From the very first conceptual idea to a package for all water treatment services, lasting many years, we support our customer with our comprehensive service package. Being a flexible, medium-sized company allows us to provide in-house solutions for most service areas. Special services as well as those low in demand are only awarded to certified cooperation partners who have had our trust for many years.
- Design according GMP rules
- Commissioning of storage and distribution systems for purified water cGMP
- AISI316L stainless steel recirculation loops using orbital welding using ASME-BPE standardized materials
- Process automation and HMI with validated procedure cCFR21 rules
- DQ, IQ, OQ validation documentation cGMP, EP, FDA
- Authorized service, consumables and spare parts
Good manufacturing practices (GMP) are the practices required in order to conform to the guidelines recommended by agencies that control authorization and licensing for manufacture and sale of food, drug products, and active pharmaceutical products. These guidelines provide minimum requirements that a pharmaceutical or a food product manufacturer must meet to assure that the products are of high quality and do not pose any risk to the consumer or public.
ASME BPE (American Society of Mechanical Engineers: Bioprocessing Equipment) is an international standard developed as an aid for the design and construction of equipment intended for use in the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals. The standard is approved as an American National Standard by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
For industries involved in pharmaceutical and health care products, or even laboratories, product quality is paramount and minute inconsistencies can have disastrous results. Installation Qualification (IQ), Operational Qualification (OQ) and Performance Qualification (PQ) are an essential part of quality assurance through equipment validation.
What Do IQ, OQ and PQ Mean?
IQ OQ PQ protocols are ways of establishing that the equipment which is being used or installed will offer a high degree of quality assurance, so that manufacturing processes will consistently produce products that meet predetermined quality requirements. To understand these terms better, let’s look at each of them one by one:
Installation Qualification (IQ)
Any new equipment is first validated to check if it is capable of producing the desired results through Design Qualification (DQ), but its performance in a real-world scenario depends on the installation procedure that is followed. Installation Qualification (IQ) verifies that the instrument or equipment being qualified, as well as its sub-systems and any ancillary systems, have been delivered, installed and configured in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications or installation checklist.
In addition to this, any cGMP requirements that pertain to the IQ and the approach used for IQ is thoroughly-documented in the Validation Master Plan (VMP).
For successful qualification, the installation must meet manufacturer requirements, like:
· Installation location and floor space
· Power, gas supply and other energy sources
· Environmental and operating conditions
· Unpacking instruments and checking for damage
· Cross-checking contents against the packing list
· Documentation of computer-controlled instrumentation
· Checking software-installation and basic accessibility
· Installation ancillary instruments and options
· Verifying connections and communication with peripheral units
· Recording firmware versions and serial numbers
· Tagging instruments with IQ stickers
· Recording calibration and validation dates of equipment used for IQ
· Gathering all manuals and certificates of conformity
Operational Qualification (OQ)
Once each protocol of the IQ phase has been met, Operational qualification (OQ) is performed to check that the equipment’s performance is consistent with the user requirement specification, within the manufacturer-specified operating ranges. During the OQ phase, all the items in the test plan are tested individually and their performance documented. This is a prerequisite for technical acceptance of the equipment and the facility, so it can only be performed once the IQ has been successful.
Apart from qualification after the initial installation, requalification also needs to be carried out after any major maintenance work or modifications have been made to equipment, or as part of a regular quality assurance schedule.
The main purpose of OQ is to identify and inspect features of the equipment that can influence final product quality, like:
· Display units and signaling LEDs
· Temperature controls and fluctuations
· Overheating and low-temperature protection systems and alarms
· Pressure/Vacuum controlling systems
· CO2 controlling systems
· Humidity measuring and controlling systems
· Fan and fan-speed controllers
· Servo motors and air flap controllers
· Card readers and access controllers
· Temperature distribution in accordance with DIN 12880: 2007-05
Performance Qualification (PQ)
PQ is the final step in qualification processes for equipment, and this step involves verifying and documenting that the equipment is working reproducibly within a specified working range. Rather than testing each instrument individually, they are all tested together as part of a partial or overall process. Before the qualification begins, a detailed test plan is created, based on the process description.
Process Performance Qualification (PPQ) protocol is a vital part of process validation and qualification, which is used to ensure ongoing product quality by documenting performance over a period of time for a certain process.
FDA guidelines recommend including the following criteria as part of PQ and PPQ protocols:
· Manufacturing conditions like equipment limits, operating parameters and component inputs
· A list of the data that should be recorded or analyzed during tests, calibration and validation
· Tests that need to be performed to ensure consistent quality at various steps of production
· A sampling plan which outlines the sampling methods used during and in between production batches
· Analysis methodology for making data, scientific and risk-oriented decisions based on statistical data
· Defining variability limits and contingency plans for handling non-conformance
· Approval of the PPQ protocol by relevant departments
Qualification of Equipment
Equipment qualification through DQ IQ OQ PQ practices is a part of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), through which manufacturers and laboratories can ensure that their equipment delivers consistent quality. It reduces the margin for errors, so the product quality can be maintained within industry standards or regulatory authority requirements. When qualification of equipment is not needed very frequently, performing it in-house might not be feasible, so smaller laboratories might benefit from scheduling external equipment validation services on a regular basis instead.
As we understand it , customer relations even after operational startup is also teamwork, because only through instruction and training of operating personnel ensure high customer satisfaction and a long service life for the system.
The associated maintenance service is defined in parallel to the time for startup.
Numerous optional services are offered as part of the standard basic and primary maintenance; these can also be combined in a complete service package:
- basic and primary maintenance as a customer-specific service
- user training of operating personnel
- critical tap water analysis by in-house or contract laboratory
- calibration service for all measurement points subject to calibration
- certified reference measurment using ASTM standards
- provision and management of system-specific test equipment
- remote maintenance via modem
- development of operation models
- customer-specific spare parts provision


The Moore County Land Use Steering Committee held its January meeting at the Senior Enrichment Center on US Hwy. 15-501 beginning at 6:00 P.M. First on the Agenda, mayors or their representatives from the Moore County towns addressed the Steering Committee on questions pertaining to the relevancy and impact of the Moore County Land Use Plan on their municipalities. The Committee heard from Steve Durham, Mayor Pro Tem of Foxfire Village; Nancy Fiorillo, Mayor of Village of Pinehurst; David McNeill, Mayor of Town of Southern Pines; Betsy Mofield, Mayor of Aberdeen; Jerry Williams, Mayor Pro Tem of Pinebluff; Lonnie English, Mayor of Robbins; and Bob Zschoche, Mayor of Town of Whispering Pines.
Next, the Committee heard from Ed Dennison, Chairmand of the Moore County Board of Education, and from Aaron Spence, Superintendent of Public Schools of Moore County. These addressed issues pertaining to school property, school growth and replacement, and demographics.
Finally, Committee Chairman, Robert Hayter, and Moore County Planner, Jeremy Rust, addressed items of business for the Committee, including charges for the Committee to accomplish at the February meeting.
The agenda for the January 28 meeting may be found at: weebly-http://www.westknollwoodprecinct.com/uploads/7/8/5/8/7858119/20130128_mc_lusc_mtg_agenda.pdf
The slides from the Nov. 26 meeting of the Committee's Oct., 2012, charettes planning session may be found at: westknollwoodprecinct.com/uploads/7/8/5/8/7858119/20121126_charette_presentation.pdf
The summary presentation of the Committee's charettes planning session may be found at: weebly-http://www.westknollwoodprecinct.com/uploads/7/8/5/8/7858119/20121126_mc_lusc_charette_presentation.mp4
The current draft of the Land Use Plan may be found at: westknollwoodprecinct.com/uploads/7/8/5/8/7858119/20130128_mc_lup-draft.pdf
For the rest of this blog article, go to: westknollwoodprecinct.com/1/post/2013/01/january-28-2013-moore-county-land-use-steering-committee-meeting.html
Loading more stuff…
Hmm…it looks like things are taking a while to load. Try again?


text:
Recycle or trade to earn up to 20% off any single product
Have any empty candle jars? Grow your own rosemary, lavender, or rose? Have unused, unexpired, natural oils or ingredients? Fill out the application below to get approved for a trade! Upon approval, receive up to 20% any single item from our shop per item traded in.

domain: economics


text:
Michal Walczak, CSO, has been invited to Targeted Protein Degradation Summit 2018, Boston, MA, which is the first scientific meeting dedicated entirely to the emerging field of targeted protein degradation. Michal will give a speech about Future Directions for Targeted Protein Degradation, such as expanding the pool of ubiquitin-related enzymes. The forum will bring together all important players from academia, including Craig Crews, an inventor of PROTACTM technology and industry, e.g. AstraZeneca, GSK, Amgen and many more. TPD 2018 will summarize new trends in this rapidly growing technology, with the focus on the rational design of bifunctional molecules and their translation into safe and effective drugs.
Captor Therapeutics ®
First TPD Conference with Michał Walczak

domain: chemistry


The money spent on road projects in the fiscal year that ended in June was $64.4 million less than projected. The DOT’s Don Tebben presented the information to the Transportation Commission Tuesday.
“We had programmed amounts of $782.6 million in the July through the June lettings, and project costs…came in at 718.2 million,” Tebben says. That was around $300,000 dollars more than the amount of projected surplus in May. Tebben says a variety of factors helped saved money on the road construction.
“We had some projects that we had more competition than we expected — which is a good thing. So, we had good bids and good competition, and our steel prices we found were less than we thought they would be,” according to Tebben. Warmer weather spurred construction and in some cases competition for construction jobs. “The weather can play a role in it, it largely depends on the availability of contractors to do the work and what the global market is for construction materials — portland cement, asphalt and steel are the three of the big ones. And fuel prices,” Tebben says. “It’s a combination of many things.”
The money now carries over to the next fiscal year. He says the funds will be used for next year’s 5-year transportation construction program. Tebben says the surplus this year is about average over the last several years, although there was a deficit in the previous year.


