SVA – Simulation of Autonomous Vehicule Safety
Meet the challenge posed by the complexity of the safety demonstration of the autonomous vehicle through the use of digital simulation
The autonomous vehicle, which interprets its environment via sensors such as cameras and radars, must be designed to ensure the safety of its occupants and other road users. Consequently, it must be designed to cope with technical failures, external disturbances (eg rain, glare, etc.) that could affect the efficiency of its sensors and the difficulties of interpreting its environment (e.g. erased markings on the ground). This represents a real challenge.
Launched in 2015 for a period of four years, the SVA project aims to address the issue of autonomous vehicle validation through digital simulation, by developing methods and tools to assist in the design and validation.
- Provide manufacturers and equipment fitters with a methodology, a platform and simulation tools to design safe autonomous vehicles and to validate them;
- Specify, adapt or develop models of vehicle components and their environment in order to simulate the behaviour of the vehicle in the event of a failure of one of its components and the impact on its operation due to external disturbances.
|Data science and AI
|Systems Engineering and Safety
|Safety of critical systems
Supervised theses in the framework of the project
Thesis #1: Application of formal methods to control the development of embedded systems on the autonomous vehicle (ENS Cachan – Université Paris-Saclay / Laboratoire Spécification et Vérification)
Thesis #2: Formal models for the conceptualization and the characterization of use cases for the autonomous vehicule (Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines / Laboratoire DAVID / STIC)


Renerga-1, UAB, owned by UAB koncernas Achemos grupė, opened a new 7.5 Megawatt (MW) wind farm in Anykščiai region. Kunigiškių wind farm is named after its location and consists of three wind turbines which are currently the highest in Lithuania: the height of their tower and blade reaches as many as 180 metres. The company intends to generate 27m kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.
“Electricity production from renewable resources is one of the strategic activities of the Group. We see great prospects in this area, and the opening of the new park is another important milestone in the long-term strategy. We continue to explore opportunities to strengthen our position in the area of wind energy and to implement developments not only in Lithuania, but also abroad. European countries are increasingly moving from fossil fuel to renewable resources, and Lithuanian companies are heading in the same direction”, said the CEO of UAB koncernas Achemos grupė, Audrius Bendaravičius.
“The price of electricity produced by wind farms has decreased substantially and is the lowest of all possible alternatives of electricity production in Lithuania. The purchase price of electricity produced in Kunigiškių wind farm is currently the lowest in Lithuania – 5.6 cents per kilowatt-hour. To our knowledge, today this is still the lowest kilowatt-hour price in the country”, said the Director of Renerga-1, UAB, Mindaugas Juodis.
According to the Director, the technology is developing very rapidly, wind turbine towers are becoming higher, the blades are getting longer – this allows to significantly increase wind power capacity and their utilisation rate compared to wind turbines constructed earlier. The wind power turbines constructed in the new Renerga-1 wind farm are currently the highest in Lithuania: the height of the tower and the blade reaches 180 metres, and the length of each blade is 60 metres. They are 10 metres higher than other wind turbines standing in Lithuania.
Renerga-1, UAB, is owned by UAB koncernas Achemos grupė which also manages a green energy company, Renerga. Renerga is engaged in the production of electricity from wind, water and sun. The company manages Pastrėvis and Kavarskas hydroelectric power plants and Benaičiai wind farm, Benaičiai-1 wind farm and neighbouring small experimental wind and solar power plants.


The new Adam Sandler picture Jack and Jill is just the sort of asinine comedy that the movie star played by Adam Sandler disparaged in Judd Apatow’s serious cancer movie Funny People. I don’t think all Sandler’s comedies warrant shame, but this one is a disgrace. The joke is having Sandler play both a producer of commercials and his twin sister, but Sandler is not only the ugliest transvestite ever to appear on-camera (I’m counting Divine), he’s the least committed. Part of the gag is that Jill isn’t especially feminine, but Sandler passes up every opportunity to play with his own strange, passive-aggressive, adolescent-male persona and imagine what a female version might be like. His Jill is a whiny shrew, an underminer, with shoulders like a linebacker and a speech impediment that makes her sound like an idiot. (A running gag is that she can’t remember the titles of movies but insists, when presented with the correct ones, that they’re wrong.) The Anti-Defamation League should picket the movie for crimes against Jewish women. The Friars Club should picket it for crimes against comedy.
Jack and Jill has more product placements than any recent film, some of them woven into the script. The plot centers on Jack’s attempt to woo Al Pacino for a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial, a prospect made both easier and more difficult when Pacino falls hump over heels for the nightmarish Jill. (He’s onstage for part of the film as Richard III.) I make a point of never commenting on awards in my reviews, but I passed the time at Jack and Jill, savoring the prospect of Razzies for Sandler (Worst Actor and Actress), Pacino (Worst Supporting Actor), and Katie Holmes (not that terrible as Sandler’s cheerful, innocuous wife, but the film puts you in a really bad mood). In the end, Pacino watches his commercial and solemnly tells Jack, “This must never see the light of day.” I can imagine him at the first screening of the movie saying the same thing. Sandler ought to join Lindsay Lohan at the morgue for this one. Watching him bathe corpses would be more amusing.


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After several years of the Internet's help, the Library of Congress has narrowed down its collection of 800 photographs of mystery people from the entertainment industry down to less than 30. They've just posted some of the toughest remaining. My favorites are above and below. Who the hell are these people? If you know, post in their comments section and check out the rest: "Mystery Photo Contest: Nearing the End!"
Here's the aforementioned list of incorrect guesses (we've checked with the people named). Take a deep breath: Wendy & Lisa, Joan Jett, Karla Bonoff, T-Rex, Heart, Suicide, The Throbs, The Slits, Scarlet Fantastic, Strawberry Switchblade, Sparks, Tik and Tok, Alannah Myles, The Motels, the New York Dolls, Christian Death, Love and Rockets, the Jacobites, Sisters of Mercy, Haysi Fantayzee, Book of Love, David Johansen, Dogs D'Amore, Dweezil Zappa, Face to Face, The Hangmen, Ian Hunter, Izzy Stradlin, Kings of the Sun, L.A. Guns, Michael Des Barres, Mickey Thomas, Peaches, Paul Westerberg, Paul Hardcastle, Richard Hell, Rough Trade, Suicide, Tom Keifer, and, finally, The Waitresses […]
Meanwhile, I have inquired of, but not heard back from, the following acts, all of whom readers have suggested: 39 Clocks, Balaam and the Angel, Edn Ozn, Fashion, Faster Pussycat, Lady Wreckless, Main Street Preachers and The Cut.

domain: library


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Experience innovation with PIXIE's pixelized cloud design
The PIXIE ceiling light is an exquisite fusion of contemporary design and cutting-edge lighting technology. This exceptional fixture takes the traditional ceiling light and reimagines it as a captivating interpretation of a cloud, all achieved through clever pixelization. Crafted from high-quality acrylic, the cloud-shaped body of the light creates the illusion of pixels.
The true magic of this ceiling light becomes apparent when it's illuminated. Embedded LED chips within the acrylic structure shine through the slats, producing a mesmerizing interplay of light and shadow. You have the option to choose between three different color temperatures: warm white (3000 Kelvin) for a cozy sunrise-like ambiance, neutral white (4000 Kelvin) for a balanced and crisp lighting experience, and cool white light (6000 Kelvin) for a bright and refreshing atmosphere.
This ceiling light not only offers a modern and luxurious texture but also infuses the space with a romantic and enchanting atmosphere. The iron body ensures durability, while the high-brightness LED light source provides ample illumination, ensuring that every corner of your space is bright and clear. What's more, this high-value lamp looks equally stunning when it's turned off, adding a touch of elegance to your decor.
Enhance your atmosphere with the best in lighting from Horizon Lights.
- SKU: 309096
- Item Type: Ceiling Light
- Style: Modern
- Color: White
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- Material: Iron + Acrylic
- Lighting Area: 10 - 20m²
- Bulb: Included. LED Chips 20W（Warm White 3000K, White 6000K） 40W（Neutral white 4000K）
- Warranty: 1 Year.
- Applications: Living Room / Bedroom / Dining Room / etc.

domain: artistic


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Guía de Machu Picchu Es una guía que orienta al viajero para recorrer toda la ciudadela de piedra de Machu Picchu, así como la biodiversidad y los paisaje que contiene el santuario histórico de Machu Picchu.
Juan Luis Tord The Tambopata National Reserve covers 275,690 hectares (1,064 square miles) in the Peruvian Amazon region of Madre de Dios. In this exuberant natural territory, there are 600 species of birds, 1230 species of butterflies (a world record), 103 mammals, 127 reptiles and amphibians, 94 fish, 103 dragonflies, eight species of monkeys and tens of thousands of species of plants, insects and invertebrates, many of which have yet to be scientifically identified. This extraordinary book portrays one of the densely biodiverse rainforests in the world and contains impressive photographs by the explorer and photographer Juan Luis Tord, who has travelled extensively in this region of the Amazon rainforest over 20 years. Few publications show such close-up images of wild species such as the jaguar, puma, ocelot, spectacled caiman or wild pigs. The photographic quality in this book is surprising, displaying a variety of colors that are rarely seen in book form, providing the reader with a beautiful memento of a magnificent biodiversity that is becoming increasingly difficult to observe in the world today.
Juan Luis Tord Es una guía que orienta al viajero para recorrer toda la ciudadela de piedra de Machu Picchu, así como la biodiversidad y los paisaje que contiene el santuario histórico de Machu Picchu.
Juan Luis Tord This guide has been modified in December 2014 to the Kindle reflowable format for easier reading. This book is much more than a tourist guide. Its pages, profusely illustrated, describe the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu through interesting and entertaining details of the buildings and places of interest in this mysterious city and its impressive surroundings. It is an exceptional publication, written by Peruvian expeditionary Juan Luis Tord, who has taken hundreds of photographs of the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary over the past twenty years. It also contains a broad sampling of the biodiversity of the area, with images of its landscapes, flora and fauna. A unique book that will ensure you enjoy the journey to this legendary place before, during and long after your visit.


