text:
Burning Man was so incredible. I was very close to not going, but once I was there I realized how inevitable it was that I attend. Cosmo, one of the most amazing of the people I met there, said that the second is strong in Black Rock City; knowing for someone 5 days in the desert is equivalent to 9 months in the default world. When old Jason came back from Burning Man last year I was frustrated with his inability to explain what it was like (as well as for other reasons) but now I understand that there's no way to communicate that experience unless you are actually there. And once you are there, you will have a completely different story than I did but you will understand.
But there is one event that sticks out in my memory. I've told this story but I know it's impossible to really tell. It was magical, unbelievable, and inevitable all at once.
On Tuesday I met a man named Jason (not to be confused with old Jason). Wednesday night we ran into each other again, which is pretty amazing considering we were in the desert with 41,000 people all having a party, so to make a long story short after that we stuck together. Thursday night we rode in his art car to the Raygun Gothic Rocket, which after waiting in line and climbing up a ladder you could explore. Jason went up first while I had some deep soul sharing with his friend Rick. By the time we got up Jason had finished and gone back into the dark desert. I noticed one of the flight crew struggling with his flashlight, so I offered to hold it while he prepared a mini rocket to fire. After explaining the process, he asked me to launch the rocket. After years of temptation, I finally had an opportunity to push that red button labeled "DO NOT TOUCH." With much gusto, I made the most of it.
After launching my rocket into what I supposed was oblivion, I climbed down the stairs and found Jason with his crew. They were all talking about the fact that Jason had caught the rocket mid-air and that he was the first person to do this. I couldn't believe it–I thought it was pretty cool that I had launched the rocket, and it was great that he was the only person to catch a rocket, but it was pretty amazing that he had caught MY rocket… and then gave it to his ex-girlfriend so that she could skip the line for the rocket. Jason described it as "a great focus for entropy. I don't know what it all means, but it's certainly got me thinking."


text:
How to Become a Court Reporter
Becoming a court reporter is a little bit of a process but can be a very rewarding job. There are a lot of things that you can do with a court reporting certification, particular nationwide court reporting. The industry is pretty competitive because it pays very well. There are certain things that you need to do in order to stand out from the crowd. Here are the steps that you would need to take to get involved with nationwide court reporting.
- Assess Your Skills If you want to be a court reporter then you need to able to type at an incredibly fast speed and still maintain accuracy. If you are considering this for a career

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This boot is as good as it gets. Coming straight from Fischer's world cup department, it has an extremely tight fit perfect for those looking to compete at the highest level. A 92mm Last means that this boot will be snug from the get go, designed to be stretched and ground out by an expert bootfitter for those looking for a little more room.
The liner of this boot is fully laced made mostly of real leather meaning it's extra special and as thin as possible for that tight performance fit. It even has cork inserts which grip your foot well and don't pack out as much as traditional liner foam does, meaning you get a a liner that performs amazingly well, whether it's the first time you ski in them or the hundredth. A Special 'pressure reducing tongue' coupled with Fischer's Phatt Maxx Power strap means the power transmission is immediate but doesn't make your shins sore.
The Fischer RC4 Podium is the highest performing boot Fischer has ever made but make sure you have them properly fitted - it's not for the faint hearted.
FREE UK Mainland Standard Delivery (3 - 5 days) on all orders
FREE Click+Collect Order online and collect from your local store for free
UK Mainland express delivery (1-2 days) from £6.50
Orders received before 12pm Mon - Fri will be dispatched same day.
If you are purchasing ski's and bindings and require them to be mounted please provide mounting details in the notes box at the checkout. to mount bindings we require the skiers; age, weight, height, ability level and boot sole length (in mm stamped on the boot). Ski orders recieved without mounting information will be dispatched un-mounted.
Find out more about delivery and charges
No additional taxes or charges apply if your parcel is delivered inside the EU. For countries outside the EU, local import duty and tax may apply. Any such charges must be paid by the customer. Please check with your local tax authority before placing your order.
Returns Period - We will happily refund or exchange any item purchased from Ski Bartlett within 14 days. Exceptions apply to certain products such as ski's that have bindings fitted.
Exchanges – For a speedier exchange, we recommend that you return your original item for a refund & reorder online.
Ways to return your goods:
Return to store FREE
Return via Post Royal Mail costs apply


text:
Blake Jacobson took the position of dismantler in ZBAG's shop in February. He originally trained to tear down transfer cases and clean them up, and recently became a trainer for newly hired dismantlers.
Before joining the team here at ZBAG, Blake worked at Total Tire and Auto. He's always liked to work with his hands, and as long as he can remember, he has liked to tinker and fix things.
"Whatever I break, I take it apart, get new parts for it, and TRY to fix it, anyway," he said with a grin. As a kid, he enjoyed working on bikes. "I would take the wheels off and change them around, or if the chain fell off, I'd try to put it back on," he recalled.
Since then, his interest has shifted to things with motors. "I ride four-wheelers, he said. "My dad has a Polaris 500 Sportsman. I ride it around at my grandpa's and my place."
Blake likes to get outdoors for other reasons. "I hunt deer, raccoon, and coyotes." He has an English red tick coon hound. "He's not the smartest dog in the world. His name is Copper," Blake commented. "He needs more training, but he doesn't chase deer."
Hunting coyotes is a family project, Blake explained. "We call them with an electric caller we set out. Sometimes they come, sometimes they don't. We usually do it in the winter. It's easier to see them when there's snow."
When deer season is open, Blake likes to go hunting near his home.
While at work, Blake concentrates on tearing down and cleaning up the parts for the various transfer cases that are rebuilt for ZBAG's customers, and now, in addition, he's showing others how to disassemble transfer cases.


text:
91 Heads of State to attend historic Memorial Service
Johannesburg - A total of 91 Heads of State and Government and 10 former Heads of State will attend the historic National Memorial Service of former President Nelson Mandela tomorrow, says Minister in the Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Collins Chabane.
"By noon today [Monday], 91 Heads of State and Government and 10 former Heads of State had confirmed that they would attend the National Memorial Service at FNB Stadium. Kings and queens, princes and princesses will also join in at FNB," said Chabane, briefing the media.
The official memorial service for Mandela, who passed away at his Houghton home on Thursday, 5 December, will be held on Tuesday. Large numbers of ordinary South Africans as well as dignitaries from across the globe are expected to attend the memorial.
"We extend a warm welcome to them [visiting guests] at this time of mourning and celebration," Chabane said.
Government had advised the visiting leaders, some of whom arrived today, to attend tomorrow's memorial service, rather than Sunday's burial.
"This in view of the logistical challenges in Qunu," he said.
The man regarded as the father of the nation will be buried in Qunu in the Eastern Cape on Sunday.
Chabane emphasised that not all members of the public will be accommodated at the main venue. He said the public can make use of Ellis Park Stadium and Orlando Stadium to view the memorial on big screens, where free transport to the stadia will be available.
"We ask people to cooperate with officials when venues are full," he said, urging people to arrive early at the stadia. Stadia will open at 6am, with a cultural programme commencing from 8am to 11 am. The formal programme will get underway at 11am to 3 pm."
Chabane said the list of speakers, particularly those from abroad, had not yet been finalised.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Development has requested that parents taking children to major public events must write their cell phone numbers in permanent marker ink on the inside of children's forearms.
"There are always instances of lost children at big events and this is very traumatic for the children and parents or guardians, and it is time-consuming for police and social workers," said Chabane. – SAnews.gov.za


text:
Downtown Bangor denizens were likely surprised over the holiday weekend to discover that coffee and sandwich shop Giacomo's was closed, with paper up over the windows and little notice given to customers or staff.
Though word spread via social media that the business was closed for good, owner Brett Settle said on Tuesday morning that that was not the case — Giacomo's is closed for renovations and will reopen at some point in the coming months.
"We are renovating and restructuring and basically giving it a whole facelift," said Settle, who also owns Brahma Grill on Hammond Street. "The plan isn't really to change the concept outright, but after seven and a half years it needs a kick in the pants."
Settle did not offer a concrete timetable as to when a renovated Giacomo's would reopen, but that he expected it likely to be within the next six months.
"It's up in the air. We're gutting it and cleaning it and seeing what changes we can make," said Settle. "It's better to be closed in the dead of winter than in the middle of June…It could be six weeks. It could be six months. Things often take longer than you expect. It's been something I've wanted to do for a long time, and it wasn't really a great shopping season, so this is the time to do it."
Staff members were notified on Friday evening that the eatery would be closed for the near future and that they were out of a job. Settle said he hopes to hire his staff back if they are available when they reopen.
"I have no idea if they'll be able to come back, but if they are I'd love to hire them back," he said. "They are the best staff ever and I'd love to have them back."
Settle said he wasn't surprised by the strong customer reaction to his business' sudden closure.
So what's the story with Giacomo's? Anyone know?
— Christina Caron (@cbcaron) December 27, 2016
Giacomo's closed for the holiday eve. (at @GiacomosBangor in Bangor, ME) https://t.co/cZiJ00iE4k pic.twitter.com/AfzibRQyeA
— Gibran Graham (@GibranGraham) December 24, 2016
"Anytime you do this it'll come as a surprise. I closed for my birthday once and people got upset. You mess with people's routines and they get all bent out of shape," said Settle. "I remember when we moved the coffee from one side of the place to the other, and people lost their minds. It's a tightknit community and word spreads fast."
Customers with outstanding gift cards or coffee cards will have to wait to use them — ideally, when Giacomo's reopens it'll be business as usual and gift and coffee cards will be used as before. Settle said if it looks as though the business will be closed for more than a few months he'll devise a plan to reimburse customers.
"I'll figure out a plan," said Settle.
Maine does not have a specific law regarding what measures businesses have to take regarding gift cards or other forms of pay-in-advance purchases in the event of a business closing. According to Martha Currier of the Maine Attorney General's Office, businesses have no obligation to provide notice that they are closing. If customers wish to file a complaint regarding outstanding gift cards, they are welcome to email or call the AG's office at email@example.com or 1-800-436-2131.


