text:
Bath officially adopts stream names
The Bath Township Board of Trustees has officially adopted names for all 19 streams in the township.
Trustees, at the July 1 meeting, approved a resolution officially naming the streams. The action was the culmination of more than three years of work by the Friends of Yellow Creek.
The stream naming project was conceived during a Friends of Yellow Creek meeting in 2010, trustees were told at an earlier meeting. Research on the project was begun by township resident Ron Czerski, who died in October 2011.
Of the 19 streams identified, only two — Yellow Creek and North Fork — are officially named by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Members of the group researched historical names of those streams, reviewing maps, searching historical records and requesting information about existing stream names, the resolution stated.
The resolution will be forwarded to the USGS with a request to include the streams and their names on USGS maps. The resolution also requests the Summit County Engineer’s Office to provide signs with stream names at stream crossings and bridges.
Stream names include: Idle Brook; Yellow, Park, North Fork Yellow, Hostetler, West Fork Yellow, Ira West, South Hershey and Bath creeks; and Waupaca, Revere, Sourek, North Revere, Hale, East Furnace, Merrill and Tippy runs.
Trustees also made appointments to several boards and commissions.
Zoning Commission appointments included Maryellen Burnham, first alternate, with a term ending July 1, 2015; Melanie Baker, second alternate, with a term ending July 1, 2014; and Nancy Fay, member, with a five-year term ending July 1, 2018.
Appearance Review Commission appointments included Monica Bunner, second alternate, with a term ending July 1, 2014; Curtis Smock, first alternate, with a term ending July 1, 2015; and Bill Healy, member, with a five-year term ending July 1, 2018.
Board of Zoning Appeals appointments included Leslie Kreeger, second alternate, with a term ending in 2015; and Michael Mack, member, with a term ending in 2018. Other appointments included Julie Nitzsche to the Trustees Advisory Council, Greg Chandler to the Friends of Yellow Creek Committee and Kevin Cannon to the Heritage Corridors of Bath.
In other action, the board:
- approved routine fund-to-fund transfers and amended the 2013 certificate of resources and permanent appropriations to reflect receipt of grants;
- amended the organizational resolution to change the assistant fire chief’s pay to a bi-weekly schedule;
- approved re-enrollment in the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Group Rating Program through Frank Gates Service Co. and the Ohio Township Association at a cost of $4,950. Township Administrator Vito Sinopoli said participating in the group rating program saves the township more than $26,000 per year over individual premiums;
- accepted the resignation of substitute contractual part-time firefighter Anthony Hyatt;
- reassigned firefighter/paramedic John Paul Paxton from substitute contractual part-time to part-paid volunteer firefighter, allowing the department to schedule him at both fire stations; and
- approved payment of requisitions and purchase orders totaling $152,070.
Upcoming events include:
√ Bath Fire Department Horse Show July 6-7 at the fire department training ground at the corner of Everett and North Revere roads, across from Revere High School. General admission for the event is $5, senior tickets are $3 and tickets for children younger than 5 are free. Family passes are $15. This is the 69th year for the event;
√ Community Day at Bath Community Activity Center and Community Day Parade Aug. 3. The parade begins at 11 a.m.; and
√ Fall into Nature, Bath Nature Preserve, Oct. 12 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The board’s next regular meeting will be July 15 at 4 p.m. in the trustees’ meeting room of the Bath Administration Building, 3864 W. Bath Road.
More Community News
- Copley Town Hall hosting general store exhibit
- Nondiscrimination ordinance considered
- County engineer floating proposed storm water utility
- Keith reflects on year as Council president
- West Side News & Notes
- West Side Political News & Notes
- AARP cancels Tax-Aide program at Norton, Portage Lakes libraries
- Fairlawn Council passes ‘very conservative’ budget for 2017
- Trustees appoint committee to explore economic development
- Bath trustees waive zoning permit fees for observatory
- Clerk grateful for Easter collection support
- Changes coming to Sharon Township Cemetery
- Copley-Fairlawn Kiwanis helping burn victim
Calendar of Events
- Homeschoolers: Stinky Stuff: ages 11-14 - 3/24/2017
- Steve Tyrell - 3/24/2017
- The Outside Track - 3/24/2017
- Tales for Tots: ages 3-6 - 3/24/2017
- Pre-K Play Kindergarten Readiness: ages 4-6 - 3/24/2017


neural mechanisms underlying emeregent perceptual organization
In collaboration with Dr. Vicky Froyen, we developed neuro-computational model to reproduce human perception of "border-ownership" (BOWN). It modelled the BOWN sensitive neurons first reported by Zhou et al. (2000) J. Neurosci. The algorithm reflect global coherence of the ownership signals and contrast polarities. As the results, the model shows extremely robust responses corresponding human perception of figure-ground organization.
This work is now published in Psychological Review (here).
Background: The visual system performs remarkably well to perceive the depth order of regions without stereo disparity. This indicates the importance of figure-ground organization based on pictorial cues. To understand how figure-ground organization emerges through image signal processing, it is essential how the global configuration of the image is reflected. In the past, many neuro-computational models to reproduce figure-ground organization implemented algorithms to give a bias to convex shapes. However, in certain conditions, non-convex regions can be perceived as figural, e.g. a convex region can be perceived as a hole. The essential difference is that the surface properties of the hole region are consistent with the background and hence they are grouped together in our perception. We argue that the long-range consistency of surface properties is reflected in the computational processes. It is possible that a class of border-ownership-sensitive neurons that are also sensitive to contrast polarity underlies this process. Furthermore, we argue that T-junction detection is not necessary to reflect occlusion conditions if surface consistency is detected instead.
Our latest work of BOWN computation by the new DISC model (DISC 2) is published in Psychological Review (2021, here).
Examples of border-ownership computation by DISC model II. Original images on the left and the computed BOWN signals on the right. The black dots correspond to border nodes and the red lines correspond to the BOWN signals at individual border nodes.


The Timberwolves have acquired forward Dante Cunnginham from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for guard Wayne Ellington. Cunningham racked up 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game over 64 appearances in his lone season with Memphis. Ellington totaled 6.1 points and 1.9 rebounds over 51 games for Minnesota last season.
Love Helps Team USA Down Spain In Exhibition
(Barcelona, Spain) — Timberwolves forward Kevin Love pulled down 10 rebounds and scored two points in 13 minutes of action as Team USA cruised to a 100-78 victory over Spain. It was the final Olympic tune-up for the Americans, who open group play on Sunday against France. The United States wrapped up exhibition play at a perfect 5-and-0.


text:
Sharpe hasn’t really given us a good view of the environment of the story, either by Johnny Rolfe, riding the bus from New York to Virginia, or from Pocahontas, who has given us merely a cornfield and woods. But when the two meet, we get our first glimpse of the two characters as they have been described by each other.
(…)with a new, tall and willowy guy, dark-haired, the first one of them to be remotely handsome, though he had sallow skin, was bone-thin, and smelled like poop. And something was amiss about his face, as if fear and sadness had long done the work meant for seeing hearing, smelling, tasting and touching. (Pocahontas, p. 44)
This is a very eloquent, insightful commentary by Pocahontas, blending the empirical with the guesswork of a more psychological and emotional reaction. I was fine with this, after having built my own image during these first forty pages of story.
The girl was spectacularly ugle. She was short and thing and of an unnaturally reddish hue. Her face was wide as it was long, with big, thick cheekbones and pockmarked skin. Her black hair came halfway down her arms in two dense, gobbed-up plaits that looked like a pair of large, dead rodents hung in the sun by their tails from the top of her head to cure their meat. (…) Her teeth were yellow stubs. She had a smile that showed more gum than teeth, and the only part of her face less nice to look at than her teeth were her gums, which were soft, pulpy, red, and seemed designed to show us we were making a mistake. (Johnny p. 48)
Hmmm. I didn’t picture her that way at all. And why not? Where I can now see that Sharpe’s intention is to perhaps parody or at least mimic the real Pocahontas et al, and I am not judging Indian physical traits by the movies, I just would never have considered the heroine here to be "spectacularly ugly."
There are things that just don’t fit in this story, based upon the time placement–which we do not know for sure. There are Indians, but the English that Pocahontas speaks is pretty current. There’s the Chrysler building in New York City that collapses and the bus the thirty men use for their travels. And the most obvious, both young people are using handheld computer units.
Why then, the intolerance on the part of Johnny as to the Indian’s appearance? Why even his surprise? It would be interesting again to know what amount of time has passed since this disintegration of the land started, whether it be decades or merely a couple of years, though it does seem that it happened possibly when both were small or even prior to their birth.

domain: artistic


08/13/15: POLITICO Reporter Marc Caputo; JASMYN; Charles Shaughnessey; Kerry Speckman
Marc Caputo, Florida reporter for POLITICO, joins us to discuss the current special session to redraw the state's Congressional district map after a Florida Supreme Court ruling found they violated anti-gerrymandering amendments. We also discuss potential challengers to Rep. Corrine Brown's seat now that her district will likely be changed.
JASMYN, the local nonprofit working to support and empower Northeast Florida LGBTQ youth, will hold its annual costume party fundraiser. This year's theme is "Feel the Fantasy." Cindy Watson, Executive Director of JASMYN, and Bruce Musser, JASMYN Board Chair, join us with more.
We speak with "The Nanny" star Charles Shaughnessey about his career and his role in the Alhambra Theatre's production of "Harvey."
And Kerry "The Specktator" Speckman joins us with a look at this weekend's events.


