The National Indian Gaming Commission reported this week that America’s tribal gaming operators collectively generated $31.2 billion in gross gaming income, a 4.4 percent increase over 2015.
Harrah’s Resorts SoCal is simply example of a joint-venture between a tribal operator and a Vegas casino company that provides a flavor of Las Vegas over the Nevada border.
The biggest development, 12 months over year, for tribal gaming nationwide was the Sacramento, California region, with an increase of 6.3 percent to $8.4 billion. Meanwhile, the Phoenix region exhibited fourth-best revenue increase in the usa, growing 4.4 percent to $2.9 billion.
It’s clear Indian casinos in states bordering Nevada are enjoying health that is robust but what impact is this having in the Silver State’s casino sector? Is tribal gaming a hazard to Nevada?
Tribes Thinking Big
Well, not so much to Vegas, gaming analysts told the Las Vegas Review-Journal this week, but it’s really likely having a negative effect on the north Las vegas, nevada sector while the Reno and Laughlin markets in specific, forcing those cities to rethink their approach.
Bo Bernhard, executive manager of UNLV’s International Gaming Institute, thinks that the Laughlin and Reno markets have certainly been adversely affected by competition from Indian gaming properties, which are actually matching their commercial counterparts outside of Vegas when it comes to the entertainment and attractions on offer.
In short, tribal gaming, which began largely with 1970s bingo parlors, is thinking big these times.
‘It is an incredible and story that is remarkable the tribes,’ Bernhard told the Review-Journal. ‘In Arizona, they have extremely well-run professional properties, Gila River and Stick that is talking of that are really good, have great management and continue to boost,’ he said.
‘Northern California tribal gaming was really the video gaming beast that killed Reno. It had been those actually impressive Northern California properties that are every bit as nice as some of the smaller properties right here. Working with Caesars and facility, they’ve brought using them a Las Vegas-ized approach to administration and grown into their own unique entities.’
Three Wimbledon Matches Investigated For Possible Corruption
Three Wimbledon 2017 matches are under investigation for possible match-fixing, the Tennis Integrity product (TIU) announced this week.
Roger Federer’s eighth Wimbledon win made history on Sunday, but the headlines that three matches from the tournament are under research for possible corruption is troubling for a sport which has been dogged by match-fixing allegations in modern times. (Image: Clive Brinskill/Getty Images)
The agency that is london-based two matches in the qualifying event and one through the main draw was in fact flagged after regulators and bookmakers reported suspicious betting patterns surrounding the matches.
The specific matches, plus the players involved, haven’t been disclosed.
The TIU stressed that these alerts are perhaps not proof of definite match-fixing, as there are many factors that may influence betting patterns, which need to be eliminated.
‘There are numerous reasons apart from corrupt task that will explain unusual betting patterns, such as incorrect odds-setting; well-informed betting; player physical fitness, fatigue and form; playing conditions and personal circumstances,’ it said.
53 Alerts Since April
It is not uncommon for matches to trigger alerts, although they have a tendency to be relatively rare in Grand Slam events. Final 12 months, the TIU investigated one Wimbledon match and one at the usa Open after getting alerts.
It has perhaps not published its conclusions into either match.
The TIU said it received 53 alerts since April, with three coming on the men’s ATP Tour and one on the females’s WTA Tour. The rest came in the lower level Challenger, Futures and ITF Women’s circuits.
These figures actually represent a fall in the number of alerts when compared with the period that is same year, when 73 were gotten.
The TIU, it self, has been under stress to offer more transparency to its investigations. In early 2016, whistleblowers passed documents to media that suggested 16 players rated in the top 50 in the world had been strongly suspected of having deliberately tossed matches on behalf of betting syndicates.
TIU was in fact conscious regarding the allegations but had failed to simply take any action, advertised the whistleblowers, leading to accusations of a cover up during the heart of the sport.
A police investigation was launched into the possibility that the UK player Gabriella Taylor may have been poisoned, after she succumbed a life-threatening illness midway through her match with the USA’s Kayla Day at Wimbledon last year.
She was eventually diagnosed with a strain that is rare of, an illness most commonly transmitted through rat urine. Leptospirosis can be so unusual in britain that police think that the ball player has been poisoned by a gambling syndicate or by a rival player or coach.
Sacramento Casino Project Clears Significant Hurdle, Governor Brown Signs Tribal Gaming Compact
A Sacramento casino in the neighboring community of Elk Grove is one step closer to reality. On Wednesday, California Governor Jerry Brown (D) signed off on a gaming lightweight utilizing the Wilton Rancheria tribe, which all but assures a $400 million gambling resort will be built 12 kilometers south of this state’s capital city.
Wilton Rancheria Chairman Raymond Hitchcock’s tribe might soon begin work on its Sacramento casino in Elk Grove. (Image: Dennis McCoy/Sacramento Company Journal)
Brown’s signature marks the next victory that is consecutive the Native American group.
The US Department of the Interior (DOI) designated 36 acres in Elk Grove as sovereign ground in which under federal law allows the Wilton Rancheria people to build a casino and offer Class I and II gaming february. But to offer Class III gaming, which includes slots and dining table games, tribes must reach state compacts.
The tribe only needs final approval from the California State Legislature before it can break ground on the casino with its more chilli slot purple monster compact now in hand.
‘We waited 58 years for our land to be restored and now we could enjoy moving ahead toward self-sufficiency, economic development, and giving back to your community,’ tribe Chairman Raymond Hitchcock stated.
Wilton Rancheria’s federal recognition was restored last year.
Elk Grove Responds
The resort that is new house 2,500 slots, up to 80 gaming tables, and over 300 hotel rooms. The tribe claims the venue will support 1,750 jobs that are full-time.
Residents in Elk Grove, a grouped community with about 168,000 individuals, have varying opinions on a casino arriving at their neck of the forests.
Remain true for Ca, a statewide organization committed to stopping the expansion of tribal gaming and card groups, has vowed to keep its battle against the Wilton Rancheria casino. Friends of Elk Grove citizens has also filed case against the town that claims local officials colluded with the tribe to pave a way for gambling.
Underneath the tribal gaming compact, the city will be given a one-time fee of $14.5 million. The tribe will additionally offer Elk Grove $5 million annually, plus send $2.4 million each to the County of Sacramento year.
The state will receive no income tax revenue for the first seven years the casino is in operation. After that time, California will gather six percent of the home’s net victory.
Opponents towards the casino state they will try to drag the legal battle on for months, if not years. Cheryl Schmit, remain true California’s director, told the Sacramento Bee that theDOI’s decision to position the Elk Grove land into trust will be challenged.
‘This thing has so many legal flaws to it,’ Schmit said. ‘We’ve got a buffet table of challenges that we can choose and select from.’
The legal procedure could prompt lawmakers to delay providing approval that is final. But Governor Brown’s compact with the tribe includes provisions that if federal courts just take the land out of trust, the video gaming agreement becomes void.
Oddsmakers Get It Right: OJ Simpson Granted Parole, Claims He Is Lived a ‘Conflict-Free Life’
Disgraced soccer star O.J. Simpson will be released from northern Nevada’s Lovelock Correctional Center this fall, nine years after he had been sentenced to jail on kidnapping and robbery costs for a 2007 event that took invest Las Vegas during the Palace Station casino.
O.J. Simpson will be released 24 years before his maximum sentence would be to conclude for his involvement in a robbery a decade ago at the Palace Station Casino in Las Vegas. a four-person parole board granted Simpson an anticipated October 1 release from Lovelock Correctional Facility in Nevada on Thursday. (Image: Jason Bean/The Reno Gazette-Journal)
Some in the public that is general be shocked to discover that the 70-year-old previous NFL star, who in 1995 was acquitted regarding the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in criminal, however in civil, court, will be set free. But oddsmakers saw today’s parole board choice coming.
Just before Thursday’s hearing with the Nevada Board of Parole, online sportsbook Bovada had the moneyline on Simpson’s launch at ‘Yes’ -300, while the underdog of ‘No’ at +200. However, bettors whom took the favourite are seeing little return for their self- confidence that ‘The Juice’ would be set loose.
A $100 wager on Simpson’s launch wins just $33.33. Should he has been kept by the behind bars, ‘No’ bettors would have won $200 for each and every $100 wagered.
Simpson stated during the hearing he’s ‘not some guy who lived a criminal life.’ When expected about their upcoming freedom and the potential for someone within the public that is general him, Simpson almost comically opined that he’s lived a ‘conflict-free life.’
Simpson are released on October 1, 2017. The four-person parole board was unanimous, that has been required for their discharge, and consisted of the same panel that granted him parole in 2013 on the armed robbery convictions. Nevertheless, he remained in jail on other counts that mandated a nine-year sentence that is minimum.
Victim Testimony Resonates
By all accounts, Simpson happens to be a model prisoner at Lovelock. In addition to good behavior, the parole board is charged with assessing a prisoner’s potential risk to the community should the person be released.
During the hearing, the panel told Simpson their scientific numerical score found him to be a relatively low-risk candidate, but due to the severity of his robbery and kidnapping charges, noted that a latent danger to the general public persists.
Simpson’s daughter that is oldest Arnelle testified on her father’s behalf, but the most moving testimony originated in Bruce Fromong, a longtime friend of O.J.’s who was a target in the 2007 robbery, but who says he has long forgiven him.
Fromong told the board that ‘we all make mistakes,’ and that Simpson is really a ‘good man.’ His closing comment produced the emotion that is most from those within the room.
‘If O.J. calls me and says he gets out tomorrow, Juice, I’ll be here tomorrow behind him, who wiped tears from his eyes for you,’ the memorobilia dealer said, turning back to look at Simpson, seated.
Elephant in the Room
The Nevada Parole Board said it dismissed many letters it received suggesting that Simpson remain in jail, since they often referenced the 1994 murder case in which he was acquitted. The state didn’t take into account the allegations from just what came to be termed the ‘trial of the century.’
Regardless, Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman’s brutal murders were likely in the minds of those who watched today’s hearing around the globe.
Many believe Simpson’s nine-to-33 sentencing for the robbery was a retaliation for his 1994 acquittal year. Overwhelming evidence pointed to Simpson being the person who killed Nicole and Ron.
On morning, Goldman’s family said on Good Morning America, ‘Ron never ever gets to spend his life doing exactly what he wanted to do.’ His daddy included that they will ‘never get justice. thursday’
Massachussets Governor Signs Budget Bill that Allows Casinos to Serve Booze until 4 am
Last call? Not so fast in future Massachusetts casinos, which recently had their drinking hours extended with a quick signature from the governor. But before anything officially takes effect, some lawmakers are calling for the measure to go on ice.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker recently approved a new budget that included a provision to expand drinking hours at casinos for the extra two hours. (Image: Boston Globe)
Republican Gov. Charlie Baker signed a budget on Monday that enables two casinos that are planned make an application for licenses that would give them the right to provide liquor until 4 am. Presently, state law calls for all companies to end drinks that are providing 2 am.
The Wynn Boston Harbor, scheduled to start in 2019, requested the provision, which also would apply to the under-construction MGM Springfield, set to open in 2018.
But Democratic State Sen. Stan Rosenberg has voiced opposition that is vehement the alteration in legislation, citing security concerns and unfairness to bars and restaurants that would still need to follow a 2 am closing time.
He also claimed to be irked by the means with which the measure had been slipped into a home version of hawaii’s $39.43 billion budget, approved in April, allowing the change of law to progress without a hearing that is public.
Massachusetts legalized Las Vegas-style casino gambling by passing the Expanded Gaming Act in 2011, which allowed for the certification of two resorts, but also included a supply that future properties would have to stop serving alcohol between 2 am and 8 am.
Officials at the Wynn, who are opening the $2.4 billion Wynn Boston Harbor in 2019, argued that the noticeable change had been necessary to attract customers and meet their expectations for 24-hour cocktail service, since can be obtained in nevada.
The extended hours until 4 am was regarded as a compromise that is workable.
A spokesman for the $950 million MGM Springfield said whether it will apply for a last-call exemption from gaming regulators that they had no role in the change to state law and haven’t decided yet.
‘MGM Springfield is evaluating the opportunity for extended alcohol hours provided by the Legislature,’ casino spokeswoman Carole Brennan stated in a statement. ‘ we would work with the populous City of Springfield and also the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to advance an insurance policy that ensures MGM Springfield’s effective procedure for both the city and our guests.’
Critics associated with the law said it provides an advantage that is unfair the resorts and will simply take business away from bars and restaurants, which must stop serving patrons at 2 am. Rosenberg is also concerned in regards to the video gaming business dictating policy.
‘ The industry will start driving the enterprise as opposed to the Commonwealth’s regulations,’ Rosenberg said in a radio interview. ‘we are talking about a unjust advantage for an enterprise that already has the ability to attract lots of people out of those small Main Street businesses.’
Rosenberg isn’t the only government official to balk at the law. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, aswell as police chiefs and community activists, state they stress drinkers will leave a bar or restaurant to search for a casino to continue imbibing for the additional two hours.
‘My concern is people consuming late leaving the casino floor and getting in to a motor vehicle,’ Chelsea Police Brian Kyes told the Boston Herald. ‘My concern is for public safety.’
Is Michael Phelps Faster Than a Great White Shark? Oddsmakers Say No
Michael Phelps finds himself within the many position that is unusual. Not only is he the underdog in a swimming event, but his opponent is one of the deadliest creates in the ocean: an excellent white shark.
It might feel like fake news, but Michael Phelps racing a shark is no tall tale. (Image: SB Country)
Phelps, the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, recently raced a great white to see if he could outpace the beast that is massive. The stunt was taped for Discovery’s Shark Week, which kicks off this weekend.
The competition will be revealed on July 23 at 8 pm ET in an episode titled Phelps vs. Shark: The Battle for Ocean Supremacy. The Olympic that is 23-time gold winner wore a rubber fin to increase his speed, and also make the race a little more fair.
Online sportsbooks nevertheless think he has little to no chance against the shark. Bovada currently has Phelps once the underdog that is heavy +325, to the great white shark at -550.
A $100 bet on Phelps returns $325 should he win, while the same wager on the shark returns just $18.21.
‘I’ve raced the quickest swimmers on earth, with the exception of one,’ Phelps says in the Discovery teaser. ‘I’ve ready for hours within the water that is open. Am we faster when compared to a shark? Watch with me to find out.’
Producers timed Phelps and the shark separately to see who could swim 100 meters faster.
Viewers Take the Bait
Discovery has apparently done it again in creating hype that is massive as much as its annual Shark Week.
The programming that is weeklong in 1988 with the aim of correcting misinformation regarding sharks. Throughout the years, nevertheless, it’s emerged into an even more production that is entertainment-oriented with fictional and sensationalized programming becoming more regular.
Although the network has pledged to rid fake and dramatized docu-reality shows, Discovery is continuing with its gimmicks to garner many viewers possible.
Ranks dropped in 2016 for Shark Week due to Discovery moving the event up from the typical July/early that is late August to June. That decision was to prevent competing using the Rio Olympics. This year, Discovery has the Summer Games’ biggest celebrity on its side.
A racing that is human shark seems like a fable only Olympian Ryan Lochte might make up, but alas, this race is really taking place. As for Lochte, he comes with some news to report.
A Brazilian court cleared Lochte this week of criminal charges stemming from his false robbery report during the 2016 Olympics. The 12-time Olympic medalist was facing up to 18 months in prison, should he have already been found guilty and decided to come back to the country.
In the of August 14, 2016, Lochte claimed criminals posing as police officer robbed him and three other US swimmers at gunpoint morning. It was later revealed that the four men had been heavily intoxicated in addition they had vandalized a fuel station bathroom.


