text:
As the cliché goes, sometimes we have to be the change we want to see in the world. For Corey Lakel Pruitt, the change he hungers for is a more diverse, representational comic book landscape. While he saw the industry evolving, Pruitt wanted to be part of what helped it evolve more quickly, more fully. From that and a lifelong love of super hero team comic books, came the idea for LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD.
As time passed, the idea began to grow and take shape. Meanwhile, the divisions between those who were on-board with the industry growing and becoming more reflective of the real world and those that saw any attempts at representation as bad for comics grew starker.
After a chance visit to a DeviantArt page, Pruitt became aware of artist Elijah Johnson. The die, as they say, had been cast. Through conversations, the two began to realize Pruitt’s initial idea more fully. Before long, it became clear that the time had come to go for it. Two weeks ago, the duo launched the LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD Kickstarter page and have just recently surpassed their $4,000 goal!
I spoke with the writer via Skype to explore how the idea was born, how it took shape, and what it feels like to be on the precipice of realizing LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD in all its four-color glory.
ComicsVerse (CV): Just to begin with, give us the bare bones description of LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD. For those entirely unfamiliar with it, what are we looking at here?
Corey Lakel Pruitt: Oh man, ok.
I came up with this idea years ago. The name of the group is the Leaders of the Free World. My idea for the book has always been–
You know, I’m 35. I’ve been reading comics since I was three years old. I’m a big fan of the team books. JUSTICE LEAGUE, AVENGERS, stuff like that. But my favorite group of all time has always been the X-MEN.
One of the many reasons why is that I am from California. It is basically a melting pot out here. We have people from Mexico, from Russia, born and raised here…people from all over the world. They all love and come to California.
So that’s what I know. I just know the melting pot. That’s why I like the X-Men. Because not only did they have a diverse lineup, they had members from all over. Again, they had someone from Russia. They had Banshee from Ireland. Wolfsbane was Scottish. Nightcrawler, German. So on and so forth. So many of them are from all over.
So when I was reading the JUSTICE LEAGUE one time, my question was — I said, “If this is supposed to be the world’s greatest heroes, how come they’re almost all American? Except for two of them who are from fictional countries: Aquaman from Atlantis and Wonder Woman from Themyscira. How is everyone else American?” That was a question for me, as someone who grew up around so many different people from all over the world.
So I wanted to make a team, these Leaders of the Free World, that was from people all over the world that could still come together and stand up to protect the world.
CV: That’s especially interesting given the global climate these days.
Corey Lakel Pruitt: That goes into the story.
They basically have to come together and form their own nation pretty much. They can’t exist together in any one of each other’s home countries so they have to form their own to protect the planet.
CV: Speaking of those characters, please give us a rundown of the main players.
Corey Lakel Pruitt: While growing up, I was a big fan of DRAGONBALL Z, so I always liked the monkey tail. Also, I have a friend from China who told me about the Monkey King and those stories, so I’ve had a lot of interest in that for awhile, like always.
The main character, the one you are going to probably see the most of, is Cong Li — Surreal — who has just become the new Monkey King. Every generation, the Monkey King gets resurrected and it is always in the body of this one bloodline of Chinese people. But this time, the Monkey King gets resurrected in a Chinese-American person. So Surreal is the first Monkey King who was not born in China. He was born to Chinese immigrants in San Francisco. There’s this huge Chinatown area out there and that’s where he’s from.
Because he is the first American Monkey King a lot of the elders have to teach him the ways. There’s conflict there. He’s a big hip hop head like I am so he’s always in a hip hop shirt, he has this kind of attitude. He’s kind of like the young punk kid of the group, representing America.
CV: So there is even a culture clash within him before he’s part of the Leaders of the Free World?
Corey Lakel Pruitt: Right, yeah.
The next one is Eco, the son of Gaia. Growing up I watched a lot of CAPTAIN PLANET. [laughs]
As you can tell, everything I do is influenced by my childhood. [laughs]
So, to me, because I grew up on CAPTAIN PLANET, Gaia is a black woman.
CV: Why couldn’t she be?
Corey Lakel Pruitt: Yeah, absolutely. That’s just how I see her.
So Eco is her son. His mom tried to instill in him a sense of purpose, to be a champion of the whole world. But he really doesn’t want to do that. So, instead, he decided to do what we’d all do if we had super powers. He decided to become a wrestler.
CV: Makes sense.
Corey Lakel Pruitt: So he’s become this wrestler and his mom is giving him crap about it. “What are you doing? You are more than this.” However, when the time comes, he ends up joining the Leaders of the Free World.
Then there’s Doctor Séance. Every time I show him to people, I get a reaction. They’re always like, “Wow, what’s up with this guy?!”
I love Doctor Doom. People call me Task because Taskmaster was my favorite villain growing up. I just really like villains; I think villains are a lot of fun. I always thought, “What if a villain was forced to be on a team with only super heroes?”
That’s Doctor Séance. He’s this old entity that’s been around for years, this ancient entity. He realizes to take over the world, he has to work with other heroes to take out all the other threats. He may be this old Aztec god but he’s rolling with the team because he needs them for the moment.
They all know he is evil. They all expect him to betray them at some point. At this moment, though, both sides are like, “You know what, we could use each other now.”
Have you ever watched FIREFLY?
CV: Yes, definitely.
Corey Lakel Pruitt: I love Jayne from FIREFLY. Basically he’s like Jayne. Doctor Séance is not a good guy, he’s just there for his own purposes. He is sure he could take over the team at any moment. He’s the anti-hero of the team.
Corey Lakel Pruitt: Then I have Tech-Neek. She is from the island of Samoa and has a dog named Doohickey.
CV: Ah, ok. So that’s the dog.
Corey Lakel Pruitt: Tech-Neek has a twin brother. They were like the smartest kids in the world. They had always wanted to be super heroes but they didn’t have any powers so they made a suit. With this suit, they could stand along other super heroes and it enabled them to control all sorts of robotics.
At first, the brother ran the suit but something happened. He got hurt so now it is up to her to run it. But she didn’t create this one, her brother did. So they have to work together, the brother telling her how to do things and her making that work.
A big favorite of mine is Firestorm and I love that idea. That he has all this power but he can’t use it.
CV: He needs that second person.
Corey Lakel Pruitt: You got it. He needs someone to teach him to do this, to tell him to do that and that. That’s kind of how it is for them. She doesn’t really know what she’s doing so the brother is in her head.
CV: I like that there is a theme of people having to rely on others to show them their path, to teach them how to be heroes.
Corey Lakel Pruitt: Exactly.
Tech-Neek also has Doohickey. When they first created a suit, they tested it on their dog. Unfortunately, it ended up killing the dog, but it kind of came back to life as this robotic creature type thing. He’s on the team. He’s nice, he still acts like a dog, but you can tell there’s a part of him that’s kind of Terminator-ish. There are signs when he gets kind of scary and everyone reacts. Think W3 by Grant Morrison.
CV: I like that inspiration.
Corey Lakel Pruitt: It’s great. That’s where I got the beginnings of the idea for him.
Then there’s Medic. There were two angels who came to Earth. One was the Angel of War and one as the Angel of Mercy. The Angel of War was sent to prepare for the Rapture but instead she fell in love with this guy so she didn’t end up doing it. What she didn’t know was who she fell in love with was the Angel of Mercy.
So here’s the Angel of War and the Angel of Mercy and they end up falling in love and, accidentally, having this baby. Now, this is prohibited. They had to leave the baby on Earth and go back up to the Heavens. The baby ended up being raised in the Philippines and grew up to be Medic.
She’s a combination of both her parents. She has mom’s tendency towards fighting but she can also heal like her father. She has to keep herself balanced so she’s the most well-grounded of the Leaders of the Free World. She’s also the leader, the Chairwoman.
Then, lastly, we have Moonshine. In this world, the first super heroes came from other planets on some Superman stuff. They were the ones that set up the rules. They teamed up with the United Nations and helped other people around the world get their powers.
As humans, though, you know, we just bring destruction and war. So with the powers everyone just went to battle with one another over who would rule the world.
The beings that came ended it, saying, “Alright, everyone go back to your countries and just stay there.” That’s the rules. They police them.
Moonshine was part of this original group. She came with them but didn’t like how the rules were going so she got kicked out. She had become this drunk party girl. Basically, her powers — flight, strength, durability — are like Superman’s. His come from the sun, hers come from the moon.
Her original super hero name was Lunar but the media started calling her Moonshine because of the drinking. The thing is, though, she’s cold, cold all the time. She found that the only thing that consistently warmed her up inside on Earth was drinking alcohol. So she’s addicted and she started drinking all the time. When the media started calling her Moonshine she just thought, “Screw it, that’s my name now.”
She joined up with the group because, really, she doesn’t have anywhere else to go. She’s still a pompous jerk — “we are the superior race, we are the superior people.” The team has to check her a lot.
CV: I know that looking at things online that the early popular designs are Doohickey and Doctor Séance right now. That puts me in the mind of your collaborator Eli Johnson. How did you two end up hooking up with each other for this?
