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Netherlands Won Women's RHWC2014, Silver for Hockeyroos
The hosts and London Olympics Gold Medalist, Netherlands women's Hockey team defeated Hockeyroos to win the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 in The Hague.
Final Standings: 1. Netherlands (gold medal); 2. Australia (silver medal); 3. Argentina (bronze medal); 4. USA; 5. New Zealand; 6. China; 7. Korea; 8. Germany; 9. South Africa; 10. Japan; 11. England; 12. Belgium
Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 Awards:
Rabobank Best Player: Ellen Hoog, Netherlands
Hero Best Junior Player: Florencia Habif, Argentina
Interpolis Best Goalkeeper: Rachael Lynch, Australia
Hero Top Scorer: Maartje Paumen, Netherlands
Adidas Best Goal: Kim Lammers, Netherlands
With winning the silver medal, the Hockeyroos are expected to rise to second in the world rankings. It is the Australian women's third World Cup silver medal, adding to those won in 1990 and 2006.
Earlier in the day, Defending Champions Argentina's Las Leonas defeated their Pan American rivals USA by 2-0 to win the Bronze Medal of 2014 World Cup.
The official world rankings will be released next week by the International Hockey Federation but following England's 11th place finish, Argentina's bronze medal and Australia's runners-up berth they should overtake those two sides in the standings.
First half goals from Maartje Paumen and Kim Lammers proved decisive with Emily Hurtz coming closest for Australia when her early shot was cleared from the Dutch goal line, while Jodie Kenny also saw a penalty corner well saved by Dutch goalkeeper Joyce Sombroek.
Hockeyroos goalkeeper Rachael Lynch, one of the heroines of Thursday's semi-final shoot-out, pulled off a string of top saves to keep Australia in the contest and was later named Goalkeeper of the Tournament.
Speaking after the match, Hockeyroos Head Coach Adam Commens said, "We're very proud of our efforts and I think that a silver medal shows how far we have come since the Olympic Games. We came fifth in London and now, since London, we've played a number of tournaments – I think five in total – and we've made the final of all of them. We won the Champions Challenge, we won the World League 3, we won at the Oceania Cup, a silver medal in the World League 4 and now a silver medal here in the World Cup. So, it's been a really good 18 months for us."
We were aiming to make the World Cup final. We knew that the world number one team would be a really difficult one to defeat at that moment and we expected that the Netherlands would be there. They were, they were a great opponent and a really worthy champion."
Shot stopper Lynch was called upon early, tipping over Ellen Hoog's reverse stick shot inside two minutes before, almost immediately at the other end, Emily Hurtz's shot squirmed under the body of Dutch 'keeper Somebroek only for Jacky Schoenaker to scramble it clear from the goal line.
Dutch captain and tournament top scorer Maartje Paumen opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 12th minute after Roos Drost was adjudged to have been brought down as she ran through on goal.
Australia reacted well, pressing upfield with Kellie White forcing a save from Soembroek, who was also called upon to mop up on several more occasions as the Hockeyroos applied pressure.
Lynch, however, was the busier of the two goalkeepers, keeping out Kelly Jonker's snap deflection before Kim Lammers made it 2-0 in the 29th minute, netting at the second attempt after Lynch had denied her once.
Penalty corners either side of half time showed the Hockeyroos' determination to get back in the contest but the first hit the body, rather than stick, of the diving Emily Smith while Jodie Kenny saw her flick tipped wide by Sombroek at full stretch.
Lynch went on to make a series of stops in the second half, notably a good double save at point blank range, while her teammates contested well, winning possession and hitting the Dutch on the counter attack.
A moment of near-controversy occurred when a third goal was initially awarded to the Netherlands with the umpire believing the ball had entered the goal when in fact it had rebounded off the post. Replays showed it hit the post though and the goal was chalked off.
Looking to the future, Commens said he believes the Hockeyroos have what it takes to continue their recent form and subsequent return to the top echelons of the world game.
"I'm really excited about this group," he said. "It's a young group. We've got girls playing in our defence the majority of the time that have played less than 50 matches, that have come straight from our Australian Hockey League.
"We've got a really young forward group and we've got a number of quality players that are not here through injury…or some really highly talented young players that are probably not ready at this moment but I think in two years' time they'll be pushing our group to increase the competitiveness. When you do that you just see the level of the team play will improve with it and it's something that I'm really looking forward to."
The Australian women's next test comes in just over five weeks when they head to Glasgow to defend the Commonwealth Games title won in Delhi four years ago.
Acknowledging that his side will arrive in Scotland as favourites for the gold medal, Commens added, "The Commonwealth Games is an important tournament for us and we will take a very similar group there. We rightly should be favourites for that tournament but I don't underestimate our opponents.
"In the women's side of the Commonwealth Games I think there's some really high quality teams. New Zealand we've seen come fifth here; they're ranked just below us. England are a side that probably haven't performed up to their potential at the World Cup and they'll be determined to turn it around. And South Africa are already a really dangerous side.
"It is different scenario coming into the tournament as favourites. I think the last Commonwealth Games the team really ground out victories. I'd hope to be able to go and be able to play a brand of hockey where we look to dominate our opposition but we'll certainly need to have taken a step up from what we've done here. It's not a matter of just trying to maintain. It's a matter of improving and it's something that our group has been really determined to do over the last two years and they'll be even more determined to do it at the Commonwealth Games."
The Hockeyroos' male counterparts, the Kookaburras, will have their shot at the World Cup gold medal on Sunday as they go head-to-head with the Netherlands in the men's final. That match takes place at 23:15 AEST and will be shown live across Australia on ABC 2.


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Energy future is focus of World Town Planning Day at UH ManoaUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Department of Urban and Regional Planning
UH Mānoa's Department of Urban and Regional Planning is celebrating World Town Planning Day on November 8 with special campus discussions and exhibits focused on Hawaiʻi's energy future. Also, awards will be presented to a "Planner Who Has Made a Difference" and a UH Mānoa planning alumnus. The Hawaiʻi Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) is cosponsoring the events, all of which are free and open to the public.
"World Town Planning Day is celebrated in Hawaiʻi and throughout the world to recognize the many contributions of planning to the quality of life in our communities. We are fortunate to have the strong support of the local APA chapter as well as the many alumni, friends, students, faculty and staff associated with the Department of Urban and Regional Planning," said Karl Kim, Chair of the Department.
Thursday, November 8
· 11:30 a.m.—1:45 p.m.: Exhibits hosted by the University Students of Urban and Regional Planning (USURP) and the American Planning Association Hawaiʻi Chapter at the UHM Campus Center mall.
· 2—4 p.m.: Discussion based on The Kettering Foundation's National Issues Forum Brief, "The Energy Problem: Choices for an Uncertain Future" at Campus Center, Room 307
· 5:30—6:30 p.m.: "Talk story" reception. Light refreshments will be served. School of Architecture courtyard.
· 6:30 p.m.: Presentation of the annual Planner Who Has Made a Difference Award and the first annual Tom Dinell Alumni Award, Architecture School, Room 205.
· 6:45—8 p.m.: Panel on "Energy in Hawaiʻi: Emerging Issues and Solutions" at the Architecture School, Room 205:
Robert Shleser, ClearFuels Technology Inc.;
Lisa Gibson, Hawaii Science & Technology Council;
Robbie Alm, Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc;
John Tantlinger, Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, Strategic Industries Division;
Henry Curtis, Life of the Land
World Town Planning Day is celebrated in 30 countries on four continents every November 8. It is a special day to recognize and promote the role of planning in creating livable communities. World Town Planning Day presents an excellent opportunity to look at planning challenges and solutions in communities around the globe.

subset: commoncrawl


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How to fix a green pool
Swimming pools often turn green without much use. We'll show you how to convert your pool's water back to clear and sparkling.
How to install a frameless glass pool fence
An easy to follow guide on how to install a frameless glass pool fence
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Garden Lighting
How to install pond lights
This simple guide shows you how to install pond lights. It's a very easy DIY project that will help transform your pond and your garden.


