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The buzz at The Cooper Union this morning was less about what Barack Obama would say about Wall Street and more about whether Mr. Obama's warm-up act, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York, would endorse his former breakfast buddy.
But, no. Mr. Bloomberg was all business when he introduced Mr. Obama, although the candidate himself ventured slightly into that territory, offering glowing praise of the mayor and this jokey bit:
"The reason I bought breakfast is because I expect payback for something more expensive. I'm no dummy," Mr. Obama said.
Payback, eh? Like… an endorsement? A big donation?
Again, no. Seems Mr. Obama was referring to a prime slab of meat.
"The mayor was a cheap date that morning. There are some good steakhouses here in New York," Mr. Obama said slyly.
But the momentary suspense was enough to get bloggers musing online about how much weight Mr. Bloomberg's endorsement carries, and whether an Obama-Bloomberg presidential ticket would ever be viable. Oh, chatter away.
And to be quite frank, probably not in the cards at all. If Mr. Obama already attracts the upper-educated, the elites, why go for Mr. Bloomberg? A billionaire times over. This romance with bloggers and Mr. Bloomberg says a lot about New York, the home state of Mr. Obama's rival, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and a little about Mr. Bloomberg's serious financial street cred.
In Blogtalk, though, it's quite amusing to catalog the hype (and the detractors). In short, it's a distraction from the negativity that drags on and on…
Robert Stein at the blog Connecting.the.Dots says "Bloomberg would bring to Obama the managerial skills he is accused of lacking, a Jewish partner to offset doubts raised by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright flap, credibility in handling a recession as well as a billionaire's deep pockets for campaign funds."
Sounds promising, maybe, but it's not a match made in total paradise. There's that issue of Mr. Bloomberg's inconsistent party allegiance.
"The once Democrat turned Republican now an Independent would have to convince his former political allies that he would bring more to the party and Democratic candidates across the country than the combined racial and religious prejudice would take away," Mr. Stein writes.
The authors of MSNBC's First Read argue that it might not be a bad idea for Senator Obama to pick a Jewish running mate since
new details emerged about his Trinity United Church of Christ. Reuters reports that the church "published a pro-Hamas, anti-Israel opinion article in a church bulletin in July."
"A fortunate thing for Obama is at least these church bulletins aren't video," First Read says. "The idea of a Jewish running mate might end up making more and more sense for Obama as the summer wears on."
Marc Ambinder at The Atlantic joins the camp that believes Bloomberg's business and administrative expertise balances out Obama's youth and optimism.
Obama isn't much of an administrator or a details guy by his own admission, while Bloomberg is so concerned about Your Health and Welfare that he studies intently the ins and outs of congestion pricing and trans-fats. He's a prime minister-type — although he brings an outsider's sense of efficiency to the bureaucracy. Let Obama be the vision guy; Bloomberg could be the brass-tacks administrator.
Talk amplified further when Senator Obama told a WNYC radio host that he agreed with Mr. Bloomberg's idea to charge motorists for driving in Manhattan during rush hour. Our sister blog City Room reports that Mr. Obama told Bob Hennelly, "I think Mayor Bloomberg's proposal for congestion pricing is a thoughtful and innovative approach to the problem."
Says The Daily Politics blog at the New York Daily News: "One surefire way to improve your chances of landing the endorsement of a certain billionaire mayor: Endorse his current signature proposal."
With most liberal blogs writing on various themes of could-would-should Mr. Obama pursue Mr. Bloomberg for vice president, it's not surprising that bloggers on the right are focused more on the couldn't, wouldn't, absolutely shouldn't.
Redbeard at Vague Nihilism doesn't trust Mr. Bloomberg ever since the mayor once called members of the Transit Workers Union "thugs."
Maybe Obama is just buttering up Bloomberg to keep him from running a third party candidacy that would ruin the nation…in which case, all this lovey-dovey is fine. But if Obama genuinely thinks Bloomberg is "extraordinary" and wants the man a heartbeat away from the Presidency, then I'm nauseated.
Todd Beeton, writing on the blog My Direct Democracy, wasn't buying into the hype surrounding the bipartisan ticket, and claimed similar, um, health issues.
"The prospect makes me want to gag," Mr. Beeton said.