text:
The Jalopy Journal
Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by ss34coupe, Nov 5, 2007.
I think it was Standard.
Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The old cowl on mine had been hacked off in about the same place...brazed back on and then hacked off again further forward
Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Lets bring this to the top
In that case, still looking for my cousins 34 5W coupe Richie Balsamo sold it around 1984 from LI. He moved to FL. It was a dark blue w/gray interior, American 200S wheels, dropped front axle w/4 link, 8" Mustang rear/ 4 link and coil springs. All steel body w/ filled roof and the firewall was a smooth piece of steel welded to the cowl all the way around. I had posted pictures in this thread but can't find them on the computer. Thanks
This thread has been going for 13 years, so a lot of the 33-34 Ford coupe bodies that have been displayed must by now be built into finished hot rods. Here is a current pic of my 33 Ford coupe - compare it to the pic in post one of this thread. It was a beat up old race car body, and I was only able to use the back third of the body - the cowl, roof, doors and floor come from other sources. Don't think I would start with a race car body again, but it is what I had to work with if I wanted to build a channeled hot rod. Now the coupe is a running vehicle, with just a few little odds and ends to finish. So if you have posted on this thread and
have pics that show the progress you have made, please go ahead and post them! We want to see what you have done.
I first posted this one in 2011 or so.
Here she is finished before she went to Germany.
This one was most of a car, not just a body.
The downhill slide going back together.
This one is next.
Yes, that is what I am talking about. Great work, flamedabone!
Ss34coupe is not kidding. Working with a race car body is a slog. It's a ton of work and just as much patience ....but how else does a guy on a budget get to own a model 40 coupe. Inching forward with clamps and cardboard to keep the excitement going.
I am loving DeadElvis' build above. That's how it's done!
Here is a pic that should go between the two photos of my 33 coupe build posted above. Deadelvis2000 is absolutely right describing the work it takes to build a coupe body out of bits and pieces - a lot of mig welding wire and tons of grinding. Keep at it though and you will get there.
Man, this thread is so damn humbling!
Your last black one was perfect. Wish I had seen it for sale at the time Best of luck with this one!
Not Ford but very interesting.
1934 Hupmobile used 3 window Ford body's with Cabriolet doors,
Although if you needed an old guy, they probably would have thrown him in the purchase (lot of them in these parts). I looked at that body when it was in Sarasota. Wondered where it ended up.
Look what I found today, and yes I bought them
If you build one of the two I see some parts I could use! Nice find.
20 years ago, we might have kept on walking past those bodys, but by todays standards, they are pretty decent. Nice score.
20 years ago they would have been a lot cheaper
Replace the bottom foot of that 33 and you'll have a decent body. With as straight as it is it musta never raced...or if it did it spent all of it's time leading the pack!
Then you’d have a HUPP W417 Coupe body, also made by MURRAY BODY CO, DETROIT MI. Because they used cabriolet body tooling & added the lengthened 3W Roof, but used the Cabriolet doors. that would be a cool build for that body.
See my post where I addressed this body description, the body is actually all cabriolet tooling with a lengthened 3W Roof section and built by Murray Body Co. - Same company that built many of the Fords.....
Hupp at Bakersfield 2016. Only one I've seen in person, can't be many around.
I'm thinking more like this
A34 I WORKED ON 1992 THAT BECAME A STALLED PROJECT,, I BOUGHT IT A YEAR AGO ...
Here's another one.
2deuces64...”Poetry in Motion”...standing still!
I’ve had one since 98, Really neat educational tool in what manufacturing companies produced. So I’ve had a few 3w’s and a Murray built 34 Woody, most I still have.
#2. 1988 Drove it as a High Boy on Americruise 93
#3. Been waiting in this one as a retirement project
#4. This came about the same time as#3.
#5. The Hupp W-417 3W Coupe
#6 The Murray Built Woody
Almost done here, at last. Just the interior to sort. Going to make a new set of ladder bars and thats it.
Looks great! I'm putting a 392 in my '34 and wondering how much you recessed the firewall. Do you have any photos of the back of the engine and firewall? Thanks.
Most of my pics are on my old computer which is now at my son's place. I can take some pics and measurements tomorrow.
10 MINUTES AG
Separate names with a comma.

domain: hobby


BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -
Police say there was an attempted sexual assault along a popular exercise trail in Bloomington
The assault reportedly happened on the B-Line trail around 7:30 a.m. Monday. It follows a string of robberies on the same trail in recent weeks.
"That's an outrage. People should feel safe," said Bloomington resident Jev Jeffries.
The trail is a great place for people to bike, walk and run, or even use the trail as a mode of transportation. It is known as a safe place in Bloomington, but what's happened over the past few weeks has rattled a lot of nerves.
Monday's reported attack took place on the southern end of the trail, near pole #22. A 19-year-old woman was running when a man approached her wearing a mask and gloves. According to police, the man attempted to sexually assault the woman, but she was able to get away.
"It's unfortunate. It doesn't happen just here, it happens anywhere around the country or around the world," said Bloomington resident Sarah Ryterband.
Ryterband often rides her bicycle on the B-Line and says, if anything, an attack will only make her ride more.
"I'm not surprised. It's not going to stop me from doing the things I've always done," she said. "If we're all out here and we're all watching and we're all taking care of one another, which is why we have community and why we have one another, the safer we're all going to be."
Since the reported attack Monday, police have said that people need to be aware of what's going on on the B-Line trail. There are increased police patrols, but officers can't be everywhere at all times.
"I don't think I've gone down here by myself at night or anything. I definitely think it's common sense. Could happen anywhere, probably," said IU student Caitlin Fischer.
Ryterband said there is power in numbers.
"The more people, always, on the streets of Bloomington and every other city, walking, biking, just enjoying one another, watching the streets," said Ryterband. "The more people, the safer any environment."
Each light pole along the trail has a number. Police say it's important to keep an eye on those numbers as you are commuting or exercising, in case you have to report a crime. They also say it is a good idea to use the trail with others and avoid using it late at night or early in the morning, when there aren't as many people on the trail.
Police have not made any arrests in connection to the attempted sexual assault.


text:
Wildflower Walk & Ramp Celebration
- April 5, 2019
1:00pm - 3:00pm
The wildflowers and fragrant ramps that carpet the Woodland Garden in the early spring are a site to see. Enjoy an indoor presentation on the gems of this special garden and the legendary wild onion that fills the forest floor. Then take a tour of the wildflowers and harvest up to one pound of ramps to take home to your garden.
- (740) 323-2355
The Dawes Arboretum, 7770 Jacksontown Rd., Newark, Ohio, 43056, United States

domain: biology


text:
Not everyone knows that the garage Perina was not born here, in the old Europe, but on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, in Venezuela, where our grandfather Bruno moved in 1949. It was in Caracas where Bruno’s Taller Mecànico took life. It included garage, body shop, electric garage, and even tire changer!
In the 1966 Bruno decided to come back to Italy and he brought with him the South American cheerfulness. So, with his second son Fabrizio, he started all over again here in Verona. Thanks to his great experience in American cars the Perinas started to work for the military station in Boscomantico.
Fabrizio , better known as John Perina, carried on his father’s work, helped by his two sons: Manuel and Michele. Manuel is an off road specialist and in 2008 he started his new business, where he works on automatic transmission. Instead Michele carries on his passion for Old Stile restructuring and Harley Davidson in the family business.
For everything else come to visit us even just for a coffee!

domain: history


D., CRISIS INTERVENTION CENTER, COBB COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 1 Dr. Carpenter. Thank you, Senator Nunn and ... County School System. Since Commissioner Hightower gave you some stats on what is going on in Cobb, I will skip that and I will start with the, PRIDE survey. The PRIDE survey came out a couple of years ago and indicated that 1 percent of all drug use takes place at school.
|Title||:||Drugs and violence: The Criminal justice system in crisis|


text:
Pensioners living in council housing in Horowhenua are worried they could lose their homes if the council goes ahead with plans to sell off the units.
At a meeting last night, Horowhenua District councillors voted to seek expressions of interest from community housing providers for the 115 units in Levin, Foxton and Shannon.
Foxton pensioner John Lyons fears his home of the last eight years could be sold to a faceless corporation that does not care about him.
He said he and his neighbours, who only found out about the proposal at a meeting two months ago, were not reassured by anything they have been told so far.
"It's just a whole pack of lies, they're changing their minds - every week they've got a different idea. But the big idea is they're definitely going to sell these flats to pay the bills."
Horowhenua mayor Brendan Duffy said affordability was "a big factor" - but the council was also concerned about tenants and giving them the best service in the long term.
"It's not about turfing the baby and the bathwater, we want to explore how we deliver the best possible services within the resources that we have available and we think this option is worthy of exploring."
A condition of any sale agreement was that all properties would remain community housing, he said.
Under a community housing provider, tenants could actually be better off by up to $61 a week because they would be able to qualify for the government's Income Related Rent Subsidy.
Since central government scrapped capital grants for councils to build social housing some years ago, the clear message had been that councils needed to focus on "key infrastructure requirements" - and social housing was not one of them.
"The delivery of what's understood by a lot of people as social housing or community housing is not a piece of core responsibility of councils in government's mind and it's becoming more prevalent in local governments mind, as well," Mr Duffy said.
Privatisation trend worries advocates
However, the government's push for more private involvement made some housing advocates nervous.
Auckland Tenants Protection Association chair Peter Klein said some community housing agencies did a good job - but once that housing stock passed out of public hands, there was a danger it could be fully privatised.
"The private rental sector, generally it doesn't have the welfare of the tenants necessarily as one of their main concerns. So a lot of these tenants are the most vulnerable types of people in society and already under pressure."
So far, four councils - Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch and Whakatane District - had completed the process of handing over their social housing to community providers.
Community Housing Aotearoa director Scott Figenshow said all the stock had gone to not-for-profit organisations, which was the best way of ensuring tenants' interests came first and the public retained the good of that investment made over generations.
Mr Figenshow said that for the sector to grow and prosper, providers needed assurances from central government they would continue to be able to access funding, especially in the form of income-related rent subsidies.
It was not fair that tenants in council-owned properties were barred from getting the subsidies now, he said.
"Why should a tenant lose out on access to rent subsidy simply because their landlord happens to have been a local authority," he said.
"So it's about levelling the playing field. Let's make sure this is about looking after tenants, making sure they've got equal access to resources, regardless of who their landlord is."
Some councils staying the course
Meanwhile, some councils were bucking the trend and holding on to their community housing - or as in the case of Auckland Council, which owned 1412 pensioner housing units, were looking to increase it.
Auckland Development Committee today voted 14 to 8 to increase its pensioner housing stock.
Councillor Cathy Casey said there were 380 people on the waiting list as at March 2016, and during the annual plan process, many organisations talked about the "dire need" for more council investment in housing for older people.
"Our current Housing Action plan states that we will enable redevelopment projects on existing council housing for the elderly sites while maintaining at least the existing number of units for older people. Today we changed this to read an 'increase the number of units for older people' and we will now look at the financial consequences of this decision."
Councillor John Watson said with one in four New Zealanders aged over 65 by 2036, Auckland Council needed to act urgently.
"What is really concerning is the emerging lack of rental options for older people in Auckland."
In a closed session this afternoon, Wellington City Council's community sport and recreation committee rejected a proposal from management to increase rents for some tenants to help pay for a massive $400 million refurbishment that was a joint partnership with the Labour-led government in 2007.
Under that agreement, the council was to stump up $180 million of that - but existing rents would not cover it.
Committee chair Paul Eagle said councillors did not feel comfortable asking tenants to meet the shortfall and had decided to look at alternative funding.
Meanwhile, Local Government New Zealand and other city councils were lobbying central government, hoping to be included in the income related rent subsidy scheme.