text:
Well, My Black Cat, do you know any doctors or witches who are able to accurately predict the death of a patient within six months – a patient who is being fed, watered and receiving treatment for their condition(s)?
Me neither.
Not a single one.
Retired learned archbishops might be able to do it. Perhaps with age and experience they develop the ability to tap into the Will of God.
Maybe, My Black Cat.


text:
School of Ministry will launch back in the Fall of 2018!
Discipling and Empowering the Next Generation Christian Leaders for the Local Church and World
Mission Statement: The mission of DMD School of Ministry is to encourage, disciple, and empower the next generation of church and Christian leaders to effectively and passionately reach the world through local churches with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
What is Disciple-Making Disciples School of Ministry?
You can download our application here.
DMDSOM is a ten-month leadership program. The biblical mandate to preach and disciple all nations has not been fully accomplished. We see that the focus of the NT church was not to attract people but to allow Christ to live through people. We must raise up next generation leaders in our churches who will permeate our society with their Christlike presence, thinking, and behavior. That is evangelism and discipleship in its purest sense. Our desire to is to equip and empower students spiritually to live life to the fullest so they can make that impact on the world around them. Our students will not only receive practical skills, but we want each of them to receive a spiritual impartation that will give them a sure foundation for future ministry in the church or the world. We will make every effort to make it possible for our students to find purpose and receive the direction that is necessary for seeing change in this generation. Our students will have the opportunity to minister to hundreds of young people both locally in area schools and communities, as well as abroad through our mission's trips to other nations. Each week, our students flood the schools with the gospel, ministering the Word of God to hungry students all over the greater Atlanta area. If not in a classroom ministering, students are sent out to area communities where outreaches, evangelism, and mentoring take place.
Students also have hands-on ministry experience from some of the finest men and women of God available. Pastor Craig Mosgrove and other church staff regularly equip the students, who receive a great deal of impartation from these great men and women of God. Students also have the privilege of being ministered to by incredible guest speakers.
Every DMDSOM student is placed under one of our seasoned leaders for personal mentorship and discipleship. These leaders work one on one with them to make sure the purpose and plan of God is being fulfilled in their life. Each student will also be mentoring his or her own group of students. Students will learn the basics of discipleship not just through discussions, but also practically through school ministries, outreaches, and home small groups.
The Basics of the School of Ministry
- Cost
- $3,000 (administrative costs, book fees, supplies, work space, SOM gear, etc.)
- Housing
- A. The students are responsible for providing housing. We will provide a list of recommended places.
- Streams of Involvement (to grow in ministry skills)
- A. 2 streams (each student going thru 2 diff streams 5 months each)
- Streams Available
- Media/Technology/Marketing
- Children's Ministries
- Student Ministries
- Schedule
- Sunday
- 8:00-9:00am – arrival time dependent upon stream
- 1:00-2:00pm – dismissal time dependent upon stream
- 6:00-9:00pm – Connect Groups (Small Groups)
- Monday
- 8:30-9:30 – Devotional Time
- 9:30-9:45 – Break
- 9:45 – 11:45 – Discipleship Teaching
- 11:45-1:00 – Lunch
- 1:00-4:30 – Stream
- Tuesday
- 8:30-9:30 – Devotional Time
- 9:30-9:45 – Break
- 9:45-11:45 – Doctrine Teaching
- 11:45-1:00 – Lunch
- 1:00-4:30 – Stream
- Wednesday
- 8:30-9:30 – Devotional Time
- 9:30-9:45 – Break
- 9:45-11:45 – Personal/Leadership Development
- 11:45-1:00 – Lunch
- 1:00-4:30 – Stream
- 4:30-5:30 – Dinner
- 6:00-9:00 – Youth Gathering Requirements
- Thursday
- 8:30-9:30 – Devotional Time
- 9:30-9:45 – Break
- 9:45-11:45 – Ministerial/Model Exploration
- 11:45-1:00 – Lunch
- 1:00-4:30 – Stream
- 6:30-9:00 – Growth Phase Requirements
- Friday
- Personal Job/Stream Requirements
- Saturday
- Off/Stream Requirements
- Sunday
- Hours Breakdown per week:
- Work in Stream – 14 hours (M,T,W,Th)
- Worship Service Hours Worked – 13 hours (Sun, Wed, & Thur)
- Equipping Hours – 8 hours (Mon,T,W,Th)
- Personal Devotion – 4 hours
- Other Stream Requirements – Sun nights, All day Fridays, and Saturdays
- Yearly Schedule
- Start: Monday, August 13, 2018
- Off Time: Monday, December 3, 2018 – Thursday, January 10, 2019
- Finish: Thursday, May 23, 2019
When does the School of Ministry begin? What does the cost cover?
The SOM begins in August 0f 2018. The cost covers all personal development material, administrative costs, books, workspace, and DMDSOM gear.
Where do the students live?
Students will be responsible for providing their own housing. We will provide a list of recommended places to stay and also aid in connecting interns with other interns to room together.
Is there an accredited degree attached to the internship?
No. Our program is not accredited nor will you receive any type of educational credential.
Is there a placement program (job or something with earning potential) once complete?
There is not a job placement program. We do keep constant contact with each intern and begin exit interviews with each intern at the end of their term with us to discuss their plans (college, careers, etc).
What is the daily expectations concerning the Word?
There are daily reading plans given each month to all students. Devotional time (Bible reading and prayer) is incorporated into the daily schedule of each intern at the beginning of each day.
How is the program structured?
Each student is assigned to a high school small group in which they will have hands on experience in evangelism and discipleship through mentoring their own set of young people each week. Many students are given assignments during the week to aid in church events that may be exclusively for that one week with other assignments to come as the months go by. Many also have permanent weekend assignments for each church service. Mission trips are also incorporated into the term here at DMDSOM. These trips are spread throughout the year and are up to the student and their family about which they choose to attend. Students are also given holiday breaks (Summer – about 4 weeks, Thanksgiving – about one week) during which they may return home and rest with their families.
What is the goal/outcome of DMD School of Ministry?


text:
After graduation, Alberta MBA graduates have gone on to establish distinguished careers in every sector of business in Canada and across the world. Our graduates share a strong knowledge base readily applied in the business world, a strong network of fellow alumni, and the Alberta MBA degree. Alberta MBA graduates will help you move your business forward.
There are many ways to connect with Alberta MBA students. Whether you are looking to hire a recent graduate, get help with a business challenge with a summer intern, or connect with students as they complete the program, the MBA Career Management Centre is here to help.
There is no charge for posting an opportunity with our office. At the Alberta School of Business, we use CareerConnect, a Job Posting and Recruitment system that allows for a barrier free link between employers, students, new graduates, and alumni. CareerConnect allows you to:
The Alberta MBA Internship Program allows you to drive your business forward this summer by bringing on an MBA student intern. By hiring an MBA intern, you gain not only a business solution, but the opportunity to build your employer brand with an emerging talent pool and to support the development of Alberta's future business leaders. At a quick glance, MBA internships:
As part of our MBA Capstone course (Business Strategy), teams of MBA students work with existing organizations on a business challenge they are facing. By participating as an organization, you would not only gain the benefit and expertise from a team of Alberta MBA students working on your challenge, you would also gain exposure as a potential employer with the MBA student body.
We seek projects from public, private, and non-profit organizations. If you think you have a good project, please contact us.
We offer a number of opportunities for you to connect with current MBA students, share your expertise and build your company brand. Please contact us to find out more about engaging with MBA students.
We take groups of students to visit with business, spending time at their offices and operational sites. These allow students to learn about specific careers and industries and build relationships with leaders and recruiters. In addition to trips around Edmonton, we organize trips to Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver.
There are a number of events throughout the year where we invite individuals to speak to our students. These can include career specific events organized through the Career Management Centre or a more formal event such as our MBA Dean's Forums with senior executives speaking directly to students.
Outside of the classroom, MBA students are also very active in student clubs focused on their specific career interests. Partnering with a club would allow you to connect directly with a targeted group of MBA students. Current clubs include Net Impact (Social and Environmental Sustainability), the MBA Finance Association, the Entrepreneurship Club, and the MBA Women's Network.
E-mail: email@example.com
Jim Taylor, Executive Director
Downtown Business Association
Average Age: 28
Average Work Experience: 5 years
International Experience: 40%
Academic Background:
Arts: 14%
Arts: 14%
Business: 25%
Business: 25%
Engineering: 35%
Engineering: 35%
Science: 19%
Science: 19%
Other 5%
Other 5%
Our summer together was very fruitful for both my intern and myself, as I got a keen, smart, special project ninja and the student got to see inside a number of companies and lead many initiatives. I think this MBA intern program is a great win-win for students and Alberta Businesses.
John Radositis
Radco Group of Companies


text: Give an uplift to your home interiors and exteriors by adorning with stunning ceramic tables with intricate designs and galore. The ceramic tables with beautiful craftsmanship by skilled professionals are not only dazzling but come with long lasting durability and aesthetics. La Veranda has wide selection of ceramic tables and stone tables that are stylish, contemporary, elegant and careful intricate detailing by highly skilled craftsman.