Corey Lakel Pruitt: I was on Reddit and I just posted my idea on the site. I said, “Hey, I would like to find an artist.” So this guy reached out to me and said, “I just had someone do this piece for me.” He sent me to Eli’s DeviantArt page and he had this Rogue piece he drew.
I was like, “Wow, this is gorgeous.” So I just sent him this email introducing myself and my idea. “Can we work out?” And he said, “Yeah, just send me some thoughts.” So I did and then he sent some back; we really just started to send one another all sorts of ideas.
A year and a half later, here we are.
CV: How has the collaboration been?
Corey Lakel Pruitt: When it comes to doing a comic with an artist, you really have to mesh to make it work. You could find someone who can draw but that doesn’t mean they’ll be right for you or the project. They might not be able to bring your ideas or your words from your head to the page.
For us, it was a long process, but we did eventually get on the right page. That’s why we worked together so well because we had gotten to know each other by talking so much. That was important to me, that we would talk a lot. We need that communication to make sure we are on the same page.
Interestingly, we came to find out he’s also in the same state as me. I was like, “Dude, I’m like 6 hours away from you.”
CV: How did the design process work for you and Eli? How did the ideas take shape? When he showed his work was it as though he pulled them straight from your head or were you surprised by how he interpreted them and brought them to life? Like, “Actually, I love this more than I pictured.”
Corey Lakel Pruitt: It was a mix of both. When it comes to my writing, my explanations, I can be pretty thorough. I know exactly what I want and I’ll tell him that.
But I also want to make it his as well. Because, to me, this isn’t just my book. I see it as him and I’s book. To me, it is important to prove that an artist is just as important to the book as I am.
For example, with Moonshine. I am a big fan of the leather jacket over the costume look. You know, like that era of the Avengers with Black Knight, Hercules, Sersi and so forth.
CV: Oh yes, very. [laughs]
Corey Lakel Pruitt: That! I love that look. If I ever write for Marvel, I’m bringing that look back! [laughs] I just love that look!
With Moonshine, I told Eli, the jacket over spandex. That’s what I want!
He came up and said, “What if I did it like?” and he drew parts of it and sent it to me. I said, “This is perfect!” He just got it. And it was like that throughout. I gave him my ideas and he designed them from there.
CV: That’s awesome.
I know from talking to you and looking at the project online that the cultural aspects of each character were really important to you. How did you go about researching the cultures and experiences you wanted to utilize and deciding how much should be folded into the character?
Corey Lakel Pruitt: I have a job, I work in an office, for the State of California.
Yes, I am one of those state job people.
CV: So is my wife, so I’m not mad at you. [laughs]
Corey Lakel Pruitt: [laughs] [My office] has a lot of people from a lot of different cultures. When I have a question about a culture or tradition, I’ll go out to lunch with someone who has experienced those things or grown up with that culture and just absorb all the information I can.
For example, for Doctor Séance, I talked to a doctor I work with. He was from Mexico and his college degree was in History. He would tell me all about the older history, like the Aztec civilization. Or we’d talk about Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, and how I could incorporate that into the character.
You’re right. The culture aspect is important. I want to make sure I do that well. For me, you know — everybody’s talking about diversity, diversity, diversity. But I don’t want just diversity, I want representation. I want these people to be seen and heard as well. That’s what’s important.
People ask, “Why was Black Panther so important when there has been other super hero movies with black characters?” Representation was the answer. Black people felt represented by that film, not just like they saw people they looked like just being there.
I want to capture that with my team as well. I hope I do a good job.
CV: Another area where I know you have been striving for diversity and representation is online as a part of the group “Do You Even Comic Book?” How has your positive and negative experiences being part of that group informed your commitment to representation in LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD? How did inspire you?
Corey Lakel Pruitt: Well… that is a good question. [laughs]
When we started Do You Even Comic Book?, it was important to us that everyone be included.
It was important to get different voices because it can be easy to be part of an echo chamber online. I wanted to make sure I could talk to people about things, not just assume.
I would talk to people in the group about, “what if I did this, what would that mean,” or “if I have a character say this, is that something that might happen.” I’d also make sure to really engage with the women. What would they like to see in a comic book. A lot of women, I think, feel that they are not represented well in comic books. Hey, I think they often aren’t.
So I am getting a lot of ideas from them and I’m bouncing off other ideas. That helped, and every time that inspired me to make sure I was getting it right.
Then there was ComicsGate and everything they are doing. I was like, “You know, I don’t agree with what they’re doing, at all, so I’m going make my own stuff to show what people want and like, not just let them dictate to us what [comics] should be.” Know what I’m saying?
That really motivated me, which was good, because this is not an easy job.
And I hope that I can inspire other people to make their own stuff as well by doing this.
CV: Taking us through the timeline: at this point, you have had the idea for LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD, you’ve found Eli as a collaborator, and he’s created the designs. When do you or you two reach the idea that you want to take it to Kickstarter? Why did it make sense?
Corey Lakel Pruitt: I noticed a lot of people had been going to Kickstarter. I met a few people at conventions who had done their own Kickstarters, successfully. One was Marcus Williams who got funding for his comic book TUSKEGEE HEIRS. He gave me information on it and it inspired me.
I started doing research — I’m a research guy. I looked into what people had done that had successful campaigns. This might sound cocky or arrogant of me, but I’m the type of person that sees people doing things and thinks that if they can accomplish that thing then I should be able to, too. “If this guy can do it, I can do it, too.” That’s just how I think. The only difference is this person is doing it and we’re not. So I just said, “Let’s go for it.”
I did a lot of research. I bought a book by Greg Pak. He has a bunch of successful Kickstarters so I started to ask him all kinds of questions and he sold me his guide on how to have a successful Kickstarter campaign. I just studied it and then threw [the campaign] out there.
I’m someone who learns from his mistakes and looking back there’s a lot of things I would do differently now. But I just hope other people can see how we did it and take what works and change what didn’t to do something better next time.
One thing my parents always said to me is “Smart people learn from their mistakes, wise people learn from the mistakes of others.”
CV: I like that.
Corey Lakel Pruitt: Exactly. So I feel like I am throwing myself out there and hopefully I can spark someone else’s brain so they’ll say, “I’m gonna do it but unlike Corey, I’m going to do this differently. I’m gonna add this and take away that.”
To me, I’m like if I can get someone else to do it and be successful, I’m ok with that as well. That’s why when people say stuff like I’m a horrible, mean person, I’m like, “For real?” [laughs]
Listen, I have a job. My wife has a job. We have a beautiful house, we have beautiful kids. I’m doing this because I just want to do it. This is something I love doing, something from a culture that raised and I want to give back to it. No matter how it works out, I’m going to feel like I tried something I loved, I did it, and I had a good time.
For me, I want my artist to get over. Hopefully he can go on to do things for Marvel, DC, Image, so on and so forth. Because [Eli] is incredible.
CV: The art I’ve seen has been impressive.
Corey Lakel Pruitt: I know! Thank you and I’ll let him know.
CV: In terms of the Kickstarter, you are over two weeks in now?
Corey Lakel Pruitt: Yes sir.
CV: And how much time is left?
Corey Lakel Pruitt: At this point, about 14 days. We aren’t there yet, but we’re gonna get there. I’m excited to finally get the project itself going.
CV: I know right out of the gate, you were already at around half.
Corey Lakel Pruitt: I was shocked by that number. We did that 50% in like a day.
But let me say, hitting the launch button was like the scariest thing I ever did.
Oh man. Because when you finally get everything approved and the Kickstarter people said, “All you have to do is hit this button–” I started sweating. [laughs] I was like, “Oh my God.”
CV: It becomes real.
Corey Lakel Pruitt: But someone made a great point to me: “You’ve come this far, why stop now? You might as well just go now.” So we launched it and as you can tell, people were excited for it.
CV: If you could step over me and talk directly to people who aren’t excited yet or who are just hearing about this for the first time, what would you say to them? What would be your elevator pitch to get them into LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD and the Kickstarter?
Corey Lakel Pruitt: LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD. Basically it is a celebration of comic book culture. If you like great characters with great interactions and a diverse representational cast go pick it up. I write my action scenes like I’ve been chosen to write an action movie and I have an unlimited budget. Over the top craziness, space fights, animals transforming into tanks, dragons…all of it. Eli got some of the scripts and said, “Oh my God, I’ve never had to draw anything like that before.” I’m like, “Exactly. EXACTLY!”
CV: Might as well go for it, right?
Corey Lakel Pruitt: That’s how I see it. My imagination is so big that I feel like I can do scenes no one has ever seen before. So help a brother fulfill his dreams. A celebration of comic book culture. Give it a shot.
If you’d like to follow Pruitt’s excellent advice and check out LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD, you can visit the Kickstarter!