text:
Just as Hollywood celebrates those in the field of entertainment, Nashville has a Walk of Fame that honors the biggest names in music. And the city just added five new names to the list. Friends and family
(CNN) — Maren Morris is going to be a mom. The singer and her husband Ryan Hurd have announced they are expecting their first child together, and even reveal the sex of their little one. "The irony is
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are celebrating 23 years of marriage. The country music superstars marked their special day with an adorable throwback photo of the couple on Instagram. "Happy anniversary baby!!"
Long-lasting love! Country music superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill celebrated their 23rd anniversary with two Instagram posts on Sunday, October 6. The “Just to See You Smile” singer, 52, shared a throwback
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have almost been married for a quarter of a decade! The country superstars, who tied the knot in 1996, celebrated their 23rd anniversary on Sunday with a pair of sweet tribute

domain: celebrity


text:
The Mayor of London has joined with a number of PCC’s across the UK to propose action to give local authorities control over school exclusions.
With the number of exclusions in England showing an increase of 56% in the three years to 2016/17 there are increasing concerns that off rolled children are at greater risk of being ‘sucked into criminality’.
It is argued that the issue is made worse by a lack of coordination between schools and other key agencies such as health and social services.
The letter states
‘Clearly, the way the education system deals with excluded young people is broken.
"It cannot be right that so many of those who have committed offences have been excluded from school or were outside of mainstream education.
"That is why the time has come to act urgently. In the first instance, local authorities need powers and responsibilities over all school exclusions.
“Our schools are facing significant funding pressures and many interventions for our most vulnerable children are being cut, this cannot be right and schools must have the necessary resources to deliver good interventions and support to those at risk of exclusion."

domain: news


Do labels on packaged foods affect our choices?
A $5 million grant from the Health Research Council of New Zealand will try to find the answer.
A team of nutritionists from New Zealand and Australia will also look to see whether health star ratings help us follow a healthier diet.
Auckland University Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu is leading the research.
She told Mike Hosking they will look at information collected over five or six years on more than 100,000 foods.
"If it affects peoples choices [and] it is overall in a small way, but it is probably within shoppers and consumers who are really interested in nutrition"
Cliona Ni Mhurchu says the ratings are more likely to affect the industry.
LISTEN ABOVE AS AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR CLIONA NI MHURCHU SPEAKS TO MIKE HOSKING
Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you


Ford Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley said at an Alliance Bernstein event that the electrification of the auto industry is “the most exciting land grab in our industry since the Model T,” but followed this up by stating the automaker might need to make adjustments to its business model to stay in the competition with other electric vehicle makers such as Tesla.
Farley hinted that the current dealership model might be adjusted as well, noting that Ford may implement “multiple tiers of dealers” in the coming years, which could include some more specialized dealerships in EV sales and repairs. The automaker has already begun limiting unsold vehicles and using a direct-to-consumer model for some cars, albeit on a much smaller scale than Tesla.
Farley said that competition between traditional automakers and smaller EV companies and startups means “the industry is heading to a huge price war,” and Ford needs to find ways to reach and stay at the top. He said the company can use its “physical presence to outperform” new competitors but that dealers’ standards will be “brutal” and “very different than today.”
Ford already split its business into three units, including the commercial division Ford Pro, gas-powered car division Ford Blue, and EV division Ford Model e. At the time, Farley said Ford Model e would “produce as much excitement as any pure EV competitor, but with scale and resources that no startup could ever match.”
Farley also noted that Ford might be able to reduce the amount of money it allocates to advertising, especially for its most popular vehicles, including the electric Lightning F-150 pickup truck. He quipped, “If you ever see Ford Motor Company doing a Super Bowl ad on our electric vehicle, sell the stock.”
Did you enjoy this article from Kimberly Hurley? Read other articles on CBT News here Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions regarding this topic by submitting a letter to the editor here, or connect with us at firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
22 hospitals fined, failed to comply with emergency contraception law
Wisconsin has fined 22 hospitals in recent years for not complying with a law requiring them to offer emergency contraception to rape survivors.
The 2008 law requires emergency rooms to give sexual assault victims information about the so-called “morning-after pill,” to provide the drugs on request, and to train staff about the drugs.
The hospitals include SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, which was fined $7,500 in 2015, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
The Department of Human Services said the hospital failed in 2014 to inform three sexual assault patients about emergency contraception or make it available to them.
According to the state agency, the emergency room director told state inspectors that the hospital had two reasons: its Catholic affiliation and its policy of transferring sexual assault patients to another hospital that has forensic nursing services for investigating rape.
St. Mary’s spokeswoman Kim Sveum said the hospital is now complying with the law.
The hospital has provided information about emergency contraception to 13 patients since June 2015 and given the pills to two patients who requested them, she said.
Officials with some of the fined hospitals said they were offering emergency contraception but failed to document it.
Former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle signed Wisconsin’s law, which was supported mostly by Democrats but also some Republicans back when Democrats controlled the Senate and Republicans had a narrow majority in the Assembly.
Today, Republicans have large majorities in both chambers and Gov. Scott Walker is a Republican.
Sara Finger, executive director of the Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health, said the hospitals’ lack of compliance with the law shows why it’s important for the state to enforce it.
“Compliance is everything,” Finger said. “It’s scary how many women might not be getting the compassionate care they need.”

domain: medical


text:
Barbadians are being encouraged to look beyond these shores and see their business as engaging the world.
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley made this call, as she addressed the 20th Anniversary Celebrations of Cidel Bank and Trust at Sandals Royal on Monday night.
She explained that Barbados’ taxation at the corporate, land and income tax levels would be significantly different if it was just limited to Barbadians doing Barbadian business activities alone.
However, she noted that because Barbados had chosen to make the world its business, the level of taxation was much less for the type of services presently enjoyed in the country.
The Prime Minister pointed out that it was, therefore, necessary to leverage the international business sector, the single market and the single economy until the desired population size was achieved.
“It is no longer about a separate offshore sector and a separate domestic sector. It is one sector – a business sector. Our business is local and global; our clients are local and global. Until we get that as our mindset, then we are going to have that task in front of us. Our business is the world and the world is our business,” she stated.
She added that it was the actions of the international community that “forced” Barbados to understand that its future had to be global.
“The future is our business and our business is the world. Our responsibility is to be able to make it work. There are things that would want to challenge your stability and your peace of mind. But we are not going to allow it to happen,” the Prime Minister asserted.
However, she acknowledged that Government still had “some heavy lifting to do”, as there were still some domestic issues to be addressed. These include those at the Corporate Affairs Registry and the Immigration Department.
Ms. Mottley explained that it was necessary for the Corporate Affairs Registry to be reconstructed to allow persons to be able to set up a company in the shortest possible time.
“I believe persons have to be able to get in and out seamlessly in the shortest possible time. In the case of a formation of a company it is a day, and because of the work that we have done in national security, there is no reason not to do it. We have all the databases that we need access to in real time to be able to determine if we can and should do business with persons,” she said.
As it relates to immigration, the Prime Minister said timelines were agreed to with the Immigration Department across all of its activities and not just with respect to long or short term work permits.


text:
The Ax Murders of Saxtown
by Nicholas J. C. Pistor
Lyons Press, 2014
Nothing titillates the imagination more than unsolved crime, and the more gruesome the better. In 1874, a terrible event occurred to a German family in Saxtown, Illinois—a heinous murder that took out not only the adults, but two very small children. With no witnesses and no reliable evidence, investigators were forced to rely on suspicion to formulate theories and make arrests. They were unable, however, to obtain a confession, and the case has remained unsolved for over a century.
Author Nicholas J. C. Pistor, a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, digs into the history of the Stelzriede murder in The Ax Murders of Saxtown. He paints a picture of the crime scene, the bloodied bodies, and the mob awaiting justice on the property outside. The prominent figures are profiled, both on the side of the law (educator Isaiah Thomas, Sheriff James W. Hughes) and under the cloud of suspicion (George Schneider, George Killian, and others). Pistor gets no closer to the truth today than Thomas and Hughes did in the nineteenth century, but gives a very detailed account of the various theories surrounding the case.
For those who enjoy tales of true crime and unsolved mysteries, The Ax Murders of Saxtown is a good read.

domain: library


A new video uploaded by BBC have shown an electric motorcycle called the NERA. The motorcycle looks like something that was gotten from a stylized video game. It looks like a “TRON” design which is almost 100 percent 3D print.
According to the CEO of Nera maker BigRep, Stephan Beyer “the idea is to show designers, engineers and architects and the general consumer what 3D printing is all about”. “Historically, engineers and designers are used to manufacturing technologies like grinding and molding”.
According to BBC, The Nera will be sold for $2000 but you cannot buy it for now. BBC also revealed that Nera is the first electric motorcycle that is 3D printed in the world. – but there has been a separate project called the Light rider which have come first before.
The Nera comes with a unique design, a futuristic angle and it came with a polygon which looks unique for the staid world of automobile design. According to the CEO, those unique designs was made possible with the opportunities created by the 3D printing.
The CEO was quoted by BBC saying “the good thing about 3D printing is that you can swipe those limitations away and you can create objects that have completely new capabilities, follow completely new sets of design”. “for example, the bikes outer hull that follows a design that we created that you would typically not be able to bring to life with a traditional bike”.
What do you think about the bike?


text:
Revit 2009: Curtain Walls
Are you daunted by curtain walls in Revit? This presentation will demystify them. We'll look at curtain walls from A to Z. Learn the difference between the three curtain wall families provided in the default template. We'll examine how to manually control the location of mullions and also how to use the controls in the Type Properties dialog to control the layout of grid patterns and the placement of mullions on those grids. Then we'll dig even deeper to create our own mullion extrusions to create all sorts of curtain walls and sloped glazing.
(If you are unable to view the video within your browser, click this link to open the video in its own player.)
copyright © 2001-2011; David S. Cohn. All Rights Reserved.

domain: design


text:
After visiting the site during its construction last year, Dame Patsy had the privilege to open Pet Refuge’s new space, which can now welcome up to 75 animals including cats, dogs, birds and other small pets. At the opening, Dame Patsy and Sir David had a tour of the site and its facilities, which offers animal enrichment areas, a vet clinic and some cosy cat beds made by students at Unitec.
A recent study by Women’s Refuge found that 53% of women facing family violence delayed leaving out of fear for the safety of their pets. To answer this need, Pet Refuge was created to give pets temporary accommodation while their owners seek help.
The opening was attended by several people instrumental in the creation of Pet Refuge, including Women's Refuge Chief Executive Dr Ang Jury. Women's Refuge will partner with Pet Refuge to ensure pets caught up in family violence can get to safety while their owners do too.

domain: pet


text:
Country: India. Member since: September 25, 2011
"Great to work with, very flexible and responsive."
"Great Job, thank you very much :)"
"Excellent work, great eye for design and content. Will use again."
"Gulshan was great to work with - very quick to respond to my emails and work with my tight deadline. I am very pleased with the posters he helped create. "
"Excellent response time. Will work with him again. "
"Great designer to work with. Clear communicator and fast work to spec. Really nicely done!"
"Great and creative work. Thank you!"
"went well! good work. "
"Great to work with. "
"Excellent work and outstanding service. Very pleased. Will use again."
"Awesome to work with. Great designer. Fast and helpful."

domain: artistic


The NWS had previously issued a Winter Weather Advisory, but the precipitation thus far as been snowier and heavier than expected.
Officials now believe the area could see 4 to 6 inches of snow, with a with 1/10″ ice accumulation.
The Winter Storm Warning is in effect until 4 a.m. on Friday.
Travel could be extremely difficult.
The hazardous conditions will likely impact the Thursday evening commute.