text:
TROY -- New York Yankees pitching prospect Tommy Kahnle hopes to one day button up pinstripes and storm out of the bullpen and onto Yankee Stadium grass to close out a game. The 21-year old Latham native just concluded his first professional spring training camp at the Yankees minor league complex in Tampa, Fla, a short drive to George M. Steinbrenner Field. "It's been long but it's going well," he said. "It's a lot different then I thought it would be it's tough to go through. You get up early and your pretty much there all day." The Shaker High graduate will head to the Yankees long season Class A affiliate, the Charleston River Dogs in South Carolina to start the season. Charleston pitching coach Carlos Chartres projects Kahnle will be used out of the bullpen as a reliever/closer. "I want to pitch well; my goal is to end up in Trenton (Class AA). I want to throw a lot of strikes and not allow too many walks or stupid errors that I can control. I'm really looking to pitch as a closer for every level that I go up. I want this to be my role and I want to make the all-star team for the league we're in, that's one of my goals," Kahnle said of what he hopes to accomplish in his first full year as a pro. He was mentored in spring training by Yankees pitching coordinator and former MLB pitching coach Nardi Contreras. Contreras gained both notoriety and some occasional grief for developing pitching guidelines for New York reliever Joba Chamberlain, also known as the "Joba rules." "The coaches have expressed a lot of interest in me and my future as a closer or reliever. That's what I get for all my coaches here," Kahnle said. Kahnle left Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla after his sophomore season to enter the Major League first year player draft in June 2010. The Yankees selected him in the fifth round. The 6-foot, 225-pound righty pitched for Staten Island late last summer in Class A short season. A three-sport athlete for the Blue Bison, Kahnle earned a scholarship to Division II Lynn after a few summers pitching for the South Troy Dodgers. He served as a closer in college, shutting down Emporia State in 2009 to win the Div. II championship game. "I've been working on kinks in my mechanics. There've been a couple outings that I thought I didn't do well and a couple where I thought I did well. I haven't really gotten too much feedback on how I've done from the coaches. They've been working with me a lot to get my mechanics down and become a better pitcher rather than a thrower," Kahnle said. The minor leaguers only interact with the Yankees when they come over to get extra at-bats or play additional innings in minor league scrimmages. "I haven't interacted with anybody but I seen a good amount of them come over," the Cincinnati Reds fan said. Kahnle's success as a member of the Dodgers led to him earning a baseball scholarship and helped him catch the eye of MLB scouts. "Ever since I was in ninth grade I've been a part of the Dodgers. Wayne Jones, George and Kevin Rogers and Todd Bradley pretty much all those guys have been helping me," he said of his South Troy coaching staff. When he's back in the area for the off-season, he gets his work in at All-Stars Academy in Latham. As the 21-year-old's career progresses in the Yankees minor league system, he has a number of things to improve on. "I'm really focused on working down in the zone and being able to command my pitches and throwing them where I want to for strikes. That's my main thing right now is to command pitches," he said. Kahnle's feature pitch is the fastball, which has been clocked between 90-98 mph and he's aware he will need to acquire a few more quality pitches in order to earn a spot in a Major League bullpen. "I'm developing a slider and trying to command my fastball, even though it's a good fastball. I have a good changeup so I'm just working on my slider and fastball right now. My changeup is always going to be there," he said of his repertoire. For right now, he is realizing a lifelong dream and wishes to make the most of his opportunity as he feels baseball is his calling. "This is what I want to do; I couldn't see myself doing anything else. It's a lot better than I thought and it's a lot better than being at school and doing other things, I like it a lot. It's a real good time," he said.
Yankee prospect Tommy Kahnle ready to take next step in pro career
- Mike Cioffi
- Comments
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text:
Business intelligence systems enable companies to transform their business data into timely and accurate information for the decisional process; they are used by decision makers to get a comprehensive knowledge of the business and of the factors that affect it, to define and support their business strategies and in general, to increase profitability. On the other hand, the planetary success of social networks and the widespread diffusion of portable devices has contributed, during the last decade, to a significant shift in human communication patterns towards the voluntary sharing of personal information. This has resulted in the accumulation of enormous amounts of social data, that include geolocation, preferences, opinions, news, articles, etc.
Social Business Intelligence (SBI) is the discipline of effectively and efficiently combining corporate data with social data to let decision-makers effectively analyze and improve their business based on the trends and moods perceived from the environment. As in traditional Business Intelligence, the goal is to enable powerful and flexible analyses for users with a limited expertize in databases and ICT.
SBI is at the cross-road of several areas in Computer Science such as Database Systems, Information Retrieval, Data Mining, Natural Language Processing, and Human-Computer Interaction. Though the ongoing research in these single fields has made available a bunch of results and enabling technologies for SBI, an overall view of the related problems and solutions is still missing. Besides, the peculiarities of SBI systems open new research problems in all the previous areas. The goal of the SoBI workshop is to put together researchers and practitioners coming from different areas related to SBI for sharing their findings and cross-fertilizing their researches.
The scope of the SoBI workshop includes, but is not limited to:
- Algorithms and Techniques
- Text mining and topic discovery
- Integration of social data
- Opinion mining and sentiment analysis
- Mass opinion estimation and trend detection in social data
- Emotion detection and analysis in sentences, documents, and speech transcripts
- Multilingual sentiment analysis
- SBI and the semantic web
- Extraction, transformation, and loading for SBI
- Computational treatment of large amounts of user-generated content
- Query processing, optimization, and performance
- Visual interfaces and OLAP on social data
- Analytics for SBI
- Mining and what-if analysis on social data
Architectures and Methodology
- Advanced architectures for SBI
- Cloud SBI
- Tools for SBI
- Spatial data warehouses and location intelligence
- Methodological support for SBI
- Requirement analysis, design, implementation, and testing of SBI systems
- Modeling of social data
- Methods and benchmarks for evaluating SBI systems
- Case studies and project experiences


text:
Room Nineteen
...a shaded portico.
A late afternoon sun warmed the rough blocks of stone.
"Get out of the way!" someone called. We moved into the yard, squinting at the strong light.
One of them sat on a marble bench after I politely pushed some flowers aside. "Did you pick these for me?" she asked, looking me in the eye. I had to tell her the truth.
In another part of the grounds someone was singing, but they couldn't make out the words. Like children they soon became restless and impatient to see something new, so we went on to...
...room 31.
...room 11.
Return to the
Introduction to the Maze


text:
Tag archive: sicily
A Sparkling Sicilian
There are many types of Italian sparkling wine, but they all can set the perfect mood for any celebration!Details
Marsala: Sicily's King
When most think of Marsala, they imagine a cooking wine that needs chicken and mushrooms to become palatable. But on the contrary, Sicilians are returning to the highly admired and coveted production methods that once made Marsala great. Generally made from the native Grillo, Catarratto, or Inz Details
Sicily: Donnafugata Wines
Donnafugata has been making beautiful and expressive Sicilian wines for the last 160 years. With cellars and estates born in Marsala, their Contessa Entellina vineyards in the heart of Western Sicily, and their hypnotizing production of Zibbibo Passito on the island of Pantelleria, DonnaFugata Details
Via Alloro ~ Sicily in Beverly Hills
Via Alloro is like visiting Sicily but it's in my own backyard. This Beverly Hills restaurant is just another creation of the culinarily gifted Drago brothers. Giacomino and Tanino created this gem to celebrate Italian cooking, eating and a true passion for living. Via Alloro is Details
Fava Beans ~ Meet the Italian 'Queen of Beans'
Fava beans have delectable qualities which Americans have been slow to appreciate. If you have never prepared them, you will soon understand why. Admittedly, preparing fava beans may be a bit laborious, but do not underestimate their culinary worth. Their creamy texture, nutty flavor, and sligh Details
Recipe: Sicilian Eggplant Caponata
Sicilian Eggplant Caponata is a typical vegetable dish around southern Italy, most notably in the region of Sicily. But in times past, it was a fish dish served in the caupone, the taverns around Sicily's ports, and consisted of squid, celery and eggplant. It was served with a sweet and sour sa Details


text:
ChemWeb Submitted News
Primary tabs
This page contains news items that have been submitted by Chemweb members. If you would like to add a news story then Become a Member and Log In. Chemweb members have access to premium content and can contribute to the website in several ways.
|Using Probes To Control Chemistry - Molecule By Molecule ‐ May 2006.
|Thriving chemistry department faces closure ‐ March 2006.
|ACS Chemical Biology Launches ‐ January 2006.
|Stardust spacecraft lands successfully in Utah ‐ January 2006.
|Elsevier MDL and TEMIS provide a unique, innovative chemical information solution ‐ January 2006.
|Panel Further Discredits Stem Cell Work of South Korean Scientist ‐ December 2005.
|Bush Names National Medalists ‐ November 2005.
|EU OKs chemical safety controls ‐ November 2005.
|Little Change In Hiring For New Graduates ‐ November 2005.
|Purdue, Vanderbilt scientists develop new cancer detection technique ‐ November 2005.
|Universities Attack Terror Plans ‐ November 2005.
|Chemistry jobs outlook still dim, but salaries rise, C&EN reports ‐ November 2005.
|ChemWeb.com Updates Website Features ‐ November 2005.