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Users increasingly turn to Internet to buy drugs - EU report
Virtually any kind of illegal drug can be bought on the Internet and delivered by post to users who no longer need to make direct contact with dealers, an EU study published on Thursday said.india Updated: Feb 01, 2013 12:35 IST
Virtually any kind of illegal drug can be bought on the Internet and delivered by post to users who no longer need to make direct contact with dealers, an EU study published on Thursday said.
It gave no statistics on online drug sales, which are normally conducted on so-called "darknets", or anonymous computer networks.
The report, compiled by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and Europol, the pan-European police agency, said increased globalisation and communication technology made it harder to track drug routes.
"Practically any type of drug can be bought on the Internet," Europol director Rob Wainwright told a briefing. "The consumers may feel that it is 'cleaner' to buy drugs without any direct contact with the drug dealer."
These drugs are being moved through legitimate forms of commercial transportation - containers, aircraft and postal services, all making the drugs harder to intercept.
EMCDDA director Wolfgang Goetz said drug users' behaviour was also changing.
"Patterns of drug use have become more fluid, with consumers often using multiple substances or substituting one drug for another," Goetz said.
Northwest Europe a major concern
Europol's Wainwright said drug trafficking was the main activity of organised crime groups, providing funding for other criminal activity.
The report pinpointed northwest Europe -- Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium and northern France -- as an area where organised crime is high, partly because of its many transport hubs, and Wainwright said the region's status as a final destination for cocaine and heroin, as well as people trafficking and illegal immigration, made it a major concern.
The report recommended that the European Union work to target high-value crime groups, develop intelligence on the geographic relocation of potential criminals, interrupt money flows and create barriers to drug sales on the Internet.
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said ministers from the 27 member states would study the report for possible policy changes and action across the European Union.
"We need to keep pace with these new developments and adapt our policies and responses to this reality," Malmstrom said. "National measures, however robust, will simply not be sufficient if implemented in isolation."
The European Union is an increasingly important producer of synthetic drugs and cannabis, with mobile production units making it easy for synthetic drugs to be concealed during manufacturing.
"As with synthetic drugs, there has been a trend towards producing the drug near to its intended consumers," Goetz said. "This will be a growing trend in the future."
The report estimated 2,500 tonnes of cannabis are consumed each year in the European Union and Norway, with a retail value of 18-30 billion euros.
Malmstrom said no European-wide legalisation of cannabis is on the Commission's agenda.


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New York, June 13, 2011--Jyotirmoy Dey, a senior journalist and special investigations editor at Mumbai's afternoon daily Midday, was killed last week, in broad daylight. His murder must be fully investigated as soon as possible, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.
On Monday, Maharashtra State Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan denied demands from Dey's journalist colleagues to take the investigation out of the hands of the Mumbai police and hand it over to the State's Central Bureau of Investigation, local media reports said. The choice to keep the investigation of the journalist small disturbs CPJ.
"Too many Indian journalists can be killed without repercussions: it has become a national embarrassment," said Bob Dietz, CPJ's Asia program coordinator. "India's authorities need to act quickly to address this impunity."
International and local media reports and colleagues at Midday say Dey was killed on Saturday afternoon. His murderers were four men. Some of them fired at him from two motorcycles, as Dey himself drove past them on his motorcycle. They were driving through Powai suburb of Mumbai. They fired a total of eight shots at him: five landed in his head and chest. He died at the scene of the attack, Midday colleagues told CPJ.
Dey was known for his hardline coverage of Mumbai's crime world -- a beat he had covered for 22 years. He had written two books, Zero Dial: The Dangerous World of Informers and Khallas and had worked earlier for the Indian Express and the Hindustan Times. His colleagues told CPJ his intense work style had helped set a tone for investigative reporting in India's vibrant media environment. These same colleagues are convinced that Dey was targeted by a criminal organization. They remain concerned local authorities will not fully investigate. On Sunday, the police announced, the authorities had formed a special team for the case, but concern lingers among his colleagues that this team will be a mere half measure.
Although it is the world's largest democracy and there hasn't been a huge number of journalists killed, India ranks 13th in CPJ's global Impunity Index. The government apparently lacks the political will to address the problem, CPJ research has found.


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Versace Turtlenecks
Italian designer Gianni Versace launched his eponymous collection in 1978, capturing a confident and powerful attitude in his Mediterranean-informed menswear designs. Now under the creative direction of sister Donatella Versace, the line's bold and masculine aesthetic continues to evolve. Fine tailoring and opulent, subculture-inspired styling make a powerful statement alongside Roman-inspired graphic prints. The signature Medusa head appears on everything from Italian leather sneakers and backpacks to streetwear and gold chain necklaces. T-shirts and hoodies in Baroque prints capture the urban vibe beloved by fans of the Versace house.
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In another finding from the new NBC News/Marist poll, 55 percent of Virginia residents say they want stricter laws governing the sale of firearms, versus 36 percent who want them left the same.
Reflecting Virginia's status as a key national swing state -- President Obama twice won it by the same margin he won the national popular vote -- those numbers are virtually identical to the national ones from the April NBC/WSJ poll.
But there are fascinating political, demographic and geographic differences inside these numbers.
Eighty-two percent of Democrats in Virginia want stricter gun laws, compared with 56 percent of independents and just 29 percent of Republicans.
What's more, only 30 percent of gun owners and 38 percent of those living in households with guns favor stricter gun laws, suggesting a deep divide on this issue between gun owners and non-gun owners.
But that's not the only split: 68 percent of women in the state want stricter gun laws, versus just 41 percent of men who do.
And there's geography. A whopping 70 percent of those living in the Northern Virginian suburbs just outside of Washington, D.C., support stricter gun laws. That's compared with the Northern Virginian exurbs (49 percent), the central and western part of the state (49 percent), the Richmond area (49 percent), and the Tidewater region (59 percent).
The NBC/Marist poll was conducted April 28-May 2 of 1,218 adults in Virginia, and it has a margin of error of plus-minus 2.8 percentage points.


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Acetal material is ideal for auxiliary backup devices for higher pressure and temperature sealing applications. It is suitable for use at temperatures from –40°C to +121°C (–40°F to +250°F). It is suitable for use in systems where water may be present.
- 1)Values are typical averages only. Test information is based on specific conditions and limited sample size, and is only for general guidance. It does not supercede published data for the product. Customer must decide suitability for his purpose. Information applies at room temperature unless specified otherwise.


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Jim Schwartz's five seasons as coach of the Lions had more lowlights than highlights. Schwartz was fired this morning per reports.
Here are the top five worst moments:
1. Oct. 16, 2011 - The Handshake. After the San Francisco 49ers snapped the Lions' five-game win streak at Ford Field, Jim Harbaugh and Schwartz shook hands like all NFL coaches do post-game. Schwartz said he didn't expect to hear an obscenity from Harbaugh and that's when he took off to chase him into the tunnel. He was held back by security. The look on Schwartz's face was intensity mixed with furor. Harbaugh was the instigator but Schwartz let his emotions get the best of him. Not a good moment.
2. Dec. 22, 2013 - Schwartz turned around and yelled at fans when they started booing as the Lions headed to overtime against the N.Y. Giants. He later admitted he should have kept his emotions to himself. It's not that any fans could actually have heard what he was saying, but lip-readers came out of the woodwork checking out the replay. Lack of discipline on display.
3. Nov. 22, 2012 - It was a game full of miscues - a Jason Hanson missed field goal in overtime and a Brandon Pettigrew lost fumble in overtime were among the lowlights of the loss to the Texans. But overtime would not have been necessary, if Schwartz had kept calm and not thrown the challenge flag following an 81-yard touchdown run by the Texans' Justin Forsett. Forsett had been down which is why the Lions' defense let up. But he kept running and scored. Even though Schwartz knew the rule, he threw the flag and was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. And because he threw the flag, the play could not be reviewed. The rule has since changed and is known as the 'Jim Schwartz rule.' The Texans won 34-31 in overtime. Once again Schwartz's emotions were costly.
4. Nov. 11 - Dec. 30, 2012 - After a 4-4 start, the Lions lost their last eight games to finish 4-12. Hopes were high at the start of the season, coming off a trip to the playoffs. Five of those last eight losses were by seven points or less, four were by four points or less. Close doesn't count. Huge disappointment.
5. Nov. 17-Dec. 29, 2013 - After a promising 6-3 start in a year when the Bears and Packers were down due to quarterback injuries, the Lions could not finish a game. They held control of their own destiny but a loss to the Ravens on Monday Night Football was costly. They won just one of their last seven games even though they held fourth-quarter leads in all of them.


