text:
The Russian government has repeatedly used against well-known Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko various persecution and attracted powerful resources. He wrote about this in his blog “Russia has taken a course in planting and repression, and by squeezing dissident”, which was published on the website “24”.
“It was not the first persecution, which was arranged for me, all this has been going on for years that just was not: and surveillance, and big boys in the hallway, and criminal cases, and films about “seventeen friends of the junta”, and the same persecution. But this time the attack was most powerful. Most concentrated. An outsider it’s hard to believe against some blogger can be attracted by such resources. Milon MP, Senator Klintsevich, fake fake fines, polomki of Nod, Olginskaya bots, “Moskovsky Komsomolets”, “Komsomolskaya Pravda”, “shot like mad dogs”, the bills on the prosecution’s lack of grief, petitions for deprivation of citizenship and so on and so on and so forth,”— said the representative of the media.
However, according to the journalist, with something of his rescues that he managed to achieve a sufficient level of publicity.
“It is the people in the regions can be planted after like for post, photo, whatever. No one knows hype will not help do not wait. In the capitals and public men it is definitely more difficult. Although, from time to time, paroxysms of activity to happen here,” said the Russian.
So, when he for the third time, it became known that he was preparing the next persecution, the Russian decided to leave the territory of the Russian Federation and moved to Prague.
“By and large, my life has not changed much. But gone was the paranoia. A sense of constant voltage, constant expectation of danger. Disappeared arrests, armature, crazy patriots, provocation, injections with a syringe, poisoning “unknown substance”, the shadows in the stairwell, the Elevator, who suddenly gets triggered in the night, a paddy wagon in the yard, etc.” — summed up Babchenko.
Earlier it was reported that well-known opposition journalist, left Russia.

domain: politics


text:
Country Craft Creations
Cotton Elastic Lace White 1 in. / sold by the yard
1" white Crochet Elastic Trim will give your projects a dainty and feminine touch. This trim features a gorgeous bright white color and a central elastic band that will complement every surface in which it's used. Use this ribbon in your projects, floral arrangements, scrapbooking, and other crafts to make them shine!
When ordering please select quantity
1 = 1 yard
2= 2 yards etc.

domain: artistic


text:
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domain: sociology


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Two months after his death, President Felix Houphouet-Boigny of the Ivory Coast, one of the last of a generation of African leaders to guide his people from colonialism, finally received a somber state funeral today in the world's largest church, which he had built in his ancestral village.
The 7,000 guests inside the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro, and the tens of thousands of mourners who endured withering equatorial heat in the huge esplanade outside, witnessed what it seems safe to say was the most lavish ceremony ever held to pay homage to an African leader. A Mix of Traditions
All the panoply of Western religious liturgy mixed with traditional African customs were on display here, Mr. Houphouet-Boigny's birthplace: the stirring music of Handel and Gounod; the undulating music and dance of ancient African rituals; a huge chorus dressed in bright batik dress singing "laagoh budji gnia," the Baoule-language words for "Lord, it is you who has made all things"; a military honor guard dressed in bright red coats and brandishing glittering swords, and hundreds of village elders, resplendent in huge multi-colored strips of kente and korhogo cloth.
It was a day carefully designed both as a tribute to the late President and as a showcase for a country on the underside of West Africa's peninsular bulge, but rooted spiritually somewhere between the brutal competitiveness of Western commerce and the brilliantly complex and often mystical culture of ancient Africa.
Indeed, the Ivory Coast has long regarded itself as an oasis of relative affluence and tranquillity amid the excesses of war, famine, religious and ethnic hatreds and other seemingly intractable problems that have afflicted much of post-independence Africa.
Mr. Houphouet-Boigny (pronounced oof-WET bwahn-YEE) died on Dec. 7, at the official age of 88, but he was widely believed to be much older. The two-month delay before his burial, which is not uncommon among his ethnic group, the Baoule, allowed time for many ceremonies leading up to today's funeral.
Like the Egyptian pharaohs, Baoule chiefs are traditionally buried with tools, mementos -- and it is widely rumored, even friends and relatives -- they treasured in life. Mr. Houphouet-Boigny is no exception, but his large extended family, with their penchant for secrecy, has declined to say what, if anything, they will bury with the president. Indeed, it is considered very rude to even pose questions about the custom. Ruled for Over 30 Years
Mr. Houphouet-Boigny had ruled the Ivory Coast since it gained independence from France in 1960, and at the time of his death he was Africa's longest-serving leader and the third-longest-serving in the world after Fidel Castro of Cuba and Kim Il Sung of North Korea. Still, although Mr. Houphouet-Boigny's funeral attracted representatives of more than 140 countries and international organizations, many Ivorians were privately bewildered and angered because several countries that were considered close allies failed to send what were considered sufficiently high-ranking representatives.
Ivorians were especially disappointed with the United States, which sent a 15-member delegation that seemed to many a telling illustration of the Clinton Administration's inattention, if not outright indifference, toward Africa. The delegation was led by the Secretary of Energy, Hazel O'Leary and George Moose, the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.
American officials acknowledged that Mrs. O'Leary, who holds Cabinet rank, has little, if any experience in dealing with current African issues. Issue of U.S. Delegation
Earlier, Daniele Boni Clavarie, the Ivorian Minister of Communication, told reporters that she was disappointed with the size and composition of the United States delegation. "If we had been sent a vice president, we would have been happier," she said.
By contrast, France, the former colonial ruler of the Ivory Coast, sent a formidable delegation, including President Francois Mitterrand and Prime Minister Edouard Balladur, former President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, six former Prime Ministers and more than 70 other dignitaries. Mr. Houphouet-Boigny had nurtured close personal ties with several generations of French leaders.
But Mr. Houphouet-Boigny's death is not only the end of a political era here, but perhaps as well the end of the close French-African relationship that he came to symbolize.
France maintained closer ties, particularly regarding monetary and military matters, with its former colonies in Africa than did many other former imperial powers.
Many Ivorians were stunned that just a month after the death of their leader in December, France supported the 50 percent devaluation of the C.F.A. franc, the French-backed currency that is used in 14 French-speaking countries, and Equatorial Guinea. Mr. Houphouet-Boigny had strongly opposed a realignment of the C.F.A. franc, and devaluation has been widely seen as a betrayal by France and a worrying sign of things to come. A Somber Moment
For the vast throngs outside the basilica, it was, as many of them said, among the most deeply spiritual events in their lives. Tens of thousands had slept in nearby bus stops, soccer fields and schoolyards overnight to be sure of good vantage points. They were in a uniformly somber mood, some singing or praying quietly to themselves, others waving small flags or handkerchiefs with the late President's portrait.
"He was a great, great man, and I don't see how this country will ever replace him," said Coulibaly Ahoussou, a 42-year-old businessman. Nearby, Jean Adouko, a Government clerical worker, mopped his brow with his handkerchief. "Our father is gone," he said. "May he rest peacefully. Nothing here will ever be the same." No Serious Incidents
Several dozen women who wanted to fall on the ground and bury their heads in straw baskets according to traditional mourning customs were persuaded to carry out the ritual elsewhere.
No serious incidents of any kind were reported.
Mr. Houphouet-Boigny, who often described himself as a devout Catholic, was tolerant of traditional African religious beliefs, known as animism, which range from a faith in spirits to forms of ancestor worship. In a nation of about 14 million people, only about 15 percent are Catholic, while 40 percent are Muslim, 5 percent Protestant, and the rest animist.
Still, Mr. Houphouet-Boigny's decision to build the basilica, especially with the country in deep recession, was at the time widely derided as a scandalous extravagance. For one thing, its proportions seemed grossly ill-suited for a country of 14 million people: the dome of Our Lady of Peace is twice the size of the dome of St. Peter's basilica in Rome. An Enormous Edifice
The church contains 30 acres of marble and four times the amount of stained glass in the French cathedral in Chartres. It is also the world's largest air-conditioned space, and the 7.4-acre esplanade is designed to hold 300,000 people. Nobody but the President seemed to know how much it cost, but estimates by outsiders run into hundreds of millions of dollars, a significant proportion of the country's foreign debt of about $12 billion.
Mr. Houphouet-Boigny also officially moved the national capital here in 1983, but administrative operations remained in Abidjan.
Mr. Houphouet-Boigny maintained that the basilica was built on his own land and financed with his own money. But many critics here and abroad questioned that assertion. Today, however, the voices of the President's critics were mostly mute.
"Nobody can deny that he built one of the most beautiful buildings in the world," said Serge Behi, a student at a nearby technical college. "A hundred, maybe a thousand years from now, people will still be awed by it."
After the requiem mass at the basilica this afternoon, Mr. Houphouet-Boigny's body was sent a short distance to his estate where, in a private family ceremony, the man who presided during Africa's most tumultuous era will finally be laid to rest.

