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The Land of Enchantment with its 121,356 square miles of deserts, mesas, rivers, mountains, forests, cities and villages is the fifth largest state in the country. In 2007, Albuquerque’s KOAT television station began a recurring series in which the station treated its viewers to an aerial perspective of many of the communities in its viewing area. That unique bird’s eye view perspective was captured from Sky 7, the station’s news helicopter.
In 2008, the station expanded its coverage, sending news anchor and New Mexico native Royale Dá skyward once again to show viewers the challenges faced by the communities featured on the series and how they are dealing with those challenges. Royale was joined by city leaders from throughout the viewing area who boarded Sky 7 to share what makes their communities so special.
One of the few cities visited in 2008 outside of New Mexico’s borders was Durango, Colorado, long a part of KOAT’s viewing area. During the aerial tour of the city, Durango’s Director of Planning and Community Development Greg Hoch indicated that Durango actually has more restaurants per capita than the city of San Francisco.
With a population of nearly 750,000 people, the city of San Francisco numbers just about 2,700 restaurants within its boundaries, giving it a per capita density of 279 people per restaurant. The City by the Bay is a formidable restaurant city indeed. Sheer numbers, however, do not make a city a good dining destination. San Francisco has earned its reputation as an epicenter for epicurean excellence not because of its overwhelming number of restaurants, but because many of those restaurants are of exceedingly high quality.
Durango counts some 15,000 residents within its boundaries and is not as well known as a great restaurant city as it is a town in which beer is literally woven into its cultural and social fabric. The city’s four breweries produce more than 15,000 barrels of beer annually, just over one barrel or 31 gallons per man, woman and child resident. The city of Durango truly appreciates great craft beer.
In past visits to Durango I left with the impression that the city has a number of “good” to “very good restaurants” and certainly appreciated the fact that there are so many of them from which to choose. Good to very good restaurants do not, however, make it a great restaurant town. Neither does the sheer number of restaurants.
During a visit in August, 2008, we confirmed that Durango is indeed a good to very good restaurant town, but it has one outstanding restaurant gem in its midst. It was a discovery as exciting to this humble gastronome as discovering gold and silver ore in the nearby mountains was to intrepid prospectors more than a century ago.
That restaurant is the extraordinary Hamilton Chop House, a tenant of the Glacier Club at Tamarron Resort’s Sundowner Lodge about twenty miles north of Durango. The distance separating this fabulous restaurant from dining establishments within the Durango city limits seems symbolic of the distance in quality between the Hamilton Chop House and every other restaurant in the area. At the risk of hyperbole, it is probably the best steak house in which we’ve dined over the past fifteen years–and we’ve frequented the Chicago Chop House, regarded in many circles as the best independent steak restaurant in America.
The drive to the restaurant is spectacular as is the restaurant’s setting. Nestled among towering oak, ponderosa and pine trees, the Hamilton Chop House is blessed with panoramic views of the nearby mountains. It is also adjacent to a 27-hole golf course. The ebony night skies are blanketed with a canopy of stars while the daytime’s cobalt skies seem to graduate in depth of color as your eyes climb skyward.
Descend a flight of stairs to the restaurant’s large living room and you might just be met at the bottom by the restaurant’s entrepreneurial owner Tom Hamilton, a whirling dervish of perpetual motion who pulls simultaneous duty as greeter, busser, waiter and genial host as well as occasional chef. Tom is involved in all aspects of his restaurant’s operation, having crafted all the innovative recipes that enrapt diners who frequent his fabulous restaurant.
The Hamilton Chop House is the veteran restauteur’s latest restaurant venture, an evolution over time from his Cafe Cascade, a restaurant named one of Colorado’s three best restaurants in 1990 by a Denver Post restaurant critic. Two years after closing Cafe Cascade Tom opened The Hamilton Chop House which he moved to its current site in 2005 after the Tamarron Resort made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Chop House is a bit of a misnomer in that the restaurant is so much more than an upscale steak house. Everything–from the imaginitive sauces to the flavorful stocks and decadent desserts–is made on the premises. Tom prides himself on purchasing beef and seafood of the very highest quality. The restaurant’s price point is surprisingly reasonable considering the quality. We’re talking about hand-selected prime and certified Black Angus steaks and chops properly aged to provide superior quality. Seafood is flown in twice weekly from a supplier who also provisions the very best restaurants in Vail and Aspen, the resort Meccas of the super-wealthy.
About sixty percent of any given night’s orders come from the nightly specials sheet which features fresh seafood and some of the creative appetizers and entrees from which the restaurant established its reputation. Tom Hamilton takes food seriously! His executive chef of six years is New Orleans native Chris Martin who shares Tom’s passion for providing a memorable dining experience with outstanding cuisine.
While not effusively oppulent, the Hamilton Chop House has a decidedly comfortable western and slightly masculine feel to it. A chandelier crafted from antlers lights up the front dining room which also houses the restaurant’s bar (the restaurant has a reputation for one of the best and most sophisticated wine lists in Colorado.) Large framed Ansel Adams photographs festoon a stucco wall prefacing the pristinely polished stucco half-wall dividing the front dining room from the main dining room. An imposing rock fireplace stands ready for those cold Colorado winter nights.
Framed watercolor paintings by the late Lenore Hamilton, Tom’s mother, adorn the main dining room. The paintings are a mix of beautiful, florid landscapes and vegetables such as mushrooms and red and green vegetables, some of which have unintentionally erotic qualities similar to Georgia O’Keefe’s paintings of flowers. Of course, men would find erotic qualities in Rorschach’s ink blots. My Kim didn’t see anything erotic in the restaurant (save for the steak on her plate).
In addition to prime beef and fresh seafood, the menu boasts an intriguing array of wild game including elk loin, kangaroo medallions, ostrich fillet and a mixed game grill. Seafood entrees include lobster with drawn butter, fresh scallops and a pound of Alaskan King Crab, all at ridiculously inexpensive rates that will have you doing a double-take. The restaurant aims to please and will craft a surf-and-turf combination to your liking.
Steaks are prepared to your exacting specifications, using well-practiced techniques of char-broiling or seasoning and pan-searing, your choice. Steaks, chops and seafood dinners include the Chop House’s homemade, freshly baked bread and your choice of garlic mashed potatoes, French fries, baked potato, rice pilaf or vegetable of the day.
An impressive array of sauces is also available for your dining pleasure, not that the steaks and chops need any amelioration whatsoever. The four sauces offered are a Bordelaise, Creamy Au Poivre, Mushroom Bordelaise and Four-Peppercorn. Each ostensibly offers unique flavor combinations that imbue beef with adventures in flavor.
Although the standard menu offers a strikingly inviting assortment of appetizers, be sure to closely study the appetizers on the specials sheet. This is where Tom Hamilton’s creativity is best on display. He has a gift for inventiveness, transforming appetizers the type of which we thought we had previously experienced into uniquely flavorful preprandial delights. These appetizers will whet your appetite and appease all ten-thousand of your taste buds with deep and lively flavors.
If the appetizers from the specials (appropriately) sheet had been the extent of our inaugural meal at the Hamilton Chop House, it would still have been a fabulous meal. Fortunately, those appetizers were just the start of an adventure in delightful tastes.
Make your first appetizer (you’ll want several) the Five Spice Quail, six unbelievable tender and meaty quail marinated in sherry with garlic, salt, pepper and five spice. The Chinese believe five spice embodies each of the five tastes in Chinese cooking–sweet, bitter, sour, salty and savory–but only when used correctly and in proper proportion, a balancing of yin and yang in food. Tom Hamilton knows his five spice, applying it in just the right proportions to bring out the tastes I would not have imagined from quail. Most quail tends to be on the desiccated and tough with a gamey blandness that’s hard to explain.
There is nothing foul about the Chop House’s fowl. Lightly battered and deep fried to a golden consistency, each meaty morsel (and there were s a lot of them for such a relatively small bird) was tender and absolutely delicious in its own right…so good you wouldn’t want to add anything to it. That is until you taste the absolutely phenomenal sauce provided with this appetizer. The basis for the sauce is a variety of flavor-rich ingredients such as fresh ginger, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar and chile. Somehow the sauce seems to appeal to all five senses, too. The only fair way to determine whether the quail are better by themselves or with the sauce is to request two orders, one sans sauce.
The second in our triumvirate of taste bud tantalizing appetizers was the Chipotle Shrimp, four oxymoronic jumbo shrimp engorged with cream cheese, green onion and chipotle chiles in a sauce of garlic-lime Beurre Blanc, an ultra-rich, buttery sauce. There is a lot going on in this appetizer and all of it good. It’s a coalescence of flavors that brings out the best of each component. The shrimp seem sweeter, the cheese sharper, the chipotles smokier. Wow! This is one for the ages.
A trioka of fantastic appetizers wouldn’t be complete without the Chop House’s Oysters Rockefeller, a dish renown for its richness. Most Oysters Rockefeller I’ve had are reminiscent of Stovetop stuffing on a half-shell in comparison, even those I consumed by the boatload in New Orleans. Perhaps that’s because the Chop House lets the oysters shine instead of blending them in a mishmash of ingredients (especially Hollandaise sauce) that obfuscates their flavor. Oysters Rockefeller that taste like oysters, imagine that. Imagine six oysters on the half shell nestled on a bed of sea salt with two lemon wedges destined for your table. What you can’t imagine is just how good they are.
A lighter appetizer, one invented by Tom and which has caught on like wildfire in Durango, is spinach the way you’ve probably never envisioned it. It’s deep-fried spinach with a light, crinkly texture on top of which is sprinkled Regianno parmesan. The deep-frying eliminates none of the spinach’s acerbic taste, but it somehow seems more palatable, even quite good.
Another aspect of our dining experience we appreciated was the wait staff which is personable and professional, especially adept at pacing your meal for optimum enjoyment. The serving pace they set allows you to fully enjoy an appetizer before the next course (or second appetizer) is brought to your table. There’s no competition among flavor contrasts here. Ask for Sean, as knowledgeable and attentive a waiter as you could ask for.
In my inadequate for the task verbiage, I’ve hopefully conveyed that the Hamilton Chop House is nonpariel when it comes to appetizers. It also measures up quite well when it comes to spectacular entrees.
Even if your appetizer melange includes shrimp, you might still want to try the grilled shrimp and scallops entree that features three of each oversized shrimp and scallops grilled to perfection. Both are imbued with a faint smokiness and lay on a rich sauce of Saffron Beurre Blanc. In taste and texture, both the shrimp and scallops are absolutely flawless.
While it seems that shrimp have become strictly a vehicle for cocktail sauce, these are shrimp you’ll want to linger, make that luxuriate in tasting. It’s shrimp the way it’s supposed to taste, shrimp that snap when you bite into them the way they’re supposed to when fresh. The scallops are similarly wonderful with a slight firmness instead of the usual pillowy texture that seems to turn off some people. In terms of taste, think ethereal–very light and slightly sweet, but with enough flavor to let you know they come from the sea.
Carnivorous cravings will easily be sated with any one of the steak offerings, but for maximizing flavor discernment, go for the New York strip with a Bordelaise sauce (made with red wine, shallots and veal stock) with gorgonzola gently folded into it. This is an entree I’ve seen several restaurants attempt to execute correctly, but when all is said and done, it is the chef who should be executed–usually for not being able to meld seemingly disparate tastes into edibility. Although Bordelaise and especially gorgonzola can overpower a cut of beef, Tom Hamilton has perfected yet another culinary challenge.
Not only are the flavors complementary, but they don’t detract from the “sweetness” of the beef in the least. It might help that the cut of beef is absolutely flawless–nary a sign of sinew or fat anywhere. This New York strip is so tender you could cut it with a butter knife. It is also grilled to perfection, again simply by char-broiling at the right temperature for the right amount of time. You’d think that little secret would have gotten around by now.
It will probably come as no surprise to you that the Hamilton Chop House has also mastered desserts and in true fashion, they are superb. They are artistically crafted by Sherrie Martin and are a feast for your eyes as well as for your mouth. If you somehow manage to save room for it, the desserts are homemade daily and are just beckoning for you to try them. One such example is the bread pudding which is light, moist and decadent, the three essential elements of outstanding bread pudding. This is one of the best!
The Hamilton Chop House and its affable and accomplished owner Tom Hamilton managed to make a huge fan out of me after only one visit, but it’s a visit we hope to repeat soon and often. As a result of that one visit, I “downgraded” other steak restaurants I had thought to be very good–which brings me back to a point I made earlier about restaurant towns, a point that applies to restaurants as well. That is, there are good to very good steak restaurants, but only a very select few outstanding ones. The Hamilton Chop House is one of these.
THE HAMILTON CHOP HOUSE
40290 Highway 550
LATEST VISIT: 21 August 2008
# OF VISITS: 1
BEST BET: Chipotle Shrimp, Oysters Rockefeller, Five Spice Quail, Grilled Shrimp and Scallops, New York Strip with Bordelaise and Gorgonzola, Bread Pudding


