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Accepting violence toward women as a fixed-facet of horror, how can creators combat harmful tropes and stereotypes while staying true to the genre?
When I sent my questions to panelists for the #MeToo, #TimesUp and Horror Genre Content panel at Crypticon 2018, I asked whether it would be preferable, or even possible, to exclude violence towards women from horror. Even before entering the panel, I had already concluded that it wouldn't be possible to extract violence towards women from horror completely. Violence is at the core of most works of horror, whether physical or psychological and can't be extricated from the genre without the threat of becoming another genre altogether. However, the panel did center around some innovative theories and observations about how violence towards women can be represented or approached "well" in the genre and some of the larger, cultural hurdles standing in the way of having productive representations of women in film of any genre.
The discussion between the panel and audience flowed freely, bouncing back and forth between questions while certain topics revealed themselves again and again, keeping us grounded in common themes. I've distilled those themes as best I could into three questions, and Dr. Frankenstein-ed together this concise version of our hour-long conversation.
Becky Sayers, an independent filmmaker and member of the board of the Reel Grrls organization, launched our conversation straight for the jugular, sharing a statistic that in all films, women typically represent just 20% of speaking characters. Even women with speaking roles are often used as means to a male protagonist's goals. These observations served as important context for our more granular discussion of violence toward women in horror.
Sayers started our genre-specific conversation with a statistic from Molitor and Sapolsky (1993) claiming that women in slasher films from 1980-1993 take twice as long to die as the men in those same movies. Adding a comment about our culture's voyeuristic attraction to women in peril and noting that even when women and men die at the same speed, filmmakers often use very different devices to capture a woman's death than a man's. Musician Jason Weiss, known as Laughing Window, clarified that violence toward women tends to be far more sexualized. Sometimes going beyond sexualizing violence toward women to overtly attacking women's sexuality, to the extent of cutting breasts, etc. Tony Kay, a film reviewer for CityArts Magazine and various online publications, pointed out that horror films often objectify women long before the physical violence occurs by identifying women as a target.
According to a study Sayers cited from Men, Women and Chainsaws, male audience members typically experienced violence towards women in films as more palatable when accompanied by sexual imagery. We hypothesized that this is likely because of the effects of objectification:
If a woman is reduced to a sexual object prior to having violence inflicted upon her, it will be easier not to empathize with her when she is assaulted.
Creating empathy is a key component to avoiding objectification and something we all agreed is fundamentally missing from much of the horror genre. It's something that "unfortunately takes a lot for a male artist to put themselves in that place of empathy", Tony Kay remarked, "…and [to] create something that can address issues of that nature without being exploitative, manipulative or flat-out offensive".
Jason brought up a counterpoint to our objectification hypothesis from the same book (Men, Women and Chainsaws) that suggested women are shown longer in states of terror because they can express a range of emotions not often allotted to male characters, so the emotional journey is often shown through the female characters. As an audience member previously pointed out, it's also probably just easier for the men making these films to empathize with the male characters and be more protective of them. To this train of thought, Michelle Nessk, independent filmmaker, SFX artist and owner of The Blood Shed and Gloomy Sunday Productions which showcased their fifth annual Horrors of the PNW at Crypticon this year, highlighted that effeminate men are often shown in prolonged states of terror as well. She made the case that non-traditionally-masculine men were often treated as poorly as the "slut-trope", making them among the most gratuitously abused characters in horror films (I would note that this also sometimes occurs with men-of-color). This idea prompted my own realization that filmmakers are going further than distancing themselves from these emotions but are placing moral judgments on the characters who emote them.
There seemed to be two, main streams of thought about what makes violence towards women in horror films "well done". Weiss made the first stream most clear and concise when he said, "The good way is when the sex doesn't matter." Explaining that to him, violence should be approached in the same way with women as it is with men.
Nessk went even further to suggest that filmmakers abstain from making value judgments on which characters are expendable and instead treat all people as what they are – people. She mentioned an award-winning article she wrote called Why all the women must die where she outlined her thoughts on this topic in greater detail. An audience member brought up the film You're Next as an example of treating the violence towards both men and women equally. The panelists seemed to unanimously agree with this assessment.
The other stream on this topic was that films which perpetrate or address violence towards women shouldn't shy away from the trauma and other real, lasting effects violence has on survivors. I pointed out that in Nightmare on Elm Street, Nancy Thompson was not only a full, three-dimensional character but the trauma she dealt with personally was a large part of the horror in the film. There are still mishandlings of the slut-trope, etc. in this film, but Nancy's character is atypical. Sayers brought up Better Watch Out as being a great example of toxic masculinity as the central theme of horror in a film. Kay talked about his surprise at Lucio Fulci's Don't Torture a Duckling and its ability to reflect upon the violence of misogyny while drumming up a profound amount of empathy for the protagonist throughout.
I brought up Under the Skin as a film which tries to explore toxic masculinity but ultimately still objectified its protagonist and sensationalized the violence toward her at the end of the film. I felt the director took on the perspective he was trying to criticize in a way that took away from his message rather than bolstering it. Nessk concurred and added that any "virtue signaling" the director promoted was overridden by the way he made the film. I had not heard about this, but apparently, the director had Scarlett Johansen actually pick up random men (not actors) on the side of the road. The film crew would pack into the back of the van, then jump out and get release forms etc. just before dropping the men off, after the scene had been recorded.
During the panel, Nessk discussed the danger this method put Johansen in. After reading the stories, I felt the director exploited the unassuming men's sexuality in an unsavory way as well. The men interviewed about it seem fine with the experience, but I still find it exploitative and abusive, especially since none of this was consented to up-front.
One audience member brought up a question/comment that didn't get much play in the panel which was understandable with how much we were covering but also unfortunate because it's an important aspect of this discussion. The audience member shared that she found something empowering about these tortured and abused women going through "all this shit" and surviving, especially since all the women she knows have been through shit, survived it and thrived.
Despite the prevalence of violence toward women, women are typically better represented in horror than other genres. Sayers cited a study which found that women represented significantly more lines of script in horror than in drama and other similar genres. I know that many of the women in my life connect with elements of horror (witches, vampires, etc.) or are simply bigger fans of horror films and fiction than men. I'm not alone either.
The Conjuring's theatre audience was 53%, The Purge 56% and Mama 61% women. There's a great article from The Guardian reflecting on the fortieth anniversary of the movie Carrie and the importance of horror to women (also where the audience percentages came from). After the panel, I was reminded of two quotes from the article which I had read in preparation for this panel. The first is by Shelley Stamp, a film professor at UC Santa Cruz:
"Yes, femininity, female sexuality, and the female body are often presented as 'monstrous'. But that doesn't mean that women aren't interested in watching and thinking about these issues. In many ways, horror films bring to the fore issues that are otherwise unspoken in patriarchal culture – which itself constructs female sexuality as monstrous."
And journalist Brianna Wu with:
"Horror movies are a world where money can't save you, privilege can't save you, strength can't save you. In some ways, it's a world with real equality."
While it's positive that women have always had a larger voice in horror than other genres, everyone on the panel agreed that we need more women, and general diversity, behind the camera. We briefly discussed behind-the-scenes behavioral issues, but that's not the only reason representation matters.
Whether making a film or writing a novel, the writers, producers, directors, directors of photography, etc. are bringing a unique perspective to each project they touch. Including womxn and LGBTQIA voices in the decision-making and creative processes will not only force the behind-the-scenes culture to be safer for everyone but also gives us audience members more interesting, however challenging at times, perspectives in the content we digest which help us grow and progress as individuals and as a society.
We all shared exuberance for the direction of horror today and the astonishing number of women breaking the mold and bringing new, innovative ideas to the genre. Look into all the women and films listed below and please share any of your favorites we may have missed in the comments:
THE PANEL RECOMMENDS: Badass Women in Horror
Becky Sayers Recommends:
- Karyn Kusama – director of The Invitation
- Jen Wexler – a producer with her recent directorial debut, The Ranger
- Leigh Janiak – director of Honeymoon
Check out her own film, The Last Buck Hunt, here!
Michelle Nessk Recommends:
- Heather Buckley – producer/actor
- Marius Soska – producer on both Dead Hooker in a Trunk and American Mary
- Gigi Guerrero – writer/actor/director
- Jessica Cameron – writer/actor/director
Check out the trailer for her own film, O Unilateralis, here!
Jason Wiess Recommends:
- Jennifer Kent – director of The Babadook
- Ana Lily Amirpour – director of A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Tony Kay Recommends:
My Addition:
- Julia Ducournau – writer and director of Raw
Check out my short film, The Asylum, here!
Patreon is an incredible platform that allows artists to share original content with their audience in a new way, and get financial support from their audiences in return. So far, my patrons have helped me rent gear and living spaces for my latest dance film, entitled Dead Oasis, as well as send my short film The Asylum to multiple film festivals. Click the link below to become a patron today and get exclusive first cuts, first drafts, big news and more.