domain: news


The well-distributed volumetric heat source model for numerical simulation of wire arc additive manufacturing process
Materials Today Communications
Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is a promising alternative to laser-powder based additive manufacturing for fabricating large metallic components due to its high productivity and low cost. The high heat input of the arc welding process causes significant thermal stresses resulting in large distortion of the components. Finite element methods are widely used to analysis arc welding and additive manufacturing process, while the commonly used Gaussian or Double ellipsoid volumetric heat source model requires a large number of mesh points suffering from computational expensive and time consuming. This paper describes the well-distributed volumetric heat source model for numerical simulation of wire arc additive manufacturing process on large components. The proposed well-distributed heat source model is insensitive to mesh, showing a significant advantage with respect to the computational time. The simulated temperature history and distribution are verified by comparison with the experimental results from thermocouples and a high-temperature thermal imaging camera.
Open Access Status
This publication is not available as open access
Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province


Legacy retailers are finally figuring out how to do some things right this holiday season after years of being hammered by e-commerce rivals.
Instead of just slashing prices — their usual lever to draw in customers — retailers are beginning to find creative ways to use their stores as an advantage instead of an albatross.
They are hosting parties and inviting shoppers to take pictures in their decor. They are offering tutorials online and in stores on everything from home decor to skiing.
Make no mistake, it’s been a rough year for brick-and-mortar retailers. With a record number of store closings, many industry analysts have called it a “retail apocalypse.”
During the period between Nov. 1 and Dec. 1, online sales grew by 26 percent compared with a year ago, according to data analytics firm Slice Intelligence. That increase was fueled by 18 percent more online shoppers. Amazon, the juggernaut, shows no signs of slowing.
But instead of acting dumbfounded by customers’ defecting to online sites, retailers have finally put in place technology that links their online stores with their physical stores. They’re also trying to make their stores more fun.
Last Saturday afternoon, Wal-Mart served more than 64,000 chocolate ganache cakes and Patti LaBelle cobblers to surprised customers during its new in-store holiday parties.
This month at home furnishings retailer Wisteria, shoppers posed for photos amid the Christmas-themed decor. Sunday at Kohl’s, for the first time, the retailer invited Santa in to visit with children in all its 1,154 stores.
Will efforts like these and the progress retailers are making with their online stores be enough to claw back some market share, stem the decline of profits and, more important, stave off obsolescence?
The jury’s still out, but this Christmas season is an important test.
Wisteria, a Dallas company that started out as a home furnishings catalog, has one store in Inwood Village and an outlet on Midway Road in Farmers Branch. The retailer has had a tradition of employees bringing their pets to work to take photos in its attractive room settings.
Shannon Newsom, co-founder and vice president of Wisteria, suggested the Inwood Village store should be shared with customers, too. The store’s holiday decorations, together with its linen sofas, Louis XVI armchairs and console tables set off with holiday arrangements, pillows, candles and crosses, make a great backdrop for a Christmas card photo.
Last Saturday, Wisteria hired a photographer to take free photos of customers.
“When we decided to open a physical space, we wanted the catalog to come alive,” Newsom said. “We want people to come in and sit and experience it, look at design books, bring your dog, and we always welcome picture-taking.”
Does free food, apple cider and holiday cheer from employees dressed in ugly Christmas sweaters and Santa suits have an impact on Wal-Mart customers?
Dallas roommates Lexi Frautschi, 22, Catelyn Jackson, 25, and Megan Byrom, 24, said they were already in a party mood when they entered the Wal-Mart on LBJ Freeway in northwest Dallas.
“We’re shopping for a party tonight, so it’s too late to shop online and we need decorations and platters, things like that,” said Jackson. They partook of the free cobbler and other samples. “I’d recommend the cobbler,” Byrom said.
Dora Martinez, 31, of Dallas walked into the same Wal-Mart with her two children. “I come to Wal-Mart a lot, twice a week. I’ve never seen them do something like this.”
No one is saying that these kinds of events are what will save stores; rather, they are part of a range of responses to the elephant that’s always in the room: Amazon.
Amazon’s impact on the industry has been to either whip retailers into shape or into bankruptcy court.
“We’re seeing renewed and vigorous competition to Amazon, but Amazon is still growing and outperforming the industry on average,” said Yory Wurmser, analyst at research firm eMarketer. That said, there are some really strong efforts, foremost from Wal-Mart, he said.
Wal-Mart has copied Amazon by spending money to buy expertise and market share with the acquisitions of Jet.com, ModCloth, Moosejaw, Bonobos and others.
Last month, Wal-Mart reported third-quarter digital sales growth of 50 percent. It also bought a logistics company in New York called Parcel allowing it to start same-day deliveries there. Wal-Mart has made it easier for shoppers to buy groceries and other items online and pick up in store, offers free two-day shipping without a membership fee, and even lowered prices to customers who will come into its 4,700 stores to shop instead. It’s improved its website, and its mobile app fast-tracks returns and refund credits.
“Wal-Mart is using its stores to create an advantage that Amazon can’t match today, and Best Buy is another one that has managed to survive and embrace showrooming with price match guarantees and an excellent website,” Wurmser said.
Best Buy is the last surviving national consumer electronics store and maintains share against Amazon by focusing on the customer experience in stores and by investing in site search capabilities, how-to tutorials and educational content, according to a new report from research firm L2 Inc. that rated big-box chains’ digital performance.
In fact, Slice’s November data supported the strength of Best Buy’s online sales.
Amazon captured 34 percent of online sales in November, according to Slice. The next biggest share was Best Buy's 4 percent.
“Brick-and-mortar has done well as a group, and some have enjoyed growth rates higher than Amazon’s,” said Ken Cassar, principal analyst at Slice. “Collectively, they have some mojo online, which is a change from past years. But Amazon is a steamroller.”
Slice said traditional retailers made big strides in November. Sales were up 62 percent at Costco from a year ago, 50 percent at J.C. Penney, 47 percent at Target and 44 percent at Kohl's, which has a test underway with Amazon in Chicago and Los Angeles where shoppers can make Amazon returns at 84 Kohl's stores.
While legacy retailers are improving their own performance, they have easier comparisons, and they aren’t making a dent in Amazon’s performance.
Becoming a hybrid
After years of retailers talking about a seamless experience between stores and online, it’s finally happening.
Being able to pick up online orders from stores is a big driver of traffic, and same-day pickup is something Best Buy and Home Depot advanced early on and most other big chains have added this year including Target, Costco and J.C. Penney.
Showing online shoppers which local store has an item in stock and letting them pick it up the same day is a complex capability and expensive technology investment, but one that retailers have had to make.
Among department stores, Nordstrom has perfected the same-day pickup with curbside service. The turnaround can be a matter of a few minutes. During the last week before Christmas, Nordstrom will have curbside pickup available 24/7 from 10 stores in major markets including its store at NorthPark Center in Dallas.
Plano-based Penney’s store team has cut the time it takes for an in-stock item to be ready for pickup to two hours from four hours last year, said Mike Amend, J.C. Penney’s executive vice president of omnichannel. Penney and other retailers have created new mobile apps with bar code scanners that let shoppers check prices in stores. The apps also store digital coupons and call up specific in-store maps.
Retail websites also are redefining the customer experience.
The number of big-box retailers linking from tutorials to product pages has doubled since last year, according to L2, which pointed to Fort Worth-based Pier 1 Imports for making improvements in driving commerce from content by regularly releasing tutorials with home decorating tips and shoppable images.
REI’s category pages include buying guides for products with multiple features such as backpacking packs.
Is this revenge of the brick-and-mortar retailers enough to slow down Amazon?
“Revenge is the wrong word,” said eMarketer’s Wurmser. “It’s a response.”
It’s not hopeless, but this holiday season illustrates how it will be more and more difficult for stores, he said.
“The retailers who are going to survive have to be really innovative because Amazon plays its own game,” Wurmser said. Amazon looks at weakness and attacks that. First, it set up a huge distribution network, and now it’s working on a big shipping network.
“There’s only one company with its scale and competence,” he said, “and that’s Wal-Mart.”


Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw presented representatives of the LCpl. Caleb Powers Young Marines a proclamation recognizing Oct. 23 to 31, 2012, as the annual Red Ribbon Week. The presentation was held during Tuesday evening's City Council Meeting.
"The National Red Ribbon Campaign is now the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation reaching millions of young people during Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 23 to 31 each year," according to the website.
The LCpl Caleb Powers Young Marines will promote Red Ribbon Week in the area through events and displays, including their interactive presentations at from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Nov. 3 'Be the Best You Can Be' festival at Spotsylvania Towne Centre.


