In early July, Alabama’s Duron Carter was one of 75 players to make the cut for the Biletnikoff Award’s preseason watch list, which was kind of curious considering he played at the JUCO level in 2010.
That inclusion was made even more curious by the fact that Carter, the son of Ohio State and NFL legend Cris Carter, wasn’t even enrolled in classes after hitting an academic snag.
Well, it appears the academic snag is still in full effect as the Tide has commenced summer camp without the transfer on the practice field. On the first day of camp, Tide head coach Nick Saban said that Carter will remain academically ineligible until the school receives additional information on his grades, presumably from the junior college he attended after leaving Ohio State last year.
“Duron Carter, we do not have all of his information for all of his grades,” Saban said according to the Birmingham News. “Until we get that information, even though he’s here he is not eligible to be at practice or be at camp. When we get that information if it’s all what it’s supposed to be then he’ll be able to practice.”
Academic issues, however, aren’t exactly new to Carter. The receiver was ruled ineligible for OSU’s appearance in the 2010 Rose Bowl, and those same issues prompted him to transfer to Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College in June of last year.
He committed to the Tide in early April of this year.
The injury-plagued career of a member of South Carolina’s secondary has officially come to an end.
USC officials confirmed to The State that Ali Groves will not return to the Gamecocks football team. The defensive back has taken a medical hardship waiver, making him ineligible to suit up again for the Gamecocks.
The Georgia native will, though, remain on scholarship. He’s expected to graduate later this year with a degree in business administration.
A three-star member of USC’s 2013 recruiting class, Groves was rated as the No. 47 safety in the country. Groves sustained a right shoulder injury his true freshman season, with the injury lingering over the next couple of seasons as well.
This past spring, Groves, who didn’t play a down for the Gamecocks, was moved from cornerback to safety. Twice in his career, Groves was named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Baylor’s recruiting loss will turn into another football program’s gain. Again.
On his Twitter account Monday, 2017 quarterback prospect Kellen Mond announced that he has decided to verbally commit to play his college football at Texas A&M. Mond had been considered the crown jewel of Baylor’s 2017 recruiting class after committing to the Bears in the summer of 2015, but opted to decommit less than a week after Art Briles was dismissed as BU’s head football coach.
Shortly after decommitting from Baylor, Mond announced a new Top 3: Auburn, Ohio State and A&M. Those schools were listed in his order of preference at that moment, although the Aggies were, obviously, able to make up ground on the other two.
Mond visited College Station earlier this month, and, coupled with the Buckeyes landing a verbal from five-star quarterback Tate Martell — a former A&M commit, incidentally — had seemingly pared his choices down to the Tigers and Aggies. According to his tweeted announcement, A&M’s “tradition of excellence,” along with the coaching staff, led him to his latest commitment.
Mond, a Texas native who is playing his senior season at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., is rated as a four-star prospect on 247Sports.com‘s composite board. That recruiting website rates him as the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback in the country and the No. 103 player overall.
Ohio State announced earlier this month that it would be offering cold beers to all of-age fans during football games this fall in The ‘Shoe. A couple of weeks later, a fellow FBS member to the east has followed suit.
As part of its press release on new fan initiatives for the 2016 season, Pittsburgh announced that beer will be sold stadium-wide throughout Heinz Field this upcoming football season. Prior to this season, alcohol sales were only permitted to those ticket holders in the club and suite sections of the stadium.
The first opportunity for fans to take advantage of the new policy is the home opener against Villanova Sept. 3. The ACC opener Oct. 8 against Georgia Tech.
From the press release:
The expansion of this amenity will coincide with the implementation of appropriate safety measures for Pitt game days, ensuring the continuation of a fan and family friendly environment for all. (Such measures are already in place for Steelers home games. Aramark, Heinz Field’s official food and beverage concessionaire, provides comprehensive staff training in the sale of alcohol.) A portion of the funds from beer sales proceeds will be dedicated to drug and alcohol education programs for the overall student body through Pitt’s Division of Student Affairs.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, there are now nine Power Five members with a similar beer policy for football games. One of the nine is West Virginia, with the Post-Gazette writing that athletic director Scott Barnes cited data from WVU “suggesting that beer sales in the stadium could actually cut down on alcohol-related incidents.”
Not surprisingly, one member of Houston’s secondary will get back the time he lost last season.
According to a press release from the Houston sports information department, Howard Wilson has been granted a medical hardship waiver for the 2015 season. Wilson sustained a season-ending torn ACL in the third game of 2015, making the decision to grant the waiver a no-brainer.
The waiver will extend Wilson’s eligibility clock through the 2018 season, and makes him a redshirt sophomore for the upcoming season.
As a true freshman in 2014, Wilson played in all 13 games, starting one of those contests. He had three interceptions that season.
Prior to his injury, he started the first three games of last season. He’s projected to start at one of the corner spots for the Cougars entering summer camp.


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domain: economics


text:
Here are five things you should know about Arts, Beats & Eats as you go about your week:
- Arts, Beats & Eats attendees can help support Royal Oak parks by choosing to park in city-run Arts, Beats & Eats parking lots. Parking at all official downtown lots and structures is $15. The revenue from the official lots supports improvements to Royal Oak parks.
- The Detroit Institute of Arts will present the animated film A Cat In Paris for children and cinema buffs alike inside the Oakland County Parks Kids Zone from 8:30 – 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. The movie is 65-minutes long.
- This year Arts, Beats & Eats is teaming up with Oakland County Parks to offer free admission, as well as a special tribute concert for disabled veterans and family members, on Sunday, Sept. 1. The concert will feature 50 Amp fuse on the Michigan Lottery Stage, with a complimentary lunch and beverages from bd’s Mongolian Grill. Interested veterans can contact 248-541-7550 to receive passes.
- On Saturday the Priority Health Zumbathon Celebration will transform the Michigan Lottery Stage into a red-hot, exhilarating dance fitness explosion from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Last year nearly 1200 people participated in a huge Zumba class-style event at the festival.
- On Saturday the streets of Royal Oak will be filled with hundreds of runners for the Priority Health Arts in Motion runs and walk benefitting Michigan Youth Arts and new non-profit partner Rock CF, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the quality of life for people with cystic fibrosis. Last year’s 5K was so popular that this year the event also will feature a 10k run and a 5k walk option for entrants. To register as a runner or volunteer go to: http://www.michiganyoutharts.org/events/5k.

domain: news


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Al-Jazeera’s English language news channel was forced to shut its China bureau yesterday after its correspondent became the first foreign journalist to be expelled from the country since 1998.
Melissa Chan, an American citizen, flew out of the country on Monday night after the Chinese Government refused to renew her press credentials.
The Qatar-based news channel said that it had to close its Beijing bureau because China would not allow a replacement correspondent. Its Arabic-language operation was not affected.
Ms Chan’s forced departure is the latest incident indicating that press freedoms granted as part of Beijing’s winning bid to host the Summer Olympics in 2008 may be being rolled back.
Last year journalists who covered abortive attempts to hold Arab Spring-like protests in Beijing and…


Inductive Dc Solenoid load which generates back e.m.f while switching 'off ' action of solenoid. Freewheeling diode across and near to load is shortest path for this generated back E.M.F. Fast de-magnetization with this diode.
Normally it is working for 24v supply line of 4-20ma Transmitter. lm317 acting as unidirectional solid state fuse. Minimum voltage drop across circuit is >3v irrespective of output current. Adjust terminal floating on output load.


