text:
M+C Plan County Exit Decisions 1999-2001: Implications for Payment Policy
Date of Pub
The primary legislative response todiminishing private plan participation inthe Medicare+Choice (M+C) programsince 1999 has
been substantial paymentincreases. Analysis of M+C decisions to con-tinue serving or drop counties from 1999-2000 and 2000-2001
reveals that paymentamounts, although important, did not havea consistent impact on these decisions.Plan decisions varied
depending on theyear and the intention to continue partici-pating in M+C at all. Simulations showthat M+C plans were better
off, on average,with the payment methodology imposed bythe Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997than under the previous payment
systemand that large payment increases wouldincrease plan retention.

domain: law


text:
~:: Guest Post ::~
If revenge dining amd revenge travelling are the new buzzwords, revenge entertaining cannot be far behind and when it comes to entertainment in India, Bollywood and cricket arre the names that make the game. The effort to marry the two through movies is not new but the effects on the audience has always been different.
83 is another ambitious attempt to cash in on the two never dying demand sources of entertainment. Like any other movie, a movie on sports can also be based on facts or fiction. Director Kabir Khan decided to bat first on a green top wicket with windy conditions. A disaster from the word go. The biggest error in judgement of conditions is equivalent to an error in conceptualization of a movie before it is ready for production. If he had done a little homework, he would have known that the chances of succeding in a movie in a sports theme were more ,if it is either a fact based movie on an individual or a fiction based movie on an event. Kabir Khan did just the opposite. He chose the wrong combination of a fact based movie on an event.
Obviously, it needed a lot of research work and interviews of every individual associated with the event finally leading up to the victory to help build a string misc-en-scene. It was clearly not done. The result is a stroke less script that cannot get many runs in the box office. Bringing politics and border warfare and creating the scenes were unncessary deviations from the script crying for substance.The poor screenplay is sufficient to show the pathetic prepartion done in collecting information amd stories.
With a weak script it was now left to the other technical teams to give their best. Unfortunately, it was miserable in all machineries of production. The Art director generally rises up to the challenge on movies based on historical periods. Sadly, nothing in the sets,both outdoors and indoors gave the feeling of 83, other than the overused rotary dialer phone, rooftop tv antenna, the black and white tv sets and a heap of files on a table in the cricket board office in the opening scene. These are props used by nursery children in fancy competitions and celebrations.
With more than half of the movies covering actions on the field, the sports action director had more than a lot of role to play. He did a fairly good job in the batting actions of Viv Richards and bowling actions of a few Indian bowlers , particularly Kapil Dev. It’s here that Ranveer Singh’s hard work has really showed in his acting and actions and brilliantly picking up Kapil’s English accent. But without a good script and dialogues, a good actor can only go so far and no further. Pankaj Tripathy was impeccable as usual but Deepika Padukone was a waste.
Since success was eluding Kabir Khan for a long time since Bajrangi Bhaijaan, he has desparately tried to add a few successful characters and replicate a few emotional scenes from his previous movie for example, a large crowd swayed away by common emotions. The echoing voice of a child screaming and superseding the voice of the crowd, etc. But clips and cuts pasted on a new work make it look patchy and not perfect.
One of the most awaited movie releases on the big screen during the pandemic has left the audience, particularly the cricket lovers, definitely disappointed.
Contributed by Suvendu Sahoo
2 thoughts on “’83’ : A MOVIE REVIEW”
Sport movies only interest me if I like the sport. Cricket would probably not meet the case for my enjoyment.
LikeLiked by 1 person

domain: artistic


text:
Appears on these pages
The 2010 Western Ohio Sectional Championship was a Show Choir competition between the Dalton...
The Blaine-Kurt Relationship, most commonly known as Klaine, is the romantic relationship...
Blaine Devon Anderson is a major character on Glee. He is an alumnus of McKinley High School and...
Appears on these wikis
Concept name Un-biteable (I know..not a real word) Team Name: Glaive. Because everyone already...

domain: entertainment


text:
Gov. Roy Cooper finally announced that North Carolina’s 1.5 million public school children will not return to school full-time this fall, and will spend much of their time at home, learning via computer.
Cooper’s decision to adopt the “Plan B” part-time school option in the fall means half empty school buildings and scrambling parents trying to not only figure out childcare options but also determine how and if they are able to keep working, putting many parents in a horrible dilemma of choosing to either provide for their family or staying in a safe environment while their child is being educated remotely.
“We know that many of the traditional public school’s remote learning options were not effective for students. They did not succeed in delivering a sound, basic and uniform education as required by the North Carolina Constitution. Now we have parents that will not be able to work and employers who will lose good employees, amid a struggling North Carolina economy,” said Civitas President and CEO, Donald Bryson.
“North Carolina school districts should strive to offer students a sense of normalcy, which can be tailored on a district by district bases, with remote learning for students and families that believe that option to be in their family’s best interest. If the North Carolina public schools are not going to educate students on a full-time basis, parents should immediately receive an education savings account from the state providing them the choice of a learning environment that works for them.”
Civitas has been warning parents of this nightmare scenario for nearly a month. The reality become crystal clear, when Gov. Cooper said on July 1:
That major school districts were gearing up for plan ‘B” that would have students in class as little as one week out of every three and in many cases never. Whatever Cooper said a few weeks ago, the fact is for many North Carolina school children, much of the time, North Carolina classrooms doors will remain closed.”
The state’s two largest school systems have their Cooper mandated “B” plans in place.
Wake County Public School students will be in class in-person for one full week and learning from home for two. Mecklenburg’s County Public Schools Plan B is similar although slightly different for high school. Most Wake and Mecklenburg parents in contact with Civitas have rejected the idea of part-time in-person instruction for their children.
After Wake and Mecklenburg made their decision, the notice of intent to homeschool website run by the state crashed on July 1 due to unprecedented demand.
Many other counties have already adopted their plan “B” options.
New Hanover will be the same as Wake County Schools; one week in person, for every two at home. Alamance County and Sampson County School students will attend two days a week and be at home three days a week. Some counties are choosing to have elementary children in person more often and high school students exclusively remote.
Cooper’s part-time school plan comes with 126 pages of mandates, regulations and guidelines. They will make receiving an education at school — when kids happen to actually be there — extremely difficult.
Requirements include enforcing social distancing with floor and seating markers, providing cleaning supplies, regularly disinfecting classrooms, and conducting daily health screenings for all students and staff. Parents must sign a form every day saying they have checked their child’s temperature before they are allowed on the bus. Students will have temperature screenings every day at school before being allowed to access the building.
Schools are expected to enforce extreme social distancing at all times. Students are never supposed to be within 6 feet of another human being during the school day, on the bus, in the classroom, in the hallway or in the restroom.
All students including kindergarteners as young as five years old are required to wear face masks or other face coverings from the time they get on the school bus in the morning until the time they get off in the afternoon, except when they are eating lunch alone.
“Schools are going to have a very difficult time getting such a complicated plan to work” said Dr. Bob Luebke, director of policy and lead education analyst for the Civitas Institute. “How are parents supposed to manage several kids on different schedules? How are teachers supposed to keep 6 feet away from their students and check their temperatures? How are principals going to enforce extreme social distancing with kindergarteners, middle schoolers and high schoolers of dating age?”
Parents like Christy, a mother of three, with a rising 9th and a rising 2nd grader from Camden County told Civitas that Cooper’s part-time school mandate will be economically devastating for her family.
“I would be forced to quit working and live off of my fiancé’s income which will not meet the needs of a family of five. And unemployment would be exhausted at that point for myself.”
Nick with three elementary school aged children in Denver, North Carolina told Civitas:
“It would be impossible; we have three kids in three different schools. We have a carefully planned carpool with our neighbors, so certain parents pick up and drop off on days they can revolve around work. Any sort of arbitrarily picked 50% schedule would be chaos, to every kid and parent subjected to it.”
Harnett County Board of Education Member Jason Lemons strongly disagrees with Gov. Cooper’s order.
“Under law we are obligated to follow the governor’s directives under plan “B.” However, left to our own devices, the Harnett County Board of Education would choose to fully open our schools on a full-time basis in a careful and safe way. Harnett County is a rural county. Many of our residents’ experience issues with internet access, connectivity and wireless issues and broadband speed deficiencies. This is especially true in our unincorporated areas. Distance learning will be a challenge to some of our families, and we all know that there is no substitute for the social interaction and hands on learning of in-person instruction. We are a proud, hardworking, blue-collar county. There are concerns from many of our families about making a living while we will be creating a learning environment in the home. Some of our school administrators have concerns about enforcing social distancing requirements with young children. I recently spoke with an experienced kindergarten teacher who has concerns about five-year old students learning the basics by a computer? The governor’s mandate will lead to poor educational outcomes. His one size fits all approach will reduce the quality of education for rural counties like Harnett County, while Wake, Mecklenburg and Forsyth will tap into their large tax base to absorb much of the unfunded mandates that come with this late breaking decision. The timing of the decision puts our staff and administrations at a disadvantage to meet sweeping changes in less than 30 days. This decision is contrary to the American Pediatric Associations recommendations. Most importantly, this decision shortchanges the children of Harnett County, and that is heartbreaking.”
Susan Mills, Family and Consumer Sciences teacher in Sampson County says, poor and at-risk children are the ones most being harmed by not being in school every day.
“We are doing such a disservice to our students by not returning to school normally. I have worried about my students every day since we have been out. Are they safe? Do they have food? Do they have a place to sleep? These children are the very ones that need an education in a classroom, not virtual.”
Not all parents who wrote to Civitas want schools fully open.
Amber with two middle schoolers in the Pender County Schools said “I would want remote learning only; their safety is my top priority. We love the precautions the school district and governor are considering.”
But no scenario ever considered would force parents uncomfortable with sending children back to school, to do so, and if schools were to fully open remote/distance learning would be available for all families that require/desire it.
Opinions about re-opening North Carolina’s schools diverge greatly across North Carolinas urban-rural divide.
In Wake County only 43% of the more than 25,000 parents surveyed said they’re comfortable with going back on campus next school year. Compared with the more rural, blue collar Stokes County where only 21% of parentsexpressed reservations about sending children back to school.
Cooper’s delay in announcing his back to school plans have already caused chaos and confusion in high school sportsacross North Carolina, and in part is keeping most athletes off the field for summer workouts. In a sign of things to come Wake County already suspended all athletic activity indefinitely and the adoption of plan B, almost assuredly means North Carolina will have no Friday night football or any other high school sports this fall, a major concern for parents with children driven by athletics.
Crystal from Thomasville told Civitas:
“My 11th grade student has played football since he was five. He will be crushed if for some reason they can’t play. He’s worked so hard to pass his grades and absolutely loves football.”

