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Bonsai Care Tips
As with any tree, keep in mind the amount of care and the kinds of conditions that you are able to give the plant. Do you have mild winters, or very cold winters? Are you going to be keeping the plant inside, and if so, do you have areas of sun, or is it a particularly shady environment? All of these will play a factor into which kinds of tree will do well. Also, pruning is important in keeping the form of the bonsai.
Some Bonsai Varieties
Japanese White Pine
- Hardy/outdoor pine
- These trees live high in rugged mountains in severe conditions
- Care: in summer, keep in full sun and fresh air; in winter, protect from temps below 9 degrees and cold winds
- Old needles should be pulled out in late summer
- Repot every two to five years in late spring
- Tropical/indoor evergreen
- Native to southern China and southeast Asia
- Common name is "tree of a thousand stars"
- Evergreen with small leaves and white flowers
- Care: in summer, it requires a lot of watering
- Encourage blooms by nipping as soon as others appear spoiled
- Repot every two years
- Tropical/indoor
- Plant of Chinese descent
- Contains many stout shoots that appear all over tree
- Care: thrives in hot, steamy kitchens and sunny sills
- Reshape stouts by trimming like topiary hedge
- Adore sunshine
Kingsville Boxwood
- Indoor and outdoor
- Originally used as hedges in ancient Rome
- Leaves and roots contain buxin, which was used to treat toothaches in the Middle Ages
- Care: during winter, keep in cool spot (about 37 to 50 degrees); during summer, place in sunny or partly shaded area
- Prune branches throughout the year
Chinese Elm
- Indoor and outdoor
- Perfect for new bonsai owners
- Can be grown indoors or outdoors and withstand sun and cold
- Has small leaves and produces new shoots very easily
- Care: if keeping outside, purchase with a corky bark
- Prune unwanted branches in early spring
Japanese Maple
- Outdoor/hardy maple
- Leaf color ranges
- Diverse shapes and sizes
Special Thanks
Special thanks to Jerome Rocherolle from Shanti Bithi Nursery ( www.shantibithi.com) for providing our audience with "The Landscape Diaries: Garden of Obsession," as well as miniature tropical "mame" bonsai plants.


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Grain Belt Express strikes wind energy deal with 35 cities
Credit: By Danny Henley, Hannibal Courier-Post reporter | Posted Jun. 3, 2016 | www.hannibal.net ~~
The proposed Grain Belt Express Clean Line project has a client lined up that is interested in purchasing some of the wind-generated power it is proposing to make available in the Show-Me State.
According to The Associated Press, The Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission (MJMEUC), which represents municipal utilities that pool their resources to buy power, on Thursday signed an agreement for up to 200 megawatts of transmission space on the Grain Belt Express line. That infrastructure would carry electricity generated near Dodge City, in western Kansas, across northern Missouri and Illinois to a substation in Sullivan, Ind., with the only substation in Missouri located just west of Center.
According to a spokesman for MJMEUC, 35 of its 67 members are part of the contract to buy from 50 to 100 megawatts of space.
MJMEUC's members in northeast Missouri include Hannibal, Palmyra and Monroe City.
The initial subscriber for MJMEUC is a group of 35 cities known as the Missouri Public Energy Pool (MoPEP) that procure all of their energy from MJMEUC. The MoPEP group includes both Palmyra and Monroe City, but not Hannibal.
According to MJMEUC its member-city utilities could secure wind energy at less than 3 cents per kilowatt hour for up to 25 years.
"I think it's a great thing," said Brent Abell, general superintendent of the Palmyra Board of Public Works. "Anything to keep costs down. That's the ultimate key in the power industry, keeping our costs low enough to keep it affordable. It fills a void where we can get cheaper power."
The announcement of the agreement was anticipated, according to Abell.
"We've heard rumblings that it was coming and it was a group decision to do it," he said. "I think it's a great thing if everything pans out the way it's supposed to pan out. Sometimes things don't pan out the way they seem, but I'm hoping it does and I think it will."
Meanwhile in Hannibal
In response to an e-mail inquiry, Bob Stevenson, general manager of the Hannibal Board of Public Works, indicated he is not surprised at the announced deal between MJMEUC and Clean Line Energy, adding he "would prefer that Hannibal was a participant."
What impact, if any, will Thursday's agreement have on the BPW's stance regarding Grain Belt?
"None," said Stevenson.
In late February, the BPW announced it was curtailing power-supply discussions with Clean Line Energy, which had been trying to woo the city of Hannibal for its support of the project with promises of electricity for as little as 2 cents per kilowatt hour (kwh). Residential customers of the BPW are paying just under 10 cents per kwh.
At the time, Stevenson said the decision had been made to "move forward with some caution as we observe developments between Clean Line Energy, some of our fellow municipal utilities around the state, and the Missouri Public Service Commission."
Clean Line Energy has stepped up its efforts to find customers for the project since the Missouri Public Service Commission blocked the project last summer, saying the project wouldn't benefit Missouri ratepayers.
It's unclear what, if any, impact Thursday's agreement may have on a reapplication by Clean Line Energy with the PSC.
"We heard the commission's concerns loud and clear, and one of them was they wanted to know there were actual Missouri customers for the line, and we've now proven that out," said Clean Line President Michael Skelly in The Associated Press story.
Big savings
According to MJMEUC President and General Manager Duncan Kincheloe, the anticipated savings in electricity costs could amount to $10 million annually.
The contract between MJMEUC and Clean Line Energy would replace an electricity contract MJMEUC has with Dynegy coal plants set. That pact is set to expire in 2021, the year Grain Belt is supposed to be operational.
Overall, Clean Line Energy says it could deliver up to 500 megawatts of power in Missouri. The remaining 3,500 megawatts would be shipped east for sale.
Hannibal is no stranger to securing energy through MJMEUC. In 2007, the BPW entered into an agreement with the MJMEUC, which was taking an equity ownership position in the development of the Prairie State Energy Campus in southern Illinois.
Hannibal agreed to purchase 20 megawatts of power through MJMEUC, which had a 190 megawatt share of the power plant that was constructed at the mouth of a coal mine.
Up until now the BPW had been selling its Prairie State power on the open market at a loss. However, beginning on June 1, 2017, that energy will instead be brought to Hannibal to meet around 60 percent of the city's power needs. The remainder of Hannibal's power supply needs beginning in June 2017 will either be met through daily purchases on the open market or through securing additional power supply contracts.
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe "fair use" as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar "fair dealing" provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Bret Bielema
Arkansas forces seven turnovers, beats Ole Miss 33-21
By Eric W. Bolin Oct. 17, 2020 07:32 PM EDT
Arkansas snaps 20-game SEC skid, 21-14 vs. Mississippi St.
By R.j. Morgan Oct. 04, 2020 12:28 AM EDT
Ex-Arkansas football coach Bielema sues Razorback Foundation
Jun. 12, 2020 06:49 PM EDT
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Former Arkansas football coach Bret Bielema, now an assistant with the New York Giants, has filed a $7 million lawsuit against the...
Homecoming: Karl Dorrell returns to Boulder as head coach
By Pat Graham Feb. 24, 2020 05:47 PM EST
Arizona hires Rhoads as defensive coordinator
Dec. 20, 2019 11:17 PM EST
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona has hired former Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads as its defensive coordinator. The school announced Rhoads'...
Hayden Fry, Texan who turned around Iowa, dies at 90
By Ralph D. Russo Dec. 17, 2019 09:34 PM EST
Emotional Pittman introduced as new Arkansas coach
Chip Souza Dec. 09, 2019 09:29 PM EST
Arkansas hires Georgia assistant Pittman as new head coach
By Ralph D. Russo Dec. 08, 2019 07:38 PM EST
Arkansas hired Georgia assistant Sam Pittman as its head coach Sunday, giving the longtime offensive line coach his first chance to lead a college program. ...
Powell, Missouri snap 5-game skid with win over Arkansas
By Eric W. Bolin Nov. 29, 2019 06:15 PM EST
Failure to rehire Schiano as coach has Rutgers fans upset
By Tom Canavan Nov. 25, 2019 07:15 PM EST
AP source: Schiano, Rutgers can't reach deal on return
By Ralph D. Russo Nov. 24, 2019 06:02 PM EST
Greg Schiano won't be returning to Rutgers because the school and its former football coach were unable to come to an agreement on a deal, a person familiar...
Arkansas AD on football: 'I have to get this search right'
By Chip Souza Nov. 11, 2019 06:12 PM EST
Arkansas fires coach Chad Morris, who went 4-18 in 2 seasons
By Ralph D. Russo Nov. 10, 2019 12:00 PM EST
Storey leads Western Kentucky past former team Arkansas
By Eric W. Bolin Nov. 09, 2019 03:19 PM EST
Arkansas to face Western Kentucky, former Hogs QB Storey
By Eric W. Bolin Nov. 08, 2019 02:54 PM EST
Mississippi State snaps slide, rolls past Arkansas 54-24
By Eric W. Bolin Nov. 02, 2019 07:26 PM EDT
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Both Arkansas and Mississippi State entered Saturday's game having underplayed to expectations. Both its head coaches have been...
Arkansas' Morris, Auburn's Malzahn put friendship on hold
By Eric W. Bolin Oct. 17, 2019 03:29 PM EDT
San Jose State upsets Arkansas with late score
By Eric W. Bolin Sep. 21, 2019 11:32 PM EDT
Arkansas gets rematch with Colorado St behind new QB Starkel
By Eric W. Bolin Sep. 13, 2019 01:19 PM EDT
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Nick Starkel spent his first week running practice reps with the Arkansas starters the same way he spent the previous weeks running...
Corral leads Ole Miss past Arkansas 31-17 in an SEC opener
By Chris Burrows Sep. 08, 2019 12:09 AM EDT


