Yao, Danfeng, Shu, Xiaokui,, Cheng, LongStolfo, Salvatore J. () Anomaly detection as a service :challenges, advances, and opportunitiesMLA Citation
Yao, Danfeng, Shu, Xiaokui,, Cheng, LongStolfo, Salvatore J.Anomaly Detection As A Service: Challenges, Advances, And Opportunities. : . Print.
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Anomaly detection as a service : challenges, advances, and opportunities /
Danfeng (Daphne) Yao, Xiaokui Shu, Long Cheng, Salvatore J. Stolfo.
|Other Names:||Shu, Xiaokui, | Cheng, Long | Stolfo, Salvatore J.|
|Published:||[San Rafael, California] : Morgan & Claypool, 2018.|
Synthesis digital library of engineering and computer science.
Synthesis lectures on information security, privacy, and trust ; # 22.
|Topics:||Anomaly detection (Computer security)|


text:
Location: Cropping Systems and Water Quality ResearchTitle: Soil health after 25 years of conservation management on claypan soils
|Sudduth, Kenneth - Ken|
Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/30/2019
Publication Date: 7/16/2019
Citation: Veum, K.S., Sudduth, K.A., Kitchen, N.R. 2019. Soil health after 25 years of conservation management on claypan soils [abstract]. Soil Health Annual Meeting, July 16-18, 2019, Sacramento, California. No. 18.
Technical Abstract: The Salt River Basin in northeastern Missouri, USA is part of the Central Mississippi River Basin (CMRB) Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network operated by USDA-ARS, and is located in the heart of the Central Claypan Region, designated as Major Land Resource Area 113. In this region, subsurface soil horizons with 45 to 65% clay reduce water in'ltration and impede root growth. Due to the sensitivity of this ecosystem, monitoring and assessment of soil health is critical. The objectives of this study were (1) to compare soil health after 25 years of continuous management under 12 different perennial vegetation and annual cropping systems typically employed in this region, (2) to evaluate the sensitivity and utility of multiple soil health indicators across these management systems, and (3) to examine relationships among multiple soil health indicators. Annual cropping systems included corn-soybean rotations with variable tillage and cover crop management. Perennial vegetation systems included permanent cool- and warm-season grasses and working grasslands (i.e., hay production). Soil samples were obtained in 2016 from the surface (0-5 cm) and subsurface (5-15 cm) layers. Multiple biological, physical, and chemical soil health indicators were measured, including phospholipid fatty acid profiles for microbial community structure, total organic carbon and nitrogen, ß-glucosidase and ß-glucosaminidase enzyme activities, total protein, respiration, mineralizable nitrogen, active carbon, pH, extractable P and K, bulk density, aggregate stability, and particle size. Soil health was further quantified using the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) to provide an integrated, comprehensive assessment by using scoring algorithms based on site-specific characteristics. Results of this study are expected to demonstrate the strong influence of vegetative cover and living roots on surface soil health, and emphasize the importance of diversified cropping systems that reduce soil disturbance and maximize soil cover.

domain: agronomy


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Chicken and rice balls. Source: Anna Kharzeeva
“Darling, I have to warn you: lunch is going to be very healthy today,” I told my husband after making this lunch. We usually eat pretty healthy anyway, so I knew my husband might be alarmed by this statement.
I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather and thought it was a great chance to cook something from the huge section of the Book called “medicinal food.” It beams rather unappetizing names like “sponge cake with nuts and raw liver,” “gooey barley soup with meat stock” and “cream of oatmeal soup with milk and egg.” Admittedly, there are some recipes that sound ok in there, too, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to cook any of it unless I was actually unwell.
I chose to make gematogen strips and steamed chicken and rice balls. While the chicken and rice balls are pretty straightforward, I think I have to explain what gematogen is.
In my experience, it’s a sweet, unique tasting bar, like a chocolate bar, you buy at the drugstore, that for some reason is very good for you. Why it’s good for you, no one knows, but as a kid you just take the sweets that come your way and ask no questions. Most Soviet children grew up chewing on gematogen.
Gematogen bars. Source:
I asked Granny if she knew what was in it, she said “bile maybe? I don’t know!”
I had to consult Wikipedia on this, and it said gematogen is made of dry cattle blood! It has a lot of protein and amino acids and is good for you blood, but I really don’t want to finish those gematogen strips now…
Granny also told me it would be used as a laxative for children, and, as her aunt remembered, sometimes for teenagers, too:
“Before the war my aunt was head teacher at school and she told me that once in her class – a class of very nice kids, she said, gematogen was used for the purposes of revenge.”
Here I just have to add that Women’s Day is huge in Russia, and was in the Soviet Union – all women get gifts, and at school all the boys give all the girls gifts. It’s very important.
“The boys in the class either didn’t give the girls any gifts, or didn’t do a good enough job – in any case, the girls planned their revenge: they bought gematogen – it was sold at drugstores and in shops next to chocolate- wrapped it nicely and treated all the boys to it before class. Naturally, the boys all had to leave half way through class to use the bathroom. The girls got into trouble for that!”
I changed my mind about maybe serving gematogen strips at a party for fun now – they taste pretty good, and are easy to make but now I’ll just cringe every time I hear the word! Some childhood myths are best left alone.
“My heart feels better already” – my husband said, putting the first mouthful in.
“It’s supposed to be good for your stomach” – I replied.
Heart, stomach, blood – the recipes did their job and I feel much better already, which is good, since I certainly can’t take any more of that health food, thank you very much!
The recipe from the Soviet Cook Book, page 366
20 grams gematogen; 1 egg yolk; 25 grams sugar; 25 grams wheat flour; 20 grams walnuts; 5 grams butter
60 mL water
Pour the water over the gematogen and let stand for 20-30 minutes, then strain and whip into a thick foam.
Combine the egg yolk with 20 grams of sugar. Mix with flour. Stir, then spread onto a greased baking sheet. Mix the nuts with the remaining 5 grams of sugar. Sprinkle over mixture. Bake in a moderately-warm oven then let dry thoroughly in the oven with the door open. Cut into bars and serve with cocoa or juice.
The recipe from the Soviet Cook Book, page 350
120 grams chicken; 15 grams rice; 10 grams butter; ½ egg white
Put the chicken through a meat grinder two or three times. Cook the rice according to directions. Combine the meat with half the rice. Mix well.
Add the egg white to the other half of the rice. Make a well in the meat-rice mixture and add the egg-rice mixture. Form the mixture into small patties and bake until done. Serve with butter.
All rights reserved by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
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domain: food