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The economy is no picnic in California's big cities. Unemployment remains in double digits there, even as it's fallen back below 10 percent nationally. These troubles predate the recession. Over the past decade, more than half of the metropolitan areas where concentrated poverty did not decrease were in California.
But the picture is even bleaker in inland California, according to new numbers from an Associated Press index of economic stress. The index is based on unemployment, foreclosures and bankruptcy rates.
By those measures, 12 of the 20 most economically stressed counties nationwide in March 2010 were in California. (See the list here). All 12 were inland, running roughly down the middle of the state from Northern California to the Mexican border, where Imperial County is the nation's most economically stressed, according to the AP. Among all states, California was ranked third most economically stressed, after Nevada and Michigan.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
The bad news is that California's problems seem to be going the opposite direction of the rest of the country. The AP noted that economic stress was declining in three-quarters of the nation's counties -- but not here.
Why? The answers vary, from the particular problems of the foreclosure crisis, to the failure to rebuild the state's manufacturing base after the early 1990s recession, to state budget cuts to California's economic engines -- schools and universities. What can we do about it? That's the hard question, and one that the state's policymakers have yet to answer.


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Nonjatta sat down with Tomas Estes of Ocho single estate tequila and Ron Cooper of Del Maguey single village mezcals when they were over here to launch their product range in Japan.
|Ron Cooper (l) and Tomas Estes (r) at Bar Agave, Roppongi, Tokyo
Tequila ambassador Tomas Estes was invited by legendary master distiller Carlos Camarena (whose family is responsible for Tequila Tapatio en El Tesoro de Don Felipe) to produce something special. Together, they decided to explore the concept of terroir in tequila. By definition, all tequila is made from the same variety of agave (the blue agave), but nobody had ever focused on how the unique conditions in which the agave grow might contribute to the specificity of the distillate's flavour profile.
Tomas: It's so curious that we're here with Ron because in Ron's case, he's got single village mezcals which are gathered from around that village and distilled at a village distillery. With Ocho, it is one distillery. It's called La Altena, in Arandas, Jalisco and it's quite artisanal and old-fashioned. It was founded in 1937 and up until 15-20 years ago, they had no electricity, so it's very rudimentary. Most of the old-fashioned ways are still used there: it's the same oven, the same water source, the same fermentation tanks, the same yeast, the same stills… The one thing that's different is that the agaves come from specifically delineated fields.
Nonjatta: Have you been able to discover a certain logic in how individual fields bring out specific flavour characteristics in the tequila produced from their agaves?
Tomas: We have not found specifics but what we have found is a generality and that generality is that the more the agave stresses, the more interesting flavours it's going to give. It's going to be more complex. It's going to show you more. The Tequila Valley is very friendly to agaves: it's rich soil, it's hot during the day and hot at night, so it's easy for the agave and it grows fast. In Los Altos (the highlands), they have to struggle more, and that tends to create more character. We have not been looking at it long enough to know, like the French oenologues, what it is specifically that each field contributes. We don't understand all the effects of the terroir, the effects of the natural conditions on the resulting spirit.
Tomas: We haven't found that yet. Sometimes, we are harvesting fields that are the first crop of agave. El Vergel (one of the Ocho 'ranchos', ed.) is the first crop of agave – before, it was peaches and limes – and the generation before, Carlos Camarena's father, did not think that agaves would last there. He thought that they would freeze or be damaged by the cold. So this is the first crop. There's another field that is the first crop, Los Mangos. Before that, there were mango trees and cherry trees growing there. So, a lot of the other fields, they know have been good for other generations of agave but some of them are new. Prior to this single ranch concept, they didn't really know which would be a good field or which would be a bad field, like they know in Burgundy. They haven't studied it that much, except that – as a generality – the agaves from the highlands are better than those from the Tequila Valley. Even those who work in the Tequila Valley admit that. And within the highlands, you've got this 'Golden Triangle' that is supposed to be the best of the best agaves. And that's where we operate.
Nonjatta: Are the fields rested after harvesting the agave?
Tomas: It depends. They may leave it to regenerate by itself, or they may replant it with other crops – beans, corn, squash, … – to regenerate. Ron: In Oaxaca, they do slash-and-burn and the ash gets plowed into the ground and they plant and it takes 7 or 8 years for the agave to mature. And when it is harvested, they do a second plant – so that's 15 years – and then they leave the field alone for 15 years, and it goes right back to jungle. And then at a certain point, they feel it's ready and they can slash-and-burn and plant again.
|Stone Oven With Cooked Agaves
Tomas: I've heard one allusion to that when Carlos Camarena talked about that one harvest that he had that had such a high brix content. Jesse Estes: There are all kinds of unusual things that happen, in many cases, that are very hard to directly attribute, but in this case, one of our fields had snow a few years prior to harvest (2008), which is very unusual. Obviously, that would create different kinds of stress for the plant that would – in turn – concentrate the flavours. The result was a very high sugar content in the plants and pretty much, hands-down my favorite tequila came from that field.
Nonjatta: It seems like, whereas we as humans do everything we can to avoid stress, with the agave that's exactly what you want and what brings out the best.
Tomas: Another example… I was at Sete Leguas and I noticed that where a lot of their land is, is very steep. The agaves there are really, really stressed and they're going to have these strange qualities so I said: "did you ever make tequila only with the agaves growing on these steep slopes?" And they went: "No." They mix agaves from different fields. And I said: "Will you, please?" And it's a really beautiful tequila. I would say Sete Leguas is right up there with Ocho in terms of quality.
Once we start paying attention, there's no stopping the infinite subtlety of everything, so when Ron, Jesse and I were in Santa Catarina Minas, we were sitting with a maguey farmer and mezcal producer and we were talking about the earth, the terroir, and he was telling us they have two wells. They were 50 metres apart and they had absolutely different water. That's nature. When we really think about it, Mother Nature is so varied, so complex, each square centimeter will be different, I think. It's really beautiful and I think it's way out there to think that we could make wine out of one plant, out of one grape plant; and it's way out there to think that out of one agave, we could make one batch, but somewhere along the line, I'm going to do it. I'll take one agave and one next to it and produce tequila in exactly the same way but separately.
Ron: Let me say one thing about stills. I was at Sete Leguas 2 or 3 years ago and I was speaking with Fernando Gonzalez, the distiller there. He had two identical stainless steel stills and I jokingly asked him: "which is your favorite?" And he said: "Oh, that one makes better tequila." The same maker produced them both and they are identical and the guy who made the equipment doesn't know either why one is better than the other. Nobody knows. This intangible, dialing stuff in, is real and has to be done.
Tomas: At one point I thought, when I tasted our blanco right out of the still, this is what I want! This is the concept. This is the design. I want agave-led, agave-forward tequila. I want a tequila that expresses all the nuances of the agave. I don't want to cover that up with ageing. I don't want to cover it up with new barrels, with lots of vanillins, lots of tannins, with a deep char. I want to leave it 'as is'. Then I thought: but what if I age it, what would it be like? So I thought: let me do it the minimum amount of time (8 weeks and 8 days for reposado; 18 months and 24 days for anejo), so that that cuts down on the duration of the influence. I also thought: let's use the most fatigued barrels so that we can eliminate most of the things that other people are looking for, like huge wood, huge tannins, huge vanillins. That's our philosophy.
Ron has experimented with other types of barrels. We're just about ready to start experimenting a bit… We have in our bars a product called Casa Cuervo 1800 Coleccion. It costs us 1,500 dollars, if we can get it. We're selling it in London for 200 dollars for 35ml and we're selling like crazy. What I'm thinking of doing is, to make a replacement for that. Carlos Camarena's got a lot of samples around… Ron: That's because you have to keep 3 litres of every batch you make. One litre goes to the laboratory, one goes to the regulatory council and you've got to keep one litre yourself. You only have to keep it for 5 years. I have shelves full of these samples… Tomas: So Carlos has got all these samples and he's got this little misshapen barrel that he got from France, Limousin oak, and it would have had cognac in it. Except, it's had tequila in it a lot now… He's had probably 6 or 7 fillings of tequila in this thing. So I said to him: let's replace Casa Cuervo 1800 Coleccion with our own thing. Let's take all these crazy samples and put them in this thing and keep them for 6 months or 1 year and see what we come up with. The 'Coleccion Camarena'. It would probably only yield about a hundred bottles, but that would be enough for our needs.
|Carlos Camarena at work.
Ron: My very first one was a limited edition for Park Avenue Liquors. It was Chichicapa that was aged for 14 years in glass and then finished for 43 days in a Stags' Leap Cabernet barrel. And that's amazing. Then, Hudson Whiskey sent me these baby bourbon and rye barrels for me to put mezcal in for a year, then empty them, and send them back to them so they can age their stuff in ex-mezcal barrels. But what we've got now is… our importer is Sazerac and I've got 4 Pappy Van Winkle 20-year-old barrels – great bourbon – and we've filled them with mezcal. The San Luis del Rio went in there. It was only in there for 15 days and it was so good, I couldn't leave it any longer. Now that we've done that... these barrels are so beautiful, I hate the idea of them being turned into firewood or smoking barbecue wood, so now we're sending them over to craft beer makers and they're filling them with beer – so they have a Del Maguey-influenced beer. Sazerac just sent us eight 10-year-old Rip Van Winkle barrels and one of those huge 600-litre La Gitana Manzanilla casks. We've done something with that where we've aged it for 30 days, another batch 60 days and another 90 days – then blended everything and it's just unbelievable.