Welcome to Round 3 of the best guitarists to ever pick up the instrument. For the past two days, we've climbed the ranks from #50-41 and then #40-31. See which of your favorites are featured in this batch, and then join the debate in the comments section below.
Check back each day this week, as we count down 10 more of the greatest pickers, pluckers and shredders in music history, with the Top 10 arriving on Friday morning.
30. Roy Buchanan
This Arkansas native was a blend of transcendent technician and hillbilly. Buchanan's interest in steel guitar led him to develop a singular vocabulary of sleight-of-hand volume effects, radical string-bending, artificial harmonics and other tics that he wove into one of the most soulful and dynamic guitar tones ever developed. Declining an invitation to join the Rolling Stones, Buchanan crafted a deep legacy of American roots music – cut short by his death in 1988 at age 48. – Ted Drozdowski
29. Duane Allman (The Allman Brothers, Derek and the Dominos)
Though he died young – in a motorcycle accident at the age of 24 – Duane Allman made terrific use of the time he did have on earth, co-founding The Allman Brothers Band and establishing himself as a preeminent session guitarist. Known for his searing slide work on a Les Paul, Allman also was famously recruited by Eric Clapton to contribute to Derek and the Dominos' top-notch Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. – Ellen Barnes
28. Ed O'Brien and Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead)
Radiohead's dynamic duo were the only guitarists to receive votes as a pair in this poll, let alone the only two-member entry on this list. That fact speaks to the inseparable nature of these two musicians, known as much for their abusive guitar playing as they are for ambient approaches to Radiohead's ethereal material. With a mile of effects pedals at their feet, Greenwood and O'Brien are as versatile as any duo in rock, with the ability to crunch out “Just” (and its rush of chords) or twinkle their way through “Street Spirit (Fade Out).” – Bryan Wawzenek
27. Danny Gatton
Gatton is one of the most eclectic and far-reaching guitarists who ever lived – an innovator in rockabilly, country and jazz. There was nothing my dear friend couldn't master. He played “Tequila” with me on my Toolin' Around album and performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien with me. Also, he made two Hot Licks videos for me, and was the nicest guy in the world. Fantastic ideas all the time, and a guitar style that was full of personality and humor! – Arlen Roth
26. Neil Young
Another one of those players who isn't that technically proficient but still manages to make the heart thump by channeling every one of his emotions into a massive guitar blowout. His best songs – epics like “Cortez The Killer” and “Cinnamon Girl” – all lead to that moment when you know it's all going to spill over in one of those fuzzy, galvanizing one-note solos that has served as a blueprint for countless indie rockers over the years. When Guitar Player magazine asked him what he looks for in those instances, Young said, “You can feel it. That's all I'm looking for. You can tell I don't care about bad notes.” – Aidin Vaziri
25. Angus Young (AC/DC)
What a warhorse. The AC/DC guitarist is responsible for some of rock and roll's most familiar riffs from the past four decades – from “Back in Black” to “You Shook Me All Night Long.” It's impossible to pick a favorite, but rest assured every one of his blues-drenched chords is guaranteed to make people jump on tables and swing from chandeliers. And the fact that he's done it all in an English schoolboy uniform makes it all that much sweeter. “From the beginning we always wanted to make good rock and roll,” Young once said. “We've stuck to that all the way through. The challenge is still coming up with rock and roll nobody has heard before, but they can still put it on and say that's AC/DC.” – Aidin Vaziri
24. Ron Asheton (The Stooges)
Would punk rock have ever materialized without Ron Asheton? His caveman riffs and hallucinogenic roaring predated punk by nearly a decade, giving his followers a wall of mud to grab from. The Stooges, and Asheton in particular, reduced rock and roll to its primal elements long before sex found a pistol or anyone changed their surname to Ramone – heck, Asheton basically played variations of the same riff throughout The Stooges' 1969 debut album. It was so dumb, it was genius. And when The Stooges reformed in the 2000s, Asheton proved he was just as brutally brilliant as he was decades ago. – Bryan Wawzenek
23. The Edge (U2)
U2's guitarist has created a sound that is distinctly his own – no small feat when you consider he's had to do it in the course of three decades while working shoulder-to-shoulder with one of the biggest personalities in rock, Bono. The Edge responded not by playing louder or flashier, but creating a dynamic mood using heavy reverb and delay. Despite his minimalist style, his songs have easily managed to fill stadiums and radio playlists. “I'm a musician,” he says. “I'm not a gunslinger. That's the difference between what I do and what a lot of guitar heroes do.” – Aidin Vaziri
22. Les Paul
The architect and grandfather of rock and roll, Lester William Polfuss (a.k.a. Les Paul) was a unique figure in the history of 20th Century music. As an inventor, he revolutionized the way we record music and the way we play it, pioneering such developments as the solid-body electric guitar. Beyond that, he was an almost terrifyingly brilliant player, whose speed and phrasing influenced the likes of Jeff Beck, Duane Eddy and Charlie Byrd. – Michael Wright
21. Johnny Marr (The Smiths)
An innovative post-punk guitarist, Marr has had a long career as guitar guru to a host of artists and delivered superbly on his own diverse projects. But it's his groundbreaking work with one of the most significant bands of the '80s, The Smiths, which marks him out as a great. Using open tunings and even pushing his guitar up a step to accommodate singer Morrissey's vocal nuances, he applied a sweeping, '80s twist to the jangly Byrds/Neil Young sound he loved so much, and in doing so inspired a generation of chiming guitarists. – Andrew Vaughan
Votes for the Top 50 Guitarists of All Time were included from Michael Wright, Bryan Wawzenek, Andrew Vaughan, Sean Dooley, Arlen Roth, Aidin Vaziri, Russell Hall, Ted Drozdowski, Paolo Bassotti, Dave Hunter, Jeff Cease (Black Crowes), James Williamson (Iggy & The Stooges), Steve Mazur (Our Lady Peace), Martin Belmont (Graham Parker & The Rumour) and the Gibson.com Readers Poll.


Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, vol. 11, issue 8 (2011) pp. 3731-3742
Warland and Thurtell (2000) proposed an analytical dispersion Lagrangian analysis (hereafter WT analysis) to relate the mean scalar concentration field to source profiles inside the canopy. The first objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the WT analysis with existing turbulence statistics parameterizations in a corn canopy, by comparing its inferred net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) and latent heat flux ([lambda]E) with eddy covariance measurements. The second objective was to assess the performance of the WT analysis to infer the soil CO2 flux. Four parameterizations of turbulence statistics were used to estimate Lagrangian time scale (TL) and standard deviation of vertical wind velocity ([sigma]w) profiles. The estimated TL and [sigma]w profiles were then corrected for atmospheric stability conditions. The field experiment was carried out in a corn field from August to October 2007 and 2008. Profiles of water vapour and CO2 mixing ratios were measured using a multiport sampling system connected to an infrared gas analyzer. Wind velocity within and above the canopy and eddy covariance measurements over the canopy were taken. The soil respiration, estimated using the WT analysis, was compared to estimates obtained by an empirical model. WT analysis fluxes showed good correlation (R2 = 0.77-0.88) with NEE and [lambda]E obtained by the eddy covariance technique, but overestimated net fluxes, especially when corrections for atmospheric stability were applied. The optimization of TL and [sigma]w profiles using in-canopy turbulence measurements improved the agreement between measured and modeled NEE and [lambda]E. Inferred soil CO2 fluxes were underestimated and were poorly correlated (R2 = 0.02-0.01) with estimates obtained using an empirical model based on soil temperature. This poor performance in estimating the soil respiration is likely caused by the decoupling between inside and above canopy flows.
Mendeley saves you time finding and organizing research
Choose a citation style from the tabs below


text:
The field has been set for the inaugural Cleric, Fighter, Wizard, Rogue Miniature Painting Tourney and the brushmen are mixing their colors.
This year our lineup includes:
Bombshell Minis (Team Bombsquad)
DGS Games (Team Freeblades)
Forge of Ice (Team Azor)
Games Workshop (Team Multiverse)
Impact Miniatures (Team Brony)
Kaha Miniatures (Team Oroko)
Lance & Laser Miniatures (Team Lance & Laser)
Midlam Miniatures (Team Midlam)
Midwest Miniatures Guy (Team MMG)
Mutha Oith Creations (Team Lowlife)
Northumbrian Tin Soldiers (Team Nightfolk)
Otherworld Miniatures (Team Otherworld)
Ral Partha Europe (Team Partha)
Reaper Miniatures (Team Reaper)
Scotia Grendal (Team Scotia)
Warploque Miniatures (Team Arcanite)
Join us on Roll20 tomorrow, Wednesday June/10, at 3 PM EDT (8 PM for you folks over there in the U.K. :) ) when we randomly determine the Tourney Groupings for the matches taking place during AetherCon Weekend November 13-15/2015. Just click on this link: https://app.roll20.net/join/851361/jUO3_w and you're there.
Remember to open an account with Roll20 first if you haven't already done so, you'll need it anyway come November to get in on all the great games that will be in our lineup (and the goodies that go with them)!
Come on out and be a part of the dice rolls heard 'round the world!

