text:
Vetements is taking the fashion world by storm and leaving no traditional rock unturned. The brand announced it would no longer participate in resort and pre-fall showcases, cutting their runway shows to only 2 a year. Their most recent show–during NYFWM–included a whopping 17 collaborations. Talk about over achievers! The collaborations consisted of brands far from the high fashion norm. Vetements goal was to ultimately partner with brands that exemplified individuality. Hanesbrand Inc.'s beloved Champion was chosen, mostly for its iconic sweats. Chief Global Design Officer of Hanesbrand Inc. interviewed with Racked with his take on the collaboration:
In its debut collection, Vetements produced a hoodie that riffed on the classic Champion style complete with twisted logo that cost close to $1,000. It was all over street style blogs and stars like Selena Gomez. What was your reaction when you first saw it?
Champion Europe [which is in the process of being acquired by Hanes Brand International] and I collaborate very closely in terms of product strategies, collaborations and aesthetics and it was funny because I saw it at the same time as their team and we were both like, "Hey wait a minute. Who is this? What's going on?" I knew of the Vetements brand, but it was the first time that we had seen the Champion logo twisted like that.
What was it like working with the Vetements team?
They're a great group of people—very talented and very respectful to both of our brands. Getting the product to where it needs to be has been a lot of fun. It was definitely a new challenge and it was a very creative challenge (we manufacture performance styles, after all). But their team was very respectful in twisting these iconic styles in a way that's right for their brand as well as ours.
Tell me about the process.
Well, for instance, Hanes is all about the iconic tee. So it was about taking the classic crewneck silhouette and figuring out how you put it into their design aesthetic, interpreting the Hanes classic in a way that felt true to the Vetements brand in neckline, shape silhouette, and overall aesthetic. We had to use different resources to get it done, and a different factory for some of the styles, but it's still Hanes fabric. It still has integrity.
Do you think the collaboration will have an impact on sales of regular Champion gear?
I think it's too soon to answer that question. Vetements is so hot right now so there is certainly a strong buzz. But we've got our own pretty strong collaboration strategy; the Champion brand and our lifestyle strategy are on fire right now. That's why it's great partnering with Vetements. We help each other tell a good story together. And it's fun playing in a different parts of the market.
What's the benefit, then, of partnering with Vetements?
Vetements has a more modern aesthetic. It's connected to designer and to streetwear, it's tapping into this amazing influencer in street culture right now, and that's super important.
In the past, you've also collaborated with Urban Outfitters and Supreme. Why is important for Champion — a brand that is known for making nondescript basics — to collaborate with other labels?
It's part of a halo strategy. With our Vetements collaboration, we'll sell at Barneys. We also sell at Urban Outfitters and at Dr. Jays. Both of our brands are approachable for all channels and all retailers. It's not unrealistic that someone would not believe that Champion is sold at those retailers. But what makes the balance is that we're also in your big box stores and department. We're very strategic in who we partner with to what extent and in what channels. Champion is all about authentic and heritage—and we're very careful not to get too far from that.
So overall, athleisure has been positive?
Well, we have a lot more competition than ever before. There are so many active brands now. Every time you turn around there's a new activewear collaboration or athleisure collection. But when you think about, who does the best authentic hoodie? It's Champion, right? We've got amazing product and we were the true innovators in the active apparel market. We were the first ones to patent the reverse weave [a revolutionary and technical procedure that minimizes a garment's shrinking and warp]. We're authentic, we've got an amazing heritage, and we're authentically invested in sports. We were the original so we're still relevant.
I love seeing someone on the street wearing Champion, and it could be a hip young girl in an oversized worn-in Champion sweatshirt that's cropped to whatever length she loves. And it probably used to be someone else's favorite sweatshirt. Today we have a lot more competition, but it keeps us on our toes.
You all know I love a good collaboration, and with Hanesbrand Inc. at that! Right in my backyard with the headquarters located in North Carolina! Leave your comments with your take on the collab. and any other collections you saw during NYFWM that must be mentioned! Entire collection can be seen on Vogue.com!
Don't forget to follow us on Bloglovin'!
Photo cred: hypebeast.com/image/2016/07/champion-vetements-collaboration-0.jpg


text:
(Editor's note: Warning: There are some major spoilers in this column.)
Are games art?
If you're like me, you are sick to death of this argument. It has raged for years, and recently reached a crescendo when Roger Ebert wrote a column sniffing that games will always be "inherently inferior to film and literature." That's because games allow the player to control some of the outcome – and art, for Ebert, is all about surrendering to the control of the artist.
Personally, I think Ebert made some excellent points, but I'm not going to debate him blow by blow here. Instead, I'm going to try and shift the grounds of this debate by suggesting that you stop reading this column – right now! – and take five minutes to play Passage, a free, downloadable game.
Wait: Did I call Passage a game? I actually meant to say poem. Because while Passage behaves like a game, it's psychically and aesthetically closer to a superb and tightly crafted sonnet. More than any game I've ever played, it illustrates how a game can be a fantastically expressive, artistic vehicle for exploring the human condition.
To prove it, let me describe what it's like to play Passage.
When I first launched the game, I was struck by the weird size of the play screen: a thin, horizontal strip only a few inches high. The graphics are old-school, low-rez pixels of the sort you'd see in an early '80s videogame. Your character is a little blond, blue-eyed man. You have five minutes to play.
As I started moving around, I quickly realized that while you can only see a small strip of the game world at a time, it contains a maze that stretches far off to the east and south. This makes exploration tantalizing but also frustrating, because you can't figure out what direction to go in.
About 30 seconds into the play, I encountered a little pixelized woman, and when I touched her, a heart bloomed around us – and suddenly we moved as one. Marriage! It was charming, but I soon found that it limited my movement, because there were parts of the maze that only a single person could fit through.
Then things got weird. About three minutes into the game, I realized with a shock that my character had changed appearance. My hair had darkened, and – hey, was I getting bald? My "wife," too, looked older, her hair whitened.
We kept on exploring eastward and southward; the lovely but impressionistically vague backgrounds changed color, shifting like Picasso-style fall leaves. But pretty soon it was obvious that my avatar was getting really, really super-old. Then abruptly, my wife died: A little tombstone blipped in her place. I walked on alone for another 30 seconds, then, just as suddenly, I died, too – another little gray tombstone.
Which is when I realized, with a stab of pain, just what Passage is:
It's a game about life.
"That's exactly what I was doing," agreed Jason Rohrer, the game's creator, when I called him up. "I wanted to create something that makes you think about how it seems to sort of slip away from you. People tell me they don't even notice that their guy is slowly balding, because it happens so slowly. And that's how it works in real life! You get older and older and then one day, you look in a mirror and you're like – 'Wow, how did this happen?'"
What makes Passage so remarkable is not merely its lovely, intentionally abstract graphics. It's that Rohrer uses the mechanics of gameplay as metaphors. He takes the very thing that Ebert finds artistically limiting about games – the player's agency, her ability to interactively "do" things – and uses it to explore human experience.
Consider just a few of the delicious metaphors at work here. For example, there's the partnering. Sure, it makes it impossible to go certain places on the map – but as Rohrer slyly points out, it makes exploration more rewarding. You gain points more quickly as you walk around.
The world also changes subtly as you "age." When you begin, the east – the "future" – is hazy, and the past is clear. When you're near death, this reverses: The future is clear, and the past, now remote, is hazy. As you move further east and age, the obstacles become more frequent and harder to navigate.
Most evocative for me is the five-minute time limit. It means that, as with life, you can never explore the whole map at one go. You have to make choices, pick one direction and enjoy whatever it is you're able to see. (If you want an even deeper exploration of Passage, check out Rohrer's Creator's Statement about the game. He's also got a few other games to play.)
Passage is clearly a work of art. Perhaps the reason critics like Ebert can't see the artistic possibilities of games is that they're looking for something that feels – cognitively and aesthetically – like a movie or a book, with a strong, single narrative. But the power of Passage isn't in its narrative. It's in its gamelike qualities. It sets up a system, and invites you to explore it. It architects your behavior: It's like being an actor in a partly ad-libbed play.
Compare it to poetry, for instance. Passage hit me precisely the way, say, Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ozymandias" stunned me when I first read it. Both pieces of art slam you with a short burst of lyric intensity, then leave you to think about it.
Sadly, as with poetry, there's no commercial market for what Rohrer does. More than 100,000 people have played Passage, but he hasn't made a dime off it. Seriously artistic games probably never will make any money; most "high art" never does. Artistic games won't crack the Top 10.
But they'll change the way you think about life.
- - -
Clive Thompson is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and a regular contributor to Wired and New York magazines. Look for more of Clive's observations on his blog, collision detection.
Frag With a Friend for Ultimate Fun
Gamers Get Their Kicks From Dying
Going Gunning With My Imaginary Friends

