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For anybody new to the concept of 'turnkey solution', it simply means that the client will be provided fully equipped, ready-to-go operation solutions. These solutions can be easily deployed and implemented to have their project up and running in the quickest turn-around time possible.
Every piece of furniture howsoever big or small has a pivotal role to play in designing the perfect home that you always dream of. Residential modular furniture is a great concept and one of the most popular choices among modern generation dwellers.
Décor India's new collection of furniture & furnishings stock is highly appreciable.
Choice of perfect curtains makes a room look awesome. Dull selection will truly make the room dreary. There's no shame in opting for the usual white curtains but believe us; stepping out of your comfort zone to take up that risk might surprise you! (Otherwise you can always have a back-up plan.)
Today's young minds are also renovating their spaces most often and are less likely to invest in full-gut rehab. What they are more tempted in are things like closet makeovers, bedroom redesign and kitchen renovations.
Rapid changes in the business environment, advancements in technology and team collaborations- are the key drivers shaping the world of work. Retiring baby boomers and demanding millennials means companies have to opt for flexible working conditions.
Once Diwali, the season of light emerges, all are set to cleanse their houses for welcoming positivity. Pause for a second. What if we tell you about giving a whole new look to your home just by dressing your walls in 2 hours? Yes! To your surprise, we are here to advice you how to give a festive look in just a few hours.

subset: commoncrawl


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Most times when we walk into big malls, boutiques, supermarkets, we never question their prices. We pay exactly what we see on the price tags and even hand out tips to the staff.
But the moment we are out of these shops and want to buy banana, our bargaining game gets off to the roof. Poor widow with 12 hungry children at home tells you banana is N100. She even takes out her time to explain how difficult it was for her to even buy it, how the economy is so tough.
But we insist that if it's not N50, we are not paying. Some of us even step back into our cars and make to drive away. But because 'half bread is better than chin chin', this woman is forced to call you back and sell to you at little or no gain. In her heart, she cries, she's worried about how she'll survive with her children. She silently reassures herself that 'It's well. God will definitely provide." While you happily chop the luscious banana. Take some seconds out and think about this, guys. Please don't bargain hard with small vendors like this.
They do business not to buy designer bags, Gucci shoes or build mansion but to LIVE and EAT!
Good morning…


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The entire MONDRAKER team will be delighted to welcome you to discover the new products, discuss or share a drink with other 2-wheel enthusiasts during VELOFOLLIES.
Meet us in Hall 5 - Stand 509.
20 January 2023: from 10am to 9pm
21 January 2023: from 10am to 6pm
22 January 2023: from 10am to 6pm
🚲 100 m² stand with our bikes, our ONOFF components brand, our textile offer.
A whole space to discover, rediscover, share and live the MONDRAKER experience 🗣
☕A team at your disposal to discuss our collections, get information, make appointments ... We will be there with and for you during these 3 days.


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Edward Fausty: Moving Mountains
Moving Mountains 浮山掠影
These pictures were made from a speeding taxi in Guangxi Province, China, an area known for its classic scenes of karst mountains. Having had minimal luck finding views, I was on my way back to Beijing when they started to appear as a possibility. As we whizzed past trees and other things the mountains loomed in the distance against everchanging foreground impressions. The blurring of the foreground added its own abstract force while actually allowing the mountains to be revealed.
The images have been printed on 36"x25" Arches Text, a delicate, warm book weight paper slightly reminiscent of a thin rice paper.
please scroll to the right >>>>>>>>>>>>
#6090 #6089 #6081 #6083 #6054 #6085 #6086 #6092 #6055 #6057


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- Home
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Orlando City Soccer Club held their first ever golf tournament yesterday and 27 groups consisting of 133 players took part to help the Orlando City Soccer Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to fulfilling the charitable objectives of Orlando City SC by providing outreach programs, services and initiatives for individuals and organizations in need.
Orlando City SC President Phil Rawlins, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath and several Orlando City players teed off at the Grand Cypress Golf Club at 8.00am yesterday morning. Joining them were other local celebrities including Larry Ridley (WESH 2), Jeff Day (CF News 13), Dirty Jim (104.1), Daniel Dennis (OC Soccercast), Christian Bruey (WFTV), Joe Kepner (WFTV), and Jeff Radcliffe (Brighthouse Sports Network).
"The golf tournament should be an enjoyable and fun event," said Orlando City Foundation Chair Kay Rawlins (pictured above.) "The funds raised will go toward the Orlando City Soccer Foundation and will be used in our work to help combat the childhood obesity problem in Central Florida kids."
The inaugural winning group was the one with City forward Dennis Chin (pictured above) who shot a combined group score of 52 in the shotgun start best ball contest. Coming in second with a score of 53 was the group led by Dr. Dorsey and third place was PGA Tour professional Rich Beem's group with a 55.
More photo's at www.FloridaLeisurePhotography.com and here's some video from the event…
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YAMATIC Premium Vertical 7/8" Shaft Pressure Washer Pump, Rear Outlet
Endless Power Washing
Direct drive vertical axial pump fits vertical 7/8" shaft power washer, and most vertical engine at 6.5 ~ 7 hp (180 ~ 196cc), Rear Outlet
NOTE: This pump will not fit pressure washer with idle down feature
- Vertical 7/8" Shaft (Rear Outlet)
- Working Pressure: 2800 to 3000 PSI 2.5GPM
- 120 hours Running Time
- Easy Start Model
- From the main center shaft to each mounting bolt is 4 inches, From center to center spacing between mounting bolts is 7 and 11/16 inches, 6 and 3/16 inches, 6, and 7/16 inches.
Compatible with 7/8" Vertical Shaft pressure washer pumps & Engine Up to 3000 PSI, Rear Outlet
- Homelite: 308653052, 308653006, 308653093, 308653078, 308653008, 308653036, 308653035, 308653026, 308653058, 308653045, 308653025, UT80993, UT80709, UT80911, UT80911A, UT80709A, HLCA80710.
- Ryobi: RY802900, RY802800, RY802723, RY8C2700, RY802700A.
- PowerStroke: PS80946, PS80931.
- Craftsman: 580.752960, 580.752052, 580.752191, 580.752880.
- Husky: HU80709, HU80911, HU80709A, HU80911A, HUCA80709A.
- Briggs & Stratton: 311553gs, 020441-0, 020442-0.
- Simpson: ms60773, msv3024.
And many other brand & models between 2500-3000 PSI pressure.
NOTE: As this pump won't necessarily fit every model, Please do check the Installation dimensions or confirm with us.
Shipping policy
We provide customers with a policy of free shipping.
Free Shipping: 3-5 business day
Expedited Shipping:1-2 business day
Additional shipping options are also available through our website. If you choose to expedite your shipment, shipping fees will apply.
When your order ships we will notify you via email. If your order is over 150 pounds, a carrier will contact you by phone to schedule delivery. Be sure to reach out to us if anything seems unusual with the progress of your shipment.
Our free standard shipping offer is available in the contiguous United States only. Orders shipped to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or international addresses do not qualify. Shipping provider for standard shipping is selected at YAMATIC's discretion.
Returns Policy
YAMATIC POWER CENTER Products is committed to building quality and reliable tools that provide dependability for years to come. Our return policy is consistent with this dedication to quality, If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase at our website, you may return those items within 30 days of receiving your shipment to receive a full refund or receive an Instant Credit (up to you). So long as it is not broken or damaged as a result of using it.
After we receive your returned item, we will notify you that we have received it and inspect it to ensure that it is not broken or damaged. Once we have confirmed that the item is not broken or damaged and is in acceptable condition, we will issue your refund. Your refund should process within 1-3 business days.
After 30 days, if you have any questions, please contact us directly.
*A return shipping fee will not be deducted if you are returning damaged, defective products or if an item shipped to you incorrectly.


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Ovi Music Store is giving its consumers and Indian rock lovers an opportunity to download legal, good quality digital sound tracks from the recently launched album of Syd Barrett, founder member and former vocalist of the iconic rock band Pink Floyd. As a perfect reprise to this legend of rock music, Nokia will give out exclusive Syd Barrett posters to the first 200 users who download the album, "An Introduction To Syd Barrett" from Ovi Music Store.
The album released by EMI Music earlier this month, features Syd Barrett's greatest songs from his days as the Pink Floyd vocalist as well his solo tracks including anthems like Arnold Layne, See Emily Play, Bike & Bob Dylan Blues.
The digital edition of the album "An Introduction To Syd Barrett" is exclusively available on the Ovi Music Store. The offer to win Syd Barrett posters is an exclusively available only to the Ovi Music users in India.


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61-year-old momager extraordinaire Kris Jenner is producing a new reality show starring none other than her estranged daguther's babby-daddy Scott Disick!
33-year-old Disick will be at the center of the new show called 'Royally Flipped' – a 'clever' take on 'Royally F**ked.' Disick will partner with Kardashian's go-to realtor on the show – TOmer Fridman – and a contractor called Mickey – to flip houses and sell them for HUGE profits!
The pilot is being shot at 2 homes currently – one in Malibu and one in San Fernando Valley. 'Royally Flipped' will likely air in E! like everything Kardashian.


