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Driver: Tales that certainly won't put you to sleep
by Gonzalo Suárez
- The Tallinn Black Nights Festival Debut Film Competition opens with the world premiere of Israeli director Yehonatan Indursky's debut feature film
The prestigious Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival First Features Competition opened on Thursday 23 November with the very first public screening of Driver [+see also:
film profile], the debut fiction film by Yehonatan Indursky. The Israeli director concluded his film and television studies with a short film of the same name, presented in 2011 at Jerusalem Film Festival, which subsequently voted him best director in 2015 for another one of his short films, The Cantor and The Sea. He then directed the documentary Ponevez Time (2012) before winning numerous awards with the TV series Shtisel in 2015. Similarly to his previous film, his debut feature was inspired by an environment he knows first-hand.
The plot of Driver takes place in Bnei Brak, the city where the director studied as a child, an important centre of Judaism. The "driver" in the title is Nahman Ruzumni (Moshe Folkenflick), a father who earns his living by going begging at night in the neighbourhood of some of the wealthiest members of the community, in order to appeal to their pity and their wallets with his stories. The film's incipit is powerful. We watch as Ruzumni teaches one of his clients (since they give him a commission on what they earn) how to skilfully play his cards as a beggar and make the most of a sad story. The director is somewhat restrained, however, following the promises of the first scene. The initial mise-en-abyme (where the actor plays a character who tells a story invented from scratch, or a character does the same thing, etc.) subtly yet suddenly brings us to a dead end: that of the final story Ruzumni is unable to tell. The other great subject, religion, inseparable from social life in this city, becomes the heart of the story that plays out between Ruzumni and his daughter (Manuel Elkaslassy) rather than the subject of any sort of criticism. The scenes showing poker played at bar or that of the Shiv'ahin add humour and a certain lightness to the film, but also serve to support its central point.
The mise-en-scene is incredibly realistic and precise. This is mainly due to an austere yet not obscure photography style, and a camera that gets as close as possible to the characters, letting the emotional weight of the film’s story fall on their faces and shoulders. Indursky, also the author of the screenplay, avoids sudden stops and starts. Some of his intuitions are elegant (the accordion, the drinks), others more obvious (the Ferris wheel, the changing weather), but whatever it may be, it carries us along with the story, without haste but without lingering, towards a relatively predictable outcome to which you could apply a sentence that Borges once attributed to his own father: "It’s the children who educate parents, not the other way around".
(Translated from Spanish)
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Research in Motion Ltd., the maker of the BlackBerry, is in steep decline. The company, once the crown jewel of the Canadian technology industry, is now worth 1 percent of Apple's market capitalization. One way for RIM to stop the downward tailspin: It could sell itself to a competitor or financial firm. But who would step up to buy RIM -- and why?
Late Tuesday, the company said it expects to post an operating loss for the current quarter, a sign that BlackBerry sales are falling even faster than analysts expected. Wednesday, the company's stock hit its lowest level since 2003, the year RIM went from making two-way email pagers to smartphones.
The stock has fallen 93 percent since its peak in 2008. Since then, the BlackBerry's dominance as the smartphone for on-the-go business people has been eviscerated by Apple Inc.'s iPhone, and more recently by phones running Google Inc.'s Android software. Research firm IDC says BlackBerrys now account for 6.4 percent of the global smartphone market, a third of what they had two years ago.
In that time, the company's financial performance has suffered. RIM reported a 25 percent revenue decline in the latest fiscal quarter, to $4.2 billion from $5.6 billion. For the full fiscal year that ended March 3, it earned $1.2 billion, or $2.22 per share, on revenue of $18.4 billion. That's down from net income of $3.4 billion, or $6.34 a share, on revenue of $19.9 billion in fiscal 2011.
RIM issued a dire warning about its business Tuesday, saying it is losing money for the second consecutive quarter and will lay off a "significant" number of employees.
Still, the company is defiant. Chief Executive Thorsten Heins says he can turn things around with the help of fresh smartphone software. Heins joined RIM four years ago and was most recently its chief operating officer. He replaced co-CEOs Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis in January after the company lost tens of billions in market value.
"My charter from the board of directors is very clear: long-term value creation with RIM," Heins told the Associated Press in an interview at the company's headquarters in Waterloo earlier this month.
Analysts give the company only a slight chance of coming out of the crisis and back into the high-stakes smartphone game. To hedge its bets, the company has hired bankers to look at its options. It's not actively looking to sell itself, Heins said, but it wants to be prepared.
Last year marked a turning point in the way analysts assess RIM's value. Instead of treating it like a company with a future, they started looking at it as a collection of parts that could be split up and sold separately to the highest bidder.
Michael Walkley at Canaccord Genuity believes most of the company's value lies in the monthly fees it gets from phone companies in exchange for running the systems that deliver email and Web pages to BlackBerrys.
RIM has 78 million users connected to this system, but Walkley estimates that only 20 million are corporate and government users who are likely to stick around because of the communications security RIM provides. The rest are consumers who will jump to competing phones, he believes. That business is worth about $2.75 billion to a competitor, Walkley wrote in a research report Wednesday.
The other major component of RIM's value is its patent portfolio. The company had an early scare in U.S. patent courts in 2006, when it was forced to pay $612.5 million to a small company founded by an inventor who had patents on wireless email delivery. Since then, it's filed for thousands of patents to use as a defense against future suits.
RIM has $2.1 billion in cash, but Walkley discounts this completely, since the phone business will likely start using up cash soon, and downsizing will require severance payments. That means the email network and the patents comprise RIM's entire value at $5.25 billion, by his estimate.
That's very close to RIM's current market capitalization, at $5.4 billion, though a buyer could be expected to pay a premium.
Microsoft is one company that has been suggested as a potential RIM buyer. The software juggernaut is trying to get back into smartphone software, but its Windows Phones haven't been popular so far. Buying RIM could give it a chance to establish itself as a provider of trusted wireless email services, though moving subscribers from BlackBerry to Windows could be challenging.

domain: economics


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Enterprise financial security threats managementJournal: Scientific and practical journal “Economy of Industry” (Vol.6162, No. 12)
Publication Date: 2013-06-01
Authors : Orekhova K.V.;
Page : 76-83
Keywords : enterprise; financial security; threats; evaluation; analysis; management;
Enterprise financial security threats management main terms essence and contents were defined on the basis of financial and economic literature analysis and generalization: enterprise financial security threats management is a multistage process, which includes evaluation, management and analysis of enterprise financial security threats management; evaluation of enterprise financial security threats is a process of identification of threats influence on enterprise financial security; analysis of enterprise financial security threats is a process of threats identification, which influence on enterprise financial security. It is established that the majority of modern domestic and foreign scientists consider two groups of enterprise financial security threats estimation: qualitative or subjective (expert, probabilistic (concerning loss, favorable possibilities), consequences analysis) and quantitative or objective (statistical, analytical, rating, expense expediency, analogues, decision tree, normative). Comparative analysis of qualitative and quantitative enterprise financial security threats estimation enables to detect that use either of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some methods require using the considerable mass data and at the same time leave out of the account the time factor; others are insufficiently developed for using in the domestic economic conditions. Therefore the choice of the method is made only owing to the purpose of the enterprise financial security threats estimation. It is proved that the methods of the enterprise financial security threats management could be divided into three groups: reduction, maintenance and transmission. Reduction of enterprise financial security threats level provides preventive management and logistical measures implementation as to unfavorable events in financial and economic activities prevention or negative consequences liquidation. As measures, implemented for enterprise financial security threats level maintaining, could be referred the following: getting loans on compensation for losses, which enterprise got as a result of unforeseen, unfavorable events in its financial and economic activities, resumption of output production (goods, works, services) with the help of finance and credit establishments activities, government grants etc.
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The Maple Road Reconstruction Project is now 50 percent complete as crews continue to enhance the infrastructure and pour concrete. Work highlights from the past week include:
- Pouring concrete drive lanes and completing the installation of fiber optic conduits between Old Woodward and Woodward.
- Completion of concrete road work at Peabody and Park.
- Installation of sanitary sewer leads between Pierce and Chester, including investigation of location and functionality, exploratory digging and dye testing is now about 80 percent complete.
- Installing 500 feet of 12-inch water main between Pierce and Bates.
Next week, crews will pour concrete for the parking lanes between Woodward and Old Woodward, continue sanitary lead installation and begin installing water service lines that are two-inch diameter or less between Pierce and Chester. Work will also continue on water and fiber lines in the Chester intersection. Per MDOT’s specifications, crews will not be working July 3-5 in observance of the Independence Day holiday.
The Maple Road Reconstruction Project is the second phase in the City’s three-phase plan to improve infrastructure in downtown Birmingham. When complete, Maple Road’s improvements will allow it to manage traffic more effectively; provide an attractive experience for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists; and serve the community for decades to come! Help us spread the word about this transformational development by forwarding the sign-up link to any interested parties you know:
. Learn more about this project at