KOYO 7326C Description :
We specialize in supplying original KOYO 7326C bearing and provide customers with KOYO 7326C bearing size, specifications and drawings for customer reference. My company's KOYO 7326C bearing price concessions, adequate inventory, and other similar products are available for recommendation
Packaging Details :
1 . Industrial tube packing + cartons + pallets
2 . Individual colorful or white box + carton + pallets
3 . As the clients ' requirement
1 . Less than 45 KGS, we will send by express. (Door to Door, Convenient)
2 . 45 - 200 KGS , we will send by air transport . (Fastest and safest, but expensive)
3 . More than 200 KGS, we will send by sea . ( Cheapest and common use )
KOYO 7326C/DT bearing Global supply Quality 7326C/DT
Koyo 7326C/DT bearing factory direct supply can ensure high quality for more than 80% raw material of Koyo 7326C/DT bearing factory direct supply provided by the steel plant.Explorer series bearing of Koyo 7326C/DT bearing factory direct supply are better than any brand bearings currently in bearing performance , lifetime, design, and the use ...
G1205KRRB bearing Timken G1205KRRB - Adequate
TIMKEN G1205KRRB bearing. Timken G1205KRRB, Size: Timken G1205KRRB bearing, Size: 58.7375x110x61.91. Timken G1205KRRB are used in a wide variety of applications, they are simple in design, suitable for high speeds and are robust in operation, and need little maintenance.
KOYO 7922 CDT Bearing_KOYO 7922 CDT Size and Details_www
We export high quantities KOYO 7922 CDT Bearing and relative products, we have huge stocks for KOYO 7922 CDT Bearing and relative items, we supply high quality KOYO 7922 CDT Bearing with reasonbable price or we produce the bearings along with the technical data or relative drawings, It's priority to us to supply best service to our clients.
7326AC/DF | KOYO 7326AC/DFBearing | 346326 bearing
KOYO 7326AC/DF bearing: Zhejiang VVBearing Trade Co, Ltd specializes in providing 7326AC/DF Angular Contact Ball Bearings for many years, 7326AC/DF old code: 346326 bearing, size:(130 mm x 280 mm x 116 mm), has a large number of stock, a number of 7326AC/DF Angular Contact Ball Bearings KOYO suppliers and brand agency cooperation, such as (NSK, SKF, FAG, INA, timken, koyo etc.), to meet your ...
NTN Bearing NF222 Bearing fashion |
KOYO 7326C BEARING; RELATED NEWS NTN NF222 bearings | 110x200x38mm - Nodes bearing Nodes have NTN NF222 bearings in stock. NF222, single row cylindrical roller bearings (Type NF). NF type has single rib on outer ring, and double rib on inner ring. NTN Bearings - Bearing Parts & Supplies - Grainger ...
Koyo 7328C bearing in Australia | We Test Every Bearing
Koyo 7328C bearing in Australia are widely used in industrial drive, agriculture, compressors, motors and generators, construction, industrial fan, industrial transmission and other fields. Explorer series bearing of Koyo 7328C bearing in Australia are better than any brand bearings currently in bearing performance , lifetime, design, and the ...
KOYO HAR926C bearing | Bearings Online with height quality
KOYO 7326C Bearing_KOYO 7326C Size and Details_www. KOYO 7326C Bearing KOYO 7326C Bearing Size Details: Brand: KOYO Bearing Category: Angular Contact Ball Bearings Model: 7326C d: 130 mm D: 280 mm B: 58 mm Cr: 294 N . KOYO 7309CDT Bearing_KOYO 7309CDT Size and asiabearing.
KOYO 7326C bearing High Speed in
koyo angular contact ball bearing 7040 db c3 products fro. koyo 7326c fy koyo 7326 fy koyo 7928c fy koyo har030c fy koyo 7028b fy koyo 7028 fy koyo 7028c fy koyo 7228b fy koyo 7030b fy koyo 7228 fy koyo 7228c fy koyo 7328b fy koyo 7030 fy koyo 7030b fy koyo 7030c fy koyo 7230b fy koyo 7230 fy koyo 7230c fy koyo.
Bearings 7414BGAM(SKF)|7414BGAM P4. Angular Contact Ball Bearings SKF 7414BGAM is the most common type, and their use is very wide. We can supply all of the following series of bearings: deep groove ball bearings, angular contact ball bearings, self-aligning ball bearings, thrust ball bearings, self-aligning roller bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, roller bearings, needle bearings, linear ...