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Has a general decline in affluence affected your store?
As a shop that specialises in top-end MTBs, we knew we were going to be hit hard. The first thing we did at the beginning of 2008 was branch out with a second shop that concentrated on repairs and servicing to all types and all levels of bikes (Real Cycles pretty much only works on the bikes it sells).
This new business is called Bike Spanner and is going from strength to strength. We also shelved plans to re-locate Real Cycles to bigger premises; we're now considering this again for later this year or early next. Then at the end of 2008 we reduced the staffing levels by one through natural wastage.
Other than that, it's been the obvious: Buy carefully, spend carefully and work very closely with our suppliers who have been great at helping us with cashflow when required.
Stock wise we've stayed more or less the same, we've not tried to expand into sectors we don't understand (road) or are not known for (leisure). We've always been service, not price, focused so we didn't go down the discounting route either. I hear of many doing exceptionally well on sales at the moment, and granted some are. But a lot are getting sales at the expense of margin, which is a dangerous game to play. I wonder how many won't have the credit or cash to buy in the new 2010 ranges in September?
How do you attract new customers to the store?
Our efforts are 99.9 per cent viral. We discovered the power of the community-based website nearly ten years ago, when most didn't even have a website. We now own a whole host of such sites, each targeted to a certain portion of our customer base. Some of these sites have become an integral part of the scene they cater to; some are just busy, some not so. We used these sites to advertise on, for free, direct to our target audience. We couldn't afford to pay for advertising with returns like this.
We also run a regular ad in one MTB mag. It features Kelli, a rather well-endowed lady customer. In an effort to watch our expenditure we cut it for 2009, but bought it back after getting lots of complaints. I'll leave you to work out what parts of Kel appear in the ads.
How's business?
Being in what most would consider the luxury end of the market, we knew it was going to be a tough year. The banks' refusal to lend and people's reluctance to buy big-ticket items had an obvious impact on us, but we were prepared for it.
The first quarter was okay, the first half of the second has not been so reasonable. Now things are starting to lift again and we're seeing plenty of high-end bikes out the door and lots of expensive components too. The summer is here, the new 2010 range from our key brands are looking very strong and for most the threat of unemployment is receding, so we're confident we can show some real growth year-on-year in the second half.
Do you do anything above and beyond the call of duty for cycling locally?
Not as much as I used to. I still play a small role in trail advocacy here in Northern Ireland, but not much. Two shops, a wife and eight and ten year-old daughters suck up most of my spare time.
How many staff do you employ and how were they trained?
Two in-house trained staffers tackle everything from £300 hybrids to £5k pro-level DH rigs. Bikes are not rocket science, no matter much some try to convince you otherwise.
What bikes or components have been big sellers this year?
Six-inch travel trail bikes. Proper ones, not those silly sub-30lb ones that break the moment the going gets tough. Proper ones, weighing mid-30s, with proper slack angles that can be pedalled to the top and walloped down the other side without worrying if anything is going to break. The world has gone mad for Fox forks lately. Then there's telescopic seatposts and chain devices, which are all the rage at the moment too.
Done in 60 seconds…
What's the biggest fad/one-minute-wonder to hit cycling in recent years…
Six-inch, sub 30lb, 'do it all' trails bikes that are 'as capable on the DH tracks as they are on long XC rides'. Yeah, right! Capable until they break. Did the people who designed and specced these bikes ever actually ride the damn things on a DH trail?
Lycra or baggies?
Both. Lycra in the bedroom, and also under the baggies when riding the bike.
Biggest shop annoyance award goes to:
Jack the shop dog. He's only seven months old and has caused more damage and chaos in the shop than all of my customers put together. But he's as cute as anything, so he gets away with it without a telling off.
Favourite customer phrase:
'I can't afford it.' It means they want it, so the hard part is done. Explaining to them how they can begin to afford it is always much easier than explaining to them why they want it.
Real Cycles
Owner: Steve Baskerville
Location: Belfast
Telephone: 028 90 814 914
Opening Times: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri and Sat: 9.30 to 5.30, Wed: 12 to 8.00, Closed Sundays


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Winter Watering Service in Denver
Denver and the Front Range is a semi-arid desert climate. This can put extra strain on the plant life here in the Metro area. Providing water to the roots of your trees helps them remain hydrated.
At Bailey Tree LLC, we offer a specialized watering program for the dry winter months. Conifers, Oaks, Maples, and many other trees are susceptible to drought stress during this season. We provide a comprehensive program to monitor and treat your trees.
The winter watering program includes injection of water down to the roots where it is accessible to the tree instead of being stuck on top of the frozen ground. Subterranean water can greatly boost the health of your tree and relieve some of the stress the tree endures through the winter. Call us for your free estimate today!
Why should I water my plants in the winter?
Root systems and their symbiotic fungal colonies remain actively growing over the winter and still require water.
Do some plants need winter watering more than others?
Yes, Coniferous trees are more active in winter months than deciduous trees and do require winter watering more often or at higher rates. Trees in parking lot areas also require more wintertime watering.
Can plants absorb water from the snow?
Yes, but typically the snow in our high plains desert sublimates before it melts into the ground. Our deep root watering methods gets the water directly to the root systems and avoids evaporation concerns.
Will my plants die if I don't water in the winter?
It depends on the species of tree you have, and how long it's been since it received a proper watering.
What's the cost of winter watering?
Most of the cost for winter watering is just getting the truck and service crew to your location ($80-$100 depending on location), after that it's typically $5-$10 per tree per application.
Do I need special equipment for winter watering in Denver?
The best way to do it is by using a high-pressure water pump and a ground penetrating spike that delivers the water about 5-8 inches underground at around 150-250 lbs of pressure. This is exactly what we are setup for.


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Claude Heini
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"Everybody is a leader of something"
"If you want to be a Leader you have to become human first." (Chinese Proverb).
Since more than 25 years I work with Leaders and Professionals to help them achieve their visions, to find their core purpose and to become more effective by being clear about their core values and their true mission in life.
Discoveries on the personal growth journey are as valuable as achievements, raised consciousness as important as successfully meeting current challenges.


