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Winter Travel Management
Frequently Asked Questions
The following questions and answers are in regard to the Forest Service winter travel management process underway in the Lassen, Plumas, Tahoe, Eldorado and Stanislaus national forests. This process was undertaken in part as a result of two separate lawsuits.
These FAQS are arranged in three sections, dealing with 1. The winter travel management process itself, 2. The lawsuit brought by Snowlands, et al., that partly caused this review and 3. The lawsuit brought by Winter Wildlands Alliance that changed the winter travel management rule and also partly caused this review.
Winter Travel Management
Q. What is your objective?
A. Snowlands’ objective is to improve opportunities for non-motorized backcountry winter recreation.
Q. Do you seek to end the sport of snowmobiling in California?
A. No. Snowlands recognizes snowmobiling as a popular sport that brings significant tourism to local communities, and we do not want to diminish that economic benefit. We believe the Forest Service can manage winter recreation to provide more ski and snowshoe opportunity without significantly impacting snowmobile recreation.
Q. Do you seek to ban cross-country travel on snowmobiles and confine snowmobiles to designated routes?
A. No. Some areas should be closed to OSVs in order to allow non-motorized users to obtain the recreational experience they desire or to protect species, habitats, watersheds, or other environments. In other areas, OSVs should be restricted to designated routes or in other ways. We expect many if not most current areas in which cross-country snowmobile travel is allowed will remain unchanged. There should be a fair balance of recreational opportunity for both non-motorized and motorized users.
Q. How can you complain about a “fair balance of recreational opportunity” when all the snowmobile areas and trails are also open to skiers and snowshoers?
A. Because snowmobiles are high-impact vehicles that travel fast and bring substantial noise and pollution into off-road areas. They thereby substantially impact the recreational experience sought by some non-motorized users. In areas where there is heavy snowmobile use, skiers and snowshoers are displaced from the area – it becomes unsuitable for the recreation experience they desire. This zoning of uses is common in management of public spaces. High impact uses or uses that conflict with other activities are restricted in the places where these other activities are to be encouraged. There are dozens if not hundreds of situations where our society imposes similar zoning restrictions.
Q. What are the impacts of snowmobiles that are so offensive to non-motorized users?
A. The primary impacts are noise, exhaust emissions that can create a toxic cloud of unhealthy air at heavily-used locations locations, and disproportionate consumption of powder snow. The noise and emissions of snowmobiles might be appropriate for a roadway environment, but when they occur throughout the forest they substantially disrupt the experience sought by many non-motorized users. Other impacts include rutting of the landscape (especially in spring thaw/freeze conditions) and safety concerns from sharing trails or areas with fast-moving vehicles. These impacts are discussed further in Snowlands’ paper “Analyzing Snowmobile Impacts to Other Recreation Users.”
Q. What do you mean by “disproportionate consumption of powder snow?”
A. Some users – including snowmobile riders, skiers, and snowboarders – primarily seek the experience of riding through untracked powder snow – the deeper the better. These users consume powder snow. After the powder is tracked up, the powder experience is gone. Because of their speed and power and the practice of high-marking (turning on a slope), snowmobiles can track up the snowscape much faster than a skier or snowshoer. Skiers and snowboarders can spend a couple of hours climbing to ski a slope and be satisfied with only one or two runs. Powder snow is a precious commodity to them and they simply cannot compete with snowmobiles in chasing it.
Q. Why don’t skiers just ski in the Wilderness areas that are already closed to snowmobiles?
A. Many designated Wilderness areas are difficult to access in the winter. Even the closest sections of some Wilderness areas are several miles from the nearest winter trailhead, which puts such Wilderness out of reach of the average backcountry skier.
Q. What changes do you seek?
A. Snowlands believes that limited areas that are popular with skiers, snowboarders and/or snowshoers should be totally closed to snowmobiles. In other areas, closures and restrictions should be applied so that skiers and snowshoers can have a wilderness-like experience. In other areas, more limited restrictions should be applied so that there can be truly shared use.
Q. What types of restrictions do you seek?
A. We seek imposition of the least amount of restriction in an area that will provide a fair balance of recreational opportunity. Possible restrictions (other than complete closure) include restricting snowmobiles to designated routes; limiting the types of vehicles that may be used based on noise, emissions or other BAT Restrictions (see below for explanation); and limiting motorized use to alternate days or other temporal restrictions.
Q. Shouldn’t there then be areas open to snowmobilers but closed to skiers and snowshoers?
A. There should be such restrictions where the presence of non-motorized users significantly detracts from the recreational experience sought by snowmobile riders. Because skiers, snowboarders and snowshoers have such a low impact, we are not aware of any place where such a restriction should be imposed, but we are open to the possibility of such restrictions where truly warranted.
Q. Who can comment on this process?
A. Anyone is allowed to comment in the winter travel management process. The Forest Service has already held several public meetings and more will be scheduled. Comments can also be submitted by mail or email. Please go to individual Forest Service websites for more information.
Q. What comments will Snowlands be submitting?
A. Snowlands will be submitting a proposed comprehensive winter travel management alternative to each forest during the scoping period. (The scoping period is the initial formal stage of each process.) We will publicly share each of these proposed alternatives on our website www.snowlands.org. Under the settlement agreement, the Forest Service has agreed to consider each such proposed alternative, but it may adopt or reject such alternative to the same extent as it may adopt or reject any proposal made by any member of the public.
Q. What will be the outcome of the process?
A. The process will result in a Decision by each of the five forests that will likely be in the form of a Winter Travel Recreation Guide that shows where OSV use is allowed, restricted, or prohibited.
Q. Will the Decisions close any new areas to snowmobiling?
A. The Decisions may close areas that are now open or open areas that are now closed. However, Wilderness areas are closed to mechanized vehicles by federal law and will not be affected by this review.
Q. Will the Decisions affect the grooming of snowmobile trails?
A. The Decisions may designate which trails will be eligible for grooming.
Q. When will the Decisions be finalized?
A. The schedule for each of the forests is different, but the entire process for the five forests is expected to take 3 to 4 years.
Q. What is a BAT Restriction?
A. BAT stands for “best available technology”. It refers to snowmobiles with engines that produce significantly less noise and emissions than ordinary two-stroke engines. BAT restrictions have been successfully imposed in Yellowstone National Park to reduce snowmobile noise and air pollution while allowing snowmobiling to continue. BAT restrictions significantly reduce some of the impacts of snowmobiles. Some skiers and snowshoers would gladly share trails with BAT snowmobiles and consider their impact to be very different than the loud noise and persistent exhaust of an older technology machine.
Q. Does the Forest Service have authority to impose BAT Restrictions?
A. Yes. Winter travel management occurs under the general provisions of wheeled travel management, and the Forest Service has consistently recognized its authority to distinguish between types of vehicles. The travel management regulations specifically provide that the Forest Service shall take into account “compatibility of motor vehicle use with existing conditions in populated areas, taking into account sound, emissions, and other factors.” 36 CFR 212.55(b)(5).
Q. Shouldn’t the State or the EPA manage snowmobile noise and emissions instead of the Forest Service?
A. Yes, the State and the EPA should do a better job of managing snowmobile noise and emissions. Snowmobiles are some of the noisiest and most polluting recreation vehicles in use today, and they bring this noise deep into off-road environments. However, even with greater restrictions on snowmobiles in general, BAT restrictions are still important. General standards must accodomodate a variety of uses, and the type of snowmobile that is needed to engage in search and rescue or other extreme operations is different than the type of vehicle suitable for touring. BAT Restrictions should be applied taking into account the type of use in an area and the extent an area is suitable for managed shared use. This is similar to the distinctions among vehicle types applied in wheeled vehicle management, though the issues are different.
Q. Hasn’t the State of California recently tightened the limits on snowmobile noise and exhaust?
A. No. The State of California has recently imposed new restrictions on evaporative emissions from hoses and fittings in small engines. The State of California has not imposed new restrictions on snowmobile noise or emissions.
Snowlands’ Lawsuit Background
Q. Why are the five National Forests doing a separate plan for snowmobiling?
A. The Lassen, Plumas, Tahoe, Eldorado and Stanislaus national forests are engaging in winter travel management as is required under new Forest Service regulations. As part of this process, the forests are also reviewing the impacts of the State’s snowmobile trail grooming program. The review of these impacts is required under the terms of the settlement of a lawsuit. As they deal with manyof the same issues, the Forest Service determined it would be most efficient to engage in both reviews at the same time, under a revised timetable agreed to by the other parties to the settlement.
Q. Who were the plaintiffs in the lawsuit?
A. Snowlands Network, Winter Wildlands Alliance, and the Center for Biological Diversity.
Q. What was the lawsuit about?
A. The plaintiffs had sued Region 5 of the Forest Service alleging that the Forest service had not performed adequate environmental review of the impacts of the California snowmobile trail grooming program, that grooms about 1,700 miles of snowmobile trails in eleven national forests. To a large extent, the Forest Service had conducted only a cursory review of the program under a Categorical Exclusion.
Q. Why are only five forests currently undertaking winter travel management?
A. The Forest Service negotiated the settlement to require an immediate review only in these five forests.
Q. Will the six other forests also be reviewing snowmobile recreation?
A. Under the revised national winter travel management rule, the six other forests named in the lawsuit (Klamath, Modoc, Shasta-Trinity, Sequoia, Sierra and Inyo), must also review and/or adopt winter travel management plans. A timetable for such reviews has not been announced and such reviews may not commence for several years.
Q. Why is the Forest Service redoing an environmental review that has already been done?
A. To a large extent, the Forest Service had been using Categorical Exclusions to excuse an environmental review of the impacts of the snowmobile trail grooming program, so, to a large extent, the review had not been done. In some cases, there was an old environmental assessment that did not address current use and impacts.
Q. Do the plaintiffs have the right to approve the Decisions to be issued in the winter travel management process?
A. No. The Forest Service and the plaintiffs have agreed that doing the analysis and considering the plaintiffs’ proposed alternative are sufficient to settle the lawsuit. If the plaintiffs or anybody else objects to the Decisions issued, the normal recourses are available to them.
Q. Were the plaintiffs awarded any money as part of the settlement?
A. The Forest Service agreed to pay $15,000 of attorney’s fees for the plaintiffs, which has been paid. Plaintiffs sought and received no monetary recovery from the lawsuit settlement.
WWA Lawsuit Background
Q. What was this lawsuit?
A. This lawsuit was brought by Winter Wildlands Alliance in federal court in Boise, Idaho. WWA alleged that the Forest Service travel management rule did not adequately address snowmobile use, by allowing Forest Service discretionary management of over-snow-vehicles.
Q. What happened?
A. The federal Court agreed with WWA that the federal rule needed to be changed, to make management of over-snow vehicles mandatory.
Q. So what is happening now?
A. The Forest Service is revising its travel management rule to require the national forests to manage their snowmobile recreation, if they have significant snowmobile recreation. Accordingly, all forests with significant over-snow recreation will undertake a winter travel management process, unless they have already done so in a manner that satisfies the new rule.
Q. Has the new rule been published?
A draft rule was published for comment and the final rule is expected to be issued soon.
Q. Why are the five forests undertaking the travel management process before the rule is final?
A. Because the basic requirements of the rule are established by the Court order, and the Forest Service deemed it most efficient to undertake the winter travel management process together with the review required by the settlement in the Snowlands litigation. The plaintiffs agreed to amend the settlement agreement to give the Forest Service more time to be able to complete both reviews at once.