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Health care professionals who incline to offer patients an option or strategy to deal with tinnitus are confronted with the variability inherent to this disorder.5 The cause of tinnitus can vary, although people who experience tinnitus have usually first developed hearing loss due to ageing or from exposure to loud noise that caused peripheral auditory damage. In fact, the number of tinnitus sufferers that develop the constant ringing due to hearing loss may be even higher than thought, as some tinnitus sufferers only appear to have normal hearing when thresholds at frequencies below 8 kHz are measured. Less frequently, tinnitus may also occur after a head or neck injury, or due to the presence of an acoustic neuroma. Certain medications may also contribute to the development of tinnitus through effects on hair cells in the inner ear or via mechanisms that are not yet well understood.6 This variety in cause has been the first part of the challenge in developing a “cure” or effective treatment for tinnitus. However, even for the largest group of tinnitus sufferers (those who may develop tinnitus due to hearing damage), effective treatments have been hard to come by.
Tinnitus is a ringing, buzzing, hissing, swishing, clicking, or other type of noise that seems to originate in the ear or head. Most of us will experience tinnitus or sounds in the ears at some time or another. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), about 10% of adults in the U.S. - nearly 25 million Americans - have experienced tinnitus lasting at least five minutes in the past year. Tinnitus is identified more frequently in white individuals, and the prevalence of tinnitus in the U.S. is almost twice as frequent in the South as in the Northeast.
Think about your breathing. Notice that it has a natural rhythm. Try to breathe in a steady, even rhythm. It helps to breathe in through your nose, hold your breath for a moment and then breathe out through your mouth. Wait a moment before breathing in again. Every time you breathe out, try to release a little bit of your tension. Do this for a few minutes, until you feel ready to move on to the next step.
Oticon Tinnitus SoundSupport works by adding sound to the buzzing, hissing, or roaring you already hear. This may seem peculiar, but in fact, the relief sounds (which are dynamic and soothing) can mix with and distract you from those bothersome noises, giving you control over your condition. The flexible program includes a variety of relief sounds that can ease the effects of tinnitus. Your audiologist can personalize the sounds to your needs and preferences, and they can be used alongside Tinnitus Retraining Therapy for instruction and support.
Avoid a too-quiet bedroom. People with tinnitus may find it easier to sleep in a less quiet bedroom, and may benefit from white noise or other sleep-friendly sounds that help mask and minimize their tinnitus. To my patients who are looking to introduce soothing sounds to their sleep environment, I recommend the iHome Zenergy Sleep System, which combines relaxing sounds with aromatherapy and sleep-promoting light therapy.
Due to the large variability in tinnitus, a one-size-fits-all approach (as offered by maskers) will have limited benefits. Indeed, there is evidence that being able to customize a sound therapy (e.g., using the tinnitus pitch or hearing loss profile), will provide greater benefits7,8 for tinnitus sufferers. Given the evidence supporting this line of thinking and the limitations of existing tinnitus management options, we were driven to develop and rigorously test an enjoyable, personalized sound therapy that has potential to provide lasting relief to tinnitus sufferers.
Physical exam: Physical examination will focus on the head and neck, and especially the ears, including the auditory canals and tympanic membranes. Since the sense of hearing is conducted through one of the cranial nerves (the short nerves that lead directly from the brain to the face, head and neck), a careful neurologic exam also may be performed. Weakness or numbness in the face, mouth, and neck may be associated with a tumor or other structural abnormality pressing on a nerve. The healthcare professional may listen to the flow in the carotid arteries in the neck for an abnormal sound (bruit), since carotid artery stenosis (narrowing of the artery) can transmit a sound to the ear that may cause tinnitus.
To understand what causes tinnitus, you first need to understand what tinnitus is. Tinnitus is, very simply, unexplainable noises you hear in your head when there is no actual sound present. A person with tinnitus will often hear a whistling, humming, buzzing, whooshing, clicking or ringing in their ears, even when there is nothing in the area that is emitting that particular sound. It may be intermittent or last only a short time or never seem to stop.
Tinnitus is characterized by ringing or buzzing in the ears. Exposure to loud noises, earwax blockages, heart or blood vessel issues, prescription medications, and thyroid disorders can all cause tinnitus. See your doctor for an accurate diagnosis, and work with them to develop a treatment plan. In many cases, tinnitus is irreversible, but there are several ways to reduce its severity. For instance, sound generators, hearing aids, and medication can help mask ringing or buzzing. Tinnitus research is a constantly evolving field, and you might be able to try experimental therapies as well.
Addressing Any TMJ Disorders. A small percentage of people will experience tinnitus if they are having problems with their temporomandibular joint. This joint is located in front of the ears, on each side of the head, where the lower jawbone meets the skull. In these rare cases, a dental treatment or bite realignment may relieve you of the ringing you hear in your ears.
Try meditation and relaxation techniques. Stress can aggravate tinnitus, so take deep breaths and relax if you start to feel anxious, worried, or overwhelmed. Count to 4 as you breathe in slowly, hold your breath for a 4 count, then count to 4 as you slowly exhale. Continue to control your breathing for 1 to 2 minutes, or until you feel at ease.
Although drugs cannot cure tinnitus, there are a few that will help suppress the symptoms you are experiencing. Tricyclic antidepressants, like amitriptyline and nortriptyline, are two of the most commonly prescribed medications. If you are experiencing severe tinnitus, one of these drugs may be used. However, it's important to know that these medications may come with side effects such as dry mouth, blurry vision and heart issues. Discuss any other conditions you have or medications you are currently taking with your physician. Niravam and Xanax can also be prescribed, but each of these medications can cause drowsiness and nausea, and they can be habit-forming.
The multidisciplinary approach required input from many different professionals including audiologists, psychologists, speech therapists and physical therapists. Which particular care elements of the intervention had the greatest effect is unknown. A multidisciplinary approach such as the intervention trialled here may have resource implications if it were introduced into standard clinical practice.
Practice mindfulness meditation. I’ve written about the power of mindfulness mediation to reduce stress and improve sleep. A 2017 study found mindfulness meditation is also effective in helping people better manage tinnitus. Mindfulness meditation involves sitting comfortably, putting your attention on your natural breathing. When your mind wanders—to irritating tinnitus sounds, to worry about sleep, or wherever else it goes, gently return your attention to your breath. Start with a 5-minute session, and as you grow more comfortable with the practice, you can increase the time. You can practice mindfulness meditation anywhere, at any time of day—including in the shower!
CBT could potentially help people with tinnitus deal with fears that their tinnitus might be caused by brain damage or might lead to deafness. During CBT, they might learn that the condition is common and that it is not associated with brain damage or deafness. They might also be exposed to the sound in a safe environment, so that it has less of an impact on their daily life. CBT also involves techniques such as applied relaxation and mindfulness training.
Some tinnitus sufferers have experienced relief through hearing aids, but studies indicate that such benefits are limited to those with low-frequency tinnitus.8 For those with a tinnitus pitch above 5–6 kHz or those with a hissing or buzzing tinnitus, the benefits of hearing aids are more limited or even nonexistent. This makes sense from a neuroscience point of view, as the hearing aid will typically not be making up for hearing loss at frequencies above 6–8 kHz; this prevents any possible effects on tinnitus types that are caused by changes to higher frequency regions in the auditory system. While hearing aids are essential to improving the lives of the hearing impaired, they are not typically the best option for tinnitus; especially when used alone.
Static noise is designed to distract you from your tinnitus. By mixing a static sound with the tinnitus noise, this can help to divert your attention away from the tinnitus. Miracle-Ear hearing aids have five different types of pre-set static noise sounds so that together, with your hearing care specialist, you can customize this program to your needs to help you relax without the annoyance of tinnitus.
Vitamin Supplements. Vitamin supplements, like Lipo-Flavonoid Plus, contain the vitamins that some studies have shown to be beneficial to inner ear health. These include Vitamin C, B-1, B-2, B-6, B-12, zinc, niacin and calcium. And while I am a proponent of vitamins, I advise my patients to take a regular OTC multivitamin that costs $15, versus Lipo-Flavonoid Plus, which has the same ingredients, but costs up to $90 for the same number of pills, just because it’s packaged and marketed to people that suffer from tinnitus.
While there are many different FDA-approved treatments for tinnitus available, the most important component is finding the right partner (i.e. a Doctor of Audiology), who will work closely with you to help explain your tinnitus and treatment progress over time. In order for the options below to be as successful as possible, the proper support and guidance from an experienced tinnitus specialist is mandatory.
Atherosclerosis. With age and buildup of cholesterol and other deposits, major blood vessels close to your middle and inner ear lose some of their elasticity — the ability to flex or expand slightly with each heartbeat. That causes blood flow to become more forceful, making it easier for your ear to detect the beats. You can generally hear this type of tinnitus in both ears.

domain: medical


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In a bloody weekend in Chicago, which has become all too familiar, twenty-four people were shot, five of them fatally. This violence follows the shooting of thirteen people in a park including a three-year-old child, shot in the jaw and listed in critical condition. All of these shootings appear to be gang related with innocent bystanders being caught in the crossfire. The majority of these were drive by shootings.
In response to the violence, Governor Quinn said he was open to discussing sending in reinforcements from the Illinois State Police to aid Chicago Police in dealing with the continuing and escalating violence. However, Quinn told reporters he hadn’t yet spoken with either Mayor Rahm Emanuel or Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy. But if Chicago is going to rein in the violence, there is little question it will need help from the state.
Of greater importance than simply reining in the violence is how to bring it under control. Chicago differs from New York in that while there are still isolated inner city neighborhoods, more often than not, there is gentrification. Many areas in New York City that used to be considered “bad neighborhoods”, are either expensive or up and coming. Violence is therefore curtailed by socio-economic realities. In Chicago, that is not the case. There are many isolated neighborhoods on the south side for example that consist of old and dangerous projects. They are the same projects featured in the opening of the 70’s sitcom “Good Times”.
If Mayor Emanuel is going to bring the violence under control, he is going to need to implement policies similar to what New York City has done. 1) Stop and Frisk should be implemented immediately. It’s a sensible and legitimate policy for fighting crime. Law enforcement already knows the high risk neighborhoods, now it’s simply a matter of adopting preventative crime fighting measures which is exactly what Stop and Frisk allows. It’s not racist it’s simply common sense. More importantly, it’s effective. 2) There must be a zero tolerance policy for petty crimes such as turnstile jumping and panhandling. There is a direct correlation by these crimes and more serious crimes. 3) Law enforcement must go in and break up these gangs. Either arrest or shoot them but gang members can not be allowed to continue their wave of terror. Law enforcement must take back the streets block by block. The innocent citizens in these crime ridden neighborhoods have the right to expect that their children can play in the playground without being shot. But if Mayor Emanuel does nothing, the violence will continue to escalate and at some point, no one will be safe. Clearly, the lunatics are running the asylum.