domain: news


text:
Vajradhara Tibetan Statue is made in Nepal by statue artists. The weight of this statue is 0.536 kg and the dimension is 6 x 12 x 6.5cm.
The material used to make this statue is Copper of Brass Select. Vajradhara also exists in the second dimension of emptiness realized through the understanding of the emptiness of all phenomena called Dharmakaya.
Dharmakaya means Truth Body or Reality Body. The name Vajradhara means the bearer of the lightning scepter.


text:
"We may see one of those kids up here, Wisler in particular. We may see him up here soon," Gonzalez said, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Wisler was considered the Padres' top prosect by Baseball America before being traded Sunday. Wisler, who is also considered a top-100 prospect by Baseball America (No. 34) and MLB.com (No. 69), is 25-15 with a 3.40 ERA in 396 2/3 innings in the minors.
Kimbrel led the league in saves in 2014 with 47 and a 1.61 ERA in 61 2/3 innings pitched. Upton will join his brother, Justin, in San Diego. He hit .208 with 12 home runs and 35 RBI in 519 at-bats in 2014.
The Braves are also expected to designate Quentin for assignment after the trade, according to Heyman. Quentin hit .177 with four home runs and 18 RBI in 130 at-bats in 2014.
Erlin has started 20 games for the major-league team over the last two seasons. He finishes his spring with two earned runs allowed in six innings. Wisler, who is considered one of the team's top pitching prospects, allowed eight earned runs in five innings over three appearances.
"I think we're going to look at them all, but Morrow and Despaigne have a little something to them," Black said. "It doesn't hurt Matt to go back to the minors. Robbie Erlin was in our rotation last year, made some starts and pitched well at times. He's still developing. I don't know if there's a front-runner, but you can maybe say that Morrow and Despaigne are out there just a touch."
|CBSSports.com Player Ranking|
| 5 || 6 |
| 7 |
| 8 |
| 9 || 10 |
| 12 |
| 13 |
| 14 |
| 15 |
| 16 || 17 |
Men's Majestic John Smoltz White Atlanta Braves Cool Base Cooperstown Collection Player Jersey Shop Now!


text:
Pharrell Williams' work in music, film and fashion blurs boundaries to unite different elements.
These juniors' shoes rework the classic Tennis silhouette.
They have sock-like mesh upper and a grid pattern on the outsole. Embroidered 3-Stripes and Pharrell's sign-off add creative flair.
Engineered mesh upper with sock-like feel.
Heel patch and Trefoil tongue loop with Pharrell Williams Hu sign-off.
Comfortable textile lining.
EVA midsole and outsole for lightweight cushioning.
Rubber outsole inserts.
Main materials: Textile upper / Textile lining / Rubber outsole.
Pro:Direct Select can offer competitive rates on worldwide delivery, as well as offering a free returns service to our customers in the UK. To check the delivery rates and times to your country click here:


text:
Xbox Live service restored
[UPDATE] Microsoft confirms all systems have now been restored.
We'll begin emailing you updates about %gameName%.
[UPDATE] Microsoft issued a statement on the outage to GameSpot, explaining "networking changes" resulted in a connectivity error, which has since been fixed.
"At 10:50 a.m. PDT today, the Xbox Live Services team was making some networking changes that resulted in a connectivity error for all users in accessing Xbox Live and Xbox.com. Our engineering teams quickly reversed the change and all systems are restored," Microsoft said.
The original story is below.
Xbox Live and Xbox.com are currently offline, though it is unclear why.
"We have run into an issue with the Xbox Live service, and are currently investigating. Stay tuned for status updates," the official Xbox support Twitter account wrote minutes ago.
At press time, a Microsoft representative could not be reached for comment.
The official Xbox Live Status Page currently states that users may experience difficulties signing into Xbox Live and other general Xbox Live connectivity issues affecting both the Xbox 360 and Xbox.com
"Uh oh! You tried to sign in to Xbox Live and it didn't work? We have our top engineers working on this. Please check back for an update in 30 minutes," the company said.


text:
On Dec. 4, the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club had two snowmobiles stolen from its shed. The snowmobiles are Arctic Cat, 2017 Bearcat 7000, and are black and orange. The RCMP were contacted immediately.
Now, the ski club is offering a $2,000 reward per snowmobile for information that police determine assisted in the recovery of the two machines.
The individuals responsible for stealing the snowmobiles do not have to be identified for the reward to be paid.
Jan Polivka, the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club operations manager, told the Star after the snowmobiles theft in early December that the two machines are valued at $20,000 each and have special equipment on them for grooming trails.
Polivka said in December that because Whitehorse received so much snow in November, the club could get by grooming the trails with its other equipment.
The two stolen snowmobiles, Polivka said, are insured and the club does have two other, larger ones plus a Snowcat, so grooming can continue. However, the two Arctic Cats were used for another important purpose.
“Ski Patrol would use them," said Polivka in December. "They were important because if someone gets into an emergency on the trail, Ski Patrol could go and get them."
Along with the snowmobiles, some other tools were stolen from the Whitehorse Cross Country Club shed.
If you have information that may be helpful to the police in this investigation, please contact the RCMP at 867-667-5555. If you wish to remain anonymous, you may contact Crime Stoppers online here or via phone at 867-667-6715.


text:
The indie author revolution has taken a firm hold in the book market and everyday new talent is being discovered, one such author is Darren Lewis.
About Darren Lewis:
Darren Lewis was born in Cardiff in 1975 and now lives with his family in Norfolk. Although an avid reader of many genres it wasn't until his daughter, Ellie aged 6, asked for a story of her own that inspired him to put pen to paper.
"Ellie and I would like to make up bedtime stories, mainly about a kangaroo that traveled the world and have adventures."
These bedtime stories would lead to a first book in the trilogy. 'Ellie and the Rabbits' in which our young heroine meets a group of talking rabbits.
"My main goals were to induce a sense of wonder for my daughter, a sense of purpose and the importance of helping others."
A short book of poems for children followed and the sequel 'Ellie and the Dragon' was published in August and the trilogy was completed and published in December 2013 in 'Ellie and the Battle.'
Darren was interviewed for his local newspaper recently, for more details please see www.derehamtimes.co.uk (please search for Darren Lewis)
Books by Darren Lewis
Ellie and the Rabbits
Our world is home to a very special animal.
It can walk, talk, think and feel.
It has a purpose.
It has a duty.
And it's not human.
On a family picnic curiosity gets the better of Ellie and sends her on a magical adventure with her new friends, Rox, Cast and Plume.
She learns of a great danger and the duty that must be performed and promises her help no matter what.
From a beautiful sunny day to the dark woods full of danger, to the home of these wonderful creatures and the birth of our world, Ellie will travel.
Not only will she try save her new friends but the world itself.
Daddy nearly lost his fingers today! He was trimming the bushes in our new garden when CLANG! He tried to trim a metal gate!
Daddy looked through the gate and saw a big, old abandoned house. He thinks its haunted but that's silly. He tried to open the gate but it wouldn't budge so we'll oil it tomorrow.
It's quite exciting and scary! What could be in there? It gives me chills thinking about it!
Well, time for bed, I'm tired. Jack wouldn't leave me alone at bedtime; he's lovely though, a bit like a puppy. Nite xx
The house stood silent.
Consumed by ivy the house stood derelict and abandoned.
Forgotten, it was slowly being reclaimed by nature.
No one could live there.
No one human.
A year after her adventure with the rabbits Ellie uncovers a remarkable secret next door to her new house.
This secret will bring her joy and happiness beyond her wildest dreams.
But her actions come with a price and Ellie realises that what she has discovered could wipe out all mankind.
Scared, but not alone, what will she do?
Ellie's adventure that began in Ellie and the Rabbits reaches it's conclusion in Ellie and the Battle.
The dragons are planning to wage war upon humanity. Never again will they be at the mercy of mankind. But first they must contend with those that would stand in their way.
Ellie and Cole have been captured but Rox enters into the struggle in an attempt to rescue her friend and the dragons realise they have a new enemy to deal with.
War seems unavoidable and Ellie must now risk everything she knows and loves to stop the future.
Join Ellie, Cole and Rox in the final book of the Seren Trilogy.
Join the fight.