text:
Laborers International Union of North America
905- 16th Street,NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
ATT: Arthur Coia
Wednesday, May 20, 1998
Dear Brother Coia.
I have been informed by the Judges of Election
that I have qualified as a candidate in the upcoming Election.
I am running for the position of Business Manager.
I am forwarding you a copy of the policy
letter that I have received from the Executive Board of Local
I have been informed by the members of the
Executive Board that if I do not comply with this agreement, that
I will not receive my right to a mail out.
As a long time standing member of the Local
607. I believe that this is an infringement of my rights.
In addition to this correspondence I will
forward a letter to you that I gave to the Judges of Election
requesting the list of the membership. As you can see I was not
accommodated with what I asked for. Instead they gave me a policy
letter which I am not in total agreement with and have been informed
that I must sign in order to receive the mail-out that I requested.
With deep regret an protest I have found
it impossible to receive my mail out without signing their letter
Please find enclosed all correspondence pertaining
to this letter.
Member # 2087575

domain: politics


text:
Volkswagen Golf GTD (Mk8) review
The GTD is probably the least relevant of all Volkswagen’s GT-something these days. It wasn’t too long ago that it was Britain’s best-selling Golf, but nowadays enthusiasts can still enjoy the Mk8 GTI and GTI Clubsport, company car buyers appreciate the savings from the plug-in hybrid GTE and soon we all drive GTXs (VW’s new nickname for its all-electric performance cars).
The GTD is, of course, the hot diesel Golf – something that has been around since the Mk1 but couldn’t be more out of date if it tried. Most manufacturers have already ditched performance cars that use the black pump (perhaps with the exception of Audi and its S badge cars and Skoda with GTD’s brother – the latest Octavia vRS diesel), So it’s a surprise to see VW sticking to it.
The D also lags behind the GTI and GTE in terms of power. The gasoline burners now both hit 242 horsepower, while the GTD’s 2.0-liter turbodiesel sends 197 horsepower to the front wheels via a standard seven-speed DSG automatic transmission.
He’s still a spectator, isn’t he? The GTD has the same sporty styling as the Mk8 GTI and GTE, with those five powerful LED daytime running lights and large 18-inch wheels as standard. The only differences are the silver stripe in the radiator grille (as opposed to red for the GTI and blue for the GTE) and the single dual-outlet exhaust. Like all Mk8 Golfs, the GTD can only be used in five doors.
Of course, there are still some that the GTD will fit perfectly, with VW referring to it as a “ long-distance sports car ” thanks to a claimed 54 mpg on the WLTP cycle, but are the demographics shrinking?
Prices start at Â£ 32,845 in the UK and go over Â£ 35,000 for a specific example.

domain: hobby


At noon on Friday, 14-year-old Gudrun Campbell stood next to the Free Speech Community Chalkboard on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall with a megaphone and addressed a crowd of dozens.
“The climate crisis has largely been ignored. Today we’re striking again to ask the City Council to take immediate action,” she said.
At least 25 local students of all ages and over a dozen adult supporters participated in Friday’s Youth Climate Strike, organized by Campbell.
Campbell, a student at Charlottesville High School, isn’t new to climate activism. She organized her first climate strike in 2019, inspired by Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, and started the Cville Youth Climate Strike organization. After a over a year-and-a-half long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Campbell and her peers once again gathered at the chalkboard across from City Hall.
“There’s a lot of really good opportunities to act right now. An example is the school renovation projects that are coming up, where there’s going to be really expensive renovations to the school system. There hasn’t really been a climate element discussed in those conversations so we really want to make sure that the school innovations are green, and that there are solar panels, and that there’s a climate perspective on projects that are already happening like wall reconstruction and HVAC,” Campbell said.
During the hour-long strike, students of all ages held handmade signs and raised chants of “hey hey, ho ho, fossil fuels have got to go” and “no more coal, no more oil, keep your carbon in the soil.”
One student held a cardboard sign that said “don’t kill the world because then all the little baby hedgehogs would die.”
Another student’s sign read “our earth is hotter than my imaginary boyfriend.”
The strike was centered around specific demands of the city: Re-commit and take immediate action to meet the city’s resolved climate goals of 45 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050; require all city departments to address climate change and set concrete goals and timetables for achieving the city’s climate commitments; ensure a climate-first approach to all ongoing and future school renovation projects; fund only projects that move toward zero carbon schools, retool existing projects to be energy efficient and fund new infrastructure for improving efficiency (such as solar panels); invest heavily in infrastructure projects centered around mass transit and increased density in order to cut reliance on single-occupancy vehicles; increase public transit service, make public transit more accessible with covered bus shelters, electrify the bus fleet, prioritize bike and pedestrian traffic, focus on zoning that reduces suburban sprawl by making the city more dense.
Campbell’s goal is to get City Council and other local government officials to take direct action on climate change.
“I have talked to some city councilors, and I think that they are generally sympathetic and I think that they do want to take steps towards climate action, but right now they’re really not. And we need to make sure that they do,” she said.
Campbell said she’s felt spurred to speak out after a recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change about the growing and immediate risks of climate change, as well as a local report on transit and climate change released last week from the Community Climate Collaborative, also known as C3, a Charlottesville-based climate action organization.
“That really heavily informed our demands around transit so we want to see things like electrifying the bus fleet, adding covered seating and lighting to the bus stops and increasing service frequency, because right now the transit system in Charlottesville is not reliable and it’s not green, and we want to see it be reliable and we want to see it have a climate perspective,” Campbell said.
The Community Climate Collaborative released its new report, Transit Equity and Climate: Moving to a Cleaner Future on Tuesday. The report is the result of a year-long analysis of community needs around transit and how they relate to the community’s climate goals.
The report outlines 14 recommendations to improve Charlottesville’s transit system, which were based on feedback from almost 300 residents and dozens of local social service partners.
Caetano de Campos Lopes, C3’s Director of Climate Policy and author of the report, said he decided to focus on transit equity because of the high rate of transportation transmissions in the area.
According to an Albemarle County report, transportation represents 52% of the community-wide greenhouse gas emissions for the year of 2018.
In 2016, transportation accounted for 28% of Charlottesville’s greenhouse gas emissions, with personal cars and SUVs making up the vast majority of those emissions. This is less than the county’s emissions, but still a high number, Campos Lopes said.
“I knew that finding a solution for transportation is key,” Campos Lopes said.
The report recommends that the city of Charlottesville, Albemarle County and Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) take action to make public transit more equitable so people will be encouraged to use it.
These recommendations include making fare-free transit permanent; having no route frequencies in excess of 30 minutes intervals; relaxing restrictions on carrying bags and consuming food and beverages; and making bus stop infrastructure safer with better crosswalks, sidewalks and weather shelters.
Campos Lopes wanted to explore reasons why people may feel discouraged from taking the CAT bus. He found that people had a lot to say. Lopes conducted a survey of community members, specifically reaching out to marginalized populations. He then asked respondents if they’d be interested in participating in focus groups to discuss their experiences.
One of the groups was specifically for Black community members and another was specifically for Latino mothers.
“We didn’t want for BIPOC [Black, indigenous and people of color] people to be the only one or two BIPOC people in a group where they would feel not so comfortable to fully express what they had to say. By creating these environments with the Latino moms and with the African Americans in exclusive groups, I can say for a fact that people felt much more comfortable saying things that otherwise they wouldn’t,” Campos Lopes said.
Campos Lopes said many participants said they would like to take the bus more, and the number one concern he heard from the focus groups was about the frequency and reliability of the CAT buses.
“You’re investing a lot of time for a short trip … being on the bus can amount to one hour or something like that for a relatively small trip,” he said.
Campos Lopes studied the patterns of the bus routes, and thinks if CAT changed the routes and made them shorter and more straightforward, more people would be willing to take the bus.
Respondents also voiced a desire for more bus hours, especially on the weekend.
“[Respondents] said ‘we cannot really rely on the bus system to go to church or to go to parks during the weekends, because the system assumes that during weekends there is no need for the bus,’” Campos Lopes said.
Campos Lopes said several respondents shared that they had stopped taking the bus for grocery trips because drivers would not allow bags of groceries on the bus.
Another major concern was safety and location of bus stops without adequate sidewalks and distance from busy roads.
Campos Lopes said the bus stop near Preston Avenue and Route 29, for example, came up as a concern due to lack of a crosswalk or rain shelter.
“Some people said ‘I would love to take this bus stop, but I would never cross Route 29 with my children without a crosswalk,’” he said.
Campos Lopes said the major takeaway was that many people are interested in taking the bus, but the current system is just not equitable and does not make it easy.
“These are all what we call equity factors. To actually improve the experience of these lower income or underserved communities, you actually need to pay attention to give them more safety, more cohort, more reliability, and care about their time and don’t make them wait forever,” he said.
Campos Lopes said public transit also ties in with density and affordable housing. He said it’s important for affordable housing complexes to have easy access to public transit.
“[Density] is creating locational efficiency, which helps reduce commuting times, reduces the necessity of using cars … it’s very much related. Affordable housing and more dense community is also beneficial for transit because you can have much more frequent and much more efficient routes,” he said.
C3 is hosting a webinar at 12 p.m. on Wednesday to discuss the findings in the report. Interested participants can register at http://ow.ly/b2gb50Geuu5.
For people concerned about the looming effects of climate change, Campbell said it’s important to find community, whether it be through her organization or another local environmental organization.
“I really recommend joining a group, because it’s really easy to feel hopeless at the beginning and feel like there’s nothing you can do. But there is stuff you can do,” she said.
“There’s a lot of really great climate activism groups in Charlottesville, so I recommend getting involved with one of them … These kinds of groups and ways to achieve collective action are really going to be the most effective way to stop the climate crisis.”
Campbell wants older generations to see how important it is to act on climate change and why her generation is so passionate about speaking up.
“When we have the opportunity to act, we need to act. We have a responsibility to my generation and to future generations to keep our planet livable. And right now that’s not being done … it’s really a matter of avoiding catastrophe,” she said.
“We are seeing increased and worsened weather events, and we are seeing the effects of climate change now. And it’s taking a toll on people’s health, it’s taking a toll on our planet and we need to act now.”
Be First to Comment