domain: game


text:
Md Sumon (30), a RMG executive, living in Dhaka, received a phone call from his village in Bagerhat Friday morning. His mother fell sick and urgently needed money for treatment.
As it was a government holiday and the banks were closed, Sumon transferred the money through bKash – the largest mobile financial service (MFS) in Bangladesh.
“The situation was tense, my mother’s treatment was stalled. But bKash saved the day for me with their prompt service,” Sumon told the Dhaka Tribune.
Countless others like Sumon have benefited from the MFS providers. Millions of Bangladeshis do not have bank accounts, for them, mobile banking is the way to go. The reality is too many people from lower income groups and rural areas are still outside conventional banking system.
These digital financial services have rapidly expanded, bringing the unbanked and lower income people under a structural financial system.
In 2011, the Bangladesh Bank (BB) introduced MFS as a part of a financial inclusion plan aiming to bring unbanked people to the national financial network. The target customers for MFS are mainly people with limited to no access to banking services.
Currently, they provide several services including inward remittance, cash-in transaction, cash-out transaction, person-to-person (P2P), salary disbursement, utility bill payment, merchant payment, government payment, purchasing from brands or outlets.
Mobile banking has rapidly grown in popularity in Bangladesh. At present, 19 banks have the permission to operate MFS and all but one of them provide these services. Brac Bank’s bKash and Dutch-Bangla Bank’s Rocket are the most popular services.
Former Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman, who introduced mobile banking to Bangladesh, claimed, “No other country has more mobile banking customers than Bangladesh.”
He told the Dhaka Tribune: “Consumers can receive information about their accounts and conduct transactions with their financial institutions using their mobile phones. They can pay and receive money with these simple mobile payments.”
The service is widely praised, with the State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak declaring mobile banking is helping Bangladesh march toward a cashless economy by providing e-wallet facilities.
“We are moving quickly towards a cashless economy and our vision of ‘Digital Bangladesh.’ Thousands of rural households now receive money from their sons and daughters in the cities,” Palak told the Dhaka Tribune.
The state minister also said, “Thousands of RMG workers send back money home using mobile financial services. We are very close to end the cash transactions.”
State Minister Palak said Bangladesh is launching PayPal to ensure smoother transaction with global clientele.
“Years ago, it was very difficult to send money for my son’s education in the village. He lived with his grandmother, for whom it was impossible to maintain a bank account,” Safia Akter, a garments worker at a Chittagong-based factory, told the Dhaka Tribune.
“But with a bKash account, I can send money any time and they can receive it sitting at home.”
However, the accountholders think the transaction charge is high. Many recommend that reducing the rate, which is about 1.85% across all MFS, will encourage more people to use mobile banking services more.
“As a student, paying Tk18.5 on a transaction of Tk1,000 is a little too much for me. I think, the government and Bangladesh Bank should take steps to lower transaction charges,” said Aminul Islam, a student at Dhaka University.
The threat of ‘Digital Hundi’ and other challenges
As mobile financial services grow with every passing day, the industry has not found it on a bed of roses. Many challenges still hold back the mobile banking, which are increasing alarmingly with the industry growth.
From the very beginning, the safety of MFS was a major concern by various stakeholders of mobile banking.
“There is no doubt that mobile banking is growing significantly in the country. It is a common tendency that corruption and irregularity will manifest when the services will increase very fast,” said former BB deputy governor Khondkar Ibrahim Khaled.
“That is why it is very important to ensure security in a digital financial system,” said Khaled, urging the regulators to take effective measures to avert untoward incidents.
On the other hand, stopping deceptive activities is a big challenge for operators.
“Awareness is the tool to stop deceiving transactions. We are trying to create awareness through advertisement and other tools,” Shamsuddin Haider Dalim, head of Corporate Communications of bKash told the Dhaka Tribune.
“As it is done through alluring promises and fake information, the client should check balance or call to our call centre to avert untoward transaction. There is not technical or technological issues linked to these kinds of transactions. If it is so, our system can identify and stop it,” he added.
Recently, MFS activities have come under investigation due to allegations of fraudulent activities including illegal channelling of remittance, called “Digital Hundi” and terror financing.
On September 14, the central bank asked the bKash authorities to suspend activities of 2,887 agent accounts, as they found an alarming amount of late night transactions by the agents, resulting in allegations of “Digital Hundi.”
“The 2,887 accounts were used to receive money from foreign countries,” said a probe report by the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), the anti-money laundering wing of Bangladesh Bank.
On October 4, the BFIU ordered 17 MFS providers to scrutinise the information of their agents, especially the 2,887 bKash agents, to find out if those blocked bKash agents are using other MFS accounts for suspicious transactions.
When contacted, BB Executive Director Subhankar Saha, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We are very vigilant to prevent misuse of MFS facilities. We are already taking actions against anyone involved in any suspicious transaction using MFS.”
“These accounts, which are operating in breach of the guidelines for MFS operation, will be closed. We are also inspecting the MFS providers’ activities strictly,” added Saha.
However, to target the rising illegal use of MFS, the central bank lowered transaction limits on February 1, 2017. Now, a user can cash-in Tk15,000, instead of Tk25,000. Cash-out limits have also been lowered from Tk25,000 to Tk10,000.
The monthly maximum cash-in limit was slashed to Tk100,000 from Tk150,000 and the maximum monthly limit on cash-out was brought down to Tk50,000 from Tk150,000.
With these challenges looming over a burgeoning industry, it remains to be seen how the MFS providers and the regulatory agencies tackle the problems. Mobile banking is increasingly popular in Bangladesh, and the risk of its misuse cannot derail something that has proven endearing to the population and backed by the government.


