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Icelandic local delicacies are very limited and to our surprise Icelanders joke that hots dogs are their national dish! But when you are in Reykjavik standing in queue of their famous hot dog stall you kind of start believing it!
Traditional farming is very difficult on this volcanic island considering the geological, geographical challenges. This island is mainly made of volcanic lava rocks and has thin layer of soil so you can't even see naturally grown tall trees here. Even the blueberry plants growing in wild are so small and growing near the ground like creepers. Since Vikings settled here some 1,100 years back they brought livestock with them. And since then farms in Iceland are mainly animal farms where they keep sheep, cows, chickens, horses etc. During summer, farmers leave their animals on highlands where they graze on long spread, mostly an uninhabitable part of Iceland. So then you understand how this hot dog became their so called national dish.
It was an unique experience sit in restaurant next to hydroponic farm in geothermal green house. It's so warm and pleasant inside. After some site seeing on cold, rainy and stormy day, it was amazing to finally take coats off and sit down to have world best tomato soup, made out of tomatoes picked few hours back. They have kept a basil plant on every table, you can cut basil leaves and add to your soup along with sour cream; the taste is heavenly! I never had such fresh food experience in my life! I fall in love with the concept so much, that just 2 days back, I made similar table setting at home with basil plant on table and tried to recreate the same tomato soup experience for my husband! Next time I would love to visit Fridheimar with him and would love to have bloody merry made out of just picked tomatoes! It's no surprise that this farm to table restaurant is favorite spot of all celebrities visiting Iceland from Bill Clinton to Kim Kardashian!
The ice cream is freshly made from cow milk from the farm. Same goes with skyr, it is Icelandic delicacy made out of milk which is cross of yogurt and cheese. But in this farm some interesting information unfolded in front of us. During skyr tasting, the farmer served us some clear water like drink and told us it's whey. While making skyr whey is separated and Icelandic people are drinking this whey since generations! Skyr is great addition to breakfast and whey tasted good too! If you mix skyr and whey, you get skimmed milk!
You keep seeing those dried fish snacks in shops, they call it viking's snacks. And of course there are some famous seafood restaurants in Reykjavik. I had the best lobster soup in one of those near harbor.
But when I visited a nearby grocery shop, I was surprised to see fresh smelling tomatoes, cucumbers and bananas! I mean bananas in such northerly place where summer is also cooler. But I decided to keep my curiosity on hold till the day I went on culinary tour. If you want to see the real food and farming movement in Iceland, you need to leave Reykjavik and explore nearby places. Thanks to Icelandic Mountain Guides, I had opportunity to visit two such farms which introduced me to sustainable food culture in Iceland.
But thanks to abundant geothermal energy in this country since 1930s they started farming in geothermal greenhouses. These green houses are heated by using geothermal energy, and they can grow those vegetables and fruits which require warmer climate. So when you see those fresh tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, carrots, potatoes, strawberries and even bananas, they all are grown in Iceland in these green houses. You pass through this green house farming area while you tour Golden Circle route. This nation has reduced their carbon footprint in food drastically by growing their own food instead of exporting from somewhere else and using geothermal energy for growing food.
Fridheimar- Tomato Farm
|Hydroponic Tomato Farm|
Our first culinary stop was Fridheimar, a farm to fork concept restaurant based inside hydroponic tomato farm green house, where you get to taste everything made out of tomatoes. Started in 1986, these green houses are heated with geothermal energy upto 20-25 degrees. As they are using lights for growing vegetables, the farms are now producing year round, even during winter when there sun is out only around 4 hours. Humidity, temperature, lights, window operation etc is controlled by computer programs. Theis climate control computer system help them to operate farm energy efficiently. For example, when sun is out and given required lighting to the farm, this system switches off lights. Photosynthesis of plants is enhanced by using carbon dioxide produced from natural geothermal steam.
The different types of tomatoes grown in the farm is delivered to the supermarket within same day of picking them from plants. So Icelanders can eat fresh tomatoes year round! They use chemical fertilizers so unfortunately these farms apart from so many Eco friendly practices is not an organic farm, but the need of nutrients for the plants grown in hydroponics to be fulfilled with fertilizers, hope they can find a natural nutrient addition soon.
|World's best Tomato Soup|
Efstidalur- Cattle Farm
|Rustic Farm to Table at Efstidalur|
Our next stop on this culinary trail was Efstidalur farm. This is a 3 generation family run cattle farm. You can stay in the guest house of this family farm, have meals in their restaurant or just drop in to see the farm and taste their farm to table skyr and ice creams! It's a great place to take kids as you can cuddle calves and can have ice-cream while watching the cows from glass windows of the restaurant! I loved the rustic charm of the ground floor sitting area.
|Whey and Skyr|
The ice-cream was delicious, they add fresh fruits whenever possible and watching cows and cuddling calves is always fun!
|Watching Calves from Restaurant|
It was great to visit farms in Iceland and experience farm to table culinary concepts. If you are visiting Iceland don't forget to go on culinary trail and Icelandic mountain guides are great choice. Read my lave caving experience with them, to know why they are my favorite tour operators in Iceland!
This Culinary trail is outside of Reykjavik but you can visit these farms during a day trip while covering site seeing on Golden Tour. I wish this farm to table concept gets popular everywhere in the world, having fresh food at the place where it is grown or produced takes your culinary experience at different level and it's great educational experience for our kids to know how food grows and where it comes from!