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Animal Cruelty
"And I discovered
when we suffer,
we suffer as equals.
And in their capacity to suffer,
a dog is a pig is a bear is a boy."
~ Philip Wollen, Kindness Trust
~ ~ ~
Image Credit: Skool of Vegan
There can be no reasonable judgement deserved
for ignorance nor indifference,
while we are yet asleep,
However, as awakening increases,
awareness increases,
therefore, accountability increases.
As you do as you will …
consciously choose to do no harm.
For Nonhuman and Human Animals,
For The Planet,
For Life,
As awareness increases,
increasingly choose,
non-violent, compassionate action
as a priority.
Choose to do No Harm.
~ Gerean Pflug for "The Animal Spirits"
"Empathy is a universal solvent. Any problem immersed in empathy becomes soluble." ~Simon Baron-Cohen
Empathy is defined as "a complex form of psychological inference in which observation, memory, knowledge, and reasoning are combined to yield insights into the thoughts and feelings of others. Empathy is a highly developed and sophisticated emotional response that references self and others. "
The heinous violence and taking of innocent, sentient life worldwide, can neither be explained nor cured by choice of political party, religious doctrine, international defense strategy nor debate of weapon control. There always have been and always will be a way to violently do harm and take the life of another. Violence and cruelty occur because of a lack of human empathy. A compassionate, empathetic human being does not take action of harm against another sentient, living being of any species. All life taken by violence violates all of humanity
Can we control the senseless taking of innocent lives? Sadly, no, we cannot. Control is an illusion. We have never and will not ever control the actions, reactions, thoughts and even words of others. The only things we control are our own individual actions, reactions and words.
While we argue and fight among each other . . .
- Millions of humans worldwide are homeless and/or starving to death
- Worldwide war which only benefits those in political power is rampant
- Human life is being sold into slavery on the black market
- In the most inhumane and cruel ways imaginable, human and nonhuman animal alike are being mercilessly abused, imprisoned, enslaved, exploited, tortured and mercilessly slaughtered
- Our wildlife is being massacred to extinction
- We are abusing our planet to the point that it is crumbling beneath us
Someday The Planet will cease to exist. Someday the sun will burn out. We are not promised tomorrow. We are not even promised the rest of this day. This moment is all that we have. If we use this moment to channel our energies into making a positive difference in the lives of others, we will effect profound change of mind, heart and spirit. As we transmit from places of empathy and compassion, we strengthen in energy, frequency and vibration, affecting universal changes. These changes ripple and grow and affect the lives of others, not only in this moment, but vastly beyond this moment.
If we choose to spend this moment in argument, competition, debate, anger and words that hurt, what will we achieve? Nothing. I believe that this moment is the perfect moment to consciously shift to higher levels of consciousness. Today is a very good day to begin to act from the heart, not the critical mind, and to focus on becoming living examples of the peace we wish to see in this world.
I choose to
focusing on those things that build up,
and propel others toward compassionate choice and action.
I choose
to focus on and promote
the heroes of this world,
rather than the villains
(although one certainly cannot be illuminated without the other).
I choose to hope
that all of us will consider
the powerful opportunity
provided to us in this very moment
to make a profound positive difference
from where we stand
and through the act of
standing together
in unified, common, compassionate objective,
reach for the highest level of consciousness . . .
recognizing that the evidence of this higher level of consciousness will be
a significant and obvious increase in
and peace.
From places of empathy and compassion,
please continue to unify and transmit.
Together we are changing the world.
Many Blessings.
~Gerean Pflug, The Animal Spirits
You are not alone.
We see you, hear you and are with you
in common, compassionate objective.
More and more humans are awakening each day to the reality of the cruelty we are inflicting and allowing to be inflicted upon other sentient living beings.
We are unifying and becoming part of one gigantic international compassionate movement. Some of us are focusing on the legal aspects, some…the physical aspects, some on the psychological aspects, some on the emotional aspects and most of us are realizing that spiritually, we are all connected.
There are opportunities everywhere to become involved and to make a difference; In our communities and beyond. The issues of social injustice and inhumanity are found in issues of merciless cruelty, starvation/hunger, homelessness, medical need and are being experienced by all animals, human and nonhuman.
The compassionate movement recognizes that we cannot depend upon our respective governments to solve problems of social injustice worldwide. They never have and they never will solve moral issues such as these. It is up to the international community to take action, as individuals and in unification.
We must set apart our differences, i.e. religion, politics, national origins and focus together on the elements of love and peace, which are: Empathy, compassion, kindness, gentleness, mercy and grace. The members of the international compassionate movement are doing just that. The numbers are growing by the day and we are recognizing great progress. Still…there is much work to be done and we need every human who is drawn toward service, to The Planet as a whole, to take action.
As you experience this calling, have no doubt that you are meant to serve not only a mighty individual purpose, but also a powerful collective purpose. Avoid isolation. Adhere to others of like, compassionate mind, heart and spirit.
Please feel free to bond with this community "The Animal Spirits" as well as the MANY others that are available. Act upon the freedom to lend voice and do not hesitate to share, dialogue and form relationships with others. We are all teachers and students, one to another. As we interact, we generate amazing amounts of energy, frequency and vibration that propel our transmissions in a powerful way.
Times….they most assuredly are changing. It is a privilege to be on the side of The LIGHT in these unprecedented times of world change. As we unify in compassion, we are changing the world.
Blessings on those who from places of empathy and compassion, choose to protect, defend and lend voice to, innocent sentient, living beings of ALL species, who cannot protect, defend or speak for themselves.
In compassionate, common objective, please continue to transmit.
~ Gerean Pflug for "The Animal Spirits" (March 24, 2015)
WE feel. We fear. WE suffer.
In these capacities,
WE are equals.
Nonhuman and Human,
WE are
The Animal Spirits.
Image Credit: 269Life
i really have nothing further to add.
The quote below speaks for itself.
No commentary required in any attempt to clarify
a statement of ethical truth.
This is . . .
to alleviate suffering wherever it occurs.
Blessings on those
who from places of empathy and compassion,
take immediate action
to protect, defend and lend voice to,
ALL sentient, living beings in need,
without prejudice of species.
WE think, WE dream, WE love, WE hunger, WE feel, WE suffer, WE grieve.
In these capacities,
Nonhuman and Human Animals….
The Animal Spirits.
~ Gerean Pflug
image credit: izquotes.com
We are the living graves of murdered beasts,
Slaughtered to satisfy our appetites.
We never pause to wonder at our feasts,
If animals, like men, can possibly have rights.
We pray on Sundays that we may have light,
To guide our footsteps on the path we tread.
We're sick of War, we do not want to fight –
The thought of it now fills our hearts with dread,
And yet – we gorge ourselves upon the dead.
Like carrion crows, we live and feed on meat,
Regardless of the suffering and pain
We cause by doing so, if thus we treat
Defenseless animals for sport or gain,
How can we hope in this world to attain
The PEACE we say we are so anxious for.
We pray for it, o'er hecatombs of slain,
To God, while outraging the moral law.
Thus cruelty begets its offspring – WAR
~ George Bernard Shaw (1856 – 1950)
Thanks to Shannon Amos, Vegan Animal Rights Activist, for inspiring this post.
Image Credit: 269Life
~ Gerean Pflug for The Animal Spirits
dictates that we,
at the very least,
show the reverence of imagining ourselves
in the place of another.
dictates that we feel WITH them.
dictates that we take action
to protect other sentient living beings from suffering.
Who is willing to continue to look the other way?
What you allow, will continue.
In empathy, compassion and mercy,
take action.
~ Gerean Pflug for The Animal Spirits


text: Copernicus Science Centre copernicus-science-centre Place Category: Attractions Profile Photos MapCopernicus Science Centre is a science museum standing on the bank of the Vistula River in Warsaw, Poland. It contains over 450 interactive exhibits that enable visitors to single-handedly carry out experiments and discover the laws of science for themselves. No Records FoundSorry, no records were found. Please adjust your search criteria and try again. Google Map Not LoadedSorry, unable to load Google Maps API. Driving Walking Bicycling Public Transport Miles Kilometers Previous Next


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When you love your spouse and want to make things work, then why not seek profession assistance? The lament of so many is "too little, too late." Be a proactive couple who learn to solve issues and deepen the bonds of trust and intimacy.


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September 2000, RS# 229
Single-Phase SCR Power Control
Series EP1 employs phase-angle control to provide smooth proportional output power from 0 to 100%. Available in load currents from 10 to 1,000 A at line voltages from 120 through 575 VAC, the controller fromPhasetronicsis suited for all resistive, inductive and capacitive loads. A soft-start feature ensures a slow rising output voltage to prevent saturation of inductive loads. The standard soft start is active on power up and reset after a power loss.


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Part of my series on common misconceptions in space journalism.
Rigor is the underpinning of success when designing any kind of technological application. Throughout my career I have found myself on the frontiers not only of my own knowledge, but human knowledge in general. There is no handy reference or list of answers to check my work, so I was forced to develop my intuition for detecting problematic reasoning. I routinely employ these skills both to defend my own work against errors and to constructively critique the work of others.
In this vein, I have previously I discussed the dangers of reasoning by analogy instead of first principles.
In this blog, I explain another powerful reasoning technique for avoiding errors of reasoning, namely reasoning backwards from architecture to implicit requirements.
The basic idea is simple to state. If you have a pair of recipes that transform data between two different formats, then applying them together, in either order, should return the original data. This is known by all sorts of fancy terms in mathematics and physics, but is also intuitively obvious.
The most familiar example (H/T to Christine Moran) is Google translate. When using Google translate between a native and an unknown language, one can copy the resulting text into the inverse translator to check for obvious errors. For additional amusement, one can add a string of other languages in between.
Another more quantitative example are coordinate transforms. If the transform and its inverse don't return the identity, then something is very wrong.
Surprisingly, despite a lack of formal rigor, this concept extends beautifully to any process where data is transformed. In this blog, I will focus on the design process.
When a new embodiment of technology is designed, a team of designers translate a set of customer-determined requirements into a final product. There are many intermediate steps, some of which involve making trades based on a relatively small number of fundamental properties, but for the purposes of this exercise, we can regard the design process as a black box that eats requirements and produces designs.
If one is designing a new car or airplane, it is relatively straight forward to look at the design and determine, by analogy with existing exemplars of the form, whether the design is likely to be useful. But what if the design is of a new kind of thing, such as a Hyperloop or some exotic spacecraft?
If one has access to the designers, one could ask them directly, but it is often instructive to simulate the design process. Only one does not normally have access to precise numerical requirements, which may be proprietary. Instead, start with the final design product and reason backwards to determine a likely set of requirements.
There are two interesting aspects to this process.
The first is that the forward and reverse processes are not completely well-defined, so typically the requirements space for a given design is a bit fuzzy, just as the design space for a given set of requirements can admit some variation in form. In mathematics, we sometimes think of this as compact mappings. Given a set of competing designs, it is instructive to find the domain boundaries in requirements space. That is, a closely related set of requirements maps to one design or even product architecture. Vary the requirements a bit and the same architecture results. But vary the requirements enough and the architecture will "snap" over some unseen boundary and result in a different outcome. Repeating this process can eventually map out all these boundaries, allowing the user to completely understand the design space. If, in the course of this exercise, one finds a region of requirements space without a corresponding design, this may be a market opportunity!
This requirements and design space mapping is often part of the design iteration process. Even if solving the given problem is impossible in a single pass, reasoning backwards will enable steady progress and build design space understanding. It is also often much more efficient to operate forward and back between requirements and end product, interpolating a little more of the design space with each step, until a complete logical bridge is built between the two domains.
The second is that there are two broad families of requirements; explicit and implicit. Explicit requirements are the obvious ones, and so while they're relatively easy to discover, they won't deliver much insight because anyone could think of them. Implicit requirements are seldom committed to paper, but frequently must be surfaced to complete a successful design. Instead, they form part of the universal thought background, a set of common cultural assumptions and practices. Sometimes these practices are unfathomably esoteric, particularly where the designers came from a different time or place. Sometimes they make a deep sort of sense. Often they reveal a lot about the state of knowledge within an organization, or how that organization is structured. And in aerospace, implicit requirements almost always carry the political data payload.
In addition to its original purpose of checking calculations, reasoning backwards from architecture to requirements is a powerful tool precisely because it allows adept users to infer information about inaccessible organizations or power structures which is otherwise impossible to obtain.
In some cases this enables rediscovery of Conway's Law, which states:
organizations which design systems … are constrained to produce designs which are copies of the communication structures of these organizations.
In other cases, one can reliably derive the unstated political goals of the Lunar Gateway program, or the addressable market for the SpaceX Starship.
For more detail on a concrete example of reasoning backwards, check out my blog on the differences between different Lunar exploration architectures.