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Youth conferences are a peculiar thing. When they are done well, they are done really well. When they are otherwise, well, they usually stink.
Case in point: On a recent November saturday in San Jose, California, more than 1300 girls attended a day-long young women's empowerment conference hosted by Girls for a Change. There were workshops, performances, and speakers who amazed and enthralled every single young woman there – or almost all of them. That's powerful – especially because the conference had a purpose that moved these young women towards being powerful social change agents. Gail Cockburn wrote a Guide to Meaningful Youth Participation in International Conferences [PDF] that I think has valuable lessons for all kinds of conferences – a lot of them echoed in Girls for a Change's conference.
This coming Saturday I'm speaking and putting on a workshop at the first-ever Washington State Youth Leadership Conference, hosted north of Seattle in Everett. There will be a hodge-podge of presenters and topics, all of them loosely connected under the banner of "youth leadership." The funny thing about youth conferences though, is that despite their temporary nature, the gathering relies equally on content and participants. If the topic and workshops and great, and the youth only come because they have to, its an uphill slug to get the energy and passion needed for successful gatherings.
After attending the National Service Learning Conference for 5 years in a row, I have avoided the last few years because of the same critique – content never moved beyond elementary or introductory, whether about service learning practice, elements, youth voice, or anything.
Recently, I've been helping my friend Sharif Abdelhamid plan a youth conference in Denver for Global Youth Service Day next year. Wish him luck as he navigates a city, multiple agendas, and powerful outcomes for every youth involved – and watch for my report in April.


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Individually Handcrafted Beard Comb out of Recycled Skateboards!
Each of these combs are hand crafted by ME out of recycled skateboards. No two combs are the same! Each comb has unique artwork and characteristics and hand sanded and polished to bring out the beauty in the wood. The combs are finished with a few coats of polyurethane to protect the wood and ensure a very smooth surface.
If you have never used a wooden beard comb, they are perfect for oil distribution and will glide through the beard without a snag.
5" x 2.75"


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Düsseldorf is Germany's richest city. A short stroll around the city center is all you need to feel it – well-heeled locals strolling down the promenade along the river, Prada, Blvgari, and LV storefronts glittering at you from all angles.
But. . . the city has a bit more to it as well 😉 The previously mentioned riverfront, perfect for walking, jogging, or drinking cocktails along, truly innovative modern architecture placed seamlessly between old traditional buildings, and a thriving international food scene.
By Plane
The city has its very own airport, hardly a 5 minute train ride from the main train station of the city.
By Train
Deutsche Bahn runs regular service to Düsseldorf from all over Germany.
Detox to Retox: Ellington Bar, Pizzeria Colosseo, Naniwa
Fit Food: Byblos, Nooij Dutch Deli
Great Coffee: Caphe, Coffee Fellows
The weather gods were on our side in every way imaginable – the weekend arrived hot, sunny, and very unlike the typical weather. Museum visiting plans were thrown out the window, the usual way to enjoy a German city in the usual German grey weather.
Leaving from the NH City hotel, the forecasted high of 23 degrees was already promising to be true.
First priorities – brunch. A quick 10 minute stroll led us to Nooij Dutch Deli. Set back from the street in a brick warehouse, the light flooded café is all kinds of Instagrammable. Sunshine poured in the huge windows, highlighting the irresistible looking cakes and loaves on offer.
Sitting outside, we perused the menu of Dutch-named options – Delft, Amsterdam, Den Haag, Haarlem. Order the "Bergen" for a truly Dutch experience; toast with Vanilla Vla (a popular drinkable yogurt), hagel slag (the incredibly popular chocolate sprinkles to top your toast), Gouda cheese, and peanut butter.
More traditional fare like fried eggs and toasted bagels, alongside fresh juice and hot coffee, are offered. Now, we were ready for the day.
The Dusseldorf Altstadt (old city center) hints at the wealth in the city. Streets are immaculate, lined with the intimidating storefronts of Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Fendi. Amazing modern architecture populates the spaces between the old preserved pre-war buildings.
Bar after bar offers Altbier, the famous Düsseldorf beverage, dark and served in small glasses.
Along the river, cafes are wedged tightly along the prime real estate, packed with people enjoying the incredible October sunshine. The K20 and K21 art galleries show rotating contemporary art exhibitions along with a permanent collection.
At the Rhine tower, pay 9 euros for an elevator ride to the top. The panoramic views are worth every penny.
The Noordpark, a quick tram ride from the center, provides some greenery amidst the business. A vast botanical garden including a Japanese garden and fountain park, it's a breath of fresh air.
After a long day of walking in the sunshine, feeling a little hot and a little sunburnt, it's back to the hotel for a quick R&R break. Soon though, thirst and hunger tells us that it's time to explore the darker side of Düsseldorf. Opting to stay outside the city center, we went for Lebanese at Byblos – fattoush salad, tabbouleh, vegetarian and beef kibbeh, and of course, some Baklava to round it off.
For post-dinner drinks, Crystal café is a quaint homey neighbourhood joint, whereas down the street at Ellington bar, swanky cocktails and bow tied waiters rule supreme.
Another amazing sunny day arrived, the perfect motivation for getting out of bed for a jog. My feet pounded the pavement with the airy feeling that comes with a crisp morning and the whole day to look forward to.
Düsseldorf is a lovely city for a run, with a wide even pathway along the river and many fellow jogging-enthusiasts to keep you going.
Sweat showered off and cheeks still flushed, we headed to Drei Raum Bistro for yet another sunny brunch. Reservations are recommended.
The Strammer Max is a mammoth and quintessentially German breakfast. Thickly sliced bread is topped with a generous layer of butter, ham, Gouda cheese, fried eggs, tomato, and remoulade sauce. For something a little more manageable, the scrambled eggs were creamy and delicious.
Today we manage to find a small corner to perch at one of the cafes along the river. The crowds were out in full force again, the effects of Vitamin D doing wonders for the typical stern expressions. Relishing the warmth, we whiled away a couple of hours, chatting, sipping drinks, enjoying.
Deciding to venture into the dangerous shopping area seen previously, we discover luxury housewares along with all the designer clothes. Manufactum stocks high-end kitchen gadgets, aprons, cosmetic bags, stationary, candles, and so on, all those little things you didn't know you needed but cannot resist upon seeing them. They even make their bread into a work of art.
For the evening, we continued with the theme of international dining and headed to little Tokyo. This area of Düsseldorf is rife with tiny ramen shops and sushi restaurants, and be prepared to wait in line to squeeze into one of the popular joints. Naniwa is a corner shop, packed to the brim with people and serving tummy-warming giant bowls f ramen.
Another day, another brunch. After a brisk walk to wake us up, we arrived at Greentrees, to the North of the Altstadt and serving uber-healthy cold pressed juices, smoothies, salads, and treats.
I opt for the Geilo Greens smoothie bowl – spinach, ginger, cucumber, mint, avocado, and apple, whipped into a puree and topped with housemade granola, chia seed, oats, nuts, and strawberry.
The last half day is spent taking one last stroll around the gorgeous old town center, truly a unique architectural gem in Germany.