text:
The Amity students who were invited to perform at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, are winding down their visit.
On Sunday, Director Rob Kennedy wrote, “A quiet work day here in Fringe Land. This morning we handed out more flyers on the Royal Mile. Saw a student production of a Roman Comedy and performed an 8 p.m. show for our largest and most responsive audience yet. Oh and our door on the set got jammed in the first scene. Our awesome kids just worked around it and blocked the scene on the fly!”
After, they had pizza in the company of their new friends from Alberta Canada.
“Tomorrow (Monday) we close,” Kennedy said.
Visiting parent, Russ Adair wrote on the Amity theater site, “Saw the kids perform the third time in Edinburgh tonight and they were so on. They were led by the best audience yet. Everyone was into the show from the start. Major laughs and moving moments. Even a malfunctioning door (the only real set piece) could not throw them. They all ad libbed around it. Great job!”

domain: artistic


text:
Is Any Alcohol Consumption Healthy?
Does drinking alcohol provide any health benefit?
In a widely publicized report in The Lancet in 2018, researchers concluded that there is no healthy level of alcohol consumption. This drastic switch from the widely-accepted view that moderate consumption is not harmful — received a lot of attention.
The study authors’ conclusion that: “Our results show that the safest level of drinking is none,” made headlines on major news outlets like the CNN, BBC, and The New York Times.
A re-evaluation of The Lancet study results, however, may bring a sliver of hope to moderate drinkers (as well as more confusion to others.)
In a recent article in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers took another look at the data in The Lancet study and found that the risks of alcohol consumption may have been overestimated. Since the study relied on participants to report their own consumption levels — and those who abuse alcohol tended to under-report how much they consume — findings were skewed. The study likely concluded moderate consumption has as many health risks as heavy consumption, yet many of the “moderate drinkers” were actually drinking more heavily and not being honest.
So, what does this mean for you as you navigate the pros and cons with drinking?
Experts say, if you enjoy a glass of wine every now and then, you are not doing harm to the body, and may even be lowering your risk for heart disease.
But, like anything in life, it’s all about balance. If alcohol becomes a crutch for pain relief, social anxiety, or to aid with sleep, it may quickly become an addiction.
The cons of daily drinking range from somewhat minor issues — for example, that nightcap you rely on to fall asleep can also wake you up later — to more serious concerns, such as an increased risk of several types of cancer.
The first thing you should know is that if you don’t drink, you should not feel compelled to start. The potential health benefits of drinking aren’t strong enough to change your lifestyle or introduce the possible drawbacks of alcohol. But if you do already imbibe, the science is showing that there appears to be an alcohol “sweet spot” — the just-right amount to get the possible health benefits, without introducing new risks.
So How Much is Just Right?
There are no recommendations for how much we should drink to get the health benefits, but the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that we don’t exceed one drink per day for both men and women. A drink of alcohol is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.
Again, the key is balance and many experts warn that daily drinking is never good for long-term health, plus one drink tends to lead to another. So if you want to reap the antioxidant benefits from red wine, for instance, addiction specialists would still advise not drinking it every day. Talk with your physician and be honest if addiction runs in your family.
Here’s some information on how alcohol might help and hurt, so you can better decide if any amount is right for you. Use this to start a conversation with your doctor, which should include a review of your own health history:
Alcohol Can Boost "Good" Cholesterol
It’s probably the best-known substance to raise HDL levels, which can be important for people who tend to have low HDL to start with, and it might be the reason that moderate alcohol consumers seem to be at less risk for cardiovascular disease.
One drink a day have been shown to increase HDL cholesterol by about 12 percent; and that extra HDL isn’t just hanging around — it seems to help remove LDL (“bad” cholesterol), helping to keep arteries clear and free of clogging plaque. And you don’t need to drink red wine to get the cholesterol-boosting benefit, either; any kind of alcohol appears to be helpful.
Alcohol Can Reduce — or Increase — Inflammation
Diseases as varied as diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Lupus, and cancer are being linked to chronic inflammation — a constant low-grade immune state. Alcohol has the ability to suppress or reduce inflammation to a degree.
A small trial indicated that consuming moderate amounts of alcohol was useful for reducing C-reactive protein, which is produced by the liver and is an indicator of inflammation and a predictor of heart trouble. But there’s a catch: When you start increasing your intake beyond moderation, drinking can contribute to inflammation. Therefore, this is really just telling you that an occasional spirit is not going to increase your risk for these diseases, and if you have a genetic history for them, an occasional spirit may actually be good for you.
Alcohol is Linked to Cancer
Drinking increases the risk of some types of cancer, including those of the mouth, head, neck, esophagus, liver, colon, rectum, and breast. There are many ways that alcohol may promote some cancers. As our bodies metabolize the ethanol in alcohol, it breaks down to acetaldehyde, a chemical that may damage DNA. Alcohol irritates tissues in the mouth, throat, colon, rectum, and liver; it also reduces levels of beneficial vitamins and adds extra weight.
Alcohol may influence breast cancer by increasing levels of estrogen and other hormones in the body. In fact, each drink per day is associated with a 10- to 12-percent increased risk of female breast cancer, and drinking less is one simple way women can reduce their risk of the disease. On the other hand, drinking is associated with a lower risk for two kinds of cancer — non-Hodgkin lymphoma and renal cell (kidney) cancer — another indication of just how confusing this subject can be. But be aware that all alcohol has sugar, and too much sugar is linked with diabetes and belly weight — which is connected with higher health risks. Bottom line, daily drinking should not be your goal.
Alcohol Affects Your Brain Health
Moderate consumption could give your brain a boost and even reduce your risk for dementia. That’s what a large review of 23 long-term studies of people 65 and older found. Light-to-moderate drinkers also seemed to have fewer depression symptoms and better thinking and memory skills.
But keep refilling your glass and these benefits disappear, hastening a decline in memory and cognitive functioning. Heavy drinking is linked to nerve cell damage, brain shrinkage, and even permanent neurological impairment.
Alcohol Can Harm Your Sleep
At the end of a tough day, a glass of something delicious can seem just the thing to transition a little more easily into a peaceful slumber. And because alcohol is a depressant, it does work that way — for a few hours, anyway. After that, you may find yourself making more trips to the bathroom (alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it makes you need to pee).
And while a drink or two (or more) can help you fall asleep, studies make clear that alcohol has a sort of “rebound” effect, particularly at higher doses. By the second half of the night, its sedating effects have worn off and you may find yourself tossing and turning, or even wide awake in the wee hours. If alcohol is used over time as a way to bring on shut-eye, it can even lead to long-term, disrupted sleep.
Alcohol Can Pack on Pounds
It’s easy to forget the caloric impact of a couple of cocktails. Consider that one 6-ounce glass of wine contains about 120 to 140 calories, one 12-ounce beer adds 145 calories (more if it’s a malt ale) and a standard margarita has 170 calories. Fruity, sugar-laden drinks like a piña colada do even more damage — just one packs roughly 260 calories.
Not to mention, alcohol seems to be an appetite-enhancer, making it hard to forgo, say, a side order of wings with that frosty beer. Plus, when you drink you’re likely to loosen up inhibitions a bit and eat more.
Alcohol Can Lead to Liver Damage
Drinking damages cells of the liver, which converts nutrients from the food we eat and detoxifies harmful substances. Heavy drinking can cause liver diseases including fatty liver and cirrhosis. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines heavy drinking as eight or more drinks a week for women, and 15 or more weekly for men.)
The more you weigh, the greater the effect alcohol seems to have on the liver, according to multiple studies. Women, too, seem to be at higher risk of liver disease if they drink even moderately, compared to men.
Make the Right Choice for Your Health
As mentioned, striking a balance is key. For some people, though, such as those with an increased risk for breast cancer, or a family history of addiction, drinking is not worth the risk. The benefits are mild, and can be boosted in other ways, through exercise, healthy eating, meditation, joining social groups, or finding hobbies.
It’s also important to keep in mind that the guidelines for moderate drinking are less than what some of us are inclined to follow, as one drink often leads to others. Many of us drink more erratically: You might skip alcohol during the week but enjoy several cocktails Friday after work. Research shows that excessive drinking on weekends is never protective and often is indicative of a problem.
Talk with your doctor honestly about your alcohol consumption — whether you can have a drink and leave it, or get on a slippery slope of consuming more once you start. Your physician can also factor in your medical and family history, and will know whether you’re already at increased risk for, say, colorectal, mouth, or breast cancer, or whether you shouldn’t mix alcohol with your medications.