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Executive Alliance's 2020 CISO in Residence.
As a former CISO of three Fortune 500 Companies...
Executive Alliance brings together 8-12 senior IT executives for "Dinner & Discussions" throughout the country. These unique dinner programs provide the perfect opportunity for innovative information exchanges, building relationships with executives in the community, and providing a unique and memorable experience at the top restaurants in the nation. These dinners offer opportunities for executives to collaborate with their peers throughout the year- in cities that not only host the Security Leaders Summits, but also in important technology hubs nationwide.
Executive Alliance works collaboratively with executives in the community to develop a relevant and current topic for discussion at the custom dinner program. In addition, Executive Alliance invites an executive to "host" the dinner and to provide insight on why the topic is timely and relevant for the evening discussions. Having the right executive to share insights at an executive event dinner is key to great interactive discussions. Our extensive alliance with key industry leaders enables us to recruit the right executives for a memorable evening and a true foundation for long-term business relationships.
During dinner, different breakout topics are discussed at the tables that support the overall dinner topic. Executive Alliance asks a guest at each table to facilitate the discussion of the breakout topic over dinner and provide a debrief to all the guests during dessert.
Typical Agenda:
Our private packages reflect fresh, personalized thinking as we strive to incorporate the "peer-to-peer" factor to ensure our guests have an unforgettable and unique experience as well as new opportunities for future business development.
To attend as a guest or become a sponsor, please call 678-445-1919 or email us at email@example.com


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Serenade Naturals
Recent Posts
My Websites
Serenade Natural
- Wine by Candlelight Soy Candle by SerenadeNaturals via @Etsy etsy.me/1DmNg6o via @Etsy 4 years ago
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Tag Archives: teacher appreciateion
Best of Etsy: Teachers Gifts Teachers are amazing people who dedicate their lives to our children. As a family with 5 kids in the public school system, we appreciate the teachers who spend each day with our children. They truly … Continue reading


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News of the week
Egyptian observation satellite launched by Russian rocket
21 February 2019
A Soyuz rocket, with the help of a Fregat upper stage, delivered an Egyptian Earth observation satellite into a polar orbit at an altitude of more than 400 miles (650 kilometers) Thursday, overcoming an apparent technical problem after launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, according to Russian news reports.
Image of the week
Countdown to calving at Antarctica's Brunt Ice Shelf
Cracks growing across Antarctica's Brunt Ice Shelf are poised to release an iceberg with an area about twice the size of New York City. It is not yet clear how the remaining ice shelf will respond following the break, posing an uncertain future for scientific infrastructure and a human presence on the shelf that was first established in 1955. The image, from the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8, shows the area on 23 January, 2019.
Earth Observation Missions
Landsat: the Cornerstone of Global Land Imaging
20 February 2019
The Landsat satellites provide an uninterrupted space-based data record of the Earth's land surface to help advance scientific research towards understanding our changing planet.
Research and Applications
Post Matthew Damage Assessment and Monitoring of Recovery Activities and rural areas in the South Region of Haiti
21 February 2019
On 4 October 2016, the Category 4 Hurricane Matthew ravaged the southern region of Haiti causing widespread damage with wind speeds as high as 230 km/h and torrential rain. In some areas it was reported that more than 95% of buildings as well as trees and agriculture were almost completely destroyed.
Policy & Legislation
Declaration on transition to MTG adopted at ministerial level
22 February 2019
The 4th Session of the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET) took place this week in Cairo, Egypt. Yesterday, ministers endorsed the Abidjan Declaration in support of the new generation of meteorological satellite products.
Did you know?
Central America Unites to Take a Nanosatellite to Space
24 February 2019
The Central American Association of Aeronautics and Space (ACAE) announced today the development of a new project that will put Central America once again in space. This is the construction of a CubeSat (a small satellite or nanosatellite) which will have as a scientific mission to measure the exposure to flood watershed selected in the Central American region and thus be able to prevent the impact caused by them.
Organisation: International Research Conference
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Abstracts/full-text paper submission deadline (extended): 28 February 2019
Early bird registration deadline: 19 April 2019
Course Overview:The International Research Conference is a federated organization dedicated to bringing together a significant number of diverse scholarly events for presentation within the conference program. Events will run over a span of time during the conference depending on the number and length of the presentations.
ICEOA 2019: 21st International Conference on Earth Observation and Applications aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Earth Observation and Applications. It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the fields of Earth Observation and Applications.
EO Missions Database
Visit the eoPortal database to find out about spaceborne EO missions and sensors to discover more about past, operational and future missions. This is complemented with detailed articles of airborne sensors.
This database is based on the book of Herbert J. Kramer Observation of the Earth and its Environments and describes over 600 missions in detail. Online updated version of "Earth Observation History of Technical Introduction" available as of January 02, 2017.


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Just recently, I received life changing news. You know, the kind of news that you need to just graciously accept and move forward with despite your broken heart behind it. In the midst of coming to grips with the reality of the news, the Lord revealed a few songs to me. Ironically, one of them I had just heard for the first time only a few weeks prior.
The first song was "Aftermath" by Hillsong United's most recent album.
I love the message of this song, and these are the verses from the lyrics that resonated deep from my Spirit early last week:
And in that moment, of glorious surrender
Lifted out of the ashes, I am found in the aftermath
In those words, the Spirit was revealing to me that even though I may fee like I am ashes (dead with my dream), the Lord finds me in the aftermath of the destruction. In my glorious surrender to my dream, in death to my desire, He finds me and lifts me up. It is quite beautiful, touching and loving when I think about it.
Later that same week, the Lord woke me in the morning to these words from a different song:
Out of the ashes, beauty will rise.
Those words from, "Beauty Will Rise," by Steven Curtis Chapman. With this one, the Lord was reminding me that I will rise from the death, the disappointment and he will make it all new! I will rise as beauty out of the ashes!
Both songs have very different sounds and mood, but the Lord brought them both together for me to give me a message of hope beyond death. Praise God! Although tough to face and experience, I receive the hope He is bringing me.


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I survived! The Whole30 wrapped up on Tuesday this week and I congratulated myself with some red wine and chocolate. Oh, how I had missed them! They made my business trip all the way to Florida almost bearable this week. I am very glad to be home! In terms of results, I did not repeat … Continue reading
Category Archives: Beef
Vegetable Overload Meatloaf Muffins & Yam Mash
The first ingredient in today's recipe is grass-fed ground beef, which should be a staple of any skinny rich girl's diet. You may ask, if I am on a budget, why would I splurge on the grass fed beef? Why not just buy the normal beef and save a dollar or two? Below I talk just … Continue reading


text: The Bluewater Kings are a premium 3-14 piece customizable band specializing in high-energy music – at a sensible price. The Bluewater Kings play a variety of styles for all aspects of your big day and are sure to fill your dance floor! We perform a unique mix of songs individually tailored to meet the tastes of you and your guests. With the Bluewater Kings, you'll get the best musicians in the country, playing your favorite music. Where we play: Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Indianapolis, and surrounding areas.


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Main Menu
Violette de bois
Wood Violet - Viola hirta
Healthy sensitivity
For timid, vulnerable and self-effacing temperaments who like solitude. Cold and reserved in appearance, they are afraid of being exposed and have difficulty in opening up to others. Helps them to communicate and overcome excessive shyness without, however, denying their sensitivity.
Zucchini - Cucurbita pepoHarmonious pregnancy, creativity Helps pregnant women to balance with emotions. More generally, it stimulates feminine creativity,
Zinnia - Zinnia elegansJoy, cheerfulness, feeling free and easy To accept laughter as an effective therapy. To find one's inner child. Releases tensions.
Wild Garlic - Allium sativumReleasing fears, resistance For those who are weak, frightened, worried or easily influenced. When one is overcome with
White Yarrow - Achillea millefoliumProtection, integration For those who feet too vulnerable. Reinforces an individual's energy structure and protects
White Waterlily - Nymphaea albaDetachment, abundance To express plenitude and abundance not in terms of competition but rather as co-operation whether