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Ravine Park Drive
Commute to Downtown Sioux City
Most errands require a car.
It is possible to get on a bus.
Minimal bike infrastructure.
Ravine Park Drive has a Walk Score of 45 out of 100. This location is a Car-Dependent neighborhood so most errands require a car.
This location is in the Southern Hills neighborhood in Sioux City. Nearby parks include Emerson Park, Ravine Park and Latham Park.
Explore how far you can travel by car, bus, bike and foot from Ravine Park Drive.
Ravine Park Drive has minimal transit which means it is possible to get on a bus.
1 Southern Hills
View all Southern Hills apartments on a map.

domain: geography


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(1976). A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem
(2004). Abo-Zeid M: Reliability of hepatitis C virus core antigen assay for detection of viremia in
(1997). Anti-HCV envelope prevalence in blood donors from Baden-Wurttemberg. Ann Hematol
(2008). Cao X: Secretory expression of E2 main antigen domain of CSFV C strain and the establishment of indirect ELISA assay. Virologica Sinica
(2000). Clinical significance of hepatitis C virus genotypes. Clin Microbiol Rev
(2008). Comparison of ELISA and rapid screening tests for the diagnosis of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C among healthy blood donors in a tertiary care hospital in Mumbai.
(2008). Comparison of ELISA and rapid screening tests for the diagnosis of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C among healthy blood donors in a tertiary care hospital in Mumbai. Indian J Med Microbiol
(2002). Course and outcome of hepatitis C. Hepatology
(1997). Echevarria JM: Typing of hepatitis C virus antibody with specific peptides in seropositive blood donors and comparison with genotyping of viral RNA. Vox Sang
(2001). Efficacy of a hepatitis C virus core antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the identification of ‘windowphase’ blood donations. Vox Sang
(2000). Engelhard VH: Prophylactic DNA vaccine for hepatitis C virus infection and protection from HCV recombinant vaccinia infection in an HLA-A2.1 transgenic mouse model. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA
(1971). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Quantitative assay of immunoglobulin G. Immunochemistry
(2006). Evaluation of a new fourth generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the LG HIV Ag-Ab Plus, with a combined HIV p24 antigen and anti-HIV-1/2/O screening test.
(2009). Haroon TS: Hepatitis C: the dermatologic profile. J Pak Assoc Derm
(2003). Hepatitis C virus infection: when silence is deception. Trends Immunol
(2010). Idrees M: Molecular epidemiology of Hepatitis C virus genotypes in Khyber Pakhtoonkhaw of Pakistan. Virol J
(2001). Inchauspe G: DNA vaccine for hepatitis-C virus. Immunology
(1989). Isolation of a cDNA clone derived from a blood-borne non-A, non-B viral hepatitis genome. Science
(2004). Molecular virology of hepatitis C virus. Birkhauser,
(1997). New hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotyping system that allows for identification of
(2005). Novel assay using total hepatitis C virus (HCV) core antigen quantification for diagnosis of HCV infection in dialysis patients.
(1994). Ou JH: Comparative studies of the core gene products of two different hepatitis C virus isolates: two alternative forms determined by a single amino acid substitution. Virology
(2010). Rafique S: The changing epidemiology pattern and frequency distribution of hepatitis C virus in Pakistan. Infection, Genetics and Evolution
(2009). Riazuddin S: A study of best positive predictors for sustained virological response to interferon alpha plus ribavirin therapy in naive hepatitis C patients.
(2000). Rice CM: Overview of hepatitis C virus genomestructure, polyproteinprocessing, and protein properties. Curr Top Microbiol Immumol
(2008). Saitou T: Fundamental evaluation of HCV core antigen method comparison with Cobas Amplicor HCV monitor v2.0 (high range method). Rinsho Byori
(1981). Selection and interpretation of diagnostic tests and procedures. Principles and applications. Ann Intern Med
(2008). SK: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotyping by annealing reverse transcriptionPCR products with genotype-specific capture probes.
(1996). Sung YC: Significance of anti-E2 in the diagnosis of HCV infection in patients on maintenance hemodialysis: Anti-E2 is frequently detected among anti-HCV antibody-negative patients. JA m Soc Nephrol
(1910). The Liver and Biliary Tract, Kumar V, Abbas AK, Fausto N: In Pathologic Basis of Disease. Volume 894.. 7 edition. Edited by: Robbins, Cotran.
(2010). XY: Expressing gK gene of duck enteritis virus guided by bioinformatics and its applied prospect in diagnosis.
(2009). Zhang N: Development of TaqMan® MGB fluorescent real-time PCR assay for the detection of anatid herpesvirus 1. Virology Journal

domain: medical


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Things like acidity and taste vary by region, and Lindberg even offers up her recommendations for which coffees ― from Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica ― she thinks pair more deliciously than others. It’s all a matter of preference. But yeah, good water, a grinder and a scale seem to be pretty important, too.
What gives coffee its distinctive smell?
How does your coffee shop make your coffee taste great?
Your coffee shop makes their coffee taste great as they brew it the same every time. This coffee recipe has gone through a lot of work and refining, to find the way to brew that is perfect for their beans and equipment. Following this recipe is what makes it taste great. Consistency and work to find that perfect recipe, then sticking to it.
What affects the taste of your coffee?
The Steeping time –Most types of coffee have a steeping period where the grinds are soaked, this amount of time will affect the taste of your coffee even if it is a few seconds in one direction. Ratio –The ratio of your water to coffee is a big factor in how your eventual coffee tastes.