domain: artistic


I'm a front-end developer who is working with an extraordinarily talented team building the future of Yelp in Toronto, Canada.
I'm passionate about building a better web.
Helping engineers to build fast-paced solutions by architecting modular components as part of our new design system.
Helped form and build ad customization tools for business owners, one of the first React apps to be shipped publicly at Yelp.
Helped shape the landscape for a more modern Niche.com, written fully in React.
Focused on building a more modern user experience of the intranet and public website using a mobile-first approach.
After completing the "integrated" program at RMU, I obtained both my Masters of Science in Internet Information Systems and Bachelors of Science in Computer Information Systems.
Worked closely with other developers to build modern web applications with a focus on design.


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Unfortunately commonly for a chemical irregularity we are proposed to take chemicals which can have long & transient negative impacts. When we choose to strive for a more common approach it is important to adjust the extremes in our body during the chemical detoxification process.
Dr. Christopher's Liver Transition supports the body in disposal of poisons by supporting the efforts of the liver to detoxify & is generally utilized when making the move over from prescribtion medications to a more natural approach.
Liver Transition is to be taken before MindTrac which helps the body in emotional clarity. The detoxification procedure can last maybe a couple of months, yet every individual is diverse.

domain: biology


Gurugram, January 24
Crawling vehicles, blaring horns and choked roads — traffic congestion is at its worst in Gurugram, seen as Haryana’s show-window, with commuting even small stretches taking several hours during morning and evening rush.
According to information, more than 30,000 new vehicles are registered annually in the four sub-divisions in the district — Gurugram, Badshahpur, Sohna and Pataudi.
On an average, about 10.50 lakh vehicles crossed the Gurugram-Delhi border daily in 2022, a count that stood at 6.80 vehicles in 2021, as per data gathered from the Gurugram traffic police.
Traffic jams a routine
30,000vehicles registered per year in 4 sub-divisions in Gurugram district
10.50 lakh vehicles daily crossedGurugram-Delhi borderin 2022; 6.8L in 2021
The growing load of vehicles has been translating into long traffic jams at the busiest crossings in the city — IFFCO, Hero Honda and Rajiv chowks — while bumper-to-bumper driving has become a norm at the district’s border points with Delhi. The Old Railway Road, New Railway Road and the area around the bus stand are among points that always remain choked.
Maintaining that it takes him 45 minutes every day to cross a 200-metre stretch in Udyog Vihar, Col Raj Singh says, “We have three sector roads and a peripheral road that need to be widened urgently. Tenders were floated, but there has been no headway since. The roads should be widened and moreunderpasses must be constructed.” Ashok Yadav, who lives in Sector 38, says two sectors adjoining his residence house three big hospitals and other institutions. “Traffic jams are a routine. The government must explore ways to tackle the growing number of vehicles,” he says.
Stating that no planning has gone into preparing the road network for the rising traffic, Yadav, also the RWA president, says the residents have been left to fend for themselves. “The vehicle density has increased manifold and the shortcomings in the infrastructure are not being dealt with. Commuting in the city has become a nightmare,” claims Baljeet Rathee of DLP Qutab Enclave RWA.
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text:
Wheel of Time, Book 13:
Towers of Midnight
The thirteenth installment in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series was an overall excellent book with a great balance of action, exposition, character development and plot progression. This balance has been the bane of many books throughout the middle of this series, but since the eleventh installment it has fully returned to form.
My full video and written analysis can be found below.

domain: library


text:
Six Colombian soldiers have been indicted on suspicion of the extrajudicial, “false positive”, killing of two civilians, El Espectador reported.
The incident is alleged to have taken place during a recent military operation in Campamento, Antioquia, north-central Colombia.
Hours after the operation took place, two bodies were presented to authorities dressed in guerilla uniforms, allegedly having been killed in battle.
The Prosecutor General’s Office however claims that the military operation never in fact took place and that the two involved were innocents murdered by the army. It subsequently detained the six suspects in a military garrison while it conducts further investigations.
Over 2,000 “false positive” cases are currently being investigated by the Colombian authorities, with around 500 military members linked to such killings.
“False positive” murders have allegedly been a tactic employed by both the police and military in Colombia to inflate their statistics of the numbers of guerrillas killed in combat.

domain: news


text:
14K White Gold / Ruby / Amethyst
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14K White Gold / Ruby
14K White Gold / Ruby / Diamond
14K White Gold / Ruby / Pink Tourmaline
14K White Gold / Ruby / White Sapphire
At Gemvara, we believe that the jewelry you wear should be one of a kind, like you. That's why we make each piece to order, one at a time, just the way you want it. Choose black onyx and yellow gold or ruby and sterling silver: it's your choice. Mix and match gems and precious metals for a look that's exactly you. It's jewelry for all life's occasions, from an anniversary or Mother's Day to your own personal milestones and celebrations. These brilliant Quincenera gift ideas will help you mark this milestone with beautiful jewelry she can treasure forever. Gemvara uses only the highest quality materials to craft your white gold ruby scrolls and patterns jewelry design with meticulous attention to detail. Our precious metals are recycled or responsibly mined. Ruby inspires bold passion with its vibrant red tones. The appeal of 14 karat white gold is as versatile as it is beautiful: it shines no matter the occasion. Gemvara also offers every design in premium 18k white gold, which is 75 percent pure for even more lasting value. All Gemvara white gold jewelry is rhodium plated for extra brightness. Our wide selection of white gold ruby scrolls and patterns jewelry by Carl Ansley, Just Like You Designs, Ruzanna Davtian, and other talented designers means you can find jewelry that's exactly your style. You can also shop by style, choosing our Vintage-Inspired, Mothers, or Religious Collections. Gemvara's fine quality white gold ruby scrolls and patterns jewelry is designed to be passed down for generations to come, crafted by hand in the United States.
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text:
- 'They're playing well beyond their years' - Conca
- Hogan's full game a 'massive tick'
- Brayshaw and Gaff Shake hands
Fremantle forward Brandon Matera has been charged with striking Jake Waterman in the first quarter of Sunday’s JLT game against West Coast at David Grays Arena
Based on the available evidence, the incident was assessed as intentional conduct with low impact to the head.
The incident was classified as a one-match sanction.
Fremantle have until 9am(WST), Tuesday 12 March to advise the AFL if they will challenge it.


Kid’s 15 Note Xylophone
Kid’s 15 Note Xylophone – Children everywhere will love creating music with this durable, colorful 15 note xylophone. The bright keys are color-coded in association with the notes they produce which makes this 2 octave xylophone extremely easy to play. A great way to introduce your child to the world of music! Recommended for children ages 5 and up. Includes 2 wooden beaters / sticks and 6 color-coded music sheets with songs such as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. Handcrafted from solid wood and perfectly tuned. Shop for childrens drums, percussion, and toy drums at DRUM BUM.
Toys & Percussion Gifts for Kids at DRUM BUM!


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Oslofjord island hopping tour
- Discover the charming history and nature of the Oslofjord
- Hop from island to island by ferry and enjoy scenic walks
- Admire ancient ruins, hidden beaches and wooden houses
Embark on an exciting island-hopping adventure with local guides. Discover some of the most charming destinations and natural features of the Oslofjord. Explore hidden beaches and birch forests and enjoy views of idyllic summer cabins and wooden houses as you hop from island to island.
Hop on a local ferry and head to Hovedøya, a captivating island steeped in history. Discover the fascinating story of English monks who arrived here to Christianize post-Viking Oslo, setting up a mighty abbey almost a millennium ago. Explore the remarkably preserved ruins on the island.
Wander through sheep pastures and picturesque birch forests, making your way to old ramparts and cannons dating back to the 19th-century Napoleonic Wars. Take in the rugged beauty of the coastline and stop at stunning hidden beaches and lookout points before catching the next ferry.
The second island is a delightful summer retreat with traditional wooden homes and flowery gardens that create a lovely contrast against the surrounding fjord. Hike up to the island's summit for breathtaking views. If you want, pick up some delicious treats at a local food store for a picnic lunch.
Continue your journey by boarding another ferry and sailing to the last island, a nature reserve that boasts thick forests, dramatic sea cliffs, and secluded beaches, providing a serene and mesmerizing atmosphere to enjoy a drink before catching the ferry back to Oslo city center.

domain: geography


text:
There’s a lot more Kellyoke in our future.
“The Kelly Clarkson Show” was renewed Monday by NBCUniversal for a second season.
That’s no surprise. Clarkson’s show, which debuted in September, is the No. 1 new daytime entry and ranks fourth among all syndicated daytime talk shows.
With an average 1.9 million viewers per episode, Clarkson is doing better than any daytime newcomer in seven years.
Locally, “The Kelly Clarkson Show” airs at 10 weekdays on WFTV-Channel 9 and at 8 weeknights on sister station WRDQ-Channel 27. With the impeachment hearings, the latter is an important option.
Clarkson became a public favorite when she won the first season of “American Idol.” She is now a coach on NBC’s “The Voice.” And she opens each episode of her talk show with Kellyoke, a cover of a hit.
For Kellyoke this week, Clarkson will perform Brandi Carlile’s “The Story” on Tuesday, Portugal. The Man’s “Feel It Still” on Wednesday and Pharell Williams’ “Happy” on Friday. Thursday’s show will feature the “Voice” coaches and a surprise Kellyoke.
Latest TV Guy
Clarkson’s other guests are Chrissy Teigen and James Wolk on Tuesday, Seth Meyers and Marie Kondo on Wednesday, and Whitney Cummings and Lil Rel Howery on Friday.
“‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ is connecting with viewers in a unique way, and we are so happy to build on that momentum, bringing Kelly’s brand of humor, heart and, of course, the incredible Kellyoke, to stations for a second season,” said Tracie Wilson, executive vice president, creative affairs, NBCUniversal Television Distribution.
Episodes of Clarkson’s show also can be seen on the NBC app.

domain: celebrity


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HOUSTON — Four Houston Police Department officers have been fired in connection to the shooting and killing of Nicolas Chavez, the Houston Police Officer's Union confirmed Thursday.
After months of public calls to release the footage, HPD shared body camera video of the police shooting of Nicolas Chavez, 27, for the first time.
WARNING: In an effort to be transparent, HPD has released the full video of the incident. The video is graphic and contains offensive language. Tap here to view it in its entirety on their YouTube channel.
“It was clear when viewing the video that these officers did not want to shoot Mr. Chavez and did everything in their power not to,” Joe Gamaldi, president, of Houston Police Officers Union, said.
Hours before the video’s public release, Gamaldi criticized Acevedo for firing the four officers involved.
He said he city’s Independent Police Oversight Board, which includes civilians, unanimously agreed the shooting was justified.
In a tweet, the union said Acevedo's decision to fire the officers is "unjust and deplorable."
Chavez was shot near the intersection of Gazin and Market streets on April 21 by Houston police.
Investigators said police got calls about an armed man who was possibly trying to commit suicide and was running in and out of traffic.
Eventually, officers found the man, later identified as Chavez, on the east side near I-10 and Gazin.
“This individual kept coming towards the officers, refusing commands to drop the knife, drop the weapon," Acevedo claimed.
Both union leaders and Acevedo said the officers spent 15 minutes retreating from Chavez, telling him to drop a piece of rebar they thought was a knife, and trying to de-escalate the situation.
Chavez can be heard on the video threatening to hurt officers if they come closer and telling them to kill him.
Union leaders said those officers used every non-lethal option available, then fired when Chavez pointed a Taser at them.
Acevedo said that’s the moment 21 of 24 total shots came.
“It’s objectively not reasonable when a man’s been shot multiple times, shown he can’t get up, quite frankly it’s inexplicable to me when they had plenty of opportunity to back up and stay the line, shoot a man 21 times. I can’t defend that,” the chief said.
It was later determined the weapon in Chavez's hand was a piece of rebar.
Video of the shooting went viral and was disturbing for most.
There were four officers and one sergeant who were placed on administrative leave after the shooting.
The case is being investigated by the HPD Special Investigations Unit, the Internal Affairs Division and the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg released a statement Thursday afternoon:
“I met with the mother, father and wife of Nicolas Chavez to listen to their concerns and personally assure them that our Civil Rights Division prosecutors will conduct a thorough, independent review of all the evidence in his death. Once we complete our review, we will present the case directly to a grand jury. That grand jury will determine whether the Houston Police officers who shot Nicolas Chavez were justified or whether they committed a crime.”