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The Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) will hold its annual convention in San Antonio as planned next month, drawing as many as 10,000 people for the first meeting of its size not postponed or canceled since the pandemic began to hammer San Antonio's tourism industry.
The Henry B. González Convention Center, which hasn't hosted a meeting since early March, will be the site of the 88th annual THSCA Coaching School and Convention.
"There is no better opportunity of bringing Texas back together than through our coaches and the 'miracle of the huddle,'" stated Joe Martin, the association's executive director, on Wednesday.
In early March, far less than half of an expected 12,000 attendees showed up for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference as the coronavirus pandemic began to emerge in the U.S. Lowered attendance at the writers meeting was the first domino to fall as 36 large, citywide conventions contracted through Visit San Antonio (VSA) canceled this year.
Those cancellations and reduced tourism in general resulted in what the City estimated as a $53.4 million to $83 million loss in revenue this year from the airport, the hotel occupancy tax, and the convention center and Alamodome.
But the coaches' meeting is one of 37 conventions that remain on the books through the rest of the year. Some of those include meetings of the National Society of Black Engineers, Aug. 19-23; the Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals, Oct. 26-29; and the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, Dec. 7-12.
If those events proceed as scheduled, the three dozen meetings will result in 181,000 total room nights, 260,000 attendees, and $129 million in projected economic impact.
The ties between the Texas High School Coaches Association and San Antonio go back to 1933 when the organization held its first coaching school here, said Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit San Antonio.
"After these past few difficult months, it's exciting to open our doors again to welcome the association to a safe, comfortable destination," she said. "San Antonio is open for business again, and together we'll play a winning role in Texas' economic recovery."
In a statement released Wednesday, THSCA said it has been monitoring local, state, and national protocols for safety during the pandemic and plans to follow health recommendations. THSCA said it is developing "virtual options" to be announced June 15 for those who may not be able to attend and for coaches whose school districts have imposed travel bans.
The convention center also has committed to a set of health and safety measures to protect meeting attendees and staff, which includes working with event planners on social distancing and space allocation.
"Attendees at this year's school will experience a facility that has taken the extra, extensive steps necessary to ensure the welfare and comfort of our guests and staff," stated Patricia Muzquiz Cantor, executive director of Convention and Sports Facilities for the City of San Antonio. "Coaches recognize and value great preparation, and that's what they're going to enjoy when they return to San Antonio."


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Legacy Blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Legacy' (PP# 15,146)
Legacy Blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Legacy' (PP# 15,146)
How are the heights measured?
All tree, and nothin' but the tree! We measure from the top of the soil to the top of the tree; the height of the container or the root system is never included in our measurements.
What is a gallon container?
Nursery containers come in a variety of different sizes, and old-school nursery slang has stuck. While the industry-standard terminology is to call the sizes "Gallon Containers", that doesn't exactly translate to the traditional liquid "gallon" size we think of. You'll find we carry young 1-gallons, up to more mature 7-gallons ranging anywhere from 6 inches to 6ft.
How does the delivery process work?
All of our orders ship via FedEx Ground! Once your order is placed online, our magic elves get right to work picking, staging, boxing and shipping your trees. Orders typically ship out within 2 business days. You will receive email notifications along the way on the progress of your order, as well as tracking information to track your plants all the way to their new home!
Why are some states excluded from shipping?
The short & sweet answer is: "United States Department of Agriculture Restrictions." Every state has their own unique USDA restrictions on which plants they allow to come into their state. While we wish we could serve everyone, it's for the safety of native species and helps prevent the spread of invasive disease & pests. We've gotta protect good ole' Mother Nature, after all.
About Me
The Legacy Blueberry is both a very late-ripening northern highbush blueberry that extends the season for fresh berries, and also one of the best-flavored blueberries available. Together these qualities make it highly desirable, grown alone or as part of a collection. It is also a handsome shrub, with attractive white spring flowers and brilliant red fall color, so you can grow it among your flowering shrubs, without needing a special area. It grows well in containers if you don't have the necessary type of soil for blueberries.
- Very late ripening to extend the fresh berry season
- Very high quality and richly flavored berries
- Attractive shrub that can be grown in among your flowers
- Good heat and drought tolerance
- Suitable for pot growing too
The Legacy Blueberry will grow best in full sun or a little partial shade. Plant it in moist, well-drained soil, although this variety, once established, is more heat and drought resistant than most others. The soil must have a pH value between 4.5 and 5.5, so if you don't have that, plant it in a large tub or container, using acidic compost you can easily mix at home.
- Plant Hardiness Zones 5-8
- Mature Width 4-6
- Mature Height 4-6
- Sun Needs Full Sun, Partial Sun
Not only are blueberries the second most popular berry fruit in America, they are attractive and ornamental bushes you can grow among your flowering shrubs, so they are ideal if you don't have the space or inclination to create a special fruit garden. The period when the berries are ripe on any one bush is short, though, so if you want a long season of fresh berries, you should plant varieties that ripen at different times. This is where the Legacy Blueberry steps into the picture. It ripens its fruit at the very end of the season, after other varieties have finished. And that's not all. Considered the best-tasting blueberry variety, the sweet and rich flavor will make this berry a big favorite in your house, especially for eating fresh, although it's just as good in a pie, or for preserves, where its special flavor will come shining through.
Growing the Legacy Blueberry
Size and Appearance
The Legacy Blueberry is a northern highbush blueberry. It is a medium-sized deciduous shrub reaching 6 feet tall and wide. In fall the leaves turn bright red making a great show and making it worthy of being grown right among your garden plants. It blooms in spring, with pink buds in clusters that open into small, hanging white flowers, shaped like urns. The berries ripen towards the end of the blueberry season, in late July and into August in most areas. The medium-sized berries are bright blue and sweet, with a pronounced 'blueberry' flavor, so they are excellent eaten fresh, and they shine in baked goods too. Blueberries are one of the healthiest fruits, because they are full of vitamins and minerals, as well as a special group of antioxidants called bioflavonoids, known to fight inflammation.
Growing the Legacy Blueberry in Your Garden
You can grow this bush in your shrub beds, because it is very attractive, with pretty blooms and bright fall colors. This means that you can grow it in a smaller garden, even if you don't have the space for a dedicated food growing area. It can be grown as a screen, planted in a row, spacing the plants 4 feet apart, or planted alone, or in a small group, in your beds. If you don't have suitable garden soil, plant it in a container, where it can be kept on a patio or terrace.
The Legacy Blueberry is hardy in at least zone 5, and probably, like other northern highbush types, in zone 4 as well. It has superior resistance to heat and drought, so it is also suitable for zone 8, where most other northern highbush varieties don't do well.
Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions
Grow your bush in full sun, or a spot that has no more than a few hours of shade each day. The soil should be moist but well-drained, and acidic, with a pH between 4.5 and 5.5. This bush is more heat and drought tolerant than many other varieties, but it is still best to water it regularly – it just means that if it should get dry for a while you won't lose the crop or damage your bush. Water young plants regularly, as drought resistance develops with maturity.
The simplest solution, if your soil is not acidic enough, is to grow your blueberry bushes in large planters or pots. These must have drainage holes. Make a suitable soil mixture, starting with potting soil for acid-loving plants, such as azaleas. Blend that in equal parts with sphagnum peat moss and shredded pine bark (1:1:1) and fill your planters with that mixture. Mulch the pot surface with more shredded bark, and water regularly.
You will harvest a good crop from just one plant of the Legacy Blueberry, because it is self-pollinating. If you do plant other northern highbush varieties nearby, all of them will benefit from that and give you even bigger yields.
Maintenance and Pruning
During the first growing season, remove any flowers to encourage the bush to grow and not 'waste' its limited energy on making berries. There is no need to prune for the first three seasons, but after that you should shorten back the strongest branches in winter and remove weak branches, and those that grow low down in the bush. Besides regular watering, this bush doesn't need a lot of care, and it is normally not bothered by pests or diseases. The use of blueberry fertilizer will improve the growth of your bushes and the size and quality of your crop, especially when growing them in pots.
History and Origin of the Legacy Blueberry
The northern highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum, is native to much of the eastern parts of Canada and the USA. It can be found growing from Nova Scotia all the way down to Florida and across into Texas. The fruit was as popular with Native Americans as it is with us, and in many areas they burned the forests to clear space for blueberry bushes to grow more vigorously, so that they could harvest more. Wild berries are also eaten by bears and many species of birds. Many varieties have been created for both commercial growing and home gardeners. The variety called 'Liberty' was developed in a breeding program by James Hancock, a renowned blueberry breeder, and professor of horticulture in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and AgBioResearch at Michigan State University. In 1991 he took pollen from a variety called 'Elliot', perhaps the latest ripening variety available, and used it to fertilize a variety bred in Australia called 'Brigetta`. He had 54 seedlings from this cross, and in 1997 he selected one which was the most valuable. It was named 'Legacy' and patented in 2004, with proceeds going to further research at Michigan State.
Buying the Legacy Blueberry at The Tree Center
Growing a late-ripening variety is the best way to extend your blueberry season. With the Legacy Blueberry you can do that with a berry that also has superb flavor and quality, and one that is more heat and drought tolerant than most others. This variety is always in high demand, so order now, or we won't have the plants available to fulfill your order.


