text:
Background The pharmaceutical therapy for acute ischemic stroke has shortcomings in reopening large vessels and dissolving long thrombi, and endovascular treatment has been found to provide added value. The Aperio thrombectomy device showed promising results in an experimental study. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the device clinically.
Methods 119 patients with acute stroke were treated in nine centers using the Aperio thrombectomy device. Target vessel, diameter, thrombus length, procedure time, recanalization, number of deployments, additional use of anticoagulants, complications, and the use of additional devices were assessed.
Results The median thrombus length was 15 mm (range 1.5–20 mm) and the average time from device insertion to recanalization was 30 min (range 5–120 min). Blood flow restoration (Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction (TICI) 2–3) was achieved in 85%. In the majority of cases complete clot removal was achieved (TICI 0, 12%; TICI 1, 2%; TICI 2a, 14%; TICI 2b, 18%; TICI 3, 53%). The median number of deployments was 2 (range 1–6). Twelve procedural complications (10%) occurred.
Conclusions The Aperio thrombectomy device seems to be an effective and adequately safe tool for reopening occluded cerebral arteries in the setting of acute stroke.
Statistics from Altmetric.com
If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

domain: medical


text:
Spring Break Youth Video Game Camp
Want to build your own video game? Spend this spring break learning how!
Announcing the Spring Break Youth Video Game Camp, designed for youth aged 9 to 16.
In this camp, you'll work with an actual game studio to design and build your own custom video game (with help from our staff of artists and programmers).
"My daughter described her experience with Chris and the other friendly staff as simply awesome!"
- Gwen's Mom
You'll learn these key skills for building video games:
Critical thinking -- play-test… Show more
Created by eventbrite | Claim this event
|Check Site||Buy Now|
9200 E. Mineral Ave.
Centennial, CO 80112
Don't Miss This
Naughty Pierre's Burlesque and Comedy Extravaganza!
at Lannie's Clocktower CabaretThu 10/2 8:00p
Hot Tickets More »
ON SALE NOW
Thu 10/2 8:00p
Sun 1/11 9:30a
Sat 1/31 10:00a
Sat 2/7 10:30a
Sun 12/21 1:00p
Sun 12/7 1:00p

domain: entertainment


text:
Sheep quotes down 50c/kg, sheep farmers angry – ICSA
Sheep quotes are down at least 50c/kg on this time last year and sheep farmers are angry, according to the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA).
ICSA Sheep Chairman John Brooks has said that sheep farmers are angry at the recent price collapse.
“Sheep farmers are producing high-quality product at a very expensive time of year, and are now being forced to sell at a loss.
“Prices have collapsed in recent weeks, at a time when farmers could reasonably expect that demand for their product would be at its peak.”
Brooks said that many ICSA members attended the Teagasc Sheep2015 event in Athenry recently, where they heard very positive stories from meat factories about the outlook for sheep farming.
“Yet by Monday, there had been another savage cut in prices. Quotes are now down at least 50c/kg on this time last year.
“There is no doubt that factories are talking down the trade, with many quoting €4.80 and less but paying €5,” the ICSA Sheep Chairman said.
Brooks said that the ICSA sees this as an attempt to instil panic in sheep farmers rather than trying to work with them for everyone’s benefit.
He also said that it is in nobody’s interest to driver farmers out of business, particularly given the reduction in the Irish sheep population.
“All we are looking for is a fair price that recognises the cost and effort that goes into producing high-quality lamb at this time of year,” he said.

domain: news


text:
Agenda item details
Review, Discussion and Consideration of Contract Award Recommendation for Professional Audit Services – (Action)
- Office of Procurement and Contract Oversight
- Review, Discussion and Consideration of Contract Award Recommendation for Professional Audit Services – (Action)
- Move that the Board of Trustees of the Employees Retirement System of Texas authorizes the Executive Director to negotiate and execute a contract with [RESPONDENT NAME] with terms that are fully acceptable to ERS, and to authorize the Executive Director to thereafter administer the contract agreed to by the parties. In the event that ERS is not able to timely negotiate a satisfactory contract with [RESPONDENT NAME], or if [RESPONDENT NAME] will not be capable of providing the required financial audit services to ERS’ satisfaction during the contract term, then the Board authorizes the Executive Director to resume any necessary due diligence processes and contract negotiations with the next top-ranked qualified Respondent, and to negotiate and execute contract terms that are fully acceptable to ERS and thereafter administer the contract.

domain: law


Limavady Grammar School’s U14 boys team have returned from Belfast after claiming victory in the Derriaghy Cup against.
The U-14 boys competed in a very exciting final of the Derriaghy Cup against Belfast Royal Academy at their Castle Grounds.
It was a great achievement for the boys to get this far, as they had some great victories along the way.
They beat Belfast High School by 102 runs with Jack Henderson getting 45 runs and Jon McMichael and Steven McCluskey four wickets each, and produced a six wicket victory over Foyle College in the second round.
Jacob Logan-Wilson captained the boys to a 158 run victory over Regent in the quarter-final, recording a massive 150 runs and two wickets in the process.
They faced Methodist College, Belfast, in the semifinals where they bowled them all out for 53 runs and chased them down with four wickets to spare, with Year 9 Sam McClelland putting in a great performance, amongst others.
The entire squad performed very well throughout the whole season and were very focused on the day of the final.
They bowled out a very good BRA side for 39 runs. Jacob Logan-Wilson made the break through by taking two big wickets in the third and fifth overs. Jack Mark and Ronan McFall worked very hard in the field to limit the singles, with Steven McCluskey producing a stunning bowling display with two maidens and one wicket maiden. The man of the match, Jon McMichael, led by example, taking five wickets and two maidens for only three runs. Limavady Grammar started their innings nervously with Jacob and Steven getting bowled for only nine runs.
It was young Andrew Scott who settled the team, recording 11 precious runs to be eventually caught with a stunning catch. Jordan Eakin came in with four runs and James Howe with a powerful batting performance of 11 runs not out that won a very entertaining match for Limavady Grammar School. The boys performed superbly and were well-deserved 2015 winners of the Derriaghy Cup for the first time in Limavady’s history.


KRon Wiley is a singer, songwriter, and guitar player that lives and plays in the Pacific Northwest. Performing some originals he also plays songs by the Beatles, Elton John, Tom Petty and the like. Ron plays a Taylor 710 acoustic guitar with zero effects (unless you consider a little reverb an effect) and sings through a Sure SM-58 mic. Clean and simple.
Check out more at his website: www.ronwiley.com


text:
Prevalence of PNPLA1 Gene Mutation in 48 Breeding Golden Retriever Dogs
AbstractA non-epidermolytic ichthyosis has been identified in Golden Retrievers due to a variant in the PNPLA1 gene, and a genetic test is available to detect wild-type, heterozygous and homozygous dogs. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of the PNPLA1 gene variant in Golden Retrievers used for breeding and to provide more information to breeders in order to restrict the spread of this disease. Clinical examination and assessment of the PNPLA1 genotype using PCR testing of oral swabs were performed in 48 breeding Golden Retrievers. Wild-type, heterozygous or homozygous variants of the PNPLA1 gene were demonstrated in 10 (21%), 23 (48%), and 15 (31%) of the 48 dogs, respectively. In only 3 of the 48 dogs were clinical signs suggestive of ichthyosis identified. Data collected agreed with data reported in the literature. The high prevalence of homozygous and heterozygous variants makes the exclusion of mutated dogs from breeding impractical. Furthermore, the reliability of the PNPLA1 mutation in prediction of clinical signs of ichthyosis is unclear. Additional studies are needed to investigate if PNPLA1 is the only gene involved or if other genes and environmental factors have a role in the development of ichthyosis in Golden Retrievers. View Full-Text
Share & Cite This Article
Graziano, L.; Vasconi, M.; Cornegliani, L. Prevalence of PNPLA1 Gene Mutation in 48 Breeding Golden Retriever Dogs. Vet. Sci. 2018, 5, 48.
Graziano L, Vasconi M, Cornegliani L. Prevalence of PNPLA1 Gene Mutation in 48 Breeding Golden Retriever Dogs. Veterinary Sciences. 2018; 5(2):48.Chicago/Turabian Style
Graziano, Lisa; Vasconi, Mauro; Cornegliani, Luisa. 2018. "Prevalence of PNPLA1 Gene Mutation in 48 Breeding Golden Retriever Dogs." Vet. Sci. 5, no. 2: 48.
Note that from the first issue of 2016, MDPI journals use article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.


text:
He has been spending alot of time sleeping, which has given me time to get various things done - including this page that I made yesteday afternoon.
It have recently started to go back to pictures of Jack to update his album as I am pretty much up to date on my other current albums.
This picture was taken last year (well nearly a year ago now!) I had just got my new camera and I was taking pictures like crazy! I really liked these ones of him in his little garden area playing with bubbles. I also really can't wait for it to be warm enough for this kind of picture as well!
I used bella blvd papers to make this page - I really like this range of papers but I wish they were double sided.
I also used some windmills on this page...