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In the world of paid search marketing, tools and trends are constantly evolving as the market becomes more complex. Before you can decide where and how to best focus your advertising spend, you need to have a good understanding of the current landscape. To help you navigate the changing times, we've identified four key paid search trends we believe will impact your paid search strategy, whether you're ready or not.
1. Competition Continues
Paid search spend continues to grow. As far as paid search goes, it's still the number one digital acquisition channel, accounting for 48% of total digital spend – $35 billion - in 2016, according to Forrester Research. And unlike other ads, growing click volume suggests customers still use them.
Google reported Q4 2016 growth of 19% overall spend and 20% increased click volume (CPCs remained flat). Google attributes much of the growth to Google Shopping (as they extend PLA's to image search and YouTube) and mobile. Mobile ad inventory grew from adding third and fourth position text ads, expanded text ads and promoted places in Maps.
Image Source: Merkle Digital Marketing Report Q4 2016
Consumer behavior shifts away from Google. Not surprising, consumers are finding other ways to search and discover products and information.
Search competes for more share of budget as budgets shift to social and video. According to Forrester's US Digital Marketing Forecast: 2016-2021 dollars will shift towards social media and online video.
And while paid search still owns a dominant share of digital marketing budgets, it's projected to grow at a slower pace - 8% CAGR - while Forrester projects a 17% CAGR for Social Media Advertising and 18% CAGR for Video.
Takeaway: Paid search is still one of the most effective acquisition channels. And competition continues as spend and inventory grow. But search – like all things digital – continues to evolve. Marketers are rebalancing their strategy as mobile search overtakes desktop and consumers shift their modes of discovery to social channels, alternative search channels, and intelligent agents like Siri.
P.S. The next frontier? Voice search. There are 33M voice-first devices in circulation today…and growing. (4)
2. Mobile Moves Up. Now 60% of Online Searches.
It's official—mobile has overtaken desktop in online search share, now accounting for 60% of total search volume. Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) reported paid search spending grew by $6 billion overall, driven by mobile as overall spending on desktop declined.
But conversion rates vary significantly by device. Google brought back device-level bidding in Q3, allowing advertisers to shift spend in Q4 from tablets to the better performing desktop segment.
As you can see from the chart above, conversion rates and value per click are considerably different between tablet and smartphone.
Takeaway: Mobile is a critical part of paid search campaigns but not all mobile is created equal. Device-level bidding makes it possible for search marketers to get more from their mobile investments.
[24]7.ai Gives Mobile A Boost With High-Frequency Device-Level Bidding When Google announced device-level bidding, we were one of the first in line to take advantage of it. We enabled predictive high-frequency bidding on our platform at the device level making two things possible:
- The ability to predict the value-per-click per keyword and device based on real-time behavior
- The ability to adjust and adapt bids automatically up to 168x a day (versus 1-4 times with other tools).
A leading online retailer saw a 25% increase in tablet ROI with device level bidding from [24]7.ai. You can too, learn how.
3. Google Shopping Shines
Online retail is seeing a significant shift to Google Shopping, which can be attributed to the extension of product listing ads (PLAs) to Image Search, YouTube, and third-party retail sites. For retail advertisers, PLAs now drive nearly 48% of total Google paid search clicks, up considerably from their 34% share in Q4 2015.
PLA growth outpaces text ads. Click traffic from phones grew 62% Y/Y in Q4 2016.
Source: Merkle Digital Marketing Report Q4 2016
Takeaway: PLAs continue to perform and advertisers continue to invest in the channel that converts. But retailers that aren't aggressively bidding around the clock aren't maximizing their budgets by tapping into intra-day opportunities. Luckily, Predictive Search Bidding can help. Read 4 Ways Advertisers Can Win At Google Shopping
4. Audience Improvements
Google is getting serious about the importance of audiences. Focus has shifted from just intent targeting to audience + intent targeting. They've come a long way from traditional RLSA retargeting to 2015's Customer Matching, which let you reach new customers by excluding current customers, to the forthcoming Similar Audiences capability. Similar Audiences is still in beta, but once launched it will help you reach new audiences that look like your target audience. Additional cross-device targeting and demographic modifiers such as age and gender allow you to pinpoint your audience and understand intent for even better results. The time to embrace deeper engagement is now.
Give paid search a boost In the increasingly competitive world of paid search, understanding, anticipating, and acting on complex consumer behavior is the key to optimizing bids, campaigns, and budgets.
To learn more about how to find the right solution for your needs, check out 6 Things to Look For in Bidding Optimization Solutions.
Or request a complimentary Paid Search Bid Optimization Analysis
Your custom analysis delivers 5 key insights:
- How to optimize for shifts in hourly auction and conversion patterns
- How to tune bidding at the device level to give mobile a boost
- Opportunities for account expansion
- How to identify and target high-intent consumers
- How to grow and gain efficiencies in long-tail keywords
Request your custom analysis now.
- IAB 2016 Revenue Report
- Forrester's US Digital Marketing Forecast: 2016 to 2021:
- Forrester's State of Search Marketing 2017
- IR Digital Marketing Report, 2017
- Merkle Q416 Digital Marketing Report


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There's a spoolie on one end and the pencil on the other. Shade 2 is my perfect match, taupe with a hint of ashiness to it. I don't like shades that have any red tints to them, a cooler shade works better for me.
I decided to show you what you can do with it and create two different looks on each of my brows. The top photo is my brows in their natural state, I know, you can barely see them!
On the left I created a really soft and natural brow and on the right I created a brow with a more tapered shape at the ends. I'm frightened of really strong brows on me. I can't see myself being brave enough to tint mine let alone get HD brows, I mean, there's no takesie backsies when you dye your eyebrows! So I'm happy with my YSL pencil, very happy indeed.
This pencil is one of a kind. It stays put all day, gives my brows the perfect amount of colour and shape and I shall repurchase many times no doubt, dare I say this is my Holy Grail eye brow pencil? I think I do!
What's your favourite eyebrow product folks?


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Military Parents Make St. Patrick's School Patriotic Program Extra SpecialJune 5, 2015
by Rhiannon Snide
On May 22, St. Patrick School's seventh grade class continued the tradition of hosting an annual patriotic program by creating a Memorial Day ceremony at the St. Patrick Church Parish Center. The service honored all veterans and active duty military members. While similar ceremonies have been held by the preceding seventh grade classes for the last 16 years, Lynne Stader, the seventh grade teacher and director of the event, believed this year to be extra special due to the incorporation of the school band, bagpiper (Sean Markey), and the presence of parent participants who are members of the Navy, Army, and Air Force. The class had been preparing for this ceremony since March, and were very pleased as they had one of the largest audiences to date.