domain: sociology


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MICHAEL GOODWIN: Heckuva Job, Barack
President Obama is the backward man. Teddy Roosevelt's advice to "speak softly and carry a big stick" was meant as a guide to successful foreign relations.
Obama has completely muddled the message. He speaks softly to foreign adversaries and uses the big stick on American dissenters.
Iran and Syria are wooed endlessly with carrots, apologies and promises of grand bargains. They respond with taunts and threats and pay no penalty.
North Korea sinks a South Korean ship, and our secretary of state says it means no more business as usual. That's an admission it has been business as usual even after the loony kingdom tested nukes.
The Mexican president comes to Washington and berates American citizens for expressing their views through the democratic process, and Obama shamefully nods in agreement. A State Department aide apologizes to China -- to China! -- about our treatment of illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, American "fat-cat bankers" and "greedy" doctors and sundry opponents are demonized as enemies of the state. They respond by sullenly surrendering the health-care and financial industries to Big Government.
Welcome to a double disaster. America now has a foreign policy that is a dangerous flop and a homeland as bitterly divided as ever.
And don't forget 10 percent unemployment and skyrocketing deficits and debt.
Heckuva job, Mr. President.
That's the Obama record. Just because he won't face it -- or even answer questions about it -- doesn't mean the rest of us must ignore it.
America is in trouble, and Obama can't be counted on to save her.
For the dead-enders who held out hope he would moderate his drive to neuter America in the image of European welfare states, it's give-up time. The error of his ways are so abundant and obvious that Obama's determination to plunge ahead must be seen as a fully informed choice.
He's not going to change. He is who he is, and what you see is what you are going to get for as long as he is president.
Obama has made two fundamental decisions, and both are making us weaker. He is putting America on bended knee around the world, and he is centralizing in the political class more and more power over the domestic economy.
His goal of trading America's old friends and allies for new ones threatens to leave us more isolated than before. The old ones are mad and suspicious, and the new ones don't want to be our friends.
How exactly have Russia and China reciprocated our self-abasement? They haven't, but we have managed to cause angst and anger in Britain, Israel and Eastern Europe.
If George W. Bush's "cowboy diplomacy" was to blame for the predicament Obama inherited, who is to blame for this new world order? It's not Bush's fault that Turkey and Brazil are taking Iran's side and giving it cover to get nukes. It happened on Obama's watch because of his policies.
That was a defining moment, as was the visit of Mexican President Felipe Calderon. He blasted Arizona's anti-illegal immigrant bill as "discriminatory" and demanded Obama do something about it.
Did our president defend his fellow Americans? Nah. He simply offered that he'd like to do what Calderon demanded, but "I don't have 60 votes in the Senate."
The outrage was compounded when Democrats in Congress gave Calderon a standing ovation after he repeated his denunciation at the Capitol. It was a shocking display of anti-Americanism of the kind routine in Mexico City, but wholly inappropriate in the halls of Washington.
I'm surprised nobody thought to burn an American flag.
Michael Goodwin is a New York Post columnist and Fox News contributor. To continue reading his column, click here.
Fox Forum is on Twitter. Follow us @fxnopinion.


In fall 2000, The Herald-Sun put an end to a lot of criticism when it became one of the last newspapers to put content on the web.
Many of those same critics are probably back, but for a different reason. Last month, it become the first in the area — and one of the few in the country — to put up a hard paywall.
Like numerous newspapers, The Herald-Sun previously used a metered paywall. It allows users to read a certain number of stories per month free, usually ranging from three to 12. The H-S allowed five, which still is the metered-wall limit at The News & Observer.
On Aug. 26, The Herald-Sun went to a seemingly impenetrable hard paywall that only allows you to see the headline and the first couple of paragraphs of stories if you don’t subscribe.
“It’s kind of a defensive strategy to help keep print circulation up some,” Rick Edmonds, media business analyst at The Poynter Institute, said of hard paywalls. “I don’t know the exact number, but they certainly are relatively rare.”
An editor at an out-of-state newspaper told me that their paper pulled down a hard paywall after only a few months because web traffic “tanked.”
There are ways to get around metered paywalls. I don’t use them to read The N&O because I have a Sunday-only subscription that includes seven-day digital access.
If you aren’t logged in to your Herald-Sun account, there appear to be no such workarounds to read Herald-Sun stories free, even if you just want to read one story or view an obituary. Anybody can get a login, but you can’t read the stories without a subscription.
“One of the issues with hard paywalls is, if it’s a really hard paywall and you have to pay right away to see an article, you’re really sort of eliminating the dynamic where people sample what you have,” Edmonds said. “You are losing the try-it, you’ll-like-it part.”
If you don’t have a digital or print subscription to The Herald-Sun, you have to pay $1 (the same as the cost for a daily print edition) for a day pass in order to read even one story. The pass does allow you to read all of the content for one day, though.
As with most big changes newspapers that are part of chains make, this one appears to have come straight from its parent company, Paxton Media Group.
The paywall change was made the day that The Herald-Sun’s website took the same look as the site launched a week or so earlier by The Sanford Herald, a fellow Paxton newspaper. Just as The N&O’s website has the same look as the other McClatchy Company websites, The Herald-Sun’s website looks the same as many other Paxton websites.
Most of the North Carolina Paxton papers have the same website design and same paywall. Paxton’s Kentucky newspapers have a different web design, but it could be because the rollout of the changeover hasn’t yet reached those newspapers.
The switchover was a hassle for loyal Herald-Sun subscribers, who had to create new usernames and passwords afterward.
In his column last Sunday, editor Bob Ashley wrote about going to a hard paywall.
“I understand part of the fault is ours — for years, most newspapers offered our content online for free,” Ashley wrote. “We thought — erroneously — that advertising revenue would pay the freight.”
He cited this November 2014 International News Media Association story. It says that 73 percent of newspapers are charging readers to access content, and that 40 percent of those newspapers have hard paywalls that “require readers to have a subscription to access most or all premium content.”
The statistics in the story factored in all newspapers in the world. The percentage of U.S. newspapers with hard paywalls likely is much lower.
“I pretty much track the bigger chains, so I don’t know the practice at small chains or individual newspapers,” Edmonds said. “But I’d be surprised if it was more than five percent or so.”
With The Herald-Sun, though, a subscription is required to read all stories, although access to all photo galleries, at least for now, doesn’t require a subscription. Ashley contends in his column that “relatively few offer the day pass option,” and Edmond says that’s accurate.
Ashley makes good points when he compares paying for newspaper content to purchasing goods.
“Providing the local coverage and content on the site costs real money,” Ashley wrote. “Our employees need to be paid — as do our vendors. I’m pretty certain folks expect to pay at the grocery or hardware store, to pay barbers and lawyers, to swipe a credit card at the gas pump or Starbucks.”
Ashley writes that the price of a day pass is about half the cost of the cheapest Starbucks drink.
The reality is that most younger readers don’t remember a day when they had to pay for most newspaper content, and aren’t as likely to pay it now. Older readers, myself included, remember when the only way that you could read newspaper stories was to buy a paper at a rack or a newsstand, subscribe or go to the library.
I’m still not happy when I feel that I am overpaying for content. But I understand the difficult financial environment newspapers face, know it has value and am willing to pay for certain content.
As a Triangle resident, I’m interested in stories in every section. Outside of the Triangle, there are no doubt many whose interests are more limited.
I’ve got think that there are plenty of out-of-town Duke, UNC and N.C. Central alums who aren’t going to be happy when they realize that they won’t be able to read The Herald-Sun’s coverage of their basketball and football teams for free. In the case of NCCU sports, The Herald-Sun is the only newspaper that consistently covers its teams.
Will they be willing to pay a dollar to read a feature, preview or game story after the headline and first couple of paragraphs pique their interest? Yes, you can read the rest of the paper as well. But what if you don’t care about that other content?
Since sports stories account for a huge amount of web traffic, the hard paywall is bound to reduce traffic substantially.
The Chicago Tribune just unveiled an alternative for sports fans who don’t care about its non-sports content: A sports-only digital subscription that costs $79 a year or $99 for two years.
The Tribune’s pay model is different than at most papers. Some stories, such as game stories, are free to anybody. More substantial stories and columns are designated as premium, and you can read only five of those a month from its home page without a subscription.
As a Chicago Cubs fan (yes, I’m getting way too excited about the postseason) who isn’t a fan of the other Chicago teams, I’m not ready to pay that for now … particularly considering that all of the Chicago Sun-Times’ Cubs content is free.
I could change my mind if every Cubs story were to have the premium designation. Another reason not to pay? When a Tribune writer posts a link on social media, you can read that story free.
“Most papers, like the New York Times, have gone to versions of the so-called metered paywalls and that allows, in theory, the best of both worlds,” Edmonds said. “You can charge the people who are going to read it regularly a monthly subscription fee to read as much as you want. But it also allows traffic to your individual articles, which is collectively quite a bit of traffic.”
He points out that the majority of traffic to stories doesn’t come from home pages, but from Google results and social-media links. Once people realize they have to pay to read those stories, non-subscribers may just stop clicking on those Herald-Sun social-media links.
The good stories written by its staff are suddenly only being read by a much more limited audience.
Digital subscriptions to The Herald-Sun are $10 for four weeks, $50 for 24 weeks and $100 for 52 weeks. The cost for print delivery (which includes digital access) is $19.35 for four weeks and $209.63 a year.
Will readers pay those prices? Will the hard paywall bring in more revenue by increasing print sales and subscriptions? Will web traffic plummet? Will businesses buy fewer online ads because of the perception that the ads will be seen by fewer people?
It will be an interesting to see how this decision plays out.