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Indian Wisdom: 365 Days
by : Danielle Follmi
Indian Wisdom 365 Days celebrates those who live in harmony with the forces of earth and sky, who aspire to nirvana - the highest level of heart-, body- and mind-consciousness. This beautiful daybook by Danielle and Olivier Follmi presents the wise words of a great master, philosopher or poet for every day of the year, accompanied by Olivier's sensitive and moving photographs of Indian people and places. The effect is transformative, awakening our senses and preparing our souls to receive these simple yet profound teachings. Contemporary specialists on Indian culture have also contributed to Indian Wisdom 365 Days, which draws on such ancient yet timeless sources as poems by Rabindranath Tagore and Krishnamurti; the longest epic in world literature, the Mahabarata; and the most significant of the Hindu sacred writings, the Veda. A treasure in both content and form, this insprational book artfully conveys the essence of India.

subset: commoncrawl


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Kiev Celebrates What It Fought For
KIEV, Ukraine — They fought for seven months, but the payoff was worth it.
Ukrainians on Friday gathered in Kiev's Independence Square — the epicenter of the months-long clashes that ignited a revolution — after their newly elected president signed the long-awaited trade agreement with the European Union. It was the same deal that deposed president Viktor Yanukovych backed out of in November, leading to his ousting and bringing the prospect of war to Europe's doorsteps.
Smiling ear to ear, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko called it "maybe the most important day for my country" since the country broke off from the Soviet Union in 1991. The landmark deals signed by the three countries — Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia — ensure closer political and economic ties with the EU.
But for the people of Ukraine, the deal is a symbol of progress — a shift in cultural mindset, shedding its Soviet identity for one that's all their own. Shortly after Poroshenko inked the documents, the people who started the revolution poured into Independence Square in celebration. After bloodshed and instability hovered over the country for months like a dark cloud, there is finally flecks of light for what they hope is a new Ukraine.
Additional reporting by Christopher Miller in Artemovsk, Ukraine.


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Major Recovery Underway for Macquarie Island Seabirds
Following invasive species removal on Macquarie Island, Tasmania, Australia numerous seabird species are rebounding.
For decades, introduced predators and grazers wreaked havoc on Macquarie Island, deep in the Southern Ocean. Until recently, globally important seabird populations were at immediate risk of being lost and unique sub-Antarctic ecosystems were being destroyed. However, since the last feral cats, rabbits, and rodents were successfully removed, the status of the breeding seabirds has been re-assessed by Birdlife Australia for its national IUCN Red-list of Threatened Australian Birds. The news is very positive.
Birdlife Australia maintains a public national Red-list with up-to-date information on Australian birds and their conservation status. On Macquarie Island, populations of eight bird species have either stabilized or recovered, and direct threats from predation or habitat loss from grazing have been removed. As a result, these eight native species have been deemed less likely to go extinct and their conservation statuses can be down-listed. The species undergoing status changes are the Light-mantled Albatross (from Endangered to Least Concern), Blue Petrel (Critically Endangered to Vulnerable), Antarctic Prion (Endangered to Least Concern), White-headed Petrel (Endangered to Least Concern), Common Diving-Petrel (Vulnerable to Least Concern), and the South Georgian Diving-Petrel (Vulnerable to Least Concern). An additional six seabird species will not have immediate changes in status, but in most cases, encouraging signs of recovery are evident.
Although down-listing at a national level may not dramatically affect global IUCN listing of these species in all cases, this is the single largest down-listing of threatened species ever proposed in Australia. A number may also be down-listed under national legislation, although there are also good reasons that higher threat status should be retained for globally distributed seabirds.
At one point, the seabirds and ecosystems of Macquarie Island were under immediate threat of being lost due to predation and over-grazing. The turnaround following the removal of all invasive animals has been dramatic. The Tasmanian and Australian Governments, together with an international team of experts, has achieved one of the most significant island restoration projects ever undertaken.
A number of the people who worked on the Macquarie Island restoration project, such as Karen Andrew and Finn the Wonder Dog, have since been involved in other island restoration projects with Island Conservation
Featured photo: Snow on Macquarie Island. Credit: Natalie Tapson
- The Approach to Climate Change Resilience You Hadn't Thought Of - December 18, 2017
- Working Together to Restore Norfolk Island - September 18, 2017
- Lord Howe Island Health Risk Assessment - August 22, 2017
- Job Opportunity: Invasive Species Program Assistance Consultant - May 8, 2017
- Major Recovery Underway for Macquarie Island Seabirds - November 29, 2016
- Restoration of Lord Howe Island Offers High ROI - November 23, 2016
- Can We Save Paradise? - March 1, 2016
- Green Parrot Saved from extinction… AGAIN! - June 30, 2015


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Vancouver, Canada-based Radial Engineering Ltd. has taken on the global sales, marketing and distribution of Jensen's Iso-Max products. Iso-Max is a range of isolators that provide ground isolation and noise abatement for audio and video in broadcast, home theater and commercial AV integration. Radial has a long history with Jensen, according to company President Peter Janis. "When Radial was founded in 1992, we started life as a distributor. One of our first product lines was Jensen. Back then, we sold raw transformers to sound companies and broadcasters that, in turn, built custom multi-channel snakes and splitters. As the market for snakes matured, sound companies moved away from custom snakes and home-built isolators to buying off-the-shelf solutions." He added, "In 1996, we launched the Radial JDI (Jensen DI), which has become the most popular passive direct box in live concert touring and has been a cornerstone for Radial sales around the globe. Over the years, Radial has become Jensen's largest customer and as we have grown, Radial and Jensen have become synonymous."