domain: sociology


text:
SPLASH, DASH, JUMP, and JITTERBUG with fifteen intriguing Alaskan animals in this new edition of a beloved, read-aloud favorite. Each picture-poem of LUCKY HARES AND ITCHY BEARS wraps a surprising, engaging, or just-plain-fun wildlife fact into a giggle-ready character sketch sure to delight. Discover why you shouldn't kiss a walrus, how Froggy Boy survives the chill, what that swooping raven might be saying, or how some whales leap at any chance to prove you don't need feet to dance! Recognized by Parent Council as "Outstanding from a Learning Perspective," LUCKY HARES AND ITCHY BEARS charms readers and sparks young imaginations with new words and concepts. Romping across the book's cheerful pages are Sea Otter, Raven, Snowshoe Hare, Humpback Whale, Wolf, Octopus, Flying Squirrel, Moose, Dragonfly, Bald Eagle, Walrus, Caribou, Salmon, Frog, and of course Brown Bear- If you're careful, if you wish, you'll find your brown bears catching fish...
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Book Description Octopoda Press, 2012. Book Condition: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Bookseller Inventory # GRP70655016
Book Description Octopoda Press, 2012. Book Condition: VERY GOOD. Evon Zerbetz (illustrator). little to no wear, pages are clean. The cover and binding are crisp with next no creases. Bookseller Inventory # 2793408211

domain: literature


text:
Kanpur: Frustrated of continuous eve-teasing by two youths, a 20-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide by setting herself ablaze in Bilhaur area of the district, police said today.
The girl, a resident of Kannauj district set herself ablaze yesterday after returning from college. "On returning home yesterday, the girl was alone in the house. She locked herself and set herself ablaze," SP (rural) police, Anil Mishra said.
When the family members came to know about the fire they broke open the door with the help of neighbours.
"Police, which had arrived on the spot till then, took the grievously injured girl to a hospital where SDM Hansraj Yadav recorded her statement, " Mishra said.
She was declared brought dead in the hospital. He further added that the girl in her statement accused two youths from the town of eve-teasing her on a regular basis, frustrated by which, she resorted to taking such a step.
A case of abetment of suicide has been filed against the youths and an FIR has been registered on basis of the statement of the victim`s father. The body has been sent for post mortem and efforts are on to nab the accused, the SSP said.

domain: news


text:
Lumberton blasts Stringer, Seminary falls
Dre Coleman scored six rushing touchdowns and added a scoring reception in the Panthers’ 66-14 Class 1A South State semifinal win over Stringer Friday at Stringer.
The Panthers improve to 11-2 this season and will host Nanih Waiya for the South State championship at 7 p.m. Friday.
Jared Tribett had a touchdown run for Lumberton, while he also threw a scoring pass to Donnell Buckner. Coleman’s touchdown catch late in the game came on a pass from his brother, Drik.
Jayson Buckley tacked on the final score for Lumberton.
Seminary stumbles vs. Kemper Co.
The Bulldogs scored first and held a 13-12 lead with less than 5 minutes to play in the first half Friday.
But Kemper County took an 18-16 lead into halftime and never looked back on its way to a 48-23 victory in the Class 3A South State semifinals at Seminary.
The Bulldogs’ season comes to an end at 10-4. Kemper County will face Raleigh for the South State title next week.


text:
Tuesday morning at 11:00 a.m., I visited Government House for a Courtesy Visit, hosted by His Honour the Honourable John C. Crosbie, Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, and his wife, Her Honour Jane Furneaux Crosbie. I had the privilege to meet IODE members, Cindy Butler, Edna Duffet, Alicia Eaton and Elizabeth Laverty prior to our formal introductions to Their Honours. Once refreshments were served in a formal sitting room, we visited with Their Honours, discussing various aspects of IODE and His Honour’s project of raising funds for monuments to commemorate tragedies which occurred in 1914, when 252 of the country’s sealers died in two separate but simultaneous disasters involving the SS Newfoundland and SS Southern Cross.
During our conversation, Her Honour spoke of a tree that has recently been planted on the grounds of Government House, and invited us to see the gardens. Once back inside, we toured various rooms to view magnificent art work and see Their Honours mementos on display. One item of note was a portrait of King William IV by Helen Parsons Shepherd which was commissioned by IODE members of the province in commemoration of the Silver Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, dated 20 November 1978.
Her Honour has not met Janet McNaughton, the winning author of the 2012 IODE Violet Downey Book Award who lives in St. John’s, but seemed very interested in her writing. I offered to send her a copy of Dragon Seer’s Gift for her and her grandchildren to read, and she accepted.
Immediately after our visit with Their Honours, I met Janet McNaughton for lunch at the Hungry Heart Café, a few blocks away from Government House. We discussed Janet’s many books which were and are written mainly in the morning, accompanied by her pet parakeet, Merlin. Janet informed us that she had written a prequel to Dragon Seer’s Gift, entitled Dragon Seer, which was shortlisted for three awards: the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and both the Young Adult Book Award and Book of the Year by the Canadian Library Association. Janet is a member of the Board of the Children’s Book Centre and volunteers with many other groups. Following lunch, I drove Janet home, with plans to meet with her again on Thursday evening for the IODE dinner. Janet presented me with autographed copies of both Dragon Seer and Dragon Seer’s Gift.
On Wednesday and Thursday, I investigated several hotels and possible venues for optional tours for the 2015 National Annual Meeting and Convention. Following these meetings, I visited The Rooms, a beautiful, glassed museum and art gallery high on a hill overlooking downtown St. John’s, where we enjoyed an excellent lunch in the Red Oak restaurant. For those who have not read Dragon Seer’s Gift, it is to be noted that part of the story line takes place in The Rooms and in the Kirk which I could see from the restaurant. Late that afternoon, still foggy and raining, I picked up Janet McNaughton at her home and drove to the Lion’s Club Den on Mineral Road in Conception Bay South for a Jigg’s Dinner with IODE members from the area.
Before dinner, I had the opportunity to visit with forty members and their many guests in attendance. Alicia Eaton, Chair of the Coordinating Committee introduced the head table: National Councillors Edna Duffet, Barbara Eddy, Bertha Powell, and guest Janet McNaughton, Carrie Gosse, Ellaline Smith and your President. Kerrie Gosse-Eason, daughter of Carrie Gosse arrived shortly after with her young daughter.
Following a blessing for the meal, given by National Councillor Bertha Powell, a most hearty Jigg’s dinner was served, followed by a pudding with a special sauce for dessert!
I had the privilege to introduce Janet and while doing so, projected the covers of her winning IODE Violet Downey Books, To Dance at the Palais Royale, 1997, and Dragon Seer’s Gift, 2012, along with the cover of the prequel to Dragon Seer’s Gift, Dragon Seer.
Janet spoke briefly about her writing process and how thrilled she was to receive from IODE her very first book award. Janet gave a brief synopsis of the lineage of the characters in Dragon Seer’s Gift and the location of the story in the residential area around The Rooms.
Following the presentation of the National Membership Campaign speech, Making Connections, and a visit to each table to distribute the membership invitations cards with a request that each member ask one woman to join IODE, we left for our drive back to St. John’s on a clear evening.
Friday, I flew home, very happy to have experienced the friendship, warmth and hospitality of our Newfoundland members. I thank Alicia Eaton and the Presidents of IODE Caribou, Father of Confederation, Shore of Nine Points and Sir Wilfred Grenfell Chapters for their invitation to visit St. John’s, a most unique and colourful city. I had a wonderful and memorable trip to Newfoundland.
The National Membership Campaign has now been heard coast to coast and in the Yukon. It is my fervent hope that our members embrace the message that each must become a Membership and Public Relations ‘Officer’ to ensure the longevity of our organization. I truly believe that each member can make a difference. Growing membership by Making Connections is the key to the future of IODE.

domain: library


Re: Aftermath.....GA TFF BBQ-2nd Annual
shooot. That would be me.. I musta tore up at least a half a dozen grub spinners and caught prolly 40 or 50 fish. Most of them friday. I caught a few yesterday too though.
It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze.
The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do.
Fact of life:
After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!