HOLLY Willoughby admitted she would forever be Roger Moore's Bond girl as she gushed over the actor's iconic 007 role on This Morning.
The blonde seemed starstruck as her ultimate pick for the special agent filmstar character sat right across from her on the studio sofa.
She was quick to tell Roger, who will soon turn 90: "You were my 007, I have to say.
"You always will be as well."
The British screen star seemed chuffed at her praise, and replied: "Thank you very much."
Throughout their chat she was glued to his every word and as they rounded off the interview continued to fire compliments his way and said: "It's so lovely to meet you," before adding: "It's so nice."
Viewers were quick to take to Twitter and comment on her adoration for the screen star, who will soon go on tour.
One made a play on a childhood love rhyme and wrote: "Holly and Roger, sitting in a tree, K I S S I N G," before adding: "Think she loves him a bit. Love @hollywills."
Even the This Morning account highlighted how much the host was Roger's fangirl, and uploaded a shot of the presenters and Bond himself with the words: "@HollyWills' James Bond and a big Breaking Bad fan."
Roger then took to his own account to post a similar snap with the caption: "Thank you."
A viewer showed they were totally in agreement with the Brighton-born babe as they posted: "How enchanting was Sir Roger Moore and certainly has aged gracefully.
"He will always be my Bond!"
Roger played the infamous Bond role seven times between 1973 and 1985.
Holly directly him about the actors who had come after him and he gave the thumbs-up to Daniel Craig.
He said: "In between each Bond are impostors, like Jason Bourne, and films of the same genre.
"They started to make Bond a bit wilder and going on, it became more serious.
"It was right for the times and today Daniel Craig is an extraordinary Bond.
"He is so tough."
Yet viewer's were quick to point out a flaw in Holly's questioning and plastered the blip on Twitter.
TOP STORIES AT THE SUN
One wrote: "Holly Willoughby talking to Roger Moore about "the different incantations of Bond"...." while another posted: "Holly just asked what Sir Roger Moore thinks of the modern 'incantations' of Bond, think she might have meant 'incarnations'," followed up with an Emoji crying with laughter.
Got a story? email email@example.com or call us direct on 02077824220


The Salad Circus @ Knockanstockan 2012 (photos)
The Salad Circus performed on the Circus Stage (coincidence? :) ) on Saturday. For those of you who don’t know them, they are a ska/punk/rock band based in Galway. The members are Jack O Grady (vocals, guitar, piano), Ned O Grady (drums), Tony Fletcher (bass), Paul Rowland (guitar, vocals, keyboard). Check out their Facebook page.
Here’s the the music video for “Jimmy RIP” and some pictures from their show at Knockanstockan:


This week marks the 10th anniversary of the first story featuring National Security Agency (NSA) contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden’s initial revelation: the role of Verizon in aiding NSA’s telephone metadata mass surveillance program.
As the Guardian noted at the time, “The court order appears to explain the numerous cryptic public warnings by two US senators, Ron Wyden and Mark Udall… that the US government is relying on ‘secret legal interpretations’ to claim surveillance powers so broad that the American public would be ‘stunned’ to learn of the kind of domestic spying being conducted.”
The Verizon revelation and the many others that followed in the months after it underscored the most consequential effect of Snowden going public: NSA’s ostensible overseers – the House and Senate Intelligence Committees – had been witting of the mass surveillance and instead of stopping it had gone along with it.
Worse, through the annual appropriations process, Congress had given NSA (and the FBI) the money to continue that mass surveillance. American taxpayers were paying for the “privilege” of being spied on at scale by their own government.
And as I’ve noted previously, Snowden’s efforts to inform his fellow Americans of the surveillance dragnet under which they now operated were met with scorn or outright attacks, some from the press but most from members of Congress whose oversight failures Snowden had effectively exposed.
Fifty years earlier, in an era that saw similar whistleblower-driven revelations of widespread illegal federal government surveillance, Congress was far less amenable to such executive branch misconduct. In 1975, the work of the Senate investigative committee, led by the late Senator Frank Church (D-ID), exposed massive, previously undisclosed unconstitutional surveillance and political repression operations aimed at literally hundreds of thousands of Americans.
Church and his colleagues subsequently passed legislation designed to prevent such abuses in the future: the creation of the House and SenateIntelligence Committees, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and the Inspector General Act. And even though one can argue persuasively that the FBI, NSA, and other federal intelligence and law enforcement entities have found ways around the Church Committee’s reforms, at least Church and his colleagues understood the magnitude of the threat to the constitutional order posed by executive branch surveillance overreach and tried to do something to end it.
In contrast, Snowden’s revelations produced a nearly opposite reaction, with no public hearings into the breadth and damage caused by the mass surveillance he exposed and only one weak and ineffectual legislative fix for the NSA telephone metadata program: the 2015 USA Freedom Act. It was the legislative and constitutional equivalent of putting a Band-Aid on a sucking chest wound.
It was also a testament to the power and influence of the nation’s national security establishment in shutting down any kind of meaningful surveillance reform effort, in no small part by indicting the whistleblower under the Espionage Act (no proof has ever surfaced that Snowden acted as the agent of a foreign power or gave legitimate U.S. secrets to one), seizing the royalties from his memoir, and refusing to consider allowing him to mount a public interest defense for his actions.
In that memoir, Snowden mused on the disparity in the treatment meted out to him and other whistleblowers versus officially sanctioned leaks (pp. 238-239):
“What makes one disclosure permissible, and another not? The answer is power. The answer is control. A disclosure is deemed acceptable only if it doesn’t challenge the fundamental prerogatives of an institution… To blow the whistle on secret programs, I’d also have to blow the whistle on the larger system of secrecy, to expose it not as the absolute prerogative of state that the [Intelligence Community] claimed it was but rather as an occasional privilege that the IC abused to subvert democratic oversight.”Snowden’s error was in believing that meaningful, forceful, and effective democratic oversight of NSA, FBI and other federal law enforcement and intelligence components actually exists. The historical record at the time Snowden went public said otherwise, and that remains the case today.
Despite a fresh set of revelations of FBI and NSA abuses of the FISA Section 702 electronic mass surveillance program, no FBI or NSA officials have been sanctioned by the FISA court, much less lost their jobs as a result of their misconduct. That program is set to expire at the end of 2023, but anyone who believes its demise is a sure bet is only fooling themselves – in the same way that Edward Snowden tragically fooled himself into believing that exposing NSA and FBI surveillance crimes would somehow trigger a new age of surveillance reform and accountability.
Americans will continue to be federal government surveillance targets unless the public ejects from Congress and the White House those federal officials who continue to act as if Americans are suspects first and citizens a very distant second.
Former CIA analyst and ex-House senior policy advisor Patrick G. Eddington is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute.
Reprinted with permission from Antiwar.com.


text:
Practice patterning the fun way—by playing with your food! Using a Fruit Loop-type cereal and yarn, help your preschooler create crunchy, edible patterns. Start with a simple ABC pattern and work your way to more complicated patterns as she works on small motor skills and her understanding of patterns. And she can nibble while she works.
What You Need:
- Fruit Loops or other loop-shaped cereal in a variety of colors
- Small bowls or cups
- Yarn or string
- Masking tape

domain: artistic


text:
Trading Ideas on $CBDS [OTC]
Real-Time Stock Rating for Cannabis Sativa, Inc.
CBDS-Chart by TradingView
CBDS Fundamental Data by TradingView
Trading Simplified with clear buy and short signals across any security listed across major stock exchanges (NYSE, NASDAQ, CBOE), including forex and crypto. Learn more at UltraAlgo.com

domain: finance


text:
Books and the serendipity of research
Colonial pasts and reading presents
When I started my graduate studies in Uppsala, Sweden, I never guessed I would end up spending a lot of time in northern Uganda, the epicentre of a most brutal war between the Lord’s Resistance Army and the Ugandan armed forces.
Rather, my initial intention was to go to the peaceful shores of Lake Victoria and the Kampala area in central Uganda, to study the complex interplay between the cultural and political leadership as it played out in the famous Buganda kingdom in the late 1990s. Back then, as I was trying to figure out a more specific research agenda, I found myself aimlessly scanning the secondhand bookshops of Uppsala, in search of anything that I could find on Uganda.
Among other books, I came across a torn first-edition copy of James Frederick Cunningham’s Uganda and its Peoples from 1905. It cost me some eight pounds. This coffee-table-kind-of-book covers most of the then British protectorate, although it focuses, as has been the historical and academic bias ever since, on central Uganda and the indigenous kingdoms under British rule. The so-called tribes of Uganda and their racial characteristics are listed in pseudo-anthropological chapters that turn sketchier the more geographically peripheral to the capital Kampala they are. In a parallel development, the more geopolitically peripheral the more primitive the people described are alleged to be. So when John Hanning Speke and James Augustus Grant famously crossed the Nile on their journey from Buganda to Khartoum, the Australian journalist Alan Moorehead proposes in The White Nile, his 1960 book, “the tribes grew increasingly more primitive; they were back in a region of naked, painted men who carried bows and arrows and who knew nothing of the arts and crafts of Buganda.” Here Moorehead reproduced an imperialist and truly Eurocentric gaze that I was to spend considerably energy critiquing in my own work.
Back in 1996-97, in search of a focus for my Ph.D. research, I eventually shelved Cunningham’s book and Moorehead’s ethnocentric bias to instead focus on the civil war in northern Uganda where I came to study young adults coming of age in the shadows of war and colonial history–portrayed in Living with Bad Surroundings from 2008.
It all came to surface again a few years back when I reviewed Neil Kodesh’s inspiringly dense book on clans and health in Buganda, Beyond the Royal Gaze from 2010. Kodesh offered me a golden opportunity to return to Cunningham’s old book. For the dust jacket to his book, Kodesh borrows a spellbinding photo from Cunningham’s book, which turns out to be a beautiful and very smart illustration of his project to reanalyze the historiography of the precolonial Buganda kingdom. To be able to analyze clanship as an organizing tool for community building and collective health, Kodesh investigates healing rituals and the creativity of power. I read it, and I took out Cunningham’s book from the shelf, where it silently had been waiting after my decision to drop the idea to go to Buganda to instead focus on the war in northern Uganda. Only now I realized that Cunnigham himself had dedicated my copy of the book to someone living in the protectorate. Eventually it was bought by a Swede visiting Uganda in 1958, simply to end up in an Uppsala bookstore in the mid-1990s.
With this amazing journey in mind, I visited abebooks.com, the online marketplace for “new, used, rare and out-of-print books.” Stunned I realized that a first edition copy of Cunningham’s book, of which there were only a few available, costs from 67 to 175 pounds, depending on the condition. The cheapest copy, a seriously damaged library discard, had lost its map and several of its illustrations. The unreservedly more expensive book was in a better condition than mine. Still, with a signature and a self-confident dedication from Cunningham himself, mine triumphs.
But this visit to the Internet and my student-day memories of the dusty secondhand bookstores of Uppsala, I have to admit, is nothing but a kind of freakish colonial nostalgia. Kodesh’s book, on the other hand, gives sober insights into the intellectual and political milieu in which Cunningham presented his book on the Uganda protectorate–a milieu basically consisting of a dominant royal gaze in Buganda domesticated by missionary agendas and colonial anthropology and administration. “The most widespread interpretation at any given moment,” Kodesh tells his readers, “represents the outcome of considerable struggle.” One could perhaps say that in focusing on the multiplicity of such struggles, Kodesh’s book becomes part of the very struggle itself. I like to see my own work in the same light. Here is a struggle that gives real life to books, and in this particular case, to the history of Uganda. Here are books to return to, many times, not least because they invite us to read other and even older books as well. Indeed, for me, to read all these books on Uganda and East Africa is like a never-ending explorative adventure into the heart of Africa and the colonial library–into our colonial past really.
Sverker Finnström is Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Uppsala University. His most recent books are Living with Bad Surroundings: War, History, and Everyday Moments in Uganda (Duke UP, 2008), for which he was honored with the Distinguished Margaret Mead Award, and Virtual War and Magical Death: Technologies and Imaginaries for Virtual Killing (Duke UP, 2013).
The image featured at the beginning of this post is of stone steps in Entebbe, Uganda by Roy Waddington.