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Some classic and more recent album covers from huge music artists were reimagined by English design firm Aptitude.
These extremely creative designs expand the world of our favorite music artists. They expand the scene and the picture. This is cooler than a remix, It's like opening up the camera lens. Stepping farther back. Going wide angle.
The inside white square are the boundaries of the original album cover. Everything else is the larger world created by Aptitude.
Check out all their album cover expansions here.

subset: commoncrawl


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How to Decorate a Bedroom With Blue Carpet and Purple Walls
Though your bedroom's color palette might seem challenging, you can still create a delightful space fitted with scrumptious purple walls and blue carpet. Enhance these lively hues with complementary color accents, white or light-colored furniture pieces, assorted textures and fabrics and well-chosen room accessories. As you plan your room's design theme, set a budget to keep decorating costs within your financial comfort zone.
Color Choices
Additional colors that coexist well without overpowering your purple-and-blue palette include grays, silvers and whites. Incorporate these cool neutrals into your bedroom color scheme through furniture, window treatments and accessories. Well-placed small pops of bold color -- lemon yellow, lime green and hot pink -- tantalize the visual display. A dramatic accent wall with a paint hue that's two or three shades darker than your existing wall color adds appeal and diversity. Brighten your purple-clad walls and blue floors by painting an accent wall a few shades lighter than your walls.
White sheers deliver fresh color contrast against intense purple walls and blue carpeted floors. Their translucency also allows natural light to permeate a blue-and-purple space to brighten it. White Roman shades underneath the sheer curtains elevate the curtain's crisp white appeal with a stylish, layered look that also offers bedroom privacy when desired. For a more luxurious, regal sensation, lose the Roman shades and hang floor-length draperies that contain over-the-top fabrics, such as velvets, silks or suzanis fabrics -- fashioned after the embroidered work of artisans from Central Asian countries -- over the white sheers. Choose a drapery fabric in dark gray to heighten the sophisticated appeal.
White-painted furniture pieces -- headboards, dressers, chests of drawers and nightstands -- deliver a fresh, airy look to a bedroom with purple walls and blue carpet. Give your purple-and-blue bedroom a modern twist by using a metallic silver headboard and mirrored case goods, such as dressers and chests. Add an upholstered armchair in a blue, white and purple-striped pattern for comfortable seating with visual interest. Black bedroom furniture offers a sharp color contrast against light-colored purple walls and blue carpet. But avoid black furniture pieces in spaces with walls painted in deep purple tones, as they tend to create a dark, dreary ambiance.
Lighting and Accessories
Illuminate purple walls and blue carpet in an edgy, contemporary-style bedroom with a modern starburst chandelier suspended from your bedroom ceiling. Add a lighting color surprise with lime green lamps perched on top of nightstands. An oversized, eye-catching painting hung with splashes of purple and blue bring the room together with harmonious color. Pile brightly colored toss pillows over layered, pristine white bedding to highlight your bed against purple walls and blue floors. A vase of fresh lilac branches and baby's breath adds a touch of nature with a delightful scent.
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images


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The document linked below provides the Calendar Year (CY) 2021 Ambulance Inflation Factor (AIF) for determining the payment limit for ambulance services. The AIF for CY 2021 is 0.2 percent.
New Port Richey, Florida (August 20, 2020) – MedFleet Ambulance, a leading provider of Advanced Life Support (ALS), Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance and non-medical stretcher services for patients in Pasco, Hernando, Citrus and Polk Counties, announces the commencement of its Critical Care Transport (CCT) program. This highest level of ground transport ambulance service complements the MedFleet operation by offering a specialized service to meet the needs of high acuity and complex medical and trauma patients.
MedFleet, under the new ownership of nationally recognized EMS leader, PatientCare EMS Solutions, has assembled an outstanding team of EMS professionals with expertise in the provision of Critical Care Transport. This commitment represents a significant investment during the very challenging time of uncertainty and resource utilization due to COVID-19, demonstrating its dedication to advancing patient care services. "This is a testament to PatientCare's commitment to continuing MedFleet's decades-long tradition of serving its communities with uncompromising quality and innovation in ambulance services," said Andrew Williams, the former Owner, and current Director of Business Development for MedFleet Ambulance.
MedFleet's CCT team is comprised of a critical care trained Registered Nurse, Paramedic and EMT, who maintain continuity of care throughout transport and are able to provide a level of care comparable to the inpatient setting. "We want everyone to know this is like an ICU on wheels," states Kimberly Lacina, Director of Clinical Operations at MedFleet. "This is a big step forward in providing needed services and a new, advanced level of care in our area. It is a win-win situation for all EMS providers in the region and we are excited to begin this important initiative," said Mark Postma, President of PatientCare EMS.
About MedFleet
Medfleet has been committed to providing BLS ambulance service since its inception in 1993, and over the years has expanded services into ALS level transports in its geographic coverage area of Pasco, Hernando, Citrus and Polk Counties in Florida. MedFleet has focused largely on interfacility transports, providing a needed service in the Western and Central regions of Florida. MedFleet is based in New Port Richey, Florida and has multiple contracts with the area's hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities.
About PatientCare
PatientCare EMS Solutions is a leading provider of ground-based 911 emergency ambulance services and other critical healthcare logistics solutions. The company operates growing partnerships with representative customers in Florida, Texas, Indiana, South Dakota, Mississippi, and New York. PatientCare is responsible for transporting nearly 400,000 patients annually and is committed to providing compassionate quality care and service built around the needs of the patients and communities in which it serves.
Media Contact: Kim Lacina
firstname.lastname@example.com, 727.849.6849
Tyler, Texas and New Port Richey, Florida (February 12, 2020) - PatientCare Logistics Solutions (PatientCare), a leading provider of ground-based 911 emergency ambulance and other critical healthcare logistics services has acquired MedFleet Ambulance Service (MedFleet) of New Port Richey, FL. MedFleet is a leading provider of advanced life support (ALS) and basic life support (BLS) ambulance, as well as stretcher services, primarily related to interfacility medical transports for patients in Pasco, Hernando, Pinellas and Polk Counties.
MedFleet will continue to operate under its well-known brand and with the same dedicated team of over 130 employees who transport more than 30,000 patients per year. PatientCare will support MedFleet with its best-in-class technology and resources to expand services and enhance back office, human resources and other critical functions.
"We recognize the valuable role MedFleet plays in the communities it serves and we are excited to partner with a well-established, successful operator in the Western and Central regions of Florida," said Herman Schwarz, CEO of PatientCare. "An essential component of our acquisition strategy is to partner with family owned ambulance providers like MedFleet where the family wants to stay involved in the business, is looking to expand services to their communities and can serve as a regional foundation for further growth. In addition, this acquisition complements our existing Florida operations and offers us a stronger market position in the interfacility ambulance service in the area which is also a key element of our growth plan."
MedFleet represents an expansion of PatientCare's footprint in the Southeastern United States. This acquisition further strengthens PatientCare's portfolio which covers a variety of geographies in the Northeast, Central, Midwestern and Southeastern United States.
PatientCare Logistics Solutions is a leading provider of ground-based 911 emergency ambulance services and other critical healthcare logistics solutions. The company operates growing partnerships with representative customers in Florida, Texas, Indiana, South Dakota, Mississippi and New York. PatientCare is responsible for transporting more than 350,000 patients annually and is committed to providing compassionate quality care and service built around the needs of the patients and communities in which it serves.
Since its inception in 1973, MedFleet has been committed to providing BLS ambulance service and over the years has expanded services into ALS level transports in its geographic coverage area of Pasco, Hernando, Pinellas and Polk Counties in Florida. MedFleet has focused largely on interfacility transports, providing a needed service in the Western and Central regions of Florida. MedFleet is based in New Port Richey, Florida and has multiple contracts with the area's hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities.
Randy White
National Health Transport
Miami, FL
2020 Florida Star of Life
Randy White began as a Dispatcher with National Health Transport in 2016. Randy has since achieved his long-term goal of becoming a Paramedic, then again added to his accomplishments by becoming a Senior Specialty Care Transport Paramedic. He is known by his peers to be a quiet, motivated individual who is always willing to help and to share his experiences with new Paramedics.
In December 2018, while on an overnight shift in Miami-Dade County, Randy and his partner, Sandro Gordillo, were first to respond to an impaired driver incapacitated in a ditch. Without hesitation, Randy and Sandro pulled over to assist the driver, who was trapped in the vehicle and appeared to be unconscious from a major head injury. After prying the car doors open without any extrication tools, they began to assess the patient and determined that immediate help was needed.
They acted quickly and summoned for the help of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, which arrived on the scene, extricated the driver with the Jaws of Life, and airlifted the patient to the trauma center. Without the life-saving actions of Randy and Sandro, the driver would have remained on the road all night without help. We are proud to nominate Randy as a 2020 Florida Star of Life!
Sandro Gordillo
National Health Transport
Miami, FL
2020 Florida Star of Life
Sandro Gordillo started at National Health Transport (NHT) in 2015 as a Dispatcher. During his tenure at NHT, Sandro has excelled through the ranks, earning his EMT license in 2018. He has also served as an Elite Dispatcher and Senior EMT, and is currently the lead QA Officer in the Quality Assurance Department. Sandro is very highly regarded by his peers.
In December 2018, while on an overnight shift in Miami-Dade County, Sandro and his partner, Randy White, were first to respond to an impaired driver incapacitated in a ditch. Without hesitation, Sandro and Randy pulled over to assist the driver who was trapped in the vehicle and appeared to be unconscious from a major head injury. After prying the car doors open without any extrication tools, they began to assess the patient and determined that immediate help was needed.
They acted quickly and summoned for the help of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, which arrived on the scene, extricated the driver with the Jaws of Life and airlifted the patient to the trauma center. Without the life-saving actions of Sandro and Randy, the driver would have remained on the road all night without help. For this response, and much more, we are proud to nominate Sandro as a 2020 Florida Star of Life!
Gerry Lint
Lifeguard Ambulance Service
Milton, FL
2020 Florida Star of Life
Gerry Lint has been employed by Lifeguard Ambulance since the first day they started operating in Santa Rosa County on August 1, 2007, and he has been a paramedic since September of 2004. Gerry has worked in various positions during this time, including Lieutenant, Captain, and his current position as a Paramedic Field Training Officer (FTO). During his tenure with Lifeguard Ambulance, Gerry has touched many lives while mentoring countless EMTs, Paramedic students, and newly hired Paramedics. His quiet confidence, humble wisdom, and experience is invaluable to the leadership, crew, and citizens of Santa Rosa County, Florida.
Gerry has been recognized by his peers as an outstanding leader and mentor. He is a true professional, providing the highest quality patient care on routine and critical calls. His prehospital care is far beyond the standard and assisting agencies on scene are proud to work with him.
Outside of work, Gerry enjoys family life with his wife of 30 years, Melissa, who is also a Paramedic at Lifeguard Ambulance. Gerry also enjoys woodworking and welding. Prior to becoming a Paramedic, Gerry enjoyed a 20-year career in the Air Force and served as the Director of the Special Olympics in Mississippi. He also served briefly as a Police Officer with Milton Police Department and was a volunteer Firefighter with Pace Fire Department.
Gerry, it is our pleasure and privilege to work alongside you and to nominate you as the 2020 Star of Life for the Florida Ambulance Association.
Lori Simmons
Century Ambulance Service
Jacksonville, FL
2020 Florida Star of Life
Lori has been employed with Century's Communications Center since 2016 and during that time, she has worked her way up from Call-Taker to Dispatcher, and into her current role of System Status Coordinator. She is responsible for the deployment of ambulances based on the hour-of-the-day and day-of-the-week in order to match supply based on Unit Hours of Utilization (UHU) with expected demand, in the attempt to provide faster response to our patients. Lori also assists others in the Communications Center with challenging situations. She is driven by exceptional customer service skills toward both internal and external customers and always maintains a calm and professional demeanor. She works with the scheduling department and shift manager to add and remove units to the schedule when needed and makes sound judgments based on systems data. In addition, Lori works on dispatch QA and gives feedback to dispatchers to fix runs when needed so that they flow through the correct process in order to be billed in a timely manner. She uses her analysis to provide recommendations to management regarding on-time performance and how to better utilize the resources we have. She has a true passion for working with data and finding ways to make our service more efficient.
She is passionate about making things better for the company, patients, and employees. She continues to go above and beyond for not only for Century Ambulance Service as a company, but also for the patients that we transport each day. Her positive attitude and caring personality make her a shining star in her current role. We are proud to nominate Lori as a 2020 Florida Star of Life!
Andy Wilson
Century Ambulance Service
Columbia County, FL
2020 Florida Star of Life
Robert "Andy" Wilson began at Century Ambulance Service as an EMT in 2016 and immediately made a positive impact to the organization. His background in security services, tactical medic teams, and as a certified 911 Public Safety Telecommunicator has been instrumental in Century's training. As a Field Training Officer, Andy works closely with our Medical Director and Training Manager to implement new and exciting education programs to Century Ambulance employees, surrounding County EMS departments, and local EMT and paramedic students. He is the lead instructor on Century's "high performance CPR" and "pit crew" training platforms and he instituted Century's in-pool, hands-on Water Rescue Course. The dedication and passion Andy has for training was a major factor in the improved ROSC rates within our EMS area.
Andy is known for his light-heartedness and practical jokes around the station. He is an approachable and open leader who enjoys the opportunity to work with his peers in perfecting their practice. If you ever walk into the training building at EMS Headquarters, you will also be struck by his amazing photography. He is known as the "unofficial" photographer for EMS, fire, police, and air medical transport within Columbia County. Andy is a recent paramedic graduate of Florida Gateway College and we look forward to watching him further excel in the EMS field. Century Ambulance Service is honored to call Robert "Andy" Wilson our Star of Life for 2020.
Jane Mieras began her EMS career 27 years ago in Northeast Florida and joined Century Ambulance Service in 2002 as a Paramedic in Columbia County. Jane has also proudly served as a Paramedic at Hamilton County Hospital and Suwannee County Emergency Services. In 17 years of dedicated service with Century Ambulance, Jane has risen through the ranks, becoming a Critical Care Paramedic and holding positions as Station Captain and Field Training Officer.
Working in both the 911 and inter-facility patient care arenas, Jane's extensive knowledge and hands-on experience makes her relatable to anyone aspiring to work in EMS. She continues to work with local EMT and paramedic students and takes pride in molding the future generations of the industry. As a Field Training Officer for Century, her infectious laugh, overall positive attitude, and clinical expertise continues to be instrumental in helping new staff understand the nuances of working in a department with 911 scene calls and critical care hospital-to-hospital transports. Her bedside manner and clinical skills are exquisite; not only with her patients, but with family, the community, and staff alike. She has received many accolades for her compassionate care and is always willing to take the extra time to hold a hand, answer questions, and provide comfort to those in need. In her free time, Jane loves to work with plants and is a member of the Arbor Foundation. She also loves painting, crafts, and spending time with her 4 children, 7 cats, and 4 dogs. Full of passionate leadership and unparalleled medical care, Century Ambulance Service is honored to call Jane Mieras a friend, colleague, and the 2020 Florida Star of Life.
Anthony Carrillo
Century Ambulance Service
Fort Lauderdale, FL
2020 Florida Star of Life
Anthony was born with a desire to serve. After graduating high school, he started his career as a Fire Fighter with Edgewater Fire Rescue. Shortly after his work began, he decided to join the US Military. Anthony was sent to Riyad to fight in Operation Desert Storm, helping liberate the people of Kuwait and fight the invading forces of Iraq. Upon retiring from the US Army, Anthony returned to EMS, upgrading his education to the level of a Critical Care Paramedic, and relocating to South Florida.
Century Ambulance entered the South Florida market in the summer of 2018 and Anthony was one of the first employees. Anthony currently works as a Critical Care Paramedic, Flight Medic, and Field Training Officer. He has set the bar high for Clinical Care and thrives on providing outstanding care for the sickest and most critical patients. He has earned an outstanding reputation among his peers and the facilities we work with. While Anthony may not have one singular event of heroism or superior application of his skill, it is his continuous 20+ years of compassionate care and his desire to continue learning the field of critical care paramedicine that make him our nominee for a 2020 Star of Life.
© 2019 Florida Ambulance Association | The Florida Ambulance Association is a registered Florida non-profit.
Florida Ambulance Association |c/o American Ambulance Association |1420 New York Ave NW | Washington, DC 20005 | email@example.com