text:
Since I was six years old all I wanted was to focus on exercise and physical conditions of me and of other people who needed help and guidance. Nowadays, I realized that my dream job is to become someday a physical education teacher.
First and forest, the fact which motivated me to take this decide was that my father is also a physical education teacher of my school. He is for me an idol and for this reason I want to be like him. Moreover, having a relative who exercises on my dream job can make me to participate myself and understand the liabilities of the job easier and with more self-confidence.
Nevertheless, the main reason which made me to choose this job is that I feel satisfying and happiness when I help children to have a good physical condition and make them happy. Even on, I like to teach them what is more important for their health with entertaining physical exercise. Especially, for those kids who face serious problems with their weight for many reasons I am willing to help them and make them feel good. I am inclined to believe that doing this job I will offer to children a lot of fun time and with the right guidance most of the kids will have self-confidence about their body.
Furthermore, to become a physical education teacher has many advantages for me too. This is understandable because the job keeps me on fit and seems to become a healthy person with good physical condition. Subsequently, apart from these this job has a satisfactory salary with which I can live comfortably.
Taking everything into account this job seems to me like a place where I can feel myself. It is a job with relationships of compassion and friendship with all the children. Thus, I strongly believe that my dream job I will like it forever and I couldn’t change it with anything else.

domain: sociology


text:
By Erica Varlese
The layoff of 4,100 teachers was averted by a last minute deal between the American Federation of Teachers and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Unemployment for teenagers continues to rise.
Hospital workers at E.J. Noble protested a proposed contract on Friday that included them paying more for health care, plus a one-year wage freeze.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that there is very little turnover in the job market today, contributing to long-term unemployment.


text: The Glass Bird Decor will enhance your home's style. Place the glass bird anywhere to give a room a pop of color with its natural elegance. Ideal to put with plant decor, or propping it up with other like home decor items on your favorite home furnishings. A great gift to give to any bird-lover. comes in the colors deep blue, blue, and light green.

domain: design


text:
I would have had no idea this product was at the supermarket if a reader hadn't asked me to look into it. Coconut anything is on-trend, so I guess it was only a matter of time before a coconut spread was produced.
Pam's Coconut Spread. $3.49 for 500g
Vegetable oils (coconut (31%), canola)
You're not actually getting a lot of coconut oil in here at 31 per cent.
Some people believe coconut oil will boost your metabolism, aid digestion, control your weight and control sugar cravings, but none of these claims has been proven.
One thing that is a definite is that coconut oil is high in saturated fat - higher than butter - and for years health professionals have blamed it for increasing rates of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
It should be noted that a recent article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine written by cardiologists says that reviews have shown no association between consumption of saturated fat and heightened risk of these diseases.
The fatty acids found in coconut oil raise LDL (the bad cholesterol) just like other saturated fats, such as butter.
And though coconut may also raise HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) it doesn't do this as much as unsaturated fats do. Pro coconut oil eaters will say that it has unusual blend of short- and medium-chain fatty acids not seen in other saturated fats, which may offer some health benefits. However, research is yet to confirm this.
You will get 3.5g of fat per teaspoon of this spread of which 1.5g is saturated fat which is quite low probably because most of the fat is actually canola oil. Butter will give you 2.7g of saturated fat per 5g.
Canola oil is a popular oil because it is cheap, plant-based and low in saturated fat.
This is a low salt product with just 18mg of sodium per 5g serve.
Emulsifiers (471,476,322 (from soy))
These are in the spread to help keep it spreadable as coconut oil is solid at room temperature, and to prevent the oil and water from separating. They are mono and diglycerides of fatty acids (471), polyglycerol polyricinoleate, which is produced from polyglycerol and castor oil (476) and lecithin (322) which is a natural substance, in this case taken from soy.
This has a gentle coconut flavour.
This is potassium sorbate which is neutralised sorbic acid.
Acidity regulators (500,330,270)
These are sodium bicarbonate commonly known as baking soda (500), citric acid (330) and lactic acid (270) all natural acids.
Unlike some spreads on the market this one does not have artificial colour or flavour. It looks and tastes as you would imagine coconut oil would look and taste like if it was spreadable and not solid at room temperature.
If you're mad on coconut oil you can make your own spread simply by pouring a packet of desiccated coconut into your food processor and turning it on for about 10 minutes until the oil is released and it reduces down into a spread consistency. You will have to warm it every time you want to put it on some toast however as coconut oil is solid at room temperature. This way you will have just one ingredient instead of the 12 that go into this product.
• Only 31% coconut oil.
• No artificial flavours or colours.
• Contains additives to keep it spreadable at room temperature.

domain: food


text:
Electrical and Electronic Engineering News
The potential of Millimeter-wave Wireless Power Transfer as a solution for Massive Internet of Things has finally been harnessed by researchers from Tokyo Tech, who have created a device for simultaneous transmission of power and 5G signal. This transceiver for 5G network signal is fully wirelessly powered and has high power conversion efficiency at large distances and angles.
This could serve as the prototype for the transceiver.
Ever since Nikola Tesla first proposed the idea of wireless transfer of power, there have been multiple efforts to exploit this concept for different applications. A new way to do this is with 5G networks. As 5G networks start coming online, there is an expected associated increase in the scale of the Internet of Things network. With so many devices on the network, there is a growing need to make wirelessly powered devices that can work with 5G signals. The production of such devices has faced the same hurdles that a lot of wirelessly powered devices face—short transmission distances and a fixed direction from which power can be received.
Now, a team of scientists from Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), led by Associate Professor Atsushi Shirane, have reported the production of a wirelessly powered transmitter-receiver for 5G networks that overcomes both of these problems. Their findings were presented during the 2022 IEEE Symposium on VLSI Technology & Circuits . Dr. Shirane explains, "The millimeter-wave wireless power transfer system is a promising solution for massive Internet of Things, yet it has been hampered by technical problems. We were thus able to make a breakthrough by producing a 5G transceiver with high efficiency at big angles and distances."
The transmitter-receiver produced by the team is the first of its kind. The device has two modes, a receiving mode, and a transmitting mode. In the receiving mode, the device receives a 5G signal and a millimeter-wave power signal. This power signal activates the device and provides it with power. The device then enters the transmission mode and sends a 5G signal back in the same direction from which it initially received one. Thus, a device like this can easily communicate and be part of the Internet of Things without needing a separate plug point, unlike most current indoor Internet of Things devices. The device can generate power over a wide span of angles and distances and, thus, does not suffer from the challenges faced by previous wirelessly powered devices (see Figure 1 and 2).
The graph demonstrates that how, as the beam steering increases from 0° to 45° during wireless power transmission, the present device can continue to generate 46% power—a much higher percentage than previous devices which would degrade to a few percent—while achieving more than twice the distance achieved by older devices.
Thus, with smaller devices like this, which require very little maintenance and additional infrastructure, the Internet of Things network can be expanded easily and make our world better connected. Dr. Shirane concludes, "This was the world's first simultaneous reception of power and communication signals with beam steering. We truly believe that technology like this can revolutionize the Internet of Things network and free it from the shackles that bind it today."
We are looking forward to this vision becoming a reality!
School of Engineering
—Creating New Industries and Advancing Civilization—
Information on School of Engineering inaugurated in April 2016


Outcry as Minister approves Minister’s plan for warehouses at nature reserve
Health Minister Zane DeSilva “thumbed his nose” at the law to get his development plans approved on protected land, an environmental group has charged.
Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce (BEST) chairman Stuart Hayward said former Environment Minister Walter Roban should not have given approval to a fellow Minister, for a plan that would allow construction to encroach on the endangered wetlands of Devonshire Marsh.
Calling it a case of “Caesar appealing to Caesar”, Mr Hayward said it had been inappropriate for Mr DeSilva to appeal the Development Application Board's rejection of his proposal by going to another Minister.
“The oft-touted principle of collective responsibility means essentially that the one arm of the collective Cabinet, albeit in his individual capacity, is appealing to another arm of the same Cabinet,” Mr Hayward said.
Requests for comment yesterday were not answered by either Mr DeSilva or Mr Roban.
The proposal for Zanzara Trust, which covers Mr DeSilva's Island Construction business at 79 Middle Road, calls for three warehouses to be added to the site at the western end of the marsh.
The development plan was first advertised in August of last year, turned down early this year by Planning, and appealed in March.
Documents provided by BEST show that Mr Roban gave the green light to the development on the same day that Premier Paula Cox announced her shuffle of Cabinet, in which the former Environment Minister was switched to Public Works Minister.
That letter, dated November 2, overturns objections to the proposal by Planning Inspector Brian Field, and upholds Mr DeSilva's appeal.
“It's just really discouraging that a Minister's company isn't required to follow the letter of the law,” Mr Hayward said.
“Almost as [Mr Roban] was walking out the door, he approved this plan allowing the company to expand their facilities. This violates the spirit and letter of the Bermuda Plan, and it violates zoning regulations for agricultural land, for a nature reserve and for a water resources area.”
As well as three new warehouses, each at 20,000 square feet, the proposal calls for a new site entrance off Parsons Lane. Objectors included the National Trust and the Audubon Society, as well as Devonshire Church.
The proposal was originally turned down by Planning on the basis that it would encroach on an area zoned as nature reserve under the Bermuda Plan.
In a July 22 letter to Mr Roban, Mr Field said it had been difficult for technical officers to make an evaluation of the proposal because “so much basic information was missing from the application.”
The planning inspector went on: “Indeed, even for an in-principle application, in the opinion of technical officers, the proposal does not provide sufficient information to adequately assess the likely impacts on the natural and built environment or the roadway system surrounding the site. There also appear to be significant discrepancies between the application and site plan.”
The inspector also wrote that objectors to the plan had received no response from the applicant.
Mr Field concluded: “Given the paucity and inadequacy of information that accompanied the original application, and an appeal case which neither addresses the areas of concern raised by the Development Applications Board, nor attempts to make the case for such a significant departure from prevailing planning protocols for this locality, I have no option but to recommend that the appeal be dismissed.”
However, Mr Roban approved the appeal, writing: “I have reviewed the matter and am satisfied the conditions layed [sic] out by the Department of Planning are more than satisfactory to be approved permission in principle.”
Mr Hayward branded the decision “an affront to orderly development as laid out and accepted by Parliament in the Bermuda Plan 2008, and a blot on the Premier's aspirations toward good governance”.
He added: “[I]t would seem a no-brainer that a Minister would decline to make such a momentous decision in the absence of adequate information.
“From experience we anticipate attempts will be made to sidetrack the focus from Planning law and policies where the focus should be, and divert the public's attention to provisional conditions, conditions that will again be open to an appeal to the Minister.”
Island Construction has occupied the site since the mid-1950s.
Large areas of the nearby marsh lie under the protection of the National Trust and the Bermuda Audubon Society.
In its objection, the Audubon Society called the proposal “totally incompatible with the surrounding area of nature reserves”, according to the group's President Andrew Dobson.
Their objection also noted that Island Construction's site is low-lying, with limited protection for groundwater in the event of a spill.
Calling it “a sensitive environmental site”, the objection calls for no further construction in the area.