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As someone who has struggled with depression, I’ve often found solace in exploring the various coping mechanisms individuals employ to navigate their emotions.
One curious behavior that has piqued my interest is the act of shaving one’s head. In this article, we will delve into the psychological reasons behind this seemingly drastic choice.
By examining the connection between depression and self-image, cultural influences, and the role of social isolation, we hope to gain a better understanding of why some individuals turn to head shaving as a means of expression and control.
- Shaving one’s head can provide a sense of control and empowerment for individuals with depression.
- Head shaving can symbolize a fresh start and a shedding of negative emotions.
- Cultural influences and societal pressure to conform to beauty standards may play a role in why depressed individuals choose to shave their heads.
- Shaving can serve as a coping mechanism for depression, offering sensory relief, psychological cleansing, and a renewed sense of identity.
Psychological Reasons for Shaving Heads
If you’re feeling depressed, you might find relief in shaving your head for psychological reasons. The act of shaving one’s head can have a profound psychological impact, providing a sense of control and empowerment over one’s appearance.
By taking control of their hair, individuals with depression can symbolically shed the burden of their emotions and start anew. This act can also serve as a form of emotional release, allowing individuals to physically remove the weight of their negative feelings.
Additionally, the process of shaving one’s head can be seen as a way to challenge societal norms and expectations surrounding beauty and self-image. It can provide a sense of liberation and freedom from the pressures of conforming to conventional standards.
Overall, shaving the head can have a transformative effect on the psyche of someone struggling with depression.
The Connection Between Depression and Self-Image
Hair loss can have a significant impact on a person’s mental health, particularly for those already struggling with depression. The loss of hair can further contribute to feelings of low self-esteem and body image issues, exacerbating the symptoms of depression.
However, there are coping mechanisms that individuals can utilize to manage these challenges and improve their overall well-being.
Hair Loss and Depression
When you’re feeling depressed, sometimes you may notice your hair thinning or falling out. Hair loss can be a distressing symptom of depression and can have a significant impact on self-esteem. Here are four reasons why hair loss may occur during depression:
Physical health: Depression can affect your overall health, leading to nutritional deficiencies and hormonal imbalances that contribute to hair loss.
Medication side effects: Certain antidepressant medications can cause hair thinning or loss as a side effect.
Stress and anxiety: The emotional strain of depression can lead to increased levels of stress and anxiety, which can in turn accelerate hair loss.
Self-neglect: When someone is depressed, they may have difficulty maintaining their regular self-care routine, including proper hair care.
Understanding the link between depression and hair loss is important for effective treatment and addressing the impact it has on self-esteem.
Transitioning to the next section, let’s explore the relationship between self-esteem and depression.
Self-Esteem and Depression
Understanding how self-esteem is impacted by depression is crucial in addressing the emotional toll it takes on individuals. Depression can have a profound psychological impact on a person’s self-esteem, affecting their overall sense of worth and value.
One aspect of self-esteem that is often affected by depression is body image. When individuals are depressed, they may experience negative thoughts and feelings about their physical appearance, leading to a decrease in self-esteem. This negative body image can further perpetuate feelings of inadequacy and contribute to a cycle of low self-esteem and depression.
It is important to recognize the link between self-esteem and depression and to provide support and interventions that address both the psychological impact of depression and body image concerns.
Coping Mechanisms for Depression
One effective way individuals can cope with depression is by seeking support from loved ones and engaging in therapy or counseling. Coping mechanisms play a crucial role in managing depression and promoting overall well-being.
Here are four coping mechanisms that can be helpful for individuals dealing with depression:
Engage in self-care activities: Taking care of oneself is essential in managing depression. This can include practicing mindfulness, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and eating a balanced diet.
Build a support network: Surrounding oneself with supportive and understanding individuals can provide a sense of belonging and comfort. This can be achieved by reaching out to loved ones, joining support groups, or seeking professional help.
Practice stress management techniques: Stress can worsen depression symptoms. Learning and implementing stress management techniques such as deep breathing exercises, journaling, or engaging in hobbies can help alleviate stress and promote a sense of calm.
Set realistic goals: Breaking down tasks into smaller, manageable goals can help individuals feel a sense of accomplishment and boost self-esteem. Setting realistic goals ensures that progress is made without overwhelming oneself.
Coping Mechanisms: Shaving as a Form of Control
Shaving their head can give depressed individuals a sense of control over their appearance and allow them to reclaim a sense of agency in their lives. This act of personal transformation can be seen as a form of psychological empowerment, as it allows individuals to assert themselves and make a visible change in their lives. By taking control of their hair, they are symbolically taking control of their emotions and mental state. Shaving their head becomes a physical manifestation of their desire to break free from the constraints of depression and start anew. It is a powerful coping mechanism that can provide a sense of liberation and renewed self-confidence. This act of head shaving can be seen as a way for individuals to regain a sense of power and autonomy, as they shape their own identity and redefine their relationship with their appearance.
|Psychological Empowerment||Personal Transformation|
|Sense of control||Breaking free from constraints|
|Agency in their lives||Symbolic change|
|Taking control of emotions||Liberation and self-confidence|
|Power and autonomy||Redefining identity|
Understanding the psychological empowerment and personal transformation that head shaving can bring to depressed individuals allows us to delve deeper into the cultural influences on this coping mechanism.
Cultural Influences on Head Shaving in Depressed Individuals
To fully appreciate the cultural influences on head shaving in depressed individuals, you can explore how societal norms and expectations play a role in shaping their coping mechanisms.
Social Pressure: In many cultures, hair is seen as a symbol of beauty and vitality. Depressed individuals may feel pressured to conform to societal standards, leading them to shave their head to align with cultural ideals.
Identity Transformation: Head shaving can provide a sense of control and a fresh start for individuals struggling with depression. By changing their appearance, they may hope to shed their old identity and redefine themselves.
Rejection of Conventional Beauty: Some depressed individuals may reject societal norms of beauty altogether, viewing head shaving as a rebellion against these standards. This act can be empowering and liberating for those seeking to redefine their own beauty ideals.
Cultural Traditions: In certain cultures, head shaving is a symbolic act associated with mourning, purification, or religious rituals. Depressed individuals may adopt these cultural practices as a way to find solace and healing during difficult times.
The impact of cultural influences on head shaving in depressed individuals is multi-faceted, affecting their sense of identity, self-expression, and healing process. Understanding these cultural dynamics can provide valuable insights into the coping mechanisms of individuals struggling with depression.
Physical Comfort: How Shaving Can Provide Relief
When it comes to finding relief from sensory overload, shaving can provide a surprising sense of comfort. The act of running a razor across the skin can provide a soothing sensation and help individuals feel grounded in their bodies.
Additionally, shaving promotes feelings of control, allowing individuals to take charge of their appearance and regain a sense of agency in their lives.
Lastly, for many individuals, shaving can also provide a sense of psychological cleansing and renewal, symbolizing a fresh start and letting go of negative emotions.
Sensory Relief Through Shaving
By shaving your head, you can experience a soothing sensation that provides sensory relief. It may seem unconventional, but for some individuals, shaving their head can provide a unique form of sensory stimulation and self-expression. Here are four reasons why shaving can offer this relief:
Sensory Stimulation: The act of shaving stimulates the scalp, triggering a tingling sensation that can be comforting and calming.
Physical Sensation: The smoothness of a freshly shaved head can provide a tactile sensation that feels pleasant and soothing to touch.
Sense of Control: Shaving offers a sense of control over one’s appearance, which can be empowering and help individuals feel more confident in their own skin.
Self-Expression: Shaving one’s head can be a powerful statement of individuality and personal style, allowing individuals to express themselves in a unique and unconventional way.
Promotes Feelings of Control
Taking control of my appearance through shaving my head has empowered me and promoted feelings of confidence and self-assurance.
The psychological empowerment that comes with making this decision is profound. Shaving my head represents a sense of transformation, a shedding of old identities and embracing a new, bold look.
It allows me to take charge of how I present myself to the world, breaking free from societal expectations and norms. This act of self-expression can be incredibly liberating, leading to a boost in self-esteem and a renewed sense of identity.
Psychological Cleansing and Renewal
To experience a psychological cleansing and renewal, you can embrace the empowering act of shaving your head. This transformative ritual has the power to liberate you from negative emotions and bring about a profound emotional transformation. Here are four reasons why shaving your head can lead to psychological liberation and emotional transformation:
Letting go of societal beauty standards: By removing your hair, you free yourself from the pressures of conforming to societal norms and expectations of beauty, allowing you to embrace your authentic self.
Symbolic rebirth: Shaving your head can serve as a symbolic act of shedding your old identity and embracing a fresh start, leading to a sense of renewal and personal growth.
Increased self-acceptance: The act of shaving your head requires self-acceptance and self-love, fostering a positive relationship with your body and appearance.
Empowerment and control: Taking control of your appearance through shaving your head can empower you, reminding you that you have the ability to make choices and take charge of your own life.
The Role of Social Isolation in Head Shaving
If you’re feeling socially isolated, shaving your head might be a way to regain control over your appearance and assert your individuality. Social support plays a crucial role in our emotional well-being, and when we lack it, we can feel disconnected and alone. Shaving one’s head can be a form of self-expression and a way to break free from societal norms and expectations. By altering our physical appearance, we can create a sense of empowerment and reclaim our identity. Additionally, the act of shaving can serve as a cathartic release, allowing us to shed the weight of negative emotions and start anew. It may also be a way to seek attention and reach out for support from others who may be curious or concerned about this change.
|– Asserts individuality||– May attract unwanted attention||– Can be a temporary phase|
|– Regains control||– Potential negative judgment||– Personal preference|
|– Cathartic experience||– Requires maintenance||– Cultural/religious beliefs|
|– Potential for support||– Hair may take time to grow||– Fashion statement|
Seeking Attention or Expressing Despair: Understanding the Motivation
When feeling socially isolated, individuals may choose to shave their heads as a way to seek attention or express their despair. This behavior can be a manifestation of deep emotional pain and a cry for help. Here are four reasons why someone experiencing social isolation may resort to shaving their head:
Attention seeking: Shaving one’s head can be a way to attract attention and elicit a response from others. It is a visible and drastic change that cannot be ignored.
Body image: Social isolation can significantly impact one’s self-esteem and body image. By shaving their head, individuals may feel a sense of control over their appearance and a way to redefine their identity.
Expression of despair: Shaving one’s head can be a physical manifestation of inner turmoil and despair. It can serve as a visible symbol of their emotional state and a plea for understanding and support.
Breaking societal norms: Shaving one’s head goes against societal beauty standards and expectations. It can be a way for individuals to rebel against societal norms and challenge the status quo.
It is important to approach individuals who shave their heads with empathy and understanding, as their actions may be a reflection of deeper emotional struggles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There a Specific Age Group or Gender That Is More Likely to Shave Their Head When Depressed?
In terms of specific age group and gender, it is difficult to make generalizations about who is more likely to shave their head when depressed. The decision may vary greatly among individuals.
Can Shaving One’s Head Be a Sign of Self-Harm or Suicidal Ideation?
Shaving one’s head can be a form of self-expression or a way to regain control during times of distress. However, it’s important to consider the possibility of self-harm or suicidal ideation. Encouraging alternative coping mechanisms is crucial for self-harm prevention.
Are There Any Potential Negative Consequences or Side Effects of Shaving One’s Head During a Depressive Episode?
Shaving one’s head during a depressive episode can have potential psychological benefits, as it can symbolize a fresh start or a release of control. Additionally, it may have cultural and historical significance in certain groups.
Does Shaving One’s Head Have Any Long-Term Impact on Self-Esteem or Body Image?
Shaving one’s head can have a significant impact on body image and self-esteem. The psychological effects may vary, but it’s important to consider the individual’s reasons and emotions behind the decision.
Can Head Shaving Be Considered a Form of Self-Expression or a Way to Reclaim Personal Identity for Depressed Individuals?
Shaving one’s head can be a form of self-expression, allowing individuals to reclaim their personal identity. It is important to consider the cultural significance of hair in different societies and the role of fashion in self-expression.
In conclusion, there may be various reasons why depressed individuals choose to shave their heads. It is important to approach this topic with an open mind and without making assumptions. Shaving one’s head can serve as a coping mechanism, a way to regain control, or provide physical comfort. Cultural influences, social isolation, and the desire for attention or expression of despair may also play a role. Ultimately, it is crucial to remember that each individual’s experience with depression is unique. We should strive to understand and support them without judgment.
Phoenix, aptly named for the mythical bird that rises from the ashes, embodies resilience, transformation, and growth – qualities that are palpably present in his writing for Head Shave Products. As a writer, Phoenix brings a fresh, rejuvenating perspective to the world of shaving, often unearthing stories and insights that are both transformative and enlightening.

domain: medical


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Stripe Golf Shoe Bag
Expert ScoreRead review
Stripe Golf Shoe Carrier Bag is an essential accessory for any golfer looking for a protective bag to keep his golf shoes in. With side compartments to take all of your golf accessories on the go, our golf shoe carrier bag is perfect for golfers and travelers of all ages. Mesh holes on each side of the bag for ventilation and to help keep the stink out. Conveniently take your golf shoes, tees, golf balls and other items with you in a durable, lightweight golf shoe carrier bag.
Last Amazon price update was: May 29, 2023 12:04 pm
× Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com (Amazon.in, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, etc) at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

domain: sports


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momentary pause from posting "inappropriate" photos for a little chickendom. @Gabby Meriles Fekete happy fancy fowl friday. could've made that an even better alliteration but I'm attempting to not add that "f" word to every conversation. attempting. xox.
This is what Poppy will look like... Buff Orpington. Developed as a dual purpose breed, Orpingtons make fair table fowl and are excellent winter layers of large brown eggs. They have very laid back personalities and make good pets.
Rachel is a Bantam Cochin Frizzle. Cochin is her breed, bantam describes her miniature size and frizzle describes her unusual feathers. Genetics cause frizzled feathers to grow out and curl away from the body instead of growing flat and smooth following the body contour. Frizzle is not a breed, it is a genetically programmed feather type.
Orpingtons have laid back personalities and are very docile. They are great foragers and do well in confinement. Orpingtons are very nice looking birds make great affectionate pets. Due to their timid nature Orpington chicks tend to be on the bottom of the pecking order when raised with other breeds.