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Do you love Taco Bell's Chalupa? Then you surely going to love this recipe. The pillow-y, soft from the center, lightly crisp and golden exterior of taco shaped Indian fry bread, generously topped with beans, cheese, sauce, lettuce, and sour cream, this homemade Chalupa recipe is the perfect combination of taste and texture! Each bite is heavenly good and feels like a party in your mouth. You are going to love this, I guarantee it!! Chalupa supreme is one of the best dishes on Taco Bell’s men
Jamaican Fried Dumpling is a easy and delicious 4-ingredient bread style dumpling recipe that's crispy on the outside with a soft, buttery and fluffy inside! They are made with only a few pantry staples and enjoyed during breakfast or anytime throughout the day for the perfect Jamaican appetizer, side dish, or snack.

domain: food


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A medical license is required for a doctor to practice medicine in a particular state. Requirements vary by state but most require, at a minimum, post-graduate training in the doctor’s specific specialty. An NPI number is a national identifier unique to an individual health care provider and is managed by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Learn more about Dr. Mohamad Raslan:
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The overall average patient rating of Dr. Mohamad Raslan is Excellent.
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Dr. Mohamad Raslan, MD is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, and Sleep Medicine.
- He has special expertise in 1 area:
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Dr. Raslan graduated from Damascus University Medical College. He has 2 awards.
Dr. Raslan has 9 hospital affiliations:
- Oakwood Annapolis Hospital
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Dr. Mohamad Raslan practices Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, and Sleep Medicine near Wayne, MI.
Additional practice locations include: Westland, MI and Canton, MI.
See Wayne Internists, Wayne Pulmonologists, and Wayne Sleep Medicine Doctors.

domain: medical


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(Quentin Tarantino, 2012)
Reviewed by Dave Lancaster
Summary: Tarantino's spaghetti western finally arrives, backed by a posse of wild performances and lashings of violence that threatrens to outstay its welcome.
With 'Django Unchained', Quentin Tarantino finally gets to make his long awaited spaghetti western, an homage to the likes of 'Django' and 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly'. Technically this isn't so as the term 'spaghetti western' refers to Italian shoestring genre cinema but like he did with his loose war exploitation remake 'Inglourious Basterds', Tarantino has filled in the gaps with sledgehammer precision.
Set against an unforgiving backdrop of racial oppression, 'Django Unchained' centres around the titular slave (Jamie Foxx) who is unchained by the eccentric German bounty hunter Dr King Schultz (Christoph Waltz). Together they journey to a plantation called CandieLand owned by the violent figurehead Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) to buy a slave named Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) who, we discover, is Django's wife. Complicating things is Candie's savvy butler Stephen (Samuel L Jackson) who we suspect is really the man behind CandieLand - a black man in a racist world who, like Django, has developed real power.
'Django Unchained' has plenty to say about racism and oppression, but it really pulls the rug from under the viewer when it starts to ask them who exactly are the good guys. Given the suject matter, that's brave and (naturally) controversial. Tarantino asks questions and then shoots later, giving us the best of both worlds.
Like all Tarantino flicks, 'Django Unchained' wears its influences on its bloodstained sleeve but at nearly three hours it threatens to outstay its welcome. There's a hilarious scene between a plantation owner (a brilliantly cast Don Johnson) and his KKK-style posse leader (Jonah Hill) about the design flaws of wearing white sacks with tiny eye slits before they ambush their target. The writing is so slick and enjoyable, you don't really care that the scene isn't really that important. The same goes for Tarantino's cameo as an Australian slave driver. There are a few more similar moments which, when added together, add plenty of flavour but little meat to the one pot genre cocktail.
As well as functioning as a wonderful catch-and-release of tonal shifts, it's a film of dynamic brilliance. It could make a good case for the argument that films are living, breathing entities. As he did with 'Basterds', Christoph Waltz steals the show as the German bounty hunter whose second language is English but he is more eloquent than anybody else in the picture. Django is the least interesting major character in the piece, acting more like our eyes to this world but given how rich Tarantino has made his vistas you welcome this set of roaming eyes. A film of harsh beauty, 'Django Unchained' is a triumph.
Check out the theatrical trailer and more stills from 'Django Unchained' HERE at Cinemas Online.
Other film news
Mike Nichols, the visionary director who won an Oscar for one of the most definitive pictures of the 1960s - 'The Graduate' - and was nominated for a further four, has died aged 83.
Sexual assault allegations have once again surfaced against comedian and actor Bill Cosby, but he has flat-out refused to address them.
Quentin Tarantino favourite and double Oscar winner Christoph Waltz is set to play the next villain the James Bond franchise, according to reports.
It's official: 'The Evil Dead' is coming back to screens with original star Bruce Campbell involved alongside director Sam Raimi.
Oscar winner Matt Damon has confirmed that he's returning to the espionage Bourne franchise with another movie set to be released in 2016.
To celebrate the DVD and Blu-ray release of The Fault in Our Stars (out November 3rd), check out this interview with lead actors Shailene Woodley (Hazel) & Ansel Elgort (Gus).
'Captain Philips' Oscar winner Tom Hanks is adding another feather to his cap - he's just revealed plans to enter the field of literature.
The 1982 family-favourite, about an extra-terrestrial trying to return home beat other sci-fi heavy hittings such as Ridley Scott's horror 'Alien' and the Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones buddy comedy 'Men in Black' to the top spot.
Benedict Cumberbatch is now in the frame to add the Marvel superhero universe to his already glowing CV.
According to an anonymous extra on the set of upcoming superhero epic 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice', Jena Malone has been cast as a female version of Batman's sidekick Robin.
'Desperado' filmmaker Robert Rodriguez is taking desperate measures against the financiers of most recently released movies 'Sin City 2' and 'Machete Kills'.
How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris will host the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony for the first time.
Oscar winner Christian Bale has been lined up to play Apple boss Steve Jobs in a new film penned by 'The Social Network' and 'West Wing' scribe Aaron Sorkin.
The film is "Coming in 2015" and reunites the core cast from the classic TV sitcom Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer.
It's the news that David Lynch fans have been waiting decades for: 'Twin Peaks' is officially coming back.
The 'Taken' franchise has undergone a reboot of sorts. Not only does the title of the third film ('Tak3n') not make any sense, the film series has now scrapped the key kidnapping plot hook that sustained the first two pictures in favour of an innocent-man-on-the-run story instead.
Action hero and oscar nominee Liam Neeson has signed on to Seth MacFarlane's 'Ted 2', the sequel to the massive comedy hit.
While lots of casting rumours turn out to be false, this one turned out true. Joining 'True Detective' for its highly anticipated second season is 'In Bruges' Golden Globe winner Colin Farrell.
George Clooney's crowded trophy cabinet is set to see a new addition: the 'Syriana' and 'Argo' double Oscar winner is set to receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award from the Golden Globes at the 2015 ceremony.
'Django Unchained' co-star Daniele Watts made the headlines recently when she was pictured crying alongside a police officer having been detained. She and her partner claimed on their Facebook pages that the 'racist' LAPD assumed that she was a prostitute and he her client prompting them to demand her ID to which she refused as she deemed her right. However, the full story may have more to it...

domain: artistic


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261 Old York Road,
As your life and goals evolve and change, your investment strategy should also change. Schmerling Financial Group will continually review your asset allocation needs, help you understand your risk tolerance, and recommend the appropriate investment strategy to help you protect your wealth during the peaks and valleys of the business cycle. Our biggest priority is helping you as you pursue your goals.
Asset allocation does not assure or guarantee better performance and cannot eliminate the risk of investment losses.