“Idol School” Announces Current Top 9 + Students Perform Covers For Final Exams
On the new episode of “Idol School,” the students began their final examination performances and found out who is currently in the top nine.
The students on “Idol School” have been divided into teams to perform songs for their final exams, including TWICE’s “Like OOH-AHH,” GFRIEND’s “Rough,” PRISTIN’s “WEE WOO,” KARA’s “Step,” S.E.S’s “I’m Your Girl,” and Apink’s “No No No.” Although they’re performing in teams, the students are being evaluated individually, and the member who comes in first place in each team will rise three ranks.
The team performing PRISTIN’s “WEE WOO” included Park So Myeong, Jo Young Joo, Lee Sae Rom, Lee Seo Yeon, Kim Myeong Ji, and Lee Na Kyung. Lee Seo Yeon came in first, earning the three rank benefit.
TWICE’s “Like OOH-AHH” was performed by Kim Joo Hyun (Jenny), Song Ha Young, Lee Chae Young, Natty, and Park Ji Won. Lee Chae Young was chosen as the No. 1 student.
Students Lee Si An, Tasha, Bin Ha Neul (Sky), and Shin Sia performed KARA’s “Step,” with Lee Si An taking the No. 1 spot.
The current top nine was also announced in this episode during a live segment at the end, as “Idol School” is aiming to form a nine-member girl group.
Baek Ji Heon has returned to the top nine this week, after dropping to No. 10 last week. Yoo Ji Na has fallen from the rankings out of the top nine, after coming in No. 7 the previous week.
The top nine in this eighth episode of “Idol School” includes Noh Ji Sun, Park Ji Won, Baek Ji Heon, Song Ha Young, Lee Na Kyung, Lee Sae Rom, Lee Seo Yeon, Lee Chae Young, and Lee Hae In. The ranking of the top nine was not announced, and the show did not reveal the current rankings for the other students.
The students’ final exam performances will continue in the next episode of “Idol School,” which now airs on Fridays at 11 p.m. KST.


text:
TSP Funds Overview
We specialize in helping Federal Employees maximize their benefits.
We will also help you avoid potentially devastating mistakes that can cost you thousands of dollars over the course of your retirement.
The C Fund invests in the stocks of large and medium-sized U.S. companies and the objective of the C Fund is to match the performance of the Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) Index.
The F Fund is a bond-index tracking fund and involves government, corporate, and mortgage-backed bond investments.
The G Fund is a government securities investment that is specially issued to the TSP.
The I Fund consists of international stocks from more than 20 developed countries.

domain: finance


Polyrize new cybersecurity platform to help automate the authorization security in the cloud
Polyrize officially launched its cybersecurity platform to help enterprise security teams automate the authorization security process across native and non-native cloud environments.
Leveraging a proxyless approach and a machine learning engine, Polyrize continuously authorizes identities and gives security teams centralized control over permissions and actions — across any IaaS and SaaS environments — to prevent unauthorised access from internal or external threats.
The company is also announcing it has raised a $4M seed round led by Glilot Capital Partners.
“The shift to the public cloud and the rapid adoption of SaaS and IaaS have created a borderless perimeter in the enterprise,” said Nati Hazut, CEO and co-founder, Polyrize.
“Applications today are largely distributed and managed disparately by different people within an organization. System owners have become the new access owners, making it nearly impossible to understand who has access rights and authorization to company assets.
“Bottom line is security teams have lost control. That’s precisely why we built Polyrize: to provide security teams with a true zero-trust approach to protecting identity access in the cloud.”
Built by experts in cyber intelligence from Israel’s Defense Forces, Polyrize is the first and only system able to correlate user permissions with actual identity behavior across any cloud.
It’s also the only platform able to break down any service terminology to its fundamental building blocks. Leveraging the company’s proprietary identity graph technology and advanced AI capabilities, Polyrize provides security teams with a centralized view of internal and external user identities, access privileges and behavior.
“While the public cloud has been a great enabler for business, an increasing number of services and applications have made access logic, permission sets, resources, capabilities and risks much more difficult to manage,” said Aviv Gabay, co-founder and CTO, Polyrize.
“Security teams are struggling to adjust and, in many cases, are forced to manually learn, analyze and secure each identity on each service separately. Polyrize allows those teams to set effective controls around all of the different cloud services and maintain the precise level of involvement needed to control identity access, and protect against internal and external threats.”
“Today’s enterprise security teams fly blind post log-in,” said Kobi Samboursky, co-founder and Managing Partner at Glilot Capital Partners.
“They simply lack the tools to understand who has access to what, and why. As emphasis is moving toward cloud and Zero Trust, access becomes the last defense line. When we first met Nati and the team, we were immediately aligned with their vision and mission of securing authorization.
“We are thrilled to have the company join our portfolio and to play a role in its growth and success for years to come.”


text:
Apple outs SMC update for Macbook Pro systems
Apple has recently released an update for their latest range of their MacBook Pro Systems. This update actually resolved the issue of the systems which may cause unexpected shutdown under heavy workload if the battery is at low level while running under wall power.
However, Apple has not mentioned the specific version where this update is applicable but it will install only on those models where it applies. The size of this upload is small as 730KB and is available on their update web page. They have also mentioned that it requires a Mac OS X 10.6.8 or OS X 110.7.2 for installing the update.
It is also mentioned on their site as the update is to be installed while connecting the system to the power source or the system need to have at least 25 percent of charge left. After installing the update the computer will restart with a gray screen along with a status bar to indicate the progress of the update.
Please go through their other instructions carefully before updating, although it doesn’t seem to be a tough job.


text:
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domain: game


When most people think of the cause of greenhouse gases, they see images of factories and cars belching carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
In Brazil, the blame is being put on cows and the ranchers who raise them.
According to a study by Brazilian university researchers published by the newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, the cattle-farming sector accounted for one billion tones of Brazil's greenhouse gases in 2005, or half of the country's total.
The slash-and-burn deforestation of vast areas of the Amazon to make short-lived pastures is the worst contributor, followed by the methane released by cow burps and farts.
Not content with ruining their own environment, they are destroying our beef industry as well.


text:
Affiliation: Oregon Health and Science University
- Histone modifications associated with herpes simplex virus type 1 genomes during quiescence and following ICP0-mediated de-repressionHeather M Coleman
Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
J Gen Virol 89:68-77. 2008..This observation suggests that acetylation of histone H3 in response to ICP0 expression is not uniformly targeted across the HSV-1 genome during ICP0-mediated de-repression...
- Identification and characterization of human cytomegalovirus-encoded microRNAsFinn Grey
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR 97201, USA
J Virol 79:12095-9. 2005..These studies demonstrate that human cytomegalovirus encodes multiple conserved miRNAs and suggest that human cytomegalovirus may utilize an miRNA strategy to regulate cellular and viral gene function...
- A human cytomegalovirus-encoded microRNA regulates expression of multiple viral genes involved in replicationFinn Grey
Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
PLoS Pathog 3:e163. 2007..This study demonstrates the ability of a viral miRNA to regulate multiple viral genes...
- The functions of herpesvirus-encoded microRNAsFinn Grey
Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health Sciences University, 505 NW 185th Ave, Portland, OR 97006, USA
Med Microbiol Immunol 197:261-7. 2008..In this review, we will cover the identification and characterization of miRNAs expressed in the herpesvirus family and discuss the potential significance of their role in viral infection...
- Identification and function of human cytomegalovirus microRNAsFinn Grey
Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR 97006, USA
J Clin Virol 41:186-91. 2008..Such studies will enable us to define the functional role of viral miRNAs and gain a better understanding of viral gene regulation...
- A viral microRNA down-regulates multiple cell cycle genes through mRNA 5'UTRsFinn Grey
Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
PLoS Pathog 6:e1000967. 2010..Deletion of miR-US25-1 from HCMV results in over expression of cyclin E2 in the context of viral infection. Our studies demonstrate that a viral miRNA mediates translational repression of multiple cellular genes by targeting mRNA 5'UTRs...
- Cytomegalovirus microRNA expression is tissue specific and is associated with persistenceChristine Meyer
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and The Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
J Virol 85:378-89. 2011..Our study identified the miRNAs expressed by RCMV in vitro and in vivo and demonstrated that expression is tissue specific and associated with a stage of viral infection...
- Rat cytomegalovirus gene expression in cardiac allograft recipients is tissue specific and does not parallel the profiles detected in vitroDaniel N Streblow
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, 505 SW 185th St, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
J Virol 81:3816-26. 2007....
- Characterization of a neurovirulent aciclovir-resistant variant of herpes simplex virusFinn Grey
Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, Cambridge University, Tennis Court Road, UK
J Gen Virol 84:1403-10. 2003..Thus, this variant is the major component in virus reactivated from latently infected ganglia. Mutation frequency appears to be influenced by the genetic background of the virus...

domain: medical


text:
Some workers at a Los Angeles-area McDonald’s walked off the job Friday over what they say are the fast-food giant’s inadequate response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The workers said they were angry over their hours being cut, and the restaurant chain allegedly failing to provide soap, gloves and any training on how to protect themselves from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
They were also protesting the company’s decision to stay open despite Gov. Gavin Newsome’s statewide “stay at home” order — which provided exemptions for essential services including food service.
“McDonald’s is treating us like we are something other than human beings,” said Angelica Hernandez, who organizers say helped lead the Los Angeles walkout. “They are not taking care of workers at a time when we are putting ourselves at great danger to help the company keep operating during this crisis.”
Workers at a McDonald’s in San Jose walked off the job for the same reason on Thursday.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A message on the McDonald’s website dated March 17 notes that the company is taking the following precautions due to the outbreak:
— Encouraging all restaurants to move to drive-thru, delivery and take-out
— Encouraging restaurants to close down all dine-in seating, including suspending the use of self-service beverage bars and kiosks
— Supplying sanitizer for employees and customers who visit our restaurants
— Encouraging employees to wash hands even more frequently than normal
— Increasing surface cleaning and sanitizing across the restaurant in high-impact areas
— Closing all Play Place attractions.