domain: library


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I promised I to talk about fashion ladies after I wrote about awesome fashion men on HANSAMU. Now I have the time to write freely about this beautiful and inspiring women you should meet:
Electro Queen (DJ)
I don't know too much about her. Nevertheless, I know she is a fashionista because she appears practically every week on droptokyo webpage, which means she dresses awesome always. Besides she worked for ADIDAS x Jeremy Scott, which makes her as cool as Katy Perry.
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu
Kyary is a Japanese girl who was very well-known on street photography sites and magazines. She has has cute and unique style. Something to expect from someone who like Marilyn Manson, Lady Gaga and consider her favourite animals as La Chupacabras and sharks! Her cute style always makes me happy ^^
The AKB48 member with her own magazine
I am writing about her because she is a business women. She started her own magazine last year, and she is a role model for people who want to succeed in the fashion industry.
Ayano Nakayama. Owner of Dorothy Vacance Brand.
She is a Japanese girl with good English skills, amazing creativity and a nice smile. Her magic power? She uses old shirts and transform them into great fashion pieces! You can read more about her in a report from JapaneseStreets, were I saw her for the first time.
Harajuku kid at heart and owner of the brand Party Baby
I can't remember when was the first time I was Kuma Miki, maybe I found her while looking up for 6% Doki Doki images or something similar. She is a cute and hard-working girl that wants her brand to grow like Peter Pan, always staying a kid.
Vani & Yuka
The spoke-girls from 6%DOKIDOKI
Yuka is cute dark-haired girl and Vani is the kinda bad-ass looking but still colorful girl. I like Yuka because her always black hair stays true to Japan and I like Vani because her eye-brows, make up and sometimes crazy hair style are so cool!
So those were Japan ambassadors of fashion, now let's talk about the sexy koreans.
The real model singer
Im Jin Ah, from After School girl group. Before becoming a pop star she was already a professional model, which explains why she is one of the members with more appearances on fashion magazines.
The cute Mandu
The youngest member of Wonder Girls. She is one of the trend setters on the kpop world. When she is on the spot it is because of her outfits.
The Dancing Queen.
She is the official dancer of Girls' Generation. I became fan of her because of her dancing skills (which took her to the finals of Dancing With the Stars). She has electrifying performances when she is on stage dancing to music that she likes: hip-hop or R&B. I consider her a fashionista because she was one of the first SNSD members that caught attention on red carpets.
The one and only baddest female
The leader of 2NE1, friends with Jeremy Scott and once invited in Project Runway. Gonna describe her with her rap: ♪♪ I have good brains with a natural style / I was already cool, now I’m even cooler / I’ve burnt the stage a several times / ‘Cos I’m hot, always the best / I just do what I wanna / I’ve always knew how to keep it together lady-like ♪♪
If you liked this entry and these girls, you can read and see more at:
Mademoiselle Yulia's Gimme Gimme MV
A Kyary's Fan Page
Dorothy Vacance's Blog
Article + Video of Party Baby
6% DOKI DOKI Webpage
CL + G-Dragon Live "The Leaders"
Credits to TokyoFashion and JapaneseStreets.
And If you want my opinion about western fashionistas I would say that I like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj and Jessie J.

domain: entertainment


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Hi, I'm Ville!
I’m interested in human behaviour and find myself constantly looking for subconscious acts and arbitrary compositions in urban environment. These observations are an inspiration for my work and also make cities more interesting to walk in.
I aim to design objects that have a character and are not over-rationalized in the means of production. Lately I have been thinking of what mood an object sets in a space. So along with function and form I try find the essence of the object that is usually there in the first sketches.
I’m interested to work on product design and custom furniture so if you have a project in mind let’s talk!
Have a peek at what I do at my Instagram account!
Protoshop, Habitare Furniture Fair 2018
Fhink, Habitare Furniture Fair 2018
RAW / RAAKA, Helsinki Design Week 2018
Salone Satellite, Milan Furniture Fair 2018
UU Market, Kalleria 2018
Furniture Foundation, Kanto stool production 2018
Furniture Foundation, Kästinen Wörkshop co-workshop 2018
Deko magazine 9/2017
Deko magazine 4/2017
Glorian Koti magazine 3/2017
Image magazine 3/2017
Deko Magazine 6/2016
Deko Magazine 5/2016


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GrowPocketZ™ and GrowBagZ™ vertical gardening system.
The PatioScapes GrowPocketZ™/ GrowBagZ™ vertical garden system is a quality product made to last for many years.
GrowPocketZ™ PLUS GrowBagZ™ OR GrowPocketZ™ ONLY.
The first option to consider is if you would like GrowPocketZ™ only or if you would like to use GrowPocketZ™ PLUS GrowBagZ™.
What is the difference?
When you use GrowPocketZ™ only, you are planting directly into the pocket. Use this method for planting evergreens. When you use the GrowBagZ™ method, you plant in the GrowBagZ™ and place the GrowBagZ™ inside the pocket. Use this method when you want to plant annuals, herbs and perennials that need replacing.
The GrowBagZ™ are available separately at R20.00 each. You may choose to buy a panel with GrowPocketZ™ only and only buy GrowBagZ™ for the pockets where you would like to plant annuals or herbs.
What are the benefits of using the GrowPocketZ™ on their own?
Plant evergreens directly into the GrowPocketZ™ . They don’t need replacing, so planting them in GrowBagZ™ is unnecessary.
Note: Direct planting in GrowPocketZ™ requires more frequent watering. ( Daily in summer and every other day in winter)
Note: You vertical garden needs watering even when it is raining. Not enough water will drip into the pockets when it is raining.
What are the benefits of the GrowPocketZ™ PLUS GrowBagZ™ vertical gardening system?
The material we use to manufacture the GrowBagZ™is made out of recycled plastic cold drink bottles.
GrowBagZ™ provides excellent drainage which is especially important as many plants do not like wet roots.
3.GrowBagZ™ allows plant roots to breathe for optimal plant health. Unlike a plastic container, where roots go round in circles trying to breathe, roots can breathe while pruning themselves in the PatioScapes GrowBagZ™ and GrowPocketZ™.
4.The GrowBagZ™ fits snugly into the geo-fabric GrowPocketz™ . The GrowBagZ™ is interchangeable and maintains the integrity of each plant in its own soil.
5. The GrowBagZ™ has a built-in reservoir which saves water.
Note: Plants growing in vertical gardening systems require more frequent watering as the ability to retain water, using such a small amount of soil is very limited.
6. The GrowBagZ™ system allows you to grow a larger variety of plants, including plants like orchids, bromeliads and other speciality plants.
7. GrowBagZ™ promotes additional wicking and water retention.
8. The GrowBagZ™ system provides super easy maintenance.
When replacing a plant, simply remove the reusable GrowBagZ™ , remove the plant, rinse out the GrowBagZ™ and re-plant. No mess, no fuss. This is a great feature if you are growing annuals or if you want to replace plants or simply move your garden around.

domain: biology


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Visible gums, gummy smile
Do you have the impression that your gums are visible when you laugh? Do you tend to cover your mouth when you smile? You can stop feeling insecure; a gummy smile is treatable with botulinum toxin. You’re just a few pricks away from feeling happy about your smile.
We all love to see people smile. It radiates kindness and makes us feel warm towards them. A gummy smile is something a person is born with; the first signs often appear at an early age. If you feel that showing a lot of gum is not what you want when you smile, botulinum toxin treatment could be the solution you’ve been waiting for.
A gummy smile can be caused by various things; from problems with the teeth and lips, to the gum tissue itself.
Abnormal eruption of adult teeth as they move down can leave them looking shorter than they are, which disrupts the teeth to gum ratio (normal crown length for an adult tooth is around 10 millimeters), even though the tooth is the right size or shape.
Your upper lip plays a big part in the appearance of your smile; the average lip moves 6-8 millimeters when smiling, so when hyper-mobility occurs, the lip may rise too much, revealing more gum tissue. A short upper lip can also have this revealing effect that results in a smile overtaken by gum tissue.
The maxilla (the section of upper jaw that holds teeth) can sometimes be genetically predisposed to grow in a way that protrudes, creating the effect of a gummy smile.
The natural size and shape of teeth and the surrounding gum tissue are hereditary.
As our teeth wear out through use, they become shorter; our body responds by moving teeth downwards (upper jaw) and upwards (lower jaw) in a process called compensatory eruption. Gums follow this movement, increasing the perceived ratio of gum to tooth, creating a gummy smile.


