text:
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware History, Economy and Politics
According to watchtutorials, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware is a charming beach town located on the Atlantic coast. It is situated in the center of a long stretch of sandy beach and dunes that stretches from the Indian River Inlet to the Delaware-Maryland border. The town itself is located between Lewes, Delaware and Ocean City, Maryland. Rehoboth Beach has been a popular tourist destination for over a century and is known for its beautiful beaches and vibrant boardwalk area.
The town of Rehoboth Beach covers an area of 1.2 square miles and has a population of 1,327 as of 2019. The geography of the area consists mainly of flat coastal plains with some rolling hills in the western part of town. The highest point in town is located at Seaside Green Park which stands at just over 30 feet above sea level.
Rehoboth Beach’s climate is classified as humid subtropical with hot summers and mild winters. Temperatures during summer months can reach up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit while winter temperatures rarely drop below freezing. Rainfall averages around 36 inches per year with most precipitation occurring during April through October months when thunderstorms are common throughout the region.
The beaches in Rehoboth Beach are wide open stretches of white sand that extend along the coast for several miles in either direction from town limits. The beachfront also features several piers which provide access to fishing spots or serve as docks for recreational watercrafts such as kayaks or paddleboards. In addition to its beaches, Rehoboth Beach also offers a variety of other attractions including an amusement park, miniature golf courses, arcades, restaurants, shops, art galleries, museums and more along its vibrant boardwalk area which spans nearly two miles long from end to end.
Overall, Rehoboth Beach is an ideal destination for anyone looking for fun in the sun on one of Delaware’s most beautiful beaches! With its stunning coastline views combined with its variety attractions and activities there is something here for everyone making it one vacation spot you won’t want to miss!
History of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware has been a popular tourist destination for over a century and is known for its beautiful beaches and vibrant boardwalk area. The town of Rehoboth Beach covers an area of 1.2 square miles and has a population of 1,327 as of 2019. The history of Rehoboth Beach dates back to the 1600s when the first Europeans settled in the area.
The first settlers in Rehoboth Beach were Dutch and Swedish immigrants who established farms along the coast in 1631. These settlers named the area “Rehoboth” which means “broad spaces” in Hebrew, referring to the open fields that surrounded their settlement. In 1787, Rehoboth Beach was officially incorporated as a town by the General Assembly of Delaware.
In 1873, Rehoboth Beach was connected to Lewes by rail which made it much easier for people to visit from Philadelphia and other cities along the East Coast. This sparked a boom in tourism that lasted through World War I until 1925 when Hurricane Ida destroyed much of the town’s infrastructure including its railway station, boardwalk and many homes along its coastline. Despite this setback, Rehoboth Beach quickly recovered with new construction projects being built throughout the 1930s-1960s which included an amusement park, miniature golf courses, arcades and more attractions along its revitalized boardwalk area.
Throughout most of the 20th century, Rehoboth Beach has continued to be one of Delaware’s most popular beach towns with people flocking from all over to enjoy its beautiful beaches and exciting attractions year-round. Today it stands as one of Delaware’s most beloved vacation spots with visitors coming from near and far to experience all that this charming beach town has to offer!
Economy of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware is a popular tourist destination and the economy of the town is largely driven by tourism. Rehoboth Beach has a vibrant boardwalk area with many attractions, restaurants, and shopping outlets that draw in visitors from all over. Tourism is the main source of revenue for the town and it brings in millions of dollars every year.
The economy of Rehoboth Beach has also been bolstered by its growing real estate market. The town has seen an increase in population over the past decade which has led to an influx of new businesses and commercial development. The construction industry has also been booming in recent years as more people move to Rehoboth Beach to take advantage of its beautiful beaches and vibrant boardwalk area.
Retail is another major component of Rehoboth Beach’s economy with many stores selling beach-related items such as souvenirs, swimwear, clothing, food, and drinks. Restaurants are also a popular option for visitors looking to enjoy local cuisine or a night out on the town.
In addition to tourism and retail, there are a number of other industries that contribute to Rehoboth Beach’s economy including education, healthcare services, financial services, construction services and more. The town also boasts a bustling arts scene with galleries showcasing local artists as well as festivals throughout the year celebrating music, food and culture from around the world.
Overall, Rehoboth Beach’s economy is thriving due to its popularity as a tourist destination as well as its rich culture and diversity of industries that contribute to its success. With its variety attractions and activities there is something here for everyone making it one vacation spot you won’t want to miss!
Politics in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware is a politically diverse town with a wide range of opinions and beliefs. The town is part of Sussex County, which is currently represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Republican Andy Harris. At the state level, Rehoboth Beach is represented by Democratic Senator Tom Carper and Republican Representative Ruth Briggs King in the Delaware General Assembly.
Rehoboth Beach’s local political scene includes a mayor-council form of government that consists of seven council members who are all elected to four-year terms. The mayor serves as the head of government and leads the city council in setting policy for the city.
In addition to local politics, Rehoboth Beach has an active civic life with many organizations dedicated to promoting social justice, environmental awareness, and civil rights. There are also several volunteer groups that work to clean up the beaches, host events for local charities, and help protect wildlife habitats in the area.
Rehoboth Beach also hosts numerous political events throughout the year such as rallies and town hall meetings that bring together citizens from across Sussex County to discuss issues facing their community. These events often feature speakers from both major parties discussing their views on various topics including education, health care reform, immigration reform and more.
Overall, Rehoboth Beach’s politics reflect its diversity as a town with a wide range of opinions and beliefs represented among its citizens. From local elections to national issues facing our country today, Rehoboth Beach residents are actively engaged in politics whether it be through voting or participating in civic events or volunteering their time for causes they believe in.

domain: geography


The high-side pressure is related to the ambient air temperature. When servicing a unit with the condenser inside an air-conditioned building, expect the head pressure to be considerably lower than a unit with its condenser on the roof in the hot summer sun. The warmer the surrounding air, the higher the head pressure, and the more difficult it becomes for the unit to cool.
As a general rule, to determine the expected high-side pressure in a unit with an air-cooled condenser, add 30°F to the current ambient (surrounding the condenser) temperature; check the chart on page 133 for the pressure reading at that added temperature for the type of refrigerant used in the unit. This figure indicates the expected head pressure in the unit. For water-cooled condensers, the head pressures should be calculated by adding 20°F to the exhaust-water temperature. (See the section on Water-Cooled Condensers.)
EXAMPLE:Suppose there is a commercial central air-conditioning unit using R-22 operating in an ambient temperature of 90°F. Assume also that this is a new unit with no malfunctioning parts. What head pressure should you expect to read on the high-pressure gauge? For the answer, add 30°F to the ambient temperature (90 + 30 = 120°F), find 120°F on the chart, and read across to the R-22 column. Hence, 259.9 lb/in2 will be the expected high-side pressure.
If the system is overcharged, if the condenser is dirty and/or linted, if there is a slow or inoperative condenser fan, or if there is a restriction in the system, the head pressure increases dramatically, causing a higher than normal head pressure. A temperature- pressure chart should always be carried with you on service calls. The amount and type of refrigerant used in the unit can be determined by the unit nameplate.
PROBLEM: Determine the head and the back (low side) pressures of an ice cream freezer with a cabinet temperature of -20°F using refrigerant 502. The unit operates in a room with an ambient temperature of 80°F.
SOLUTION: The evaporator temperature must be adjusted to 20°F below the desired temperature produced. Therefore, 20°F – 20°F = -40°F. Referring to the temperature-pressure chart, at -40°F, the corresponding pressure for units using refrigerant 502 is 4.3 psi, which should be the low-side pressure. To determine the high-side pressure, add 30°F to 80°F, which will be equal to 110°F. The corresponding pressure on the chart in the R-502 column at 110°F is 245.8 psi = the proper head pressure for this unit in this environment.
EXAMPLE 1: What evaporator temperature is required to maintain the cabinet temperature of a floral display case at 40°F?
ANSWER: 40°F – 20°F = 20°F.
EXAMPLE 2: Suppose service is needed on a delicatessen case with a cabinet temperature of 35°F using refrigerant R-12. The ambient temperature is 75°F. Determine the high- and low-side pressures.
ANSWER: The evaporator temperature should be regulated at 15°F. (35°F-20°F=15°F.) According to the chart, 17.7 psi back pressure is required for R-12 to create 15°F. To determine the high-side pressure: 75°F + 30°F = 105°F. On the chart, the corresponding pressure for 105°F in the refrigerant R-12 column is 126.6 psi.
EXAMPLE 3: Determine the head and back pressures of a frozen-yogurt machine, which uses R-502 with evaporator temperature of -10°F. The condenser is cooled by water, which is in tubes that run through the condenser coil. (Many commercial units have water-cooled condensers for improved heat exchange. See figure 87 and the pages concerning water-cooled condensers for more detail).
ANSWER: In the case of water-cooled condensers, measure the water temperature as it leaves the condenser through the return pipe by placing a thermometer on that pipe. Consider that the ambient temperature and add 20°F to that reading. Assume that this exhaust water temperature is 60°F. To determine the expected head pressure, 60°F + 20°F = 80°F. On the chart, 80°F creates 159.9 lbs/in2 of head pressure in the system when 502 refrigerant is used.
To determine the low-side pressure: the chart shows that under R-502, 22.8 psi produces -10°F.