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Aug 10, 2010 | 677 Minutes
Praise for
The Pirate Queen
"In The Pirate Queen, Patricia Hickman explores the question that haunts us all: 'am I enough?' Saphora Warren has all the trappings of the good life, yet is trapped in her own good graces. On the eve of her escape, she is forced by her own moral code to stay the course. Adrift in her emotions, Saphora learns to navigate her life from the inside. The words are poetic, the story is sublime: you will root for this good woman to claim the treasure we all seek: a life full of love. Saphora Warren is more than enough. And like a true Pirate Queen, she will steal your heart as well."
—LESLIE LEHR, author of Wife Goes On
"The Pirate Queen is a poignant, inspiring tale of finding faith, hope, and love in the midst of loss. Patricia Hickman, you owe me a box of tissues!"
—TAMARA LEIGH, author of Leaving Carolina and Nowhere, Carolina
"The Pirate Queen drew me in from the first page and surrounded me. Hickman breathes life into her characters as they experience some of life's greatest joy and greatest sorrow. Through it all, Hickman reminds us the God of hope is in control."
—RACHEL HAUCK, co-author of The Sweet By and By and author of Dining with Joy
"Patricia Hickman's The Pirate Queen took me by surprise. At the start, I thought I was reading a Southern-style Danielle Steel. Then I found I was settling into a one-of-a-kind family drama. Tender, compelling, outstanding. A book you'll want to share with your friends, your best friends."
—LYN COTE, author of Her Abundant Joy
"In The Pirate Queen, Patricia Hickman weaves together a rich story of forgiveness and grace. Her characters stole my heart, and I struggled and then cheered alongside them as their lives were refined and then transformed. Highly recommended!" —MELANIE DOBSON, author of Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa and Refuge on Crescent Hill
"Patricia Hickman's The Pirate Queen was so much more than I expected. She's a fine writer, so my expectations were high. She surpassed them. From the Southern Living photo shoot at the beginning to the final scene, I enjoyed each twist and turn in the plotline. An extraordinary tale of deep feelings and God's love."
—DONITA K. PAUL, author of The DragonKeeper Chronicles and Dragons of the Valley