domain: artistic


In this paper, research efforts initiated in 2007 to better understand failure mechanisms of polyester rope are reviewed. A strain-based method is described for predicting the remaining life of polyester mooring lines. The fatigue mechanisms of metals vs. polyester are contrasted, leading to a justification for using strand-on-strand, "20-hurricane" subrope testing of polyester mooring lines rather than traditional (as conducted for steel) fatigue testing of the full-size rope assembly.
This paper provides strand-on-strand, "20-hurricane" test results from over 40 individual rope tests, with the key comparative variable in the form of % reduction in breaking strength (after 20,000 cycles of 30% average break load ±15%). Data are presented for five different commercially available polyester mooring rope designs.
Unexpected results due to subrope unloading and reloading during a test sequence are described and explained. This behavior was observed in certain cyclic wear tests, and was caused by fiber-yarn bedding in, breaking out, and then re-bedding.
Finally, a semi-empirical mathematical model to predict rope remaining life is described that employs the results of the " 20-hurricane?? test program.
The work reported here was undertaken as a result of both industry and regulators recognizing the need for deepwater mooring system technology development in the area of synthetic fiber mooring systems. While technology development for polyester moorings began in Europe and Brazil in the late 80s and early 90s, the DeepStar Project (a continuing joint-industry research program) has been developing technology for polyester mooring system applications for deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GoM) applications since 1995. In that year, DeepStar conducted the first single-leg mooring system test in the GoM, and in 1999, another DeepStar project found that there were ample design and test data to support the safe application of polyester taut-line mooring systems for floating production systems and mobile offshore drilling units in the GoM.
In 2007, the concept of the "20-hurricane" method described here was first developed. DeepStar has now sponsored further development of the method. The work on polyester rope fatigue reported here is focused on the cyclic wear of subrope strands with the objective of answering the question of the remaining life of polyester rope mooring systems that have been exposed to cyclic tension loadings from hurricanes.
The fatigue life of deepwater mooring lines is a critical issue in the design of offshore structures. This applies to both metal components and to polyester ropes. Material properties of the polyester along with the construction of the rope (number of strands, strand type (i.e., braided vs. twisted, jacketed or unjacketed, etc.)) define both the minimum break strength and the reduction in break strength due to a fatigue mechanism referred to as cyclic wear.
In this paper, previous efforts to better understand rope failure mechanisms are reviewed and a strain-based method is proposed for predicting the remaining life of polyester mooring lines. Rope failure mechanisms are discussed first. Following that, fatigue mechanism of metals vs. polyester are compared and the differences described. The rationale for the "20-hurricane" subrope testing of polyester mooring lines for determining the fatigue performance is discussed next. Finally, a semi-empirical mathematical model to predict fatigue life is described, and results from "20-hurricane" testing are presented.


text:
Thursday, January 08, 2009
'Not having received what was promised'
The following passage is taken from a seminary commencement address.
Christ is our employer as surely as the general contractor is the carpenter's employer, only the chances are that this side of Paradise we will never see his face except mirrored darkly in dreams and shadows, if we're lucky, and in each other's faces.
He is our general, but the chances are that this side of Paradise we will never hear his voice except in the depth of our own inner silence and in each other's voices. He is our shepherd, but the chances are we will never feel his touch except as we are touched by the joy and pain and holiness of our own life and each other's lives.
He is our pilot, our guide, our true, fast, final friend and judge, but often when we need him most, he seems farthest away because he will always have gone on ahead, leaving only the faint print of his feet on the path to follow.
And the world blows leaves across the path. And branches fall. And darkness falls.
We are, all of us, Mary Magdalene, who reached out to him at the end only to embrace empty air. We are the ones who stopped for a bit to eat that evening at Emmaus and , as soon as they saw who it was that was sitting there at the table with them, found him vanished from their sight.
Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Rahab, Sarah are our brothers and sisters because, like them, we all must live in faith, as the great chapter put it with a staggering honesty that should be a lesson to us all, "not having received what was promised, but having seen it and greeted it from afar," and only from afar.
And yet the country we seek and do not truly find, at least not here, not now, the heavenly country and homeland, is there somewhere as surely as our yearning for it is there; and I think that our yearning for it is itself as much a part of the truth of it as our yearning for love or beauty or peace is a part of those truths.
And Christ is there with us on our way as surely as the way itself is there that has brought us to this place. It has brought us. We are here. He is with us -- that is our faith -- but only in unseen ways, as subtle and pervasive as air.
It made me think of this (and I apologize in advance for the cheesy "video." I love the song).
Which made me think of this joke:
Father Murphy walks into a pub in Donegal, and says to the first man he meets, "Do you want to go to heaven?"
The man said, "I do Father."
The priest said, "Then stand over there against the wall."
Then the priest asked the second man, "Do you want to got to heaven?"
"Certainly, Father," was the man's reply.
"Then stand over there against the wall," said the priest.
Then Father Murphy walked up to O'Toole and said, "Do you want to go to heaven?"
O'Toole said, "No, I don't Father."
The priest said, "I don't believe this. You mean to tell me that when you die you don't want to go to heaven?"
O'Toole said, "Oh, when I die, yes. I thought you were getting a group together to go right now."
All of which is to say: I feel about "Beulah Land" or "heaven" or a fuller realization of Christ in me, and in life and such, or however you want to say it, about like I used to feel homesick when I was in college.
I had tasks at hand, work to do, but I missed my mama and daddy and brother.
Now, I have tasks at hand. Work to do. But sometimes I "miss" my Holy Abba, Father -- Papa.
A devotional, some music, a joke, a little commentary -- and it inspired Ronholio to personal testimony!
Love offerings gladly accepted! :-)
HIs existential approach was an important source of freedom for me as a young man feeling so imprisoned by a biblicist church. His writings were not doctrinal corrections to my destitute religious inheritance, but were deeply persuasive spiritual guidance because they drew from felt human religious experience.
Christ was not the subject of his writings, even less an object. He universalized the experience of "yearning for Christ". This tended to reveal church teaching that was obsessed with NT milieu as a neurotic and anachronistic traditionalism.
It was both liberated me and left me a bit at sea, without a faith community.
I ran across another reference of Clement of Alexandria calling the Word of God "a song," which you mentioned some weeks ago. I was rereading a book by an old professor of mine (Broken Lights and Mended Lives by Rowan Greer, p. 9).
Clement was Christianizing the pagan legend of Eunomos breaking a cithera string in a contest and a grasshopper flew to his lyre to supply the missing note.
Clement used this story to talk of the Word of God supplying the missing note in creation, "compos[ing] the universe into melodious order, and tuned the discord of the elements to harmonious arrangement, so that the whole world might become harmony." [From Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol, 2, p. 171]
Comes close to an old Coke commercial.
The Buechner piece is in his "Listening to Your Life," a book of daily devotionals (Jan. 8), but originally was in his "A Room Called Remember: Uncollected Pieces" (San Francisco, Harper & Row, 1984), 140-141.
Would that you could be a part of the church I'm a part of! It runs the gamut, from Spong types to reforming Baptist, to a handful of orhtodox traditionalists who believe all the fundamentals (the original ones), but do not insist that everybody toe their own doctrinal lines.
Thanks for the Clement info. I encountered his song idea in "Jesus Christ, Sun of God: Ancient Cosmology and Early Christian Symbolism" (Quet Books, 1993).
And, may I add: Coke is it! :-) (I actually prefer RC.)
But as for every Sunday I need bread, wine, altar, the prayer of consecration and a theology of the presence, mystical though it may be for protestants.
Well, actually Clement referred to the 'Logos' as the song. In his world that would not have ment "the word of God" as it now stands. As you are aware Logos ment much much more in Greek. As for the Clementine meaning of "song" you have to delve into the Greek God-Man thinking and the use of "the song" to control the world.
Understanding the old guys has to be done in context, theirs not ours.
I feel sad for those who claim Christ as their own and then treat him as future or as pie in the sky or as being somewhere else. If you shut up sit down and be still you will feel his hand on you shoulder. Only now touches eternity. Christ is always with you now.
"At the table of the Lord
we celebrate with thanksgiving
the saving acts and presence of Christ."
For Clement the Logos is the Word, the Word is the Logos. The Greek is Logos; in English translation we have the Word of God who was there at the creation and operative in the creation as God's immanence. The being of God is ineffable, outside of language. The Word of God is the knowable operation of God at work.
Perhaps you mean to be saying that the Logos (Word of God) and the Son of God are not yet quite the same for Clement. The second person of the Trinity as both is not a concrete notion for him.
But as Christian Platonism, his is not the same system as a strict Platonist. He has baptised it and changed it according to his understanding of God in Christ.
This is his context.
If by, "those who claim Christ as... being somewhere else," you are referring to Buechner's existentialism, I would agree.
So would Buechner. In his most recent years he has emphasized prayer and meditation as communion with God in a felt and immediate sense. Part of this has come from wrestling with addiction as a trait in his family. A sign I would take as signifying that the distant, whispering God began not to satisfy.
The one thing the (Southern) C of C did prepare me for was centralizing communion.
However, as I came to be formed by the Eucharist, crackers, grape juice in shot glasses, and mumbling men ceased to represent respect for what they claimed to respect.
And have you suddenly added missionary to being a deacon?
If the D of C also claims the other seven sacraments, I may be close. (bap/confirm/euch/confess/ord/marr/oil/ chocolate)
Not missionary. Just tryin' to be helpful.
I did have a charismatic Southern Baptist who fanced she had the "gift of prophecy" tell me years ago, when we both were doing Evangelism Explosion, that I would become involved in some kind of international radio ministry. Stranger things have happened. "Prophecy" being what it is, and teh Internet not yet in common existence, maybe she "saw" blogging and thought "radio." :-)
Who knows what all your parish may have in mind for you?
Prophecy can come, and did come, from very strange folks.
Re, Sooners: Boo hoo. You will be able to hear the whining from there.
The Yankees average a championship one out of every four years in the last one hundred years. (I am currently claiming to be a Mets fan, but my faith is weak.)
After that, it becomes a steep drop off to the Celtics, Canadians. Lakers?
And then steep again to everybody else.
Hell, Fedor, the Trinity hadn't been quite invented (recognized?) yet in Clement's time.
Logos would have had far more and deeper connotations for Clement in the 2nd or 3rd Century than Word has for us in the 21st Century. That is what I meant.
That it was tied to an deeper Greek tradition, and that Clement understood it in such a context, is comcominant with your example of his use of the story Eunomous breaking his string at Delphi while playing the Pythian Song.
Once I would have said I was an existential Christian. To claim such was popular when I was in college (Uh, mucho decade ago). I later came to understand that position as a form of mental flagellation, unnecessary and and distracting from the Kingdom of God at hand. Yearning for the presence of Christ kept me from knowing I was in his presence. Longing for Gods touch kept me from feeling his Grace in which I was suspended.
ER as a missionary? Of course he is. That is one of the underlying purposes of this very blog whether he is cognisant of it or not.
"Yearning for the presence of Christ kept me from knowing I was in his presence. Longing for God's touch kept me from feeling his Grace in which I was suspended."