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Government has pledged funding for a recovery project handed to South Sudan by the European Union and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which will form the base for the country to be food sufficient by 2014, according to a new target.
“This project has given us the foundation upon which South Sudan is starting,” Martin Elia Lomoro, the minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries, has said. The target to achieve food sufficiency by 2014 was set at the recent agricultural fair. Some $5 million, the minister said, has been budgeted to sustain the project. FAO implemented the programme with funding from EU.
“It means that the budget will be directed to areas where the President’s priorities lie,” Lomoro said. “If you can’t feed your stomach, you can’t go to farm. A hungry army can’t fight; they will even through the gun away.”
“The project has built the base for a more effective Governmental service delivery to farmers and livestock keepers, but for continuity the government must now take over,” Massimiliano Pedretti, Programme Manager at the EU Delegation said. “SPCRP has contributed substantially to the Institutional building and to the capacity building of farmers. This process has only started and will further be supported by EU"
Under the physical recovery, 5 state ministries of Agriculture headquarters and 14 County Agriculture Department headquarters, complete with generators and VSAT, were built. The project also procured some 20 vehicles and 28 motorbikes.
According to a report from the Office of Evaluation, FAO, the improved condition of the offices is boosting the quality of work and the commitment of government and staff members. “The means of transport are highly appreciated even though a dire need remains.”
The project developed vital rural productive services, such as rural advisory and extension services, animal health, marketing systems and rural business support. The project put staffs in states where they didn’t exist shortly after the peace agreement. It trained 1055 government staffs and 13,520 non state actors, and trained and equipped with bicycles some 200 Community Animal Health Workers who were provided with solar fridges. It established some 394 farmer field schools to do commercial enterprises and ensure agriculture sustainability.
“Smallholder groups have created knowledge that didn’t exist before and have demonstrated utilization of improved technologies introduced by the project, such as improved fish processing and preservation, and vegetable production, but all these investments need to be maintained and kept functional,” Pedretti said. “There is political will to keep the machinery running, but the budget is inadequate.”
South Sudan suffers acute food shortages; more than half the food is imported, yet it has some of Africa’s most fertile lands. The country’s funding to the sector is 2.1 percent of the budget, but officials acknowledge that the country’s prospects for prosperity lie with this industry.
“South Sudan has enormous potential in agriculture, livestock and fisheries development,” Dr. Sue Lautze, Head of Office, FAO South Sudan, said. “We’re currently working with the government and other stakeholders to develop its Country Programming Framework (CPF), which will guide all interventions in South Sudan as the country waits to become a full member state of FAO.”
South Sudan is due to become a member state of FAO next year.


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International Literature Festival Berlin: A Reading with J.M. Coetzee
The number of events for the International Literature Festival Berlin are many, but we couldn’t resist the reading with world renowned J.M. Coetzee held at the prestigious Berliner Festspiele arts center on the evening of Tuesday 10th September.
Reading from a letter exchange between himself and American author Paul Auster, the Nobel Prize winner was accompanied on the evening by German actors Samuel Finzi and Burghart Klaußner to help deliver the reading in both English and German.
The topics of the letters were broad: they opened discussing friendship: it’s essence, foundation and differing forms between same and different sexes. Coetzee ascertained that although friendship may be considered a weak imitation of love “Friendship is transparent, just what it seems to be, not like love or politics.”
Further topics included Israel and its turbulent history, Coetzee’s view on this being that “perhaps the time has come for the women to take the reigns.” The discourse which followed also included books and the future of the library, Auster perturbed by the notion of a paperless library with mere images of books.
An intimate portrait of two esteemed contemporary intellectuals, the letters proved that despite the tendency to ignore the advice of our elders there is still much to be gained from doing so, and that they are not as Coetzee fears merely “scorned prophets, crying into the wilderness.”

domain: literature


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A view of the camping field at New House Farm
We found New House Farm to have plenty of space, despite being the late May Bank Holiday with great weather.
Set in Derbyshire with views of the Peak District National Park, New House Farm provides a back to basics camping experience – no showers and hot water, just mains water taps and composting toilets 😉
There are a number of camping fields. Most of the camping is up the hill from the farmhouse, but the camping fields themselves are relatively flat with a gentle slope.
A fire pit provided by New House Farm Campsite
Campfires are allowed if kept off the ground.
They provide these fire pits that are located around the camping fields.
There’s plenty of space for the kids to roam on this campsite, with only the occasional car arriving or leaving.
One thing to watch out for though is the field beyond the upper camping field. This has a cliff.
There’s a safe path to the bottom of the cliff, and great for exploring with an adult.
The composting toilets at New House Farm
If you are looking for a campsite with lots of facilities then New House Farm isn’t for you.
There is fresh (cold) running water at taps in each field, plus these composting toilets.
There’s aren’t as bad as many may think, and they didn’t smell.
The land at New House Farm is full of archaeological treasures, and the campsite has its own archaeological trail.
Artefacts found on the land are with the British Museum.

domain: geography


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I did some touring in Spain last summer, my route was Zaragoza-> Valencia -> Alicante -> Granada -> Malaga. What I did was staying in hostels in the cities and wildcamping inbetween the cities. My experience is that if you're away from the touristic places it's really easy to find nice places to go wildcamping. It's not legal but people don't really care and are really friendly. If you follow the coast there will be campsites along the way (not cheap though).
Some pictures of my trip: https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/267453/?offset=25#comment12614351
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Cable car bells clanged, Minions danced and restaurant patrons sipped their drinks indoors on a scorching day as California fully reopened its economy after 15 months of coronavirus restrictions. From the wine country to Disneyland, restaurants and other businesses threw open their doors wide... Read More.
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Characters The Wolf and the Seven College Kids
In this adult vore take on the Grimm's fairy tale Heather takes her wolf boyfriend Richard to meet her seven brothers and sisters Tired of playing den mother to the undergrads she begs Richard n.
Read & download ✓ PDF, DOC, TXT, eBook or Kindle ePUB free Þ the Wolf
Ot to get involved in getting hammered for the weekend with the young goats But after one strong margarita and several shots the wolf is betting the undergrads that he can eat all seven of them.
the Wolf Þ 2 Characters
In one night Heather knows something is bound to go wrong she's seen them all drunk before But Richard's pride just won't let him uitA vore fairy tale for adult readers only Cover art by Malezor.

domain: library


text:
The Ryan White Foundation, which bears the name of one America's earliest and youngest public faces of AIDS, is closing because of dwindling donations.
Jeanne White-Ginder, White's mother, said she will close the organization and join forces with another advocacy group, AIDS Action, at the end of the month.
"It won't be up to me to bring in all the money now," she said Monday.
White-Ginder will lead the Washington-based group's Ryan White Project, a new effort to bolster AIDS education among young people and to lobby for continued federal funding for AIDS programs.
"We are combining our efforts to make sure that Ryan's legacy continues," she said.
White, a hemophiliac, contracted the virus through tainted blood-clotting products. His court battle to be allowed to attend school drew widespread attention. Celebrities such as Michael Jackson and Elton John befriended him, and he was the subject of a television movie.
He died in 1990 at age 18. Later that year, White-Ginder started the foundation.
At its height, the Indianapolis-based organization had four paid employees and an annual budget of about $250,000. But dwindling donations forced the layoff of full-time staff this year.
Its leaders attributed the drop in money to beliefs that the AIDS crisis is over.
In fact, "the AIDS epidemic is in the midst of one of its worst crises yet--the crisis of complacency," said Mark Maddox, the foundation's chairman.


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George Mawadri, Etihad Airways GM- Nigeria
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arabs Emirates (UAE), has appointed George Mawadri as its new General Manager in Nigeria.
According to the airline, he will be responsible for growing Etihad Airways’ relationships with its travel trade and corporate customers while furthering the development of the airline’s commercial strategy in Nigeria.
George brings a vast amount of airline experience and knowledge to the position having served with British Airways for 19 years in Uganda, Kenya and Zambia in the East and Central Africa region, as well as the surrounding feeder markets of Zimbabwe, Malawi, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sudan and South Sudan.
“I am excited to take on this new role with Etihad Airways in one of the airline’s most dynamic markets,” said George Mawadri.
Speaking further, he said: “I look forward to working with the team to find new and innovative ways of expanding our strategic corporate and trade partnerships, strengthening our commercial ties and providing our guests with Etihad Airways’ world-class service, comfort, and hospitality.”
Commenting on the appointment, Danny Barranger, Etihad Airways’ Senior Vice President, Global Sales, said: “I am delighted that George will be leading our team in Nigeria to grow our business there. His extensive commercial experience and successful track record in the African aviation industry will be invaluable as he continues to develop awareness of Etihad Airways, making him the ideal candidate for this important position.”
Etihad Airways launched its service between Lagos and Abu Dhabi on 1 July 2012 and currently operates four-times-per-week using an Airbus A330-200 aircraft configured to carry 254 guests, 18 in Business Class and 236 in Economy Class.
Etihad Airways began operations in 2003, and in 2015 carried 17.6 million passengers. From its Abu Dhabi base, Etihad Airways flies to, or has announced plans to serve, 117 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. The airline has a fleet of 122 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, with 204 aircraft on firm order, including 71 Boeing 787s, 25 Boeing 777Xs, 62 Airbus A350s and 10 Airbus A380s.
Etihad Airways holds equity investments in air berlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Alitalia, Jet Airways, Virgin Australia, and Swiss-based Darwin Airline, trading as Etihad Regional. Etihad Airways, along with Air berlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Alitalia, Etihad Regional, Jet Airways and NIKI, also participate in Etihad Airways Partners, a brand that brings together partner airlines to offer customers more choice through improved networks and schedules and enhanced frequent flyer benefits.