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This article is a bit dated. You may want to start with Your Brain On Porn, a sister-site that collects many of the experiences (and tips) of recovering and recovered visitors, related research and articles about porn and the brain.
Many millions of dollars (or other currencies) were spent to trap you (or your loved one) in this escalating cycle. And many millions of years of evolution unwittingly made the trap possible. So there is nothing to feel guilty about.
Your situation is grave - and calls for a completely new and unfamiliar direction - but it is not as hopeless or 'unnatural' as you may believe. Links between sexual arousal and weird things (even dominance, violence, and perversion) are possible because of the neurochemicals our brains produce in response to things that are shocking, risky, guilt-producing, or pain-producing. For example, the common act of circumcision can link pain and victim fantasies to eroticism.
The fundamental problem is that, through a galactic oversight, you were turned loose in a physical body without the instruction manual for how your primitive brain operates. Here's a copy, so that you can resume command.
Instruction Manual for the Primitive Brain
- Lust and the Primitive Brain
- We're ALL Wired for Sexual Addiction
- Shock/Guilt + Erotic = Highly Addictive
- Muddy Angels
- The Realities of Withdrawal
NOTE for mates: You may want to visit "My Lover Is Hooked on Porn"
Marnia's commentary on Porn Addiction rings true for me...
As a recovering porn addict, I really find the information which Marnia has presented here both appalling and full of hope.
I think that pornography addiction is a MAJOR problem in today's all-you-can-eat internet society. We have invented the perfect medium for the pleasure/reward part of our brain to go full out.
Once hooked, wives, jobs, self-worth, all of it can become secondary. I hope that people own up to the drug that has them in such a trance and choose to fight for their freedom.
Marnia's "Peace" method is helping my wife and I get out of this fog and into the true light of pure love.
Thanks Marnia for your powerful work.
excellent motivation
I'd like to praise your commitment.
Everyone has an addiction these days some small and some really huge problems like drugs, alcohol or even porn addiction. For my problem with gambling i researched drug rehab centers in Pennsylvania and found a few with great results and that offer treatment programs for any kind of addiction.
Internet Porn
I am surprised by the revelation of facts about masturbation by Barry Long. I mean i had this misconception that only human masturbate. Anyways I was a porn addict and it took me quite sometime to recover but finally I did and now I realize that this is something that stays with you for your lifetime, I mean to say that you have to keep fighting your urges and stay strong but yeah, after certain point of time it does get easier.
For all recovering addicts I would suggest that you would need to stay focussed and if you could get a company I mean another person who is in the same boat as you are in would help.
I have a very considerate wife and that helped a great deal and I was also introduced to this site I would like to share http://www.throughtheflame.org where I found people recuperating and doing very well, I got help there as some of the experts there are experts by self- experience and they know what it feels like being a porn addict.
But it in the end what matters is how focussed you are and how strongly you can defy the urges to go wrong.
releasing the inner temptress
"Peace between the sheets" opened my eyes for a new reality. Instantly my partner and I decided to implement Marnias advice. Little we knew of the pit falls awaiting. We do not have addictive personalities and we liked the idea of challenging our self-discipline, yet we are both fond of our sexual charge, the kinky imagination and the temptor/temptress image we had for ourselves. A lot of ego had to go broken along the way. Our relationship has a huge polarity combined with deep trust and open heartedness. But we have been reluctant to let go of our "edge" inspired by porn and kinky sex. When we did we felt "boring" and "weak", threatened. We want to do it, tired of failed relationships and with hearts open to heal. Yet again we are deep down some place reluctant to let go of our inner temptor/temptress.
I have also been informed and inspired by the illuminating knowledge in this site. Only it has taken till now, where I'm feeling compelled against my will to use internet porn, to join properly. I know you say that guilt and shame only serve to increase the addictiveness, but its hard not to feel ashamed when my highest spiritual principles are being put on ice for the sake of all-consuming short-term gratification. I have not had this problem before. I hope that full recovery to a healthy sexuality is possible for me.
Don't worry about how long it took you to get here. The best part is you got here. Ya know what, I've been going through the struggle myself. I've learned one thing: this is a disease that likes to keep you alone. You've made probably the largest and hardest step. I remember what it was like, because it was only a month or so ago. You should be very proud of yourself.
If you do one thing to start on the road to recovery, share it with someone. Share it with us, or share it with someone close to you. The worst thing you can do is go back and be alone. This disease revolves around your guilt and keeping you alone. It's hard to stop it without total dedication, either, but it can be done. But if you go after it, you'll get it. I've been recovering for almost two months, and I've relapsed too. It's knocked me down several times, but as I bet you can guess, I ain't finished yet. So welcome, and I hope you can find us and the resources given helpful to kicking the habit.
thank you
Thank you for your humility, and encouragement. I too have been humbled, I am realising that not only am I just an ordinary human being, I'm just a typical MAMMAL...when I read the story about the hamster who had sex 42 times then slept for two days, I thought, "yeah, that'd be me"... except that my females of late have all been virtual ones! Thank you again, for its so good to hear from someone who understands this stuff from the inside. I want to also be supportive, and if you need to talk, feel free. At the moment I'm desperately clinging to this piece of wood in the ocean, I need to reclaim my mind from this abyss...see you soon.
With much respect,
Hey Ash, my name's
Hey Ash, No trouble at all for helping someone out. I've always found people don't do it enough, and it's best to lead by example. Anyway, ask Marnia to start a blog. It's a great place to start, I found. Give it a try. I found initially, it was the best way to get a lot of the hard stuff out of my system, and writing about it still is. Hope that helps a bit. See ya soon.
I'm glad to hear that, cos
I'm glad to hear that, cos 'Justin' is so much easier both to pronounce as well as write! Actually I'm still finalising what my online name should be too, and I've decided on 'Ash' so when my blog comes up, it will be in that name (by the way, thank you for suggesting I start one, I did need the encouragement to 'step out' like this). Like you said before, the dis-ease thrives on being kept secret, and already I feel different, like there is real hope. Though just wait till I have been a week without it...(if I get that far)...I imagine it will be tough. What am I gonna do? I don't have a girlfriend at present, so real sex, tantric or otherwise, is not on the cards. I might be driven to do insane things, like perhaps taking up golf...Anyway, peace bro and take care of yourself also. Wish me luck as I begin this journey, I feel like frodo (from the 'lord of the rings' movie) up against a huge army of those powerful, nasty looking 'orcs'... [schock]
from Ash (formerly known as 'anonymous').
If you want to feel like Frodo
try taking on the mission of telling people that orgasm has drawbacks that might make them want to forego it.
I'm in no position to preach...
...i'm treading water. When I log off from here I will have to leave the house, else the temptation to do what is habitual may take hold. I want to reclaim my mind. I know that each ejaculation is invested with life-force, that frequent loss of semen depletes the male body on several levels. Any man who really tunes in might feel this for himself. Yet acting on this knowledge is harder than i thought. I have tried abstinence before and failed. But I believe this can be done, because it HAS to be done, for the sake of my physical health, and the freedom of my mind from slavery to p*rn, something that in my heart i dont believe in.
Remember that it won't be pure misery
even during recovery. You'll have moments of encouraging clarity.
Small point...it's not the loss of semen that's the primary problem...as the androcentric sages believed. It's the drop in brain chemistry that *feels* like depletion. From your perspective this seems like a distinction without a difference, but if you ever have had a girlfriend become bitchy for no reason...you may want to keep this alternative explanation in mind.
If you have come here in desperation,
know that you are not alone. There are lots who know how you feel.
This is a great site for healing from porn addiction. Read the "Instruction Manual for the Primitive Brain", and the following sections. Check out the site.
...Would like to, but feel overwhelmed by the lust for porn? Welcome, that's you and I both. Remember that healing can take time. Even if your visit today is brief, I invite you to plant a seed today, a wish for your own recovery. The porn manufacturers have got into your mind...so you get in there too, and plant a seed: MAY I RECOVER MY FREEDOM.
This is a non-judgemental and supportive place here. You don't have to be perfect to be accepted here, just being human is enough. May you heal.
-from ash. [ying]
So true
The support on this site is profound. Not only do I have an understanding of my addiction and the power it plays on the mind, but there is a boat load of people on all stages of the recovery process. I am barely into the process and already feel welcomed here. The site is full of people who have already given me more love and support around my addiction than I have received in my life before.
Human indeed is all it takes.....
That's sweet
It's a tough (I almost said "sticky" ) problem. Glad we can help.
"Asher," by the way...did recover, although he seldom visits anymore. Once he turned the corner on his addiction, he found it helpful *not* to keep talking about sex. *grin*
great job Marnia!
Its great source of information here.
I have had depression from years, one of perspective to look at it is hormonal unbalance. Another issue is lack of empathy in health system, I guess its not related to country where the system is located.
You know what my doctor said when I was trying to explain my problems?
'Yes yes, we have huge recession in our country, so we all feel depressed'
I think empathy is not reachable for people who has never had depression or addiction problems.
I am going to have roaccutane treatment, that I should received many years ago. Everything is amazing unfair, I feel shame and guilt of that my life is so fucked up, which I should not feel at all and enjoy my life.
Yes, balance is so important
and depression and anxiety are very connected to neurochemical imbalance.
You're right that when someone is depressed it is devastating - and hard to see beyond the dark forest. But doing things that help you "take control" of your neurochemical balance seem to be the way back to well-being, and it's good to see you doing those things.. I've read, for example, that daily exercise is more powerful and beneficial than anti-depressants. Meditation is another natural way to increase balance. So is socializing in friendly situations. So is sunshine.
What is roaccutane treatment? Sounds interesting.
very interesting.
nice to hear someone made it out that ash person sounded very pleasant. It does seem all the more difficult to do these things because you dont feel the positive effects of abstaining and i know i always get the feeling im dependant on it. Balance is key but im working on it i havent been sleeping but ive been eating alot, when i do sleep its for up to tens of hours to days i quit school and working while ago pretty lame tho i am well enough educated not destitute. But they were not something i can do with all this, i kinda felt like i wasnt challenged as a child and i remember financially things werent well either couldnt even play sports leagues with friends and i think i was inadvertently jealous maybe i thought i was better and didnt deserve to have the things to deal with as i did. and my father passed away and i know i felt some guilt for that he was also finding his own balance, i dont even know what to expect to feel even in two weeks its been years.
It can be a real
eye-opener to realize that our parents were wrestling with the same challenge. For me, the only sane conclusion is to forgive everyone concerned...or at least realize that we weren't seeing their "best side," or who they really are. It also makes me curious about how different the dynamic in families might be if more people knew how to steer for greater balance in their sex lives.
Advice for healing the partner
Marnia, do you have any advice for healing the partner? I believed in sacred sex. I ended up marrying a sex addict for whom porn was only the easiest and cheapest. I have horrifying images burned into my own brain of the hundreds of women he brought into our relationship in the way of porn and strippers and prostitutes. Everyone, this site included, make it sound so simple for the partner to just provide a safe place for the addict while he gets his head out of his penis. They always seem to ignore, or misunderstand, or minimize the deep trauma to the partner's emotional, psychological, and spiritual being these addictions create. I cannot feel safe. I do not know if I will ever feel safe with a man again. I can barely stand to take a shower let alone comtemplate being physically close without deeply dissociating from the experience. I really hope you have something real and powerful to offer the victim, for we are victimized, having been lied to and exposed to deadly diseases and rationalized into being the cause of all the addict's sexual issues. I do not know if I can ever be sexually intimate with my husband again, so moving on may be my only option since I do agree that sexuality is part of my being and shutting that off is deeply damaging. How can I reclaim my sacred sexuality?
You do not have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.
Welcome to the board Tara
Sounds like a difficult situation for you. At first glance it may seem that it is easy for partners to deal with porn issues (the majority are obvious women dealing with men) but it's not. There are a number of women on the board who came here to get some perspective on how others deal with it.
For me the first thing is having solid communication in the relationship so you can find our if your partner is serious about stopping porn use. Also trying to understand the "why" can help. If there has been a physical part to the addiction, that adds a level of complexity.
I'm sure some of the females on the board will add some other thoughts.
Keep posting and feel free to start your own blog.
Note that Marnia is out for a few days.
Very Complex
Yes, there were very physical aspects to his acting out.
That and the lies. Addicts lie. Years of lies, which pretty much precludes open, honest, quality, calm communication.
Sex addicts will say anything, make any promise, to keep one of the primary objects of their addiction, a loving partner. So communication becomes a twisted and unreliable at best, abusive and demoralizing is more the usual. His words cannot be trusted, and his actions are suspect because there are so many ways to hide their actual activities.
Anyway, the issue is about my own sexuality at this point. I am concerned about PTSD symptoms which will raise themselves during any intimate situation. I don't know exactly what I am looking for, but I must keep reaching out because I don't want to live the remainder of my life without intimate contact with someone.
You do not have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.
Is it considered "watching
Is it considered "watching porn" and is there any danger, side effects or anything else wrong if you were to look at nude pictures/videos of your wife? I have never masturbated with them but do find it quite enjoyable to view them from time to time.