domain: food


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In shakespeares time, as a playwright it was always necessary for the monarchs to approve of your play, as if they didnt they could shut you down. Quotes & possible essay questions for henry v discuss the bbc henry v as the conclusion of a henriad shakespeare has been accused of jingoism in henry v. Shakespeare essay question - in henry v, he continues a theme which he has begun in richard ii ie what makes a good king. “henry v is considered shakespeare's most famous war play, and the most interesting biographical account of the english monarchy an essay entitled henry v. From its opening lines, shakespeare's henry v makes it clear that the play which is about to ensue is not realistic as a matter of fact, the emergence of a chorus.
Shakespeare henry v - do my essay the 'tapster fragment' imitates the tavern scenes from shakespeare's : it features a tapster speaking to two thieves. Henry v - film essays: over 180,000 henry v - film essays although the branagh version of shakespeare's henry v remains very close to the text. Shakespeare’s henry 1v pt 1 and branagh’s “henry v” essay branagh’s henry v film and shakespeare’s henry iv part 1 both cover major historical events. The above title questions king henry's alleged double-personality, which is obviously one of the key factors of his character in shakespeare's famous play, king. The st crispin’s day speech, delivered by henry v in act 4 scene 3 of william shakespeare’s the life of king henry the fifth is considered one. Comment upon the many different attributes of henry v that are brought shakespeare biography critical essay henry v film versions of henry v essay questions.
More william shakespeare essay topics thus, because of this purposive deafening silence on the women’s role in “henry v”, the play narrative lends to the idea. View essay - henry v essay from eng 373-11a at borough of manhattan community college henry v essay shakespeares play henry v deals with many instances where mercy. Henry v essay, buy custom henry v essay paper cheap, henry v essay paper sample, henry v essay sample service online. Starting an essay on william shakespeareâ€™s henry v organize your thoughts and more at our handy-dandy shmoop writing lab.
The qualities of shakespeare's henry v are first told to us by the conversation between the archbishop of canterbury and the bishop of ely they are discussing the. Henry v study guide contains a biography of william shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary.
Essays on king henry v we have found 500 essays king henry v (shakespeare 1589), was a 'master' (to employ her own self-masculinisation) of these arts.
Henry v essay - why be concerned shakespeare henry v essays part of hiv and selected bibliographies of jim crow published since 1877, henry jenkins mit. Henry v by william shakespeare, is supposed to have been written about 1599 it expresses the story of king henry v of england, focusing on events surround. More henry v essay topics from henry iv part 1’s opening, hotspur is praised as the very embodiment of honour because of his military ability, while prince hal is. Free essay: the prince vs henry v a comparison of attributes after reading machiavelli’s the prince and watching shakespeare’s henry v in class, one begins. English essays: shakespeare's the taming of the shrew and henry v.

domain: literature


Railway Police Force (RPF) personnel have seized gutkha pouches worth Rs one lakh from the parcel office at the railway station and detained a man who was allegedly smuggling it to Maharashtra,a state where the chewing tobacco is banned. Gujarat too has banned gutkha from September 11.
The arrested man,Ramesh Sharad,is a resident of Bhusawal in Maharashtra. Surat RPF police inspector Gracious Fernandes said the gutkha pouches were stuffed under packets of snacks marked for delivery in Bhusawal.
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It is almost impossible to judge the weight of a product or an item by its looks or structure. Having said this, Measuring Instruments were developed to measure the weight of products. In our day-to-day life, we need to scale the weight of different items for one or various other purposes. For instance, in household to measure the weight of newspaper, wheat, cylinder, etc., while in industries to scale the weight of even minute things like a pin to big heavy duty industrial components and scrap. Thus, the role of Measuring Instruments is a major one as it serves industrial, commercial and residential sectors. Annanya Industrial Equipments is a trusted Supplier of such measuring instruments that are high on quality, design, standards and functional life.


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Lucy Grealy attained prominence, in 1994, with “Autobiography of a Face,” a restrained account of acute disfigurement and continual surgery after a childhood tumor required the removal of much of her lower jaw. Grealy died of a heroin overdose in 2002, at the age of thirty-nine, and Patchett’s memoir of her friend, whom she first met in college, reveals a level of anguish that was submerged in Grealy’s book. Patchett sees herself as the hardworking ant to Lucy’s glamorous grasshopper, with her life in New York, countless friends, and a habit of finishing work at the last minute. But Grealy’s tremendous gift for friendship signalled a deep neediness and an inability to be alone that also made it difficult for her to sit down and write. If Patchett’s book doesn’t quite stand on its own, it is a moving companion to Grealy’s.♦
Annals of Gastronomy
The Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Is Here to Save America
The salt, the fat, the sharpness, the softness—together, the elements of the sandwich are so perfectly balanced that they meld into one another to form a new, entirely coherent whole.
A Reporter at Large
Silicon Valley’s Crisis of Conscience
Big Tech searches for its soul.
Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of Trump
How Mike Pompeo became a heartland evangelical—and the President’s most loyal soldier.


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Tagged anxieties and worries, belonging, collaboration, community, courage, diversity, empathy, fairness, families, found families, friendship, growing-up, home, hope, identity, inclusivity, kindness, loyalty, making a difference, outsiders, overcoming adversity, resilience, self-belief, sport, tolerance
For most people, dreams die when they wake up and, for immigrants chasing the American Dream, arriving in the country can be the rudest of awakenings.
Across the Front Desk series, Kelly Yang has shown how every injustice, every double standard, every racist slight levelled against the Chinese-immigrant Tang family has tried to make them give up on the vision of a better life that urged them to leave their homeland. But, if there’s one thing readers know about heroine Mia Tang by now, it’s that even when she is shaken awake, even when the ‘real’ world comes back into sharp focus, she clings onto her dreams and their promises with everything she’s got.
Key Player is a book about keeping dreams alive, not just your own, but those of others around you. It’s a book about how doing so can inspire the world to be more than it currently is, can make it aspire to be what it can, what it should and what you dream it to be.
The fourth in the series (following Front Desk, Three Keys and Room to Dream), Key Player finds Mia dreaming of attending a journalism camp. This is all set against the background of a Los Angeles set alight with football fever, as the city prepares to host the 1999 Women’s World Cup Final between the USA and China. This very literal manifestation of Mia’s two sides coming face-to-face feeds into the deeper dream that is woven through the whole series: to really belong somewhere and for her two sides to be united, rather than juxtaposed.
To attend the prestigious camp, Mia must achieve straight As at school but is being held back by a pesky C in PE (even the reason for her reticence at taking part in sports – the years her family spent without medical insurance making her terrified of being injured – shows that Yang continues to unafraid of taking on difficult themes and circumstances). To rectify this one blot on her report card, Mia makes a deal with her coach: he will give her an A if she can track down and interview one of the two finalist teams, the USA or China. This is the premise that kickstarts the narrative and allows Mia’s story to unfold.
But, as with all of Yang’s books, Key Player is less about narrative and more about character and, by this fourth instalment, she has built up an incredible ensemble. Cracking the cover of a Front Desk book really does feel like walking through the door of the Calivista Motel and hanging out with old friends: the Tang family, (former) motel resident Hank, Mia’s friends Jason and Lupe, and even Jason’s father Mr Yao.
Key Player is as much about their dreams as it as about Mia’s and, at the start of the story, they all harbour wishes for things to be different: Mia’s father for a house that will give his family comfort, Mia’s mother to help her high-school students to the best of her ability, Hank for culinary success, Lupe to understand confusing new feelings and, perhaps most complexly, the Yao’s both dream of spending more time with each other. Beneath the football and the fanfare, this is what this book is actually about: which of these dreams will live, which ones will die, and which ones will change.
Key Player is not trite enough to simply let all these dreams come to pass. Yang is always too truthful and too interesting for that, but, in the end, she is too hopeful for it too. One of the most inspiring aspects of Key Player is how the characters hold onto each other’s dream, that when someone’s resolve to fight falters, someone else is always there to hold them up, to dream for them. When Hank is chewed up and spat out by big business, Mia helps him find his dream again. When Lupe’s dream scares her, Mia is there to urge her to follow it. When Mia’s mother feels cowed by the system, Mia stands firm beside her. When her father thinks of walking away from a dream house because of a racist neighbour, Mia won’t let the bigot win. As Jason and Mr Yao grow apart through the very act of trying to come together, it’s Mia who puts their dreams with her own and helps them heal. Mia is a character of pure, heart-bursting joy. She loves and inspires and cares and wins and carries on even when she doesn’t. She makes her world better by being in it but she makes ours better too because readers can take her pluck and guts and courage and fierce optimism into themselves and out into their lives. We could all do with being more like Mia.
Two other characters that become of particular note in Key Player are Mr Yao and Mrs Tang. No other characters have grown and changed as much as this pair. It is remarkable to compare the Mrs Tang of Front Desk (who told Mia to give up on her dreams of being a writer because English wasn’t her first language) to the force she has become in Key Player, where she takes on and blows past everything and everyone in her way in her advocacy of her maths students. The transformation is remarkable because it is so profound but it is also remarkable because it is so believable. It is abundantly clear that so many of the people and events in these books are drawn from Yang’s own life because they ring so effortlessly true.
Mr Yao has always been a bit of an exception to that accolade, being almost a caricature in his meanness. What Yang has done with him in this book makes me want to go back and reread the whole series with what I now know, seeing Yao not as angry, but as deeply and devastatingly hurt. I don’t want to give any spoilers to this touch of genius by Yang, but the way she reveals how Yao’s own dreams were fought for, won and then given up, makes readers see him in a whole new light. This message is really at the heart of the book: who we are, what we do, how we affect the world (good and bad), all come back to what we dream of and whether we can still believe in them (and ourselves) in the face of a world that doesn’t.
Yang’s writing is a joyous balance of being accessible without being flat, of being simple without being simplistic, of being beautiful without being pretentious. It’s writing that demands to be read, that urges you to carry on with just one more page, just one more chapter, until you have raced through from cover to cover. It would be interesting to unpick with a class what exactly makes it so compulsively readable.
Being the fourth in a series, you obviously will get the most out of the book if you have read the preceding three. However, the opening does a good job of recapping the main information and setting the scene. Therefore, Key Player could work as a standalone read.
The one issue that mars this otherwise brilliant book is a number of typographical errors. From incorrectly punctuated speech, to random line breaks, these errors can jar you out of the story and are in danger of modelling mistakes to young readers. The book is published in the UK by Knights Of, which is a brilliant company that brings into the world stories that are not only gripping but also important. However, I have read a number of their books now where similar problems have been apparent. These sections could be used as a teaching point in class, with the children correcting the mistakes.
We talk all the time about teaching character, building resilience and determination, about inspiring and supporting the dreams of our children. This is a book that will do that and that should be in every UKS2 classroom. With the promise of a sequel clearly set up at the end of Key Player, I will be waiting impatiently for the next instalment of what remains the best series currently unfolding in the world of children’s literature.
In the Reading Corner: Kelly Yang talks to Nikki Gamble about Key Player.
Copyright: Just Imagine Story Centre Ltd 2012-2023. All rights reserved.