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Are you unsure if you need to file Form 720 and pay the excise tax? We’ve come to inform you just that. If you own a company and sell goods and services that are listed on Form 720, The fee, on the other hand, is found in the items that consumers buy, such as fuel for your vehicle or plane tickets. Businesses that deal with these goods and services are responsible for paying the bill. Excise tax is paid on a quarterly basis, and the first installment is due by the end of this month, so you must pay taxes on or before April 30, 2021. This is a reminder to excise taxpayers to log in and efile form 720 (Excise Tax) and report their returns electronically on www.TaxExcise.com as quickly as possible.Continue reading TO AVOID PENALTIES, THE DEADLINE REMINDER ON TAXEXCISE FOR FILING YOUR FEDERAL EXCISE TAX RETURN ELECTRONICALLY FOR THE FIRST QUARTER 2021 IS APRIL 30, 2021.
Overcoming the Pandemic, one of the most essential business goals is to stay compliant with the IRS by not missing out on the deadlines. Being the 1st month of the year, and it is the end of the month resulting in 3 Tax Deadlines.
* 4th Quarter Form 720
Form 720, Quarterly Federal Excise Tax filing has to be reported before the end of the month following the calendar quarter. Form 720 is filed every quarter to report taxes imposed on the manufacture, sales, or usage of a certain type of goods & products, as the 4th quarter deadline falls on 31st January 2021. If missed or filed late will result in paying penalties.Continue reading E-File Now as the Deadline is around the corner for Form 2290, Q4 Form 720 & IFTA
We have an important message about your Form 720 tax returns, today is the deadline to file Form 720 excise tax return for the third calendar quarter of 2020 (July, August, and September). However it is only applicable for businesses that deals in goods and services subject to excise tax. If you were responsible for collecting excise taxes during this quarter and haven’t filed your tax return yet, you must prepare and file it by today, November 2nd, 2020.Continue reading Today is the Deadline to file Form 720 excise tax return for the third calendar quarter of 2020 (July, August, and September)
Time for Excise Taxpayers to go in full swing and complete the Quarterly Federal Excise Tax returns for the 2nd Quarter of 2020. Excise taxes collect along with the goods or services offer has to be consolidated and reported to the IRS in the tax form 720. PCORI fee is also due and has to be reported along with the 2nd Quarter of Form 720.
Form 720 – Electronic Filing – July 31 Due Date
TaxExcise.com electronic filing enables you to meet excise tax compliance effortlessly with its features, error free filing is very much possible. with eFiling. For small businesses electronic filing is much handy then working with a tax accountant. Excise taxes can be prepared and reported by yourself in 3 simple steps. Just complete the information that is probed and you’re done in few minutes. Get tax calculated right, as we update the tax rates regularly when there is a new update from the IRS.
Electronic filing saves time and get it done with the help of our tax experts waiting to answer and help you through the efiling process. It won’t take much time for you to have your Federal Excise Tax returns processed by the IRS and to receive the acknowledgement in mail. The earlier you efile you get more time to work with your return if it requires an amendment or resubmission in case of rejections.
PCORI Fee in Form 720 – July 31 Due Date
New research trust fund fees are due July 31 from health insurers and the plan sponsors of self-insured plans. The fee is paid annually using Form 720, Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return. The payment can also be paid through the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) if you already have an account established.
The PCORI fee initially applied to specified health insurance policies and applicable self-insured health plans with policy or plan years ending after September 30, 2012, and before October 1, 2019; however, in December 2019 the fee was extended for an additional 10 years under the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 1865) and now applies through plan years ending before October 1, 2029.
The IRS provides self-insured employers with transition relief for calculating the average number of plan enrollees, which the IRS refers to as covered lives—employees, spouses and dependents covered by the health plan. Payment due on any given July 31 covers the plan year that ended in the preceding calendar year, so the fee payable by July 31, 2020, is for plan years ending in 2019.
Electronic filing with TaxExcise.com
The due date is around the corner and you have limited time to do a paper return. Electronic filing can be strategically the best way to report and pay the Federal Excise Taxes with the IRS. Taxpayers should file on time, even if they can’t pay the full amount due. Then, they should pay the rest as soon as they can. Remember, the sooner paid, the less owed. The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers about the importance of timely filing and paying their taxes, and that there are several options available to help people having trouble paying.
TaxExcise.com is an IRS authorized eFile service provider and help you to complete this Excise Tax returns electronically. The only website to efile the tax form 720, no need to have any software or tools to download, just plug into an internet connect and start efiling with TaxExcise. Talk to us today at (866) 245 – 3918 or write to us at email@example.com.
What is the aviation excise tax holiday?
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), enacted on March 27, 2020, provides an excise tax holiday that suspends certain aviation excise taxes. The excise tax holiday began on March 28, 2020 and will end on December 31, 2020.
During the excise tax holiday, no tax is imposed on kerosene used in commercial aviation, and normally taxed pursuant to I.R.C. §§ 4041(c) or 4081. The CARES Act applies only to kerosene used in commercial aviation during the excise tax holiday, rather than the sale or removal of kerosene during the excise tax holiday.
The excise tax holiday also applies to the taxes normally imposed on amounts paid for the transportation of persons and property by air under I.R.C. §§ 4261 and 4271.Continue reading Aviation Excise Tax Holiday under the CARES Act – Form 720 Federal Excise Taxes

domain: law


I like Weird Al Yankovic. I like his parodies, his sense of humor, and his accordion playing. He seems to be the kind of guy you could sit down and talk to. With that said, I would really like to meet the guys in his band because they are able to take what Al does in the studio and recreate it on stage. It is one thing to play your own style of music, but it takes a special group of musicians to play every conceivable style of music from polkas to hip hop and to do it with such panache!
The longest serving member of Weird Al’s band is his drummer Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz who has been with Al since September 14, 1980. That very specific date is important because Weird Al was scheduled to perform his newest parody of Another One Bites the Dust live on the Dr. Demento (radio) Show. While he was rehearsing Another One Rides the Bus, Schwartz introduced himself as a drummer and ended up keeping time on Weird Al’s accordion case during the song. Who knew that thirty five years later they would still be together, albeit with Schwartz graduating from accordion case to a full drum kit. He also does a great deal of the back up vocals in Al’s live show.
Schwartz has also served as the band’s historian and webmaster. He began designing websites in 1995 and has turned it into a lucrative side business that keeps him occupied between tours. He is also active in numerous other musical projects around his Los Angeles homebase. Schwartz is known for his meticulous record keeping and the same meticulous streak is apparent in the way he fills the drum throne in Weird Al’s band. There doesn’t seem to be a drum style that he can’t play.
The second longest tenured member of Weird Al’s band is bass player Stephen Jay who has been with Yankovic since the his debut album “Weird Al” Yankovic (March 1982). Having studied composition and theory at USF in Tampa, Jay is a classically trained player who is also deeply interested in world music and African drumming. We has spent time in West Africa studying with master drummers and incorporates a lot of world folk music in his own compositions, ranging from funk to jazz. He is a highly respected bass player who is noted for his ability to play different meters at the same time. This allows him to play both lead and rhythm parts at the same time. If that sounds easy, try tapping your right index finger on the tabletop in a 4/4 time signature (1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4) while tapping your left index finger in ¾ time (1-2-3, 1-2-3). Now imagine doing this while navigating up and down the fretboard of a bass guitar following a rhythm part and a melody at the same time. It is no surprise that Jay is able to handle the variety of musical styles parodied by Yankovic.
Guitarist Jim ‘Kimo’ West also came on board with Yankovic’s 1982 debut album. A Canadian, West was also schooled in Florida, migrated to Los Angeles before teaming up with Al’s band. He is also a world traveler and composer (for film and TV) whose hobbies include fishing, biking, scuba diving, snorkeling and whatever activities are suited for the places he visits. He is particularly fond of Hong Kong and Hawaii. His ‘Kimo’ handle comes from his other career as a slack key guitarist who has won numerous accolades for his skill in this specific type of Hawaiian music. While all of the band members go through multiple wardrobe changes during a Weird Al show, West definitely looks the best in his Jedi Knight robes worn for The Saga Begins.
Last but not least is relative newcomer to the band is Ruben Valtierra who has been with the band since 1991. A native of San Rafael , CA and a graduate of U.C. Santa Cruz, he led a popular jazz/funk fusion band called Rush Hour. After relocating to Los Angeles, he soon found himself recording and traveling the world with groups as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Tower of Power, Tom Jones, Santana, Chick Corea, Elton John, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to name a few. Soon after concluding world tours with Glenn Hughes (Trapeze, Deep Purple) and blues legend Charlie Musselwhite, Valtierra began recording and touring with the Weird Al band. Between tours, he is active in the studio as a writer and producer as well as the leader of his own Latin Orchestra.
These are not some studio musician hacks putting in their time. Weird Al’s band is populated by four musicians who no doubt could be a formidable band even without their energetic front man. Al is quick to credit Dr. Demento for his rise to stardom (he claims that if Dr. Demento hadn’t liked and aired his earliest cassettes, he very well may have had to pursue ‘real work’ after graduating from college with a degree in architecture), but his fortunes seemed to rise when he began working with Jay and West. Weird Al is still the genius composer of masterful parodies, but Jay, West, Valtierra and Schwartz are the cogs that make Al’s music engine purr like a kitten.
Weird Al and his band are currently in the middle of their Mandatory Tour, named of course for his current release Mandatory Fun. As if playing flawless parodies isn’t tough enough, Al and the boys are opening the current tour with Al singing his vocal parts to Tacky while a film crew tracks him from the dressing room and through the catacombs of whatever venue they are playing in – live – while his trek is projected on the screen backdrop on stage. The band soldiers on from the stage and Weird Al ends up at the back of the house before making his way to the stage just as the last chorus ends. Ask most bands to try something like this and they would no doubt say, “That’s crazy!” Nope. That is Weird Al and his excellent band doing their thing.
A couple of notes about the YouTube video included. 1) I like the one from his Conan appearance, but it wouldn’t play nice for us – you can check it out on your own. 2) The one used is kind of unique because it features the entrance into an outdoor venue in broad daylight and 3) I just got my new buisness cards for the station – and yes Al, I used Comic Sans for the font! ker