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The Saudi Arabian Bakery and Cereals market will register higher value growth during 2015-2020 compared to 2010-2015. Bread & Rolls is the leading category in both value and volume terms, while the Cereal Bars category is expected to witness fastest growth during 2015-2020. Purchasing behavior of consumers is inclined toward value for money products in the Saudi Arabian Bakery and Cereals market. Le Saffre, Bassamh Marketing Co Ltd and General Mills, Inc. are the leading companies in the Bakery and Cereals market in Saudi Arabia.
Key Findings
• The Bakery and Cereals market in Saudi Arabia will register higher growth in value terms during 2015-2020 compared to 2010-2015.
• The consumers in Saudi Arabia are opting for value for money products in the Bakery and Cereals market.
• The Cereal Bars category is forecast to register fastest growth in value and volume terms during 2015-2020.
• The Bread & Rolls category is expected to record gain in market share during 2015-2020.
• Food & Drinks Specialists and Hypermarkets & Supermarkets are the leading distribution channels in the Saudi Arabian Bakery and Cereals market.
• Private label products in the Cereal Bars category registered the fastest growth during 2012-2015.
Consumer and Market Insights report on the Bakery and Cereals market in Saudi Arabia provides insights on high growth categories to target, trends in the usage of packaging materials, types and closures category level distribution data and brands market shares.
What else is contained?
• Market data: Overall market value and volume data with growth analysis for 2010-2020
• Category coverage: Value and growth analysis for Baking Mixes, Baking Ingredients, Bread & Rolls, Breakfast Cereals, Cakes, Pastries & Sweet Pies, Dough Products, Cereal Bars, Energy Bars, Cookies (Sweet Biscuits), Savory Biscuits, Morning Goods with inputs on individual segment share within each category and the change in their market share forecast for 2015-2020
• Leading players: Market share of brands and private labels, including private label growth analysis from 2012-2015
• Distribution data: Percentage of sales within each category through distribution channels such as Hypermarkets & Supermarkets, Convenience Stores, Food & Drinks Specialists and others in 2015
• Packaging data: consumption breakdown for packaging materials and containers in each category, in terms of percentage share of number of units sold. Packaging material data for Flexible Packaging, Rigid Plastics, Paper & Board, and others; container data for: Bag/Sachet, Film, Tray and others
Reasons To Buy
• Identify high potential categories and explore further market opportunities based on detailed value and volume analysis
• Existing and new players can analyze key distribution channels to identify and evaluate trends and opportunities
• Gain an understanding of the total competitive landscape based on detailed brand share analysis to plan effective market positioning
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Report Scope
3. Country Context
4. Market Overview and Consumer Demographics
5. Retail Landscape and Key Distribution Channels
6. Competitive Landscape
7. Health and Wellness Analysis
8. Packaging
9. Innovation Examples
10. Appendix
For More Related Reports: Bakery Market Research Reports on Saudi Arabia


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Spec Bar Code Information
Bar Codes: An Introduction
A barcode is a series of parallel, adjacent bars and spaces that hold information. Information is encoded into spaces and bars of various width. A barcode device scans the bars, translates the information back into regular characters, and allows them to be viewed and stored on a computer or portable terminal.
There are many different barcode symbologies (bar code type). Each uses its own unique pattern of bars and spaces. The UPC code used in the retail market is an all-numeric code; so is the Interleaved 2 of 5 Code. Code 39 was the first commercial alphanumeric bar code symbology. Code 128 is also an industrial code that includes the ASCII character code set.
Benefits of Bar Coding
Bar Code implementation provides enormous benefits for any business. Bar-code systems have been proven to save time, increase productivity, reduce down time, minimize the endless paper trail and lower inventory costs.
Bar-coding can reduce the time it takes to fill orders, count inventory, and ship product. This will reduce your costs and overhead.
From an accounting point of view bar-coding systems can improve the accuracy in reporting labor costs for specific jobs or products, and provide information on the productivity of employees. It will also assist auditors at year's end by providing a secure, effective information system.
Bar-coding can reduce the time it takes to fill orders and count inventory. Up-to-date reports can be produced on a timely basis and eliminate costly over or under stocking. Bar-coding systems can increase the efficiency of "just in time" inventory systems. All of this will reduce your costs and overhead.
The productivity of your company will vastly improve. You will find you spend less time on paper work and have more time to devote to customer satisfaction! Many of our clients at BaxTek Solutions tell us that bar-coding has increased their efficiency of data entry and retrieval. Now they have more time to fill orders and/or produce more products.
BaxTek Solutions is a Systems Integrator in the Bar Code & Data Collection Industry. We provide SOLUTIONS--not just sales. We offer many options & products to maintain and grow your business, as you need.
At BaxTek Solutions we work for you, not one particular manufacturer. Each application is somewhat unique. We provide the custom sales and service you deserve to make your business a success. We think you deserve the right product for each application without being limited to one product or dealer.
BaxTek Solutions is here to serve you, no matter what your application in Bar Code Labeling, Hardware, Software and Equipment Maintenance might be.
Our technical team provides a totally independent and objective analysis for you. We know you need the most effective answers& so let BaxTek Solutions help!
Bookmark our Site so you can check on our specials and our growth. This is a dynamic industry with changes occurring every day in technology and products. Our industry is key to keeping your business competitive. If you want to do it better, faster & less expensive than your competition then call us today so we can help you achieve your business goals.
International: VISA, MasterCard, American Express,
& Company Purchase Orders Accepted


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For 2020, Consider the Wisdom of NOT Planning
Twenty years ago, long before we had children, my wife and I decided to spend Valentine's Day weekend in Tuscany. We were living just a two-hour flight away in London at the time, so leaving on a Friday and returning on a Monday would still mean two days and three nights of rolling hills, wineries,
- Published in Blog
Why People Don't Believe You
I'm angry, not jetlagged. It's 4:30am and I'm banging on the keyboard from my hotel room desk when I should be asleep, fueling for a keynote I deliver to a thousand electronics executives in four hours. What tossed me out of bed and pulled me to my laptop was not the three-hour time difference between New York
- Published in Blog
The Beauty of Being Alone
If my family ever reads this blog, please know that I love you dearly and I carefully memorize each cherished moment I spend with you. And yet, this morning, silent in my hotel room outside of suburban Philadelphia, commuters' headlights floating slowly across wet streets, I feel complete and alone. You see, it's been a
- Published in Blog
Be a Business Artist
The Virgin America lounge at LAX, clinks of drinks, CNN humming in the background, and a distant rumble of planes landing and leaving gently marking the end of a stimulating two days facilitating 36 of ABC's most senior television executives. Heads of news, comedy, daytime, digital, sales, and more, all filling one room with creative
- Published in Blog
The 4 Priority-Setting Tips That Will Make Your Biggest Ideas A Reality
I'm writing from a restaurant in the Mexico City airport, a plate of spicy fajitas in my belly. I'm tired yet satisfied from conducting three strategy workshops over three days in two countries. Though I have delivered versions of my Outthinker Process program perhaps a few hundred times now, today something was different. I was working with a
- Published in Blog


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Allergy Testing in Hilton Head Island, SC – Three Locations in the Lowcountry
If you have an allergy, your immune system overreacts to a substance you inhaled, touched or ate.
Your immune system controls how your body defends itself. For instance, if you have an allergy to pollen, your immune system identifies pollen as an invader or allergen. Your immune system overreacts by producing antibodies called Immunoglobulin E (IgE). These antibodies travel to cells that release chemicals, causing an allergic reaction. These reactions can range from annoying sneezing and sniffling to a life-threatening response called anaphylaxis.
So how can you be sure which allergens are responsible for your symptoms? Allergy tests, combined with a physical examination and medical history, can give precise information about what you are, as well as what you are not, allergic to. For instance, perhaps you or a family member has allergy symptoms and your household includes a pet. You don't have to avoid contact with the pet if allergy testing shows an allergy to dust mites but not to pet dander.
Many people with untreated allergy symptoms aren't aware of how much better they will feel once their symptoms are properly diagnosed and managed by an allergist / immunologist, often referred to as an allergist.
An allergist is a pediatrician or internist with at least two additional years of specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies, asthma and immunologic disorders.


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28 Apr Kindergarten Art Folders! org
Posted at 13:00h in Art Folders, Author Illustrator, Eric Carle, Kinder, Kindergarten, Kindergarten & 1st Grade Lessons 0 Comments
Eric Carle's, Very Hungry Caterpillar was our inspiration for our art folders this year.
It is still a favorite of mine and my students. We all started drawing them the same,
but they ended up unique in the end! Gotta love kinders!
On the back of the folder I write the word, ART, large in block letters. They are asked to create designs by repeating shapes, lines and colors. I demonstrate how to approach it, but I let them go… what they create is what they create! They always do a good job!


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Browse by Person
Number of items: 1.
Mkrtchyan, A.H. and Bagdasaryan, A.S. and Kocharyan, V.R. and Ayvazyan, G,A, and Nalbandyan, V.V. and Dovlatyan, T.G. and Movsisyan, A.E. and Muradyan, H.R. and Mirakyan, S.A. and Aslanyan, A.H. (2013) HIGH-SPEED DETECTOR OF ALPHA PARTICLES AND ELECTRONS. Armenian Journal of Physics, 6 (2). pp. 82-84. ISSN 1829-1171