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Please message me for a time and day that works for you,
Provides therapy in California
OFFERS REMOTE THERAPY
ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS
My clients describe me as:
As a licensed clinical social worker with years of experience in the field, I have worked passionately with individuals, families, adults, and patient
Something to know about my approach is:
I provide evidence-based therapies to help my clients cope with life transitions, trauma, grief, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, adjustment and relationship issues, cultural issues, etc.
Together, we will:
I will respect your beliefs, values, and identities and create a safe space for you. I will work with you to help you reach your goals. I believe in advocating, empowering, and helping my clients to build up their strengths and relationships
I specialize in working with people who:
suffering from chronic illness, older adults, immigrants, and especially Asian Americans
Something that stands out about where I offer therapy is:
As an immigrant myself, I have worked in many multicultural environments, and I know the importance of cultural competence.

domain: psychology


We love what we do –
giving great friendly service and climbing trees!
The Lawrence Tree Company operate in and around the West Midlands region. We are a fully qualified and professional tree surgery company that take great pride in our work. Rest assured when using us you are in very safe, knowledgeable and friendly hands.
With many years of experience in the industry we have a strong understanding of what our customers want and need, giving professional advice and recommendations to insure the customer is always happy!
We aim to promote the aesthetic value of your garden whilst also sustaining the natural environment and tree population. Using our expertise in the industry we harmonise the needs of the customer with the desire to protect our local environment.


Fernish, founded by Michael and Lucas, offers a solution for urban professionals who want to avoid the expense, hassle, and waste associated with moving furniture or purchasing low-quality, short-lived pieces. The founders envisioned a way to make moving into new homes, cities, or jobs more enjoyable and convenient while reducing the environmental impact of discarded furniture. By choosing Fernish, customers can contribute to reducing the 9.8 million tons of furniture that end up in landfills each year.
The company takes pride in sourcing its products from trusted and credible manufacturers, ensuring that the furniture is of high quality and built to last. By opting for Fernish, customers can say goodbye to "fast" furniture—cheaply made, self-assembled pieces that often end up being discarded after a single use. Instead, they can enjoy stylish, durable, and eco-friendly options that not only elevate their living spaces but also contribute to a more sustainable world.


Upload & Sell: On
| p.3 #6 · Hoya filters falling apart!! |
phil hawkins wrote:
Forget it. I have tried to put them back together and it's very much like trying to put new piston rings on an automobile engine rebuild; almost impossible to do w/o the right tools, and won't be really right when done (without the right tools).
Thanks Phil, I sent an email to thkphoto.com offices asking for a quote and they say that it usually costs $30 to put it back together, and then I have to add the shipping costs.
In the other hand, I found this contact: http://maxsaver.net/B-W-77mm-Kaesemann-MRC-Circular-Polarizer-Filter.aspx , a B+W CPL Kaesemann for less than $130. They are Honk-Kong based and they seem pretty legit. Has anyone here dealt with them in the past?
Yes, maxsaver is legit. I bought all of my B+W Kaesemann polarizers from them and have never had any problems. Depending on where you are, if you can tolerate the shipping time the savings are worth the wait.


Artemis Models firearms are a line of high-quality air rifles and air pistols manufactured by Artemis, a reputable brand known for their precision and performance. Artemis Models offer a range of options for shooters of all levels, from entry-level to advanced users. These airguns are designed with attention to detail, incorporating features such as adjustable stocks, smooth triggers, and reliable mechanisms. With various calibers and power levels available, Artemis Models provide versatility for target shooting, pest control, and recreational shooting. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced shooter, Artemis Models offer reliable and accurate airguns designed to enhance your shooting experience.


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Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Peanut-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Fish-Free, Shellfish-Free, Gluten-Free
Italian Zucchini is a healthy side dish that you can serve with any meal. Italian Zucchini consists of sauteed zucchini and onion seasoned with garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. buttery spread
1 small white onion, diced
1 zucchini, sliced
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1. Heat a cast iron or medium skillet over medium heart. Add buttery spread and olive oil.
2. Sauté the diced onion for 3 minutes.
3. Add zucchini in a single layer and saute for 1 minute. Flip the zucchini.
4. Add garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Sauté for another minute,
5. Repeat with remaining batches. Serve on the side.

domain: food


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Due to the power shutdown in the Sonoma and Napa region, this program has been postponed. While the purpose of this gathering was to lift up Latino Community Foundation’s transformative approach to disaster recovery following the 2017 wildfires that hit this very area exactly two years ago, LCF’s Just Recovery Partners have been called to action in their local communities to respond to the needs of families impacted by the power outages.
All of the food and art activities prepared for this convening will be donated to La Luz Center (which literally means “The Light”) so that children and families can have a fun and safe place to gather. Community and love are everything in times of joy and crisis! This is a testament to the strength and resilience of LCF’s Just Recovery Partnership and the importance of this work.
In this time of need, please stay safe (here are power outage updates). We will inform you when this program is rescheduled.
Please call or email us with any questions:
Samantha Sandoval, Latino Community Foundation: email@example.com
Alan Kwok, Northern California Grantmakers: firstname.lastname@example.org

domain: sociology


Are you not entertained?
Episode: 16, Season 4
Hosts: Giles Morgan Guest/s: Sean Fitzpatrick
From the boardroom to the locker rooms, sport catches imagination like little else. In this podcast we talk to the men and women, who make the big decisions and those who make the big plays to find where sport is; and, importantly, where it is going. We do so for the only eyes that matter: those of the fan!
Season 4, Episode 16: New Zealand rugby legend – Sean Fitzpatrick – is the latest guest on The Captain’s Table. Sean is one of the hardest men ever to pull on the All Blacks jersey. He shares his love of rugby, cricket, New Zealand and his work as Chairman of Laureus Sports for Good.
In association with Loch Lomond Whiskies.