domain: pet


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Palm trees and prime real estate: Keawakapu Beach
There’s just something about tropical Hawaiian sunsets that makes you want to kick back and enjoy them while sipping a cocktail served in a coconut. Maui’s Keawakapu Beach, located on the Kihei shore, some of most stunning views.
Lava rocks in the sand make sunsets moody and interesting
It’s a bit of a drive from the stretch of high end resorts in Wailea, but that means it is has a low tourist-to-sandy beach ration, and the beach is open to the public.
The sunsets at Keawakapu beach inspire you to break out your camera
Great spot for sunset couples selfie
The 5 Palms Kihei serves half price pupus and sushi during it’s oceanfront happy hour from 3:00pm – 7:00pm daily.
Outrigger canoes paddle by at during sunset
I shot this panorama of Keawakapu Beach and the Mana Kai hotel on my iPhone 5s
Sunset waves GIF
If you’re in Wailea, I’d highly suggest heading to Keawakapu Beach around sunset to get your Aloha on.
2960 S Kihei Rd
Kihei Maui, HI 96753
Oceanfront Happy Hour – Half Price Sushi & Pupus
3:00 pm – 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm Daily
S Kihei Rd,
Kihei, HI 96753

domain: geography


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Family members often place their trust and confidence in a nursing home to care for an elderly relative. All too often, nursing homes place their drive for profits above the needs and rights of residents. This happened to one of our clients, a 68-year-old woman who was being mistreated at a nursing home, causing significant weight loss and injuries. We fought for this client and won $270,000 on her behalf. If you or someone you care about is being mistreated at a nursing home, contact Sullivan and Sullivan LLP to get a free case evaluation. We will provide a translator if you need one.
A nursing home, convalescent home, rest home, or elder care facility can be held legally responsible — meaning that a personal injury or medical malpractice lawsuit can be filed — when an act of negligence, neglect, or abuse on the premises ends up causing harm to a patient or resident.
The lack of care can result in injuries such as pressure sores that appear on a resident’s skin and can lead to infection, the need for surgery, or even death. Appropriate nutrition and hydration are also essential for maintaining the health of an elderly nursing home resident. In facilities that are understaffed, there is often a lack of attention given to dietary intake. As a result, poor nutritional status is common. It is every resident’s right to expect that he or she will be properly nourished and hydrated in light of the mental or physical difficulties that may prevent them from eating and drinking on their own.
Signs of neglect:
– Significant Weight Loss
– Bed Sores
– Recurring Infections
– Over Medication
– Poor Hygiene
– Unexplained Injuries
When a resident is injured at a care facility, it is not always obvious what exactly went wrong, and who might be legally responsible. The evidence available is often incomplete and may be self-serving for the defendant, the nursing home. In cases like these, your best first step would be discussing the situation with an experienced attorney.
Americans are living longer than ever before. The fastest growing segment in the United States is the elderly population. As a result of this demographic shift, many elderly Americans have become residents of nursing homes during their final years. As many of these nursing homes are underfunded and understaffed, a disturbingly high incidence of neglect and abuse is being reported. Injuries sustained by nursing home residents due to neglect and abuse often involve the inappropriate use of physical restraints, joint contractors, overuse of sedatives, unnecessary use of urinary catheters, loss of mobility, pressure sores and lack of nutrition with weight loss.
Our elderly are entitled to a dignified existence. When a loved one is placed in a nursing home, he or she should expect the care that is paid for and deserves the degree of care that is appropriate for the well-being and dignity of the resident. When a family member is mistreated, seek the advice of a nursing home attorney immediately.
If you or someone you know in New York, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island (Nassau/Suffolk County), needs the assistance of experienced nursing home negligence attorneys, contact Sullivan and Sullivan LLP to schedule a free consultation. The sooner you call, the higher the compensation can be.
If you or someone you love found themselves in that position, would you not want a dedicated team of legal professionals to fight as hard as they can to help you recover damages?


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Swordtail Fish Water Temperature
Swordtail fish are popular species of fish among aquarists. They are easy to take care for, and have a calm attitude. Swordtail fish are also known as Xiphophorus Helleri.
They are freshwater fish species that belong to the brackish fish in the Poecilidae family. Swordtail fish are livebearers like guppies, mollies, platies and the mosquito fish.
Unlike many other types of fish that lay eggs and hatch them into young fish, live bearers, such as swordtail fish, get pregnant and give birth to swordtail fish babies, called fry.
Swordfish are native to Central and North America. In the wild, swordtail fish are olive green in colour with red and yellow stripes along its two sides.
They are also known as either green swordtail fish or red swordtail fish. Today, we have many types of swordtail fish with a variety of colours.
This is as a result of interbreeding done by most fish breeders. If you are considering to keep swordtail fish in your aquarium, you need to know some basic needs of the swordfish.
Swordtails can be kept in water temperature ranging between 65 to 82 °F (18 – 28 °C). But which is the best water temperature to keep, breed and raise swordtails?
Below you can find all the information you want regarding swordtail fish water temperature.
Best Water Temperature for Breeding Swordtail Fish
There are different things that you can check to determine the gender of your swordtail fish. Fist, the males have an extended sword like tail that extends from their caudal fin to almost half the size of the male fish.
This is the main reason why they are referred to as swordtail fish even though the female have no such extension. The female have a rounded tail fin. Their bodies are fuller and more rounded compared to their male counterparts. They are also longer than the male when they reach maturity.
Apart from the sword like extension, the other difference between male and female swordtail fish is the gonopodium. The gonopodium is primarily for sexual characteristics unlike the sword that is only for show. Gonopodium is a modified anal fin.
It is a long tube that has a hook like end that male swordtail fish use to inseminate the female with. Male swordtail fish may from time to time be seen swinging the gonopodium for show off.
Swordtail fish male babies are not born with the sword extension nor do they have gonopodium. When they get to approximately the age of six to twelve weeks, the gonopodium appears first, then the sword starts to develop at the age of around eight months. However, there are some exceptions, these time limits may differ for different swordtail fish.
Breeding for swordtail fish can start at any time from their third month of age. If you are not ready to get many more swordtails fish, the best way to control them is to separate male and females.
When a female swordtail fish is pregnant, its belly becomes bigger, they exclude themselves from male swordtail fish and become aggressive towards the male.
They also hide in one corner of the aquarium and confine their movement within a small perimeter.
The best temperature for breeding swordtail fish is around 78 °F (25 °C). Other water parameters such as PH, and water hardness level should be kept at optimal. Check the concentration of ammonia and nitrates too, to ensure they are not too high. Poor water conditions can lead to stress and loss of pregnancy.
Female swordtail fish can produce 50 to 100 fry in one pregnancy. After giving birth, they rest for around four to six weeks then they are ready to give birth again. Second pregnancy can take place even in the absence of a male in the tank.
The female swordtail fish have the capability of storing male sperms cells in their pouch and fertilize them when they are ready on their own.
When the fry are released into the water tank, they are at a risk of being eaten by the adult swordtail fish. Therefore, when the fry are born, consider moving them into a different tank for their safety.
The fry are small, the size of the point of a pen and as clear as bubbles. Use a fish net to transfer them to a different tank.
A female swordtail fish can interbreed with male from other fish species, for instance the platy family or the guppy. This results in a variety of colourful fish with different size and shape from their parents.
In a new tank, a female swordtail fish may ignore a male swordtail fish. However, this does not mean she is uninterested or unable to mate, but she is probably trying to adjust and get comfortable in her new environment.
Remember, male swordtail fish will always run around in the tank in attempt to mate with the female swordtail fish. Therefore, ensure the male swordtail fish are more than the female in the tank.
Minimum Water Temperature for Swordtail Fish
I would not advise you to keep your swordtail fish under 65 °F (18 °C). In lower water temperature the risk of developing a disease is very high.
I’ve tested different water temperature with swordtails and I know that they can survive even in 55 °F (13 °C) temperature water. Though, they become inactive and lose appetite. Beside this, they will lose their color and will become pale.
Maximum Water Temperature for Swordtails
I’ve kept swordtails with discus fish together. Discus fish need higher temperature to feel comfortable. They enjoy 90 °F (32 °C) water temperature or even above. Swortails will also tolerate these higher temperatures, but it is not ideal for them.
Make sure you provide good water circulation and oxygenation at higher temperature, because above 86 °F (30 °C) oxygen level can get critical for most fish.
Swordtail Fish Housing
Swordtail fish are average sized. The male fish grows to around 5.5 inches, which is somewhat smaller than their female counterparts that grow to around 6.3 inches.
However, despite their small size, they are active swimmers, therefore they could a larger water tank could befit them. For one adult swordtail fish, the minimum tank size should be not less than 15 gallons.
If you want to add one more adult swordtail fish, then the minimum size should be at least 30 gallons of water. Male swordtail fish are highly territorial. To ensure the females are not harassed, consider a ratio of 1 to three or four females in one water tank.
Apart from being active swimmers, swordtail fish are also good at jumping. To avoid accidents consider having an aquarium cover for your swordtail fish tank.
Swordtail Fish Water Parameters
Most aquarists find it easy to keep swordtail fish because they are tropical fish that can survive in a wide range of water parameters. However, to keep your swordtail fish healthy and comfortable, avoid abrupt water temperature changes or very low water temperatures.
This can make the swordtail fish’s immune system to get low leading to more serious health issues. Swordtail fish are comfortable in water temperatures between 65 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Swordtail fish thrive in alkaline, hard water. The ideal water PH for a swordtail fish water tank should be between 7.0 and 8.4 with hard water from 12 to 30 DH. To ensure the water parameters in you aquarium are always optimum, make sure the water is properly filtered. You should always monitor water parameters in your aquarium to prevent potential complications and health hazards.
For your swordtail fish tank, you can get a few devices to help ensure your fish is comfortable. Get a thermometer to maintain the water temperatures, and a water filter to ensure the water quality is always high. You will also need to clean the aquarium a few times in the month as well as change the water.
Feeding Sowrdtail Fish
Swordtail fish are omnivores. In their natural habitat, they eat insects, algae and other sea vegetation. Make sure you feed them enough proteins and vegetation to satisfy their diet needs.
You can feed them quality flake food or like foods such as brine shrimp, mosquito larvae, bloodworms or fruit flies.
Swordtail babies need food as soon as they are released into the water. You can feed them finely crushed flakes and newly hatched brine shrimp.
Swordtail fish are not fussy eaters. They can feed on anything offered to them. It is important that you note, swordtail fish will continue eating as much food as you feed them.
This could lead to health issues. Therefore, you should feed swordtails small pinch of food two to three times a day.
Swordtail FishTank Mates
Swordtail fish are peaceful and calm fish. They are social types that live in groups. They enjoy good company from other fish, especially their own kind.
They can live peacefully with other similar species of fish such as angelfish or mollies. Other large fish such as tetras can also live well with swordtail fish. However, to avoid harassment in the tank form the larger species, keep the swordfish in schools of five or more.
Male swordtail fish are territorial. They will become aggressive to other males of the same species that threaten to invade their space. To ensure they is peace, keep a male swordfish in a water tank with two or three female if the aquarium is not big enough.
Swordtail Fish Life Span
The average lifespan of swordtail fish is approximately 3-4 years, though this really depends on multiple factors. One of the factors that will affect swordtail lifespan is water temperature.
Warmer water will speed up the metabolism of the fish and therefore their lifespan will be shorter. On the other hand, warmer water also helps in growing swordtail fry more quickly.
As swordtails get older, they become more lethargic, decline in size and their colours appear faded.
This is evident mostly on female fish due to strain of giving birth. However, some swordtail fish die earlier than others. Death is mostly not caused by age, but what mostly kills them is physical stress that may be caused by poor water conditions or diseases.
Swordtail fish are among the most popular species of fish among aquarists. They are flexible and can survive in different water conditions.
However, to ensure your finned friends are always healthy and comfortable, it is important to ensure you keep water parameters at optimum. As I mentioned before, the best water temperatures for swordtail fish is between 65 and 82 °F.