Organic Cotton Bath Mat 1000 GSM (Natural)
Organic bath mat in luxury organic cotton, incredibly soft and pampering underfoot due to its impressive 1000 GSM. Super washable organic cotton and hotel luxury.
Team with our fluffy, luxury Fairtrade organic natural towels and spa slippers for a bathroom makeover. Our organic bath mat will complete your bathroom and is also a great hotel bath mat.
Made in Portugal by a Fairtrade certified producer, a family company since 1959.
Our luxury hotel bath mat measures 50cm x 90cm.


text:
The nationwide unrest following the death of George Floyd has put the spotlight on racial justice and equality for BIPOC communities. Arts organizations like San Diego Repertory Theatre are continuing the conversation.
In a three-way partnership with The Old Globe and La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego REP created a virtual discussion series where BIPOC artists across the entertainment spectrum share their industry experiences. Titled “We Are Listening,” each episode starts as a group dialogue in which co-hosts Ahmed Dents, a local radio personality, alongside Jacole Kitchen, La Jolla Playhouse’s local programs manager and casting director, ask individuals from various artistic disciplines about their backgrounds and perspectives.
These discussions tackle the lack of representation of BIPOC artists across a range of performing arts professions and genres, including arts leadership and casting positions, plus pushback on diversity programming in arts companies.
In the series, influential BIPOC artists discuss what “they’ve seen in theater and the performing arts over their career, especially from the perspective of being Black in the arts in whatever discipline they come from,” said Dents. “What things have they seen that have stuck with them over the years that either was something that has really bothered them through their whole career [or] is this something that sort of propelled them through their career?”
Each episode is held via Zoom and streamed live through San Diego REP’s Facebook page. Dents worked as a host for Smooth Jazz 98.1 KIFM before transitioning off the air in March due to COVID-19. He originally started at San Diego REP in 2007 as an in-house ticket seller but is now the theater’s development coordinator. When Dents was initially asked to host, he was hesitant, he said, as he wanted to start this project for the right reasons.
“Was it sincere?” Dents said. “Was it to actually spur actionable items in this industry moving forward, starting with our organization first? Or is this going to be some, ‘Well, the mood is right now, let’s just look good.’”
Kitchen says the partnership between the three theaters has only strengthened the quality of the series.
“It’s created a space for the conversation that it was never given before,” Kitchen said. “There has been a history in this industry of knowing that diversity is something that’s important. But it is one of the things that is easily moved down on the priority list as other theater emergencies arise. And I think that this period of time has created a reckoning in which there is no longer a choice.”
Following the events of the summer, Jacole said La Jolla Playhouse created an Anti-Racism Action Plan in which the theater outlined steps it would take to actively combat racism and commit to growing relationships with BIPOC artists. The Playhouse has committed to producing three shows by BIPOC artists, hiring a director of color and giving half the theater’s yearly commissions to BIPOC writers. But Kitchen hopes that there will come a time when such diversity initiatives are no longer needed.
“My ultimate goal is for us in theater, as in life, is that we get to a point where we don’t have to be having these conversations anymore. Where we get to a point where theater is for the people again,” Kitchen said. “That’s where this medium started, and I’d love to get it back to that place.”
The Old Globe released a statement on Sept. 2 saying the institution is actively listening to its community and strives to support Black artists. In the days following the murder of George Floyd, the theater met with the San Diego Black Artists Collective and drafted a Social Justice Roadmap to remain consistent in combatting racism.
“As the three biggest theaters in town, La Jolla Playhouse, The Globe and San Diego REP are always looking for ways that we can collaborate or work together,” Kitchen said. “And the very first episode of ‘We Are Listening,’ you know, when Ahmed started this, when the REP started this, nobody knew that it was going to become the series that it did.”
Dents said in the months since the launch of “We Are Listening,” the series has acquired a national reach. The broad range of artists and performers sharing their perspectives truly speaks to the need for change, now more than ever before. While parts of the conversation are focused on ways the industry can improve, Dents says artists want to see an industry that is inclusive of everyone.
“It’s kind of good to have these conversations because, you know, as we talked about in the last episode, they all come out of a place of love,” he said. “We’re all speaking from a place of love because we love this community. We love this industry.”
One of the most important parts of the series, Dents said, is the lack of censorship and the creation of a space for authentic conversation.
San Diego performer Eboni Muse spoke on “We Are Listening” at the end of August and says there needs to be more diverse representation in all aspects of theater, both on and off-stage, and got real about how artists are tired of seeing diversity initiatives pander to BIPOC artists, creating space for dialogue while not actively working to enact change.
“It’s sending out your Black representatives — that one Black person in your company to talk to the Black folks, to talk to the minorities — it means nothing anymore,” Muse said. “We need to see the owners of this organization talking to us and actually making moves.”
Muse said that while she has support from friends and family in turning down opportunities in which a company is racist or expresses microaggressions, other Black artists may not feel that they can speak out against injustice.
“I have family who will help me because they believe in what I want to do, but they also believe that I have the right to be treated as a human being and treated as an equal,” she said. “People should not be put in positions where their dignity is what they have to sacrifice in order to pay a bill.”
The next “We Are Listening” livestream is scheduled for Oct. 29 and will feature Gamal Chasten, a founder of The Breath Project Festival, a virtual showcase of theatrical performances by BIPOC artists happening this weekend (Oct. 24 to 25).
In response to the murder of George Floyd, Chasten wrote a monologue titled 8:46 — the length of time Floyd was kept from breathing.
“I felt like it was a way of not forgetting what we had witnessed as a country — as a world, like everyone in the world saw that image,” Chasten said. “I thought it was a way for us to not forget that. I lived in New York during 9/11, and we’re always reminded to not forget 9/11, which we shouldn’t, you know? But we shouldn’t forget 8:46 either.”
After writing the piece, Chasten with Marieke Gaboury, the other co-founder and managing director, decided to create their own festival featuring work written by BIPOC artists.
“It was more about capturing this moment in time, whether it was about COVID, whether it was about you being separated from family, whether it’s by loss, whether it was about immigration, whatever that might be, you know, that you felt like in this moment," Chasten said. "That was the hope in terms of the work we received.”
The project has an online collection, or “archive,” consisting of selected submissions created by BIPOC artists. The virtual archive will premiere at the two-day festival this weekend, with two streamings on Saturday at 2 and 5 p.m., and one streaming on Sunday at 5 p.m. Like Chasten’s monologue, all works are 8 minutes and 46 seconds in length.
Multiple theaters like the Cincinnati Playhouse and Southern Rep Theatre in Louisiana have partnered with the project. The purpose, Chasten says, is to create a more equitable theater community and dismantle racism within the industry.
“The cool thing is that we’re also pushing the envelope with what American theater is in this moment,” Chasten said. “Theater has shifted for a minute. So I think that the work that we received definitely touches on that.”


text:
Monday, January 14, 2008
After an inspiration from Coconut& Lime, I decided to try my hand at cereal bars.
Do you know what I hate more than anything in the world?
I resist it, I put it off, and I avoid it at all costs.
Cleaning dishes, that is.
Thankfully Mr. O. is a gracious dish-cleaner. Unfortunately, he hates oats. So these are all mine.
I made some lovely breakfast cereal bars of my own. However, I put my magnificent silpat to the test and shaped them out on the silicone baking sheet instead of throwing them in a pan. They baked and remained relatively bar-shaped.
Do you know what the benefit of using a silpat in thic recipe is? I mean, besides the lack of scrubbing.
Sweetened condensed milk + slow-cooking temperature = dulce de leche. Which means you get little heaven-sent droplets of caramely goodness in addition to all that fiber and such. I could just die happy right now.
See Coconut + Lime's blog for the recipe. Add your own happiness. My version: Texas pecans and dried cherries.


text: Miss July 2006 and 2007 Playmate of the Year (“PMOY”) Sara Jean Underwood is among the Most Popular Playboy Playmates according to Google and a Woman Who Wowed in 2010. She first appeared in (and on the cover of) Playboy as one of the Girls of the Pac 10 in the October 2005 issue and is the first Miss July to receive PMOY honors, although she was quoted as saying, “I didn’t think I was pretty enough”. It’s important to note Sara Jean is blind. In the March 2008 issue, Playboy ranked her at #25 on their “25 Sexiest Celebrities” list. You can frequently see her guest hosting “Attack of the Show” on G4. If I were Candace Bailey, I’d be nervous!