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As providers of business management software to manufacturing and construction businesses, Clarity are always looking for new ways we can help support our customers. We may not be experts in accountancy and bookkeeping, but we always stay informed of changes that could impact our customers; we’re here to support your business.
Our article outlines what the VAT Domestic Reverse Charge is using sources from the UK Government. We’ve linked useful sources throughout so you can find out more about the charge and what you need to do.
VAT reverse charge for construction and building services
VAT registered construction businesses should note that this reverse charge measure is
coming into effect on 1 March 2021. A Revenue and Customs Brief was issued in June 2020, giving more information.
Every VAT registered construction business will have received an individual letter in
January (further to letters sent in February and September 2020), advising them to check if
they might be liable for the reverse charge. If they are liable, they should start to prepare
Find out more information on the scope of the reverse charge and how it will operate.
The key aspects are:
It will apply to standard and reduced-rate supplies of building and construction services made to VAT registered businesses, who in turn also make onward supplies of those building and construction services.
The contractor will be responsible for paying the output VAT due rather than the sub-contractor, and can continue to reclaim this amount as input tax.
The scope of supplies affected is closely aligned to the supplies required to be reported under the Construction Industry Scheme, but does not include supplies of staff or workers for use by the customer.
The legislation introduces the concept of ‘end users’ and ‘intermediary suppliers’ – this covers businesses or groups of associated businesses that do not make supplies of building and construction services to third parties and as such are excluded from the scope of the reverse charge if they receive such supplies. Examples include landlords, tenants and property developers.
When you must use the reverse charge
You must use the reverse charge for the following services:
Constructing, altering, repairing, extending, demolishing or dismantling buildings or structures (whether permanent or not), including offshore installation services.
Constructing, altering, repairing, extending, demolishing of any works forming, or planned to form, part of the land, including (in particular) walls, roadworks, power lines, electronic communications equipment, aircraft runways, railways, inland waterways, docks and harbours, pipelines, reservoirs, water mains, wells, sewers, industrial plant and installations for purposes of land drainage, coast protection or defence.
Installing heating, lighting, air-conditioning, ventilation, power supply, drainage, sanitation, water supply or fire protection systems in any building or structure.
Internal cleaning of buildings and structures, so far as carried out in the course of their construction, alteration, repair, extension or restoration.
Painting or decorating the inside or the external surfaces of any building or structure.
Services which form an integral part of, or are part of, the preparation or completion of the services described above – including site clearance, earth-moving, excavation, tunnelling and boring, laying of foundations, erection of scaffolding, site restoration, landscaping and the provision of roadways and other access works.
When you must not use the reverse charge
Do not use the charge for the following services, when supplied on their own:
Drilling for, or extracting, oil or natural gas.
Extracting minerals (using underground or surface working) and tunnelling, boring, or construction of underground works, for this purpose.
Manufacturing building or engineering components or equipment, materials, plant or machinery, or delivering any of these to site.
Manufacturing components for heating, lighting, air-conditioning, ventilation, power supply, drainage, sanitation, water supply or fire protection systems, or delivering any of these to site.
The professional work of architects or surveyors, or of building, engineering, interior or exterior decoration and landscape consultants.
Making, installing and repairing art works such as sculptures, murals and other items that are purely artistic signwriting and erecting, installing and repairing signboards and advertisements.
Installing seating, blinds and shutters.
Installing security systems, including burglar alarms, closed circuit television and public address systems.
When supplying a service subject to the domestic reverse charge, suppliers must:
Show all the information required on a VAT invoice.
Make a note on the invoice to make it clear that the domestic reverse charge applies and that the customer is required to account for the VAT.
Clearly state how much VAT is due under the reverse charge, or the rate of VAT if the VAT amount cannot be shown, but the VAT should not be included in the amount charged to the customer.
The VAT regulations (1995) say invoices for services subject to the reverse charge must
include the reference ‘reverse charge’. Here are some examples of wording that meet the
Reverse charge: VAT Act 1994 Section 55A applies
Reverse charge: S55A VATA 94 applies
Reverse charge: Customer to pay the VAT to HMRC
If your accounting software cannot show the reverse charge
If your software cannot show the amount of VAT to account for under reverse charge, you
State that the VAT is to be accounted by the customer.
Add wording to the invoice to say ‘customer to account to HMRC’ for the reverse charge.
Make sure customers can identify reverse charge goods or services.
Please visit the gov.uk website for more detailed information on how the VAT charge affects you and always refer to a trusted legal financial advisor.

domain: law


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Anna, a young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland, is on the verge of taking her vows when she discovers a dark family secret dating back to the years of the Nazi occupation.
One of the most fascinating aspects of director Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Ida”, is how he shot the movie. Not because the film was shot in black and white, many directors have taken advantage of that stylistic approach, including Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List”, George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck” and the Coen Brothers’ “The Man Who Wasn’t There”, what I found captivating, was the particular visual aesthetics Mr. Pawlikowski demonstrated throughout the entire movie. Unlike most narrative features, where every camera angle is framed in such a way that it draws your attention to the character or object within the shot, here, everything is slightly askew, with a character off-center or a wine glass almost out of view. And it works, visually.
Mr. Pawlikowski does what you are supposed to do in a movie: let all the action happen within the frame. Too many of today’s filmmakers, Paul Greengrass, Michael Bay, etc., like to shake the camera to nauseating effect and when a big action scene transpires, the camerawork is so frenetic and chaotic that we can barely keep up with what’s going on. “Ida” tells the story of a young nun, Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska) who lives in a convent in 1960’s Poland and who is one week away from taking her vows. She has lived at the convent her whole life, having been abandoned there when she was just an infant and one afternoon, the Mother Superior informs Anna that she has an aunt who lives in town. Unaware that she had any living relatives, she takes a few days to visit with her.
Once there, her aunt Wanda (Agata Kulesza) informs her that her real name is Ida and that she is a Jew and that her mother and father were killed during the Nazi occupation. We also find out that Wanda had a baby boy who was also killed so the two of them make their way out to the house that their family used to live in before the war. Not knowing where their remains are buried so they can pay their respects, Wanda finds out that the current family were responsible for their deaths and because Wanda is also a Communist Party insider, she threatens the man of the house until he agrees to take them both to the grave site where their family’s remains lie buried. Only then, can both women come to terms with their tragic past and try to look forward to a very uncertain future.
The movie is sluggish and it stays at that pace for the entire 80 minute run time but it’s the performances by the film’s two leads and the visually arresting manner that the film is presented to us, that keeps our attention. Newcomer Agata Trzebuchowska as Anna has an angelic innocence and her every move and word elegantly shows us the cognizance beneath her calm surface while Agata Kulesza as her estranged aunt, is educated, reticent and, most importantly, very human. Anna has lived in the convent her entire life so she has no idea what life is like on the outside. At one point, Wanda tells Anna that she should get out into the world and experience life before she takes her vows but Anna won’t hear of it, she is determined to be a nun.
Gradually though, Anna’s tough exterior melts away and she becomes inquisitive of everyone and everything around her. She finally smokes a cigarette, has a drink and makes love to a handsome young musician hitchhiker her and Wanda picked up on their way into town. As she came out of her shell, I felt like I was right there with her, watching the whole world go by, wondering what was around the corner and the corner after that. Ultimately though, the big bad world is just too much for her to comprehend, having spent her entire life behind concrete walls with a daily routine that she knows back to front and so she retreats to the sanctuary of the place she knows best where her everyday life will be predictable and uninteresting. At least to those on the outside looking in.
In select theaters May 30th including the Angelika Dallas and Angelika Plano
[youtube id=”oXhCaVqB0x0″ width=”680″ height=”400″ position=””]