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Nokia India to release a Google Places competitor?
Nokia India will soon be offering a location based service called "Search" through which users can discover information about a specific location and local information around it, at the touch of a button.
Speaking at an event, Nokia India's Director of Operator Channel, V Ramnath said:
"We are planning to introduce the 'Search' option that gives out details about a particular locality or anything you want to know. For example, if you want to know a food joint in Nungambakkam (in Chennai), it will give out the details of food joints present nearby".
He also added that this new feature will help users to identify a place or a shopping mall or a food joint direct from their mobile phones.
From the looks of it, this service seems to be a direct competitor to Google Places. However there are no concrete details about this service, its availability or whether this service will be a standalone feature or will be a part of the soon to be re-branded Nokia Maps. We'll keep our eyes open and let you know of any new developments as it happens.
Read next: Turning up the volume on Eventbrite and Ticketfly and tuning out Ticketmaster


text:
Earth day is about celebration. Together with 193 countries around the globe we celebrate our commitment and support for environmental protection. In the face of changing environmental policies and increased news coverage of environmental exposure events it's important that we stay positive and focus on what can be done to advocate efforts to protect our earth.
However, staying positive about the current state of our environment may not always be easy. We can see the visible impacts of #climatechange and the pollution present in our immediate environment. As part of my role here at Thermo Fisher Scientific I have the privilege of attending environmental analysis conferences around the globe. While interacting with leading scientist and researchers is an awesome opportunity it also comes at the cost of awareness. Upon returning from these conferences you can hear me saying things like "honey, don't eat that there's a lot of pesticides in it" or "we can't drink the water because …" There's always another story to share about increased exposure to harmful contaminants and how they are being spread: Brominated flame retardents in our electronics and textiles, pharmaceuticals in our lakes and streams, pesticides in literally everything.
Luckily we have some brilliant scientists around the world that are working to determine the impact of environmental contaminants today and prevent their impact tomorrow. Though these scientists are part of the broader effort to curb pollution and limit environmental exposure to harmful contaminants, help is still needed to advocate for environmental protection. (Shameless plug) Some of those scientists will be featured in our 11thPOPs and Emerging Contaminant Symposium. This is a free event that we host for our environmental analysis customers to allow them to share their research with other researchers from around the world and collaborate.
While there may be uncertainty under a new administration and there could be changes to current environmental policies it's our job to remain educated on sound scientific practices to maintain awareness and educate on environmental issues. Grass roots efforts through social media to identify polluters and raise visibility to exposure events are also imperative. #FlintWaterCrisis #GoldKingMine #Pollutionshaming #littershaming
On April 29 a People's Climate March on Washington is planned to rally and stand up for our communities and climate protection. Climate activist Bill McKibben, the co-founder of 350.org, referenced the event in a Rolling Stone interview stating "Politicians need to be reminded, even as they do the bidding of the industry, that the rest of us are watching".
Like what you are learning?
Sign up to stay connected with all Thermo Scientific resources, applications, blog posts and promotions.Keep Me Informed!
Everybody plays a role in protecting of the earth. Have we asked ourselves what our legacy will be? As scientists and chemists many of us endeavored into this field of research and study with a predisposition for helping the world in some way. Earth Day is the perfect opportunity to reflect on what we can do to make our planet a beautiful place for generations to come.
Thermo Fisher Scientific is committed to enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Learn about some of the impact our products have on businesses that are ensuring the health and safety of our drinking water and environment.
And check out these videos for more information:


text:
Following a brain injury, we may struggle with knowing how to take care of ourselves. The process of taking care of myself has evolved during the 49 years since I sustained my brain injury at the age of 10 in 1967. In this eBook, I would like to share with you what helped me to begin to learn to take care of myself.
Today I would like to share my 8th eBook, Living with a Brain Injury and Learning to Take Care of Ourselves. You may read the eBook by clicking on this link: Living with a Brain Injury and Learning to Take Care of Ourselves
Below is an introduction to the eBook. Please read and share with anyone who is living with the impact of a brain injury.
Living with a brain injury can leave us baffled and confused. What adds to the confusion is that once our external wounds have healed, we look "normal". What was once familiar, no longer seems to make sense to us. In our attempts to adapt, we may find ourselves denying what we can not understand. In the process, we may find ourselves being blamed for what is out of our control. In our confusion, we may find that our judgment is challenged and questioned.
We may subsequently begin to question our judgment. In the process, we may have a difficult time trusting. Trusting both ourselves and other people. As our ability to trust crumbles we may begin to question hope and life itself. In the process, we may find that we experience a sense of alienation. Alienation from both other people and from ourselves. In our sense of alienation, we may find ourselves shrinking back into the shadows of isolation.
Isolating may feel like a warm blanket that keeps us safe from stereotypes and stigmatization. But isolation only serves to keep us from experiencing what life has to offer to us. As an individual who has lived with the impact of a brain injury and an invisible disability for the past 49 years, I have experienced all of which and what I have shared above. With my awareness, I realized that I needed to do something different in my life, to be able to get different results in my life.
The Good News
I believe and has been my experience, that there is a tremendous power in being able to identify with the experiences of other people. Other people who have had similar experiences, struggles and adversities. In my experience, I have found that as I identify with other people I find the freedom to come out of the shadows of isolation. I find, as I identify with other people, that the snare (s) of alienation is broken and in the process, I find the courage to be my authentic self.
In my experience, this process of finding the courage to be my authentic self – not someone I think other people want me to be – has been likened to putting pieces of a puzzle together. In this eBook, as well as in my 9 other eBooks I share other puzzle pieces that have helped me and continue to help me to be authentic self. I would invite you to read through the articles in this eBook and let me know if you can identify with me. I look forward to hearing from you, as we live our lives with brain injuries.
To download each of my 10 eBooks – which are free for download – you may click on this link: Second Chance to Live — 10 eBooks — Free for Download
Copyright Notice for my eBooks and articles — Click on this link: Copyright Notice for my eBooks and articles
This eBook is free for download. Please share this eBook with anyone who may be questioning or having a difficult time with hope. And as you read through the articles in this eBook, may you be encouraged to dream again. May you be encouraged to realize that you can have an active role in your relationship with hope to create a good life.
Please NOTE
That in order to receive the link to open this eBook, Click on the blue FREE-PURCHASE button which will open the CHECKOUT page. On the CHECK OUT page please enter your name and email (which will only be shared with me). After filling out your name and email, click on the blue PURCHASE button. By clicking on the blue PURCHASE button you will be asked to PLEASE WAIT. Another window will open with PURCHASE CONFIRMATION — which again, my eBook is FREE.
At the bottom of the PURCHASE, is the CONFIRMATION page is PRODUCTS where you will see the name of the eBook. Under the Product information — will be the name of the eBook — is a blue link (my eBook). Click on the blue link to my eBook. After clicking on this link, another small window will open, giving you the option of saving the eBook to your computer or opening the eBook with Adobe reader or another program of your choosing.


text:
- It has never been so easy to reform -
Our system "key in hand" is the ideal solution so that you don´t need to be permanently following the building site and to have the reliability to leave it all in the hands of qualified professionals.
The architects, engineers and interior designers that form our technical department will carry out any project that you need for your housing or business.
Either a new building site, expansion, rehabilitation, opening and commercial activity license, etc.
You can also have available a 3D design so that you can see how the result of your reform will be and thus make the necessary modifications until achieving exactly what you want.
Thanks to our widespread group of collaborators we are in disposition of performing all types of jobs, such as:


text:
If you are a book lover, here's a secret you are going to love!
Libreria Acqua Alta, Venice, Italy: The translation is "library of high water." It's spread out through various rambling rooms; one room with a gondola stacked with books, other rooms are packed with rowing boats & bath tubs full of old second hand atlases, dictionaries, art books, biographies and history books.
There's something for every one, you just have to look long enough. In the back room you can look out to one of the channels, which makes this place even more special.
Location: Calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa
Hours: 9.00 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily


text:
BREDEX GmbH has nearly 30 years' experience in delivering tailor-made solutions. Based in Braunschweig, we employ around 75 developers, who work in dynamic teams on individual customer projects. Our expertise in software development makes us branch-independent – last year for example we worked on mobile applications for the automotive industry, as well as a web portal for a large company group. Our "Wünsch dir eine app" campaign, where we sponsored the development of an app for a charity, was particularly interesting for the media.
Alongside our software development activities, we are well known for the Open Source testing tool Jubula and our testing competence. BREDEX has a team of test consultants who support internal and external projects, and we are present at various testing conferences to share our experiences.
Conferences aren't the only place where we share our knowledge. BREDEX offers seminars in mobile testing and is a certified ISQI partner for the CMAP® certification. We also organize special training courses, for example our Java Boot Camp. We designed this course for an automotive customer in 2015 as a way to teach a non-IT audience about IT and software development using Lego Mindstorms®. It has been held successfully multiple times since.
Since 2015, we have also increased our technological knowledge to include interaction design and augmented reality. At the CeBIT 2016, we presented applications and prototypes relevant to mobile business cases using these new areas.
Regardless of the project, we value quality at all stages of the development process, as well as close contact and communication with our customers. We prefer lean, agile processes to ensure customer satisfaction, and we implement continuous testing and integration to provide quick feedback. We use a wide variety of modern technologies for our projects while remaining true to our roots of being platform- and manufacturer-independent. BREDEX is active in the Open Source community as a Solutions Member of the Eclipse Foundation.


