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Dynamical Neurofeedback At a Glance
What is Neurofeedback?
The central nervous system is a complex structure capable of doing amazing things: from triggering the muscles in our arms and legs to stimulate movement, to processing difficult emotions and solving complex equations, our brains are arguably the most intricate and powerful machine in the human body. And just like any other machine, sometimes the brain needs a “tuneup” to continue functioning at optimum levels. This is the purpose behind neurofeedback — to “train” the human brain to function efficiently and effectively.
Doctors Valdene Brown and Susan Cheshire Brown developed the NeurOptimal Dynamical Neurofeedback System after over 40 years of experience in the neuroscience field. They discovered a way to track brainwaves and offer “feedback” to the brain in the form of sound—or lack thereof. This “feedback”encourages reprograming in brain function for optimal performance. Dynamical neurofeedback is not a one-size-fits-all treatment; the NeurOptimal system allows the brain to adjust and regulate itself based on its own brainwaves and not according to an assumed “map”.
Dynamical neurofeedback is not a medical treatment; the system does not diagnose the brain, nor does it target specific symptoms. Rather, the dynamical neurofeedback system is like a “training” for the brain that targets multiple areas at once, hence the name “dynamical” neurofeedback. Neurofeedback training is safe for all ages and cognitive abilities, is not addictive, and does not require physician referral.
What To Expect During a Neurofeedback Session
A typical neurofeedback session lasts 33 minutes. A therapist or trained technician will place 5 sensors on your scalp and ears to track the electrical activity in your brain. A conductive paste is used on the sensors to ensure that they stay in place through the training session.
The session begins when meditation music begins to play. If you listen closely you will notice short pauses or skips in the music—this is the feedback that communicates to your brain that irregular rhythms in your brain activity have been detected. The brain will pick up on that feedback subconsciously and self-correct to more natural, relaxed, and effective brain activity. No physical sensations are involved in neurofeedback.
You are welcome to rest and relax during your training session; your brain will still detect the interruptions in the music even if you are not focusing or fall asleep. Some therapists offer neurofeedback sessions during a regular counseling session; ask your therapist for more information. In addition to meditative music, we also offer a small selection of movies with the same audio interruptions for younger clients going through brain training. Our clients have reported feeling more rested and relaxed after their 33 minute session as well as better sleep the night after their training session.
For more information about the benefits of dynamical neurofeedback click here.


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Padma Shri Sri Devi : The golden swan of Indian cinema
Veteran actor Sridevi, who had an illustrious career spanning over four decades, passed away in Dubai. She was 55.According to the family sources, the actor, wife of producer Boney Kapoor, reportedly died due to cardiac arrest late in the night in Dubai, where she had gone along with her family to attend her nephew Mohit Marwah’s wedding.
Sridevi was born in Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu on August 13, 1963. She began acting at the age of four in 1969 film Thunaivan. Malayalam film Poompattawon her a Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist in 1971. She also co-starred with late actress-politician Jayalalithaa in three films, including Adi Parashakti. In 1975, a year before Sridevi made her debut as a leading lady, she appeared in her first Hindi film, Julie, playing the sister of the heroine.
1976’s Moondru Mudichu, opposite Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, was Sridevi’s first lead role. She would go on to co-star with the two actors in several films, both Tamil and Hindi. Her best-known Bollywood collaborations with them are Chaal Baaz with Rajinikanth and Sadma with Kamal Haasan.
Sridevi’s extensive filmography contains as many outings in Bollywood as it does down South. Her breakout film was 1983’s Himmatwala, opposite Jeetendra, remembered for the song Nainon Mein Sapna. She went from strength to strength in the Hindi film industry, starring in memorable films such as Nagina and its sequel Nigahen. Her scene-stealing turn in Mr India included the iconic song Hawa Hawaii. The films Chandni and Lamhe helped Sridevi become the definitive ‘Yash Raj heroine.’
What the gossip did not say was how, or if, her life mirrored the Sridevi who existed simultaneously in those movies; the buffoon, the warrior, the goddess. Her comic persona is still astonishing for its sheer fluidity. An upturned eyebrow, a curl of the lip, and her perfect doll-face, with its wobbling underlip and unshed tears, would transform itself into a clown mask. Her physical comedy is an early and superior iteration of the “clumsy girl” stereotype that so many beautiful female actors and characters are endowed with today, where the klutziness is an apology for the beauty. Sridevi’s is a knowing clumsiness, a trick up the sleeve of a woman whose eyes have always recalled Homeric similes. That very breathy little-girl voice would get on your last nerve—but once she was through with hoodwinking her phalanx of creditors in Chaalbaaz, she would use it to tell them, “Ok! Tata! Bye bye, chee you, sayonara!
Sridevi worked in times when it was common for actors to work three shifts a day: the more famous the star, the more sets she was on, playing two or three different characters in five or six different sets of costumes. She worked so much that she often played more than one character on the same set. Which Hindi movie star has essayed more double roles? She did Gurudev, Banjaran, Khuda Gawah, Lamhe, Chaalbaaz and Guru, the last two in the same year. She played her own daughter in the hallucinogenic Nigahen, a sequel to Nagina. She personified the divided self: both queen and chattel, terrorized and terrorizing, mute and hyper-loquacious.
After marrying producer Boney Kapoor, Sridevi took a break of many years – her last starring role before the hiatus was Meri Biwi Ka Jawaab Nahin with Akshay Kumar, which was filmed in 1994 but released in 2004 - before making what the film industry calls a comeback. 2012’s acclaimed English Vinglish was the comeback of comebacks and Sridevi worked steadily ever since, appearing in Tamil film Puli and last year’s MOM. She will be seen posthumously in a special appearance this year in Shah Rukh Khan's film Zero.
We think movie stars become great because they linger in our memories, but making icons involves a great deal of forgetting. Sridevi made 264 films over 45 years (that we know of), and we will never watch anything approaching the majority of them again. But charisma is a resilient thing, and hers always had powerful transitive properties. She starred in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films, and at the height of her superstardom in the Madras industry, came to Bombay and became a superstar again.
Sridevi received the Padma Shri and won several Filmfare awards. She is survived by husband Boney Kapoor and her two daughters, Janhvi and Khushi.The more I watch Hawa Hawaii, the more I want to re-watch it. But it’s hard for me to do so now without feeling despair at the sight of her, so singular and gleaming, the product of an industry which exploited its women with utter rapacity, and then, by putting them on screen to make them unforgettable, contrived a gigantic act of forgetting.

domain: artistic


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Live Event Painting
PARTIES | CORPORATE EVENTS | WEDDINGS
Capture the magic of your event in abstract painting artwork created on the scene by Luz Donahue. Guests will watch as the essence of your event is captured into a vibrant abstract piece that transform as the event progresses. Each guest, the hosts and even the venue contribute to the work of art merely by their presence. Creating a unique experience and one of a kind piece of art with colors, textures and techniques inspired by the day.
Luz is available for live painting at weddings, outdoor festivals, corporate events, wineries, and more.
Live Painting FAQs
How does live painting enhance an event?
Good art makes you stop and stare at without truly knowing why. My hope is that adding live painting to an event invites an opportunity for guests to be shaken out of their normal every day existence and stirred by the art in a way that allows them to be more present and enjoy the occasion. It’s an opportunity to stop and think - or stop thinking altogether and feel the energy of the moment.
Do guests interact with the artist?
Absolutely. This is meant to be an interactive experience. You and your guests are encouraged to talk to Luz, engage in conversation and share your response to the piece as it develops. The artwork is fed by interacting with people while it’s being created. It’s a collaboration!
What’s happens to the painting at the end of the event?
It’s up to you, as the event planner. You may decide to keep the piece to be exhibited in your event space or home, offer it in a raffle to event attendees, or even create unique gift items that can be sent to event attendees as a keepsake.


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A vitamin C-enriched serum that makes lackluster and dull skin brighter and more vibrant. Infused with 20% of original pure vitamin C to remove dead skin cells and blackheads for resilient skin, improve skin elasticity and firmness, brightens dull skin, and soothe irritated and sensitive skin.
How to use:
- After using toner to refine your skin texture, dispense a moderate amount and apply to the entire face.
- Apply more on targeted areas.
Water, Ascorbic Acid (20%), Alcohol, Sodium Lactate, Butylene Glycol, Glucose, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Xanthan Gum, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Glycerin, Zinc PCA, Panthenol, Niacinamide, t-Butyl Alcohol, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Ubiquinone, Phenoxyethanol

domain: chemistry


Europe’s Young Unemployment Idea
Europe’s under 25 population has an unemployment rate of 24.4%. Greece has proposed a measure to counter this problem. Allow those unemployed up to 24 years old to work without pay as an incentive to companies to hire young employees? The measure also suggests exporting young unemployed people as well. Hmm…. In the old days, this used to be called slavery. Today it’s called… Wait… Justin Beieber was arrested! Oh, the humanity!
HSBC, and soon other Too-Big-For-Jail banks, now has new rules on limiting withdrawals. Of course, they did not tell their victims err… customers; however, these new rules actually went into affect as of last November. Another reason to get your money out of the banking system yesterday.
Biden Speaks Up
Well, Joe Bidin has allowed everyone to know what an ongoing failure that Obamawreck is. When asked how many new Medicaid enrollees there are. Biden stated ‘We don’t have the ability to’ determine new Medicaid enrollees.’
20 Signs of Global Economic Meltdown
Here are a few…
1. The looting, violence and economic chaos in Argentina as its peso collapses.
2. The Ukraine coming apart at the seams.
3. U.S. retailers experiencing the worst holiday season since 2008.
19 Stats On American Anger
Here are a few…
1. 66% are dissatisfied with the size and power of the federal government.
2. 53% believe that Obama’s gang are incompetent while only 8% believe Congress is.
3. 77% essentially believe Obama is full of B.S. in regards to NSA reform.
4. 42% view themselves as independent as main political party affiliation is at an all time low.
Wheaties breakfast cereal has been found to contain so many iron filings that the flakes can be attracted by common magnets. So, are Wheaties safe if you are going to get an MRI on your abdomen soon afterwards?
Finally, please prepare now for the escalating economic and social unrest. Good Day!
All content contained on the Hyper Report, and attached videos is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. ‘Hyper Report’ assumes all information to be truthful and reliable; however, the content on this site is provided without any warranty, express or implied. No material here constitutes “Investment advice” nor is it a recommendation to buy or sell any financial instrument, including but not limited to stocks, commodities, corporation, options, bonds, futures, or intrinsically valueless Federal Reserve Notes. Any actions you, the reader/listener, take as a consequence of any analysis, opinion, or advertisement on this site/video is your sole responsibility.