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"Humans think they are free, conscious beings, when in truth they are deluded animals. At the same time they never cease trying to escape from what they imagine themselves to be. Their religions are attempts to be rid of a freedom they have never possesed. In the twentieth century, the utopias of Right and Left served the same function. Today, when politics is unconvincing even as entertainment, science has taken on the role of mankind's deliverer."I want to write a longer review of the book at some point, but in this post I want to talk about some interesting claims Gray makes about Human consciousness:
"... If we do not act in the way we think we do, the reason is partly to do with the bandwidth of consciousness - its ability to transmit information measured in terms of bits per second. This is much too narrow to be able to register the information we routinely receive and act on. As organisms active in the world, we process perhaps 14 million bits of information per second. The bandwidth of consciousness is around eighteen bits. This means we have conscious access to about a millionth of the information we daily use to survive."My first reactions when reading this were:
a) did I read the numbers correctly? 16 versus 14,000,000?
b) no-one really has any idea what consciousness is, how can anyone measure the bandwidth of it?
c) is that bits as in 'little chunks', or bits as in binary bits?
d) is he making those numbers up?
After further research, it turns out the answers were
a) yes
b) apparently they can
c) binary bits
d) no
The trail of references
The Consciousness Bandwidth numbers are quoted without references or footnotes, but at the back of the book, in the Further Reading section, it says 'I am grateful to Vincent Deary for information on the bandwidth of consciousness'.
Vincent Deary is a research scientist specialising in cognitive behavioural therapy. I sent him an email and he returned a very helpful reply. It turns out that he emailed John Gray some time ago on the subject, but the numbers are not from his own research:
The figures are based on the body of research, begun in the fifties, that tries to link cybernetics and information theory to human consciousness. For instance Professor Manfred Zimmermann has a chapter in Human Physiology (Springer Verlag, 1986) called Neurophysiology of Sensory Systems in which he argues that "the maximal flow of the process of conscious sensory perception is about 40 bits/sec, many orders of magnitude below that taken in by receptors....our perception then would appear to be limited to a minute part of the abundance of information available as sensory input."He also directed me towards Tor Norretranders book, The User Illusion, which has a whole chapter on the bandwidth of consciousness.
The User Illusion
Norretranders book (subtitled 'cutting consciousness down to size') turns out to be something of a classic in the field.
Chapter 6 of 'The User Illusion' does a great job of explaining the research into the bandwidth of consciousness. Norretranders also points out lots of simple observations that make the numbers much more believable.
"Precisely because from one instant to the next consciousness can switch from one object to another, it is not perceived as limited in its capacity. One moment you are aware of the lack of space in your shoes, the next moment of the expanding universe. Consciousness possesses peerless agility. But that does not change the fact at any given moment you are not conscious of much at all.Soon after Information Thoery was first established as a discipline, researchers started using it to measure conscious actions. For example Norretranders mentions the following experiments:
Right now you may be aware of the words on this page, or your posture, or the phone call you are expecting, or the room you are sitting in, or the situation in Central Europe, or the noise in the background. But only one thing at a time. You can switch back and forth between events, processes, and facts that are widely disparate in time and space. The flow of what goes through your consciousness is limited only by the scope of your imagination. But there are limits to the volume if flow at any given moment, even though the next moment something quite different may be passing through."
W R Garner and Harold W Lake "The Amount of Information in Absolute Judgements" - Psychological Review 58 (1951) - they attempted to measure people's ability to distinguish stimuli (such as light and sound) in bits. Result: 2.2 to 3.2 bits per second.
W E Hick "On the Rate of Gain of Information" - Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 4 (1952) - this experiment measured how much information a person could pass on if they acted as a link in a communication channel. That is, faced with a series of flashing lights, subjects had to press the right keys. Result: 5.5 bits per second.
Henry Quastler "Studies of Human Channel Capacity" - Information Theory, Proceedings of the Third London Symposium (1956). Measured how many bits of information are expressed by a pianist while pressing keys on a piano. Result: 25 bits per second.
J R Pierce "Symbols, Signals and Noise" (Harper 1961) - used experiments involving letters and symbols. Result: 44 bits per second.
Norretranders also mentiones a couple of studies by Karl Kupfmuller and Helmuth Frank which reviewed and summarised the earlier experiments. Then, after the early 1960s, no more major experiments seem to have been done.
Although the experiments produced different results, none of them produced any numbers higher than 50 bits per second for the 'bandwidth of consciousness'. When you look at the total amount of information that is transmitted into the brain each second, it is clearly much more than 50 bits. Norretranders writes:
"We can measure how much information enters through the senses. We do so simply by counting how many receptors each sensory organ posseses: how many visual cells the eye has, how many sensitive points the skin has, how many taste buds the tongue has. Then we can calculate how many nerve connections send signals to the brain, and how many signals each connection sends a second.So that gives a rough total of eleven million bits per second total input into the brain - compared to an apparent information processing rate within consciousness of less than 50 bits per second.
The numbers are vast. The eye sends at least ten million bits to the brain every second. The skin sends a million bits a second, the ear one hundred thousand, our smell sensors a further one hundred thousand bits a second, our tasts buds perhaps a thousand bits a second."
Norretranders joins Karl Kupfmuller in suggesting that the sub-conscious parts of the brain have to do a tremendous amount of work to process and order the raw data coming from the senses into the 'content' on consciousness. The number of neurons and the links between those neurons suggest that the brain has plenty of capacity for this: Kupfmuller suggests a very conservative estimate of ten billion bits per second.
So we have eleven million bits of data flowing in, a massive, un-conscious processing job running at at least ten billion bits per second to sift through the data, and then a tiny, less-than-fifty bits per second consciousness running on top. Connections back out to the motor organs are reckoned to be roughly the same number as those coming in from the senses, so as we head from the brain back to the outside world, the bits of information get back to the millions again.
Is consciousness crap, then?
So, all of this shows that John Gray's 'bandwidth of consciousness' numbers in Straw Dogs are well founded. Although he didn't give the sources, there are plenty of experiments to back up the numbers. There are some questions that could be raised about the results of the experiments - more on that below - but we'll put those aside for the moment.
The 'spin' that Straw Dogs puts on the numbers is very questionable though. After quoting the numbers, the book goes on to say:
"... The bandwidth of consciousness is around eighteen bits. This means we have conscious access to about a millionth of the information we daily use to survive."The numbers are correct, but evoke an image of a tiny drip of random information into consciousness as an avalanche of unconscious information streams past. To me, this section of Straw Dogs subtly suggests that consciousness is sidelined, and just fed scraps of information.
But Norretranders book paints a different picture - the amount of information that enters consciousness is comparatively tiny, but a huge amount of (unconscious) processing takes place to decide which bits will enter consciousness. Furthermore, we have a large degree of control over which bits enter our consciousness at any moment. So there is a massive summarising and editing process taking place every second, coupled with our conscious ability to choose which information streams we want to be most conscious of.
Straw Dogs suggests that the information entering consciousness is paltry and insignificant, whereas Norretranders book shows that the information entering consciousness is intensively selected and condensed. In short, if a live tiger were to pop up from behind your sofa, your brain would make damn sure that you were conscious of it. Any information that is obviously important does not very often slip past, despite the low bandwidth.
The section of Straw Dogs that deals with consciousness also draws on two other main sources to try and show that consciousness is overrated: Benjamin Libet's famous experiments on conscious volitional acts, and the alleged effectiveness of subliminal advertising. Both these are big subjects in themselves, hopefully I can post something about them someday.
Questioning the Experiments
Norretranders states that no major research has been done on the 'bandwidth of consciousness' since the original experiments in the 50s and 60s. For a field that produced such surprising results, its strange that it has not been visited more. The lack of recent research seems to suggest that the matter is settled, but I'm not sure if thats the case.
Some of the questions and objections people have raised are mentioned by Norretranders:
Richard Gregory, in 'Oxford Companion to the Mind' (1987) pointed out that the people in the bandwidth experiments were still conscious of other unrelated things while they were doing the experiments. For example, the person seeing the flashing lights and pressing the buttons in the W E Hick experiment will also have been hearing things, seeing other things except for the flashing lights, and so on. It would be impossible to design an experiment that blocked off all those other avenues, or measured them all in some way.
More interestingly, the experiments do not really take into account that after a learning period to get used to a processing-intensive task, our consciousness can delegate the process to an 'automatic' subsystem. Driving a car is the classic example; once you have learnt to drive, you can happily navigate your way down a motorway and have a conversation with your passenger at the same time. Norretranders mentions a paper called "Skills of Divided Attention" by Spelke, Hirst and Neisser in 1976, in which people were asked to to read stories while simultaneously taking dictation. Reading and writing unrelated things at the same time is hard at first, but after a few weeks practice, some of the subjects of the experiment could read while writing, and do it just as fast as their normal reading speed.
Norretranders interprets this by saying that the experiments have probably over-estimated consciousness. For example, when measuring the processing capacity of someone playing the piano, the experiments assume that the processing is being done consciously. But if they are a very well practiced piano player, it may be the case that their consciousness is hardly involved in the playing at all, and it is all handed over to an 'automatic' sub-system.
He is right, in a sense. If you want to measure the bandwidth of consciousness, you should restrict the experiment to things that are definitely happening in consciousness. But, on the other hand, someone driving in traffic or playing the piano is not performing the task completely un-consciously either.
Imagine: you are driving across a city and engaged in a conversation with a passenger at the same time. A lot of the driving will be done automatically, without your consciousness being 'aware' of it. However, it is not a totally un-conscious process either; compared to, say, the regulation of your heart-beat, or the work your visual cortex does to process the incoming nerve signals. You are still in control of the process - you know where you are driving to. Also, if something unexpected happens, the process will jump back up into your awareness, and the conversation with your passenger will be put on hold temporarily (imagine reaching a junction where the traffic lights are unexpectedly out, and there is a policeman directing the traffic).
I'd say that we need a new term for this sort of process. It is not fully taking place in consciousness, but it is not un-conscious either. For want of a better term, lets label it a semi-conscious delegated process. The experiments mentioned by Norretranders, and the numbers quoted in 'Straw Dogs', do not take account of the fact that we can learn to multi-task, and substantially increase the processing that is under the control of consciousness, by performing tasks in a semi-conscious delegated process. All we need to do this trick is sufficient practice.
Content vs Output
Another big objection to the experiments is this: Most of the experiments measure the information processing output from consciousness, which might be different to the amount of information held within consciousness. Certainly experiments such as W E Hicks one, where a human become a link in a communication chain, can only measure the physical information output of a human. I don't have access to the original papers, so I don't know how the 'distinguishing' experiments done by Garner and Lake worked, so maybe this objection would not apply to them.
To imagine the difference between the bits per second in consciousness, versus the bits per second output of consciousness, think of it this way: you can watch a movie, and take in quite a lot of what is happening. Imagine a scene with two people talking in a room. You might be conscious of what they are saying, their facial expressions, how far they are from each other, what is in the background, and so on. Now imagine trying to give a running commentary of the movie to someone who could neither hear or see it directly. It would be very hard to keep up. You might manage the main bits of plot, but lots of dialogue and most of the scenery would get skipped or abbreviated. This simple situation suggests that our consciousness can take in must more information than it can put out per second.
Low bandwidth vision
I understand that if repeatable scientific experiments provide us with a counter-intuitive result, we should probably accept it anyway. And I'm as much of a heterophenomenologist as the next guy. But when I think about the 'bandwidth of consciousness' limit of 50 bits per second, and then think about the richness of the visual field in my consciousness, 50 bits per second just doesn't seem enough.
Similarly, as Norretranders points out, if we can only process less than fifty bits per second in consciousness, why do we have televisions that transmit four million bits per second, and telephones that can transmit at least four thousand?
The visual field that we experience in our consciousness seems very detailed. Admittedly, there are some tricks that the brain employs to make it seem more detailed than it really is: the detail sensitive fovea in our eyes is surprisingly small, so we move it around very rapidly with saccades to allow our brain to build up a detailed picture. But still, if you imagine it as pixels, there must be a lot of pixels there.
At the end of this sentence, close your eyes, turn your head away from the screen, open your eyes for about 1 second, and see how much you can take in.
Done it? How many bits of information do you think you became conscious of in that second? (It will depend somewhat on whether your eyes were focused to the correct distance).
Figure 1, below contains roughly 48 bits of information:
(Figure 1: 8 colours = 3 bits per square, and there are 16 squares)
What you saw when you opened your eyes for a second was (hopefully) a lot more detailed than Figure 1. That is, if what you saw were arranged into pixels, it would have a lot more colours and a lot higher resolution than that. On the other hand, if you looked at this simple image for one second, you would probably not be able to recall the exact pattern of coloured squares.
Another thing to take account of here, is that although our 'visual field' in consciousness seems very, well, 'visual', there is also a lot of structural information in it. When you look at a scene for one second, you do not just perceive it as a bunch of pixels - our brains usually divide the scene up into objects, and the objects are related to each other in a three dimensional structure. For example: "the chair is under the table, both table and chair rest on the floor, the mug is on the table, behind the mug there is a book", and so on.
To me, this suggests a whole extra level of information in our conscious 'visual field'. You don't just see a mug, you see where it is in a 3D structural relationship to the other objects around it.
For another comparison, Figures 2 and 3 below show two versions of the same photo: one of them reduced to roughly 48 bits of information, the other one comprised of hundreds of thousands of bits.
(Figure 2: approx 48 bits)
(Figure 3: approx 372,000 bits)
For sure, we are not conscious of every single one of the 65,000 pixels in Figure 3, but this comparison shows just how little visual information can be contained in 48 bits. Of course, the visual field in consciousness is not really made up of pixels like that, but the point is still valid - 48 bits is a very small amount of visual data. Can our consciousness really only handle a bandwidth of about 48 bits a second?
Flavours of Bits
One last thought experiment - imagine watching a 10 second film, in which a couple of deer, like the ones in Figure 3 above, wander through a wood. Then imagine a 10 second film in which a 4 x 4 grid of coloured squares, like Figure 1, is shown, and changes once a second. Which film would be easiest to recall details about?
You would probably be able to recall a fair amount of the deer film - how many deer there were, their sizes, which direction they were walking in, whether they looked scared or relaxed, roughly how dense the trees were, what the light was like. You probably would not be able to recall much about the abstract film with the coloured squares. Apart from that it was an abstract film with a 4 x 4 grid of squares that changed colour. You might remember something like 'at some point there were two red squares on the left' or 'a lot of the squares seemed to be blue'.
In short, you would be conscious of, and be able to recall, must more information from the deer film than from the abstract film. Why is that? Probably because our brains are not general purpose processing machines - they have evolved to deal with certain kinds of information, not information in general.
Information Theory, by definition, treats the 'bits' of information as generalised, abstract units. It simplifies situations by ignoring what the 'bits' actually represent. But our brains do not work like that - they have evolved to deal with certain types of information very well, and other types of information not so well.
My guess is that the experiments done 50 years ago underestimated how much information could be processed consciously by concentrating on abstract information. Light bulbs that flashed on and off, random sequences of letters, that kind of thing. Would experiments that used more 'natural' types of information lead to measurements of higher processing rates?
So taken together, there are some quite significant questions about these experiments:
- how did the experiments deal with the information that subjects were conscious of, but was not explicitly measured by the experiments?
- how did the experiments deal with the phenomenon that I have (clunkingly) called 'semi-conscious delegated processes'?
- did the experiments claim to measure the output or content of consciousness?
- how much measurement of the conscious 'visual field' was done by the experiments?
- was the information in the experiments 'abstract' or 'natural'?
Its probably safe to say that the 'bandwidth of consciousness' is a very small fraction of the total information input to the brain. But I think there's probably enough objections there to warrant some more modern experiments to measure the limits.