The Central Regional branch of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has emphasized that the Company was not responsible for the severe flooding that hit Cape Coast and surrounding communities.
A number of people in the Central Region associated the flooding disaster to the Water Company opening up the spill gates of the Brimsu Dam without prior notice to the people.
But the Water Company has denied such claims , indicating that the dam has no spill gate and in the event of excess water in the dam, the Company has no control over the spillage of the water, as the water spills by itself.
The June 2022 flooding destroyed properties worth millions of Ghana cedis and a Prison Officer was said to have lost his life when he attempted to save some residents from getting drowned.
The Jukwa Twifo Praso Highway also damaged and was rendered unmotorable with over 200 houses in KEEA collapsing and rendering over a thousand people homeless.
“There is no control over the water so when it overflows its banks the water spills by itself. Naturally, when the water level reaches its peak, it spills by itself. Also, we announce to the public to take precaution when it reaches a danger zone. This time the flood was sudden, the water in the dam didn’t reach the level where we announce. We were having good levels and then all of a sudden there was flooding “, the Brimsu Dam Station Manager, George Buddy told the media, when the Company took media personnel round the Brimsu Dam and water treatment plant to familiarize with the operation of the facility.
The Brimsu Dam is the second highest and biggest dam in the Central Region, interms of production capacity.
It feeds Cape Coast Metropolitan, Abura Asebu Kwamankese, Jukwa among other surrounding communities in the Central Region.
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The Western and Central Regional Communications Manager for the GWCL, Nana Yaw Barima Barnie speaking to Gnewsprime.com maintained that “the design of the dam is such that it does not have gates, unlike that of Weija where there are gates installed so that when the river level gets to a certain limit, the spill gates are opened to allow the excess water out of the dam to protect it. This dam has been constructed in such a way that when it gets to a certain level, the excess water will overflow on its own and the recent flooding was a natural disaster which we had no control”.
He however pledged to communicate suggestions for a reservoir to store excess water that goes waste and results in flooding sometimes in the rainy season to the appropriate authorities for action.
Source: GNewsprime.com/ Georgina Appiah, 2022.


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Verizon is moving ahead with its 5G ambitions with the announcement of the first two cities where it will deploy its ultra-fast connection. As long as you have one of Verizon's unlimited plans (Go, Beyond, or Above Unlimited), you can pay $10/mo and get access to 5G.
Verizon finally revealed its first 5G cities this morning, as well as the initial pricing that will get your compatible phone on that new network. On family plans, each 5G line would cost $10 extra. If the merger is blocked, Verizon will have less competition dominating the 5G market in the U.S. AT&T is also upgrading its networks to 5G.
Verizon also announced that its next-generation wireless service will cost $10 more per month on top of its existing unlimited plans. The Moto Z3 launched several months ago and is ready to deliver 5G speeds as soon as you cough up the cash for the brand new 5G Moto Mod that goes along with it.
Verizon was careful to say that "5G data usage" will be unlimited without slowdowns, so those de-prioritization thresholds will still apply to 4G usage. Of course, you'll need a compatible phone and there are none at this point.
"Minneapolis will see a similar concentration, focused on the Downtown West, Downtown East, and Elliot Park areas of the city, with a focus on landmarks like the Minneapolis Convention Center as well as the Target Center and U.S. Bank Stadium sports venues, along with the Verizon store in the Mall of America."For now, 5G Mobility is a $10 add-on feature.
AT&T has a version of 5G service available to hotspot devices in parts of 12 cities today with seven more markets coming by midyear.
The largest US wireless carrier by subscribers will offer the device for $50 initially and its customers would not have to pay for 5G use for the first three months. You might want to wait a while before buying a 5G phone, though.
The 5G Moto Mod will be available on preorder on March 14th, and Verizon is discounting it to just $50 for a limited time. Samsung will eventually launch Galaxy S10 5G as a timed Verizon exclusive, but that won't be arriving until sometime this summer.

domain: news


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Ready to retire
Published 10:57 am Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Julian “Jay” G. Jessen went to work for the city of Austin 41 years ago and never left … that is until now.
His last official day of work will be Friday, Feb. 27.
He has been on vacation or using up accumulated sick leave since Jan. 6.
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After four decades of employment with the city of Austin, he has earned six weeks of vacation a year.
Jessen is a study in loyalty and longevity.
His biggest fan is his son, Thomas E. Jessen, who lives in Fredricksburg, Va.
“He has had a hand in almost every major and minor construction and improvement project for Austin’s infrastructure during that time,” the son said.
“In the summer, he would spend long days surveying and supervising the excavation, construction and completion of construction projects. In the winter, it would be drafting and planning preparing for the summer season of planned work.
“He has seen the evolution of technology from pen and pencil to Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), blueprints to computer data files,” the son said.
“During all this, he has been actively involved in local veterans groups,” the younger Jessen went on to say. “He is a veteran of the Vietnam War, having served in the U.S. Navy. He is a past Commander of American Legion Post 91 and a long-time member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1218.”
When the son called his father earlier this year to congratulate him on his retirement, the elder Jessen was getting prepared to serve with a Color Guard at the funeral of a veteran.
That’s one measure of his loyalty.
Four decades of draftsman and surveyor work for the city of Austin is a measure of his longevity.
“I love it,” Jessen said of his work for the city of Austin, still speaking in the present tense. “I had other part-time jobs as a kid, growing up in Winona, where I did electrical work, but this is the only full-time job I’ve ever had.”
“My first annual salary was $5,500 when I started work June 3, 1968, and I got a big raise right away the next year,” he said.
“Nope. I never thought about taking another job. This was good enough for me,” Jessen said.
“Jay was a very valuable employee for the city,” said Jon W. Erichson, city engineer and director of public works. “He did all the things that needed to be done and he did them well.”
The next most senior employee of the city — unidentified because of data privacy rules — will reach the 40-year mark in 2010.
One life, one job is no longer the norm in the workplace as more and more people try one job and then another and still another.
Also, today’s workers live in a more mobile society, where planting family roots is for only a few years or until discovering greener career pastures elsewhere.
Jessen stayed put and found his career choice satisfying.
Jessen was born in Bremerton, Wash., the son of a U.S. Naval Reserve warrant officer.
He grew up in Winona along the Mississippi River.
There were five sons in his family and no daughters.
He is the oldest of the boys.
After graduating high school in Winona, he enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve, where he served as a radarman above the heavy cruiser, USS Canberra, before earning an honorable discharge and returning to civilian life.
He attended a new technical college, which had opened in Winona after leaving the Navy and studied engineering draftsman courses.
He graduated and Roger Nelson came calling.
“He was the Austin city engineer at the time,” Jessen said, “and he came to Winona to interview 4 or 5 of us students for a job in the engineering department. I was the lucky one to get the job offer.”
Nelson (now deceased) was his first city engineer boss and Erichson, the last. In between was Richard Murphy.
Assistant city engineers and other co-workers have come and gone.
“I really enjoyed the people I worked with,” Jessen said.
Joe Stenger was a good friend of Jessen’s through their work in local Color Guard activities.
Many of his other friends were co-workers.
He and Keith Kunze took fishing trips in their off-duty hours.
Ed Hanson showed him “the ropes,” Jessen recalled, in sidewallk work.
Gene Nelson, also retired, worked side-by-side Jessen.
Now, he leaves behind Denny Bissen, Gerald Wilkinson and Tim Brady as well as others in the department.
“The single biggest change I noticed in the work came with the computer. That changed the way we did everything in engineering,” Jessen said.
The other change Jessen recalled was the switch-over from concrete streets to the dependence upon asphalt and bituminous.
Whatever the area of the city, Jessen had a role in the important street, sidewalk and other infrastructure improvements that have made Austin what it is today.
All done with stakes and flags, at the drafting table, behind the scenes.
Through all the years, Jessen said he was never tempted to seek another job.
“No. I liked the work and where I was at,” he said.
Now, he and his wife, Nancy, have time on their hands. Time, that Jessen said he relishes.
“That’s what retirement is for,” he said.


Remote care options are key during a disease outbreak. Here's how telehealth is removing the physical barriers between patients and clinicians.
Three CEOs discuss why digital treatments are on the cusp of becoming mainstream and share their five-year outlooks.
The state of interoperability and open data for US healthcare is in big transition, and 2020 may be a year to remember.
By 2030, 20% of the US will be over 65. Boomers represent the biggest, most lucrative MA growth segment.
A Transformation Agenda
Don't ask patients, "What's the matter with you?" Ask patients, "What matters to you?"
And Other Key Takeaways from #OWHIC, Asia Edition
Asia has been quick to experiment in innovative customer journeys. But, patients are impatient.
Improving healthcare's Triple Aim means figuring out how to measure impact.
Healthcare is just getting comfortable with the idea that your fiercest competitor may soon become your best partner.
Industry leaders share their strategies for building industry impact.
The AHA, Florida Blue, Oliver Wyman's Josh Michelson, and More on Building for Impact
Here are some of the most memorable moments from day three of the Health Innovation Summit.


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Look stylish while you stay warm in the waterproof and breathable Newmarket Babel Vest. Designed with a flattering slim fit, this winter riding vest has 250 grams of poly fill insulation for warmth.
The Riding Sport™ Merino Wool Ladies’ Crew Neck features breathable, mid-weight interlock 230 gram merino wool. This long sleeve ladies’ top is soft and lightweight, with natural thermo-regulation and moisture management properties. Great worn alone or with outer layers!