text:
Governments need money to fix the roads; to keep airports running; to keep bridges safe; to pay the armed forces; to maintain fire departments and police departments; to maintain a clean and secure water supply and to provide a social safety net for the old, infirm or less fortunate.
The common good, as described by Professor Esther Reed in her contribution to a 2014 document on Taxation and Morality, is humanity’s shared project of living together. It is less about the specifics and substance of what that common good is than an understanding that the common good is a communal endeavour and a recognition that people exist in relation to each other.
The tragedy of the commons is often cited in support of a capitalist model. The fact that everyone acting rationally in their own self-interest can destroy a shared resource should more properly be understood not as a reason to extol the pursuit of private property and self-interest without regard for the need of others, but rather as a reason to derive a better understanding of the common good.
Politics and the Common Good
Agreement on what the common good is quickly becoming a question of politics. There would be no requirement for taxation without government spending. In the Big Picture – a site referenced before in these articles – a team brought together by Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, pulls together the financial picture of the USA and gives insights to federal, state and local finances.
Government spending is an expression of the things a society holds important as part of the common good. Government spending represents the accumulation of priorities established by both (in the case of the United States) political parties. It is something that citizens on both sides of the political divide have had a share in creating.
In the United States, currently, expenditures exceed revenues collected and the government must borrow to fund the gap. Taxation is how revenues are collected. If the common good has a moral underpinning – there are both secular and religious arguments that say it does – then there is a moral basis for taxation and, necessarily, a moral argument that evading or avoiding tax is immoral.
Is Legality the Right Standard?
Arguments have been made that taxation is unconstitutional. Brushaber vs. Union Pacific Railroad squashed this argument. Evading tax – consciously ignoring the rules requiring a particular tax result – is both criminal and immoral. The grey area is tax avoidance. A common reaction to the publication of the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers is to ask what is wrong with engaging in legal planning to avoid taxes that would otherwise be payable?
Legality is not always an acceptable answer to questions of morality. Slavery and child labour were once legal. They were never morally acceptable. Asserting compliance with a complex web of rules governing taxation in jurisdictions that overlap and interlock in sometimes incoherent ways cannot be a sufficient answer to questions of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Milton Friedman’s quote:
“There is one and only one social responsibility of business–to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud”
is relevant and often cited in discussions of what constitutes CSR. Friedman’s quotes can be a rich source of discussion, but the words can be parsed in different ways. Staying within the ‘rules of the game’ requires an understanding of the rules and, of course, what the game is.
If ‘the game’ is the business of producing profits for shareholders, that begs the question of what the profits are for. Those who argue that the common good is a lofty goal beyond the responsibility of corporate decision-making may have been overtaken by evolving norms of CSR.
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on November 3 2013 where he urged passage of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act. He claimed that:
“Apple’s antidiscrimination policy goes beyond the legal protections U.S. workers currently enjoy under federal law, most notably because we prohibit discrimination against Apple’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees. A bill now before the U.S. Senate would update those employment laws, at long last, to protect workers against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”
While claiming to hold Apple to a higher standard than that imposed by law in this area, Cook has a slightly different approach to taxation. His standard is that Apple pays every dollar of taxes owed under current law in the US and in the jurisdictions in which it operates. Perhaps – though the recent release of the Paradise Papers makes that unclear. Apple’s effective tax rate, depending on how the calculation is done, is between 15-24%, far short of the 35% marginal rate of corporate tax. Holding the company to a higher standard in nondiscrimination than the standard of minimum legal compliance in tax law appear inconsistent.
Regardless of whether Cook is aware of the choices he is making in the area of taxation, moral choices are being made as a matter of CSR. The definition of what comprises the common good has entered the realm of corporate decision-making. It is a threshold once crossed that cannot be retraced.
Tax Reform in the United States
How does this relate to tax reform in the United States? The reasons why tax reform triggers such passionate widespread coverage is precisely because taxation is a moral issue. The burden is clear and, because the burden must be shared, the issue of how that burden is shared goes to matters of fairness.
If the reduction in the corporate tax rate to 20% is made permanent, but the reductions in personal taxation and the adjustment of bands of taxation sunset after ten years in order to comply with the parliamentary procedure of Reconciliation and the Byrd Rule, that seems unfair. If the forgiven tuition of post-graduate students becomes taxable but the carried interest loophole remains, that seems unfair.
The constraints for passage of tax reform are a product of the current hyper-partisan state of politics. Because no-one expects that both parties in the Senate will be able to work together for tax reform; and because Senate Republicans are – probably correctly – convinced that if they do not pass tax reform this year, they will suffer electorally in the 2018 elections, tax reform must be able to pass with a simple majority. Reconciliation first requires a budget resolution to have been passed. This has been done already and permits a 10-year deficit not exceeding $1.5trn. Providing a tax bill is not scored by the Joint Committee on Taxation to exceed this deficit, it may be passed with a simple majority. Whether this procedure has been complied with can be objected to as a procedural matter. The matter is ultimately decided by the Senate Parliamentarian.
The moral underpinnings of taxation are clear. Whether current tax reform proposals conform to a broadly held understanding of the common good is not clear. Frustratingly, it is not even apparent that this is the criterion for approving tax reform. That appears to have much more to do with the pragmatic calculations of electoral survival. Congress would seem to be engaged in its own version of the tragedy of the commons – the shared resource, in this case, being the United States’ economy.
UN Drug Treaties Need to Rethink Cannabis
Europe, in general, is less concerned with religion and the personal morality of others (pre-marital sex, adultery) than the United States, according to a Pew Research Center poll. So why is cannabis legalisation facing a more difficult time in Europe than in the US? Perhaps because they also trust the government more and cannot petition to overturn or change unpopular laws as they can in the US.
An unasked question is whether governments or the people can or should violate international agreements – such as the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which prohibits non-medical sales of marijuana – unilaterally, and what the consequences might be. We may soon find out. Canada is poised to start selling recreational marijuana on July 1, and Uruguay already has.
A Right to Marijuana?
While the US government hasn’t legalised marijuana, approximately 30 of its 50 US states – plus Washington, DC – have legalised putatively medical marijuana, and eight also have legal recreational marijuana. Almost all won those rights not through the local legislative process but instead by a voter referendum. Most European citizens don’t have that power, perhaps because they aren’t as suspicious of the government as the US, or aren’t as fanatic about personal liberty and responsibility as the government taking care of them. Free speech (it’s much harder to be convicted of libel in the US), the right to own and bear arms, and even resistance to universal healthcare are examples of this US mindset.
This mindset also means that change in the US usually begins at the local state level. That’s why the late US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously referred to the states as ”laboratories of democracy” in 1932. Sometimes state laws become federal laws by a decision of the Supreme Court, such as abortion and same-sex marriage.
Marijuana Harms Vs. Benefits
In the US federal law still prohibits all uses of marijuana, medical or not, because of marijuana’s inclusion on Schedule 1 of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. That means it is officially considered highly addictive, unsafe for any use and with no medical benefits. Marijuana is similarly included in the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
That is stuff and nonsense. At the very least cannabis is safer and less addictive than many legal drugs, including alcohol and the prescription drugs driving the opioid epidemic. Unlike those deadly but legal substances, no one has ever overdosed on marijuana, and it is arguable whether or not it is physically addictive.
In Texas, though half of the US Drug Enforcement Agency offices consider marijuana the number one threat, it had zero associated overdose deaths. The drug that the other half name, methamphetamine, had 715 deaths attributed to it in 2016 alone, so it’s clear which rehab centres in Texas should be most concerned about.
Cannabis also has demonstrated anecdotal health benefits for many conditions, including chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even opioid addiction. Its very illegality makes accumulating rigorous scientific evidence, or even getting approval for such studies, almost impossible.
Marijuana’s probable benefits (versus its low risk) are why so many US states have legalised medical marijuana, despite its illicit nature. That the US so widely violates those treaties in regard to marijuana (as well as federal law) seems ironic since many believe marijuana is included in the treaties largely because the US government wanted it there.
US Government Still Opposes Marijuana
Apparently, it still does. US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a legalisation opponent, has made threatening noises about enforcing the federal marijuana laws for months. In early January he rescinded two memos that had encouraged federal law enforcement to defer to state law so long as certain guidelines were met (no access to minors, no shipping across state lines, etc.).
Even in the face of Sessions chomping at the bit to enforce federal marijuana laws, more states are considering legalisation. Missouri, Oklahoma and Utah could pass medical marijuana laws this year, and Michigan and New Jersey seem almost certain to pass recreational laws.
Certainly, the tax revenue derived from marijuana sales is one draw. Colorado, the first state to enact recreational marijuana laws, reported $193.6m in tax and fee revenue from marijuana in 2016. California, which began recreational sales this month, anticipates at least $1bn in tax revenue annually.
Some opponents, without much evidence, claim the costs of legalisation will mostly cancel out these revenues, but most studies find little or no change. Maybe more people will seek treatment at luxury rehabs in California.