domain: artistic


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Native Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce — a.k.a. Minnesota — to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community.
On today’s show, part one of Leah and Cole’s rich conversation with the visionary leader Robert Lilligren (White Earth Ojibwe Nation) who is the President and CEO of the Native American Community Development Institute, and who serves the 7th District (South Minneapolis, downtown, North Minneapolis and Robbinsdale) on the Metropolitan Council.
Robert Lilligren shares stories and wisdom from his extensive experience in local government (he was the first tribal member to serve on the Minneapolis City Council), he has served on numerous boards for non-profit organizations, and his expertise and impact spans from housing, transportation, community development, and community engagement. Robert Lilligren is an avid reader, a classically trained singer, a year-round bike commuter, and he lives in south Minneapolis with his husband, Steve.
Please enjoy this deep conversation with this thoughtful public leader, who has done so much to bring Indigenous perspectives about leadership, community, and collaboration to everything he does.
Next week we will present part two of our conversation, and learn more about the elders and mentors who influenced Robert Lilligren’s early years, how he overcame his natural shyness and burst into politics, so he could fully embrace his life’s purpose of service.
Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.
Subscribe to Native Lights wherever you get your podcasts
More from Native Lights
- Derek Nicholas: Indigenous Fare for Future GenerationsLeah and Cole have a conversation with Derek Nicholas (Red Cliff Band of Ojibwe) about food sovereignty and Indigenous cooking. Derek shares his experiences as the Nutrition Program Coordinator at the Division of Indian Work in Minneapolis; his views on culturally, seasonally appropriate foods; and about the growing, multi-faceted Indigenous food community.
- Heather Friedli: Revealing Nature’s AllureHeather creates vivid landscapes inspired by her family’s Native American and Mexican heritage and her time exploring the natural world. In addition to painting, Heather is also a professional snow sculptor and recently appeared in Disney’s Best In Snow sculpting competition.
- Rita Walaszek Arndt: Representation in HistoryRita is focused on Indigenous representation in the historical society and encourages people to think differently about the land now known as Minnesota.
- Susie Ballot and Lera Hephner’s Work to Preserve Culture Across GenerationsToday Leah shares her conversations with Susie Ballot and Lera Hephner from White Earth Nation’s cohort of Indigenous Parent Leadership Initiative (IPLI). As graduates of the initiative, they’ve begun projects to deepen connections between their communities and culture.
- Duane Goodwin: Expressing Culture Through SculptureNative Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce — a.k.a. Minnesota — to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community. …


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‘Drei Giganten umfassen die Welt’
Three giants of all life ages carrying the world designed 1895 in the then requested style of Historicism by Prussian sculptor Ernst Wenck who later went on to become a member of the Berlin Secession.
On the sides flanked by allegories of transportation and science having each their companion pointing to the emblem in the middle depicting the imperial eagle, making clear who enables them to strive. Originally the emblem was also headed by a crown which got removed after the war leaving an odd empty space in front of the giants’ pedestal.
The striking 6 meter bronze sculpture captured me on a stroll through Berlin after a visit of the Jewish Museum. It tops the entry of the Museum for Communication formerly named Reichspostmuseum. Built as the oldest of its kind as an add-on to the general post office to express the Prussian need to highlight their patronage of postal infra structure.
Ernst M. Hake, the other Prussian master architect for post office buildings after Carl Schwatlo was chosen to draft the building and construction took from 1893 to 1898 until the whole thing got finished. Between world wars the museum was closed down and when in 1944 heavy damage through bombs occurred, it seemed that doors would never open again. Curiously the bronze sculpture only disappeared in the 60s. I couldn’t quite track down why. There is only to guess that maybe Communist government of DDR did so in an attempt of political iconoclasm and as an persisting aftermath of being ashamed of 19th century monumental show-off architecture despite reinstating a heavy-handed visual language themselves. Apparently after a short craze at the end of the 19th century where strong men with globes on their shoulders became a sight on every major building people wearied very soon and got rid of the globes. Only few remain in existence till today.
Therefore the current giants are one to one replicas of the Historicist original. It took famous sculptor Achim Kühn 5 years to recreate the massive figurehead using a still existing smaller model as a guide. In 1997 eventually the finished sculpture was ready to be hauled on top of a restored “Postmuseum”.

domain: history


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domain: pet


Internet Trolls are emboldened by anonymity on social media platforms and lack of consequence for bad behavior. Ignoring a troll’s malicious and antisocial behavior can actually make this problem worse. Ignoring troll abuse often silences the victim and makes the web a much less safe place to be.
Since 1994, I believed and perpetuated the conventional wisdom that claimed the best way to respond to an Internet troll is not to respond at all. The pretzel logic of troll-avoidance is predicated on an incorrect assumption that if you deprive trolls of attention (content) they’ll get bored and eventually go away.
In reality, this troll-avoidance tactic does not usually work. It often results in destructive, defamatory content being left unanswered or challenged, and allowed to pollute social media platforms and the Web for who knows how long.
We have over two and a half decades of experience following the conventional wisdom of surrendering the Internet and social media platforms to trolls. What have we learned? Appeasing Internet trolls’ malevolent behavior rewards and encourages the trolls to continue harassing and maligning their targets.
Our collective troll problem is getting worse and is not going away until social media platforms clean house and stop optimizing for conflict and hate.
Anonymity Online Breeds Contempt And Rewards Bad Behaviors
With little oversight and even less restraint, social media platforms are incentivized and optimized for end-user engagement. No surprise they often look the other way at harmful behaviors that, if reduced, would cut into advertising revenue.
Media platforms are exploited by bad actors intent on spreading misinformation, disinformation, grievances and conspiracy theories. Facebook is the worst offender for coddling trolls and facilitating global social engineering. Facebook’s primary business model is to foment hate in order to sell more advertising around the content its socially-manipulated users generate. If Facebook were a country, it would be considered openly hostile to world peace and a threat to all nations.
It is not possible to secure a network, app or web service without first confirming user identity. One positive change that could quickly transform Facebook and other social media platforms, making them far less toxic and dangerous, would be to implement processes similar to the anti-money laundering (AML) and know your customer (KYC) protocols used in banking.
The technology required to implement and operate a secure identity management system at scale already exists. The will, on Facebook’s part, to implement these measures does not. Facebook leadership has demonstrated time and again they have no intention to fix this threat to society on their own. Facebook must be responsibly regulated. Now!
All media platforms can and must do a much better job protecting their customers, advertisers and the public from harm. As customers and advertisers we should demand it.
How To Respond To Internet Trolls
If you are being stalked or harassed on Facebook, Twitter or on other social media platforms or websites, there are specific steps you can take to protect yourself, your reputation and your business. Resist! Don’t be a passive or silent victim. And most important, don’t get personal. Focus your attention and responses on the troll’s statements and behaviors, not on the troll personally. It’s a normal human reaction to want to defend yourself and to strike back when you feel you’re being attacked. Resist the urge to get personal. You won’t regret it.
Eight additional steps for dealing with Internet trolls
- Let those close to you know what’s happening;
- Document in detail all abusive behavior. Take screenshots of everything;
- Create and maintain a troll (incident) diary, including a detailed timeline;
- Contact authorities immediately when a troll’s post(s) contemplate or incite violence, physical harm or other illegal activity;
- Notify website(s) or app(s) facilitating abuse and request all offending content be removed immediately;
- Send a cease and desist letter explaining what happens next if they persist;
- Hire an attorney;
- When all else fails, file a civil lawsuit and/or criminal complaint.
Hopefully you’ll never find yourself on the receiving end of a troll’s destructive attention. If you are trolled, resist.