text:
[dropcap]H[/dropcap]e had a lot of help — like, literally, dozens of people — but as captain of the D.I.Y. pirate ship Bomb the Music Industry!, Jeff Rosenstock rendered all other third-wave ska bands superfluous and dispensable. Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake and Big D and the Kids Table and their myriad upstroking kindred could all, finally, go home to their families and live normal lives in relative comfort. As of the release of To Leave or Die In Long Island almost a decade ago, the world no longer required the services of the aforementioned outfits. Rosenstock and his cohort had taken their genre as far as it could possibly go.
Although “release” might be the wrong word. “Offer,” is maybe more accurate? Every BTMI! record was and remains available online for a suggested donation, which seemed pretty nutty in the pre-Spotify era before it became the case for every record from every band. Curious listeners can likewise yank Rosenstock’s second official post-Bomb solo effort, We Cool? off the web at their leisure. Out this week, We Cool? demonstrates his progression further beyond genre tropes and landing an identity that transcends punk, without abandoning the anti-branding ethics of Bomb the Music Industry!, but the odds that you’ve already heard it and already have your own opinion on it by now are pretty good if you’re reading this.
Rosenstock opens for like-minded associates Andrew Jackson Jihad, alongside The Smith Street Band, and Chumped at Royale on Saturday, March 21. Last month, Rosenstock spoke with Vanyaland while waiting for an overdue UPS delivery at his Long Island, New York, apartment. Topics covered here include the polarizing Lost finale, penning upbeat songs with depressing lyrics, and the crucial struggle to remain relevant in your 30s.
Barry Thompson: You do you a Lost podcast, and Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof have basically said since they don’t own the franchise, it’s a matter of time before Disney does more Lost stuff in some form. Do you absolutely dread that day, as I do?
Jeff Rosenstock: I’m kind of into the idea of them doing Lost with new characters and just doing it again. I’m down with that. I don’t care. I’ll watch fucking Lost no matter what, even though I’ve been watching it out of order for this podcast, which is just the worst possible way to watch that show. But I’m still like, yeah, I’m in.
Which Lost character do you identify with most?
Oh, uh, probably Jack, because he’s a piece of shit, and he always keeps trying to help out with things, but he’s an asshole, and just fucks everything up instead. So I think I, unfortunately, relate to that. I’d like to relate to Desmond, because he’s a cool guy. I drink too much like Desmond.
What’d you make of the last episode? I was really miffed about it.
Y’know, during the ending of Lost, my roommate at the time was, like, deep-frying a bunch of food. I just remember being, like, “Aw, man, that deep fryer is so loud! Just stop it!” So that fucked with me more than the ending itself. I don’t expect any movie or TV show or anything to exist solely for what I think it should do at the end. y’know? So I was like, “Alright, it’s a fine ending.” People were fucking pissed about it, though. They felt like they put in their time, and didn’t get the payoff they earned. I was like, “Whatever man. It’s a TV show. Grow up.”
I dunno. They had all that almost-Christian new-agey bullshit thrown in, and the sideways-verse ended up having no connection to anything happening on The Island and fuckin’ what the fuck…
Whatever. It wasn’t for us. It was for somebody else who liked that ending.
Yeah, I guess. Anyhow, Bomb The Music Industry! started out as just you, and then it became a whoooole bunch of other people, but since you were the primary songwriter/leadership type guy, couldn’t you have put these two solo records out but called them Bomb the Music Industry! records instead?
Yeah, I mean, I would’ve done that if, like, after, if Goodbye Cool World! or Get Warmer it was back to me doing it myself, y’know? But it wasn’t like that. It definitely started out as just me. Then it turned into anybody. There are so many people who’ve been in Bomb the Music Industry! just because I wanted a band that was, like, anybody could be in it. If somebody had to work or do whatever they had to do with their life, they didn’t have to worry about quitting, they could always come back. Then as time went on, it solidified into the five people, me and Matt [Keegan] and Mike [Costa] and Tom [Malinowski] and John [DeDomenici], who ended up doing the last bunch of tours. So when Matt was like, “I’m moving to Australia” and was like, “We should do this band part time,” or whatever, I wasn’t really, I don’t know.
It seemed like, if I… y’know, it would’ve been disrespectful to everyone if I had been like, “Well, Bomb the Music Industry! is just me again! Fuck all you guys!” Y’know? When I put out I Look Like Shit, I didn’t do any press or anything for it. I just put it online, and said, “Hey, here’s a solo record,” That was fun to just not have it be a thing, whereas, if I had done that and called Bomb the Music Industry!, we would’ve been having a similar conversation, except I would’ve been explaining why I fucking don’t care about my friends and don’t think their contributions to Bomb the Music Industry! were important. And that’s just not true. I love my friends, and I don’t think Bomb the Music Industry! would’ve been Bomb the Music Industry! without the people who were in it.
You’ve mentioned that you consider We Cool? the first “real” album you’ve done since 2011’s Vacation. Could you elaborate on that?
Um, well, with I Look Like Shit [from 2012], make no mistake, I didn’t just say, like, “Whatever,” about that record. I worked hard on it, but it was put together during two years. It wasn’t until Andrew Jackson Jihad was going to take me on tour as Jeff Rosenstock, not Bomb The Music Industry! with an iPod or Bomb the Music Industry! acoustic or whatever, that I said, “I need to have something out. I need to have songs so I’m not just doing a bad version of Bomb the Music Industry! right after Bomb the Music Industry! announced that we’re going to stop playing shows soon. So I gathered up a handful of songs and and finished off a few other songs I had in my head.
To me, We Cool? was different. This record I wrote as a record. I worked really hard to make it a complete, cohesive thing while I was writing it, as opposed to I Look Like Shit, which was just kind of, like, “Alright, I have these songs. How can I make them sound like a unit?” These songs were all recorded in the same time in the same place. I Look Like Shit is fun because it came together the same way as Album Minus Band came together — kind of unexpectedly, and then it was, “Oh, I have a thing.” Whereas this was, like, a conscious decision, like, “Hey, oh, let me go into a place and record these for real with a band and stuff and see what happens.”
Fear of aging, or apprehension that you’re not maturing fast enough, or whatever, has been a consistent theme in your lyrics with, like, a whole bunch of songs. I think everybody has that, but do know why you keep going back to that headspace, and even thriving in that headspace?
I think, just, unfortunately and I wish I wasn’t this way, I’m more creative when I get in that negative headspace. I would be stoked if I wasn’t like that. I just kind of write what I’m writing when it comes into my head, like, “Okay, this would sound cool. It’s something I would hear and be like, “Okay!” Those are the bands — Andrew Jackson Jihad or The Weakerthans, or Good Luck, or The Sidekicks, all those bands have lyrics that deal with stress and depression and that stuff. I really like bands like that. So it makes more sense for me to write songs about that shit than if I tried to write a love song or a party song. It’s harder for me to make that stuff sound believable.
When I’m having an awesome time, like, “Aw, fuck, I’m in love!” I’m not like, “I need to write shit down!” I just kind of want to live in that moment. And when I’m down, writing’s the only thing that gets me out of it for even a second, and it’s nice that something productive comes out of bad shit in my head. But I would be totally stoked if it wasn’t like that, and I could write believable songs about other stuff. Hopefully someday I will, and I’ll just be a well-adjusted person and that’ll be awesome.
Yeah, but plenty of bands do depressing or angry music with downtrodden lyrics. Your stuff tends to scan as a lot peppier, at least if you don’t pay attention to the lyrics.
Yeah, I don’t know. I guess that’s just my thing. When I’m writing the music itself, I think I’m in a different headspace than when I’m writing the music, unless it all comes at the same time, y’know? I just try to write music that I would like to listen to, and I’m not a particularly big fan of… well, any good version of anything is good. But if you play me some, like, Hot 97 awesome fucking hip-hop song, or something fast and loud, or something that sounds epic and triumphant, I’m always going to be inclined to be like “Fuck Yeah!” more than if you played me some kind of slow, plodding thing in a minor key. If the music was always really slow, and it was as much of a bummer as the lyrics, I don’t think there would be as much of a reason to listen to it, except for being bummed out, and you want to listen to music to feel all kinds of things, you don’t just want to feel sad, y’know?
Thing that’s been on my mind that seems like something you’d be able to provide perspective on — I’m finding most of my friends have ceased to give a fuck about punk rock, and I think I still kind of do, but sometimes I’m not sure. Is that because the cultural paradigm has shifted so much that “punk” is an antiquated idea, is it because me and my friends are old and suck now?
I think it’s because you and your friends are old and suck now, I guess? I mean, like, I remember reading articles with punk bands that are bigish, and they were talking about how, “Oh, there’s never going to be another Fugazi and it just doesn’t work that way anymore.” And when I was reading that, I was going on DIY tours and playing at houses where people were putting on all-ages shows letting everybody come with bands printing their own merch and giving away their music for free and stuff like that.
I think punk is still alive and doing that stuff. It’s a lot harder when you get older to stay in touch, I think, because a lot of the people you know from scenes like that and the people in those worlds only last for a couple of years until, like, all their good intentions have run out or something bad happened and they’re like “Oh fuck, I have to get a job and deal with reality.”’
Then a younger crew of people comes in and starts doing shit, and if you don’t know them it might be harder to stay in touch and stay on top of it. But if you really like music and still want to see interesting bands and not be super out of touch or anything, you have to look for it. That’s a really worthwhile endeavor, and keeps you excited. Y’know, I never want to turn into the guy who just says, “Uh, Dillinger Four was the best punk band, and then everything sucked,” or like, “Oh, I don’t like any new music. I only like my old records.” Because new music is awesome, too. It’s also harder because production sucks so much now. Like, bands make records where everything’s autotuned and it sounds like this big computerized racket that’s designed to manipulate you emotionally, in a way. I try to avoid that like that fucking plague. I hate shit like that. So I not only try to keep in touch with what’s going on, but try to avoid shit like that.


text:
Eduarda Carmo Vaz | KF18 | Peru
For those of you who have never been in Peru on a 28th of June, you might have missed a very important fact: today is the NATIONAL CEVICHE DAY.
Ceviche, a dish made of fresh raw fish marinated in lemon juice and spices, is without a doubt the most famous Peruvian dish.
So what does a Kiva Fellow in Lima do on such a day? Logically, she goes to a “Ceviche Festival.”
One of the delicious ceviche stands.
'...Continue Reading >>

domain: food


text:
⦁ Work supervision is a management prerogative.
⦁ Employers are required to observe due diligence in the supervision of its employees.
⦁ Employers are vicariously liable for injury committed to third persons by their employees while doing their work.
“Under the doctrine of management prerogative, every employer has the inherent right to regulate, according to his own discretion and judgment, all aspects of employment, including… work supervision.” (Rural Bank of Cantilan, Inc. v. Julve, G.R. No. 169750, 27 February 2007)
Work supervision – refers to the oversight, guidance, and direction on the employee in matters relating to work.
3. Due diligence in supervision
Due diligence in the supervision of employees includes the formulation of suitable rules and regulations for the guidance of employees and the issuance of proper instructions intended for the protection of the public and persons with whom the employer has relations through his or its employees and the imposition of necessary disciplinary measures upon employees in case of breach or as may be warranted to ensure the performance of acts indispensable to the business of and beneficial to their employer. To this, we add that actual implementation and monitoring of consistent compliance with said rules should be the constant concern of the employer, acting through dependable supervisors who should regularly report on their supervisory functions. (Metro Manila Transit Corporat...
Already a subscriber? Log in below. Not yet a member? Subscribe.
By subscribing, you help maintain this website.

domain: law


PARIS (Reuters) - French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen and Germany’s BMW have extended their engine partnership by creating a joint venture to develop, purchase and produce powertrain components for hybrid vehicles.
The 50-50 joint-venture is expected to launch operations in the second quarter of 2011, pending regulatory approvals, and will enable both companies to standardize key components needed for hybrid power vehicles, they said on Wednesday.
“This cooperative venture will enable us to achieve significant economies of scale in the field of electrification. It also represents an important step on the road to sustainable mobility,” BMW’s chief executive Norbert Reithofer.
The venture will produce among other products battery packs, power electronics and software for hybrid systems.
The two companies had already agreed in principle in October to create a joint venture for hybrid components.
Reporting by Astrid Wendlandt; Editing by Greg Mahlich