In Texas, State Representatives Can Determine Fate Of Affordable Housing
This may be the most anxious time of year for affordable-housing developers in Texas. In a few weeks, they'll find out whether their applications for low-income housing tax credits have been approved, and the decision could spell life or death for their proposed projects.
The federal government distributes money for affordable housing to states and local housing authorities, which in turn award the funds to builders in the form of tax credits. Tax credits are the primary government resource for building more affordable rental housing – but the competition is fierce.
In order to score these federal tax deductions, developers need to gain approval from both state and local governments. But in Texas, some critics say, the system gives undue authority to state representatives.
The Dallas Women’s Foundation recently released a report that calls for changes to the tax credit system.
“The local government, neighborhood associations, and also statehouse representatives, not senators, are able to put in points, and they add up, and we see who is able to be awarded tax credits,” Dena Jackson, the foundation's senior vice president of grants and research, said.
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, which awards competitive tax credits, scores projects on a range of criteria, including government support. At the local level, developers must gain approval in the form of an ordinance from a city council. But at the state level, that authority is in the hands of a single representative.
“This, in effect, gives the House representatives the veto power over where affordable housing is going to land in their jurisdictions,” Jackson said.
This matters because those representatives have constituents to answer to – constituents who desperately need affordable housing, as well as those who don’t want it in their neighborhoods. Last year, state Rep. Celia Israel made the controversial decision not to endorse the Elysium affordable housing development in her Central Texas district. The move came after nearby property owners raised concerns about the proposed project, namely increased traffic and flooding.
Developers say they ultimately gained Israel’s approval this year, as well as that of the Austin City Council. But across the state, industry representatives say some legislators simply refuse to get involved.
“So you’re finding entire areas of the state now essentially redlined out of the program,” said Sarah Anderson, who runs a tax credit consulting firm in Austin.
Anderson has also worked with developers who have had state representatives' support pulled at the last minute, seemingly because of neighborhood opposition.
“We’ve seen it where we’ve gone all the way till 4:30 on the day that they’re due, and we’re told that they’re going to write the letter,” Anderson said. “And then after everything’s done, the money is spent, and then they just say, ‘Yup, I’ve changed my mind.’”
The Texas House did consider a bill to change the system this session. It proposes allowing state senators to weigh in, in addition to state representatives, but that bill has been left pending in a House committee. Texas will award this year’s round of low-income housing tax credits in July.


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Spaniard Rafael Nadal says his main concern is a full return to fitness, not his tennis world ranking
- August 18, 2012
Spanish tennis ace Rafael Nadal, who pulled out of the US Open due to injury, said on Friday his sole focus now was on getting back to full fitness again and not worrying about his world ranking.
The world No.3 on Wednesday withdrew from the US Open, the final grand slam of the season, which starts in New York on August 27, because of his continuing battle with knee tendinitis.
"Now I'm not bothered if I'm third or fourth in the ATP. The most important thing is to be physically fit," said Nadal.
"I've missed too many important tournaments to continue taking risks. I'll return when my knee is better.
"I'm saddened not to be able to compete in the US Open because it's a tournament in which I've always felt great support but I can't take risks."
Nadal won a record seventh French Open title in June but he crashed out in the second round at Wimbledon in a shock upset against Czech Lukas Rosol.
Shortly after the 26-year-old pulled out of the Olympics and subsequently withdrew from ATP Tour events in Toronto and Cincinnati.
The tennis ace's coach and uncle said on Thursday that Nadal should be ready for the Davis Cup semi-final between Spain and the United States next month.
"It was the right decision. This pause will further prolong his career and, possibly, he will have no more problems in the future," Toni Nadal told Spanish radio, adding the goal is to work for a "full recovery".
Watch the US Open Live and in High Definition on Fox Sports from August 27.
Follow the action. Like Fox Sports.
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26 May 2013Play Video: Carlton presser Carlton coach, Mick Malthouse, says his side need to stay focus and concentrate on what they are doing right.
26 May 2013Play Video: Lions presser Brisbane Lions coach, Michael Voss, says Carlton deserved their victory.
25 May 2013Play Video: MAN v CBR: Match news report Manly have maintained their spot in the top four after turning around a six-point deficit to beat Canberra 16-10.


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Top 4 New Garden Varieties for 2017 is by Amanda Pelletier, Alton, Maine
In the depth of a Maine winter there is nothing better than kicking back by the woodstove with a hot coffee while flipping through garden catalogues. If this isn’t your dream—you might be on the wrong website. To kick off this cozy hobby, I’d like to offer up my list of my favorite new garden varieties for 2017.
Opal Creek Snap Peas
I’d like to introduce Opal Creek Snap Peas sold right in Maine at Pine Tree Seeds. These pale yellow pods will pop out and holler to be picked instead of hiding behind the jungle of green leaves.
They grow on strong 6 foot vines and can be eaten fresh while you sit on the garden bench. Whole peas beat shelling for an hour each evening in mid summer. These peas not only made my top new garden varieties for 2017 list, they also earn a spot in my vertical garden plot list.
Rainbow Marcella Echinacea
This winter hardy perennial can be split and replanted to double your size every three or four years depending on its health and how hard the winter before was. Seeds are also easy to collect and spread with a high germination rate.
Rainbow Marcella is a native pollinator attractant. This nectar rich flower will add long lasting browse to your garden for honey bees if you keep them. Companion to many other perennials, this tall flower stays compact and doesn’t blow over easy.
In addition to its beauty and hardy nature, this plant is a common herb widely used for it’s medicinal practices. This is my official new garden varieties for 2017 top flower pick.
Bopak Pak Choi Hybrid:
This new blend made it to the All-American Selections winner’s circle. This new flavorful variety mixes tones of cabbage and beloved buttery chard for dynamic soup to stir fry multi purposing. Improved tender leaves, no strings and sweet crisp stalks can eaten like celery.
This broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower relative has an upright, compact habit great for raised beds and containers. It does well planted along short leaf mix lettuce and can be used a wind barrier for tomatoes when planted around their base. Best of all, it will be an early vegetable with only 4 days for germination at optimal temperatures and only 58 to maturity.
Dragon’s Tail Radish:
Dragon’s Tail Radish is My Favorite of all the New Garden Varieties for 2017
Also on my vertical list this charmer has it all; a tangy taste, brilliant color, flowers, strange beauty and a bushy growing habit. This plant can be tied together as it matures or grown in a cage 2′ wide.
This plant began as an Asian heirloom and was cultivated for its long purple seed pods with green tips. These long wisps 4-6 inches long and quickly cover the bush as the delicate lace-like flowers go by on these pretty plants.
The pods can be eaten raw like radishes, stir fried or pickled. When chopped up small they make a great addition to a salad or wrap. This is a head turner that will have your gardening friends guessing.
A coneflower with fantastic multicolored gradient flower petals that last for weeks and blooms for months. Single-petal blossoms unfurl in shades of melon orange and fade to raspberry pink right up to frost.

domain: agronomy


EP: Vince deDJ – 2.0 Project Full Download
Vince deDJ has released a music EP titled “2.0 Project” and it’s available here on mp3 iTunes FLAC rar zippyshare + 320kbps for your free download.
Listen and Download EP: Vince deDJ – 2.0 Project lyrics tracklist, music album downloader,mp3 album, Download Mp3,hipHop, song download on fakahipho
Stream and download belo
Vince deDJ – Feelings Shared (Deeper Mi
Vince deDJ – April 2K2
Vince deDJ – Thinking of You2x):w.p. MP3


Take All of Me (song)
"Take All of Me" is a worship song written by Marty Sampson and recorded by the band Hillsong United for their album, More Than Life. In 2005, Rebecca St. James covered the song on her album, If I Had One Chance to Tell You Something, and it was released as the fourth single from the album in October 2006.
The song is based on the Scripture Verse Psalm 146:5: "Put your hope in God."
|This Christian music song-related article is a stub. You can help EverybodyWiki by expanding it.|
This article "Take All of Me (song)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Take All of Me (song). Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.