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As the owner and operator of White Fine Furnishings, it has been my privilege to serve my interior design clientele for close to 20 years. Whether your needs lie with one special accent piece or with much larger projects, I am here to assist you in realizing your vision. Please contact me for a consultation or for pricing by telephone, e-mail, or even text message. I sincerely thank my loyal clients with whom I’ve been working for many years, and I look forward to getting to know my first-time design clients as well.
Becky White Giles


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Cherry Whipped Cream Pie
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 1/2 cups of whipping cream, whipped
- 1 can sour cherries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1-1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
- cherry extract
- Mix together first four ingredients, fold in whipped cream. Pour in baked 9 inch pie crust.
- Combine remaining ingredients for topping, cook until mixture thickens to consistency of pudding.
- Spoon onto top of pie onto cover entire pie.
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domain: food


Downtown Short [ black patent ]
Bring the biker short into Summer '19 with our slick patent fabric. Stretchy & comfortable enough to actually bike in, but sleek enough to wear on a night out, the Downtown short will take you uptown, downtown, or wherever you need to go.
• Patent Vegan Leather fabric
• 2" elastic waistband
• Self: 80% POLY 20% SPANDEX
• Made in USA
MACHINE WASH COLD INSIDE OUT ON DELICATE CYCLE; WASH WITH LIKE COLORS ONLY; TUMBLE DRY LOW; DO NOT BLEACH.
Size & Fit
|Equivalent Size||Size 0-2||Size 4-6||Size 6-8||Size 10-12|
Model is wearing a size SMALL
Rise Legging [ stone ]
The textured knit fabric of these leggings is compressive & forgiving at the same time and is great for 'rising'...
Rise Legging [ coral ]
The Rise Legging will add the perfect pop of color to any workout. The textured knit fabric of these leggings...
Sweat Skirt [ heather grey baby terry ]
The sweat skirt will be your cozy go - to. The perfect lightweight layering piece for post sweat, post swim, or...


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*If you missed Day on of your Travel Diary in New York, check it out here!
DFluffy’s Cafe // Columbus Circle // Gapstow Bridge // 5th Avenue // St. Patrick’s Cathedral // Grand Central Station // Bryant Park // More Time Square
The next morning, we hit the streets a bit earlier than Day 1, but not too much earlier. We made it just in time for breakfast at Fluffy’s Cafe and Pizzeria on W 58th Street. OMG the pancakes! They were like something I’ve never tasted before.
They serve everything from pancakes, toast, sandwiches, pizza’s…literally anything you can think of! The owners were also very sweet. We had a wonderful time getting to know them. They even gave us a free treat to celebrate our anniversary.
Since we were on a budget (and I want to lose weight) we walked as much as we could on this trip. After Fluffy’s, we headed off to the Columbus Circle to people watch and take in the wonderful views by the fountain.
Let the Fun in New York Begin!
It was time to head out into the Big Apple now that our food has digested. We took a stroll through Central Park and stopped to admire the beautiful Gapstow Bridge. It was so majestic! The greenery, water, and landscaping in general was a site to see.
After checking out the bridge, I’d recommend heading over to Wollman Rink or the Central Park Zoo if you have time and/or kiddos in tow. Check out my full NYC 4 Day Itinerary here!
We really wanted to visit Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum but we knew we weren’t going to have enough time because we started our day later. Instead we decided to head back towards Midtown Manhattan.
We took a tour down 5th avenue taking in Trump Tower, The Museum of Modern Art (closed until Fall) and a few other great places I mention in my NYC Itinerary! I even got do a little window shopping. I’m not broke, but still waiting on my financial blessings from the All Mighty.
Ironically enough, I did not plan this AT ALL. But speaking of the man upstairs, our little stroll lead us to a well known church in New York, St. Patricks Cathedral.
We really wanted to visit the Top of the Rock while we were in the area, but the rain kept playing tricks on us. We’d decide to head back to our hotel but then the rain would stop. After locking eyes for a second thinking, “well maybe we should just go for it1” a few times we decided to skip out on the paid activities for the day and site see until the rain does hit.
Instead we went to Grand Central Station! It was in walking distance and full of beautiful architecture and shops. They have half off of their baked goods in the cafe once its later in the day so that was a PLUS!
There wasn’t exactly a lot to do there because, well, we weren’t in need of a train ride at the moment. But it was definitely an experience to have!
And there you have us, sitting in front of the side door of a tavern to sneak away from the rain. Chris can never be serious in front of the camera LOL.
Once the rain calmed down enough, we hit the streets once again. The next thing you know, we found ourselves on a bench in Bryant Park taking in the scenery once again. Guy, I cannot explain to you how nice that moment was.
Maybe it was just the fact that we were in a new city and had time away from the kiddos? Could it be what we were falling for the hype that everyone hears about New York? Or, the energy from everyone around us doing so many different things at one? I don’t know but it was borderline addicting.
All of the excitement wore us out for the day. Since we already committed to walking for the day, we headed back to our hotel and stopped by Time Square again briefly since it was on the way. You’ll have to check out my youtube video to see all of the excitement for the day in action!
Check Back Wednesday for Day 3!
I hope you guys have enjoyed our adventure so far. Have you been to New York? Share some of your favorite places to visit below!

domain: geography


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Learn more about Dr. Nanthaphonge Chiranand:
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The overall average patient rating of Dr. Nanthaphonge Chiranand is Excellent.
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Specialties & Research
- He has special expertise in 1 area:
- Flu (Human Influenza)
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Dr. Chiranand graduated from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. He has 1 awards.
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- Dr. Nanthaphonge Chiranand MD is a male General Practitioner, has 42 years of experience and practices in General Practice.
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- Dr. Nanthaphonge Chiranand has 1 office location.
Dr. Nanthaphonge Chiranand practices General Practice near Richmond, TX.
See Richmond Primary Care Doctors.

domain: medical


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With global seafood consumption on the rise, it must be a priority for suppliers and retailers alike to be conscious of environmental impact, responsible sourcing and food safety implications of the seafood they produce and sell to consumers. That is why Hy-Vee began the Responsible Choice initiative. Through the program, Hy-Vee has established specific guidelines to offer high-quality seafood that is safe for consumption and harvested in a manner that provides for a sustainable future.
As of this January, 79 percent of Hy-Vee’s fresh and private label frozen seafood met the goal of being responsibly sourced and traceable or in a time-bound improvement process by year-end 2015. Rainbow trout is no exception.
A member of the salmon family, wild trout are anadromous, spending part of their life cycle in freshwater as rainbow trout and part in salt water as steelhead trout. Farmers in the United States began commercially raising rainbow trout during the 1960s.
The most common production system for U.S. farmed rainbow trout is called a “raceway” – where farmers divert water from natural waterways, such as rivers and streams, into a channel containing the trout. The water is then treated before being discharged back into the original waterway. U.S.-farmed trout are then fed using a formulation of relatively low levels of fishmeal and fish oil, reducing the impacts to wild fish populations.
Regulation of rainbow trout farms in the U.S. is considered effective, as best management practices have been shared and utilized on a nation-wide scale. Through a system of checks and balances, trout farmers are able to monitor the health of the trout and its safety for human consumption.
Rainbow trout farmed in the U.S. has been given a Green “Best Choice” rating by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program due to the environmentally friendly production methods used, and the minimal impact to habitats or other wildlife.
Hy-Vee’s Responsible Choice rainbow trout is sourced in a region called the Magic Valley in Idaho by Clear Springs Foods, which upholds the high standards established through Hy-Vee’s Responsible Choice initiative. Hy-Vee continues to keep our consumers and the environment top of mind to ensure a safe, traceable and responsible selection of seafood is available to our customers.


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The Delhi Technological University’s (DTU) failure to assess the sanctioned load in consonance with actual requirement resulted in excess expenditure of Rs 1.55 crore from July 2018 to March 2020, the CAG has pointed out.
According to a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) tabled in Delhi Assembly on Tuesday, the excess expenditure was on account of fixed charges.
“Failure of Delhi Technological University (DTU) to assess the sanctioned load in consonance with actual requirement resulted in excess expenditure of Rs 1.55 crore during the period from July 2018 to March 2020 on account of fixed charges,” the report said.
The CAG also flagged extra expenditure following grant of transport allowance at enhanced rates to employees of IIIT-Delhi without prior approval.
“Grant of Transport Allowance at enhanced rates to the employees of Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Delhi without the prior concurrence of the Finance Department of Delhi government resulted in irregular payment of extra TA amounting to Rs 1.03 crore,” the report added.