Huawei HG8245H5 Router Login
To access the HG8245H5 router’s administration page, type 192.168.100.1 into your browser’s address bar or click the box below.
How to login to HG8245H5?
Follow these simple steps to access the admin panel of your HG8245H5 router.
1. Open your default web browser and enter the IP address http://192.168.100.1 or 192.168.100 in the address bar.
2. A login page will appear in front of you in the Huawei HG8245H5 admin panel. In the fields, you need to enter your username ” telecomadmin ” and password ” admintelecom “.
3. Enter your username and password in the fields provided.
4. You will now be logged into your router’s admin panel.
Change the WiFi name (SSID) and WiFi password of Huawei HG8245
1. Select WLAN (located in the menu bar at the top of the page) and click on it, then click on WLAN Configuration (located in the menu bar at the top of the page).
2. In the SSID field, enter the new name of your network.
3. In the “security” field, enter a security password.
4. Select WPA2-PSK and then save the settings made by the “save” button.
How to reset Huawei HG8245?
To reset the Huawei HG8245 router to factory settings, you need to perform the following steps.
1. Turn on the Huawei HG8245 router
2. Look for the reset button. Some routers have a small hole and others have a reset button.
3. Press the factory reset button with a paper clip or something that goes through the small hole and hold it for about 10 – 15 seconds!
4. Wait until you see all the lights on the HG8245 start blinking.
5. The Huawei HG8245 router will reboot.
Your HG8245 router is reset and ready to use.
Forgot the password for the Huawei HG8245 router
In case you have changed the default username and password of Huawei HG8245 and forgot them, you will need to reset it.


The lessons offer a comprehensive curriculum for learning music fundamentals and theory, including the ear training necessary to grasp these concepts in the sound itself, not just in written form. Each lesson is followed by quizzes to check for (and reinforce) understanding as well as exercises to develop speed and fluency. Singers who study these lessons will be able to not only sight read (sight sing) music accurately, but will also understand the full texture of the music and their contribution to it. While the targeted audience is choral singers and music theory students, these lessons can serve anyone hoping to develop their musicianship.
The table of contents to the left organizes the curriculum. Click on each section and the contents of that section will roll out below it. Click on any item in the table of contents and it will open the material. Work through the lesson and then take the quizzes and exercises at the end of each section and in the 'building proficiency' sections. Summary of the contents are provided for you below
If you do not have an instructor but still want to track your progress by saving your scores, then you can register for a SonicFit course. By registerring you can contribute money to keep SonicFit developing. More details here.
Identify line notes and space notes and the numbering system of their placement on the staff.
Letter names of notes on the staff in bass and treble clefs.
Practice hearing and identifying higher and lower pitches far apart (tonic and dominant notes of the scale). The practice hearing and singing and identifying by scale degree two pitches that are close together: first pitch as DO (tonic) and second pitch as RE (second scale degree called the supertonic)
The bass and treble clefs used today are almost always on the same place of the staff. However, throughout most of Western music history, these clefs could be placed on several different places, and the C clef was used frequently. Learn about movable clefs, the C clef (most commonly today used for the alto clef and tenor clef) clef octaves, middle C, the grand staff, ledger lines and more.
Much of Western music uses a tonal framework. SonicFit intends students to have a solid foundation in the aural comprehension of this framework, knowing each notes place in the framework. The solfege ladder, Curwen hand signs, exercises and drills presented in this lesson are essential elements of this training.
Music Theory: Rhythm and Meter
This introduction to rhythmic notation begins with understanding note anatomy: types of note heads for half notes, whole notes, and quarter notes, and the stem on a quarter note as well. Note duration and values are taught in reference to a number line and fractions.
Time Signatures are briefly introduced, then focusing on practicing how to count when using ‘Common Time’. The following concepts and terms are covered: measures, bars, bar lines, beat, beat values, rhythm syllables, and count singing. Methods for count singing are explained and practiced.
The concept of note anatomy and durations are reviewed and expanded by adding the eighth note value, which uses a solid note head, a stem, and either a beam or a flag. Rests are introduced and compared with notes of the equivalent value.
Slurs and ties look very similar, but must be executed differently. Dotted notes are a short hand way to write two notes tied together. Steps for count-singing with slurs and dots are explained, and exercises and quizzes help to drill the application of these concepts.
Meter involves two parts: how beats are grouped together into regular patterns of strong and weak beats, and how each beat divides into smaller values. This lesson addresses beat groupings only, covering the concepts of strong and weak beats. Time signaures present beat groupings in the top number, while the bottom number represents the value of the beat. Count singing is further explained and practiced with quizzes and exercises. The term anacrusis, or pick-up note, is explained.
How to Read a Full Score
After reviewing terms such as measure, bar, and barline, scores with multiple staves are presented. Users learn the proper way to read scores with many parts and avoid common reading mistakes. Terms presented include brackets and braces.
Music Theory: Pitch II: Steps, Intervals, and Key Signatures
In this lesson, users are not yet taught how to identify key signatures, but rather, to understand that with different key signatures the melody will be higher or lower. The academic language for this is that the melody is transposed higher or lower. An essential skill of sight reading is that the a singer can quickly identify scale degrees. To begin developing this skill, students must work on speed and accuracy of identifying scale degrees of fragments with DO as the first note.
This lesson focuses on interval quantity only. (Interval quality requires more background and is addressed in a later lesson.) Cardinal numbers (2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc) describe interval quantity. Exercises ending the lesson will help students gain speed and accuracy at identifying intervals. This material reinforces and compliments the skills of the previous lesson on scale degree notation recognition. Terms of this lesson include melodic intervals, harmonic intervals, ascending and descending. Many tips are included.
The keyboard is an excellent visual (and tactile) tool for learning music theory pitch concepts such as steps, accidentals and intervals. Before learning these concepts, students need to first become familiar with the keyboard generally, such as the grouping of black notes in 2s alternating 3s, letter names of keys, and octaves designations.
Topics include whole steps, half steps, flat, sharp, enharmonics, chromatic scale, and step construction of the major scale. Playing the first five notes of the major scale, DO RE MI FA SOL, starting on any key is an important exercise to fully understand steps and keys.
Topics include accidentals, placement of accidentals on the staff, key signature accidentals and conventions for their applications to notes played,
Accidentals of the major scale, and how to find DO, the tonic, of any key signature. The rule for identifying sharp key signatures and flat key signatures are presented, followed by quizzes and exercises to build speed and proficiency.
A more thorough understanding of key signatures includes an understanding of the relationship of keys to each other. A major scale built a perfect fifth higher than another will have one more sharp (or one less flat for flat keys) than the other.


The Oppo A8 price in Kenya currently ranges between Ksh 18,000 and Ksh 19,500, an under 20k smartphone featuring a 6.5-inch Multi-touch Capacitive HD Display, a 12MP + 2MP + 2MP Triple Main Camera, an 8MP Front Camera, a 4230mAh battery, and powered by the ColorOS 6.1, based on the Android 9.0 Pie Operating System.
With a wealth of powerful features and an easy-to-use interface, the Oppo A8 is a great way to get started with your first Android device.
It runs on Android 9.0 Pie with ColorOS 6.1, which has a minimalistic design that makes it easy to navigate, and allows you to instantly access your favorite apps using gestures from the bottom corners of the display.
Lipa Mdogo Mdogo Phones
Designed with photography needs in mind, this smartphone comes with a 12MP triple main camera and an 8MP front-facing camera for capturing those memorable moments with friends and family members or taking cool selfies.
A8 comes with a full 128GB of storage so you never have to worry about running out of space again. With a 2.3GHz Octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM, this powerful gadget gives you plenty of power to run all your apps and games without slowing down.
In a nutshell, OPPO A8 is a powerful smartphone with a sleek design and a long lasting battery life, perfect for those who want their phone to do more for them, and available at an affordable price in Kenya.