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|Cyclingnews TV News Tech Features Road MTB BMX Cyclo-cross Track Photos Fitness Letters Search Forum|
Results and Reports from Australia
Promoters wishing to submit results should send them to Cyclingnews
Eastern Suburbs Cycling Club
Trek Summer Series #8 - Heffron Park, Sydney, February 22, 2005
Spain 1- Portugal 0, as Rodriguez outclasses quality field
Jose Manuel Rodriguez (Caravello-Colnago) pulled off a blistering sprint finish to outclass a high quality A grade bunch in round 8 of the Trek Bike Summer Series at Heffron Park last night. The A graders completely decimated the 90 strong field, as any hopes Eastern Suburbs Club Presidente Francesco Alcino Conceicao had of influencing the race result were completely thrown out the window. This was due to the international quality A grade field that signed up, including Aussie pro Trent Wilson (Colombia Selle Italia), World Track Champion Steve Wooldridge (Comnet-Segnes), English TT Olympian Stuart Dangerfield (Easts), three Australian MTB champs - Paul Rowney (Easts), Perron Delacour (Yeti Bikes) and Peter Hatton (Clarence St), not to mention the MG Xpower powerhouses of Troy Glennan and Shaun Higgerson, plus all the usual local suspects.
The presence of such a quality field didn't go unnoticed on the 70 plus B and C grade bunches who were almost resigned to their inevitable fate before the race even started - certainly there would have been a steward's enquiry into the handicapping if C grade had managed to hold off such a stellar A grade.
A grade didn't disappoint as they broke out of the blocks and had B grade lined up in their sights after only five laps - not a good feeling if you're in B grade and hoping to pick up some valuable early sprint points. With a brisk south-westerly wind blowing for a change, the pace was frantic the entire lap of the course. Softening up the bunch relentlessly were the MG-Xpower duo of Troy Glennan and Shaun Higgerson, then as soon they swung up, Trent Wilson and Steve Wooldridge would calmly roll through and up the tempo even further. Not surprisingly, some of the local A grade riders never made the last 5 lap cut the most notable absentee being King Spurge (Colnago - Caravello) who was struggling with stomach cramps.
The battle for sprint primes was almost forgotten in the mad scramble to hang on to the A grade runaway locomotive, however, after C grade were caught with four laps to go, Liam Kelly (Randwick Botany/FRF Couriers) snatched another five points to take a commanding 11 point lead in the Sprint King comp.
Down to the final two laps and the pace and the attacks didn't let up with Paul Rowney, then Stuart Dangerfield trying to set it up for Computer to take maximum points now that King Spurge was out of the race. Were Easts going to be able to deliver their series leader to the line, or were the Colnago-Caravello and MG-Xpower juggernauts going to have the upper hand? One crack had already appeared in the Easts race plan when their B grade bloc had dismantled with Scotty Callum the lone B grade Easts rider left in the front group, along with John Sunde (St George/sqaudra.us). Also hanging on was Joel Xereub (Randwick Botany/FRF Couriers) who rode the last laps superbly to completely gap his C grade rivals.
In the sprint, Kelly thought he made the winning move from 300 out, but then Rodriguez kicked in with a devastating finish to take the win from teammate Isaksen, who also showed impressive form all night. Kelly held on for third and Easts riders, Dangerfield and Campbell completed the top five, with Computer's fifth place giving him a valuable point to go one point clear of King Spurge in the race for the series first prize of a Trek Madone 5.9 frame. Scotty Callum and John Sunde battled it out on their own for B grade honours with Sunde showing there's still some life left in his legs to take the coveted B grade envelope. Joel Xuereb rode in alone to win C grade well in front of the remaining C grade riders which included last week's winner Chris Reynolds who won the bunch gallop.
A great turnout and a great nights racing with riders and spectators alike thrilled to experience such a high quality display. Four races left in the Series and it's still all up for grabs. Will Spurge bounce back, is Rodriguez going to make a late charge, is Computer going to hang on to his lead or is C grade going to get a 'gift' handicap? Anything could happen - it's Heffron Park.
1 Jose Rodriguez (Colnago - Caravello) 2 Ben Isaksen (Colnago - Caravello) 3 Liam Kelly (Randwick Botany/FRF Couriers) 4 Stuart Dangerfield (Easts) 5 Stewart Campbell (Easts) 1st B Grade John Sunde (St George/squadra.us) 1st C Grade Joel Xuereb (Randwick Botany/FRF Couriers) Trek Bikes Poinstcore 1 Stewart Campbell 19 pts 2 Anthony Spurgeon 18 3 Chris Reynolds 11 4 Ben Isaksen 8 5 Steve Wooldridge 7 5 Matthew White 7 5 Tom Reid 7 5 Liam Kelly 7 5 Jose Rodriguez 7 10 John Kenny 6 11 Mark Renshaw 4 11 Sam Lee 4 11 Luke Davison 4 14 Mathew Lucas 3 14 Chris Jenkins 3 14 Adam Shepherd 3 14 Richard Dodds 3 18 Peter McDonald 2 18 Brian Appleyard 2 18 Sam Carroll 2 18 Todd Dunn 2 18 Stuart Dangerfield 2 23 Jeff Jones 1 23 Louis Treuba 1 23 Scott Callum 1 23 Rodney Mendes 1 23 Jonathon Cridland 1 A/B Grade Sprint King 1 Liam Kelly 50 pts 2 Stewart Campbell 39 3 Anthony Iannacito 28 4 Nic Rathborne 20 5 Steve Wooldridge 18 6 Troy Glennan 16 7 Anthony Spurgeon 14 8 John Kenny 13 9 Brent Jenkins 9 9 Scott Callum 9 11 Alan Bozunovic 7 12 Mark Renshaw 6 12 Ben Isaksen 6 14 Matthew White 5 14 Sam Lee 5 14 Jose Rodriguez 5 17 Steve Orfanos 4 17 Stuart Dangerfield 4 19 Dave Treacy 3 19 Mark Stoneham 3 19 Andrew Kilday 3 19 Shaun Higgerson 3 19 Peter McDonald 3 24 John Sunde 2 25 Charlie O Brien 1 25 Mathew Lucas 1 25 Chris Jenkins 1 25 Paddy Jones 1 25 Mark Wall 1 25 Gavin Bates 1 25 Perron Delacour 1 C Grade Poinstcore 1 Todd Dunn 17 pts 2 Tom Reid 16 3 Chris Reynolds 13 4 Joel Xuereb 10 5 Andrew Hall 5 6 Adam Shepherd 3 6 Luke Davison 3 8 Roger Shackleton 2 9 Sam Carroll 1 9 Richard Dodds 1 9 Jeff Gray 1 Sprint Primes 7 laps to go 1 Steve Wooldridge 2 Alan Bozunovic 3 John Kenny 5 laps to go 1 Troy Glennan 2 Stuart Dangerfield 3 Peter McDonald 3 laps to go 1 Liam Kelly 2 Troy Glennan 3 Perron Delacour Final 1 Jose Rodriguez 2 Ben Isaksen 3 Liam Kelly
Local results 2004

domain: hobby


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Buying or Selling a Practice
3 must-haves for hospital location
In an interview at Fetch Charlotte, Roger Layman, AIA NCARB, managing principal, RL Architecture PLLC, shared the 3 most important aspects of site selection
GoodVets launches in Tampa with opening of new veterinary hospital
The practice is now welcoming new patients and offering free first exams
Terravet and the future of veterinary real estate ownership
Options for relieving the burdens and responsibilities of real estate management as a veterinary professional.
A closer look at veterinary real estate
Do you know whether to sell or lease at the time of a practice sale?
Advice for practice owners ready to sell
Kayla Donovan shares her advice to practice owners who are ready to sell and what first step to take
Ready to retire? Here’s how to prepare to sell your hospital
Maximize profit and minimize hassle by viewing your practice through an investor’s eyes
What to know before taking out a loan to purchase a practice
4 crucial considerations before signing on the dotted line
Don’t fall behind on your continuing education this autumn
A look at dvm360®'s upcoming September CEs and events
New fellowship program promotes veterinary practice ownership
The 2-year program from Harbor.vet by Suveto focuses on recent graduates and will provide opportunities tailored to participants.
Practice ownership perks
The Economics Division staff at AVMA shares the benefits to owning your own practice and offers some tips to get there
PetSmart Veterinary Services empowers veterinarians to open practices inside PetSmart stores
Through the launch of PVS, veterinarians can open a franchised practice within the retail store
Veterinary Dentistry Specialists expands with new clinic
The additional practice in Katy, Texas is the third location in the network, which provides advanced oral care for pets
Vet’s Best Friend to host transition planning webinar
The company is partnering with a financial planner for the upcoming event geared towards owners who are looking to sell or depart from their practice.
Legal considerations when selling a veterinary practice
Charlotte Lacroix, DVM, JD, shared insight on ensuring success when leasing your veterinary practice real estate to a new buyer.
This week on dvm360: A Q&A spotlighting veterinary technicians, plus more veterinary news
A sneak peek look at this week's headlines.
10 Things to consider when selling a veterinary practice
Curious about selling your practice? Get a better idea of the options available to you and the decisions to be made.
A look under the hood of a corporate practice purchase
From deciding to sell through the closing to the impacts on the veterinary team, discover the ins and outs of corporate practice purchase.
Pros and cons of selling to a corporation
Before you say “no” to selling your veterinary practice to a corporate entity, here’s why it worked for me––plus a few things to consider if you walk down this path.
Creative veterinary clinic sale terms: Risks vs benefits
Not all veterinary practice sellers are ready for retirement. Here is a look at several creative practice buyout options that allow the owner to stay on.
Why clients leave (and what to do about it)
Here’s what you need to know to build an exceptional veterinary practice culture that your clients want to be part of.
Avoid real estate hiccups when buying a clinic
As if making the life-altering decision to buy a veterinary practice isn’t daunting enough, there can arise hidden obstacles and unexpected worries for potential owners.
2020 Hospital of the Year—Jumping in, learning curve: First time’s the charm
Two young doctors dove right into practice ownership and building a facility all at once and got the practice of their dreams, earning them top honors in the under-8,000-square-feet category of the dvm360 Hospital Design Competition.
Decision Data: Satisfied with Cat-Friendly Practice?
A data dive yields insights on becoming a Cat-Friendly Practice through the American Association of Feline Practitioners—and how satisfied veterinary hospital owners and managers are with the results.
Why you should secure financing before signing a purchase agreement
Here's how to help prevent your veterinary practice from getting in a financial bind. Listen to this advice about the importance of securing finances first instead of hastily signing purchasing agreements.
Hospital design: What Bailey taught me
Space to work, quiet to heal, more light: A tribute to my dog's stay in a veterinary emergency clinic.
3 hacks for a successful veterinary clinic remodel
Keeping the practice revenue flowing during a remodel isnt easy, but its necessary. Heres what a 2019 dvm360 Hospital of the Year winner and his architect did to make it happen.
The state of veterinary corporatization
Here are the details that veterinary hospital groups nationwide shared with us on number of hospitals, company details and what theyre looking for in clinics to buy these days.
dvm360 product report: Patient-side UTI test, franchise opportunity, sterilizer improvements
Heres our regular rundown of new and noteworthy veterinary products.
6 tips to speed along a veterinary practice sale
Here's my advice from years of helping veterinary practice buyers and sellers on financing, finding the right practice and speeding along a practice sale before it goes bad.
What to know before you buy a veterinary clinic
Before you buy a veterinary hospital, young doctor, make sure you understand the basic financials of the practice and get some expert advice on the details to make sure you know what youre paying for.
2 Clarke Drive Cranbury, NJ 08512