domain: news


text:
Chandigarh hospital indicted for transfusing wrong blood groupJune 3rd, 2009 - 8:34 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, June 3 (IANS) The Supreme Court has indicted the Chandigarh-based Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) for the death of a woman by transfusing blood of a wrong group.
A bench of Justice D.K. Jain and Justice R.M. Lodha upheld a ruling by the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, which had ordered the hospital to pay damages of Rs.200,000 to the woman’s husband for causing her death due to gross medical negligence.
“Mismatched blood transfusion to a patient itself speaks of negligence. In the facts and circumstances of the case, it cannot be said that the death of Harjit Kaur was not caused by the breach of duty on the part of the hospital and its attending staff,” the bench ruled in its May 29 verdict released later.
“Wrong blood transfusion is an error which no hospital or doctor exercising ordinary care would have made. Such an error is not an error of professional judgement but in the very nature of things a sure instance of medical negligence,” it said.
“The hospital’s breach of duty in mismatched blood transfusion contributed to her death, if not wholly, but surely materially,” the bench ruled.
Harjit Kaur of Ludhiana had suffered accidental burns up to 50 percent March 30, 1996, while making tea. She was rushed to the Daya Nand Medical College and Hospital at Ludhiana where she received treatment till April 19, 1996.
The court found that though she had been recovering well, her husband shifted her to PGIMER for further treatment as the Ludhiana hospital was expensive. Her condition continued to improve at the Chanidgarh hospital too.
But problems cropped up after the transfusion of blood of a wrong group May 20, 1996. Though she received blood of her own A+ group on May 15, on May 20, owing to oversight of the medical staffs, she was given blood of the B+ group.
The consumer commission and apex court, hearing her husband’s lawsuit, found that “owing to transfusion of mismatched blood, Harjit Kaur became serious; her haemoglobin levels fell down to 5 mg, and urea level went very high.”
“Later on, it transpired that due to the transfusion of mismatched blood, the patient’s kidney and liver got damaged and she died July 1, 1996,” the court noted.
The hospital had argued that the woman had died of septicaemia and not of mismatched blood transfusion.
The Punjab consumer commission and the national consumer commission in September 2000 had ordered PGIMER to pay damages worth Rs.200,000 to the woman’s husband, besides Rs.5,000 in litigation costs. The apex court ordered the hospital to pay him Rs.20,000 more towards litigation costs.
- Baby dies in womb due to wrong blood group transfusion - Dec 18, 2010
- Three booked for wrong blood transfusion - Jun 15, 2011
- Baby's death in womb: Surgeon, two others found guilty - Jan 03, 2011
- Four children die of wrong blood transfusion - Mar 16, 2012
- Probe ordered into Jagir Kaur's VIP treatment in jail - Apr 03, 2012
- Badal's wife passes away, cremation Wednesday (Lead) - May 24, 2011
- NRI doctors demands removal of 'tainted' medical council members - Nov 04, 2011
- Court notice to Delhi government, Tihar jail over custodial death - May 23, 2012
- Beant Singh's widow dead - Aug 02, 2010
- Badal government's lone woman minister convicted, jailed (Roundup) - Mar 30, 2012
- Punjab minister gets jail term for daughter's death (Lead) - Mar 30, 2012
- Patients given infected blood in Punjab - Jul 09, 2011
- 'Biscuit King' Pillai's widow wants more compensation - Sep 05, 2011
- Jodhpur pregnancy deaths: Toll rises to 16 - Mar 13, 2011
- Fake interpreter turns up at Indian woman's murder trial - Jul 21, 2012
Tags: accidental burns, apex court, blood group, blood transfusion, breach of duty, consumer dispute, daya, graduate institute, kaur, lodha, medical education, medical negligence, medical staffs, nature of things, ordinary care, pgimer, professional judgement, rs 200, transfusion of blood, wrong group

domain: medical


New York Times has an article called “What’s wrong With Cinderella?” that I read yesterday and if I could write as well, I am sure the first couple of paras myself.
I have to admit that I used to not care about my girls having dolls or princesses along with other toys but nowadays it seems to me that the only toys available to them are in pink and Barbie or Princess related.
And how do I explain a white blue eyed princess to a desi brown black eyed kid?
What especially caught my eye in the NY times article was
Playing princess is not the issue,” argues Lyn Mikel Brown, an author, with Sharon Lamb, of “Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing Our Daughters From Marketers’ Schemes.” “The issue is 25,000 Princess products,” says Brown, a professor of education and human development at Colby College. “When one thing is so dominant, then it’s no longer a choice: it’s a mandate, cannibalizing all other forms of play. There’s the illusion of more choices out there for girls, but if you look around, you’ll see their choices are steadily narrowing.”
I try to buy them other stuff but what do you do when friends, teachers and relatives insist on giving them pink glittery princess? Maybe it’s a genetic “girl” program that has my girls attracted to these glittery stuff.
Anybody have any tips to help wean my girls from this Princess phase? Please let me know…….
If my girls HAVE to go thru this princess phase, then atleast I hope they turn out to be like the girl in the article – be dressed up in a gown and a tiara and then climb trees and give the boys a run for their money 😀


Kannada superstar Yash has shared a hilarious post on Instagram about the wife friendly rules amidst lockdown and it is winning hearts.
Kannada superstar Yash and his wife Radhika Pandit have sent out a strong message on taking precautions during the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.
When KGF Star, Yash Got Teary Eyed For The First Time After Watching Daughter, Ayra Cry
Yash's 'K.G.F: Chapter 2' has created a lot of competition among the streaming platforms to buy the rights in the OTT space.
KGF star Yash's wife Radhika Pandit took to social media and shared a picture of Chiranjeevi Sarja, which was clicked at their daughter Ayra's birthday.
As Per The Latest Reports, 'KGF: Chapter 2' To Release In Theater After The Reopening Of Cinema Halls
This throwback video of KGF 2 star Yash dancing with his wife Radhika Pandit on their Mehendi has created a buzz on social media. Watch it here.
Rocking Star Yash and Radhika Pandit are one of the cutest couples in Sandalwood, they have two kids - a girl, Ayra and a baby boy Ayush.
The latest on KGF: Chapter 2 featuring Yash in the titular role is that the makers have sold the satellite rights of the film for a whopping amount.
'KGF' Fame, Yash And His Wife Radhika Pandit Posing For A Family Portrait Is An Ultimate Family Goals. Check Out Their Pictures
Makers Of 'KGF: Chapter 2' Rubbishes The Reports Of Yash's Film Getting Postponed
Superstar Yash became a bigger favorite of the audience with his character Rocky with 'KGF chapter 1' which was inspired by Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan


- Conference date: 9–13 September 2013
- Location: La Rábida, Spain
In this work we use PeneloPET to simulate the Biograph scanners B-TP, B-TPTV and mCT. Simulations were adjusted to reproduce some experimental results from the actual scanners and validated by comparing their predictions to further experimental results. Sensitivity, spatial resolution, NEC rate and scatter fraction (SF) were estimated.
MOST READ THIS MONTH
MOST CITED THIS MONTH
Article metrics loading...


Some Recent (and maybe not so Recent ) Covers I've seen around the Net....
Click on Name to be directed to Goodreads
NEW HUNGER GAMES SONG!!!
When I first found out that Taylor Swift is singing for the soundtrack I was like...HELL NO! I like her but.....for The Hunger Games I wanted someone else.After listening to this song...I take EVERYTHING back.It's perfect!!!
I'd love to hear your thoughts! On the song and the covers!
PSSST...Tell me if I missed any new covers!


Jess Overlay Cropped Tank (4 colors)
Constructed from Tencel-spandex blend, this tank top features an overlay accent on the front, a form-fitted silhouette, a round neckline, gathered sides, and just a little bit of fabric for that with-sleeve-yet-sleeveless look.
- Gathered Sides
- Round Neckline
- Overlay in front
95% Tencel™, 5% Spandex


text:
24 hours isn’t a particularly long time to stay anywhere, let alone a city that you’ve wanted to visit for a significant amount of time. In a way I’m quite pleased I didn’t do too much research before we arrived as it meant that we chose to do things as they came and took the time to enjoy it rather than marching our way through a list of pre-planned activity. That said, there is clearly plenty more which can be done than we fitted into our 24 hours so hopefully another trip to Nice will be on the cards for the future…
As we were staying close to the Old Port, it made perfect sense that this was the first place we visited after dropping off our bags at the hotel. Whilst I had been expecting to see a range of rather nice yachts, I hadn’t quite realised how many there would be, or how fancy they were! I think my favourite sight was this set all lined up – you thought the smallest one was nice but then they just keep getting bigger and fancier the further along you walked!
From the port, we headed around to the Promenade des Anglais, after a quick stop to take some photos by the I Love Nice sign (along with all the other tourists…). After lots of photos of the beach and admiring how blue the water was, we headed into the streets of the old town to find something to eat. After a galette (pancake with savoury filling) each we headed on through the narrow streets which were thankfully quite shady and filled with interesting little shops and places to eat. We headed towards the Cathedral to admire the bell tower, but mainly because we had been recommended a great place to go for ice cream (and I really love ice cream!).
Fenocchio has 94 different flavours, 59 ice creams and 35 sorbets, ranging from the ordinary to the bizarre. James had cactus flavour (which is slightly citrusy and very refreshing) and whilst my choice wasn’t quite as exotic, it was still very tasty. We followed our exciting ice cream with a purchase of some rather unusual cheese – bright green and basil flavoured.
Having cooled down slightly after the ice cream, we decided it was a good idea to tackle the Colline du Chateau, the highest point in old Nice. Whilst I was seriously questioning why we had decided to do it about half way up, the waterfall on the hill was lovely and the spray from it was incredibly refreshing. There were also some fantastic views from the top – and I particularly liked the fact that just by looking at the rooftops you could easily distinguish the difference between the old town and the new.
Seeing as each day of our time in Toulon had involved a dip in the sea, it seemed mad not to do the same in Nice. Whilst the water actually wasn’t as clear as it had been further west, it was still a wonderful blue colour and it was really easy to float in. James usually sinks and even he was managing to float! The beach and sea were also great spots to yacht watch and see the variety of boats coming in and out of the harbour as well as a huge monstrosity of a cruise ship which was so ugly (and covered in Looney Tunes characters) that it looked like it shouldn’t have been allowed in the area.
The next day we only had limited time before our flight home but still managed to fit in some of the extra bits we wanted to see. Firstly we went to the flower market which again had been recommended. The bouquets were beautiful and I was really surprised by how cheap they were in comparison to what you would pay for an equivalent size in the UK. We also saw some of the new town by popping into stores like Galeries Lafayette and Fnac which are two of my favourites when in France.
We actually managed to fit in quite a lot for the amount of time that we were there and it’s definitely somewhere I’d like to go back. The old town was my favourite area – I could have spent hours admiring the pretty balconies and shutters. Where would you recommend visiting in Nice?