text:
Harbor Village Cooperative
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
View 11/8/21 member approved Bylaws click here
NOTE: Updated Bylaws reflecting the March 2022 membership vote approving the entire park's 55+ Community status are available in the office
March 1, 2023 Great news! We have an approved 2023 budget. 76 ballots were submitted with only two being invalid. One envelope had no space number or signature and the other was inadvertently opened because it contained a rent check. The total count included 72 YES votes and 2 NO votes. This is a great day for our co-op as it puts us one step closer to our goal of attaining permanent financing. Special thanks to Blanca and Martin for the extra time that they committed to this project. We couldn't have done it without them. Community pride is abundant as we make our way down the final stretch. Thank you for all of your support.
February 14, 2023 Ballot and proposed budget will be mailed to Coop Members via USPS. Ballots must be returned by 3pm on February 28, 2023.
February 6, 2023 - The Board of Directors and CASA have agreed on a budget to submit to the membership. We'll present the budget via Zoom on 2/8/23 and then send it out to the membership for a vote. All participants had the best interest of the HV Coop in mind, we needed to find some middle ground on a few issues. Martin (HVC Treasurer) will host a Finance Committee meeting 2-07-23 at 6pm for an in depth look at the finances. For those of you that are interested in participating in either meetings, links are on the Home page.
January 31, 2023 - 6:00pm Emergency Board meeting to select and vote on budget that will be sent to members for approval by vote.
January 27, 2023 - Board of Director letter regarding emergency 1/31 meeting:
"Hi everyone !! Once again thank you so very much to all that attended last night's Annual Meeting in person and on Zoom!!!. We are extending an invite to our Harbor Village Co-Op for an Emergency Meeting to take place this Tuesday, January 31st at 6:00pm for a Board of Directors vote on the proposed Budget for 2023. We all received our Treasurer Martin's version of the Budget this morning and we'll take these couple of days to review and discuss it in comparison to CASA of Oregon's proposed Budget . This will be a short 10-15 min meeting. for vote only. There will be no Q&A from our Co-op members at this meeting.
January 26, 2023 - Annual meeting and new board members designated.
January 6, 2023 - Board Candidate Biographies are available. Visit the 2023 Election page.
Candidate Bio's are included in the hard copy voting packet which will be mailed to eligible members to arrive by January 16.
If any Co-Op Member has a disability that impedes them from physically casting their vote by placing it in the Ballot box located on
the porch at the office, please contact HV Secretary, Blanca Smith at [email protected] no later than Wednesday January 11 so that she may include a stamped envelope with return address where your vote can be mailed. Blanca is happy to personally pick up your Ballot from you.*
*There shall be no voting by proxy.
All candidates have been confirmed as eligible to run for a Board Member position. If any Co-op Member wishes to be written in as a candidate for a Board position, you may do so up until the January 26 Annual Meeting (eligibility will be confirmed at meeting prior to final vote.)
December 1, 2022- Remaining short term RV spaces are quickly being converted to permanent, long term spaces. Beginning Fall 2021, more than half of the original short term spaces have been turned in to 55+ permanent residents. Approximately 15 short term spaces remain currently.
November 15, 2022- Board of Director candidate nominations have been extended due to postponement of Annual Meeting to January 26, 2023.
August 6, 2022 - The State approved $8M in grant funding last Friday (8/5) to apply to the purchase of Harbor Village. Also, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued their letter of Economic Development Initiative (EDI) funding in the amount of $2M. These funds will be applied to the purchase price of Harbor Village and also be used to apply to much needed upgrades to our sewer and water systems as well as other infrastructure projects.
Our project manager consultant is working on estimates for these projects so we will know how much in total we'll need to borrow to facilitate the projects. Our lender will require these infrastructure projects to be done to protect their investment.
We have a variety of requirements that must be met for HUD, with the big one being the National Environmental Protection Act review. CASA has decided that they will complete the initial environmental checklist and the CIty of Newport will be the "responsible entity" reviewing/approving our completed checklist. Our plan is to get HUD all their required documents by the end of August and our Environmental Checklist to the City. At this time, we anticipate having our permanent financing in place by the end of 2022.
Our treasurer, Sharon Beck, was on vacation and wasn't able to participate in the Housing Stability Council meeting but Martin Desmond stepped up and testified at the meeting, his testimony is below.
In other news, we are still trying to recruit a new park manager and maintenance manager. We have interviewed a few candidates but the small house that is attached to the office is not attractive as part of the compensation package we can offer. We have lost qualified candidates because of the housing situation.
Just recently the cooperative was able to acquire mobile home #4 at no cost. This is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath unit that would become the park managers residence while still owned by Harbor Village. Unfortunately, this home needs a lot of repair and renovation. The floor is rotted through, appliances need to be replaced and some structural work needs to be updated. We have three bids for this work and we will be asking you to approve expenditures not to exceed $100k to do this work as well as minor changes to the current home attached to the office that we can use as a community center. While you're going to be asked to approve this expense in the next few weeks, we will not proceed with this work until we have completed our permanent financing. We need to be able to assure future park manager applicants that the housing situation will be addressed as soon as possible.
In the last year there have been many rule violation notices issued regarding the unkempt appearance of many sites. If these situations are not taken care of, 30 day eviction notices can be issued. None of us want that to happen. The Board has decided to have a dumpster day where dumpsters will be brought in and you can dispose of those unwanted items or yard debris that are cluttering up your home. Stay tuned for the dates.
You many notice a dumpster in front of MH#4 this week. We have engaged a nonprofit to come in and empty MH#4 at no cost to Harbor Village. The nonprofit will keep what they can use and empty the house for us in exchange.
Good morning, Chair Hall and members of the Housing Stability Council. My name is Martin Desmond and I live at the Harbor Village Cooperative Mobile and RV Park in Newport. While I am a member of the finance subcommittee for the Harbor Village Cooperative, I am presenting as an individual to discuss the strong financial condition of the cooperative.
As I am the treasurer for the NW Cooperative Development Center which performs a similar task as CASA of Oregon to help residents purchase mobile home parks and convert into cooperatives in Washington, I am aware of the sizes of the mobile home parks in both states. Harbor Village is the largest cooperatively owned mobile home park in the Pacific Northwest with 201 sites. When the residents were notified in December 2020 by the owner that the park was up for sale, several of us organized a successful effort to organize the residents. CASA of Oregon and NOAH provided the loan funding to purchase the park for $9.7 million in June 2021
I would like to briefly discuss our cooperative's current financial condition. The 54 mobile home residents pay $473 per monthly space rent. Long term RV residents pay approximately $600 per month depending upon the site. Long term RV residents pay more because the park covers their electricity costs and provides more direct services such as landscaping for the long term RV residents.
The cooperative typically generates $102,000 of income per month primarily from space rent. Expenses vary from month to month depending upon repairs averaging approximately $85,000. For the first six months of the year, we have a net operating profit of $80,500. The largest monthly expense item is the $30,000 interest expense for the $11,575,000 loans from CASA of Oregon and other entities. We are hoping that this bridge loan gets converted in the next six months so that we can reduce our interest rate from the current 5% to a possible 2.5%. Our cooperative is in a much better financial condition than what I had projected over a year ago so we will be able to keep space rents reasonable for our residents in the extremely expensive Oregon central coast.
On pages 46 and 47 of your packet, there is a positive staff grant recommendation of $8.04 million dollars to the Harbor Village Cooperative. I would like to encourage the Housing Stability Council members to approve this staff recommendation. Thank you for the opportunity to present.
May 1, 2022- Cooperative Lease and accompanying docs are due to the office. Members who fail to sign this lease will have their membership revoked and will be charged a higher monthly rent as a non-member. These residents will also not receive any benefits such as reduced rent or a "rent holiday" as the Coop succeeds financially. The new rate will be discussed at the Board meeting on May 26, 2022.
April 11, 2022 - Updated short term vacation space price update: Daily $75.00, Weekly $450, $1600 Monthly
Coop Members have been mailed new permanent resident leases. Please return to the office.
March 1, 2022 - the HVC Membership voted to amend the Bylaws to make all of Harbor Village a senior Park (one occupant of each unit age 55 or over).
86 YES votes vs 29 NO votes. This does not affect existing residents but applies to NEW incoming residents only as of March 1, 2022.
– EXISTING residents already living in HVC will not be impacted. When approved, this requirement will affect NEW incoming residents only.
– NEW residents moving into the park after approval will require one household occupant be 55 years of age or older (not all in the household, just one).
– Residents of any age may still be the voting household Cooperative Member, serve on committees, and run for the Board.
November 8, 2021 - New community bylaws and rules have been adopted. A new Board of Directors has also been voted in! Visit the BOD page for a list of current Board Members.
November 1, 2021 - new resident rent includes the full $115 rent increase. The 3-year phased in rent increase was offered to original, founding Coop members. A reminder: this phased in approach will change when the Coop moves from the current bridge loan period to permanent funding. This move may take place earlier than 36 months... as early as Spring 2022.
October 1, 2021 - rent is paid to Harbor Village Cooperative, through the office. Our property management company, Commonwealth, has transferred Rent Manager (the office's software) over to the Cooperative in order to receive credit card and online portal payments. Credit card processing fees will pass through to residents. ACH forms for automatic withdrawl from a bank account available at the office.
$38 annual rent increase takes place October 1. The official 90 day rent increase notice was mailed in the end of June.
"Pay To" info for your online banking rent payments. Your account number should be your space # "HV space #xxx"
Harbor Village Cooperative c/o Commonwealth
18150 SW Boones Ferry Road, Portland, OR 97224 503-244-2300
October 1, 2021 Rent Increase - $38 increase coming up on 10/1 for most founding Coop members (see "Will my rent increase" below)
$435 increases $38 to $473
$460 increases $38 to $498
$485 increases $38 to $523
$600 level - no increase
If you have questions or do not see your rent level above, please contact the office at [email protected]
I heard short term vacation RV space rent has increased. What is the new pricing?
Fall 2021: HV's vacation space rental for stays less than 90 days has changed to $60 per night, $350 per week and $1200 per month. This is more in line with the pricing in other nearby premium short term stay parks and campgrounds. Vacation rental information is available on the park's original vacation website here: www.harborvillagervpark.com
I intend to sell my RV or MH. What steps do I need to take?
1. Provide the office a 30 day written notice of your intent to sell. Submit it in writing or email it to [email protected].