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"What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"was written in 1947 by Frank Loesser, and became a hit R&B record for The Orioles two years later.
Short link: https://wp.me/p6sb6-vS0
Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.


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With a name like Of Blades and Kings we have to do our part and bring forth one of the greatest Kings in the fantasy genre.
Enter Aragorn, son of Arathorn and Gilrean, adopted son of Elrond, and rightful King of Men. He was a Chieftain in the Ranger's of the North and spent his life preparing to reclaim the throne of Gondor. When we meet Aragorn in The Fellowship of the Ring he is ready to begin his rule, but being the good friend he is, on behalf of Gandalf, he decides to help a hobbit named Frodo Baggins and provide him safe passage to Rivendell.
During the Council of Elrond, it's discovered that Frodo is carrying The One Ring of Sauron. An evil weapon used by Sauron to cover the world in darkness. When Frodo bravely states that he will take the Ring to Mordor to destroy it, Aragorn, without hesitation joins Frodo on his quest (followed by 7 others). At least, until they must part ways. Aragorn will be needed to unite and rally the race of Men against the evil to come.
Throughout the story Aragorn is the protector, turned leader, turned King. When all else goes wrong, he keeps a cool head and trudges through the mud. He leads by example, displays a proper balance of understanding and force, and shows compassion with a gentle heart.
Aragorn may not be the leader the world of Middle-earth looked for, but he's the one they needed.
Thank you for taking the time to read through this and remember,
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king."
– J.R.R. Tolkien
– The Wandering One


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Joe Girardi announced yesterday that A.J. Burnett will pitch tomorrow night's Game 4, regardless of what happens in tonight's Game 3. After the jump, three reasons why that's the right move.
1. Yes, starting Burnett in Game 4 isn't ideal if the Yankees are down two games to one, since a loss could bring them within a game of elimination. But remember that opting not to pitch Burnett tomorrow wouldn't mean he's out of the rotation entirely. It would simply mean he'd have to start Wednesday, when they could potentially be down three games to one, and facing elimination. That's a much scarier scenario, and if they lose tonight — which is the only way they'd have considered pitching someone other than Burnett tomorrow, anyway — it's not an implausible one.
2. A CC Sabathia start in Game 4 doesn't equal an automatic victory. Sabathia's still this team's best and most reliable pitcher, but he struggled in Game 1 and was far from dominant against the Twins. And though starting Sabathia on short rest hasn't been a problem in the past, it won't do much to help break him out of this mini-slump. Starting him in Game 5 as planned allows him to start on his regular four days of rest for the first time since September 28, when the Yankees clinched a playoff berth in Toronto.
3. An A.J. Burnett start doesn't equal an automatic loss. Yes, Burnett's been terrible for long stretches of this season, but let's not lump him in with the Kei Igawas of the world. He can be very good, or at least good enough to win a playoff game, and who knows how he'll respond to fifteen days of rest. As we've written before, it's a high-risk, high-reward situation: He could allow seven runs in two innings, but unlike most pitchers capable of such disastrous outings, his stuff is good enough that he could also allow two runs over seven innings. But it's a risk they'll have to take at some point, and the smart move is to take it tomorrow, no matter what.


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Cedar Point announces Mean Streak wooden roller coaster to close in September
Never has a wooden roller coaster closure announcement been more gleefully celebrated by the ride enthusiast community…
On Monday, Cedar Point announced that they would be "giving the axe" to their once record-breaking wooden roller coaster, Mean Streak. There was no blowback; no online petitions; no hashtag activists. Quite simply, people were ready to let Mean Streak go. But why? Aren't we supposed to celebrate and try to preserve the wooden coaster in America? After all, we invented them back in 1884 at Coney Island.
Mean Streak was part of a trio of massive wooden roller coasters built in the late 1980's to early 1990's. They were designed and built by Charles Dinn of Ohio and each (Hercules at Dorney Park, The Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas and Mean Streak at Cedar Point) were record breakers.
They were also neck breakers. While the rides were massively popular their first year, the parks they sat in simply could not allocate enough man-hours or maintenance time to keep them running as smooth as when they opened. They quickly fell out of favor with not only ride enthusiasts, but also the general public due to their rough rides.
Of the 11 wooden coasters that Dinn designed and built – four have been demolished, one has been renovated into a steel coaster and now we await the eventual fate of Mean Streak.
The other massive woodies of the era (not built by Dinn) did not fare well, either. The Rattler at Fiesta Texas was renovated into a steel coaster in 2013 while Son of Beast at Kings Island was eventually torn down.
The closure of Mean Streak is a bookend to a unique era in the amusement industry, where we discovered there is an upper limit to what wooden coasters can do, bigger was not always better and sacrificing ride quality for records does not make for a good, long-term investment. Let us hope that we never see an era like it again.
Several Rocky Mountain Construction Coasters Closed Due to Recall
Shockwaves are being felt throughout the coaster and park enthusiast community today as several Rocky Mountain Construction coasters around the world have been closed "until further notice" due to an apparently defective train cylinder.
Kolmården Park issued a very detailed statement late Saturday, saying a cylinder on the rides' train is to blame for the delayed opening.
On a banner on their homepage, Dollywood posted: "Lightning Rod is closed today. The ride manufacturer ordered all of its roller coasters closed until further notice as a recalled mechanical part is replaced."
However, several RMC coasters are still operating as of this evening.
The Joker at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom has been experiencing quite a bit of downtime since officially opening late last month, although an exact cause for it has not been announced. It, along with Twisted Colossus are currently open as of Saturday afternoon.
Storm Chaser at Kentucky Kingdom was operating as of noon Saturday afternoon. Its current status is unknown. Wicked Cyclone has been closed at Six Flags New England as of Saturday afternoon.
Hayden, ID-based Rocky Mountain Construction has yet to issue any statement on the recall or what was the impetus for removing their rides from service so suddenly and abruptly. Sadly, this has led to rampant speculation and rumors online.
Stay tuned to Great American Thrills for the latest on this developing story…
Roar wooden coaster at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom to close August 16
On Thursday, July 16th, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom posted across their social media outlets – as well as via a press release – that their GCl wooden coaster, Roar will be shutting down forever on August 16th. The timing is fortuitous – the last day of operation will be National Roller Coaster Day in the United States.
"We are a dynamic and evolving entertainment venue," said Don McCoy, park president. "Although Roar continues to be a guest favorite, sometimes hard choices must be made to allow for future expansion."
Roar opened in 1999 as the park was officially re-branded as the "New Marine World Theme Park" – which brought several new shows and attractions, restaurants and shops to the park. An estimated 11 million guests have experienced the 10-story coaster which features the first use of GCI's throwback "Millennium Flyer" single bench, articulated trains.
According to the park, a special fond farewell to Roar will include a series of events for guests and Season Pass holders, the highlight of which will be a special last rider event.
The shutdown fuels rumors that the ride may be next in the Six Flags chain to receive some sort of renovation from roller coaster manufacturer, Rocky Mountain Construction. While none of this has been confirmed by the park or RMC, a job posting several weeks ago that advertised several temporary positions available in California has had some in the industry speculate that the Roar project was what they were advertising for.
The ride had become particularly rough over the past few years, culminating with a major track replacement which involved removal and replacement of approximately 1/4 of the total length of the ride last year.
Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain once featured on Nickelodeon's "Wild and Crazy Kids"
With Colossus' days numbered at Six Flags Magic Mountain, I thought it be appropriate on this Throwback Thursday to share a bit of my childhood relating to the "King of Wooden Coasters" before it's too late.
Like many other early Millennials, I grew up with Nickelodeon. And not the crap Nickelodeon they're passing off today. I'm talking Salute Your Shorts, Rocko's Modern Life and Double Dare holy crap this is amazing Nickelodeon.
One of the mainstays of the channel was a show called "Wild and Crazy Kids." It featured groups of kids competing in wacky, sometimes messy games with the goal to just have fun (Imagine that!)
I, like many other wide-eyed kids watching, were introduced to Colossus by this show – with their "Wacky Roller Coaster Spill." That and the hope that someday, God willing – I'd get on the show and get to score one of those shirts…
Now, the editing isn't very good in terms of continuity (I think they show the first drop three times and the double up twice). But it still shows a beautiful and thrilling Colossus – and an interesting game to boot. Enjoy this bit of 80's / 90's kid nostalgia – and #FarewellColossus!
If you're looking for the latest on what comes after Colossus, be sure to check out our friends in Southern California, The Coaster Guy and Park Journey.
If the video isn't loading properly, just skip to 9:16 for the good stuff…
Video is used only for educational or informational purposes. No claim of copyright intended.
Texas Giant: Leave the Speculation at Home
It's only natural to want to try and speculate on what exactly happened last Friday night at Six Flags Over Texas. I've even caught myself doing it on occasion to friends or co-workers, who have asked me about the unfolding situation.
But that doesn't mean it's right.
With inaccurate eyewitness reports, the urge to find out as much information as possible before anyone else has it – we as humans tend to want to fill in the facts when there's an unknown. The speculation had already begun today, as well as recommendations for change, despite not even knowing what exactly occurred.
People were already getting in front of the media, illustrating, "…where she fell out," and were even calling for "Over the Shoulder Restraints" or OTSR on more rides, as if they would have clearly prevented this accident from occurring. All of this was being done without any formal information on what exactly happened.
Speculation can only lead us as a society to a skewed, unwarranted perception of the event. Currently, that misconception is: "…because someone died on a roller coaster – ALL OF THEM must be dangerous!"
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The truth is this, folks: You're more likely to be hurt riding an ESCALATOR at the mall than you are on a looping roller coaster. Parks don't want accidents – they want you to feel safe. It's very much a "self-policing" industry. Gone are the days of the Roaring 20's, where rides that killed became MORE popular.
While we live in an age of instant communication, instant answers – this is one event that we must wait for. Only time will tell what happens next in this investigation – but can't we all just give this investigation just that, a little TIME?
A Difficult Day for the Amusement Industry, But Don't Rush To Judgment
An unprecedented two major news-making events took place at two separate amusement parks in the U.S. within minutes of each other on Friday, bringing up the inevitable media hype over ride safety.
At Six Flags Over Texas and Cedar Point, two major incidents occurred that have splashed across the media.
In the wake of yesterday's tragic event and subsequent investigation at Six Flags Over Texas, Iron Rattler at Six Flags Fiesta Texas has been closed as a precautionary measure, according to a park representative. The ride features the same style of "Iron Horse" track as the Texas Giant and same train manufacturer, Gerstlauer of Germany.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved in today's tragic events.
When reporting news, there's always the possibility of reporting inaccurate information. When the story is breaking, that risk is even bigger. These stories are no different.
One of the more glaring items that stands out to me is from the The Dallas Morning News. They reported that eyewitness, Carmen Brown, who was in the loading station of the Texas Giant, "…said the woman had expressed concern to a park employee that she was not secured correctly in her seat."
"He (the ride attendant) was basically nonchalant," Brown said. "He was, like, 'As long as you heard it click, you're fine.' Hers was the only one that went down once, and she didn't feel safe. But they let her still get on the ride."
Here's the problem – the Texas Giant doesn't use "clicking" restraints. In fact, according to Gerstlauer, the manufacturer of the trains for the Texas Giant, "The cars feature four self-restraining seats with T-shaped lapbars." It continues, "The use of redundant hydraulic cylinders ensures that each lap bar can be infinitely adjusted and offers maximum security." in other words, these restraints come down in silence.
As I was just out at Six Flags Over Texas about five weeks ago, I can attest to this fact. The Texas Giant also features an electronic indicator light on each train, (one for each restraint) which alerts operators if a restraint is too high for safety. The light turns from red to green.
It should not be lost on anyone, but you should know – your odds are far greater of being injured DRIVING to your local amusement park then they are INSIDE your local amusement park. In addition, if you do not feel confident in a ride – you always, ALWAYS have the choice of simply asking to be let out.
Photo of the Day: Iron Rattler at Six Flags Fiesta Texas
There are roller coasters – and then they're EPIC roller coasters. Iron Rattler at Six Flags Fiesta Texas is one of those attractions that takes your breath away.
Once the tallest wooden coaster on Earth, the Rattler was transformed this past off season to include Rocky Mountain Construction's Iron Horse Track (similar to the track on Texas Giant just a few hours north). The ride is now smooth, powerful and FORCEFUL – definitely a steel coaster that should rank in your top three in the world after you ride it.
Did we mention there's a clever inversion on it, too?
A HUGE thanks goes out to my friends at BorrowLenses for allowing me to capture such beautiful photos with their gear.
Interested in purchasing / using some of my photos? Check out my 500px: http://500px.com/GreatAmericanThrills
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Veeva Systems (VEEV - Free Report) closed at $151.78 in the latest trading session, marking a -0.9% move from the prior day. This change lagged the S&P 500's 0.05% gain on the day. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.11%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 0.11%.
Prior to today's trading, shares of the provider of cloud-based software services for the life sciences industry had gained 2.87% over the past month. This has lagged the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 4.89% and the S&P 500's gain of 4.32% in that time.
VEEV will be looking to display strength as it nears its next earnings release, which is expected to be November 26, 2019. In that report, analysts expect VEEV to post earnings of $0.54 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 20%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $275.35 million, up 22.52% from the year-ago period.
Looking at the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $2.12 per share and revenue of $1.07 billion. These totals would mark changes of +30.06% and +23.94%, respectively, from last year.
Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for VEEV. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company's business and profitability.
Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.
Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant within the past month. VEEV is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.
Looking at its valuation, VEEV is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 72.11. This represents a premium compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 57.68.
Meanwhile, VEEV's PEG ratio is currently 3.79. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. VEEV's industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.69 as of yesterday's close.
The Internet - Software industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 102, putting it in the top 40% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Make sure to utilize Zacks. Com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.