text:
Anoka Ramsey Athletic Association is launching a developmental youth volleyball program open to third through fifth graders with hopes to expand that age range in the future.
This early registration will give the all-volunteer association time to buy the necessary equipment in time. In addition to league fees, part of the funding is coming fromfrom an Anoka Lions grant. Originally the funds from the Lions club were divided equally among the eight programs, but each program decided to give their portion to the start-up volleyball program.
The Tornadoes volleyball program has also supported the development with head coach Chris Fenwick set to organize a clinic the second week of August. Activities Director Gwen Poore offered to donate the gym time for the program.
Volleyball director Marnie Zak said the time is right to add an eighth sport the association’s offerings.
“This is a developmental league where the goal is not to win but to teach the fundamentals [of the game], build self-esteem and confidence where players learn to call a ball in the air, go after it and get three hits to make it over to the other side [of the net],” she said.
Zak has a daughter that started playing in sixth grade and noticed other communities offer a developmental league starting in seventh grade.
ARAA looked at how several community-based athletic associations formed a volleyball program to generate its own. Champlin Dayton Athletic Association is one group that continues to be very supportive of the new program and has offered to add ARAA teams to its schedule if team numbers are low.
Dirt Devil softball tourney set
Anoka-Ramsey will host the sixth annual Dirt Devil tournament May 30 to June 1 at Central Park in Ramsey. Last year participants were asked to bring a food donation for the ACBC Food Shelf. A drawing for Minnesota Twins tickets helped add a little motivation to the final total which took two full vans to bring the donations to the food shelf. The idea of a summer food drive comes at a very busy time for the food shelf with children out of school, looking for a meal.
For more information or to register visit arsports.org.
Jason Olson is at

domain: hobby


Delray Police wants public feedback on department for accreditation process
The Delray Beach Police Department wants reviews from the public while it is being evaluated by a state commission that accredits law enforcement.
The department is looking for feedback from the community as it seeks re-accreditation through the state’s Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation. The department’s policies and procedures and management operations will be under review this year, as is done every three years, according to police. Delray police has successfully gone through the accreditation process in 2007, 2010 and 2013.
A team from the Commission for FloridaLawEnforcementAccreditation will visit the department in late August and spend three days assessing whether it’s meeting more than 250 standards that are recognized on a state and national level. The process looks closely at an agency’s chain of command, use of force and methods of handling evidence.
As part of the review, department employees and the public are invited to comment on these topics and personal experiences with police online at www.flaccreditation.org or by email at firstname.lastname@example.org.


The Philadelphia Union held the Houston Dynamo without a shot on goal in a scoreless draw Saturday night.
The Union and Dynamo — both in a fight for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference — face off Saturday.
A pair of rookies get their first start of the year for the Philadelphia Union, and we have one of them as our guest today on the KYW Philly Soccer Show.
The Union have made to the final of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and are holding onto the last playoff spot in the MLS Eastern Conference.
The Union are getting set to take on the Houston Dynamo on Friday night.
Three games in eight days and the Philadelphia Union have little to show for it.
The Philadelphia Union and Houston Dynamo played to a 0-0 tie Saturday.
The Dynamo moved past the Union in the East playoff picture as Philadelphia extended its winless streak to five matches,
The USA is going to Brazil, while at home the Philadelphia Union continues to struggle.
This week, Eli and Greg talk with Union midfielder Leo Fernandes and with “Sons of Ben” travel coordinator Kelly Delaney.
Ricardo Clark scored in the 59th minute and the Houston Dynamo beat the Philadelphia Union 1-0 Saturday night.
The Philadelphia Union have two tough road matches ahead of them and the KYW Philly Soccer Show previews the action.
Union midfielder Michael Lahoud works hard on and off the field and major news from around the league.
The Houston Dynamo beat the Philadelphia Union 3-1 Saturday night.
The KYW Philly Soccer Show discusses realistic expectations the rest of the way.


(Massy, France, August 24, 2010) -- ThalesRaytheonSystems (TRS) today announced that the deployable element of its Air Command and Control System (ACCS) program successfully performed air operations missions during NATO's recent Joint Project Optic Windmill (JPOW) 2010.
JPOW 2010 is the latest in a series of biennial exercises sponsored by The Netherlands in coordination with the U.S. and several NATO members. ThalesRaytheonSystems' deployable, shelterized command and control system called DARS - short for Deployable Air Control Center, Recognized Air Picture Production Center and Sensor Fusion Post - was utilized during the exercises that concluded on July 16th. JPOW is a major European exercise that enables participating forces to demonstrate and assess integration, coordination and interoperability between international weapons systems and command and control structures aligned for theater and regional ballistic missile defense.
"The ACCS Programme has participated in JPOW for the past few years and this is the first time the deployable DARS unit has been included," said Jack Harrington, chief executive officer, ThalesRaytheonSystems. "We are pleased that an opportunity was created to test DARS capabilities in a complex, large-scale networked simulation."
NATO's ACCS program, developed by ThalesRaytheonSystems, has participated in every JPOW since 2007. This year, ACCS participated on-site at the Netherlands' De Peel Air Base with the DARS solutions, which performed in a tactical air C2 role by building the simulated air surveillance picture and sharing it with other participants such as Patriots, Simulated AWACS and Frigates over NATO's L-16 military tactical data exchange network. ACCS also managed and controlled fighter aircraft and surface-to-air missile units in the defense role against air-breathing threats in the simulated JPOW scenario.
In a related JPOW activity taking place at NATO's Integrated Missile Defence Test Bed in The Hague, over the course of three days, an ACCS Missile Defense prototype also connected to exercise participants at the JPOW De Peel site, and successfully exchanged tactical data on missile defense, and for space track surveillance and weapons engagement.
Related Research on ASDReports.com:


text:
The Department of State Services (DSS) has dismissed claims of abduction levelled against it.
An online newspaper, Peoples Gazette, in one of its publications quoted an International Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International (AI) as stating that SSS abducts innocent Nigerians under Buhari regime.
In a Press Statement made available to TV360, the Public Relations Officer of the Department of State Services, Peter Afunanya said, “whether reported by Peoples Gazette or Amnesty International, the Service outrightly denies this misleading narrative. It does not abduct Nigerians.”
Afunanya explained that arrests by the DSS, as part of its enforcement activities, are evidently carried out in line with tenets of democratic ideals.
“At no time has the agency embarked on its actions without following led down procedures in respect of obtaining warrants of arrest or orders for detention from competent legal authorities.
“The claim of abduction or use of enforced disappearances is an absolute lie and a make-up narrative designed to bring the Service to disrepute.”
He restated the commitment of the DSS to be law abiding and protective of citizens and sensitive government installations.
Promising also to remain true in the discharge of its mandate of intelligence collection and timely dissemination of same to relevant action agencies and stakeholders.
While the DSS Spokesperson called on the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists to go the extra mile in weeding out charlatans in the profession, he also urged Nigerians to be mindful of the excesses of Nigerians in the shape of the publisher of Peoples Gazette, Samuel Ogundipe, who use their platforms to undermine law and order.
“He is known to have, on several occasions, engaged in false and distorted publications to disinform the public. He and his cohorts are hereby warned, for the umpteenth time, to desist from these deplorable acts against the peace and security of the nation.
“It is time for Ogundipe and the likes to choose reason over fatuity; and patriotism over disloyalty and treachery. Their continuous mischievous resolve to use fake news and hate speech to set the country on fire is condemnable.
“Media practitioners in the country should rise above parochial considerations, sanitise its fold and fish out quacks among them. The media can also peer review and embark on self-censorship as part of achieving professionalism in the industry.
“They must reject the allure of enticement by external forces to use them to instigate violence or undermine government and its institutions. Otherwise, those who run foul of the law must be ready to face justice either now or in the future,” Afunanya advised.

domain: news


text:
We Walk Alone PDF
by Ann Aldrich : We Walk Alone
ISBN : #1558615253 | Date : 2006-11-01
PDF-d7390 | Ann Aldrich flings a provocative assertion at her readers in 1955 when she opens her groundbreaking account of lesbian life in New York City by saying this book is the “result of fifteen years of participation in society as a female homosexual.”After the release of We Walk Alone, Aldrich became both a heroine and a scapegoat in some of the period’s most contentious public debates over what exactly… We Walk Alone
Download eBook We Walk Alone by Ann Aldrich across multiple file-formats including EPUB, DOC, and PDF.
PDF: We Walk Alone
ePub: We Walk Alone
Doc: We Walk Alone
Follow these steps to enable get access We Walk Alone:
[Pub.61RIH] We Walk Alone PDF | by Ann Aldrich
We Walk Alone by by Ann Aldrich
This We Walk Alone book is not really ordinary book, you have it then the world is in your hands. The benefit you get by reading this book is actually information inside this reserve incredible fresh, you will get information which is getting deeper an individual read a lot of information you will get. This kind of We Walk Alone without we recognize teach the one who looking at it become critical in imagining and analyzing. Don’t be worry We Walk Alone can bring any time you are and not make your tote space or bookshelves’ grow to be full because you can have it inside your lovely laptop even cell phone. This We Walk Alone having great arrangement in word and layout, so you will not really feel uninterested in reading.