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Microsoft has announced the date for when its upcoming Fall Creators Update for Windows 10 will begin rolling out. According to the company’s blog post, the update will begin hitting PCs on October 17th. Back in May, they detailed the fourth feature update for Windows 10 by introducing features like OneDrive Files On-Demand (OneDrive placeholders, in a nutshell), the Fluent Design System, a cloud-based clipboard, Windows Story Remix for creating videos, and more. At the time, Timeline and Pick Up Where You Left Off, two features for being more productive across devices, were also detailed and expected to land in the FCU but ultimately didn’t for lack of development behind them. Therefore, you’ll have to wait until a future feature update for the OS hits to get the features. But hey, at least you’re getting the People bar.
The company also notes that improvements to gaming, security, Windows Ink, and accessibility are all on their way as well. Windows Mixed Reality will also be shipping with the update to enable VR/AR experiences for headsets like the Dell Visor, Lenovo Explorer, and other variants from HP, Acer, and Asus. All in all, the FCU should be a pretty welcoming update for users of Windows 10.
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domain: news


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Kate and the Ink - UK Shipping Areas Giclee Print (A2)
Who doesn't feel more calm and relaxed after hearing the shipping forecast? Hang this on your wall for a reassuring view.
These archival quality prints are on 315 gsm fine art paper.
Also available in A3
Supplied unframed - we think it looks great in this frame https://www.victoriawindsor.com/products/aco005 but we have lots of other options too!
Kate graduated from the Glasgow School of Art and designs thoughtful products that make people smile, she is now based in Edinburgh.

domain: design


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Discover Smart Ways To Free Your Ear From Ear Wax Here
Whenever You’re having hearing Difficulty, it will not be possible to play at peak performances. You will get the best results in the event that you invest in regular medical checkups in the standing of one’s ear at fixed intervals. Everybody desires the best results from each ear wax removal clinic; but the reality remains you cannot attain the finest results out of each and every clinic are online. In the event you required the very best being offered, then you should create your findings prior to signing on any of the online distributors.
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domain: medical


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Given the high-profile that applications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court have acquired in the past few weeks, you would think that the processing of such applications would not be apt to hit a snag over Colorado marijuana. But this being Washington in 2018, where trivia often trumps reason, you would be wrong.
The Department of Justice has a National Security Division, the mission of which is to protect the United States from national security threats through legal means, and to coordinate national security efforts of prosecutors, law enforcement agencies and the broader intelligence community. Among other duties, the head of the seemingly critical division is one of three people at the top of the Justice Department to sign off on applications for FISA warrants before they go the FISA Court. The other two are the Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, and the Deputy Attorney General, Rod Rosenstein.
Trouble is, John Demers, the man President Trump nominated last September to head Justice’s National Security Division, is waiting to be confirmed by the Senate because Cory Gardner, Republican Senator from Colorado, has a beef with Attorney General Sessions over enforcement of Federal marijuana laws in Colorado. Yes, you read that right. There is no permanent presidential appointee in charge of combatting terrorism at the Justice Department because a Republican senator has put discretionary federal marijuana enforcement above U.S. national security in his priorities.
It is not that Demers in unqualified, or a troublesome nominee, or beats his wife or is a sexual predator. A Harvard Law graduate who clerked on the Supreme Court for Justice Antonin Scalia, he was second in command at the National Security Division during the George W. Bush Administration and later a Vice President at Boeing. He was approved unanimously by both the Senate Judiciary and Senate Intelligence Committees, where even the Democrats considered him “unobjectionable” and a sterling nominee. Among other duties, if confirmed Demers will play a significant role in the federal government’s national security and anti-terrorism efforts, including developing and presenting the Justice Department’s legal positions before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.
Senator Gardner is upset because federal law deems the growing and distribution of marijuana a crime, while Colorado law does not. During the Obama years, the Justice Department announced that it would just look the other way on marijuana in states, such as Colorado, that legalized it. Attorney General Sessions rescinded that directive, announcing that if Congress thought marijuana should be legalized, well, Congress could change the law.
But where there were other drug-related violations of law – particularly where drug cartels, drug lords and related criminal activity were involved, the feds could prosecute, regardless of what Colorado thought about it. Sessions simply used his discretion, like his predecessors did, to give U.S. Attorneys the ability to use the tools given them by Congress.
Certainly Senator Gardner, being an able-minded member of Congress, could get a group of his colleagues together and introduce legislation to change the federal law if he were inclined. But he probably knows Congress is incapable of doing much of anything, so keeping Demers, and our national security, hostage is just a lot easier.
John Demers is not the only nominee awaiting Senate confirmation – there are at least 200, with over 30 at the Justice Department alone. Ask a Republican Senator why so many and they will blame the Democrats – who indeed often use everything in their power to delay nominations in order to try to keep the Trump Administration from succeeding.
So along comes Cory Gardner, a moderate Republican and otherwise reasonable fellow, who not only does the Democrats’ work for them, but hands them a big campaign issue as well. Gardner is the chairman of the National Senatorial Campaign Committee, which bills itself as “the official committee dedicated to strengthening the Republican Senate Majority,” and which raises money to help re-elect Republican senators and elect new ones. And ironically, the Committee’s website announces that it “Makes America Stronger.”
Except, apparently, when it comes to fighting terrorism. You can be sure that a Democratic campaign theme in the fall election will be the ineffectiveness of the Republican-dominated federal government, and its inability to get anything accomplished. How will Senator Gardner deal with that (and let’s hope there are no terrorist attacks before the election) given his obstruction at the National Security Division of the Justice Department?
That one Senator is capable – and willing — to hold up the machinery of the federal government, particularly in an area as important as protecting the country from terrorism – is nothing short of irresponsibility, and is the worst kind of example of how politics dominates everything in Washington, including reason.
Let’s hope that Senator Gardner comes to his senses, deals with the problems his constituents have in Colorado like a statesman, and let’s John Demers get to work.
Alfred S. Regnery is Chairman of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund. He served in the Reagan Justice Department.


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If you’ve followed the ghastly buy-out and departure of former Philadelphia school superintendent Arlene Ackerman, you shouldn’t miss the piece by Benjamin Herold for Newsworks and the Philadelphia Public School Notebook.
Herold reveals that the school district-related non-profit that funnelled anonymous donations for Ackerman’s $905,000 buyout was used to slip Ackerman some cash on the way in, for transition work. And he notes that Ackerman served on the board of this non-profit, and that the IRS “has rules relating to activities that substantially benefit one of its board members.”
And there’s the matter of the anonymous donors who contributed $405,000 to the deal, at least some of them known to and possibly solicited by Mayor Nutter.
Brett Mandel has a piece on the Philly Mag blog on the subject called “Michael Nutter’s Corruption Problem.”
That may be a little strong, but Mandel has a point.
During the earliest stages of the 2007 mayor’s race, Nutter was alone among the candidates in pledging not to accept contributions any larger than $2,500 from individuals and $10,000 from political committees – the contributions in the city’s new and untested campaign finance law. This was at a time when it wasn’t clear exactly when the limits would apply, or whether they would withstand a court challenge.
But by running as he did, Nutter came into office with a wide base of financial support, and nobody had written him a $50,000 check at a critical moment in the campaign.
When you get big checks from people, it has to affect the way you think of them. And if Nutter got big checks from monied interests to help buy Ackerman out, that has to affect his opinions of them. Do they have interests with the city? We don’t know, because their identities are secret.
A person wise in the ways of govermment was once explaining some smelly arrangement he’d made on behalf of a past mayor, and he said, “Come on Dave, you know what happens. Even when you’re trying to do the right thing, it gets messy.”
And this was a mess. Nutter and a lot of people wanted Ackerman gone, and she had a pretty ironclad right to a lot more than $905,000 under her contract (in part because Nutter, Ed Rendell and others wanted to bring her here).
Raising a bunch of money privately was Nutter’s way of limiting the public cost of Acerkman’s buyout to $500,000. In retrospect, it would probably have been smarter to have the district that gave Ackerman a superstar’s deal pay the cost of getting out it. And if somebody wanted to contribute to the cause to offset that cost, we’d all be better off if they’d done it in the open.

domain: law


1. Tiger Woods reclaimed his No. 1 ranking this week, which led Nike Golf to tweet the following:
2. Well, almost everything…
David Cannon / Getty Images
Here Are The Top Stories
- The Boy Scouts of America has ended its ban on gay leaders, two years after lifting a ban on gay youth members.
- Boston is no longer pursuing a bid to host the 2024 summer Olympics.
- The Arizona Cardinals have hired the NFL's first female coach.