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Even though it’s all things BBC all the time this week, there is still quite a bit of ‘industry shop talk’ going on in an around the convention centre and the hotel. Couple of things we’ve been able to pick up this week while taking a quick break from screening that seem to be making the rounds both on the Internets and in the screening center….
Sherlock to meet Doctor Who in Nov ’13?
Ok, it’s not quite Sherlock that would meet the Doctor, but the big rumor making its way around BBC Showcase in Liverpool late yesterday afternoon was the possibility of Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) being cast as The Master for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. While, thankfully, the most recent rumor to circulate through Twitter, the death of Rowan Atkinson, turned out to be a monumental hoax, let’s hope there is some major validity to this rumor as, I’m guessing, everyone in attendance here in Liverpool would line up to acquire this program once it becomes available.
I can usually make anything work in my head so with the 50th anniversary just over the horizon in November 2013, this makes sense on all counts. Both Sherlock and Doctor Who are headed by the brilliance of Steven Moffat, so they know each other well. Benedict will have ample time to master the art of the villain following his current role as the main villain in the upcoming Star Trek feature.
CBS’ Elementary adds Lucy Liu as ‘Dr. Watson’
This just continue to defy logic more and more by the day. It was announced earlier in the day that former Charlie’s Angels and Southland star, Lucy Liu, has been cast opposite Jonny Lee Miller in the new CBS present-day Sherlock Holmes series, Elementary, beginning this Fall. Personally, I’ve never known a series that jumps the shark prior to its premiere, but I’ve recently learned to never say never.
BBC Showcase screening update
I can’t let you get away thinking we took the day off from screening today and without a quick glimpse of a couple of shows we were able to get a sneak peek at today. More great drama, one on its way to PBS this Fall and another that might make its way to public television in the coming year…
Silk starring Rupert Penry-Jones
- From writer, Peter Moffat, this series, airing as part of PBS’ Masterpiece , is a thrilling legal drama that follows cutthroat world of a group of top end barristers. The series is tentatively set for an October 2012 premiere on PBS.
DCI Banks with Stephen Tompkinson
- Next up in a long line of brilliant detective dramas from the BBC comes DCI Banks, starring Steven Tompkinson (Ballykissangel, Wild at Heart) and Andrea Lowe (The Tudors). He’s tenacious, difficult and stubborn. She’s feisty and headstrong. Together, they make a great team.


These type of balances can be used for measuring and controlling/regulation/ the expense in flow of loose and liquid materials. The measuring works dynamical in portions. Balances are equipped with electro-pneumatic devices providing portion measuring of the flow.
maximum fright of portion
max. 0.02 kg.
time for measuring /report/ of one portion
max. 10 s.
maximum output of the flow
Shape of volume for measuring a portion
by the client’s wish
from -10 C°
to +40 C°
– autocalibration – indicator for output/ton in hour – accumulation /summing / the quantity for a


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I know I promised that I’d get to the story of how I actually put the wheels of change in motion that led me to successful weight loss. And we’re almost there. There’s so much in that piece of the big story, though, that I’m struggling with how to fit it into blog sized pieces. My plan is to begin telling that story next week. In the meantime, though, I’m going to catch you up on what’s occupying my thoughts and time right now.
Marathon training. That’s right. I’m training for a marathon, my first! A marathon is 26.2 miles, in case you weren’t sure, and signing up for it was one of those staring down fear moments. I’m 43 years old, have never run a marathon, and just started running a little over 2 years ago (that’s a story for another day, too). My sister tells me (affectionately!) that I’m a little bit crazy, and sometimes, when I think about running 26.2 miles, I think she might be right.
I’ve been told that the hardest thing about running a marathon is training for it. I’m finally at the point in my training where I’m starting to see the truth in that. Last November I ran my first half-marathon, and until race day, I’d never run 13 miles. Now, my training runs are 13 miles and getting longer. Total weekly mileage is increasing too, so running is taking more and more time.
Here I am after finishing the half-marathon, feeling exhilarated at my accomplishment.
It’s hard coming home from a 12 hour night shift and going for a run. Really hard. But I want to be a marathon finisher; I really, REALLY want to be a marathon finisher. So I lace up my running shoes, choose a favorite playlist, and hit the pavement.
Last fall, training for a 15K and then a half-marathon, we ran a lot of hills. In the Oklahoma heat, running hills just stinks. Our coach would hear us whining and say, “Don’t think about how hard it is; think about the fact that there’s air conditioning waiting for you when you finish. Think about how beautiful the trees are, what a gorgeous day it is.” In other words, don’t focus on the pain. Focus on the end result.
So if I want to be a marathoner, I’m just going to have to run the miles. I’ll just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other. There’s no two ways about it. It’s hard and sometimes not much fun, but I try to imagine what it will be like to cross the finish line at mile 26.2. I can’t wait to find out!
What goals do you have? What’s something you had to work hard at to accomplish or something you’re working on hard now to accomplish?

domain: sports


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The North American Collections Room on the second floor of the IHR opened its doors to readers last week. We are pleased to announce that over two-thirds of our American resources are now available on open access in the room. The resources are spread over 350 metres of shelf space and represent the strengths of the overall collection, including colonial North American History, Canadian history, the American Civil War, US western expansion, and early US constitutional history. The space is also home to the IHR’s English and Spanish Caribbean holdings.
Soon the room will be equipped with a projector and will provide a new base for several IHR seminars. It will also be used to host small workshops, book launches and other functions promoting American history in London. In this way, the library hopes that it will become a community space for students and researchers interested in early American history.
To mark the opening, the library will post a series of entries on the IHR blog devoted to a body of sources that constitute the backbone of our colonial American resources: archival series published by state and regional historical societies. All together, the IHR holds over 800 volumes of state historical society material relating to the history of the colonial and revolutionary periods. It is the largest open shelf collection of these resources in the UK. These volumes contain printed versions of a range of documents held in state archives, including – but by now means restricted to – personal correspondence, assembly minutes, and court records. The first blog post, to appear early next week, will focus on our New England resources.

domain: history


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I wish I had written this review sooner while all of the details were still fresh.
I do recall not being overly impressed but it's based on having stayed in spacious luxury hotels and resorts. By NYC standards, the room was somewhat large, definitely not cramped.
It was the week of my birthday, which I mentioned to the front desk in passing. To my delight and surprise a bottle of red wine was delivered to the room. Thank you!!!
The front desk staff was nice and I was suppose to mention them by name, but I have forgotten. My husband however does remember the housekeeper Samantha. No darling, we cannot bring her home with us.
The positive attributes are property location, size of room and price for these attributes. There is a hot tub an an area that is quite serene. Staff are courteous and reasonably friendly. There is a piano room and a business area that has two computers, a printer and internet access. There is a cozy sitting area up fron that has coffee and looks out onto 42nd Street. There is a deli right across the street that has typical deli breakfast food.
Head west and you are in the heart of Times Square, which is quite lively at night.
Would I stay here again, yes? Do I plan to? No because I want to try something else. I would definitely stay in this corridor. If it is the lowest cost option, I would book it without hesitation.
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domain: travel


text:
Russia’s Baltic Fleet completed its scheduled naval drills that involved up to 20 surface ships and support vessels, the Fleet’s press office reported on 10th April.
“During several days, the Fleet’s ships consolidated into tactical groups performed designated anti-submarine warfare, air defense and mine countermeasures assignments at the Baltic Sea naval ranges,” the press office.
During the drills, the warships’ crews fired artillery guns against air, sea and coastal targets of various complexity, carried out depth bombing and practiced mine and torpedo exercises, the statement says.
The tactical groupings comprising a total of up to 20 combat ships and support vessels included Project 20380 corvettes, amphibious assault ships and boats, small missile and anti-submarine warfare ships, missile boats and minesweepers and auxiliary fleet vessels, the press office specified.
After accomplishing the assigned missions at the Baltic Sea naval ranges, the warships returned to their home bases and switched to their planned combat training, the press office said.


text:
- PoliticsUSA TODAY Opinion
Donald Trump released his upcoming '60 Minutes' interview early. It's a big mistake. He whined that Lesley Stahl treated him unfairly. She didn't.
A sheriff's sergeant is questioning the rescued Zion National Park hiker's story, saying there's no way she could have survived for 2 weeks off river water
Holly Courtier was found in Utah's Zion National Park on Sunday, nearly two weeks after she disappeared on a day hike.
- PoliticsBusiness Insider
A Colorado trailer park owner says he'll raise his tenants' rent if Biden wins the election, or freeze it if Trump wins
"Voting is your choice and we are not telling you how to vote...If Trump wins, we all win. If Biden wins, we all lose," the letter reads.
- EntertainmentEntertainment Weekly
Watch Adele, who makes her hosting debut on the show this weekend, try out her best American accent.