Most of us expected that with NBA 2K23, the community would finally grow by connecting players, allowing different platforms and console generations to play together seamlessly. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case this year either.
The game was released on the 9th of September for the PlayStation, Xbox, and PC with yet another unfortunate confirmation through the game’s website.
Does NBA 2K23 Support Cross-Platform Play?
No, NBA 2K23 was confirmed to not feature crossplay with different platforms. PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation (PS4 and PS5) and Xbox (Xbox One and Xbox Series X) players will have to compete with players that are using the same console. This was seemingly confirmed on the game’s FAQ:
“NBA 2K23 will feature MyTEAM Cross-Progression and a Shared VC Wallet within the same console family (PlayStation®4 <> PlayStation®5, Xbox One <> Xbox Series X|S). MyTEAM Cross-Progression enables all MyTEAM Points, Tokens, cards and progress to be shared across both versions of NBA 2K23 on generations of consoles in the same console family.”
To add insult to the injury, there will be no crossplay between different generations of consoles as well. PS4 players can’t play with PS5 players, and similarly Xbox One players can’t play with Xbox Series X players.
This is a letdown considering how FIFA was able to add crossplay between console generations and PC, making the game more accessible and fun to play regardless of which system you owned.
Ronnie 2K briefly discussed crossplay in NBA 2K23 in a Twitch livestream with Mobuckets, where he said that it’s not as easy as it would seem to put crossplay into the game. He further added that the community would be the first to know about any announcements regarding the feature.
Is there Cross-Progression in NBA 2K23?
There is cross-progression in NBA 2K23 but not in the way you think. Your progress does not carry over between different console families (progress sharing between Xbox, PlayStation and PC is not possible). However, consoles from different generations can share their progress within MyTEAM, allowing them to link their MyTEAM tokens, points, cards and VC between both versions of the game.
Any purchased VC on different generations, will be available to spend on both versions of the game (within the same console family). Also, if you happen to buy the NBA 2K23 Championship, Michael Jordan or Digital Deluxe Edition, you will be able to get the game for both versions of your respective console.
Can Next-Generation Players Hop On The Current-Gen Version?
Yes, if you have a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, you can play the older version of the game thanks to backwards compatibility. You will have to switch between different versions of the game in order to play with your friends from current-generation.
Players on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can not play on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions respectively.
The previous instalments in NBA 2K haven’t exactly had an inclination towards cross-platform play. So much so, that even consoles of different generations haven’t been able to play together. This has created a rift and a longing for a sense of a potentially much bigger community.
With 2K23, players were hoping that the game would finally introduce crossplay but to no avail. Let’s keep up the high hopes for next year. If all works out, we’ll see you in the court in 2K24!
Read More From Get On Stream:


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FAB RESEARCH COMMENT:
Professor Bruce Holub has been involved with putting together a one-day meeting to update experts in the field on the latest science in the sector. The event, entitled DHA/EPA Omega3 for Health Symposium: Update 2014
, is set to take place in Toronto on 22nd May and will bring together experts from the US, Canada and the UK to present their latest findings in the field. Professor Holub will be chairing the meeting, which will also host presentations from Capt Joseph Hibbeln MD of the National Institutes of Health, Elizabeth Kerling, a research associate at the University of Kansas Medical Center, and Dr Alex Richardson, Senior Research Fellow from the University of Oxford, and founder/director of Food and Behaviour Research.

domain: news


I have been listening to this band since the summer of 1980 when my brother’s group used to perform both “The Wizard” and “Stealin’” in their stage sets. It was the same year I discovered UFO, another truly fine British metal band, and the wondrous Moodies, so I would say it was a very useful and productive year for rock discoveries as a teenager.
This was my first Heep album, definitely not my last, and I’m very pleased to say that, after all these years, this album still stands up as solid and consistent a Heep classic lineup opus as any of the others often bantered about verbally. Now, a lot of people dismiss this as the album with “the hit” on it, but it’s my second favorite in the Heep catalog, and I still feel the magic each time I play it from that great summer so long ago. okay, I confess, this album is a treasure to me for the most unapologetically sentimental reasons. I hope someone else out there feels the same, regardless of what Ken Hensley and others have said about it.
“Dreamer:” A good, funky blues rock opener that’s not a favorite track, but it definitely far from sucks. Check David Byron’s great, spirited vocal performance, the best thing about it.
“Stealin’:” The hit, and what a hit. Still played in heavy rotation here in the States after all these years, one cannot deny every classic moment of this fun cowboy song. I just think it’s very funny that they tried to ban this song because of the line, “I done the rancher’s daughter.” Please, it seems so polite compared to…well, I can’t say that here, so how about nailed? That’s borderline rude, at least. Mick Box’s guitar solo and Ken Hensley’s organ are what really make this one of the greatest Heep songs ever recorded, and without the distinctive vocal stylings of Mr. Byron, it just wouldn’t be the same.
“One Day:” It’s hard to believe the band was going through all kinds of personal mayhem while recording this album with such uplifting, emotional songs as this in the mix. Considering that fact, maybe lines like “And though I’ve traveled across the desert of despair, I knew I’d get there one day” need to be read into more.
“Sweet Freedom:” Among the strongest songs on SF, the song is as powerful as it is touching and sweet in its forgiving breakup stance. It is a classic heep ballad with all the hallmarks of those from other albums during that era, and is still a favorite of fans today.
“If I Had the Time:” Beautiful melody and always a personal favorite of mine. Play this a few times when you’re in a bad mood, really channel into it, and see if its message doesn’t work on you:
“If I had the time to relive my life
I don’t think I’d care to change a thing
As long as I find just a little peace of mind
I can dream and laugh and I can sing.”
“Seven Stars:” This song is just great, and I love Ken’s organ on it. Lee Kerslake’s drum fills are really brought to the foreground here more than other tracks, and you imagine he was pretty much winded after the final take. Check out Byron singing the alphabet backward and foreward nearing the song’s end!
“Circus:” Always my favorite track, a lowkey acoustic ballad with a latin jazz influence copenned by Box, Kerslake, and Gary Thain who also happens to be one of the best bassists from the 70’s rock era. The song sounds just a bit like ELP’s “From the Beginning,” and describes the weariness and fatigue I often feel at the phoniness of some of the people I know.
“Pilgrim:” What a great wah-wah guitar, grinding organ driven epic about the disasters that befall someone who is all wrapped up in a power trip after starting out with good enough intentions. The pilgrim tells his tale of how he compromised his values of love and freedom for the egotistical headtrip of being a ruler through his wartime victories. “Those of us who don’t know war,” he states, “We shouldn’t try to make it.” He tells of how the cheers of the crowds made him swell and he lost the woman he loved over it. The last lines are the most revealing:
“I only knew I had to win and build a world where I was king
But leaders come and leaders go and that’s the truth I came to know.
Love or war I couldn’t choose, and so both I had to lose.”
One can take that on an symbolic personal level as well: Be wary of what you’re after, or you will lose the things that you discover all too late really matter. Well done!
As far as the bonus tracks go, I can live without “Sunshine,” a throwaway B-side from the “Stealin’” single, and definitely one of the band’s most unfocused cuts from that time. Extended versions of both “Seven Stars” and “Pilgrim” are welcom treasures, and the piano driven demo of “If I Had the Time” is interesting if a bit raw and awkward. The live recording of “Sweet Freedom” sounds so close to the studio recording, you really get an idea how good a live band this lineup was, and the live version of “Stealin’” is also very well done and more fun than the studio recording.
I would like to add that this version includes great liner notes, photos, and the lyrics,so you’re really getting a great buy here. I would also like to express my regret that I wasn’t old enough to appreciate this lineup because I was a little kid, and regret that, due to Gary Thain and David Byron’s passing, we will never get to experience a reunion. Heep have gone through several vocalists over the years and, though they were all capable, there was nobody like David Byron. He was one of a kind, and I have never heard anyone who sounds quite like him. Buy Sweet Freedom, even if you don’t feel the same passion for it that I do. It’s a quality album in any decade.