COURSE Title: Problem Solving – Basic Quality Tools Used in Manufacturing
Business operations either from manufacturing or service sector exist in an environment of increasing challenge. Rising raw material & labour cost and the pressure from customer to deliver higher quality product/service faster at lower cost are just some of the key challenges which drive the need to seek operational improvement.
In today’s business, proven problem solving methodology for pursuing breakthrough or continuous improvement is critical in meeting customer satisfaction and organization profit growth. This includes revenue improvement, cost reduction, cycle time reduction, increased customer satisfaction and any other performance improvements critical to the company. Practically, some basic quality tools are used to solve problem effectively which directly improve operating efficiency. In addition, the application of quality tools will engage and encourage employees to work as a team in in their works routine.
This course introduces the key basics and application examples of basic quality tools used in manufacturing, regardless of what parts/products to produce. This easy-to-follow course also includes step by step of how basic quality tools are applied in the process of determining what to measure and collect and to display the data for evaluation.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Technicians, Supervisors, Executives, Engineers, Managers, Directors, Decision Makers and Staff who have not been educated typically on what the Six Sigma problem solving methodology is about.
HOW YOU WILL BENEFIT
- Better understand the key concepts and approach of problem solving
- Enhance know-how and the application of basic quality tools
- Higher confidence in tackling problem
The methods used here are the combination of lecture + interactive discussion. Post Test (recommended) to be arranged to assess how much knowledge has been acquired by participants in the end of training.
The course is primarily conducted in a class room. Each participant will be provided with a set of course materials.
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Explain the importance of managing process variations
- Explain the basic flow of problem solving
- Outline the objective and application of quality tools in problem solving
In-house and customize trainings are available. Contact us for more detail
Tel: +60389955000 ext. 55279 | email: email@example.com
Wafer Fabrication & Equipment Training
Failure Analysis, Material Analysis & Reliability Testing Training
IC Design Training


Exactly where To get The top Hip-Hop Beats Online
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Some musicians specialize in developing instrumental tunes that are versatile and exceptional. They’ve license each and every of their creations to safeguard themselves against plagiarism and theft. A lot of these musical craftsmen will list their music with an online store which will give different leasing rights to those who want to get the use of these tunes.
These sites will cater to all genres of hip hop music needs. They’ll have a wide choice in urban, underground, club, gangsta and other styles of rap sort back-beats. No matter if wishing to complete a project inside the west coast, east coast or dirty south style of music, one can find alternatives to suit these requires.
Every mood might be represented within a choice of music. For tasks having a foreboding theme, choosing music with a dark, angry or suspenseful overtone can bring the audience deeper into the production. Whenever a extra lighthearted atmosphere is preferred, go for a beat using a satisfied, inspiring or relaxed composure.
Right after the preferred music has been positioned on the internet, it is actually time to consider the varieties of rights that should be bought. The easiest and cheapest rights solution is usually download rights. These rights are extremely limited along with the user can not make any profit from the project featuring the beat and it really is crucial that the owner get music credit. Commonly speaking, it can be utilized when producing movies for online peer viewing web sites, not for critical productions.
For much more really serious productions, buying lease rights may very well be the appropriate choice. Leasing is like acquiring the selection to utilize the music only in certain project for any specified volume of time. Some leases will place limits on how and exactly where the piece could be implemented. There’s also a limit to how much revenue might be earned in the production ahead of royalties are owed for the music’s owner.
If the beat is being purchased together with the intent to develop into a full-fledged song or production for mass distributions, exclusive rights will ought to be purchased. When the beat is bought with exclusive rights, actual ownership with the music is transferred to the purchaser. After the item has been totally purchased, there is no limit to how the new owner can use it or to how much money they can earn with it. Because it has been bought outright, the composer just isn’t entitled to any royalties.
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For the very best place for beats for sale on the planet at this time, visit SurronicRecords.com for the top sound and prices at present!


Quiz: Do you know how to safely handle contraband drugs?
Contraband drugs have always threatened the safety and security of correctional facilities, but today they pose an even bigger risk to correctional officer safety
In July 2017, multiple corrections officers were hospitalized after exposure to fentanyl during searches in Alberta, Canada. In November 2017, 11 Indiana jail employees were treated with naloxone after being exposed to smoke containing the opioid painkiller fentanyl.
In this video, Corrections1 columnist Gary York and Dr. Lee Spell discuss some of the more popular drugs illegally entering the prison system today and what correctional officers can do to stay safe during cell searches.


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The past 12 months have been one of the hottest periods ever recorded. When all the figures are in, this may prove to have been the warmest year in the global temperature record, although in mid-December British meteorological scientists were saying it was still just exceeded by 1998.
But, around the world, there have been unprecedented heat-waves. The thermometer reached an astonishing 50C - that's 122F - in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Algeria. Canada and Australia had their hottest-ever weather, while a record drought in Western Europe saw bush fires devastate much of Portugal's countryside.
Two other phenomena besides high temperatures pointed directly at climate change in 2005. One was the record melting of ice in the Arctic Ocean, and of land-based glaciers and ice sheets; the other was the record incidence of tropical storms.
In September, satellite measurements showed that the Arctic sea ice had melted to a record low extent - about 20 per cent below the long-term average - prompting fears that an irreversible decline has set in, and that the whole of the Arctic Ocean may be ice-free relatively soon, perhaps within two to three decades.
This is horrifying. How can people say with a straight face that it's not happening? I was listening to Science Friday on NPR this afternoon and one guest was talking about the anti-science climate in this country today and how scary that is. I suppose if you just don't believe in science, the empirical evidence will not persuade you.


SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – University leaders and health officials all-around Springfield offer insight on the hottest COVID-19 developments and steps impacting the community.
Superintendent Grenita Lathan and Springfield-Greene County Well being Section Director Katie Towns spoke Friday afternoon, addressing modern COVID-19 developments and a new masking requirement for Springfield Community Faculties.
All students and workers for Springfield Public Educational facilities will be essential to have on confront masks for the commence of the approaching faculty 12 months in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Associates from CoxHealth and Mercy also shared updates on COVID-19 conditions projections and new developments in the drive for an alternate treatment web page.
In accordance to Cities, the alternate care web site is no for a longer time an rapid want following the reaction from regional hospitals.
Enjoy the information meeting in the stream previously mentioned.
To report a correction or typo, remember to e mail [email protected]
Copyright 2021 KY3. All rights reserved.


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"What an invigorating way to be reminded of the depth of America's literary and natural heritage!"
"Once in a decade a book as good as Seeds appears from nowhere to astonish and delight us. This one is about two things - Great American writers and the Great American trees that grew outside their study windows. It might seem an odd pairing at first, but open Richard Horan's high-spirited book and stick with it. Something very remarkable is unfolding here - a breathless tale of Horan's odyssey to collect seeds from the trees that lingered near the homes of his favorite writers. Sometimes it was easy, and sometimes it took as much planning and daring as a bank heist. Horan is a talkative companion, full of comment about writers and trees alike. Some of his tales are full of interesting lore, others are touching, more than a few are funny as hell. By the end of the trip you'll have an itch to read some books or writers you've missed, and to plant some trees on your own."
– Tom Powers, Pulitzer Prize Winner
"Richard Horan has made of trees a lifeline to our past, I mean, to the past that really matters to Americans as a people. Not the past manufactured nonstop on the television, but the past that Americans recognize in the unbowdlerized corners of our hearts. He leads us to the people from whom we have our hearts, writers like Twain and Melville, and places like Mount Vernon and Gettysburg. It is also a past where a tree might be prized, embraced, spoken to. Horan goes personally to find and get to know the trees in these numinous places. As a result, he has adventures, and we have the good luck to accompany him. The pleasures of travel, dendrophilia, literature and history are all richly present in this rare and engaging book. Horan comes to us as a friend, not a teacher, and through intimacy, wins our hearts."
"Seeds is more than a book: this sashay across literary America plants a literal sacred grove. And what a traveling companion the big-hearted tie-dyed mash-nosed ex-boxer author makes! From his wonderfully nonacademic footnotes to his rhyming rebuttal of Frost’s pretentious gloom to his charmingly equal love of the Beats and Helen Keller to his sharing of Muir’s fight against the notion “that nature’s only purpose is to provide for stupid human tricks,” Richard Horan sees the cloud floating inside every work of literature. Without the cloud there would be no rain, without the rain no tree, without the tree no paper, without the paper no literary stage upon which language can dance. By not only honoring this cycle, but gathering and preserving it, Horan helps redeem every tree that ever died for our solace and delight."
"Seeds' reads like the best of a roundtable discussion amongst John Muir, Bill Bryson and David Sedaris. From the fields of Gettysburg to the home of Kerouac, Horan takes an unlikely premise and weaves it into a story that's poignant, insightful and unexpectedly humorous. This is more than a book about seeds—it's about literary heroes, forensic forestry and self-discovery."
"I fully relate to Richard Horan – some of my best childhood friends were trees. Horan's playmate was a cherished red maple in his front yard, whereas apple trees in an abandoned orchard were my companions. In SEEDS, Horan pays homage to famous American writers and the trees of their youth. Horan is a terrific writer, and very funny at times!"