domain: pet


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Ladies' Diamond Accent Wedding Band in Sterling Silver (2 Names)
Item #: 20100902
Exchange vows with the woman you love the most, and present her with a wedding band she will cherish over time. Romantically etched, customize the design to feature her name and yours, up to 10 characters and spaces each, written elegantly in script. A glittering diamond-studded curve crosses through the center and brightens a sterling silver setting. Custom made to fit your ring size. Sterling silver rings cannot be resized after purchase.
|Diamond Total Weight (CT. T.W.)||Diamond Accent|
|Stone Carat Range||Under 1/4|
|Metal Type||Sterling Silver|


text:
Airman SST12 GL0073
|Caliber||GL293 Swiss automatic movement, Glycine Airman decorated rotor|
|Case material||stainless steel|
|Back||solid steel screwed|
|Glass||flat sapphire crystal with 3 layers of antireflective coating on the underside|
|Crown||screw-in crown at 3 and 4 o'clock with stamped logo|
|Strap / Bracelet||mesh bracelet|
Not all models are shown in photo. Please contact your retailer for detailed questions.


By Yankuba Jallow
Nineteen years after he was shot by state security agents during a students’ demonstration on 10th April 2000, Sainey Senghore said on Tuesday the previous government was responsible for their ordeal.
He said on the 10th April, students in the urban area demonstrated and were shot by the paramilitary resulting to the untimely death of 14 people including a Red Cross volunteer and on the following day (April 11), students in the provinces also demonstrated. He said the students demonstrated demanding for justice for their colleague students, Ebrima Barry and Binta Manneh. He said Ebrima Barry was tortured by personnel of the Gambia Fire and Rescue Service while Binta Manneh was raped by paramilitary officers at the Stadium.
On 11th April 2000, he said he went to school at Essau Senior School to sit for his biology examination paper but he was told that the examination wouldn’t hold because there was an ongoing students’ demonstration.
The resident of Barra said while he was on his way home after getting the information that there was no examination, students in Essau were demonstrating demanding for justice for their two colleagues. He said he was with his friends going home (in Barra) because there was no examination, leaving the other students who were demonstrating behind them.
He remarked: “We were just in front of the students demonstrating because our distance was not far. Initially, I was not part of the demonstration, but later on, I joined the demonstration,” he said.
He said he joined because he thought what happened to Ebrima Barry could have happened to him. He said when they came up to Barra, they found a police check point with about ten armed personnel.
“They started opening fire. Initially they did not shoot directly at us but after two to three shots, they started shooting at us. I was shot on my leg and I couldn’t walk and I fell down. I shouted for help,” the witness said.
He said he was helped by a nearby landlord who came together with some students who hid in his compound.
“I started feeling dizzy. I started feeling unconscious,” the witness said.
He said the landlord took him vie the back way to the Essau Health Centre because the security officers were on the highway.
“I was losing too much blood and the Essau Health Center contacted my family and referred me to the Royal Victoria Hospital,” the witness said.
He said he regained consciousness after two days.
“I was told by the doctor who operated me that I was taken to a theatre and the bullet was removed from my leg. He said five of my blood vessels were cut, but he managed to repair them,” the witness said, adding that the doctor was an Egyptian.
The witness told the TRRC that he sustained multiple bone fracture.
“The distance between me and where the bullet was released was not far and this caused the fracture,” the witness said.
He said the hospital staff used to administer 10 or more injections on him per day because the doctors said the injection was going to help in the flow of blood to his legs. He told the TRRC that he shared a ward with patients at the Royal Victoria Hospital including one Abdou Karim Jammeh who was shot on his knee making it impossible for his knee cab to rotate until today. He said another victim in the same ward was one Assan Suwareh who was under Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Hospital because he was shot on his stomach. He said Yusupha Mbye was shot on his neck and he became paralyzed from his neck down to his legs.
“For 19 years, he is still sitting on a wheel chair,” the witness said.
He said Yahya Jammeh came to the hospital to visit the victims, but he pretended that he was sleeping because he did not want to talk to the ex-President because he was responsible for his condition. He added that there was a day when one Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay came with provisions such as juice and biscuits from the Office of the President.
“I told my mum (mother) to give it away because I felt that the protection of our life was more important than bringing us provisions,” the witness said.
He said in August 2000, a Commission of Inquiry was setup by the government to probe into the April 10 and 11 Incident.
“It did not meet me in The Gambia because I was already in Egypt,” the witness said, adding “but the government passed the Indemnity Bill meant to immune the perpetrators from prosecution.”
He said there was a medical board setup which recommended for them to go overseas for treatment, adding they were taken to Egypt for treatment. He said the first medical board recommended that there was no need for overseas treatment, but a second medical board recommended that they should go for overseas treatment. He said he went to Egypt together with Assan Suwareh and Yusupha Mbye.
“I went to Egypt in June 2000,” he said, adding that they were all seventeen years old.
He told the TRRC that none of them travelled with their family members even though they were minors. He added that the nurse who went with them left them there and came back to the Gambia one week later.
“We were there alone,” the witness said.
He told the TRRC that the Egyptian doctor they went together with was present during his operation.
“In Egypt, I was given a paper to sign consenting to the operation in the theatre despite being a minor,” he said.
The witness said the operation lasted for about 8 hours and five of his toes were amputated, the multiple fractures on his leg were repaired and the blood vessels were fixed.
The witness was born on the 26th July 1986 in Lamin Village in the Kombo North District.
By Yankuba Jallow


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As Twitchy noted, actor and musician Jared Leto joined the pitiful celeb Obamacare push on Valentine’s Day by offering to retweet insurance receipts. Leto has 1.3 million Twitter followers, so surely someone is interested in a retweet from Miley Cyrus’ bun-sporting sleepover pal. Right?
OK, we have a taker.
Sorry, kiddo. Pics or it didn’t happen.
We gave Leto several days, but he has yet to retweet anyone’s proof of insurance coverage. And oddly, he didn’t share any of these tweets with his followers. Why could that be?
HHS claims ‘no data’ on number of paid Obamacare enrollees; BS meter explodes
Read more: http://twitchy.com/2014/02/19/its-lonely-out-there-for-an-obamacare-pimp-any-takers-for-jared-letos-offer-of-getcovered-retweets/


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Several local politicians were joined by hundreds of demonstrators Saturday to Rally against healthcare provider UPMC.
So far it’s been mostly Governor Corbett and his allies arguing for privatization of the liquor system. But another side is about to be heard.
Jeannette City leaders say layoffs will likely be unavoidable as the city struggles to fix its financial problems.
Pennsylvania higher education officials and the union representing state university faculty are reporting progress at the bargaining table.
Good news for twinkie lovers, as Hostess and their bakery union agree to mediation.
NEW YORK (AP) So long, replacement refs. The NFL’s regular crews will be back on the field starting Thursday night.
PITTSBURGH (CBS) — According to several reports, the NFL and the NFL Referees Association (NFLRA) are close to a new deal that would allow the league’s regular officials to return to work, possibly as early as this weekend.
The deepest cuts in Port Authority history are slated to go into effect in two weeks, but there is growing hope they can be avoided. Port Authority unions voted to ratify a new contract Sunday evening.
We’re going to keep our preseason coverage going a series of rapid-fire previews, focusing this time on the Big 7 Conference in Class A. Rochester had been the traditional flag-bearer in that section for many years, but the tradition was broken in 2011 with the rise of Sto-Rox.
There was a heavy presence of security outside of Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Oakland one day after a deadly shooting rampage.
Facing the prospect of massive budget cuts, layoffs, and even reducing service to five days a week, United States Postal Service employees are fighting back.
Labor Day facts to make you the Resident Smarty Pants at your weekend BBQ
Verizon workers will return to their positions Monday night despite not having a new collective bargaining agreement in place yet.
The Port Authority says drastic union concessions are needed in order to pull the transit system out of what it describes as a “death spiral” – a future of service cuts and fare hikes.
With hundreds of local Verizon workers on strike, what does it mean for customers? Many of the people on the picket lines are from the call centers. While they’re out, you may get automated services.