domain: literature


Souf Side Creative CEO Keyonna (KMJ6) sits with UxU CEO, Raza-Ry, for an in-depth interview that removes the mental walls and explores the psyche of KMJ6.
2017 was a year of MONUMENTAL progress for the UxU Crew watch how we Gained + Maintained all last year in this clip here!
Check out this ad for UxU client EyeCStyle Brand showing how CEO Ciara B facilitates so many opportunities for networking and charity work in the DMV. Watch and take note on how we at UxU aim to manifest the best sense of creativity and innovation with our artists!!
The Queenro Dinner hosted by EyeCstyle Brand highlights and shows love to incarcerated women in local halfway houses. See how the collaboration with Chef Charisma and EyeCStyle came together in this video here!!
UxU's Cellis is back with another episode from his Verse Drops collection. In this second installment of the series with visuals shot by El Captain Raza Ry, Cellis shows love for the often misunderstood and mistreated gay community. Check out the video and enjoy the bars in the post here!!
The homie Cellis is back on the scene in a major way as he opens up for the legendary Wu-Tang Emcee Raekwon on his The Wild Tour. With the shots done by the Captain Raza Ry, you can see the infectious energy Cellis generates during his performance setting him apart from other artists.See the dopeness on display in this video and post right here!!
UxU's Steven X comes with an unique view on artistic expression through story telling in the track Nia Long. Check out this sensual jam that features Jamia Lakita as Nia Long and Raza Ry as the man behind the camera!
Here at UxU, we not only encourage our artists to possess this perspective, we actively push them to their greatest abilities. So when Cellis, a Baltimore artist, and newest UxU client, came to us with his idea for his mini-series "Verse Drops", we couldn't pass on it...
Peep the visuals for the banger Arizona Muzik from UxU's own P Dot. Check out this great in house production Shopped and Chopped by Raza Ry right here!!


text:
Pamper your pup and be the envy of the dog park with this customized tank top. It’s made from 5.8 oz., 100% combed, ringspun baby rib cotton for comfort. The neck, sleeves and bottom seam have double-needled ribbed binding for strength. Select one size up for long-haired dogs. *Heather is a 90/10 cotton-poly blend.
This gorgeous dog clothing is perfect for either your own dog(s) or it would be an ideal gift for a friends dog(s). The image on the back of the doggy clothing is that of a Westie (West Highland Terrier) dog fast asleep. The wording 'I LOVE YOU...' is just at the top of the image. This particular item comes in all sizes and several colours, so do have a browse as we are sure you won't be disappointed with this lovely dog item.

domain: pet


Palm Springs International (PSP) recently joined a small vanguard of U.S. airports using perimeter security systems that employ ground-surveillance radar and infrared cameras to detect intrusions.
Contractors completed the installation of the Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS) at the California airport in July. The new radar system, coupled with enhancements to existing measures, improved PSP's security from "solid to supreme," says Thomas Nolan, executive director of the airport. "I'd compare it to going from a college football team to joining the National Football League."
Project: Perimeter Security Upgrades
In addition to installing the new radar system, crews also replaced about 12,000 feet of old fenceline to meet stricter TSA requirements and added six wireless closed-circuit television (CCTV) security cameras in restricted-access areas. All told, the upgrades cost $2.9 million, with the new PIDS accounting for just less than one-third of the budget. FAA Airport Improvement Fund (AIP) money paid for 90% of the projects, and PSP picked up the rest of the tab.
Reynolds, Smith & Hills managed the design, integration and installation of the fenceline and PIDS units at the 940-acre airport.
"We integrated the PIDS technology into the fenceline-replacement project, which already was part of an airport capital improvement program," Nolan explains. "With support from the TSA, we inserted it into the existing fenceline program to make it eligible for FAA (AIP) funding."
Nolan can't specify the number of PIDS units installed, because TSA requires such information to be kept secret for security purposes. But he notes that PSP required fewer units than other similar-size facilities because of its geographic layout.
"Radar systems work on line of sight ... the radar waves have to travel in straight lines," he explains. "Because of that, the size and cost of a (PIDS) system is a product of how an airport is laid out. Our airport is basically a rectangle, and because it's more symmetrical in shape, it required fewer radar units."
Nolan became interested in PIDS technology at an American Association of Airport Executives conference, where he saw a unit displayed by FLIR Systems, the company that designs, develops and manufactures the radars, cameras and software used by the detection units.
After months of discussion, airport officials concluded that PIDS units could "elevate an already solid perimeter security system up a notch," recalls Nolan.
PSP, which expects to handle a record 1.9 million passengers this year, is the ninth commercial U.S. airport to adopt PIDS technology, reports Andrew Saxton, director of airport security for FLIR. While the technology is relatively new to the airport industry, military bases and government installations have used it for years. "There are thousands of units installed around the world in other applications," Saxton notes.
"The ability to see more than you could see yesterday, see further than you used to and react to threats earlier and smarter than you could before is driving the industry to consider technologies like these," he explains. "The market looks favorably on the fact that we've developed these technologies for military bases around the world, and they've withstood extremely harsh environments. The technology is already validated."
Visually, the PIDS units resemble R2-D2, of Star Wars fame. Inside each, however, is a CommandSpace ARGUS surveillance system, which includes a radar unit and two cameras that can "see" in total darkness and almost any weather, including rain and fog. When the radar detects a perimeter breach, the cameras hone in on the intruder and transmit an image to a monitor in a security command center.
"The operator immediately has eyes on the object of interest," Saxton explains, noting that a single Argus unit surveys 2.4 square miles of area.
At the same time, global positioning satellite technology provides the exact location and displays it on another monitor via an aerial photo of the airport, overlaid with its security perimeter boundaries. The system also tells the operator how fast the detected object is moving and where it's going. "It's no longer enough to know only where a target is," says Saxton.
The system's ability to prevent security personnel from reacting to false alarms is one of its hallmarks, he adds. "Our system uses sensors that provide more information, so operators only have to deal with real threats," explains Saxton. "At a distance of one kilometer, we can tell the position of a target within one meter. Older systems would tell you within six meters."
Better Detection, 24/7
The radars use frequency-modulated, continuous-wave technology, a radar method pioneered by FLIR that provides more precise target information than Doppler radar, notes Saxton. By enclosing the detection equipment in a single 3-foot-tall structure with minimal infrastructure requirements, the company can offer a simple, clean setup that doesn't intrude on airport operations, he adds.
The cameras in each PIDS unit - one thermal-imaging camera and a daylight camera - provide sharp, high-resolution images via a FLIR algorithm that automatically blends the thermal and daylight images, says Saxton. The system also takes into account more standard factors such as light and weather conditions to improve image quality.
"Instead of operators manipulating the cameras and choosing how to blend their images, the system automatically does those calculations and presents the best picture possible," Saxton says. "As a result, operators can pay attention to a target, not operating the cameras."
The heart of PSP's new perimeter-detection system is a command-and-control center with a scalable platform that includes video management and storage capabilities. FLIR's software can integrate multiple third-party legacy systems into a single, cohesive operating platform, notes Saxton.
The company put a lot of thought and effort into making the system user-friendly and intuitive to minimize operator frustration, he adds.
"You can set your own detection criteria, and if an event occurs, the system can automatically notify people around the facility ... even send them a priority e-mail with a picture and the location of the threat," he describes. "This allows airports to focus on interdiction and resolution of events, instead of picking up radios, taking photos and so forth."
Nolan highlights the system's ability to distinguish authorized and unauthorized entries. "This really enhances our ability to immediately identify and track intrusions," he explains. "Every airport has a fixed number of security assets, so it's always better if you can minimize distractions that aren't true security threats and focus on those that are. The PIDS system enhances our ability to identify and address threats, while enabling us to maximize deployment of resources."
The new PIDS units also enhance the airport's wildlife management program, he adds. "This system is so accurate it can track a rabbit," Nolan raves. "Or, if a coyote penetrates our system - and they can do that - we can actually track it and alert the tower that we have a coyote approaching the runway...and notify pilots. We can even pick up flocks of birds - right down to a group of about three dozen sparrows - then send someone out to scare them away to avoid engine-ingestion problems.
"We're still discovering other possibilities," Nolan adds. "With each month, you can bet we'll discover more capabilities and contour them to our specific needs."
The system's installation went smoothly, reports James H. Duke III, regional airfield service group leader for Reynolds, Smith & Hills. Integrating the old and new systems, however, proved challenging. "We had to coordinate closely with equipment manufacturers to ensure all parts and pieces could talk to each other," explains Duke, noting that integration is a common obstacle in such projects, because rapid advances in technology often render older systems nearly obsolete.
Palm Spring's extreme summer weather, with temperatures of 110ø F to 115ø F, also threw the team a curve by overheating radios inside the PIDS units and causing them to drop wireless signals. Switching to "more robust" radios solved the problem, Duke reports.
The installation at PSP drove home the importance of considering airport topography when determining where to locate PIDS units. "We tend to think of airports as large, flat expanses," relates Duke, noting that FLIR ruled out one of its initial placements due to potential line-of-sight issues.
Looking forward, Duke predicts that radar-detection technology will become more commonplace at commercial airports - providing yet another layer of security above and beyond existing fences, CCTV cameras and controlled checkpoints.
After integrating the new PIDS system at PSP, Nolan encourages other airports to embrace, rather than fear, the technology. "It's not as complicated as you'd expect," he assures. "We sleep a lot better at night knowing we have this additional cloak of security technology."


TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — The Lyndhurst estate in Tarrytown will host “Jazz & Cocktails” on July 30, from 6-8:30 p.m.
The show will feature live jazz by Mark Morganelli & The Jazz Forum All-Stars with Vic Juris, guitar, Cameron Brown, bass and Tony Jefferson, drums. Summer cocktails, beer, wine and food will be available.
Morganelli also serves as executive director of Jazz Forum Arts, which is staging the event.
“We hope music lovers will join us on July 30th for a fun time and to help us bring more and more exciting jazz programs into Westchester and the region each year,’’ Morganelli said.
This summer marks the 14th consecutive summer of 24 or more free concerts presented by Jazz Forum Arts.
Lyndhurst, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is at 635 S. Broadway, Tarrytown.
Jazz and Cocktails has a $50 minimum suggested contribution. To reserve, call 914-631-1000 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org.
For more information about Jazz Forum Arts or to download a complete schedule of free summer concerts and fall Jazz at the Tarrytown Music Hall, visit the Jazz Forum Arts website .
Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.


text:
I think it’s fair to say that we were all pretty shocked yesterday when news of a Hellboy reboot broke out. Don’t get us wrong, we’re definitely excited to see Red back on the big screen, but after Guillermo del Toro announced that he wouldn’t be making a third film in his series, as was previously rumored (read: hoped for), many fans figured that was it for the character. At least, as far as cinema goes.
But alas, Hellboy is coming back for more. This time, however, he’s got a different creative team to help guide him into theatres. Rebooting the property will be director Neil Marshall, with a script from Andrew Cosby and David Harbour stepping in to play the titular hero. It’s a strong trio of talent, to be sure, and with an R rating in mind, this new spin on the character will surely be quite different than what we saw before.
That’s something which Cosby emphasized in a recent interview with Silver Screen Beat, saying that the reboot will be “darker” and “more gruesome” than del Toro’s films.
“I can’t really talk about specifics with regard to the story, which they’re keeping a pretty tight lid on at the moment, but I can say that this is a darker, more gruesome version of Hellboy. Neil said from the very beginning that he wanted to walk a razor’s edge between horror and comic book movie, which was music to my ears, because that’s what I was shooting for in the script, and precisely what Mignola does so well with the comics.”
While a third outing in the original series is still preferred over starting from scratch like they’re doing here, this project is definitely sounding promising so far. With an R rating, the filmmakers will be able to go to places that del Toro couldn’t with his efforts and given the current cinematic climate, where R-rated comic book movies are all the rage, something like this could very well prove to be a big hit.
As a huge fan of the character, I’ll say that this is all very exciting. Yes, it does mean that del Toro will never get to make a third Hellboy, but the property returning to the big screen can only be a good thing and as mentioned above, the people being brought in to make it happen are certainly talented individuals. We’ll continue to keep a close eye on this one as it develops, but as of now, you can color us optimistic.


text:
- Weaponisnig Migration To Europe: Humanitarian Crisis or Hybrid Warfare ? - November 11, 2022
- EU Military Response: Uncharted Territory in the Union Foreign Policy - August 16, 2022
- The Fundamental Right to Strike: 20 Years After the G8, the Fighting Still Ensues - September 4, 2021
By Francesco Felici
It was June 23rd of 2016 when the UK with a 51.9% majority of voting decided to take their country outside the European Union.
By appealing to the article 49A (art. 50 TEU) of the Lisbon Treaty, London had started a process of detachment from the Union that would have affected all the remaining 27 Member States.
Now, more than 3 years later, Theresa May – the leader that was to supposed to take the UK out of the Union – had been replaced by Boris Johnson. The latter, with an hairstyle that resembles Donald Trump, and a political narrative similar to the ones of Oswald Mosley, has recently smashed the election by a landslide with 358 votes in the House of Commons.
For a fleeting moment, it seemed like the dream of a more left-wing oriented England captained by Jeremy Corbyn could have happened, and that the whole Brexit could have been reconsidered. Nonetheless, the supremacy of the Tories and the Conservative party once again prevailed.
Now, Johnson has already stated that he wants to take the UK out of the Union by January 31st, and it seems now that a harsh Brexit it is the way they are going to go.
The end of this uncanny political process is yet to be written, but we can be sure that the repercussion of this event will be felt for years inside and outside the European Union.
- Where did you think Mr. Corbyn and his labour campaign went wrong and why?
- Do you believe there is still room for a more left wing oriented England?


(Fargo, ND) -- Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney was among more than 300 mayors from around the country gathering at the White House Friday as part of the annual bipartisan U.S. Conference of Mayors.
They were greeted by President Joe Biden.
"As many of you know, I started my career as a local official back in Delaware and I only ran for the Senate because serving locally was too hard. They know where you live, they think you can solve problems that are beyond your authority," said Biden, drawing chuckles from the mayors.
The three day event included speeches by Vice President Kamala Harris and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.


text:
I love this costume. sorta reminds me of a mermaid/unicorn
ON SALE Romantic Lyrical Dance Costume - Several Colors - Lyrical Dance Costumes - Lace Long Sleeve Top and Sheer Skirt
Genre: Contemporary Song: "Enter Sandman" cover by SHEL (Group of Teen or Sr Teen)
Amparo Costumes Amparo Oc - Latest creation for Nadya Palacios!
i actually love the top
I don't know why but I visionate myself doing a lyrical solo wearing this costume!
Custom Dance Costumes
To Die For Costumes solo costume for beautiful Aspen Ritz by Christopher, such a dreamy costume and what better color to go with than white!
To Die For Costumes custom solo costume for Miss Haley Huelsman love you and can't wait to see your beautiful solo choreographed by with your new costume!
Pleating & Ruching: How to decorate dance costumes with fabric in 2 ways - SPARKLY BELLY


Jamie Carragher jumped to the defence of Mauricio Pochettino during Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football broadcast.
Spurs suffered their first Premier League defeat since last month’s loss against Liverpool, going down 1-0 to champions Manchester City at Wembley.
Before the game, Carragher and Gary Neville discussed comments made by Pochettino over the weekend.
The Tottenham boss said he is currently experiencing his “worst feeling” since arriving at the club despite the Londoners making their best ever Premier League start.
But Carragher believes Pochettino is doing an “unbelievable” job with the funds he is being given. Watch below.
"The job he has done is unbelievable"@Carra23 believes Mauricio Pochettino has hugely overachieved at Spurs with the budget he has.
— Sky Sports MNF (@SkySportsMNF) October 29, 2018


When Do Forklift Forks Need to be Replaced?
Ongoing use (or misuse) can cause wear, cracks and bends to your lift truck forks. Here's how to conduct a thorough inspection and determine when forks need to be replaced.
Did you know that nearly 30% of all forklift forks fail independent safety inspections? Many people assume that the heavy steel forks on their lift truck will never wear out, but daily wear and tear, combined with occasional misuse or accidents can and do make forks fail eventually.
With regular use, the steel on your forks wears away. Forks can also develop cracks or bends when operators collide with walls or columns. Improper chain adjustments can put undue stress on forks, and overloading a fork beyond its rated capacity can compromise its structural integrity. Some forklift attachments can also cause premature wear on forks.
Worn or damaged forks typically break under load, which may result in product damage, rack damage, injury or worse. That’s why routine inspections of your forks are so important. Beyond risk mitigation, there are also requirements from OSHA and ANSI/ITSDF for regular fork inspection. Here are a few tips on inspecting your forks:
- Measure thickness: check the wear on your forks by using calipers. A 10% decrease in thickness reduces your load capacity by 20%. Although forks wear slowly, they need to be checked regularly.
- Look for surface cracks: carefully inspect the entire fork for cracks, paying special attention to the welds and the heel area.
- Look for bends: examine the blade and the shank to make sure they are straight and true. Any bends mean that the fork needs to be replaced.
- Check the angles: if the shank or blade is beyond 93 degrees the fork needs to be replaced. Forks cannot be bent back into place once they are compromised.
- Look for uneven forks: the height of your fork tips needs to be closely aligned. A variance in tip heights can’t be more than 3% of the length of the blade. For example, 48 inch forks can’t go beyond a 1 and 7/16 inches variance.
- Check the positioning lock: make sure that the lock is functioning correctly.
If you have questions about fork safety or need to replace forks, call Raymond West today at 562-944-8067.