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Some people find construction photos scary, for us it is our day to day life, while we bring our customers' vision to life. It also shows you what we do every day. Day in, day out.
It can be an ADU that will become the residence for the owner of the property while he is renting the main house out. Do we need to say that it will be built in contemporary style, using the latest technology and all the design features of modern living. This one is also multi-level, has lots of light and soon will have a deck to enjoy Californian lifestyle.
Or it can be an ADU for property owners who are planning to travel in their retirement and will use their ADU for extra income. Do you see the future walk-in-closet, small sitting area and high ceilings to enhance the feeling of space in a small 750 sf unit?
Or it is just a homeowner who is re-evaluating the use of its old detached garage and converting it into a cozy ADU with a loft. Skylights and a Cantina door that replaces the garage door add to the overall charm.
It gives us pleasure to see the backyards transformed into additional living space. The accessory dwelling units make homeowners' lives better, their property value is increased as soon as we pass the final inspection and get the occupancy permit.


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- 26/12/2002 - photos
Davies Canyon lies in Sally Camp Creek upstream from its junction from Whalania Creek. It is more of a bushwalk with abseiling, through an impressive gorge. Like most of the Kanangra canyons, route finding often involves moving about on scree slopes above large drops.
Park at the locked gate at the start of the fire trail between King Pin and Queen Pin (MGA287400) on the Kanangra Road. Walk along the fire trail to Thurat Trig. Head down Thurat Ridge. There is a track that follows the ridge but it is difficult to pick up. At about MGA330417 head N then NW down the spur to reach Sally Camp Creek. The canyon starts shortly after.
Alternatively you can walk in from the Whalania Fire Road and Nioka Ridge.
A few hundred metres after the canyon begins you reach the first abseil. We abseiled 50m down the right hand side of the falls, from an exposed narrow nose of rock that juts out. This can be done in two 25m stages if desired. Alternatively there were also slings around a tree on a slope to the left side of the falls. This looked slightly longer, and you were likely to end up in a pool.
About 250m further on you reach the second abseil. We abseiled 50m from a tree to the left of the falls, into a shallow pool.
The next main drop we scrambled down ledges, passing packs, to the right of the top of the chute and around to a large open platform. We abseiled 20m from slings around a tree to a very slippery rock and narrow ledge. A tricky 2m climb down followed. Finally a 15m drop from dodgy bolts to a pool which we had to then swim across.
Then followed some creek walking to a smaller fall (about 10m). We scrambled along a dirt bank to the right and down a slope. A short drop at the bottom required a 2m abseil into knee deep water.
Some more creek walking got us to another small fall. Scrambling along a steep dirt slope to the right brought us to an exposed set of slings above a 15m drop, which we abseiled.
After another 100m walking we reached the next main drop. We abseiled 20m from slings to the left of the falls to a small ledge. Then 50m into a pool. Traverse left (facing downstream) if you want to avoid a swim.
The creek then drops into a narrow slot. We scrambled along a slightly exposed dirt bank as the creek dropped away below us. Finally we reached a set of slings above a 50m drop onto slippery ledges and abseiled. It is probably possible to swim and abseil down the creek itself if desired.
We scrambled down a few ledges on the left side, and then crossed over as we reached another small set of falls. We scrambled right along a dirt bank, and put a rope around a tree for a 10m abseil as the scrambling became a bit exposed.
Another few hundred metres of walking brought us to the Whalania Ck junction.
Walk up Mt Paralyser (logbook at summit), back along Thurat Ridge and follow the fire trail back to the car. Mt Paralyser is extremely steep, particularly between the 800m-1100m contours where much of the walking is at a gradient of nearly 1:1. It may be easier to contour around to the northern buttress once you reach a reasonable height.
- Difficulty: H
- Abseils: 7-11
- Longest abseil: 50m
- Quality: NA
- Time: 14-20 hours (2 days)
- Distance: 20km
- Ascent: 820m
- Wetsuits: Not required
- Maps: 8930-3S Kanangra


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Everyone is ready for Vernon Adams issue to be resolved
Vernon Adams announced in February that he planned to transfer from Eastern Washington to Oregon for his senior season. That only could happen if he finished his bachelor's degree.
Here we are, six months later, with spring practices and summer workouts in the rear-view mirror. We're three days into fall camp, and Adams still isn't with the program.
Reportedly, Adams has a math exam Thursday afternoon with everything riding on it. If he passes, he can join the Ducks. If he fails, he's left without a team.
As I've said earlier, this isn't a knock on Adams. He is trying to do what's best for him, and earning a degree in four years while playing football is a difficult thing to accomplish.
But I think it's clear that everybody is ready for this issue to get resolved, either way.
I'm sure the other players are tired of answering Vernon-related questions. And every time coach Mark Helfrich is asked about Adams, there's an awkward answer because Adams isn't yet with the program.
The Ducks have 24 days and counting until the season kicks off at 5 p.m. Sept. 5 against Eastern Washington. And Oregon needs to know which players it has, and which it doesn't.
I still stand by my opinion from last week that junior Jeff Lockie should be named the starter for the season-opener. He's been with the program for four years, and he deserves to lead the offense as the home crowd is introduced to the 2015 Ducks. After the opener, give the job to the better player.