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One of our foster children has been blessed with the gift to write, here is a Christmas poem she recently wrote for our Holiday newsletter:
Articles by admin
Sharing Christmas Cheer
We wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas! May this holiday bring you peace, joy, and lots of fun with your family.
Our Christmas Party
Click on the "Continue Reading link to enjoy a few pictures from our Christmas Party we had last week.
Human Trafficking is Real and It Happens Here
When we think of human sex trafficking, most of our first thoughts go to those young girls overseas who are being kidnapped and taken from their love ones. Or we think of "prostitutes" as troubled youth who ran away from home. This article and video breaks both of those mindsets: New Jersey Teen spent 36 hours in the world of Sex Trafficking.
Meet BNFEC: Karen Cowan
Meet our clinical director and owner, Karen Cowan. She was raised in Detroit but moved to Asheville when she was 16 years old. Although she moved around quite a bit, she never really found a place that felt like home like Asheville did. She opened the foster care agency in 2004, and named it after her beautiful daughter Brandi, in 2010. She is a mother to her 7 year old grandson Joseph and an awesome boss. Let's meet her!
Back to School Tips for Foster Parents
From Our Clinical Director
I hope everyone has had a great summer as it is quickly coming to an end. We are looking forward to hearing about the great adventures and trips that many of you took. Well school is starting back and as much as parents say they are glad and the children say they are ready to go back, changing from one routine to another can be stressful. We have children with great potential; remember every situation is an opportunity for teaching. A lot of times our kids are angry and they have great reason to be. In many cases, life has not been fair to them, they have things going on within their body and brain that they don't understand and they do not know how to control themselves.
In Memory of Robin Williams
We thank you Robin Williams, not only for the times we smiled, cried, or laughed till we cried, but for bringing the issue of depression and mental illness to the fore front. There are a lot of people of all races, genders, and social status that deal with mental health illnesses such as depression. They should never feel like they are alone. People really do care and matter about what you are going through.
The Man
There once was a man and he was in a dark room. He had been in that room all his life. Nobody knew he existed, but the people who put him there and God. One day a person happened along this path that was not part of any map. Out of curiosity the person wondered down the path and found an old abandoned house. The person knocked on the door and no one answered. The person could not explain the overwhelming urge to go into the house, and started to walk away. The problem is that walking away was so difficult. There was something inside the person that would not let him leave. The person went into the house and there was nothing in sight. When they turned around to leave there was a door and a sound coming from behind it. Out of concern that there could be an animal trapped inside or someone in need, the person goes to the door and says is there anyone in there. No one answers, but there is sound. Again, drawn by The Spirit the person opens the door and inside the door is a man. He is dirty, smells really bad and is fearful of the person. The man goes into the corner, sits down and then balls up in a fetal position.
Meet BNFEC: Foster Parent Phyllis Green
We would love for you to meet Phyllis Green, talk about a lady filled with knowledge and stories about life. She is well traveled and lived in several places like Florida, Guam Island, and Asheville. She has been fostering for 20 years and lives by the motto, Live and Let Live.
WNC Woman Featured Article
We were blessed with the opportunity to be featured in WNC Woman's Magazine in Asheville, NC. Rachael Johns wrote an amazing article.


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AKC? is a temporary travelling installation exhibited in Milan during the Salone del Mobile 2009 for Tecno, a leader company in office furniture. Following its interest in research for balance between design, art, technique and emotionality, Tecno has contributed, to create a unique installation in harmony with the brand's evolution in occasion of the presentation of an innovative operative office system.
"ACK?" – is a signal used in computing to indicate acknowledgement of receipt of a packet, it is also a common exclamation of surprise but it especially is the title of the installation that represents the vision of the Milanese practice Pierandrei Associati for which the human space is no longer characterized by a rational juxtaposition of components but by a logic of an evolutionary growth which allows organic and opened schemes that are customizable in unique configurations.
The project is intended a san allegory of the space in which man, nature and technology meet in harmony; inside a circumscribed space more than one thousand bamboo and metal tubes made of various sections and length hung from the ceiling and form a series of hollow spaces - a sort of caverns – where people can move and get lost. When visitors enter the place all bamboo swing and create a unique and unrepeatable sequence of sounds inside a fluctuating space where the floor only, made of natural grass, refers to a physical and ancestral contact with the earth.
The final result is an interactive labyrinth where nature melts with technology through the incessant interaction of materials and light effect. It is a responsive environment where the presence of man generates dynamic sensorial perceptions and stimulates a moment of connection and sharing of experience amongst visitors.
Two main internal caves – the first one completely made of bamboo's stalactites and the one adjacent made of metal – represent with abstraction and irony the infinite possibilities to create flexible spaces, opened for meeting and not "just efficient": the spatial effect is reinforced by an interactive artificial light system that controls movements of visitors and increase all dynamic effect of lights and shadows in the space.
Inside the cave few markers hang from the ceiling in order to allow everyone to leave his own message on the cane: the human desire to leave a personal trace, that it is usually forbidden or hidden, here became possible. The result is a space made of a playful and physical interaction made of people, natural materials and artificial products: it is a Glockenspiel built in an urban scale that sounds when people is passing by and that reveals unexpected shapes, colours, sound and perfumes but nevertheless familiar.
watch the video of ACK
project: Pierandrei Associati, Alessandro M. Pierandrei, Fabrizio M. Pierandrei, Stefano Anfossi
collaborators: Elio Di Carlo, Vincenzo Rinaldi, Sonia Bianchi , Milena Oregioni


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The Consular Section of the Embassy of Portugal in Moscow informs that was established the following deadline 08.01.2018 to 30.04.2018 for the presentation of requests for the accreditation of Tour Operators (TO). Only requests made by TOs registered in Rosturizm and with the right to operate in the international market will be accepted. The deadline for the decision making will be 1 month after the reception of the request for accreditation.
The requests must be delivered directly by the interested TOs, without intermediates, at the Consular Section of the Embassy of Portugal in Moscow.
They must have detailed information about the company activities.
The list of documents to be submitted must the requested through the following email: email@example.com


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Some men who are using male enhancement pills never tell their partners about that. They don't want to admit to their women that they are taking male sexual enhancement pills to increase the performance on bed. However, women are smart to find out sooner or later that their men are using these herbal supplements. You know why? Most of these men usually don't have good performance in bed due to small penis size, weak erections, and/or premature ejaculation. Now, they have bigger penises, harder and stronger erections like a rock, and increased sexual energy with timely ejaculation power. Do women know about the difference? Sure, they do. However, sometimes they don't want to ask about that.
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Most women do care a lot about how well you perform in bed? Does a woman like male enhancement pills? How do you think about the answer will be? Most of women on this world prefer their men to be strongly in bed.
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By Julie Drizin
"Goddammit!" "God bless you!" "For God's sake!" "God forbid!"
My children have heard me take "the Lord's name in vain." These expressions slip out as easily as expletives and are part of my vernacular, even though I don't believe in God.
God is not exactly welcome in our home.
I'm not a hater (at least not anymore). I'm an atheist. My daughters know I'm the tooth fairy; they have no use for Santa Claus; and would consider the Bible a collection of boring, inaccessible stories (at worst) or fables on par with Greek and Roman mythology (at best).


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Leah Hazard
Author of 'Hard Pushed'
Leah Hazard was born in the United States and studied English and American Literature and Language at Harvard University, before moving to the UK in 1999.
She earned a Masters Degree in Directing and had a career in television at BBC Scotland until the birth of her first daughter in 2003 prompted her to change direction and pursue her lifelong interest in women's health.
Leah soon began working as a doula, supporting women in pregnancy and attending numerous births in homes and hospitals across Scotland. The birth of Leah's second daughter in 2006 prompted Leah to make the leap into midwifery.
Training in one of the UK's busiest maternity hospitals, Leah delivered 76 babies (and nearly gave up at least as many times) before qualifying as a registered midwife in 2013.
Since then, she has worked in a variety of clinical areas within the NHS maternity services, from antenatal clinics and triage units to labour wards and beyond, catching hundreds more babies and handling the kinds of obstetric emergencies she thought she'd only ever see in textbooks.
Leah remains an actively serving midwife and wrote Hard Pushed in between shifts at a hospital that sees thousands of deliveries each year.


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I sit with my back pressed into his chest. With his arms secure around my waist and his fingers twisting with mine, I lean my head back into the curve of his collarbone. The wooden dock we sit on is cold and a slight breeze wisps past my hair and seeps its way into the seams of the soft, white down coat that shields my body. I shiver as I gaze up at the splashes of color igniting the night sky, the boom of the explosions rattling the bridge beneath us and filling the air with the sulfuric scent of spent gunpowder. The burning color reflects off the water and the show below is almost as dazzling as the bursts and splays of color raining from the broad band of blackness above.
I free my hands to reach into my bag and pull out my camera, adjusting the aperture for the vibrancy of the fiery sky, and point the lens at the horizon, attempting to capture the effect of the fireworks on the rippling surface, the click, click, click of the camera snagging each frame.
"Look at that, look at the water. Isn't that amazing? See how it looks like glass, the color reflecting off the movement. It looks like it's dancing," I say, and he breathes into the tiny sliver of exposed skin between my scarf and sweater.
"You've always been like this, you know? Noticing, observing, watching. The way you see things, things I wouldn't notice in a million years, you see them and make them noticeable for others. That, my dear, is what I think is amazing." His voice is quiet, as smooth and sweet as liquid chocolate, and I smile to myself at his recollection.
"You have no idea how many times I imagined this exact moment," he whispers into my ear, the warmth of his breath a relief from the icy chill and it causes goosebumps to dance across my skin. I crane my neck so I can see his face, the exploding color in the sky making his eyes shimmer in shades of red and green and gold.
"Oh, I think I have an idea," I reply, smiling up at him and shifting to get closer. His arms tighten around me and I feel him sigh, the fog exhaling from his mouth as the warmth of his breath mixes with the cold night air. "I just can't believe it took us seventeen years to get to this moment."
"No more 'maybe next year's' for us," he murmurs softly. His lips press into my temple and he lets them linger on my skin, breathing in and keeping our connection, a connection forged close to two decades ago in a very different time and a very different place.
Seventeen summers. I've spent the last seventeen years of my life trying to find a balance between loving him and hating him, belonging to him and resenting him for it, waiting anxiously for him to arrive and crying because I knew he'd have to leave, and yet, in his arms, I have never felt so complete. It took us seventeen years to realize what I knew in my heart when I was eleven.
He'd always been mine just for the summer. I never let myself believe he could be mine always.
Chapter 1 to follow shortly...
Many thanks to lovely betas n7of9 and SubtlePen.
Special love to darling miztrezboo for prereading my shenanigans.