domain: geography


Here's five things you need to know about hippos. Look out for our fabulous hippos Hodor, Lola and Tapon when you next visit!
There are two species: common hippos and pygmy hippos
And at Whipsnade Zoo, we're home to both!
Standing at just 1m tall, the pygmy hippo is significantly shorter than its larger cousin the common hippo, and is much lighter, at less than 20% of the weight. In the wild, pygmy hippos are found in West Africa and tend to live solitary lives in forests and swamps. They are known to be shy, often only coming out at night.
Common hippos, on the other hand, live in groups in rivers and lakes throughout sub-Saharan Africa. They spend up to 18 hours a day in water to keep their body temperature constant and to support their huge frame.
Fun fact: The word Hippopotamus comes from the ancient Greek - 'hippo' meaning horse and 'potamo' meaning river.
They make their own sunscreen
Hippos have very sensitive skin which easily becomes dry and cracked. They produce a pigment that acts as a natural sunscreen - a fluid oozes from glands under the skin which helps keep the skin moist and stops sunburn.
They have huge mouths
Hippos have enormous mouths which can be opened unbelievably wide, revealing their strong lower teeth.
A hippo's jaw is capable of opening up to 150 degrees compared to a human jaw which can open about 50 degrees. Adult hippos have razor-sharp tusks in the lower jaw. In the common hippo these teeth can grow as long as 50cm and weigh over 1kg!
Fun fact: Hippos are noisy feeders! A pygmy hippo can sometimes be heard eating from up to 50m away.
Common hippos have aquatic footwear
The common hippo and the pygmy hippo are related, but they have adapted to different habitats. And one of these adaptions is in the feet. The common hippo spends over half its life in the water. The toes on each foot are slightly webbed to aid swimming, and the feet are large and flat, acting as paddles underwater.
The pygmy hippo is less aquatic and spends more time on land, taking cover in the dense tropical forest during part of the day. The toes are long and spread out so are more adapted to walking on the land.
Pygmy hippos are living on the EDGE
Pygmy hippos are recognised on ZSL's EDGE list of unique and threatened animals, which helps us focus our conservation efforts where they are most needed. They're Endangered, found only in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and the Ivory Coast. Sadly, it's estimated that there are only 2-3000 left in the wild, due to threats such as logging and poaching. ZSL has worked to conserve these enigmatic yet highly elusive animals in Liberia's Sapo National Park and the Loma Mountains in Sierra Leone.


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Democratic leadership has distributed figures to reporters from a CBO analysis of Senate health care legislation. The numbers affirm what we reported this morning–that Majority Leader Harry Reid is very pleased.
The health care bill–which includes an opt-out public option–will require $849 billion over 10 years in new spending, to be paid for with cuts to Medicare, while reducing the deficit by $127 billion.
In that time it will extend coverage to 31 million Americans–94 percent of citizens will be covered by 2019.
Over the second 10 years, CBO projects even greater cost savings–up to $650 billion, with the caveat that after 10 years, their analyses become highly uncertain.
This meets all of President Obama’s goals, and, as has been the pattern during this legislative process, the Senate bill comes at a lower cost, and with greater cost-savings than the House bill, while the House bill covers more Americans.
TPM also says Ben Nelson appears to be supporting this version.
Nothing I can find on whether the Senate version has anything like the Stupitt Amendment.

domain: economics


text:
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(2) Eggs any style with your choice of potatoes or grits, and your choice of toast, biscuit, or English muffin.
Fried country steak, (2) eggs any style, breakfast potatoes, and biscuits with gravy.
(½ lb.) All-natural pure black Angus beef burger patty. Grilled and topped with American cheese, a fried egg, biscuit or toast, and breakfast potatoes or grits.
Buttermilk biscuit split and topped with sausage patties and cream gravy. Served with your choice of potatoes or grits.
Scrambled eggs, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and bell peppers. Smothered with melted cheddar cheese.
Served with cheddar cheese.
Served with ham and cheddar cheese.
Fresh spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and feta cheese.
Omelet filled with shrimp, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and cheddar cheese. Topped with crawfish étouffée.
English muffin, Canadian bacon, and poached eggs. Topped with creamy hollandaise sauce.
English muffin, jumbo lump crab cake, and poached eggs. Topped with creamy hollandaise sauce.
Toasted French bread topped with crawfish cakes, poached eggs, and creamy crawfish étouffée.
Tossed in powdered sugar
Locally baked French bread grilled and dusted with powder sugar . Served with syrup.
(3) Buttermilk pancakes. Served with butter and syrup.
Served with cane, or maple syrup.
Your choice of style.
(1) English muffin.
(16 oz.) To-go cup.
(16 oz.) Bottled.
Community Decaf Coffee
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domain: food