text:
Baker’s cyst – Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Ongoing care
- A fluid-filled synovial sac arising in the popliteal fossa
- Distention of the gastrocnemial-semimembranous bursa
- Can be unilateral or bilateral
- Primary cysts are a distention of the bursa arising independently without an intra-articular disorder
- Secondary cysts occur if a communication exists between the bursa and knee joint, allowing articular fluid to fill the cyst. Pathologic joint processes can also be transmitted in this manner.
- Associated with synovial inflammation
- Synonym: Popliteal cyst
- Bimodal distribution: Children ages 4–7, and adults increasing with age
- Primary cysts usually seen in children under 15 years of age
- Secondary cysts seen in the adult population
- Varies by study
- Studies report a prevalence of 19–47% in symptomatic knees, 2–5% in asymptomatic knees
- In children, 6.3% in symptomatic knees, 2.4% in asymptomatic knees
- Osteoarthritis of knee (most common) (1)[B]
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Meniscal degeneration or tear
- Advancing age
- Ligamentous insufficiency
- Extension or herniation of synovial membrane of the knee joint capsule or connection of normal bursa with the joint capsule
- May be the result of increased intra-articular pressure
- Commonly seen with knee effusions
- Direct trauma to the bursa likely the primary cause in children since there is no communication between the bursa and the joint in children
- A valve-like mechanism allowing one-way passage of fluid from the joint to the bursal connection has been described.
Associated intra-articular pathological findings include:
- Meniscal tears, posterior horn
- ACL insufficiency
- Degenerative articular cartilage lesions
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Other potential factors: Infectious arthritis, polyarthritis, villonodular synovitis, and connective tissue diseases
Commonly Associated Conditions
Any condition causing knee joint effusion
- Painless mass arising in the popliteal fossa
- Most cysts are asymptomatic
- Painful if cyst ruptures
- May report restricted range of motion or tightness with knee flexion
- Large cysts may cause entrapment neuropathy of the tibial nerve.
- Vascular compression, most commonly of the popliteal vein, may produce claudication or thrombophlebitis.
- Activity will alter the cyst size.
- Examine in full extension and 90° of flexion
- Foucher sign: Mass increases with extension and disappears with flexion.
- Most commonly found in medial aspect of popliteal fossa lateral to the head of the gastrocnemius and medial to the neurovascular bundle.
- Mass may be fluctuant or tender.
- Transillumination can distinguish cyst from solid mass.
- Ruptured cyst typically painful with associated swelling over calf and medial malleolus, pseudothrombophlebitis
Diagnostic Tests & Interpretation
Initial lab tests
- CBC, sedimentation rate if suspicious of septic arthritis
- Send aspirate for cell count to determine nature of effusion: Infectious, inflammatory, or mechanical.
Follow-Up & Special Considerations
In children, consider observation before invasive testing.
- Ultrasound confirms presence and size; with Doppler can differentiate Baker cysts from popliteal vessel aneurysms or soft tissue tumors (2)[B].
- MRI is useful to assess for causal derangements of internal joint structures.
- Radiographs may show soft tissue density posteriorly.
- Arthrography may demonstrate communication with joint capsule, or rupture.
- CT–arthrography together is superior in visualizing cystic details and can help separate lipomas, aneurysms, and malignancies from cysts.
- Deep venous thrombosis
- Vascular tumor
- Popliteal vein varices
- Aneurysm (rare)
- Ganglion cyst
- Any condition causing synovitis
- Muscular herniation (rare, related to trauma)
- Once etiology is identified from cellular fluid examination, treat the underlying condition
- Analgesics, NSAIDS for symptomatic relief
- No treatment if cyst is asymptomatic
- Compressive wrap or sleeve may be used for comfort
- Physical therapy improves knee range of motion and strength, particularly with coexisting pathology
- Temporary relief with needle aspiration, recurrence common
- Improvement in joint range of motion, knee pain, swelling, accompanied reduction in bursa size has been shown after intra-articular or intracystic corticosteroid injection (2)[B]
- Sclerotherapy injections of ethanol or dextrose/sodium morrhuate shown to have good results in studies with small sample sizes (3)[B]
- Consider excision when symptoms persist despite treatment or no etiology is found.
- Recurrence after standard surgery is common and is highest when chondral lesions are present (4)[B].
- A modified surgical technique in children has been proven effective without recurrence (5)[B].
- Excision via arthroscopy or open procedure often requires concomitant treatment of underlying pathology (6)[B].
- Many cysts remain asymptomatic.
- Some will regress or resolve with treatment of underlying etiology
- In children, most resolve without treatment.
- Compartment syndrome in ruptured cyst
- Thrombophlebitis from compression of the popliteal vein
- Infection of popliteal cyst
- Hemorrhage into cyst if on anticoagulants
1. Chatzopoulos D, Moralidis E, Markou P, et al. Baker’s cysts in knees with chronic osteoarthritic pain: a clinical, ultrasonographic, radiographic and scintigraphic evaluation. Rheumatol Int. 2008 Jun 27.
2. Acebes JC, Sanchez-Pernaute O, Diaz-Oca A, et al. Ultrasonographic Assessment of Baker’s Cysts after Intra-articular Corticosteroid Injection in Knee Osteoarthritis. J Clin Ultrasound. 2006;34:113–7.
3. Centeno CJ, Schultz J, Freeman M, et al. Sclerotherapy of Baker’s Cyst with Imaging Confirmation of Resolution. Pain Physician. 2008;11:257–61.
4. Rupp S, Seil R, et al. Popliteal cysts in adults: Prevalence, associated intraarticular lesions, and results after arthroscopic treatment. Am Sport Med. 2002;30(1):112–5.
5. Chen J-C, Cheng-Chang L, Lu Y-M, et al. A modified surgical method for treating Baker’s cyst in children. The Knee. 2008;15:9–14.
6. Handy JR. Popliteal cysts in adults: A review. Semin Arthritis Rheu. 2001;31(2):108–18.
Fritschy D, Fasel J, Imbert J, et al. The popliteal cyst. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthosc. 2006;14:623–8.
Marra MD, Crema MD, Chung M, et al. MRI features of cystic lesions around the knee. The Knee. 2008 Jun 16.
Seil R, Rupp S, et al. Prevalence of popliteal cysts in children: A sonographic study and review of the literature. Arch Ortho Traum Su. 1999;119:73–5.
Van Rhijn L, Jansen E, Pruijs H. Long term follow up of conservatively treated popliteal cysts in children. Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics Part B. 2000;9:62–64.
See Also (Topic, Algorithm, Electronic Media Element)
Algorithm: Knee Pain
727.51 Synovial cyst of popliteal space
82675004 Synovial cyst of popliteal space (disorder)
- In children, it is acceptable to wait and observe.
- Treat underlying cause.
- Pain and swelling over the medial malleolus is classic for cyst rupture, also known as pseudothrombophlebitis.

domain: health


text:
The train ride from Frankfurt to Prague had been simple. We turned up a few minutes before it was due to depart, relaxed for an hour in Dresden and arrived right on time in the Czech capital late afternoon.
Ahh the joy of a Eurail pass.
Eight hours of rolling countryside, steep cliffs and free tea and coffee was one of the easiest travel experiences I’ve ever had in Europe. Trying to buy a ticket for the metro at Prague’s main station, however? Not so much.
The Czech Republic doesn’t use the Euro, so after withdrawing cash from the ATM we went to buy a couple of subway tickets from the nearby office. Which was closed.
No problem, we’ll try the other office. Which was, of course, also closed.
Never fear, we thought, there are several ticket machines nearby. Which only take coins.
The numerous currency exchange booths marked with large CHANGE signs had notices up saying that they wouldn’t provide any such thing.
The woman at the convenience store wouldn’t change a 1000 koruna note (around fifty dollars), even if we bought something. Finally a helpful person told us that we could buy tickets from a similar-but-different store on the other side of the station, and they’d even take large notes.
Finally, twenty minutes later, we could get on the metro.
Finding the right stop, and then the hostel, was straightforward, but the darkened cavern of an entrance hall, toughened glass in front of reception and notices everywhere about security didn’t do much to inspire. Being informed that the advertised wi-fi was only available to students bought the mood down a little further, and the grimaced “good luck” when we asked for a dinner recommendation cemented the deal.
It had only been an hour, and already I didn’t like Prague.
Wandering around the nearby square, we spotted a restaurant that (a) looked busy and (b) had large signs advertising the local pilsner. Even if the food was terrible, we figured we could at least drown our sorrows.
Surprisingly, we loved it. The food was excellent, the beer was even better and the lively conversation all around us lifted us from our slump. There’s something about a smoky bar filled with chatter in a foreign language that always makes me happy, and this was no exception.
Slightly drunk and very full, we weaved our way back to our cells hostel later that night. Even the paper-thin walls and grimy showers couldn’t undo what dumplings and a few cold pints had achieved.
Maybe this town wasn’t so bad after all.
Walking into the Old City for some sightseeing the following day, the clouds started to look a little ominous. “Hopefully it’s not going to rain”, I muttered, all but guaranteeing a damp experience.
The castle, and the attached St Nicholas Cathedral, are the biggest tourist attractions in Prague. It showed. Jostled and pushed by the never-ending throng of tour groups, our interest in being there quickly waned. Emerging back into the fresh air, we had barely enough time to shelter in a doorway before the heavens opened.
Cold and wet, we amused ourselves for a while by watching people chase their inside-out umbrellas all over the courtyard. That sudden downpour set the tone for the rest of the day, the weather clearly so uncertain of what it should be doing that it decided to try a little bit of everything. Repeatedly. Blue skies, pouring rain, dark clouds, sunshine. Usually one after the other and sometimes, just to mix things up, all at the same time.
Like all good tourist experiences, the heaviest showers seemed reserved for the times that we had no shelter nearby. As we plodded across the Charles Bridge, soaked to the skin and shivering, I again started to question why I’d even come to Prague. On a nice day, I thought, I’m sure this would be lovely. This was not a nice day.
Then, as if on cue, there was a sign. A bright sign. A glorious sign. A sign full of promise and wonder.
A jazz bar with free wi-fi and pints for $1.70 seemed like the perfect place to dry out and cheer up.
And it was.
After one final drenching, the weather finally made its mind up as we walked back home. The clouds blew away and blue skies took over. Not before time, some might say. Ten minutes strolling through a sun-drenched Letná Park was the highlight of the entire day.
Sitting drinking coffee the next morning, I gazed out the window and wondered what all the fuss had been about. Prague was wonderful.
Those slippery cobbled streets hid hundreds of outdoor cafes and dark wooden pubs. Benches beside the river provided a perfect spot to waste several hours with a good book.
The people were friendly, the beer was world class and history oozed out of every moss-covered stone in the old town.
There was no doubt about it. I really liked this city.
And then it started to rain.
This trip through Central and Eastern Europe is made possible by the good folks at Eurail.com.
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
What did you like and dislike? How could I improve this post?

domain: geography


Say hello to the new cast of “Dancing With the Stars.”
Today, ABC’s reality dance series officially announced the full cast of stars and their professional partners for the upcoming 21st season.
Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter, controversial chef Paula Deen and many more will compete for the mirror ball trophy beginning on Sept. 14, reports “Good Morning America.” The cast also includes the first-ever married couple competing against each other (Spy Kids’ Alexa Vega and husband Carlos Pena, from the band Big Time Rush). In other words, things could get really interesting.
Rounding out the cast is a sassy talk-show host, over-the-top television personality, a legendary singer and a former fan favorite reality star. For the complete list of celebs and their professional partners for season 21, hit the flip.