domain: literature


text:
After being spurned at the last moment in its bid to buy the Financial Times in August, Axel Springer is getting close to buying six-year-old Business Insider, one of the globe’s fastest-growing business news sites.
Springer would pay in the neighborhood of €500 million, or $560 million, to gain a control of a company in which it now owns a little less than 10%, according to a report in Germany's Manager magazine last week. At such a price, a deal would vault Business Insider halfway into the new digital news unicorn club. Call it a demi-corn perhaps. At about half the audience and half the revenue of Buzzfeed, the market’s valuation of the top, global digital-only news sites now gains a certain consistency.
At time of publication, neither Axel Springer nor Business Insider would comment on the investment. While close to finalizing, perhaps within weeks, if not by year’s end, the deal could still fail to close, if other bidders step quickly into the action.
At that approximate $500 million price point, Springer would be spending a little less than half of what it intended to spend on buying complete control of the Financial Times. The company’s bid fell short by about $200 million, as the FT went to Nikkei for about $1.3 billion. Springer also bid for Forbes, before Hong Kong-based Whale Media offered and won that auction in July 2014.
For Springer, majority ownership of Business Insider offers a sweet spot: direction of a (mainly) English-language, global business news product. The fact that is it is entirely digital means that the company doesn’t further need to deal with print-to-digital transformation, as it assumes control.
Control of Business Insider would be much more than a consolation prize, after that agonizing, last-minute defeat at Nikkei’s hands in the acquisition of the FT. It signals Springer’s absolute determination to be a big, global player in English-language-based international media. Its investments are both large and small. Last week, along with Disney and Google Ventures, Springer invested in U.S.-based Jaunt, a virtual reality producer and distributor. That follows other investments in the Mic and Ozy news sites, and in Retale, an effort to digitize retailers’ weekly ads.
At the same time, the company is consolidating its leading position in Germany and central Europe. In July, it announced it would move ahead with some joint initiatives with Pro Sieben, Germany’s second largest private TV broadcaster, after failing to conclude a merger. Four days ago, it announced a new joint venture with Ringier, the largest Swiss media company, to combine operations.
For long-time Axel Springer CEO Matthias Döpfner, it’s now all about scale and reach, as he looks for a new formula for digital-centric success.
In the second quarter, Springer again displayed how difficult that transition remains, even for such an aggressive company. Though it reported seven percent revenue growth – and could count 62% of its revenue as digital – its profits were flat.
For Business Insider, the buy is an affirmation that the site — founded in and early on dismissed as a second-rung news aggregator — could find a new, middle space in U.S. and global business news. Further, it reinforces the value of quickly growing mass, through its management’s mastery of the search and social web optimization that’s become the hallmark of the most successful new news companies.
If completed, the agreement would likely leave current BI management in place, and would further accelerate its international growth. Like its fellow fast growers such as Buzzfeed, Vox, Quartz and the Huffington Post, BI has moved quickly to plant its flag overseas. It will field nine international sites by year’s end, including English-language sites in UK, Australia, Malaysia, India, Singapore and Indonesia.
In the fourth quarter, two new non-English language sites join Chinese-language site, partnered with Tencent. It will launch a Polish language, and a German language one. Axel Springer is a key partner in the German launch. That partnered global strategy – in which local media take the lead in ad sales and in-country journalism and BI provides infrastructure, brand and some content – becomes its likeliest model as it looks to literally hatch dozens of sites in the years to come.
Global syndication is an old magazine model, well employed by Hearst, Condé Nast and Time, but the fillip here is the digital-only entry point. It’s faster, cheaper and has already shown itself greatly capable of fast audience acceptance.
Since launching in the UK in November of last year, it is now a fifth-place player. In Australia, it ranks seventh; BI launched there in 2013.
Already, the non-U.S. business drives about a third of its traffic.
In the U.S., Business Insider has moved up two spots – to #2 – in Comscore’s measurement of the business/finance digital sector in the U.S, as seen below. It grew 54% year over year, moving ahead of both Dow Jones (including the Wall Street Journal) and Forbes in that time.

domain: finance


text:
Twitter Link Facebook link
A powerful new documentary film about the work of international charity Mary’s Meals, 'Child 31', had its British public premiere today.
become anEkklesia Partner
Select the newsletter(s) to which you want to subscribe or unsubscribe.
Jewish, Muslim and Christian organisations will march together calling for action to address climate change on 29 November, united by a shared...
Tweets by @Ekklesia_co_uk

domain: sociology


text:
Browsing Human Sciences Research Centre by Authors
Development of a compassion-based training for cancer (CforC) curriculum for female breast cancer patients in stages I-III and cancer survivors. Origins, rationale and initial observations.Wahl, Julia; Sheffield, David; Maratos, Frances A.; Archer, Stephanie; University of Derby; Imperial College London (Elsevier, 2018-07-20)Compassion is an intrinsic trait and is linked to psychological and physiological well-being. It can be trained and improved through a systematic contemplative training programme. The purpose of this paper is to present a new training programme for cancer patients and survivors (CforC) that was designed and tested in a pilot study. We review the potential benefits of CforC which include attention regulation, self-regulation, mental awareness, and acceptance of physical sensations (including pain experiences). We also consider limitations. Results of the pilot suggest that the current intervention is feasible and provides potential psychological benefits for female breast cancer patients/survivors. Future research may benefit from examining other potential effects of the CforC programme, including emotional and physical outcomes in cancer patients and survivors, and the application of the intervention to other populations of chronically ill patients.

domain: psychology


text:
Jackson Hospital’s history is integral to the history of medicine in Central Alabama. The hospital’s origin dates back to 1894 when Watkins Infirmary received its 1st patients at the hospital’s present location. On September 16, 1946, Jackson Hospital opened with 37 patient beds and 5 attending physicians.
Today, licensed for 344 beds, Jackson Hospital is a community not-for-profit hospital serving Montgomery and the Alabama River Region. Our comprehensive healthcare services include cardiac, cancer, neurosciences, orthopedics, and women’s and children’s care, along with 24-hour emergency services. It ranks among the largest hospitals in Alabama and is widely recognized for providing excellence in care through advanced technology and state-of-the-art standards.
The Joint Commission has awarded Jackson Hospital as a Center of Excellence in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) surgery, spinal surgery, AMI (heart attack) care, stroke care, and bariatric surgery. The Family Birth Center was designated as a Blue Distinction Center+ for its expertise and efficiency in providing first-class maternity care to the River Region. Blue Cross Blue Shield also awarded Jackson Hospital as a Blue Distinction Center+ for bariatric surgery, spine surgery, and hip and knee replacement.
Even with our leading-edge technology and facilities, we remain true to our mission of providing superior personal healthcare in a safe, compassionate environment to all members of our community.

domain: medical


text:
Today’s featured iPad painting is titled ‘Sic Luceat Lux’ – a Latin phrase which translates to ‘Let the Light Shine’.
This is one of the latest iPad finger paintings by Andrew Harrison – created with the Brushes app. I was immediately taken with this image when I saw it in our Google+ iPad Art community, and I was very curious to know who was the subject of this lovely portrait. Here’s the answer, and a little background on the painting:
It was done in two days I actually found the picture on the web and liked it straight away it’s royalty free unknown sitter.I had too make a lot of the features up on it.I used Brushes and an iPad air.
Check out Andrew Harrison on Google+ to see lots more of his iPad artwork. And of course you can see more lovely iPad paintings in the iPad Art section of iPad Insight.
Another Sunday, another amazing iPad painting. This week’s pick is ‘Gallery Of The Future’ by Hotel Midnight. I find the image stunning. It’s got so much going on, as with so many of Hotel Midnight’s paintings. I love the colors, the Sci-Fi effect, and those legs are not too shabby either. :)
Here are some far better words about the painting, from the artist herself:
IN A WORLD: where we will live the rest of our lives! Redone and repurposed., the art that is, not the future.
SketchbookPro, a lot of straight line work that took forever, ha! Alien Sky, NASA website. There’s one piece of SBP hardware I do use, that little bolt.
Hotel Midnight is one of my favorite iPad artists – take a look at her Flickr stream to see lots more of her lovely work.
And check out our iPad Art section here at iPad Insight for more great iPad art.
This weekend’s featured iPad painting is titled ‘Making Sandcastle’.I can’t think of an image that more perfectly evokes the joy of childhood than this one.
It’s the work of Pilar Humada, who has been featured often here – painted freehand with the Sketch Club app. Once again I have to mention that Pilar only began painting on the iPad less than a year ago – which makes her work seem all the more incredible to me.
Please check out more of Pliar’s wonderful iPad paintings at her PHumada Flickr stream. And of course you can also take a look at our iPad Art section here at iPad Insight.
Today’s featured iPad art is titled ‘The Snail King’ and is the work of Jaime Sanjuan Ocabo.
I have to say I find this image striking and powerful, and also more than a little surprising. I mean, I’ve never seen such a regal and impressive looking snail. Hell, I’ve never seen even just an impressive looking snail.
Maybe I just haven’t spent enough time looking at them properly. Clearly, Senor Ocabo has.
To see more great iPad paintings take a browse through our iPad Art section.
Today’s featured iPad art is this striking image with a perfect title – ‘I’m Watching You’.
It’s an iPad painting by Pilar Humada, one of my favorite iPad artists. It still amazes me that Pilar only took up painting on the iPad less than a year ago.
I’m much more of a dog guy, but we have a cat in our household too, and I think that even those who don’t own cats can appreciate the intensity of the stare in this image.
You can see all of Pilar’s great work at her PHumada Flickr stream.

domain: artistic


So we’ve enjoyed great live performances, had interactive discussions and heard some insightful opinions on the future of South African music. Hosted by Reason every Thursday and Friday night at the trendy Milk Bar in Keyes Avenue Rosebank, the Ray-Ban Reinvention On Air events started 3 weeks ago and have featured 6 talented musicians on the rise.
It’s been an interactive celebration of local music and Ray-Ban’s evolution of the four icons – Aviator, Wayfarer, Clubmaster and Round. If you’ve missed the first Ray-Ban Reinvention On Air events, you can still catch the last performances this Thursday and Friday night at Milk Bar in Keyes Avenue, Rosebank.
Ending with a bang, you can look forward to the following performances:


WAMPSVILLE >> As has been its custom, the Madison County Board of Supervisors passed a “mayday for relief” resolution Tuesday.
Declaring May “Mayday for Mandate Relief” month, the resolution outlines the state-imposed burden on local municipalities by way of mandated expenses.
“Many counties in New York State face significant fiscal challenges made worse by a slow economic recovery and a state-imposed restriction on local revenues,” the resolution says. “These county fiscal challenges are also directly tied to state-imposed mandates and in recent years, reduced state reimbursement.”
Costs mandated by the state account for more than 80 percent of the county’s total budget; Medicaid alone takes almost 40 percent of just the tax levy, at $11 million. That means fewer dollars can be put toward local programs and services, the resolution says.
“State mandates are the root cause of high county property and sales taxes in New York and have led to the decline in the delivery of important local services, such as county road and bridge rehabilitation.”
Using the declaration for May to raise awareness of the state’s impact on local community services, the board called on the governor and state Legislature to enact meaningful mandate relief.
The county is calling on the state for immediate relief for its imposition of the district attorney’s salary increase. In April, the Legislature approved a recommendation from the New York State Commission on Legislative, Judicial and Executive Compensation to increase all state judge salaries in 2016 and then in 2018. The adoption of that recommendation sets Supreme Court judges’ salaries at $193,000 in 2016 and $203,000 in 2018. County court judges will receive a salary of 95 percent of what the Supreme Court judges make.
State judicial law links those salaries to that of county district attorneys and calls for DAs to make equal or higher pay than county and Supreme Court judges, depending on the county size and employment status. Any salary increases in the last 50 years have been paid for by the state. Since the state’s budget was already passed without such considerations, the county is calling on the state Legislature to immediately pass measures to fund the $1.6 million for increased DA salaries around the state to avoid shifting that expense to local tax bases.
According to See Through NY, Madison County District Attorney Bill Gabor made $156,877 last year, while County Court Judge Dennis McDermott made $172,890 and Supreme Court Judge Donald Cerio made $174,000. As of April 1, Gabor’s salary was increased to $183,000.
The board agreed to fund four new full-time deputy sheriff positions. Criminal Justice, Public Safety and Emergency Communications Committee Chairman Roger Bradstreet said one of those positions may be considered to start up the D.A.R.E. program again. Sheriff Allen Riley said the department has applied for a grant that may provide 75 percent funding for an additional position, which may be used for the D.A.R.E. program instead.
Legislation to give Madison County a 25 percent share in the game revenue generated in its county was passed by the Senate and Assembly. If signed into law by the governor, Madison County would be considered a host county and would receive 25 percent of the revenue turned over to the state from slot machines within the county.
“The prompt singing into law by Governor Cuomo will ensure Madison County, as a newly gaming host county, receives a fair share of revenue consistent with that provided to other gaming localities to the benefit of its residents and region, thereby providing necessary financial assistance for the increased use of infrastructure and services,” a resolution passed by the board Tuesday said.
A public meeting was held on the county’s potential action of overriding its property tax cap. No one spoke at the hearing. Supervisors approved the local law, which will allow them the option of override the cap in next year’s budget. No decision was made Tuesday on whether or not they will do that. Lenox Supervisor John Pinard voted against the passage of the local law.
The board adopted an energy and sustainability plan Tuesday that renews its commitment to its “long history of innovation and progressive thinking in regards to green energy, energy efficiency and sustainability.”
“County leadership understands the potential negative effects climate change could have on our infrastructure, economy and livelihoods. Our farms, orchards, ecological communities, including native fish and wildlife populations, the spread of invasive species and exotic diseases, drinking water supplies and recreational opportunities and the health of our citizens,” the resolution says. “We believes that it is our responsibility to lead by example and set a positive energy role model for all of our citizens, businesses, schools and municipalities.”
The county’s plan was created by residents to plan out a “realistic and implementable road map for our energy future” in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increasing its economic viability. Energy management, transportation, land use, environment, economic development, materials management, agriculture, climate adaption and county government have been flagged as areas of interest for the plan.


text:
African Americans constitute one of the longer-running ethnic presences in New York City. The majority of the African American population largely claims descent from West and Central Africa by way of importation to the American South via the Atlantic slave trade (and a rarer presence of those descended from slaves imported directly to New York City), with smaller portions of the population claiming Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latin American, and more recent Sub-Saharan African nations.
According to the 2010 Census, New York City had the largest population of self-defined black residents of any U.S. city, with over 2 million within the citys boundaries, although this number has decreased since 2000. New York City had more black people than did the entire state of California until the 1980 Census. The black population consists of immigrants and their descendants from Africa and the Caribbean as well as native-born African-Americans. Many of the citys black residents live in Brooklyn and The Bronx. Several of the citys neighborhoods are historical birthplaces of urban black culture in America, among them the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford–Stuyvesant and Manhattans Harlem and various sections of Eastern Queens and The Bronx. Bedford-Stuyvesant is considered to have the highest concentration of black residents in the United States. New York City has the largest population of black immigrants (at 686,814) and descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean (especially from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, Belize, Grenada, and Haiti), and of sub-Saharan Africans. In a news item of April 3, 2006, however, the New York Times noted that for the first time since the American Civil War, the recorded African American population was declining, because of emigration to other regions, a declining African American birthrate in New York, and decreased immigration of blacks from the Caribbean and Africa.
In 2005, the median income among black households in Queens was almost $52,000 a year, surpassing that of


With an object-relational mapping (ORM) tool, the software developer does not have direct control over the structured query language (SQL) calls to the database and thus relies on ORM decisions regarding how the database model is accessed. These database access strategies are critical to an application's performance since databases are typically remote from the application's runtime. In addition, an application's persistence data model may be complex, thus requiring more intricate SQL then simply retrieving data on a table-by-table basis. Overall, while an ORM relieves the developer from writing code, the ORM can also introduce performance issues if the ORM is not able to generate efficient SQL, manage transactions, and provide an adequate caching mechanism.
This research formulated an ORM performance evaluation framework by defining a set of performance test cases that are based upon common database access scenarios. The research then developed an implementation of the framework using a selected number of Java ORMs in order to evaluate the ORM processing time, database access calls, and the use of object caching within the ORM. The selected ORMs included two Java Persistence API (JPA) ORMs, Hibernate and OpenJPA, and two Java Data Objects (JDO) ORMs, JPOX and Speedo.
The performance test cases revealed significant performance differences between the selected ORMs. The JPA implementations were better performers when compared to the JDO implementations, with Hibernate being the overall best performer of all ORMs. The ability of an ORM to create more complex SQL provided significant performance gains when eager loading objects, bulk loading related objects, and performing batch inserts. The test framework also indicated that caching had a dramatic impact on reducing processing time when multiple calls are made to retrieve objects. In fact, caching was as important as efficient SQL generation when evaluating the processing times of the performance test cases.
The results indicate that ORMs exhibit considerable differences in terms of performance and database access, while all executing the same set of test cases. The application of a common set of benchmark performance test cases, as defined and implemented in this research, can be undertaken by the ORM community in order to provide an objective process for evaluating ORM performance. Such a benchmark would provide ORM users with insight into how the ORMs implemented common data access scenarios. This information would then allow developers to better select ORMs for their respective application contex.
|School||UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS|
About ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
With nearly 4 million records, the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) Global database is the most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses in the world. It is the database of record for graduate research.
PQDT Global combines content from a range of the world's premier universities - from the Ivy League to the Russell Group. Of the nearly 4 million graduate works included in the database, ProQuest offers more than 2.5 million in full text formats. Of those, over 1.7 million are available in PDF format. More than 90,000 dissertations and theses are added to the database each year.


text:
Tue., July 21, 2009 9:46am
Perdue Dedicates Southeast Georgia Rail Project
One of two projects expected to boost economic development.
Fri., July 10, 2009 10:07am
Two Biomass Plants to Boost Rural Georgia
Oglethorpe Power plans to build biomass plants in Appling and Warren Counti
©Copyright 2015, Georgia Public Broadcasting. All Rights Reserved
Georgia Public Radio®

domain: economics


text:
Aussies that think they're heading overseas soon will need to hit pause on those ideas for three more months at least, with the federal government announcing this week they'll be keeping international bans in place until at least March 17.
The decision was made after the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) advised that COVID-19 was still an ongoing threat that posed significant public health risk despite the new Pfizer vaccine.
"The disease is spreading as quickly as ever," Health Minister Greg Hunt said in a presser via news.com.au. "The international world remains a challenging and dangerous environment and Australia won't be fully safe until the international community is safe."
The ban, put in place on March 18 and originally set to run until December 17, prohibits Aussies from leaving the country unless their trip is deemed to be exempt from the restrictions (eg. you need to go see loved ones or something). In the presser, Greg Hunt shared that only 95,325 exemptions had been granted.
The ban on domestic and international cruises and the restrictions on the operation of shops at international airports will also be extended.
Yesterday (Tuesday), Australia recorded another day of zero community transmission cases of coronavirus, though there were 15 recorded cases at hotel quarantines.
"What that says is the international world remains a challenging and dangerous environment," Greg Hunt said. "The risks abroad are enormous, and if we don't maintain these important protections, then we won't be protecting Australians."
While the fact we now have to wait that much longer to visit friends and family abroad or to see new places is frustrating, we have to remember this is all in our best interest and that the sooner the virus is under control, the more freely we'll be allowed to move. In the meantime there are tons of great Aussie destinations on our bucket list.
'International travel' will probably only mean travelling to select places, anyway. Back in October, ScoMo had said Aussies likely wouldn't be allowed to travel to the US and the UK until 2022(!!), unless a vaccine becomes available. Dear god.
If your head is a little scrambled, make sure you pop over to WHO.int to get all of your official COVID-19 updates.
Written by Sangeeta Kocharekar, an American-born, Sydney-based writer at MTV. Photos from her pre-COVID-19 days as a travel writer are at @sangeetatatiana.


INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK TWITTER
SUBSCRIBE TO SHATAGHANA TV
JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP
Fast-rising Ghanaian female singer Kiki Marley recruits heavyweight rapper Medikal on this sizzling record tagged ‘GYM’.
The singer made herself known after she released ‘3maa’ last year under her new record label ‘Rufftwon Records’. Check out the new one featuring Medikal below and share.


text:
|James Swan with IDRA Managing Director V. Carr
Celebrity interior designer and author of the book 101 Things I Hate About Your House, James Swan, made a special appearance at trade-only book signing and reception held at Dan Kuglers Design Center in Rockville, Maryland. Hosted by Fanny Zigdon of Design Loft Interiors and Dan Kugler of The Dan Kugler Design Center, Swan helped celebrate the launch of new lines available to the trade and consumers through Kugler’s Design Center.
After mingling with guests, James read excerpts from his book followed by a question and answer session during which he shared pearls of wisdom from his time working with celebrity clients and Hollywood insiders. "James is a treasure to the interior design community and quite possibly one of the kindest, most gracious people I have ever met." said V. Carr of The Interior Design Resource Agency. "We hope to see him back very soon."
|Fanny Zigdon of Design Loft Interiors
The Interior Design Social Diary™ is a Trademark of the The Interior Design Resource Agency™
All Rights Reserved.

domain: design


text:
MOUNT POCONO -- With cold weather here again, some little baggies are warming up the heads, hands, and hearts of people in one part of Monroe County.
Members of a group called the "Coolbaugh Angels" once again left hand-knitted marks in places throughout Mount Pocono.
"We noticed a lot of people do walk in this community and we do have buses, so you have to walk from your home to the buses and we also noticed not everyone is wearing a coat or gloves and things so we saw a need and decided it was simple enough to knit and crochet some things and hang them up," said Michelle Demarsh, Coolbaugh Township.
Hundreds of winter wear pieces were scattered throughout Mount Pocono and Coolbaugh Township.
Hats, gloves, scarves and more can be seen pinned on trees, railings, even doors like here at the Mountain Center.
"It's unconditional. You don't have to do it, but they do it, it's how they feel. You have to keep people warm. You have people that don't have anything. We do what we can and so do they," said John Hynes, Feeding Families Ministry.
The angels decided to do something a little different this year. They put a lot of the hats, scarves, and gloves in plastic bags just in case it rains or snows. Since these bags have been clipped up, almost all of them have been claimed.
This is the third year the group got together to leave these creations behind.
Each item is free to those who need a little extra to stay warm.
"You know this kind of is our Christmas in a way. It really feels great to be able to put this out there and when they are gone immediately when you put them there and drive back from putting others out and they are gone already, it's such a nice thing to know someone is warm because of you," said Demarsh.
"There's a big need. We have a lot of homeless people around here and we do what we can and everyone does what they can also," said Hynes.
The "Coolbaugh Angels" plan to hang up more winter wear in February.


text:
Kidi tops Billboard Chart with BLESSED and Touch It, beats Lil Baby, Burna Boy, Kizz Daniel, others.
Reigning 3 Music Awards and VGMA Artiste of the Year, Kidi tops Billboard Chart. He took the number 1 spot on the global music charting platform with his ‘Blessed’ hit single featuring Movado.
Thus, the ‘Say Cheese’ hitmaker topped Billboard’s Top Triller Global chart. Aside from topping the chart by taking the number 1 spot, also Kidi’s ‘Touch It’ featuring Tyga took 4th place. This makes it Kidi’s biggest career record on the Billboard Chart.
Moreover, Kidi beat the likes of Lil Baby, Burna Boy, and Kizz Daniel, whose’s songs were also competing on the chart. The golden boy did not allow them to take the number 1 spot because he is Blessed to Touch It.


text:
Follow The Times
Friday, September 12, 2014
Click here to see new vehicle specials!
Looking for a new health food store?? Your search is over!! Click here to see what Herb Thyme Market has to offer!!
WE ARE YOUR "HOMETOWN" HEALTH FOOD STORE! We offer personalize…
Over 20 Years Of Experience
It is recommended for wisdom teeth to be removed in teens to early adulthood patients. If you need to schedule an appointment, please call Stevenson & Fairchild OMS at (219) 736-1401.
Wisdom teeth are usually the last teeth to develop in the mout…
Why do you think President Obama's plane landed in Gary?


text:
Have any of you guys made a film and taken it to film festivals?
I've just finished a ocumentary about a small town.
Any tips on marketing and distribution?
well you have to submit to festivals that you can make industry contacts at if that is your goal. get a without a box account (www.withoutabox.com) which will make it very easy to manage festivals you submit to, they can screen your film on-line for acceptance and awards - is it a short or a feature length? I have been on the staff of a very large and academy qualifying festival for several years now, but I'm no expert - you need to talk to other film makers and see what festivals they have played and can recommend - good luck.


As promised on launch day, Flipkart is now taking pre-orders for Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL, which were unveiled at a special event in San Francisco last week. Price in India for the Google Pixel starts at Rs. 57,000 and Flipkart is promising delivery of these smartphones by October 25.
However, there’s a bit of problem – at the time of publishing this story, only three SKUs of the Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL smartphones are up for pre-order on Flipkart, out of a possible 8 that we were told will go on sale in India. Google unveiled the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones in two storage capcities, and three colours, out of which we were told the Really Blue colour won’t launch in India, leaving us with two colours. So two phones, two storage capacities, and two possible colours would mean a total of eight SKUs, but only three are up for pre-orders right now, which would mean a lot of disappointed customers.
To recall, the Google Pixel and Pixel XL phones sport an aluminium unibody and also feature polished glass combination at the back. Both phones are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, with two cores clocked at 1.6GHz, and two cores clocked at 2.15GHz. The Pixel and Pixel XL will pack 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and sport Pixel Imprint fingerprint sensor. The smartphones sport 12.3-megapixel rear camera with a Sony IMX378 sensor, PDAF, a large f/2.0 aperture and 1.55-micron pixels.
Both sport an 8-megapixel front camera with a Sony IMX179 sensor, an f/2.4 aperture and 1.4-micron pixels. The Google Pixel sports a 5-inch full-HD Amoled display and the Google Pixel XL sports a 5.5-inch Quad HD Amoled display – both with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection. Both the models will be available with almost identical innards except the screen size and battery size.
Google has specified however that both smartphones have access to unlimited storage for full-resolution photos and videos via Google Photos. The Android 7.1 Nougat-based Pixel smartphones will come with a USB Type-C port and will include the 3.5mm audio jack. The smartphones are also IP53 rated for dust and water resistance.


text:
@PatriciaMazzei @AmySherman1 @MarthaBrannigan @kmcgrory
The festive courthouse weddings for same-sex couples began in earnest Tuesday when their marriages became legal across Florida, drawing crowds shortly after midnight and sustained interest throughout the day from gays and lesbians eager to be among the first in the state to wed.
Miami-Dade County got an early start to same-sex marriages Monday afternoon, but other South Florida counties with large gay populations celebrated couples’ unions Tuesday, with all the pomp that could be mustered in cramped bureaucratic spaces. Clerks festooned their bare offices with dainty arches and accepted donated cakes and coffee to welcome jittery brides and grooms.
For some, the occasion was a planned affair involving friends, family and natty wedding attire. Others went to apply for a marriage license dressed in shorts and jeans, now that they could.
“We had been together so long, we hadn’t put a lot of importance in it,” Cory Morton of Oakland Park said of getting married. “It seemed so far-fetched.”


With the rise in 3-d printing and the availability of such machines as an affordable outlet for design and creation with real world application has come the need for reasonable printing design emulators. Sites like thingiverse and shapeways, hundreds of printing designs can be easily downloaded, and after running through the correct software, printed speedily and without hassle. Some of these sites are limited to browsing currently existing designs, and Tinkercad hopes to fill the void between creation and dissemination.
Tinkercad is an online 3-d model planner used to create designs compatible with Makerware and other 3-d printing software. Once the design is created it can be easily imported from tinkercad to these programs, and from there saved to an SD card or USB drive and loaded onto a printer. The “workplane” looks like this:
From here comes the option of combining shapes, letters, and numbers to make nearly anything, within the boundaries of finite detail. Some examples include:
And other useful and not-so-useful objects-
The Tinkercad software itself is quite intuitive and easy to use. With dozens of tutorials built into the creator itself, grasping the basics and more advanced techniques with the program is both simple and fun. It was straightforward and uncomplicated for me to quickly create complex objects from the limited but encompassing variety of 3d pieces provided.
After the designs are finalized, they can be easily saved and imported into Makerwrare. After some quick formatting changes, they are sually ready to be printed on either our Makerbot I or Makerbot 5th generation machines.


text:
Henri Cartier-Bresson (19082004) is one of the most influential and beloved figures in the history of photography. Released to accompany an exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, 'Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century' is the first major publication to make full use of the extensive
holdings of the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris including thousands of prints and a vast resource of documents relating to the photographers life and work. The heart of the book surveys
Cartier-Bressons career through 300 photographs divided into twelve chapters.While many of his most famous pictures are included, a great number of images will be unfamiliar even to specialists. A wide-ranging essay by Peter Galassi, Chief Curator of Photography
at the Museum, offers an entirely new understanding of Cartier-Bressons extraordinary career and its overlapping contexts of journalism and art. The extensive supporting material featuring detailed chronologies of the photographers professional...

domain: library


text:
Ben Howard Tickets
View the largest inventory of Ben Howard pop and rock concert tickets that is available and enjoy our unlimited and exclusive access to the hottest pop and rock concerts! Forget the hassle, save time, and avoid stress by purchasing your Ben Howard tickets from Greattickets.com because we only sell authentic and guaranteed concert tickets. Ordering Ben Howard tickets has never been easier! If you need assistance, our friendly and knowledgeable customer service personnel are ready to help you find Ben Howard tickets you need. Just like you, Great Tickets is passionate about pop and rock concerts and we excel in guaranteeing your access to the most popular sold out events! We have provided Ben Howard great tickets for more than 10 years and making memories is what we are all about! We ship all of our tickets using reliable Fedex shipping, and most importantly, your orders are always 100% guaranteed! We are part of the BBB and NATB, which means we are serious about having fun and creating unforgettable experiences! Our massive and exclusive pop and rock concert ticket inventory is constantly changing, giving you the opportunity to get tickets at the click of a button. (All tickets are together unless otherwise noted.)
Find Ben Howard Tickets
Tickets currently unavailable. Bookmark this page and come back soon!
More About Ben Howard
More information about Ben Howard coming soon....
Dont miss the excitement! Ben Howard is coming! Then check out our entire inventory for the wide variety of concerts available through GreatTickets. We are at your service. With seats reserved through the secure server at GreatTickets, you can sit or stand or dance to the performance of Ben Howard. If you are still stressing over finding last minute tickets, call us at 1-800-701-6561 so our customer service personnel can relieve your concerns.