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Planned Parenthood is holding a National Day of Solidarity tomorrow, December 5, in the wake of the recent violence at Planned Parenthood’s Colorado Springs clinic, in San Bernardino, and across the country.
Last night, dozens of activists gathered outside the Supreme Court for a candlelight vigil calling for an end to anti-abortion terrorism.
In the United States, women’s groups join in the international 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
Low-wage workers around the country—the majority of whom are women—gathered Tuesday to strike for $15 an hour.
Yesterday, in their continuing fight to push Parliament and University staff to lower fees for education access, students from the University of Witwatersrand and University of Cape Town marched on Parliament to meet with the Minister of High Education Blade Nizamande and President Jacob Zuma, while Parliament support staff walked off the job to protest...
Feminist Majority Foundation President Eleanor Smeal was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame this weekend for her many achievements and contributions to the United States women's movement.
In a statement released Wednesday by the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, president Barbara Blaine blasted Pope Francis for his praise of US bishops’ “courage,” accusing the pontiff of doing “little if anything” to meaningfully address the Catholic Church’s decades-long sex abuse crisis.
Women's rights groups, including the Feminist Majority Foundation, urge Governor Brown to sign FACT Act, requiring unlicensed crisis pregnancy centers to disclose that they are not medical providers.
Chicago residents have entered the second week of their hunger strike protesting the closure of Dyett High School.
Civil rights iconic leader Julian Bond passed away this weekend, leaving behind a legacy of inclusion and activism.
This Year’s Latina Week of Action for Reproductive Justice is Centered Around Its Intersection with Economic Justice
This year’s theme of “Fighting for Economic and Reproductive Justice” lies at the intersection of economics and the Latina community.
Thanks to three different women’s groups in Kenya, rural villages are prospering.
The Feminist Majority and over 70 other groups released a letter to President Obama yesterday that calls on him to reinterpret the Helms Amendment and meet with the people running women's health programs in Africa on an upcoming trip to the continent.
Texas officials today released dash cam video footage showing Texas State Trooper Brian Encinia physically threatening Sandra Bland, a 28-year old African-American woman who died in police custody last week.
Last week, anti-abortion extremist group Operation Save America hosted its annual national event of increased harassment and protesting outside targeted and vulnerable clinics in Alabama.
President Assures There Will Be Justice for Farkhunda in Afghanistan Following Outcry by Women’s Rights Leaders
Leaders were outraged last week when the Appeals Court of Afghanistan reversed the death penalties issued in the murder case of Farkhunda, who was killed by an angry mob in March.
Feminist Majority Foundation board member and lifelong feminist activist Dolores Huerta was honored by the National Portrait Gallery last night as the first Latina person to have a featured exhibition at the museum.
On June 27 at about 6:30 AM, Bree Newsome scaled the flagpole at South Carolina’s Statehouse and removed the confederate flag.
Politicians, retailers, and activists are taking part in a push in South Carolina to have the Confederate flag removed from the grounds of the state Capitol. This movement follows the massacre of nine African American people by a 21-year-old white man in the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston last week. Wal-Mart, Sears,...
A group of young Girl Scouts who were protesting animal abuse received threatening racial insults by adults attending a public Cecil County meeting in Maryland last month.

domain: sociology


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People familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal that Foxconn has been working with former Android executive Andy Rubin since last year to carry out the U.S. company’s vision for robotics. To speed up robot deployment at its own factories, Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou met with Rubin in Taipei recently and they discussed new robotic technologies, they said.
Guo was reportedly excited about the new automation technology demonstrated by Rubin who asked him to assist Google with integrating a company it is acquiring. The robotics group was setup at Google last year. They've acquired eight robotics companies recently including Boston Dynamics who designed mobile research robots for the Pentagon.
Foxconn's cooperation with Google is likely an effort to accelerate automation efforts at its factory where labor costs are rising and workplace issues are difficult to deal with. It's thought that Google may be working to build a new robotic operating system for manufacturers, similar to the Android operating system for mobile devices.
“Foxconn needs Google’s help to step up automation at its factories as the company has the lowest sales per employee among the contract makers, given its large workforce,” said Wanli Wang, an analyst at CIMB Securities. “Using robots to replace human workers would be the next big thing in the technology industry. Not just Google, other major technology companies such as Microsoft and Amazon also have been developing robotics technology to capture the future growth opportunities.”