At least one item still dissuading Sessions from following through on his threats is the Rohrabacher–Farr Amendment, which prohibits the Justice Department from spending funds to enforce federal marijuana laws in states that have legalised it. It is part of the budget resolution that the Congress keeps kicking down the road, most recently to January 19 (and they may kick it again). Sessions wants Congress to remove it.
Justin Strekal, political director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), says that wouldn’t end marijuana use in those states, merely return it to the black market, which could put $7bn back into the hands of drug cartels.
Barriers to Legalisation Remain
Those three international drug treaties might be the most significant barrier to total marijuana legalisation in the US and elsewhere. Even if the US Congress chooses to change the law to make marijuana legal, or the executive branch removes marijuana from Schedule 1 (either by moving it to another, less restrictive schedule or deleting it altogether), those treaties still stand. Changing them would require an international effort and cooperation.
Violating the terms unilaterally might encourage other governments to act similarly, maybe with more harmful drugs such as heroin. The US is arguably the biggest supporter of these treaties. If it doesn’t comply with them, even in the narrow case of marijuana, the door will be open to other exceptions. (The Single Convention already has granted a major exemption to Bolivia for its tradition of chewing coca leaves, from which cocaine is derived, in 2013.)
On the other hand, Uruguay made marijuana completely legal to its citizens on July 19, 2017, and it is also a signatory to the Single Convention on Narcotics, but the sky hasn’t fallen yet (though it and the US have been under United Nations investigation since at least 2015).
Even if the US does nothing, maintaining the status quo, the effects of such a treaty violation may be felt when Canada’s legalisation law goes into effect later this year. The federal government in Ottawa says the provinces will receive 75% of tax revenues derived from cannabis sales, expected to be between $400m and $1bn annually.
Treaties Can be Changed
Canada could have withdrawn from the treaties completely. That requires a year’s notice, and sales are scheduled to begin July 1, 2018. Instead, Canada seems likely to stay with the treaties but just disregard them as far as marijuana is concerned. That might hurt its international reputation in general, and its attempt to get on the UN Security Council in particular, but other penalties seem unlikely.
There are ways around the treaties – the Transnational Institute suggests several in a 2016 briefing paper here – or of changing or writing new cannabis-only treaties. Stanford University’s Keith Humphreys, a Professor of Psychiatry, thinks it would be relatively easy for the world community to write a cannabis-specific treaty without unravelling the entirety of international drug treaties.
Mexico has legalised medical cannabis nationwide and is set to legalise marijuana-based medicines, foods, drinks, cosmetics and other products this year. A poll in the International Journal of Drug Policy found that 40% of respondents in Chile and Colombia favour legalising marijuana too.
With some form of marijuana available in almost all of North America, it’s time to amend not only US law but the international drug treaties to reflect reality, decriminalise cannabis and study its real harms and benefits.
Bitmain Considers Canada Move
The Chinese bitcoin miner is looking to expand abroad and is eyeing up Canada.
Editor’s Remarks: Although Bitmain has not confirmed that it is seeking an overseas relocation because of China’s recent announcement that it will clamp down on cryptocurrency trading, it is unlikely to be a coincidence. Just a few days ago, the company said it had also opened a new branch in Switzerland, which would play an essential role in its further global expansion. Now, it has publicly said that it is considering an expansion to Canada’s Quebec region, which will give Bitmain access to cheap hydropower to power its mining operations, leading a number of crypto miners to move there.
Read more on Bitcoin:
US Healthcare: Income Disparity and the ‘$1trn Toll’
Valued at $18.62trn, US GDP ranks third in purchasing power parity behind China’s $21.29 and the EU’s $19.97trn. Considering China’s population of 1.38 billion, the EU’s 516 million and the US’s 326 million inhabitants, US production is impressive. But what those goods and services yield to society is what matters. In the US, over $3trn of the GDP is derived from healthcare. Of this total, at least $1trn is a regressive toll; a tax that exacerbates income disparity, stifles creativity, hurts competitiveness, and returns negative yields to society. It is unsustainable.
The toll is the difference between what the US spends on healthcare per GDP compared to western counterparts.
Healthcare expenditures in the United States as a percentage of GDP peaked in 2010 at 17.9% before falling to a current level of 17.1%. Despite this downward trend, US outlays easily remain the highest in the modern world.
Other countries’ healthcare expenditures as a percentage of GDP are: Sweden 11.9%, France 11.5%, Germany 11.3%, Cuba 11.1%, Canada 10.4%, Japan 10.2%, Australia 9.4, U.K. 9.1%, Israel 7.8%, Russia 7.1%, Iran 6.9%, China 5.5% and India 4.7.Averaging western powers Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the U.K. comes to 10.31% of GDP—meaning the U.S. spends a staggering 65% more than its peers.
The Issues with Comparisons
Parallels can be problematic. Comparing nations’ healthcare costs and outcomes is not the equivalent of comparing apples to apples. Each country has unique attributes: obesity levels, median age, youth dependency, elderly dependency, total dependency rates and more. However, contrasting nations is not apples to oranges; it’s more like comparing two different types of apples.
Thus, costs and outcomes can be reasonably assessed. What is so unnerving about the US is that the median age and elderly dependency ratio, both key drivers of overall healthcare costs, are lower in the US than all its western competitors. At 43.3%, Japan’s elderly dependency ratio is nearly double that of the US.
No matter how one slices and dices key metrics, healthcare costs to US citizens are disturbing. Obscene adult obesity levels plague the nation. Maternal death rates run 1.5 to 3 times higher than direct competitors. Infant mortality rates run closer to Russia’s pathetic healthcare outcomes than US allies. Lastly, life expectancy in the US is one to five years less compared to the UK, Germany, France, Canada and Japan.
Many argue the premium that America spends on healthcare funds ground-breaking research, leading technology, and revolutionary drugs. Yet, for the majority of the lower and middle-class, these investments have failed to generate expected returns. The reason is the underlying financial model employed by the United States. While most modern societies utilize some form of universal insurance, the US rejects it—labeling it socialism.
Instead, America administers an inferior structure designed to generate revenues from a plethora of tests and dispensed medicines after disabling diseases, chronic ailments and incapacitating disorders are on set. The arrangement explodes costs and diverts monies from wellness and preventive care. If best-practices were implemented, more efforts would be directed to proven strategies prior to an illness that lead to positive outcomes.
More importantly, budget-busting end of life decisions would become more rational and humane – saving countless billions over time. Instead, Americans have been brainwashed to accept negative yields from their healthcare investments in the name of capitalism.
The Conservative View
Most conservatives scoff at these suggestions and believe that a return to pure capitalism would cure America’s healthcare crisis. The problem is free-markets tend to lean towards profits calculated in dollars, not outcomes. Equally, the good old days of healthcare delivered under free-market principles is a fallacy. The capitalistic principles in America’s healthcare have been defiled since WWII. The most egregious example is employer healthcare costs subsidized by federal and state governments that encourages massive fraud and abuse. These write-offs totalled $235bn in 2017 and are by far the single largest tax expenditure in the budget.
A prime example of the power of universal insurance is national defence. It protects all citizens equally. The free market then allows individuals to scale upon that – i.e. 2nd amendment rights. To achieve the best relative returns in healthcare, the same concepts should be applied. Base blanket coverage should be offered for all citizens with free-market alternatives available for those who want supplemental benefits. The additional coverage should be available for purchase from any insurer in the world—at true risk-adjusted market rates—without any tax implications.
In summary, to reverse the growing menace of income disparity, the most effective initiative the US can implement is universal healthcare. If provided, positive effects would be immediate. Employment costs would plummet, enabling companies to hire additional staff. For the majority, the soul-crushing financial costs and unknowns of healthcare would be lifted. The multiplier effect would be supercharged as incomes expanded and expenses pared. Mental health would improve and further reduce healthcare costs. The gains are incalculable.
Unfortunately, without a Democratic supermajority, the prospect of universal coverage is a pipe dream. America beware. If current levels of income disparity continue or even widen as anticipated by the new tax bill, expect the upper class to become complacent and the disenfranchised to disengage – it’s human nature. The consequences: up and down society, competitive spirits will be subdued. American hegemony will be jeopardized.
Implementing universal care is not the be-all-end-all answer to what ails America. But doing so will reduce costs and redirect monies to other social products and services that better serve society. Then, regardless of wealth or status, everyone will be afforded one of the necessary pillars to thrive in a competitive world—good health. What is more valuable than that? If the proverb “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,” is accepted as gospel, then providing basic fundamental healthcare cradle to grave should be too. Status quo is not an option. If income disparity is left unchecked, the United States risks entering a death spiral—it’s called an “American Spring.”
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A Young Woman Who Reflects the Heart of Jesus
Vendor: Harvest House Publishers
Publication Date: April 01, 2011
Number of Pages: 224
Dimensions: 8 × 5.25 (inches)
The pressure on teens today is intense. Peers, the media, and the Internet urge teen girls to \"fit in\" by imitating role models who live by worldly values instead of focusing on matters of the heart.
There\'s no better mentor for young women than Jesus. From His life and dealings with people they can discover what really counts in life and live Jesus before others!
From Jesus teen girls will see how to…
- cultivate God\'s kind of attitudes and conduct
- make choices that display Jesus\' heart for God and people
- follow Jesus and His example with confidence
- count on God\'s strength as they grow in Christlike character
An exciting and practical book that will help young women walk in Jesus\' footsteps!
Includes a study guide ideal for personal or group use.
Elizabeth George, whose books have sold more than 9 million copies, is the author of A Woman After God’s Own Heart® (more than 1 million copies sold) and A Young Woman After God’s Own Heart. She’s also a popular speaker at Christian women’s events. Elizabeth and her husband, Jim, are parents and grandparents, and have been active in ministry for more than 30 years.