domain: sociology


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VA Budget Request Rollout Decreases Some Benefits
FRA ADVP Brian Condon and FRA NVSO Chris Slawinski attended the annual Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) FY 2018 budget briefing. The budget request includes a 3.7 percent increase over FY 2017. The White House proposed $186.5 billion budget for VA operations next year:
The budget request also trims some VA benefits. Veterans receiving benefit checks from the VA would have their annual cost-of-living-adjustment reduced or “rounded down” to the next dollar, which was VA policy from the late 1990s until 2013. The VA has estimated it would save $20 million in FY 2018 and cost individual veterans no more than $12 per year.
The proposed budget eliminates the Individual Unemployability benefit payments to retirement-age veterans, a move expected to save $3.2 billion next year alone and $41 billion over 10 years. Under current policies, the Individual Unemployability program allows the VA to award payouts at the 100-percent disabled rate to veterans who cannot find work, due to service-connected injuries. Even if they are not deemed 100-percent disabled. The number of program recipients has tripled since 2000, reaching almost 339,000 in FY 2016. The Administration has proposed stopping those payouts once veterans are eligible for Social Security retirement benefits. The argument is that the practice amounts to “the duplication of benefits.” It would impact more than 225,000 veterans currently receiving this benefit. Members are urged to use the FRA Action Center on our website and ask their legislators to oppose the cuts to veteran benefits.


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Psychologists in America have revealed a shock insight from a recently-announced study: people with extreme or "deviant" views are much more willing to share their opinions than those with moderate ideas. This is thought to lead groups or communities actually composed mainly of moderates to acquire an extreme character.
The study in question was carried out by Kimberly Rios Morrison of Ohio State and Dale T Miller of the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
The example of "extremism" or "deviance" identified by the two profs in their experiments was a belief that students should be allowed to drink alcohol in the common areas of their dormitory accommodation. This is forbidden at Stanford, and those who strongly disagree with the rule were also those most likely to say so.
According to the psychologists, this was because they believed that the rest of the student body was on their side.
“Students who were stridently pro-alcohol tended to think that their opinion was much more popular than it actually was,” says Morrison.
“There’s this stereotype that college students are very pro-alcohol, and even most college students believe it. Most students think of themselves as less pro-alcohol than average.”
By doing a certain amount of cunning lying, however, the researchers convinced the pro-booze loudmouths that in fact nobody agreed with them. This, apparently, shut them up.
“It is only when they have this sense that they are in the majority that extremely pro-alcohol students are more willing to express their views on the issue,” according to Morrison.
However it seemed that the extreme anti-grog lobby never really became willing to speak up, even when they had been falsely told that everyone was on their side.
"Their view that they are in the minority may be so deeply entrenched that it is difficult to change ... They don’t have the experience expressing their opinions on the subject like the pro-alcohol extremists do," theorises Morrison.
The prof then goes on to extrapolate this thinking into other areas of debate, suggesting that the syndrome of extremists falsely believing that everyone in a group backs them leads to a sort of positive-feedback loop. Extreme opinions are aired, people hear them more, people falsely assume that the entire group holds those beliefs and so it becomes gradually more extreme in appearance - if not in the actuality of its members' beliefs.
“You have a cycle that feeds on itself: the more you hear these extremists expressing their opinions, the more you are going to believe that those extreme beliefs are normal for your community," explains Morrison.
The prof believes that her group-positive-feedback theory could explain the (apparently) heavily polarised nature of US politics in recent times, or other debates in which each side appears increasingly extreme/evil to the other - whereas in fact most on both sides actually hold more moderate opinions. Examples could include environmental matters, the perennial arguments regarding what kind of women are most attractive etc.
There may not be a "monolithic" silent majority in these arguments, according to the theory, but "the minority may be more vocal".
We say: we're sure we speak for all decent people everywhere in stating categorically that studies of this type are hogwash and those who write them thieving parasitical crooks leeching from the public purse.
Well, maybe not in all cases. But we do struggle with the idea college students aren't pro-alcohol.


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FXstreet.com (Barcelona) - The Pound remains heading north on a strong pace, reaching levels above 1.6600, after soaring 300 pips from Tuesday's low at 1.6260, approaching Oct 23 high at 1.6695, which, according to Karen Jones, technical analyst at Commerzbank, might cap Pound's rally.
The area between 1.6675/1.6745 has proved an strong short-term ceiling, according to Jones: We look for further probes into the 1.6675/1.6745 band to be limited, this has provoked failure on numerous occasions and it has proved to be an effective short term ceiling. We again look for the near term rally to fail and sell off to the 1.6282/00 support.
Resistance levels, according to Jones, lie at 1.6633, 1.6680/94 and 1.6745/65. On the downside, support levels lie at 1.6555, 1.6465/50 and 1.6281.


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Turkey’s central bank declared war.
The bank raised interest rates to 12% from 7.75% at the conclusion of an emergency meeting convened late Tuesday night Ankara time to address the pummeled lira. This was far above the expected “emergency” rate hike; market consensus centered on a 2% rate hike. By going so much higher than expected, the central bank clearly was adopting a “shock and awe” maneuver to drive out a market assault. It seems to have worked, for now.
The unanswered questions are whether this will be a permanent solution, and what effect it will have on Turkey’s economy.
“Recent domestic and external developments are having an adverse impact on risk perceptions, leading to a significant depreciation in the Turkish lira and a pronounced increase in the risk premium,” the bank wrote in a brief statement. “The central bank will implement necessary measures at its disposal to contain the negative impact of these developments on inflation and macroeconomic stability.”
This is the most extreme move the bank has made in the month or so that the lira’s been under pressure. It tightened policy at its last meeting, then intervened in the currency market last week. None of that drove away the bears. Now comes this move, which had an immediate impact: The lira jumped 2.6% against the dollar in a matter of minutes.
“It’s evident they’ve got the firepower to make something work, ” said Scott Schuberg, CEO of Australian brokerage Rivkin. For now, he said, it seems to have done the trick, and drove out a lot of the speculative money. The thing to look out for, Mr. Schuberg cautioned, will be if the traders come back and “have another go at this one,” and if the bank can defend the move.
“Let’s see whether it’s got legs,” he said, noting even after the big move, the lira’s only back to where it was about six weeks ago (Rivkin had been been long the dollar/lira, he said, but sold last night, ahead of the meeting).
The sharp slide in the lira was one of the triggers for the latest bout of selling of emerging-market assets last week. Emerging-market currencies in Turkey, Argentina, Russia and India sold off sharply, sparking two types of reactions: central banks to intervene and politicians to blamed outsiders.
In Argentina, the administration of President Cristina Kirchner blamed big business and the media for the peso’s slide. In Turkey, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Ergodan blamed the media — including The Wall Street Journal — and the “interest rate lobby” for trying to capitalize on the country’s problems.
Central bank intervention arrested the market selloff this week. Turkey’s move is about as dramatic as it gets, a clear sign from the central bank that it will not allow the lira to just be relentlessly pounded. But raising rates so sharply, so suddenly, could be bad for the local economy, one of the reasons Mr. Ergodan was against the idea. Mr. Ergodan publicly said he was against interest-rate hikes, but acknowledged he couldn’t prevent them.
“This seems like they are panicking,” says National Alliance’s Andrew Brenner. “It will not end well.”
- Cynthia Lin contributed to this post.


Clarke: Let the players concentrate on cricket
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has urged the country’s cricket board (CA) and the Australia Players Association (ACA) to resolve their pay dispute in private.
Currently more than 230 players, including big names such as Steve Smith and David Warner, are unemployed after their contracts expired at the end of last month.
With no resolution in sight, Clarke feels the last contracts that were signed should just be extended so that players can get on with playing the game and negotiations can take place behind close doors.
Clarke said at Channel Nine’s Ashes launch: “I think what needs to happen is keep the current MoU for the next 12 months, allow the players to get back to what we do best, train, prepare, get some important cricket in.
“The women are playing a World Cup now, massive tournament. The Aussie [men] have got Bangladesh tour, India tour and then the Ashes.
“Allow the players to concentrate wholly and solely on that. The ACA and CA, please go behind closed doors and do this in private.
“The two MoUs I was around for got extended [2011 to 2012], weren’t done by June 30, they got extended so I don’t see any difference here. Keep the same MoU for 12 months to allow negotiations to continue.
“My main concern is players want to play for their country, so let’s allow them to play while this stuff is getting sorted out in the background.”
The Australia A squad is due to tour South Africa later in July but have already said that they will not play any games unless the dispute is resolved by the end of this week, although the players selected have been training in Brisbane.
There has also been talk that the Ashes series, scheduled for the end of this year, could also be under threat if a resolution is not found.
The Australia women’s team are currently taking part in the World Cup in England but they signed special contracts which will see them through to the end of the global tournament.
Clarke continued: “I don’t want the Australian players to be underprepared because they’ve been focused on something else. So give them 12 months let the players concentrate on the cricket.
“I don’t want to see any cricket missed, because I know how important preparation is as a player. We lost to South Africa in Australia, we got knocked out of the Champions Trophy, we lost to India in India.
“As a playing group we need to make sure we’re 100 per cent focused on our preparation, because the cricket we’ve got coming up is tough.
“I hate the fact I’ve arrived home from England and this is taking media coverage over [cricket]. The women are on fire in England in the World Cup and not even getting a look-in, because the MoU’s taking up those pages. I think it’s bad for the game.
“Everyone will say ‘Michael you take the players’ side’ because I feel like I was playing yesterday and know those guys so well. I do want what’s best for the game.”
Will Smeed becomes first batter to hit ton in Hundred during Birmingham win
The opener cracked an unbeaten 101 off 50 balls.
Women’s game on upward trend and schools an important target – Anya Shrubsole
The 30-year-old pace bowler was restricted to competing against boys during childhood.
Australia captain Meg Lanning taking break from cricket for personal reasons
The 30-year-old had been due to represent Trent Rockets in The Hundred.
Tributes pour in for former umpire Rudi Koertzen following death aged 73
The MCC said it was “saddened” to learn of Koertzen’s death.
Lisa Keightley to step down as England head coach at the end of the summer
The Australian took over in January 2020 and led England to the final of this year’s World Cup.
Chance to Shine graduates Lauren Bell and Issy Wong excited to keep on inspiring
The pair have enjoyed a memorable year so far with international debuts in multiple formats.
Jordan Thompson stars with the ball as London Spirit hammer Manchester Originals
Seamer Thompson, who took two wickets on his tournament debut at the Oval last week, followed that up with a remarkable four for 21 from 20 balls.
Sam Billings aiming to use England Lions game to push for Test recall
The wicketkeeper will captain the side for the tour match against South Africa.
Moeen Ali fears 50-over cricket could be lost due to ‘unsustainable’ schedule
The World Cup winner is worried people are starting to view the 50-over format as ‘the long, boring one’.