domain: travel


text:
Arthur Foote (March 5, 1853-April 4, 1937), Unitarian church musician and influential music teacher, was a leading member of a group of composers known as the Boston Six or the Second New England School. Together, the Six-John Knowles Paine, Horatio Parker, George Chadwick, Edward MacDowell, Amy Beach, and Arthur Foote-wrote the first substantial body of indigenous concert hall, or “classical,” music in America. Foote was especially known for chamber music, art songs, and music for choirs. He was considered the “Dean of American Composers” during the first two decades of the twentieth century. He has influenced subsequent generations of musicians through his didactic writings.
Foote’s mother, Mary Wilder Foote, a devout Unitarian, was a friend of the Emersons, Peabodys, Hoars, and Hawthornes. His father, Caleb Foote, was owner and editor of the Salem Gazette. The two had met while teaching Sunday school in Salem’s North Church, then had sung together in meetings of local Unitarian church choirs. Arthur had two older siblings, Henry Wilder Foote, Unitarian minister at King’s Chapel, and Mary Wilder Foote Tileston, editor of inspirational anthologies. After their mother died when he was four, Arthur was raised by his sister, then a teenager.
Henry Wilder Foote married Frances Anne Eliot, daughter of Boston mayor Samuel Atkins Eliot and sister of Charles W. Eliot, president of Harvard. The couple compiled a hymnal for King’s Chapel. Their son,Henry Foote II, and grandson,Arthur Foote II, both Unitarian ministers, continued the family tradition of creative work on new hymnals.
At Harvard, Arthur Foote studied composition and music history under John Knowles Paine. In 1875, a year after graduation, Foote earned the first master’s degree in music ever granted by an American university. Until this time Foote had considered music a hobby, thinking that he would probably join his father on the Salem Gazette. His post-graduate studies with organist B. J. Lang, however, oriented him toward his life’s work in music.
Foote largely supported himself by taking students in piano and organ. In 1876 he began to appear as a piano recitalist, often as a participant in chamber music ensembles. He began working as a church organist in 1876 at the Church of the Disciples in Boston, a “free church” founded by the prominent Unitarian minister, James Freeman Clarke. Foote found that he enjoyed playing in church more than in the concert hall. Two years later he was engaged as organist and choirmaster by First Church, Unitarian, in Boston, a post he held for thirty-two years. “The service of the church was practically the modified one of King’s Chapel,” Foote later wrote. “But by degrees one minister after another made amputations and changes in it, so that finally the Te Deum, etc., was dropped, and the present form came to be used.” He noted with pleasure that, in 1925, the responses he wrote for the church in 1905 were still in regular use.
Foote wrote many anthems and a number of organ pieces for church services. These pieces were intentionally short, highly accessible to the congregation hearing them, and easy for the choir and musicians. He thought it odd that the most popular of his anthems, “Still, Still with Thee,” was one of his most difficult. He wrote secular vocal quartets and choral pieces as well. Among the most ambitious of the latter were three cantatas for choir and orchestra using as texts poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow—The Farewell of Hiawatha, The Wreck of the Hesperus, and The Skeleton in Armor. Foote also wrote more than a hundred art songs. Although some of his early efforts, like “An Irish Folk-Song,” were popular and often published, he preferred his later songs, such as the settings of First World War poetry which he made in 1919.
The music for which Foote is best remembered today is exclusively instrumental. Almost all of his chamber ensemble compositions have been recorded. In his own time the Four Character Pieces after the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam was his most popular orchestral work. His works most often programmed by orchestras since that time are the Night Piece for Flute and Strings and the Suite in E major. The Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor Serge Koussevitsky once teased Foote that his Suite in E major, written in 1908 in a style meant to evoke the Baroque era of Bach and Handel, two hundred years before, actually contained a foretaste of jazz rhythm. The composer was astounded.
In the wake of a later generation of American composers-including Aaron Copland, Roy Harris, William Schuman, and Virgil Thomson-who developed a musical idiom recognizably American, the music of Foote and his contemporaries sounds derivative of 19th-century European styles. Actually Foote had a subtle lyrical style all his own. It can be discerned upon listening to a large body of his work. In listening to his violin sonata one is reminded of Brahms, not surprising in that Foote and all the Boston Six, at least in their formative years, were contemporary with Brahms. Foote wrote his violin sonata in 1889, the same year Brahms published his third composition in that form. Into his first piano trio, from 1884, Foote introduced a suggestion of American hymnody.
Three decades later, in a piece for flute, cello and harp called At Dusk, Foote demonstrated that he had adapted his style to include the harmonic innovations of the impressionist French composer Claude Debussy. Foote’s Night Piece, also a late composition, has an exotic charm and freshness which has kept it in the American classical repertoire. His second piano trio and a number of his other mature works have this same quality and deserve to be better known.
Although he later found himself a musical conservative, in his early days Foote was considered a radical for promoting performances of Brahms and Wagner, whom the musical establishment considered too advanced. He later wrote that “These were the days when St. Saëns’ music came to us as a stunning novelty . . . when the new Grieg concerto fascinated every one, and when some of us went over to Bayreuth in 1876 to the first performances of the ‘Niebelungen Ring.'”
Foote adored his older brother in the ministry, Henry Wilder Foote, and, like him was a Unitarian Christian. He helped edit his brother’s Hymns of the Church Universal in 1890, and collaborated with his sister, Mary, in Hymns for Church and Home, prepared for the American Unitarian Association in 1896. Foote, like his mother before him, valued religious tolerance. He rejected contemporary expressions of ethnic pride, nativism, and anti-Semitism. Although he made no explicit verbal statement of his religious opinions, he expressed what lay deepest within himself in music. He wrote that “the object of the artist should be to tell us in music . . . the truths of life and the beauty and sublimity of life.”
Foote and Kate Grant Knowlton were married in 1880. Their one daughter, Katharine Foote Raffy, was responsible for talking her father into writing his autobiography late in life. Foote died in Boston and is buried in Mt. Auburn Cemetery.
There is an Arthur Foote Collection at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. There are personal scrapbooks at the Boston Public Library and at the Widener Library at Harvard University. Family papers are in the Harvard archives and at the library of the Essex Institute in Salem, Massachusetts. Music manuscripts can be found at the New England Conservatory of Music Library, the Harvard Musical Association Library, the Boston Public Library, the Library of Congress, and the archives of the Arthur P. Schmidt Company of Boston. Most of Foote’s music was first published by Arthur P. Schmidt.
The Night Piece for Flute and Strings is the most frequently recorded of Foote’s works, often performed in its alternative chamber form, Nocturne and Scherzo for flute and string quartet. Other works that are, or have been available as recordings are the Suite in E major, the Symphonic Prologue Francesca da Rimini, the three string quartets, the two piano trios, the piano quartet, the piano quintet, the violin sonata, the cello sonata, short pieces for violin and piano, chamber works with flute, Five Poems after Omar Khayyam for piano, two songs, and a number of short organ works.
One of the most important of Foote’s pedagogical publications is Modern Harmony in Its Theory and Practice (1905), written with Walter R. Spalding. It was republished as Harmony (1969). He also wrote Some Practical Things in Piano-Playing (1909) and Modulation and Related Harmonic Questions (1919). He contributed many articles to music journals, including “Then and Now, Thirty Years of Musical Advance in America” in Etude (1913) and “A Bostonian Remembers” in Musical Quarterly (1937).
The only full-length biography is Nicholas E. Tawa, Arthur Foote: A Musician in the Frame of Time and Place (1997). Tawa also wrote “Why American Art Music First Arrived in New England,” in Michael Saffle, ed., Music and Culture in America, 1861-1918 (1998), which places Foote in the context of the Second New England School. Foote’s An Autobiography was published posthumously in 1946. It was reissued in 1979 with an introduction and notes by Wilma Reid Cipolla. Cipolla also wrote A Catalog of the Works of Arthur Foote (1980) and the Foote entry in American National Biography. John Tasker Howard, Our American Music (1929, revised ed. 1954) contains a short biography and an appreciation of Foote from the point of view of the early 20th century. Other short biographical essays can be found in the compact disc booklets of recordings devoted to him and in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
Article by Peter Hughes
Posted September 26, 2000

domain: library


text:
The Code of Federal Regulations is a codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the Executive departments and agencies of the United States Federal Government.H. Treat all of the normalized data as if they were all the same species and perform a least squares regression of all of the ... J. For each species, calculate the logarithm, Q, of the SMCV at a selected value, Z, of the water quality characteristicanbsp;...
|Title||:||Code of Federal Regulations, Title 40, Protection of Environment, Pt. 100-135, Revised as of July 1, 2010|
|Author||:||Office of the Federal Register|
|Publisher||:||Government Printing Office - 2010-09|