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"Keep Forests as Forests"
Our Mission
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Contact Us
News and Events
2017 Enviva Forest Conservation Fund Request for Pre-Proposals
Healthy Watershed Consortium Grant Program Grows
USDA Seeks Applications for $25 Million in Conservation Innovation Grants
WRI: Protecting Drinking Water at the Source
New Southern Forest Health Website
Forestry economic website demonstrates the economic importance of forestry in the US South
Southern forest export conference in Charleston SC in October
US Endowment Announces 2016 Enviva Forest Conservation Grants
Land Trust Alliance Summer Webinars to begin soon
Maine's Cold Stream Forest Protected
Protecting Drinking Water Through Healthy Forests
USDA Announces $260 Million Available for Regional Conservation Partnership Program
A Monumental Day for Land Conservation in South Carolina
USDA and Partners to Invest $720 Million in Targeted Conservation Projects Across the Nation
Military Bases Among Winners of $720 Million in Conservation Grants
Endowment Releases 2015 Annual Report
Forest Bioenergy Conference to be held March 24, 2016 in Foresyth, GA
An Update on the Sustainable Biomass Partnership
The Conservation Fund Announces Funding for Florida's Big Bend Region
Southeast Conference for Community and Land Conservation to be held in Birmingham, Alabama on May 11-13, 2016
National Fish & Wildlife Foundation RFP for conservation work in the Cumberland Plateau
Community Forest Grant Opportunity
National Wild Turkey Federation TV Series Promoting Active Forest Management
Francis Marion National Forest's Draft Revised Land and Resource Management Plan Available for Public Comment
Secrets of the Longleaf Pine Documentary to air on Georgia Public Broadcasting on October 21, 2015
Partnership For Southern Forestland Conservation Meeting Set for December 1, 2015 in Atlanta from 10 am to 3 pm
(Click link to send email for more information)
Department of Defense Awards Protect Important Lands in Georgia, Maine and Nevada
SFI Announces 2015 Conservation and Community Grants Program
Land Trust Alliance Members Help Mitigate Wildfires
Webinar: Tracking Progress Through Collaborative Monitoring July 30, 2015 at 2:oo pm US Eastern time
New & Improved Shortleaf Pine Website
Shortleaf Pine Conference to be Held in Knoxville, TN Sept 22-24, 2014
NFWF Announces $4.6 million in funding for Longleaf Pine Forest and Ecosystem Restoration
SC Division of the Society of American Foresters Annual Meeting, June 10-11: South Carolina Forests and Mills Expanding to Meet Anticipated Demand
Trust for Public Lands works to add Mulberry Creek Tract to Pisgah National Forest
2015 Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program Challenge RFP
The Restore Council is reviewing proposals submitted in October 2014 for potential funding--forest conservation projects supported by the Partnership are included
North Carlina SAF 2015 Summer Meeting. Wood Exports: Economic Boon or Environmental Boondoggle? June 3-5, Wilmington, NC
Partnership members receive $12 million USDA award for forest easements
and Trust Alliance Rally 2015 Conservation Conference October 8-10 in Sacramento, CA
Photo courtesy of Jaclyn Halla
Partnership for Southern Forestland Conservation © 2013
107 Stonebridge Drive
Clemson, SC 29631


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Paul Rosenberg "Questions and Answers for Electrician's Examinations, 14th Edition"
Audel | ISBN 0-7645-4201-X | 2004 Year | PNG | 15 Mb | 306 Pages
Book Description
Completely updated version of the highly respected guidebook that helps voc-tech students, apprentices, journeymen, and master electricians learn the information on which all state license exams are based Covers the definitions, specifications and regulations of the 2002 National Electrical Code (NEC) and includes numerous examples of test questions and answers, new coverage of telecommunications, a section on business competency, which is now required for most license exams, and tips on test-taking.
Job opportunities for electricians in 2003 and beyond are expected to be excellent, and since electricians are required to follow the NEC and comply with state and local building codes, the demand for a comprehensive guide to the necessary license examinations remains strong.
Part of the highly respected Audel family of trade guides, which has provided practical references for skilled tradespersons and students for more than 100 years.
Password: www.AvaxHome.ru


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Time for Play
Did you really think a SwimFitPool is all about exercise? Great fun can be had in the water and even chasing each other within the perimeter creates such a current it's great fun to see who loses their balance first!
And just try keep your children's friends away once they discover the great fun to be had playing Marco Polo in your pool – it's amazing how big the pool feels when one of them has eyes closed trying to catch the others as they splash out of the way!
You might need earplugs if the noise level is anything like we've experienced!


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Report Roundup
Teacher Preparation
Entire universities and colleges, and not just their schools of education, should be accountable for preparing more high-quality teachers, a report argues.
The Atlanta-based Southern Regional Education Board says that while all 16 Southern states it serves have accountability systems for their schools of education, only six hold entire institutions responsible for producing high-quality teacher graduates.
Vol. 26, Issue 22, Page 14Published in Print: February 7, 2007, as Teacher Preparation


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Municipality Profile
GeneralNo. of Burial Grounds5Population117489No. of Revenue Wards18No. of Election Wards34Total no. of HHs (2011)29767Vegetable Markets4No. of Slums44Area7.65 Sq.mtrNo of Public Parks8No. of municipal wards34E-Seva Centers2No of Slaughter Houses1Population (2001 Census)95349No. of House holds29767Civil Society Organisations:CBOs2Slum Level Federations66Self Help Groups1440Infrastructure:No. of House Service Connections15955No. of Power Bores2(10 hp)No. of Hand Bores573Roads:C.C. Roads126.00 kmB.T. Roads1.50 kmW.B. M. Roads2.50 kmUn served area9.85 kmDrains:Garbage Generation / Day65 m tonsS.V. Lights1021Garbage lifted/day65 m tonsPucca Drains234.00 kmKutcha drains20.00 kmStorm water drains7.80 km


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When you hear the words, "laser cutting", what do you think about? Some ultra-precise hi-tech process? Lasers cutting through things? All of the above? If these were your thoughts, you have a basic understanding of the process. However, to beef up this understanding, in today's blog, we at Fort Miller FAB3 would like to share with you some more information regarding this process.
If you are in the Saratoga Springs' area and are in need of laser cutting, contact us. We are your go-to laser cutting shop. We have state-of-the-art laser cutters capable of being applied to numerous applications. Our machines can be programmed to cut a wide array of materials, including aluminum, steel alloys, composites, plastics, and much, much more. Learn more about our laser cutting service, and contact us today for more information or to schedule your free consultation.
What Is Laser Cutting?
Laser cutting is simply the process of using a laser beam to cut through metal, wood, rubber, plastic, and virtually any other material. Using a concentrated beam of optic light—kind of like a lightsaber—laser cutters are able to rapidly heat, melt, and partially vaporize metal or whatever material it is cutting.
Advantages of Laser Cutting
- Fast
- Reliable
- Repeatable
- Precise
- Capable of cutting a wide variety of materials and thicknesses
- Quick setup and adjustment time
- Highly efficient
- Limited cleanup required
How Is Laser Cutting Different From Plasma Cutting?
Plasma cutting is a surprisingly old process—invented sometime around the 1950s. The process of plasma cutting was born out of the need to cut metals that were resistant to the popular flame-cutting processes. These flame-cut-resistant metals include stainless steel, aluminum, and copper. Unlike laser metal cutting, plasma cutters use a highly concentrated channel of electrically conductive gas. This gas acts as a vessel to transmit energy from a plasma torch to the material, resulting in a clean cut.
Interesting Facts About Laser Cutting
- Laser cutting began more than a half-century ago.
- There are over 25,000 laser cutting applications.
- Laser cutting is extremely efficient and environmentally friendly.
- Oxygen cutting is cheaper than nitrogen cutting and is used for most mild steels.
- LASER is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, and it was first coined in 1959 by Gordon Gould.
- Laser cutting has earned a reputation for being extremely accurate (precision up to a billionth of a meter).
Are you in need of a laser metal cutting machine? Stop by our Saratoga Springs' laser cutting shop! At Fort Miller FAB3, we are not only prepared to handle all of your laser metal cutting, but we can also handle all of your other metal fabrication needs. From robotic welding to plasma cutting to CNC machining to sandblasting, we've got you covered. Our fully equipped metal fabrication shop is ready to handle a single custom job, special request, or a high-volume production. Our skilled technicians will work with you to ensure that you get the exact end result you need, regardless of how unique or specific your request is.
Contact us today for more information or to schedule your free consultation!