Community Service Project Opportunity
Locations: Edwardsville, Turner, Lawrence Riverfront, Lawrence 8th Street, and Eudora
Contact the Riverkeeper at email@example.com or call 785.312.7200
Do you know a group that is interested in a community service project? We are looking for group volunteers to “Adopt-A-Boat Ramp” at 5 local Boat Ramps! We are looking for groups to adopt their local boat ramp at Lawrence Riverfront! The Lawrence 8th Street, Eudora, Edwardsville and Turner boat ramps has been adopted!
The Adopt-A-Boat Ramp program on the Kansas River is a voluntary program for civic-minded groups or businesses with an interest in keeping our navigable rivers litter-free. It is open to families, youth organizations, civic groups, non-profit organizations, churches, schools, social organizations, neighborhood groups, service organizations, retiree organizations, and city, county or state agencies. In exchange for your hard work, we will put up a sign that designates your group at the local adopter!


text:
Submitted to: Canadian Journal of Plant Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/23/2016
Publication Date: 9/7/2016
Citation: Skinner, D.Z., Bellinger, B.S. 2016. Freezing tolerance of winter wheat as influenced by extended growth at low temperature and exposure to freeze-thaw cycles. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. doi: 10.1139/CJPS-2016-0154.
Interpretive Summary: Winter wheat is planted in the autumn and harvested the following summer, and therefore must be able to survive the subfreezing temperatures of the winter months. The plants are capable of acclimating to the cold and developing freezing tolerance but they deacclimate too soon and become vulnerable to winter injury long before the spring arrives. In this research, the ability of wheat lines to increase freezing tolerance in response to mild freeze-thaw events was evaluated over 18 weeks of growth at low temperature, as may occur throughout the winter under snow cover. We found that the plants increase freezing tolerance after freeze-thaw events, but only until the plants reach a certain age, and that age varied among the wheat lines studied. This finding provides a new characteristic to examine when evaluating freezing tolerance of wheat plants, and may provide a means to extend the length of time the plants remain freezing tolerant.
Technical Abstract: As the seasons progress, autumn-planted winter wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L.) first gain, then progressively lose freezing tolerance. Exposing the plants to freeze-thaw cycles of -3/3°C results in increased ability to tolerate subsequent freezing to potentially damaging temperatures. This study was conducted to determine to what extent the length of time grown at low temperature influenced the effectiveness of this freeze-thaw enhancement of freezing tolerance. Plants from six winter wheat lines were grown at 4°C for 1-18 weeks, exposed to 0-2 cycles of freezing to -3°C for 24 h, then thawing for 24 h at 3°C, then tested for their ability to tolerate freezing to -10 to -17°C. The freeze-thaw treatments resulted in increased freezing tolerance after 6 to 12 weeks of growth at low temperature, but had no significant effect before or after that time period. Two cycles of -3/3°C freeze-thaw was consistently more effective than one cycle. Variation in the extent and timing of the effectiveness of the freeze-thaw treatments was found among the wheat lines, suggesting genetic variation that may be useful for prolonging freezing tolerance further into the winter months could be found in winter wheat.

domain: literature


text:
Lady Gaga NEW PuzzleFree
#1 Lady Gaga NEW Puzzle Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer-songwriter, LGBT activist, record producer, businesswoman, fashion designer, philanthropist, and actress. She was born, raised, and lives in New York City. Gaga studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart before briefly attending Collaborative Arts Project 21 (CAP21). She withdrew from CAP21 to focus on her musical career. She soon began performing in the rock music scene of Manhattan's Lower East Side. By the end of 2007, record executive and producer Vincent Herbert signed her to his label Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records. Initially working as a songwriter at Interscope Records, her vocal abilities captured the attention of recording artist Akon, who also signed her to Kon Live Distribution, his own label under Interscope. NOTE: This is Unofficial Games of Lady Gaga, this games is just for fans purpose.
Downloads: 99+Report app for spam or abuse!
Art of War 2: Global Confederation Free
A sequel to the famous mobile real-time strategy. Lead the peacemaking army and set a new final worl
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 Sega Free
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 - This game is a genre fighting game series Mortal Kombat.
Papas Cupcakeria Free
Cook a ridiculous amount of delicious cupcakes for all your wacky customers in Papa's Cupcakeria!
Jack smith-free Free
In Jacksmith, you are a blacksmith crafting a wide range of weapons for all of your warriors.

domain: entertainment


text:
Greg Pauly was hiking through Griffith Park in late January when he ran across a baby rattlesnake sunning itself.
Had it been during a typical winter, Pauly likely would not have come across the young serpent, but this year is different.
"The level of activity for rattlesnakes is definitely higher this year," the herpetologist, or snake specialist, said from his office at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
The reason is simple: the weather.
Rattlesnakes do not have a set hibernating season, he said. Instead, their dormant periods are determined by how cold the weather gets.
"This has been an abnormally warm winter," Pauly said.
Warm weather will bring snakes out of the places they congregate to hibernate.
There are seven species of rattlesnakes in California, with the southern Pacific rattlesnake the only one found along the Southern California coast. It normally hibernates in the winter, escaping the cold by going underground or burrowing in a hole under a boulder or other place.
The snake Pauly saw Jan. 29 was sunning itself on a western-facing slope in the afternoon, something he would expect. Afternoon sun warms western-facing slopes, offering the reptiles a place to soak up the sun's heat. Rattlesnakes tend to be out and about in temperatures from the upper 60s to the lower 90s. In colder or warmer weather, they seek shelter.
Pauly also ran across the discarded skin of a nearly meter-long rattlesnake this winter. He figures it must have been active in mid-December, another month in which rattlesnakes normally would be hibernating somewhere safe.
Given that the coming months will bring longer days and very likely warmer weather, Pauly and others say expecting rattlesnakes to be out in even greater numbers is reasonable.
He advises people not to become overly alarmed if they see a rattlesnake, the only native poisonous snake found in the wild in California.
"Keep your distance, but if you see one, consider yourself lucky," he said.
They don't want to meet you any more than you want to meet them, he said.
"Many are around an inch high," Pauly said. From that perspective, anyone they come across is unimaginably big.
Hikers should wear knee-high socks, high-top shoes or boots and long pants. They also should stick to open paths when possible, avoid tall grass and heavy underbrush, and gather firewood only during daytime.
Rattlesnake bites are the most common type of snakebite in North America, authorities say. They account for more than 80 percent of fatal snakebites. Most bites occur when someone picks up or accidentally touches a rattlesnake. The most common places for bites are hands, ankles and feet.
"A surprising number of rattlesnake bites are dry bites," Pauly said, meaning no venom is injected. It takes time for a snake to accumulate venom. The snake may want to save the venom for when it is hunting prey or truly threatened.
"Still, my advice is don't get bitten at all," he said.
People who are bitten should not cut the wound or suck out the poison, he said. Instead, they should stay calm and get medical help as soon as possible.
Bill Nash, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department, said his department very rarely gets calls about rattlesnake bites.
"We do get calls for a rattlesnake that is in the yard or garage," Nash said.
The snakes are usually gone by time emergency personnel arrive.
"The snake probably doesn't want to be there any more than you want it there," he said.
When possible, firefighters try to capture the snake alive and safely return it to the wild, Nash said.
"The snakes haven't done anything wrong," he said.
Ojai Valley firefighters are trained to handle rattlesnakes safely. Techniques include using an extended prong to pick up a snake and place it in a pail. Once safely inside, the snakes are transported to the wild.
Nash added people should remember that the snakes are a natural part of the environment in Ventura County.
"They were here before we were," he said. "You need to be careful to not put yourself in a situation where you are going to encounter one. If you see one, just avoid it."


text:
The Thrillseekers Adventure Film Festival travels the UK each year showcasing the best in extreme sports and adventure films. Experience an evening of adrenaline-pumping action through a selection of films that celebrate pushing mind and body to the limits. Whether your passion is mountainbiking, skiing, kayaking or BASE-jumping, each of our three exciting adventure programmes includes something for everyone.
The Adventure Film Festival takes a collection of adventure films to more than 30 cinemas across the UK each October, showcasing this year’s best adventure content on the big screen. The event features a variety of inspiring films, including the latest climbing epic from Britain’s best known climber, Leo Houlding. You can find out more info on all of the films here on the Adventure Fest website.
The event is screening at the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff on 15th, 22nd and 29th October at 6:00pm
Boulders has teamed up with them to bring our customers the opportunity of winning two tickets to a showing of their choice. To enter the competition just tweet a link to this article, mentioning @BouldersUK and @AdventureFF!
To book tickets now for any night, book through the Chapter Arts Centre booking hotline.


text: F/20. I realized recently that I have an urge to run away. I live with my parents and partially with my spouse. I realized I just want to buy a bus ticket and leave. I'm surrounded by toxic people but I can't go anywhere, nothings getting better. I just want to end it all but then I don't. I want to run, I just want to run away and pretend this whole life didn't happen. I don't want to sit around for another year pretending my spouse is going to get their crap together or put effort into helping me emotionally, physically or financially. I'm tired of pretending that i'm happy when every waking day is stress. Between fighting with my parents and constantly dealing with my spouse on top of university. I'm just ready to runaway.

domain: sociology


text:
Shenita calls OnDoc “the answer to my prayers,” for two reasons. First, her health conditions require lots of attention but also make it exhausting to go to the doctor. “Doctors Online gives me the opportunity to [get in touch] with doctors whenever I need it, and I don’t have to pay the co-pays or wait in a waiting room,” she says. Shenita is currently in college for health information management, which adds to her stress, and some of the alternative medicine and psychiatric offerings are helping her address that.
Second, she values the opportunity to make an income, since her health has prevented her from working a traditional job in more than 20 years.
“Having a side business gives me money to do things for myself that I enjoy, to treat myself,” she says. And working in the healthcare industry is right up Shenita’s alley: Not only is she studying to get a job in the medical industry, but her early career was as a clinical technician. “I love this field, I never want to leave it!” she says.
When she’s not studying and working, Shenita and her husband of 16 years enjoy spending time together, whether it’s seeing live music, taking art classes, visiting the local zoo, or doing volunteer work.