domain: library


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- Adorable Crochet X Stitch Hat Pattern
- [Free Pattern] These Cleaning Mitts Are A Cute Yet Quick Project To Make
- Knitting For Beginners: 38 Different And Awesome Cast-on Stitches
- [Free Pattern] This Gorgeous Crochet Ribbon Afghan Looks Like A Beautiful Pieced Quilt
- [Free Pattern] These Sweet And Simple Coasters Are Such A Great Gift Idea!
There are so many options to create unique items using this pattern! Star Blanket by Bernat Design Studio it’s the best fast baby blanket pattern that makes for a really special blanket when you’re done.Gotta love the speed and ease of one piece construction!
If you do this pattern several times you’ll love the results each time! It’s easy to memorise but interesting enough to keep you working rounds.
Image source: flickr
Thanks to Bernat Design Studio for article inspiration and featured image.
If you enjoyed this article please share and Like our Facebook page.

domain: hobby


text:
Women's Tank With Belt - 12pcs/pack ($9.90 each)
Regular price $118.80
Taxes are calculated at checkout. To ensure our customers pay the lowest possible shipping fees, shipping is calculated and separately invoiced before order is released.
COLOR(S): Red, Blue
SIZES: M, L, XL
PRICE: $9.90/pc, $118.80/pack

domain: economics


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The Nevada Affordable Housing Assistance Corporation (NAHAC), a nonprofit organization, administers the nevada hardest hit Fund, which is funded by the United States Department of the Treasury. Don’t worry. There’s still hope. And, Hope Keeps a Home. Find out if you qualify.
VacationNow · Why mary ellen fleming chose rodanthe. We looked at many places, but we knew this was the one as soon as we saw it. Our kid’s are growing up fishing at the pier, learning to surf and kiteboard, exploring the sound by kayak, and spending endless hours riding the waves on boogie boards.
Barack Obama swept into office on the heels of a housing crisis, promising to help struggling homeowners meet their mortgage payments with the same vigor the government used taxpayer bailouts to..
Those Hit Hardest Get No Bailout. by.. But will the outrage help those who have been hardest hit by the economic meltdown? Will the hundreds of millions of dollars in various stimulus packages and bailouts find its way to regular people who are trying to get by, or will it go only to.
To qualify, residents must live in the home and be current on a mortgage. example of bank bailouts wrapped up in the delusion of ‘relief.’ " Florida’s fund has been criticized for slow and.
But will the outrage help those who have been hardest hit by the economic meltdown? Will the hundreds of millions of dollars in various stimulus packages and bailouts find its way to regular people who are trying to get by, or will it go only to corporations deemed "too big to fail," leaving behind millions of people who are, apparently, small.
European stocks break five-session winning streak. the Greek government and its international creditors hammered out a last-ditch bailout deal.. banks were hardest hit in the day’s trading
Mortgage Bailouts: $2.1B to ‘Hardest-Hit’ Florida’s collapse will set in within a 30-year mortgage cycle; Against Backdrop of Controversy, Red Sox Honored by Trump – Absolutely Wonderful!! – Royal United Mortgage LLC; psl city events calendar Mortgage Masters Group
Those Hit Hardest Get No Bailout. But will the outrage help those who have been hardest hit by the economic meltdown?. Wiley points out that "35 percent of subprime mortgage holders were.
Federal bailouts should go to the people hardest hit by the faltering economy .. The banks and the mortgage lenders pushed bad loans on poor and minority borrowers. The NAACP has just filed.

domain: news


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The Risk of Pre-Operative Covid-19 Infection on Microvascular Free-Flap Viability
Brielle E. Raine1, Kateryna Zelenova1, Rachel E. Williams1, Ricki Chen1, Anna E. Davis1, Thom R. Loree2, Mark S. Burke2, Michael Y. Nagai2, Jordan D. Frey2
1University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY; 2Erie County Medical Center, Buffalo, NY
Background: Microvascular free-flap tissue transfer is the gold standard for complex reconstructive surgery. However, the impact of Covid-19 infection on free flap viability has not been evaluated.1-5 In this study, we examine outcomes in free flap reconstruction in patients based on pre-operative Covid-19 status.
Methods: A retrospective review of patients who underwent microvascular free-flap reconstruction, between August 2020 and January 2022, was performed at our institution. Exclusion criteria included patients with unknown status of Covid-19 infection prior to surgery. Patient demographics, operative details, and surgical outcomes were collected for analysis.
Results: Of the 107 flaps evaluated, 84 were included. The mean age at time of surgery was 52.6 ±13.4 and mean body mass index (BMI) was 30.2 ±6.4 kg/m2. Comorbidities of patients included hypertension (35.4%), tobacco use (22.0%), and diabetes (11.0%). Free flaps included ALT (n=11), DIEP (n=41), Fibula (n=9), Jejunum (n=1), MSAP (n=1), Omentum (n=2), PAP (n=5), Rectus (n=1), RFFF (n=12), and SIEA (n=1). Of the 84 flaps included in the study, 17 were in patients identified as having a documented Covid-19 infection prior to surgery. Of the 17 patients with a previous Covid-19 infection, 4 of the free flaps were ultimately not viable (76.5% viability). Of the 67 free flaps in patients without Covid-19 infection prior to surgery, 5 of the free flaps were not viable (92.5% viability). On Chi square analysis, flaps in previously infected Covid-19 patients were significantly more likely to experience flap failure (p=0.012).Moreover, the group with Covid-19 infection prior to surgery had a 3.82 (95% CI 0.9-16.174) times the odds of free-flap failure than the group without a known Covid-19 infection prior to surgery.
Conclusion: Based on our data, free flaps in patients with prior Covid-19 infection are more likely to experience microvascular flap failure. Additional studies are required to further elucidate this relationship as well as etiology. An early hypothesis is that Covid-19 infection results in a hypercoagulative state that may require adjustments to anticoagulation regimens in free flap patients.
Back to 2022 Posters


Featured in stadiums
How Brazil’s Soccer Stadiums Evolved For The World Cup [Video]
Imagine Science Films interviews a soccer stadium expert about the cultural impact of Brazil's arena-constructing bonanza.
Who Pays For Sports Stadiums? [Infographic]
Hint: the taxpayers. Deadspin breaks down how much the public is paying for sports.
Change of Venue
Shape-shifting stadiums could transform the way we watch sports
How to Construct the Lightest, Most Open Olympic Stadium Ever Built
The centerpiece of this year's Olympics is unlike anything we've seen before
Philadelphia Eagles to Be Powered by On-Site Renewable Energy in 10 Months
Those spiky things around the stadium's top? Those are 20-foot-tall wind turbines. 80 of them
Qatar Unveils Awesome Solar Stadium Designs For 2022 World Cup
Stadiums will be solar-powered, to host the first air-conditioned outdoor sporting event
England’s Football Stars Sleeping in Oxygen Deprivation Tents to Prep for World Cup
And by football, we of course mean soccer ... er, football.
It’s Jumbo, But it Ain’t No JumboTron
Yankee Stadium opens today, and fires up the biggest HD screen in the world of sports


The everglades once covered almost 11,000 square miles of south florida field monitoring and historical analysis within the remaining everglades' system. 2018 master vision plan update team the port everglades master plan update team is comprised of leading experts in seaport development, environmental planning, economic analysis and community relations. Request pdf on researchgate | ecological and economic risk analysis of everglades: phase i restoration alternatives | evaluating alternatives for restoring the everglades involves analysis of a complex ecological and economic system for which current knowledge is limited. Everglades under threat as florida's mangroves face death by rising sea level according to the florida international university analysis. Everglades national park official webpage, everglades national park, everglades,national parks,national park,everglades national park,everglades park.
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The everglades: river of grass summary & study guide includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis, quotes, character descriptions, themes, and more. Everglades national park annual pass: $4000- this annual pass is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase and is good for unlimited visits to the parkthese passes can be purchased at the homestead and shark valley. Impacts of sulfate contamination on the florida everglades ecosystem introduction water quality is a key issue facing the restoration of the florida everglades.
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Evergladesfiuedu receives less than 471% of its total traffic it was owned by several entities, from florida traffic analysis compare it to. Sprawled out over vast stretches of the us state of florida is a natural tropical wetlands known as the everglades, of forensic analysis it was difficult to. Citizen kane study guide contains a biography of director orson welles, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Tallahassee — the estimated cost of everglades restoration soared from $135 billion in 2009 to $164 billion in 2014, according to a five-year update sent to congress last week the report, submitted to congress by the army corps of engineers and the department of the interior, said the cost.
Technical analysis of heat literary devices and the technique of hd. Evaluating alternatives for restoring the everglades involves analysis of a complex ecological and economic system for which current knowledge is limited.
Epa’s office of transportation and air quality and port everglades announced a voluntary partnership to study mobile source as part of its analysis,. The everglades: river of grass by marjory stoneman douglas - chapter i summary and analysis. The florida center for environmental studies genetic identification/ecology of invasive snails in the everglades -habitat suitability analysis and. Situation the habitat of the the everglades wildlife refuge has asked you to help them address their analysis of the impacts of the restoration of water level.Download an analysis of everglades`