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It's difficult, occasionally uncomfortable, riskier, and tough on your bike, but whether you're a road racer, MTB trailer, or a devoted commuter, winter riding is still definitely worth it.
Not only does it set you up for a successful season of riding in the new year ahead, but cycling the quieter frosty trails or roads in the biting cold can be an exhilarating experience.
However, while you may be tough enough to handle the cold and the rain, your bike may need some extra care and attention to see it through the more testing conditions.
Heavier rainfall means there is more mud and debris on the roads, all of which has a knack of finding its way into your components and parts, vastly increasing the amount of wear and tear of every ride. Road salt and gravel can also play havoc when it gets into components if not cleaned away, while your tyres will be on the frontline and much more susceptible to punctures.
To fend off these weather-related threats, you need to take extra precautions and give your bike a much-needed course of winterproofing to ensure it remains free from rust and damage and ready to take on the spring.
Almost every area of your bike is affected by the changing conditions, so this bike winterproofing guide will provide you with an outline of the main steps to take to provide the best general protection against the elements.
We've also provided links to more detailed information on each section to help you protect your bike from top to bottom.
How to winterproof your bike
Here is a selection of steps to help you winterise your road or mountain bike this cold season, with links to products and guides to help you get it right.
Get a mudguard
This isn't so much about protecting your bike as it is about protecting you, but it's still important, especially if you use your bike to commute. Not only will you get a horrible line of crud along your back and torso, as well as muddied legs and feet, but the spray from your wheels will more easily find their way into those hard to see nooks and crannies on the underside of your cycle. Your choice of mudguard will of course depend on your type of bike and the conditions you expect to encounter, so head over to our Mudguards Buying Guide for some tips on picking the right mudguards for your needs.
Wiggle's Mudguards Buying Guide
Cleaning, lubrication, and greasing
This is your bike's main defense against the weathering that winter causes. The combination of grit, debris, and water left on your bike after a ride can quickly lead to rusting and erosion, which will mean having to replace a range of parts, if not the bike entirely.
To do the job effectively, you need to start by removing all the dirt and debris using a general bike wash, which is designed to shift most dirt from components and the frame of your bike.
Use an all-purpose cleaner for the bicycle's frame, saddle, steering components, tyres, and wheels. Agitate stubborn dirt using a good quality brush. The Mobi brush set has five shapes and sizes so you can get into all the nooks and crannies.
The next step is using a degreaser to shift muddied oil and grease from your drivetrain to keep the components working efficiently.
Degreasers are powerful, acerbic products and should be used only on the correct components - such as the chain, cassette, and chainrings - with care.
Finally, anything that's been degreased needs to be lubricated, while threaded components such as ball bearings, cables, headset internals, and your seat post, need to be greased again to ensure the mechanisms operate smoothly. Products such as the popular Muc-Off Bio-Grease 150g also add a layer of protection to these vulnerable parts.
Four tips for bike cleaning:
- For best results, always use specific products for the job. Take a look at our Bike Cleaning range for some cycling-specific cleaners.
- Don't use washing-up liquid as it may contain harmful chemicals that can damage components.
- Start at the top of the bike and work downwards.
- Use a soft brush or sponge for the frame and components to help loosen any dirt.
Having a good set of lights for the winter period is an essential part of winterproofing your bike to cope with the shorter days and longer nights.
Not only will it make you more visible to traffic, other riders, and pedestrians, but it will also help you see the road or trail ahead and allow you to get more out of the ride.
Even if you don't plan to ride into the depths of night, the winter will mean overcast days with low visibility and light levels generally, so a decent set of lights is still worth it.
You'll need something over 200 lumens to cast a beam and ride on unlit roads and paths at a sensible speed. The Cateye Volt 200 set is a good place to start, or shop Lights and Reflectives at Wiggle.
Brake blocks or pads will encounter all the rain, crud, and debris that cling to your wheel, and can wear out much more quickly in the cold.
Every time you wash your bike, quickly inspect the blocks and replace them before they become too worn.
A new set will also give you a confidence boost while out on those treacherous roads. So, considering their relatively low cost, they're always worth an investment.
During the winter, your chain picks up additional dirt and salt from the roads. When this grime is combined with your chain lube it quickly becomes an abrasive paste which can wear out drive train components in no time.
Keeping your chain sparkling clean during the winter will help to prolong the life of expensive parts. It also makes it easier for you to check for signs of wear like warped links which can also damage drivetrain components.
To make your chain last longer, invest in a chain cleaner, like the Park Tool Cyclone Chain Scrubber CM-5.2. It's a much cheaper alternative to replacing cassettes and derailleurs.
Keep a multi-tool handy just in case you need to make an ad-hoc repair while out on the winter roads. They don't take up much space in a pocket or saddle bag but can be a life-saver.
The Topeak Mini 20 Pro 20 Function Multi Tool features everything that most cyclists need to get back up and rolling.
Pumps and puncture repair
If you're riding during the winter, then getting a puncture is almost guaranteed, so you need to be prepared. But while repairing a tyre on a bitter evening is never fun, a decent pump and quality puncture repair kit will take some of the misery out of this roadside chore. A Topeak Mini DX Master Blaster Pump with Gauge is a good choice while the Lezyne Lever Patch Kit should make your repairs quick and easy.
Wiggle's Guide to Puncture Repair
Winter tyres
The tyre is the cyclist's ultimate interface with the ground, translating your power and steering into performance. During winter, however, its duties increase, with water, ice, and snow all impinging on your available grip.
Winter riding is tough enough without fishtailing all over the road and dealing with endless punctures, so if you want to get the most out of your winter riding experience then getting weather-appropriate tyres is recommended. Winter tyres come with more durable compounds and puncture protection systems, and what they lose in performance they gain in resilience.
Road cyclists might want to consider something like the Continental Grand Prix 4000S II Folding Road Tyre, while MTB riders might benefit from the Maxxis Shorty 3C EXO TR Folding Tyre.
Another step is to lower the pressure in your tyres. Going for a lower pressure will improve grip and comfort on winter roads. It won't help much with puncture protection, but it will improve your winter riding experience.
Winter wheels
This is especially relevant for cyclists lucky enough to have a cutting-edge set of wheels already installed on their bike. It may not be what you want to hear, but soaring around during winter on your elite wheels is probably not the best policy.
Poor conditions will mean the performance advantage of your carbon hoops will be negated, so it's a good opportunity to give those high-class spinners a well-earned break.
To that end, it's worth downgrading during the winter to a pair of hard-wearing wallet-friendly wheels to see you through the off-season, such as this robust Prime Race Road Wheelset, or for the mountain biker, the hubs on the Hope Pro 4 Tech XC wheels are almost indestructible - Hope Pro 4 Tech XC MTB Rear Wheel and Hope Pro 4 Tech XC MTB Front Wheel.
Of course, don't forget that you have to accompany your bike out there in the winter conditions, so you'll need to winterproof yourself too.
The more weather-relevant your clothing, the more enjoyment you'll get from your ride, and the more benefit you'll derive from your off-season efforts. A huge selection to suit all budgets is available through Wiggle.
Another winterproofing measure is to invest in a pair of winter road or MTB bike shoes. Cycling with soggy wet feet can put a definite dampener on your enjoyment and performance, and shoe technology has come a long way in recent years.
Another option is to get a pair of overshoes to keep out the worst of the weather. Overshoes fit on top of your normal shoes to provide a weatherproof barrier for your feet.


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Why join the Mississippi Food Policy Council?
Food Policy Councils (FPCs) provide a unique forum for diverse stakeholders to come together and address common concerns regarding food policy including food systems, food security, farm policy, food regulations, health, and nutrition. FPCs are springing up around the country because no government agency deals specifically with food policy, though several different agencies deal with different aspects of food policy. FPCs work at the state, local, or regional level to shape policy, promote public education and communication, evaluate current policies, and launch and support programs.
The mission of the Mississippi FPC is to educate Mississippians about food and farm policies that build healthy communities and strengthen local food systems. The Mississippi Food Policy Council employs the following strategies to improve our food system: (a) Strengthening the connections between food, health, natural resource protection, economic development and the agricultural community. (b) Researching, analyzing and reporting on information about the local food system. (c) Advocating for and advising on food system and food policy implementation. (d) Promoting and providing education on food system issues.