domain: entertainment


text:
The ownership of the yet-to-be-named NHL expansion franchise set to debut in the 2021-22 season in Seattle have taken a hard line early against ticket resale, purging several fans from their season ticket holder deposit list for “possible broker activity.”
“We understand that our season-ticket members may, on occasions, want or need to share or resell their tickets,” read a statement issued by NHL Seattle spokesperson Katie Townsend. “We are focused on making that experience safe and secure.
The statement went on to confirm that the organization had pulled “known broker” deposits to avoid situations where season ticket members heavily subsidize the cost of their tickets by selling the majority of their games to other fans. “Our goal is to create an arena filled with passionate NHL Seattle fans,” she said.
The move is the latest in a series of team actions in most all professional sports leagues to limit the rights of season ticket holders to sell on tickets to games they can’t attend, in spite of the fact that they have committed to purchase 41 tickets in the case of the NHL, or 81 in the case of Major League Baseball. The Las Vegas Golden Knights have been at the forefront, going so far as to sue one of its official resale partners – StubHub – over postseason ticket resale revenue.
Challenges to such practices have often failed – StubHub filed an antitrust lawsuit in 2015 against the Golden State Warriors alleging the team violated the law in forcing fans to resell only through their official partner – Ticketmaster. But a judge dismissed the case, ruling that the team has a “native monopoly” on its own tickets, supporting the standard argument that sports tickets are a revocable license rather than something tangible that a fan has purchased.
For now, fans like Ohio resident Mark Alessandro have limited recourse if a team decides they want to cancel their tickets for any reason it desires. The Times report postulates that his deposit was flagged due to past ticket resale behavior on Ticketmaster’s system – a frequent business traveler, Alessandro holds season passes to several teams in markets he travels to often and sells games he can’t attend. In spite of his insistence that he is just a fan selling what he can’t use, his behavior fits what the team defines as a “known broker,” and that’s all she wrote.
Last Updated on September 17, 2019 by Sean Burns

domain: law


text:
Here’s why Lin-Manuel Miranda stars in Michaela Jaé Rodriguez tick, tick … Boom!
Legends recognize legends.
The directorial debut of Lin-Manuel Miranda, tick, tick… Boom !, gathers a big buzz for Oscars and is the musical that everyone is in a hurry to see this holiday season.
Much of the film’s buzz comes from its stellar cast, which includes Andrew Garfield as Rent creator Jonathan Larson, Oscar nominee Robin de Jesús, Alexandra Shipp, Vanessa Hudgens and Stand starring Michaela Jaé Rodriguez. The gifted cast joins together to form one of the best ensembles of the year.
Well, how did Manuel come to give Rodriguez, The lawyerThe face of the year in the movie? He has admired Rodriguez for a long time Stand and even saw her play outside of Broadway in one of his productions Rent. Ever since he was a die-hard fan.
“Well, it was actually very simple,” he said The lawyer on Rodriguez’s choice of role. “We were working on the script for tik, tik… Boom! and Jonathan had this friend who works in the restaurant with him and is like a fashion designer. He is designing this dress for his girlfriend. And then I thought, who is the most elegant person I can think of? And that was it. “
Miranda also spoke about Rodriguez’s portrayal of Audrey Little Shop of Horrors at the Pasadena Playhouse as something that stood out for him.
“I do not know if you have seen his plans [Michaela Jáe] “Singing ‘Suddenly Seymour,’ where he just kills it,” he said. “But I knew I wanted to get involved. And I think it’s kind of the whole package. She can sing, she can dance, she is a really amazing actress. So I think the sky is the limit. “I am very happy that it was part of our film.”
Miranda said that Rodriguez was incredible to work with and that he was a shooting star, no matter who he played with.
“They say you never meet your heroes, but she has a real aura of stars around her,” she says. “It ‘s like something you can not teach. But the camera loves her, she is a star “.
You can watch tik, tik… Boom! and watch Rodriguez in all its glory on Netflix now.
“Falls down a lot. Unapologetic alcohol guru. Travel specialist. Amateur beer trailblazer. Award-winning tv advocate. Hipster-friendly twitter aficionado”