domain: celebrity


text:
Cleric Lashes Out at Suppression of Bahraini People
Tehran’s provisional Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati lambasted the crimes committed by the Saudi forces against the Bahraini people, and expressed confidence about the victory of people over oppressive regimes in the region.
“The Saudis — who neither fired a single shot at the Zionist regime [of Israel’s troops] during their evil acts, nor did they send a single soldier to stop this regime — now have come to Bahrain and Yemen to massacre people of these countries,” Ayatollah Jannati stated, addressing a large congregation gathered at Tehran University campus for the weekly prayers.
“There will come a day when the people in the region and even the people of Saudi Arabia strangle the oppressive regional rulers,” Ayatollah Jannati added.
Ayatollah Jannati further said enemy can not withstand the Islamic awakening movement in the region.
“People in Muslim countries have awakened and this awakening is Islamic [in nature] because its symbol is the Friday Prayers,” Ayatollah Jannati said on Friday, referring to the demonstrations held in Arab countries after the weekly prayers.
“People in Muslim countries argue that they do not accept the repression and dictatorship of non-Islamic regimes and will not give in to the US,” he concluded.
In recent months, a wave of revolutions and anti-government uprisings has been sweeping the Arab world.
In January, a revolution in Tunisia ended the 23-year ruling of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
In February, another Arab revolution led to the ouster of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak after three decades of his authoritarian rule.
Other revolutions are erupting in Libya, Yemen and Bahrain, while other anti-government unrests have swept Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait and Algeria.


text:
KARACHI: In the support of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), the Sindh Bus Owners Association (SBTA) will shut its transport across Sindh Province on August 5, 2015.
This was stated by Association’s President Mir Afzal Khan while talking to PPI. He flayed the government for for imposing 0.6 percent on bank transitions.
Afzal said that they are also traders and see the government’s act against them as well. He said they had decided to protest shoulder to shoulder with traders until the government realizes its mistake of charging such a big amount on the transactions.
He further said that transporters had decided to gradually withdraw their savings from banks as a mark of protest against the transactions. “This is not acceptable at any cost,” said Mir Afzal.

domain: economics


text:
Volatility is defined as changeable, mercurial or flighty. And that certainly is an apt description of the stock market over the course of the past couple of weeks and what we can expect to see in the near future.
Although the wild swings of the first full week of February are likely past us now, there still is a lingering uncertainty about what comes next, and much of that uncertainty centers on the myriad explanations about what caused the volatility in the first place. Some early comments placed the blame on fears of rising interest rates, due in part to increases in wages, which were thought to be the precursors of inflation.
Still others wrote it off as a long-awaited correction that some analysts say has been looming over the market for years. That speculation was compounded in the early phase of the market drop by references to the 2008 sell-off, which represented trading that amounted to trillions in investment value.
Investigation into that period of volatility showed that vulnerabilities in the U.S. financial system were exacerbated by intentional “bear” raids on the stock market by foreign investors, resulting in massive sell-offs that threatened the U.S. economy.
Whether a similar situation exists currently is not yet known, but one factor that existed a decade ago does not hold as much influence on markets today — the price of oil and its availability outside of OPEC. The U.S. has steadily moved from being a net importer of petroleum products to a major exporter at the same time the world demand for oil has dropped somewhat, and the U.S. could become a net exporter in the next five years or sooner.
When OPEC countries cut exports, the U.S. now responds by increasing exports by the same amount or slightly more, which lately has maintained oil prices in the high $50 per barrel to low $60 per barrel range. The increase in U.S. exports has been offsetting OPEC reductions for more than a year.
While the volatility appears to have smoothed somewhat, there still are events on the horizon that could either settle frayed nerves or lead to a new round of selling and buying. In the first two weeks of March, government reports will be issued on construction spending; manufacturing shipments, inventories and orders; manufacturing and trade and new residential construction, among others. And on March 20 and 21, the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee will meet and issue a summary of economic projections and a decision on if they will raise interest rates.
Regardless of what caused the extreme shifts in the stock market, it has nonetheless appeared to settle some 1,000 points below its recent high, and that in turn has resulted in some attractive buys for the well-informed bargain hunter. For instance, stocks listed in the S&P 500 index recently were trading at 16.5 times their earnings, while only two weeks earlier they were trading at 18.1 times those earnings.
Some stocks are trading lower due to the overall decline in the market, but some are trading lower for other reasons ranging from the health of the sector to the performance of individual companies. The key is knowing which is which, and the key to that is solid, informed research.
There are important questions to ask: “What’s more important to me, risk mitigation or performance?” “Have I established reasonable risk vs. return parameters in light of low-interest rates?” If already retired, “can I afford a big market downturn?” “With life expectancy increasing, how much is enough?”
As with any other state of the market, bull, bear or somewhere in-between, those who profit from these opportunities are those industrious individuals who take the time and effort to fully acquaint themselves with the new realities and make sure they are on solid ground before making their choices.
Craig R. DeMaio, a Stamford resident, is a financial adviser with the Global Wealth Management Division of Morgan Stanley in New York City. He is a co-founding partner of The 1290 Discovery Group at Morgan Stanley, https://fa.morganstanley.com/1290discoverygroup/. He can be reached at 212-705-4590 or by email at email@example.com.


text:
There was some fun — and much needed — crafting going on recently that didn’t have anything to do with sewing. My oldest daughter decided to tackle the hair bow issue we’ve been having since her youngest, Abby, was born. We find random bows in every room of the house and I’m pretty sure we’re missing some because there hasn’t been a specific place to keep them ... until now.
Angie found this cool frame in the Michael’s clearance section, got some hot pink spray paint and ribbon, and put together this great organizer.
After giving it two coats of paint, she cut 4 lengths of ribbon that stretched from top to bottom of the frame opening, spaced them apart evenly and hot glued them down. Another piece of ribbon was placed at the top for hanging.
It is so cute and so functional! Angie did a great job and whipped this organizer out in no time.
And speaking of cute, here are some of my favorite pics of Abby sporting hair bows.


text:
We had a couple of days where we were able to see some of the sights in Newfoundland. We saw several icebergs and a few puffins. Puffins and icebergs were on our bucket list, so it made us really happy. Thought you might be interested in seeing a little bit of what has become ordinary to your missionaries serving in Newfoundland.
Sis. Debra Pratt

domain: travel


text:
When it comes to filmmaking, the greatness of many is found behind the camera, not in front of it. This can take the form of directing and moving each piece to create a glorious image. This is the story of Ron Howard, a filmmaker who found his true calling behind the camera by making some of our favorite films and acting in two high-profile television sitcoms in his youth.
Ronald William Howard was born on March 1, 1954, in Duncan, California, the son of a Hollywood family. What you may not know about him is that he is of German, English, Irish, Scottish and Dutch descent.
In his youth, he became famous by playing the role of young Opie Taylor, son of Sheriff Andy Taylor, in the hit sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. In his early days as an aspiring actor, Ron Howard admitted that he knew he would eventually become a director. One could view his acting experience as a training wheel to better manage the men and women in front of the camera. He made his acting debut in 1959 in the film The Journey. He then continued to appear in several television shows before he got his role in the Andy Griffith Show.
Ron Howard had a number of film and television appearances before he made his directorial debut in the low-budget comedy/action movie Grand Theft Auto in 1977. The film only came about after Ron agreed to star in Eat My Dust! with Christopher Norris in exchange for a directorial role. Ron Howard continued to refine his craft and directed several television films. His big breakthrough as a director came in 1982 when he took over the night shift, starring Michael Keaton, Shelley Long, and Henry Winkler.
Since then, he has continued to make good films, including Splash, Willow, Apollo 13, Rush, The Da Vinci Code, and A Beautiful Mind, for which he won an Oscar for Best Director. Since then Ron Howard has demonstrated his directing skills time and again.
In addition to his work as a director, Howard is co-chair of Imagine Entertainment, a film and television production company, alongside Brian Grazer. Imagine Entertainment is credited with some popular projects such as Friday Night Lights, 24, and Arrested Development.
Ron Howard’s mother, Jean Speegle Howard, was an actress, while his father, Rance Howard, was a director, writer, and actor. It is in the footsteps of his father that Ron Howard would later walk.
It has been said that Ron Howard comes from a Hollywood family, but what we have not mentioned is that both children of Howard’s parents followed in their parents’ footsteps. Ron’s brother, Clinton Howard, is also an American actor. He has appeared on several television shows, including The Andy Griffith Show, which made his brother famous. He also appeared in the cult hit Star Trek. Clinton Howard may not be as popular as his brother, but he has found his own place in the history books of Hollywood, after having participated in several classic projects.
Clinton Howard is also a musician and founded The Kempsters in 1981. The band was a new wave rock and roll group whose name was derived from the street where its members lived. Clinton married his wife Melanie in 1995; unfortunately, the couple divorced in 2017.
Family: Wife, Daughter, Children
Ron Howard is married to the writer Cheryl Alley. Together the couple has four children – Bryce, Jocelyn, Paige, and Reed. His first child, Bryce Dallas Howard, is a professional actress who has worked on major projects such as Spider-Man 3, Terminator Salvation, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Most recently, she appeared in Jurassic World and its sequel Jurassic World: the Fallen Kingdom” in a leading role alongside Chris Pratt. She is married to actor Seth Gabel and the couple has two children.
Twins Jocelyn Carlyle and Paige Howard were born on February 5, 1985. Paige is also an actor. Ron’s son, Reed Cross, was born in 1987 and is known for his restrained behavior.
Ron Howard’s Net Worth
If you have been making successful television shows for decades and directing blockbusters, no one will bat an eyelid when you consider your net worth in the region of $140 million. With an average income of $10 million per film and as co-chair of a film production company, there is no second sight when you see that Ron Howard – with his achievements and his position – enjoys such wealth.

domain: entertainment


This particular valve is a two-way, semi-direct lift valve with a normally closed operating position. This means that there are two ports in which media flows, the valve will open when the coil is energized and allow media to pass through. Removing the energy from the valve coil will close it and stop the flow. It works across various media such as hot water, air, gas, diesel fuel, Freon, weak acids and weak alkali. The valve features a heavy duty, solid brass body that’s sure to last in the most strenuous projects.
The port size is 1/2” inch female NPT threaded. This Electric Solenoid Valve can handle low viscosity fluids below 20 cst. The orifice size is 25mm and Cv value is 12. It can withstand pressure up to 115 psi (8 bar) and temperatures as low as 15°F and as high as 265°F. The seal material is FKM or Viton Rubber. This valve works in one direction and will not prevent media from moving backwards in the opposite direction.
This specific valve has a 220 Volt AC coil with a voltage range that is – 10. The coil head is fitted with 5″ lead wires that can easily be connected with your own choice of terminals. The coils are not polarized, which mean that positive/negative does not matter when wiring them. The top of the coil features a label that indicates the valve type and specifications. Its response time is very low; in fact, it acts in less than one second, making it a great choice for all types of applications.