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Live rock is rock from the ocean that has been introduced into a saltwater aquarium. Along with live sand, it confers to the closed marine system multiple benefits desired by the saltwater aquarium hobbyist. The name sometimes leads to misunderstandings, as the \"live rock\" itself is not actually alive, but rather is simply made from the aragonite skeletons of long dead corals, or other calcareous organisms, which in the ocean form the majority of coral reefs. When taken from the ocean it is usually encrusted with coralline algae and inhabited by a multitude of marine organisms. The many forms of micro and macroscopic marine life that live on and inside of the rock, which acts as an ideal habitat, give it the name \"live rock\".
Live rock is harvested for use in the aquarium from reefs, either from natural or human breakage. It may also be \"seeded\" from small coralline rocks by an aquaculturalist in warm ocean water, to be harvested later. Live rock can also be seeded by adding base rock to an active reef aquarium that already has live rock. Live rock harbors a wide variety of corals, algae, sponges, and other invertebrates, when they are collected. Corals added to the aquarium later will often become attached to the rock.
Live rock is highly valued in the aquarium trade. It introduces a diverse array of bacteria, algae, and invertebrates to the closed marine environment and functions as a superior biological filter that hosts aerobic and anaerobic nitrifying bacteria required for the nitrogen cycle that processes waste. Live rock becomes the main biological nitrification base or biological filter of a saltwater aquarium. Harmful elements dissolved in the water of the aquarium, including ammonia, phosphates, and nitrates, are processed with the help of the organisms that are introduced from the live rock into the aquarium's ecosystem. Excess ammonia, nitrate, and phosphates are eliminated with the help of the algae and corals growing on the live rock's surface, while other bacteria supplement the process and restore balance in the water chemistry. Additionally, live rocks have a stabilizing effect on the water chemistry, in particular on helping to maintain constant pH by release of calcium carbonate. Lastly, live rock, especially when encrusted with multiple species of coralline algae (producing differing colors), becomes a major decorative element of the aquarium and provides shelter for the inhabitants. It is often used to build caves, arches, overhangs, or other structures in the tank, a practice known as aquascaping.
The use of live rock immediately introduces into the aquarium numerous algae, bacteria and small invertebrates all of which contribute to the overall quality of the aquarium water. Live rock has just as much, if not more, surface area for bacteria than a trickle filter. Since live rock in the aquarium contains various types of bacteria, algae and corals, waste products such as ammonia, nitrate and phosphate can have a number of fates. Ammonia, nitrate and phosphate are readily assimilated by algae and photosynthetic corals growing on and in the rock. Ammonia can also be quickly converted into nitrate by the bacteria on and in the rock. This nitrate can be either absorbed by the algae and corals, or it can be denitrified by bacteria in close proximity to the nitrate-producing bacteria.\"
Live rock must however be cured prior to aquarium installation. Many of the organisms that previously lived in the rock would have died off during the harvesting and transportation process posing a risk to an immature aquarium of rapid ammonia production due to the dead organisms decomposing. To combat this a curing process must be carried out involving leaving the rock to sit in water for up to several weeks to ensure all dead organisms have decomposed and no longer pose a threat to water quality.
There are many different types of live rock. Each is named after the area from which it originated. A large amount of live rock comes from the Southern Pacific region, in areas such as Fiji, Tonga, and the Marshall Islands, as well as from the Caribbean. Each has its own distinct qualities that make it preferable to certain reef aquarists. For instance, live rock from the Fiji region is often porous and large, and rock from the Tonga region is often dense and elongated.
Base rock, or dry rock, is a generic term for aragonite rock that has no organisms growing in or on the rock. Base rock is often used as filler rock in the aquarium as it is much cheaper to purchase than live rock. In time, base rock will become colonized by living organisms.
Recently base rock that is mined from inland ancient reefs has become a popular way to keep the aquarium trade going sustainably. This rock is either maricultured and sold as live rock, or can be purchased and grown in the home aquarium.
Base rock can also be made from artificial rock called aragocrete, which is a hand made concrete from combining crushed aragonite, sand, and Portland cement. After allowing the cement to dry, the pieces are sometimes acid washed to counteract the high pH of the materials, and then allowed to soak in clean water for one or more months. They generally tend to be heavier and less attractive when compared to natural base rock.
As of August 4, 2008 CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) banned the collection of live rock from Tonga, the Marshall Islands, and the Cook Islands. This is due to the over-collecting of rock in these areas. This ban remains in effect as of 2022.
Hey everyone, lately I've been a bit critical of the surface appearance of my live rock and I'm unsure as to whether my expectations are unrealistic or if my my live rock is just plain dirty. I've included a few pictures in the details segment but in short I just can't seem to get rid of the brown discolored portions of my live rock. Is it supposed to look like this if not, what steps can i do to clean it up or help the coraline algae cover more area.
I haven't been in the hobby very long but I've come to find that good reef lighting or actinics can really hide a lot of the uglier yellow-brown coloration of rock or even the algae that clings to it. My water parameters are good and have been verified by my lfs. I've tried to manually clean the rock with a toothbrush and increase water flow on it but I can't seem to get anymore results.
It seems like the coraline algae is constantly at war along many fronts with the discolored / bare rock. Are these areas where the coraline just doesn't grow due to lighting or something I would like to think that with a solid long term maintenance regime and pristine water conditions my live rock will eventually be completely encrusted in coraline algae but I've seemed to have reached a \"plateau\" in the improvement. Perhaps this is just the natural mature state of live rock It would be great to see what your guys' live rock looks like under normal room lighting.
Here's what old live rock can look like, but mind you that these rocks were around 11 years old when I took this picture (they spent over 9 years in a high nutrient, unfiltered 55g tank before being used in this nano):
I had really awesome purple rocks in my tank until I decided to get high light sps. I upped the lighting and the coralline disappeared. It was very sad. Keep calcium, alk, magnesium high, keep light low, and flow high. You can try to speed things up by sprinkling bare areas with coralline scrapings from elsewhere.
So if I maintain a good flow, suspended nutrients (will this come just from feeding my fish), low-medium light, adequate calcium, alkalinity and magnesium it will just be a matter of patience And will coraline algae be inhibited at all by the other stuff covering my rock My water parameters are as follows...
My current 7 year old nano, by contrast, is maintained more diligently. It grows almost no coraline algae growth on the tank walls and equipment, but has at least maintained much of the thicker growth that the live rock had initially from the 55g. The conditions for this nano are quite different (higher intensity LED lighting, weekly 10% WCs, regular detritus removal, untestable P04 (Salifert), low NO3 at 0.5ppm, pH 8.4, alk 9.0 dKh, Ca 420 ppm, Mag 1250 ppm.
I really appreciate your responses. My understanding now is with a bit of ongoing parameter investigation and patience I should be able to obtain picture perfect live rock. Onto my second question, if you look at the third photo of mine - just below and above the candy coral there are white patches which used to be purple coraline growth. It happened quite rapidly and overall I lost probably 40% of my coraline growth in about 3 days. I suspect a bit of GFO overdose as the culprit but maybe some others have had similar experiences 59ce067264

domain: biology


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Many thank to Bob (K4RLC) who shares the following guest post:
POTA with Blackbeard in Bath, North Carolina
de Bob (K4RLC)
While in Eastern North Carolina for the North Carolina QSO party, I decided to take a trip to visit historic Bath, North Carolina, the oldest city in our state and one of the original 13 colonies.
Bath, named after the English Earl of Bath, was founded in the late 1600s. It soon became the first port for the Carolina colony, then soon thereafter, the center for the colony’s government.
While I enjoy the wilder side of POTA, like state forests and game lands, and the mountains of SOTA, these historic sites often have a vibe that lets the mind wander back in history.
Additionally, two historic houses had recently been added to the POTA program: the Palmer-Marsh House (US-10388) and the Bonner House (US-10263). The Palmer-Marsh House was built in 1744 by Captain Michael Coutanch, the original governor who came from the Isle of Jersey. The house was sold around 1762 to Robert Palmer, then later to the Marsh family around 1805. It is deemed the oldest standing house in North Carolina. While this state historic/POTA site had been activated on SSB, it had not been activated on Morse code yet, and it was appealing to me to be the first CW activator.
It was a quiet clear Saturday morning with beautiful Carolina blue skies and chilly temps when I arrived at the Palmer-Marsh House.
The house itself was closed and open only to guided tours, however there were large open grounds with pathways, benches, and a family cemetery for the Marsh family. I had my North Face RECON pack full of the Elecraft KX2 set up I’ve taken overseas, and ready for almost everything.
On the bench near the cemetery there were no overhanging ancient oak branches. I set up the KX2 and laid down the screen wire counterpoise. On top of that, I put a 17 foot Chameleon whip which is resonant on 20 M CW, without wire counterpoises, and running only 5 watts. The key was the CW Morse SP4 key.
Not knowing what would happen, I called CQ and was quickly answered by multiple stations wanting to work this new POTA site for the first time.
This entire section of town is loaded with historic houses. If you walk a few blocks down Main Street to Bonner Point, turn left on Front Street, and turn left again on King Street toward the visitor center, you will cover over 300 years of history, in a few blocks.
While the visitor center in the old school building is a POTA site, I chose the other POTA site in Bath – the Bonner House, built around 1830. This is the second house on the site, as John Lawson, the founder of Bath, built a house there which no longer stands. The entire original town boundary is considered a National Register Historic District.
I walked down Main Street to Bonner Point and Bonner House. From the Bonner House, I was looking into the Pamlico River sound fed by Bath Creek, with its deep blue water.
It took a moment to process, but I soon decoded waveforms of a school of dolphins playing close to the shore. They were incredibly graceful and efficient breaking the water. My over analytic mind tried to discern a pattern – could they be responding to the sound of Morse code? Or, simply a highly evolved graceful sea creature at play.
In just a few hours, propagation seemed to have changed so it was difficult to make the requisite contacts still on 20 m CW with the same KX2 and antenna setup. My mind wandered back in history to the historical street sign to my right that said that Edward Teach had made his home here in 1713, while taking a brief break after the King’s pardon.
Most people know Teach by his more famous nickname of Blackbeard the Pirate. My mind time traveled, and I wondered what it would be like to have sailed with Blackbeard and his outrageous exploits in his time, or what he would’ve thought of the KX2 in our time!
Not wanting to leave the site right away, I enjoyed the typical lunch my YL Alanna K4AAC makes for a me on sojourns away from home – a really good peanut butter and jelly sandwich with fruit punch Gatorade and a Reese cup. It’s great brain food for all the cognitive processing needed for Morse Code.
After a wonderful morning taking in Bath and being the first to activate the Palmer-Marsh house for POTA CW, I packed up my KX2 kit and headed off for nearby Goose Creek State Park (US-2731) where the other Dr. Bob , W4TTX and I were setting up as NC4QP, a bonus station for the North Carolina QSO party.