The train runs soley on litium ion batteries until it reaches 30 mph. The deisel engine then kicks on and provides the boost needed to get the train really moving, and re-charge the batteries, if needed. Of course, the train's breaking also recharges the batteries, and the engine automatically shuts off when the train is in idle.
The hybrid system reduces particulate and NOx emissions by around 60% and improves the overall efficiency of the train by around 10%. The Railway Company is also hoping that fuel batteries will become a viable alternative to fossil fuel engines, and has created the train with the specific intent of eventually replacing the deisel engine with fuel batteries.
From the Japan Times


Bangladesh is set to honour former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his outstanding support for the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971 when he was a Lok Sabha member.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman familiar with the process said Bangladesh will hand over Vajpayee’s “Friends of Bangladesh Liberation War Award” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his upcoming visit to the country from 6 June.
Vajpayee, who is unwell, could not visit Bangladesh to receive the honour.
“From the very beginning of the Liberation War (in 1971), he (Vajpayee) took a firm stand in favour of Bangladesh’s independence… as the then president of Bharatya Jana Sangh and Lok Sabha member he mobilised campaign at home and in international arena for the rights of Bangladesh’s people,” the official said quoting the draft citation of the award.
Besides, the official said, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also approved a proposal to honour the families of the members of Indian armed forces for sacrificing their lives for the cause of Bangladesh’s independence.
The proposal suggested that it was a “national responsibility” on the part of Bangladesh to acknowledge formally the supreme sacrifices of Indian soldiers.
Officials said Dhaka decided to send the martyrs’ family members a letter alongside a certificate to be signed by the Bangladesh premier expressing tributes for their contributions.
The then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi was the first “foreign friend” to be conferred with the ‘Bangladesh Liberation War Honour Award’. Her daughter-in-law and Congress party president Sonia Gandhi received the honour on her behalf in 2012 at a special ceremony.
Most of the subsequent recipients were also from India which extended the most crucial support for Bangladesh’s independence with incumbent President Pranab Mukherjee being one of them.
Bangladesh decided to honour the 1971 “foreign friends” soon after the ruling Awami League was elected to power in 2008.


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The Emerging Agenda
Gordon B. Smith
Arriving in Tashkent on 11 October 1998, President Boris Yeltsin appeared fatigued. He was pale and unsteady, according to Russian news reports, and Uzbek President Islam Karimov had to help support him as the two presidents reviewed the ceremonial troops at the airport. Immediately news media worldwide began renewed speculation on the status of Yeltsin's health, whether he would complete his second term in office, and who his likely successor would be. Two weeks later, Yeltsin's doctors again forced him to cancel all appointments and retire to a sanatorium on the Black Sea coast. The events in October 1998 were not isolated. Throughout his tenure in office, Yeltsin has been plagued by rumors of poor health. In every instance, the focus of worldwide attention has been on who will be the next president of Russia. As the end of Yeltsin's second term of office nears, attention on his likely successor will undoubtedly intensify.
Certainly personalities matter. Should Yeltsin be succeeded by Grigory Yavlinsky, Russia would likely pursue a very different course than under Alexander Lebed or Gennadii Zyuganov. On the other hand, Yeltsin's successor will inherit a political system that bears his imprint in many ways. The institutional arrangements in the Russian Federation that have evolved during the years since the collapse of the USSR will inevitably constrain and influence the future course of Russia's policy. We have argued throughout this volume that the foundations for the post-Yeltsin political system are being laid today in the ongoing process of state-building and that this constitutes the real legacy of the Yeltsin presidency.
The foregoing chapters identified several common themes that have shaped the evolution of state-building under Yeltsin. We believe that these
Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Book title: State-Building in Russia:The Yeltsin Legacy and the Challenge of the Future. Contributors: Gordon B. Smith - Editor. Publisher: M. E. Sharpe. Place of publication: Armonk, NY. Publication year: 1999. Page number: 217.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.


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Skip the foil-wrapped chocolate Santas and the holiday-themed M&Ms, we folks in the Bay State like to keep our holiday candy as traditional as our New England roots: peppermint candy canes are what make our Christmas bright, according to a survey done by www.candystore.com.
Every year, the online bulk candy store compiles data from its customers and other retailers to rate favorite holiday candies state-by-state. Massachusetts residents picked candy canes as No. 1, with Hershey's Kisses and Reese's Cup Minis in third. Nationally, candystore.com noted, "Peppermint Bark continues to storm up the charts, increasing popularity nationwide as, for the second straight year, three new states have it as their No. 1 holiday candy."
According to the National Confectionery Association, Americans have been feeding their feelings through the pandemic with more candy than usual. Candy sales are up 3.8 percent for the period between March 15 and Aug. 9, and Halloween candy sales were up 12 percent. What will Christmas bring? Most likely more candy canes — thankfully, 1.76 billion candy canes are produced every year for the holiday season — and chocolate gifts that ship well.
Hover over the states on the map below to find out state-by-state what holiday candies reign supreme.

domain: food


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Posted on | maart 9, 2012 | No Comments
The White House has been floating a new concept in its war on drugs—Colombia as an “exporter of security.” The phrase has popped up in government statements several times just over the past week.
Actually, this isn’t the first time. Then Defense Secretary Robert Gates praised Colombia as an “exporter of security” back in April of 2010. The phrase seems to have gone dormant for awhile after that, although the Pentagon and State Department have been talking about and using Colombian security forces to train regional forces, in part to avoid the domestic and international political costs of having U.S. agents on the job on foreign soil.
First, Under-Secretary for Political Affairs, Wendy Sherman, used it again on Feb. 28 to describe her Mexico-Colombia-Brazil tour.
We also discussed Colombia’s growing regional and global outreach in support of international peace and security. For example, over the last three years, Colombia has trained over 11,000 police from 21 countries in Latin America and Africa, as well as Afghanistan. Colombia has also been a leader in the SICA-led Central American donor coordination process. Colombia is succeeding in leveraging its experience in the fight against cartels and terrorists in a way that positions it as a net exporter of security far beyond its borders.
Next up was Dan Restrepo in a March 1 press briefing for VP Joe Biden’s visit to Mexico and Honduras this week:
We’ve also continued to work, for example, with our partners from Colombia, who have become a very significant exporter of security to Central America — work to ensure, for example, in the last few weeks, the head of the National Police of Colombia traveled to Guatemala as part of the new Guatemalan government’s effort to revamp the national security strategy in that country to ensure that it is facing what we all recognize to be a growing challenge in the region.
In the globalized world where everything’s a commodity, we’ve gotten used to being told the world is just a giant conglomeration of products and consumers, but I’d never seen security commodified like this before. It’s a dangerously false concept.
What does “exporter of security” mean? You can export security equipment (aka weapons or intelligence hardware), but security? This is the dictionary definition of security:
So if security is the absense of threats and danger, how do you export it? If “security” pertains to a situation in a certain State how can it be shipped off to another country and context?
Even more baffling, how did Colombia get to be an “exporter of security”? Does that mean it somehow has produced a surplus of security that it can now export?
Last time I checked, Colombia had active organizations officially listed as “terrorist” operating within its borders (on both the left and the right). In January of this year, paramilitary organization called Los Urabeños paralyzed five departments in an “armed strike” just to show they could. Paramilitary forces were found to control 30% of the National Senate. Some five million people have been displaced from their homes and communities by violent conflict and the country has the second-highest number of landmine victims in the world. While a declining homicide rate is laudable, this just doesn’t like a surplus of security.
Or, following the trade logic set up by the Obama team, maybe it’s that Colombia has a comparative advantage in security. A comparative advantage in security would have to mean that a nation had few threats and a high level of public safety (see above definition).
Again, not the case with Colombia. The country still suffers from a longstanding internal conflict, and is home to violent drug cartels and unscrupulous land-grabbers.
When we add Sherman’s qualifier of “net exporter of security”, the concept gets even more semantically unbelievable. A “net exporter” means that the amount of exports are greater than the amount of imports. So Colombia exports more security than it imports? What does this security look like as it’s being shipped around? Sherman’s additional qualifier of Colombia as a “net exporter of security far beyond its borders” is just compounded silliness—you can’t export within your borders.
Safety is a consequence of preventing and eliminating threats, not importing and exporting some abstract entity called “security.”
The safety of a state or organization against criminal activity such as terrorism, theft, or espionage: “national security.”