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Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge arrived with so much hype and fanfare that it's easy to forget that, at one time, it was nearly vaporware. After a dismal E3 showing a couple of years ago and tepid feedback from testers, Microsoft made the decision to halt the title in mid-development and start from scratch with a new team of artists, writers and programmers. Purportedly, the story fell flat and the action lacked any sort of panache that may have elevated it above standard arcade-shooter fare. Retooled with a completely new story and overhauled gameplay, Crimson Skies was set to be a premier Xbox showcase title and a boon for Xbox Live subscribers. Did Microsoft pull it off?
I suppose the most diplomatic answer is that it depends on what one might be expecting. The flying/shooting genre is inherently a limited one. After the Rogue Squadron and Ace Combat games, it's clear that mechanically, one way or another you are just going to be flying around trying to shoot stuff while trying not to get shot yourself. There is a little bit of flourish added to the mostly pedestrian mechanics in Crimson Skies—in the form of loops and rolls that can be executed with simple button combinations—that helps to elevate the gameplay, but for the most part it's nothing that will set the world on fire. The real key to the game's strengths lies in the way the mechanics are contextually applied. It takes some real creativity to breathe life into the "fly around and shoot stuff" framework, and it's clear the team at Microsoft tried very hard to squeeze every last bit of life out of this genre's aging gameplay.
A well told story that brings to mind the larger-than-life heroism and whimsical otherworldliness of Disney's The Rocketeer encapsulates the game. Though the game follows a mostly linear path to tell its story, it doesn't divide the gameplay up into the standard fare of loosely intertwined levels. Instead, there are large, open areas where players fly around and select missions at their discretion. It will generally be something along the lines of "protect this" or "blow up that." Now, generally that would be all she wrote and the game would simply be a scattering of similar mundane action sequences. But in a surprising twist, it mostly works.
Every action sequence is woven tightly into the story. While this alone isn't enough, it's done in way that keeps a little bit of tension and excitement to the action. For example, one sequence has a giant robotic spider thundering its way toward a character's mountaintop domicile, so targeting the beast's weak points gets tricky as it rumbles over and around hilltops. Missions may require players to protect a plane or location from unfriendly fire coming in the simultaneous forms of gunships, planes, and zeppelins; conversely, missions may take on a more routine offensive flare of destroying scattered targets or a well-guarded enemy stronghold. Regardless, the battles have a satisfyingly climatic feel, and the tricky-to-navigate locales keep the combat challenging.
But even though so much of Crimson Skies works and truly does a respectable job of adding some pizzazz to its increasingly arcane framework through a tightly wound narrative, I never felt that it was quit enough. Too often, despite the challenge and the variety of the missions, I found myself yearning to swap the disk out in favor of more unique fare. The game is enjoyable only so long as one can derive visceral pleasure from repeatedly pressing the "fire" buttons while zig-zagging through the game's tortuous environments—which is to say that it is without question a good bit of escapist fun, but its lack of substance begins to wear on the excitement. The environments are big and beautiful, to be sure, but they are devoid of interactivity. For example, if a fleet of gunboats are making their way to my friends' base by way of a canyon river, why can't I use those missiles of mine to knock a chunk of rocks off the cliff and block their entrance? Why can't I destroy any but the designated buildings—perhaps causing one to tilt onto an enemy zeppelin? What's more, the limited variety of weapons (despite being upgradeable, there is always just a primary and secondary fire) sap a bit of fun out of the gameplay.
As a multiplayer game, Crimson Skies fares adequately, roughly on par with MechAssault (minus the destructible environments, of course). There are plenty of modes available that, despite catchy monikers, are essentially variations on deathmatch and capture the flag. But the freedom to fly around and face human opponents in massive dogfights is a new experience on the Xbox, and despite its overall simplicity, it remains respectfully addicting.
Crimson Skies does so much to propel itself above mediocrity that it seems strange that, though it succeeds, it doesn't capture the robust energy of its larger-than-life story in its gameplay. It comes close, and close is enough to make it a worthwhile trek, but it's an adventure that never satisfies beyond a penchant for escapism.
- Demo roundup — Batman: Arkham Asylum, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, Dawn of War II, Darkest of Days - August 18, 2009
- Why isn’t PC gaming pushing technological boundaries? - July 23, 2009
- ARMA II quick impressions: I’m really trying! - July 3, 2009

domain: game


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Extra jam-packed show notes this week!
Here's a great (spoiler-free) YouTube video to compel you all to watch this fantastic show:
If you are a fan of beautiful things (and who isn't really), do yourself a favor and check out Lifted Millinery. Katie is the artist and owner (and a Fizzing Whizzbee patron!) and is oozing talent. Just look at this!:

domain: hobby


Subject: re: oss compatibility for >2 channels
To: None <M.Drochner@fz-juelich.de>
From: matthew green <email@example.com>
Date: 04/25/2007 11:25:59
that's neither kern nor purely userlevel -- maybe that list
is still good for something.
PR pkg/35444 (mplayer bad timeout select and play.channels number for oss)
reminds me of something: The NetBSD OSS emulation assumes that the number
of play and record channels is the same. It seems common now that there is
some 5.1 audio output but just a one or two channel input.
The emulated SNDCTL_DSP_CHANNELS ioctl tries to set both play and record
channels to the given number and fails if any of it fails. So there is no
chance to enable more than two channels in that example.
I'd suggest to treat play and record direction independently - see the
appended patch. Is there anyone having deeper knowledge about OSS,
or being able to test a real OSS with >2 channel hardware to judge
whether such a change makes sense?
this patch doesn't quite work. it does allow
"mplayer -channels 6 -ao oss" to not error out, but it does cause
the audio to play slow (maybe 3x? it's hard to tell) and only in
however, it's not clear to me that anyone has ever done >2 channels
with netbsd audio. i can't seem to make it work with mplayer and
sun audio, but i haven't yet gotten to testing it more simply with
a plain 6 channel audio file and audioplay(1).


The way we manage data and information in the school has changed and we have appointed Global Policing to act as the school’s data protection officers. Data Protection Regulations give parents, children, teachers and anyone we hold information on the power to request:
- To arrange an appointment to view all the information we hold on you.
- To ask for the information to be changed.
- To ask for the information to be deleted.
To request any of these services you are to contact Global Policing directly and request them to contact you back:
Phone: 0161 212 1681 (Voicemail Service)
Our Data Protection Policy and Privacy Notices are attached below. These documents will provide you with more information about the new regulations. Please take the time to read these documents. Each child will need to have a privacy notice completed and signed by the parent/carer.
Please click on the links for information:
- Data Protection Policy
- Freedom of Information Policy
- Privacy Notice - Parent/Carer - Updated version May 2020
- Privacy Notice - All BV Staff - Updated version May 2020
- Global Policing Poster - DPO
If you have any questions, contact Global Policing directly on the contact information detailed above.


Metalwërks®, a manufacturer of metal plate exterior façade systems, integrated curtain wall components, and custom architectural features, played a critical role in the development and construction of 100 Hood Park in Boston, Mass.
A mixed-used building that combines retail and commercial space with a four-floor parking garage, 100 Hood Park is one of a number of new structures at Hood Park, a master-planned urban campus that is transforming a section of the city dating back to the 17th century.
Contractors charged with the building’s façade faced a variety of challenges at the outset.
The parking garage would sit directly across from a new residential building on one side, and the architect had to find a way to lessen the impact of headlights shining into people's homes. The preferred solution was a customized perforated aluminum screenwall system.
Lymo Construction Company, the subcontractor for the building’s exterior, tapped Metalwërks for its expertise in design, engineering, and fabrication.
“We knew [Metalwërks] could manufacture the panels themselves, but it was having Metalwërks as a partner in making sure that the engineering was going to work,” said Dan Nadeau, vice president of pre-construction operations for Lymo Construction. “They were able to answer those questions very quickly in those design-assist meetings.”
“By participating in the design-assist process, Metalwërks enabled the project team to have a finalized design that was vetted,” added John Scorsone, sales engineer at Metalwërks. “This saved months of design and shop drawing time, allowing the project to move forward at a more rapid pace.”
The resulting screenwall system fashioned and delivered by Metalwërks covered more than 14,000 square feet of the garage’s exterior wall, minimized the impact of headlights from the cars at night and allowing for constant air flow and ventilation.
The challenge for the remainder of the structure was to find a way to make a parking garage more visually interesting. Metalwërks fashioned and then fabricated ¼” thick-formed aluminum fins with a painted finish in varying sizes and shapes. The fins covered more than 28,000 square feet of the building’s outer wall.
“There’s a dramatic change as you are walking around the building. The angle and location of the fins changes the appearance,” Nadeau observed. “Some angles, you’re looking at the garage, and it appears to be a solid wall, and at some angles, it appears to be totally open.”
Metalwërks also brought the signature architectural element of the building’s façade to life: A spire that sits above the entrance. Metalwërks created a custom-perforated aluminum plate that could be back-lit for eye-catching appeal.
Crews completed construction at 100 Hood Park in August of 2020.
When it is finished, Hood Park will include seven new buildings. Construction on the urban campus is expected to continue through 2027.


Can you make ice cream out of rubber?
Deutsche Gasrußwerke were producing a significant amount of surplus for their carbon black production, primarily for the tire industry. But how could they turn that excess heat into something useful?
Sustainable alliances are the answer. We team up with companies that could benefit from the excess heat. For example, we have partnered with a company that was in need of additional energy to keep their cooling system running. By working together with the City of Dortmund, our experts can help Gasrußwerke and neighbouring companies achieve their objectives in an efficient way.
Our system recycles excess heat from the Gasrußwerke plants and converts this into cooling. In addition, the solution increases the attractiveness of the "Cleanport" technology location at Dortmund's industrial harbour.
The solution intelligently combines supply and demand. It turns wasted heat into spending power for Gasrußwerke by providing an additional revenue stream and allows partner companies to benefit from low-cost energy while reducing their CO2 emissions and running costs. A great example of how partnering can recycle surplus energy.
Challenge us to turn energy efficiency into profits for your company
Can you lose 200 tonnes of CO2 through smarter energy controls?
We worked with Marks & Spencer to achieve 34% energy savings across 550 stores – helping them save money and reach their ambitious carbon reduction targets in the process.
Can the wasted heat from a data centre be used to power an entire community?
We partnered with Binero Group AB to develop a unique and sustainable data centre that provides our customers in Vallentuna with one third of the town’s district heating needs.
Can a global manufacturer integrate all its energy systems to hit its energy targets?
We helped Alfred H. Schütte exceed their energy targets with a 14% reduction in consumption and fully underwritten savings.
Achieving your goals
Cashing in on your energy savings potential.
Creating an energy efficient business.
Safeguarding your energy supply.
Enhancing experiences for customers and employees.