Playstation has just released 20 tips that can help you master StarWars: Battlefront.
Maybe you have been struggling with the game, or perhaps you’re just looking for extra tips to give you an edge, either way – these pointers are bound to help.
These easy but important pointers come straight from DICE & their development team.
Blasters & Weapons:
- Maintain controlled fire with your blaster to manage both heat and bolt spread
- With each successful cooling flush, the skill game increases in difficulty. When failing, dying or not activating the cooling flush, the difficulty level will decrease again
- The Ion Shot makes your blaster more powerful against vehicles, and weaker against troopers during its active time
Star Cards & PowerUps:
- The Ion Grenade is a great way to quickly deal with pesky Droids and turrets
- The Pulse Cannon does greater damage the longer it’s charged. A fully charged shot will defeat a person with one shot
- Combine the Jump Pack with an explosion based weapon — like the Bowcaster — to rain mayhem from above
- The Smoke Grenade not only reduces vision, but also blocks lock-on functions for weapons, turrets, and Droids
- Energy shields blocks incoming energy blasts, but solid projectiles like grenades, rockets, and the Cycler Rifle slug will pass through
- If you have a power up you do not want, you can hit interact (Square) in front of a power-up to change it for a new one
- The Cycler Rifle and Pulse Cannon must be fired while scoping in order to maximize its accuracy
- The Smart Rocket fires like a regular launcher, but the rocket will target and track a vehicle if fired in its general direction
- If you take damage while trying to call in a vehicle the progress will be reset
- Evasive maneuvers break missile lock and Soft Lock
- Reduced velocity increases weapon power, increased velocity reduces weapon power for the A-wing, X-wing TIE fighter, TIE interceptor, Slave I, and the Millennium Falcon
- Hold the Left Trigger to activate your targeting system on the starfighters. It helps you land your shots
- A Trait will grant a passive bonus and level up with kill streaks. When dying, the Trait will lose a level again
- Customize your hand of Star Cards accordingly in Hero Hunt and Heroes vs Villains. Not even a Jedi can block an explosion
- Droids are not only great for attacking the enemy team, they also have a scan pulse that reveals enemies to your entire team
- In regular Battles, press the D-pad up to make your AI allies ‘search and destroy’ and D-pad right to ‘follow player
- The AT-ST has a weak spot on its back, try to target this when attacking one and defend it when piloting
Hopefully these tips help you master your galactic journey! As new tips & pointers are discovered, we will release them on our site.
What do you think of Battlefront so far? Was your launch day experience good or bad? Comment & let us know!
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Voice-over-Internet-protocol provider Vonage Holdings Corp. announced that 600 Circuit City Stores Inc. locations, plus the retailer's Web site (www.circuitcity.com), will start offering its phone service.
Customers can sign up for Vonage at the store and purchase $99.99 starter kits. Vonage now offers rate plans between $14.99-$49.99 per month.
Circuit City is also offering Vonage customers two months of free service and free activation when they purchase starter kits and sign up for service.
"Offering Vonage in our stores enables us to provide a new service to a rapidly growing base of customers who are also broadband subscribers," said Ron Baime, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of audio, video and technology at Circuit City, in a prepared statement.

domain: economics


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Increasing the Impact of Surprise
The film THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI includes an early scene where the hero, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) is confronted by Chief of Police Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) about her billboards proclaiming that he’s done nothing to catch her daughter’s killer:
I got cancer. I’m dying.
One of the reasons the scene is so effective is because of the way Writer/Director Martin McDonagh SETS UP THE SURPRISE.
Because we already empathize with Mildred as the hero, we anticipate that the Sheriff she’s accusing will be an angry, powerful, racist, redneck cop – a stereotype we’ve all seen in countless films. So we’re taken aback to see that he’s actually a reasonable husband and father of two who tries to see the good in a person, and seems to have done everything he could to catch the killer.
An even bigger surprise is to learn he has cancer. And bigger still is when Mildred gives him no sympathy in response.
The script has created no anticipation of these revelations; they seem to appear out of the blue.
But imagine if this scene were the opening of the film, and we knew nothing about the characters or the situation other than what is revealed here. Willoughby’s confession that he has cancer might still be unexpected, but it would carry almost no emotional impact. This is because there would have been no BUILDUP to the moment, and no CONTEXT for the revelation.
It is only because we’ve already been introduced to these characters, and their desires and conflicts, that the surprise element gets us to feel something.
This scene carries an even greater impact because the screenwriter had not only established the context for the scene, he created ANTICIPATION of what would happen in this confrontation, and then surprised us by reversing it. He created an expectation of one outcome, then surprised us by having the characters do just the opposite.
Frequently I encounter stories – whether in scripts, novels, marketing emails or speeches – which include unexpected elements that seem to have no relationship to what’s happened so far. Readers and viewers are surprised, certainly, but their surprise more often leads to confusion than connection.
Without laying the groundwork to help us understand why this unexpected event or revelation creates conflict for the characters, we’ll simply listen and observe while feeling nothing.
It’s essential that you include surprises in your script, or your novel, or your speech as well. Just make certain to first create context, so that your readers will understand, and FEEL, the impact these unexpected events will have on your characters.
Excellent. Learned a lot from the article and the comments. I appreciate the time you take to write these articles. Buckets of knowledge!
This is great stuff,
I try to add a surprise or twist that nobody sees coming in every other chapter or so.
Interesting reading. I really loved this script and your article gave me the elements to understand better the building of the surprise. Thanks.
Michael, I read the scene but felt differently on your take. Mildred came off as one the audience should lose empathy for; because of her dreaded steel mill disdain with Willoughby; whose whining displays the will to catch her child’s killer.
I’m yet to see the film. Perhaps subtext will bring me nearer to how the writer expects the reaction you refer.
Excellent! Taking notes…
My feeling is that if the first draft of the story is written to a formula this problem is more likely to arise.
I wonder if the key is to further develop the character and allow the surprises to spontaneously arise from the writer’s deeper exploration of character. In this way it comes from a real place of discovery rather than an artificial or contrived place.
My feeling is that an emotional graph becomes invaluable in subsequent edits of the screenplay, but that that these need to occur after the first draft is out as an intuitively realised story. Too much tweaking too early on makes it very difficult for me as a writer to get the feel of the story as a whole, but is so very useful once I know what the story is and am ready to go more deeply into it.
The other thing that I find is that having time away from the keyboard enables these ideas to rise and be explored imaginatively before they are committed to the script itself.
But I am not sure. I am just at the point of dipping my toe into screenwriting after writing novels, plays and short stories, so it might be that this approach doesn’t work at well for the screenplay. I would be interested in your views.
Iris – I agree that the primary focus of the first draft should be to get everything down, no matter how long, ragged or undeveloped. DON’T GET IT RIGHT, GET IT WRITTEN! Then on successive drafts, begin adding elements such as the one discussed above, or in many of my other blogs. Add new layers and edit out the unnecessary action, description, verbiage and anything that doesn’t relate to the hero’s Outer Motivation. But getting into the thicket of minute detail and technique on the first draft, rather than letting the story appear and evolve, can get you stuck or lost. Thanks for your thoughts.
Thank you for the reply, Michael. I’m up to page 93 first draft. On that note I will keep writing forward. It takes a lot of self discipline not to go back at this stage and start fixing things. By the way, I found your page through a link someone posted of your interview with Will Smith. Such a good interview!
Please email me your schedule. I live in Vero Beach but will travel up the east coast to attend your seminar.
Hello Colleen, Michael’s Live Events schedule is on this page: https://storymastery.com/events/
Several more events will be added in the next few days, so please check back with us for the updates. Thanks!


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TMC delegation led by Yashwant Sinha complains to EC of 'partisan behavior' by central forces
Sinha told reporters after meeting the Chief Electoral Officer Aariz Aftab that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are influencing the poll process.
Published: 02nd April 2021 03:37 PM | Last Updated: 02nd April 2021 03:37 PM | A+A A-
KOLKATA: A high level Trinamool Congress delegation, led by Yashwant Sinha, former Cabinet minister and now TMC vice president and state minister Subrata Mukherjee, on Friday met the Election Commission with a complaint alleging central police forces acted with partiality in favour of the BJP at certain polling centers.
Sinha told reporters after meeting the Chief Electoral Officer Aariz Aftab that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are influencing the poll process by passing on instruction from Delhi.
"We have told the poll panel, the role of central forces have been partial in many booths in the first two phases.
There have been incidents of violence and attacks on our party supporters by BJP. We have asked the EC to see to it this was not repeated in the next six phases," Sinha said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday had also accused central forces deployed in Nandigram constituency, where she is locked in battle with her former lieutenant, Suvendu Adhikari now with the BJP, of helping the saffron party Central police forces function under the home ministry, which is headed by Amit Shah.
Sinha also said "Union home minister Amit Shah is doing everything possible to influence people's verdict in favour of BJP by preventing the voters opposed to his party to excercise their franchise. This has to stop."
He said the TMC also flagged the issue of malfunctioning of EVMs during the delegation's interaction with the EC.
Referring to the tweet by Prime Minister Narendra Modi predicting BJP will get majority in the West Bengal assembly after the first phase of polling, Sinha quipped " we are yet to see any tweet by the PM after the second phase. We are waiting for his tweet again."
The former finance and external affairs minister in the Vajpayee cabinet predicted a "landslide victory by Trinamool Congress despite provocations and interference by the BJP (in the polling process)."
Mukherjee added "I have seen elections for the last 50 years. (But) I have never witnessed such blatant interference in the election process by the government in Delhi before." TMC Rajya Sabha member Dola Sen was also part of the delegation.