text:
Anxiety: Non-drug Approaches
Saturday, Nov. 3, at 10:30 A.M., Dr. Harlin will give a presentation on non-drug therapeutic approaches to anxiety.
A psychiatrist's selection of a patient's treatment plan is almost exclusively based on clinical judgment without incorporating objective assessments. But this is about to change. Researchers have found that multiple pathways affect a person's response to stress, not just the serotonergic pathway. There is growing evidence that knowledge of blood-based biomarkers, genetic mutations, and the gut microbiome improve diagnostic processes and treatment algorithms.
The talk will examine how the food we eat, the bacteria living in our gut, and our genes all interact to make us more or less susceptible to anxiety and depression. Dr. Harlin will offer research-based strategies for coping and mitigating the effects of stress.
The talk will be held at The Harlin Center in Lakewood Ranch. It is free and open to the public.
Please RSVP to reserve your seat: (941) 361-1505.


text:
aword from oneworld: May 200821 May 2008
Malév links Split to oneworld network again: Malév Hungarian Airlines has resumed its summer season services to Split with five flights a week between the Croatian city and the airline's Budapest base. Malév is the only oneworld partner serving the gateway to the Adriatic's Dalmatian coast, which features some of Europe's most beautiful beaches.
Dublin to be BA's tenth destination served from London City: Dublin is to be the tenth destination served by British Airways from London City from 1 June. Its subsidiary BA CityFlyer, which is a oneworld affiliate, will serve the Irish capital three times a day from the closest gateway to the UK capital's financial district. Earlier this month, the airline opened service from the airport to Amsterdam, Barcelona and Warsaw and will increase frequencies to Nice to two a day from September.
BA to serve JFK from Gatwick besides Heathrow: British Airways is to open a new route between New York JFK and London, with daily four-class Boeing 777s to and from Gatwick from 27 October - in addition to its existing 55 roundtrips a week between JFK and London Heathrow. BA also serves Newark-Heathrow. The new Gatwick flights will replace its current 767 dailies between JFK and Manchester. The new route means that oneworld carriers will offer three London gateways to JFK, with American Airlines serving Heathrow and Stansted.
American launches Milan Malpensa and Barcelona routes: American Airlines has launched services between New York JFK and both Milan Malpensa and Barcelona with daily non-stops, using two-class Boeing 767-300s. Seven of oneworld's current ten member airlines now serve Milan Malpensa while five operate to Barcelona.
American is also launching two new Caribbean routes, linking Miami with both Antigua and Grenada non-stop from 20 November. It will serve Antigua daily and Grenada five days a week. Both islands are both already on the oneworld network.
Its regional affiliate American Eagle, which is also part of oneworld, will link New York LaGuardia with Cedar Rapids from 2 July, with daily non-stops. It and AmericanConnection already fly to the Iowa airport from Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth and St Louis.
LAN Peru to link Lima with Medellin: LAN Peru is to link its Lima hub with Colombia's Medellin next week, with daily flights via Quito from Thursday (15 May), operated by Airbus A319s. The oneworld affiliate already serves Colombia's capital, Bogota. The airline current flies to 12 domestic destinations in Peru and 14 international gateways.
BA to move a quarter of its Terminal 4 operations to Terminal 5 on 5 June: The next phase of British Airways' move of operations at its London Heathrow hub to its new Terminal 5 base will take place next month, with the transfer with effect from 5 June of the first eight longhaul routes from Terminal 4 - New York JFK, Abuja, Bangalore, Beijing, Cairo, Cape Town, Lagos and Phoenix.
The airline serves JFK eight times a day from Heathrow, and operates dailies on all the other routes, so this transfer represents around a quarter of BA's Terminal 4 schedule.
All BA's UK domestic and other shorthaul services (with the exception of Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Nice and Helsinki) and longhaul flights serving Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Tokyo Narita and Vancouver have been based at Terminal 5 since 27 March.
In a change from the original plan, BA will now switch its operations from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5 on a phased basis, rather than all in one go, with dates for the remaining moves to be announced in due course.
American opens its own premium check-in area at London Heathrow: American Airlines has opened its own new check-in area for premium passengers at London Heathrow. Its Flagship Check-In is in its own building adjacent to Terminal 3. It can be used by passengers traveling in First or Business Class, or Emerald tier members of any oneworld airline frequent flyer programme.
Cathay Pacific, Dragonair and Finnair complete Shanghai moves: Cathay Pacific, Dragonair and Finnair have moved operations at Shanghai Pudong into the airport's new Terminal 2. British Airways and Qantas switched there late last month. American Airlines intends to move to Terminal 2 later but will remain in Terminal 1 for now, alongside fellow oneworld member Japan Airlines and their code-share partner China Eastern which will also stay there. Cathay Pacific and Dragonair have also opened a new lounge in Shanghai Pudong Terminal 2.
American to introduce charge for some passengers checking in second bag: American Airlines has followed most of the rest of the US industry in introducing a US$25 charge for some domestic Economy Class passengers checking in a second bag. The first bag remains free. The new ruling also applies to its oneworld regional affiliate American Eagle - but as it covers only passengers flying entirely US domestic journeys, the new policy does not apply to those traveling on oneworld itineraries.
The charge will NOT apply to Gold, Platinum and Executive Platinum tier members of its AAdvantage frequent flyer programme - or Emerald, Sapphire or Ruby tier members in any oneworld partner's loyalty scheme, passengers traveling on full-fare Economy, Business or First Class tickets, or those with international itineraries (except to and from Canada and US territories, such as Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands).
Iberia to increase check-in baggage allowance and cut excess charges: Iberia has changed its check-in baggage policy "to reduce both complications and costs for customers", with more generous free allowances for passengers. Economy Class passengers on Spanish domestic or European routes can now check-in up to 23 kg free, 3 kg more than before. Business Class customers will have a 30 kg allowance. On longhaul flights to the Americas or Africa, the Economy Class limit is now two items, each weighing a maximum of 23 kg - giving a 46 kg allowance overall. Business Class travellers can check-in three items of up to 23 kg each, giving a total of 69 kg.
Finnair enables customers to calculate carbon emissions from their flights: Finnair is now enabling its customers to calculate their flights' fuel consumption and resulting carbon dioxide emissions. The airline is not, however, offering them the opportunity to offset the emissions resulting from their journey, as its oneworld partner British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Dragonair and Qantas already do.
oneworld in brief: oneworld brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business - American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Qantas and Royal Jordanian, plus some 20 affiliates, including American Eagle, South Africa's Comair, Dragonair, LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and LAN Peru. Mexicana will join in 2009, with its subsidiary Click Mexicana as an affiliate.
Its airlines serve some 700 destinations in 150 countries and offer almost 550 airport lounges worldwide. They carried around 320 million passengers last year. It is the only alliance with any member airlines based in South America, the Middle East or Australia.
The alliance enables its members to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. These include a broader route network, opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles and points across the combined oneworld network and more airport lounges. oneworld is the only alliance to enable passengers to fly throughout its network, on any combination of carriers, using just electronic tickets.
oneworld was voted the World's Leading Airline Alliance for the fifth year running in the 2007 World Travel Awards, based on votes cast by some 170.000 travel professionals, including more than 110.000 travel agents in 200 countries.


text:
A Rest
That last post took a lot out of me. I spent 4 or 5 days writing it, and still am not that happy with it. It is one of the most personal things I have ever written. Writing it scraped the bottom of my soul, and stirred things up, and now I've got all kinds of things floating around, and causing disruption and anxiety.
So, I am taking a blog break for a while.
I need to practice what I preach, and tend to my family more, I want to do more art, and am beginning another icon. I need more focus around here, and less out in the blog world.
I seem to lack the discipline right now to keep it all in balance, so I have to impose a fast on myself.
The fight with evil is still going on in my Town, and it is getting more and more emotionally draining since the killing has begun. I am going to really have to pace myself so as not to crash and burn.
So, don't be alarmed if you don't hear from me for a little while. I will be back when I am more settled.
Many blessings to all.