domain: hobby


text:
Conn Iggulden is the author of Genghis: Birth of an Empire, the first novel in the series, as well as the Emperor novels, which chronicle the life of Julius Caesar. Editorial Reviews. From Publishers Weekly. Starred Review. Iggulden, coauthor of the Lords of the Bow (Conqueror, Book 2) – Kindle edition by Conn Iggulden. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. For centuries, primitive tribes have warred with one another. Now, under Genghis Khan—a man who lives for battle and blood—they have united.
|Published (Last):||7 June 2016|
|PDF File Size:||2.59 Mb|
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I must confess, I haven’t read Wolf of the Plainscomn first book in the series, but I must say up front that this didn’t stop me from getting into or enjoying this second novel; it works as a book in its own right. The book begins at the battle between the Mongols and the Namians, as seen from Kokchu’s the shaman of the Namian tribe perspective. After his tribe is destroyed, Kokchu is given a year to live and prove his worth to his new master: It’s at the end of the prologue iggulsen given the big clue as to the main theme of this book; Genghis is gathering his people together to build an unstoppable army.
The fact we start with the view of a minor character is a good signpost for the rest of the book. The focus character changes often through the chapters – we don’t spend all the time with Genghis. Vow of the secondary characters have their own sub plots, which lorvs well in increasing the tension throughout and providing at times an almost Arthurian intrigue.
Genghis: Lords of the Bow by Conn Iggulden | : Books
All of igvulden gives some real meat to the conquest theme of the novel. The various troubles within his own growing family and in his army as a whole are very well conceived and played out.
Even though this is dealing with people from a different age, the relationships all ring true and have an emotionally realistic quality. The action in this book is non stop; from individual fight scenes to mass battles.
Genghis: Lords of the Bow
Conn often lets us see both sides of the leadership before the battles take place so we are in on the various strategies being used. This is one aspect of the novel that got a little tedious. Though I loved the views of Genghis’ cohort and entourage, when it switched view to the next enemy he’d be facing it felt slightly unnatural and pulled me away from the novel.
It is a minor problem though. The fight scenes themselves are masterfully played out; I found myself getting right behind the Mongols and cheering them on.
In terms of violence, if this were a film, it would have an eighteen rating. It’s very well written and in terms of description and sense of place, takes you right there.
But it’s the excitement of the conquests and the personal relationships that stopped me putting this book down. It’s gripping igguleen you just have to see what happens next. I guess that’s the thing — this book is a real page turner and so iggulcen so that, now I’ve run out of these pages, I’ll have to get a copy of Wolf of the Plains so I can read through some more.
I really enjoyed this novel, and historical fiction isn’t usually my thing.
Just send us an email and we’ll put the best up on the site. Retrieved from ” http: Personal tools Log in.
Categories Fiction Non-fiction Children’s books Authors. Lords of the Bow by Conn Iggulden. From the author of The Dangerous Book for Conb, an adult novel about a very dangerous man!


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Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj has reacted against Belgrade following the latest calls that Serbs of Kosovo should vote the Serb List.
Serb Defence Minister, Aleksandar Vulin called on the Serbs of Kosovo to come out in the 22 October elections and vote the Serb List.
But, PM Haradinaj said that he and the government condemn Serbia’s interference in the election campaign being held in Kosovo.
“Such acts are against the principle of good neighboring relations and threaten the normalization of relations between the two countries.
The integration of the Serbs of Kosovo is a mutual interest and every attempt to damage this will be considered as a lack of respect for their political will. The Serbs of Kosovo are entitled to elect and the election of their representatives without interference will be respected by the authorities of Kosovo”, Haradinaj said. /balkaneu.com/


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Here's where Trump's border barriers will be built in 2019
TUCSON — The new year will bring the first new U.S.-Mexico border barriers to be built under President Donald Trump's administration.
The administration has so far announced eight projects to build new fence or replace existing barriers. Three of the projects have been completed; two are underway. Three others will begin during 2019's first half, including areas of south Texas that previously had no barriers.
More new fencing could soon follow.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has received more than $1.6 billion in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 for border infrastructure. That money is paying for the eight scheduled projects, and a few more that have not been announced yet. Homeland Security officials said more contracts will be awarded in coming weeks.
In late December, officials unveiled how additional money they've requested from Congress for border security would be spent. Those plans include more than 100 miles of completely new barriers, mostly along south Texas.
Here are the locations of the two projects expected to be finished in 2019 and the three construction projects slated to begin in 2019:
Rio Grande Valley
In February, crews will begin building 14 miles of levee walls just south of McAllen, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley — the busiest point for illegal entries along the southwest border.
Customs and Border Protection awarded two contracts worth a total of $312 million to SLSCO Ltd. of Galveston, Texas, to build the barriers.
The new barriers will be built on top of existing levees north of the Rio Grande, which tends to flood with seasonal rains. The barriers consist of the solid concrete levees built to their existing height, with 18-foot-tall bollard-style fencing at the top. The barriers will be built in six segments along the Rio Grande, Customs and Border Protection said.
East of these levee walls, a San Antonio-based company is installing at least seven gates along sections of the border fence north of the river that were built during the past decade.
That work is the first phase of a project to install 35 border gates.
The gates, besides stemming the flow of people and narcotics, are intended to give landowners access to their lands south of the barriers, as well as the Rio Grande to irrigate their fields.
Yuma and Lukeville
In April, construction will resume along the Arizona-Mexico border as crews begin replacing 32 miles of existing primary fencing in the southwestern part of the state.
Twenty-seven of those miles are in Yuma; 5 miles are in Lukeville.
Customs and Border Protection awarded a contract worth $172 million to Barnard Construction Co. of Bozeman, Montana. It will work to replace 14 miles of aging, Vietnam-era landing mat fencing east of the San Luis port of entry.
Crews will remove the 18-foot-tall landing mats and install bollard-style fencing that's 30 feet tall.
Customs and Border Protection said it also plans to replace an additional 11.5 miles of landing-mat fencing east of that area, along with a 1.5 mile stretch of mesh-style fencing near the Colorado River. But the agency has not said when construction will begin.
Both Lukeville and Yuma have seen large groups of migrant families, some numbering as many as 150, crossing the border illegally in the past year and voluntarily turning themselves over to agents.
El Centro and San Diego
In July, construction crews will begin to replace 15 miles of primary fencing along the California-Mexico border. Eleven of those miles are in Calexico, 3 are in Tecate, and 1 mile is near Andrade, across the California-Arizona line from Yuma.
Customs and Border Protection awarded a contract worth $156 million to SLSCO of Galveston for the project. In its announcement, the agency said it had also awarded the company an additional $131 million contract to replace 14 miles of secondary fencing in San Diego.
All four segments will employ the 30-foot bollard-style fencing.
MORE: $324M contract awarded to replace border fencing near Yuma and Lukeville
The San Diego-Tijuana border area has received attention in recent months as thousands of migrants traveling in caravans arrived there, hoping to seek asylum.
But with waits of up to six weeks to present their claims at the port of entry, many asylum seekers, and migrants with no plans to seek asylum, have been breaching the border illegally.
"Given the high-density population in San Diego-Tijuana urban area, the stronger infrastructure is critically important," Customs and Border Protection said in its announcement.
The three replacement projects that have been completed are in Calexico, El Paso, and Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
Work crews finished 2.25 miles of 30-foot-tall bollards in Calexico in October, the first project completed under the Trump administration. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen visited the site a few days later.
MORE: 12 reasons to subscribe to The Arizona Republic and azcentral
During her visit, the agency welded a plaque to the fence to mark "the completion of the first section of President Donald Trump's border wall," even though it was a replacement project.
A few weeks later, Customs and Border Protection completed the replacement of four miles of bollard style fencing near the Chihuahuita neighborhood in downtown El Paso. Unlike Calexico, CBP officials there did not mark the project's conclusion.
In November, crews finished 20 miles of vehicle fencing with 18- to 30-foot bollards in Santa Teresa, west of metropolitan El Paso.
Customs and Border Protection spent about $113 million to complete the three projects.
READ MORE ON IMMIGRATION AT THE BORDER:

domain: news


Dawnie Walton and I discuss this all-important question, and engage in a heated debate over Kady Malloy (feel free to break our tie in the comments section), plus PopWatch message-board maven Nine Daves (hip, hip… hurrah!) shares his Idol pet peeve, on today’s episode of Idolatry.
Which 'Idol' lady brings the momentum into tonight's semifinal finale?
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text:
Rosemary Garfoot Public Library, Cross Plains
Deep in the shelves: Revel in distinct topic at each Dane County library. (The Capital Times, 1/28/2011)
Excerpt: As a condition of the foundation's grants, each library chose a specific subject area, like ecology, music, sustainable living or small business. Then each library expanded its collection in a focused way, investing in multi-episode film collections or large, costly books that were unaffordable before.
"It was a phenomenal project," says Tom Linfield, a grantmaker at Madison Community Foundation. "The libraries loved it. We really encouraged them not only to keep fundraising, but think about programming."
The Dane County Library Collections grant began with 12 libraries in 2008, extending to all 27, including the county bookmobile, in 2009. Libraries received $742,500 in total, drawn from the foundation's $1.3 million in unrestricted funds.
Individual grants were at first $25,000 each, but the foundation added an extra $2,500 to cover the costs of culling other materials and adding each item to the catalog. Materials purchased, from large print books to DVDs, games, novels and nonfiction, are in circulation now across the seven-county South Central Library System.