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The medical revolution is creating the prospect of much longer-- and healthier --lives. But achieving the full benefits requires better logistics.
Undeniably, aging populations, chronic diseases and ongoing constraints on public finances are presenting significant challenges to healthcare systems in Europe.
The European Steering Group (ESG) on sustainable healthcare recently noted that to achieve sustainability of healthcare systems, a fundamental transformation is needed "from acute care to chronic care, from hospital dependency to integrated care across all levels of health systems, as well as from cost and volume to value and outcome."
"There is a significant opportunity for more shifts from acute hospital care to outpatient, community and home settings."
The effective use and application of information and communication technology will play a significant role for patient engagement. In his book, The Patient Will See You Now: The Future of Medicine is in Your Hands, Eric Topol refers to this as the "democratization of medicine," and describes how we are moving into an era of consumer empowerment, where individuals will embrace mobile technology for self-monitoring and health management.
A patient will be able to generate his or her own data on their own devices – such as blood pressure, blood glucose or even ECG (electrocardiogram) measurements — and immediately analyse that data via a smartphone application to act upon accordingly.
With patients managing their own health information, there is a significant opportunity for more shifts from acute hospital care to outpatient, community and home settings. In fact, home care is already taking off, with growth surges expected over the next decade.
"Healthcare manufacturers and logistics providers need to manage alternative networks that are flexible and provide the most effective, efficient conduit to the market for each product."
But how will this impact the healthcare industry and the way we deliver health to patients? According to UPS's 2014 Pain in the (Supply) Chain survey, which measures trends in healthcare supply chain management, 21 percent of global survey respondents cited the shift to home care as a key trend driving business and supply chain changes. Respondents reported that 30 percent of products will support the home care channel in the next seven to 10 years, mainly due to increased personalisation where therapies are matched to specific patient characteristics.
What this means is that healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, and suppliers must all work together to serve the specific needs of patients at home. Linear and indirect supply chain structures – where products move from manufacturers through wholesalers to dispensers — are no longer sufficient.
To support the increasing personalisation of healthcare and shift to a community and homecare setting, healthcare manufacturers and logistics providers need to manage alternative networks that are flexible and provide the most effective, efficient conduit to the market for each product in the manufacturer's portfolio.
But it is not only the reorganisation of care to a setting that meets the needs of patients, where the convergence of healthcare and consumer markets can be witnessed. There are other areas where the lines are starting to blur.
High-tech companies and fast-moving consumer goods companies are now offering healthcare products, pharmaceutical companies are investing in diagnostics, medical devices are being created with pharmaceutical components, and many more previously unheard of collaborative activities are occurring between different sectors of the industry.
This presents a huge opportunity for stakeholders in the healthcare sector to develop an integrated system where healthcare professional and patients, pharmaceutical manufacturers, world-class technology companies as well as healthcare experts in the supply chain work hand in hand to foster greater efficiency and better health outcomes.
"To properly harvest the opportunities that technology presents, logistics and effective supply chains are a central element. "
To properly harvest the opportunities that technology presents, logistics and effective supply chains are a central element. Logistics will be key to delivery, returns management and servicing, which might mean delivering new batteries, bringing replacement devices, or acting automatically on behalf of the care provider if error messages are received at the point of care. It enables the reduction of patient visits to care centres and solves the physical connectivity challenge bringing all the stakeholders together.
In the UK for example, logistics providers such as UPS already operate fully licensed pharmacies to fulfil patient prescriptions for home deliveries, co-ordinate activities between hospitals, community based healthcare professionals and patients. Further value is brought to both the health service and pharma companies by collating and sharing data giving better understanding of the performance of treatments over the long term across a wide range of patients.
Efficient logistics networks will help bring the convergence of healthcare and consumer markets to life and need to be understood as a central element and value-adding component in the healthcare ecosystem.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why are we doing this?
State laws and administrative rules relating to ethics and conflicts of interest grow out of the principle that public employees owe a duty of loyalty to their public employer. In the performance of their university responsibilities, faculty and staff have the obligation to act in the best interests of the university without regard to any personal interests they may have. Ongoing monitoring is required to ensure that employees comply with state law and university policy.
It is imperative that we have 100% compliance from those identified to report.
Does this replace the "Permission To Perform External Services?
All full-time faculty, as well as all unclassified staff (full and part-time) must complete this disclosure, as well as obtain permission for the external service.
Who coordinates this disclosure process?
The Ethics and External Services form is reviewed by the General Counsel/Chief Ethics Officer for potential conflicts. Requests for permission to perform external services will be routed through the appropriate department chair or supervisor, dean or director and vice-president.
What is the timeline for responding to the Ethics and External Services Questionnaire?
Responses are due by Friday, October 1, 2019.
What will happen if an employee discloses information that suggests the existence of a conflict of interest?
Some conflicts of interest are prohibited by state law, and violation of these statutes may result in criminal penalties. Others may violate university rules. Conflicts of interest can sometimes be managed through disclosure and the imposition of administrative safeguards to ensure that the interests of the university are protected. The General Counsel may consult with the employee, obtain relevant details and take action, if necessary, to resolve the conflict. Additional guidance on specific situations is provided below (see question on common examples of actual or potential conflicts).
Is there a "de minimis" dollar threshold for gifts from current or prospective vendors?
The technical answer is "No." The context of a gift is important and in some situations even a small amount of money can give rise to a conflict of interest, or the appearance of a conflict. As a general rule, it is considered reasonable to use $25 as a de minimis threshold for a non-recurring gift or other benefit. In other words, a lunch with a current or prospective vendor would not be considered a conflict of interest if the value was within the de minimis threshold. However, if there is a recurring pattern of gifts or other benefits (for example, fruit baskets and other items arriving several times a year, or going to lunch more than once), these gifts and other benefits would not be considered de minimis. It is important to consider how others (inside and outside the university) might perceive the situation. Remember – conflicts of interest can often be questions of appearance.
Is it OK to accept a meal from a current or prospective vendor?
A simple meal, at a family style restaurant with a value up to $25, may be considered de minimis; meals at "fancy restaurants", meals with a value above $25, or recurring invitations, should not be accepted from current or prospective vendors. However, the University strongly recommends that the employee's meals with a vendor always be paid for by the employee and submitted for reimbursement as an employee business expense.
A company is offering to pay my travel and hotel expenses to attend an out-of-town conference. Would this be appropriate?
Situations involving payment of travel and hotel expenses by a current or prospective vendor often raise serious conflict of interest issues. Individuals should not accept offers to attend conferences hosted by vendors or otherwise travel at the expense of a current or prospective vendor. For example, an offer by a computer company, seeking to do business with the University to pay all expenses to attend a conference at Disney World would not be appropriate and may not be accepted by a faculty/staff member.
Around the holidays, our office receives several gift baskets and tins of popcorn from our vendors. Is it appropriate to accept these gifts?
These types of unsolicited gifts are difficult to avoid. While, it may not violate the Ethics Law to accept these items on a one-time basis and share them among the staff, employees are expected to actively discourage vendors from sending these types of gifts. Recurring gifts (such as fruit baskets arriving throughout the year from the same vendor) may not be accepted and should be returned.
The consulting firm that is installing our computer system invited me to their annual golf outing. Is it OK to attend?
Golf outings (including entrance fees, greens fees and cart fees) are not considered de minimis gifts and may not be accepted from current or prospective vendors. You may attend if you pay all of your expenses.
Our painting contractors have offered employees in my division an "industry discount" of 15% on house painting work. Is this appropriate?
It is inappropriate to accept free or discounted services if the offer is not available to the general public.
I won a digital camera as a door prize at my professional organization's annual meeting. May I keep it?
De minimis door prizes or items awarded in a drawing may be accepted because they are not high value and because all of the attendees at the event were eligible to win. But the utmost discretion and judgment is required, especially if high value gifts (over $25.00) are made available. If participation in such a meeting is on University time and/or paid by the University, such a prize would be considered a prize to the University and not to the employee.
I am an events manager at the university, and my spouse owns a catering firm that is seeking to expand its business with the university. Is this a problem?
To the extent that the events manager can make or influence decisions to purchase catering services from the spouses's firm, this would represent a conflict of interest. This relationship must be disclosed by the events manager. The General Counsel will work with the manager to take actions to address the potential conflicts. For example, the manager may need to remove himself or herself from the selection process for catering services.
I work in University Development and do volunteer fundraising work for the United Way. Is this a problem?
Given the relatively finite pool of potential donors, it is likely these potential donors will be approached by many fundraising organizations. As such, potential conflicts of this nature may be difficult to avoid. The best guidance in this case is to disclose the relationships and, to the extent possible, avoid participating in directly overlapping fundraising appeals.