About 500 monuments of the soviet period can be liquidated in Poland in the case of adoption of amendments to the law on de-communization, which was prepared by the upper chamber of the polish parliament, RIA Novosti reported. In the spring of 2016 in Poland has enacted a law on de-communization, the prohibition of propaganda of totalitarian regimes in the name of streets, squares, hearse, etc. According to the new amendments proposed by the party "Law and justice" jaroslaw kaczynski, oblivion must also be loyal and monuments (memorial stones), "Glorifying communism". In this regard, according to the initiators of the bill, the country needs to be carried 490 of such monuments. Will not touch the law only those objects that are not on display, such as those located on cemeteries. This is the second attempt to expand the law on decommunization.
The first bill was withdrawn from the diet, as expected, due to controversial language about the ukrainian and Lithuanian nationalism. In it, in particular, it was proposed to "Fight" with the monuments glorifying "Fascism, german nazism, ukrainian and Lithuanian nationalism, prussian, Russian, and german militarism". Comparison of ukrainian and Lithuanian nationalism to fascism have caused a sharp negative reaction from Kiev and vilnius.
Full migration Amnesty for Russians from the breakaway republics of Donbass, proposed to be held in the state Duma, reports RIA Novosti.
The joint Belarusian-Russian exercises "West-2017" to be held in autumn in Belarus, should be made available to representatives of international organizations, including NATO, RIA Novosti reported the statement of Alexander Lukashenko.
Surnames of Ukrainian politicians, arrived in the Crimea in structure of foreign delegation, will be kept confidential for their safety, reports RIA Novosti news Agency the message of the Chairman of the Duma Committee on nationalities Ruslan Balbec.


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songwriter | cover artist
Lainey Dionne is a Rhode Island-bred singer/songwriter and cover artist. A millennial musician that writes “the sort of music that immediately makes you forget that you left a burning oven on, or should be doing something productive. Music that will make you forget about everything else and just listen" (Verge), her songs paint a picture of the playlist you steal from your trendy friend. Breaking out in cities on the east coast, she has won many awards for her quirky ‘je ne sais quoi’, true lyrics, and magnetic sound. Lainey's music is available on iTunes, Spotify, and other streaming services.
Her debut record, Can't Refuse- EP, was released in 2016 and is an honest and vulnerable look at love and life through a twenty-something folky singer/songwriters eyes. The full record was featured on HomeBru'd, a segment for New England's leading alternative radio station, WBRU. In 2020, Lainey was a two time 2nd Place Overall Grand Prize winner in the New England Songwriting Competition following her 2019 win, when she was also a placing finalist in Rhode Island’s Summer's End Race to the Stage Competition. In 2018, Lainey was nominated for Best Solo/Acoustic Act, Best Americana Act, and Best College Act at the Worcester Music Awards, along with Best Breakthrough Act at Rhode Island's famed, Motif Music Awards. She was also a 2016 Semi Finalist for the International Songwriting Competition. As a performing artist, Lainey has been invited to play at famed music venues such as The Strand, regional festivals such as The Big E, PVDFest and the Newport Film Festival, private events & benefit concerts, and over 80 venues in Rhode Island.
Her band toured the East Coast in the summer of 2017 debuting new material along with her EP. Lainey has opened for renowned artists such as Drake Bell, The Head and The Heart, Chase Rice, and Ronny Cox. Originally from Smithfield, RI, Lainey started her musical journey playing the piano at 6 years old, and along the way, has picked up several other instruments including violin, ukulele, harmonica, mandolin, dulcimer, cajon, and guitar.
Lainey graduated Magna Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music in 2015, receiving her Bachelor's Degree in Music Business with a minor in Music Production and Engineering. While attending, she had the pleasure of learning from industry professionals such as Grammy Award winning producer, Jason Stokes and Grammy-nominated hit songwriter, producer, and Warner Brothers Records executive, Kara DioGuardi. She was also accepted into Warner/Chappell Publishing Group executive, Judy Stakee's Songwriting Retreat in France and is currently working with a team in Nashville on her sophomore record. In 2020, Lainey's music will reflect her ever-changing inspirations leaning into a fresh pop universe but keeping her indie roots. You can find her latest single "Hey London" on every music platform. Expect to hear new music from Lainey Dionne throughout 2020.


text:
Batting Average Assessment in Major League Baseball Players After Surgical Treatment of Hamate Hook Fractures
Andrew Z Mo, MD; Daniel Polatsch, MD; Steven Beldner, MD; Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY
Hamate hook fractures are endemic in avid baseball players. They frequently occur due to impact of the butt of the bat on the nondominant hamate hook. Pain and discomfort limits the player's ability to participate, requiring expeditious treatment to enable rapid return of function. Multiple studies have demonstrated that hamate hook excision results in reliable return of grip strength and range of motion but did not assess the effect on batting performance in elite athletes. The purpose of this study was to characterize the difference in batting average (BA) performance in professional baseball batters from the Major Leagues. Pre- and post-surgery batting averages were collected to determine if injury and its subsequent treatment had a deleterious effect on batting average performance over time.
Methods: An online search was performed identifying Major League baseball players who sustained hamate hook fractures. Sources included news articles, websites, and injured player lists. BAs were collected from both pre- and post-injury seasons. Up to 4 seasons of BAs were collected, with the average BA utilized for analysis. Data was analyzed utilizing paired T-test. Exclusion criteria included non-batting injuries and acquisition of less than 1 season of BA data, pre- and post-surgical correction.
Results: 21 competitive baseball players were initially identified. Of these, 19 met the following inclusion criteria. Players were members of Major League baseball teams who sustained hamate hook fractures from batting. They underwent surgical correction of injury and had available BA data from at least 1 season, pre- and post-injury and up to 4 years postinjury. All athletes were male, with a mean age of 26.3 years (range 23-33 years old). None of the injured players were switch hitters. Mean pre- and post-injury BAs were 0.267 and 0.264 respectively. Paired t-test revealed no statistical difference (p<0.77).
Discussion and conclusion: Professional baseball players who sustained a hamate hook fracture and underwent surgical correction returned to play with no significant differences in performance as assessed by BA. These results did not appear to deteriorate over time with no reports of reinjury.
Back to 2018 Program


Chinese tourists have now set their eyes on Antarctica, much to the chagrin of local inhabitants. A huge group of travelers from China recently landed in the South Pole to have wedding shots taken, unfortunately freaking out the penguins in the area just trying to get on with their lives.
A Chinese photographer said the visitors displayed “uncivilized” behavior throughout their glacial photo shoot. Some members of the group were seen chasing the little creatures who in turn waddled off from the scene as fast as their feet would carry them.
The number of Chinese tourists visiting the Antarctic region has increased more than any other nationality, and tour organizations have in recent years begun targeting wealthy Chinese tourists seeking an “extreme” getaway. Some visitors will fork out anywhere from 100,000 yuan to 500,000 yuan for a one- to two-week all-expense trip to the southernmost region of the world.
However, some environmentalists fear that so much human activity could have an impact on native wildlife.
Zhang Yifan, a freelance travel writer who toured Antarctica along with 200 mainland tourists during the Lunar New Year holiday last year, explained in an IB Times report that his group didn’t behave differently than most of the visitors there. “I didn’t see anyone throwing rubbish or spitting. The only problem was that sometimes tourists got a bit closer to photograph animals than the tour guide had advised them.”


The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) voted against the legislation backed by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand that proposed to strip military commanders of the power of making certain decisions in sexual assault court-martials. Senator Carl Levin, the leader of the SASC is pushing strongly against Senator Gillibrand’s movement despite the fact that her proposals seem to be gaining strong support. Senator Levin spoke out stating that, “the power to initiate a court martial is perhaps the strongest weapon commanders have to back up efforts to change climate in their units.” Senator Claire McCaskill has joined forces with Senator Levin and they have devised their own proposal that will keep military commanders in power, but allow for more oversight over commanders to ensure they don’t abuse their power. Both sides are striving for the same result, however they each have their own ideas regarding how to get there. If you are facing sexual assault court-martial charges in the military, you need a strong advocate now more than ever. You need someone with experience who understands the political climate we currently live in. To speak to an experienced court-martial and military defense attorney, call Bill Cassara at 706-860-5769 for a free consultation.