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PARADISE, California, USA – Five people died in Northern California when flames engulfed their vehicles as they attempted to flee Paradise, a mountain town north of Sacramento mostly destroyed by one of three wildfires raging across the state, US authorities said on Friday.
Nearly 500 miles to the south, a second blaze forced the evacuation of the upscale oceanside city of Malibu and threatened the beleaguered town of Thousand Oaks, where a gunman killed 12 people this week in a rampage in a bar and dance hall. A third wildfire was also expanding in Southern California's Ventura County.
Kim Kardashian, Alyssa Milano and Melissa Etheridge were among thousands fleeing from their homes in and around Malibu on Friday, as the second fast-moving wildfire forced evacuations from the celebrity-packed area.
Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro tweeted that he had abandoned his vast "Bleak House" museum collection of fantasy and horror memorabilia, while singer Etheridge said she had moved into a hotel due to the fire.
The entire 12,000 population of Malibu, which stretches 27 miles (43.5 km) along the Pacific Ocean in Southern California and up into the Santa Monica mountains, was placed under mandatory evacuation on Friday as the Woolsey fire exploded overnight and jumped a freeway, fire officials said.
Malibu and nearby Calabasas are home to hundreds of celebrities and entertainment executives attracted by its ocean views, rolling hills and large, isolated estates. Current and former residents include Barbra Streisand, Cher, Tom Hanks, Judd Apatow and Britney Spears.
Residents posted pleas on social media for help evacuating horses and other large animals from ranches, while long lines of traffic clogged the only coastal highway in and out of Malibu.
"Evacuated last night. Bleak House and the collection may be endangered but the gift of life remains," del Toro, director of Oscar best picture winner "The Shape of Water," tweeted on Friday.
Kardashian, and her sister Kourtney, said they had left their homes in nearby Calabasas late on Thursday. "I had just one hour to pack up and evacuate our home," Kim Kardashian wrote in an Instagram Story.
Milano, a leading force in the #MeToo social movement against sexual harassment, asked for help getting five horses out of the area. "I just had to evacuate my home from the fires. I took my kids, dogs, computer and my Doc Marten boots," the actress tweeted.
The Malibu area is also home to dozens of filming locations. One of them, the Western Town at Paramount Ranch where "Westworld" is filmed, was burned.
"We do not have any details or photos, but it is our understanding that the structures have burned. This area is an active part of the incident and we cannot access it," a posting on the Santa Monica Mountains Twitter account said on Friday.
Video shot from a news helicopter showed cars at a standstill on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, about 30 miles (48 km) west of downtown Los Angeles. An unspecified number of homes were destroyed there, according to local media.
Meanwhile the blaze which engulfed Paradise and broke out on Thursday, had more than tripled in size to 70,000 acres (2838 hectares) and was only 5 percent contained.
"The town is devastated, everything is destroyed," said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) spokesman Scott Maclean, referring to Paradise, which has a population of 26,000.
In addition to the five people found dead in their vehicles, many were forced to abandon their cars and run for their lives down the sole road through the mountain town. About 2,000 structures were destroyed in the area, officials said.
Linda Parks, a Ventura County supervisor, whose district covers Thousand Oaks, lamented the timing of the wildfire, coming so soon after the massacre on Wednesday night when a former U.S. Marine combat veteran opened fire in a bar packed with college students, stunning a community with a reputation for safety.
"We are still reeling, but we are also very resilient," she said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday the 28-year-old gunman – Ian David Long – was a "very, very sick guy." Speaking at the White House before leaving on a trip to Paris, Trump said: "He is a very sick puppy… He was a Marine, he was in the war (Afghanistan), he served time, he saw some pretty bad things. And a lot of people say he had PTSD and it's a tough deal."
The fires in the area are expected to continue as strong winds were expected in the mountains and valleys of Ventura County and in coastal areas.
(Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Additional reporting by Jill Serjeant, Bernie Woodall and Brendan O'Brien; Editing by Bernadette Baum, Sandra Maler and Jenni Baxter)


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The Pillars of the Earth is one of the most beautiful games I have ever seen. When I was looking for games to see at E3 2017, The Pillars of the Earth shot up my list immediately as I fell in love with the art. The best thing about this narrative-driven adventure game is that the story has more or less been pre-approved, as it is based on the extremely successful novel of the same name.
The Pillars of the Earth takes lace in 12th century England, during what is known as The Anarchy, a succession crisis that starts a civil war lasting 18 years. Players see the story from three different characters' point of view over the course of 40 years. The developer made a lot of Game of Thrones comparisons in terms of the grandness of the scale of the game and the multiple points of view it is stolen from. And, I guess a lot of people die.
While it is story-driven, there are some gameplay elements other than meandering from one conversation to the next. There are some skill-based QTE moments, though they aren't a huge part of the game and stand to serve as something to spice things up for some variety.
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The primary gameplay will be solving puzzles. The developer stressed that the puzzles were going to be grounded in reality, meaning they would make some sort of sense. The puzzles aren't just a random assortment of items that were then forced to work together—like find the handle for the bucket in the fish so you can then attach it to the bucket so it can be carried. It's a nice thing to know they are thinking about and should reduce the frustration that can come in some puzzle games that force you to developer's logic.
Nothing is forced on the player either, their decisions are their own. For example, in some of the gameplay I saw, we had the choice to kill a deer for food. We didn't have to, but we chose to do so. Later, the deer's meat was hanging up and it was our choice what to do with it. We decided it was a good idea to smoke it for preservation, but then got distracted as we heard a baby crying in the woods. We went to investigate, of course. When we returned, the deer meat was spoiled. It seems inconsequential, but it made me excited. If what seems to be so frivolous received that much care, what about the big things that matter? I can only hope they have as many little intricacies built into them as well.
The Pillars of the Earth will be released in three parts, the first of which arrives August 15th on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, and Linux. It will have English and German voice overs and pretty much every major language you can think of for text translation.
If you want to know more about this and other announcements happening at E3 then be sure to check out our E3 2017 Coverage Hub.


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While Matt, Derek, and Andrew practice staying in-place, they decide to take up the topic of who the proper subjects of baptism are? Derek argues for the legitimacy of paedobaptism, Andrew argues for the credobaptist view, Matt moderates, and fun is had by all. Even amidst the pandemic that the world is experiencing, topics like the sacraments always remain salient for the church. And while it may be important for us to discuss and perhaps debate how to respond to our current public health crisis, it remains important to continue to discuss one of the things that only the church does and is marked by: baptism.
Intro + The guys give an update on how they're doing in quarantine [0:00 – 1:52]
What did it take for Derek to become persuaded by the paedobaptist view of baptism? [1:52 – 8:20]
Similarly, what did it take for Andrew to be persuaded that it is not licit to baptize infants? [8:20 – 12:10]
Question for Andrew: When we think about the faith that could be confirmed by the church and be expressed through our entrance in the church through baptism, 1) what is the nature of this faith that allows for entrance to occur, and 2) what do we do for people who have cognitive disabilities that would make it difficult for them to evaluate their own faith? [12:10 – 21:00]
Andrew quotes/references Colossians 2:12-14: 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses
Question for Derek: Whose faith is being recognized in infant baptism, is the parent's faith vicariously recognized in the paedobaptist view? [21:00 – 32:15]
Derek quotes/references Genesis 15 and 17, as well as Colossians 2: 11, In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ…
Andrew responds to Derek's claim that the burden of proof is on the baptist view that there is a discontinuity between the subjects of circumcision and baptism [32:15 – 36:26]
Derek follows-up [36:26 – 39:19]
He references the household baptisms in Acts (e.g., Ch. 16) and that the children of believing parents are called "holy" in 1 Corinthians 7:14
Andrew rebuts and claims that circumcision and baptism do not directly correspond [39:19 – 40:55]
Final question: What is the correlation between baptism and regeneration? + Conclusion [40:55 – 50:27]
If you're interested in supporting the show financially, you can check out our Patreon here.
Finally, as always, follow Derek, Andrew, and Alastair for more tweet-sized brilliance. Thanks to Timothy Motte for his sound editing work. And thanks to The Joy Eternal for lending us their music, which everybody should download out of gratitude for their kindness.