domain: news


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Drawbridge is helping brands to understand consumers’ digital identities and gain a more than 200 percent uplift in advertising performance with Cloudera Enterprise.
Drawbridge helps brands reach consumers more efficiently across their multiple devices so they can deliver the right message to the right person on the right device at the right moment. This anonymized cross-device identity company provides insights into one billion consumers across more than three billion devices.
By implementing Cloudera Enterprise as the core data engineering and data science solution for its machine learning applications, Drawbridge is able to understand consumer journeys across their PCs, smartphones, tablets, and connected TVs, and help brands gain more than a 200 percent uplift in advertising performance.
Today as consumers interact with brands, they often do so across multiple devices, including their PCs, tablets, smartphones, and other emerging devices like connected TVs. Drawbridge’s machine learning applications, running on Cloudera Enterprise, can create a single digital identity for each consumer that enables brands to seamlessly build an ongoing conversation with a consumer no matter what device they’re using.
Building cross-device identities is a huge undertaking, and requires the ability to ingest, process, analyze, and store billions and trillions of data points. Through its advanced solution, Drawbridge has been able to do so with highly accurate results.
“[Media research firm] Nielsen has found that our results are 97.3 percent precise,” said Devin Guan, cofounder and CTO at Drawbridge.
Using these insights, enterprises can manage cross-device campaigns in real time and leverage Drawbridge’s data for targeting, attribution, audience extension, site personalization, and fraud detection.
For example, working with Drawbridge, one telecom provider was able to target users of competing carriers and drive only the most relevant site traffic as well as physical store visits.
The campaign was very successful—resulting in a two-and-a-half-times increase in marketing efficiency from qualified mobile traffic and a three-times increase in efficiency for in-store traffic.
Results like these have increased Drawbridge’s success in the industry and enabled the company to double its revenue every year for the past three years.
Drawbridge was founded as a big data solution, and at the outset company executives knew they needed a platform that could “connect the dots” from PCs, mobile devices, and emerging devices at a massive scale. That includes the ability to ingest and process:
Upward of nine trillion observations weekly
More than 100 billion data and ad requests per day
Over 1.2 billion cookie syncs per day
More than 12 billion vertices and 40 billion edges weekly
The Cloudera data engineering and data science solution gives Drawbridge the fast performance and scalability it needs to generate actionable insights from its more than eight petabytes (PB) of data and make these insights available to its customers quickly.
Drawbridge uses probabilistic modeling, processing anonymous data from multiple sources, and runs machine learning and graph algorithms on this data in order to determine whether “tablet X” and “smartphone Y” belong to the same person or household. By leveraging Apache Spark as part of its Cloudera Enterprise deployment, Drawbridge has been able to accelerate data processing times dramatically.
“Time to market for our data is key,” said Guan. “We have to be able to capture consumer behavior patterns and quickly make them available for action by our customers. Using Spark with Cloudera, we reduced the time to onboard the data and make it actionable from an hour to only 10 minutes.”
While its first applications running on Cloudera Enterprise have focused on marketing and advertising use cases, Drawbridge is also creating authentication applications to help banks and enterprises more seamlessly, accurately, and quickly authorize end users as they log into their accounts. The applications will help enterprises determine when additional security questions should be asked so that they don’t have to require numerous challenge questions from the outset.
Drawbridge chose to implement an Apache Hadoop–based platform as executives realized processing the massive data volumes would be impractical with other solutions. Additionally, it was critical to use a Hadoop vendor that could provide comprehensive features, fast performance, and support to meet its demanding needs.
Mobile Advertising/Digital Marketing
Headquarters: San Mateo, California, USA
- Modern Data Platform: Cloudera Enterprise
- Workloads: Data engineering and data science
- Components: Apache Giraph, Apache Hive, Apache Kafka, Apache Spark
- Cross-device identity solution
- Cross-device campaign management and performance
- Online customer experience
- Security and authentication
- Mobile and desktop ad exchanges
- Mobile and desktop data providers
- Data management platforms
- Location data providers
- Direct publisher relationships
- Drove 200 percent increase in marketing efficiency for one mobile telecom company
- Doubled revenue every year for past three years
- Reduced time to actionable insights from one hour to 10 minutes
- Achieved 97.3 percent precision in results
Big Data Scale
- 8 PB


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As one of York’s Medieval landmarks, and as a non-profit organisation, we are appealing for support with our recently launched “Roof Tile Appeal”. The Bedern Hall foundation has its sights set on conserving the Medieval Hall throughout 2018 with a number of restoration projects in the pipeline, one of which is to restore the roof.
Not only will the support from the community help to restore this landmark, but it will allow individuals and businesses alike, to leave a mark on York’s history. The appeal allows people to donate and buy a tile to contribute to the restoration project. Each tile is £10 and you can make multiple purchases of tiles, donate tile(s) as a gift for your nearest and dearest, friends or colleagues and leave a special message. Tiles purchased in multiples of 15 or more will include a Certificate of Membership of the Bedern Hall Foundation.
You can find full details of the scheme and how to buy a tile here.
Roger Lee says “Over the coming years, we will need to carry out repairs to the fabric of the Hall; the stonework needs attention, the box gutters & lead work need repairs, but the biggest job of all will be re-roofing. We know that many people have great affection for this small Hall, and our roof tile appeal is a great opportunity to record that by buying tiles either for themselves of as a gift or commemoration. We invite people to support us and to leave their mark on history”
The Bedern Hall Foundation
Have you heard of the Bedern Hall foundation? In fact, have you heard of Bedern Hall at all?
The stories this hidden gem holds are so significant to the history of York that the team launched ‘The Bedern Hall Foundation’ in 2013 to raise funds to help secure the Hall’s future.
35 years ago, Sir Peter Shepherd, laid the new foundation stone to restore and preserve Bedern Hall, and since, the space has been used for thousands of events from Workshops to Weddings to Christenings and other private events. Yet this not-for-profit business needs further money to secure its next 35 years for the city of York residents and beyond to use and enjoy. The new vision for the Hall incorporates education, preservation and accessibility and the target to do so is to raise £70,000 over the next 5 years.
There are varying levels of membership with the Foundation from personal to corporate, all of which include a host of benefits. For more information please visit – http://www.bedernhall.co.uk/bedern-hall-foundation/