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It is one of Australia’s largest Merino sheep units and now, thanks to increasingly ambitious plans, Collinsville Station is a colossal giant. James Wagstaff finds out more.
If any one word accurately encapsulates Australia’s Collinsville Station, it is ‘big’.
As one of the country’s largest and most reputable Merino sheep outfits, it operates in the huge dusty paddocks of South Australia’s mid-north region and has an infamous reputation for producing big sheep with wool cuts attracting big prices.
It is here where, during its 120 turbulent years of existence, big dreams have been dreamt and wins and losses realised.
Registered as flock number 318 in 1895, Collinsville can almost be considered part of Australian farming folklore.
Located in the north-east of Burra, the south Australian station sells 900 rams a year and is said to have influenced one-third of the nation’s Merino sheep flock.
Despite its share of financial highs and lows, it is now well and truly back on track thanks to a young, enthusiastic management team with sights firmly set on the future.
At the helm is 41-year-old owner George Millington, who, despite hailing from Adelaide, knew the Collinsville story all too well growing up.
The business tycoon purchased the 55,850-hectare (138,000-acre) Collinsville Station from Paddy and Helen Handbury, who bought the stud empire in 1995 after it went into receivership in 1991, helping ensure its survival as one of the nation’s great suppliers of superior Merino genetics.
George says: “It was a fantastic opportunity, but also a large responsibility.
“There is a lot of history. It is one of the founding studs in Australia and influences so much of what goes on in the Merino industry, and has done for a long time.”
Although hailing from a family which ran various farms, George had never actually lived on one, but this changed when four years ago he bought the 2,040ha (5,040-acre) Cappeedee Station with his wife Sophie.
From the outset, George has aimed to run Collinsville on traditional lines, producing structurally correct sheep which could provide commercial clients with a 7kg fleece of 21-micron wool, but also with a fresh take.
He has invested in a new ram shed and sales facility on Cappeedee, and added an extra 3,440ha (8,500 acres) of land in recent months with the purchase of neighbouring properties.
This brings the size of the Collinsville operation to 61,110ha (152,000 acres), which has enabled them to breed and sell even more ram lambs.
He says: “Last year, sold about 900 rams, and in the coming season we are looking at selling more than 1,000.
“We want to try and grow the business and the new land acquisition is all part of this.”
Operating with five staff, the station runs about 11,000 Merino ewes, 5,000 of which are registered as part of the stud.
Stud manager Tim Dalla, 35, has worked at Collinsville under previous management and been with the business for nine years.
The aim is to produce a large-framed, structurally correct sheep which will survive and produce a high quality, heavy cutting medium-wool fleece.
Tim, who operates a predominantly closed flock, says: “It must be reasonably plain-bodied, highly fertile and have good early growth.”
The tupping period is for eight weeks in November and December to lamb in May-June. About 500 top stud ewes, aged two to five years, are artificially inseminated.
There were also two embryo transfer programmes a year – one in December and one in March – involving 10 donor ewes.
The commercial flock is tupped at a rate of about 2.5 rams to 100 ewes, two rams to 100 for stud ewes and one to 100 for special stud ewes.
Tim says: “With our AI we try to use one outside ram a year to try and continually improve performance and benchmarking.
“Generally, the ram is of a similar type to ours and quite often from a Collinsville daughter stud.”
Last year, they used semen from a ram from the East Mundulla stud, Western Australia, which in turn was sired by a Collinsville ram.
Lambing rates vary according to seasonal conditions, particularly on the station country.
The annual rainfall varies greatly, from an average of 400mm at Cappeedee to 275mm at Collinsville itself.
It is a winter-dominant rainfall, with most falling between April-May and October.
George says: “There was no spring in 2015 and it was a very tough summer and winter. It gets very cold here.
“We did not get any growth until we had a lot of rain in August and September, then we had one of our best seasons ever.
“But last year’s was very poor with a 60 per cent lambing rate compared to the previous year’s 115 per cent. These are probably the two extremes – we have an average of 85-90 per cent.”
Before last year’s spring break, Collinsville received just 125mm of rain in 12 months.
“While ewes achieved a pregnancy rate of 85 per cent at scanning, which we were quite happy with considering the seasonal conditions, a lack of feed meant we had trouble rearing our lambs.”
Most paddocks on the station are about 2,020ha (4,990 acres) in size and run 300-500 ewes per mob.
Weaning takes place in late August and Tim does classing with the help of stud consultant Michael Elmes, with ram lambs classed in February and sale rams in August and October for AI ewes ahead of joining.
Electronic ID of stud sheep was introduced about a decade ago.
The stud are culled heavily with anything which failed to come up for standard on size disposed of. Rams are weighed and classed every three months.
Stud ewes are shorn at the start of November with the commercial flock following in February.
Each animal gets micron-tested and their fleece weighed at shearing, with stud ewes cutting an average of 9kg of 21-micron wool and commercial ewes cutting 7kg.
With the tough season over the past 12 months, stud ewes cut 8kg of 19.8- to 20.3-micron wool at the most recent shearing. The wool, which produces 700 bales annually, is sold through Melbourne wool sales, with most sold straight after shearing.
About 20 rams enter the ram shed in November to minimise their exposure to grass seeds and dust ahead of the stud’s annual field day in March.
Collinsville shows sheep at the Hay Merino Sheep Show and has displays at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show, Bendigo, and the National Merino show, Dubbo, in New South Wales.
Another 50 10-month-old rams come into the shed in March which go on to be sold at the Adelaide ram sale in September or form the first 25 pens of the stud’s on-property auction shortly after.
At last year’s production sale, 200 rams sold to a top price of AU$32,000 (£19,424) and averaged AU$2,100 (£1,274). Collinsville also sold a ram for AU$33,000 (£20,044) in Adelaide.
Private selection rams sell for AU$600-800 (£364-485).
Tim says: “We have clients which took up to 140 rams this year. Most take 20-50.”
About three-quarters of Collinsville rams are now polled.
Tim says: “The last 10 years it has probably gone from one-third poll to three-quarters poll. It is definitely going to keep going that way.
“We are breeding a lot of pastoral rams from stud ewes which run at the station, which I think helps with their survivability when we sell them.”
The stud does not incorporate Australian Sheep Breeding Values into its programme, but the team uses a lot of figures internally.
All auction rams have current micron and bodyweights displayed.
Tim says: “We do a lot of body weighing, because we are big on growth rates.”
With the recent improved wool prices, the future is looking bright for Collinsville. He says: “Wool seemed to have had a bit of an upsurge.
The stockpile has gone. We are probably into a truer demand-supply system where prices currently are, so we have clients getting AU$2,000/ bale, whereas 10 years ago, they were getting AU$700/bale.
“Last year we sold about 900 rams and sold out. In the coming season, we are looking at selling more than 1,000. “We want to try and grow the business and the new land acquisition is all part of this.
All in all we are in a pretty good spot.”


Here’s a case study about a customer that saved a lot of time and money by implementing Aseptic Enclosures’ HEPACirc™ for their facility.
Aseptic Enclosures’ HEPACirc™ is a general-purpose, “Plug-and-Play” Clean Room Grade, air purification upgrade system ideally suited to many types of clean mechanical or processing work. It is designed to provide an ISO Class 5 (Class 100) or ISO Class 4 (Class 10) clean air environment suitable for cleanroom pharmacy, laboratory work, testing, manufacturing, inspection and/or pharmaceutical operations. The built-in low wall return facilitates cleanroom compliance that could otherwise be impossible. An easy solution for those wanting to upgrade their existing rooms without the hassle of major construction. Custom sizes and configurations are available


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Hello there! Whether you know me in person or you stumbled across this blog by some cybernet wrong turn, I’m glad you’re here. Feel free to stick around. This blog is the running account of God's crazy story that He's writing with my life. You’ll also see other stuff in here too -- occasional poetry, lyrics, recorded songs, etc. Leave comments. It’s encouraged. And for what it’s worth, I hope these pieces of me and my thoughts give you something to think about yourself. I’m glad you’re here.
(Not necessarily in that order.)
I'm a vocational vagabond. I dabble in things like traveling, writing, coaching, music-ing, etc. I try to follow Jesus and trust Him with everything. I'm not very good at that yet.
I enjoy writing music, working out, playing guitar, editing papers, having deep conversations, being known, family, collecting interesting sticks, chocolate chip cookies, cooking, collecting weird things like hotsauce and luggage, perusing thrift stores, listening to GOOD music, thinking about things, nice days, ocean views, adventure, horses, fall, running, pulling pranks, playing basketball, teaching basketball, watching basketball, hypothesizing about basketball, jokes (especially corny ones), a job well done, inspiration, trips, and dreaming up crazy things to do just to say I did them.

domain: hobby


Inspector dismisses Lawless’s Liverpool appeal
The developer’s bid to overturn the refusal of a 186-home scheme at the former Liverpool Community Probation Centre has been unsuccessful, scuppering a deal to sell the site.
Legacie Developments had been lined up to acquire the plot from Elliot Lawless’s Falkner Street Developments, subject to planning approval.
However, Legacie told Place North West it has now “withdrawn its interest in the site” following the appeal decision.
Lawless was contacted for comment.
Liverpool City Council’s planning committee rejected the Falkner Street application – which featured plans for 105 apartments and 63 student homes – 12 months ago due to concerns about parking provision.
Lawless appealed the decision, saying at the time he had been advised that he had “a very strong case”.
However, the issues around parking proved too much to overcome.
Richard Morgan, the planning inspector presiding over the case, agreed with the local authority, saying the lack of parking provided on-site is “likely to result in pressure for illegal and inconsiderate parking nearby, which could cause risks to the safety of other road users”.
In summing up, Morgan said, “the benefits of the scheme are not sufficient to outweigh the inadequacies of the parking and access arrangements”.
The inspector said he appreciated the decision would be “disappointing for the appellant, particularly given the protracted length of time involved in the determination of this proposal”.
The Falkner Street project was designed by Falconer Chester Hall Architects and had been approved by Liverpool City Council in December 2019 subject to the signing of a section 106 agreement.
Changes to the city’s local plan during the time in between led to subsequent adjustments to the project, which necessitated the review of the scheme by the committee.
The scheme returned to committee with a recommendation to approve by the city council’s planning officers.
Councillors, however, voiced displeasure in a heated discussion over whether student accommodation was needed in the area and the impacts the project would have on traffic.
Protesters were also at the committee, allegedly with signs that denounced Lawless.
Lawless was arrested by Merseyside Police during Operation Aloft, an ongoing investigation into corruption related to land deals within Liverpool City Council. He denies wrongdoing and, like everyone else arrested as part of the probe, has never been charged.