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The House Agriculture Committee draft of a new farm bill was released late Friday (May 10). A mark-up of the legislation is set for the morning of May 15.
Read the draft here.
Read the Senate draft here.
"I'm pleased to release this bipartisan legislation. … It's a responsible and balanced bill that addresses Americans' concerns about federal spending and reforms farm and nutrition policy to improve efficiency and accountability. We will advance our bill in the Committee next week and then begin preparing for full House consideration this summer,"said Oklahoma Rep. Frank Lucas, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.
"The discussion draft … released today sets us on a path to finally completing a five-year farm bill," said Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson, ranking member. "It closely resembles the bipartisan bill passed by the Agriculture Committee last summer, including a common-sense commodity title that will work for all producers, much-needed reforms to dairy programs and continued support for the sugar program. The bill also builds on the investments the 2008 farm bill made to fruits and vegetables, farmers markets and local food systems. While I do believe that there are more responsible ways to reform nutrition programs, the bottom line is that this is the first step in the process and it is past time to pass a five-year farm bill."
Nutrition programs are sure to be a sticking point once the bills reach the reconciliation phase. The Senate draft calls for food stamp cuts about a fifth of the $20 billion that Lucas wants.
The House Agriculture Committee also touted the following in the draft, saying it:
- Saves nearly $40 billion in mandatory funds, including the immediate sequestration of $6 billion.
- Repeals or consolidates more than 100 programs.
- Eliminates direct payments, which farmers received regardless of market conditions.
- Streamlines and reforms commodity policy saving nearly $14 billion while also giving producers a choice in how best to manage risk.
- Includes the first reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) since the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 saving more than $20 billion.
- Consolidates 23 conservation programs into 13, improving program delivery to producers and saving more than $6 billion.
- Builds on previous investments to fruit and vegetable production, farmers markets, and local food systems.
- Includes several regulatory relief measures to help mitigate burdens farmers, ranchers, and rural communities face.
Among agriculture groups commenting on the House draft:
- National Association of Wheat Growers
"I and my fellow wheat leaders are gratified for the progress underway in the House of Representatives toward a new, long-term farm bill," said Bing Von Bergen, NAWG president and wheat farmer from Moccasin, Mont.
"The bill as drafted will help legislators save nearly $40 billion and produce a strong safety net for farmers during challenging production years like this one. The bill will also address priority areas of food aid, research, trade and conservation and clarify that farmers applying pesticides within the bounds of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) do not need any additional permitting.
"We encourage all members to support the effort to pass new long-term farm policy in the committee and on the House floor, and we look forward to working with the Agriculture Committee's leadership to support them throughout this process."
- National Farmers Union
"NFU is pleased to see the House Committee on Agriculture taking action on this important piece of legislation," said Roger Johnson, NFU president.
"I am happy to see that target price protection was included in the bill, especially target prices that are balanced and set at a meaningful level. The inclusion of stronger protection against long-term price collapse for all commodities in all regions is also a step in the right direction. The strong support for crop insurance is also a positive element for U.S. family farmers and ranchers for when natural disasters strike.
"NFU is deeply disappointed that the energy title has no mandatory funding for programs that are critical to our country's energy independence and ending our reliance upon foreign oil.
"Just as farm safety net programs are important for farmers facing hardship, nutrition programs provide critical assistance to consumers in difficult times. I encourage the House to strongly consider a more moderate approach when reducing funding for programs that help the food insecure in this country.
"Including language to study Country-of-Origin Labeling is disheartening and unnecessaryas the World Trade Organization has already stated that the law is in compliance with our trade obligations. This unwarranted attempt to strip consumers of their right to know where their meat comes from is alarming."