text:
Basic Care of Your Contact Lenses Part 1
If you wear contact lenses, there are some basic steps that should be adhered to for proper contact lens care and to ensure that you keep your eyes in the best possible health. First, and foremost, wash your hands prior to insertion and also prior to removal of your lenses so there is no risk of transferring any germs onto the contact and then into your eye. Don't use any scented or oily soaps when washing hands and make sure that you have not picked up any lint from a towel that may have been used. Of course, if you have specific questions about your vision, eye care, contact lenses, or caring for contact lenses, it is always best to see your eye care professional. For further information or to book an appointment please call any of our three Rochester, NY Cornerstone Eye Associates locations in Gates (585-328-0153), Brighton (585-244-2200) or Irondeqouit (585-266-7880).Cornerstone Eye Associates - your VISION for LIFE


text:
Malta diving article goes here.
Best Diving in Malta
Been diving in Malta? Please Vote!
It'd be great to hear about your experience!
Dive Sites Reviews in Malta
The Blue Hole in Gozo is one of the most popular dive sites in the islands of Malta. The actual ...
Liveaboard Reviews in Malta
Been diving here with a liveaboard? Please share your experience using the comment section!
Leave a Comment


text:
In the "Overlooked, Underloved & Unknown Analytics" SMX Advanced Seattle 2011 session, the panelists discuss the top lesser-known/latest analytics reporting tools & strategies to effectively measure conversion in search marketing campaigns. A few key points from the speakers:
- Madan Bharadwaj, Visual IQ: When trying to determine the level of conversion intent in users, Madan says to analyze & optimize the entire experience, as the behavior of users who click on display ads (push medium) differ from those who click on search (pull medium).
- Khalid Saleh, Invesp: Khalid stresses that the key to the conversion rate optimization (CRO) is to have a structured approach: plan your starting point, implement the optimization strategy and in turn, improve the interaction experience. Even if a certain page sees an increase in conversion rates, that doesn't translate to the overall site conversion rate – one must still look at the complete picture.
- Allison Hartsoe, Semphonic: Allison reviews the extra "hidden data dimensions" in both Google Analytics and Omniture/Site Catalyst, explaining that both tools allow for additional visibility to reports, an important feature for all marketers.
- Phil Mui, Google: The biggest announcements coming from Google's representative pertain to Google +1 and Google Webmasters. Both features will be trackable/visible within Google Analytics tools, helping the overall user experience.
With so many analytics reports available to marketers nowadays, knowing which reporting options are available – outside of the standard tools – can be very helpful in determining a search marketing campaign focus. More specifically, knowing the important items to look for in advanced analytics is key.
While advanced analytics can be tricky and requires analysis from many different angles, Khalid mentions a few key items to begin the focus:
- pre-product page abandonment rate (goal is to keep this <25% & increase flow)
- # of visitors who make their way to the product page/total visitors
- bounce around effect (want to see <20% bounce rate)
- # of visitors who navigate to a parent category/total visitors who land on category
- product page effectiveness rate (aim for rate of 10%-15%)
- # of visitors who click on the add to cart button/total visitors who visit product page (the higher the average order value, the more people will hesitate)
All analytics tools have their own reporting details that allow for a search marketing campaign to be fully comprehensive. While these reports are constantly evolving, the insights they offer will also continue to transform, giving marketers even more information in the future.
Madan Bharadwaj, Vice President, Visual IQ
Allison Hartsoe, VP Analytics, Semphonic
Phil Mui, Group Product Manager, Google
Khalid Saleh, President, Invesp
Contributed by: Selin Maurice, Sr. Account Manager/eStrategist, Milestone Internet Marketing


text:
Rob Weir on the mailing list wrote:Our latest blog post:
https://blogs.apache.org/OOo/entry/apac ... ice_4_1_to
This accessibility code has now been integrated into the trunk. This
is a great step forward. If you refresh yourself on our posted Public
Service Mission, you see that accessibility is a key priority for us:
This code came from IBM's contribution of Lotus Symphony, but much
effort was required to integrate it into OpenOffice. Our thanks go to
Steve Yin for the development work and to V Stuart Foote, James Teh,
Jean-Philippe Mengual and Liu Ping for their expertise on testing.
(And profuse apologies if I missed anyone)


text:
Bernard Jacobson, widely read and respected writer on music and restaurants, is also a regular viewer and collector of CVG and other local art. Below are his observations on the CVG 2012 Show.
The CVG Show 2012
Reviewed by Bernard Jacobson
The range of quality, in this year's juried show, seems to be considerably wider in the field of painting than in other media. That is to say, while most of the three-dimensional pieces and most of the photography maintain a high standard of both technique and communicative content, the two-dimensional work on CVG's walls reveals a considerable gulf between really impressive pieces and others that I frankly don't understand the juror's having selected. This, actually, harmonizes with the feeling I've always had when viewing television programs like Antiques Roadshow: why is it that paintings of very moderate quality are always tagged with prices out of all proportion to the relatively modest amounts that even the finest pieces of furniture are expected to fetch?
Still, I don't intend to waste your reading time by enumerating the works I didn't like. It's more important to celebrate the beauty, skill, and often depth of feeling the best artists in the show have brought to their work and to our eyes. My favorite painting was William Walcott's "Outdoor Still Life," a study of pitchers and the like painted with stunning skill, and flooded with the sort of luminous quality that makes it seem illuminated from behind. Another top entry for me was-perhaps not surprisingly-one of the smallest paintings in the show: Jennifer Frohwerk's "Anteroom," just nine inches square, but evoking in its graceful portrayal of a young woman gazing out of a window a real sense of character that grew on me the longer I looked at it. The other two-dimensional works that spoke to me most winningly were "Perpetually Coy," a characteristically elegant graphite drawing by Anna Hoey; "Tightrope Walker," an economical and playful exploitation of mixed-media resources by MaLynda Poulsen-Jones; and, as an outstanding source of sheer fun, Harold Nelson's brilliantly conceived and executed paper collage, "Building the Museum of the Color White." Two-dimensional also, though grouped in the separate "photograph art" category, was another fascinating small piece, a digital color photograph illustrative of the principal that the less color you use the stronger, often, is the result: this was "Stone Staircase," by Paula Suter, a powerfully atmospheric study that was almost Rembrandt-esque in its dark intensity.
The stand-outs for me in the three-dimensional field were Ned Block's superbly smooth and elegant resin, steel, and bronze "Lorelei"; Robert Gigliotti's cast bronze "Cyclist," with its amusing subtraction of just those elements that would actually hold both bicycle and rider together; Maureen Wall's "Heads of State-Karl," compounded of cedar, sea sponges, and found metal, which on sustained contemplation exerted a baleful fascination appropriate to the nowadays somewhat downgraded segment of humanity it portrayed; Marilynn Gottlieb's clever little "Lost Art," which revealed charming vignettes, digitally transferred to metal, when the viewer lifted a series of frames from a box; and Margaret Murch's ceramic and acrylic "Leda's Daughter," the long neck of its subject wittily alluding to Jupiter's impersonation of a swan when he came to woo the lady.
Aside, then, from half a dozen paintings and one or two photographs that I thought were in over their heads, this show was another absorbing demonstration of the artistic talent that is evidently flourishing in all corners of Washington state.


text:
Perception of relative depth interval : Systematic biases in perceived depth
MetadataShow full item record
Given an estimate of the binocular disparity between a pair of points and an estimate of the viewing distance, or knowledge of eye position, it should be possible to obtain an estimate of their depth separation. Here we show that, when points are arranged in different vertical geometric configurations across two intervals, many observers find this task difficult. Those who can do the task tend to perceive the depth interval in one configuration as very different from depth in the other configuration. We explore two plausible explanations for this effect. The first is the tilt of the empirical vertical horopter: Points perceived along an apparently vertical line correspond to a physical line of points tilted backwards in space. Second, the eyes can rotate in response to a particular stimulus. Without compensation for this rotation, biases in depth perception would result. We measured cyclovergence indirectly, using a standard psychophysical task, while observers viewed our depth configuration. Biases predicted from error due either to cyclovergence or to the tilted vertical horopter were not consistent with the depth configuration results. Our data suggest that, even for the simplest scenes, we do not have ready access to metric depth from binocular disparity.
Harris , J , Chopin , A , Zeiner , K M & Hibbard , P B 2012 , ' Perception of relative depth interval : Systematic biases in perceived depth ' , The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology , vol. 65 , no. 1 , pp. 73-91 . https://doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2011.589520
The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology
Peer reviewed
Journal article
This is a preprint of an article whose final and definitive form has been published in The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology © 2012, copyright Taylor & Francis and The Experimental Psychology Society. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology is available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2011.589520
Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
Perceived depth of 3D disparity-defined objects : continuous edges confer less apparent depth Cammack, Philip P. K.; Harris, Julie M. (2014) - Journal item
Depth perception with gaze-contingent depth of field Mauderer, M.; Conte, S.; Nacenta, M.A.; Vishwanath, D. (ACM, 2014-04-26) - Conference itemBlur in images can create the sensation of depth because it emulates an optical property of the eye; namely, the limited depth of field created by the eye's lens. When the human eye looks at an object, this object appears ...
Comparing motion induction in lateral motion and motion in depth Harris, Julie; German, KJ (2008-02) - Journal articleInduced motion, the apparent motion of an object when a nearby object moves, has been shown to occur in a variety of different conditions, including motion in depth. Here we explore whether similar patterns of induced ...