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Even since the lockdown was announced, those with latent artistic abilities indulged in efforts to improve their skills, and professional artists looked towards solitude and inspiration. The same was true for Monica Kharkar, an artist whose works will be exhibited at the 2022 Contemporary Art Exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai.
“The year 2020 has possibly been one of the most dramatic years in our lives. As an artist, I experienced mixed emotions about having to stay home. In those first few weeks, the lockdown felt like an incentive that gave me a chance to play and explore new techniques and media,” she says, adding, “For artists who were dependent on their art for survival, faced acute hardships during those days as exhibitions and shows were put on hold. The lockdown helped me to rediscover the artist in me and hone my creative skills.”
The exhibition, titled Sahayog, 2022 Contemporary Art exhibition, is a result of the efforts of acclaimed artist Satyendra. Rane. The endeavor, she says, is to encourage upcoming artists by giving them the same platform that established professionals have. “He has always believed that along with celebrated artists a platform should be provided for unknown and upcoming faces in the field of art, and Sahayog helps in bridging this gap. The part of the proceedings will be donated to Alert citizen forum, a government recognized NGO.”
With the way the last two years have passed, one must question whether virtual exhibitions are the future. “The opportunities and avenues for artists have multiplied in this time,” believes Kharkhar, a self-taught artist, who loves to experiment with “colours, mediums and textures inspired from nature and human forms”.
She further adds: “There are more methods in which art can be showcased and often-parallel shows are happening both online and offline. But majority of Indian artists still deal in traditional mediums like acrylic/oil on canvas that is best done justice to in a physical exhibition. Virtual exhibitions become easier to market to wider audiences. For me, even though people have a preference for virtual means of art viewing, they may not actually act upon it and indulge in such practices. Ultimately, viewing art in person reigns superior and in-person galleries and art fairs are irreplaceable.”
This 6th Edition of Sahayog will be showcasing artworks and sculptures of 40 artist from across the country. The show, that starts on January 11 will go on till January 17, will see the participation of artists Adyot Rajadhyaksha, Amberhuues Tania, Anupama Mandavkar, Arpita Kolhatkar, Arpito Gope, Arvind Kolapkar, Bhagyashri Choudhari, Deepa Hekre, Dr Shankar Sharma, Ganesh Hire, Ganpat Bhadke, Harshada Tondwalkar, Ishwar Shetty, Joe D’souza, Kariyappa Hanchinamani, Kasim Kanasavi, Monica Kharkar, Mukund Ketkar, Nandita Desai, Nishtha Jhunjhunwala, Niyati Gope, Onkar Murthy, Prasad Mane, Prashant Jadhav, Priya Kadu, Revathi Shivakumar, Sachin Kolhatkar, Satyendra Rane, Shahed Pasha, Shreela Ghosh, Shubham Kesur, Sneha Nikam, Sumant Shetty, Sunil Vinekar, Surendra Jagtap, Ujwala Kumar, Vaishali Kanade and Vidhi Doshi.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here.


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Justin Bieber ticket touts cost Scottish fans Â£1million
Ticket touts earned an estimated Â£1million from Justin Bieber fans in Scotland, it has been claimed.
Around a third of tickets for the pop star’s Scottish dates fell into the hands of touts, meaning fans had to pay £1 million over the face value of the tickets.
Some tickets sold over the Internet for ten times their face value.
In an interview with the Daily Record, industry investigator Reg Walker, said: “We are seeing an age of vultures and parasites who are bleeding industry dry and putting nothing back in.
“I have intelligence that Justin Bieber’s gigs at the Hydro came under notable attack from American touts in New Jersey, who established a supply line in Glsagow that made them a fortune.
“We are drawing close to the reality that no ordinary fan will be able to secure a ticket for a high demand event for face value.
“This is the greatest rock and roll swindle in history.”
In Scotland the ‘secondary ticket trade’ costs music fans around £400 million a year.
Up to 70 per cent of ticket for some events are sold by ticket touts.
A spokesman from SSE Hydro - where Bieber played in Scotland - said: “We are moving more into paperless ticketing. This acts as a great deterrent as customers are not issued with a ticket in advance and will only gain entry to the concert on the night by having the payment card used,”

domain: entertainment


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Super talented music star Kidman shares his brand new impressive single captioned “Bend Over”. This music piece is yet to take over the airwaves.
Official Music video for Bend Over performed by super talented music star Kidman. The powerful visual was directed by Astrey for Reddot
Super talented music act – Tobby Dee is out with a new one, the song featuring Jae Cash is called “Bend Over“.
Badbwoy Galactic is an Independent uprising Afro-pop and Hip-DanceHall artist who has been in the underground for while. But today has decided to release a new single for the public to digest, it’s titled ‘Bend-Over (Mash-Up)‘ produced by Doco and…


I think by now everyone is agreed that Roy should make the purchase of at least one striker a priority in the transfer window. Fulham are apparently amongst a whole host of clubs taking a closer look at Guinea striker Ismael Bangoura.
Bangoura has had a fine season in the Ukraine, where he is currently the joint top scorer, having found the net 27 times in 41 appearances for Dynamo Kiev. He has a useful record at international level, too, scoring 19 goals in 31 matches for Guinea. Bangoura has proved a real hit with the Dynamo fans since signing for €5m in 2007.
He started his career with the French side AJ Ajaccio, scoring 15 times in 44 league games before moving onto Le Mans. He scored 18 goals in 56 league appearances for them before an impressive 2006-07 season sealed a move to the Ukraine. Kiev are expected to cash in on one of their major assets at the end of the season and the competition will be fierce.
Bangoura has already acknowledged that Wigan are interested in his services, telling Sky Sports:
Wigan Athletic are a good team, they are doing well in the league – however there also other teams looking at me in the Premier League, according to my agent.
Tottenham, Everton and Aston Villa are also thought to be watching Bangoura closely.


For anyone with a Netflix account, last Friday was an exciting day. MaroonTV, the television and media RSO, teamed up with Ben Waltzer of UChicago Careers in Journalism, Arts, and the Media (UCIJAM) to host a talk with two television professionals, director David Solomon and writer Carla Kettner, at the Logan Center.
Despite being married and both working in the entertainment industry, Solomon and Kettner have generally worked on separate projects. Solomon is most famous for directing episodes for television series including Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Kettner is known for her writing in shows such as Bones and Judging Amy. At the panel, the duo provided the room of eager prospective film studies students with an uncensored view into the life of a Hollywood insider.
The event’s Q&A format allowed the students to guide the conversation. Right off the bat, a student posed the million-dollar question: how do you get into the industry?
The question sparked an honest dialogue about the inaccessible and haphazard nature of the entertainment industry. Kettner began by saying, “It’s tough to get that first PA (production assistant) gig…[but] there is a lot more employment available in television” compared to in film.
She also emphasized that entering the industry as anything besides a white, heterosexual male is a huge advantage: “There is a shortage of female directors…[so] women and minorities have a leg up.” Solomon—himself a white, heterosexual male—quickly jumped in to agree.
The second question focused on what happens once you get your foot in the door: how do you get past an entry-level position to become an up-and-coming director or earn a seat at a writer’s table?
“Work hard and have people love you,” Solomon said simply.
Kettner fully endorsed his claim by advising that you should focus on “doing something you can do that no one else can, even if that means perfecting the little things, like being the best at getting coffee.”
Kettner recounted a story of a PA who would sit in on writing sessions solely to take notes. This PA never just took ordinary notes, though: she would insert positive quotes, images, or links at the beginning and end of the notes to brighten the mood of whomever ended up reading them. She would sometimes even include videos relating to ideas being discussed. These little things do not go unnoticed, Kettner emphasized: this woman was promoted to a writer, unlike other PAs they’ve had in the past.
The remainder of the conversation centered on how college students can decide whether this career path fits them and how to best prepare upon entry.
“It is not a job for the faint of heart,” Kettner warned.
However, at the end of the day, if it’s something a student loves to do, she completely encouraged the life the entertainment industry can provide. “It’s a little like the college vibe…like you never have to grow up. Someone is paying me a lot of money to write, and I would do it for free.”
Solomon summed up his practical advice in one word: “more.”
“For God’s sake, we can shoot videos on our iPhones,” he said. “There’s no excuse [not to do more].”
Without networking or prolonged outreach, very rarely do college students get to pick the brains of two renowned artists in such a rapidly growing yet impenetrable industry. With the advice provided from this session, the room full of aspiring artists left the conversation inspired to do—as Solomon put it—more.


text: (Lesotho, 1980) He is a self-taught filmmaker and visual artist from Lesotho, based in Berlin. His film Mother, I am Suffocating. This is My Last Film About You, was selected for final cut in Venice in 2018, where it won six awards. It premiered in the Berlinale Forum in 2019. Mosese was one of three filmmakers selected for Biennale College Cinema with his feature film This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2019. Mosese is an alumnus of the Berlinale Talents (2011), Focus Features Africa First (2012), Realness African Screenwriting Residency (2017) and Cinefondation’s L’Atelier (2019).