Janis continued, "Anyone who knows Jensen knows that the company is engineering based. A few years ago, Jensen decided to take a similar route to ours by producing a range of plug-and-play solutions under the Iso-Max range. Jensen recently came to the conclusion that, unless there are feet on the street telling dealers and contractors that the product exists, Jensen would miss out on a huge opportunity. This led to discussions that culminated in Radial taking over the sales and marketing side of the business. Over the coming months we will be setting up retail and contractor partners, independent reps in the United States and Canada and formalizing exclusive agreements with distributors around the globe." Jensen transformers are made by hand in the United States and are supported with a 20-year factory warranty.


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The Response of the Informal Sector to Trade Liberalization
This paper studies the relationship between trade liberalization and informality. It is often claimed that increased foreign competition in developing countries leads to an expansion of the informal sector, defined as the sector that does not comply with labor market legislation. Using data from two countries that experienced large trade barrier reductions in the 1980's and 1990's, Brazil and Colombia, we examine the response of the informal sector to liberalization. In Brazil, we find no evidence of a relationship between trade policy and informality. In Colombia, we do find evidence of such a relationship, but only for the period preceding a major labor market reform that increased the flexibility of the Colombian labor market. These results point to the significance of labor market institutions in assessing the effects of trade policy on the labor market.
Published Versions
Goldberg, Pinelope Koujianou and Nina Pavcnik. "The Response of the Informal Sector to Trade Liberalization," Journal of Development Economics 72(2): 43-496, December 2003 citation courtesy of


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He is a little hard of hearing now, and walking is not as easy as it was. But the look is sharp. The eye is clear. And he is still taking photographs.
There is a picture of him aged about 10 surrounded by family-members in Edwardian-style clothes. He is clutching a Box Brownie.
Eighty-five years later, one of the most influential image-makers of the 20th Century - a man who can truly be said to have helped define an art-form - is still with us, and still looking through the shutter.
This month Cartier-Bresson, who turns 95 in August, is triply celebrated with a major exhibition in Paris, the opening of a foundation bearing his name and the launch of an annual photography prize in his honour.
The exhibition, entitled "De qui s'agit-il?" - Who is it about? - is a look back at his extraordinary career through some of his most famous pictures, as well as informal shots of himself, drawings and momentoes.
So on display is the classic shot - commonly to be found on sale in France on posters and post-cards - of the moustachioed bowler-hatted man caught peeking through the canvas surround of a sporting event in 1932.
There is the furious glee of the woman denouncing a Gestapo informer at the ends of World War II, and the 1947 portrait of an impossibly youthful Truman Capote.
But also there are school photographs, an identity picture taken when he was a captive in Germany during the war, a poster advertising his first ever exhibition - in New York in 1933.
His revelation came in 1931 when after returning from a year hunting in colonial Africa he saw a photograph in Paris by the Hungarian Martin Munkacsi of boys playing in Lake Tanganyika.
"When I saw the photograph of Munkacsi of the black kids running in the wave I couldn't believe such a thing could be caught with the camera. I said damn it, I took my camera and went into the street," he once said.
Decisive moment
The Munkacsi picture is now on show at the newly-opened Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation, which is to be an archive and working space for new photographers.
Using the new fast-shooting, portable cameras that became available in the 1930s - notably his trademark Leica - he began "prowling the streets... determined to trap life, to preserve life in the act of living."
It was this constant search for images that gave the journalistic edge to his work. Later he was to become the co-founder of the trail-blazing Magnum picture agency.
He defined his vision in the concept of the "Decisive Moment," which he said was the "simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as the precise organisation of forms which give that event its proper expression."