text:
Wellington teenager Max Hurd had his neck and back brace off for just 24 hours before receiving an urgent phone call from his surgeon telling him to put it back on immediately.
On Thursday, the 17-year-old -- who tumbled 100m down a cliff on December 5 while out walking with relatives in the Wairarapa -- was given the all-clear from doctors to remove the brace he had been wearing for the previous six weeks.
He considered this a "milestone" in his recovery.
But a call to Max's mother from his surgeon yesterday afternoon put a sudden end to his feeling of freedom.
"The surgeon phoned me and said that they had had another look at his x-ray and he wasn't happy about it," Svea Cunliffe-Steel said. "It looks like the front of the vertebra in his neck has collapsed.
"He said it could just be the angle of the x-ray ... but he said the worst-case scenario is that they will have to operate on Max's neck because it has not healed the way it should.
"In the meantime, Max has got to wear his brace 24 hours a day, for obvious reasons."
Last month, Max fell during a run up a hill while out walking with his cousins and uncle on the Deliverance Cove track.
It was the day after his birthday and the day before he was due to start equestrian school.
As he reached the top, he fell, possibly as the result of a seizure or from passing out through over-exertion. Whatever the reason, he plunged down the side of the hill.
Max was rushed to Wellington Hospital in a critical condition. He had a broken neck, five fractures in his back, extensive bruising and brain damage. Remarkably, his spinal cord was not torn.
Now, six weeks on from the accident and after being initially allowed to remove his brace while at home, Max will have to head back to hospital for a CT scan and may face more surgery.
Ms Cunliffe-Steel said her son would have to wait until Thursday afternoon for the results of the scan.
"If he does have to have his neck operated on, well that is a whole other ball game. That is back into hospital, back into rehabilitation, neck brace... I just hope it doesn't have to go that far," she said.
"I'm worried. There are always risks with [surgery]. The artery that caused his speech problems is right there and there are a lot of important blood vessels and nerves there.
"The doctors know what they are doing but there are always risks associated with that and it just delays his recovery time."
Ms Cunliffe-Steel said her son had taken the latest news "in his stride" but was frustrated that he would have to continue wearing the brace.
"He is disappointed because he was really hoping to get the brace off, and now he will have to keep wearing it."


text:
Sexual health is a huge contributor to quality of life for people of all ages. Studies have shown time and again that we are happier and healthier when we are able to maintain a functioning sex life. Unfortunately, there are often many impediments to keeping one's sex life in top shape, and for men, a key contributor to this aspect of life can be the ability to achieve and maintain an erection. An inability to do so, commonly referred to as erectile dysfunction, can severely impede not just a man's love life, but also other areas of his wellbeing. Thankfully for the many men afflicted by the condition, there is new and innovative research being conducted to alleviate the disorder. To better highlight this work, we caught up with Dr. Dov Rand, a leader in the field of erectile dysfunction treatment. A look at his practice, and some of the ways in which he treats the condition, can provide an interesting look at treatment options available today.
Information about the doctor
In order to better show why Dr. Dov Rand and his practice provide such a good window into the world of erectile dysfunction treatment, let's take a look at his training and some of his philosophies on medicine. Educated at both Rutgers University and Howard University for undergrad and medical school, he would go on to complete his residency at the prestigious Albert Einstein Medical Center. Though interested in medicine from a young age, his formal education helped to clarify his drive to help patients through a focus on emerging medical research and cutting edge scientific methodologies.
In his time following the end of his formal education, Rand went into the field of medicine in a traditional practice environment. During that time he found that his push towards innovative treatment options that were emerging from scientific research was not always matched by his peers. After seeing many of his colleagues default to older and potentially less-effective treatment options, he decided to strike out on his own and create his own practice that would work to avail itself of the latest that medical science had to offer. That practice would come to be known as the Health Aging Medical Centers.
In support of his work, the doctor would also continue his education far beyond his formal graduation date. He began reading scientific studies regularly and attending conferences in his field. He continues this practice to this day and is known by his colleagues as a practitioner who always seeks to keep abreast of the latest findings in medicine. He can often be found reading literature on the topic in his free time in support of his work.
Achieving an erection
To examine the innovate ways in which the doctor's practice endeavors to treat sexual dysfunction in men, one must first take a look at the potential causes of such a disorder. In the case of erectile dysfunction, the potential causes of the condition can be wide-ranging. This is due to the complex nature of the erectile response, and the many bodily systems that are involved in successfully achieving and maintaining an erection.
In the course of the attainment of a healthy erection, the first part of the body that is involved is the nervous system. The primary portion of this system of course would be the brain, which is important to note because erections need to be initiated by a feeling of arousal that comes from a man's head. That means that when a man perceives something arousing, whether from outside perception or in his own thoughts, then the brain sends a signal to the penis to become erect.
Once this signal is sent to the penis, the vascular system becomes involved in the process, sending an increased level of blood flow to the organ. During the course of a healthy erection, the penis fills with blood which enlarges the male member and creates a higher internal pressure. This internal pressure is responsible for the hardness of an erection and is caused by a greater inward flow of blood to the penis than outward flow. This is achieved when the blood filling the organ applies pressure on the veins leading away from the penis, narrowing them and effectively reducing their ability to carry blood away from the member.
In addition to the nervous and vascular system, the muscular system also plays a role in the ability of a man to achieve an erection. This is accomplished through a number of mechanisms, one of which is the smooth muscle that exists in the penis itself. This smooth muscle is typically contracted when a man is not around aroused, which constricts arteries and keeps blood flow into the penis to a minimum. When a man becomes aroused, however, this smooth muscle relaxes and arteries are free to carry blood into the penis at a higher rate. A similar effect can be observed in the muscles of the pelvic floor, many of which can have the effect of restricting blood flow to the penis if they are overly tight or constrictive.
Causes of erectile dysfunction
It's clear to see from the information above that there are many ways in which the successful achievement of an erection can be derailed. Starting with the method of inducing an erection, the nervous system, a man can see his erectile function diminished in multiple key ways in just this area alone. One common cause of erectile dysfunction is rooted in psychology, which would interfere with a man's ability to become aroused in the first place. If a man undergoes a sexually-related trauma, or experiences a significant amount of stress around the thought or act of intercourse, he may find that his erections will suffer. This can be due to a learned response in the brain that associates arousal with an undesirable outcome and thus seeks to avoid it when possible.
Another key cause of dysfunction in this area would be the vascular system. Since an erection is, when all is said and down, a phenomenon relating to blood flow, it is clear that irregular patterns of blood flow can negatively contribute to male sexual health. This can be especially true when blood vessels become old or damaged and may not carry or retain blood as well as they once did. Arteries that carry less blood can cut off the supply of blood to an erection at its source, which can cause insufficient hardness and an inability for an erection to trap blood in the penis.
As men age, they can also find their musculature becoming less effective at helping to initiate and maintain an erection. With decreased muscle mass and quality can come an inability for muscles in the pelvic floor to do their part in keeping blood flowing to the male member. If smooth muscle content goes down in the penis itself, a man can likewise expect a dip in the quality of his erectile function. This again will play a significant role in the effectiveness of a man's sexual system and ultimately his feeling of sexual wellbeing.
Practice approach
The practice headed by Dr. Dov Rand, the Healthy Aging Medical Centers, seeks to treat issues like those discussed above through methods that help alleviate underlying problems rather than symptoms alone. The conditions treated at the practice are far-ranging and can affect all aspects of a person's life, but sexual health and erectile dysfunction are especially prevalent problems that the doctor and his staff have gone out of their way to treat effectively.
Many others in the field will default to the prescription of drugs such as Viagra to treat these types of issues. While Viagra can be useful for many men with this disorder, by increasing blood flow to the penis, it is not treating the underlying cause of the issues. This can be distressing if these types of drugs eventually stop working, or if a man is seeking to regain the ability to achieve spontaneous erections that do not rely on a prescription to function. For this reason, the doctor and his staff seek treatment methods that work on improving a man's own ability to achieve an erection, and not to be dependent on a drug or other outside mechanism.
Shockwave therapy
To this end, one major treatment that is being offered at the doctor's practice is known as GAINSWave, or alternatively shockwave therapy. This treatment methodology is one of the fastest growing ways to treat erectile dysfunction in modern medicine and it is showing some impressive results. The underlying methodology is the use of a shockwave device, which is a device that uses rapid percussive vibrations to create sound waves that travel through penile tissue. Studies have shown that these sound waves have a profound effect on the body's ability to create new blood vessels, a process known as a angiogenesis.
The effect of angiogenesis is so pronounced that when shockwaves are applied regularly to a male member, an increase in its ability to achieve and maintain an erection typically follows. This can be achieved in as a little as one treatment but can also take multiple treatments for the effect to show itself fully. When the effect does have time to work, it can not only create new blood vessels with which to supply blood to an erection, but it can also rehabilitate old and dysfunctional blood vessels as well.
At the Healthy Aging Medical Centers, Dr. Dov Rand and his team of trained personnel administer GAINSWave shockwave technology to patients who are fed up with other treatment protocols and are looking for an effective solution to regain erectile function. Patients who have received the treatment often boast impressive recoveries and returns to previous levels of sexual health. In this way the practice is able to encourage a return to sexual activity and help alleviate stress and other unwanted effects of an unsatisfying sex life.
Hormone therapy
Another treatment protocol offered at the practice is bioidentical hormone therapy. This type of therapy relies on the supplementation of hormones that are biologically identical to the hormones found in the human body. This represents a departure from many other types of hormone treatments which focus on the use of synthetic hormones that only serve to approximate the chemical composition of those naturally occurring in the body.
Hormones are necessary for a wide range of biological processes but one key hormone in the male anatomy, testosterone, is incredibly important for proper sexual function. Men with low testosterone levels often find their libido diminishing and their sexual abilities failing to attain the levels they once did. This manifests in many different sexual functions but one key area is in the attainment of an erection. Men with low levels of testosterone will often experience erectile dysfunction as a result and may find that, until the issue is resolved, they are unable to adequately achieve or maintain erections of a quality necessary to engage in intercourse.
By administering bioidentical hormone therapy to help replace testosterone levels that have dropped, the Healthy Aging Medical Centers help to encourage a healthy return to sexual activity in afflicted men. This can often be accompanied by an increase in energy and other indicators of overall health. The psychological impact of successful hormone therapy can be immense as well. Not only do hormones have a direct impact on the way we feel, but balancing hormone levels in the body can help return the body to a healthy state that is conducive to a positive outlook on life.
Nutritional practices
Another important area of consideration for anyone, but especially for men suffering from erectile dysfunction, is the quality and quantity of the foods we eat. It has been known for a long time that food directly influences our health. Now, modern science is gaining increased insight into the many ways in which that is the case. These revelations with respect to optimal nutritional intake have shown that there are numerous foods that can be as beneficial as medication when it comes to treating certain disorders.
This can be seen in the treatment of erectile dysfunction through the use of foods that encourage proper cardiovascular health. As the disorder is often seen as an indication of heart health, it stands to reason that a man who is suffering from erectile dysfunction may also be suffering from a dysfunction of the cardiovascular system. Foods high in soluble fiber and anti-oxidants can help to improve cardiovascular health and promote a return to optimal vascular function. As erections are intrinsically connected to vascular function, these types of dietary changes can help men overcome erectile issues at their source.
Benefits of supplementation
Another area of study that has emerged of late as a topic to consider in medicine is the issue of supplementation. Supplements are typically naturally occurring substances that can be added to a healthy diet in order to achieve beneficial effects in terms of health and wellbeing. Supplementation can be used to affect every bodily system and new studies are being released constantly that are helping to better inform our understanding of the ways in which our bodies can benefit from a carefully selected regime of supplements.
This is another area in which Dr. Dov Rand uses modern science to the benefit of his patients. With a firm understanding of existing literature on supplementation, he is often able to recommend supplements that can be added to one's daily intake to treat a range of issues from fatigue reduction, to improvement of mental clarity, to stress alleviation. These types of moderate changes to what a person ingests can have far-reaching impacts on their overall health. This is of course just as true for erectile dysfunction as it is for other areas of wellness.
When using supplements to encourage a healthy return to sexual function, there are many areas that can be explored. For encouraging adequate blood flow and vascular function, a supplement that can help to improve the expression of nitric oxide can often serve to help achieve better erections. These types of supplements help to improve blood flow in overly-restricted blood vessels and also work in a fashion that is related to many prescription drugs connected to erectile dysfunction. Other supplements can be used to help improve libido or general sexual satisfaction. Still, other supplements can help to lower levels of stress or cortisone and help return someone to a more relaxes state, which is something that can likewise help to promote the successful achievement and maintenance of an erection.
Ultimately, regardless of the method used for treatment, it is clear that modern science has uncovered numerous options for men seeking to improve their sexual abilities. Though erectile dysfunction can be a frustrating disorder, it has also become eminently treatable in the present day and age. Use of shockwave technology, hormone treatments, nutritional recommendations, and dietary supplementation are just some of the methods men can use to treat this disorder. By examining the practice and methods from Dr. Dov Rand, we are able to take a look into some of the ways in which doctors who keep up to date with the cutting edge of scientific research are better able to help their patients. A review of the above material can go a long way towards helping anyone suffering from this difficult sexual dysfunction.
More about Dr. Dov Rand at https://harcourthealth.com/dr-dov-rand/