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Ranking the ten best from the best in the business
Welcome, bitches! Make yourself precariously comfortable as VHS Revival ventures into the ethereal netherworld of Fred Krueger, one of horror‘s most iconic and enduring characters. Back in 1984, Old Pizza Face revitalised the slasher genre as a razor-fingered child killer with the unprecedented advantage of being able to inhabit one’s dreams, offering fans of the macabre a potentially unlimited canvas of death and destruction in a sub-genre dry on ideas. Unlike his blank-faced, seek-and-destroy counterparts, Krueger was a different kind of entity, sly and sadistic and concerned more with the thrill of the chase than the act of the kill. Portrayed for almost two decades by the wonderfully perverted Robert Englund, Freddy was a larger-than-life personality of gunslinger exuberance, a character of an ever developing persona who would evolve from a cruel and terrifying child killer into a walking self-parody.
Quite the career — one of dizzying highs and tragic lows — but in spite of the insidious MTV marketing machine that left us all just a little bit weary of the Elm Street formula, one element of the franchise that remained constant was the creativity of its kills, and here VHS Revival ranks the ten best.
10. Mark – A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
Part of me resents having to include this particular kill, and there are a plethora of reasons why. The most pertinent is that this is one of those instances that sums up what the franchise would ultimately be reduced to: a gimmick-laden marketing machine which drained the series of all value.
Incredibly, matters would grow worse before the studio was finally forced to put the original series out of its misery, but by the time The Dream Child was released audiences were already drowning in the mire of Krueger’s hackneyed wisecracks, with only the brilliance of Englund’s portrayal keeping the series afloat. Though commercial juggernaut The Dream Master steered the franchise in the wrong direction creatively, it thrived on a series of spectacular set-pieces, while audiences only had to endure one wisecrack per kill instead of four or five.
Although Mark’s murder was essentially nothing more than an elaborate plug for the comic book series the franchise would almost spawn, at least the movie approached its shameless marketing with a modicum of creativity. Sucked into a copy of a ‘Nightmare’ comic courtesy of a Ah-Ha styled pop video sequence, Mark adopts the persona of a gun-slinging superhero in an attempt to end the sleepless woes of the long-oppressed teenage residents of Elm Street.
Unfortunately for Mark, he didn’t count on the emergence of a musclebound ‘Super Freddy’, and he wasn’t alone. Pepped on physical prowess, our pumped-up antagonist quickly turns his victim into a paper cut-out, draining him of all colour and slashing him to ribbons. Gruesome? No. Scary? Not one bit. But visually it was something quite novel, and somewhat impressive for the time of its conception.
9. Carlos – Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
By the time Freddy’s Dead rolled around, Krueger was limping towards a decade of bedtime stalkery, and it was almost a relief to see the words The Final Nightmare tacked onto the title of the sixth entry in the series. Even with the added novelty of a 15 minute 3-D finale — a sign of desperation in any waning franchise — this was the creative nadir of a series consumed by commercial decadence.
The movie consisted of some of the dreariest, most cynical set-pieces in the series, including a Nintendo-orientated death in which Krueger led one of his victim’s to his doom using a joystick, while another gave us an ACME-style Road Runner death with Freddy playing the role of a successful Wile E. Coyote. In hindsight, all of this seems unimaginable for a horror movie franchise, but by 1991 Freddy had already performed his own rap song as parents rushed to department stores in search of pint-sized Krueger pyjamas.
In terms of practical effects, the movie’s saving grace is the murder of Carlos, a deaf kid who Freddy skewers through the ears before attaching a makeshift hearing aid, a seemingly organic contraption which clings to his skull and amplifies sound to a combustible level. This being The Final Nightmare, the set-piece is almost ruined by the screenplay’s jocular antics, but if you can find it in yourself to stomach the sight of our once demonic killer dancing around while running his razor fingers along a blackboard, the image of his victim’s pulsating head and subsequent explosion is worth sticking around for.
8. Shelia – A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
Light on story and characterisation and generally making little sense whatsoever, The Dream Master took the ingenious formula of its predecessor and deprived it of balance, leaning more towards gimmicky quips and eye-catching set-pieces. But for all the harm it did in regards to the direction of the franchise, the practical effects on display were some of the finest in the series, with the dreamworld formula still very much intact.
After the previous instalment’s surviving characters are disposed of in the opening five minutes, laying waste to part 3’s herculean efforts to rescue the franchise from creative ignominy, our latest paper-thin cast are lined up for the slaughter after the last remaining member of The Dream Warriors, Kristen — who in a classic soap opera switch is no longer played by Patricia Arquette — gives our new protagonist the dubious gift of being able to bring others into her dreams, an ability that proves detrimental to what was Elm Street’s lamest cast to date.
Ripe for the picking is asthmatic super nerd, Shelia. After falling asleep in class, the movie’s protagonist, Alice, can only watch in horror as her friend is dragged into her latest nightmare. Already the action movie equivalent of Roger Moore’s James Bond, substitute teacher Freddy then takes great delight in sucking the air out of his geeky victim in the kind of ironic scene that would soon make a mockery of Wes Craven’s finest creation. That being said, the sight of Shelia falling to the classroom floor as little more than a bag of skin is quite the creative spectacle, and Krueger still clings to the sadistic remnants that once made his character so unique.
7. Glen – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Back in 1984, Fred Krueger was a very different entity. A sadistic child killer who clung largely to the shadows, he would remain a mystery for much of the original movie’s running time, haunting the periphery of his victims’ subconscious with a devilish glee that made him one of the most terrifying figures in horror movie history.
A far cry from the box fresh ornamentals of future instalments, the original cast of fugue state victims were worthy characters grounded in reality, and their deaths meant something, elevating the original ‘Nightmare’ above the majority of stalk-and-slash fodder. We had a resourceful final girl in series mainstay Heather Langenkamp; a troubled delinquent and his impressionable girlfriend who proved the perfect foils for Krueger’s real world blame game; and then you had naive pretty boy Glen, a Freddy nonbeliever played by an exceedingly young Johnny Depp whose inability to take his predicament seriously puts him firmly in Krueger’s palm.
Glen’s fateful bloodbath is an exercise in grand guignol, and is symbolic of Krueger’s penchant for elaborate displays of vindictive slaughter. Here the lines between dreams and reality are blurred. For the majority of the movie, Krueger disguises acts of sadistic vengeance by playing on the weaknesses of his victims, but here he thrusts his evil upon the community with unabashed grue, sucking Glen into his bed and spitting him out in a ferocious deluge of crimson.
Free from the commercial embellishments of Krueger’s evolving circus, it is still one of the most striking and memorable deaths in the series, speaking more to human resourcefulness than big bucks visuals.
6. Phillip – A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors (1987)
Phillip’s death was a landmark in the Elm Street series as it was the first to truly elaborate on the dream concept, offering us a glimpse at the potential of Craven’s original concept. In 1985, Freddy’s Revenge underwhelmed on just about every level, particularly with its decision to extricate Krueger from the dream world that made his character so unique.
1987‘s The Dream Warriors — considered by some to be the best in the series — worked wonders in salvaging the franchise by expanding on the whole dream concept, and is in many ways as influential as the original movie in allowing Krueger to truly blossom — for better and for worse. It was arguably the infamous ‘puppet death’ which set the ball rolling, with a visual treat that nailed Krueger’s modus for sadistic evil.
After falling asleep at Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital, puppet enthusiast Phillip is awoken by Freddy, who first takes the form of his victim’s favourite puppet, before growing into a life-size entity. Using his claws to strip the veins from Phillip’s arms and feet, Krueger becomes the omnipotent puppeteer to his sleepwalking patient, guiding him through the hospital’s corridors to a ledge where he is thrown a hundred feet to his death.
This particular kill had all the hallmarks of what made the franchise so special: stunning practical effects, Krueger’s character-defining cruelty, and the kind of elaborate death that puts most horror to shame. It also portrays Freddy as a vindictive manipulator who takes great joy in playing on his victim’s fears and plunging them into isolation.
A fine example of the series at its best.
5. Taryn – A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors
With more kills on our top ten countdown than any other instalment in the ‘Nightmare’ series, The Dream Warriors is arguably the most creative and visually stunning entry in the franchise, and though it lacks the gruelling morbidity of the original, Krueger still maintains the sadistic spark that made him one of the most iconic characters in the history of the genre.
Part of the movie’s charm is the fact that each of Krueger’s victims learns how to take control of their dreams, each acquiring a special power that betrays their real world weakness, giving the previously omnipotent Krueger considerable food for thought. One of those kids is troubled teen Taryn, a recovering drug addict with the kind of trust issues that leaves our killer drooling at the possibilities. Within the boundaries of Freddy’s funhouse she is a completely different entity, however. Sporting a Mohawk and armed to the teeth with knives, she is afraid of no one, and thinks nothing of confronting Krueger head-on.
Unfortunately for her, part 3’s version of Freddy is more than just a smart-mouthed show pony, and in one of the most iconic scenes of the series he does what he does best by getting to the root of her fears and fatefully exploiting them. With fully loaded syringes attached to his fingers, Freddy drives an overdose into the series of hungry needle marks that suddenly appear on Taryn’s arms, ghastly mouth-like holes which beg like puppies suckling at a teat.
This is Krueger at his sadistic worst, a fact that is only heightened by the symbolic sexual ejaculation he exhibits upon penetration. It is moments like this that make him the most vile of all slasher movie villains.
4. Debbie – A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 – The Dream Master (1988)
Not the most terrifying of deaths, but in terms of visual ingenuity and practical effects prowess, there are perhaps none better than the infamous cockroach scene, which saw bugphobe Debbie bite the dust with a sense of irony that personifies Krueger at his most sadistically playful. Other deaths in The Dream Master were scrapped or altered due to over expenditure on other set-pieces, but if this particular scene was the reason behind Rick’s ludicrous karate confrontation with an invisible Freddy, it was more than worth it.
After foreshadowing her own fate by squeamishly crushing a cockroach, our fitness fanatic takes part in a typical bench press workout, only to slip into the realms of the subconscious where gentleman Freddy offers his services as a spotter. Of course, his courtesies are all pretence, and soon he is pushing down on his latest victim so hard that her flesh tears at the elbows and cockroach legs replace her floppy, severed limbs. After Debs has metamorphosed into a full-on roach, a now giant Freddy imprisons her in his omnipotent bug trap, squishing her into a syrup of sallow goo.
The Dream Master would signal the beginning of Freddy’s wisecracking overindulgence, but the practical effects were more than worth the price of admission.
3. Jennifer – A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors (1987)
The scene that preempted Freddy as a bona fide global celebrity, Jennifer’s death-by-TV was a kill of particular significance. Punctuated by a delicious wisecrack that lampooned celebrity culture, it was also a quite wonderful exercise in special effects gimmickry, one that set the tone not only for the rest of the movie, but for the rest of the series.
Jennifer is the self-harming type, the kind who struggles to look another human being in the eye. She is also a naive girl who dreams of superstardom ― just the kind of emotional imbalance ‘old pizza face’ thrives on. Krueger would answer his victim’s call in a typically elaborate fashion, taking the form of talk show host Dick Cavett and slashing guest star Zsa Zsa Gabor mid-rant in a merciful act that would spare us from her tiresome opulence.
With the ‘Nightmare’ series once again blurring that tenuous line between dreams and reality, Jennifer then approaches the malfunctioning TV set like a lamb to the slaughter, only for mechanical Freddy claws to materialise and grab her as a mould of our killer’s head protrudes from the device. ‘Welcome to prime time, bitch!’ Krueger growls after spearing her through the screen and leaving her body hanging.
This is the Krueger character at his pinnacle, displaying a winning formula of sadism and humour that would perhaps never be equalled. Still, when the workers of a psychiatric hospital find one of its patients protruding from a television set and fail to ask questions about the peculiar nature of her death, you really have to question their credentials.
2. Grady – A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
Freddy’s Revenge was a creative nightmare. Director Jack Sholder attempted something different, but in his efforts managed to ditch Craven’s winning concept for a much more conventional possession story. Still, conflicted protagonist Jesse is probably the most interesting ‘final girl’ bar Heather Langenkamp — not least because he is actually a final boy — and the movie features other glimpses of artistry that stand tall in Krueger’s predominately sub-par canon.
One of those moments was Grady’s death. Granted, the plot developments surrounding it leave much to be desired. Was Jesse simply possessed by Freddy’s spirit, or was Freddy able to somehow wear his victim’s body like a coat? Was Grady dreaming when he saw Freddy shed his friend’s skin, or was Jesse in fact dreaming when he then discovered Krueger’s claw attached to his replenished body?
Whatever the explanation for this subtext-heavy oddity, Grady’s murder is a visual treat of preactical effects mastery. After watching Krueger slash his way out of Jesse’s body in a scene that makes John Hurt’s exploding stomach seem positively primitive, Grady is sliced through the gut and pinned to the door by our monster’s perverted, five-finger implement while his horrified parents play witness to the bloody consequences out in the hallway.
Love Freddy’s Revenge or loathe it, this is one of the most impressive kills in the series at a time when Krueger was still more horror than fun.
1. Tina – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
For the conclusion of our list we go back to where it all began and our ethereal monster’s sadistic origins. I tend to use the word Sadistic a lot when it comes to the murderous perv in the stripey jumper, and Tina’s death, the very first in the series, depicts Freddy the way he was meant to be depicted — the Wes Craven way.
For me, this is the most effective dream sequence in the entire series; not because it is gross or elaborate or pleasing to the eye, but because it incorporates all of those dreamworld elements that make the scene so strangely authentic. I doubt many of us have dreamt of being squished as a giant cockroach, but all of us have dreamt of going in search of something while not being in control of where we wander. We have all experienced dreams in which people randomly appear, in which we accept the ludicrously surreal, such as one person being everywhere at once. It is those netherworld components that Craven would exploit so successfully.
Considering the movie’s minuscule budget, the scene is a technical masterclass, its climax made possible by a specially constructed revolving room that inflicted a fair amount of pain itself. Tina’s death was also highly creative, the surreal machinations of Krueger’s fun house manifesting in visual treats such as Freddy’s long-armed finger scraping. Our killer stays largely in the shadows, but his presence is inescapable.
Tina’s death is also the most gruesome and excruciating in the series. The sight of her stomach being slashed and her body dragged around the room seems to last forever, and the graphic nature of her death inevitably makes a victim out of misunderstood boyfriend Rod, exhibiting our killer’s particular brand of sadism.
It was this masterful formula that made the original A Nightmare on Elm Street such a unique and terrifying experience, the kind of movie that breathed new life into a stale sub-genre that was in danger of extinction. With all the cynical marketing and lazy embellishments that would follow, it is sometimes hard to recall how fresh and ingenious the original conception actually was.
Sometimes I even have to pinch myself, just to make sure I’m not dreaming.