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By Nora Lowe
On Friday, New Castle observed National Gun Violence Awareness Day at the gazebo in downtown Chappaqua.
This year’s annual “Wear Orange” event was held against the backdrop of the shooting in Uvalde, Texas that claimed the lives of two teachers and 19 elementary school students, as well as other recent shootings in Buffalo and Tulsa.
The atmosphere at the gazebo oscillated between solemn moments of silence and frustrated, impassioned calls for political action. Speakers included clergy, elected officials, activists and police personnel.
“We mourn for the loss of schools and workplaces as safe harbors and peaceful environments of gathering,” said Temple Beth El Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe during the opening prayer.
New Castle Town Supervisor Lisa Katz welcomed attendees but wished it was for another occasion.
“I love gathering with our community, but I’m not really happy to be gathering here today,” Katz aid. The event served as “a stark reminder of the horror” taking place around the country, she said.
Uvalde, Tulsa and Buffalo join a long list of other communities that have been torn apart, names of places that have become synonymous with gun violence, such as Newtown, Parkland, Aurora, El Paso, Dayton, San Bernardino, Las Vegas, Charleston and Virginia Tech and Columbine, among others.
“When it comes to the safety of our children and fellow citizens, the toxic, hyper-partisan politics of the day must be set aside,” Katz said.
Keynote speaker Erin Fuller Brian recounted her own harrowing experience as a survivor of the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting in which 58 concert-goers were murdered.
The Pleasantville resident and mother of two described the aftermath of the experience: struggles with PTSD, nightmares, panic attacks, social isolation and survivor’s guilt. Anxiety is an ongoing battle.
She points to “Washington gridlock” as a root cause of the issue.
“This is unacceptable. This is negligence…We have had enough,” Brian said.
She urged attendees to donate to organizations such as Brady: United Against Gun Violence, attend March for Our Lives events, vote and call representatives to “remind them that they work for us.”
County Executive George Latimer emphasized that “Sandy Hook could have easily been any suburban town in Westchester County.” Despite pride over county and state progress, he said he was concerned about the ease with which firearms are illegally transported across state borders.
State Sen. Peter Harckham (D-Lewisboro) announced the recent approval of 10 bills in the state legislature, which he soon expects the governor to sign into law. Some changes include raising the minimum age to purchase a semi-automatic weapon from 18 to 21 and banning the purchase of body armor.
New Castle Police Chief James Carroll lamented how “gun deaths in our country are occurring at a staggering pace” and how in the U.S., “children are far more likely to die of gun violence than any other cause.”
Moms Demand Action volunteer Naomi Marrow said the rash of mass shootings has altered her routine when visiting movie theaters. Previously, she would make note of where the bathrooms were located.
“Now, I make sure I know where the exits are,” Marrow said. “That is obscene. It has become a dangerous world.”
During the late afternoon program, a boys’ baseball team played in the field adjacent to the gazebo, and children fiddled with symbolic orange pinwheels.
“They are our future, and they’re the ones we need to protect,” Katz said.
At a recent meeting, the New Castle Town Board adopted a proclamation designating June 3 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the town.
Examiner Media – Keeping you informed with professionally-reported local news, features, and sports coverage.


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Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift is the third movie in the franchise, departing from the established characters and featuring a whole new cast. Sean Boswell is given a choice between jail or moving in with his Navy father who lives in Tokyo, Japan, where he rises to the top of the drifting scene after ...
I was browsing on Wikipedia and I noticed that the Fast & Furious films have a different chronology that doesn't match their release order. The Tokyo Drift movie, besides being totally different ...
In the third Fast and Furious movie - Tokyo Drift, one of the main characters in the story is Han Lue. Near the conclusion of the movie, he dies when his car explodes in a huge fireball after being ...

domain: entertainment


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Go for a taste of paradise with the Fresh and Spicy Quorn Burger Recipe or try our mouth-watering Quorn Veggie Mac & Cheese Bun Burger. These meatless burger ideas are perfect to enjoy with your friends and family.
Search recipes by:
Did you know?
Quorn Spaghetti Bolognese has 90% less saturated fat than a beef version†
You save GHG emissions equivalent to charging your phone for over 3 years by swapping ground beef for Quorn Grounds in just one meal†
The water footprint of Quorn Meatless Grounds is 12X lower than that of real ground beef†

domain: food


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I'm on a fixed income; how will I make ends meet if my spouse goes to the nursing home?
It is not the government's intent to impoverish the spouse who remains at home. In general, the "community spouse" gets to keep all of their income. In addition, if the community spouse has a low level of income they will get some or all of the "nursing home" spouse's income up to about $2,500 per month. As an example, assume the husband is in the nursing home and the wife's (community spouse) only income is $600 of social security. She would be eligible to take $1,900 of the husband's income.

domain: sociology


France – Thierry Henry
Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ are described by many as the greatest team in English top-flight history and the star of that side was undoubtedly Thierry Henry.
Lightning quick, technically outstanding, charismatic and an insatiable appetite for scoring goals. There have been many Frenchmen in the Premier League but none can touch Arsenal’s greatest ever player.
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms


Sometimes women have a baby and then, after a while, they return to work. If, for example, a woman takes a year off work (by royal appointment), she may find the job of caring for a baby fantastic, lonely, stressful, mundane and soul-destroying, all at the same time.
Each new mother’s response will be different; for some, the 39 weeks statutory maternity pay (which can be split into shared parental leave) is too long and the desire to return to work increases with each day spent in front of daytime TV or Peppa Pig.
For others, the end of maternity leave will loom like a nightmare from the Handmaid’s Tale, where your enfant child is wrestled from your embrace as you are forced to return to the 9-5 treadmill in order to spend all your hard-earned cash on childcare.
These are stark choices and apparently make new mothers about 40% more stressed than anyone else, with millennials saying they cannot afford children at all. Ayesha Vardag is a divorce lawyer who, after the birth of her fourth child, said: “It’s like maternity rules were set up by men in the 50s. You should be with your baby all of the time and, if you’re coming back, you better come back full-time or we’re not interested.”
The problems escalate when women return to work – if that job still exists. One report found maternity leave discrimination leads to 54,000 women losing their jobs each year and we now know non-disclosure agreements have been used to silence women sacked after having children. Of those working mothers who keep their jobs, three-quarters say they have experienced discrimination in the workplace. The motherhood penalty, in other words, is the rule rather than the exception.
Vardag’s solution is to invite women to return to her law firm as soon as they feel ready for as much time as they want – even if that is half a day a week. She is open to employees breastfeeding in the office and offers a nanny service to longer-serving staff. This is what a flexible, humane and pragmatic maternity policy could look like. Instead of endlessly obsessing over what makes a good mother, how about overhauling an unfit-for-purpose system that ensures mothers can never be good enough?


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A new Bill designed to tackle the gender pay gap has been added to the Government’s priority legislation programme, a Fine Gael TD has said.
Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy was speaking after the Government announced its legislation programme for the summer session, which included the Gender Pay Gap Information Bill on the list of priority legislation.
The priority list, published this week by Government (Tue 2nd April) comprises legislation from 13 Government departments and focuses on areas including housing, climate action and the environment, healthcare, social welfare, gender equality, regional employment and judicial matters.
“It is great to see the Gender Pay Gap Information Bill listed as priority legislation on the Government’s Programme for the Summer Session”, said Deputy Corcoran Kennedy.
“This legislation is badly needed in our efforts to tackle the gender pay gap. Research from recruitment company CPL here in Ireland showed that Ireland saw its gender pay gap widen from 12% in 2014 to 14% in late 2017.
“The Oireachtas Women’s Caucus, of which I am Deputy Chair, has been working on this issue for some time.
“The new legislation will establish a mandatory reporting obligation on companies to report on their gender pay differences. Transparency in pay is key to closing the gender pay gap.
“Heads of the Bill were approved by Government on the 26th of June last year and pre legislative scrutiny has also taken place. I am delighted the Bill has now been added to the Government priority list and will be published and introduced in this Oireachtas session between now and the summer. I look forward to working on the Bill when it comes to the Dáil,” concluded Deputy Corcoran Kennedy.


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BACOLOD City – A three-year-old boy burned to death inside a house in Barangay 6, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, a police report showed.
Police identified the victim as Vincent Paragsa, who was left inside the house after fire hit the area around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
According to Senior Fire Officer 2 Marilou De La Cruz, an unattended lighted candle in an abandoned house which the police said was used as a drug den was the cause of the blaze.
The houses in the area were made of light materials – the reason the fire spread quickly.
It was not immediately clear what time a “fire out” was declared.
Properties worth P150,000 were lost after the incident, the Bureau of Fire Protection estimated.
The fire left 41 houses totally destroyed and six house partially damaged, affecting 47 families or a total of 179 individuals./PN


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Busquets has called for people to be calm in their praise of Ansu Fati after the teenager put in a dominant display as Barcelona opened their LaLiga Santander campaign.
The Spanish youngster scored twice in the Catalans' win, again stealing the headlines as he had on a number of occasions last season.
"We have to be calm with him," Busquets urged.
"We know the ability he has. He's tremendous.
"We have to let him play his football and make the most of the good form he's in."
"It's a different system with new teammates," the midfielder commented.
"We're all trying to adapt as quickly as possible, but winning will give us all confidence."

domain: sports


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Published July 6, 2006
by Trafford Publishing .
Written in English
|Contributions||Dr. Michael A. Freeman (Foreword)|
|The Physical Object|
|Number of Pages||100|
THREE WOMEN By Lisa Taddeo. This one is for the ladies. I have a small tray decorated with two gorgeous, red-lipped glamour girls, poised for the good life in . Former escort who has slept with more t men pens salacious book about her life of sex, drugs and wealth. By Victoria Taylor. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS | at PM. Sara Horn devoted a year of her life conducting an experiment wherein she vowed to be genuinely submissive as a wife and a "helper" to her husband. In "My So-Called Life as a . I am not the best version of myself when I am insecure and panicky. I'm basically a walking vague relationship Facebook post. I am so much more focused when worrying about my sex life .
They’re all great ways to turn on your sexual accelerator, but usually aren’t enough, according to Emily Nagoski, PhD, a sex educator and author of the best-selling book “Come as You Are. Best Life Insurance Companies. Best Term Life Insurance. published in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy. The researchers aim to break . The novel is a true crime classic — it was researched by award-winning novelists Truman Capote and Harper Lee, and its ability to bring every detail of the crime to life revolutionized the true. I don’t want to blow up an otherwise comfortable life over my desire for a big dick. (For the record, I have no interest in being in a relationship with this other man—just sex.).
"My midlife crisis was one shared by most women—menopause. The book I turned to was The Wisdom of Menopause by Christiane Northrup, MD. Her book allows the reader to choose the treatment best. () Books Like Mark Abramson Sex Drugs And Disco Premature Ejaculation Pills Review, Books Like Mark Abramson Sex Drugs And Disco Prescription . The 43 Best Books to Read in Keep an eye out for these new releases. The result is a deeply compassionate book about death, modern life. You can take in a great literary classic or the best books of without turning a single page. The next time you find yourself in need of a creative way to pass the time, break out one of these.