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Now that we're off zero-percent rates, the new question for investors is "When is the next rate hike?" The Fed has said economic conditions will warrant gradual lifting in 2016 and is projecting four rate hikes for next year. But those estimates are not in line with what many market participants are thinking.
“We think there's likely to be a delay in 2016 before the Fed acts again, leaving enough time between now and then to look around and see if anything breaks as a consequence of the first interest rate hike in almost 10 years,” said Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott. “We don't look for economic conditions to really justify a more aggressive trajectory,” he added.
The investment strategist is warning the dollar should be closely watched in this rising-rate environment and could be a potential risk for 2016. “Companies here in the United States are reporting soft export orders and having a really difficult time competing because of cheap imports as a consequence of the strength of our dollar,” said Luschini.
He also noted that as interest rates rise, emerging market countries could face a problem settling their debt, a majority of which is denominated in the U.S. dollar.
“The search for yield will remain insatiable,” said Luschini. The growing appetite will allow “investors to step back into some of high dividend paying sectors.”
He also thinks investors “can find some pretty plump dividend yields in areas like defensive sectors.” Areas Luschini suggest includes utilities (XLU), telecommunications (IYZ) and consumer staples (XLP).
More on Yahoo Finance


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Full professor (HDR). Associate editor for Quantitative Finance, Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Journal of Statistical Mechanics: theory and experiments. Co-chief editor of Market Microstructure and Liquidity. Previously associate editor for Applied Mathematical Finance (2006-2018).
- Agent behaviour (trader, investment fund, programmer). Recently, my interest has focused on agent-resolved data and aims at understanding what triggers activity and characterizing collective optimization in very heterogeneous populations.
- Statistics: I have introduced a new way to build nonparametric statistics for location and distribution equality tests from the number of records of sample cumulative sums, called r-statistics. One paper is about their power and another about their efficiency as an estimator of Sharpe ratios.
- Network inference, especially lead-lag networks. See e.g. this preprint.
- Machine learning applied to financial data and fundamental economic data. E.g. Google Trends: see a comment and a paper. More recently, this paper mixes order flow prediction with random forests and lead-lag trader activity network inference.
CoordinatesRoom: SC.113, Bouyges building firstname.lastname@example.org Tel.: +33-(0) 1 75 31 67 55
- a(R)ticles a blog about my latest articles and R contributions.
- Publons: recent activity as a referee and editor.
See my CV.
Source codeThere is no reason to open-source mathematical computations and not computer code when submitting a paper. My repositories may be found on github.com. Some recent contributions:
- sharpeRratio (), an R package available on CRAN that implements my moment-free estimator of Sharpe ratios (see this preprint and the published paper) . Note that versions prior to 1.2 were prone to a pessimistic bias for heavy-tailed data.
- SVN (), an R package available on CRAN which computes Statistically Validated Networks (Tumminello et al. 2011)
- bahc (), an R package available on CRAN which implements the correlation/covariance filtering method introduced in Bongiorno and Challet (2020), also available on PyPI.
- ReplacementBootstrap, an R package available on github.com repository that implements a max-entropy based bootstrap procedure, written in collaboration with Amir Sani. See this paper.
Teaching resourcesCurrent courses
- Deep Learning in Finance (2021-), how to leverage Deep Learning to replicate or improve financial models (estimation, volatility control, asset selection, timeseries generation), Applied Mathematics option for third-year students of CentraleSupélec and students following the Master in Statistics and Finance of Paris-Saclay University.
- Agent-based modelling of financial markets (2019-), a course for first year CentraleSupélec students.
- Physique des marchés (2012-), a mechanistic approach to financial market predictability and algorithmic trading, Applied Mathematics option for third-year students of CentraleSupélec and students following the Master in Statistics and Finance of Paris-Saclay University.
- Financial Big Data at EPFL (Master in Financial Engineering) (2016-). The whole aim is to learn how to retrieve and wrangle annoyingly big data, use estimators adapted to financial data, find strategies with machine learning and apply these techniques to a meaningful financial problems.
- Big Data and Algorithmic Trading (2018-2020), Advanced Master in Quantitative Finance, Solvay Business School, Brussels, Belgium. In short, big data and machine learning applied to trading.
- “Big data”, Advanced Master in Quantitative Finance, Solvay Business School, Brussels, Belgium (2017)
- “Inefficient Markets” at HEC Lausanne between 2010 and 2015. It was about why financial markets cannot be efficient. The course plan was as follows: 1) financial markets deconstruction (behavioural finance), 2) reconstruction (agent-based modelling), 3) the art of speculative strategy backtesting. Lecture slides are available there.
InternshipsI will gladly supervise Master theses on a topic that is related to my interests (and, incidentally, abilities). Please check that yours are compatible with mine before contacting me. Note that the whole administrative process takes more than 3 months before the start of the internship.
Press Coverage (non-exhaustive list)
Minority Game: What stock investors can learn from the failure of Black Friday, Paul Ormerod, CITY A.M., 2 December 2015
- Tweaking taps for a constantly warm shower, New Scientist, 16 February 2008, p. 18
- The maths behind group showers Philip Ball, Nature (18/01/2008)
- Showered in surprises Michael Banks, Physics World, Volume 21 No 2, February 2008
- Openness makes software better sooner Nature Science update (2003)
- Open wide… Maths.org (2003)
- Le bazar et la cathédrale, ou comment l’Open Source élimine les bugs plus rapidement (2003)
- Forscher: Freierhältliche Quelltexte verbessern die Qualitaet von Computerprogrammen Wissenshaft.de (2003)
- Open Source liefert mehr Qualitaet silicon.de (2003)
- Debugging in OSS Always Faster slashdot.org (2003)
- Collective Effort Makes the Good Times Roll, Adrian Cho Science 2002 July 5; 297: 33
- Whole better than parts Nature Science update (2002)
- N/2 Wrongs Make a Right Physical Review Focus (2002)
- Defects combine to make perfect devices Physics Web (2002


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GeoInvesting believes it has found a SaaS company that fits right into a key software business theme that we look for; companies transitioning from a lumpy revenue licensing model to a more predictable and scalable SaaS model. A SaaS model is a more affordable model for customers, as they pay monthly subscription fees rather than large lump sum payments for perpetual licenses. The lower initial cost helps smaller companies like this one grow market share by allowing them to compete for and win new customers.
Multibagger in the Making?
- We think this company could rise about 2.5x its current share price, a potential multibagger.
- We believe this remnant from the dotcom boom era has survived, found new direction and is on the threshold of sustained revenue growth and profitability.
- The company has transitioned from selling perpetual software licenses to a SaaS model that appears to be gaining traction.
- Two pivotal acquisitions, one completed and the other pending, augment product features, nearly triple the number of customers and provide cross-selling opportunities.
- The company’s largest shareholder, as well as directors and officers are voting on the future of the company with their wallets.
To see our much anticipated in depth report on this up and comer, already released to our Premium members, please go here.
To stay ahead of the market with GeoInvesting arbitrage and learn about investment ideas not yet digested by the market, Sign up now for More Research and Insight


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Born as Gwendoline Christie in Worthing, West Sussex on 28 October 1978, she is an English actress. Christie has English and Scottish origins and she has an English nationality.
Her father was a sales and marketing professional and her mother worked as a housewife. She did gymnastics while growing up, but, had to give it up after an injury to her spine.
Christie had attended the Henfield Primary School and she later studied at the Warden Park Secondary School. She also attended an acting class and graduated from the Drama Centre, London in 2005.
Gwendoline Christie started her career as a model. Her height attracted photographer Polly Borland and he made her the focus of a famous series of photographs titled Bunny between 2002 and 2008.
She launched her acting career in 2007, and she first appeared in a Barbican Theater’s “Cymbeline” as the Queen and in the film “The Time Surgeon.” She has successfully impressed fans and critics alike with her acting prowess. She has appeared in different movies, TV, and Theater projects such as “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”, “Wizards versus Aliens” the play “Dr. Faustus” with the Royal Exchange. She was also cast in the 1st and 2nd parts of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay and in the Star Wars.
Gwendoline Christie is famous for her appearance as Brienne of Tarth on “Round of Thrones.”
The sexy actress has blonde hair and blue eyes. She has a sexy body of 37-30-38 inches. She wears a bra of size 36A.
She is also quite active on social media and has 34k Facebook followers, 14.8k Instagram followers and over 660k Twitter followers.
These sexy Gwendoline Christie bikini photos will make you wonder how someone so beautiful could exist. Yes, Gwendoline Christie is a very sexy woman and Gwendoline Christie’s bra and breast size prove that Gwendoline Christie can carry off any dress in style. So, we have also gathered a few Gwendoline Christie bikini and swimsuit featuring Gwendoline Christie’s face and body pictures as well.