Chevrolet Repair Questions? Ask a Chevy Mechanic for Answers ASAP
is the abs light on?
was the pedal pulsing?
is the brake working? do you have a collapsed hose?
what happens on a normal stop or panic stop?
pull to the right under braking?
sounds like you have a caliper or brake hose failure have you pulled the wheels and checked the brakes and the caliper and hose


text:
I recently read the editorial “White Progressive Parents and Conundrum of Privilege” and a lot of it rings true based on my experience.
One of the clearest bits of evidence that San Francisco is not actually a progressive city is to point out that a higher percentage of K-12 students are in private schools than any other metro area in USA (or at least it did when I was in high school, apparently San Francisco fell to third place, though it seems that it is still true that about one fourth of all K-12 students in San Francisco are in private school).
I remember, when I went to Museum of African American History and Culture in Natchez, Mississippi, and I told the man who worked there that I was from San Francisco, his reaction was not ‘wow, you come from such an progressive and enlightened city’ but ‘wow, San Francisco has the most racially segregated school system in the country.’ And I did not argue with him because I knew he was probably right. One of the main mechanisms for maintaining the high level of racial segregation is the private school system (though there are also mechanisms within the public school system itself which contribute to segregation).
I was a bit of an anomaly, because my parents are white and had the financial means to send me to private school, yet they sent me to public school for all of my K-12 education. Very few white parents with the financial means in San Francisco did this. That meant most of my classmates came from families with less socioeconomic privilege, including my white classmates. I know that some of my white classmates would have definitely been sent to private school if their parents had the money to cover tuition. My most affluent white classmates often had attended private school for some years, and then their parents decided to switch to a public school. I would not say that being different from my classmates in this way was a bad thing – in fact, I think most of them did not realize how much money my parents actually had – but it led to some odd experiences.
When I was in high school, the San Francisco Chronicle ran a series of articles about San Francisco’s education system. Many of the articles focused on the differences between public and private schools. I noticed that, even though the articles quoted many parents who said they chose private school for their children, none of those parents provided evidence that private schools offered a better education (and the articles also did not find any evidence that students learn better in private schools than in public schools). The only parent who actually had first hand knowledge of both private schools and public schools because he sent one child to private schools and another child to public schools said that the public schools offered a better education, and that he regretted sending his older child to private school.
After I discussed these articles with my mother, she said “private school parents don’t actually care about the quality of education, that’s why they don’t check whether private schools offer a better education, they just want to keep their kids away from black kids”.
I don’t think my mother’s assessment is entirely fair, since I have met quite a few people who attended private school in San Francisco for at least a few years, and I learned something about their parents (though since these were mostly the parents of students who eventually ended up in public school, they probably are not representative). But I do agree with her that these parents actually care more about social image/status than whether or not their children are learning a lot in school, though many of them do not seem to understand the difference between a prestigious education and an education which actually develops a student’s intellectual potential.
And I think the public schools might even be safer than the private schools. When talking to some former students of private schools in San Francisco, I found some of the things they described rather scary (though I might be biased by the fact that most of these students later ended up in a public school; students who find themselves in danger at a private school are probably much more likely to transfer out). I suspect that the illusion of safety at private schools might actually make them more dangerous. A lot of people are concerned about safety at public schools and there is a lot of scrutiny; a lot less people pay attention to safety issues at private schools.
That said, the private schools are definitely better for making social connections and offering opportunities which can entrench/increase a child’s privileges. I’ll give a specific example: one of my high school classmates was admitted to Harvard. It was a big deal because a) my high school was small, so everyone knew this guy and b) he was the first student at my high school to be admitted to Harvard. He later found out why he was the first, and told us about it; that was the first year that Harvard admissions actually bothered to read applications from students at my high school. If he had graduated just a year earlier, the Harvard people would have tossed out his application unread, and he would have had zero chance of getting into Harvard. That was because my high school was a public school in San Francisco that wasn’t Lowell. Previously, with regards to applicants from San Francisco, Harvard’s policy had been to only read applications from private school students and Lowell students (Lowell is the top-rated public high school in San Francisco). The year he applied, Harvard decided finally read applications from students from other San Francisco public high schools. I think that my high school previously had students who were just as qualified to get into Harvard as my classmate who was admitted; it was unfair that they did not have a chance. Hopefully Harvard reads all applications now, but I suspect that there are still other ways that private high school students get unfair advantages (especially social connections).
Speaking of Lowell and racial diversity, I recently read that Lowell only has eight African American students in its class of 2018. I was surprised. I looked through one of my old yearbooks, and counted thirteen African-American students in my graduating class (not including several students whose racial background was not clear based on the photos and I couldn’t remember whether or not they identified as African-American) – and my high school was much smaller than Lowell. (No, I am not in favor of changing Lowell’s admission standards, but based on the article, it seems that their outreach could be significantly improved).
My parents are white, and might even be described as center-left, but they definitely are not progressive. They did not particularly care about racial and class diversity in schools – they would have been totally fine sending me to an all-white-affluent school, but they also did not mind sending me to racially and class diverse schools. So why did they send me to public schools? Both of my parents thought that paying private school tuition would be a waste of money, but it was more than that. My father felt that it was his civic duty to send me to public school. My mother did not care about civic duty, she simply was not convinced that I would receive a better education in private school than in public school, therefore private school tuition was a horrible waste of money.
And my neighborhood? It’s racially mixed (mostly white people and Asian-Americans, but there are also some African-Americans around here and there). The class dynamics in my neighborhood are complicated, so I’ll oversimplify for brevity: there are poor, working class, middle class, and rich people all living within walking distance of my home, but that does not mean we’re socially integrated, we tend to keep our social selves separate from anyone who is more than a notch or two away from us on the class hierarchy. For example, there is an upper class enclave just a ten minute walk from my home, yet I rarely set foot there, and if I did go there and encountered one of the people who live there, it would be awkward because I don’t know how to engage with them.
Ironically, the fact that my parents care a lot less about ‘social justice’ might be why they were more willing to send me to public school than affluent parents who do care about ‘social justice’. The affluent parents who care about ‘social justice’ probably spend a lot of time about thinking about how disadvantaged poor and/or brown kids are, so the subconsciously think that they need to keep their kids away from the those unfortunate people in case the bad luck is infectious. In other words, as affluent white people who care about ‘social justice’ they may have be more susceptible to the classist and racist assumption that schools with lots of poor and/or brown students must be worse because that is where the poor and/or brown students are. (And if they discovered that some of those schools with lots of poor and/or brown students are actually good, and that poor and/or brown students are not always to be viewed with pity, it might blow their minds). My parents spend a lot less mental energy obsessing over how disadvantaged poor and/or brown kids are, so they did not develop the subconscious feeling that they needed to isolate me from all that.
To be continued…

domain: sociology


text:
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Gov. Rick Scott will kick off his "Million, Billion Jobs Victory Tour" in Jacksonville Monday morning.
The administration says more than 1 million jobs have been created across the state in five years and more than $1 billion in tax cuts have happened over the last two years for Florida families.
Scott will begin his day at Total Quality Logistics at 8:30 a.m.
Total Quality Logistics is one of the largest freight brokerage firms in the country. It works with customers needing to move truckload freight shipments with carriers.
The company is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio and employs more than 3,800 people across the United States.
From there Scott will travel to Orlando where he'll announce the state's January jobs numbers.
Scott will then travel to St. Petersburg, Fort Myers, and Miami in the afternoon.


text:
Jeffrey Norrod talks about his combat injury and how doing Krav Maga can help with recovery from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and help manage post-traumatic stress. Also hear all about how to realign the bones of the skull, which sounds both awesome and terrible.
Read more . . .
Resources Jeffrey provided—use them and share them:
- Make the Connection, MakeTheConnection.net
- Veterans Crisis Line, VeteransCrisisLine.net, 800-272-8255 (press 1), or text to 838255
- National Center for PTSD
- Description of traumatic brain injury
- Mobile apps for coping with PTSD
- How exercise helps with symptoms of PTSD (PDF)
- Learn more about Jeffrey’s position at the VA—peer specialist
(Please excuse the occasional noise of a stupid loud refrigerator during this episode. Working on getting better recording equipment.)