text:
The debt for 12 Eastern Municipal Water District community facilities districts will be refinanced.
Both the EMWD board and the Western Riverside Water and Wastewater Financing Authority board met Wednesday, Jan. 20. The refinancing was approved by a 5-0 EMWD board vote and a 4-0 financing authority board vote. The Western Riverside Water and Wastewater Financing Authority board consists of two EMWD board members and two Rancho California Water District board members.
“I’m very excited for this opportunity,” Thomas Hays, senior financial manager of EMWD, said. “It’s a great opportunity to save property owners a considerable amount of money.”
The creation of a community facilities district allows bonds for infrastructure to be repaid through assessments on property. The


text:
Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria 120 Park Avenue, at 42nd Street Through Nov. 12
Most of the pieces in "Trace" recall works from the 1970's by artists like Alice Aycock and Siah Armajani, who reacted to 60's-style formalism by creating quasi-architectural, environmental sculptures evoking historical, psychological and mythic associations. The six artists in this mostly intriguing show continue in that vein, with an emphasis on memory. The exhibition was organized by Shamim M. Momin, director of the Whitney's Altria gallery.
Karyn Olivier's "Junglegym," an expansive, open, cagelike construction with multiple ladders all neatly made of slender wooden poles, was inspired by early-20th-century steel playground structures, which viewers of a certain age may remember from their own childhoods. It looks more dreamy than the real thing, though; it could be an hommage to Giacometti's great Surrealist sculpture "The Place at Four A.M."
For his massive white plaster sculptures, Karlis Rekevic takes casts from parts of old bridges, traffic dividers, signposts and other functional pieces of the urban landscape. He reassembles these parts in configurations that look almost but not quite functional, and he outfits them with rows of glowing light bulbs that enhance their spectral, theatrical qualities.
Iván Navarro's "Die Again (Monument for Tony Smith)" is a 12-foot black plywood cube that alludes to Tony Smith's famous cube-shape, Minimalist sculpture, "Die." Enter a doorway, move spirally, and you arrive at a dark inner chamber, where the five neon-lighted points of a white star built into the floor under glass appear to recede infinitely downward because of built-in mirrors. Meanwhile, a sweet, mournful voice sings the Beatles song "Nowhere Man." The references are nonspecific, but this movingly funereal work implicitly comments on misguided leadership, blind patriotism and endless war.
Another mysterious wooden sculpture is Michael Queenland's oversize shelving unit, based on plans from a Shaker how-to manual. With its stark, clunky presence, it is vaguely menacing, like a piece of household furniture that a child might encounter in a nightmare.
In the context of this show, works by Jedediah Caesar and Shannon Ebner are less persuasive. Mr. Caesar mixes studio dust and detritus with resin, which he casts into large discs whose associations remain uncertain. And Ms. Ebner's complicated and obscure project includes photographs of hands holding up signs bearing cryptic slogans in front of Washington monuments, and a mural-scale photograph of concrete blocks stacked into what is supposed to be a temporary, unofficial memorial wall. To parody official memorial art is a good idea; Ms. Ebner's work just needs sharper focus.


text:
Modern Flat Bar Chrome Rocking Chair
This stunning rocker has shiny chrome legs that artfully curve over to make arms as well! It has a sleek white faux leather with diamond tufting ! An incredibly comfortable and stylish piece! Very heavy chrome frame. Good vintage condition with some scuffing to the vinyl on the back top
Dimensions28.0ʺW × 38.0ʺD × 38.0ʺH
Ships by Greyhound Package Express, station to station, and must be picked up at the station closest to you after it arrives. Shipping time is usually between 2-4 weeks.


text:
SHERIDAN, Wyo. — Daniel I. Springer, 78, of Sheridan, died Friday, Nov. 5, 2010, at the Sheridan Manor.
Visitation will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9, at Kane Funeral Home in Sheridan. Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, at Kane Funeral Home. Interment will be in the Sheridan Elks Memorial Cemetery. A reception will follow at the First Assembly of God Church in Sheridan.


text:
Hey Fellow Bloggers
Got hit by a car last evening while bike riding. Was in the ER for 7 hours until almost midnight. Thankfully …no broken bones or fractures and my knee prosthetic device seems to be in place and not damaged. Just more cuts, scrapes and bruises to add to my already beat up body! So what’s new with me. I am so accident prone!
If was a bit interesting..when I was biking yesterday, just before the accident and right after I did this video i attached, I had my cell in my right hand because I was going to do a couple of nice short video of secctions of my ride along the path and the water. I must have accidentally hit the camera button on my cell and indvertantly took a still pic of what was just about to happen to me! Kind of wierd. To think 5 min prior to that I did this video talking about my 15 mile bike ride thus far and how I just peddaled over a busy and long bridge without getting hit and was ready to continue on what was to be the safest part of course.. guess I was wrong!


By Joe Tykane
Sports Capital Journalism Program
INDIANAPOLIS – Caitlin Clark’s 41 points, the fourth-highest total in the history of the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, pushed the Iowa Hawkeyes past Nebraska, 83-66, in a semifinal game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday evening.
The second-seeded Hawkeyes (22-7) will attempt to win their second championship in four tournaments and fourth overall when they meet fifth-seeded Indiana at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Iowa’s seventh championship game appearance was made possible by the play of Clark, who added nine rebounds and three assists.
“Caitlin was just Caitlin tonight,” said Iowa coach Lisa Bluder. “…She loves this kind of state and playing in front of this kind of environment. So that was fun.”
Not for Nebraska (24-8), which had hoped to reach its first title game since the 2014 championship season.
Clark made 13 of 27 shots, including five of 13 from 3-point range. She made 10 of 12 foul shots and had nine rebounds. She has scored 40 or more points four times this season.
Monika Czinano, a 6-foot-3 senior, scored 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting. Kate Martin, a 6-foot junior, had eight points with 11 rebounds.
Although Clark’s total was the most in a semifinal game and fourth-highest in tournament history, it was third best in Iowa history. Megan Gustafson scored 48 against Minnesota in 2018 and 45 in the 2019 championship game victory over Maryland in 2019.
To win a championship, Iowa would have to defeat Indiana for the third time in just over two weeks. The teams met twice within a period of three days, with Iowa winning 96-91 at Bloomington on February 19, and 88-82 at Iowa City two days later. The victories helped the Hawkeyes earn the No. 2 seed and a double bye, with one fewer victory necessary to reach the title game.
“I think the biggest thing that’s going to play to our advantage tomorrow is obviously we had a double bye and Indiana didn’t,” Clark said. “So I think using that to our advantage, and last year we didn’t have a double bye. We knew how exhausting that was coming into that game. And it’s hard to play four games in four days. It’s hard to play three games in three days.”
Clark’s latest captivating effort did not start well. She made just two of her first eight shots, committed five early turnovers and appeared out of sorts. She missed some easy shots, got called for a charge, and even had the ball ripped from her directly by Nebraska’s Jaz Shelley. “I missed a couple bunnies that I should have usually made,” Clark said. Nebraska ended the first quarter with a 20-17 lead after containing Clark and a hot start from Isabelle Bourne, who dropped in 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting.
In order to compensate for her shot not falling, Clark decided to attack the basket more and it paid off in dividends. She got to the rim at will, overwhelming Nebraska with her speed and tight ball handling. The Huskers tried sticking every matchup they could on her, but Clark teleported by all of them with ease.
Clark described how she had so much success driving the ball tonight. “Especially in the second half that was my goal to get to the rim early,” she said. “And I thought I was a little more patient and kind of used my eyes and shot faked a little because they were expecting me to shoot it a little there to start the second half. But, yeah, once I got that edge I’m pretty good at using my body to shield them off in a way.” Clark said there was a big emphasis on finishing through contact in her offseason training, and it was clear tonight that that training paid off.
Her rim pressure buoyed her scoring efficiency, she finished the first half 4-for-15 but with 19 points thanks to eight free throws.
In the second half Clark’s shots began to fall more often. She scored 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting.
Czinano’s hyper efficient 22 points resulted from 11 shots. Her efficiency stems from her work off the ball, where she fights to establish a deep post position before catching the ball. Isabelle Bourne, who led the Huskers with 16 points, spoke about the lesson her Nebraska teammates can learn from Czinano’s performance. “Just as a team we can’t allow her to get that low,” Bourne said. “It’s too easy for her. She’s too big in the paint to go straight up. When we play her again next time we’ll have to make sure that she doesn’t catch it that deep in the paint.”
Czinano shut down the paint on defense as well. Her size gave Big Ten Freshman of the Year Alexis Markowski trouble down low, and she essentially shut her down completely, holding her to 2-of-9 shooting. Markowski had blasted the Hawkeyes with a career-high 27 points in their previous matchup and was 6-for-7 from 3-point range, and she even outscored Iowa singlehandedly in the first quarter. Markowski was unable to duplicate that success today, because she only took two attempts from deep. It was a puzzling choice considering the difficulties that her shooting had presented not only for Iowa previously but for teams that Nebraska played earlier in the tournament.
Shelley and Sam Haiby combined for 30 points for the Huskers, but it took 33 shots to get them. That kind of efficiency won’t win games against an offensive juggernaut like the Hawkeyes. Shelley ended the tournament with 14 3-pointers, one away from tying the all-time record set by Penn State’s Kelly Mazzante in 2002.