text:
There are quite a few notable managers and top front office executives (general managers or heads of baseball operations who have different titles) entering their last guaranteed year under contract in 2018, creating even more pressure than usual to have a good season. Thanks to Cot’s Baseball Contracts for providing many of these contract details.
As always with this list, it should be noted that contract length is far from an absolute measure of job security. Teams with seemingly stable management could be one disastrous season away from a shakeup in the dugout or front office, while some of the managers or executives listed here could have “stay as long as you want” handshake deals in place. Some teams also don’t publicize contract details for front office executives, so some of the names on the list could have already quietly signed extensions, or there could be other execs entering their last year under contract.
Here are some of the names who could be facing a hotter seat than usual in 2018 (alphabetical order by organization) …
Angels: Long-time manager Mike Scioscia is in an interesting situation as he wraps up an unusually massive contract — ten years at a guaranteed $50MM. After a few disappointing campaigns, there’s definitely pressure to win. And expectations are on the rise as GM Billy Eppler continues to add significant pieces in what has been a highly productive offseason. Just what the future holds really isn’t clear from the outside, but it’ll be fascinating to see how things shake out for Scioscia, who is easily the longest-tenured skipper in the game.
Braves: The Atlanta organization was hit by surprise front office upheaval, perhaps nudging the team to seek stability in the dugout. Thus it was that manager Brian Snitker had his option exercised despite a disappointing second half of the 2017 season. It’s hard to know whether Snitker will have a legitimate shot at maintaining his job into the future, though perhaps he can force the hand of new GM Alex Anthopoulos with a strong performance.
Dodgers: Dave Roberts is almost certainly not going anywhere after managing the Dodgers to the World Series in 2017. But this is the final guaranteed season of his rookie managerial deal, with the club also possessing a 2019 option. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if longer-term negotiations take place at some point over the current offseason.
Indians: Similarly, Cleveland skipper Terry Francona seems to be rather embedded in his organization’s fabric. He is not promised anything past 2018, though the team does possess consecutive options over the ensuing two campaigns. Barring a surprising turn of events, it seems likely Francona will continue running the clubhouse through the end of the potential term contemplated in his deal.
Nationals: It’s hard to know what Nats ownership will do, but president of baseball operations/GM Mike Rizzo has indicated he’s happy either to fulfill his duties as a lame duck or to discuss a new deal if approached. Despite wild success in the regular season — the second-most wins in the majors since 2012, with four NL East titles — the club has fizzled out repeatedly in the postseason. That led to the surprising departure of manager Dusty Baker after the ’17 campaign. All that said, it’d be quite a surprise for the organization to let go of Rizzo, who has steadily produced results throughout his tenure.
Orioles: Things are even more interesting on the north side of the beltway, as O’s executive VP of baseball ops Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter are each entering contract years. There are persistent rumors of discord between those two figures, who’ll also be looking to navigate some tricky roster limitations after a disappointing 2017 season in which the club posted a losing record for the first time since 2011.
Rangers: Indications are that president of baseball ops/GM Jon Daniels is going to lock up a new deal with the organization, though at this point — so far as is known — he’s only under contract through the coming campaign. Meanwhile, manager Jeff Banister may be on shakier ground if he can’t help engineer a turnaround. He’s in a contract year, too, though the club can also simply decide at some point to pick up his 2019 option.
Reds: One of the hottest managerial seats in the game is likely the one in Cincinnati. Current leader Bryan Price was given another chance to work with a still-transitioning roster in 2018, though the club did not pursue any additional future security. Just what the expectations are — further development? real movement in the standings? — isn’t immediately clear, but Price will need to state his case to retain his job.
Royals: Having led the K.C. club to a stunning World Series win, skipper Ned Yost likely isn’t in any risk. But he is entering the final year of the two-year extension he signed after the 2015 season. The Royals are readying for a new phase after losing several core players to free agency, creating some uncertainty. Yost says he doesn’t expect still to be at the helm when the club is again cresting, but has indicated he hopes “to get a firm footing and a firm foundation on the ground” to hand off to a successor. Just how long he and the team will want to continue the current arrangement isn’t known.


text:
ferris bueller's day off
"Impeachment moves pretty fast," he warns the Oval Office crew. "If you don't stop and look around, you might miss it."
Say hello to little Ferris and Cameron.
School’s almost out for the year, but let’s take a moment to recognize some A+ on-screen mentors.
Something happened to me a few days ago that really made me think about the importance of living. When I say living, I mean
Photos via Facebook / ferrisbueller Learning that Ferris skipped school, Rooney actually breaks into the Bueller residence
Matthew Broderick and Alan Ruck had a lot of laughs behind the scenes.
"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" came out 30 years ago this month. Unrelated to the premiere, today is also the anniversary of the character's day off.
The hilarious audition that caught the attention of John Hughes and Matthew Broderick.
Matthew Broderick's quintessentially disenfranchised Reagan-era youth taught life lessons in an epic Senior Ditch Day that still ring true as June 18, the 30th anniversary of the film's release, approaches.
Part of what makes his movies so awesome is how authentic they are-- which probably has something to do with the fact that he wrote his movies to take place in the suburbs where he grew up, just outside Chicago.
The very devices and media delivery systems that provide us with unprecedented insight and understanding of the world are also distracting us from what is existing in front of our eyes.
But that wasn't the only love connection made on the set of the film... Go home. Go. 8. Though the film took place in the
Years ago, my husband introduced our kids to the concept of watching a few select movies over and over and over again. Having been raised at the altar of productivity, I saw this activity as a colossal waste of time, bordering on sinful.
8. The Breakfast Club: "We Are Not Alone" "A brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal" -- they have little


text:
In August 2021 Finfeed changed from a website that covered ASX listed news to a website
that covered a select range of ASX
listed small cap Biotech stocks that we are personally invested in: find out more.
The old Finfeed website, and all of the old articles are kept here for record keeping purposes.VISIT NEW SITE
Cycliq launches new products in time for peak Christmas period
3 minute read
Cycliq Group (ASX:CYQ) announced on Tuesday that it would be releasing its new ‘connected edition’ Fly6 and Fly12 bike camera and safety light devices next month. Group Executive Chairman Chris Singleton said the new products mark the evolution of the company from a crowd-funded start-up to a producer of consumer electronics.
Since establishing itself as a producer of electronic safety accessories for cyclists and in particular forging partnerships and new distribution and manufacturing arrangements overseas, CYQ has gone from strength to strength.
However, the launch of new products marks another key milestone in the company’s development, prompting Singleton to say, “We are expanding our existing product range with our new ‘connected edition’ devices which have been developed to complement our original Fly6 and Fly12 units, effectively broadening our customer appeal and optimising cross-selling opportunities.”
It should be noted that this is still early stage in the company’s expansion and investors should seek professional financial advice if considering this stock for their portfolio.
The new ‘connected edition’ devices were designed to address market research and augment CYQ’s existing customer base, which is predominantly road cyclists. Importantly, the new devices are an extension of the company’s product range, rather than a next generation product that supersedes the original.
That said, Singleton said that they had been designed to appeal to a slightly different customer base with the aim of growing the market for its products.
Benefits of inventory build to be realised in the lead into Christmas
In preparation for the global product launch, CYQ has been building up inventory to ensure stock is available across its global sales network. This should see it unlock value which has been tied up in inventory for many months, arguably creating some misconceptions in relation to the interpretation of its quarterly reports.
Singleton also noted that vendor trading terms had contributed to concerns surrounding cash flows. He said that manufacturers have requested up to 50 per cent upfront payment, with 12-week lead times to product delivery.
This, in combination with credit terms provided to large retailers, results in a significant lag
between the time of deposit and when the final payment is received from that production run.
Singleton highlighted the fact that as an early stage electronics producer CYQ hasn’t been in a position to dictate payment terms to either suppliers or customers, which reflects on the group’s cash position.
A return to equilibrium following early stage cashflow imbalances
CYQ’s rapid expansion has also been contributing to the financial results during ramp up stage, with production runs being up-scaled to meet increased sales projections. Growing pains such as these are not unusual for fledgling companies with new products attempting to establish themselves in multiple markets, particularly in the tech sector.
However, CYQ appears to be well on its way to addressing these challenges as it benefits from a manufacturing joint venture established with Thompson & Kenneth Cheung. This will ensure the company will be better positioned to balance cash inflows and outflows for future products.
The joint venture arrangement has also assisted the company in achieving far better margins. Gross margins increased from 22.6 per cent in fiscal 2017 to an average of 39.4 per cent during the September quarter.
Consequently, there are some potentially market moving catalysts on the horizon. The impact of improved margins on the bottom line should become more apparent when the company delivers its result for the six months to December 31, 2017.
At this time, there should also be evidence of the impact of the introduction of new products, along with some signs regarding Christmas sales, usually the strongest quarter for the company.

domain: finance


text:
Both of these pix have appeared on my other blogs, but today I combined two blogs and wanted to mention it. I wasn't enjoying the animal photos blog very much. I'm not sure if it's because 1) I don't have that many good animal photos, or 2) they felt like the needed to be integrated rather than separate, or 3) I was making it too boring and too much like work by feeling responsible for figuring out the species and linking it to good information, or 4) all of the above. Anyway, the animals seemed like they needed to be integrated with Tapirgal's Daily Image, so that's what I did. Blogs should either be fun or part of my job, and the animal one turned out to be neither, exactly.
After messing around with individual transfers, I realized I could just export the whole animal pix blog and import it into Tapirgal's Daily. Wow! Too cool! And fast.
So now I have 8 blogs, and I'm considering starting two more. It's really not insane. OK, it is addicting, but not insane. Beyond the "different subjects" reason and the "search engine optimization (SEO) for business" reasons, it's just a fun way to work with photos and the occasional thought.
I don't know if the stats on Blogger are new or if I just found them, but I was astonished at the hits some of my blogs are getting. Here they are, the brief justification for their existence, and the number of hits they each got in August. In no particular order:
. My Personal Journal in Pictures: (The one you're reading.) A lot of pix, but not that personal. Although the name keeps changing, it's the same blog I started with: my first, and I consider it my "basic" blog. It's a long chronology and fun, but is never up to date, and never will be as long as I keep taking photos and have things to do besides sitting a the computer (868 hits in August, which is not bad considering I haven't worked on it lately, but it does have a lot of subjects).
. Tapirgal's Daily Image: A random image each day from my archives. Very satisfying for some reason (561 hits in August).
. On the Pavement: I realized I was taking a lot of photos of things we walk on every day. It turns out, it's fun to see them in one place (254 hits in August, pretty good for a new blog without much PR and an esoteric topic).
. Animal Art Along the Way: Fun, and long overdue. I realized I take pictures of animal art everywhere I go without really thinking about it (386 hits in August, still pretty new; many more than I expected from the few Facebook fans it has).
. Astoria, Oregon, Daily Photo: Just what it says. Part of the City Daily Photo family (4,253 hits in August, quite a surprise; even though there are 880 fans on Facebook as of today, this number was beyond expectations).
. Tapir and Friends Animal Store: The offical blog for the Tapir Preservation Fund's animal-themed online store (4,588 hits in August, another big surprise; this blog lies fallow a lot of the time, but Lee has been helping with daily posts lately, showing real animals and not just the toys and replicas I usually blog about).
. Tapir Preservation Fund (TPF): The official blog of the Tapir Preservation Fund (491 hits in August; this surprised me as being on the low side, but I have not done much with the blog in any consistent way; I intend to fix that now that I feel like I have more time and focus for it, and some other things have become organized).
. Hudson and Joy: A History in Letters: This is specifically for posting letters, documents and information found in an attic and a basement. I haven't done much besides setting up the format and posting a few letters. This will become a really interesting resource as time permits - hopefully soon (82 hits in August; actually, more than I expected).
And what are the two upcoming new blogs? Stay tuned :) One is about rainforest conservation and one is a fun thing about tapirs and travel.
This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