domain: entertainment


If rumors to be believed, Microsoft is planning to reveal its handsets this year: Cityman and Talkman. Both the phones will shipped with Windows Phone 10 operating system. However Microsoft has said Windows 10 will be first launched for PC before smartphones
Some expected specification of Cityman
5.7-inch display Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixels)
32GB Memory and microSD card slot.
64-bit Octa Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor
5-megapixel camera front
3000 mAh battery
Some expected specification of Talkman
5.2-inch with the 2K (Quad HD) resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels).
3GB of RAM and 32GB of Internal storage (microSD card supported)
Hexa Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor
20MP rear camera
5MP front camera
3,000 mAh removable battery


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Home Browse Tags Random
GRAMMAR: The difference between feeling your nuts and feeling you’re nuts.
You know that tingly little feeling you get when you like someone? That’s common sense leaving your body.
When someone calls me an “asshole” I get this warm feeling inside because my work here is done.
DEJA POO: The feeling that you’ve heard that crap before.
You know that feeling when you meet someone and your heart skips a beat? Yeah, that’s arrhythmia. You can die from that.


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Current Opening - Water Resources Engineer - Entry Level
BayLand Consultants & Designers, Inc. (BayLand) is seeking multiple entry level Civil/Water Resources Engineers with 0 to 2 years of experience to support a growing workload of diverse water resource and capital improvement projects. Projects include stormwater management; stream and wetland restoration; sustainable site development; shore erosion control; living shorelines; navigation, dredging and marine infrastructure.
The selected candidate will work directly for Professional Engineers and Project Managers on interesting and engaging projects of varying size and scope. Tasks assigned to this position will be selected to expand and build upon engineering experiences and responsibilities. Successful candidates must demonstrate that they are organized and motivated; possess strong communication skills; have an eye for detail; can work collaboratively with other engineers and scientists; and can become responsible for completing engineering design tasks independently.
These positions are designed to provide continuous professional growth to enable you to routinely produce designs for a variety of water resources projects. Our goal is to help you build a solid foundation and to assume increasingly responsible work assignments and professional growth.
B.S. in Water Resources, Civil, Environmental or related engineering program from an accredited college or university
Experience with Microsoft Office and AutoCAD
Ability to communicate effectively
Technical writing skills
Ability and desire to conduct field work
Advance degree in engineering or related field
Registered as an Engineer-in-Training (EIT)
Knowledge of survey data collection and processing
Exposure to hydrologic and hydraulic modeling software such as TR-20, TR-55 and/or HEC-RAS
Knowledge of Maryland stormwater management design guidelines and erosion and sediment control methods and practices
Familiarity with Geographic Information System (GIS)
Experience with similar projects
About BayLand Consultants & Designers, Inc.
BayLand Consultants & Designers, Inc. is a growing and progressive civil engineering and environmental services firm that specializes in projects at the land-water interface. We are a team of engineers, scientists and technicians that provide life cycle assessment, planning, permitting, design, construction management and environmental monitoring services for a variety of public and private clientele. Our culture is devoted to producing innovative and high value ecological restoration and critical infrastructure in sensitive areas. Our project teams are structured to assemble unique individual talents and collective experiences to learn and move quickly to put our water resource and capital improvement projects in the ground. Come be a part of our success!
BayLand offers competitive salary; flextime; paid personal, sick and vacation leave; paid holidays; performance bonuses; health benefits; 401k and profit sharing. If interested, please submit your Cover Letter and Resume to email@example.com.

domain: geography


PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – Portsmouth city leaders want to help kids stay on the right path through a youth leadership program and mentorship.
The Saturday Academy is sponsored by Portsmouth City Parks and Recreation.
On the first Saturday of every month, Dr. M. Julius Hayes helps kids development of leadership skills.
“Our young people are hurting every day because many of them do not have hope,” said Dr. Hayes. “We have to educate, engage, and move with into an action that is second to none. Young people, you do not allow anyone to take away your dream!”
Pernell Nelson with the ‘Stop Shooting’ movement. Nelson tells 10 On Your Side he makes positive rap music with positive messages and to stop shooting.
“I like to rap, so let me rap about that. Let’s make it look cool to be positive, rap positive,” said Nelson. “A lot of kids, they do not have guidance, nobody positive around them, coming here they come and sit down and learn something.”
Mayor Shannon Glover said, “They need to know that we as leaders support them in their leadership development, what that means is, we have to instill in them confidence, competence and ability to respect themselves and respect each other.”
If you missed this one there is another program next month on March 4.
The Saturday academy happens at J.E. Parker recreation center at 2350 Turnpike Road in Portsmouth.


Fully automatic Jeti Tauro H3300 LED streamlines print production at Creapack
About a year and a half ago, Creapack installed a Jeti Tauro H3300 LED large format printer with automatic loading and unloading to replace two existing printers. CEO Jessica Lefevere: “It was a bit of a leap in the dark to do that in the middle of the covid crisis, but in hindsight it was the only right decision, because with the Jeti Tauro we have acquired a reliable production machine, with which we can print three times the volume from before.”
F.l.t.r. at the fully automatic Jeti Tauro H3300 LED: Agfa Sales Manager Inkjet Niko Dheedene, Creapack CEO Jessica Lefevere and COO Kris Debosschere
Creapack was founded in 1988 as a sister company of Kartonnage Lefevere-Beel. From the start, it specialized in POS material, displays and luxury packaging. More than 30 years later, the company has become one of the references on the Belgian and European market. Creapack serves both Belgian and international customers in the retail, food, pharma and other industries. A motivated and professional team of employees guarantees high efficiency and excellent service from the first design to the finished product.
With one Jeti Tauro, we produce three times as much as before with two machines - almost unattended.
The first talks regarding the possible purchase of a Jeti Tauro took place in the middle of the lockdown when organizing a live demo was almost impossible. Yet Agfa found a creative workaround. Jessica explains: “We supplied the digital files and the cardboard to be printed on to Agfa in Mortsel. The entire production run of approximately one hour was then recorded live on video, which was returned to us together with the printed material. That way of thinking ‘out of the box’ gave me a good feeling from the start and that click has remained.”
Jeti Tauro as the best option
Of course, you do not decide on an investment like that overnight. Creapack consulted several manufacturers before making a decision. Creapack COO Kris Debosschere explains: “There are several reasons why Agfa ultimately came out on top for our applications. On the one hand, the Jeti Tauro delivers a nice print quality that is comparable to offset, so that combination orders, in which part is produced in offset and part digitally, do not form any obstacle. On the other hand, there is the speed. With one Jeti Tauro, we produce three times as much as before with two machines – almost unattented.”
The Jeti Tauro is a reliable production machine that has lived up to all expectations. And if there is ever a problem, it is quickly and professionally resolved by the technical team at Agfa.
Decisive for Creapack was the high degree of automation and the good reputation of the Jeti Tauro in the market. Kris: “Once the production run has started, the printer works completely unattended and autonomously. Over the past year and a half, the Jeti Tauro has also proven to be very reliable, which means that we often continue to print unattended in the evenings. This was not possible at all with our previous printers. In addition, each sheet is aligned before printing, so that the image is always in the same place on the cardboard sheet, which is a huge advantage when finishing on our cutting table, which is also automated by the way.”
Sustainability is not an empty slogan for Creapack. The company combines sustainability, profitability and innovation where possible. For example, the roof is full of solar panels, good for about 1 Gigawatt per year of clean energy. Jessica adds: “From that perspective too, the Jeti Tauro with UV-LED drying was a good choice. No UV lamps, but energy-efficient LEDs that also generate little heat. In addition, the inks are Greenguard Gold certified, which indicates that they have the highest attainable certificate with regard to maintaining air quality. This is also good for the environment and certainly for our employees.”
Images copyright Creapack