text: My travel blog documents my traveling experiences and showcases my (quite limited – but I'm still learning!) photography skills. I share with my readers my personal insights and realizations during my trips. I love immersing myself in nature as well as in the culture and traditions of the locals of whatever place I am in. Instead of letting my fears dictate what I can and cannot do when I am out exploring, I always try to be more fearless and more spontaneous.


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THE GREATEST DISCOVERY is a chronicle of the oldest and largest advanced ancient civilization to yet be identified.
In the heart of the Kalahari Desert located in Southern Africa, are the clues to an agrarian society, engaging in rituals and potentially trade and commerce, which existed 70,000 years before present times, and possibly even up to 100,000 years before present. This predates any known archaeological discovery of past and present times. Independent Investigative Journalist Mel Ve takes us on a journey through many of the most controversial archaeological sites known today. It is only through gasping the context of these ancient sites, that the true historical context of Mel Ve's discovery, which takes us further back in time than any other historical site has ever done, can be comprehended. This discovery brings up some very interesting questions, pointing to some rather disconcerting truths that have appeared in various ancient mythologies across the world, proving that these reoccurring myths, which are found in many parts of the world, indeed have some truth to them. This information was collected and collated by Mel Ve, who has personally interviewed several of the people whose research is mentioned in this chronicle, containing many images and information which is cross-referenced with Mel Ve's vast knowledge of symbolism, artwork, etymology, ritual, cryptozoology, and crypto anthropology, which has formed the focus of Mel Ve's body of work known as DRAGONOLOGY. The information disclosed in The Greatest Discovery, assists in bringing together a much bigger picture of humanity's origins, which is vastly different to what we are taught by mainstream education, but the knowledge of which is essential to grasp, if one is to know our true history, and who we really are as the human race, where we came from and how we got here.
Greetings. Thank you for your interest in my work. I am commonly known as Mel Ve, which is the pen name under which you will find my various related works. I am South African, but I have lived in exile since 1999 due to the political and economic challenges of my home country. I currently reside in the Algarve with my husband and cats. Although my 20 years of media work follows a vast spectrum of information, my particular areas of specialization are based in unconventional theories involving cultural anthropology, etymology and alternative education modalities. I have authored several books, produced several documentary films, and have made some groundbreaking discoveries including the one you are about to learn about in this book.
After each book or film that I complete, I often say that I simply cannot top this body of work, but each time I manage to surpass the last effort. The truth is that this might be my most important body of work yet, and it will be tough trying to do better than THE GREATEST DISCOVERY… so take some time to learn about those who came before us, how they lived, and the advanced capabilities they had. It is truly mind-blowing when one considers all the evidence, and the picture this paints is beyond what we are taught in the realm of the mainstream. This is THE GREATEST DISCOVERY.


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Life goes on. Keep the faith.
--Author Unknown
Today's Lunch: Hot Beef Sandwich, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Green Beans, Salad Bar, and Milk.
Tomorrow's Lunch: Sausage Pizza, Cottage Cheese, Corn, Salad Bar, and Milk.
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Thursday, January 26, 2017posted Jan 26, 2017, 8:40 AM by Jayne Gibb [ updated Jan 26, 2017, 9:46 AM ]


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Support the Community
"You are in the heart of the Church!"
This morning, in Nervi hall, Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI received a delegation of about 2,000 Roma, Sinti and other gipsy groups from all over Europe. An unprecedented event, made possible by the collaboration between the Community of Sant'Egidio, the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants, and Fondazione Migrantes.
On behalf of all the pilgrims were given four speeches:
Testimony of Ceija Stojka ►
Testimony of Sister Atanazia Hobulova ►
Testimony of Charles Mikic ►
Testimony of Pamela Suffer ►
"... You have come to Rome from all over Europe to show your faith and your love for Christ, for the Church - which is a home for all of you - and for the Pope. The Servant of God Pope Paul VI addressed Gypsies in 1965, these unforgettable words: "In the Church you are not on the borders, but in some respects, you are at the core, you are in the heart. You are in the heart of the Church". Today I can repeat, with affection: you are inside the Church! You are a beloved part of the pilgrim People of God and you remind us that "here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come"(Hebrews 13:14). (...)
Your history is complex and, in some periods, painful. You are a people who in past centuries has not lived nationalist ideologies, has not aspired to own a land or dominate other people. You have been left homeless and ideally have considered the entire continent as your home. (...)
"I invite you, dear friends, to write together a new page of history for your people and for Europe!"
During my visit to the concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, May 28th, 2006, I prayed for the victims of persecution and I bowed in front of the inscription in Romanes which remembers your fallen. The European consciousness can not forget so much pain! Never again will your people be subjected to harassment, rejection and contempt! For your part, always sought justice, the rule of law, reconciliation and try to never be the cause of suffering for the others! (...)
The full speech of Pope Benedict XVI ►
At the end, a group of Roma girls performed a gypsy dance.
After the hearing the President of the Community of Sant'Egidio, Marco Impagliazzo, said:


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Pacific Window Tinting is a female-owned business built on great products and exceptional service. Since 1998, we have been Oregon's most trusted and respected provider of premium window tinting for commercial and residential properties.
Our window tinting services meet the highest standards in the industry. We ensure this is achieved in each and every project with our in-house crew of installation experts. None of the work is outsourced. Therefore, our staff from top to bottom has complete control over the quality of the work we do.
Click here to learn more about us or call us today at 503.736.9000.