domain: entertainment


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Teachers in Florida protest the reopening of schools amid an outbreak in the state – Octavio Jones /Getty
Almost 100,000 American children tested positive for Covid-19 in the last two weeks of July, raising concerns for many US schools which planned to reopen this month.
The US saw a 40 per cent increase in coronavirus cases among children at the end of last month according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association, which found that at least 97,000 children tested positive for coronavirus in the last two weeks of July.
The report, which used data from 49 states as well as Washington DC, Puerto Rico and Guam found that the increase was felt most acutely in the south and west of the US, which accounted for more than seven out of every 10 infections.
The report also suggested the true number of cases among children could in fact be higher as the study did not include complete data from Texas, which has seen one of the largest outbreaks in the country, as well as parts of New York State.
However the age range of the children differed by state, with some defining children as those up to age 14 and one state – Alabama – pushing the limit to 24.
The figures undercut Donald Trump’s claim that children are “almost immune” to the virus as he pushes for the country’s schools to reopen for in-person learning.
Some US schools have already reversed their reopening plans after an outbreak of cases within the student community. One high school in Georgia, which made headlines after a photo of its crowded hallway was shared widely by a student online, has since reported nine coronavirus cases.
North Paulding High School provoked outrage when it suspended student Hannah Watters for sharing a picture of her classmates packed into a hallway with very few people wearing face coverings. The teenager later had the suspension revoked, her mother told CNN.
The school had resumed in person classes on August 3 but announced it was temporarily moving to online learning from Monday after six students and three staff members contracted coronavirus.
The new study by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association has cast doubt over previous assumptions that the coronavirus poses less of a risk to children.
It follows another recent study by the Children’s Hospital of Chicago which found that children under five can carry a viral load 100 times higher than adults, raising more questions about their role in the transmission of Covid-19.
Mr Trump has repeatedly advocated for schools to reopen in full for students, and claimed during a Fox News interview last week that coronavirus “is going away”.
The US president went on to say: “If you look at children, children are almost – and I would almost say definitely – but almost immune from this disease”.
A clip of the interview posted to Mr Trump’s social media accounts was later removed by Facebook and Twitter who said the comments contained false information.
Courtney Parella, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, insisted that the president was “stating a fact that children are less susceptible to the coronavirus”.


text:
Last week, I wrote a blog post titled: Two Reasons The Market Will Make New Highs Later This Year. I positioned myself for a move to the upside, but I certainly didn’t expect new highs in a week!!! As my good friend @ZorTrades says: Strong markets and strong stocks don’t give people time to get in. So now the question becomes, where do we go from here? Here are a few thoughts:
1) It looks like David Tepper will be right about the market going up +25% this year. He’s been one of the sharpest fund managers out there, so why go against him or the trend?
2) Will the move be straight up? Of course not. I’m sure the market will continue with its pattern of grinding up to frustrate the shorts, putting in shakeouts to convince everyone the move is over, and then grinding back up again. We will “back and fill” along the way, but a move to 1800 on the S&P 500 wouldn’t surprise me.
3) We could potentially exceed that target, especially because SO MANY PEOPLE STILL HATE THIS MARKET! Many traders I talk to are short, underinvested, angry, frustrated, etc. Many fund managers are underperforming this year and will be forced to cover and/or put money to work (if they haven’t started already).
4) There’s a school of traders out there that love to short everything that’s “extended”. While I respect many strategies, this particular one might continue to get people in trouble who love to fight the trend. It’s important to have a strategy, but even more important to know the right time to implement it. To think your strategy will work in EVERY market is foolish.
5) Another potential catalyst for the market could be an increase in M&A activity. We’ve seen very few takeovers lately, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see companies put some cash to work soon.
Am I turning into a raging bull? Absolutely not. I am simply listening to the tape. The market has been hit with higher interest rates, higher oil prices, political unrest in many parts of the world, and it still ignores everything and marches higher. My best advice is to shut out all this noise and focus on the price action of leading stocks, which is extremely telling right now. Doing this will increase your chances of staying on the right side of the market going forward. Good luck trading!
I can be reached at: firstname.lastname@example.org.