Zine Maker Update #1 (Authenticity Tool, Print enhancements, and Windowing Modes...)
The first update to the Electric Zine Maker is now live!
This update fixes a bunch of bugs, such as the paintbucket tool reverting to grayscale being fixed, paging through fonts isn't weird anymore, undo button fixes... and more.
There are NEW features too! The most notable of those is the Authenticity TOol. It's a silly tool with the premise being that it adds authenticity to your zine. You can make it look like a number of things, degrade the quality of your drawings to make it look more punk, and play with pixelation.
There's also a nice print options window, and you can toggle between full-screen or windowed mode... So there's plenty to update for. (Please update. It's better now. Definitely worth it! 👍)
Bellow is a more detailed description of each feature and fix...
* Authenticity TOol added! Bottom right of the art tool there is a SKULL!?!? icon. Click on that to access the Authenticity TOol. Choose a number of styles to apply to your art, ranging from extreme color correction to customizing image compression for that punk texture. The Authenticity TOol will ensure that you graduate from 'fanzine' to 'zine'.
* Print options window added to the Main Menu. When you select "Print" it gives paper options, and you can input custom DPI to manage quality (depending on what your printer supports). This screen is a work in progress and the DPI option is still being fine-tuned, but it should make printing better. If this screen causes issues, please lmk.
* Line size (brush size) is available for the Pattern Spray tool!
* Windowing mode (resizes the window to small, not fullscreen). You can toggle between full screen, and small. When out of fullscreen the desktop is visible in the background. This makes "LOADING" zines easier since you have access to your desktop.
* Redo button!! There's a REDO button!!! Undo's are non-committal now.
* "Place and Import Another" button added to the Image Import tool. You can import multiple images without having to leave & come back to the tool.
* Undo bug is fixed where it irregularly logged interaction with the canvas, and Undo's would "skip" or not undo anything.
* Bug where the fill "breaks" and fills alpha transparency instead of color is fixed. Clear all doesn't break drawing.
* Bug when scrolling through fonts is fixed. You can scroll up/down without the list being weird and skipping fonts. When the list loops, there is a blank space in some of the fields, clicking on this blank space sets a random font. This is not a bug. This is a feature.
* Fixed "Pattern Spray" offset from mouse. It sprays centered around the mouse now.
* Undo/Redo buttons are available in "Pattern Spray" window (undo/redo on the main canvas when you're drawing a Pattern Spray).
Get Electric Zine Maker (a work in progress, be gentle, hug it often)
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The Sunraysia region will come under the microscope with Police Officers targeting illegal guns.
Victoria Police has continued its recruitment of police with more than 3,000 new uniformed officers being deployed over the next five years in the State.
Ten specialised police targeting the illicit guns trade have been employed to crack down on weapons and their manufacture.
Close collaboration between Victoria Police, interstate and Commonwealth agencies is being established with new laws also introduced to Parliament.
The Government is wanting to eradicate all illegal gun activity and to create safe and secure communities.
Workers across Sunraysia are set to receive a boost in wages thanks to a decision made by the Fair Work Commission.
Submissions from the Andrews Labor Government were taken into account when making the move, focusing on wage gaps between those on minimum wage & awards and those determined by collective and individual agreements.
The increase will see the National minimum wage increased to $18.29 an hour, a 3.3% boost.
Minister for Industrial Relations, Natalie Hutchins, says that the Turnbull Government's decision to cut penalty rates means our lowest paid workers need all the help they can get so they don't fall behind the poverty line.
Our highways were on the agenda for Nationals Member for Mildura Peter Crisp’s when he addressed Parliament.
Crisp also condemned the Minister of Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, for allegedly failing to act to improve the safety of Mildura’s rail lines.
Volunteers at Sunraysia's State Emergency Service have been reassured there won't be changes to the role they play responding to car crashes.
35 of the State's integrated stations including Sunraysia will have career fire fighters as first responders to car collisions under proposed changes to Victoria's fire services.
The move is expected to help outcomes for patients in serious collisions.

domain: law


(DailyVibe.com) – If HUD Dollar Homes sounds too good to be true — it might not be. This is a program that largely provides housing to communities rather than individuals, but it’s possible for individuals and families to find HUD Dollar Homes as well. If you’re on the hunt for an affordable home in the United States, it’s important to know about the HUD Dollar Home Program.
What Is the HUD Dollar Home Program?
The Housing and Urban Development (HUD) department comes to administer many homes acquired via foreclosure from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The FHA is part of HUD. The FHA helps families get into homes — particularly those with low incomes. You’ve probably heard of FHA loans, which provide a low interest rate to first-time homebuyers. Their goal is to get people into the market without forcing them to provide an extensive down payment, as that’s one of the most challenging aspects of getting into the home.
Unfortunately, life happens. A pandemic happened. Job loss happens. Lots of circumstances and situations occur that can cause a family to become unable to make their mortgage payments, including death of a family member. When this happens, the FDA forecloses on the home and uses the home as an asset in an attempt to recover the lost money. HUD sells these foreclosed homes, usually at prices well below market. This is in an effort to reduce the loss on the home, which means a loss for the government.
HUD Dollar Program homes fall into a special category of foreclosed homes:
- The market value of the home must be $25,000 or below.
- After being on the market for six months or longer, HUD can’t sell it.
After this happens, HUD attempts to sell the homes to the community for just $1. The home’s community can choose to fix the house and list it as affordable housing, or to continue to try and sell it as it is. Communities can partner with organizations like Habitat for Humanity if they are interested in selling the home after it’s been repaired. If you’re interested in getting a home like this, you’d have to go through the community or the organization they contract with to get a home.
Other HUD Options for Affordable Housing
Since good and habitable Dollar Home Program homes are hard to come by, if you’re a low or moderate income homebuyer, there are some other programs you should check out.
- Public Housing: Local public housing authorities exist to help low income renters get into homes. Residents pay 30 percent of their income to rent, and qualifications are based on location. Similarly, subsidized housing means the federal government pays a certain amount towards your rent each month.
- Housing Choice Voucher Program: If you’ve heard of Section 8, that’s the Housing Choice Voucher Program. This program guarantees that the federal government will pay part of the rent, but the individual or family in the program must find their own housing and a landlord who will accept Section 8 housing requirements, including regular inspections. The benefit for the landlord is that the federal government guarantees payment on their portion of the rent.
- Good Neighbor Next Door: We all know that hometown heroes such as teachers, EMTs, firefighters, and law enforcement officers aren’t compensated as much as they should be considering the value they provide to their communities. Through this program, qualifying applicants get to purchase homes for 50 percent of the asking price. The buyer has to live in the home for at least three years to qualify.
HUD also offers specific housing programs to people with disabilities, Native Americans, and senior citizens, so inquire via your local public housing authority if you’d like to know more.
Copyright 2023, DailyVibe.com