text:
About Australian Grape & Wine Inc » Codes & Guidelines » Wine Benchmark Calculator
Wine Benchmark Calculator
The Gross Margin Ready Reckoner was first developed in 2007 by the Winemakers' Federation of Australia and Wine Australia.
Working with Deloitte, Wine Australia has launched an updated Gross Margin Ready Reckoner which is a free and confidential business planning tool that allows wineries to run different production and market scenario simulations to determine the most relevant price point for their wine in a specific export market.
The Gross Margin Ready Reckoner


text:
AFT President Randi Weingarten told Senate lawmakers on Feb. 23 that the Every Student Succeeds Act enacted by Congress in December "gives us the opportunity for the reset needed to move from a test-and-sanction environment to one of support and improvement " in public schools, but that "states will need time to get it done and get it right."
In testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Weingarten thanked committee chair Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), ranking Democratic member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and the entire panel for "tremendous work" that secured passage of ESSA—breaking through Washington gridlock and partisanship to end the "broken policies" of No Child Left Behind, NCLB waivers and Race to the Top.
"You have made it possible for states to move away from high-stakes testing and punitive sanctions that have left students alternately stressed or bored, frustrated parents, and deprofessionalized and demoralized teachers," Weingarten testified. "You have made it possible for states to create new accountability systems that focus on the meaningful learning that will prepare children for the complex world they are entering. You have made it possible to support educators as they meet the needs of the whole child, and have maintained the original intent of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to address significant poverty and its effects."
Above all, she said, the law offers an "opportunity to redefine student learning in the robust way that any parent or educator would value, and to offer interventions that will put struggling schools on the path to success. I challenge district, state and federal officials, and all of us, to empower and support teachers to stoke students' curiosity and help them pursue their dreams."
Now, the challenge is turning possibilities into classroom realities she said.
Laying the foundation
The union communicated with more than 172,000 members by telephone a few days after the bill was signed. It was clear that "they appreciate the reset, [and] they want to know what will be different," Weingarten told the committee. Frontline educators are "fighting for the public schools their students deserve, [and] they want to have the latitude, the conditions, the tools and the respect they need to perform their jobs."
For states, the first step to that goal is shelving "the current, flawed high-stakes testing regime" and using the months ahead to create "new, more effective systems for teaching and learning," Weingarten said. School districts and states need time to dive deeply into the process of building accountability systems that provide a framework for school and student success. States such as New York, Tennessee and Utah are moving in this direction, and others should follow their lead. The most important thing that states can do is focus on new accountability systems "that are aligned with what kids should know and be able to do, [and] that help teachers help kids get there," Weingarten said.
"A system that actually measures progress or enables that progress—that's what the reset was—to go from a top-down test-and-punish system to one that will actually unleash that kind of creativity" that promotes real teaching and learning.
Under the new law, states will have more than 18 months before full implementation to develop their timelines and strategies for ESSA. During that interim period, the AFT is calling on states to place a moratorium on the consequences of high-stakes testing, Weingarten testified.
"A reset means a reset," she stressed. "We have gone through many, many reforms—reforms where there is a rush to publish and a rush to create, and no attention is paid to the implementation. ... Members want to see the current system put on hold for a little while so we can actually have this new unleashing of creativity—these new [accountability] systems where they can actually engage kids."
Alexander also called for wise, effective use of the 18-month ESSA interim period. The time is provided to allow stakeholders to work together in a deep and meaningful way on effective strategies. When it comes to plans for accountability, states should feel "no need to ram them through," the committee chairman said.
Seizing the moment
ESSA has provided a "new era of flexibility," a time when "decision-making should be left to the states and the educators, parents and community members—the true stakeholders," the AFT president said. To build that climate, the U.S. Department of Education should stick to the letter of ESSA—a law that garnered broad bipartisan support—and "limit guidance and regulation to only those issues that need clarification to make the law functional in practice."
A flexible federal approach will build on ESSA strengths that began to surface shortly after enactment. Already, the new law has sparked an impressive climate of cooperation among stakeholders in many states, observed Weingarten, who stressed that the AFT is engaged with a coalition of states, school districts, educators and parents "united by our strong, shared commitment to making ESSA work" for students.
"Although all these stakeholders do not always agree, we are unified in our belief that ESSA is a historic opportunity," she said. "It has the potential to ensure every public school is a place where parents want to send their kids, where students are engaged, where educators want to teach, where the curriculum is rich, where there is joy in teaching and learning, and where, ultimately, all children are successful."
[Mike Rose, photo by Michael Campbell]