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CORONAVIRUS/President Tsai Ing-wen to get locally developed COVID-19 vaccine
Taipei, July 28 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Wednesday she will get vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine proposed by Taiwan-based Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp., which controversially obtained emergency use authorization (EUA) in Taiwan on July 19.
Neither the president nor Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has been vaccinated against COVID-19, and they have expressed their intention to receive domestically developed vaccines to boost public confidence in them.
In a Facebook post, Tsai said she registered to get her first shot through the government's COVID-19 vaccination appointment system, which allows people to indicate their vaccine preferences and make an appointment to get a shot when a vaccine becomes available.
Tsai said she opted for the Medigen vaccine, one of three options now available along with the AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines on the system, even though Medigen has yet to deliver any doses or provid a delivery schedule.
"(The government) will only supply vaccines that are safe, effective, legitimate and aligned with scientific standards," Tsai said, in an apparent effort to back the Medigen vaccines.
Medigen was granted an EUA for its COVID-19 vaccine by the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week, but the approval came without Medigen having to present any Phase 3 clinical trial efficacy data showing it could protect people in real-life situations.
Approval was given because the neutralizing antibodies generated in Medigen vaccine recipients compared favorably to those generated in AZ vaccine recipients, a concept known as immunobridging.
The concept has been discussed internationally, but no consensus or standards have been reached on its use. Taiwan is the first country to use it for vaccine approvals.
Taiwan's government has contracted to purchase 5 million doses of Medigen vaccines, which require two doses to be administered 28 days apart to people aged 20 and over.
Meanwhile, Lai said he planned to receive vaccines produced by another Taiwanese company, United Biomedical, Inc., Asia, which has not yet been granted an EUA for its COVID-19 vaccine in Taiwan, according to the Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵).
United Biomedical presented the data from its Phase 2 clinical trials and submitted an EUA application to the Taiwan FDA at the end of June, hoping to follow in Medigen's footsteps.
The FDA said this week, however, that the company needs to submit more documents before the agency can begin with the review.
- 2nd Medigen jab rollout to start early; flu vaccine coming soonThe second Medigen COVID-19 vaccine jab will start a few days early while the seasonal influenza vaccination program will be rolled out around Taiwan starting Oct. 1, the Central ...09/18/2021 07:22 PM
- COVID-positive pilot fined NT$400,000 for violating quarantine rulesA pilot who was recently confirmed with the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus and dismissed by EVA Airways has been slapped with a fine of NT$400,000 (US$14,440) for violating ...09/18/2021 05:28 PM
- EVA Air, preschool COVID-19 clusters nearly at an end: CECCThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) has determined that a small cluster of COVID-19 infections involving EVA Airways pilots is under control, while another cluster linked ...09/18/2021 05:02 PM
Traffic spikes seen on nation's freeways as holiday starts09/18/2021 10:06 PM
Eric Chu, Chang Ya-chung exchange fire over China at KMT debate09/18/2021 09:56 PM
Taiwan wins Open Club title in tug of war world championships09/18/2021 07:54 PM
2nd Medigen jab rollout to start early; flu vaccine coming soon09/18/2021 07:22 PM
Taiwan had full 'grasp' of China's military drill near SW coast: MND09/18/2021 06:43 PM


text: I am new to this forum (hello!) and need some help please in finding a brush to use to emulate the strokes seen in the sample attached. I've found some brushes which can make the larger splodges but am struggling to find a brush which makes the longer (smudgier) strokes. Do you think it is achieved using varying pressure? In only have a wacom (wish I had a cintiq). The brush is somewhere between paint and chalk but I just don't know how to get there. Any help would be greatly appreciated please!


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The affair involving Kovacevski takes dimensions of tens of millions of euros when the deserter Kovacevski takes the position of prime minister. Today we are publishing new details, which is the basis of the solar cartel created through exceptional trading with influence, abusing state positions and functions, the deputy from the ranks of VMRO-DPMNE, Mile Lefkov said at today’s press conference.
The suspicions are that Kovacevski and his close friend set up a private company for the production of photovoltaics to sell to the state-owned FEC Oslomej. That is, the friend and Kovacevski set up a company, and the state provides a million-dollar business.
Here are the steps they took.
8 months after Kovacevski sat in the prime minister’s chair, on 24/08/2022, the Pikcell group founded by him founded a company for the construction of a factory for photovoltaic panels in TIRZ Tetovo together with the Bulgarian company AE Solar Horizon from Sofia, under the name AE Solar AD Tetovo. AE Solar AD Tetovo, according to media reports, is an investment of 54 million euros. In it, the share of the company founded by Kovacevski is 40%, according to this, the part that it will invest in the factory is 21.6 million euros. Kovacevski’s friend Goranco Paunov, was appointed as an executive member of the board of directors, and Mirjana Paunova, his wife, was appointed as a non-executive member of the board of directors. Even the Bulgarian company partner of the solar cartel was formed after Kovacevski became the Prime Minister of Macedonia.
Namely, from the publicly available data, it can be seen that the partner company of Pikcell Group founded by Kovacevski, Solar Horizon AD Sofia, was set up on 24.03.2022, almost 4 months after Kovacevski was elected to the position of prime minister, and that is 15 thousand BGN founding capital.
Is the Bulgarian partner company founded practically only for the partnership with Pikcell Group founded by Kovacevski? And how much will this cost Macedonia?
As already briefed by the media, the government should also sign a contract for state aid with the company in which Pikcell Group, founded by Kovacevski, is a 40% owner.
Namely, if AE Solar AD Tetovo receives state aid, it will mean that Prime Minister Kovacevski is signing state aid for a company owned by a company founded by him and represented by his close friend. This is not the first time that the company founded by Kovacevski has received state aid. Pikcell Group has 8 payments from the state from 2019 to 2021, 8 payments from the state, and for half of that time, Kovacevski is the Deputy Minister of Finance. In these 8 payments, a total of 443 thousand euros were paid, and in the period from 2020 to 2021, payments were also made from the Innovation Fund worth 70 thousand euros, and that is also the time when Kovacevski is the Deputy Minister of Finance. In part of these payments, Kovacevski is already the mandate holder for the composition of the new Government. Kovacevski was caught alive at the center of the affair and a 26 million euro solar cartel. He no longer has the legitimacy to hold the office of prime minister and should resign immediately, Lefkov said.

domain: finance


Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins consistently gives some of the best interviews in all of college football. This was again the case earlier in the week when he stopped by Dan Patrick's radio show for a very entertaining interview. Patrick and Cousins discussed the final play of the Wisconsin game, playing table tennis with Andrew Luck, conference realignment and Cousins' musical abilities. The latter topic of discussion resulted in Cousins singing some of "Friday" by Rebecca Black, and I think he might have actually sounded better than she did. Check it out below (the singing is shortly after the seven-minute mark).
VIDEO: Kirk Cousins Sings Rebecca Black's 'Friday'
By Sean Yuille


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Following a slightly botched announcement, THQ Nordic has confirmed pricing details and the release date for Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning. The game is set to launch on September 8 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Pre-orders are now live, at least on Amazon. There, confusingly, the launch date is still listed as August 18.
THQ Nordic rushed to announce the game following a leak on the Microsoft Store last month. Microsoft never took down the listing, instead choosing to wait for THQ Nordic to make an official announcement. The game boasts “improved graphical fidelity” and all of the previously released DLC. However, we don’t know if that’s the full extent of what the finished product will include.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, the original release, lives in RPG infamy. It was a collaboration between acclaimed fantasy writer R.A. Salvatore, Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion creator Ken Rolston. Although considered a cult hit, Amalur never sold well. This forced developer 38 Studios to file bankruptcy and, eventually, stop supporting the game.
THQ Nordic is giving the game a new life, though, and cheaply, at that. The base version is only $39.99. Today, THQ Nordic also announced the Fate and Collector’s editions. The former is $54.99 and will include the upcoming Fatesworn expansion (more on that in a moment). Meanwhile, the latter costs $109.99 and includes an 8.2″ statue, an Amalur keychain, a physical soundtrack, and the full game. You can watch the announcement trailer for that version below.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning Fatesworn
THQ Nordic also announced a new piece of DLC for the game, titled Fatesworn. The new expansion won’t release with the game. It doesn’t have a firm launch date yet, though THQ says it will arrive sometime in 2021. We know very little about the expansion, other than the fact that THQ is referring to it as an “expansion” and not as DLC.
Presumably, this will be on the scale of the original game’s two expansions, Legend of Dead Kel and Teeth of Naros. Fatesworn is the first expansion since 2012, so hopefully, it will include a lot of content. At the very least, it should match the other two expansions, which had around six to eight hours of gameplay each.


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Multiple award-winning author, Jacqueline Seewald, has taught creative, expository and technical writing at Rutgers University as well as high school English. She also worked as both an academic librarian and an educational media specialist. Fifteen of her books of fiction have been published to critical praise including THE INFERNO COLLECTION, THE DROWNING POOL, THE TRUTH SLEUTH and DEATH LEGACY. Recent releases are her co-authored family mystery THE THIRD EYE and an historical romance THE CHEVALIER. Her short stories, poems, essays, reviews and articles have appeared in hundreds of diverse publications and numerous anthologies.
Is branding a help or hindrance to writers?
There’s been a lot of discussion among writers as to whether it benefits authors to be branded–by that I mean that writers want to market themselves by promoting their name, associating their name with a particular type, genre or style of writing. The premise? This is the best way to build a readership. For example, when we see the name Nora Roberts we immediately think of romantic suspense. The name Stephen King is immediately associated with horror. But these writers have also chosen to write under other pseudonyms as well. Jayne Ann Krentz, for example, writes her contemporary romances under that name, her sci-fi’s under Jayne Castle and her historical romances under Amanda Quick. The advantage is that her fans know exactly what to expect.
Many writers choose to use pen names. They write in a variety of genres and assume a different nom de plume for each. The theory is that it will confuse readers if writers use the same name for different types of work. There is also a tendency for publishers to try to place writers in neat categories. It’s more convenient to connect a name to a particular format.
But what if you resist branding? Are you destroying your chance to be taken seriously as a writer or build a readership? I don’t have the answer to this question. I can only admit that I don’t limit myself to one particular format in my writing. My books are not “in the box.”
I recently won a contest with an Australian publisher for a sensual historical romance THE CHEVALIER. Set in the Georgian era in England and Scotland, the novel isn’t category or “formula” romance. This will be my first novel published initially as an e-book.
However, my latest co-authored mystery THE THIRD EYE is a family-oriented novel suited to adult and teenage readers.
In addition, I write series mystery novels like THE INFERNO COLLECTION, THE DROWNING POOL and THE TRUTH SLEUTH. The fourth novel in the Kim Reynolds series, THE BAD WIFE, is being edited for publication at this time. Each of the novels stands on its own as a unique murder mystery although the main characters existing in each book grow and change much the way real people do. Harlequin Worldwide Mystery has brought out four of my novels in paperback that were originally published in hardcover by Five Star/Gale.
I also write books and stories for children as well as novels for young adults like the DEVIL AND DANNA WEBSTER which will be released by Astraea Press.
My poems, short stories, nonfiction articles and plays, are all published under my own name with a variety of publishers. In October, for example, three of my horror stories were published in three different print anthologies. Yet I am not limited to horror short stories. I write romance, mystery, science fiction, fantasy and literary fiction as well. See Beyond the Bo Tree: Ten Tales of Romance.
Will I confuse readers and reviewers? I sincerely hope not. I suppose if you were to ask what my “brand” is I’d have to answer I really don’t have one. To paraphrase Shakespeare’s description of Cleopatra, I am a writer of infinite variety.
What is your opinion. Does branding benefit writers or not? Your thoughts, opinions and comments are most welcome.
Thanks for an informative and timely post, Jacqueline. I was also conflicted about using a pseudonym for different genres, but finally decided that I wanted all my work to show up under the same author name for booksellers, especially the online sites. Whether it’s a wise move or not remains to be seen.
You can learn more about Jacqueline and her books on Facebook.