Bring the Primos Trigger Stick® Bipod along on your next hunting trip. This bipod features aluminum legs for durability and a removable V yoke that rotates 360° for convenience. The leg angle adjustments help you find the optimal angle for your firearm or optical device, and telescoping legs offer quiet adjustments in the field.
Features and Benefits
Fits 1/4"-20 and 3/8"-16 threaded fixtures for securing optical gear
Aluminum legs for durability
Leg angle adjustments help you find the optimal angle for your firearm or optical device
Telescoping legs offer quiet adjustments in the field
Removable V yoke rotates 360° to provide convenience
Fluid handle movement
What's in the Box
Primos Trigger Stick® Bipod
Rated 4 out of
Good for awhile...Great until you get sand or red clay on the retractable legs. If it gets inside the slide it'll lock up on you after a few extensions and retractions. I couldn't find a way to take apart and clean out the legs. With that said this is an awesome bipod. Easy to move and easy to adjust if you get used to it. Killed 3 deer a turkey off mine before it quit. Academy replaced it with no trouble.


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What visions enter your mind when you dream of the ultimate luxury master bathroom? Marble tile and a freestanding tub to create a spa-like ambiance? A crystal chandelier and an ornate mirror for a glamorous feel? A next-level master bathroom is on the home renovations wish list for many homeowners. Keep reading to learn how you can bring your vision to life.
What Is a Luxury Master Bathroom?
A luxurious master bathroom is more about the room’s design elements and features and less about the size. Even a small bathroom can have the luxury factor to make it a place that’s ideal for relaxation and pampering. So what gives a master bathroom the “luxury” label? You get to decide what features you deem luxurious.
If you watch home design shows, you may notice that a luxury bath often has the appearance of an in-home spa with special fixtures and features that are not typically in a traditional bathroom. Think upscale materials and unique touches that make you gasp a little when you enter the space for the first time. Attention to all the finer details is a must.
What Are the Most Popular Features of Luxury Master Bath Renovations?
Some of the most sought-after elements of luxury master bathrooms include:
- Ceramic or marble tile
- Natural stone
- Lavish plumbing fixtures
- Frameless glass
- Open, walk-in showers
- Freestanding bathtubs – claw-foot tubs are a favorite
- Double sinks or two pedestal sinks
- Walk-in closets
Find the Right Team of Experts to Build Your Luxury Master Bathroom
Whether you plan to splurge on building a truly opulent master bath fit for royalty, or you want a budget-friendly luxury, choosing the right team for the project is crucial. Unless you have advanced renovation skills, tackling the project on your own may lead to headaches and higher costs. Choosing an experienced team of bathroom renovation experts will ensure you get the results you had in mind.
Look for a home renovation company with attentive customer service and a track record for success. You need to be able to trust they will adhere to your wishes and budget. Before you hire a company, ask about their training and how long they have been in business. The right company for your luxury master bathroom project will happily answer all your questions and put your mind at ease.
Let Hometime Residential Build the Master Bathroom of Your Dreams
At Hometime Residential Construction, Inc., we are in the business of making our clients’ home renovation dreams come true. We can take your plain master bathroom and make it your personal oasis—a place to get away from the rest of the world. Our team brings years of experience to your project and has the craftsmanship, resources, and exceptional customer service to exceed your expectations.
How do you make a luxury master bathroom? You can start by connecting with our dedicated professional team online now.