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I am obsessed with few things in life, but duck and dumplings are definitely two of them. While shopping for ingredients to make dumplings the other evening, I had the GENIUS idea to combine the two. Even more brilliant, I got my friends to help make them! They didn’t quite turn out quite as beautiful as my usual dumplings (I’ve had a lot of practise) but it was great fun. We also made some spinach and tofu Ladakhi mokmok (aka momos in Tibet or Nepal), which I’ll post separately for the vegematarians.
• 2 confit duck breasts
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 6 spring onions, finely chopped (keep white and pale green parts separate)
• pack of wonton wrappers (30)
• extra vegetable oil for frying
• chilli sauce, black vinegar and/or chilli oil to serve
1. Prepare the duck by shredding the meat and chopping it finely.
2. Remove the skin and fat and gently warm in a frypan or wok until the fat has melted, then discard the skin.
3. Combine the duck meat, hoisin, soy, sesame oil and chopped white spring onions and mix well.
4. Place one teaspoon of filling in the middle of the the dumpling square.
5. Use a little water to wet the edges of the wrapper.
6. Fold opposite corners to close and pinch to seal.
7. To make the tortellini shape, fold opposite corners of the triangle backwards behind the filling and pinch together. (The photos below demonstrate this process using a gow gee wrapper.)
8. Add just enough extra oil to the pan to be about 1cm deep.
9. Heat oil until shimmering and drop in some dumplings, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. The dumplings should not be touching each other, and need enough space to be turned easily.
10. Fry, turning once, until golden brown and crispy on both sides.
You can also boil them, as you can see on the plate below. They have a lovely, slippery texture, but needless to say we all preferred the ones fried in duck fat!
We decided they went beautifully with just some chilli sauce or oil and a little splash of black vinegar, as they already were salty enough and had a hint of sweetness from the hoisin. A nice idea would be to serve them sprinkled with the finely sliced green spring onions, and perhaps a few toasted sesame seeds. But we were all too greedy to wait and just got stuck in!
Liv Mackay is regular blogger for the MasterChef Food Hub and at scoffandquaff.me


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People from all over the world flock to New England to experience the beautiful landscapes, history and character that this region has to offer. There are many places in New England that are perfect for a getaway, and even with just a weekend you can get to somewhere that is the perfect backdrop for a little holiday.
If you have time and want to visit more than one place in New England, luckily — you can! The East Coast is well connected thanks to the Northeast Corridor train that runs from Boston to Washington D.C. and it will soon be upgraded. That means easy transport from one city to the next and you don’t have to worry about driving and/or renting a car if you don’t want to.
Here are some of the unmissable towns for a New England Getaway. Don’t forget to look at this article if you are looking for a longer travel and wish to stay in most amazing hotels in US.
Boston has a lot to love, from history and culture, sports, cobblestone streets, to water views. You can easily spend (at least) a weekend here and have plenty more to explore. You can perhaps plan for a specific event in the city you’d like to experience such as a game or a night out to see the symphony, and then explore the city from there.
Some of the other top sites and activities to do in Boston include walking the three-mile historic Freedom Trail, spending some time relaxing in the beautiful Boston Common and Public Garden, and visiting the Museum of Fine Arts.
Providence, the capital of Rhode Island, has exciting local events and spots to visit during a getaway. With restaurants and shops that line the downtown, as well as art galleries and museums, there is always something to do here.
A famous event to visit Providence for is WaterFire, which typically occurs from May through November for two Saturday evenings/month. The artistic fire show ignites all the senses, with the stretch covering over 2/3 of a mile, along public spaces and the water.
Mystic is a seaside city in Connecticut with a lot of character. If you love being on the coast and enjoying all things maritime and the ocean, this is a place to go. A few top sites to see here are the Aquarium, Seaport Museum, Museum of Art, and Williams Beach Park for an oceanfront park where you can enjoy being outdoors and on the water.
The city also has a quaint Main Street with lots of shops and restaurants as well as Olde Mystick Village, an outdoor walking strip that has more of a village backdrop and setting as well as over 50 unique shops. This is a great place to visit!
New England does see high numbers of visitors, particularly in the months from May-August as well as September through November. The autumn foliage in particular draws incredible numbers of visitors wanting to experience the beauty of autumnal colors here in New England. No matter what time of year you visit here, you’ll be in for a treat. Just be prepared for some humidity in the warmer months particularly and the cold if you visit later months of the year!


Most attempts to improve the speed of mobile web browsing offer obvious sacrifices, as in the case of Google Accelerated Mobile Pages (which alter the display of pages) or proxy server- based solutions (which endanger data security Sensitive user).
A group of researchers seems to have found a method capable of improving performance in mobile web browsing without compromising on that technology, called Vroom, and is able to load sites twice as fast as traditional solutions .
Vroom’s “secret” is the optimization of the site upload method, disinterested in how they were created.
Usually your phone browser needs to process nearly 100 web links before you view an entire page, make multiple requests, and spend a lot of idle time. Vroom, on the other hand, groups information that a browser serves to load a page. When the browser asks for information, the server also provides “suggestions” on other resources needed, coordinating delivery of content to make the most of the phone processor.
This project is not yet ready for a commercial launch but, considering it can count on Google’s support, the National Science Foundation and MIT, we are likely to hear about it soon.


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Cost of living in Warsaw, Poland vs Sagamihara, Japan
|Personal Care||- 32%|
This comparison is lacking data. It provides a decent comparison, but it is not yet reliable. It is based on 755 prices entered by 95 different people.
These prices were last updated on April 19, 2021. Exchange rate: 28.697 JPY / PLN
Do you live in Sagamihara? We need your help!
Cost of living in Warsaw (Poland) is 40% cheaper than in Sagamihara (Japan)
For example, to keep the same standard of living that would require ¥292,000 in Sagamihara you would need to make just about ¥175,486 (6,115 zł) in Warsaw.
Prices recently added
- 1 pack of marlboro cigarettes in Denver, Colorado costs $9 (21 minutes ago)
- 33 cl domestic beer in the supermarket in Recife costs R$ 4.08 (about 1 hour ago)
- Ipad wi-fi 128gb in Miami, Florida costs $1,000 (about 2 hours ago)
- 1 kg of boneless chicken breast in Vitória costs R$ 7 (about 2 hours ago)
- Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district in Atlanta, Georgia costs $10 (about 2 hours ago)
- 1 us gal of whole fat milk in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania costs $1.10 (about 3 hours ago)

domain: economics


text:
Unfortunately, it’s a fact of life that most distributors are just a local presence for their suppliers. They take orders. And they hold some stock. Thankfully, in the B2B engineering sectors, it’s somewhat different as there is, quite rightly, an expectation that value should be added. So, what is a value-added distributor? And what exactly is the nature of that value?
Publishing company Investopedia says:
The term “value-added” describes the economic enhancement a company gives its products or services before offering them to customers. Value-added helps explain why companies are able to sell their goods or services for more than they cost to produce. Adding value to products and services is very important as it provides consumers with an incentive to make purchases, thus increasing a company’s revenue and bottom line.
Regarding the ‘incentive’, we’re of the opinion it’s also about giving customers ‘confidence’. That’s certainly our experience, and we’ve been supporting customers in a variety of engineering sectors for more than 35 years.
A value-added distributor will always take the time to understand their customers’ requirements. Even when a customer has an idea of which product will meet their needs, there is often an alternative which might be a better fit; better in terms of functionality, price or availability (as lead times are always a factor).
Also, a good value-added distributor will not be suggesting alternatives as a means of upselling. There’s no point pushing to sell higher profit products that aren’t 100% fit-for-purpose and/or which aren’t available in quantities to support the customers’ product development and manufacturing schedules. That’s not the way to build long-term relationships.
It’s Good to Talk
If there’s to be any push in the value-added distributor-customer relationship it should be to understand and to help.
Case in point: One customer had purchased two SlimLink II readers, where the product is a stand-alone programmer for memory tokens and connects to a host pc via a standard USB port. As a courtesy, we wanted to check the customer had everything they needed but their company policy did not allow them to discuss their projects. But then they ran into a few technical problems and were asking questions of us while maintaining they still could not tell us what they were doing with the readers.
After jumping through a few hoops to allow the sharing of information, we learned they had been dismantling the readers to embed within their product. We were quick to recommend that a Unitroller II would be better. It is a single-board interface unit that also accepts tokens and interfaces via USB. It costs less than a SlimLink II reader and there’s no dismantling required to embed it into a product.
We saved the company time and money, plus the Unitroller II board has a short lead time. Most importantly, we now have a very good working relationship with that customer.
If a value-added distributor has access to development kits, they should be offered to their customer as early in the development cycle as possible. It allows them to provide the best possible level of support to the customer as they develop their product.
In the above example, had we been in discussions at the start of the customer’s project we would have recommended a SlimLink II development kit (pictured right). It contains 2x memory token samples, a SlimLink II programmer (which the customer had been buying on their own), a PCB board mount receptacle, a panel-mount receptacle, cables, software drivers, source code and documentation.
They would certainly have been able to fast-track their project by using the kit for product development and then switching to the Unitroller for embedding.
As mentioned, we have a good relationship with that customer, and though things could have been done more efficiently the end result is the same. They have the right parts for their products, and we’re pleased to be supplying those parts.
In summary, a value-added distributor should always be prepared to go out of the way to add value. It’s what they’re there for. It’s certainly what we’re here for and although this blog turned out to be more of a case study, we hope it answers the questions we posed at the start: So, what is a value-added distributor? And what exactly is the nature of that value?