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Freeports in the UK
Explore new opportunities to invest, trade and innovate across the UK.
Freeports are new hubs for global trade, investment, and innovation within the UK that create a favourable environment and exciting opportunities for businesses to grow. By choosing to invest within a UK Freeport, you could access a wide range of customs and tax benefits, as well as support from government around planning, infrastructure and innovation.
UK Freeports bring together industry, government and educational institutions, enabling you to collaborate with like-minded companies within a supportive environment for developing and trialling new ideas and technologies. Freeports offer direct access to relevant regulators through the Freeport Regulation Engagement Network.
Take advantage of Freeport incentives
Twelve UK Freeports have been announced to date, with consistent benefits across the 8 Freeports in England, 2 Freeports in Wales and 2 Green Freeports in Scotland.
As areas offering special, business-friendly economic regulations, Freeports could help you achieve your goals and save time and money through:
- Stamp Duty Land Tax relief (or Land and Buildings Transaction Tax relief in Scotland or Land Transaction Tax relief in Wales)
- enhanced capital allowances for investment in plant & machinery and structures & buildings
- five years of business rates relief (or non-domestic rates relief in Scotland and Wales)
- Employer National Insurance contributions relief
Customs and planning
- simplified customs procedure
- deferrals and exemptions from duty payments
- VAT suspension within customs sites
- supportive local planning environments with constructive public-private partnerships
- extensive public investment in skills and infrastructure
- access to the Freeport Regulation Engagement Network (FREN), enabling direct and early engagement between businesses, Freeports, and regulators
- access to the Freeport Innovation Network (FIN), a collaboration vehicle for Freeports to shape and organise their innovation activity as a collective
Learn more about UK Freeports
The UK Government are working to establish Freeports across the whole of the UK. Each Freeport builds on regional sector strengths, key infrastructure, and the connectivity of the ports they encompass to offer unique investment and trade opportunities. Find out more at the links below.
Freeports in England
- East Midlands Freeport
- Freeport East
- Humber Freeport
- Liverpool City Region Freeport
- Plymouth and South Devon Freeport
- Solent Freeport
- Teesside Freeport
- Thames Freeport
Green Freeports in Scotland
Freeports in Wales
Benefit from a range of reliefs on Freeport tax sites
There are a host of tax benefits that you could take advantage of by locating in carefully selected, high potential tax sites within a Freeport. These have been prioritised for development by landowners and local and national government. View the locations of the tax sites in Freeports on GOV.UK.
In November 2023, the UK government announced that, subject to each Freeport’s delivery plan, the duration of tax reliefs in English Freeports will be extended from 5 to 10 years, with benefits claimable until September 2031. The UK government will work with the Scottish and Welsh governments with the intention of delivering an equivalent extension in Scotland and Wales.
Stamp Duty Land Tax, Land and Buildings Transaction Tax and Land Transaction Tax relief
Freeport tax sites offer up to total relief from Stamp Duty Land Tax (in England), Land Transaction Tax (in Wales) or Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (in Scotland) on land and property to be used for qualifying commercial purposes. In England, for example, locating within a Freeport would save purchasers buying non-residential land and buildings from Stamp Duty Land Tax of 0% tax on the first £150,000, 2% on the next £100,000 and 5% on the remaining amount.
Business rates relief
There is full, 100% relief from business rates (or non-domestic rates in Scotland and Wales) on qualifying new properties and partial relief for expanded properties in Freeport tax sites. This relief applies for 5 years from the point at which you receive it.
National Insurance contributions relief
Freeports offer 0% employer National Insurance contributions paid on salary up to £25,000 per annum, applicable for 3 years per eligible employee hired before the tax relief deadline. Employees must be new hires and spend more than 60% of their working time in the Freeport to be eligible.
Enhanced capital allowance
Freeports provide 100% first-year allowances for qualifying expenditure on plant and machinery which is primarily for use in a Freeport tax site.
This significantly accelerates tax relief for companies for their qualifying expenditure on key plant and machinery.
Structures and building allowance
Freeports offer an enhanced rate of structures and buildings allowance of 10% per annum compared to 3% outside Freeport tax sites. This is available for qualifying expenditure on non-residential structures and buildings where construction commences from the date a tax site is designated.
This significantly accelerates tax relief for businesses for their qualifying expenditure on constructing, renovating or adapting premises to suit your chosen Freeport location.
Make use of a flexible new customs procedure on Freeport customs sites
Secure customs sites within Freeports enable businesses to benefit from a flexible new customs procedure, which allows imports to enter the sites with simplified customs documentation and the payment of tariffs to be delayed or avoided. Businesses within a Freeport area can apply to HMRC to be authorised to operate a customs site or can locate within an existing customs site within the Freeport.
You can bring goods into a Freeport customs site and defer the payment of import duties until the goods enter the UK market.
If the goods are components and converted to outputs within the customs site, you can also choose to pay import duty on the component or the output (whichever is lower) when the goods enter the UK market.
You can also benefit from duty exemptions for goods that are imported into and then re-exported from a Freeport customs site.
Freeport sites provide simplified import procedures. This provides an expansion on existing customs facilitations and procedures available, allowing you to save time and money.
Freeports offer a VAT suspension until the goods leave the tax site and enter into free circulation in the UK. This allows you more efficient management of your operational capital.


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One of the locals? favorite courses, the Germain Toyota of Sarasota 5-K Classic is back this year and is race #9 in the Manasota Track Club Race Series. The course is a flat, fast route with only a few turns and the gorgeous neighborhoods outbound and beachfront road on the way back are sure to make the time fly! With great on-course support from the Sarasota Police Department and volunteers from the Lido Key Residents Association and Incarnation Knights of Columbus, you?ll pass through the Germain Toyota of Sarasota water stop and be back to South Lido Park for the post-race party before you know it. This year the one-mile fun run/walk participants will take to the beach to enjoy a challenging run or scenic stroll. The 5-K Classic benefits the athletes of Special Olympics Sarasota County with 480 local athletes actively participating at a cost of $350 per athlete per year.
A USATF certified 5-K through amazing neighborhoods near the renowned St Armands Circle and Lido Beach, one of Sarasota?s spectacular Gulf Beaches, and back along Ben Franklin Drive. Start, finish and post-race party in the pristine South Lido Park. Stay for a while and enjoy the beaches, or shopping and dining on St Armands or the Arts & Crafts Show around St Armands Circle this same weekend.
South Lido Park
2201 Ben Franklin Drive
Sarasota, Florida 34236


Candid pictures have revealed the all-new design of OnePlus’ upcoming flagship handset, and we simply can’t wait to get our hands on it.
Images published by PC Tablet have given us our first look at the OnePlus 8 Pro, and have revealed some telling aspects about the device. For starts, it seems to have ditched the distinctive pop-up camera from the OnePlus 7T Pro, with a small cut-out selfie camera taking its place instead; furthermore, the screen seems to curve around the edges, similar to the Huawei Mate 30 Pro. The rear panel shows off three camera sensors, stacked vertically in a rounded camera module.
Related: Best Phones
On top of these design quirks, there are plenty more rumours circulating regarding the specifications for the new smartphone. First of all it’s expected to run on the Snapdragon 865 chipset, which can offer 5G connectivity via the X55 modem. The display you see in the image above has been confirmed to have a 120Hz refresh rate, matching the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and ensuring a very smooth scrolling experience. The OnePlus 8 is slated for a May release date (though that may well be subject to change in view of the coronavirus pandemic), and we can’t wait to see what other super specs it’s got in store for us.
Related: Best Android Phones
We praised its predecessor, the OnePlus 7T Pro, giving it four stars out of five in our review. In particular, we were impressed by the display, the excellent performance, its speedy charging capabilities, and the innovative selfie camera design (so we’re disappointed that it appears to have been ditched for the following generation). But there were still areas for potential improvement, most especially in regard to the camera, which still does lag behind premium Android rivals such as the Google Pixel 4 and the Huawei P30 Pro.