domain: design


text:
An artful artichoke and android
Several years ago, I made 'scratch pads' for special people. The covers carried a sketch or drawing of something particular to the recipient. One daughter was having a love affair with artichokes, so... I laugh when I remember my dear dad saying, "Can you imagine how hungry that person must have been to try artichokes for the first time?" He also said that about crab, lobster and other things which require more than simple fire and knives. :)
Art-ing has been off my radar for a while but has been re-energized with the purchase of a Kindle Fire and a nifty android app which increases my desire to doodle, draw and play with color while wrapped in warm fleece as winter tantrums outside seek entry into my old house. Doodling, Angry Birds and dedicated reading create an awesome world.
Avoiding artichokes. I cannot find the artichoke image. Do you have any idea where it might be? Arg. So, I'll show you part of a borrowed photo of a borrowed kid with his very own shirt.
Do you doodle? Or, have you an idea about where my artichoke drawing might be?
♥ ♥ ♥

domain: artistic


text:
Adds two new integrated secure SoC processors – the BCM5882 and BCM5883
Broadcom, a provider of semiconductor offerings for wired and wireless communications, has extended its security system-on-a-chip (SoC) family with the introduction of two new integrated secure SoC processors — the BCM5882 and BCM5883.
The new SoC offerings are integrated with Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology, a secure processor and biometric capabilities on one chip.
The offering isolates user authentication from the host computing system through a multi-factor, multi-choice authentication and data protection process.
The hardware-based authentication provided by the SoC can be directly linked to data access on self-encrypting hard drives (SED), thus offering an additional layer of security for critical user data, the company said.
In addition, the secure SoCs ease the use of cloud computing applications by eliminating the need for repeated log in and authentication through enterprise-class single sign-on applications.
Broadcom connectivity, processor and security solutions director Chuck Tato said the frequency and cost of data breaches continue to rise, fueling demand for more secure offerings.
"Our new secure SoCs provide a flexible offering for increased security throughout enterprise and cloud networking applications," Tato said.
"By delivering all necessary functionality on a single host-isolated device, IT managers can secure data literally at the ‘front door’ of the system."


Monthly Archive for June, 2008
U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Greenport, introduced her new baby, six-week-old Henry Nelson Gillibrand, on the floor of the House Monday night. Here’s the video.
Our folks over at Capitol Confidential are reporting that Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, R- Brunswick, will not seek re-election in November.
In her annual budget letter to Rensselaer County department heads, County Executive Kathleen Jimino calls on them submit spending requests that require no more tax dollars. Citing rising gasoline, food and energy costs, Jimino said the need for discipline is as great now as ever, according to a release from her office. As evidence of the Read More
Elected officials and ward leaders in the city gathered outside the Board of Elections to protest a reduction in the number of places to vote in the city. Read the story here. Board of Elections officials say they sent letters to Council President Shawn Morris in December and again in February and got no response. Morris said Read More
Albany County Legislator Richard Mendick, a Conservative who represents Selkirk, is leading the effort in the Legislature to distribute Albany County elections costs among cities and towns in a way he believes is more fair. The current scheme uses assessed value to distribute the costs among municipalities, a system Mendick and others say unfairly favors the cities with sagging Read More
Tom McTygue, the former Democratic public works commissioner in Saratoga Springs, always backed State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. Even though Mctygue’s out of office, he’s still keeping busy with Bruno. McTygue confirmed today he sent out a press release backing Bruno over Democratic challenger Brian Premo. McTygue played a key role in ensuring Premo wouldn’t Read More
One of our Business staffers spotted this photo by Tom Killips in today’s (Troy) Record, captured at yesterday’s big trucker rally outside the Capitol. While the truckers protested fuel prices, taxes and tolls — our own Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno, R-Brunswick, hopped in the cab in a show of solidarity. Look closely, though, and you’ll notice the senator Read More
In today’s column, new State Police Superintendent Harry Corbitt offers his perspective on Albany’s gun violence problem, Colonie may seek to punish some employees linked to a controversial public works project and differing takes on Assemblyman Jack McEneny’s warchest, which — at last check – was closer in size to a cigar box.
This happened Tuesday night but we forgot to post it. Here’s the info on the vote. The one-time deficit tax bill passed the Assembly 87-53. Here’s how the locals voted: Robert Reilly: Yes Ron Canestrari: Yes Jim Tedisco: Yes Roy McDonald: Yes Tim Gordon: No George Amedore: No According to the bill tracker, which in the crush Read More
As Dominick Calsolaro contemplates whether to make a run for mayor, he also has a new Web site touting his views.