text:
The Amber Spyglass brings the intrigue of The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife to a heart-stopping end, marking the final volume of His Dark Materials as the most powerful of the trilogy. Along with the return of Lyra and other familiar characters from the first two books come a host of new characters: the Mulefa, mysterious wheeled creatures with the power to see Dust; Gallivespian Lord Roke, a hand-high spymaster to Lord Asriel; and Metatron, a fierce and mighty angel. So too come startling revelations: the painful price Lyra must pay to walk through the land of the dead, the haunting power of Dr. Malone’s amber spyglass, and the names of who will live-and who will die-for love. And all the while, war rages with the Kingdom of Heaven, a brutal battle that-in its shocking outcome-will uncover the secret of Dust. Philip Pullman deftly brings the cliffhangers and mysteries of His Dark Materials to an earth-shattering conclusion and confirms his fantasy trilogy as an undoubted and enduring classic.沒有靈魂，人類就能永保純潔？天堂的真相是永無止境的絕望？ 萊拉與威爾皆有心願未了。萊拉要向亡友羅傑道歉，威爾想再見死去的父親一面。然而從沒有活人進入冥界，更沒有人離開過，因此他們只能自己摸索。在熊王歐瑞克與加里維刺間諜協助之下，他們運用真理探測儀與奧祕匕首，終於踏入禁忌之地──然而這只是種種艱難考驗的起點…… 非洲王、加里維刺族與叛變天使齊集艾塞列公爵麾下，準備與神國背水一戰；教誨權威傾全力摧毀世界墮落的象徵、源頭與徵兆；天堂攝政王則決定加強神國在世俗的權力，直接掌控人間。跨世界的大戰勢不可免，所有宇宙的命運均交纏於此，萬物都將為自己的未來一搏，但誰也無法預料結果。 新世界中的謬爾發族，為瑪隆博士帶來突破「影子」之謎的驚人靈感。謬爾發的神祕物質「思若夫」與瑪隆的影子、萊拉世界的塵，有共通之處嗎？她如何完成使命，協助萊拉與威爾？ 驚人的「黑暗元素」終曲！格局更為宏大繁複，獨特創意目不暇給，童趣與哲思相融，情感豐沛深厚，故事張力強大；對人世、地獄、天堂、深淵，以及人類、鬼魂、天使與上帝的詮釋，更完整呈現了普曼對人類處境的深刻關懷。
Philip Pullman has won many distinguished prizes, including the Carnegie Medal for The Golden Compass (and the reader-voted "Carnegie of Carnegies" for the best children's book of the past seventy years); the Whitbread (now Costa) Book of the Year Award for The Amber Spyglass; a Booker Prize long-list nomination (The Amber Spyglass); Parents' Choice Gold Awards (The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass); and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, in honor of his body of work. In 2004, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.Philip Pullman is the author of many books for young readers, including two volumes related to the His Dark Materials trilogy: Lyra's Oxford and Once Upon a Time in the North. He lives in Oxford, England. To learn more, please visit www.philip-pullman.com and www.hisdarkmaterials.com.

domain: literature


TS “Frames of Happiness”, 2015 (Erasmus+ & Aktiv Ungdom)
The Training – Seminar “Frames of Happiness” is a 9 days project that was realized in Moldova between 26th of August to 4th of September, 2015. The aim of the project is to promote the young orphans’ social inclusion and well-being, through tackling the issue of youth exclusion and discrimination.
It joins 32 youth workers from EU: Norway, Latvia, Romania, Spain, and EECA: Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia that what are interested to raise the awareness about the problem of the excluded children using the digital tools of photography and videography.
This project is dedicated to the youth workers, volunteers and young people that organize activities, initiatives or take part in organizations that involve children from orphanages and would like to learn new ways of promoting the idea of inclusion of young people, using the art of photo and video activities.
Through the art of photography, the participants will be able to show the existence of this problem and will try to encourage people to solve the problem of exclusion of children from the society. They will express their personal ideas and thoughts using pictures and videos made during the whole duration of the project. All the results: pictures, collages, videos shown in the last day of the project in form of an exhibition in a public place in the capital of Moldova, Chisinau.
Prosjektet gjennomføres med støtte fra EU-programmet Erasmus+: Aktiv Ungdom. Dette materiellet inneholder støttemottakers meninger og synspunkter. Verken det Nasjonale kontoret for Erasmus+: Aktiv Ungdom eller Den europeiske kommisjonen kan holdes ansvarlig for innholdet.


text:
Located in Northeast Texas is the city of Ft. Worth. When looking for the best places to stay in Fort Worth, you will want to decide what to include in your itinerary. This will determine exactly where to stay. Whether it be the Stockyards or nightlife, there are many options to choose from, many of which are also near fabulous restaurants.
When you are planning on where to stay in Ft Worth, consider the many options, such as bed and breakfasts, resorts, or modern hotels for the most comfortable stay. There are hotels in Ft worth for all tastes and all budgets, depending on wheat you want to see. Whether you are visiting Ft Worth on business or visiting with your family, there are many hotels in Ft Worth to meet your needs.
In the famous Stockyards district, where once was a holding place for cattle before the cattle drives, you can be near the nightlife, amazing restaurants, historical district, and Downtown Fort Worth attractions. Being Texas, Fort Worth is famous for thick juicy steaks, so many restaurants offer this tasty delicacy.
Not only Stockyards area, but also downtown Fort Worth is a great place to visit. While visiting downtown, you will be able to enjoy the many museums, the arts, and many historical sites as well as great shopping experiences. There are also events at the Texas Motor Speedway and the many downtown festivals throughout the year. All these near some of the best places to stay in Ft Worth.
No visit to the Ft Worth area is complete without a visit to the Ballpark at Arlington where the Texas Rangers play baseball. There are many Arlington Hotels within a short drive and even walking distance from this great architectural wonder.
So, whether you are visiting the Ft Worth area for vacation or for business, there are many hotel options for nightlife, restaurants, or Arlington Hotels if you desire to make a baseball game part of your itinerary.

domain: geography


text:
Who can get enough of these beauties?!
IguanaMouth is back at it again with even more dragon hoard prints that you can bring home for yourself or someone special! Make sure to check out their store HERE!
Take a love for Disney Princesses and mix that with a nice dose of Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show!
That is exactly the result that came from the mind of Fashion Illustrator Guillermo Meraz! Check out the looks these Disney Princesses would be rocking down the catwalk.
You can’t have a proper fantasy world without some fantastic fantasy flora to go with it!
From the chomping teeth of the Pirahna Plants in Mario to the thrashing branches of the Whomping Willow in Harry Potter, AvasFlowers will make sure you know what you are up against with their incredible infograph called The Garden of Flora. Included is an astonishing 80 entries complete with pictures and descriptions. Check it out below and heck, maybe you’ll find the perfect fantasy bouquet just in time for Valentines Day!
Everything can have a human form!
Personifying things is a fun and creative past time for many artist. Pokemon, video game systems, and now even Kit Kat bars! Artist Cioccolatodorima aka ROSEL-D has created this impressive set of personified Kit Kat bars called “Mr. Kit Kat”. Although I’m personally a huge fan of the actual sake and wasabi flavors those personified Dark, Mint, and Matcha Mr. Kit Kats are looking pretty delicious too!
Kit Kat Original
Kit Kat White
Kit Kat Dark
Kit Kat Orange
Kit Kat Pumpkin Pudding
Kit Kat Cheesecake
Kit Kat Blueberry Cheesecake
Kit Kat Strawberry Cheesecake
Kit Kat Wasabi
Kit Kat Strawberry
Kit Kat Mint
Kit Kat Cookies and Cream
Kit Kat Sake
Kit Kat Matcha


text:
Takeaways from Our Conversation on Cannabis Risk Management
Some organizations view risk management as merely slowing down and planning before proceeding, while others make it a key organizational building block.
Risk management in the cannabis industry is still new, and underdeveloped, according to one expert on the topic.
And the industry’s next steps must be to see the value in better, and more sophisticated risk management, in order to grow.
For our latest podcast we spoke Rocco Petrelli, chairman of the National Cannabis Risk Management Association. The NCRMA offers education to its members, as well as insurance.
Following are takeaways from that conversation.
Petrelli, who helped launch the NCRMA when the industry was still in its infancy, said the group’s membership has grown in size and complexity.
“We still have a pretty wide diverse cross section of members of the vertical,” he said. “And according to their structure of ownership, we do have a couple of the MSOs that have joined and are actively participating. Others have joined and are not actively participating.
He said the core membership is still made up of mid-range companies, primarily those with independent ownership and that have “found themselves in somewhat more of a survival mode in the current state of the cannabis market.”
Petrelli gave a state of risk management in cannabis on the podcast, talking about the need for more sophistication in the industry’s practices and more clarity about what are some of the practices to follow.
Of course, as his organization focuses on education, he believes better education is the best way to improve those practices.
“We continue to offer the educational syllabus through the NCRMA Academy, which now has seven different curricula and over 45 separate courses that deal with various areas of risk,” he said. “We continue to expand that offering based on what we learn from our members and based on what we learn from the risk assessments we do in the business.”
Among the biggest emerging risks in the cannabis industry are of talent optimization, product liability coming from contamination and cannabis occupational health and safety, according to the organization’s findings.
The last one is important from a twofold standpoint, Petrelli said.
“Not only from taking care of situations that cause injuries, but also taking care of things on the ergonomic side like repetitive motion,” he said. “We’ve done a lot of work with biomechanics and bioanalytics to be able to identify the impact of repetitive motion, for example, in trimming and in pruning.”
Lastly, he was asked if the general state of risk management in the cannabis industry has advanced enough to catch up with say, the automotive industry, from which Petrelli came.
“Still light years away,” he replied.
“Cannabis needs one thing right now, and that’s profitability,” he said. “And profitability does not come from the revenue line. Profitability comes from the cost line, and cost comes from risk management. Not only the practices that risk management teaches you, but it also installs a culture and a level of discipline and a level of accountability in a company that makes that company improve so you have more successful companies that then create a successful market. And then when you have a successful market with those aspiring to be best in class, some of those companies become market leaders and they raise the bar for everybody else.”
- Takeaways from Our Conversation on Cannatourism
- Takeaways from Our Conversation with a Cannabis Investing Pro
- Takeaways from Our Conversation on Economic Headwinds, Cannabis Glut
- Takeaways from Our Conversation About Why Most Small-to Mid-Size Cannabis Operators Shun D&O
- Takeaways from Our Conversation with a Cannabis Business Plaintiff’s Attorney