– Fifteen out of every 100 homes in the city’s future
neighborhood districts will have to be priced at affordable rates
under a policy that has received preliminary approval from City
Council. The six Neighborhood Districts encompass 1,400 acres and
make up the vast majority of land earmarked fo
r new homes.
Gilroy – Fifteen out of every 100 homes in the city’s future neighborhood districts will have to be priced at affordable rates under a policy that has received preliminary approval from City Council. The six Neighborhood Districts encompass 1,400 acres and make up the vast majority of land earmarked for new homes.
The 15-percent baseline requirement approved Monday night represents an increase from the 10 percent figure developers, landowners, and other community representatives signed off on in recent months as part of a task force charged with drafting the Neighborhood District Policy.
The draft policy originally recommended by the task force at the beginning of the year, included only a recommendation that developers price 10-percent of homes within reach of low- and middle-income earners. At the request of City Council, planning staff tightened the 10 percent figure from a recommendation to a mandate.
But that has failed to satisfy some council members, especially Mayor Al Pinheiro, who has been the driving force behind an increase in the baseline percentage.
While admitting an increase of 5 percent would not solve the city’s affordable housing issues, he stressed that it could only increase the number of affordable homes.
Council members voted unanimously to prepare ordinances for final approval that incorporate the 15 percent minimum, but the debate surrounding the Neighborhood District Policy may be far from over.
During an hour-long study session prior to the regular council meeting Monday night, councilmen Bob Dillon and Roland Velasco questioned the value of increasing the baseline requirements as well as its fairness to developers and landowners.
“Let’s call a spade a spade. This is inclusionary zoning,” said Velasco, referring to the practice of forcing developers to offer some percentage of a housing project at affordable rates. “I’m not sure by adding 5 percent we’re not putting an essentially public problem on developers and builders.”
Dillon dubbed the 15 percent affordable housing requirement as a “misnomer” for a policy that “extracts money from developers.”
Pinheiro did not argue: “Maybe it means the percentage the developer makes is less than they’re used to.”
Councilmen Paul Correa, Charles Morales, and Russ Valiquette joined the mayor in supporting the increased percentage.
Correa, who works for a Bay Area development company, said his employer has “no problem” pricing 15 to 20 percent of units in a project at affordable rates.
“It’s not a question of feeling sorry for (the developers),” Dillon responded. “It’s whether it’s just.”
But for Pinheiro, who said he was willing to go as high as 20 percent on the baseline requirement, the new percentage represents a compromise.
He said that developers he has spoken with described the 15 percent baseline as “doable.”
Regardless of the percentage, councilmen and city staff agree that Gilroy’s current incentive-based approach has failed to promote affordable housing.
The current program gives developers extra points in the city’s annual building-permit competition for projects with some affordable units, while projects devoted primarily to affordable housing can skip the competition entirely. The numbers indicate, however, that incentives have failed to entice developers, who have snapped up all but 191 of the 2,550 building permits earmarked for market-rate homes, while more than 600 of the 700 affordable-housing exemptions remain.
While councilmen appear to have settled the mandatory minimum issue, serious questions remain about the viability of the policy in certain areas of the city.
Councilman Gartman pointed out that the policy requires landowners to come together and create a specific plan of development for an entire neighborhood district before anyone can begin building.
That approach has grown from the example set by the Glen Loma Ranch project, a roughly 1,700-unit project that represents a single neighborhood in the city’s southwest quadrant. That project, roughly five years in the making, is just now passing through the final approval process.
Officials have pointed to the Glen Loma project as a template for planning in other neighborhood districts, but Gartman and others have argued that such an approach will prove unwieldy if not impossible when dealing with north central Gilroy.
That neighborhood, located just south of Buena Vista Avenue, contains 277 acres of land split into 119 separate parcels.
Gartman argued that the policy’s requirement for a specific plan would create a “bottleneck” in north Gilroy, choking off all development for years while landowners try to agree on a single plan.
“If you have a small developer with a few acres, you’re going to be out of business for years until everyone else gets together,” he said. Even those looking to build affordable housing, he pointed out, would be barred from proceeding until a specific plan is put in place.
City Planning Manager Bill Faus said planning for the north central district will require the city taking the lead, as it has done for planning in the downtown area.
Faus acknowledged that the planning process “may hold (some developers) up to some degree,” but defended the city’s approach.
“We do not have 100 percent of property owners in agreement with the direction of the (Downtown) Specific Plan,” he said, “although we’ve put together a process by which we’re all acknowledging the process and working together.”
Developer James Suner, a member of the Downtown Specific Plan Task Force, said the 15 percent requirement “seems reasonable,” but echoed Gartman’s reservations about the overall Neighborhood District Policy.
“You have to allow for the individual property owners to develop within the plan,” he said.
He suggested Gilroy follow the example of cities in the Central Valley that limit themselves to planning street layouts and public utilities, without getting tangled in detail of housing types and mixes.
In other words, getting too specific with specific plans could spell major consequences for the city’s already limited and pricey housing market.
“If the north central area can’t develop because it’s bogged down in the planning process,” Suner reasoned, “it’s going to affect our housing availability.”
More than minimums
In addition to setting a minimum percentage for affordable housing, the city’s draft Neighborhood District Policy would:
• Provide bonuses in the city’s building permit competition to projects that exceed minimum affordable housing requirements
• Increase number of homes allowed per acre
• Mandate a mix of housing
• Establish architectural guidelines for homes
• Require traffic and sidewalk standards


text: In a study conducted by the Scoliosis Research Society, 159 girls with a mean age of thirteen years (range, ten to fifteen years) who had adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were followed prospectively until skeletal maturity or until the curve had increased 6 degrees or more. All patients had had an initial curve of 25 to 35 degrees and an apical level between the eighth thoracic and first lumbar vertebrae, inclusive. Of the 159 patients, 120 were observed without treatment and thirty-nine were managed with lateral electrical surface stimulation. The curve progressed at least 6 degrees in eighty patients. There was no apparent difference in the outcome between the patients who were managed with observation only and those who were given electrical stimulation. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine which of eleven factors were predictive of progression of the scoliotic curve. A Risser sign of 0 or 1, an apical level cephalad to the twelfth thoracic vertebra, and an imbalance of ten millimeters or less were found to be independently prognostic of progression of more than 6 degrees. A prognostic model that included these three factors and chronological age allowed correct classification of the curve as either progressive or nun- progressive in 81 per cent of these patients who had a thoracic or thoracolumbar adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The positive predictive value was 82 per cent, the negative predictive value was 80 per cent, and the sensitivity and specificity were each 81 per cent.