domain: hobby


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A deep Prime Day discount on the “iPhone of forehead thermometers” is one of the most popular deals we’ve covered on Prime Day. Other health-related items have also been big sellers, with Powecom KN95 face masks up at the top of the list. They’re the only FDA-authorized KN95 masks on Amazon and they’re on sale with a huge 42% discount, so it makes sense that they’re flying off the shelves. They’re also even better at filtering small airborne particles than most 3M N95 masks, according to NIOSH’s tests.
If you’re looking for more great deals on health products, we’ve got some terrific ones to share with you. With Prime Day 2020 winding down, seven popular Withings devices are on sale with discounts up to 30%.
Click here to read the full article.
The most noteworthy deal is definitely a nice big

domain: news


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This week our challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow is Vintage Christmas Cards with a Twist! This time we are looking for VINTAGE CHRISTMAS CARDS WITH A TWIST - NON TRADITIONAL COLOURS. Your cards must be either vintage or shabby chic with a vintage image.
I found this great Blue Santa image online for this card! Blue and Gold I figured were fairly non-traditional Christmas colors. I used some gorgeous paper, a doily I aged with Walnut Stain Distress Ink, some twine and bit of golden blingy holly. I finished it off with blue stitching.
I hope you will come play in this fun challenge this week!!!

domain: design


Comet Appoints New CEO
FLAMATT, SWITZERLAND-The board of directors of Comet Holding AG has appointed Dr. Roland Zarske CEO of the Comet Group. A German citizen, Zarske took up his new post March 1, replacing interim CEO Dr. Bernhard Hammer, who has returned full-time to his function as chairman of the company’s board of directors. In his previous position, Zarske was also a member of the extended management board with responsibility for innovation and technology. Zarske’s education began with an apprenticeship before he completed two courses (at a technical college and technical university) to qualify as a certified engineer followed by a doctorate in engineering. With extensive experience in business development, reorganization and consolidation, he has been responsible for significant marketing success in the area of product innovation.


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Aristotle’s Poetics. Horace’s Ars Poetica. Freytag’s diagram. Syd Field’s paradigm. Frank Daniel’s sequence approach. For more than two millennia dramatic theorists have sought to trace, map and/or illustrate the shape and technical elements of a story told in dramatic form.
Exposition, rising action, climax, dénouement and resolution are the elements of what I’ll call visible structure, exactly what dramatic structure diagrams like Freytag’s depict in geometric terms.
But beyond visible structure, intriguing plot and compelling characters, there can be another kind of structure at work in a script. Call it invisible structure. Like music playing softly from a distance, invisible structure can infuse a script with deeper meaning, poetic metaphor, and artful inner-shape.
So, how do you do invisible structure? You steal it.
A structure I’ve stolen again and again is from Swiss psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. In her work on death and dying, Kubler-Ross described five emotional stages (I like that word stages here) terminally ill people experience: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I find how it tracks emotional change irresistible. A character who goes from denial to acceptance, suffering along the way, experiences change in a dramatic way. Your story doesn’t have to be about terminal illness, or grief, or death for the five stages of grief to be of use.
I introduced Kubler-Ross’s stages of grief to my undergraduate playwriting students. A few weeks later a student brought a one-act play to workshop. We cast it and read it aloud. The writing was edgy and surprising, serious, funny, and then serious again, and uncommonly tight for an early draft. All agreed that it was the student’s best writing of the semester.
When class ended, the student asked me if I’d noticed that he’d used the Kubler-Ross stages as the structure for his play. I hadn’t, really. I had only sensed the sure-handedness of a sturdy, invisible design, the thing that held me in its thrall. Only a subsequent critical reading revealed exactly how the play’s invisible structure, beautifully repurposed, expressed and mirrored the protagonist’s emotional journey. Ah, structure!
The late American playwright Romulus Linney defined drama as one character making judgements about another before all the facts are known.
Recently, I served on a jury in a felony murder case. I like to think I was a good juror. I formed no opinion as to the defendant’s guilt or innocence ahead of weighing all the evidence. I listened closely to all who testified. I considered the physical evidence with care. I took notes. I paid close, dispassionate attention, as I had sworn I would. But writers are always writers, even when we’re not writing—yes, even when a man’s freedom hangs in the balance. So, from within the trial process, writer-me was aware of the compelling order and structure of the proceedings.
A criminal trial is, of course, a rich and naturally compelling dramatic structure model. But I wondered how a family drama (or any story of human affairs) having nothing to do with a courtroom might be infused with the invisible structure of a criminal trial. My mind began to populate with ideas for how I might use voir dire, opening statements, prosecution, defense, cross examination, closing arguments, deliberation and verdict in the telling of a story about a dysfunctional family and their secrets.
During a craft talk at the liberal arts college where I teach playwriting, David Henry Hwang said he loved Peter Shaffer’s play Amadeus and wanted to write his own Amadeus. So he stole the structure of Amadeus and gave us M. Butterfly. Read Amadeus, then read M. Butterfly. You will see the genius of Hwang’s theft.
Edward Albee has said most of what he knows about playwriting he learned from looking at architecture and listening to classical music. He’s talking about structure.
There’s a fine little book by Matthew Frederick called 101Things I Learned in Architecture School that I’ve used as a dramatic writing craft book for my students. In it, Frederick writes that how we arrive in an architectural space has a strong influence on how we experience that space. “A tall, bright space will feel taller and brighter if counterpointed by a low-ceilinged, softly lit space. A monumental or sacred space will feel more significant when placed at the end of a sequence of lesser spaces.” Dramatists are architects. We build invisible structure into our stories when we give our audience a romantic two-character scene followed by a five-character brawl. When we go from a dank interior to a scene drenched in light.
Once you start looking for them, you will find the world is full of ready-made structures you can hide inside your dramatic scripts.
Use 12 three-minute scenes as a structure for a play about boxing, or, better yet, for a play about two characters duking it out over something each is willing to go to the mat for (which should always be the case in our plays).
Read haibun, the Japanese poetic form, then write a lyrical monologue that ends with the singing of a few lines of a song.
Write a play about race in America. Use the structure of a Catholic mass for the final act. Maybe set the final act in a bar? Hell, while I’m at it … how would you translate the Stations of the Cross into an invisible structure for a play about … what?
As the saying goes, “Good artists borrow, great artists steal.” And what they steal are structures.

domain: literature


BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - A suspect is wanted for breaking and entering into a local church and taking items of value.
On June 21, at about 11 a.m., the suspect forced entry into the Emmanuel Lutheran Church on Baker Street and took property. He then allegedly fled with the loss.
The BPD described the suspect as a Hispanic man with a shaved head, and bushy mustache. He was last seen wearing a blue t-shirt, khaki pants and black shoes.
The Bakersfield Police Department is asking for the community's assistance in finding the burglary suspect who was caught on surveillance camera. Anyone with information regarding this incident or suspect is urged to call the BPD at 327-7111.