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Dec 15th, 2020
The will to live is a force within all of us and the fight for survival when our lives are threatened by a disease such as cancer is something our guest is all too familiar with.
A cancer survivor for 24 years, Shrenik lost his ability to speak and lost his birth-voice forever. The bittersweet journey he then embarked upon allowed him to be heard and share his experience and unique understanding to empower others around the world.
Surviving cancer is anything but easy and in this episode, Rajan travels to India and talks to Shrenik as part of the Fighters Season. Today’s podcast is a celebration of life and determination to inspire.
Cancer is the uncontrolled development of cells in a specific part of the body. These cancerous cells can invade and destroy surrounding healthy tissue, including the organs. In India, over a million people are diagnosed with cancer every year, with the number increasing rapidly.
If you would like to share your story or would like to support our work with the Global Indian Series simply go to www.globalindianseries.com
With your help, we are creating the world’s largest living encyclopedia on the human experience of being a person of Indian origin around the globe.
Presenter – Rajan Nazran
Producer – Global Indian Series/NazranRoth
Guest – Shrenik Shah
Art Design – Vanisha Patel
Social Media – @thenazrans @globalindianseries
What is your experience with cancer? How has your life changed? Share your comments below.

domain: health


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Amidst rumours that talks have collapsed UN’s chief insisted no fundamental differences
Security Plan scheduled to be signed this morning at the AU summit was not rejected, according to Ambassador Boubacar Diarra, special Representative of AU to the Great Lakes Region. However, Mr.Diarra said there was a need for more time to review the pan.
Foreign minister of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi says his country IRAN is ready to assist the peace process in Mali.
Mr. Salehi added his government in Tehran is engaged in a constant consultation with the government of Mali to look for solutions to bring into an end the situation in Mali.
Ethiopian new Prime Minister Hailmeariam Dessalegn has taken over the chairmanship of the African Union at the on-going 20th Summit of the AU heads of state and governments meeting.
Prime Minister Hailemariam, who recently succeeded Ethiopia’s long serving late PM Meles Zenawi, will chair the continental body for the coming one year, taking over from the president of the Republic of Benin, Dr. Boni Yayi.


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Words: Tim Seeley
Pictures: Jim Terry
Remember those Magic Eye images that were all the rage back in the late ‘90’s? They were just pictures of random colors and patterns, but if you looked at them just right, you could see amazing 3-D images pop from the page. (At least that’s what they told me, I never could see those damn things. Except maybe once or twice. Pretty sure it was a cow.) Even if you didn’t see them, the images were pretty mesmerizing and gave you the illusion of movement and I was never quite sure what it was I was looking at. That’s what reading Sundowners is like for me.
Tim Seeley has taken the idea that “super-heroes” (the super heroes in this book anyway), are just normal folks with mental issues, and blurred that line completely to the point where I don’t even know what I’m supposed to think. Are these people delusional? Or are they really the only ones who can see what’s actually going on? Are they “enlightened”? I almost don’t care which is the “truth” of this book. Either way, this has been a hell of an entertaining six issue ride so far. I personally want them to be enlightened heroes who are some of the very few who can save us from a reality beyond our ability to perceive it. But Tim does such a good job of sowing just enough seeds of doubt that I’m still not 100% sure even after reading issue six twice over.
Regardless of which reality proves true, this book continues to get better. Sundowners is filled with super heroics, great action, solid art and some damn fine writing. Crowlita gets some of the best lines ever, with things like “Shit sticks.” And, “This is how they do it! The ignorant overwhelm the aware! It’s like the internet!” And of course, “Suck my ass, grandma!” These are priceless and just a taste of the realism that Tim brings to this off kilter story.
Besides, this book makes you think. (Or it made me think, at least.) Tim and Jim have put a fun house mirror up to society and are showing us what is out there. If we see a guy wandering the streets in a mask saying he’s saving us from the repitloids, of course we’re going to think he’s crazy. But what if there’s more going on there than just the random rantings of a broken mind? We tend to attack those that are different, we’re afraid of opposing opinions; we don’t want to be in the minority on an issue or topic because we fear we might be in the wrong. But just because there are more of them than there are of you, doesn’t mean you’re wrong. There’s a lot going on here beyond the “crazy supers” vibe.
Whether you buy this book for the art, the action, the on-point dialogue, the street level super heroics, the idea of supers are just crazy everyday folks, the commentary on society and personal choices and accountability, or just because you just like the title of this book, you should be buying this book. And with the final splash page, we see that the Sundowners have finally come in together as a “team”, from here on out things are just going to get real.
4.5 out of 5 Magic Eyes


The Double-Edged Sword Facing Malawi’s Water Boards
“It’s really disheartening that for the past 56 years we’ve been reduced to nothing but animals, as we drink alongside animals."
It’s hard to believe, but this is a hard cold fact that will certainly hit you hard like some sledgehammer.
Members of Kasunga Village in Traditional Authority Mkukula in Dowa district in central Malawi have been relying on water from holes gorged on the banks of river Mtofu for the past 56 years, all along copying wish all the troubles of living without running or protected water.
“I have lived in this area for the past 39 years now, and all I can say is that waterborne diseases have been hitting the community hard, year in, year out, with no sign of relief in sight,” Jackson Phiri, one of the community members, says.
“All what authorities have been saying is ‘We’ve heard your water problems’, but never came back.”
Olipa Samuel, a mother of four, and a member of Kasunga community, also testifies to the challenges they have been facing all these years, “As women, we’ve been bearing the brunt, as we have been traveling long distances to access water, which, of course, was not safe, but had no choice.”
“It’s really disheartening that for the past 56 years we’ve been reduced to nothing but animals, as we drink alongside animals. This is despite that we’ve been queuing to vote leaders into office.”
This community, like many others in Malawi, are facing water challenges because the water boards are struggling to cope with their demands.
A hard cold look at the some of the causes crippling the operations of the country’s water boards reveals that these utilities are facing a double-edged sword:
The water boards continue experiencing loss of about 43% cubic meters of pumped water through non-revenue water, shifting the burden to residents who face increased tariffs, left with poor or no service, and ultimately pay with their health, time, and productivity.
Again, the water boards in Malawi continue to lose the much-needed revenue with government institutions owing them huge sums of money in form of bills; for example, as of June 2020, government owed these utilities close to K20 billion kwacha [$27 million].
One of the water boards hit by the perennial challenge of non-revenue water, Blantyre Water Board (BWB), reveals that it is losing billions of Kwachas every year due to vandalism, burst pipes and illegal connections among others which results into unaccounted water.
Statistics show that between January 2020 and June 2020, BWB lost 55.8 percent of its revenue from water sales due to unaccounted for water.
BWB Chief Executive Officer Eng. Dan Chaweza says, “The loss affects our day to day operations. This is the water that we have produced but have not been paid for or have not passed through our charging metres.”
The situation is the same with the rest of the water boards in the country, losing billions of Kwacha due to non-revenue water.
But this not all: the water boards also face another serious challenge. These water utilities are also failing perform to their optimum, according to the Water Services Association of Malawi, because government ministries, departments and agencies fail to settles their water bills.
In a statement released in reaction to the development, the Water Services Association of Malawi said, “The non-payment of water bills is making the water boards fail to implement a number of projects relating to water supply.”
“The water boards are struggling financially to make new water connections to their customers and extend water supply to other areas within their operating zones,” the statement further said.
Williams Banda, Spokesperson to the Ministry of Finance, which funds the defaulting ministries, departments, and agencies, says government into how best the problem could be dealt with, once and for all.
“The major cause of the accumulation of utility bills from Treasury (Ministry of Finance) point of view is non-priotisation of payment by government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). This will come to an end as water boards are installing prepaid meters in most MDAs,” he says.
According to the 2018 Population Housing Census, less than 10 percent of the (then) population of just over 17.5-million Malawians had access to piped water in their homes. Of these, 3.1 percent had water piped directly into their homes, while a further 6.3% had piped water available in their yards.
A further 61.7% of Malawians used boreholes for water and 8.1% used a community standpipe to access water.
The remaining people, comprising just over 20 percent of Malawi’s population, accessed water from “unprotected sources”, according to the PHC report.
The World Bank estimates that Malawi loses about US$3.8 per capita or 1.1% of the country’s GDP due to poor health outcomes attributed to, among other things, low access to safely managed sanitation services, dwindling water resources, lagging infrastructure development, and aging water systems that create large gaps between supply and demand, leading to unreliable services.
While in urban areas, lack of piped water from regulated suppliers in most of parts of the country has seen the sprouting up of some unscrupulous people setting up their own unregulated water systems to quench the thirsts of desperate communities at reasonable financial gains, in rural settings, the villagers, like those from Kasunga Village in Traditional Authority Mkukula in Dowa district, continue to drink from unprotected sources, including from directly from rivers.
Meanwhile, the million dollar question remains: Just when will the double-edged sword of unpaid bills by government agencies and non-revenue water facing Malawi’s water boards disappear?


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The home had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People were kept safe by staff who understood their responsibilities to protect them. Pictorial posters helped to explain to people how to raise a concern or make a complaint. They were also supported to make choices about their care and what they wanted to achieve. Staff planned the week with people to make sure they developed their independence and did the activities that they liked. They had care plans in place to support this and they were involved in reviewing these regularly.
We saw that there were enough staff working at the home and that those staff had been recruited following procedures to check that they were safe to work with people. They received training and support to ensure that they could support people well. We saw that staff had positive relationships with people and that they used communication systems to assist people to make choices about their care. People were supported to make their own decisions and if they were not able to do so then decisions were made in their best interest with people who mattered to them.
Risks to people’s health and wellbeing were assessed and actions were put in place to reduce them so that people could lead as independent lives as possible. Medicines were given to people safely and their records were maintained and managed. People were supported to maintain their health. Individual preferences were included in menus and people were given choice about their food and drink.
People and staff told us that the registered manager was approachable and listened to people. The registered manager had implemented a range of systems to monitor and improve the quality of the service. This included responding to complaints and feedback and implementing actions from them.

domain: sociology