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About Rob
"Frisbee Rob" McLeod is a motivational speaker and frisbee ambassador living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He competes in ultimate, disc golf, dog disc and overall flying disc competitions. Rob currently holds 6 Guinness World Records, 13 World Championships and the Canadian Distance Record.
Recent Posts
- World Record Holder to Speak about Kindness, Frisbee, & Unplugging in Fort McMurray
- Trick Shot and Frisbee Workshops at Ecole St Gerard in Calgary, Alberta
- "Bees" – Frisbee Poem
- World Champion Throws Distance in the USA Ultimate Skills Challenge
- Frisbee Trick Shot and Workshop at Parkland Alien In-Line Summer Camp


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For those of you in Chicago who missed our last letter writing social, I am pleased to announce that we have collaborated with Chicago Underground Library to bring you another one!
Meet us at The Underground Library's headquarters (621 W. Belmont on the 2nd floor) on Saturday, the 5th of February anytime between 1PM to 5PM and write letters! (Yes, THIS Saturday.) We will have free stationery and typewriters for your use. I also heard a rumor about baked goods, but don't quote me on that. This is an open event for LWA members and non-members alike. Bring friends! Hope to see everyone there.


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A new flag/masking scheme has been developed for identifying stray light and cloud shadow pixels that significantly impact the quality of satellite-derived ocean color products. Various case studies have been carried out to evaluate the performance of the new cloud contamination flag/masking scheme on ocean color products derived from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP). These include direct visual assessments, detailed quantitative case studies, objective statistic analyses, and global image examinations and comparisons. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Multisensor Level-1 to Level-2 (NOAA–MSL12) ocean color data processing system has been used in the study. The new stray light and cloud shadow identification method has been shown to outperform the current stray light flag in both valid data coverage and data quality of satellite-derived ocean color products. In addition, some cloud-related flags from the official VIIRS–SNPP data processing software, i.e., the Interface Data Processing System (IDPS), have been assessed. Although the data quality with the IDPS flags is comparable to that of the new flag implemented in the NOAA–MSL12 ocean color data processing system, the valid data coverage from the IDPS is significantly less than that from the NOAA–MSL12 using the new stray light and cloud shadow flag method. Thus, the IDPS flag/masking algorithms need to be refined and modified to reduce the pixel loss, e.g., the proposed new cloud contamination flag/masking can be implemented in IDPS VIIRS ocean color data processing.
© 2013 Optical Society of AmericaFull Article | PDF Article
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What do you get when you put together smart, creative people with a range of backgrounds? A team of experts ready to help clients with any marketing challenge.
Technology companies, small businesses, and nonprofits rely on Scott Design's creativity, expertise, and professionalism to enhance their marketing. Benefit from our 20+ years of experience: Our designers, developers, and copywriters provide valuable advice and solutions to improve the way you communicate with your target audiences.
Matt Scott, President, is an expert at taking difficult concepts, breaking them down, and explaining them in a way that anyone can understand. He manages complex design, messaging, and development projects for industry-leading technology clients, nonprofits, and small businesses. Matt has built a reputation over the past 20 years for outstanding customer service and efficient delivery of award-winning work. He uses a common-sense marketing approach to help clients improve their online communications, using responsive web and email design, clear and powerful writing, search engine optimization, and best practices. Matt serves as an Advisory Board Member at UC Santa Cruz Camp Kesem and is on the Strategic Marketing Advisory Committee at York School. Matt has degrees in International Relations and Education from Stanford University. View Matt's LinkedIn Profile.
Kirsti Scott, Creative Director and founder, leads the award-winning design team at Scott Design, ensuring high-quality work on web, interactive, and integrated marketing campaigns. She began her career as a software engineer, was an art director at a Silicon Valley agency, and founded Scott Design in 1993. Since then she has led the design team, creating award-winning web, interactive, and integrated marketing campaigns for industry leaders in technology, small- and mid-sized companies, and nonprofit organizations. Kirsti is past president of the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, was a co-founder of 100 Women Who Care Santa Cruz and TEDxSantaCruz, is an advisor to Digital NEST, and is a trustee of York School in Monterey. Kirsti has degrees in Economics from Stanford University and Graphic Design from Rhode Island School of Design. View Kirsti's LinkedIn Profile.
Bill Merikallio, Art Director and resident web standards expert, makes sure our digital communications are as functional as they are visually compelling. Bill started his career as a fine furniture maker, creating pieces that combined his artistic aesthetic with the incredible patience necessary for fine craftsmanship. Bill brings this same attention to detail to the websites, emails, and apps he designs and codes to ensure that they are not only beautiful, but also thoroughly tested and optimized for functionality. Bill has extensive experience creating WordPress websites, in-depth knowledge of CSS, SEO expertise, and experience in user-centered design for websites and emails. Bill attended Johns Hopkins University and the Sorbonne, completing his college degree in Europe. He returned to the United States and studied furniture design at the College of the Redwoods. View Bill's LinkedIn Profile.
Rhonda van Dyk is the Production Manager for Scott Design and is involved in every web and print project at Scott Design from start to finish. Rhonda was an educator before joining Scott Design. Her experience running county-wide math and science fairs, coordinating summer programs — not to mention keeping track of a classroom of elementary students — more than prepared her for the complex projects she manages at Scott Design. Rhonda makes sure that the Scott Design team delivers solutions that go above and beyond expectations. She uses her experience, knowledge, and exceptional project management skills to ensure high-quality work without hassles. Rhonda is a graduate cum laude of California State University, Fresno, with a degree in Liberal Studies. View Rhonda's LinkedIn Profile.
"You all did such an awesome job and it was great to work with such a positive team. It made a difference that you went above and beyond to get the work done — without complaint and accommodated the incredibly tight deadlines."
Project Manager, Marketing Firm


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Landlord tax returns are often a cause of heartache and frustration – for property investors who make simple mistakes and end up tussling with HM Revenue & Customs.
HMRC has a list of points that will be checked on the landlord tax return, so to make sure accounts and returns comply with tax scrutiny and to minimise the chance of a costly and time-consuming tax inquiry, make sure you address all the following points.
Property income receipts:
- Have all gross rents and other receipts from land and property been included as income?
- Have deposits been included as income as appropriate?
- If the property is in joint ownership, has profit or loss been divided appropriately?
- If rental properties are overseas, have profits or losses been treated properly?
- If there is commercial letting of furnished holiday accommodation in the UK or European Economic Area, have qualifying conditions been met?
- If surplus business premises are let and rent treated as a business receipt have the conditions been met?
Deductions and expenses:
- Have all items of expenditure on the improvement of an asset been treated correctly?
- Have legal and professional fees incurred in acquiring an asset been properly allocated?
- Has expenditure on essential repairs to a newly acquired property been treated correctly/
- Where expenditure occurred prior to the start of the rental business, have the conditions been met?
- Have capital repayments been excluded from loan interest and finance charges?
- Have 'dual purpose' expenses been apportioned in respect of property only partly used for rental business?
- If a vehicle has been used for non-business travel, including home to work, has only the business travel portion been claimed?
- Are all expenses claimed for business trips wholly and exclusively for the rental business?
- If wages and salary costs are claims, have employment taxes been paid?
- If wages or salaries are paid to relatives or connected parties, are the amounts commensurate with their duties?
- If a property has been let rent-free or below market rate has expenditure been restricted accordingly?
Reliefs and allowances:
- If wear and tear allowance is claimed has it been properly calculated/
- If rent a room relief is claimed does it meet the conditions?
- Has income over the rent a room exemption limit been treated as taxable rental income under the appropriate method?
- If capital allowances have been claimed does the expenditure qualify?
- Has the April 5th basis period been applied?
- Have any rental business losses been used correctly and set against the first available profits in full?
- Have only the appropriate rental business losses been set against general income?
- If a landlord is a non-resident has tax been deducted from rental payments?
- If box 21 in the property pages of the self assessment return been completed have the correct figures been included in box 20?
- If there was a disposal of rental property has capital gains tax been appropriately calculated.
This landlord tax return list comes from HMRC documents supplied to tax inspectors and accountancy professionals as a checklist of points to watch.


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Important: The information presented here is for the use of a qualified, experienced technician. Without the background knowledge which comes with training, you risk doing more damage than good to the copier & also risk your own safety. If you are not willing to take 100% responsibility for your actions, do not use the information posted here. Thank you. Read our Conditions of Use for more information
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cindiras on Family Tree Circles
About cindiras
Click here to upload a profile picture.
by cindiras Profile | Research | Contact | Follow
cindiras , from Story county Iowa, has been a Family Tree Circles member since Mar 2006. is researching the following names: LARUE, SMITH, BROWN and 8 other(s).
Rasmussen (Denmark). Evansen,Christopersen,LaRue, Carpenter, Brown/Braun, Smith