domain: literature


CMCS Director Dr. Hunt attended a meeting of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce to plan for the upcoming legislative session, where she voiced concerns over the inequality of treatment of charter school in the public system when it comes to transportation and funds for facilities. “I asked about charter
Dr. Hunt and Abigail Alford appeared live on WPDE 15’s Carolina Live, on Thursday, September 24th, in a new segment, “On the Road in Georgetown County.” Together they talked about Montessori and promoted the CMCS Open Enrollment period for the 2016-2017 school year from October 1 – December 15, 2015.
Dr. Hunt will appear live on WPDE 15, the ABC affiliate, on Thursday, September 24th sometime between 12 – 12:30 p.m. for a new segment, “On the Road in Georgetown County.” She will be promoting Coastal Montessori Charter School and our Open Enrollment period beginning October 1st. Tune in!


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The Redskins will host the media during their final week of OTAs on Wednesday, and the CSN Redskins crew will bring you live updates from the action in Ashburn.
JP Finlay, Rich Tandler and Pete Hailey will be on scene, providing plenty of live looks at the practice session via social media.
Wednesday OTAs begin at 11:00 a.m. ET at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Va. The day's activities will wrap up around 2:00 p.m. ET with player availability and Jay Gruden press conference.
You can watch the live stream of Jay Gruden's Wednesday press conference on CSN Mid-Atlantic by heading over to our Live Stream page at 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday Redskins OTAs Live Updates
1:00 PM Offensive tackle Kevin Bowen appears to have been injured in practice, causing the team to cut the session short. The injury risks at OTAs have drawn significant attention since Ravens CB Tavon Young and TE Dennis Pitta suffered major injuries in the sessions.
After Cousins TD strike to Vernon Davis backup tackle Kevin Bowen is down. Doesn't look good. Trainers tending to him and O-line gathered— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) June 7, 2017
Cart coming out to take Kevin Bowen off practice field. Injury risk of OTAs very apparent right now.— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) June 7, 2017
Morgan Moses give Bowen a hug before the cart leaves the field. D Hall, Pryor, Callahan and Jay Gruden all come over as well.— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) June 7, 2017
Josh Doctson running sprints w #Redskins as practice is about to end. After Bowen injury it seems things will wrap early— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) June 7, 2017
12:50 PM: Jay Gruden has not hid his love for WR Ryan Grant. STL's Rob Carlin and Brian Mitchell have talked a lot about Grant recently. He's a solid player who does everything well and takes instruction very well. But he doesn't exactly have a huge ceiling. He's a good safety blanket to have now, as the Redskins continue to bring Josh Doctson along slowly.
Prepare for the groans -- #Redskins bringing out Pryor, Crowder and Ryan Grant w first team offense in 11v11. Doctson running w 2nd team— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) June 7, 2017
12:35 PM: Offseason free agent signing Zach Brown continues to get his named called a lot.
Zach Brown making a play - almost picks off Kirk Cousins in 7v7 - leaping over the middle in coverage— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) June 7, 2017
12:15 PM: Sometimes, you can take what you can get.
Been trying to get this picture for a few weeks. Mission accomplished pic.twitter.com/IKQ3DxiBoR— Pete Hailey (@PeteHaileyNBCS) June 7, 2017
12:10 PM: Fear not, Redskins fans. Josh Doctson is healthy and on the field, and doing well too.
Josh Doctson is here. He has his two legs and two arms too. So people worried about him sitting last week can relax pic.twitter.com/2vt2oU6jJj— Pete Hailey (@PeteHaileyNBCS) June 7, 2017
Doctson in on team drills - and made an absurd one handed catch reaching back and tipping it up— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) June 7, 2017
12:00 PM: First-round pick Jonathan Allen in action. He's going to be fun to watch.
Redskins rookie DE Jonathan Allen running d-line drills in OTAs pic.twitter.com/616MLKpVfe— Brody Logan (@BrodyLogan) June 7, 2017
11:55 AM: In case you're wondering who is in and who is out at OTAs on Wednesday. Trent Williams, Jordan Reed and Matt Jones are not on the field.
11:50 AM: The running back position battle is going to be an interesting one to watch. Matt Jones is yet again not participating in drills. Here are the others in action.
11:45 AM: Jay Gruden's strut is already in midseason form.
11:40 AM: Ty Nsekhe, the Redskins' resident jumbo jet, is back on the practice turf. But one notable offensive lineman not of the field so far? Trent Williams.
Ty Nsekhe is back at #Redskins OTAs. I don't see Trent Williams yet— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) June 7, 2017
11:15 AM: With nasty weather on the horizon, Wednesday's OTAs are headed inside the bubble at Redskins Park.
11:00 AM: Our entire CSN Redskins team is on-site today. be sure to follow CSN Insiders JP Finlay and Rich Tandler, CSN Redskins digital producer Pete Hailey and CSN photographer/local celebrity Mitch Tischler.


You CAN choose to plan and perform your pipe support design like this:
- Let the piping engineer route the pipes
- Let the pipe stress engineer do the analysis for the stress critical pipes
- Let a pipe support designer (or the piping engineer) model, draw and issue the pipe supports
BUT then you must ask:
Are the following requirements fulfilled?
- Weight saving design
- Fabrication friendly design
- Maintenance friendly design
- Passive fire protection requirements (PFP)
- Blast requirements
- Requirements for attachment to restricted or no-go areas
- Requirements for pipe supports inside tanks
- Requirements for pipe support attachment on floating installations
- Optimal material selections
- Requirements for attachment to mechanical equipment
- Pipe support framework calculation
- Calculation of pipe support details (shoes, trunnions, guides, stops etc.)
- In-dent calculation of pipe wall
- Isolation pad calculation
- Bracing of small bore branches (FIV/AIV)
- Special consideration for small bore piping
Pipe Support Verification is here to ensure that all of the above (and more) are taken care of.
Invest in pipe support and your pipe support design will be cost-effective and safe.


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Cendrillon Dasilva December 4, 2019 Kitchen
Cabinetry with a matt-effect finish is making waves in the world of contemporary kitchen interiors (and we can see why). Effortlessly sleek and sophisticated – particularly in this grey tone – it makes the perfect addition to a state-of-the-art space. Pair with a statement mirrored backsplash, which makes a stylish alternative to more traditional tiles.
Nothing says contemporary or minimalist quite like an all-white scheme. Simple, yet effective, this stand-out scheme makes a real design statement (as long as you can keep it tidy).
As much as we love the quirks that come with a traditional kitchen, you’ve got to agree there is just nothing like a subtly elegant modern kitchen. Minimalist cabinetry, metallic accents and a few really striking, unique pieces added into the mix? Dreamy.
If you adore the sophisticated and creative decor and design, then dark wooden kitchen cupboards is a wonderful decorate solution for your home. It has a monochrome appeal, with a neutral color that makes it a choice that will be fashionable for years to come.
So, whether you are designing a kitchen from scratch or just looking for some swoon worthy inspiration for your existing kitchen, here are some tips for creating a gorgeous contemporary-style kitchen.
To make the task of a kitchen refurbishment a little less daunting, we have asked a number of interior experts to share their favorite kitchen designs with us. From contemporary and modern designs to rustic and Scandinavian trends, here are plenty of beautiful kitchen design ideas that will help you create the perfect heart to your home.
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SINGER | GUITAR | DUO | DJ
Katherine is a solo acoustic performer, combining her divine voice with her soft guitar playing. Her music proposal is unique, charming and pleasant. Her mix of soft pop, adapted contemporary tunes and classic hits are perfect for cocktail & luncheons, dinner functions, wedding ceremonies, canapés and receptions. She can also DJ your reception, for those interested.
CEREMONY + RECEPTION
Katherine has extensive experience as a singer and DJ in events, weddings, venues and more, performing in South America, Canada and now Australia both as a solo artist and with bands. She’s also performed as a Backing Singer on large stages to audiences in the thousands touring in South America and has sung at various Music Theatre productions.
Her performance is versatile and can be adapted to a duo with another guitarist or pianist. She prides herself on pristine, professional presentation and conducts each performance with a meticulous personal touch, resulting in a glorious following of past happy clients and guests.