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On the Air: Dec. 21
(All times Eastern)
Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts
6 p.m.: FS1 — PBC Fight Night Prelims: Undercard Bouts, Ontario, Calif.
8: FOX — PBC Fight Night Main Card: Tony Harrison vs. Jermell Charlo II (super welterweights), Ontario Calif.
Noon: ABC — The Celebration Bowl, Alcorn State vs. North Carolina A&T, Atlanta
2 p.m.: ESPN — The New Mexico Bowl: Central Michigan vs. San Diego State, Albuquerque, N.M.
2: ESPN2 — FCS Playoff: Teams TBD, Semifinal
2:30: CBSSN — The Cure Bowl: Liberty vs. Georgia Southern, Orlando, Fla.
3: ESPNU — NCAA DII: West Florida vs. Minnesota State, Championship
3:30: ABC — The Boca Raton Bowl: Southern Methodist vs. Florida Atlantic, Boca Raton, Fla.
5:30: ESPN — The Camellia Bowl: Florida International vs. Arkansas State, Montgomery, Ala.
6:30: ESPNU — FCS Playoff: Weber State vs. James Maidson, Semifinal
7:30: ABC — The Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State vs. Washington, Las Vegas
9: ESPN — The New Orleans Bowl: Appalachian State vs. Alabama (Birmingham), New Orleans
10 p.m.: GOLF — EPGA Tour: The Australian PGA Championship, Final Round, Benowa, Australia
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
9 a.m.: WHME-TV 46 — Plymouth at NorthWood (tape)
8 p.m.: WEFM (95.9 FM) — Penn at Michigan City
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
9:30 p.m.: ESPNU — St. Louis (Hawaii) vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.), Las Vegas
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Noon: ACCN — North Carolina A&T at Wake Forest
Noon: BTN, WGTO (97.1 FM, 910 AM) — Presbyterian at Michigan
Noon: ESPN, WSBT (96.1 FM, 960 AM), WHME-FM (103.1) — Indiana at Notre Dame
Noon: ESPN2 — Virginia Commonwealth at Wichita State
Noon: FOX — Kansas at Villanova
Noon: FS1 — Samford at Georgetown
Noon: FS2 — The Orange Bowl Classic: South Florida vs. Florida State, Sunrise, Fla.
1: SECN — Illinois at Missouri
2: ACCN — Coppin State at Miami
2: FOX — Texas at Providence
2:30: BTN, WHME-FM (103.1) — Crossroads Classic: Butler at Purdue
2:30: FS1 — The Orange Bowl Classic: Florida vs. Utah, Sunrise, Fla.
3: CBS — CBS Sports Classic: UCLA vs. North Carolina, Las Vegas
3: PAC-12N — San Diego at Stanford
3:30: SECN — Belmont at Alabama
4: ACCN — Virginia Military Institute at Virginia Tech
5: BTN — Wisconsin (Milwaukee) at Wisconsin
5:15: CBS — CBS Sports Classic: Ohio State vs. Kentucky, Las Vegas
5:30: ESPN2 — Minnesota vs. Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Okla.
5:30: PAC-12N — Boston College at California
6: ACCN — North Florida at Syracuse
6: SECN — Lehigh at Auburn
6:30: CBSSN — Chicago Legends: Dayton vs. Colorado, Chicago
7: BTN — Eastern Michigan at Michigan State
8:30: CBSSN — Northwestern at DePaul
8:30: PAC-12N — Creighton at Arizona State
8:30: SECN — Oregon State at Texas A&M
9: BTN — Chicago Legends: Cincinnati vs. Iowa, Chicago
9: FS1 — The Hall of Fame Classic: Louisiana State vs. Southern California, Los Angeles
10: ESPN2 — The Hall of Fame Al Attles Classic: St. John’s vs. Arizona, San Francisco
10:30: PAC-12N — Texas Southern at Oregon
12:30 a.m. (Sunday): ESPN2 — The Hall of Fame Al Attles Classic: Nevada (Reno) vs. St. Mary’s, San Francisco
7:25 a.m.: NBCSN — Premier League: Arsenal at Everton
9:20: FS2 — FIFA Club World Cup: Monterrey vs. Al Hila FC, Doha, Qatar
9:30: FS1 — Bundesliga: VfL Wolfsburg at Bayern Munich
9:55: NBCSN — Wolves at Everton
12:30 p.m.: NBC — Premier League: Leicester City at Manchester City
6:25 a.m. (Sunday): ESPN2 — Serie A: AC Milan at Atalanta
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
2 a.m.: ESPN — UFC Fight Night Prelims: Undercard Bouts, Busan, South Korea
7 p.m.: NBATV — Washington at Philadelphia
7: NBCSCH, WSCR (670 AM) — Chicago at Detroit
9: NBATV — Houston at Phoenix
1 p.m.: NFLN — Houston at Tampa Bay
4:30: NFLN — Buffalo at New England
8:15: NFLN — LA Rams at San Francisco
7 p.m.: NHLN — Tampa Bay at Washington
7: FS-D — Detroit at Toronto
9: NBCSCH+, WGN (720 AM) — Chicago at Colorado
7 p.m.: NBCSN — FIS: World Cup
4 p.m.: NBC — FIS: World Cup Halfpipe, Copper Mountain, Colo.
10: NBCSN — FIS: World Cup, Halfpipe, Secret Garden, China
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
1 p.m.: WHPD-WHPZ FM (92.1/96.9) — Notre Dame vs. Guelph
WOMEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
8 p.m.: ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: Wisconsin vs. Stanford, Championship, Pittsburgh


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Little Notes of Love were inspired by my husband and daughter. When we were dating, my husband used to sneak little notes and hearts into my coat pockets. The warm feeling of love that I felt when I discovered them told me that he was a keeper. Years later, our daughter told me how much she loves it when I put notes in her lunch box, but it's hard to always come up with creative messages in the busy-ness of the morning before school! So I came up with Little Notes of Love featuring my artwork and motivational quotes or sentiments. They are sure to spread love wherever you hide them (pockets and lunch boxes are my suggestion!) or tuck amongst your treasures as a reminder for yourself that you are also deserving of love. They can also be used as Valentines!
Each set includes 18 - 2.75"x3.5" cards, 2 each of 9 designs and is packaged in a reusable, ivory organza bag.
Little Notes of Love
Shipping is included in price. If you would like to pickup in the 44691 zip code region, select "Arrange for Local Pickup" at checkout.

domain: artistic


A few days ago I read the CPRE report re road building - and have dashed off a news release today as I am disgusted by what they have found. See my press release here which I put together with a couple of other Green councillors in the region - and below stuff re the ridiculous plans for the M25.
The CPRE report shows that the majority of regional transport funding is going on roads, and will be for years to come, that road traffic levels have risen sharply over the last 2 decades and every region is now set to see transport emissions rise. Although it is not possible to separate out entirely the different types of transport funded in each region, CPRE have estimated the South West Region proportion spent on roads is a whopping 70%. As I said in the news release this is "wholly unacceptable, unnecessary and economically and environmentally damaging".
PFI for M25 is a bad idea for a bad scheme - take action
A wee while back I heard that the PFI deal for the M25 widening for the last remaining sections is on the rocks. PFI deals rely on banks having money to lend, but because we’ve had to bail so many out, there isn’t enough cash floating around to fund the scheme.
Now widening the M25 is about as silly an idea as they come. Government analysis has shown that any new capacity on that motorway just fills up within a year or so of it opening; there’s nothing to suggest that this won’t happen here. But the Government wants to bail out the widening project from a national infrastructure fund that is being set up to keep PFI schools and hospitals afloat. I’m not sure we should be bailing out PFI deals at all, but if we do, at least focus on things we need and not ever wider motorways.
So the Campaign for Better Transport has been asking people if they would mind taking a few minutes to email Geoff Hoon and ask him to rethink bailing out the M25 project. The link is here and there’s a template letter there as well. Please write if you have a mo.


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United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said in his weekly address Friday that the union's strike against Detroit's Big Three automakers will continue against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, but did not announce any new strike targets.
"We've looked at the companies' proposals," Fain said during his Facebook live address. "… And in my opinion, and in the opinion of the vice presidents and in the opinion of your national negotiators, there is more to be won."
The UAW has been demanding "record contracts for record profits" from the automakers, and Fain acknowledged that all three companies had offered record contracts to the union, but said there is more money on the table.
The union is asking for a 40% raise over the life of the four-year contracts, and Fain said the Big Three have now increased their pay hike proposals to 23%. He also pointed to a number of areas where each automaker needs to offer more from the union's perspective.
"One thing we've been hearing over and over from these companies is how they've offered us record contracts," Fain said. "They stole that line from us by the way, and you know what, we agree."
"These are already record contracts, but they come at the end of decades of record decline," the union president said. "So it's not enough to be the best ever, when autoworkers have gone backwards over the last two decades. That's a very low bar."
The UAW began its simultaneous but limited strike against the Big Three over a month ago.
Around 34,000 of the 150,000 members employed by the automakers are currently on strike, and the union has threatened to expand the strike nationwide if the companies do not make sufficient progress in the negotiations.

domain: economics


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Nestled in the heart of Fort Worth, Texas, Elm Street Park is a serene oasis that offers a respite from the hustle and bustle of city life. With its picturesque landscapes, recreational amenities, and community-focused atmosphere, this park has become a beloved destination for locals and visitors alike. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activities, a peaceful stroll, or a place to connect with nature, Elm Street Park has something for everyone. Learn more facts here.
Natural Beauty and Tranquil Surroundings
Elm Street Park boasts natural beauty and tranquil surroundings, making it a true gem in Fort Worth. The park features lush green spaces, mature trees, and well-manicured landscapes that create a serene ambiance. Whether you’re looking to relax on a bench, picnic on the grass, or simply take a leisurely walk, the park’s peaceful atmosphere provides an ideal setting to unwind and recharge. Read about A Shim’s Hibachi Grill: A Sizzling Culinary Adventure in Fort Worth, TX here.
The park offers a variety of recreational amenities to cater to different interests and age groups. It features well-maintained walking paths and trails, providing joggers, walkers, and cyclists with opportunities to enjoy a scenic workout. For those seeking active play, the park offers basketball courts, tennis courts, and open spaces for various sports activities. Families can also take advantage of the playgrounds, where children can climb, swing, and slide to their heart’s content.
Community-Focused Events and Activities
Elm Street Park is not just a place for leisure but also a hub for community-focused events and activities. The park hosts various events throughout the year, such as concerts, art festivals, and community gatherings. These events foster a sense of community and provide opportunities for neighbors to connect, socialize, and celebrate together.
Well-Maintained Facilities and Amenities
Elm Street Park takes pride in its well-maintained facilities and amenities. Clean and modern restroom facilities are conveniently available for visitors’ comfort. The park also provides ample parking spaces, ensuring easy access for those arriving by car.
Elm Street Park is a tranquil retreat in the heart of Fort Worth, Texas, offering a peaceful escape from the urban environment. With its natural beauty, recreational amenities, community-focused events, and well-maintained facilities, the park provides a welcoming space for individuals and families to relax, engage in outdoor activities, and connect with nature. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful stroll, a spot for picnicking, or a place to partake in community events, Elm Street Park offers a tranquil haven where you can unwind and embrace the beauty of the outdoors.


