history. Here you will enjoy the grandeur of the ornate Majestic Theatre, one of the few remaining vintage vaudeville movie palaces. It’s been said that the twinkling lights and moving clouds adorning the ceiling are alone worth the price of the ticket. If you are a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants traveler, head to San Antonio this week (June 18-23) and catch a showing of "Flashdance" or if you need a little more notice, plan your trip for the fall and enjoy "The Book of Mormon", September 17-29.
Next we head to Houston, Texas, where you will experience a rich cultural fusion of world-class arts and award-winning cuisine. Located in the heart of downtown Houston, The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts is the premiere entertainment complex in the Houston District. This first-class setting features distinguished theaters, an impressive grand lobby, a contemporary American cuisine restaurant and convenient parking for their acclaimed theatrical performances and special events. Watch the untold story of the witches of Oz unfold in the musical “Wicked”, on stage July 10-August 11 at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.
In Dallas, you will experience the largest contiguous urban arts district in the nation as well as top museums, performance halls and award-winning architectural designs, arts and culture. Nestled among this architecture is The Music Hall at Fair Park, a nationally recognized venue for Broadway musical touring companies, grand opera, ballet and other dance productions, concerts, national pageants and a myriad of other large and small-scale public and private functions. You won’t want to miss the upcoming performances of "The Lion King", a phenomenal musical taking the stage October 2-20 at The Music Hall at Fair Park.
Finally, we arrive in Austin, Texas, the music capital of the world and one of the most unique places you will ever experience. The city is also home to the Texas Performing Arts Center at The University of Texas at Austin, one of the most important contributors of cultural life in Central Texas. Make plans to visit Austin this fall and catch "The Book of Mormon", showing October 1-13 in The Texas Performing Arts Center at The University of Texas at Austin.
Majestic Theatre: sanantonio.broadway.com
Hobby Center: bcm.edu
Music Hall at Fair Park: liveatthemusichall.com
Bass Concert Hall Austin: texasperformingarts.org


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By Corrado Calabro
Edited and translated by Genni Gunn
An English-Italian bilingual collection of love poems, Text Me expresses through language and metaphor the many ways to say “I love you. ” Calabrò’s poems often evolve from the experiences of the body: from sensual impressions, “Your cheek on my weary shoulder / the ... Read more
An English-Italian bilingual collection of love poems, Text Me expresses through language and metaphor the many ways to say “I love you. ” Calabrò’s poems often evolve from the experiences of the body: from sensual impressions, “Your cheek on my weary shoulder / the day pales, your lips pale / up, up, one more wing-beat / till we run out of oxygen”; to image, “In cold blood / the ice contrail of a Phantom jet /stabs the blue. / Like a blade in honey / you plunge your gaze into my heart”; to memory , “We met and I kissed you / already consumed by the need to betray you. ” Although rooted in Calabrò's Mediterranean, these poems have a universality which give voice to our common burden of love, sorrow and guilt.
Genni Gunn, author, musician and translator, has published eleven books: three novels –Solitaria, Tracing Iris and Thrice Upon A Time, three short story collections – the forthcoming Permanent Tourists, Hungers and On The Road, two poetry collections – Faceless and Mating In Captivity, a collection of personal essays – Tracks: Journeys In Time And Place, and three translations of poetry collections from Italian – Devour Me Too and Traveling In The Gait Of A Fox by Dacia Maraini and Text Me by Corrado Calabrò. Gunn’s opera libretto, Alternate Visions, was produced by Chants Libres (music by John Oliver) and premiered in Montreal in 2007. Her books have been translated into Dutch and Italian, and have been finalists for major awards: Solitaria for the Giller Prize; Thrice Upon A Time for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize; Mating In Captivity for the Gerald Lampert Poetry Award; Devour Me Too for the John Glassco Translation Prize; and Traveling In The Gait Of A Fox for the Premio Internazionale Diego Valeri for Literary Translation. Her novel Tracing Iris was made into the film The Riverbank. Before she turned to writing full-time, Genni toured Canada extensively with a variety of bands (bass guitar, piano and vocals). Since then, she has held many residencies and performed at hundreds of readings and writers’ festivals. Gunn has a BFA and an MFA and lives in Vancouver.
ntervalsThere are no noteswithout silencestrains without stationsflights without landingswords of lovewithout white spaces.
In the velvet of night, vision rescues the poet and opens psychic scenarios in which the re-established contact with the forces of nature enables him to penetrate the mystery of life and the universe; penetrate but not decipher. The women he sometimes names in his poems (Jessica, Michelle, etc. ), are nothing but masks of love, the true one, who doggedly pursues Calabró, who has the ability to surprise him and who flows inexhaustible in his arteries. ? Fabia Baldi
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Homeland Heights is introducing luxurious residential apartments in sector 70, Chandigarh. With the rising recognition that Safarsaga Films is acquiring these days, we joined hands with Homeland Heights.
This project enabled us to go a step beyond and grab an opportunity to produce a montage of Homeland Heights which you can see in theatres near you.
Moving towards the photography, we definitely put our heart and soul to it because we know that they are the homes of the dream. These precious dreams were in our hands and we had a clear vision to make it as beautiful as possible.
Safarsaga Films is not just a brand that is limited to wedding photography. Of course, wedding photography does give us an immense pleasure but we are a venture that has the word ‘Films' in its name, we definitely want to be recognized as the film-makers. This project is what gives us the competitive edge thus reaching every nook and cranny.
Rest is assured; Safarsaga Films the Best Professional Photographer in Chandigarh is trying to mark its glory in the cinematography field. But without the support and love of our followers, it would not have been possible. It is through your word of mouth that we are gaining such recognition not as photographers but also as cinematographers.