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Gloria Vanderbilt, model, fashion designer and mother to Anderson Cooper, dead at 95
Model, clothing designer, heiress and socialite Gloria Vanderbilt died at age 95, her son Anderson Cooper revealed on Monday.
He told Fox News in a statement: "Gloria Vanderbilt was an extraordinary woman, who loved life, and lived it on her own terms. She was a painter, a writer, and designer but also a remarkable mother, wife, and friend. She was 95 years old, but ask anyone close to her, and they’d tell you, she was the youngest person they knew, the coolest, and most modern. She died this morning, the way she wanted to — at home, surrounded by family and friends."
Cooper said he took Vanderbilt to the hospital several weeks earlier, when she learned she had severe stomach cancer that had metastasized.
Cooper eulogized his mother on CNN on Monday morning, saying that when she found out she was ill, she told him, "It's like that old song: Show me the way to get out of this world because that's where everything is."
DORIS DAY: INSIDE THE DARK, TRAGIC FINAL DAYS OF A HOLLYWOOD ICON
Vanderbilt was born Gloria Laura Madeleine Sophie Vanderbilt in 1924 in New York City to Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt and his second wife, Gloria Morgan.
Reginald died of cirrhosis when Gloria Vanderbilt was 18 months old, leaving her half of a $5 million trust fund. Morgan was just 20 and couldn't legally control the trust fund. After a court granted $4,000 per month for young Gloria's care, Morgan reportedly squandered the cash partying around the world, eventually losing custody of the child to her sister-in-law, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, in 1934, in what was then-dubbed the trial of the century.
INSIDE HOWARD HUGHES' HOLLYWOOD SEXCAPADES
As a teen, Vanderbilt began modeling and cavorting around Hollywood, reportedly dating the likes of notorious womanizer Errol Flynn and reclusive genius Howard Hughes. She married her first husband, Hollywood agent Pasquale DiCicco, at just 17, which Cooper once said she immediately knew was a mistake (and led to her aunt reportedly removing Gloria from her will). They divorced four years later.
Before the ink dried on her divorce from DiCicco, she embarked on a romance with her second husband, conductor Leopold Stokowski, whom she married in 1945 — when she was just 21 to his 63. They shared sons Stanley and Christopher and were together for a decade.
After their split, she reportedly dated music icon Frank Sinatra and screen legend Marlon Brando before marrying director Sidney Lumet in 1956. They divorced in 1963.
ANGIE DICKINSON SAYS SHE WAS 'VERY CLOSE' TO MARRYING FRANK SINATRA
After splitting from Lumet, Vanderbilt met her fourth and final husband, writer Wyatt Cooper, whom she married in 1963, later describing the union as her "only happy marriage." They shared sons Anderson and Carter. Cooper passed away in 1978 while undergoing heart surgery; Carter died by suicide 10 years later.
Noting her father's death when she was a toddler, she later said: "If you don't have a father, you don't miss it, because you don't know what it is. It was really only when I married Wyatt Cooper that I understood what it was like to have a father, because he was just an extraordinary father."
Vanderbilt's professional life was as colorful as her personal one.
JOHN F. KENNEDY JR.'S WIFE CAROLYN BESSETTE 'STRUGGLED TO FIT IN'
She was a talented painter and collagist who also acted on the stage ("The Time of Your Life" on Broadway) and television ("Playhouse 90," ''Studio One," ''Kraft Theater," ''U.S. Steel Hour"). She was a fabric designer who became an early enthusiast for designer denim. The dark-haired, tall and ultra-thin Vanderbilt partnered with Mohan Murjani, who introduced a $1 million advertising campaign in 1978 that turned the Gloria Vanderbilt brand with its signature white swan label into a sensation.
At its peak in 1980, it was generating over $200 million in sales. And decades later, the famous designer jeans — dressed up or down — remain a woman's wardrobe staple.
Vanderbilt wrote several books, including the 2004 chronicle of her love life: "It Seemed Important at the Time: A Romance Memoir," which detailed her multitude of affairs with famous men.
The "Anderson Cooper: 360" host reflected on his memories of his beloved mother.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"I never knew we had the exact same giggle," he said of one of his visits shortly before her passing. "I recorded it and it makes me giggle every time I watch it."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

domain: celebrity


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130 Canyon Acres
Substantially Renovated 2012-2014
Updated Plumbing and Electrical
Expanded and Upgraded Kitchen
.83± Acre Lot
Peabody School Attendance Area
Southern Exposure with Panoramic Ocean and Island Views
Drought Tolerant Landscaping
2 Stall Barn with Tack Room and Pipe Corral
Panoramic Ocean and Island Views
Ideally situated on the western side of Arroyo Burro/San Roque Canyon in the foothills overlooking San Roque you will find 130 Canyon Acres Drive, a home designed by Russel Ray, one of Santa Barbara’s most significant architects.
The home enjoys a southern exposure to all of Santa Barbara and features panoramic views, the ocean from the Harbor to Hendrys Beach and the Channel Islands, along with beautiful sunrises, sunsets, and mountain views from the entry and north facing bedrooms.
130 Canyon Acres Drive has much to offer by way of views, location, history and more but a key aspect of the home may be the substantial renovation it underwent from 2012 - 2014. During the renovation, extreme care was taken to ensure, as much as possible, that original materials and designs were used throughout. The renovation included a new foundation, plumbing, electrical, kitchen expansion, and upgrade, new roof and more!
The nearly 1-acre grounds also feature meticulously manicured drought-tolerant landscaping as well as a two stall barn with tack room, pipe corral and access to the Jesusita trail.