2. You may NOT sell your home until your buyer has been approved via a rental application and background check.
3. The office will require your buyer's contact information and your approval before buyer submits a background check/rental application..
4. Buyer will complete the Commonwealth online application and pay a $60 application fee online. If online access is not possible, hard copy forms are available in the office. A $60 check payable to Harbor Village Coop will be collected.
5. HV Management will follow up with buyer and seller with an approval or denial.
6. Once approved, a bill of sale, copy of RV title or MH ownership transfer in buyer's name and proof of insurance will be required to proceed.
7. New resident pays a $100 HV Coop membership fee (a separate check made out to Harbor Village Cooperative) at the time they sign rental agreement.
Will everyone not 55+ be forced to move out of HV?
As a Coop, the new bylaws, rules, lease is one set of documents that apply to the entire park (before November 2021, we've had two sets of rules and rental agreements; long term RV being family friendly and MH being 55+). Moving forward, the entire park operating documents will be one or the other. Mobile home residents would like to keep the 55+ and this is where the conversation began. HUD's minimum requirement for a 55+ designation is 80% of homes must have 1 occupant that is 55 or older (not all occupants, just one). An informal review of resident agreements confirmed that approx 84% of the 201 spaces have a 55+ occupant. If and when the 55+ issue is put to a vote and Coop members approve (or deny), existing residents younger than 55+ would be "grandfathered in". If approved, this would mean at least one resident (but not all) would need to be 55 for anyone new moving in. We are working to ensure everyone is fairly represented and that affordable housing continues in the HV.
How do I handle a complaint?
Resident complaints must be submitted in writing. Email your complaint to the HV office at [email protected] (Deb and Cheryl) or [email protected] (Coop Board) or drop off at the office, or in the night drop or black ballot/feedback box (in mail shelter on MH side). Include date, time, description, those involved, police response, police report, photos, license plate #, etc. Your information will be kept private. If enough details are provided, Commonwealth Property Management will document the issue, contact the resident in writing, give them a period of time to comply and then follow up. Action could be immediate, 48 hours, 1 week, 30 days. Commonwealth has begun to address resident issues of speeding, parties/excessive noise, domestic altercations, unauthorized people in bathrooms/showers.
Wondering what the current rules are? View them here: https://harborvillagecoop.com/docs.
I live on the RV side and my rent has been due on the 16th each month. How do I get it to the 1st?
RV rent will all shift to being due on the first of the month. If you pay on the 16th for example, rent for the remaining days in July is what should be paid up to August 1. Then rent will be due on the first of the month in the future.
Here is a sample on how to calculate your daily rate:
$600 monthly rent x 12 months = $7200. $7200 divided by 365 = $19.73 per day. This is your daily rate.
If there are 15 days left in July (16th-31st), the amount paid to current owner at a $600 rate is 15 x $19.73 = $295.95
What's the latest development?
October 1, 2021 $38 annual rent increase for most residents in effect.
September 15, 2021 Candidates & their statements announced. Read candidate statements here.
August 12, 2021 Call for Board nominations. Nominate a neighbor or yourself. Nominations due September 15. Details
July 12, 2021 New Commonwealth property managers, Rick & Diane Wilkerson begin working as Maintenance Supervisor and Office Manager.
June 25, 2021 A Property Manager and Maintenance Supervisor have been hired and will start on Monday, July 12. They offer many years of experience in MH & RV park management.
May 27, 2021 The Harbor Village Cooperative will take ownership and control of the park. Commonwealth will take over the employment and management of staff. We are now under contract with Commonwealth to manage the property.
May 17, 2021 Commonwealth has been approved by the Board to manage the property. They are pulling together a lot for the Coop in the next 2 weeks.
Bylaws, lease and rules are being reviewed and worked on by a Committee led by BOD Calvin Rigsby and Lead Geoff Chew. If you'd like to participate, please contact Geoff to be added to the committee list.
May 4, 2021 The vote is final - 90% of those who voted, said YES to purchasing the park. Vote Summary:
- 101 ballots received (149 members total)
- 99 valid ballots (1 duplicate, 1 invalidated)
Question 1: Non profit status; 90 yes, 8 no
Question 2: Empowerment resolution; 90 yes, 7 no
Question 3: Purchase and sale agreement; 88 yes, 9 no
Question 4: Approval of first year budget; 88 yes, 10 no
Question 5: Interim Bylaws amendment (electronic voting) 93 yes, 5 no
April 2021 The Seller has accepted our 9.7 million offer which is what the property appraised at. CASA of Oregon is working with the lenders who will present at our meeting on Thursday, 4/8. CASA updated last week that the lenders have approved a "phased in rent increase" which would allow for a gradual $115 increase; $39/mo in year one, $38/mo increase in year two and $38/mo increase in year three. Only 3 weeks to go until we know exactly what we are dealing with and the Coop members can vote (4/28). Download the April 7 Purchase Details Summary PDF or request it sent in an email.
What can I do to help preserve affordable rent?
It is crucial residents reach out to the Joint Ways and Means Committee, Governor & Representatives immediately (4/14)
Download the 4/12 contact list PDF
Download the Ways and Means sample letter
4/8 Please take a few minutes to send emails and letters to those who can advocate for HV residents! Help us preserve affordable rents. Download the legislative contact list PDF.
Download Sample Advocacy Letter. Create and send emails to legislators by copying and pasting from this PDF.
How did this resident purchase get started?
In December 2020, after the current owner's Intent to Sell letter was received by mobile home owners, four residents came together to form a Steering Committee and take advantage of the 10 day period to notify the owner they would explore a park purchase. They informed the owner of the resident's desire to purchase the park. This brought the seller's plans to a halt while the resident committee investigated options for a ROC (Resident Owned Community). We partnered with CASA of Oregon, a non profit that assists MHP's in protecting their community and securing funding to ensure low income residents do not lose their homes. CASA advocates for the park residents, fronts the money necessary for a purchase, negotiates with the seller and secures low interest loans and grants. They are with us every step of the way. There is no cost to the residents up front and if the sale falls through, CASA bears the burden of the up front costs. The residents walk away with our membership fees refunded.
What has happened during the purchase process?
The current owner signed a purchase agreement with the newly formed HV Cooperative in late January at a $10M price. In February, surveyors and engineers visited the property to assess the infrastructure and property conditions. In early March, an interim set of Bylaws, interim Board of Directors and official Harbor Village Cooperative was approved by residents. On March 15, CASA and the HVC received the property condition reports confirming the property is in decent shape but in need of repairs (which was expected). The property was valued at $9.7M . Currently, the residents are completing a confidential CASA income survey which will prove the park meets lower income levels. This will allow CASA to obtain a low interest loan at approximately 1% and secure the lowest possible rates for not only the HV Coop to purchase the park, but the lowest rent rates possible. This is time sensitive and CASA must hear from residents immediately to prove the HV Coop meets certain lower income levels. Download CASA income survey here and survey instructions here or request at [email protected].
Can someone help me with the CASA income survey?
Survey packets are also available at the HV office through the end of March. Eddie Sepeda can take your survey by phone at 503-687-3300.
You can fax your survey to 503-537-0558, email [email protected] or snail mail to: CASA of Oregon, P.O. Box 8217, Salem, OR 97303.
This confidential survey is for CASA's eyes only. Please use the postage paid, addressed envelope and return your survey to CASA directly.
Why Join the HV Cooperative?
HV contains 178 long term spaces with more than 400 total residents (in MH & long term RV sites).
80% of these residents have joined the Cooperative; the goal is to save the park from possible developers and secure affordable rent.
- Coop Members will pay a lower monthly amount for their space
- Non-members monthly rent will be $35-$55 more per month; HV Coop to determine the amount
- All revenue benefits the park/residents and will no longer line the pockets of a traditional owner or corp
- Rent increases are controlled by Coop; average increase is once every 3-5 years at $10 per month (CASA statistic)
- Members determine how the park is run (improvements, rules, spending), your opinion and vote counts
- Quality of life and resale value will increase as the property improves and community comes together
- $100 Coop membership may be paid now or $5 per month (paid in full by April 1, 2023), 100% refundable
Where do I submit my Coop membership payment?
- Cash or Checks payable to Harbor Village Cooperative: 923 SE Bay Blvd #20, Newport, OR 97365
- Membership payments (feedback & surveys) may be dropped in black HVC box in mail kiosk outside laundry room on MH driveway
- Request membership form at [email protected] or download membership form here.
Why has my membership check not been cashed yet?
Checks written early on to CASA of Oregon, were cashed on March 15 by CASA. Those funds are being transferred to the HV Cooperative. More recent checks written to Harbor Village Cooperative have not been cashed yet. We will open a HVC bank account next door at the Oregon Coast Bank. This should happen by the end of April.
Will my rent increase?
CASA of Oregon and the HVC BOD is doing everything possible to take advantage of low interest loans and grants. We will not know the final figures for a few weeks. CASA is working on securing funding and bridge loans for the HV Coop and when everything is in place, members of the HV Coop will vote YES or NO to proceed. Currently it appears residents will have to bear a higher rent rate in the first 24-36 months before we can lock in a lower rate moving forward. With 2020's COVID-19 and Oregon wildfires, funding is not available in 2021 as it has been in the past. We have options and we are working hard to protect HV's low rent status. The current deal includes a $115 per month rent increase (down from a range of $125 - $275), gradually phased in over three years. Once the Coop has purchased the park the gradual increase will be as follows: $38 per month in 2021, $38 per month in 2022, $39 per month in 2023. This is good news as these increases are less than the amount a new owner could legally raise rent annually. The current minimum an owner could raise rents would start at approximately $45 per month and that get larger each year with possibly no end in sight.
Will the HV staff lose their jobs?
There are certain requirements to receiving Federal funding, some of which mandate how the park operations are run for the first 24 months. Hiring an external management company may be one of those conditions. If this is the case, the staff will be able to reapply for their positions with Commonwealth management company who will perform payroll, front office and accounting support. The staff will be offered a 90 day probationary period as of June 1.
When do I start paying rent to the Harbor Village Coop?
In general, Coop members will vote by online or paper ballot in the last week of April to approve the sale. The sale will then, officially "close" by June 1. Only at closing will all contracts be switched into the name of the Coop. This includes executing a new lease with the HV Coop. June 1 is the date that rents will be made out to the Harbor Village Cooperative. Until then, the current owner will continue to collect rent, as usual. If you have pre-paid rent with the current owner, contact them for a refund.
How can I stay up to date?
Join us every Thursday at 6:00pm for a weekly resident update and BOD meeting. The HV Steering Committe, now the HVC interim Board of Directors have operated in a transparent manner and want all residents to be on the same page. If you hear something and are concerned it is rumor, drop us a line at [email protected].