Indeed all his works betray an obsession with geometry and form which he owed to his early training as a painter under the French artist Andre Lhote in the 1920s.
Cartier-Bresson's travels with a camera took him to eastern Europe, Spain and Mexico before the war, and after his escape from the Germans he witnessed the liberation of France in 1944.
With Magnum he helped set the standard for photographic reportage. He was there for the start of Communism in China and the murder of Mahatma Gandhi in India.
In 1966 he left Magnum to concentrate on portraiture and landscapes. Among those who have sat for him over the years are Jean-Paul Sartre, Henri Matisse and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
Today he lives in a flat overlooking the Tuileries gardens in central Paris. His main occupation is drawing now, but his trusty Leica is never far.
New works are still being added to the Cartier-Bresson oeuvre.


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*It's been a very weird morning, combined with the fact I'm on "something a little stronger than prednisone" which is giving me one-minute-attention-span. I'm so sorry, I meant to write a post, but this will have to do for now. – SAH*
The Bombs Bursting in Air
Sarah A. Hoyt
The holo board on the side of the road read "Emergency. All Vehicles and persons, please turn on the next right and wait for inspection."
I had just flown in to Sea York, dropped from long-distance altitude to local altitude, and was cruising maybe two feet above the glistening ceramite surface of Queens, the main road from the coast into the heart of the seacity.
The billboard's words made my fingers start for the control panel of my flyer. And then I stopped.
What was the emergency, precisely, and what would the inspection entail?
Since at least the twentieth century this sort of impromptu search of the general public had been used for everything, from terrorist threats, to interdiction of illegal substances to stopping kidnappings.
This one might mean everything or nothing.
I felt the back of my neck prickle, and despite the controlled climate in my flyer, felt a trickle of sweat trail down my back, under the plain, white work shirt I'd donned for the occasion.
The inspection could be for the same reason as my mission. And if it was for the same reason as my mission, it could paradoxically impair what I had to do. The Usaians were not stupid. They were a great many things, yes, but not stupid. Were they stupid, they wouldn't have all the security apparatus of Earth on high alert for years. Were they stupid, they wouldn't be illegal. If they were stupid, I'd be out of a job.
Not being stupid and having an inspection attempting to prevent their planned show of force before the vote of the legislature of Sea York tomorrow, they would be extra suspicious of anyone in their midst.
I spotted an alley on the left, before the next turn right, and took it, keeping my eyes peeled for anyone following me. But all the other flyers, in the sparsely traveled road seemed to be staying on the main throughfare and following instructions.
No surprise about it, either. The alley I'd ducked into was so narrow that my flyer, one of the cheaper sports models, designed to appeal to bachelors and young couples, almost scraped on both sides, and it took some finessing and maneuvering, to keep from doing so.
At the end of the alley, randomly, I turned to the right into a slightly larger road, one that was lined with the semi-spherical pink homes built in a hurry at the turn of the century to accommodate immigration to the seacity, and now mostly occupied by the working class and called by the derogatory name of mushrooms.
The street was quiet. Too quiet. I realized that there were no kids playing outside, always a bad sign in this neighborhood, and the prickle at the back of my neck increased.
Something was wrong.
My mission was supposed to be simple. I was supposed to spy on the Usaians. Not infiltrate them exactly. Security services from all over the world have tried to infiltrate them, and, technically speaking, it should be easy.
I mean, they were a secretive religion but one that was created from so many disparate strands, and involved so many different people, and so many sects that it should have been easy for a relative stranger to claim to be a recent convert.
The problem was that the vast majority of Usaians were just believers. They knew nothing of their agenda, their covert actions. And those who were leaders or close to the leaders, from whom the directives of the movement emanated were not stupid.
We'd never fully been able to understand how infiltrators were spotted. Back at headquarters we had data gem upon data gem full of case studies, though, and it was hard to deny they had been spotted and either committed suicide – sometimes in ways that required acrobatic ability – or simply vanished. The vanished ones were more worrisome. At least they worried those considering taking up the mission.
It hadn't worried my older brother, Paul, but then it could be said that Paul had always been overconfident. He'd disappeared while on mission 5 years ago, never to be heard from again. It was suspected he'd become a victim of the Sons of Liberty, the terroristic branch of the Usaians, but the fact no one knew for sure that the Sons of Liberty existed made the whole thing a nightmare of suspicion and implication.
Thinking of Paul made me clamp my jaw together hard, to stop the itch in my eyes. My father had died in the year since Paul had gone missing, died without knowing what had become of his first born, died without even the consolation of a funeral for his son. And I was not going to cry.