The following post includes my partial dissection of an excellent article written by Richard M. Roberds Ph.D. Introducing the Particle-Beam Weapon. Air University Review (July-August 1984).Article Link: http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil
Excerpts appear in blue, and my mad ramblings in red:
The particle beam itself is analogous to a natural phenomenon with which we are all familiar--the lightning bolt. The analogy is so close that particle-beam pulses are referred to as "bolts."
Particle beams are artificially produced by particle beam generators, while lightning is naturally discharged from clouds. And while there can be differences between the two artificial lightning could be produced so as to resemble natural lightning.
While the electric field in lightning that accelerates the electrons is typically 500,000 volts per meter, these electron velocities are still less than that desired in a particle-beam weapon.
Electron velocities may not have matched the Air Force's classified ABM specifications in 1984, but that fact alone would not have implied that particle-beam weapons didn't already exist prior to 1984, nor does it suggest that significant advances haven't been achieved in this weaponry over the last two decades.
Neither the proton nor the electron show any conclusive advantage over the other in their use as the appropriate "ammunition" of a PBW. The determining factor of whether to use electrons or protons so far has been simply the specific particle accelerator concept planned for use in a beam weapon. Some accelerating schemes call for the acceleration of electrons, while others use protons.
The ability to generate, and discharge negatively charged electrons, and/or positively charged protons into a thunderstorm might have been seen as an opportunity to manipulate some of the basic properties, and processes of thunderstorms.
The possibility of alterting the electrostatic properties of clouds raises many questions.
Can the path, or intensity of thunderstorms be altered through the technical manipulation of a cloud's natural electrostatic charge?
How would the application of multiple artificial lightning strikes of varying intensity, and polarity, effect a thunderstorm?
Could the height, and shape ot the ionosphere be altered by changing the polarity of clouds with artificial lightning? Could the path of the jet-stream be altered through the covert use of particle-beam weapons during thunderstorms?
Developing the ability to covertly discharge artficial lightning within thunderstorms would raise many questions, and open many avenues for research. Decades of covert research related to a weather modification program would significantly, but covertly advance the fields of high energy physics, and meteorology.
The development of a power supply and particle accelerator with sufficient power and appropriately shaped pulses for endoatmospheric weapons depends on very "high-risk" technology and is likely years away.
Dependence upon "high-risk" 1984- technology may have been a factor in deciding whether particle-beam weapons would play a role in a "Star Wars" ABM system, but it would not have precluded either the development, and covert use of particle-beam weapons in other roles.
Particle-beam weapons may have been seen as a possible replacement for air-to-air missiles decades prior to being cast in the loftier role as an Anti Ballistic Missile Weapon (which the author's "Star Wars" article centers upon).
A tertiary effect from the beam would be the generation of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) by the electric current pulse of the beam. This EMP would be very disruptive to any electronic components of a target.
The use of particle-beam generators as EMF weapons opens up yet another possible role for such weapons. A covert weather modification program employing artificial lightning generators would represent an enormous opportunity to test in a real world setting EMF weapons. Only under the cover of thunderstorms would it be possible to covertly develop, and actually deploy EMF weapons in a real world setting.
Decades of covert research would progress from a startng point of basic knowledge into a high level of expertise in this important area of weaponry - all without notice by the general public.
Another advantage of a particle beam over the high-energy laser in an endoatmospheric application would be an all-weather capability. While a laser can be thwarted completely by such weather effects as clouds, fog, and rain, these atmospheric phenomena would have little effect on the penetrating power of a particle-beam weapon.
Lightning has no trouble reaching the ground even in the worst of storms. This provides further justification towards its development.
An "all weather" usage classification for any weapon is seen a significant advantage for that weapon. While particle-beam weapons can be covertly developed, and used during thunderstorms one day in a not too distant future the world may see the first combat under a clear blue sky in which bolts of lightning from a high flying aircraft shoot down an incoming nuclear tipped missile. .
The successful development of a PBW depends on the ability of the beam to propagate directly and accurately to the target. As we ponder its similarity to lightning, we might consider the jagged, irregular path of a lightning bolt as it darts unpredictably through the sky. Such indeterminacy would never do for the particle beam of a weapon, which must have an extremely precise path of propagation as it traverses the kilometers to the enemy vehicle. This aspect, in fact, may be the Achilles' heel of the endoatmospheric weapon.
Accuracy wouldn't be as great of a stumbling block to such a weapon's deployment if the weapon were covertly developed within thunderstorms. If a particle beam strike misses its target then mulitple attempts to strike the target can be made without invoking attention - or consequence.
In the minds of the masses lightning is a random act of nature, or God, and thus lightning isn't questioned.
As an EMF weapon beam accuracy would not be as vital since a direct hit of a partilce-beam upon the target isn't necessary in order to create a disabling Electro Magnetic Pulse.
Accuracy of the particle-beam path would not be as great of a concern at shorter ranges either.
Using artificial lightning to shoot down another aircraft from ten miles away may present a challenge beyond current technical means (and this might not be a problem), yet disabling a stationary ground-based power grid from ten thousand feet would seemingly demand considerably less accuracy.
Finally, if the goal in using particle-beam weapons is to covertly produce sonic booms (i.e., thunder) to trigger precipitation within thunderstorms the zagged path of a particle beam would not be a concern.
Simply put, all ducks do not have to be in a row before one can begin shooting at ducks - that's why its called it R & D.
The propagation of a charged-particle beam through the atmosphere is, in fact, the pacing issue for the endoatmospheric weapon. It has been theoretically calculated that specific threshold values of the beam parameters (beam current, particle energy, beam pulse length, etc.) are required for a beam to propagate through air with reliability. While the values of these parameters are classified, no particle-beam accelerator is currently capable of creating a beam with the required parameters.
The parameters, of which the author refers, were classified in 1984, and would still be today, and so we can not know just how powerful particle-beams must be in order to meet the Air Force's established criteria. Despite this limitation the actual physics behind the technology isn't classified, and allows us to speculate in a very accurate way about what type of beam would be needed for a specific military application.
Failure of a particle-beam weapon to meeting the Air Force's criterion established for an Anti Ballistic Missile Defense system would not have precluded the development, and deployment of a less powerful, less accurate, but portable particle-beam weapon.
Two crucially important experimental programs are exploring the phenomena of atmospheric beam propagation. The first program, underway at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, involves experiments with an accelerator called the Advanced Test Accelerator (ATA), the construction of which was completed in the fall of 1982. The second program, a joint Air Force/Sandia National Laboratories program, similarly is aimed at investigating beam propagation through the use of a radial-pulse-line accelerator (RADLAC). Continuation of the U.S. program to explore the development of an endoatmospheric weapon will depend on a positive prognosis from these two experimental studies of atmospheric beam propagation.
Note that this article was written during the height of the Cold War when well funded "big science" programs such as those listed above acted as entry ways for researchers into the defense sector. Researchers who were then cherry picked by the defense industry for introduction into various covert research programs within the sprawling defense, and espionage community.
While the "Star Wars" program of the Reagan era was introduced as a Cold War big-science big-money program this fact should not subvert one's understanding of any covert particle-beam weapon's program.
Huge mile long particle-beam generators may have captured the public's attention during the discussion of "Star Wars", but it should not be allowed to act as disinformation about the technical capability possessed even then for the development of smaller particle-beam weapons.
In examining the Air Force charged-particle-beam technology program, we find that its main thrust is the exploration of nonconventional acceleration techniques (neither rf nor induction linacs), with two main purposes in mind. The first is to develop a means of producing a particle beam with parameters closely resembling those that would be required for successful propagation through the atmosphere, so that beam propagation can be studied in depth and propagation theory refined. To date, a RADLAC I accelerator that has been developed has produced a 10-MeV beam of electrons with a 30,000-ampere current.5 A more powerful RADLAC II is under construction.
The second purpose is to develop an accelerator with higher accelerating fields that would permit the building of a shorter device. The nominal accelerating gradient in conventional accelerators is about 5 to 10 MeV per meter of accelerator length. Thus, to produce a 1-GeV beam, a linear accelerator would need to be 100 to 500 meters in length--far too long and cumbersome, particularly if the device were to be carried aboard an aircraft. The Air Force hopes to build a device eventually that will generate a very powerful particle beam with an accelerator of more reasonable length.
Someone, somewhere, with high credibility must have convinced the Airforce that it would be possible to develop a Particle-Beam-Weapon small enough to install onboard an aircraft, and I suspect this took place decades earlier than this article seems to suggest.
Perhaps the particle-beams were not as powerful, destructive, or accurate as the Air Force desired, but it appears that the Air Force was already convinced that the technology was worth the investment.
Once electrical energy is generated for the weapon, it will likely have to be stored in some fashion. A typical storage method involves charging a series of large capacitors (often called a capacitor bank). Other more exotic methods are possible, e.g., spinning a huge mechanical flywheel or simply storing the energy in the form of a high-energy explosive that is released in a contained explosion. Actually, there are numerous schemes for storing and releasing the required energy; their advantages and disadvantages depend on their particular application (i.e., the type of accelerator that is used and whether the weapon is endo- or exoatmospheric).
The flywheel mentioned above sounds primitive, but it does recognize the range of possible means towards generating, and storing the energy needed to drive a particle accelerator. I propose that if the tremendous torque of a jet engine is mechanically transmitted into a dynamo, and that dynamo feeds a capacitor bank then the charge from such an arrangement could adequately power a particle accelerator.
The PBW offers a possibility for defending effectively against a launched ICBM, and even a glimmer of hope toward this end is worthy of pursuit. Should the United States terminate its exploration of particle-beam technology, we would be opening the door for the Soviets to proceed at their own pace toward building such a weapon. We can ill afford technological surprise in an area as crucial as beam weapons.
Note that the author believed, more than twenty years ago, thata significant opportunity existed for the covert development of such a weapon = albeit by the Soviet Union.
The author's concern implies that he felt it was possible to be surprised by a covert Soviet advance in particle-beam weaponry. This concern suggest at the very least the possibility of covertly making great leaps in particle-beam weapon technology over a short periods of time.
About the Richard M. Roberds as of 1984:
Richard M. Roberds (B.A., M.S., University of Kansas; Ph.D., Air Force Institute of Technology) is Associate Professor and Head of the Engineering Technology Department at Clemson University. He is a retired Air Force colonel and was the first technical program manager of the Air Force particle-beam technology program, serving in that capacity from September 1975 until July 1977 at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. Colonel Roberds is a Distinguished Graduate of Air Command and Staff College and a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.