June 10, 2005
Imagine this: your state government puts a transportation corridor in your neighborhood. It's nearly a quarter-mile wide. It will serve vehicles and trains and incorporate oil, gas, electric and water lines. Try to fight it and you'll not only face the combined might of your local, state, and federal governments, but foreign interests as well. The internationalization of U.S. roads has begun.
We're not just talking about isolated instances of privately-built toll roads with foreign management, as we've seen in Southern California. We're talking about networks of toll roads that may be built by foreign builders, managed by foreign operators, function primarily to accommodate foreign goods, and connect U.S. roads to similar networks in Canada, Mexico and, later, Central and South America.
Interstate 69, for example, is a planned 1600 mile national highway connecting Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. Eight states are involved in the project: Once completed, I-69 will extend from Port Huron, Michigan to the Texas/Mexico border.
In Texas, I-69 will be part of the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) project - a 4000 mile network of existing and new toll roads - which will create the largest private highway system in America. Interstate 35, also
called the Oklahoma to Mexico/Gulf Coast element, will be developed as part of the TTC.
Plans call for the TTC to be 1200 feet wide with 10 vehicle lanes (three passenger vehicle lanes in each direction), truck lanes (two in each direction), six rail lines (three in each direction), two tracks for high-speed passenger rail, two for commuter rail and two for freight. The corridor will include a 200 feet right-of-way for oil, gas, electric and water lines.
According to Corridor Watch, a group opposing the TTC, Governor Rick Perry announced his Corridor vision in 2002, instructed the Texas Department of Transportation to prepare an action plan and within six-months the Department of Transportation presented the finished product to the state Transportation Commission. "Without any substantive discussion or debate and without public comment," the Commission approved it, a plan projected to cost up to $185 billion and take up to 50 years to build.
In 2003, the Texas Department of Transportation sent representatives to Europe to find "partners," visiting London, Paris, Rome, Madrid and Barcelona. By December 2004, Texas had selected a Spanish firm to
finance and build the first segment of the TTC. In March 2005, Department of Transportation officials, joined by Governor Perry and Federal Highway Administrator Mary Peters, signed a 342-page agreement with the firm.
Not only did the Bush Administration bless the project, but the Federal Highway Administration announced in March 2004 that the first segment of the TTC had been granted "experimental project status" and construction could begin before the environmental study was complete. Work could start even before public hearings were completed.
Three months later, the Republican Party of Texas adopted as part of its platform the following statement: "Because there are issues of confiscation of private land, State and National sovereignty . . . , the Party urges the repeal of (legislation) authorizing the Trans-Texas Corridor. Further, we urge the removal of all authorization and powers granted the Texas Transportation Commission and the Texas Department of Transportation for the construction and operation of the Trans-Texas Corridor."
Corridor Watch now reports widespread and growing public opposition, describing Texans as "extremely concerned about the state creating a transportation, communication, utility and economic development
monopoly. They are concerned about a project that will consume 584,000 acres of land impacting land owners, farms, ranches, wildlife, the environment, communities, taxpayers, water rights, local economies, and more."
Texans are also concerned about how the law authorizing the TTC grants dictatorial powers to the Transportation Commission for the taking of private property. The powers include purchase and condemnation of property contiguous to an existing or planned segment of the TTC, for use in constructing or operating the TTC, or for ancillary facilities that directly benefit users of the TTC, e.g., businesses, and - "for virtually any revenue generating purpose."
"With complete disregard for public will and the citizens of Texas," Corridor Watch says, "our government is marching forward." But Texas state officials are not marching alone.
Texas politicians are marching in lockstep with international trade groups such as North America's Super Corridor Coalition ( NASCO), the North American International Trade Corridor Partnership, (NAITCP) and the Central North American Trade Corridor Association (CNATCA)
NASCO (www.nasco.com) describes itself as a "public/private, non-profit corporation seeking to create an international trade corridor system throughout North America, secure funding for certain projects, i.e., tax dollars, and promote the development of International Trade Processing Centers. A lobbying group, linked to other lobbying groups, it is "partnered" with the North America's Supercorridor Caucus in Congress and working with Senate committees on a Multi-State International Corridor Development Program. Tim Brown, a Bell County, Texas Commissioner is President.
NASCO opines that, because of "several important trade agreements, the heartland of America enters a new era as a geographic crossroad for international trade." They refer to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) nations of Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. and "those who will follow," doubtless meaning the CAFTA and FTAA (pending trade agreements) countries of Central and South America. NASCO's Web site links to the NAFTA Secretariat site where you may view "the complete text of the NAFTA."
The NAITCP (http://www.naitcp.org) purports to be a "partnership of cities of Mexico, the United States and Canada linked by a trade corridor that works to promote economic and social development in our region." NAITCP just held its 11th annual summit in Mexico, May 11-13. It was called "Hemispheria, the North American Convergence Summit," and featured working groups on "Trade and Transportation Corridors in North America, Smart Borders, and Cultural Integration."
The CNATCA (www.cnatca.org) aims to encourage "continued economic integration between the three North American countries and to foster greater collective involvement in the emerging global economy." Dedicated to "proactive global citizenship," the Association's Web site presents the flags of Canada, the United States and Mexico both horizontally and vertically, but as one entity, the U.S. flag between the other two.
CNATCA's project, the Central North American Trade Corridor, extends from Alaska through the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, through North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, the Oklahoma panhandle, and Texas, and then south of the U.S. border to Mexico City.
No wonder Texans are frustrated. How much influence can citizens exert when policy-making goes international? This is a question Americans everywhere should be asking, for the next trade corridor, toll road network, or inland port could land anywhere.
Nearly two dozen states have passed legislation allowing their transportation systems to operate toll roads and okaying private firms to build and run them. The Bush Administration is easing the way for states to convert car pool lanes to toll lanes, and to allow private investors to build and operate highways. Converting existing roads to toll corridors - thereby forcing taxpayers to pay each time they use roads for which they've already paid - is a great revenue producer for big spending governments.
California might be next. Governor Schwarzenegger reportedly favors toll roads and last February offered a provocative glimpse of California's future: "We're going to make an announcement really soon where we're going to look at our whole infrastructure and transportation and we have a very creative way of financing it. We want to approach it in a very radical way and then look at all kinds of transportation."
Could the governor be thinking of the TTC model, transit ways built by foreign firms with foreign money in exchange for decades of toll revenue? Providing political justification for such a move is the state's near-bankrupt condition, years of diverting road monies to finance general obligations, and a freeway system in crisis with the volume of international cargo traffic exploding.
Why foreign involvement? Besides cost considerations, modern trade agreements prohibit discrimination against trading "partners", i.e., foreign suppliers of goods and services, even in the area of government procurement. NAFTA, for example, mandates treatment "no less favorable than the most favorable treatment" the U.S. accords to its own goods and suppliers.
Another NAFTA mandate - and likely the primary impetus for developing the Texas corridor - authorizes Mexican trucks to transport international cargo throughout the U.S.; it also allows the establishment of Mexican trucking enterprises in the U.S. and permits Mexican bus services throughout the U.S.
Lawsuits based on environmental issues have delayed implementation of these provisions, but in June 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that environmental reviews were not required. The latest holdup is an agreement on safety standards, UPI reporting in March 2005, that Mexico would not allow U.S. safety inspectors to check trucks on its side of the border.
But expect Mexican trucks to roll soon and, then, look out. Trade agreements with all of Central and South America are pending. If approved by Congress - the North American Trade Corridor will likely be linked with transportation corridors all the way to Tierra del Fuego.
The trade agreements that have already transformed America's culture and economy; will now slice up America's heartland - at U.S. taxpayers' expense - decimating farmland, small communities and, of course, property rights. Our shredded borders will open fully to trucks, busses, and people from all points north and south, the trucks delivering products and services once produced in the U.S.A. by Americans.
President Bush is demanding Congressional approval of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Many legislators - even those who express outrage over present border problems -- have already caved. Call your Congressman toll free at 1(877)762-8762. Demand a No! vote on CAFTA.
© 2005 Phyllis Spivey - All Rights Reserved
Suttling Bad Trade Agreements
/Phyllis is a researcher and freelance writer specializing in political analysis. She has been published in Lew Rockwell's Rothbard-Rockwell Report, The Welch Report (on-line), The Orange County Register and is a regular contributer to NewsWithViews.com www.newswithviews.com, The Sentinel Weekly News, Corona, California. She holds a Christian worldview and writes primarily on trade, economic, education,
environmental, and immigration issues.// /
== Signature ==
"Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority.It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters." -- Daniel Webster
Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. -- P.J. O'Rourke
"Doing the right thing isn't always easy, politically correct, or profitable, but it is always the right thing to do." -- Jeff Woodrum
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
"We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force." [Ayn Rand, The Nature of Government]
For Liberty in Our Lifetime,
R.J. Tavel, J.D., Founder
Liberty's Educational Advocacy Forum
promotes "action that raises the cost of State violence for its perpetrators ... lay(ing) the basis for institutional change." [Noam Chomsky]
Freedom Law.com Self Help Clinic and Sovereign Law Library http://freedomlaw.com/selfhelp.htm
Not a high-tech law firm brochure, "because a lawyer is only as smart as you make him " [Max Katz] and "the Law . . . should be accessible to every man and at all times." [Franz Kafka]
Attorney-Written Instant On-Line Tutorials Simplify Lawsuit Procedure http://www.jurisdictionary.com/index.asp?refercode=%20tr001
The CAFTA Battle Comes to a Boil!
Be sure to check out our other lists:
American Opinion Book Services
Get US out! of the United Nations Alert List
STOP the FTAA Alert List
THE NEW AMERICAN Alert Network
TRIM E-mail Network
"Frankly, [CAFTA] is the model for a global economy." ? Pro-CAFTA House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, Washington Post, June 12, 2005
"The White House is hoping for final votes [on CAFTA] before the July 4 recess.. Mr. Bush made it clear the administration was willing to do whatever was necessary to get the votes [for CAFTA]." ? Financial Times, June 12, 2005
Do not be deceived into believing that CAFTA is dead. Just before NAFTA was approved in 1993, it was widely reported that the pro-NAFTA forces did not have enough votes.
In the heat of the CAFTA battle this summer, many congressmen will cave-in if they think no one is watching.
Today the Senate Finance Committee began its advisory markup of CAFTA. The House Ways and Means Committee will follow suit tomorrow.
Meanwhile the Administration and its pro-CAFTA allies will continue persuading wavering lawmakers through special favors and concessions.
If it thinks it can get the votes, the White House will quickly introduce the CAFTA agreement to Congress and seek approval by the House and Senate before the July 4 recess, or if necessary, the August recess.
American jobs and national independence hang in the balance! CAFTA could be approved in less than two weeks.
Act now and keep the pressure on until CAFTA is either defeated or the administration is forced to pull back:


text:
From that first bite of a chocolate chip cookie or the first taste of creamy pudding, I’ve been a lover of anything chocolate.
I love chocolate cake, brownies, cookies, cream pie, ice cream, desserts of any kind, Twix candy bars, truffles, and so on and so forth.
My latest kick has been the huge chocolate Costco muffins filled with chocolate chips. I eat half a muffin every day, and now I have a Pillsbury Doughboy waist. Too many muffins = muffin top.
When I was in college and too poor to buy muffins, I’d buy the Jiffy brownie mixes for 15 cents. But I had no egg, and I had no pan, so I opened the box and ate the brown powder with a spoon. I bet you don’t know anyone else who did that.
A slice of cake, a cupcake, a chocolate-filled donut, a crunchy bonbon in a fancy brown wrapper, all of it has been on my radar forever. I’ve never been too overweight unless you count pregnancies (which I don’t because there’s a baby in there). I am obsessed with all things chocolate.
Somehow the taste is addictive like nothing else I’ve ever tried. It makes me happy, fulfilled, satisfied, satiated, content and full.
Except for that one time that I ate a whole pan of brownies by myself, and my youngest got zero because she procrastinated too long. Hot brownies, especially the corner pieces, then the edge pieces, then the middle pieces, there’s nothing better. Once I offered a bite of my dessert, a hot brownie with ice cream to a guy friend, and he devoured the whole thing while I sat there in disbelief.
You’ve got to be careful who you share your restaurant dessert with.
I’ve had to give up a lot of food because of a sensitive and angry stomach, but as long as it will tolerate my daily fix of chocolate, I’m good.
“I’d rather die than eat what you have to eat,” someone said to me once.
Plus, untrue. If you have a choice between modifying your life or giving it up, most people will go with modifying. You might not believe it until it happens to you, but eventually, if you live long enough, you’ll have to make some adjustments to stay alive, whether it be a low-cholesterol diet, a heart-healthy lifestyle, or an alcohol-free existence.
As I sit here recovering from my second booster shot (my 4th COVID shot), I remind myself that it’s time for my chocolate pudding cup filled with crushed pills, except the time-release ones. You can’t crush those.
I used to buy the Hunt’s vanilla pudding cups, but there’s been a shortage of those for months now. I have to pay the big bucks for Jello pudding cups kept in the refrigerated case at the local grocery store. They have real milk in them, unlike the Hunts’ ones kept on the room-temperature shelves in the baking aisle (when there’s any to buy).
Chocolate is my love. As for this blog post, that’s a wrap, or should I say, that’s a wrapper?

domain: food


text:
If you love delicious treats but you're not such a talented baker, you need to try this recipe Australian home cooks are calling the 'world's easiest cake' - perfect to take to your next shared morning tea.
You don't need butter, milk or eggs to whip up this incredibly easy and moist dessert - instead just a pre-made vanilla cake mix and a tin of apple slices in juice.
An Aussie woman posted a step-by-step guide to the incredibly easy recipe in a local Facebook group.
"After seeing a lot about the "two Ingredient cake" and reading everyone's hot tips I had to try it," she wrote.
"It's AMAZING! And so easy. I won't buy cake again if I've got the time to cook this."
While Australians have been using golden butter cake mix from the brand White Mill, Kiwis can use some locally available brands, like the Betty Crocker vanilla cake mix, or the Edmonds golden butter cake mix.
Then instead of adding butter, milk or eggs to the dry ingredients as is standard, you simply strain and chop the tinned apples, and add them to the cake mix to create a syrupy mix.
Place the mix into a tin, and then into a fan-forced oven at 160 degrees for 40 minutes and you'll be left with the ultimate apple cake.
If you're not so keen on apple, you can use tinned pineapple or pear to create a totally different flavour. Cover it with custard or cream for the ultimate indulgence.
"It was a real hit. I'll definitely make this again, and warm with custard would make a fabulous dessert," the woman said.
Other members of the group said that adding a little crumble mix to the top of the cake really heightens the apple flavour. Another woman said she tried it with a gluten-free cake mix, and was similarly wowed by the results.


text:
Van Dalen UK has been fined the maximum amount of £100,000 for dismantling fridges in a manner likely to damage the ozone layer.
The Rotherham-based outfit was ordered to pay the fine by Chesterfield Magistrates Court after it pleaded guilty to dismantling refrigeration units at its Newbridge Lane site in Chesterfield and ignoring several warnings to stop activity.
The company had been granted a waste management licence for the site in June 2003, but on the specific instructions that it could not start dismantling fridges and freezers until an appropriate way of working had been agreed with the Environment Agency (EA).
However, after receiving information that the operation had carried on regardless, several warnings were issued, with EA officials insisting the site be cleared of fridges and processing stopped.
Video footage taken by undercover EA officers during July 2004 showed the company was still dismantling refrigeration units and turning them into scrap metal.
A statement from EA expert witness doctor Paul Salter stated that there was no doubt in his mind “that the actions of Van Dalen had resulted directly in CFCs being released into the environment and these would have caused harm to the ozone layer.”
More than 1,000 units were found to be stored in various stages of dismantling, with drainage channels blocked by insulating foam and a board in the office read ‘sales to 29 July £41,500’.
EA team leader Jacqui Savage said: “This was a deliberate and calculated action by the company. They purposefully touted the law for profit, releasing chemicals that damaged the ozone layer.
“The EA will not tolerate companies that put profit before the environment.”
The company was fined £20,000 each for five offences and ordered to pay £4,151 costs after magistrates felt that the company was not the victim of legislation but the environment was the victim.
Van Dalen UK claims that it has since spent £500,000 on new equipment and invested £1.5 million on recycling technology.