Review: HP EliteBook Folio G1 offers lightweight business computing
HP's latest Windows 10 laptop comes in touch and non-touch versions; it offers a bright display, great keyboard and a variety of options.
- Good value
- thin and light
- excellent UHD touch display
- backlit keyboard
- two USB-C ports
- good security features
- Relatively short battery life
- no SD card slot
Thin, light and with one of the best keyboards this side of a desktop PC, the Folio twins -- both the touch and non-touch models -- are easy to use and travel with.
Price$ 1,400.00 (AUD)
If you're looking for a lightweight, portable laptop -- but aren't interested in a tablet with a snap-on keyboard such as the HP Elite x2 -- HP's 12.5-in. EliteBook Folio G1 makes the most of the traditional notebook design. The company has built an excellent display and keyboard into one of the smallest and lightest systems around.
I spent a week with a pair of Folio systems: The full HD non-touch model that ships with an Intel Core M7 processor, 8GB of 1.86GHz DDR3 RAM and a 128GB SSD and the UHD WVGA touch-screen model that includes a sixth-generation Intel Core M5 processor, 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. Several other configurations are also available.
The Folio family's 12.5-in. displays are a study in contrasts. The UHD touch system (3840 x 2160) offers a four-to-one advantage in showing details compared to the full HD (1920 x 1080 resolution) model. This became apparent when I zoomed in on an 11.3-megapixel photo of my yard and saw leaves that weren't visible on the HD screen.
It's also much brighter, with the full HD version providing a reasonable 306 candelas per square meter versus the UHD's impressive 411. This makes HP's touch display one of the brightest, richest and most vivid screens on the market. I found it still quite usable when I set it at half its brightness.
Under the surface, both systems have Intel's Graphics 515 video accelerator with 128MB of dedicated memory. They can each draw upon up to 4.02GB from system memory for a total of 4.15GB of video memory available. This is just as good for working with intricate images or CAD designs as for playing a video game.
The Folio's piano lid hinge allows the screen to be opened all the way so you can unfold the whole system flat on a table. This makes "fingerpainting" with the touch version easy -- I comfortably drew a map and sketched a flow chart.
The touch screen responds to 10 independent touch inputs and works with a generic stylus. Unfortunately, when the screen was open beyond about 45 degrees, I ran the risk of tipping the system over if I tapped too hard. Overall, I felt that the display wobbled a bit while tapping, swiping and pinching the screen.
Above the display is a 720p webcam that works with Microsoft's Hello facial recognition log-in.
All Folios come with an aluminum case with a soft finish to it. The laptop measures 11.5 x 8.2 x 0.5 in.; the non-touch model weighs a very light 1.1KG. (3.63KG with its small AC adapter) while the touch model weighs 3g more.
The Folio can take a beating on the road -- the family of laptops has passed the Mil-Std 810G tests, including those for vibration and shock, dust intrusion, drops from 30 in. and extreme temperatures. However, it lacks a spill-resistant keyboard.
The Folios are equipped with Intel's M-6Y75 processor that can run between 1.2GHz and 3.1GHz, depending on its tasks. It uses only 4.5 watts of power, about what a nightlight consumes, allowing the Folio to go without a fan. When I checked the heat with a Fluke infrared non-contact thermometer, the touch UHD system never got above 92.5 degrees Fahrenheit and the non-touch never broke 87.5 degrees.
The Folio comes with 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2 wireless connections, along with WiDi capabilities.
Although the Folio's Bang & Olufsen tuned audio has speakers positioned underneath the system and pointing down, they delivered excellent balance among bass, treble and midrange tones. I had good-quality audio with spoken word programming, music or a Skype call -- and they can get surprisingly loud. You can tune the sound with B&O's software graphic equalizer.
In addition to a headphone jack, the Folio is equipped with two USB-C ports, which let you charge the system while using a USB-connected accessory. It comes with a USB-C-to-USB 3.0 adapter and another for USB-C-to-Ethernet connections. However, the system lacks an SD card slot, something that I've taken for granted in this genre.
HP also offers two optional docking stations. One provides five USB ports as well as Ethernet, HDMI and DisplayPort connections. The other, which I had a chance to test out, is the HP Elite Thunderbolt 3 65W Dock. It has four USB connectors along with audio, Ethernet VGA and two DisplayPort connectors that can drive a pair of monitors at once. The dock worked well when I used it to connect the Folio with USB thumb drives, an Ethernet connection and an HD display.
The Folio includes Windows 10 Pro and a second-generation Trusted Platform Module that can make remote log-ins airtight. Other security includes HP's SureStart BIOS protection that doesn't allow the notebook to be started with rogue firmware, as well as HP TouchPoint Manager, which is meant to help companies manage a fleet of systems in a secure cloud database.
Neither test system let me down over a week of daily use that ranged from giving slideshows and doing Web research to editing images and heavy-duty spreadsheet work.
The non-touch model scored a 3,022 on the PCMark 8 Work Conventional benchmark; the touch model scored lower at 2,352. While it won't set any performance records, it's more than enough for most to survive the typical workday.
Each Folio comes with a 4,100 milliamp-hour battery that was able to power the non-touch system for an adequate 5 hr. 35 min. on PCMark 8's battery test. The touch system ran for a rather anemic 4 hr. 19 min.
Because I had previously tested battery life on other systems by running continuous videos, I ran the same tests on the two Folio laptops. The non-touch Folio ran them for 6 hr. 28 min., while the touch lasted for 4 hr. 52 min. This is in comparison to two similar laptops, the Asus Zenbook UX305 (8 hr. 5 min.) and Dell XPS 13 (11 hr. 10 min.).
The EliteBook Folio G1 includes a year of standard warranty protection.
Thin, light and with one of the best keyboards this side of a desktop PC, the Folio twins -- both the touch and non-touch models -- are easy to use and travel with. They are well equipped and deliver the right balance of performance, manageability and security.
While the more powerful, long-lasting and cheaper HD model appeals to the left, more logical side of my brain, the right side dominates here and I lust after the incredibly bright, rich and useful UHD touch model.
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text:
Presentation: "Cascades of Displacement: Kurdish Syrian Migrant Men in Beirut"
Conference: "Displacement and the Making of the Modern World." Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Brown University. April 2017.
This paper is based on fieldwork (2006-2013) with Syrian Kurdish laborers in the context of Beirut. I historically/ethnographically address how we might think through layers of a longue durée of “displacement." Many of these men come from areas where Arabs were settled in the 60’s, had no formal “papers,” and grew up in a tenuous state in Syria. This was doubly complicated when climactic situations created waves of rural migration across Syria - and into neighboring Lebanon.
In the context of Beirut many of these men were viewed like other “Syrian worker,” but as the Syrian conflict intensified the rhetoric of the refugee, the figure of the “Syrian Male,” and Kurdish nationalism overshadowed many of these men’s place in Lebanon. How can we think through examples of Kurdish migrant men (pre/during-conflict) to problematize waves of displacement and belonging? How does “displacement” mesh – and cojoin – with migration? How might we understand these relationships through a sliding scale that cascades, overflowing from moments and events, to larger phases of our lives? I will present ethnographic material to problematize displacement akin to waves, overlapping scales of time and place.
Through a yearlong series of workshops, seminars, courses, and cultural activities, Displacement and the Making of the Modern World will explore themes that integrate disparate studies of displacement.
No major field of scholarly inquiry, scientific endeavor, or literary and artistic expression is untouched by the ways that displacement has shaped the modern world. Indeed, it is fair to say that the modern disciplines in the liberal arts and their enduring concerns developed through a centuries-long productive tension between enabling this world and producing critical knowledge about it.
Yet, precisely because of its pervasiveness as a central element of the modern human experience, studies of or relating to displacement are fragmented and largely confined to silos of disciplinary and topical expertise. The central mission of this proposed seminar is to create an interdisciplinary commons, informed by the approaches and concerns of the humanities and interpretive social sciences, for the exploration of displacement not simply as a product of “other” forces, but as an engine for the formation of the modern world since the fifteenth century.
This Mellon Sawyer Seminar addresses three overarching themes: (1) Histories: Displacement as a global and historically enduring phenomenon; (2) Ecologies: Displacement as an environmental and technological phenomenon; and (3) Subjectivities: Displacement as an affective and discursive phenomenon. A common thread is a focus on displacement as formative of power relations of inclusion and exclusion.
Displacement and the Making of the Modern World pushes at the seams of the humanities, social sciences, and the natural and physical sciences by exploring long-term drivers of displacement. The wager here is that focused interdisciplinary conversation about displacement as an enduring and global phenomenon integral to the making of the modern world can lay the seeds for imagining alternative futures.


text:
refrigerated crescent dinner roll
1 (3 ounce) packages
cream cheese, softened
canned cherry pie filling
- Place crescent dough on a lightly floured surface; seal seams and preforations. Cut into 2" circles. Place in a greased mini tart pan.
- Beat cream cheese and confectioner sugar until smooth. Place about 1/2 teaspoons in each cup. Combine pie filling and almond extract; place about 2 teaspoons in each cup.
- Bake @ 375* for 12-14 minutes, or until edges are lightly brown. Remove to wire rack to cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

domain: food