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Witch Watch invite you to their weird world of insect funerals and other ghastly gags
Not all that lurks in the dark is grim.
If Sam Raimi and Beetlejuice have taught us anything, it's that the creatures of the night have a playful streak. Think Frighteners and you'll have a fair parallel to murky Minneapolis shoegaze band Witch Watch. Think Stephen Merritt in a ghastly mania or the Undertaker handing out balloon animals at a thaumaturgical rite.
Guitarist/songwriter Derek Van Gieson designed Witch Watch to conjure such absurd allusions. On their debut album, Wandering and Wondering (released April 21), Van Gieson and his band taunt the listener with fangs and a black tongue, moving through genres in curious, impulsive jerks. One song, he's strumming out a blithe, existential hippie groove ("Happy Hollows"), and the next, he's grinding through a hateful dirge punctuated with the scratch lyrics, "I'm gonna cut your dick off and feed it to you" ("2/5").
"We wanted to write a song about digging up your ex-lover, and it just didn't work out," Van Gieson says.
Before Witch Watch, Van Gieson played guitar with Minneapolis surf-goths Murder Shoes for two years. His polymathic songwriting and dour illustrations helped establish the band as a standout in the local scene, but sharing songwriting duties with his two bandmates left him creatively stymied. The other lyricists didn't understand why he wanted to take things so far off the rails when they already had a successful formula.
Van Gieson had started looking around at other options when he heard that his Red Stag Supperclub co-worker Anna Neighbors sang for a local roots-folk band. He listened to some of her work with Flowerstalks, and that's when he knew her gnashing, Nico-meets-Elvira vocals would provide the perfect incantations for a side project. Convincing her was easier than anticipated.
"When I went up to Anna, I was like, 'How would you feel about doing some minor-chord, dissonant, atonal indie rock?'" Van Gieson says.
Neighbors didn't flinch. "I was like, 'Yes. That sounds good.'"
Neighbors and Van Gieson began as a bedroom-gloom duo, working with the songs Murder Shoes didn't want: "My Insect Funeral" was deemed "too surfy," "Invocation" and "Chimney Sweep Reapers" were "too dissonant." Soon they had a hard-drive full of demos. After Murder Shoes broke up last September, saying farewell with a nearly done LP of B-sides titled Fall, Witch Watch became a full-time pursuit.
"When Anna and I started working together, we were only working on rejected songs," Van Gieson says. "Usually, to Anna's almost disgust, I would field them to Murder Shoes first, and whatever they didn't respond to I'd pull back on the other side. Then, when the band broke up, everything that was in the demo Dropbox came back to me."
Neighbors and Van Gieson soon realized they needed a dedicated rhythm section. Van Gieson pulled in Monica LaPlante's drummer Austin Cecil, who'd sat in with Murder Shoes on their tour with LaPlante the previous year. Cecil tipped off his bandmate Rory Donovan, and the two ended up playing on about half the album.
Like Fall, Wandering and Wondering offers a glance at what Murder Shoes could've been. Unlike Fall, there's no committee to counterbalance Van Gieson's morose whimsy. He calls the record a "director's cut" of a Murder Shoes LP, but more accurately, it's what Murder Shoes would sound like in an alternative timeline where Danny Fields was elected president and Twin Peaks never went off the air — an unfiltered expression of Van Gieson's playful madness.
"It's nice to not have such a narrow strike zone for a song," Van Gieson says. "That's what was uncomfortable about before — limitations. I had to write very specific style songs to get them past. But now I can do whatever I want."
The writing relationship between Van Gieson and Neighbors is jocular and unencumbered. For inspiration, the two play word games and watch campy horror flicks. "My Fist Is on Your List" is a flippant rehashing of a Hall & Oates hit, and "Song for Billy" uses Gremlins as a metaphor for a one-sided love affair. With Donovan and Cecil joining permanently this past month, the four-piece have become an efficient factory of absurdity, resulting in the 15 oddities collected on Wandering and Wondering.
The new album is capricious, touring many genres — Britpop ("Transparencies"), freak folk ("Wait for Me"), and post-hardcore ("Chimney Sweep Reapers") among them — and hardly cracking the three-minute mark on a given song. There are moments of despondent arrhythmia ("Hand-Painted Dinosaurs") and teeth-clenched screeds ("A Personal Eclipse"), but if one song epitomizes Witch Watch and their no-thing-too-precious approach, it's the twangy "My Insect Funeral."
Van Gieson admits that "My Insect Funeral" is "probably the most ridiculous song" in Witch Watch's catalog. The lyrics describe the titular burial and its various attendees (many, for some reason, named Tony) as the procession crumbles into a spiral of self-loathing. Witch Watch gladly positioned "My Insect Funeral" as the second single off Wandering and Wondering — the first song Van Gieson and Neighbors ever worked on together, it set the tone for their collaboration.
"The absurd ones are my favorite," Neighbors says. "I love getting an email and reading the lyrics and being like, 'Can I do this?'"
As the title of Wandering and Wondering suggests, there was no destination when Witch Watch hit the studio. They only knew that they had expectations to abolish.
With all the ghosts of Murder Shoes exorcised, Van Gieson and Witch Watch are looking forward to creating something together with no stigma of rejection or vestigial histories to shake off. Cecil and Donovan will have more input, and Neighbors will begin writing her own lyrics. Competing with Van Gieson's autodidactic weirdness isn't a concern, though. Witch Watch will continue to operate with no stylistic mandates.
"'Too weird' isn't a limit," says Neighbors, with a toothy smile.
Van Gieson agrees. "If anything, we're not weird enough."


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Sons of Anarchy Cast to Host Fan Event, Assist in Hurricane Sandy ReliefMatt Richenthal at . Updated at .
To mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, Kurt Sutter and three Sons of Anarchy cast members will be at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, New Jersey on Sunday, November 10, 2013.
The show's creator - along with Katey Sagal, Kim Coates and Theo Rossi - will be on hand to host a benefit for victims of that natural disaster, with proceeds going toward the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund and Staten Strong charities.
Rossi helped create the latter and you can learn more about its efforts in the following PSA:
Fans who purchase tickets will be treated to an advanced screening of the subsequent Sons of Anarchy Season 6 episode, which will be followed by a Q&A with Sutter, Sagal, Coates and Rossi.
Tickets are currently available through Brown Paper Tickets and 100% of the ticket sales will go directly to the Hurricane Sandy NJ Relief Fund and Staten Strong in support of their efforts to assist families and communities rebuild.
"I'm a Jersey boy, born, bred and beaten," says Sutter. "When Sandy hit and fucked up the state, the initial outpouring of aid was fantastic, but a year later, only a fraction of the damage has been repaired. I wanted to do something to help, not just with some cash, but also to remind folks that people in South Jersey still need aid and services. They need a break. "
Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.


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Examples of a Company Evaluation
A business evaluation, also known as a a company valuation, measures the monetary value of a company. While the concept of measuring a company's value seems a straightforward idea, the various methods used to calculate the value can give widely differing results. Some of these methods rely on determining the company's net worth from its financial statements, while others depend on the amount of revenue the company generates or the amount a buyer is willing to spend to acquire its assets.
Net Worth
One method used to deliver a company evaluation is to examine its balance sheet. The balance sheet shows the company's assets and liabilities. Assets are items the company uses to make money, such as equipment, software and intellectual property. Liabilities reflect the debts the company owes, such as bank loans, credit cards and accounts payable. The difference between the assets and liabilities is the company's "net worth," which also reflects the value of the owners' equity in the business.
Comparison Analysis
Another method used to determine a company's value is to compare the target company to a competitor of similar size and stature in its industry. The value of a competing firm gives evaluators a clear benchmark for the potential value of the target firm. This analysis includes comparing several factors between the two companies, such as their histories in the industry, their market shares, their management approaches, and economic conditions when the comparative company was sold.
Leverage Ratios
Small businesses often take on debt to finance their startup operations and expansion plans. The ratios of the company's debts to other facets of the business show evaluators the amount of debt load the company carries. These leverage ratios include debt versus equity, debt versus assets, and interest payouts versus cash flow. Another more complex ratio is interest payouts versus earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, also known as EBITDA. Investors typically view high debt ratios as high-risk, high-reward opportunities.
Income Analysis
The key success factor to any small business is its ability to generate income, so a key aspect to its evaluation includes analyzing the company's potential earnings. A company that has a strong cash flow represents an excellent opportunity for investors, so they will place a higher value on such a business. Evaluators will also examine each source of this income for its size, dependability and overhead to determine if the company has strong investment possibilities.
Photo Credits
- Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images


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Dr. Amit Kumar is a surgeon with special interest in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. Dr. Kumar completed his General Surgery Residency at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. He then pursued his Vascular Surgery fellowship at the top ranked Cardiovascular Centre in the United States, The Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. He is American Board of Surgery certified in addition to being a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
His clinical interests include mainly Endovascular treatment of Diabetic Feet, Dialysis Access and Maintenance, Aortic Dissections and Aneurysms involving the Thoracic and Abdominal Aorta as well as Venous Disease and Wound Care. In addition he has a large experience in Endovascular Treatment of below the Knee Occlusive Disease for Diabetic Feet.
Dr. Kumar has performed several firsts in Vascular Surgery in the Middle East as part of the more than 3,500 Vascular and Endovascular procedures over the last 9 years. These include, the first successful Atherectomy, the first use of a Drug Eluting Peripheral Stent in the Middle-east as well as the first use of the Venaseal system in the region.
His research interests pertain to clinical aspects of Vascular Pathology, such as the first Multicenter Vascular study in the Middle East, The ABC in PVD study. In addition his book "Handbook of Endovascular Interventions" has become one of the most downloaded book chapters from Springer. He is also on the Editorial Panel of the journal "Vascular."
He is currently an Assistant Professor – Surgery, Columbia University, New York, but is dominantly based in the UAE, practicing in NMC Royal Hospital, Khalifa City – Abu Dhabi and B R Medical Suites, DHCC – Dubai where he is running a dedicated Vascular Access Center as well as a Peripheral Vascular Lab – both the first such centers in the region.
- Aortic Aneurysms and Dissections
- Peripheral Vascular Disease
- Varicose Veins (Endovenous Treatment)
- Diabetic Foot


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Why We Don't Sell Online
At BILTRITE Furniture we believe that to truly find the furniture that fits your home and lifestyle you need to come to our Store to SEE IT, FEEL IT, LOVE IT! Furniture is the third largest purchase consumers make after homes and vehicles. Purchasing furniture over the internet is not like buying a book via the internet. It is impossible to know the quality and value of any item by only viewing a picture. We want to insure that our customers purchase the right product the first time! Come visit our 60,000 square feet showroom and discover furniture and mattresses that are perfect for you. You're local. We're Local. So Buy Local!
Sunday Closed To Be With Family
In order for us to allow our staff to enjoy more time with their families, we are closed on Sundays. We believe that by investing in the well-being of our staff and their families, we will see an increase in long-term staff that is knowledgeable and passionate about home furnishings and you. As a fourth generation family business, we know how hard it can be to find work-life balance. And with the latest additions to our family, we are excited to spend additional time together. We will be open some Sundays throughout the year for special events, such as holiday weekends, to better serve you. BILTRITE is important to every member of our family and family comes first.