domain: finance


text:
Sapphire and Diamond Pendant & Chain in 18ct Gold
A seven stone French cut rainbow sapphire and modern brilliant cut diamond pendant chain in 18 carat white gold. The sapphires range from purple, blue, green, yellow and pink and are channel set with a diamond set bale above. The chain is a filed curb link with a bolt ring fastener.
Pendant sapphires stated total carat weight 1.25ct.
Diamonds stated total carat weight 0.01ct.
Chain width 1.25mm approx, length 410mm approx.
Our reference - 11-02-14K


text:
MUSIC WRITING GUIDES
Imagine driving in your car and hearing a song that you wrote being performed by a famous recording artist on the radio. If the song becomes a hit, you could earn a great deal in royalties from that one song along. In fact, your songs can continue to earn you money for many years after you write them.
As a successful songwriter, you could enter an exclusive world of awards ceremonies and rub elbows with music industry stars.
You could work from home, doing what you love, and enjoy a tremendous sense of achievement when your songs are heard by millions of people.
For some songwriters the greatest appeal of this career is the opportunity to touch people's lives in a meaningful way. As a songwriter you can inspire and comfort people with your words and music. (If you write only words, or only music, you can find a partner to write songs with.)
Whether you want to reach people with your words and music, or you want to make money from your songs, if helps to receive expert advice.
However, let's talk for a moment on record deals. After all this is what you want. Right? You'd probably do anything just to get one.
One of the most important things that you should focus on is making your music unique. There have been too many artists try to record a song that is almost identical to a particular song they've hear on the radio. When it comes to record deals, it just doesn't work.
All the record labels want is one thing that is uniquely different in your music. That's all. Therefore your songs should capture your unique personality and individuality. This is how you capture your listener. They will stop and listen because your music takes them to places they have never been before. Think about songs you like and try and remember the first time you heard it – did it immediately grab your attention? Here is what you should do. Write songs with the intention of doing the same thing to your listeners. That's all.! Make it different and unique, but make it create the same impact.
These are the topics vital to anyone who wants to become a published songwriter:
- Take steps to improve your song writing skills
- Secure feedback on your songs from music industry insiders
- Perhaps you need a partner to write songs with
- Learn how to copyright your songs in order to protect them from being stolen.
- Learn as much as possible about the Music Industry, its structure and works
- Prepare a demo tape or CD of your song(s); selecting the right songs and seek advice to help you produce a top quality demo.
- Find out which recording artist are looking for songs
- Seek effective ways to submit your songs to: Music Publishers, Artists & Record Companies
- Review contact information provided by Talent Quest
- What to submit with your demo (submission letters and bio)
- Understand what to do when meeting with your marketing rep.
- Do you understand about how you get paid; royalties, contracts, etc?
There are many other opportunities for songwriters:
- Becoming a staff writer for a music publisher or record company
- Writing ‘Jingles' for commercials
- Getting your music into either the Television or Movie business.
- Becoming your own music publisher
- Where to seek proper Legal advice
Should you decide to become an Independent Music Publisher/Distributor:
- Be sure to get your product Bar Coded . To get your music into the hands of the widest possible audience, and establish yourself as a legitimate artist, you must get your material bar coded.
- Report Sales to SoundScan . For an indie artist, the tracking of venue sales means getting noticed. If you want to maximize your exposure get your numbers to SoundScan, it's a little thing that makes a big difference….
- Define your image . To sell CD's your image and exposure means everything and from covers to websites you'll need impact. You'll want to get it done right the first time.
- Find out about Mastering Services . Finding affordable mastering services are easier than you think. See the section on Recordists – Mixers.
- Distribution. For serious artist or small label, using a distribution expert is the way to go. Having a company dedicated to promoting your music can quickly and easily get your product on the internet as well as in your local stores.
- Radio Airplay . Getting your music on the radio can be easy with the right connections.


text:
5 Things to Know About Relocating to North San Antonio
With jobs on the rise, thousands of people are relocating to San Antonio every year. One region of the city that has seen significant growth recently is North San Antonio. The combination of major employers, great schools and beautiful scenery has made Salado Canyon at Rogers Ranch one of the most desirable places to live.
If you’re considering a move to North San Antonio here are five things to know before relocating.
1. Expect Your Cost of Living to Go Down
Even though the costs have gone up slightly in the last few years, San Antonio is still much more affordable compared to similarly sized cities. Currently, the cost of living index is just 92.
2. Expect Your Quality of Life to Go Up
It might cost less to live in North San Antonio, but that doesn’t mean you will sacrifice quality. The area has a host of theme parks, recreational facilities and a strong school district. Depending on where you’re moving from there’s also a good chance you’ll get a bigger home for less money.
3. Prepare for a Competitive Real Estate Market
San Antonio is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S., and it’s affordable housing attracts a lot of buyers. Right now it’s leaning towards a seller’s market and competition between buyers is strong.
4. Get Ready for a Foodie Paradise
There’s a lot to be said about the cuisine in San Antonio. It’s the birthplace of the puffy taco, headquarters for Bill Miller’s B-B-Q and home to countless Tex-Mex landmarks.
5. Experience Life in a Diverse Population
From the huge military presence to the majority Hispanic population, San Antonio is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the country.

domain: geography


text:
Experience San Diego’s Extreme Sailing Series
Fast paced and endlessly exciting, Extreme Sailing is the nontraditional water sport that has taken the sailing community by storm. Made up of 40-foot catamarans with 25 foot sails, teams of 5-6 race these carbon fiber boats at breakneck sail speeds, pushing 35-40 knots. Teams must work together to master the delicate sails against high wind speeds and waves, often having to narrowly escape collision with a racing opponent. The most exciting part of the sport is watching teams expertly maneuver around each other. Abiding by the legal rules of the sport, teams are allowed to sabotage each other when passing race checkpoints, often coming in close contact with an opposing teams sails.
The race will take place just off of Harbor Island, and will feature a difficult course through the bay, making teams from all over the world use their technical sailing skills to maneuver the course and beat their opponents. There will be a race village open to the public during the event, where you can learn more about the sport, participate in family activities, hang out in the beer gardens, and more!

domain: hobby


Julia Child: My Life in France
Although she would later singlehandedly create a new approach to American cuisine with her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her television show The French Chef, Julia Child was not always a master chef. Indeed, when she first arrived in France in 1948 with her husband, Paul, who was to work for the USIS, she spoke no French and knew nothing about the country itself. But as she dove into French culture, buying food at local markets and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu, her life changed forever with her newfound passion for cooking and teaching.
Julia’s unforgettable story—struggles with the head of the Cordon Bleu, rejections from publishers to whom she sent her now-famous cookbook, a wonderful, nearly fifty-year long marriage that took the Childs across the globe—unfolds with the spirit so key to Julia’s success as a chef and a writer, brilliantly capturing one of America’s most endearing personalities.


text:
What’s your background and how did you get into AI art?
My background is in visual effects. I have been working in the film industry since 2000, starting in the software and research side of the business at Alias|Wavefront. Before I left the industry, I worked as a visual effects supervisor for several years. My exit was prompted by the onset of artificial intelligence and my general interest in how people think. I studied neuroscience for several years before joining a startup that was working on a version of AGI. This experience gave me a glimpse of a different kind of creativity. Ultimately, I switched to the industrial design industry, where I have been for the past four years. I am responsible for numerous visualizations and for devising novel approaches to present ideas, which led me to diffusion models early last year. I began with Disco Diffusion, having missed the entire GAN era, and now I am heavily involved with custom tools that I write, such as MJ, SD, and more.
Do you have a specific project you’re currently working on? What is it?
I am currently working on a significant project at the intersection of generative art and AI. I have been immersed in this work for several months, which feels like years now. The convergence of these two computationally driven yet distinct areas of art is what fuels much of my technical interests at present.
What drives you to create?
There are a few factors, two of which are major and closely interconnected. I am fascinated by all types of communication. The fact that we can communicate at all is incredible; however, the bandwidth and fidelity are quite primitive. Visual mediums help address some of the shortcomings of communication, but in my opinion, the combination of written and visual has the greatest impact, provided that people are willing to absorb and process information. Ultimately, this fuels my passion for understanding intelligence. Communication is just a part of it, but in my view, it is a very important aspect.
What does your workflow look like?
I can roughly divide all my work into two categories. One originates from a surprise, where I accidentally stumble upon a workflow, a striking image that works well as part of the prompt, or something similar. This becomes the seed of the final artwork. All thinking stems from this initial discovery and drives the technology I use forward. The other workflow (which I enjoy more) occurs when I have some external constraint, such as a Foundation World with a theme or a thematic challenge. This lack of control over the subject sends the design part of my brain into overdrive, and I feel it allows me to create my best work. For some reason, this constraint has to be external. I’ve tried to write out themes for myself, but it never worked, because I had control to change it — there was no external judge to tell me that I went off track.
What is your favourite prompt when creating art?
I know that prompts come to mind when people discuss AI art, but I’m afraid I might disappoint you, as I don’t really use many. I mean, I do because I have to obtain an initial embedding, but 99% of what I do is purely visual. In MJ, I use 3-4 images at a time (mostly self-painted textures, shapes, or collages), while in SD, I do a lot of work using aesthetic gradients and control nets with sketches. I have only two prompts (one for MJ and one for SD), and the rest is purely technical work.
How do you imagine AI (art) will be impacting society in the near future?
AI art, specifically, will undoubtedly facilitate personalized entertainment as the most apparent commercial outcome. Ultimately, I hope it will help to enhance our collective creativity. It enables many more people to ask the “what if” question.
Who is your favourite artist?
There are many artists I admire for various reasons. Having worked in design for some time, I can appreciate problem-solving as a form of art. Naturally, people like Dieter Rams and Naoto Fukasawa come to mind as prominent industrial designers. I love Jean Girard and Katsuhiro Otomo in the more illustrative genre. Reading about artists such as Richard Diebenkorn, Marc Chagall, and Mark Rothko inspires me greatly.
Anything else you would like to share?
One thing I keep coming back to is the fact that AI art is a tool. It all comes down to ideas. The important part is the story or message you want to convey. With generative tools, it becomes easier to explore ideas and assess their merit. However, without ideas and direction, the tools remain just that - lifeless pieces of code.


text:
Description: "The theme of this work centers around the Negro and his association with the Radical Republican party. For eight years this party controlled the state government of Texas and, the Negro's participation during this period cannot be overlooked. The Negro possessed, at this time, two valuable assets, the right of suffrage and a strength in numbers. It was through the careful coordination of these two assets that the Radicals were able to gain and maintain control of Texas politics."--Leaves iii-iv.
Date: January 1963
Creator: Fennell, Romey