text:
Access-control-as-a-service (ACaaS) market revenues will increase to $950 million by 2022, and global mobile credential downloads are forecast to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) exceeding 100 percent from 2017 to 2022, according to recent findings from IHS Markit.
The London-based research firm found that small and medium-sized businesses are the leading adopters of ACaaS solutions, accounting for 21 percent of market revenues in 2017, with around 20 percent of the current installed base of access control readers will be mobile capable by 2022.
"Demand for ACaaS has grown rapidly over the past five years, and this growth is expected to continue," Jim Dearing, senior analyst, security and building technology, IHS Markit, said in the announcement of the findings. "While there have been relatively few attempts to combine ACaaS solutions with mobile access, despite their apparent synergies, this type of integration will become more common over the next five years."
Dearing pointed to following key benefits of integrating ACaaS and mobile access:
• A significant segment of ACaaS end users opt for fully managed solutions. Providers of managed solutions would benefit from the ability to issue and decommission credentials remotely, allowing them to lower management costs.
• Both mobile access and ACaaS are typically sold via subscription, or using recurring fee-based pricing models. Adding mobile credentials to an ACaaS contract would not be an issue for an integrator, and as mobile access becomes more popular in the traditional access control market, end users and installers are likely to become more familiar with the recurring-fee pricing model, which should generate additional interest in ACaaS.
• Like ACaaS solutions, the majority of access control solutions are cloud-based. As both become more popular, end users are likely to become more comfortable deploying cloud-based security solutions.
• ACaaS is increasing the penetration of access control systems in buildings, and many end users are owners of small and medium-sized businesses who have never owned an access control system before. This situation poses an excellent opportunity for mobile access, as providers can ensure that mobile-capable readers are installed from the outset.
In terms of overall adoption, Dearing said that, so far, early adopters of each solution are based in different industries. "Mobile access has seen its strongest adoption in the education and hospitality sectors, while ACaaS is gaining traction with small and medium-sized businesses and the property management segment," he explained. "Due to the large number of smaller projects, a significant portion of ACaaS end users value affordability over advanced feature sets and functionality. ACaaS providers may struggle to convince end users to install readers that are mobile-capable but also more expensive."
Despite both solutions typically being billed on a monthly or annual basis, the pricing models vary slightly, Dearing said. "ACaaS solutions are priced according to the number of doors, while mobile access is priced according to the number of credentials or users," he noted. "Creating an intuitive but optimal pricing model for the combined solution could prove tricky for suppliers. If both original metrics are kept, suppliers are likely to encounter difficulty as end users scale their solutions."
FIBARO, a manufacturer of wireless intelligent home automation and control devices which was recently acquired by Nice, today announced that it is growing its installer base in the US and has built a new training program for security professionals, such as residential and commercial AV installers, electricians and practitioners within the construction industry.
"The certified Fibaro system installer training can be completed in one day and has been designed to provide attendees with practical knowledge of the design, configuration and implementation of the Fibaro smart home system," the announcement read. "The program begins with a 101 training and evolves into hands-on training provided directly from Fibaro or by a specialized Fibaro Distributor."
"Fibaro's installer training provided the perfect mix of product training and a detailed introduction to the smart home, as well as the Z-Wave platform," Justin Lee, a recently certified Fibaro Installer from Ergo Structures Inc. located in Toronto, Canada, said in a prepared statement.
Participants who complete the training earn an individualized certificate verifying that they are a Fibaro system expert. Certified Fibaro installers can also access the Fibaro Academy portal, which includes training and video materials as well as sales and technical support during the installation and design of the newly certified installer's first customers. "Successful completion of the certified installation training is also the first step to becoming a Fibaro dealer and the ability to buy directly from one of Fibaro's certified distributors," the company said.
SILVER SPRING, Md.—The Security Industry Association (SIA), in partnership with the ASIS Foundation and the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International, jointly released guidance for practitioners in the security and building management fields. Intelligent Building Management Systems: Guidance for Protecting Organizations provides a framework to help decision makers assign a risk-based criticality or impact to their building and asks relevant security questions to develop appropriate mitigation strategies. It also serves to establish a common language between the many intelligent building stakeholders.
The guidance is based on original research, Building Automation & Control Systems: An Investigation into Vulnerabilities, Current Practice and Security Management Best Practice, by David J. Brooks, Michael Coole and Paul Haskell-Dowland of Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia. The research provides an exhaustive overview of identified intelligent building critical vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies.
"The ASIS Foundation is delighted to work with our partners BOMA and SIA to support such critical research in a rapidly developing but insufficiently understood field," Sandra Cowie, CPP, director, global security and business continuity, principal, and 2018 ASIS Foundation president, said in the joint announcement. "Building automation invokes cutting-edge issues and technology such as the Internet of Things and advanced video analytics, as well as traditional concerns such as physical access control and proper procedures. The integrated whole undoubtedly poses challenges that are still emerging. This research is indispensable to helping our members get a handle on both the challenges and the opportunities of this fast-growing market."
According to the report, the intelligent building market is growing 31 percent per year and is expected to exceed $59 billion by 2023. These systems are increasingly embedded into the contemporary built environment due to the demand for reduced operating costs, government regulation, and greater monitoring, control and operability. However, this growth comes with a substantial set of security vulnerabilities that many security and facility professionals have not accounted for. Importantly, the research finds a significant disconnect between security and facility professionals' perceived understanding of intelligent building threats and risks versus actual dangers. In addition, the report revealed that a lack of common terminology and practices can result in misunderstandings and siloed views of associated security risks.
The report findings emphasize the need to:• Take a multidisciplinary proactive management approach to intelligent building vulnerability mitigation• Fuse multidisciplinary participants into an intelligent building security team
Additional findings include the recognition of intelligent building integrators and cybersecurity experts as partners who can help organizations better understand threats and risks and more effectively achieve intelligent building security.
"The research developed by the ASIS Foundation provides insights that should be leveraged by our members and the industry to better understand and identify vulnerabilities within intelligent building systems," Don Erickson, chief executive officer, SIA, said in a prepared statement. "An essential outcome from this project is the recommended guidance and checklist that will help security practitioners and security technology solutions providers work together to implement strategies to mitigate against potential risks."
ADT announced that former Amazon and Chewy.com executive, Jochen Koedijk, has joined the company as its chief marketing officer.
Reporting directly to ADT president Jim DeVries, Koedijk will be responsible for delivering digital and brand marketing strategies and initiatives that drive profitable business growth. "Customer retention and lead-generation is significantly driven by digital engagement, and Jochen's leadership experience with world-class organizations such as Amazon, Chewy, and Electronic Arts is an immediate asset to our organization," DeVries said in the announcement. "Jochen is a marketing innovator, and we're excited for him to build upon the ADT brand for our next generation of customers."
Koedijk joins ADT from Chewy.com where he served as the vice president, marketing Previous to Chewy.com, Jochen held roles at Amazon and Electronic Arts. During his time at Amazon, he led worldwide Social Media and New Channel Advertising, overseeing a cross-functional team of more than 70 people and achieving triple digit year-over-year growth. As a member of Electronic Arts' digital business unit leadership team, Jochen led in-house global performance marketing operations for the company's Console, PC, and Mobile games business lines.
"Given the tremendous innovation in the home security and automation space, I couldn't think of a better time to join ADT, North America's most recognizable security leader," Koedijk said in a prepared statement. "I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to continue providing world-class customer service and scaling our business through new and disruptive channels."
Koedijk holds his degrees in business administration and social sciences from the VU University in Amsterdam, NL.
Jamie Haenggi, who has been overseeing the marketing function as part of her responsibilities, will become the company's chief customer officer. Customer strategy and retention remains the single most important part of the business, and Haenggi's experience will be central to enhancing customer engagement, ADT said.
"Jamie is one of our most versatile executives," DeVries said. "Her passion for the customer, strategic approach and vision for customer experience is instrumental to improving customer retention, maintaining best-in-class customer service and designing a roadmap for further customer engagement and growth."
"We have made tremendous strides in our customer experience over the past two years," Haenggi said in the press release. "I'm excited to lead the company's efforts to further design and execute the customer strategy to deliver greater value, retention and an experience that continues to differentiate ADT in the marketplace."
ADT, a provider of security and automation solutions in the United States and Canada for homes and businesses based in Boca Raton, Fla., employs approximately 17,500 people throughout North America.
Earlier this year Nortek Security & Control purchased IntelliVision, and now it has announced the addition of a cloud service for facial recognition.
IntelliVision this week announced that the latest version of its facial recognition technology now runs as a cloud-based service as well as on edge devices and on-premise servers.
"Face recognition is becoming a must-have security feature for smart homes and buildings, smart retail, transportation, access control and the gaming industry," Krishna Khadloya, IntelliVision VP of engineering and products, said in the announcement. "Our face recognition now gives system integrators the flexibility to implement facial detection and recognition in the cloud, on servers, or at the edge, providing real-time results, and reducing bandwidth usage."
The latest version of IntelliVision's facial recognition technology is capable of detecting at least ten faces in less than one second with only 25% CPU usage on an Ambarella S5L-based camera, it announced, and as many as twenty faces can be recognized in a single frame. In the cloud-based Face Recognition as a Service, recognition time is sub-second and allows for additional analytics in the overall workflow where camera processing capacity is limited.
Facial recognition is part of the IntelliVision family of video analytics solutions that also includes object classification (humans, vehicles, pets, airplanes), intelligent motion detection, intrusion/perimeter watch, object left/removed, license plate recognition (ALPR/ANPR) and audio/sound recognition, the announcement noted.
LifeShield, a provider of wireless security systems based in Langhorne, Pa., recently added more home automation capabilities for its customers.
"The big thing for us is making sure that our customers have additional use out of their systems," Doug Bellenger, chief product officer for LifeShield, told Security Systems News.
The LifeShield S30 base is now certified to work with Z-Wave devices. The company has added capabilities with lights, locks, thermostats, garage door controls and voice control through Amazon's Alexa. "And we've added IFTTT to help us connect our customers to the larger IoT ecosystem," he said. "Part of this integration is obviously making sure they're available via our applications."
LifeShield customers have been looking for more home automation, Bellenger said, and the company started working on these automation efforts in January of this year.
LifeShield was founded in 2004 and in 2013 was acquired by DIRECTV. After purchasing DIRECTV, AT&T divested the LifeShield business. LifeShield was then purchased in May of 2017 by Hawk Capital Partners.
"By pairing home automation, voice control, and an improved video experience with our existing wireless home security packages, LifeShield's capabilities offer everything customers need to create a safe and convenient home environment at an incredible value," Mike Hagan, LifeShield's original co-founder and current CEO, said in a prepared statement.
The Security Industry Association (SIA) recently provided an update and info on the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)'s announcement of a process to obtain product exclusions from Section 301 tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese goods imported to the United States. In effect as of Friday, July 6, an additional 25 percent tariff applies to 56 tariff subheadings identified by SIA as impacting security-related products.
USTR is now considering exclusion requests "to address situations that warrant excluding a particular product within a subheading, but not the tariff subheading as a whole."
Since exclusions will be made on a product and not a company basis, exclusions will apply to all imports of the product regardless of whether the importer filed a request.
The exclusion process has the following important dates and features:
• The public will have 90 days to file a request for a product exclusion; the request period will end on Tuesday, Oct. 9.• Following public posting of the filed request on regulations.gov, the public will have 14 days to file responses to the request for product exclusion. After the close of the 14-day response period, interested persons will have an additional 7 days to reply to any responses received in support of or opposition to the request.• Exclusions will be effective for one year upon the publication of the exclusion determination in the Federal Register and will apply retroactively to July 6.
In evaluating requests, USTR will consider whether:
• A product is available from a source outside of China• The additional duties would cause severe economic harm to the requestor or other U.S. interests• The particular product is strategically important or related to Chinese industrial programs including "Made in China 2025"
SIA wants to ensure affected members review the official notice and are aware of the opportunity for an exclusion via regulations.gov. Additionally, SIA asks members to share any specific products covered within these categories "that they believe may qualify for exclusion and are important to the U.S. security industry, in order to assist us in analyzing this issue."
Security Systems News is also looking at this topic in our News Poll this month, so please weigh in by voting and commenting.
ASIS International recently announced changes for this year's Global Security Exchange, to be held Sept 23-27 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, including new stages on the exhibit floor as well as career development opportunities.
"We have completely re-engineered GSX to provide more opportunities for security practitioners, solution providers, students, military and first responders. From Career HQ and the International Trade Center to our three unique theaters of education and live demos, attendees and exhibitors will find tremendous value in our immersive, engaging, and informative expo hall," Richard E. Chase, CPP, PCI, PSP, 2018 president, ASIS International, said in the announcement.
The exhibit floor at GSX will now include three new "X Learning Theaters." The "X Stage" will feature technologies and their impacts across the industry; such as blockchain and cryptocurrencies, AI, drones and robotics, social media and the digital self. The "Xcelerated Exchange Stage," will provide a forum for discussions between practitioners and solution providers to proactively address the current and future security landscape. Lastly, the "Xperience Stage" at GSX will showcase case studies and other best practices that address security challenges practitioners face across all industry sectors, including active shooter scenarios, bullying in the healthcare industry, and the risks associated with hosting a public event at cultural institutions.
The new "Career HQ" will have a career fair and enhanced career center, according to ASIS. "Job seekers will have access to resume reviews, a headshot studio, career coaching, professional development sessions and networking opportunities with employers and peers—all free. The new career fair will have top companies looking to hire talent, such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Apple," the announcement read.
ASIS also announced the "D3 Xperience." This event, supported by Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), will educate attendees on the impact of unmanned systems on the security industry. Education and demos will showcase the emerging technology around the use of drones, droids and counter-UAV defense systems.
Lastly, the Innovative Product Awards Showcase will highlight new products and services on the GSX show floor that are poised to disrupt the security marketplace. The submission deadline for the IPAs is Aug. 3.
"In addition to these features, the exhibit floor will house an International Trade Center and the ASIS Hub, which includes access to ASIS Council representatives, live streaming interviews, and fireside chats," ASIS said in its announcement.
VIZpin, a designer and manufacturer of the VIZpin smartphone-based, Bluetooth enabled access entry system, has announced the appointment of Wendi Grinnell to the newly created position of vice president, effective immediately.
Grinnell, of Elizabethtown, is a graduate of Rutgers University and has 20 years of marketing and sales leadership experience. She joined VIZpin in January 2017 in the role of marketing director.
According to VIZpin president and CEO Paul Bodell, the role of VP was added to the company's organization to support VIZpin's rapid growth and market expansion.
"Wendi's extensive industry experience in customer-focused technology solutions and technical marketing make her a natural fit for the important role of Vice President," Bodell said in the announcement. "Her contributions as marketing director have been invaluable, and we are eager for her to apply her innovative thinking and vision in her new, expanded role to continue enhancing VIZpin's strategic direction and driving additional growth and profitability."
As vice president, Grinnell will work closely with Bodell to determine VIZpin's overall business strategy. She will have an integral role in the development and execution of the company's growth strategy to achieve strategic business objectives, including leading sales and marketing efforts and team members to secure new business and expand existing business.
"Since joining VIZpin, it has been exciting to see such a dramatic shift in the industry with the adoption of smartphone access control," Grinnell said. "There are many new opportunities to explore, and as Vice President, I am looking forward to helping to create and execute new strategies to continue to expand our brand and grow the business."
Mission 500 recently sent out a save the date announcement for its annual security industry softball game fundraiser, which will take place on Aug. 26. The game will be from noon to 3 PM at Overpeck County Park, located at 199 Challenger Road in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey.
This will be the fourth annual softball game hosted by Mission 500, with the first occurring in 2015. "Our biggest growth, and where it's kind of exciting, has been—in addition to raising more funds and supporting more programs—engaging the industry, both professionally and even on a personal level," Jeff Eichenlaub, director of strategic partnerships for Mission, told Security Systems News. "Last year some of our partners actually brought out clients, families to be part of the event and it was really exciting to see the industry come together."
In 2017, individuals from 20 companies (along with their children) participated and helped raise over $45,000.
Mission 500 will also be hosting a Back to School Care Pack event at the game with a goal of assembling 200 book bags filled with school supplies. Every $27 donated fills one backpack for donation to local children in need. "We've made that a tradition," Eichenlaub said. "That's important because it's an opportunity for us as an organization to inspire other folks to do things. Part of the goal of mission 500 is to not just do our own events, but to really be a catalyst in the industry."
Sponsorships are available between $500 and $5,000. Companies contributing over $1,500 will have the option to designate one or two players to a team.
This year's sponsors include: ADI, Altronix, Anixter, Axis Communications, Brooklyn Voltage Supply, Commercial Architecture Magazine, Dahua USA, DMP, ESA New Jersey Chapter, Hanwha Techwin America, ISC Events, Ken Gould Consulting, LRG Marketing Communications, Napco StarLink, NYFAA, PSA Security Network, Rapid Response, ScanSource, SD&I, Security Sales & Integration, Security Systems News, and Security Today.
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Tipster James M. writes in that, "It's pretty weird! I have people offering $5.62 for this pic but I'm an avid Deadspin reader and I want you guys to break the story so I'm willing to go as low as $3.27."
He also attached the "weird" picture of a guy with a sock in his mouth. It was pre-doctored, though, so he can kiss his $3.27 goodbye.
Anyway, Donald Young beat Juan Ignacio Chela in straight sets. Maybe James M's answer can be found in that little informational nugget. Or not. Either way, I'm still torn on whether that sock is actually still on his foot.