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CLEANERS at a troubled Birmingham hospital criticised for its appalling record on fighting MRSA were told to keep used sheets on beds to save cash.
Housekeeping staff at Good Hope were asked to 'top n' tail' bedsheets and pillowcases wherever possible to cut a #500,000 laundry bill.
Posters in the Sutton Coldfield hospital's linen cupboards and on doors into the A&E department reminded workers that each item costs 0.275 pence to clean.
Managers in the housekeeping department wanted cleaners to re-use sheets by turning them over if they were not too dirty.
Cases of the Clostridium difficile bug - which thrives in dirty surroundings and can kill - have more than doubled in less than a
year to 327 at Good Hope.
The hospital recorded 36 MRSA cases between April last year to January, more than double its target of 15.
That was on top of a 34 per cent increase in MRSA cases at the hospital from April 2003 to March 2006.
A Government hit squad was drafted into solve the hospital's infection problems last year but new figures show the trust is still failing to hit MRSA targets.
Tony Field, chairman of Birmingham-based MRSA Support, was outraged: "Is that all the safety of a patient's life is worth? 0.275 pence?
"It is utterly disgraceful and tantamount to murder because hygiene like changing sheets is essential to protect patients.
"It proves beyond all doubt that cost-cutting is directly contributing to hospital acquired infections."
A Good Hope spokeswoman said the posters went up around two years ago and should all have been taken down by now.
But a medic insisted the posters were still on display in A&E and the maternity unit as recently as the past month.
"This sign has been the clean linen cupboard in A&E at Good Hope for at least 12 months," said the health worker, who did not wish to be named.
"I am not sure how much this practice is going on, but it is clear the trust is encouraging staff to 'top 'n' tail' used sheets on a bed instead of replacing them between patients.
"The very nature of A&E should be enough reason to change sheets between every patient as casualty sees patients who have come in with a variety of infections, traumatic injuries and blood spill."
Cait Allen, spokeswoman for Good Hope, confirmed the housekeeping department had used the posters.
"These posters were made two or three years ago and should have all been taken down now," said Mrs Allen.
"Any that have been seen recently will be removed as Good Hope takes infection control very seriously now."


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At more or less the exact same moment, two items of note hit the Unfair Park inbox: a statement from Governor Rick Perry concerning Texas Comptroller Susan Combs' guesstimated billion-dollar bump in state revenues, and a Real Clear Politics piece headlined "Rick Perry Presidential Push Quietly Gains Steam." Let's go ahead and make this a two-fer.
First, to Combs' adding back $1.2 billion to the state's coffers for the next biennium. Long story short, Combs says in a press release of her own, she's putting that billion-plus into her revenue forecast because "my office estimates sales tax, oil production tax and motor vehicle sales tax will bring in more revenue than previously estimated in the next biennium." Which isn't to say all's well. Far from it. "The state's housing market is sluggish, with new home construction levels similar to those seen in the mid-1990s," Combs says in the prepared statement. "We will also monitor different aspects of the economy, including any potential burden on consumers and businesses if oil prices move higher."
To which Perry responds with the following statement of his own:
The revised revenue estimate shows the strength of Texas job creation and economic growth, but it does not mean lawmakers can abandon necessary budget reductions. Just as Texas families and employers have had to tighten their belts during the national recession, so must state government.
Now, then. To Perry's presidential aspirations, which he's long since denied. Erin McPike and Scott Conroy write that Perry's "waiting to be summoned" into the race for the White House, given the lack of known commodities at this late date. Others agree: He's lookin'. Lookin' hard.
According to another well-connected Republican, at least one Perry confidant has been very quietly making inquiries about the political terrain in the nation's first voting state of Iowa. A third Perry associate, RCP has learned, has been heralding a small contingent of Iowans with the time-tested line that is often used by would-be candidates who are leaving their options open: "Keep your powder dry."
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Combs' letter to Perry and the Lege follows.


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Game description
Vote: Did you like this game? 42
Seth ( UK) SAS British SAS, as the British special forces, much of modern special forces with a long history and traditional one. It is the world's many other special forces model. Seth with a cruel selection and training. Every team member is through hard after the examination of the elite talent showing itself, at present, the main task is responsible for Britain's stability, and solve all international disputes associated with english.
Game controls:
Use mouse to aim and shoot.
ArmyFightingShootingTerroristFirst Person Shooter


text: Three red wines, Ferratus Sensaciones, Ferratus and Ferratus AØ, and a rosé, Elanio, form the Bodegas Ferratus podium. Strength, power and sobriety are among the adjectives that define them, along with the brand Ferratus, which, in Latin, means "with iron". They will make an impression on anyone. FerratusSensaciones Ferratus Ferratus AØ Elanio


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If you have an hourglass body shape, your shoulders and your hips are the same width and your waist is significantly smaller in proportion to both your shoulders and hips. To find out for sure, visit our body shape calculator.
You may find it difficult to find the perfect fit for your distinctive curves. When dressing your body shape the goal for you is to have all your clothing fit like a glove! Your beautiful body doesn't need much additives. Adding too much to any one area of your body will throw off your proportions.
When you buy pants, buy them to fit your hips and thighs and get the waist taken in.
No curve left untouched! Choose anything that cling cling clings!! Wrap dresses are my favorite for hourglasses!
Let your body do all the talking! No additives just a nice dress that fits like a body suit. Plunging and v necklines are great, but avoid extra bulk around the hips. Va Va Voom!!
Is your style Dramatic, Sporty, Natural, Classic, Creative or Romantic? Sign up to take the free style assessment and receive free eBooks that show you How to Dress in Your Authentic Personality Style.


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Groups Demand Protection for Ribbon Seals
SAN FRANCISCO (CN) – The federal government is failing to protect the ribbon seal by refusing to put it on the endangered species list, Greenpeace and the Center for Biological Diversity claim in Federal Court. The groups say that because the seal lives on rapidly melting sea ice it "faces likely global extinction in the wild by the end of this century due to global warming."
The groups want Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and the National Marine Fisheries Service to re-evaluate their rejection of the ribbon seal as endangered.
In December 2008, Secretary Locke found that the ribbon seal is "not in danger or likely to become so in the foreseeable future." The "foreseeable future" is sometime around 2050, according to Locke's report.
The environmentalists disagree. They say that with seal habitat quickly shrinking, mother seals will abandon their pups early, leading to high ribbon seal pup mortality rates. And they say the seals risk exposure to predators such as grizzly bears, wolves and Arctic foxes if they are forced to rear their young on land.
The groups ask that Locke's finding be declared "arbitrary, capricious and unlawful." They are represented by Brendan Cummings with the Center for Biological Diversity of Joshua Tree, Calif.


text:
If your business is a taxable corporation or you are the owner of the business and the business income is reported on your personal income tax return, you have a responsibility to estimate and pay quarterly income taxes. The IRS requires quarterly estimated payments of income taxes, and your state might require payments as well. Use the tax reports discussed in this chapter to help calculate your quarterly income tax.
Corporate estimated tax payments are due as follows:
Individual estimated tax payments are due as follows:
If the 15th of the month in which a tax payment is due falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, the tax payment is due on the next business day.


text:
Rabbids Crazy Rush
Technical FAQ
The game is acting weird (ie. Doesn't load, is running slow, crashes etc.), what should I do?Do I need a Facebook account to play the game?I can't connect to Facebook. What can I do?If I uninstall then reinstall the game, will I lose my progress?How do I switch off the MUSIC and / or SOUND in the game?How to contact your player support?How do I access the SETTINGS menu?Compatible Devices & App Information


text:
GTB Surgical Industries are market leaders in Endoscopy Products having one of the highest sales quantity of endoscopes in whole country. The company is into exports, imports and setting up of important key projects for various Hospitals. The company has been supplying to priviledged customers like Ministry of Defence, Delhi Govt Hospitals, Jammu and Kashmir Govt Hospitals, Armed Forces Medical Supply Depot, NCT Hospitals, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences etc. Following Products are covered in the product range as per departments:
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LED Light Source
HD Endoscopy Camera
Portable Endoscopy Kit
Operating Microscope
Labomed PRIMA ENT Microscope
ENT Treatment Unit
Patient Chair and Doctor Stool
Flexible Nasopharyngoscope
Flexible Bronchoscope
Laparoscopy Department:
CO2 Insufflator
Stryker Refurbished Camera
Stryker 1188
Stryker 1288
Fibreoptic Cable
LED Light Source
TFS Single Chip Camera
Gynaecology Department:
CTG Monitor
Video Colposcope
Hysteroscopy Pump
Operating Microscope Gynaecology
Urology Department:
LED Light Source
Portable Endoscopy Kit
HD-9000 Camera
Labomed Microscope Neurosurgery, Labomed Microscope Ophthalmic, Labomed Microscope Dental
Showcase Gallery
© G. T. B. Surgical Industries. All Rights Reserved (Terms of Use)
Developed and Managed by IndiaMART InterMESH Limited


text:
On Monday morning I'm going to submit the Welcome post to Y Combinator News in the hopes of reaching the underserved bootstrappers there. If you have an account there and see the story, please upvote it. If you don't see it, submit the URL yourself - the site ignores upvotes from people who were linked directly to an article.
For easy copy & paste: https://www.barnacl.es/s/8skxre/welcome_to_barnacles
For putting our best foot forward, here's my punch list:
If you can think of any must-haves before then, post below.
If you just got logged out, I'm sorry for the annoyance. You were on www.barnacl.es and I fixed the canonicalization to barnacl.es - you need a new login cooke for the new domain. This problem shouldn't recur.
Described all the tags. I'd appreciate kibitzing on these descriptions, which appear when tagging stories. I hope they help submitters pick the right set, but they are not intended to be a comprehensive taxonomy.
ask Ask Barnacles
business Other business topics
consulting Consulting
culture Business communities and culture
desktop Desktop apps and development
email Lists, sequences, lifecycles, segmentation
event Planned events, conferences
goods Physical goods
historical Historical interest
humor Jokes, satire, parody
law Government, legal, taxes
management Management, employees, and outsourcing
marketing Marketing techniques and stories
meta Barnacles bikeshedding
mobile Mobile apps and platforms
news Temporal happenings
person About a particular person or persons
pricing Pricing strategy
product Non-digital goods
programming Software development and maintenance
rant Rants and raves
revenue Income
saas Software as a service
sales Sales techniques and stories
service Services
show Show Barnacles a project
web Websites and networking
audio Link to a audio (podcast, interview)
book Books and reviews
pdf Link to a PDF document
slides Link to slides
transcript Transcription of audio/video
video Link to a video
I was trying to get at the difference between selling stuff and the particular hassles that come with physical inventory. Looking back, that sure doesn't show through at all. Any suggestions?
OK, I've kludged in open signups and the search engine's working, so that's the last of my known tasks. We've got a day to kick up any bugs before the promo push.