It is possible for core leaky mode to couple with cladding defect leaky mode when the cladding defect is close to fiber core. Dispersion properties and propagation loss of core mode will be affected in some extent once the coupling occurs. But a complete coupling between two leaky modes not always happens even the phase matching condition is satisfied. Leaky mode coupling in photonic crystal fiber with a hybrid cladding which includes low-index and high-index inclusions at the same time is numerically investigated based on a full vector finite element method. It is found that not only phase matching but also loss matching plays an important role in leaky mode coupling. The originally intersecting dispersion curves for the two leaky modes will split and become another two new curves due to the anti-crossing effect when both the real and imaginary parts of their mode effective refractive indices are equal. There is not splitting but some perturbation in dispersion curves for the two phase matching leaky modes when their losses are not equal. A theoretic explanation is also given to these phenomena.
© 2008 Optical Society of AmericaFull Article | PDF Article


This year, I was one of the photographers for Manchester Jazz Festival. I wanted to do something a little different that was still music and jazz-related but not specifically dancing. It was certainly a very different experience to photographing a dance event.
I didn’t shoot that much — even less than intended due to the surprise of a venue demanding rights to my images as a condition of entry — I was a lot less busy than my 35+ hours of taking photos and editing that I do during a dance weekend, so I felt at a loose end a lot of the time. I don’t know whether that’s a good or bad thing though?!
I saw some bloody good music and some brilliant performers like this band, Young Pilgrims. They put on a right show and were just loving life. They were an absolute joy to photograph.
My friend Higgsy once told me he didn’t like jazz because ‘[he] once went to a bar and it was just people spitting in trumpets and a really weird vibe’. I never understood that until this festival. As much good music as I saw, I think I realised that I don’t like that weird arty jazz. I think being in the swing dance world has given me a bit of a pigeon-holed view of the genre. Seeing Pete Long, Gordon Webster or our local bands like Alligator Gumbo or the Red Canary Dance Band perform will always fill me with joy. I love the energy that those bands, and ones like Young Pilgrims, give off — but I’m not sure I can ever get on board with the 15 minute songs and bands that take themselves super seriously.
I was really impressed by the MSC Big Band — I had super-low expectations seeing it was a student group, but I was blown away by how tight their set was. I was also pretty impressed by just how many people they managed to get on one stage at once.
The lighting was really lovely at this venue too. Bloody love me some good stage lights.
I also managed to get some shots for one of the outside stages before it chucked it down.
A huge shout out to all the tech that weekend too. Tech are the unsung heroes of every event. They’re just in the background all the time but bad sound, lighting or stage management can really make or break an event.
I’m not really buzzing with this set of images — they’re OK. But, I also don’t know if that’s off the back of an ‘OK’ experience taking photos. I had an alright time, but like I said, it wasn’t really my vibe.
I would have loved to see a bit more local representation from the bands and DJs that I’ve supported for years. Manchester, and the North West in general, are abundant with really talented DJs and bands — but I guess it’s what I know and love, so I’ll always want to see them and be disappointed when I don’t. I’d really love it if Manchester Jazz Festival was a showcase of Manchester and Northern talent, and gives the bands and DJs that are out there slogging locally a platform to be seen by new audiences. But I guess every festival must make their choices and decide what they want from their event.
If you’re reading this and want to discover some of the local talent:
- Dr Sid — you can catch him on Thursdays at The Refuge for Honey Cooler
- Windy Wardlaw/A-train Swing
- Mr Scruff
- Kelvin Brown
- The Easy Rollers — regulars for the Manchester Swing Dance Scene.
- Alligator Gumbo — probably my favourite band to see dancing or otherwise. They have such an atmosphere. They’re bloody great.
- Red Canary Dance Band — fab trio based in Leeds. Who can go wrong with a band that bring a washboard?
- Speakeasy Bootleg Band — they’re laid back, the music is funky.
- The Gelatos — one of Manchester’s hardest working bands, IMHO. You’ll see them performing all over the city
- Sunday Best Jazz Band — Mancunian-based 5 piece who knock all the jazz classics out of the park
- Louis Louis Louis — from over the pennines, you’ll see these guys performing all over too. They always put on a cracker of a show
Both these lists could go on and on and on, seriously. There are some bloody talented people in this region.


Simply locate and secure with a screw
It only needs to be secured onone side, but may be secured on both sides if required
Rittal TS Mounting rail can be installed on the vertical TS enclosure section, the horizontal TS enclosure section and CM base configuration rail. It features zinc-plated sheet steel construction to offer enhanced durability and corrosion resistance. Mounting rail comes with assembly screws to offer easy and convenient installation.
|Ships Ground. Eligible for expedited shipping||Yes|
|Application||For Vertical TS Enclosure Section, Outer Mounting Level, Horizontal TS Enclosure Section, CM Base Configuration Rail|


I haven't written on this blog for a while. I have been super busy with the OBAMA BALLOT CHALLENGE here in California. We have finally filed in court (Jan 6) and have received two idiotic demurrers from Mr. Soetoro (aka BHO) and from the California Department of Justice who represents Debra Bowen, the California Secretary of State. So things have been busy.
The thing I want to write about today is concerning the news conference that is slated for “high noon” that Sheriff “Joe” Arpio will have in Arizona. It is promised to be a “shocker” but he has stated he will withhold all comments as to what direction the “Obama Investigation” is taking. So we are all waiting breathlessly for the “big Sheriff-Joe-news-announcement.”
World Net Daily has been heavily promoting today’s news conference:
For some reason I just cannot trust any governmental group… especially a Sheriff’s Department. I cannot believe that they will go outside the mainstream law enforcement mindset and actually perform a legitimate investigation of the Soetoro CRIMES. The list is many and if only one has merit, then Soetoro will be a marked felon, and the Sheriff Department MUST issue a warrant for his arrest. But I think little true “investigation” will be performed… I hope a honest investigation will have been conducted but I just don’t have the faith to believe so.
It is my speculation that no investigation of Soetoro’s drug ties and drug dealings will be mentioned. The Larry Sinclair matter of 2008 and 2009 is well known and should be easy to investigate. If Soetoro actually dealt drugs to Sinclair, surely there is a trail a mile long of other drug involvement and dealings.
I will be looking for the Sheriff’s Department conclusions on the two forged birth certifications. It should be easy to get a handwriting expert to verify the signature on the April 27, 2011 B.C. and tell whether or not it is a forged document of a State of Hawaii Health Department Official. Is it a felony or not? (It is!) Does the normal signature of the Health Department Director really have a happy face on it? Is there truly a Hawaiian Registrar with a single name “Ukulele?”
Or, did the Sheriff’s Department discover that Mr. Soetoro truly did not have to reapply for citizenship after he was adopted by Lolo Soetoro in the sixties and did Mr. Soetoro in fact have the necessary rights of citizenship to re-enter the U.S. as a former Indonesian citizen and wander about the land (as he currently does) without the proper documents or is he an illegal alien?
Did the Sheriff’s Department discover the reason why Mr. Soetoro and Mrs. Soetoro (Obama) both lost their law licenses? Was it a criminal reason? Was it corruption while serving as officers of the court?
And did the Sheriff Department even bother to look into the false and bogus Social Security numbers that appears on the White House Federal Income Tax 1040 forms (2009, 2010, and 2011)? What is the Sheriff’s Department’s response and conclusions regarding the other Social Security numbers that Mr. Soetoro has been using… and what is their response that Mr. Soetoro does not pass eVerify?
What was Soetoro’s part in the “pay to play” matter of the Governor of Illinois “selling the Senate seat” that Soetoro held before Soetoro usurped the White House?
Why can I not believe the Sheriff Arpaio’s report will have any of these felony charges anywhere in the report he will give in about four hours. If even ONE of these felony charges have merit, an arrest warrant MUST be issued for Mr. Soetoro. But I am not going to hold my breath! I don’t foresee the Sheriff to have the courage to say that Mr. Soetoro must step down from his office until more investigation can be made on the felony crimes he seems to be associated with. I hope, no I PRAY I am wrong and the Sheriff indeed has done an awesome investigation and WE THE PEOPLE finally have someone in law enforcement on our side… We will soon know.
Edward C. Noonan


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Nagpur is located in Maharashtra state in India. Thus it can be said that Nagpur falls in the Deccan plateau region. Nagpur is bordered by Amravati and Wardha in the west, Bhandara in the east and Chandrapur in the south. In the north, it shares its boundary with the state of Madhya Pradesh of which it was a capital till 1956. The city population of 2,405,421 and occuping area of 228 km2.
It is an important city for Indian armed forces. The current headquarter of the Maintenance Command of Indian Air Force at Vayusena Nagar in Nagpur. Nagpur is fastest growing city in india in terms of the number of households with an annual income of Rs 1 crore or more. The city is important banking sector and it has the regional office of Reserve Bank of India. The Reserve Bank of India has two branches in Nagpur.
Nagpur Famous places are Tadoba National Park, Adasa, Khekranala, Markanda, Dhapewada, Nawegaon Dam, Ramtek, Pavnar, Pench National Park, Nagzira-Navegaon Tiger Reserve, Melghat Tiger Reserve, Bor Tiger Reserve, Umred Karhandla wildlife sanctuary.
Nagpur shopping malls are Express City mall in Express City, Eternity mall in Variety square, Poonam mall in wardhaman Nagar, Jaswant Tuli Mall in Indora.
Nagpur Bus Stand near by National Highway 12A, Medical College colony, Jabalpur and Railway Station near by Sitabuldi, Nagpur and Airport near by Wardha Road, Nagpur.
ErodeToday.com offers Information about Nagpur City, Banks and ATM, Hospitals, Hotels, Tourism, Travels, and Nagpur schools and colleges, Latest Jobs, Shopping Center, Computer Centers, Service Centers, Construction Company, Real-state, Automobile Showrooms, Nagpur Online Classifieds details are provided.

domain: geography


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The United States ranks 90th in the world in terms of women in national government. A mere 3 percent of CEO suites at Fortune 500 companies are occupied by women. Ditto for clout positions in the mainstream media. As troubling as these disparities are, the aspect of gender inequality that saddens actress and filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom most is people's passive reaction to it. "We're all so busy that sometimes we just accept the status quo and decide that it's too hard of a fight to fight."
In 2008 Newsom, '96, MBA '01, decided to walk the talk—in stilettos, no less. Her documentary Miss Representation premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in January. The 90-minute film explores how the barrage of stereotyped and sexualized media portrayals sabotages young women's self-esteem. It includes interviews with teenage girls as well as influential figures in politics, business and the media including Sen. Dianne Feinstein, '55, Condoleezza Rice, Google's Marissa Mayer, '97, MS '99, and television host Rachel Maddow, '94.
Newsom, who gave birth to her first child in September 2009, says her efforts are primarily dedicated to the girls of her daughter's generation. She wants to replace the current lineup of life-sized Barbie role models with women whose self-worth is based on more than just their physical appearance. A condensed version of the film with curricula for K-12 was released in May. The final version will air on the Oprah Winfrey Network in the fall.