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SIUE Alumnus Makes Historic Mark, Climbs City Leadership Ranks
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus Shawn Bell has combined educational ambition and applied learning since high school, and is now achieving success as a city administrator, thanks in part to a resume filled with real-world experience.
Bell, a Glen Carbon native, earned a master's in public administration from SIUE in 2012. Since then, he has enjoyed a blossoming career in city management, including becoming the youngest city administrator in South Carolina in 2014, at age 28.
Now, he oversees approximately 100 employees and an $18.5 million budget as the city manager/administrator for Fountain Inn, S.C.
"Early on in my proseminar in public administration course, Dr. Morris Taylor told our class about the role of a city manager," Bell said. "I'll never forget that day, and will never be able to thank him enough for that inspiration."
"Nothing prepared me more for my career in city management than the year-long internship the SIUE public administration and policy analysis (PAPA) program coordinated," he added. "I worked directly for the city manager and assistant city manager of Ferguson, Mo."
Throughout his career in city administration, Bell has overseen such departments as police, fire, finance, public works, parks and recreation, planning and zoning, and more. While his personal drive and professional experience are evident, he is the first to admit it takes a team of people to succeed.
"I am not and will not be an expert in any one field," he emphasized. "My department heads are the experts in their respective fields, and it's incredibly important that I don't micromanage. Instead, I need to know the right questions to ask and be able to hold individuals accountable."
SIUE's PAPA program meets the growing demand for a master's in public administration in an accelerated format. For more information on the graduate program, visit siue.edu/artsandsciences/papa.
Photo: SIUE alumnus Shawn Bell, MPA


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Amazing diving cruise in Palau surrounded by sharks, mantas, napoleons and nautilus
Amazing diving cruise in Palau surrounded by sharks, mantas, napoleons and nautilus…
The Palau Siren welcomed on board, for this 10 days trip, a group of international divers. After, the briefing and the equipment set up, everyone went early to bed for a good night sleep. On the following day we started with our check dives at Haf Adai wreck and Buoy 6 Wreck. Then, the Palau Siren moved towards Ulong where we dove at Sandy Paradise and Cemetery reef where we dove amoung sharks, snappers, barracudas
The next day, we dove at Siaes tunnel and Siaes corner, where we saw turtles, jacks, sharks, bumphead parrotfish. For the next dive of the day, we went back to Ulong Channel where we say sharks, Napoleon wrasses, schools of barracudas, bumphead parrotfish and even an octopus. After this, it was time to go down to Ngemelis where we anchored at 2 dogs Island. Blue Corner was first on the list where, due to the unusable little current, our guests had the chance to explore the dive site and see all schooling fish and sharks patrolling this dive site. For our second dive, we choose Big Drop Off, a beautiful wall covered with soft and hard corals. At German channel, where even though the mantas didn't show up, we had a great dive with sharks and lots of schooling fish.
We chose New Drop Off for our first dive of the next day. Thanks to the nice current that we got, we could hook and enjoy the bunch of sharks that were swimming just in front of us. Next on our schedule was Ngemelis wall where we got a school of about 30 juveniles grey reef sharks swimming along the wall. On the way back to the Palau Siren, we spotted a Manta Ray making his way out through German Channel. After lunch, we dove Dexter`s wall and German wall for our night dive.
Before heading to Peleliu, we decided to snorkel at Jellyfish Lake. Once we arrived to the WWII Island, we dove Peleliu Cut where we luckily witnessed a massive school of Red Snappers that was hanging around just at the cut, after they finished spooning at Peleliu corner early morning. We also spotted a school of Bumphead parrotfish, grey reef sharks and a school of jacks. Next was, Orange beach's beautiful hard coral garden. On our way back to Ngmelis, we spotted a group of pilot whales on the surface near Peleliu Corner. On the following day, a nautilus dive was scheduled at Turtle Cove followed by a dive at Blue Holes. Then back to Blue Corner where this time, we got enough current to hook and enjoy the show. Our night divers, had the opportunity to see at Turtle Cove moray eels, crabs, shrimps, nudibranch, as well as a lion fish and some turtles.
Next on our schedule was Virgin Blue Hole where we saw many nudibranch, lion fish, turtels, sharks and a school of snappers. After this, while some of our guests did our Peleliu Land tour, the rest dove at Barnum's Wall. For the next dive of the day, in German Channel we saw 3 big mantas feeding above us. As they didn't go down to the cleaning station, we decided to snorkel with them after the dive. Our adventure was nearly over, and before heading back to Malakal, we went back first to Peleliu where we dove Peleliu Wall and Peleliu Cut, then to Ulong where we dove Ulong Channel. Once back to Malakal, we dove Iro Maru and Chandelier Cave.
Thank you guys for this great cruise. It was fun to have you onboard! I hope to see you soon again!
More Liveaboard Dive Trip Blogs from Palau
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One week after arriving home, I've finally posted my blogs and had some time to reflect on my experience, developing some random final thoughts that didn't fit in to other posts:
I recognize how fortunate I am to work for an organization that values international partnerships and travel. I am hyper-aware of how fortunate I am to have been offered the opportunity to travel to Tanzania to work twice in one calendar year. It was amazing for me to take some of what Jim & I learned in March and incorporate it into the classroom in November.
I am also so grateful to my faculty team, my support team, my principal, and my Academic Chair, Jim, for supporting me and the students while I was away during classes. As a result of everyone else pitching in on my behalf, my students did not miss any class time while I was gone. I am grateful to my students for recognizing and embracing the opportunity I had, and being patient and encouraging while I was away. (I brought them treats, but they don't know that yet…)
My experience each time was totally different, but I loved both. I was prepared for the culture-shock this time, and the juxtaposition of traditional and modern ways of life; wealth and poverty; the differences in climate. When I was in Tanzania in March, the average temperature 35*C and this time our average temperature was 25*C which was much more comfortable. The humidity was so much lower as well, so I didn't have the "African Hair" issues I had last time.
I am still in awe of the core strength African women have. Carrying 40kg of bananas on your head with no hands while waking up a 70* hill? No problem! And we complain our backs hurt after we sleep funny on our soft mattresses? #firstworldproblems
The freedom the kids in Tanzania have boggles my mind. I was reluctant to let my kids drive their bikes on the street when they were six, let alone be responsible for livestock along a busy highway.
Traveling with female colleagues who are the same age as you are is different than traveling with your male boss – even if you are friends. I would never admit to having more fun this time, but I did definitely have later nights and met far more people! To be fair, at different times on both trips I laughed until my cheeks and belly hurt.
The Supermoon took place one of the first nights we were there. We tried to get a(n unsuccessful) photo which necessitated the creation of the term #womenover40shouldnttakeselfies
Oh, the laughter!
Tradition and ritual remain strong in Tanzania. At the school, when one of the females I had met before entered the room, I stood up to greet her, and she looked at me and said, "In Tanzania, I must greet the men first" then greeted all the men in the room before coming to give me a warm hug and kisses.
The students were amazing. The work ethic was refreshing to watch. We ran our course from 1pm-6pm so the students could work in the morning before coming to class. Most were women who would have had to go home after class and cook supper and do all the traditional housework in addition to the homework we gave them. When we ran over time on the first day (by 30 minutes) not one student moved a muscle to leave before we were finished! At home our experience is usually that the students are packed up ten minutes before class is over.
You can't count on not being bitten by mosquitoes. I have now spent a total of 16 days in Tanzania and until my very last night, had never even seen a mosquito, let alone been bitten. (I even fell asleep on my balcony while watching the stars in March!) On my final night, I got eaten alive. Just finished my last malaria pill yesterday; but before I left, Aturebecca told me I was more likely to contract typhoid from brushing my teeth with the tap water. (I had my typhoid shot too!)
Because the weather was cooler, I ate more this time. (I found at 35*C I lost my appetite.) The juices were always freshly squeezed and tasted so amazing! Watermelon with passion fruit and avocado, real orange juice, watermelon, watermelon and mango… I tried some new foods: fried tilapia (LOVE), ugali (LOVE), goat (LOVE). Being away from Olivia, I ate peanuts almost every day. I gained three pounds (was surprised it was that little, but the food was all FRESH and REAL).
Arusha is a tourist town and other than our first weekend in the cultural village and on safari, and driving back-and-forth to the college, we didn't leave the "compound" of the hotel much. This visit felt far less "African" and that we could have been at a hotel anywhere in the world. In March, I felt that I got to see more evidence of the "real" Tanzania as we went into businesses and experienced entrepreneurship.
I am a sucker when it comes to the marketplace. I am not a barterer and feel as a "rich" North American any money I can inject into the economy is money well spent.
I texted home on days with reliable wi-fi, but didn't video until the end when I was on my way home. This made it easier for my kids to have me away.
What are the chances of inviting a random stranger to sit at your table with you at the airport in Ethiopia and then discover they are from Nova Scotia? We have so many small world stories from the B&B, but this was one of my favourites! I also learned that when you have a 16 hour flight, just settle in and make the most of it!
We created a partnership for my Enactus NSCC Pictou team, so I look forward to returning with students in May 2018. Details to follow…
THANK YOU to D'Arcy, Evan, Alex, Sarah & Olivia; my parents; Jim, Dave, Rosemary, Debbie, Goldie, Bert, Deanna and Nicole; Amy, Kellie, and Katie; Lori; Martha & the kids teachers; my Enactus team; my students; and everyone else who made this experience possible for me. I will continue to share my experiences and help others learn through my experiences.