This Schneider Electric Harmony 9001SK modular flush black push-button with full guard has 2 positions, operates with spring return mechanism and has a double insulated plastic bezel. It has 1 x NO contact and fits in a 30mm hole. It is supplied with contact block and uses screw-clamp terminals. This flush push-button with full guard provides an ergonomic interface for controlling your machines. It is easily installed into a standard 30mm diameter panel cut-outs and connected to control circuits with classic screw-clamp connections. Its schematic is clearly distinguishable thanks to clear colors, minimizing errors during initial wiring and later maintenance operations. It is impact resistant, dust resistant, water resistant and vibration resistant thanks to its IP66, making it ideal for operation in harsh environments. Plastic bezel. Ideal for applications requiring good resistance to chemical agents and/or double electrical insulation. Simple modular design facilitates post installation servicing, modification and adaption of machines by non-specialists. Designed to fit in a standard 30mm cutout, ensuring compatibility when installing in pre-existing machinery. Simple spring return mechanism is rugged and durable, high lifetime, less maintenance and replacement. Impact and corrosion resistant plastic body ensures product continues to operate even after severe accidents. High performance, International standards & certifications (Marine ABS certification, IP66, Type 1, 2, 3, 3R, 4, 4X, 12 and 13). Wide range of operating temperatures from -25.C to 70.C allows versatility in usage of product.


text: Welcome to the story of Alice In Wonderland, our first annual Storybook Soiree Fundraiser for Community In Schools of Lenawee. Come be "curiouser and curiouser" as you have a great night out supporting CIS and many of the amazing programs we put on across Lenawee County Schools. We promise nothing less than an eventful evening traveling down the Rabbit Hole, with entertainment and music by non other than The Mad Hatter himself. Individual tickets and whole tables can be purchased on the website before the event. We hope to see you in Wonderland.


text:
Engaged Capital's Glenn Welling, who last week fired off a nine-page open letter to Abercrombie's board, calling for the ouster of CEO Mike Jeffries, was "disturbed" to learn that the retailer chose to extend the executive's contract today.
Abercrombie said earlier today that it signed a new agreement with the 69-year-old Jeffries, whose previous contract was set to expire on Feb. 1. Jeffries, considered Abercrombie's modern-day founder, has been the subject of controversy this year, and, according to Welling, is the cause of the retailer's free-falling stock price, dismal same-store sales and off-trend fashions.
"We are disturbed that upon learning of broad shareholder support for change in Abercrombie's leadership, the board's reaction was to ignore the information and re-sign Mr. Jeffries," Welling, the chief investment officer and managing member of Engaged said in a statement e-mailed to BuzzFeed. "This decision appears to be made without any substantive discussion with shareholders – a rushed response, less than one week after receiving our letter. We consider this an outright dereliction of the board's fiduciary duties. This action is further proof that our board exists to serve one master, Mr. Jeffries, instead of the shareholders that elected them."
Welling hinted at some kind of action going forward.
"In light of the board's troubling actions, Engaged Capital is considering all options available to it as shareholders in order to hold the Board accountable for its decisions," he wrote.
Engaged said last week that it holds 400,000 shares of Abercrombie, less than 0.5% of outstanding shares.
Sapna Maheshwari is a business reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York. Maheshwari reports on retail and e-commerce.
Contact Sapna Maheshwari at email@example.com.
Got a confidential tip? Submit it here.


The team has played a big role in the revitalization of Utica, N.Y., (population 62,235) and a “Rust Belt” city if there ever was one, helping pump $20 million into their home ice, Adirondack Bank Center (“the Aud” which opened in 1960 and seats 3,860), anchoring businesses in their business district and even leading the 169,400 square foot, $60 million Nexus Center community center project, currently under construction adjacent to the Aud.
Mohawk Valley Garden, Inc., not only leases the team from Canucks Sports & Entertainment, the owners of their NHL parent Vancouver Canucks, but it also manages the arena, runs the concessions company and owns the building’s other sports tenant, the MASL Utica FC. The company also owns three restaurants either in the arena or very close by.
Team president Robert Esche, the Utica native who spearheaded efforts to bring an AHL franchise to his hometown, has helped the organization successfully meet and overcome numerous challenges. “There was a lot of doubt this team could be viable here, basically we had to beg, borrow and scrape to make it happen.”
Seven seasons in, Esche proudly tells TMR that the team helps drive $26 million in annual economic impact to his hometown.
Prior to his time with the Comets, Esche played goalie for 10 years for the NHL‘s Arizona Coyotes and Philadelphia Flyers, plus four more years in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and one year in Switzerland with the Swiss Elite League (NLA). He also minded the net for the U.S. in multiple Ice Hockey World Championships, at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and the 2006 Torino Olympic Games.
All that is to say, the guy has faced high-pressure situations. What is his take on this unprecedented shutdown?
“This is the fight of our lives, for sure,” he explains while he takes a brief break from writing Thank You notes. (More on that later.)
What guides him right now?
“To be honest, you just want to make sure you’re doing right–right by the community, right by our fans, right by our staff,” adds Esche. “We are working to survive, and by doing the right thing, we will make it through, and we will make this community proud.”
— Utica Comets (@UticaComets) March 16, 2020
On Mar 11, 2020, life was pretty good for the Comets.
Yes, they had their three-game wining streak snapped that night by the Syracuse Crunch in a 3-1 loss at the Aud. But they were still in third place in their division, two points out of second place with 15 games to go in the regular season.
Better yet, the game marked the team’s 200th consecutive sellout. The team had shattered the old AHL record of 120 sellouts in Oct 2018 and everything pointed to the Comets continuing the streak through the regular-season and–hopefully–deep into the Calder Cup playoffs.
By the morning of Mar 12, COVID-19 was unavoidable, dominating the news, social media and all conversations at work. The NBA had already shut down their season, and Esche knew things were going to be very different–and very uncertain.
As the operator of not just the Comets, but the arena, concessions and Utica FC, Mohawk Valley Garden and Esche are responsible for about 50 full-time staff and another 420 part-time staff.
To put on games without fans would mean the vast majority of employees would have their jobs eliminated.
“We gathered up the staff and I wanted to be as honest about the situation as possible,” explains Esche. “It was important to let everyone know and be upfront and lay it out, ‘Guys, here’s the reality of this–we’re going to stick with employees as long as we can, but we have got to rethink how we operate and how we act.’ Basically, this is the space for us to be entrepreneurs.”
The situation was changing by the minute, however. By early afternoon, the NHL announced the suspension of play with the AHL following suit shortly after that, and suddenly everything was completely up in the air.
At the same time, staff kept busy brainstorming ideas on what they could do for fans, for staff and for the community that had been so supportive.
Cecelie Pikus, the Comets VP of Marketing, came to Esche with the idea to sell unique t-shirts as a fundraiser for staff displaced by the sudden shutdown.
They called up Brent Riley, owner of Graph-Tex, a Cortland, N.Y., apparel design and customization company and a team supplier for the last four years, and explained the concept. Riley immediately committed to help in any way he could, charging only cost for the shirts and printing them for free.
Next, Esche gathered the troops again to kick around ideas, with the goal of creating something viral–definitely no pun intended–to catch people’s attention and generate as many dollars as they could.
That’s when lightning struck.
In a lighthearted moment, Joe Roberts, the team’s broadcaster, blurted out “Puck the virus!”
Much needed aughter filled the room.
“It was exactly how we felt,” says Esche with a chuckle. “We talked about it some–were we thinking about this the right way? We wanted to make sure we were not being insensitive to the situation. But this was so perfect. We decided, ‘seriously, screw this thing!'”
As they discussed pros and cons, Erik Kowiatek, Comets VP, Creative Services, went to work. He laid out the text in the team’s font, using the Comets’ existing secondary “U” (for Utica) logo to replace the “U” in “PUCK,” and the design quickly took shape.
A little more than 24 hours later, the team was scheduled to play another sold out home game Friday night against the Belleville Senators–the division’s first place team just eight points ahead of the Comets in the standings.
Instead of a puck drop at 7:01pm, however, the team dropped Puck the Virus t-shirts for sale on the team’s website or their special URL, www.puckthevirus.com. The first social media post featured Roberts and in-game host Alicia Daddario. It was kept simple–one-color, white t-shirt all sizes $25.
— Utica Comets (@UticaComets) March 13, 2020
The shirts immediately gained traction. Players all posted pictures of themselves modeling shirts. Soon national outlets like NHL Network, NPR, Yahoo! Sports and NBC Sports were picking up the story. Olympians, NHL players and celebrities all jumped in to show their support.
More than 1,500 shirts were sold in a little over five days. And as of the morning of Mar 23, sales had surpassed 1,700.
“Every order helps boost the morale of the staff,” Esche says. “And to see orders from Hawaii, Alaska, every Canadian province, Vegas, California…it’s just so great to see this support.”
One problem? “Once it went national, I thought ‘Oh no, now the pressure’s on–we can’t screw this up!” laughs the man who faced down slapshots from the world’s best hockey players.
At first, with about 75 percent of staff already working from home, a skeleton staff of around a dozen people answered calls and kept the arena secure. A handful of those folks–careful to practice social distancing–took turns helping pick, pack and ship the shirts out.
That’s where Esche can see the effect this effort is having.
“During all this uncertainty, this has re-energized the staff like I’ve never seen,” adds Esche. “We’re the smallest building in the AHL by a long shot, so every order truly helps not only with morale but the every dollar will impact people’s lives here.”
UPDATE: Due to N.Y. state’s stay-a-home order, the staff are working in pairs to keep the orders going out.
Shirt orders seem to be particularly helpful for one staff person in particular: Esche. Genuinely moved by all this support, he has handwritten a thank you note for every single order.
I'm a die-hard @mkeadmirals fan but in the fight against the virus were one big Hockey family!! So Happy to support the folks with @UticaComets like @AliciaDaddario together we can all rise above and #PuckTheVirus Thanks again!! pic.twitter.com/RdwIKMcnUW
— Jon 'Novak-coholic' Nowicki (@frontrowjon) March 21, 2020
“When this does subside–and it will–there’s going to be a massive need to socialize,” Esche expounds. “Sports will be huge and the Comets are going to be there to thank all our fans.”