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Clean Streets Los Angeles will put 5,000 more trashcans on LA's streets, created a block-by-block cleanliness rating system, and deploys Clean Street Strike Teams to target abandoned waste hot spots throughout the City.
On April 23, 2015 Mayor Eric Garcetti signed Executive Directive 8 launching this initiative into effect. As part of this initiative, Clean Streets LA aims at improving livability and cleanliness in the City of Los Angeles by targeting litter and debris on City streets, sidewalks and alleys.
ED NO. 8 calls for LA Sanitation (LASAN) to be the City's lead agency responsible for implementing Clean Streets LA and sets several milestones, from increasing the trash receptacles on the sidewalks to creating street-by-street cleanliness assessments of the City.
Clean Streets Los Angeles focuses on improving the following six service metrics that are most significant to the eradication of blight caused by improperly disposed of bulky items and other wastes:
Many customers and stakeholders request service from LASAN to provide augmented bulky item collection service. These bulky item service requests involve retrieval of items that have not been scheduled via LASAN's Customer Care Center. The items are considered abandoned solid waste that has been discarded in alleyways, streets and other public rights-of way. LASAN responds to abandoned waste removal service requests when reported to 311, 1-800-773-2489, LASAN's Customer Care Center and Council Offices. This metric tracks the average number of days LASAN takes to complete abandoned waste removal requests, total number of service requests serviced weekly and monthly, amount of tonnage collected, and target response time.
This service request involves the removal of bulky items, loose debris and vegetation from City alleyways. The amount of service provided goes beyond the level of service of a standard bulky item crew sweep. This metric tracks the average number of days LASAN takes to complete the request, tonnage collected and total number of service requests fulfilled per week and month.
LASAN defines a "chronic area" as a geographic area or location that includes, but not limited to any street, alley, medial strip, ground, building or structure that repeatedly exhibits amounts of improperly disposed of bulky items/waste which requires frequent clean-up service. This service metric tracks the frequency of service provided by LASAN to an identified area per week and month as well as tonnage collected.
LASAN receives multiple requests to remove overgrown vegetation from both alleyways and street medians. Clean Streets crews service both types of locations. This metric tracks the average number of days LASAN takes to complete the request, tonnage collected and total number of service requests fulfilled per week and month.
LASAN is responsible for the maintenance and service of over 1,000 waste receptacles located on City streets. This service metric tracks the frequency of collection per week and month, amount of tonnage collected and the total number of service requests received for additional collections per week and month.


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Jackie Finch necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 76 diseños de 22 diseñadores freelance.
Virtual Excellence
I am the owner of Virtual Excellence Pro, as well as a sole entreprenuer. I have over 25 years executive assistant and office administration experience. I started my home based business in February 2008 after being laid off from my corporate job. I am extremely passionate about my business and helping my clients achieve great success - I LOVE what I do! When other professionals see my logo together with my website content, I want them to come away with a feeling that I am the only virtual assistant they would ever consider hiring! I want the logo to be very original and to stand out in the crowd.
Business owners
Business coaches and consultants
Business professionals
My target audience is looking for a professional administrative support expert and specialist.
You can view my temporary website at http://www.virtualexcellencepro.com to see the colors in the header that I want to incorporate into the logo. I like the 2 tone green in the background & leaf color, as well as the purple. I like the idea of the green & purple together but am open to other color combinations as well.
I want the logo to be very clean and professional - not cutesy. I want the font to be unique but not swirly, it that makes sense. Simple lines, not busy.
Be very creative - I want it to be very unique.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.