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I have had a windows 7 loaded Packard Bell Pc pretty much from when Windows 7 came out.
Media player has always been full of problems (primarily loading websites and any old logo into the picture directory).
Now it won't even play web based videos and says media player is not installed properly and needs to be reinstalled - sends you to MS website but no download.
I pay for BT IT advisor and they had no way of removing and re-installing Media player 12.
I have tried downloading Media player 11 but it comes up as no downloads for this operating system!!
Like I said....help!


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prpl (pronounced "Purple") is an open-source, community-driven, collaborative, non-profit foundation targeting and supporting the MIPS architecture—and open to others—with a focus on enabling next-generation datacenter-to-device portable software and virtualized architectures.
prpl represents leaders in the technology industry investing in innovation in efficiency, portability and compatibility for the good of a broad community of developers, businesses and consumers.
Initial domains targeted by prpl include:
datacenter, networking & storage, connected consumer and embedded/IoT.
Members include:
Broadcom, Cavium, Ikanos, Imagination Technologies, Ineda, Ingenic, Lantiq, PMC and Qualcomm.


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U.S. condemns al-Qaida for perpetrating terror attacks in Iraq
The U.S. government on Saturday strongly condemned al-Qaida for perpetrating a chain of terror attacks in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, calling the attackers "enemies of Islam", Xinhua reported.
"At least 40 people were killed and 250 others wounded in a wave of violent attacks across Iraq on Saturday, mostly in Baghdad. The 10 car bomb attacks, mostly targeting markets, restaurants and cafes, occurred as Iraqis were celebrating the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Describing them as "cowardly attacks" that bear the hallmarks of similar suicide and vehicle bomb attacks in Iraq over the past 90 days, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said most of these attacks "have been perpetrated by al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI)," which is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, also known as Abu D'ua.
"These attacks were aimed at families celebrating the Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The terrorists who committed these acts are enemies of Islam and a shared enemy of the United States, Iraq, and the international community," Psaki said.
The U.S. has offered a 10-million-dollars reward for information that helps authorities kill or capture Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who is now based in Syria and has changed the name of AQI to the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham. This reward is second only to information leading to the capture of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the head of al-Qaida, Psaki said.
The United States is prepared to work closely with the Iraqi government "to confront the threat posed by Al Qaida in Iraq and other terrorist groups," she said.
The U.S. and Iraq will hold discussions on strengthening bilateral cooperation on fighting terrorism and other areas during next week's visit to Washington by Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, she added.
Iraq is witnessing its worst eruption of violence in five years, which raises fears that the country is sliding back to the full-blown civil conflict that peaked in 2006 and 2007, when monthly death toll sometimes exceeded 3,000.
The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq recently reported more than 1,000 Iraqis were killed and more than 2,300 were wounded in acts of terrorism and violence in July, the deadliest month in more than five years.


text: Euro-trance duo Groove Coverage emerged as one of the most successful German club acts of its generation with a series of crossover chart smashes. DJ Novus (born Markus Schafferzyk) and producer Axel Konrad co-founded the project in the summer of 2001. After a pair of underground club favorites, "Hit Me" and "Are U Ready," they recruited vocalist Mell, who took center stage on the breakthrough Groove Coverage hit "Moonlight Shadow," a Mike Oldfield cover that earned the group its first German Top Ten hit. Mell's pregnancy forced her to go on hiatus from the group, however, and with pinch-hitter vocalist Verena, Groove Coverage scored its second consecutive Top Ten entry with "God Is a Girl," co-written by Lou Bega of "Mambo No. 5" fame. In the autumn of 2002 the duo issued its debut full-length, Covergirl, supporting its release with a tour across western and central Europe. Mell returned in 2003, although Verena continued contributing additional vocals to 2004's 7 Years and 50 Days, an album highlighted by its blockbuster cover of Alice Cooper's "Poison." The LP also generated the hits "She" and "Runaway," the latter a smash in Australia, Canada, and Japan as well. After a series of singles including "Holy Virgin," "On the Radio," and "21st Century Digital Girl," Groove Coverage issued its third full-length, 21st Century Digital Girl, in mid-2006. ~ Jason Ankeny


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EAP+ is here for you!
As an employee of Bentonville Schools, EAP+ is a resource to you and the members of your immediate family. Through this service, you have direct access to a team of dedicated Community Liaisons that know the landscape of qualified community resources for our area.
A Liaison will work with you to create a tailor-made Resource Plan full of services relevant and affordable to you. This service is free and simple to use. Check out our FAQs below to learn more.
Get Connected
In order for Hark to best assist you, please fill out the information below.
(this is confidential)
What is an EAP?
An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a benefits program through your place of work. Its purpose is to help with personal and/or professional problems that may arise for you or a family member. Or as we like to call it, when life happens.
What is EAP+?
EAP+ is an addition to your Organization's existing EAP. Many EAPs are traditionally only known for mental health services. EAP+ helps identify the needs in your life and connects you to solutions, "resources." Think mental health, financial assistance, health and wellness, transportation, and more. EAP+ leverages Hark's resource map, which has thousands of vetted resources in Northwest Arkansas (NWA). This includes Organizations that provide free and/or reduced services. This list grows daily based on your requests.
How do I access EAP+?
Visit your employee benefits portal or school website and find the link or button labeled Hark EAP+. Select the link or button to begin the free assessment process. A dedicated Community Liaison from Hark will be in touch within 24 hours.
Does it cost anything?
Besides a bit of your time, nothing!
Is EAP+ confidential?
Absolutely! Your privacy is deeply important. Extreme measures are taken to ensure interactions and personal information stays private, confidential, and is never shared back to your Organization unless requested by you.
Any collected information is stored in Hark's HIPAA compliant platform.
Can I use this for my family?
Yes, EAP+ may be used for any member of your household as long as they live or receive resources in NWA.
How do I qualify?
All you have to do is take the first step! Locate the Hark EAP+ link or button on your Organization's website to get in touch with your dedicated Hark Community Liaison. It will be determined which community resources you qualify for during the assessment and resource identification step
Why can't I just find resources myself?
In the age of Google, you are often your best researcher for quick knowledge. However, when life happens, or you aren't sure where to turn, EAP+ is here to serve as a "master navigator" of health and human services in NWA.


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We aspire to review supplement as objectively as possible. That applies to both quality, taste and price. Some of the product categories, like multivitamins, do not include taste reviews. Instead our multivitamin reviews contain both a score for vitamin- and mineral content. The total score is a weighted average across the relevant factors for each supplement category. You can sort the ranking by each individual factor on the ranking pages.
Score for price
Prices score calculations are done based on the available products on the specific market. Therefore, the same product can have a different price score depending on the specific market/country. The price score is sougt normalised by serving size or by a defined dosage size that we set for each individual product category.
Score for taste
We review the taste for all the types of supplements where taste is relevant. The products are purchased, repackage in blinded containers and shipped to our review panel. Every product that the panelists receive are labeled with a unique randomised product ID in order for them to know which type of supplement they are tasting (for example protein powder). This is done to keep the product name, brand and manufacturer a secret to the panelists. Finally, we have given them specific instructions in how and under which circumstances they should review the taste – in order to make the score as valid, reproducably and systematic as possible.
Score for quality
The score for quality is calculated by our custom algorithms based on the declared content of the product. The algortihms are built to be scientific and evidence based – simply put, as good as possible at evaluating expected efficacy.
There are establised gold standard methods of testing quality for supplement categories like protein powder and amino acids. We have built custom algorithms, for evaluating expected efficacy and quality, for the categories that currently have no standardised way for quality assurance. Building algorithms for this specific purpose includes arbitrary decisions, which is why we have clearly outlined how they function on every single category page.