text:
Living Will A much Needed Document When Adverse Medical Conditions Happen.
A living will is a special document that has legal and binding authority. It is written specifically by a person to detail his wishes and requests covering specific medical procedures and treatments needed in case of adverse medical conditions. If you become unable to speak or decide about getting medical attention, the living will could be your way of being in control and having to decide for your life. The decision could not be made on the moment itself but it could be written in anticipation.
There are just many other information and things people should learn about having a end of life will. In definition, a living will, and all other legal advance directives, is a written instruction about a person's specific medical care preferences and choices. If you make one, your family and your doctor would automatically consult the document in case you become unable to decide for yourself regarding significant medical treatments and procedures. Take note that the document could be drafted and prepared by you, but there should be legal or lawyer's assistance and presence to make it valid and binding.
For sure, this will may not be equally important and necessary as a will (last testament) or a living trust, but more and more people nowadays are deciding to have one, with regards to high medical costs. In comparison, a last will (more popularly known simply as 'will') is also a legal document that is duly signed by a person in the presence of a legal witness who describes how that person wishes his assets and wealth to be divided by family and descendants upon death. Most opulent people are advised to have a will at hand. In fact, some wealthy individuals start to write their will early in life and subject that testament to numerous modifications and changes as time goes on.
For its part, the living trust is mostly considered as an alternative to will or last will. It also details distribution of estate of a person during and beyond his lifetime. The owner of the estate designates a trustee to manage all his declared assets, which would then be automatically transferred into the possession of the trustee. Thus, in a living trust, the person or estate owner need not be dead for the assets to be turned over to other people.
Any person could always specify in this will the desire to have any of body organs removed and donated to other people who need transplants. Some people still are not aware of this. The body could even be donated to any medical school that is always in need of corpses for medical and scientific studies.
A living will is effective only when the person becomes incapacitated. He should not be able to decide or say what treatments he wants or not wants. Normally, in such instances, it is the family who takes the burden of decision. But people who want to spare their family from making such difficult task decide to pre-empt any medical decision through having a living will.
Before the living will is implemented, there must be a necessary and appropriate certification from a doctor that the person is truly suffering from a terminal condition or that he is permanently unconscious.
To go to the article index page click here
House Tips | Auto Tips | Sports/Hobbies | Grandma's Tips |
Wisdom & Humor |


text:
Why are all those colorful 8-by-10 Elizabeth Warren and Scott Brown election fliers piling up in your mail box this fall?
It�s not because the political consultants have decided to go old school this year.
Rather it�s a byproduct of an agreement between the two U.S. Senate candidates to keep super PACS and outside groups from putting attack ads on television and the radio. Dubbed the Peoples Pledge, it requires the candidates to donate half the value of any third parties� ads to charity from their own campaign funds.
The pledge however did not rule out super PAC and special interest advertising in newspapers, on the Internet or by mail.
While many TV viewers may be getting irritated with the frequency of ads from Brown and Warren, it would be far worse without the pledge, which will face the real test in the final days leading up to the election. At that point either candidate could tolerate a surge in outside TV ads with the consequences coming only after the election is over.
Weather can play a big role in turnout on Election Day, but a storm called Sandy that may or may not slam into New England this week is already impacting what is arguably the biggest Senate race in the country.
Since Thursday the state�s television stations have been using up their prime time newscasts with the storm warning/hype. That has bumped the intensive news coverage of the Brown/Warren campaigns that otherwise might be leading the telecasts.
Both camps are wondering what impact the storm may have on their final debate scheduled to take place Tuesday night in Boston.
Because the debate will be in the WGBH television studios without a large live audience, the sponsors will not have to worry about postponing it to keep the audience off the roads during the storm. In the unlikely event large parts of the state lose power as happened in Tropical Storm Irene last year, viewership could be severely dampened. But as one campaign aide pointed out, through the magic of television it can always be re-aired at a later date if needed.
The storm meanwhile could also put the candidates in the position of trying to capitalize on the weather. Picture either getting blown around on the beach or standing amid downed power lines wearing all-weather gear and demanding that utilities get the power back on. Extended power outages, flooding or other emergency conditions could continue eating up the news hole, shifting attention to recovery efforts instead of the two Senate candidates in the crucial final week.
The Brown camp may be hoping for cold weather so he can start wearing his winter barn jacket that he wore in the final weeks of his January 2010 campaign.
Because the debate will be the last chance the candidates will have to challenge each other�s political positions directly, energize their campaigns and offer closing arguments to voters, everything will be on the line in the one-hour debate moderated by CNN�s John King.
It will also be a chance for voters to hear about some issues that it seems neither candidate has wanted to drag out in the open.
One major issue neither candidate has talked about explicitly is the whopping increase in federal taxes that are set to take effect Jan. 1.
For starters there is the end of the Social Security payroll tax holiday, which would cost someone making about $55,000 a year about $1,000 next year, up to twice that if you make up to $113,000 or more. That is on top of the expiration of the Bush Era tax cuts that will cost the average individual worker about $1,400 next year starting New Year�s Day and up to several thousand dollars next year for many middle income households.
There is no clear plan afoot to extend the payroll tax holiday so that tax hike seems a virtual certainty at this time. Meanwhile the candidates have voiced only vague uncertainties over how the Bush era tax cuts will be resolved.
Democrats want to keep the tax cuts for the middle class but not the top 2 percent, while Republicans want to keep the tax cuts for everyone. After two years of fighting over the issue, Congress left Washington this fall taking no action to extend the tax cuts for anyone; because they still disagree on whether to raise taxes on the wealthy.
Brown was not able to cite a figure when asked specifically in Shrewsbury last week if he knew how much those pending tax hikes will cost a typical family in Massachusetts next year. He has said he doesn�t want to raise anyone�s taxes, but that proposal has not proven acceptable to Democrats in the Senate and has not led to action to avoid the huge tax increase that is pending. Elizabeth Warren wants to see the middle class keep their tax cuts, but how she expects to get that through a Republican-controlled House that has refused over and over again to raise taxes on the top 2 percent is hard to fathom. The fact is virtually all the Republicans in Congress, including Brown, have signed a pledge not to ever raise taxes, barring them from hiking taxes on the wealthy.
Voters here, many of whom have not had a pay hike in years or have seen their incomes cut sharply as rent, food and fuel costs have skyrocketed, may not be able to stop the tax hikes at the polls next month or afford them next year. But at those prices, they ought to at least be able to get an idea over who to blame for them before they vote.
Another issue that hasn�t gotten much discussion in the debates is global warming. Politicians have been having trouble with the concept for decades now, but scientists all around the world are warning about global warming and dire environmental and economic consequences that are developing from excess carbon emissions. John King might want to review CNN�s film footage from the Arctic ice cap melting this summer for evidence that those predictions appear to be holding up as he bones up for the debate.
The League of Conservation voters raised the topic last week, complaining that Brown voted to take away EPA�s authority to regulate greenhouse gasses in 2011 and that he voted for an amendment that would prohibit any regulations relating to greenhouse gas emissions. That group is among those stuffing mailboxes this week, spending $200,000 to send out 150,000 mailings in the state to link Brown to big oil and his votes on global warming,
That mailing effort however is a drop in the bucket compared to the tens of millions being spent on ads in this campaign. The group gave Brown a 22 percent score on his lifetime environmental scorecard, the lowest ever for a Massachusetts member of Congress. But Mr. Brown maintains he believes global warming is real and man-made. His biggest concern is that more regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could hurt job growth.
Lt. Gov. Tim Murray hasn�t gotten over former Gov. Mitt Romney�s decision to withhold state funding for the Franklin Street Fire Station at the site of the cold storage warehouse fire that claimed the lives of six firefighters in 1999.
He was in New Hampshire this month with a group of Worcester firefighters urging voters to back President Obama in that swing state. Murray said the city had put together $4 million locally and asked the state to chip in $2 million. The Legislature approved the funding in 2004, but Romney vetoed it. Romney�s campaign staff said the governor believed fire stations should be funded locally and it wouldn�t be fair to other cities and towns for the state to pay for part of the Worcester station;
John J. Monahan covers the Statehouse for the Telegram & Gazette.