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At an event on Wednesday put on by the New York chapter of the professional design association AIGA, the Hillary for America design team reunited to share their experiences working on a presidential campaign. Unlike many who work on political campaigns, most of the designers on stage didn’t come from a political or professional organizing background—they came from art schools, design studios, and tech firms. Many applied to the position on a whim, or because they supported Clinton personally; all ended up at the campaign headquarters in downtown Brooklyn for several months leading up to November, or up to a year.
At the event the team recounted spending long days and full weeks working in the center of a crucial, at times brutal, spectacle of a campaign. Executing an intricate branding strategy that included social media, state design, video, and web meant responding rapidly across all media, and doing an incredible amount of work in a short amount of time. It all ended pretty abruptly on November 8, to say the least—but they came away with insight into organizing and activism few designers have.
Since the election, we’ve seen leaders in the design field galvanize others to action and initiatives that encourage designers to do more to advance social progress. Countless groups, apps, and Google Docs have sprung up to help bring the right people together. But concrete steps for designers to use their skills most effectively are harder to come by.
Which is why it was refreshing to hear two HFA designers—Kara Haupt and Victor Ng—end the event with advice for designers wanting to get involved. In a nutshell? Be willing to step out of the design bubble and do the unglamorous, tedious, often frustrating work.
“We have to constantly ask ourselves if we’re using our skills, our talents, and our privileges to do the most good, not just good,” said Haupt, who led the content and rapid response team. “Doing the most good probably doesn’t look like making a poster and tweeting it, and it probably doesn’t look like an enamel pin. It’s probably not what seems cool or obvious or glamorous.”
Haupt and fellow staffer Meg Vazquez recently launched the website called Do The Most Good with resources for designers interested in political organizing. At the event, Ng elaborated on what to do to get started. Here are the key takeaways:
Be Well Versed In The Issues You Care About
On the campaign, designers had access to policy experts, researchers, activists who could brief them on every aspect of a policy decision before they set out to design a graphic or website around it. Before setting out to do any design work, Ng says to do your research and seek out others who have already been working in these sectors for years.
“Do your homework, seek out those experts who do the things you care about, follow them on Twitter or elsewhere, and be specific,” said Ng, who led web design on the campaign. “By doing your homework and staying informed, you can inform not just your design decisions, but the values and ideas behind your work.”
He also stressed the importance of lending your skills to local politicians or existing organizations before considering starting your own. “If you care about climate change, if you care about criminal justice reform, if you care about trans rights, if you care that black lives matter—there are so many organizations and people who could use your genius,” he said.
Identify the problems design can solve
Ng stressed the importance of working as an organizer before designing for organizing, since it’s always easiest to identify the pain points of the process when already involved. Something as simple as redesigning a sign-in sheet, for example, can make a big difference. “I saw organizers sign in volunteers in a spreadsheet, print that spreadsheet out, hand it to a different person who put it into the DNC database,” Ng said. “[It] took 15 minutes just to redesign that sign-in sheet so that the form fields match that database, and it instantly cut down on work time.”
The attitude when working on a community organizing or political project should be that no work is too big or too small. “It could be signage that helps volunteers and voters get to where they needed to go,” said Ng. It might be as ambitious as a brand-new app. Apps like Mobilize, Hustle, or Flippable are beginning to address problems like how to address your senators, how to text your voters, what are the key actions that you need to take to flip crucial red districts.”
“Effective movements require organization, and anyone who has designed products for people understands the value of empathy in your work,” Ng said. “So really immerse yourself in those processes that have been proven to make change.”
Being A Citizen Is As Important As Being A Designer
“If you employ designers, if you believe that inclusivity is an American value, show that in how you hire your team,” Ng said. Designers can uphold their own values by committing to fair compensation and diversity in the workplace. “You should make posters or march in the Women’s March, but make sure that your employees have paid maternity leave,” Ng said.
Most importantly, designers should decide who are the best people and what are the best causes to dedicate their talents to serve. “When history looks back at this moment, design may not be the hero of the story,” Ng said. “But if you really believe in doing all the good you can for all the people you can, and for as long as you can, design might be just one of many talents you have to do that.”

domain: design


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Megan’s New Skates
By Nick Alicino | Adapted by Lisa Alicino | Illustrated by Mariah Grace
Megan’s New Skates is a walk back in time. It recaptures the love, trust and unique bond that can only be shared by a father and daughter. Adapted from the original poem “Megan” by beloved Cooperstown NY writer Nick Alicino, “Megan’s New Skates” chronicles the writer’s own amazement and joy at the simple and unforgettable moments, and how much they should be savored before time passes too quickly.
Performed by Mark Hengst
Music: Symphony No.9 – 2nd Movement
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven
StoryChimes™ are a product of Siena Entertainment, LLC


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Bringing Vitality Back Into Your Life
Enjoy a relaxing,Therapeutic Massage in a peaceful location in Butte, Montana.
Kelli has a spritual & vibrational approach to bodywork. She is trained in multiple modalities and every massage is completely customized on an individual basis.
Specialties include: Hawaiian Lomi Lomi, SMRT (Spontaneous Muscle Release Technique), Energy Healing with NES Bioenergetics. Whether you want to wipe out that stress and tension, or are looking to eliminate those aches and pains, we can help…
“I have been a regular Client of Kelli’s for two years and highly recommend her to my friends and family! In fact, my children are her clients as well. I’ve used other massage therapists in the past and have found none to be as knowledgeable about the interconnectedness of the many elements of the skeletal-muscular system. Kelli is also very intuitive and I often find she can pinpoint my problem before our session even begins.
As I’ve moved forward past treatment for acute issues and toward more balanced health, Kelli’s NES Health system has been a beneficial addition to her services. It is fascinating to see how this new technology picks up on physical and emotional changes during each scan and can address them using vibrational medicine.
Kelli is very knowledgeable and her use of several healing modalities compliments nicely the whole experience. I feel grateful and extra lucky to have access to latest of innovative medicine.”
The body-field can be thought of as the operating system, supporting all the processing that occurs in the hardware of your body. When functioning in alignment, the body-field orchestrates harmonious balance in your body and mind, and encourages the body’s own ability to heal and be well.
Energy medicine in its many forms provides new alignment opportunities that promote growth on all levels.
Healing Visions Massage Therapy
1310 Sampson St,
Butte, Montana 59701,

domain: health


Likelihood cross-validation. The cross-validation method used for optimum kernel bandwidth estimation is based on the maximum likelihood principle. In a classical sense, the maximum likelihood principle considers the best “explanation” of the obsered data to be the probability model , that maximizes the likeliood function, which maximizes the probability of getting as the result what was actually observed. In density estimation, the probability model is to be estimated from the data which will also be used to test the goodness of fit of the statistical model. One can use, leave one out cross-validation can be defined as the likelihodds for each data point averaged, i.e.
The score is a function of bandwidth , since the density estimate for a fixed data set is a function of bandwidth and kernel type. The optimum choice of bandwidth by likelihood cross-validation is then


The James Bond movies are known for their thrilling car chases, innovative gadgets, and memorable performances by the lead character. However, a lesser-known hero is often overlooked: M, the head of MI-6. M has appeared on screen more than any Bond actor in the 007 series.
M, a character known only by a single letter, embodies the authority and spirit of MI-6. She represents a perfect combination of stern leadership, cunning, and deep responsibility, and has often been a grounding force for Bond’s flamboyant adventures. However, who held this powerful position for the longest time?
The Legacy of Judi Dench’s M in The James Bond Movie
When one thinks of the early days of Bond, it’s hard not to picture Bernard Lee’s stern yet fatherly portrayal of M. Lee graced the series for seventeen years across eleven movies, setting the gold standard. M was everything a top-secret intelligence head should be – mysterious, imposing, and always three steps ahead.
Suggested Article: “He’s scaring everyone in his life”: After Failed Romance With Katie Holmes, Jamie Foxx May Marry Someone Who Is Not An Famous Actor
Change is a constant in Hollywood, much like in the world of spying. Dame Judi Dench entered the scene and significantly impacted 1995’s Goldeneye. The movie rebooted the Bond series with Pierce Brosnan and introduced a gender-swapped M, shattering traditions and breaking glass ceilings.
Dench’s portrayal of M was revolutionary, as she wasn’t just a boss but also a moral compass, occasional antagonist, and an unlikely mentor, and an unlikely mentor. Did you know that Judi Dench has played M in more James Bond movies than any other actor has played Bond?
The actress has appeared in eight Bond films, one more than Roger Moore’s record of seven appearances as 007. While actors like Daniel Craig and Sean Connery are iconic in their own right, Dench holds the golden record for most appearances as M. Judi Dench’s performance in Casino Royale and Skyfall was abundant and exceptional.
Also Read: “I know that’s maybe a pipe dream”: Sylvester Stallone’s Avengers Dreams Looks Extremely Difficult Now After Disheartening Box Office Numbers Of ‘The Expendables 4’
An Unforgettable Exit and a Final Bow
The actress in the films brought out a different side to James Bond’s character through her portrayal of M. This revealed M’s vulnerability and strength, showcasing a more thoughtful and reflective aspect of her character.
The relationship between Bond and M in Skyfall was especially well-done, with a complex blend of respect, regret, and nuanced emotions. The movie Spectre presented a mix of emotions for viewers. Despite M’s death in Skyfall, her character made a touching appearance through a recorded message.
Read More: “I really hated doing it to everybody”: Gal Gadot Nearly Lost Her Limbs To Hypothermia After Being Forced To Film in Freezing Weather By Wonder Woman Director
Throughout the James Bond movie franchise, numerous actors have portrayed characters such as Bond, Moneypenny, Q, and Blofeld. However, Dame Judi Dench’s performance as M stands out in this constantly changing universe.
The debate over who the best Bond is may never cease, but there is one character in the series who stands out as a true mainstay. Dame Judi Dench’s portrayal of M is more than just a character; it is a legacy.
We would love to thank the author of this short article for this outstanding content
Not Even Daniel Craig or Sean Connery Could Beat This- Hollywood Actor Who Has Been in Most Number of James Bond Movies – FandomWire