text:
Following part one, this is the second half of a two part tutorial series on how access a memory-mapped device implemented in Zynq's programmable logic fabric.
So far we've built a new ZedBoard project from scratch. It has a pair-of-32-bit-counters peripheral in the programmable logic. Thanks to the XPS Base System Builder Wizard, its processing system is preconfigured with support for UART, GPIO, SD card, Quad SPI, USB, Ethernet, and 512 MB of DRAM. We've built an FSBL that sets this all up, loads the PL, and loads and launches u-boot; and we're going to reuse the same good old u-boot.elf Linux boot loader from last time.
Notice the system we have just built from scratch does not include the nice ADI HDMI display controller. Certainly we could have added our counters to that system, but to focus on the essentials I thought a brand new, minimalist design would be better. Not to worry, we can still use desktop Ubuntu over the network from another computer.
Headless desktop Linaro Ubuntu Linux
This recapitulates headless operation from last time.
- Boot your Linaro Ubuntu system from SD card.
- Install the VNC and RDP servers. From serial port console or Terminal, $ sudo apt-get install xrdp . Then you will be able to boot and run headless. You may still need to use the serial port console to determine the DHCP-assigned IP address ($ ifconfig).
- On Windows 7, run Remote Desktop Connection (a.k.a. mstsc.exe). Specify your ZedBoard's IP address, and log in. Voila, desktop Ubuntu over the network. HDMI monitor not required.
Now let's build a devicetree.dtb that does not probe for not configure the HDMI display controller or any other PL peripherals.
- $ cd linux/arch/arm/boot/dts; cp zynq-zed-adv7511.dts zynq-zed-no-pl.dts
- Edit it to delete all programmable logic peripherals. It will look like this:
/dts-v1/; /include/ "zynq-zed.dtsi"
- Back up your SD card.
- Build your new empty PL devicetree blob: $ cd linux; make zynq-zed-no-pl.dtb
- Copy it to the SD card. cp arch/arm/boot/zynq-zed-no-pl.dtb /media/BOOT/devicetree.dtb
- Boot Linaro Ubunto Linux on your ZedBoard. Notice your HDMI monitor is now blank!
- Fear not. On your TeraTerm serial port console, get the IP address ($ ifconfig), and connect and login to your ZedBoard via RDP or VNC. All should work as before, even though you are not using any of the programmable logic fabric.
Device access via /dev/mem
The first, simplest, most elemental, most hacky, most dangerous way to access our peripheral from Linux is by opening /dev/mem and using mmap() to map a view of the device's physical address space into our process's virtual address space. Sven Andersson's UIO blog entry summarizes these considerations perfectly so I'll just quote him extensively here:
"… Here are some of the characteristics:
- Userspace interface to system address space
- Accessed via mmap() system call
- Must be root or have appropriate permissions
- Quite a blunt tool – must be used carefully
- Can bypass protections provided by the MMU Possible to corrupt kernel, device or other processes memory
- Very simple – no kernel module or code
- Good for quick prototyping / IP verification
- peek/poke utilities
- Portable (in a very basic sense)
- No interrupt handling possible
- No protection against simultaneous access
- Need to know physical address of IP Hard-code?"
Continuing with our zed_counters project, with headless Ubuntu set up, let's reboot our Linux system, configured to use the zed_counters' design BOOT.BIN image we built earlier.
- Copy it to your SD card $ cp …/zed_fsbl/bootimage/u-boot.bin /media/BOOT/BOOT.BIN
The SD card BOOT partition now contains our new BOOT.BIN with the zed_counters design; a new devicetree.dtb blog which denies any devices in the PL fabric, and the uImage Linux kernel we built last time. Safe-eject it, insert it into your ZedBoard, and reboot. Start a remote desktop connection. Open a Terminal. Fetch this /dev/mem access-based test application from Andersson's blog entry.
- $ wget http://svenand.blogdrive.com/files/gpio-dev-mem-test.c
- Read the code. It opens /dev/mem read/write, mmaps one page, and loads or stores through that virtual address.
/* Open /dev/mem file */ fd = open ("/dev/mem", O_RDWR); if (fd < 1) { perror(argv[0]); return -1; } /* mmap the device into memory */ page_addr = (gpio_addr & (~(page_size-1))); page_offset = gpio_addr - page_addr; ptr = mmap(NULL, page_size, PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, fd, page_addr);
- There's nothing GPIO specific about it, so it can be used to test our counters device.
- Build it. $ cc -o gpio-dev-mem-test gpio-dev-mem-test.c
- Run it. $ ./gpio-dev-mem-test -g 0x70000000 -i => "GPIO access through /dev/mem. ./gpio-dev-mem-test: Permission denied"
- Oops! This highlights a shortcoming of the /dev/mem approach. /dev/mem is a character special file owned by root and unreadable by regular users:
$ ls -l /dev/mem => crw-r—– 1 root kmem 1, 1 Dec 31 1969 /dev/mem
- Make the test program SETUID root so it can open the file. $ sudo chown root gpio-dev-mem-test; sudo chmod u+s gpio-dev-mem-test Congratulations, you have now added a massive security and robustness hole to your Linux system.
- Try again. Read (write) the up-counter at address 0x70000000:
- $ ./gpio-dev-mem-test -g 0x70000000 -i => … input: 00000000
- $ ./gpio-dev-mem-test -g 0x70000000 -i => … input: 00000001
- $ ./gpio-dev-mem-test -g 0x70000000 -i => … input: 00000002
- $ ./gpio-dev-mem-test -g 0x70000000 -o 7
- $ ./gpio-dev-mem-test -g 0x70000000 -i => … input: 00000007
- $ ./gpio-dev-mem-test -g 0x70000000 -i => … input: 00000008
- It counts! Read the free-running counter at address 0x70000004:
- $ ./gpio-dev-mem-test -g 0x70000004 -i => … input: 577c9e79
- $ ./gpio-dev-mem-test -g 0x70000004 -i => … input: 62502c56
- $ ./gpio-dev-mem-test -g 0x70000004 -i => … input: 6b764783
- It counts at 100 MHz.
It's great that we can kick the tires on our new device without any device drivers or kernel configuration, but as Mr. Andersson writes, direct /dev/mem access is "OK for prototyping – not recommended for production." Next we'll see how to employ user-mode I/O to access just the counters device — with better safety and security.
Device Access via UIO
In this final section, we will see how to configure, modify, and rebuild your Linux kernel so you can configure UIO devices in your device tree, and how to access them from your application program.
Your ADI or Xilinx Linux source tree already contains the source to two useful UIO drivers, uio_pdrv ("UIO platform driver") and uio_pdrv_genirq ("UIO platform driver with generic interrupts"). Unfortunately the default ADI and Xilinx build configurations do not build or include these drivers in the kernel (nor as loadable driver modules).
To enable these drivers run $ cd linux; make menuconfig. This pops a character-mode GUI titled .config — … Kernel Configuration.
- In Kernel Configuration, select Device Drivers —>
- In Device Drivers, select Userspace I/O drivers —>
- In Userspace I/O drivers, select <*> as built-in both Userspace I/O platform driver and Userspace I/O platform driver with generic IRQ handling.
- Exit. Exit. Exit. Save. Check: $ grep UIO .config =>
Now (before we rebuild the kernel) it is time to briefly review the UIO drivers kernel source. This won't hurt much.
- $ cd linux/drivers/uio
- Review uio.c, uio_pdrv.c, and uio_pdrv_genirq.c.
- Note that uio.c contains common support routines that are used by the uio_pdrv and uio_pdrv_genirq drivers.
- Note that only uio_pdrv_genirq defines a devicetree/"open firmware device id" compatible key: … { .compatible = "generic-uio", },
- Reviewing the driver change history in github, we see this line was added in 11/2012 for "microblaze: UIO setup compatible property" to "Setup compatible property which matches petalinux".
- So "out of the box", after enabling UIO drivers in menuconfig, the only UIO driver you can use that will properly initialize with a device tree blob configuration is uio_pdrv_genirq, and to use that, you must describe your peripheral as a "generic-uio".
- Furthermore, the uio_pdrv_genirq requires the device tree blob to also define the device interrupt number and the interrupt parent device.
- To make this work for our interrupt-less counters device, we can lie, pick a free interrupt number, and pretend our counters are wired up to the Zynq GIC interrupt controller, just like interrupt-issuing Zynq peripherals do. Interrupt numbers are biased by -32 for some reason. Here is what the ensuing DTS device tree specification looks like:
/dts-v1/; /include/ "zynq-zed.dtsi" / { counters@70000000 { compatible = "generic-uio"; reg = < 0x70000000 0x1000 >; interrupts = < 0 57 0 >; interrupt-parent = <&gic>; }; };
- We declare this device is a "generic-uio", which will match uio_pdrv_genirq;
- Its registers are at physical address 0x70000000 and are 0x1000 (4 KB) in size.
- It generates interrupt 57+32 = 89. These are issued to the GIC. Not really.
- Where did the fake interrupt number 57+32=89 come from? I reviewed the interrupt assignments in various DTS files that may intersect this project, such as arch/arm/boot/dts/{zynq.dtsi, zynq-zed.dtsi, zynq-zed-adv7511.dts}, and picked one that wasn't in use there.
Now we can (and I have) built a devicetree blob from this DTS file, booted Linux, and my device has probed, configured, initialized, and set up a /dev/uio0 (major device 251, minor device 0), and (as we'll see below) I have accessed this from a user application.
In fact if we already had a peripheral with both memory-mapped I/O and interrupts, this existing driver uio_gen_pdrv would be ideal, we'd be done, and this seemingly endless tutorial would be over already.
But since example device counters doesn't have interrupts, I am still not satisfied. What does it take to get the interrupt-less uio_pdrv working with device tree configuration?
- We have to modify drivers/uio/uio_pdrv.c to add an open firmware device id compatible string for it to match a device specification in the device tree. We'll use the unremarkable name "uio_pdrv".
- We also have to bring some code forward (and now, since I'm not a Linux kernel developer, this is getting dangerously close to cargo cult programming) into the uio_pdrv_probe() function to dynamically allocate a uio_info structure for the dynamically discovered uio_pdrv instance.
- For symmetry, we'll add the compatible name "uio_pdrv_genirq" to the uio_pdrv_genirq device; it may then be used interchangeably with the existing name "generic-uio".
- Here are the context diffs:
diff --git a/drivers/uio/uio_pdrv.c b/drivers/uio/uio_pdrv.c index 72d3646..cc50312 100644 --- a/drivers/uio/uio_pdrv.c +++ b/drivers/uio/uio_pdrv.c @@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ #include <linux/module.h> #include <linux/slab.h> +#include <linux/of.h> +#include <linux/of_platform.h> + #define DRIVER_NAME "uio_pdrv" struct uio_platdata { @@ -28,6 +31,19 @@ static int uio_pdrv_probe(struct platform_device *pdev) int ret = -ENODEV; int i; + if (!uioinfo) { + /* devicetree -- alloc uioinfo for one device */ + uioinfo = kzalloc(sizeof(*uioinfo), GFP_KERNEL); + if (!uioinfo) { + ret = -ENOMEM; + dev_err(&pdev->dev, "unable to kmalloc\n"); + goto err_uioinfo; + } + uioinfo->name = pdev->dev.of_node->name; + uioinfo->version = "devicetree"; + uioinfo->irq = UIO_IRQ_NONE; + } + if (!uioinfo || !uioinfo->name || !uioinfo->version) { dev_dbg(&pdev->dev, "%s: err_uioinfo\n", __func__); goto err_uioinfo; @@ -95,12 +111,23 @@ static int uio_pdrv_remove(struct platform_device *pdev) return 0; } +#ifdef CONFIG_OF +static const struct of_device_id uio_pdrv_of_match[] = { + { .compatible = "uio_pdrv", }, + { }, +}; +MODULE_DEVICE_TABLE(of, uio_pdrv_of_match); +#else +# define uio_pdrv_of_match NULL +#endif + static struct platform_driver uio_pdrv = { .probe = uio_pdrv_probe, .remove = uio_pdrv_remove, .driver = { .name = DRIVER_NAME, .owner = THIS_MODULE, + .of_match_table = uio_pdrv_of_match, }, }; diff --git a/drivers/uio/uio_pdrv_genirq.c b/drivers/uio/uio_pdrv_genirq.c index 1f5ec28..3c7d8de 100644 --- a/drivers/uio/uio_pdrv_genirq.c +++ b/drivers/uio/uio_pdrv_genirq.c @@ -264,7 +264,8 @@ static const struct dev_pm_ops uio_pdrv_genirq_dev_pm_ops = { #ifdef CONFIG_OF static const struct of_device_id uio_of_genirq_match[] = { { .compatible = "generic-uio", }, - { /* empty for now */ }, + { .compatible = "uio_pdrv_genirq", }, + { }, }; MODULE_DEVICE_TABLE(of, uio_of_genirq_match); #else
Now that we have configured UIO and added devicetree support to uio_pdrv, we are ready to rebuild the kernel and copy it to the SD card.
- $ cd linux; make uImage LOADADDR=0x00008000
- $ cp arch/arm/boot/uImage /media/BOOT
We can now use a nice simple devicetree .DTS for our zed_counters project:
/dts-v1/; /include/ "zynq-zed.dtsi" / { counters@70000000 { compatible = "uio_pdrv"; reg = < 0x70000000 0x1000 >; }; };
- Counters is now a uio_pdrv device with physical addresses 0x70000000-0x70000fff.
- No interrupt fakery required!
- Put that in arch/arm/boot/dts/zynq-zed-counters.dts, rebuild the device tree blob, and copy it to the SD card. $ make zynq-zed-counters.dtb;
$ cp arch/arm/boot/zynq-zed-counters.dtb /media/BOOT/devicetree.dtb
- Together with the BOOT.BIN for our zed-counters design, we're all set.
- Safe-eject the SD card, insert it into the ZedBoard, and boot Linux!
- There is no helpful console message confirming our counters device is initialized. That's OK, we can see for ourselves.
- $ ls -l /dev/uio0 => crw——- 1 root root 251, 0 Dec 31 1969 /dev/uio0
- $ grep 251 /proc/devices => 251 uio
- $ cd /sys/devices/70000000.counters/uio/uio0; cat name version uevent =>
Now to test UIO access to our counters. Andersson's GPIO UIO test application is worthy of your study, but is not ideal to exercise our two counters. Instead, below, I have modified it (quickly hacked it) into a trivial counters-specific test. First we check counters[0] increments on every read. Next we do a few timing tests with our free running counters[1].
#include <stdio.h> #include <stdlib.h> #include <unistd.h> #include <assert.h> #include <sys/mman.h> #include <fcntl.h> #define MAP_SIZE 0x1000 void usage(void) { printf("usage: test_counters -d <UIO_DEV_FILE>\n"); } int main(int argc, char *argv[]) { int c; int i; int fd = 0; char *uiod = 0; int value = 0; unsigned start, end; volatile unsigned *counters; while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "d:io:h")) != -1) { switch(c) { case 'd': uiod = optarg; break; case 'h': usage(); return 0; default: printf("invalid option: %c\n", c); usage(); return -1; } } if (!uiod) { usage(); return -1; } /* Open the UIO device file */ fd = open(uiod, O_RDWR); if (fd < 1) { perror(argv[0]); printf("Invalid UIO device file: '%s'\n", uiod); return -1; } /* mmap the UIO device */ counters = (volatile unsigned *)mmap(NULL, MAP_SIZE, PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, fd, 0); if (!counters) { perror(argv[0]); printf("mmap\n"); return -1; } counters[0] = 1; assert(counters[0] == 1); assert(counters[0] == 2); assert(counters[0] == 3); counters[0] = 100; assert(counters[0] == 100); assert(counters[0] == 101); assert(counters[0] == 102); printf("wr-rd delay on free-running counter: "); for (i = 0; i < 20; ++i) { counters[1] = start = 0; end = counters[1]; printf("%u ", end - start); } printf("\n"); printf("rd-rd delay on free-running counter: "); for (i = 0; i < 20; ++i) { counters[1] = 0; start = counters[1]; end = counters[1]; printf("%u ", end - start); } printf("\n"); munmap((void*)counters, MAP_SIZE); return 0; }
Now let's run it!
- $ cc -o counters counters.c
- $ ./counters -d /dev/uio0 => ./counters: Permission denied
- $ ls -l /dev/uio0 => crw——- 1 root root 251, 0 Dec 31 1969 /dev/uio0 Oh, right. The uio_pdrv driver created the device file but made it inaccessible to non-superusers.
- Fix that. $ sudo chmod 666 /dev/uio0
- $ ./counters -d /dev/uio0 =>
wr-rd delay on free-running counter: 13 14 13 14 13 14 14 13 13 13 14 14 13 14 13 14 14 …
rd-rd delay on free-running counter: 14 14 14 15 14 14 15 14 15 15 14 14 14 15 14 14 15 …
It works! Here we see that counter[0] correctly increments on every read, and successive read accesses to the free-running counter[1] each take 13-15 cycles e.g. 130-150 ns.
Unfortunately each time I reboot, permissions on /dev/uio0 revert to -rw——. I don't know how to set them from within the device driver. Any suggestions? Thank you.
This ends the tutorial. Thank you for reading along. I hope it is of help in your Zynq Linux work. Please leave me your comments here or via twitter @jangray. Good luck and happy hacking.