BMW took the sheets off the M4 GTS, a car developed and designed by BMW M GmbH, which is BMW's subsidiary and performance arm, and revealed a piece of art with the sexiest of growls and the bite to match the look.
BMW has finally taken the leash off the M4 GTS, which it first introduced as the water-injected GTS concept earlier this year, and boy, does it run. It charted a 7.28-minute lap time on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, which is one of the world's premiere racing circuits.
With its lap time, the M4 GTS is tied up with the Ferrari 458 Italia for spot No. 26 in the Nürburgring Top 100 list. Both cars are seated above the 2003 Porsche Carrera GT and the McLaren MP4-12C.
"At the same time, the sharpest BMW M4 of all - like its BMW M stablemates - can also hold its own on public roads," said BMW in a press release.
BMW M GmbH revealed that it will produce 700 special limited edition M4 GTS as its tribute to the BMW M3's 30 years in production, which started in 1986. Furthermore, with the production of the limited edition, the company also puts the spotlight on the M technology innovations, for powertrains, lightweight construction front and chassis, that are pioneered by BMW M engineers.
The German automobile manufacturer also announced that it will be releasing 300 out of the 700 M4 GTS special limited edition to the North American market. This is the company's first venture, with the high-performance special editions of M3/M4 line, in North America.
"Special-edition models like the BMW M3 GT, BMW M3 CSL, BMW M3 GTS and BMW M3 CRT have a decades-long tradition in our mid-size line-up - and that continues with the BMW M4," said BMW M GmbH CEO Frank van Meel. "Owners can drive their BMW M4 GTS to circuits such as Spa-Francorchamps, the Nürburgring or Laguna Seca - for clubsport events, for example - and then set lap times there that raise the bar to extremely high levels for road-legal cars."
The M4 GTS is powered by the same 3.0L six-cylinder in-line turbo engine found at the heart of BMW's M3/M4 offerings. However, the GTS is fitted with BMW's proprietary water injection technology, which significantly raises the output to 500 hp. The average M4 has 425 ponies, which is still more than what most cars have.
The addition of a water-injection system also raised the torque to 442 lb-ft. It hits a top speed of 189.5 mph and goes from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. Even with all the performance increases however, according to BMW, the car still keeps a respectable 34 mpg.
"This makes the BMW M4 GTS the most agile, radical and dynamically potent model in the range," said BMW.
The vehicle's agility is furthered by the lightweight materials that were used. The center console, rear seat paneling, boot area partition, doors and even the side panels are all made of lightweight material. The bucket seats are carbon fiber. The bonnet, adjustable splitter and roof are all composed of CFRP (carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic). The rear wing is machined aluminum. The result is an M4 with a DIN curb weight of 1.510 metric tons
"Its outstanding weight-to-power ratio of 3.0 kg/hp provides the perfect platform for a highly dynamic driving experience," noted BMW.
The M4 GTS will be shipped out with a seven-speed M DCT (M Double Clutch Transmission) and LED lamps, which will incorporate BMW's Selective Beam and Adaptive Headlights technology.


Mick Carter will confront his former friend Stuart Halfway tonight over his former best friend's horrifying abuse of Tina.
Tina returned back to Walford and discovered that Mick's former best friend was behind her previous torment.
Mick also found out the truth after previously doubting that his friend could do such a despicable thing.
Viewers were similarly disgusted when they found out the truth earlier this month.
Terrified Tina recounted the fateful night that Stuart took their game of 'torturer' way too far.
Ex-girlfriend Sonia realised she was struggling after she started crying at work and pleaded with her to reveal the truth.
She said: "There was this thing that happened when I was 19, 20, and last night in the club it came flooding back. All of it."
Tina broke down in tears as she came to the realisation that Stuart was behind her horrific ordeal.
She blacked out during a drunken night out with Mick's friends and woke up half naked in the boot of a car with the song Stuart used to taunt her playing.
Explaining what happened, she said: "lying in the boot of the car and I’ve lost half my clothes and my arms and my legs are tied up.
"And I can taste like plastic in my mouth and there's sticky tape tied all the way round my face and it’s cutting into my cheeks. And I've got sick in my mouth like acid making me gag but I couldn’t."
Tina believed she was going to die as Stuart tried to convince her she would die by burning tyres.
She was eventually let out of the boot by a tramp and discovered the word "s***" written in lipstick on her back.
Sonia convinced Tina that she had to warn Mick about his disgusting friend.
Watching the pair together, Tina said: "It's all him. He is evil. And he’s gonna pay."
Horrified EastEnders viewers took to Twitter after watching the heartbreaking scenes.
One viewer said: "It's so sad to hear about Tina's past and.. my heart is breaking for (Tina)"
Poor Tina, how awful.. Stuart is truly a psychopath," added another.
A third said: "That scene was emotional Tina Carter had me crying well done"
*EastEnders airs on Monday night on BBC One at 8pm


There are many firearms / personal security experts who recommend the lever rifle for home defense. Just look at YouTube for many examples, but to name a few, Ralph Mroz, Michael Bane, Steven Wenger, etc. The limiting factor on use of the lever rifle is the ability or lack of ability to add tactical lights and optics. Even the "angle eject" Winchester 94's, and I've got a few by the way, have scope mounting options that are not really useful for anything other than traditional telescopic scopes. Red dot optics can not be mounted to those rifles. Not wanting to start a Winchester vs. Marlin debate, but I will just say that although Marlins can be drill/tapped for more flexible mounting options on top of the receiver, they are more big and clunky, less "handy", than the Winchesters and I would not want to be in the middle of defending myself and have the dreaded "Marlin Jam" happen to me.
So, putting all of that together, there is probably a role for the Mossberg "tactical" lever rifles. I never got one, because I don't need it (have other options for home defense), but I am not opposed to their product and like i said, the concept of the lever action personal defense rifle is a good one that has backing from some of the more practical trainers who do not just fall for whatever the latest craze is at the moment. For example, Ralph Mroz talks about lever rifles for home defense in books and articles from over 10 years ago.


text: Marblehead High School’s academic year will begin on Tuesday. Freshmen should arrive by 7:55 a.m. and meet in the school’s theater. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors should arrive by 9:30 a.m. and meet in their homerooms. On Wednesday, all students should arrive at 7:55 a.m. and report to their A block class. There will be no school on Rosh Hashana, the Jewish holiday, on Thursday and Friday.


text:
TOKYO - A strong earthquake hit off the coast of northeastern Japan late Saturday, shaking Fukushima, Miyagi and other areas, but there was no threat of a tsunami, officials said.
The Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, which had meltdowns following a massive quake and tsunami 10 years ago, was checking to see whether there were any problems following the magnitude 7.1 quake. There were no immediate reports of irregularities from other nuclear plants in the area, such as Onagawa or Fukushima Dai-ni, government spokesperson Katsunobu Kato told reporters.
There were no immediate reports of injuries. Tokyo Electric Power Co. said that some 860,000 homes were without power as a result of the quake, according to Kato.
Kato said there was no danger of a tsunami from the quake. He said that some trains in northeastern Japan had stopped running, and that other damage was still being checked.
Video from public broadcaster NHK TV showed some pieces of a building wall had broken off and fallen to the ground. Items fell off shelves because of the shaking, NHK said.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake was centered about 60 kilometers (37 miles) beneath the ocean bed.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga headed into his office immediately after reports of the quake, where a crisis center has been set up.
The shaking was felt in Tokyo, to the southwest.
The same northeastern area was slammed by a quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in March 2011. Experts are warning of aftershocks over the next several days, including possibly larger quakes.

domain: geography


text:
I recently entered a contest for a BARNEY DVD. Only because Ty's best friend is Purple and Barney and it is one that WE DO NOT HAVE!!
Well we got an email yesterday with a shouting HOORAY! Ty and I won. Sprouts is giving us a copy of the movie lend a helping hand with Barney, Bob the Builder and Fifi and ROARY! I am sure Kipper will be thrown in there to!
Thanks to LOVE THAT MAX and them hosting such a fun contest!! And a Special shout out to MAX who LOVES purple to!
We will let you know how the movie is and how much we love it all ready.
Thanks again Ellen. LOVE IT!


text:
Another year comes to an end.
Again I am going to attempt the Project 365 photos. I even made a Front Page for the album using a freebie from Digi Deborah Designs called Just Life. She is not a paid designer and hangs out at DigiScraps Drive-In.
She told me it was the first time someone showed her what they used her mini for. It was a thrill for her.
That is all for right now. I need to make a couple of layouts so I will be back with them to show off.
Until next time,
3 years ago

domain: design


- 11 Mar 20
Exploration of love across generations remains sadly underdeveloped
Name a mainstream non-comedy romance film about two black characters, that isn’t largely defined by hardship and tragedy. Compared to the amount of romance films featuring white characters, and the amount of films featuring black characters enduring oppression, violence and tragedy, the number of films just letting black characters be in love is depressingly low.
Enter The Photograph, directed by Stella Meghie (Insecure, Grownish). Insecure’s Issa Rae plays Mae, a Queens gallery curator who has just lost her mother Christina, a talented photographer who once said during an interview, “I wish I was as good at love as I am working. I wish I didn’t leave people behind so often.”
It’s a sentiment understood by Michael (Lakeith Stanfield, Sorry To Bother You), a journalist working on a story about Christina in the midst of a break-up and a possible move to London. When he meets Mae, however, these two ambitious, emotionally guarded characters fall for each other quickly, and struggle with how much of themselves they want to give. Flashbacks to 1980s Louisiana show young lovers Christina (Chanté Adams) and doting fisherman Isaac (Y’lan Noel) navigating the same struggle, as Christina feels stifled by small-town life.
It’s fine to have low stakes in a multi-generational exploration of love, but Meghie’s screenplay sadly doesn’t flesh out the bare-bones plot with compelling character detail. Michael and Rae’s conversations are dull and unenlightening, and their characters are always defined in relation to other people; Christina and Mae are compared to their mothers; Michael to his settled-down brother. There’s also a lack of chemistry between Stanfield and Rae, and a badly edited PG-13 sex scene doesn’t help. Likewise, the soundtrack of atmospheric jazz strives to inject tension, turmoil and passion, though only emphasises how little of that we see onscreen.
Rob Morgan (Just Mercy) as an older Isaac gets the knock-out line of the film, saying of Christina, “I didn’t know how to be with a woman I had to keep up with.” It’s a level of insight and emotion the film should have brought to all of its characters. But The Photograph remains (sorry) underdeveloped.
Written and directed by Stella Meghie. Starring Issa Rae, Lakeith Stanfield, Chanté Adams, Y’lan Noel, Lil Rel Howery, Courtney B. Vance. 106 mins.
In cinemas now.