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It seems like every man and his dog – or rather every person with or without biological testes and their companion – is necking hormone replacement capsules or mindlessly cheerleading for those who do.
The question I have is where did all these trans activists come from?
The hardcore loonies have always been stumbling about in the mainstream background (probably while trying to walk in killer heels) and tying themselves in knots with their fascist attempts to re-imagine and police everyday language.
Remember CRUK, who during a cancer awareness jaunt could not bring themselves to use the term 'woman' and instead referred to 'those people with a cervix'? That campaign soon went pop and was drowned out by a crescendo of cancelled direct debits.
In one fell swoop, this quite asshat convolution monumentally hacked off tens of thousands of women who had in fact had their cervix removed because of, erm, cancer and who found themselves involuntarily re-categorised.
Thankfully, the majority of the UK's women understand that whatever bonkers wordplay the gender pretenders cook up – or cock up – they remain women.
The charity should have been relieved that the nation's pathology nerds had not all rocked up with their pickling jars to form an orderly queue and to check whether the campaign had applied to them. Strictly speaking, it did.
In brief, it was all a salient lesson in the people-pleasing dangers of hanging yourself with the silly string of needless complications on the most straightforward of matters, but it is one that has lamentably not been learnt: men are men, and women are women. That's biological sex.
As for what social roles and behaviour patterns they want to follow in life – living as a man or as a woman – that's the purview of gender. A court will even issue a certificate bestowing rights upon you in that regard if that's your particular bent.
Great – fill your (latex, spiky-heeled) boots.
But that thing you have in your hand – that piece of paper – doesn't change facts. If courts had that kind of magical power, they'd be curing cancer, congestive heart failure, and COVID.
Alas, achieving that kind of result falls at the door of science, as indeed does biological sex. Swivel-eyed loons can have their own opinions in their own little worlds but not their own facts. And no amount of court documentation can change the facts of sex.
Perhaps we can just put it down to a biological cervix delivery failure?
But back to the emergence of these 'allies' and activists, and the answer is that they have always been there. They are just the same people who last summer had banged on about BLM and before that, Brexit. Neither of those causes matters a jot now. Those fads have been thoroughly rinsed, and it's now time for some fresh meat.
Most of this tranny band of course have no connection to trans issues, nor will they ever. This time next year, they'll have moved on to protecting the rights of asexual, disabled cockapoos or whatever flirtation boosts their ascent to the top of the twat tree.
Another day, another flag for the Twitter profile. A more inflated raft of followers to buy the book, the Patreon subscription, or any other tat that can generate a few shillings.
Shilling of course being the operative word.
It gets worse. Even more laughable than the transparent social media fake activism are the cry-baby tears when a spot of criticism floats their way. And the favoured buzz-phrase of the ally repertoire is to flag to the world that they no longer feel 'safe'.
This is the peak martyr phase, which is essential fare for any fledgling faux-fanny flirt. It usually follows hard on the heels of being called out as a shill, and it is employed to bring personal sympathy that may in due course become conflated with that for the cause in a whimpering, virtue-signalling, virtuous circle jerk.
Hilariously, many of these cardboard allies truly are fearful for their miserable lives. They don't seem to have tumbled that spouting hate speech attracts vitriol – fake, hobby-horse activism that irks others will lead to controversy and a few metaphorical hand grenades being tossed over the fence. It won't provoke physical harm, though, because a gibbering, self-loathing keyboard warrior is hardly worth cocking your weapon for, just as a fleeting kink is arguably not worth the trauma of snipping it.
If they can't stand the heat, they should get out of the kitchen. Or stay in it if they really do want to celebrate the female lived experience.
That's a joke, but it does make you wonder how far these shemales would go to throw their weight behind key feminist causes once they had those spanking new titties under their belts.
Which is incidentally where most of the cheap, Turkish bazookas end up after a year or so.
These plastic activists are of course as fake as the misshapen burger-vulvas carved out by the backstreet Brazilian nob-folders.
As for the slacktivists, it is of course all about them. Their adherence to the trans cause is as genuine as the Frankenvadges that Dr Nippentuck conjures up from the patients' four available skins.
The tranny bus will go beep, beep, beep for a little while longer, and in the meantime, I'm more than happy for them to get on with it and live their lives in peace. The cause will however continue to be harmed by those who are making it into something it is not, just for the benefit of some crass virtue signalling for a few thousand extra Twitter followers.
For everybody's sake, let's hope that these morons quickly move on to the asexual, disabled cockapoos.


text: Boscov's and New York & Company Clearance Sales January 4, 2013 I very rarely if ever pay full retail price for any article of clothing or accessory and I rarely if ever shop at the stores in the mall. However, yesterday was one of those rare occasions because I stopped at Best Buy which just happens to be next door to the Concord Mall. I love the various clothing lines at Boscov's but you really have to take your time because of how they have them set up throughout the floor. It was late and I was heading out the door but a 75% off clearance sign grabbed my attention. I only spent a few minutes going through a few racks and purchased 3 items, totaling $32.74. NY Collection Embellished top with bat wing sleeves ($48.00) on sale 5.99 Brown Premise Pencil skirt ($58.00) on sale $14.50 Chaus knit top with faux leather shoulders ($49.00) on sale $12.25 No matter how hard I try, I can never seem to find anything at H&M, but at New York & Company it's a different story. Not that I needed more jewelry, but when the sign reads 80% off, it's too hard to resist! I purchased two statement necklaces one in red and another in blue for $4.59 each, original price was $22.94. Leopard print casual sweater ($36.95) for $11.08, and sleeveless green top ($36.94) for $7.39 If you are looking to add more jewelry to your collection, I suggest you check out New York & Company – I may go back because they are sending me a coupon for completing the survey printed on the receipt! 8 Comments


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That is what Shoshana Zuboff, in The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, calls privacy policies, whether they are ones we sign when we apply for a loan or seek medical care, or when we click on a website or install a phone app. She contends that basically what we are doing over and over in daily life is agreeing to how a variety of organizations may surveil our behavior and mine and distribute the data that every click we make, everywhere we go with our smartphones, how we drive our vehicles, and the conversations we have with Alexa or Google Home.
We think we are accessing sites like Facebook or Google at no cost. Actually, we are the raw resource that these companies use to mine tons of data. Our "likes," the articles and ads we click on, our location, our demographics are all used to supply targeted information to us. It is also shared, often without our knowledge. It can go badly wrong as occurred with Cambridge Analytica's use of Facebook data to attempt to manipulate voters.
But increasingly, it is not simply our behavior on our computers and phones. The expansion of the "internet of things" all offer data about us. Computers in our cars provide insurers and others information about our driving behavior, determining insurance premiums. Lenders who do not receive payments can literally turn our cars off! A variety of devices are being installed in our home. If I wanted, I could connect my garage door and washer and dryer to wi-fi and control them by my phone. Thermostats can feed information about the interior of our homes. There are beds that transmit sleep data and even can record sounds. Not sure I like that! In addition to the phones we carry, there are fitness wear that record and transmit a variety of biometric data. Personal digital assistants like Alexa and Google Home are always listening (as are SMART TV's).
Of course, our customer cards and apps that we use for grocery shopping, at pharmacies, and other retail outlets appear to offer us discounts on our purchases, but what is really happening is offering data about us. Sure, some of it is anonymized, but the coupons and offers mailed to us seem keyed to our purchasing history. Likewise, our credit cards offer and record of our commercial habits, our recreation preferences, our charitable giving and more.
I'm reading Zuboff's book and it is chilling both to realize how much of our lives are rendered into data sources often distributed to parties of whom I'm unaware and the relative contempt with which various entities view the privacy of our information. Furthermore, we willingly comply in the surrender of this information in most cases. Most of us never read the "privacy agreements" allowing various entities to obtain and distribute our information. We click or sign without reading, and some estimates suggest we could spend a good part of each year reading these if we chose.
I have a friend who prefers to use cash and works hard to minimize his electronic footprint. He's accepted the fact that this limits his access to many things. He stays off all social media. Yet it's hard, he carries a cell phone, a huge source of data about us.
What, then, can we do? Here are a few thoughts:
- Assume that nothing about your life is private. Maybe that has a silver lining. If we believe in an all-knowing God, we already believe that nothing in our lives is private!
- Assume that anything you have ever done online, anything you've said is still out there and accessible to someone, and that every click yields information about you.
- Review the "permissions" for each app on your phone. The defaults for some ask for far more than the app needs to function. Deny these.
- Be aware of all the devices in your home that are or may be connected to the internet, usually via your wi-fi, or to your phone via bluetooth. Think carefully about enabling each of these and what information they collect. Assume all of it leaves your home and you may not know where it goes.
- Consider the wearables, like fitness trackers, that are uploading biometric information about you. Any health and fitness apps on your phone also upload any data you voluntarily or involuntarily provide.
- Assume that all privacy policies are surveillance policies. They are not intended to protect you, but rather whoever is providing service.
- You may consider DuckDuckGo for internet searches, which has greater privacy protection.
The challenge right now is all these "applications" have you over a barrel. Unless you agree to their surveillance policies, you either can't install the app, or use the service, or it only has highly limited functionality. Companies don't need to do this but there are huge financial interests that favor this surveillance. Probably only broad-based advocacy with legislative support can change this, unless someone figures out how to protect privacy and make money, creating an alternate business strategy.
Caveat emptor friends!