text:
December Skirt Table: Get the Party Started
By Helen Mitternight
With the holidays approaching, I was hoping to get some home entertaining tips from the wizards at The Cedar Room, which hosts some of Charleston's most glittering events.
I had wandered into The Cedar Room in the Cigar Factory, seeking director of sales Graham Ervin and senior catering services manager Caitlin Caserta, and finding only burly men tearing down from a previous party.
Downstairs, at Mercantile and Mash, both women greeted me with a smile and Caitlin went to The Cedar Room while Graham offered me water. By the time Graham and I got back upstairs, Caitlin waited at a table with more water, napkins and even a centerpiece. You would never have known that the table had been upended and set aside only moments ago. Of course. That's part of event-planning magic.
Graham and Caitlin are the folks who ensure that you have a successful event at The Cedar Room, Mercantile and Mash or Bar Mash, whether it's a wedding or a fundraiser. They've recently held a trial run with birds of prey swooping through the cavernous windowed room in preparation for a fundraiser by the Center for Birds of Prey, so it's hard to ruffle their feathers with any event. Caitlin, in particular, has been named Indigo Road restaurant group's top 2016 Charleston-area front of house employee.
Graham says The Cedar Room hosts between 150-175 events a year and about 75 of those are weddings with guest lists of between 125 and 250. That has the potential to be a lot of drama, but Caitlin says the goal is to reduce guest stress.
"I work with people 12 to 18 months," Graham says. "This is a big event in their lives. To see it all come together is very fulfilling."
If you're entertaining at home this holiday season, their advice can help your own event be fulfilling rather than something that you endure only through secret belts of alcohol in the pantry.
Caitlin says a successful guest experience is driven by food and music.
"People remember terrible food and they'll remember whether the music was good or bad," she says.
The menu should include a vegetarian option, a seafood option and a protein, and hosts should inquire as to whether any guest has a dietary restriction. A well-stocked bar will have vodka, bourbon, Scotch, gin and "bubbles in the beginning" as well as red and white wine and mixers. Tequila is becoming more popular among drinkers looking to watch calories, as well.
For hosts, Caitlin says to plan on about three hors d'oeuvres per person and an average of a drink per person per hour.
But here is where the magic of training comes in. That formula goes out the window when you have heavy drinkers or people who arrive hungry, and Caitlin's staff knows how to pace the service so that fresh food comes out when a new wave of guests arrives. They also know how to handle the over-served with communication among servers and bartenders and light pours.
"It's a safety thing, but we also want to make sure the hosts or the bride and groom are not affected by someone else's actions," Caitlin says.
"It helps to plan ahead and have all the food prepped so you're ready to go," Graham says. "Then you can enjoy the event."
"You want to relax and have fun," Caitlin adds.
Might be easier just to let the experts handle your next event.


text:
"Hello, is this here the Sheriff's Office?"
"Yes, what can I do for you?"
"I'm calling to report my neighbor, Virgil Smith. He's drillin' holes in his firewood and hiding marijuana inside!"
"Thank you very much for the call, sir."
The next day, the Sherriff & his deputies descend on Virgil's house. They search the shed where the firewood is kept. Using axes, they split every piece of wood, but find no marijuana. They sneer at Virgil and leave.
The phone rings at Virgil's house… "Hey, Virgil! This here is Floyd. Did the Sheriff come?"
"Did they split yer firewood?"
"Happy Birthday, buddy!"
(who says rednecks ain't real bright!)