domain: geography


text:
A dozen poor countries are facing economic instability and even collapse under the weight of hundreds of billions of US dollars in foreign loans, much of them from the world’s biggest and most unforgiving government lender, China.
An Associated Press (AP) analysis of a dozen countries most indebted to China — including Kenya, Laos, Mongolia, Pakistan and Zambia — found that paying back that debt is consuming an ever-greater amount of the tax revenue needed to keep schools open, provide electricity, and pay for food and fuel.
It is draining foreign currency reserves these countries use to pay interest on those loans, leaving some with just months before that money is gone.
Behind the scenes is China’s reluctance to forgive debt, and its extreme secrecy about how much money it has loaned and on what terms, which has kept other major lenders from stepping in to help. On top of that is the discovery that borrowers have been required to put cash in hidden escrow accounts that push China to the front of the line of creditors to be paid.
Countries in AP’s analysis had as much as 50 percent of their foreign loans from China, and most were devoting more than one-third of government revenue to paying off foreign debt. Two of them, Zambia and Sri Lanka, have already gone into default, unable to make even interest payments on loans financing the construction of ports, mines and power plants.
In Pakistan, millions of textile workers have been laid off because the country has too much foreign debt and cannot afford to keep the electricity on and machines running.
In Kenya, the government has held back paychecks to thousands of civil service workers to save cash to pay foreign loans.
“Salaries or default? Take your pick,” Kenyan chief economic adviser to the president David Ndii wrote on Twitter last month.
Since Sri Lanka defaulted last year, a half-million industrial jobs have vanished, inflation has pierced 50 percent and more than half the population in many parts of the country has fallen into poverty.
Experts predict that unless China begins to soften its stance on its loans to poor countries, there could be a wave of more defaults and political upheavals.
“In a lot of the world, the clock has hit midnight,” Harvard economist Ken Rogoff said. “China has moved in and left this geopolitical instability that could have long-lasting effects.”
A case study of how it has played out is in Zambia, a landlocked country of 20 million people in southern Africa, which over the past two decades has borrowed billions of US dollars from Chinese state-owned banks to build dams, railways and roads.
The loans boosted Zambia’s economy, but also raised foreign interest payments so high that there was little left for the government, forcing it to cut spending on healthcare, social services, and subsidies to farmers for seed and fertilizer.
In the past, big government lenders such as France, Japan and the US would work out deals to forgive some debt, with each lender disclosing clearly what they were owed and on what terms so no one would feel cheated.
However, China does not play by those rules. It refused, at first, to even join multinational talks, negotiating separately with Zambia and insisting on confidentiality that barred the country from telling non-Chinese lenders the terms of the loans and whether China had devised a way of muscling to the front of the repayment line.
Amid this confusion in 2020, a group of non-Chinese lenders refused desperate pleas from Zambia to suspend interest payments, even for a few months. That refusal added to the drain on Zambia’s foreign cash reserves, the stash of mostly US dollars that it used to pay interest on loans and to buy major commodities like oil.
By November 2020, with little reserves left, Zambia stopped paying the interest and defaulted, locking it out of future borrowing and setting off a vicious cycle of spending cuts and deepening poverty.
Inflation in Zambia has since soared to 50 percent, unemployment has hit a 17-year high and the nation’s currency, the kwacha, has lost 30 percent of its value in just seven months.
A UN estimate of Zambians not getting enough food has nearly tripled this year, to 3.5 million.
“I just sit in the house thinking, what I will eat? Because I have no money to buy food,” said Marvis Kunda, a blind 70-year-old widow in Zambia’s Luapula Province whose welfare payments were recently slashed.
“Sometimes I eat once a day, and if no one remembers to help me with food from the neighborhood, then I just starve,” she said.
A few months after Zambia defaulted, researchers found that it owed US$6.6 billion to Chinese state-owned banks, double what many thought at the time and about one-third of the country’s total debt.
“We’re flying blind,” said Brad Parks, executive director of AidData, a research lab at College of William & Mary that has uncovered thousands of secret Chinese loans and assisted the AP in its analysis.
“When you look under the cushions of the couch, suddenly you realize, ‘Oh, there’s a lot of stuff we missed. And actually things are much worse,’” Parks said.
DEBT AND UPHEAVAL
China’s unwillingness to take big losses on the hundreds of billions of US dollars it is owed, as the IMF and World Bank have urged, has left many countries on a treadmill of paying back interest, which stifles the economic growth that would help them pay off the debt.
Foreign cash reserves have dropped in 10 of the dozen countries in AP’s analysis, down an average 25 percent in just a year. They have plunged more than 50 percent in Pakistan and the Republic of Congo.
Without a bailout, several countries have only months left of foreign cash to pay for food, fuel and other essential imports.
Mongolia has eight months left. Pakistan and Ethiopia about two.
“As soon as the financing taps are turned off, the adjustment takes place right away,” Tellimer senior economist Patrick Curran said. “The economy contracts, inflation spikes up, food and fuel become unaffordable.”
Mohammad Tahir, who was laid off six months ago from his job at a textile factory in the Pakistani city of Multan, said he has contemplated suicide because he can no longer bear to see his family of four go to bed without dinner.
Tahir was recently told Pakistan’s foreign cash reserves have depleted so much that it is unable to import raw materials for his factory.
“I’ve been facing the worst kind of poverty,” he said. “I have no idea when we would get our jobs back.”
Poor countries have been hit with foreign currency shortages, high inflation, spikes in unemployment and widespread hunger before, but rarely like in the past year.
Along with the usual mix of government mismanagement and corruption were two unexpected and devastating events: the war in Ukraine, which has sent prices of grain and oil soaring, and the US Federal Reserve hiking interest rates 10 times in a row, the latest this month. That suddenly made variable rate loans to countries much more expensive.
All of it is roiling domestic politics and upending strategic alliances.
In March, heavily indebted Honduras cited “financial pressures” when it established formal diplomatic ties with China, severing those with Taiwan.
Last month, Pakistan was so desperate to prevent more blackouts that it struck a deal to buy discounted oil from Russia, breaking ranks with the US-led effort to shut off Russian President Vladimir Putin’s funds.
In Sri Lanka, demonstrators poured into the streets in July last year, setting homes of government ministers aflame and storming the presidential palace, sending the leader tied to onerous deals with China fleeing the country.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs opposed the notion that China is an unforgiving lender and repeated previous statements putting the blame on the US Fed.
If it is to accede to IMF and World Bank demands to forgive a portion of its loans, so should those multilateral lenders, which it views as US proxies, the ministry said in a statement to the AP.
“We call on these institutions to actively participate in relevant actions in accordance with the principle of ‘joint action, fair burden’ and make greater contributions to help developing countries tide over the difficulties,” it said.
China said it has offered relief in the form of extended loan maturities and emergency loans, and as the biggest contributor to a program to temporarily suspend interest payments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It said it has forgiven 23 no-interest loans to African countries, but such loans are mostly from two decades ago and amount to less than 5 percent of the total it has lent, Parks said.
In high-level talks in Washington last month, China was considering dropping its demand that the IMF and World Bank forgive loans if the two lenders made commitments to offer grants and other help to troubled countries, news reports said.
However, there has been no announcement and the lenders have expressed frustration with Beijing.
“My view is that we have to drag them — maybe that’s an impolite word — we need to walk together,” IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva said earlier this month.
“Because if we don’t, there will be catastrophe for many, many countries,” Georgieva said.
The IMF and World Bank have said taking losses on their loans would rip up the traditional playbook of dealing with sovereign crises that accords them special treatment.
Unlike Chinese banks, the lenders already finance at low rates to help distressed countries get back on their feet, they said.
However, the Chinese foreign ministry said that the two multilateral lenders have made an exception to the rules in the past.
As time runs out, some officials are urging concessions.
Former Pakistani Ministry of Finance debt official Ashfaq Hassan said his country’s debt burden is too heavy and time is too short for the IMF and World Bank to hold out.
He called for concessions from private investment funds that lent to his country by purchasing bonds.
“Every stakeholder will have to take a haircut,” Hassan said.
However, the IMF on Wednesday last week announced approval of a US$3 billion loan for Ghana, suggesting that it is hopeful a debt restructuring deal can be struck among creditors.
China has pushed back on the idea, popularized during former US president Donald Trump’s administration, that it has engaged in “debt trap diplomacy,” leaving countries saddled with loans they cannot afford, so that it can seize ports, mines and other strategic assets.
Experts who have studied the issue in detail have sided with Beijing. Chinese lending has come from dozens of banks in China and is far too haphazard and sloppy to be coordinated from the top.
Chinese banks are not taking losses because the timing is awful, as they face big hits from reckless real-estate lending in their own country and a dramatically slowing economy, they said.
However, a less sinister Chinese role is not a less scary one, they said.
“There is no single person in charge,” said Teal Emery, a former sovereign loan analyst who runs consulting group Teal Insights.
Beijing is “kind of making it up as they go along. There is no master plan,” Parks said.
Much of the credit for dragging China’s hidden debt into the light goes to Parks, who over the past decade has contended with many roadblocks, obfuscations and falsehoods from China’s authoritarian government.
The hunt began in 2011, when a top World Bank economist asked Parks to take over the job of looking into Chinese loans. Within months, using online data-mining techniques, Parks and a few researchers began uncovering hundreds of loans that the World Bank had not known about.
At the time, China was ramping up lending that would soon become part of its US$1 trillion Belt and Road Initiative, to secure supplies of key minerals, win allies abroad and make more money off its US dollar holdings.
Many developing countries were eager for US dollars to build power plants, roads and ports and expand mining operations.
However, after a few years of straightforward Chinese government loans, those countries found themselves heavily indebted, and the optics were awful. They feared that piling more loans atop old ones would make them seem reckless to credit-rating agencies, and make it more expensive to borrow.
So China started setting up shell companies for some infrastructure projects and lent to them instead, which allowed heavily indebted countries to avoid putting that new debt on their books. Even if the loans were backed by the government, no one would be the wiser.
In Zambia, a US$1.5 billion loan from two Chinese banks to a shell company to build a giant hydroelectric dam did not appear on the country’s books for years.
In Indonesia, Chinese loans of US$4 billion to build a railway also never appeared on public government accounts.
That changed years later when, overbudget by US$1.5 billion, the Indonesian government was forced to bail out the railroad twice.
“When these projects go bad, what was advertised as a private debt becomes a public debt,” Parks said. “There are projects all over the globe like this.”
In 2021, a decade after Parks and his team began their hunt, they had gathered enough information for a blockbuster finding: At least US$385 billion of hidden and underreported Chinese debt in 88 countries, and many of those countries were in far worse shape than anyone knew.
Among the disclosures was that China issued a US$3.5 billion loan to build a railway system in Laos, which would take nearly a quarter of the country’s annual output to pay off.
Another AidData report around the same time said that many Chinese loans go to projects in areas of countries favored by powerful politicians, and frequently right before key elections. Some of the things built made little economic sense and were riddled with problems.
In Sri Lanka, a Chinese-funded airport built in the president’s hometown away from most of the country’s population is so rarely used that elephants have been spotted wandering on its tarmac.
Cracks are appearing in hydroelectric plants in Uganda and Ecuador, where the government in March got judicial approval for corruption charges tied to the project against a former president in exile.
In Pakistan, a power plant had to be shut down for fear it could collapse.
In Kenya, the last key miles of a railway were never built due to poor planning and a lack of funds.
FRONT OF THE LINE
As Parks dug into the details of the loans, he found something alarming: Clauses mandating that borrowing countries deposit US dollars or other foreign currency in secret escrow accounts that Beijing could raid if those countries stopped paying interest on their loans.
In effect, China jumped to the front of the line to get paid without other lenders knowing.
In Uganda, Parks revealed that a loan to expand the main airport included an escrow account that could hold more than US$15 million.
A legislative probe blasted Ugandan Minister of Finance Matia Kasaija for agreeing to such terms, with the lead investigator saying that he should be prosecuted and jailed.
Parks is not sure how many such accounts have been set up, but governments insisting on any kind of collateral, much less collateral in the form of hard cash, is rare in sovereign lending.
Their existence has rattled non-Chinese banks, bond investors and other lenders, making them unwilling to accept less than they are owed.
“The other creditors are saying, ‘We’re not going to offer anything if China is, in effect, at the head of the repayment line,’” Parks said. “It leads to paralysis. Everyone is sizing each other up and saying, ‘Am I going to be a chump here?’”
Meanwhile, Beijing has taken on a new kind of hidden lending that has added to the confusion and distrust. Parks and others found that China’s central bank has effectively been lending tens of billions of US dollars through what appear as foreign currency exchanges.
Foreign currency exchanges, called swaps, allow countries to borrow more widely used currencies such as the US dollar to plug temporary shortages in foreign reserves. They are intended for liquidity purposes, not to build things, and last for only a few months.
However, China’s swaps mimic loans by lasting years and charging higher-than-normal interest rates.
Importantly, they do not show up on the books as loans that would add to a country’s debt total.
Mongolia has taken out US$1.8 billion annually in such swaps for years, an amount equivalent to 14 percent of its annual economic output.
Pakistan has taken out nearly US$3.6 billion annually for years, and Laos US$300 million.
The swaps can help stave off default by replenishing currency reserves, but they pile more loans on top of old ones and can make a collapse much worse, akin to what happened in the runup to the 2009 financial crisis, when US banks kept offering ever-bigger mortgages to homeowners who could not afford the first one.
Some poor countries struggling to repay China find themselves stuck in a loan limbo: China would not budge in taking losses, and the IMF would not offer low-interest loans if the money is going to pay interest on Chinese debt.
For Chad and Ethiopia, it has been more than one year since IMF rescue packages were approved in so-called staff-level agreements, but nearly all the money has been withheld as negotiations among its creditors drag on.
“You’ve got a growing number of countries that are in dire financial straits,” Parks said, attributing it largely to China’s rise in just a generation, from being a net recipient of foreign aid to the world’s largest creditor.
“Somehow they’ve managed to do all of this out of public view,” he said. “So unless people understand how China lends, how its lending practices work, we’re never going to solve these crises,” Parks said.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr in a letter to an unnamed US senator on Feb. 9 said that China has offered to “fill every hotel room,” in Palau, “and more if more are built” if the small island nation were to break ties with Taiwan. The letter further claims that China offered US$20 million per year for the creation of a “call center” in Palau, a nation whose economy relies heavily on tourism. It is more evidence that for China, tourism is an economic tool for its political gain. Cleo Paskal, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, posted
Amid the intensifying Sino-US strategic rivalry, Beijing has become more vocal about its coercive “wolf warrior” diplomacy. Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) condemned the US-led “containment, encirclement and suppression of China” at last year’s annual National People’s Congress in Beijing. Xi went on to say that China must “have the courage to fight” in the face of complicated changes at home and abroad. Taiwan is still a very sensitive subject for US-China relations. Chinese Central Foreign Affairs Commission Director Wang Yi (王毅) emphasized that Taiwan was “China’s internal affair” and reiterated that “Taiwan is part of China” during his talk last month with
At a gathering held by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Chinese State Council during this year’s Spring Festival, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) reviewed the achievements of the past year. “Good scenery on this side only” (風景這邊獨好), he said about the global situation. The phrase comes from late Chinese leader Mao Zedong’s (毛澤東) poem Qing Ping Le (清平樂), written when he lost power in 1934. It was full of the “Ah-Q” (阿Ｑ) spirit of self-deception. Did Xi not know about this history, or was it a trap laid by his aides? Originally, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central
When Beijing says “Taiwan has always been an inalienable part of China” and calls this “an indisputable legal and historical fact,” it promotes a claim that has absolutely no basis in international law or history. But by aggressively stating that claim time and again over the years, it has made many in the world believe that fiction, especially when the dominant Western media outlets are reluctant to challenge the Chinese narrative. Indeed, some international publications now use the phrase “reunify” without quotation marks while referring to Beijing’s Taiwan goal. The truth is that Taiwan, for most of its history, had no relationship


Today the App Developers Alliance briefed Senate staff on the need to expand the Covered Business Method (CBM) patent review program. CBM provides a less expensive, faster, administrative alternative to patent litigation, but currently, it only applies to financial services business method patents.
“Patent trolls use poor-quality business method patents to extort licensing fees from America’s innovators with the threat of costly, frivolous lawsuits. Entrepreneurs and job creators deserve better,” said Tim Sparapani, Apps Alliance VP of Government Relations. “The CBM program gives innovators a viable way to challenge patents that never should have been approved in the first place.”