text:
Investing in an Audience Response System is a big decision. Although costs have come down since the systems were first available, it is still a major purchase, particularly if you need provision for a large number of participants. The implications of making the wrong decision are real in both financial and operational respects. If the system does not fulfil its strategic objective then you have wasted money but you have also failed to achieve that objective to boot, whether it be better employee engagement or creating more interactive lectures for students.
In this blog we outline what we think are four major considerations when selecting an Audience Response System.
1: Reliability
10 years ago, when ARS solutions were still relatively new, the prime driver behind selecting system was ease of reliability. Early systems were often temperamental as hardware was evolving and pioneers often had to cross their fingers and say a prayer to the god of technology when it came for the votes to be collected. ARS solutions in 2014 are much more reliable. Incremental improvements in both hardware and software have delivered solutions which will do the job and not fail or fall over at crucial times. So the number 1 consideration must be reliability.
2: Ease of Use
Ease of Use is the second consideration. Generally speaking software has become slicker and more intuitive over time but as systems have added more sophistication have the developers taken the care to put this power easily at the fingertips of the users? However powerful the system is, that power is unlikely to be used if features are hidden in fiddly sub-menus or nested deep within the guts of the interface. When you audition an ARS, spend time looking at the interface and asking whether every teacher or trainer in your organisation will be comfortable working with it. Relying on the opinion of the most tech-savvy staff is not enough, it has to be a system which all can use.
3: Staff Training
Related to the question of ease of use is the question of staff training. Lecturers, teachers and business users of ARS are faced with numerous technological systems they have to use as part of their roles. The time they have to devote to training is limited, so any system which requires, a full day training prior to use is probably going to be discounted.
4: Integration of Online and Handset Voting
Another relatively recent development in the ARS world is the use of voting from smartphone and tablets. The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) agenda is impacting both education and business sectors and many participants today will expect that they can register votes using their handheld technology. The issue here is whether a system will actually do this, and how well (if at all), the online votes integrate with voting from handsets. It should also be as easy to set up online voting as it is the hardware option. Not all systems are equal in this respect and this definitely worth paying attention to. Even if you only plan voting from handsets today, the chances are you will have needs for BYOD voting in the future, so bear that in mind.
When you started reading this blog, you were no doubt waiting for the point at which we get to promoting OMBEA. This is the OMBEA blog, and Audience Response Systems is what we are passionate about so naturally we are not going to pass up the opportunity to show how OMBEA is the optimal choice of ARS. It is, and here is why! OMBEA is rock solid in terms of reliability but is also very simple to use. The new PowerPoint toolbar is designed to make the most common tasks such as creating a voting slide, or running a report, achievable with the minimum of mouse clicks. This in turn reduces the need for staff training and creates the conditions where the system is adopted enthusiastically across the entire organisation.
Our final consideration is the one how easy it is to monitor how the ARS is being used across the organisation. OMBEA is designed from the ground up with cloud capability. Data in the cloud offers powerful and unique opportunities for system administrators to monitor voting across an entire university or organisation. Reports on how often the system is being used, how many users are taking part and what departments are running the sessions is readily available with OMBEA connect. This is invaluable data to assess Return on Investment (ROI) and also in highlighting if certain departments are not fully using the systems and therefore may require some extra support or intervention.
Some early ARS systems were so hard to use they were used once or twice and consigned to a cupboard - and they may still be in that cupboard under lots of dust. Modern systems are much easier to use and should spend more time in users' hands than the cupboard. With OMBEA we are certain you won't end up with a system in the cupboard, and you'll be able to see exactly how and when it is being used across the organisation.


text:
Morning Bible Classes
October 18, 2020 . 9:30 am - 10:30 am
Each Sunday morning at 9:30am growing Christians gather to share their study and insight on God's Word.
The adult classes are biblical based and provide tools for anyone who is sincerely seeking the truth in the scriptures.
In addition to the adult classes, we have Bible classes for all children, ages 2 through college. Classes are offered on both Sunday and Wednesday evenings.
We have a good number of dedicated and qualified teachers who love the Lord and the children. They use a variety of methods and activities to teach the Word of God. Learning God's Word is fun at Parkway!
Bible classes of all ages are available every Sunday from 9:30-10:30am.
Parking Details:
Feel free to park in front or rear parking lots. We have ample parking at Parkway.


text:
Last year I tried growing my own marijuana for the first time. I started them inside then transplanted them outside once they got big enough. I had 5 plants and they grew nice and big, about 5 feet (1,5 m) tall, but towards the end of the summer they got all yellow around the base so 1 ripped them out of the ground and they never produced any buds. I started them in April and took them out of the ground in October. What did I do wrong and why didn't they bud? I'm going to try again so can you tell me how to clone my plants?
Sounds like you got bad genetics – seeds. Fishing seeds out of a seeded bag of dope works sometimes, but not all the time, especially if the seed is from cannabis imported from tropical or semi-tropical climates. You're best to ditch the weed you have and buy or acquire seeds or clones with good genetics. I remember going to a large grow room 25 years ago to see some giant 8-foot-tall plants. The plants came from Colombian bagseed. They were huge, but all was said and done 4000w of light yielded two ounces of marginal weed. Your problem sounds similar.
If you are unable to order seeds via the Internet or from a magazine advertisement, continue to pick through good domestic buds until you find seeds. Now, this seed will definitely be better than the tropical weed you have now. You can also look to friends for clones. It would take too long to give you a good explanation with examples in this short answer. You can hit my website and find an article in English about making clones. Here is the direct link:


text:
Enter the Zone
Be one of the first to read exciting new stories as they are added to the website or, published on Amazon. If you like murder mysteries, you'll love my newsletter and importantly, you'll receive free stories or insights into how I have created the characters, developed intrigue or tension. I'll even share my own thoughts on how the story turned out. If you love a good plot and characters that take on a life of their own, sign up now.
Please note that I respect your privacy and will never overwhelm you with emails or pass on your details.


text:
Equality advocates were quick to praise the president for his endorsement. Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry urged members Congress to join the president in support of the repeal effort.
"The federal government should not be picking and choosing which marriages it will honor and which it will disregard when it comes to the important federal protections that come with marriage, such as Social Security, health coverage, fair tax treatment, and immigration rights," Wolfson said.
"Congress should follow the President's lead and return the federal government to its traditional practice of honoring all lawful marriages equally – without the 'gay exception' of DOMA."
Earlier this year, the Department of Justice announced that it would no longer defend DOMA in court because it believed portions of the law to be unconstitutional.
Top photo: President Obama (via C-Span)


text:
Our Warranty
Make Sure Your VoIP Hardware Investment Is Protected
There are two types of warranties protecting your VoIP hardware purchase through VoIP Supply.
Standard Warranty
VoIP Supply only carries products that come with at least a limited manufacturer's warranty and we honor all manufacturer's limited warranties. For specific warranty details, please visit the respective manufacturer's website, but in general a manufacturer's limited warranty only covers DOA (Dead on Arrival), manufacturer's defects, parts and labor within a six month period.
go3™ Guaranteed Replacement Warranty
In order to bridge the gap between the manufacturer's warranty and the date the product is de-commissioned, VoIP Supply offers a three year no questions asked guaranteed replacement warranty. The best part about it? No fine print. You can learn more about our go3™ guaranteed replacement here.


text:
Over 40 Different Gourmet Popcorn Flavors
At Mile Hi Popcorn, we offer gift ideas that people can love and enjoy. We specialize in over 40 different flavors that are made from scratch gourmet popcorn.
Our popcorn is prepared using the best ingredients. That is why we can confidently say that we are your ultimate source for gift giving. Whether it's for birthdays, anniversaries, employee recognition, weddings, bar mitzvahs, corporate meetings and events, vendor and customer thank you gifts, product launches, and business to business gifts, Mile Hi Popcorn is your go to solution.
Fresh gourmet popcorn is an excellent gift for any occasion and anyone. Whether you're ordering holiday popcorn tins online for your clients or looking for that perfect gift for your family, our gourmet popcorn, popped fresh in our kitchen and shipped directly to your door is sure to make anyone smile.
Explore Our Website
Calling All Popcorn Lovers!
Join our free mailing list to receive exclusive promotions and deals! Be the first to know about all things Mile Hi Popcorn!
Delivery for Denver Metro Area
We are doing $10.00 delivery for the Denver Metro Area! Order online or call us to place an order! If you are unsure about delivery options, call us! We can also ship popcorn to you! We also partner with Grubhub and Postmates.
Popcorn Ideas
Popcorn is a tasty and fascinating treat. It has been discovered in caves thousands of years old. It has transformed how we watch movies and television.
Find out more unique, fun and interesting facts about the popular snack in our popcorn blog.
Featured products
Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel$3.75 – $9.75 Select options
Spicy Nacho Cheese$1.65 – $85.00 Select options
Birthday Cake$3.75 – $9.75 Select options
Cashew Brittle$5.75 Add to cart
Spicy Wings$1.65 – $85.00 Select options
Harvest Mix$1.65 – $85.00 Select options
Halloween Colored Candied Corn$1.50 – $4.75 Select options
Special Events
There's a reasons special events are called "SPECIAL."
And you wouldn't want yours to become undistinguished.
Corporate Gifts
Whether you're planning a weekly company luncheon, a quarterly meeting, a last-minute working lunch or a full business event...
Who We Are
We are a mother and son team who love gourmet popcorn. For years, we'd thought of starting up a gourmet popcorn...


text:
Remy failed a medical in the States after the Reds had agreed an £8.5m deal with QPR.
And now Rodgers is set to head back to the south coast for his FOURTH Saints signing this summer.
Liverpool have already bought Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana, with the deal for Dejan Lovren expected to be complete within the next 48 hours, and despite Rodriguez's season-ending injury in April, Rodgers is keen to push through a deal.
Rodriguez scored 15 Premier League goals last term, the league's eighth highest scorer, and the third most prolific Englishman behind Daniel Sturridge and Wayne Rooney, and had been earmarked for a World Cup slot until his injury.
It is thought Rodriguez would welcome an exit from St Mary's, following the exodus on the south coast, but also has interest from Tottenham and former boss Mauricio Pochettino.
Another option for Liverpool though is Swansea's Wilfried Bony, while the deal for Divock Origi is expected to be completed this week with the Belgium youngster returning to Lille for a season on loan.
And the Reds are set to lose Daniel Agger, after eight years on Merseyside, as Barcelona look to bulk up their defence.
Agger has resisted moves in the past but with Lovren set to pen a deal at Anfield, the Dane looks set to accept a new challenge in his career.