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Classes have finally started, and boy are they keeping me busy! I'm once again loving Magical Theory and History, but Herbology just escapes me. I must have a black thumb rather than a green one!
Anyway, I did have a little spare time to find some more tutorials for you. Luckily this muggle computer my mum gave me lets me connect to the internet even from Hogwarts! Today its a bind off to match the cast on I posted previously - the Tubular Bind Off.
Much like the Tubular Cast On, I perform this cast off straight from ribbing, without the tubular stockinette stitch setup rows. I prefer it that way, but of course your experience may vary. Unfortunately, there are no YouTube videos for this one.
1. Text and picture description from My Fashionable Life. If I don't have my Monste Stanley with me, this is the guide I use.
2. Text only description, from a page full of useful information. Also include descriptions of different decreases, as well as the steps to the Kitchener stitch (more on that later, perhaps).
3. Text and picture walk through from KnitPicks.
4. Text and pictures from Crankygrrrrrl. This one includes how to join the cast off nicely into a round for socks/hats/what-have-you. Also, pretty bright colored yarn!
5. A slightly different text and picture guide. This one is all illustrations, not photos. Also, the technique is demonstrated with the piece off the needles.
6. Another text and picture walk through. I don't know if this one is as clear as the others.
7. A version from TECHknitting, that basically is Kitchener from two needles. It looks the same in the end, but this is not my preferred method.
I hope these help someone out there! I know that different people learn different ways, so even though these might seem repetitive, each other approaches the technique from their own perspective. If you don't get it from one tutorial, keep going down the list, someone else may describe it in a way that clicks for you.
Alright now, back to the books! If I'm going to have *any* knitting time before bed, I have to get finish this History of Magic homework... and make sure that the ink stains are off my fingers! I still need to master writing with quills =P

domain: hobby


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The moment you begin to think that you’ve seen the Philippines, we strongly suggest you think again. The more places we’ve visited in this beautiful archipelago, the more we are convinced that we’ve barely scratched the surface of what there is to see. When we first glanced on this photo, courtesy of Duane Sandicho (check his Instagram account, @dpsandicho, for more photos), we thought that it was taken from the airplane window and that it’s in some foreign land, somewhere in Jurassic Park perhaps. But we were sorely mistaken. This magnificent view is from the ruins of Cape Engaño lighthouse in Palaui Island, off the shores of Santa Ana, Cagayan Province. Those two rocky islets are called Dos Hermanos. That’s at the northern tip of the Philippines, near Batanes and the Calayan Island. What the picture failed to show, as with any photo, are the majestic landscape of Palaui Island and the beach in Cape Engaño Cove, identified by a travel site as one of the Top 100 beaches in the world (and filming location of Survivor: Blood vs. Water and Survivor: Cagayan). So, go ahead and visit Palaui Island (we’re sure it’s easy to search for directions on how to get there). Click the photo to enlarge.
Photo reproduced with permission (thanks). [Tag your Philippine travel photos with #visitpinas so we can track it down. Photos will be featured in this blog’s photo of the day and in instagram/VisitPinas, facebook/VisitPinas, twitter/VisitPinas.]


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Twilight hottie Robert Pattinson gives into Tyra Banks‘s request and fulfills every female her long-standing vampire fantasy.
The 22-year-old British actor was even taken aback when Tyra had three girls compete in a pie eating contest to win a piece of memorabilia from the movie. â€œI still canâ€™t believe they are making you guys do this,â€ he said. The winner, Tiffany Kuhne, was blindfolded and led outside to her prize — the Volvo that Robertâ€™s character, Edward Cullen, drives in the film.
Robert, 22, and co-star Taylor Lautner, 16, will appear on The Tyra Banks Show on Friday, November 28th.
Check out the video!
Robert Pattinson – The Tyra Banks Show, 11/28

domain: celebrity


Thursday's episode of the CBS soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful" is about the arrival of Maya and Nicole's father in Los Angeles. The episode also will show Wyatt telling Liam that he needs to treat Ivy better.
It will focus on Maya Avant (Karla Mosley), Nicole Avant (Reign Edwards), Julius Avant (Obba Babatundé), William "Liam" Spencer III (Scott Clifton), Ivy Forrester (Ashleigh Brewer), Alexandria "Aly" Forrester (Ashlyn Pearce), Katie Logan Spencer (Heather Tom), Wyatt (Darin Brooks) and Rick Forrester (Jacob Young).
The events follow Wednesday's episode, which showed Maya opening up to Nick about her mother and their issues, including the fact that she's transgender. As for Aly, she has a change of heart and attitude toward Steffy that the latter finds shocking.
Ivy and Wyatt had the models try on jewelry. Katie saw Wyatt putting a necklace around Ivy's neck. She teased Ivy about it. But Ivy clarifies that they're only friends. Katie advised Ivy that she shouldn't wait around for Liam. Katie suggested that she should keep her options open. Unfortunately, Wyatt likes Steffy too.
Wyatt talked to Nicole and apologized again for betraying her trust and humiliating Maya. Nicole told Maya that Wyatt said sorry to her. Maya thinks that Zende is a better choice for Nicole than Wyatt. Plus, Steffy confided to Liam that she's getting worried about Aly.
Spoiler alert! This article contains "The Bold and the Beautiful" spoilers. TV Guide reports that in Thursday's episode, Julius Avant demands that he wants his daughter Nicole to come back home immediately. Meanwhile, Wyatt reprimands Liam for stringing along Ivy while he flirts with Steffy. Wyatt thinks that Ivy deserves to be treated better by his brother.
A preview video for the show's Thursday episode was posted on the YouTube channel boldandbeautiful. It shows several scenes featuring Ivy, Katie, Maya, Nicole, Rick, Wyatt and Julius. Ivy tells Katie that she's important too, even if her relationship with Liam is not the same as the one he has with Steffy.
As for Maya, she tells Nicole that she shouldn't live without her parents. She also talks to Rick about not wanting to come between Nicole and their parents. Ivy tells Wyatt that Katie thinks she already lost Liam to Steffy. Julius tells Nicole that she is coming home and that she should simply accept that fact.
Watch "The Bold And The Beautiful" Preview Video For Thursday:


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Firearms Forum: .22 Rifle/Rimfire Discussion
03-03-2013, 03:39 PM
PLEASE HELP!!!! new to this forum so bare with...
PLEASE HELP!!!! new to this forum so bare with me. Just recently purchased a Springfield model 87A LR it's tube fed semi auto. I bought the gun real cheap so it was kind of a no brainer. If anyone...


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Baby Grand II: The Conspiracy
By Bill Ellingsen
Not yet rated.
Published: Oct. 17, 2012
Words: 87,351 (approximate)
In this second novel of the series, Kevin Johnson’s girlfriend Desiree Chantelle and both sets of grandparents are colluding to help launch his racing career. Hiding it from his parents is the least of his worries. Whether he’s up to the challenge is his main concern. Doing impressive things on a grassy field with a battered BMW 3 Series is one thing, competing on a racetrack is another.
In this second novel of the series, Desiree's fresh-out-of-alcohol-rehab mother Mandy needs a job. She has a lead on one, too. It's in Kevin's home town where the man she met at the Baby Grand unveiling lives and has connections in the school system. Her main focus should be taking care of her daughter, but that man is on her mind.
Kevin is buying a Baby Grand race car, not to be confused with the 1927 Miller dubbed "the Baby Grand" that they worked on all summer. Desiree and both sets of grandparents are colluding to help him launch his racing career. But his biggest concern is whether he's up for it. Doing impressive things on a grassy field with a battered BMW 3 Series is one thing, competing on a racetrack is another. Hopefully he inherited more than his facial features from Great-grandfather Paul "Throttle" Johnson.
Other books in the series: Baby Grand: The Beginning, Baby Grand III: The Big Time
Cover design by Daniel Cosgrove
, auto racing
, skinny dipping
, sexual tension
, alcoholic parent
, gay parent
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GUWAHATI: In a tribute to the late former principal, Dr. Bhagawan Chandra Maral, and litterateur Sushil Sarma, Praktan Pragjyotishya Sanmilani is set to host a two-day book exhibition at Pragjyotish College on January 29th and 30th. The exhibition aims to foster a love for literature and knowledge, reflecting the values upheld by Dr. Maral and Sushil Sarma.
In addition to the book exhibition, the college’s alumni are launching a monthly wall magazine, providing a creative space for students to showcase their literary talents at the institution.
On January 30th, an inter-college debate competition will be held in memory of Chandan Sarma, a former student of Pragjyotish College. The topic for debate is “A minimum educational qualification must be kept for nomination to the Legislative and the councils.”
Praktan Pragjyotishya Sanmilani will honour the top performers of the academic year 2023-24 with consolation prizes, announced by the president Dewan Dhruba Jyoti Maral.