domain: artistic


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What companies make money from war?
Four companies—Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and General Dynamics—make up 90% of arms sales to Saudi Arabia in deals worth over $125 billion, according to a July 2019 report by the Center for International Policy.
What was the role of television in the Vietnam War?
Some believe that the media played a large role in the U.S. defeat. They argue that the media’s tendency toward negative reporting helped to undermine support for the war in the United States while its uncensored coverage provided valuable information to the enemy in Vietnam.
Why did we stay in Vietnam so long?
A reason why we stayed in Vietnam was that, after he ended the draft and pulled most of MACV out of Vietnam, it was costing the Soviets a whole lot more to sustain their support of North Vietnam than it did for America just to let it play out the way it did.
What does war mean for the economy?
War economy is the organization of a country’s production capacity and distribution during a time of conflict. A war economy must make substantial adjustments to its consumer production to accommodate defense production needs.
Was the Vietnam War the first televised war?
Ronald Steinman’s press card, 1972. Vietnam was the first truly televised war; the war and the medium through which millions of Americans experienced it were inextricable. To understand the war, one needs to understand how NBC — and our colleagues at CBS and ABC — shaped how that story was told.
Who profited from Iraq war?
One of the top profiteers from the Iraq War was oil field services corporation, Halliburton. Halliburton gained $39.5 billion in “federal contracts related to the Iraq war”. Many individuals have asserted that there were profit motives for the Bush-Cheney administration to invade Iraq in 2003.
Do governments profit from war?
A Country does not profit from war but a handful of individuals and they do so by providing things that are needed to wage war. Down through history these people have often provided the funds and/or war goods to wage war to countries. A good example is Shell Oil.
Why was the Vietnam War called the first television war?
(1)This was a war that had been called the first television war, as battle scenes were shown on the daily news programmes. (ii) US people could see how thousands of young US soldiers had lost their lives and countless Vietnamese civilians had been killed. So people criticised the war.
What were the effects of the nightly TV coverage of the Vietnam War?
What were the effects of the nightly TV Coverage of the Vietnam war? Because TV coverage brought the horrors of war to peoples’ living rooms, the conventional wisdom has generally been that for better or for worse it had an anti-war influence on the public.
Why do wars and conflict affect a country’s economy?
The loss of human life; destruction of infrastructure, human capital, and institutions; political instability; and greater uncertainty associated with conflicts can impede investment and economic growth—not only during conflict but also afterward, making it difficult to escape the “conflict trap.”2 In addition.
What made Vietnam war different?
The Vietnam War was different than any other war that the United States had fought to that point. The major enemy for the US was more of a guerrilla organization that did not fight traditional battles. This was also different than other US wars because it was not a war to take territory.
Why was the Vietnam War the first television war and how did it affect Americans?
So why was Vietnam called the first “television war”? During World War II, morale was high. Camera crews stayed in noncombat areas to show the happier, more upbeat side of war. The stories were broadcast as motion pictures shown in theaters.