“Talk music” band Listener keep their unusual style interesting all the way through their new album Time Is A Machine.
Darlings of the blogosphere, Chvrches unleash another straight-to-the-hind-brain electro-pop masterclass.
A shift of line-up yields good results on Cold War Kids’ fourth album, Dear Miss Lonelyhearts.
Manchester Orchestra team up with Grouplove and EbM-favourites Frightened Rabbit for a special Record Store Day vinyl.
Former Echo And The Bunnymen frontman releases a live version of classic track The Killing Moon on 7″ for Record Store Day.
The tenth anniversary of Rounds sees Four Tet’s seminal ‘folktronica’ album reissued in a double vinyl set.
Everything Everything give away part of their soul with their RSD vinyl release of Duet.
For their fourth album, Pedestrian Verse, EbM favourites Frightened Rabbit hit the bullseye dead-centre once again.
There must be something in the water up north; Out Of The Blue is another stellar Scottish single, this time courtesy of indie trio Prides.
Does the demise of Hop Farm herald the beginning of the end for music festivals in England? Are festivals struggling to cope due to the economic climate, or is the marketplace simply leveling off after the last decade’s ‘boom’? More may go under this year, but the idea of what a music festival should be has changed so much in the past 20 years that we’ll never see a return to the Glasto/Reading duopoly of the ’70s and ’80s.


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Category: Children's Books|
The author of the book: Anita Ganeri
Format files: PDF, EPUB, TXT, DOCX
The size of the: 25.86 MB
Edition: Franklin Watts Ltd
Date of issue: 27 October 2011
Description of the book "Stringed Instruments":Describes various stringed instruments from around the world including familiar instruments such as the guitar and violin, along with other traditional instruments such as the Japanese Koto and Indian lutes.
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Download EBOOK Stringed Instruments for free


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Travelling around the Baltics: Useful info
The national currency of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia is euro.
- Interntaional memberships
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are member states of the European Union (EU) and NATO, and are in the Schengen Area.
Ways to travel between the Baltic states
Lithuania is the most convenient starting point for your trip. Continue your Baltic adventure by heading north to Latvia and conclude your trip by visiting Estonia. There are several ways to travel around the Baltics:
- By car / camper
Via Baltica (E67) is the highway that connects the Baltic states; there are no road tolls for cars. The distance between Vilnius (Lithuania) and Riga (Latvia) is almost 300 km, between Vilnius (Lithuania) and Tallinn (Estonia) – around 600 km.
- By coach
The road infrastructure is highly developed across the Baltics, so international coach travel is safe and simple. At least a couple of coaches run daily between Vilnius and Riga and between Vilnius and Tallinn.
- Vilnius – Riga. Trip duration: 4h 30 mins
- Vilnius – Tallinn. Trip duration: 9h
- By plane
Air travel is also available between the three Baltic states. Direct flights between Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn are operated by the Latvian airline airBaltic.
- By ferry
You can get to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from other countries by ferry. The Klaipėda ferry terminal could be the starting point of your trip, but there is no possibility to travel by ferry between the Baltic states.


Paddleboard giveaways galore at Tuesday whitewater races in Vail
The fourth race of the Vail Recreation District’s 2019 Bloch & Chapleau Vail Whitewater Race Series is set to take place from 5:15 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, and the final race is set for the same time June 4.
A stand-up paddleboard will be given away at each of the remaining races.
Last week, because of weather, SOL Paddle Boards postponed its paddleboard giveaway, so this week is your chance to win a new SUP from SOL, in addition to the series-long Badfish paddleboard giveaway.
While whitewater-race participants are automatically entered to win the Badfish paddleboard just by participating in a Tuesday race, you’ll have to show some skills to earn a raffle ticket for the SOL paddleboard. By completing a balance-board challenge Tuesday, you’ll receive a raffle ticket for the SOL giveaway. Bring the raffle ticket to the after-party that night at White Bison, where the board will be raffled off.
“It’s like an Indo balance board or similar board to that style, and I think they’ll get it wet to make it more challenging,” said Beth Pappas, with the whitewater series. “Then you’ll have to balance on it for a set amount of time, like 15 seconds.”
The following week, the Badfish paddleboard winner will be chosen at the final after-party of the season, June 4 at the Altitude Bar and Grill.
“Non-participants can enter into that drawing by taking a photo with the Badfish display board, which will be set up during the May 28 race,” Pappas said.
Local watershed expert Pete Wadden already won a paddleboard through the rec district’s whitewater series. For a five-race series, having three paddleboard giveaways has brought an unprecedented value to participants and spectators, Pappas said.
“I think it’s been a really fun vibe and a fun atmosphere, even when the weather hasn’t been so great,” she said. “Spectators and participants have been having a great time, and it really adds a fun element to an ordinary Tuesday night in Vail.”
Fast water, low times
The Vail Whitewater Race Series is open to paddlers 16 and older, most of whom will need to bring their own craft.
Raft manufacturer Hyside, however, will provide a limited number of two-person rafts for teams to use on a first-come, first-served basis.
Individual race registration for kayak and SUP participants is $12 preregistered or $18 day-of, and $18 preregistered or $26 day-of for R2 teams. Preregistration ends at 5 p.m. the day before each race. On-site, day-of registration will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the Vail Whitewater Park, and all participants should be present at the safety talk at 5:15 p.m. Register online at vailrec.com/register.
Paddlers will need the skills to navigate class III rapids, and the series will allow a lot of rafters to test their strength heading into the season.
“This is a fun way to track your individual performance, progress throughout the series and compete against others,” said Jessie Klehfoth, with the Vail Recreation District.
In a two-round format, a head-to-head race will follow an individual time trial, with results from the time trial determining the seeding for the head-to-head challenge.
Pappas said times have been impressive so far in the series due to the high water the area is experiencing.
“We’ve already seen some really low times in the fast water,” she said.
Complete results from the Tuesday, May 21 races below:
1 Tyler Lombardi/Chris Schultz 0:01:33
2 Seth Dade/Chris Schmidt 0:01:36
3 Matt Paula/Eli Gerstein 0:01:40
4 Nate Dumais/Dakota Bedeer 0:01:35
5 Reta Boychuk/Logan Opsahl 0:01:36
6 Hunter Chamness/Chris Hudgens 0:01:45
7 Michael Hart/Christie Jones 0:02:01
8 Hamilton Buchanan/Andrew Bare 0:02:01
9 James Wilkins/Chris Wolff 0:02:03
10 Robert Baker/Shayne Brikell 0:02:24
1 Jessica Cook 0:01:30
2 Caitlyn Ngam 0:01:35
3 Hailey Jacobs 0:01:49
4 Katie Fielder Anderson 0:01:53
Derek Dreyer 0:01:20
Peter Wadden 0:01:24
Mike Duffy 0:01:22
Joe Giglio 0:01:23
Alan Braunholtz 0:01:27
Liam Mattison 0:01:28
Markian Feduschak 0:01:28
Colin McCabe 0:01:29
Cougar Pursley 0:01:31
Tyler Harmon 0:01:32
Ken Hoeve 0:01:33
Trinity Wall 0:01:32
Reta Boychuk 0:01:34
Gentian Nuzzo 0:01:48
Matt Paula 0:01:30
Matt Buckley 0:01:24
Justin Ayer 0:01:30
Hunter Chamness 0:01:36
Logan Opsahl 0:01:36
Chris Hudgens 0:01:47
Eli Gerstein 0:01:49
Chis Johnson 0:01:51
Ken Hoeve 0:01:53
Andrew Bare 0:02:11
Hamilton Buchanan 0:02:19
James Wilkins 0:02:49


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Yesterday at ASCO was frantic, there is no other way to describe it as one hurtled from one session to the next. There is little time for reflection in a huge meeting of over 30,000 squeezed into a small space, but one thought crossed my mind while sitting in the lung and colorectal cancer sessions. Namely, the abstracts often contain preliminary data from several months back and the data should be taken with a large pinch of salt. A good example of this was OSI/Genentech's Tarceva, which at first glance suggested a small benefit of only 8 days as maintenance therapy. The data being presented this morning is a little more robust than that, so the media should beware of jumping to hasty conclusions.
Typically, advanced lung cancer patients get 4 cycles of chemotherapy and then their progress is monitored until progression, whereupon another therapy is tried. The big question raised recently, is whether adding a new treatment or combination as maintenance therapy would improve the survival. At this ASCO meeting a number of trials attempted to answer this important question.
Let's look at Tarceva therapy compared to placebo in this setting. The final results of the SATURN trial demonstrate that Tarceva actually significantly improved PFS in chemo naive patients with both squamous and non-squamous cell lung carcinoma by 41% compared to placebo. Patients with an EGFR mutation achieved a 10 fold increase in the time they lived without their disease worsening. Sadly though, the biomarker data suggested that KRAS mutation status was not a predictor of efficacy in NSCLC in patients treated with Tarceva, as had been hoped.
A second trial, called ATLAS, looked at the combination of Tarceva with Avastin following standard chemotherapy as maintenance therapy after first-line treatment with chemotherapy plus Avastin in patients non-squamous histology. Patients treated with this combination saw their cancer growth slow more than a control group treated with Avastin alone.
Over 750 patients were randomized to receive Avastin and placebo, or Avastin and Tarceva. Patients in the Tarceva group survived an average of 4.8 months before the cancer started growing again, compared to 3.7 months for the control group. This eqautes to a 29 percent reduced risk of disease progression for patients who took the Tarceva and Avastin combination compared to Avastin alone.
Vincent Miller, the presenter stated that, "This is the first study to show that adding
erlotinib (Tarceva) to maintenance therapy with bevacizumab (Avastin)
delays disease progression in patients who have already received
bevacizumab as part of their initial chemotherapy."
In a third trial with Alimta (Lilly), 663 non-squamous patients with metastatic lung cancer were randomised to receive Alimta or placebo. Preliminary results showed that patients who took the drug lived 26 percent longer compared to the control group, ie 13.4 months compared with 10.6 months.
The lead author and presenter said that, "Maintenance therapy with Alimta (pemetrexed) offers a new paradigm for patients who have advanced lung cancer, because it has a low toxicity and can be given on an ongoing basis over a prolonged period of time to extend patients' lives."
There was very little hot news to report from yesterday's colorectal cancer sessions, but the data in advanced lung cancer could well change the landscape and significantly improve survival for patients with the disease. That's great news all around. Mind you, I wouldn't like to be one of the companies with ongoing trials in this area though, the standard of care could well have changed with these results and the bar raised a little higher for new entrants. That's good news for patients though!