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The cash-strapped Walt Disney Company is mountaineering the value of an unique “bucket listing” promotion that zips friends world wide on a non-public jet to its theme parks and different historic websites for twenty-four days.
The greater price ticket comes amid Disney CEO Bob Iger’s sweeping cost-cutting measures aimed toward saving the corporate $5.5 billion.
The 75 Disney fanatics who pony up for the six-figure promotion might be whisked away to all 12 Disney amusement parks, together with Tokyo Disneyland and Paris Disneyland.
The journey’s itinerary additionally consists of stops at iconic landmarks such because the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids of Giza, and the Taj Mahal.
The friends might be ferried on a non-public jet — a Boeing 757-200 operated by Icelandair — staffed with an in-flight chef, three staffers, and a touring doctor.
The plane, which is constructed for 233 passengers, may have its inside custom-made for the smaller contingent that may present “two-by-two, VIP-style leather-based seating.”
The journey begins in Los Angeles on June 16, 2024, and consists of stops in San Francisco, Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, India, Cairo, Paris, and Orlando.
Travelers might be cut up up into smaller teams in every vacation spot the place they are going to be transported in sedans, deluxe minibuses, and deluxe motor coaches, in keeping with the corporate.
Iger has been on a cost-cutting mission since returning to helm the Mouse House final 12 months.
He not too long ago enacted job cuts totaling 7,000 positions throughout the corporate’s properties.
Iger additionally plans to chop $2.5 billion in gross sales and basic administrative bills and different working prices.
Another $3 billion in financial savings would come from reductions in non-sports content material, together with the layoffs.
The Post has sought remark from Disney.

domain: finance


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BRER RABBIT and the WITCH-RABBIT
Brer Rabbit had so many appointments for to keep out the way of the the other critters that he begun to feel monstrous humblified. Let 'em be who they will, you get folks in a close place if you want to see 'em shed their proudness. They beg more samer than a black man when the patter-rollers catch him. Brer Rabbit ain't do no begging, 'cause they ain't caught him; yet they come so nigh it, he begun to feel he weakness.
When Brer Rabbit feel this a-way, do he sit down flat on the ground and let the other critters rush up and grab him? He might do it these days, 'cause times done change; but in them days he just took and sat up with hisself and study about what he gonna do. He study and study, and last he up and tell he old woman, he did, that he going on a journey. With that, old Miss Rabbit, she took and fry him up a rasher of bacon, and bake him a pone of bread. Brer Rabbit tied this up in a bag and took down he walking cane and put out.
He put out, Brer Rabbit did, for to see old Mammy-Bammy Big-Money. He put out, he did, and after so long a time he get there. He take time for to catch he wind, and then he sort of shake hisself up and rustle 'round in the grass. By and by he holler:
O Mammy-Bammy Big-Money!
I journeyed far, I journeyed fast;
I glad I found the place at last.
Great big black smoke rise up out of the ground, and old Mammy-Bammy Big-Money allow, "Wherefore, Son Riley Rabbit, Riley? Son Riley Rabbit, wherefore?"
With dat, Brer Rabbit up and tell her, he did, about how he feared he losing the use of he mind, 'cause he done come to that pass that he ain't can fool the other critters no more, and they push him so close till it won't be long 'fore they'll get him. The old Witch-Rabbit she sat dar, she did, and suck in black smoke and puff it out again, till you can't see nothing at all but her great big eyeballs and her great big ears.
After while she allow:
There sits a squirrel in that tree,
go fetch that squirrel straight to me,
Son Riley Rabbit, Riley.
Brer Rabbit sort of study, and then he allow, he did, "I ain't got much sense left, yet if I can't coax that chap down from there, then it's 'cause I done got some disease which it make me feeble in the mind," says he.
With that, Brer Rabbit took and empty the provender out of he bag and got him two rocks, and put the bag over he head and sat down under the tree where the squirrel is. He wait little while, and then he hit the rocks together—blip!
Squirrel he holler, "Hey!"
Brer Rabbit wait little, and then he took and slap the rocks together—blap!
Squirrel he run down the tree little bit and holler, "Heyo!"
Brer Rabbit ain't saying nothing. He just pop the rocks together—blop!
Squirrel, he come down little further, he did, and holler, "Who that?"
"Biggidy Dicky Big-Bag!"
"What you doing in there?"
"Cracking hickory nuts."
"Can I crack some?"
"To be sure, Miss Bunny Bushtail; come get in the bag."
Miss Bunny Bushtail hang back, but the long and the short of it was that she got in the bag, and Brer Rabbit he took and carried her to old Mammy-Bammy Big-Money. The old Witch-Rabbit, she took and turn the squirrel a-loose, and allow:
There lies a snake in amongst the grass,
go fetch him jere, and be right fast,
Son Riley Rabbit, Riley.
Brer Rabbit look 'round, and sure enough there lay the biggest kind of rattlesnake, all coiled up ready for business. Brer Rabbit scratch he ear with he behind leg, and study. Look like he going get in trouble. Yet after while he go off in the bushes, he did, and cut him a young grape-vine, and he fix him a slip-knot. Then he come back.
Snake apparently look like he sleep. Brer Rabbit ask him how he come on. Snake ain't say nothing, but he coil up a little tighter, and he tongue run out like it been had grease on it. Mouth shut, yet the tongue slick out and slick back 'fore a sheep can shake he tail.
Brer Rabbit, he allow, he did, "Lordy, Mr. Snake, I mighty glad I come 'cross you,'" says he. "Me an' old Judge Bear been havin' a terrible dispute 'bout how long you is. We both agree that you look mighty pretty when you are layin' stretch out full length in the sun; but Judge Bear, he allow you ain't but three foot long, an' I stood him down that you was four foot long if not more," says he. "An' the talk got so hot that I come mighty nigh hittin' him a clip with my walkin'-cane, an' if I had I bound they'd've been some bellowin' done 'round there," says he.
Snake ain't say nothing, but he look more complassy than what he been looking.
"I up an' told old Judge Bear," says Brer Rabbit, says he, "that the nex' time I run 'cross you I going take an' measure you; an' goodness knows I mighty glad I struck up with you, 'cause now there won't be no more occasion for any disputin' 'twixt me an' Judge Bear," says he.
Then Brer Rabbit ask Mr. Snake if he won't be so good as to uncoil hisself. Snake he feel mighty proud, he did, and he stretch out for all he worth. Brer Rabbit he measure, he did, and allow, "There one foot for Judge Bear; there three foot for Judge Bear; an', bless goodness, there four foot for Judge Bear, just like I say!"
By that time Brer Rabbit done got to snake head, and just as the last word drop out of he mouth, he slip the loop 'round snake neck, and then he had him good and fast. He took and drag him, he did, up to where the old Witch-Rabbit sitting at; but when he get there, Mammy-Bammy Big-Money done make her disappearance, but he hear something way off yonder, and seem like it say, "If you get any more sense, Son Riley, you'll be the ruination of the whole settlement, Son Riley Rabbit, Riley."
Then Brer Rabbit drag the snake along home, and stew him down and rub hisself with the grease for to make him more suppler in the limbs. Bless your soul, Brer Rabbit might've been kind of feeble in the legs, but he weren't no ways cripple under the hat.


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UNAIDS, chair of the H6 partnership (six United Nations bodies working on health-related issues) and the African Union have pledged to enhance their collaboration to eliminate sexual and gender-based violence, prevent HIV, and protect women's health and rights in humanitarian settings.
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As the UN Agency for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, UN Women is mandated to ensure that humanitarian response efforts adequately address the needs and rights of crisis affected women and girls, in all contexts. At the global level and in countries, UN Women supports UN and other
Following heavy rains on 14 August, mudslides have left more than 400 people dead and an estimated 6,000 affected in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. UN Women is leveraging its partnerships to ensure women's leadership in humanitarian response in Sierra Leone and to meet the urgent
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and UNICEF today launched a joint initiative to increase protection for the growing numbers of children and others with specific needs arriving in Europe. The agencies plan to scale up 20 Child and Family Protection Support Hubs, known as "Blue Dots," along the most frequently used migration routes in Europe.


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Bansko Municipality prohibits disposable plastic products
On the International Plastic Bag Free Day
- July 03, 2019 14:30
- Monika Dimitrova
Bansko Municipality as well as businesses in the Bulgarian resort town have reached an agreement which aims is to completely eliminate disposable plastic products by 2021. The other purpose of the municipality is the packaging - paper, plastic and glass to be collected completely separately. The agreement between the municipality and businesses in the city was signed today, July 3, 2019, on the date that marks the International Plastic Bag Free Day. The event includes a number of initiatives, part of the campaign "inSEPARABLE Bansko", promoting the separate collection, recycling and composting of waste.
Source: Bansko Municipality
"Our goal is to drastically reduce the consumption of plastic bags on the territory of the municipality. As a resort that annually welcomes hundreds of thousands of Bulgarian and foreign guests, it is our duty to show that good examples can become sustainable practices. That is why, within the framework of the July 3 initiative, we have tried to include all - children, parents, shop owners, hotels and restaurants. I think the change çan be done through the participation of every citizen, "said Georgi Ikonomov, Mayor of Bansko Municipality.
In the celebration of the International No Plastic Day will be involved the grocery stores in the city. Today they restrict the sale of polyethylene bags by replacing them with paper provided by the City Hall of Bansko.
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