domain: history


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Our MLB handicapper looks at the swiftly changing Seattle Mariners roster and what new GM Jerry Dipoto's moves mean for the MLB odds thus far.
The hype was too much for the Seattle Mariners in 2015, as they turned in a disappointing 76-win season and a 4th place finish in an ultra-competitive AL West division that saw the Angels, Astros, and Rangers all win more than 85 games. The futures market saw the M’s winning 86 games, and only the Boston Red Sox missed the mark by as much as Seattle did.
The season saw the firing of general manager, Jack Zduriencik, and the hiring of former Anaheim Angel GM, Jerry Dipoto, to take his place.
So, what happened? For one, the bullpen turned from a strength in 2014 to an unmitigated disaster in 2015. The Mariners had a combined reliever ERA of 2.60 in 2014, with a combined 25-20 record and 51 saves – good for 4.1 WAR (wins above replacement). In 2015, the bullpen ERA ballooned to 4.15 and the relievers combined for a 21-36 record with 45 saves – good for just 1.1 WAR. The 2015 Mariner bullpen lost games at a rate only exceeded by the Tampa Bay Rays.
With Jerry Dipoto at the helm, the roster changes have been swift for the Mariners. The first trade saw 1B Logan Morrison, SS Brad Miller, and RP Danny Farquhar shipped off to Tampa Bay. Then CF James Jones and RP Tom WIlhelmsen were traded off the Texas Rangers. Former Jack Z 1st round draft pick and RP, Danny Hultzen, was unceremoniously DFA’d. In Jerry Dipoto’s first press conference, he stressed the need to get more athletic, defensive minded, and increase run protection. These subtractions were in line with that goal.
The big addition in the trade with Tampa Bay was starting pitcher, Nathan Karns. Karns was good in 147.0 IP for the Rays last year in his first significant stretch in the majors, posting a 3.67 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 145 K’s. He’s 28 years old now and injury prone; however, so his upside will be limited to how much he can actually pitch.
In an effort to shore up the outfield defense, the Mariners acquired Leonys Martin from the Rangers. Martin is coming off of a down year, but put up 3.5 WAR as recently as 2014. He’s going to have to have a bounce back year for this trade to make sense, but even if he doesn’t hit well his outfield defense should have a positive impact on the roster in spacious Safeco Field.
For some bits and pieces and assumption of salary, the Mariners picked up Joaquin Benoit from the San Diego Padres. At 38 years old, Benoit has been a successful reliever for some time and his skill set of inducing weak contact should play well in Dipoto’s defense-first scheme.
And finally, Dipoto signed one his prior Angels players, catcher Chris Ianetta. Ianetta isn’t the best with the bat and is coming off of an awful season in which he batted only .188. However, Ianetta is one of the best defensive catchers in the league which again covers Dipoto’s goals for the roster.
Keys for 2016 Success
Jerry Dipoto is very likely to make more moves to shore up the bullpen and bring in another corner outfielder, and don’t be surprised if Dipoto trades away 1B Mark Trumbo for the second time in his career. But for this turnaround to be successful, many players will need to have bounce back seasons and All-Stars Robinson Cano, Felix Hernandez, and Nelson Cruz will have to delay any kind of drop off in production due to their age. With no significant help in AAA coming either, Dipoto will have his work cut out for him at the winter meetings.
I’ll be keeping track of Seattle's roster moves as I build out the MLB sabermetrics based win-loss projections for the 2016 season. But until then, keep in mind that this roster will now be built for run prevention and not necessarily offense, so the typical Safeco Field trends for Under totals against the MLB odds should be back in play when placing MLB picks.

domain: sports


Audit of 2017-18 Accounts
Audit of 2016-17 Accounts
Audit of 2015-16 Accounts
The work of Parish Councils is funded by the precept which is collected by the district council through the Council Tax levy.
For 2018-19, Stoke Mandeville Parish Council’s precept will represent a charge to an average Band D household of £59.16 per annum. The increase is necessary to deal with a number of high cost projects which have to be completed over the next three to five years as listed below.
- upgrading the street lights for which we are responsible to in accord with current requirements
- completion of a Neighbourhood Plan to help to manage the future growth and development of our Parish
- continued delivery of services devolved from Bucks CC with reducing subsidy
- identification and development of a future burial ground for the Parish
Exercise of Public Rights
Parish Councils are required to submit an annual return to external auditors, copies of these can be viewed below:


More than a year ago, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) announced the final few miles of future Interstate 22’s connection to Birmingham would probably be completed by this October. Now the end date for the 213-mile expressway, currently also called U.S. Highway 78, has been extended.
ALDOT was still discussing a revised interchange completion date with Georgia-based contractor Archer Western at press time. “We’re trying to find out how much longer it will be, and just as soon as we know, we will issue a press release, ” says Linda Crockett, spokeswoman for ALDOT.
Work on the final few miles of the highway, including the stack Interstate 65 interchange, is inching forward, now that an issue with the interchange bridge design has been resolved. Until it’s complete, Birmingham-bound drivers must exit at County Road 77, about 3 miles short of I-65.
Such construction delays are not unusual for highway work. And the extended end date for the project is in keeping with the long, circuitous campaign to bring I-22 into existence.
A Memphis-to-Birmingham expressway was discussed as early as the 1950s, but an official plan never materialized. Joe Fuller, a Birmingham-area businessman who helped bring future I-22 to fruition, remembers his dad assuring him as a boy that one day there would be an easy route to Memphis instead of the congested, dangerous path of the old U.S. Highway 78. “We were on the Bessemer super highway, and I was remarking how much easier it was to travel with no traffic lights, ” Fuller says. “He said that one day there would be just such a road all the way to Memphis.”
Owner of Stead & Fuller Insurance in Homewood, Fuller is among a number of business and community leaders who have lobbied for the expressway over the years. But his tireless volunteer efforts from 1996 to 2000, when he led the charge for the legislative committee of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, gained him the distinction of having part of I-22 named for him. “When I came in as chair, I convinced the chamber to make the expressway their No. 1 priority, ” Fuller says. “We became an invincible team.”
The Joe F. Fuller Bridge currently takes I-22 drivers across the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River, entering the city limits of Graysville beyond the river’s eastern banks. “It feels good to have my efforts recognized. That road was always a passion of mine, ” Fuller says. “I knew we needed it for safety reasons and for the economic development not only of Birmingham but the rest of Alabama.”
Future I-22, beginning just east of Fulton, Mississippi, was approved by Congress in 1978 — called “Corridor X” and designated as a part of the Appalachian Development Highway System. Parts of the expressway have been under construction at various times ever since; in 2004, it was legally designated as “Future I-22.”
Although plans for the expressway have been modified a number of times, the basic idea has always been to link Memphis and Birmingham, both to improve safety for travelers and boost the economy of the region. Currently known as the new Highway 78, it’s a bigger, better version of the smaller 78 of yore. The expressway is awaiting final completion of the I-65 interchange before it will be officially designated as an “interstate” highway.
Future I-22 between the Mississippi state line and Jasper opened to traffic in November 2005. The most recent stretch of completed roadway, between Alabama exits 91 and 93, opened in December of 2009. Thanks in part to extension of federal highway stimulus funding in 2010, ALDOT was able to award Archer Western a $168.6 million contract for the I-65 stack interchange and completion of the eastern terminus of I-22.
“Originally, Corridor X was supposed to connect with the Northern Beltline that never was built, ” Fuller says. “Part of the delay in plans for the completion of the expressway was the complication of bringing the highway into ‘malfunction junction.’”
“I-22 not only makes travel from Memphis to Birmingham easier, it helps form a freeway that stretches to downtown Atlanta, ” Fuller says. “Now we have four interstates to Atlanta’s three.”
Things could have worked out a bit differently had Fuller and chamber staff members Mary Alice Kenley, Barry Copeland and Tom Cosby not joined forces to drum up Alabama legislative support and budget allocations to help fund the building of much of the interstate. “At the time, the Alabama Legislature was looking at funding an expressway that would run from Memphis to Huntsville to Atlanta, ” Fuller says.
The Birmingham chamber team contended that an expressway that bypassed Birmingham would be a disservice to the whole state, not just to Birmingham, and that it wouldn’t address the safety concerns on Highway 78. Garnering support for their preferred route started with nearby mayors.
“Mayor Adams of Adamsville really believed it was a necessity and made a presentation in favor of Corridor X a day before he died, ” Fuller says. “Ultimately, we were able to divert $750 million to be used for the I-22 expressway.”
John Hall, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, became a supporter after being invited down to hear about Corridor X in light of a car accident involving students on the old highway 78 near Jasper. “Hall became passionate about the project, ” Fuller says.
Sen. Richard Shelby, who served as the chairman of the Senate’s Transportation Committee, and Rep. Spencer Bachus backed the chamber team’s efforts early on. Fuller and other team members convinced senators Jack Biddle and Bobby Denton also to get on board. Rep. Robert Aderholt was such a believer that he made Corridor X one of his top priorities after taking office. Governors Fob James and Don Siegelman were highly supportive of Corridor X. “We were able to enlist the agreement of so many people that there was just no stopping it, ” Fuller says.
Fuller hasn’t worked on the Corridor X campaign too much in the past 15 years, but he still loves to reminisce about it. And he takes the interchange delays in stride. He is satisfied that the future I-22 expressway is for the most part completed. “It’s something I dreamed of as a young man, and it’s wonderful to have been one of those who really helped make it happen, ” Fuller says.
Kathy Hagood and Joe De Sciose are freelance contributors to Business Alabama. Hagood is based in Homewood and De Sciose is based in Birmingham.
Text by Kathy Hagood • Photo by Joe De Sciose