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“I think one of the great things of coming from a band background, is that with every song or theme you write, you have the audience in mind, because you’ll play it live in a week and you have to win their hearts.”
Scandinavian composer for film and the concert hall
Martin Byrial is a Danish composer most widely known for his work as composer, singer, and synthesist with the anthemic post-rock group LISERSTILLE, with whom he was part of a post-rock revival in Scandinavia in the early millennium. A band created to set music to paintings.
Rolling Stone Magazine’s David Fricke wrote in 2006: “LISERSTILLE make a Grand Prolonged Boom, combining Sigur Rós glazed crawl with early riff-centric Flaming Lips and the explosive Payoff of Pink Floyds “Careful with that Axe, Eugene”. And they are just getting started..”
Music for paintings evolved into music for stories, and the stories evolved into 7 albums with the band. Then into solo work. For the concert hall and for film.


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Many of the travel companies booking the resorts south of Mombasa will offer you a couple of nights in a 'Treehouse'.
Mostly tiny, with two or three individual cabins scattered on a hillside, butler service, river-water jacuzzis heated by sustainable wood fires, roving elephants nearby, and four-poster-beds that can be wheeled out to sleep under the stars (with mosquito nets, of course), these are worth looking at if you're going on honeymoon, or celebrating a birthday or anniversary. Or just feeling a bit decadent.
The Sable Treehouses in the Shimba Range of Hills were particularly lovely.
Send your feedback or queries to email@example.com

domain: travel


The Worlds Smartest Dental Clinic - Digital Transformation of Dental Care
|Coordinator||Umeå universitet - Institutionen för tillämpad utbildningsvetenskap|
|Funding from Vinnova||SEK 300 000|
|Project duration||November 2018 - April 2020|
|Venture||Personal mobility between societal sectors|
|Call||Funding for staff exchange and artificial intelligence (AI)|
Purpose and goal
The purpose of this project is to develop and investigate an AI-based communication-system where patients can get required information, ask questions and contact staff when needed and that the staff can use to communicate with each other digitally via the digital receptionist AIDA (Artificial Intelligent Dental Assistant). Furthermore, the aim is to develop a digital communication solution using a combination of different technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Expected results and effects
The project results will contribute to increased knowledge about opportunities and challenges with applied AI based communication. The results might also change the entire healthcare sector with regard to how AI-based digital communication can be used with patients. The AI-based communication solution developed in the project may support the making use of the staff to what they are actually trained for, which in turn means that they can instead focus more on helping those patients who really need personal assistance.
Planned approach and implementation
The project is conducted in several iterations and is evaluated and reported in sub-deliveries and includes the development of: project plan and time schedule descriptions of working methods and responsibilities creating templates for evaluation and testing of equipment and technologies as well as working methods producing working routines for evaluating the AI-based communication solution and working methods develop and adapt modules in the project education modules for staff deploy testing of equipment, technology and working methods finalize the project


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A Child's Song
A Child's Song Mission Statement & Philosophy
Bringing families together one song at a time ...
A Child's Song, Inc. provides music education and appreciation for the entire family in order to fully develop the brain on individual, group, and community levels in an atmosphere and environment that nurtures, advances, and preserves the art of creating music.
A Child's Song is an integral hub in the community for music, movement, and visual arts.


text:
Our aim is to provide educational support to families/communities that promotes and builds a better future for all.
The key objectives of our mission are:-
- Raise Educational standards
- Deliver comprehensive support for children and young people with disabilities and Special Education Needs
- Organise to increase membership
- Provide a better environment for learning
- Create forums for parents to discuss and debate
- Foster harmonious relations among communities
- Undertake visits to heritage & other historical places of learning
YLN’s mission is to create strategies to empower our young Africans and African Caribbean people, through specific learning programmes and projects in order to develop their talents and skills. Create a positive learning environment that motivates and instil confidence, knowledge and understanding of self that enables them to become positive contributors to society. The additional value lies in enhancing the support to Africans and African Caribbean children and young people, who having difficulties with motivation in mainstream education, those on the verge of exclusion, and those who have been excluded.
The process also involves and motivates parents to engage in the quest to resolve the issues relative to the educational needs of their children. Parents are important to the resolve because they are the voices of change for education to be regarded as an investment and not as a cost to the nation.
YLN regards education as the passport to enlightenment, and that enlightenment must be shared by parents, teachers and the decision makers. It is therefore vital for African parents to fully understand how the educational system functions, to be able to highlight areas where educators are failing the children. We must eradicate a system that perpetuates the failure of the African child. We argue that given appropriate guidance, support, direction and motivation, our children and young people should be able to have a better understanding of who they are in society and participate in the creation of an effective socio-economic niche.
YLN’s Vision is to lift the historical spirits of children of African Heritage through pride in African History. The group is responding to The African Union’s proposals for the people’s of the African Diaspora to enhance their relationships with the people of Continental Africa. The group has designed international initiatives that provide young people with the opportunity to experience a trip to Africa to learn about their almost lost roots, culture and heritage. Such travel experiences have been of significant benefit to young people. The benefit remains a life-changing experience that broadens their horizons, improves knowledge of self, improves confidence, teaches them new skills and helps them to gain valuable knowledge of Africa.
The overseas trip is linked to a sponsorship deal we have secured with British Airways. The group is sincerely grateful to British Airways for its generosity and contribution to the notion of building one world.
The educational benefits of such trips are that they engage young people in a comparative assessment of levels of development. The young British person can determine how his or her quality of life might be more or less advanced that of the young continental African. Such trips enhance the development of a young person. It enables him or her to decide the educational disciplines they should pursue. It helps to identify the cultural loss through slavery and the economic differences between African children living here in the UK but born in different parts of the world.
Young people will also embrace the opportunity to explore in Ghana, visit national museums, learn about slavery, learn about the great Ghana Empire of Timbuktu visit places of historical interest, see wildlife in their natural habitat and very importantly, spend quality time with families in local villages to experience life on a different level.
WHAT YLN DOES
YLN provides tutorials in English, Maths, ICT, Science, African History, French & other European languages to young people, as well as engaging them, in Homework & Home Tuition programmes. Undertake Drama and Music, Storytelling, other holistic educational activities and programmes run Residential Workshops and Motivational & Heritage projects.
We act as an intermediary between the schools of young people and their parents, engage in monitoring their work and achievements, and offer counselling to enhance behavioural attitude towards teacher/pupil relationship and learning.
YLN provides information, advice sessions to parents and families on their responsibilities and roles in their children’s education, home learning support resources such as books, educational software and other materials that will help enhance the capacity of the children to engage in meaningful learning.
We run weekend and holiday school activities for children. We educate parents to enhance their understanding of every aspect of their own Heritage, the British educational and technological issues and above all, provide and deliver a coherent and culturally sensitive method of education that will promote and teach traditions and culture to young people. Understanding one’s heritage is the prize that emerges from traditional African storytelling and games, African History & Films, Traditional Dances & songs; and most importantly engaging in historical visits to Africa and the Caribbean.
Our ideology is further reinforced by the words of Aime Cesaire in his Notebook of a Return to My Native Land “It is not true that the work of man is finished, that we have nothing more to do in the world but be parasites in this world, that all we need now is to keep in step with the world, for the work of man is only just beginning, and it remains to man to conquer all the violence entrenched in the races of his passion ….. and no race holds the monopoly of beauty, of intelligence, of force and there is a place for all in the Youth Learning Network’’.

domain: sociology


text:
When Kelly Haimona went to Italy to play rugby in 2011 he never gave up on his dream to play for the Bay of Plenty Steamers again.
Now, aged 30, that goal has been achieved with the solidly built first-five an integral member of the Steamers squad in this year's Mitre 10 Cup.
Haimona had played in both matches so far this season to add to the 15 games he played in the blue and gold hoops back in 2007 and 2008.
"I always held the Bay jersey in high regard," he said.
"In Italy my wife always got sick of me talking about how maybe one day I could go back and play for the Bay. Being an out-and-out Rotorua boy, for me to get another chance to wear the jersey is very humbling.
"I kind of took it for granted the first time and I guess that shows how immature I was back then. Now I don't take things for granted and just take every opportunity I get and give it 100 per cent."
Haimona had noticed many changes within Bay of Plenty Rugby, particularly the different level the younger players were at now compared with when he made his debut.
"Initially, when I first arrived the only player I remember playing with is Culum (Retallick).
"The biggest difference is the number of new players who have come through over these last six or seven years, so I guess it has given me an extra boost at my young age of 30 just to try and do my best to keep up with the young fullahs.
"I will definitely try and pass on as much knowledge as I can to these young guys but the culture we have in New Zealand rugby, our guys are getting more mature a lot younger than in other parts of the world.
"We have guys like Isaac (Te Aute) who is straight out of high school and I speak to him and in rugby terms he is more or less as experienced as I am."
Haimona spent three years making his mark with Calvisano in the European Challenge Cup then Zebre before qualifying for Italy in 2014.
He played 11 internationals before a broken arm prevented him playing at last year's Rugby World Cup.
He said his debut against Samoa was a definite highlight.
"We won after 10 previous attempts without a win and I played half decent which made me very happy. Facing the siva tau, the Samoan haka, was something I never thought I would get to experience.
"To get a chance to play against the Springboks was amazing and also playing at Twickenham and Millennium Stadium was the most unreal thing I've ever experienced in my life.
"Playing in front of 70 to 90,000 people in both stadiums is something a little Maori boy from Whaka would never, ever have dreamed of."
When he was not playing, Haimona loved giving back to the sport at grassroots level, working for Bay of Plenty Rugby with local kids in Rotorua and the wider Central Bay of Plenty region.