The country hopes the move will get people more involved in government—and save some money.
ROME, Italy — This country is so urbanized that many Italians call it paese dei mille campanile, land of a thousand bell towers. It's a metaphor for the more than 8,000 cities and towns that dot the Italian landscape, each its own center of civic, economic and political life.
Starting January 1, many of the towns surrounding those bell towers will be absorbed into much larger jurisdictions, known as "metropolitan cities." There will be 14 of them in all. The metropolitan cities will take in the suburbs surrounding large cities such as Rome and Milan but also smaller cities such as Cagliari and Reggio Calabria. About one in three Italians will live in one of these new entities.
Each metropolitan city will have a president, typically the same person who is mayor of the area’s primary city. Metropolitan cities will also have a governing council, chosen from among the area’s local elected officials. And they will have a significant amount of money from the national government, the European Union and local taxes to spend on regional priorities such as transportation, housing and energy efficiency.
It’s an historic change, one that aims to encourage better coordination on urban problems that don’t stop at city borders. It also elevates the authority of cities within the Italian political system, something mayors here have wanted for a long time.
They got their wish not long after Matteo Renzi became Italy’s prime minister in February. Renzi, who was previously mayor of Florence, made passing metropolitan legislation an early priority. He put his right-hand man, Graziano Delrio, on the task. Delrio is himself a former mayor and also the former president of the Italian association of cities, or ANCI. By the time Law 56 passed in April, everyone simply called it the “Delrio Reforms.”
“This is the first true institutional reform based on cities and municipalities,” Turin Mayor and current ANCI president Piero Fassino said as the Italian Parliament took its final vote. Cities “are the institutions closer to citizens and more appreciated by them.”Changing roles
The Delrio Reforms represent a significant reshuffling of power in Italy. Traditionally, there have been four levels of government here: national, regional, provincial and city, leading to complaints of too much red tape. Under the new law, the provinces will essentially go away, at least in the 14 areas where the new metropolitan cities are being established. In other parts of the country, provinces will remain but in a diminished role.
The provinces have generally managed responsibilities such as roads, local transportation, school buildings, culture, and tourism. The cities usually take care of welfare, environment, housing, and urban planning. The new law does not say exactly how all these roles should be merged, leaving cities and their suburbs to work out the details on their own. These negotiations have been going on across the country for months.
One aim of the law is to save money on elections and elected officials. The political leaders of the metropolitan cities won’t take salaries beyond what they earn as a mayor or councillor from their home city. Cutting out a whole layer of elected government is estimated to save Italian taxpayers €100 million. Civil servants who previously worked for the provinces are likely to work for the new metropolitan cities, but most of the details are still to be worked out. No savings are expected on administrative costs.
The change also casts a new light on the traditional divide between Italy’s prosperous northern half and its poorer south. In the past, only two southern cities—Naples and Palermo—were among Italy’s eight largest cities. Incorporating the larger metropolitan populations adds the south’s Bari and Catania into that group (the northern cities of Bologna and Genoa bump off the list). The southern cities won’t necessarily receive more funding as a result of this but they will grow in terms of their political and strategic importance.
A significant amount of funding for the metropolitan cities will come from the European Union, via an organization called the National Operational Program, or PON Metro. This program is one of the tangible outcomes of increased European attention to cities and local authorities. The idea is for Brussels to begin funding local interventions directly, instead of scattering funds through regional authorities.
Almost €600 million (about $728 million U.S.) will finance a massive modernization of public infrastructure, particularly intermodal transit systems, energy efficiency in public buildings and e-government systems. PON Metro will also focus funding on reducing housing poverty; in Milan, for example, some 24,000 families are waiting for social housing while almost 10,000 empty apartments await renovations.
While mayors are generally positive about moving to a more metropolitan governance structure, some still doubt they will have enough funding to handle their most pressing challenges. “We the mayors don’t want to be left out in the cold,” Naples Mayor Luigi De Magistris, recently told the Italian news agency AdnKronos. “Metropolitan cities are entering into force without the resources to manage most of the essential services assigned by the law to this institution.”Metropolitan citizenship
To the general public, the Delrio Reforms look like little more than bureaucrats shuffling responsibilities. Elections for the metropolitan councils, which took place in September and October, went almost completely unnoticed. Because there was no direct vote of the people—only mayors and local councilors could vote—an opportunity to engage the public about what a metropolitan future could mean was lost.
Some of the cities have tried other ways of fostering a sense of “metropolitan citizenship.” In the Milan metro, an association of local governments launched the website Milano Città Metropolitana to educate citizens about the coming changes. Through social media, the site is reaching around 10,000 users and fostering a dialogue to create a metropolitan sense of belonging.
Another example is Bologna, which involved citizens in a metropolitan strategic planning process. More than 1,000 people attended forums dedicated to the topics of innovation, mobility, education, the environment and social cohesion. They produced more than 800 ideas, 67 of which made it into the final comprehensive plan.
Virginio Merola, the mayor of Bologna—and soon the president of the Metropolitan city of Bologna—says the exercise was important to get the public thinking about possible projects and forms of local cooperation rather than just the new jurisdictional lines.
“We do not need to perceive the geographical and administrative confines as limits, but as a challenge,” Merola said in July while presenting the plan. “We must win together, with the support of the surrounding municipalities, enterprises, citizens, universities, and all the other stakeholders who will contribute to the everyday life of the metropolitan cities.”


text:
Defiant is Canadian author Karina Sumner-Smith’s second novel, the middle book of a trilogy that began with Radiant (2014). In Radiant, Xhea—fierce, isolated, careless of other people—found herself caught up in conflict and politics due to her ability to see and affect ghosts. One ghost in particular. Shai was, and is, a Radiant: a person who produces so much magical energy simply by existing that they are essentially an industrial-scale magic-energy power generation station, both rare and vital for the functioning of magic-based technology.
A Radiant’s power doesn’t end with their death, and even as a ghost Shai is an important resource. And she also becomes a friend for whom Xhea is willing to sacrifice herself to protect.
Defiant opens several weeks after Radiant’s conclusion. Xhea is still recovering from the injuries she suffered during the previous novel’s events, under the shelter of Lorn Edren and his powerful family in the Lower City, well away from the Towers who use the power of Radiants to keep themselves floating in the sky. She might have discovered that she possesses a power of dark magic, utterly unlike the bright magic of a Radiant, but right now she can’t fend for herself without assistance. She has Shai’s friendship, but a ghost isn’t very much help in the physical realm.
When dark magic similar to Xhea’s bores a hole through the defences at the base of Edren’s skyscraper, Xhea finds herself called upon to travel through the tunnels under the Lower City to investigate. Separated from Shai and carried off by forces from Edren’s rival, Farrow, Xhea finds herself confronted by the spectre of her heritage, and by the potential to learn to shape her dark magic—and to help a new Tower to rise.
Like Radiant, Defiant is a tightly-focused novel of character. (Although at times its intensity of focus veers into claustrophobia.) It uses its post-apocalyptic dystopia-with-magic landscape to great effect, highlighting the constraints that trap not only Xhea, but everyone around her. The floating Towers, constantly competing with each other, whose resources dwarf those of the inhabitants of the Lower City, divides the population into people who are “above” serious want and everyone else: a very literal upper class.
Radiant’s emotional arc focused on Xhea learning to allow herself to care about other people—or at least Shai. Defiant’s emotional arc is one where Xhea has to learn to let other people care for (and about) her. But Sumner-Smith is, it appears, too subtle a writer to turn that into the moral of the story: it’s more complicated than merely learning to trust. Xhea still has to navigate relationships that are either defined or very strongly coloured by their transactional nature, and to figure out which relationships might, perhaps, not be. While dealing with a mobility impairment, war in the streets, and isolation from her only friend.
Defiant differs from Radiant in not being solely focused on Xhea and her point of view. For the first time, we get Shai’s perspective, and her character arc is as compelling as Xhea’s. For Shai is invisible to almost everyone, known only by the effect her power has on the world around her, and she has never learned how to consciously manipulate and direct that power: to use it to have the effect that she wants. Now, separated from Xhea and unable to find her—believing Xhea to be dead—she has to work around her limitations and discover what she can accomplish on her own: discover whether, even to herself, she will ever be more than a resource to be used by someone else.
Defiant is a compelling novel of character. Once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down again, to such a degree that I walked to the train station still reading. Now that’s something I haven’t done for a decade. Tight, tense, and effortlessly readable, its climax is a thing of nail-biting intensity, and it ends with revelations, and more change to come. I can recommend it wholeheartedly—and I’m really looking forward to reading book three.
Defiant is available May 12th from Talos.