domain: hobby


A brand new high end Claritas media centre with 4GB of memory and 1 TB drive has been introduced at sub $3,000. Designed to be the hub of a home entertainment network the new Claritas Elite 14.2 VFD can also be used as a central management system for a home automation network.
Click to enlarge
The Claritas Elite 14.2 VFD media center comes with an Intel Dual Core 3Ghz CPU, 1terrabyte SATAII hard drive, 4Gb of RAM, Hauppauge digital dual HD tuner, native HDMI v1.3 support, Logitech diNovo mini keyboard with touchpad, Sony DVD burner, built in media card reader.
It also has a neat new touch screen front panel vacuum fluorescent display which eliminates the need for a monitor along with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium.
The new model is available in silver or black brushed aluminum and is designed to sit alongside rack mounted audiophile home theatre equipment.
For more information see: http://www.claritas.com.au


text:
A Guide to Therapeutic Child Care
It describes relevant theories, the 'invisible' psychological challenges that children will often struggle with and how to develop a nurturing relationship and build trust. Combining advice with practical strategies, the book also provides specific guidance on how to create safe spaces (both physical and relational) and how to aid the development of key social or emotional skills for children which may be lacking as a result of early trauma.
Written with input from foster carers, the book is an ideal guide for residential child care workers, foster carers, kinship carers, social workers and new adoptive parents.
- Published: Jan 21 2016
- Pages: 240
- 228 x 150mm
- ISBN: 9781849054010
Gillian Ruch, Professor of Social Work, University of Sussex
This is a little gem. Honest and engaging, optimistic and realistic, respectful and challenging this accessible and invaluable book thoughtfully explores the everyday experiences and practices that arise in caring for children with traumatic and distressing histories. Adopters, foster carers and practitioners will find the experience of reading it simultaneously intellectually informative and emotionally nurturing.
Kevin Williams, CEO The Fostering Network
This is a really good guide, easy to read and great for dipping in and out of. I particularly liked the 'Pause for Reflection' ideas that help the reader think of examples that they have. Some really good examples of how all children behave at times but particularly children in foster care. I think foster carers will find it a useful tool.
Robbie Gilligan, Professor of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin
This book is filled with a wisdom, compassion and warmth that will inspire carers in their relationships with troubled children. It is a treasure trove of insights about how to understand and respond positively to what lies behind challenging behaviour. The authors draw from a deep well of know-how and experience. They write accessibly - and in a way that rings true on every page. Here is a book that genuinely will help carers to change children's lives.
Patrick Tomlinson, Professional and Organization Development Specialist
This book provides an excellent resource for introducing foster and residential carers to therapeutic child care. It is thorough and covers all of the central subjects involved in looking after children in 'out of home' care. It would make a very useful tool for supervision and training, where the material could be used as a focus for reflective discussions. Encouraging a reflective approach is the strength of the book. Pause and reflect is a theme throughout, with sections in each chapter focusing on feelings that might arise in the work and practical suggestions on what might be helpful. The authors argue that home and everyday care are the most important things in the child's healing. They have provided carers and those who support them with a great resource in achieving that worthy goal.
Dr. Thom Garfat, Instructor, School of Child and Youth Care, Ryerson University
The greatest compliment I could give to a book is "Damn, I wish I had written this book myself" and with regard to this book, I would like to say "Damn, I wish I had written this book myself". This book is brilliant, in both the UK and North American sense. It makes the complex clear - it makes theory practical and accessible. It speaks directly to those who work with traumatized young people while, at the same time, it speaks to the world of the practitioner. It focuses not only on the world of the traumatized child but also on the experience of everyone who is a part of the context of the encounter between child and carer. This book is an exceptional resource for students, teams and individuals who want to make a difference in the lives of young people living with trauma experiences. It is full of helpful examples, the 'practice examples' bring the knowledge home to the everyday experiences of carers. It emphasizes the importance of both parties to the healing relationship. It is a wonderful resource for those who work with, teach about, or study the effect of trauma on youth. It is written in clear and accessible language. It is, simply, brilliant and I wish I had written this book.


Thank you for visiting the AIR Job Board. We are experiencing technical difficulties resulting in some job listings not appearing at this time. Rest assured, our team is working diligently to resolve the issue. We apologize for the inconvenience. Be sure to check back soon!
Please note that applications will continue to be accepted until filled. The start date is dependent on the selected candidate's availability. This can be a partial or fully remote role.
The Chief Mission Advancement and Accountability Officer (CMAAO) is a member of the Leadership Team and drives to advance the mission and long-term vision of the State Bar. The CMAAO is responsible for oversight and execution of data collection, analysis, and evaluation to ensure that the State Bar effectively executes its mission. The CMAAO is also responsible for the development and implementation of an internal programmatic audit program to ensure accountability and compliance with legal, rule, and policy mandates.
The CMAAO works to promote continuous improvement in support of the State Bar’s mission, and to ensure fair, effective, and compliant operating practices. In executing these responsibilities, the CMAAO works closely with virtually all parts of the organization, the State Bar Board of Trustees, and external stakeholders.
The CMAAO may serve as Deputy Executive Director (ED), pending circumstances and need.
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES
- Oversee the development of data collection, research, and evaluation plans and direct their implementation for all major program areas of the State Bar, including fiscal and operational analyses, policy studies, and specific outcome evaluation.
- Direct strategy and oversee development and implementation of internal operational performance audits to ensure that the State Bar’s core functions are being performed efficiently, effectively, and in compliance with all governing mandates including rules, statutes, and State Bar policy. Coordinate with financial audit on information, compliance, and outcomes.
- Serve as a member of the State Bar’s Leadership Team and establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues within the State Bar and professional relationships with external constituencies of the State Bar.
- Understand and monitor the core mission and policies of the State Bar of California; track emerging events and developments for any impact on or relevance to achievement of mission.
- Act immediately to address and remediate any issues of compliance or mission failure.
- Proactively and transparently communicate internally and externally on mission, policy and ongoing work and initiatives related to Bar mission and performance, including the writing and presenting of agenda items for the Board of Trustees.
- Initiate as appropriate, inter-office projects to improve the coordination of cross-divisional programs, and activities.
- Provide policy guidance and staff assistance to the executives and staff of the State Bar, the Board of Trustees, and other constituencies on institutional performance and accountability.
- Respond to inquiries from the Board of Trustees, other State Bar committees and commissions, and stakeholders in a timely manner.
- Prepare and administer the budget and manage and direct the resources and personnel in the areas assigned with institutional parameters
- Promote the mission, the integrity, objectivity, and efficacy of the State Bar.
- Facilitate the personal and professional growth of a team through active performance management and nurturing an inclusive team environment.
- Maintain appropriate confidentiality in administering the media and information functions of the State Bar and directs contractors, consultants, experts, vendors, and others in administering the work of the office.
- Work closely with, and acts a deputy of, the Executive Director.
The State Bar is seeking an innovative data-driven professional with an entrepreneurial orientation.
- Bachelor’s degree in a field that develops skills related to essential duties or equivalent academic achievement.
- Advanced degree in public policy, public administration, or related field is highly desirable.
- Minimum 10 (10) years progressively responsible experience in related program administration.
- Minimum five (5) years senior management/supervisor experience in administering personnel and budget requirements
- Master’s degree is preferred and may be substitute for up to two (2) years of experience.
Knowledge and Skills
- Expertise in program evaluation, policy assessment and
- Understanding of office management, budgeting, administration, and
- Ability to identify problems, analyze responses, and implement solutions.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with direct reports and key stakeholders.
- Effective writing and verbal presentation including public
- Understanding of organizational behavior and conflict
- Expertise in policy analysis and
- Ability to communicate effectively within institutional parameters considering different
- Ability to develop a high-performing team and promote individual professional growth and development of team members.
Essential elements / Ability to:
- Think creatively about the operations of complex systems and identify connections and interdependencies
- Learn quickly on the job
- Work within shifting, sometimes ambiguous parameters while still driving toward practical solutions in support of the State Bar’s mission
- Communicate effectively with officials in the legislative, judicial, and executive branch of California State government.
- Effectively support the Executive Director and the Board of Trustees in their oversight and communications duties.
- Receive and relay detailed information through verbal and written
- Communicate clearly and effectively in person, by telephone, by computer and in
- Review and analyze complex written
- Obtain and present material in oral and/or written
- Effectively speak publicly to large groups of
- Perform under stress and adopt effective courses of
- Effectively interact with others in a collaborative environment.
- Effectively address conflict toward resolution.
- Use performance management principles and techniques to develop a team and individual performance and development.
Condition of Employment
Employment with the State Bar of California requires full vaccination and proof of full vaccination for COVID-19 before starting work. Exemptions to the mandatory vaccination policy may be available for a medical condition, disability, or sincerely held religious belief and must be approved before starting work.
Created by the Legislature in 1927, the State Bar of California is a public corporation within the Judicial Branch of the state government, serving as an administrative arm of the California Supreme Court. The State Bar licenses attorneys and regulates the profession and practice of law in California by administering the California Bar Exam; enforcing Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys; disciplining attorneys who violate rules and laws; advancing access to justice; and promoting diversity and inclusion in the legal system. The State Bar of California is the largest State Bar in the country and one of the largest in the world. The State Bar licenses more than 260,000 attorneys, investigates approximately 16,000 complaints of attorney misconduct annually, and distributes over $100 million in grants to legal aid organizations. The State Bar is led by a Board of Trustees and managed by staff. The Board of Trustees serves as the State Bar’s governing body and develops the guiding policies and principles underpinning its regulatory mission. The State Bar is funded largely by annual attorney licensing fees and is not part of the traditional State budget process. However, the majority of the Bar’s funding is dependent on a licensing fee bill that must be approved by the legislature and the Governor each year. The State Bar has a 2020 Adopted Budget that reflects $211 million in total revenue, $242 million in total expenses, and 609 full-time equivalent employees, the majority of whom are represented by Service Employees International Union.
Employees of the State Bar of California are eligible for a broad package of benefits.
Medical: The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) administers health insurance coverage for employees. Employees can choose from a broad range of health insurance plans. The State Bar pays 80 percent of the plan premium.
Dental: Two dental plans are offered through Delta Dental for employees and dependents, one prepaid plan and one indemnity plan. The State Bar pays 80 percent of the plan premium.
Vision: Vision care is offered through Vision Service Plan (VSP) for employees and dependents at a nominal cost.
Life Insurance: All employees receive fully paid life insurance at two times their annual salary.
Employees become members of the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) under the contributory 2 percent @ 62 formula.
Existing CalPERS members or members of a reciprocal California public retirement system, who meet certain criteria, may be eligible to retain their classic membership under the contributory 2 percent @ 55 formula.
Employees receive 14 holidays per year.
Vacation leave is initially 15 days per year. In the 10th year it increases to 20 days per year and in the 15th year to 25 vacation days per year.
Sick leave is accrued at the rate of 12 days per year. Employees may accrue up to 240 sick days.
- 457 Deferred Compensation Plan
- Contributory Life Insurance
- Health Care Flexible Spending Account
- Child Care Flexible Spending Account
- Employee Assistance Program