text:
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Turkey Day once more here in the US. We'll be heading over to friends soon for the traditional meal.
Wargaming-wise, I'm making progress with painting the ECW figures. As mentioned before I'm building up the Army of the Eastern Association, and I chose to begin with Edward Montagu's regiment of foot. The musketeers are now finished and in the early basing stage, and the pike and command element are on the painting block and undercoated.
I did put an officer with the musketeers, but decided in the end to keep with just the one command element, which explains the missing man space at the rear of the right-hand base.
Montagu's regiment was issued russet uniforms. Now, I always thought russet had a lot more of a reddish tint than it subsequently proved to have...
Let's face it, it's bloody near khaki, and not the most exciting colour for a uniform. I decided to break things up a little and have some figures wearing muted blues, greens and rusty black here and there, and it seems to have worked.
I did toy with the idea of having the command element as a separate base so they could 'lead units into battle,' but decided for convenience to base them with the pike block. The pike block itself will be a single base and have a frontage of eight figures three ranks deep, with the commander, standard and drummer in the rear rank where they'd naturally be in the course of battle. In the ECW the better armoured troops were placed in the first two ranks and that's what I'll do, with a couple of unarmoured pikemen in the rank with the commander.

domain: hobby


- Approval Process for Verifying Learning (PDF)
- How to verify external learning in LearningLink (PDF)
- How to Submit an SF-182 (PDF)
The U.S. Department of Labor will be conducting scheduled system maintenance beginning Friday, February 15 at 5:00 p.m. ET through Tuesday, February 19 at 8:00 a.m. ET. Most DOL websites and web systems will be affected and unavailable to the public.


text:
Five victims of North Korea's abductions of Japanese citizens, including Kaoru Hasuike, now 66, were returned to Japanese soil by Pyongyang on October 15, 2002. Twenty-one years have already passed since they were freed.
However, Pyongyang has not responded to the desperate appeals of the families of the abductees remaining in North Korea for their immediate return to Japan. Furthermore, negotiations to resolve the abductions issue are making no progress. Pyongyang simply has announced that Megumi Yokota and the other remaining abductees are "dead."
Nonetheless, the abductions issue remains very much alive even now.
Speaking at a gathering in Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture, on October 15, Hasuike said: "We must be resolved. If the surviving parents cannot be united with their children who are waiting to return home to Japan, then there can be no resolution of the problem."
Time and Aging
Sakie Yokota, Megumi's mother, is already 87 years old. Keiko Arimoto's father Akihiro is 95 years old. They are the only parents of abductees officially acknowledged by the government who are still alive today. There is clearly no time to lose in bringing their loved ones home.
Hasuike also said, "We need to broadly raise public consciousness of the issue and show North Korea that it is being passed down, especially to the younger generations and the youngest generations."
A growing generation has no first-hand memory of the shocking images of Hasuike and others descending the ramp from the specially chartered plane at Haneda Airport when they returned from North Korea that fall day. Nonetheless, members of this generation, too, are highly conscious of the abductions issue.
Young Generations Know and Care
Reports of The Sankei Shimbun have been providing "special lectures" on the abductions issue for elementary and junior high schools in various regions. Many classes pepper them with questions non-stop.
For example, when asked the question, "North Korea says that Megumi and the others are 'dead,' so why does Japan keep saying 'send them home'?"
The reporter will explain that information has come to light about Megumi being alive after the "date of death" alleged by North Korea. Also, her "remains" returned by Pyongyang were examined and found to be those of an entirely different person.
'What Can We Do to Help?'
There is one question that is invariably asked by the young students after their awareness has been refreshed: "What can we do to help?"
The answer is simple: They can talk a lot about the abductions issue with family members and friends. They should also think about the victims and their families and want to help them as soon as possible. And then say it out loud.
Mr Hasuike also answered this question during the recent gathering in Yonago. He said: "That is why we ask you to attend meetings like this and sign our petitions. That news will be sent by radio to North Korea."
Organizers believe that to spur the Japanese government to further action and make North Korea realize that, in Mr Hasuike's words, "it will not be able to envision a bright future without resolving the abductions issue," it is necessary to arouse the anger of all Japanese citizens.
- The Abductions: Kishida Eager for 'Direct, High-Level Discussions' and Possible Summit with Kim
- Hope: One Last Push for Megumi’s Freedom
- Letter to Megumi: Abductees' Families Make Difficult Concession for Breakthrough
(Read the editorial in Japanese.)
Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun

domain: politics


text:
How to Make a Large Compost Pile: A Step-by-Step Guide to Sustainable Gardening
Gardening enthusiasts are constantly seeking innovative and eco-friendly ways to nourish their plants and improve soil quality. One such method gaining popularity is creating large compost piles, which not only helps reduce waste but also enriches the garden with nutrient-rich organic matter. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of making a large compost pile step by step.
Why Opt for a Large Compost Pile?
The Benefits of Going Big:
- Nutrient-Rich Soil: A larger pile allows for better decomposition, resulting in highly fertile compost that enhances plant growth.
- Efficient Waste Management: By utilizing a larger space, you can accommodate more organic materials while reducing landfill waste.
- Promotes Biodiversity: The increased volume supports diverse microorganisms responsible for breaking down organic matter into valuable humus.
Gathering the Necessary Materials
To get started on your large compost pile project, gather these essential materials:
- Brown Material (carbon-rich): Examples include dried leaves, straw, sawdust, or shredded newspaper.
- Green Material (nitrogen-rich): Vegetable scraps, grass clippings, coffee grounds are excellent choices.
- Aeration Tools: Forks or pitchforks will help turn and aerate the pile regularly.
- Adequate Space: Choose an area in your garden with enough room for your desired size of the compost pile. Ideally around three feet wide and tall to ensure proper decomposition.
- Water Source: Composting requires moisture, so ensure a nearby water source is available for occasional watering.
Building Your Large Compost Pile
Step 1: Choose the Perfect Spot
Select a location that receives partial sunlight and has good drainage. Avoid placing the pile too close to trees or structures that may restrict airflow or impede accessibility.
Step 2: Layering Brown and Green Materials
Create Balanced Layers:
- Lay down a thick layer of brown material as the foundation, around six inches deep.
- Add a layer of green material on top, approximately three inches deep.
- Alternate between these layers until you reach your desired pile height (around three feet).
Step 3: Moisture Management
Adequate Hydration is Key:
- Spray water over each layer as you build up the compost pile. Aim for dampness similar to a wrung-out sponge throughout the entire pile.
- In dry weather conditions, periodically moisten the compost heap to maintain optimal moisture levels necessary for successful decomposition.
Step 4: Regular Turning and Aeration
Mix It Up:
li>To expedite decomposition and prevent unpleasant odors, regularly turn your compost using forks or pitchforks every two weeks. This allows oxygen to permeate through the materials and promotes faster breakdown.
Caring for Your Large Compost Pile
Step 1: Proper Monitoring
Keep a close eye on your compost pile to ensure optimum conditions for decomposition.
- Check the moisture levels regularly and adjust as needed. The pile should remain moist but not waterlogged.
- Monitor the temperature using a compost thermometer, aiming for an optimal range of 135-160°F (57-71°C) to facilitate microbial activity.
Step 2: Troubleshooting Common Issues
- If the pile smells unpleasant, it may indicate excessive moisture or inadequate airflow. Turn the heap more frequently and add dry brown material to balance it out.
- Inadequate decomposition indicates insufficient nitrogen. Add more green material such as grass clippings or kitchen scraps, ensuring proper layering with brown materials.

domain: agronomy


On behalf of California-based developer Mark IV Capital, the Phoenix office of JLL has completed a 66,158-square-foot lease at Chandler Freeway Crossing, a 40-acre, four-building office park located at the intersection of the Loop 101 and Loop 202 in Chandler, according to a news release
The lease will relocate and expand the Phoenix office for a technology-based tenant into 2625 @ Chandler Freeway Crossing, a 160,000-square-foot, Class A office building located at 2625 W. Geronimo Place, according to the release. The building sits within the larger Chandler Freeway Crossing office park, at the southwest corner of Geronimo Place and Ellis Road. The name of the tenant has not been disclosed.
Features of the new 2625 @ Chandler Freeway Crossing include a multi-story lobby, 14-foot ceilings, an amenitized ground-level patio and a rooftop deck with unobstructed 360-degree views. It offers a 6.5/1,000 parking ratio, parking garage with building access and freeway frontage that includes a 60-foot tall monument sign. The building is also Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified, denoting its sustainable site development, indoor environmental quality and environmentally friendly use of power, water and materials.