Pneumatic Castors 50kg - 360kg
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With a load rating of 50kg to 360kg per castor (depending on wheel type), the "Y" Series range of castors features welded steel fabrication for strength and security. The bottom race of the castor is fitted with a grease nipple to easily maintain and prolong the life of your castor.
The “Y” Series range of castors is available with a choice of Semi Pneumatic Steel centred, Pneumatic Steel centred and Pneumatic Plastic centred wheels fitted to a range of Fixed or Swivel forks.


The fintech solutions today may have been unimaginable just a few years ago. But between the shift to an online business landscape brought on by the pandemic and increasing demand for digital-first solutions, the mortgage industry was quick to adapt to the new normal of conducting transactions through the virtual world.
Black Knight, a leader in providing innovations that enhance how businesses work with technology, data and analytics, has stayed ahead of the digital mortgage revolution since day one. The company’s Rapid Analytics Platform (RAP), for example, launched in 2019 and simplifies a client’s data and analytics workflow. RAP enables users to easily connect to diverse data assets and run advanced analytics on a single platform with real-time, high-speed processing capabilities to deliver fast results – even in the most complex cases.
Described as a “virtual lab,” RAP is being utilized by forward-thinking mortgage, real estate and capital markets professionals for the most advanced capabilities. From portfolio retention strategy, equity analysis and valuation to prepayment and default analytics, pre- and post-bid due diligence, performance benchmarking, and more, RAP significantly reduces the time, effort and cost for organizations in the mortgage industry to analyze large data sets and create models.
Behind RAP’s distinctive innovation is Black Knight’s team of experienced mortgage professionals who knew that clients could benefit significantly by realizing the business value of the company’s data and analytics. But in order for clients to glean actionable intelligence from that data about customers, prospects, opportunities and risk, an innovative tool would have to be built first. This led to the creation of RAP – a single, cloud-based environment with massive storage, compute and data science capabilities.
Since the launch of RAP, client adoption has accelerated quickly. As a result, Black Knight continues to make valuable platform enhancements, such as increasing scalability and adding new data sets.
The assets available within RAP include nationwide public-records property and MLS information, loan-level and historical mortgage performance data, daily rate lock data, AVMs, home price indices and more. Users have the choice to build their own analytics or leverage Black Knight’s highly experienced professionals to develop and deliver customized analytics, providing an extra level of available support.
With RAP, clients have a unique tool that arms them with the information needed to better allocate their resources more effectively. From risk management and portfolio research to economic modeling, benchmarking and investor reporting, RAP transforms how companies leverage data and support decision science strategies in their workflow.
By delivering computational power significantly greater than what most organizations have in-house, RAP is democratizing access to big data and analytics – allowing mid-sized and smaller lenders to contend in a competitive industry.
With an array of tailored features and a cutting-edge approach, RAP is truly fintech at the forefront of digital mortgage transformation.
The post Black Knight’s Rapid Analytics Platform transforms the way companies leverage data and enable analytics appeared first on HousingWire.


COMPUTER ASSISTED COMPOSITION - BACKGROUND
CAC software can be found under "Downloads"
Composers frequently use computers as sketchpads while composing their music. By letting a computer immediately play back their score; they create an aural model of the performed music. Computer Assisted Composition (CAC) goes beyond this elementary use of computers. In CAC, computers solve basic tasks based on composers' instructions. In this way the computer becomes the composer's assistant.
I have been active in CAC since 1997 when I first approached rule-based computing techniques. I was met by comments that rule-based systems can be applied on structuring musical pitch, but that rules for rhythm are harder to formalize (i.e. less is said about rhythm in music theory). This challenged me and I started to create a system for rule-based composition exclusively for rhythm.
The head of the Musical Representation Team at IRCAM in Paris, Gerard Assayag, and composer Brian Ferneyhough encouraged me to develop my ideas further. IRCAM offered me a position as a Composer on Research during 1998. The result of my work at IRCAM was the OMRC library (Open Music Rhythmical Constraints), an extension to the Open Music visual programming language developed at IRCAM.
1998: OMRC - OPEN MUSICAL RHYTHMICAL CONSTRAINTS
The main idea in OMRC was to work with additive rhythm. A central concept was to let the user define basic rhythm motifs and to treat these as units. By using motifs of different lengths, the user could choose to predefine the rhythm language to different degrees (the extreme being "motifs" with only one duration which contain a very low degree of rhythmical identity).
Another important concept was to create hierarchical relationships within the rhythmic structure. The hierarchy could be between voices in a polyphonic structure, or between events in a single voice. Rules restricted how rhythms could be put inside a metric framework.
The system solved a type of puzzle where metric weights were crucial parameters for the solution. Other linear and vertical rhythm constraints were possible to define.


Shortly after Samsung (005930) announced the Galaxy S III last year, the company unveiled the smaller and more affordable Galaxy S III mini. Earlier rumors claimed that Samsung would once again debut a scaled-down version of its flagship smartphone, known as the Galaxy S 4 mini. According to SamMobile, the smartphone is expected to be equipped with a 4.3-inch qHD display, a 1.6GHz dual-core Exynos 5210 processor and run Android 4.2.2. The Galaxy S 4 mini is rumored to arrive in a dual-SIM version and also a single-SIM HSPA+ model that could feature a quad-core processor. The latest rumors suggest the mid-range handset will launch in late June or early July.
If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.


Nike 1/2-Zip Wind Shirt. 578675
This men's ½ zip wind shirt delivers easy ventilation on and off the course.
Features front zippered pockets, adjustable cuffs with hook and loop closures, and an open hem with drawcord and toggle.
Made of 5.1-ounce, 100% polyester.
* The contrast heat transfer Swoosh design trademark is on the right chest.
* Due to the nature of cotton/polyester blends in dark and neon colors, special care must be taken throughout the decoration process when heat is applied for curing.


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Ever since I saw The Pencil Factory Nashville Pencil Set, I’ve wanted to pick it up but I never did it. My husband, sweetheart that he is, bought them for me for Christmas this year. In the box is an assortment of six different pencils and a small scratchpad of paper. The paper pad seems like a filler but I appreciate that they tried to make it feel like a little “kit”. What I was interested in was the pencils!
The packaging and branding is top-notch and everything suggests that the pencils are actually manufactured in the US, in Nashville, TN which, as a former resident of the state, is a bonus.
All the pencils are painted with a warm ivory enamel and stamped in gold with the pencil name and the “THE PENCIL FACTORY”. The ferrules and/or caps are a soft gold, not as shiny as they look in photos which give them a more refined appearance in person. The erasers, where present, are a bright raspberry pink and are a pleasing contrast in color to the warm ivory paint. Aesthetically, these are lovely pencils and the paint is smooth in the hand.
Because of the variety of sizes of pencils, I had to get a little creative when I sharpened them. The Sweetbriar was a standard width pencil and I could use my 2-step Palomino long point sharpener. The Bridge pencil, because it was so slender, I could use just the long point side of the 2-step sharpener and it sharpened beautifully. The Midtown, which is the hexagonal white wax pencil, was sharpened using my Prismacolor sharpener which is designed to sharpen softer leads. The jumbo-sized West End and Hester were sharpened using an old school wall-mount hand crank sharpener as it was the only thing I had with an opening large enough to accommodate these chubby, big-grip pencils. And finally, the carpenter pencil was ineffectually hand sharpened with an X-acto. Somewhere, I own a carpenter pencil sharpener but I could not find it.
The Midtown ended up being a pleasant surprise. I tested it on kraft paper and it was opaque enough to work just fine so this is a good pencil for marking on any stocks that are not white, I suspect. Fun with colored paper, for sure!
I was expecting something a bit chalky and hard but it turned out to be a surprisingly soft, waxy white crayon in pencil form. It was so soft, in fact, that I had to resharpen the tip to write the word “FUN” at the end of my sample as the tip had already gone soft as you can see in the word “lead”. The one thing I did notice is it is a very hexagonal pencil, so much so that it actually dug into my hands a bit. I guess a lot of manufacturers now soften those points giving most hex pencils a rounder, softer feel. The Midtown writes soft but feels a little sharp.
I tested the other pencils on standard Rhodia paper and started with the most traditional, the Sweetbriar. Normally, I don’t favor smooth round barrels as they tend to feel a little wide in my hand but overall the Sweetbriar wrote very smoothly. Then I picked up the Bridge pencil which is the same smooth barrel but in a much narrower width and I liked it much better. I don’t think I’ve ever really used bridge pencils much before nor do I know why they were designed more slender than standard pencils but I really like the size of the the Bridge and it has the same smooth lead as the Sweetbriar. Of the set, the Bridge is the pencil I set aside immediately as my favorite of the lot.
The West End and the Hester are both jumbo pencils. The West End is a smooth, round barrel and the Hester is a hexagonal barrel. I know there are a lot of folks who actually prefer the size of jumbo pencils in the hand but would rather they didn’t look like they were designed for children. If you fall into this camp, than the Pencil Factory jumbo pencils are made for you. Aesthetically, they are upscale and understated. They perform well too. Smooth, though I found the Hester to be softer than the West End even though all the graphite pencils are labelled No. 2. You’ll see I smudged around the Hester writing sample and how much darker the writing appears. Curious.
The Old Hickory is not your average carpenter pencil. It is a double-ended carpenter pencil with graphite on one end and red colored lead on the other. I love that the Pencil Factory created this unique carpenter pencil but I very seldom have need for this type of pencil. When actually marking wood, I have often just used a Prismacolor. Shhh, don’t tell. That said, its a clever design though the red lead is a little harder than I would have expected, especially after using the soft, white wax of the Midtown.
My last test was to see if the pink erasers were useful. They do an adequate job on everything except the red from the carpenter pencil thought I’m still inclined to recommend keeping a Mars Staedtler plastic eraser with you if you really want to erase something. Pink eraser are cute but not all that useful.
All in all, the Pencil Factory Nashville Pencil Set was a treat and I’m glad I got a chance to try these out. Keep in mind that if you purchase these, be prepared to figure out how to sharpen all the various widths. Otherwise, its a fun little set with fabulous design aesthetics.
I suspect I’ll be buying a dozen of the Bridge pencils soon. New obsession!