text:
Nursultan Nazarbayev, the "victor" in Kazakhstan's recent presidential election with 95 percent of the vote, claimed on this page April 1 that his country has a democratic destiny.
Unfortunately, Nazarbayev's record as president since his country gained independence in 1991 shows that Kazakhstan is moving away from, not closer to, a democratic system of government. Indeed, the profound disconnect between reality in Kazakhstan and Nazarbayev's assertions resembles other authoritarian regimes where leaders seek to wrap themselves in some form of democratic legitimacy.
Take the April 3 snap election, which was devoid of any real choice, much as in the days of Soviet rule. Called as an alternative to a widely criticized referendum that would have allowed Nazarbayev to remain in office until 2020 without any elections, the recent vote was itself a poorly disguised referendum with unrealistically high turnout. In his Post op-ed, Nazarbayev pledged to "do everything to ensure these elections will be free and fair." If he wanted his reelection to be fair, why did he call it a year early? Or stage voting on two months' notice? Rather than allow external events, such as what's come to be known as the "Arab Spring," enter the discussion of Kazakh succession in 2012, Nazarbayev effectively nipped such speculation in the bud. Expediency drove the timing of his election — and his op-ed.
No Kazakh election since independence has been deemed free or fair by international standards. Opposition parties and candidates are not registered to compete, and even the 7 percent threshold of the vote for entering parliament remains impossibly high for political opponents who meet obstacles at every turn. When then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited Almaty in 1999, the head of an opposition party found the entrance to his apartment building bricked in to prevent him from meeting her. Just after Nazarbayev's previous "reelection," in 2005, Altynbek Sarsenbayev, a leader of another opposition party, was initially reported to have shot himself in the back of the head, twice, before the government realized that story wouldn't hold and manufactured a culprit. Little wonder that so few people seek to challenge Nazarbayev in elections.
Then there is media freedom, or lack thereof. One day before Nazarbayev's op-ed was published, the editor of an independent Kazakh newspaper, Daniyar Moldashev, went missing after reportedly having been beaten by assailants. The world's major media freedom organizations have consistently joined Freedom House in rating Kazakhstan's media environment "not free." On almost all other key indexes, the Central Asian state ranks among the lowest when it comes to fundamental freedoms. Despite guarantees of media freedom in Kazakhstan's constitution, journalists in the country self-censor amid authorities' seizures of print runs of newspapers and use of repressive media laws to muzzle dissent.
In 2007, Kazakhstan made a series of commitments to secure the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Among these were pledges to decriminalize libel, which Nazarbayev and his pliant parliament pursued only half-heartedly. Instead, last year Kazakhstan passed a "Father of the Nation" law, compounding existing laws that make it a crime to publicly question the honor and dignity of the president — essentially thumbing its nose at one of the most basic democratic principles. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan's most prominent human rights defender, Yevgeniy Zhovtis, languishes in jail following a questionable conviction in September 2009 for killing a pedestrian in a traffic accident.
Vast oil and gas reserves have fueled economic progress in Kazakhstan, but Nazarbayev is vigorously pursuing a risky course of calibrated economic opening without meaningful political reform. Emerging global trends reveal that this is a dead-end strategy. The results of this approach are clear in a number of would-be economic modernizers, including Hosni Mubarak's Egypt. Without political accountability, corruption — the Achilles' heel of venal authoritarian regimes — becomes even more entrenched, and resentment builds toward those in power. Kazakhstan's cooperation in the Northern Distribution Network, as the supply route to Afghanistan is known, and its energy resources may temper Western criticism of Nazarbayev's consistently authoritarian ways, but the facts on the ground do not support claims of democratic development.
"Our road to democracy is irreversible," Nazarbayev wrote in The Post. The lack of real choice and the rushed nature of this month's election, however, were not steps along that road. Except for 1992, when it was rated "partly free," Kazakhstan has been rated "not free" every year under Nazarbayev's leadership in Freedom House's annual world rankings. And the indicators used in the study suggest backsliding, not improvement. Indeed, as long as Nazarbayev perpetuates his hold on power by whatever means necessary, Kazakhstan will be headed in the wrong direction on the "road to democracy. "
David J. Kramer is executive director and Sam Patten is senior program manager for Eurasia at Freedom House.


text:
The “Señorita” couple is keeping their relationship as much privacy as they can and both admitted their love in front of media something which we as fans always wanted to see!
The “Havana” singer, 22 admits that they’re falling for each other like ‘nobody is watching.’
Want me to reflect more light over their romance and feed you with the daily dose of cuteness?
Well, ‘Shawmila’s relationship got highlights that you guys would love to know about…
1. The couple likes keeping their relationship private, as Camila revealed by doing so they get a feeling of normalcy. She also mentioned that she likes living her life on her own terms and wants to keep it normal as much as possible. By failing to do so might make her uncomfortable as she can’t involve/invite anyone into their relationship.
2. Remember that sultry music video of both of them from “Señorita”?
Well, that’s exactly when their romance got viral and we too noticed it.
They both were shown as lovers who can’t help keeping their hands off from each other.
Just after the release of the “Señorita” music video, Camila and Shawn stoke up the relationship hunch when they stepped out on multiple, PDA-filled occasions.
3. They both were good friends from the time since Camila was a member of the band “Fifth Harmony.” Do you guys remember their first collaboration?
Well, it was “I Know What You Did Last Summer, released in 2015.”
They showed great chemistry all-around performances.
4. We do have some reports where it was heard that the couple got tattoos together.
What, really? Yes, Shawn had the alphabet ‘A’ behind his ear while it was the first time for Camila. Though Shawn’s A was in the honor of his sister Aaliyah.
5. The Julia Michaels’ the ’90s themed birthday party was also attended by stars like Selena Gomez and Niall Horan. Where they both also came as a couple and also some pictures on the internet got attention when they both were having the best time of their lives.


text:
The Richmond and Catterick Riding for the Disabled (RDA) group are celebrating excellent results at the RDA dressage regional qualifier.
The group had three riders entered, Chelsea Tiley, Morgan Thornton and Sam Dowson, and all three attained place rosettes in their respective classes, despite not qualifying for the national championships.
Sam rode her own horse Storm and was placed sixth in her ID walk, trot and canter class, riding independently.
Morgan had never before competed in an RDA competition. She came fifth in her ID walk and trot class, again riding independently.
Chelsea, who is visually impaired and had never done dressage before, achieved fourth place in her lead intro test 4 walk and trot.
Sheri Wild, RDA volunteer, said: “As first-time novices, both Chelsea and Morgan had practised hard before the qualifiers and their tenacity and determination was amply demonstrated by their calm, composed ‘can do’ approach on the day.
“We’re all still riding on cloud nine. The girls have been overwhelmed by their achievements and are determined to compete again next year.
“The most satisfying aspect from my point of view is just how they took on this challenge and conquered it in such an outstanding manner.
“To me this demonstrates the underlying value of Riding for the Disabled; that ‘can do’ attitude of disabled riders and dedicated volunteers working together to achieve goals small and large.”
The riders were assisted by a team of dedicated volunteers including Angie Staples, Jan Phillips and Sheri Wild.
The group has also thanked Lacie Hawkes, of Catterick Saddle Club, for turning out Lily, transporting her to Northallerton Equestrian Centre and providing equine assistance on the day.

domain: sports