text: CinnamonMetal 18 Posted June 19, 2019 (edited) When using the Group Create SOP along with Keep in Bounding Regions with a bounding sphere, I'm trying to limit my selection to only the edge points of the selection by enabling Include in Edges but that is not working; how do I limit the selection using the Group Create SOP ? The Bounding sphere has selected all the points, how can I get the Group Create SOP to limit only the edge points ? Edited June 19, 2019 by CinnamonMetal Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Help:Editing/Image transparency
Most of the images on the wiki have transparency applied to them. This involves deleting the image's background to make the subject clearer. Transparency may be applied before an image is uploaded or once it is already on the wiki. Previously uploaded images that editors need to add transparency to them can be found in Category:Images needing transparency, or Category:Images needing translucency if the image needs translucency applied.
This guide will cover how to apply transparency and translucency using GIMP and Photoshop. Unlike Photoshop, GIMP is free - if you are not familiar with it, you can check out our guide on getting GIMP and performing general functions with it here.
To upload a new new version of a file navigate to the files page
File:Some file name.png and hit "Upload a new version of this file" located at the end of the File history section of the page. Once a new version has been updated please remove the transparency/translucency template. The template is either located in the Summary section in which case hit edit, if not use the edit button at the top of the page. The template will be in one of the following formats (delete the whole thing):
{{Trans}} {{Transparency}} {{Transparency|Some info about transparency}} {{Transl}} {{Translucency}} {{Translucency|Some info about translucency}}
Due to how images are displayed on the site, right click copying an image onto GIMP or Photoshop will result in a lossy version of the image compared to saving, which gives the original. Please save the image before applying transparency or translucency if uploading here.
Transparency[edit source]
- Open your image in GIMP.
- Under the Layer menu select Transparency and click the Add Alpha Channel option. Without an alpha channel you will not be able to add transparency.
- Click the Free Select Tool. Make sure that anti-aliasing is turned on under the tool options.
- Make an outline around the part of the image you want to keep by marking points around the image with the Free Select Tool (image). Don't be scared to cut into the image a little to remove the background properly.
- It may help to zoom in to see the edges of the image more easily (Ctrl + mouse scroll wheel).
- When you reach the end of the whole outline, click on your starting point to complete your selection. The individual points will disappear and the part of the image you wish to keep will be selected.
- Press Enter/Return to commit your selection.
- Press Ctrl + I to invert your selection so that background is selected.
- Press delete so that the background is removed. The background should be replaced with a chequered background - this indicates that this part of the image is transparent.
If the background is replaced by a white fill you probably forgot to add an alpha channel - undo, add an alpha channel and try again
- If there are any background areas contained within the image you want to keep these can be removed by selecting them with the Free Select Tool and pressing delete without inverting your selection.
- Go to Image and choose Autocrop to remove the extra background around your image.
- Open your image in Photoshop. (File -> Open, or you can drag an image into the empty window)
- Make sure Layer 0 is selected in the Layers panel on the bottom right of the program.
- If there is a padlock icon on the layer, right-click the layer, choose Layer from Background, and press Enter
- Click and hold down on the Lasso Tool in the toolbar on the left of the program. Then, select Polygonal Lasso Tool.
- At the top of the screen, make sure that Anti-alias is ticked and Feather is set to 0px.
- Carefully make a point-to-point selection around the subject of the image by clicking where you want the points to be. Take your time with this, and do not cut any parts out.
- To complete your selection, click the first point again or press Enter to connect your last point to the first one automatically.
- Press SHIFT+CTRL+I to invert the selection you made, then press Delete to delete everything that is not the subject.
- Open the Image menu at the top of Photoshop, and then select Trim. Leave the settings as default, then press Enter. The image will now be cropped.
- Go to File -> Save As, switch the type to PNG, then save it to a location on your computer.
- The image is now ready to upload!
Inventory icon images transparency[edit source]
Inventory icon images can have transparency added more easily.
Use Select by Color Tool/Fuzzy Select Tool, and set the threshold to ~15. Be sure the "antialiasing" option is unticked.
Click on the background of the icon you wish to add transparency. For the New Interface System, this would usually be blue, while on Legacy Mode, it will be brown. Hold control+shift and repeat until the background behind the sprite has been (mostly) selected. Now press delete.
Insert image here
To remove an item sprite's shadow, set the threshold to 0, then click on the shadow. Alternatively, using Legacy Mode causes the shadow to become brown, making it easier to see.
Interface transparency[edit source]
Interfaces are typically of the same size and have standard borders. Therefore it may be easier to delete parts of the interface border and copy and paste in some areas with transparency applied. There is a template for that here:
Translucency[edit source]
Easy method[edit source]
This can be used for any images where particles or translucency are over a solid coloured background. Having a contrasting background helps in achieving the correct color in most situations Try it with different colored backgrounds to see which one works best for your image.
- Apply regular transparency, excluding any areas with particles or translucency.
- Select an area with particles using the Free Select Tool.
- Select: Layer > Transparency > Color to Alpha.
- Click on the bar of the Color to Alpha window and use the Color Picker to select the background colour from the original image (the colour of the background behind the particles that you want to get rid of).
- Click okay on the Color Picker window and okay again on the Color to Alpha window. The background should be removed without affecting the colour of the particles/translucency: if it isn't then you may need to try one of the harder methods.
- Go to Image > Autocrop to remove the extra background around your image.
- Export your image to save it in the .png file format
- The image is now ready to upload!
Translucency - hard method[edit source]
Use this method if you want to add solid coloured translucency to an image that has not been taken on a solid background. This doesn't work for translucent areas which have patterns.
- Add regular transparency if not already done, excluding the translucent areas.
- Use the Free Select Tool to outline the part of the image that is translucent as above.
- Change the colour of the selected area to white. Go to Colors > Brightness-Contrast, and move both sliders to the max.
- Recolour the white area to an appropriate colour. You can do this using Colors > Color Balance; Colors > Hue-Saturation; or Colors > Colorize. Change the levels until you have a colour that matches what the area's colour should be.
- Make the coloured area translucent by using the Eraser Tool on it. Change the tool's Opacity setting to determine how translucent area is. Around 22% opacity is typical: though you can change it depending on the subject of the image.
- When you have added translucency to all the parts of the image that require it you should clean up the edges of the translucent areas, as they will not have anti-aliasing and will not be blended with the adjacent parts of the image.
- When bordering an empty part of the image use the Free Select Tool to select a small portion of the edge of the section and delete it.
- Use the Blur Tool to clean up areas inside the image: size less than 10 depending on size of image; convolve rate less than 10; and opacity at 100. Run the tool over the edges of the translucent areas.
- Go to Image > Autocrop to remove the extra background around your image.
Particles - hard method[edit source]
Use for image where there are particles on a non-solid colour background.
- Open the Layers window.
- Apply transparency, excluding the areas with particles. Make sure you keep a copy of the original image to judge what the particles looked like.
- Use the Free Select Tool to select the areas with particles. Cut and paste the selection. It will appear as Floating Selection (Pasted Layer) right-click this and select To New Layer.
- Create a new layer that is transparent by right-clicking in the layers window and choosing New Layer and then selecting Transparency as the Layer Fill Type.
- Use the Color Picker Tool to select the colour of the particles from the layer with the cut original particles.
- Select a circular Paintbrush Tool, 2. Hardness 075 is ideal. Adjust opacity, typically around 20 is fine but this may be changed depending on the intensity of the original particles, and the paintbrush size, depending on how large the particles are.
- Select the blank transparent layer and use the paintbrush to draw in the particles.
- Start by making the general shape of the particle area. You can then add more particles in the parts which are more intense.
- The particles should look like those in the original image, so be sure to compare to the original image and cut particle layer while creating the new particles. You should also compare to your plain background colour to check that the particles are not too light/dark.
- Repeat for all the areas with particles.
- When you are done, delete the layer containing the original particles and the layer with plain black/white fill by right-clicking them and selecting Delete Layer.
- Go to Image and select Merge Visible Layers to combine the remaining layers.
- Go to Image > Autocrop to remove the extra background around your image.
See also[edit source]
- Want some more help?
- Ask for help with this topic on the article's talk page.
- Ask for general editing help at RuneScape:User help.
- Request help from an administrator at RuneScape:Administrative requests if you need help which requires an administrator's tools.
- Chat to other editors in our clan chat or Discord channel.


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Children With Guns: Who Gets Punished?
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri leads the nation in the number of children getting their hands on guns and accidentally hurting themselves or others.
Last year, five children shot themselves or someone else.
State Rep. Stacey Newman (D-St. Louis) has authored a bill that says a person could be prosecuted for first-degree child endangerment if he or she knowingly fails to keep a loaded deadly weapon out of the reach of a child who's younger than 17.
Newman says it's needed to keep children safe.
"This is something that many states have in terms of tools to allow prosecutors to actually charge adults when their gun has been accidentally or negligently used by a child," she explains.
Newman's bill hasn't been assigned to committee yet. She says it's controversial, so if Missouri residents want to see it approved, they need to put pressure on their local lawmakers to make sure it comes up for a vote.
Newman says it's sad that lawmakers have to legislate what should just be common sense.
"Keeping cigarettes away from kids, putting your kids in a car seat, you know, making sure they're in a safe crib, making sure that you're not smothering them with blankets," she points out. "We do have to put things into law because our children's lives should be worth it."
Newman says children are not in charge of their own safety – that's what adults are for.
Newman concedes it could be a rough road for the bill because it's a political year and gun legislation is always controversial. She says lawmakers aren't very consistent when it comes to protecting children.
"We spend so much time in our own Legislature talking about pro-life things in terms of trying to make abortion much harder to access," she states. "It's all this thought about life, and yet on the other hand, when we're talking about guns and children's lives, it really should be a no-brainer."
The gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety says last year 265 children younger than 18 picked up a firearm and accidentally shot themselves or someone else. That works out to about five accidental shootings by children each week.