Mountain Hardwear strives to reimagine the future by introducing innovative technologies and new collections season after season. From their popular StretchDown collection to their latest Exposure/2 GORE-TEX launch, they are well beyond meeting the needs of outdoor enthusiasts and keeping adventurers well equipped.
About the Exposure/2 GORE-TEX Collection
Mountain Hardwear’s latest Exposure/2 GORE-TEX collection is an ode to the original Exposure Jacket. A technical icon, this jacket set the standard for GORE-TEX shells and with it’s recent revamp, it’s even better than before. With a focus on fabric, fit and sustainability, the Exposure/2 GORE-TEX collection takes the title for Mountain Hardwear’s most advanced GORE-TEX collection.
The collection itself is made up of six products both available in a men’s and women’s option. Within these six products, there are two pairs of pants, one being a bib, and four jackets – a GORE-TEX Pro jacket, a GORE-TEX Active jacket, GORE-TEX PACLITE Stretch Pullover and a GORE-TEX PACLITE Jacket.
The Exposure/2 GORE-TEX Collection
Pro Jacket & Bib—Men
Pro Jacket & Bib—Women
Long days in the mountains call for reliable gear that can withstand the elements and provide uncompromising protection. This is the basis behind the Exposure/2 GORE-TEX Pro jacket and bib and why it is Mountain Hardwear’s most durable and protective jacket and bib combo. Designed for climbers and skiers, this bluesign-approved duo is designed to keep you protected in the harshest conditions. While it is packed full of appealing technical features, it is also a sustainable choice for the slopes utilizing 100% recycled nylon fabric and an eco-conscious solution-dyed fabric. From technical alpine routes to white out days searching for fresh tracks, the Exposure/2 GORE-TEX Pro jacket and bib are up for the adventure.


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President Emmerson Mnangagwa Wednesday said by-elections to fill Parliamentary and local government seats left vacant following the expulsion and death of some members will be held in the first quarter of 2022.
There are 28 National Assembly and 105 local authority vacancies across the country.
He made the remarks at Kopa growth point in Manicaland where he was officially launching the Jopa-Kopa highway.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) had earlier proposed that the by-elections will be held next year.
According to the draft electoral road map, ZEC has set April 23, 2022, as the proposed date for elections.
The government last year suspended by-elections indefinitely saying it was a measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The delayed holding of the by-elections has attracted criticism from some quarters including the international community.
The United States embassy in Harare recently asked when Zimbabwe was going to hold the by-elections suggesting that COVID-19 must not be used as an excuse considering that neighbouring countries, including South Africa which has the most COVID-19 cases in Africa, had successfully held elections during the pandemic.
Some view the suspension of by-elections as a strategy by the ruling ZANU PF to make sure that the opposition MDC Alliance is not represented.
Most of the vacant seats were previously held by MDC Alliance members who were recalled by rival MDC-T.


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Dr. Barwacz joined the staff at the Craniofacial Clinical Research Program in 2008, where he provides the latest in dental care to research participants as well as private patients.
Dr. Barwacz is a faculty member of the Department of Family Dentistry as well as the Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research.
Dr. Barwacz provides dental care to research participants and private patients in the Craniofacial Clinical Research program.
Dr. Barwacz's areas of research include human clinical translational research in dental implant therapy; peri-implant crevicular fluid cytokine and bone-mediator expression; peri-implant mucosal esthetics; implant-abutment biomaterials and surface topography; minimally-invasive, microscope-based dentistry; dental ceramics; and translational human in-situ caries model research.
His current research topics include:
- Examining how pro-inflammatory and bone metabolism mediators affect short- and long-term peri-implant mucosa and bone outcomes and homeostasis;
- Examining the use of novel miRNA technology to downregulate pro-inflammatory cytokines to arrest periodontitis-induced bone loss;
- Investigating peri-implant mucosal dynamics and esthetics as a function of abutment biomaterials, morphology, and surface topography;
- Examining prosthetic and educational factors that impact peri-implant mucosal esthetics via application of the standardized Pink Esthetic Score (PES);
- Examining fixed prosthodontic educational outcomes as they relate to minimally invasive, microscope-based dentistry;
- Evaluation of novel dentifrice compounds via the use of an in-situ, additive manufacuring (3D printing) human caries research model; and
- Examining clinical outcomes of next generation adhesive dental cements for all-ceramic restorations.
1: Barwacz CA, Avila-Ortiz G, Allareddy V, Tamegnon M, Hoogeveen K. An overview of U.S. predoctoral dental implant programs and their directors. J Dent Educ. 2015 Mar;79(3):265-77. PubMed PMID: 25729020.
2: Barwacz CA, Brogden KA, Stanford CM, Dawson DV, Recker EN, Blanchette D. Comparison of pro-inflammatory cytokines and bone metabolism mediators around titanium and zirconia dental implant abutments following a minimum of 6 months of clinical function. Clin Oral Implants Res. 2015 Apr;26(4):e35-41. doi: 10.1111/clr.12326. Epub 2014 Jan 13. PubMed PMID: 24417614; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4096610.
3: Barwacz CA, Hernandez M, Husemann RH. Minimally invasive preparation and design of a cantilevered, all-ceramic, resin-bonded, fixed partial denture in the esthetic zone: a case report and descriptive review. J Esthet Restor Dent. 2014 Sep-Oct;26(5):314-23. doi: 10.1111/jerd.12086. Epub 2013 Dec 17. PubMed PMID: 24344987.
4: Barwacz C, Hernandez MM, Maximizing esthetics of fixed interim restorations via direct extrinsic characterization. J Cosmet Dent. 2013;29(Spring):122-131.
4: Barwacz CA, Fakhry A. Use of a vinyl polysiloxane (VPS) indicator material to block out proximal undercuts during fabrication of fixed provisional restorations. J Prosthet Dent. 2012 Feb;107(2):132-3. doi: 10.1016/S0022-3913(12)60039-0. PubMed PMID: 22304748.
5: Brasser AJ, Barwacz CA, Dawson DV, Brogden KA, Drake DR, Wertz PW. Presence of wax esters and squalene in human saliva. Arch Oral Biol. 2011 Jun;56(6):588-91. doi: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2010.12.002. Epub 2011 Jan 17. PubMed PMID: 21247555; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3095707.
Click here to perform an automatic PubMed search of Dr. Barwacz's publications.

domain: medical


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Drop in EUTMs will cost national IP offices
The EUIPO won’t be able to offset member states’ costs due to poor financial performance this year
The EUIPO will not issue lucrative payouts to national intellectual property offices in 2024 because of a drop in trademark filings this year, the office confirmed to Managing IP today, December 7.
The latest EUIPO budget, adopted on November 24, predicted that the office would not generate a surplus in the 2022 financial year, meaning a mechanism for compensating national IP offices would not be triggered.
A statement from the EUIPO to Managing IP said the office had been hit by global economic uncertainties and rising inflation.
The office took measures to control expenditure as soon as it became clear trademark filings would fall this year, the statement said.
“However, the general increase in prices and inflation, combined with the loss in revenue cannot be compensated by saving measures without significantly affecting the office capacity to operate and the level of services provided to customers,” it added.
Under the 2017 Trademark Regulation, the EUIPO can use 5% of its total revenue in a financial year to offset costs incurred by national IP offices related to the EU trademark system.
But, under the rules, the offsetting mechanism is only triggered if the EUIPO generates a surplus.
The office projected revenues of just under €287 million ($302 million) for this year, representing a fall of €17 million ($17.9 million) from 2021.
The EUIPO would need to generate an additional €27 million ($28.4 million) in 2022 to trigger to be able to offset national offices' costs.
Offsetting payments would have been made in the first quarter of 2024 after the accounts for the 2022 financial year had been closed and signed off.
The mechanism was first triggered in 2018 and subsequently took effect in each of the following three years.
The EUIPO budgeted €15.1 million ($15.9 million) for offset costs in 2023, a figure that corresponded to 5% of the office’s revenue in 2021.
Departing EUIPO executive director Christian Archambeau predicted two weeks ago that EU trademark filings could fall by 12% this year compared to 2021.
Archambeau, who recently lost a vote to extend his term as executive director, attributed the fall to events such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It is understood that the EUIPO’s disappointing financial performance was discussed at a joint meeting of the management board and budget committee (MBBC) on November 24.
This was the same meeting in which the MBBC voted to replace Archambeau as executive director.

domain: economics