Have you seen those multi-colored, multi-textured novelty yarns where loads of different textures and colors are knotted together into one big magical hank of yarn? They make wonderfully colorful and unique scarves and cowls. You can make your own magic ball of yarn AND use up your leftovers and odd balls in the process (allowing room in your stash to buy more yarn). The concept of the magic ball is not new – Kaffe Fassett made it popular decades ago and it continues to be a great way to gain confidence working with color.
We decided to do a little de-stashing of our own. Here's how.
Step 1: Gather all your odd balls and leftover bits of yarn.
Dive deep into that stash – you probably have more than you think. Throw a magic ball party with some knitting friends like we did at the Classic Elite office. Pool your yarns and wind the balls together. Even your most outlandish yarns will work – fun fur, bright acrylics, scratchy wools and spaced dyed yarns – all will work and add to the beauty of your magic ball. Make a big pile of yarn on the floor or a large table – you can’t have too much yarn!
Magic ball winding party at Classic Elite Yarns. It’s amazing how different each magic ball is –
all from the same pile of yarn!
Step 2: Start winding your ball.
Choose a random yarn from the pile and cut a random length. *Choose your next yarn, cut a random length and knot it to the previous yarn with a simple overhand knot; rep from * winding as you go.
Shorter lengths will blend colors together more easily but longer lengths will leave you with fewer ends to deal with. I usually make my lengths around 2 to 3 yards – but I don’t mind weaving in ends (more about dealing with the ends below). You can make each strand the same length or differ the lengths.
About color: You can plan your use of color or choose each length completely at random for a more stripey or patchwork look. Blending colors, to make your magic ball look as if it is one multi-colored yarn, can be achieved by always choosing your next length to have “something” in common with the previous length – either a similar hue (color) or the same value (degree of lightness or darkness) or a similar saturation.
Have fun playing color! Wind a rainbow ball by going around the color wheel. Or wind only analogous colors (2 or 3 colors next to each other on the color wheel) with the occasional pop of a complementary color (the color directly across the color wheel).
Don’t worry too much about different weight yarns – the occasional heavier yarn won’t disrupt your knitting and lighter weight yarns can be doubled or tripled to become closer to the weight of most of the yarns used.
|Susan, Cheryl, Betsy, Andi, Chris, Heather and Tonia working on their winding.|
Step 3: Cast on and knit!
Choose a needle size that matches the average of yarns used. Garter, Stockinette stitch or other simple stitches work best – there is so much going on with the yarn, a more complicated stitch will get lost.
As you knit, stop to admire your knitting often. Remember, you created the ball and you can change it too. If a certain length of yarn is not working, take it out and add another or knot the adjoining strands together.
|Magic Ball knitting in progress.|
Dealing with the ends: There is no way around it – Magic balls have LOTS of ends to deal with. Here are some options:
1. Weave in your ends. The method I use: Whenever I sit down and pull out my magic ball knitting, I first weave in the ends from the last time I knit, allowing me to admire my work and avoiding having all the ends to weave in at once when the knitting is done.
2. Untie the magic ball knots as you go and spit splice (if you are using wool yarns) or knit in your ends.
3. Let your ends become a “design feature”. Instead of weaving in ends, tighten and trim knots at yarn changes. You can also adorn your ends by adding beads. If knitting a garment, let the ends flow freely on the inside – No one will know unless you tell them.
4. Trim your ends and line with fabric - cotton flannel of micro fleece work well.
Read further for instructions on making a scarf from the Magic Ball Scarf "recipe." And have fun with your stash!
|Magic Ball Scarf|


New Process for Managing Non-Code Pressure Vessels Creates NASA Standard
NASA-STD-8719.26A, NASA Requirements for Ground Based Non-Code Metallic Pressure Vessels went into effect May 11, 2021. This standard is intended to manage risk to personnel, facilities, missions and the environment posed by the use of existing ground-based, non-code metallic Pressure Vessels (PVs) that either 1) do not comply with applicable American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) code requirements specified in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 29 CFR pt. 1910 regulations or 2) were modified and no longer comply with the code.
“This document gives us a process for continued use of non-code pressure vessels in NASA operations and it ensures the safety of our employees,” said Clifton T. Arnold, Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OMSA) program executive for Pressure Systems. “We presented this standard to OSHA earlier this year and they came back with glowing remarks stating our methodology was solid, and OSHA fully supports the development and implementation of NASA STD 8719.26. Every technical detail and procedural process met or exceeded OSHA’s expectations and fulfills the guidance provided by OSHA Letters of Interpretation.”
When possible, all NASA centers and facilities work diligently to comply with ASME code requirements mandated by OSHA. However, many of NASA’s ground-based PVs were designed and fabricated years prior to the development of the OSHA regulations.
“Unfortunately, OSHA does not grandfather pressure vessels,” said Arnold. “So, there are a number of pressure vessels in our NASA inventory that do not meet the OSHA requirements for ASME code construction and design.”
This NASA technical standard provides uniform engineering and technical requirements for processes, procedures, practices and methods that OSHA endorsed as standard. It also includes requirements for the selection, application and design criteria of ground-based PVs that do not, or cannot, comply with all applicable OSHA 29 CFR 1910 regulations.
NASA-STD-8719.26 applies to two classifications of PVs:
- Non-code metallic PVs: PVs that do not comply with the original applicable ASME construction code, including PVs that were fabricated from non-code materials by non-code processes or organizations.
- Ground-based Layered PVs (LPVs): Metallic PVs that have a shell and/or heads made up of two or more separate layers.
“This standard requires that centers and facilities verify the structural integrity and fitness-for-service of agency non-code pressure vessels following the well-established methodologies of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code; API 510, Pressure Vessel Inspection Code: In-Service Inspection, Rating, Repair, and Alteration; and API 579-1/ASME FFS-1, Fitness-for-Service,” said Calogero DiRienzo, OSMA Pressure Systems delegated discipline lead.
NASA has performed extensive investigations, analyses, materials data development and Non-Destructive Examination (NDE) research, along with methods development and qualification for non-code metallic PVs not currently addressed by API 510 or API 579-1/ASME FFS-1, such as NASA’s fleet of ground-based LPVs.
“The Agency LPV Risk Mitigation Team is also working to produce technical memorandums and a Pressure Systems Manager Handbook that will be released the second quarter Fiscal Year 2022,” said Brian Stoltz, OSMA LPV risk mitigation project manager. “These documents will focus on specific discipline areas and provide detailed material properties, structural analysis and NDE methods required to qualify LPVs fit for operation.”
For more information about this standard, contact Clifton Arnold.