domain: economics


text:
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domain: game


text:
Pharmaceutical ingredients exported from China are often made by chemical companies that are neither certified nor inspected by Chinese drug regulators, The New York Times has found.
Because the chemical companies are not required to meet even minimal drug-manufacturing standards, there is little to stop them from exporting unapproved, adulterated or counterfeit ingredients. The substandard formulations made from those ingredients often end up in pharmacies in developing countries and for sale on the Internet, where more Americans are turning for cheap medicine.
In Milan, The Times identified at least 82 Chinese chemical companies that said they made and exported pharmaceutical ingredients — yet not one was certified by the State Food and Drug Administration in China, records show. Nonetheless, the companies were negotiating deals at the pharmaceutical show, where suppliers wooed customers with live music, wine and vibrating chairs.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
The free flow of poison
New York Times:


Officials say fireworks have damaged a playground in Grand Marais.The Alger County Sheriff's Department responded to the call of a fire at Bayshore Park on July 5. Officials say the fire started when two teens were playing with fireworks.
The plastic jungle gym melted when fireworks ignited the woodchips below.
"All the labor that went into it was all volunteer labor," said Burt Township Supervisor, Joe Venturato. "And the fundraisers that the ladies here had funded and got going to raise money for it. Obviously they're pretty ticked off about the whole thing; to think that this could happen here."
The playground was built last May at cost of about $75,000. No word yet on the cost of the damage, but city officials are looking to replace it.
The Alger County Sheriff's Department is still investigating the incident.


text:
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Featured image: Representative image of the funeral of a man who died due to COVID-19 in Baramulla, on April 25. Photo: PTI
Srinagar: The death of a woman who had given birth to stillborn twins and the subsequent discovery that she was COVID-19 positive has once again brought the lack of adherence to norms in Kashmir’s healthcare centres under the scanner.
On Saturday morning, the woman, then pregnant with the twins, reached the Anantnag Maternity and Childcare Hospital, from a remote village, Kharpora, of south Kashmir.
The doctors admitted her in a general ward for expecting mothers. By 11 am, she had delivered the twins. Both were dead. Late in the afternoon, the patient, in her thirties, died as well. Her family alleged that doctors had been negligent.
When the doctors came to know that the deceased was from a COVID-19 red zone, they took her samples for tests. But, in violation of the guidelines for handling COVID-19 suspects, the hospital administration sent her body home for burial.
Several relatives and neighbours assembled to mourn the death of the woman; her funeral, which was complete with rituals, was attended by many too.
Late on Sunday, reports confirmed the woman had been COVID-19 positive. Hospital administration now faces allegations of mismanagement in what are clear violations of WHO guidelines.
Among villagers, there is understandable panic.
Who sent the body home?
A senior pulmonologist at Government Medical College, Srinagar, said the body should have been kept in the mortuary till the final report was received. “Allowing its burial against the WHO guidelines is criminal. She was an expecting mother and had come from the red zone which made her highly vulnerable to the infection,” said the doctor. “You don’t know how many people who visited her house and participated in her funeral might have contracted the infection.”
Dr Showkat Jeelani, principal, Government Medical College, Anantnag, blamed the hospital administration for sending the body home. “It was a violation of protocol,” he said. “The hospital administration took the decision without taking me into confidence.” The hospital is under the administrative control of the GMC.
The principal said medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr Mirji Andrabi “did not discuss the case at all” with him. “I came to know about it later,” he said.
But, the medical superintendent passed the buck on COVID-19 nodal officer, Dr Ghulam Jeelani. “We followed his instructions. But we wrapped it in a cover and asked the family members to ensure that only five people participate in her funeral,” he said.
Were the local administration or health authorities informed to ensure the burial as per WHO protocol? “We did what the nodal officer instructed,” said the MS. He, however, said the GMC principal was in the know.
The Wire reached out to the nodal officer for his comments. He first said, “Come to the hospital and we will talk.” When told the medical superintendent had claimed they followed his instructions, he said, “I followed the protocol. There were two ways of handling the body – either keep it in the mortuary and wait for the results or dispose of the body as if it were a positive case. We followed the latter procedure.”
Asked why the body was handed over to family and not buried as per the WHO protocol, he shifted the blame on the medical superintendent. “I explained the two options to him. I told him if the attendants agree to take the body straight to the graveyard for burial with a maximum of five people offering funeral prayers, then it can be allowed. My role was limited to this,” he said.
The nodal officer did not respond to the queries on how attendants could have buried the body in the absence of protective gear and without the supervision of doctors. But, he said the medical superintendent should have ensured the body was taken to the graveyard and not home, under police protection.
He also talked about videos on social media which showed a large gathering at the house of the deceased woman. “This is against the protocol,” he said.
Was the village surveyed for expecting mothers?
With sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, the J&K government last week directed surveys in each district to identify pregnant women and plan for their treatment in case of an emergency.
The doctors at the hospital said the deceased woman had had a “full-term pregnancy” and was a “high-risk patient.” But, she reached the hospital on her own despite living in a red zone where any kind of movement is to be strictly monitored and treatment of the cases like hers is to be planned in advance.
“She came in an ambulance, but there was no referral note from local health facility nor was there any communication from the officials in charge of the red zone,” said the doctor.
Syed Yasir, assistant commissioner revenue, Anantnag admitted to a degree of negligence but said there was “need to ascertain the facts and find how it was allowed to happen.”
Cause of deaths and further allegations
In a video that has gone viral on social media, a youth is seen alleging that the doctors did not attend to her for a long time. “They started the treatment only after her condition deteriorated,” says the young man.
A senior doctor at the hospital, however, denied the allegations, saying they decided to treat the patient instead of sending her to Srinagar as she was in an advanced stage of her labour.
“She delivered the first stillborn baby at around 10 am and the second baby, who had also died, almost half-an-hour later,” the doctor said. “These were intra uterine deaths (IUDs). The first one was the case of a dead macerated baby, meaning the death had occurred more than three days ago. The second baby was a fresh stillbirth case,” said the doctor.
That fact that the woman was first admitted to the general ward meant for expecting mothers also raises the question as to whether other patients have been exposed as well to the infection. The decision, according to the pulmonologist, was in violation of the guidelines which says that any pregnant woman arriving in a hospital has to be treated as COVID-19 probable. It was only after the patient suffered IUD that was shifted to an isolation ward, where she died.
But, moments after her COVID-19 report become public on Sunday, Yasir took to Twitter to claim the woman had not died of COVID-19.
The unfortunate death of a pregnant woman yesterday at MCH Ang can’t be attributed to COVID, though samples taken post her death have reported positive. The alleged negligence on part of maternity hospital is being enquired into!
— Syed Yasir (@yasirsyedx) April 26, 2020
But the GMC principal, Dr Jeelani, contradicted the officer. “Since it was a COVID-19 case, the cause of death would be COVID-19, naturally. We have sought a report and it will make things clear,” he said.
In its daily COIVID-19 bulletin, the administration has also updated the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in J&K to seven, including the woman from Kharpora.
Dr Jeelani also questioned why the authorities in charge of the red zone did not ensure shifting the deceased to the hospital under the COVID-19 protocol laid out by the government. “The doctors at the hospital had no information that she was from the red zone,” he said.
Another doctor at the GMC said the “lapses in managing the case at different levels” happened despite the fact the village had been declared red zone on April 24, a day before the woman arrived in the hospital. At least 10 persons including nine members of a single-family from the village had tested positive for COVID-19.
Fear and inquiries
An official said fear has gripped Kharpora and adjoining villages. “A team of health workers visited the village for tracing contacts of the deceased on Monday. Everybody is in shock there and questioning lapses on part of the authorities,” the employee said, asking not to be named.
Dr Mukhtar, the chief medical officer at Anantnag said they have put around 200 people in quarantine, including those who came in contact with the woman before her death and participated in the funeral. “Contact tracing is on,” he said.
Hospital staff are worried too. Three doctors and two paramedics who came in contact with the woman have been sent to home quarantine and the general ward has been fumigated.
Facing flack, the GMC and the J&K administration have ordered separate inquiries to probe the “mismanagement” and alleged negligence by doctors in treating the patient. “We are expecting results by tomorrow and whosoever is found guilty will be punished,” said the GMC principal.


Flow-through electrolyzers, with flow parallel to the current, are used in a wide range of industrial applications. The presence of flow avoids concentration gradients but can also be used to separate evolved gases, allowing membrane-less operation. In this work, we propose a simple multiphase flow-through electrode model. We derive and experimentally validate an analytical expression for the minimum velocity required to ensure effective gas separation. From this relation, we analytically derive design parameters that show that significant energy savings can be made using flow, compared to a physical separator.
- Electrochemical reactor
- Flow-through porous electrodes
- Membraneless design