I might be a woman, but that didn't mean that I could cry in public. Father had been a member of the International Alliance of Peacekeepers and Paul and I had been raised in the traditions of the force, and eventually joined. Keeping the peace, protecting order and sustaining established authority was our mission. It left very little room for private sorrow. Paul had died in the service of order and peace. Dad had lived for that service. And now it was my turn.
What I was going to do was come to Sea York ahead of what the Usaians were calling "a show of presence" designed to intimidate the legislature into not outlawing them.
I was going to find out how they got their orders, which would lead to their central authorities. Once those were found, the legitimate governments of the world should be able to prove that this worship of a long-vanished system of government was not a religion but a dangerous political movement, one that intended to take over the whole world.
Once we discovered who their top men were, and who was giving orders, downward, we would be able to dispel their crazy notion of individual power, or individual action. We should be able to defang the poisonous idea that the authority to govern should rightly reside in the hands of the governed.
And now there was someone on my tail, I realized. Or at least a battered, small, red flyer was following me through the silent neighborhood.
I took three turns at random and it followed, on my tail.
It was either really inefficient at tracking, or it wanted me to know I was being followed. The sweat down my back was now a river. I bit my lower lip while I tried to reason it through.
It could be a Usaian, of course. I had established an identity for this mission, of course: Natasha Borodin someone who had been flitting for years on the outskirts of Usaian circles without fully converting, at least that anyone knew. The id this flyer broadcasted was tied pretty strongly to that identity. It might be that they considered me enough one of them to try to protect me. Or it could be they suspected me enough to want to verify what I was up to.
Or, given my supposed sympathies, it was entirely possible that the constituted authorities were following me, perhaps – the idea made me smile – because they suspected me of being one of the secret leaders of the Usaians.
I kept an eye on the flyer behind me as I turned to a slightly larger suburban neighborhood, this one with houses that looked like they could have been built in the 21st century, save that the slight sheen of ceramite and dimatough gave away that they weren't wood and stucco. And stopped, suddenly.
In the middle of the road was a barricade. It took me only a second to realize that it was an official barricade. The seal of Sea York occupied the center of the barricade, an eagle with the bar sinister. And everyone behind it wore the bright orange uniforms of Sea York peace keepers.
I had a split second to make a decision. If they were looking for drugs, kidnapped children or weapons, I could go through. Natasha Borodin had no guns. The ones I did have were behind the panel, where no one could ever find them, or at least no one who wasn't a member of the Inties. Those who worked on international peacekeeping shared that kind of secret across the various nations, protectorates and territories.
Too late I realized I hadn't had the local broadcast on, and that it could have told me what the search was about. I tweaked the control panel and heard "believed to be dangerous elements" and also "subvert the order" but the words in the middle were garbled, and while my flyer, having stopped, came to rest gently on the pavement, three men had come out from behind the barricade, burners at the ready.
The little battered red flyer had vanished.
Subvert the order and dangerous elements had to refer to a public movement, not to drugs or kidnapping. Which meant –
I punched the take off button and shot straight up, amid the trees that lined the peaceful street. Branches scraped the side of the flyer, and there was an explosive sound. An alarm sounded from my controls. A quick glance told me I'd been shot and that something was seriously wrong with the electrical systems.
Sea York Peacekeepers shouldn't be that quick on the trigger. They were a corporate territory, still controlled by a board of directors. They had a voting assembly, in which those who owned shares could have their say. Because of that, they were loathe to either offend investors or scare away potentially skilled migrants.
It was part of the reason they were lousy with Usaians.
Which meant they were spooked, and the only thing that could have spooked them was the proposed "demonstration of presence" of the Usaians. No one knew exactly what that was supposed to mean, except that a press release from someone claiming to belong to the Daughters of Liberty had said it would show how large their numbers were in Sea York and show their nature as productive, integral members of a thriving society.
And of course, my evading their barricade. But a search of the flyer would have revealed my supposed Usaian sympathies, and if they were that spooked I'd at the very least have spent a night in jail and been unable to complete my mission.
Or I'd have to reveal myself and trust the discretion of local cops.
I snorted, even as I started looking for a place to land. The control panel was beeping distressingly, and I was going to go down hard and fast either way. Better choose where to go.
The only place I could think of to aim for was a private beach on the edge of the seacity away from all roads. While the peacekeepers were bound to follow me, I would probably be able to find a pathway from that beach that would be hard for a flyer to follow.
So I guided my flyer, losing altitude at an appalling rate, over to the little expanse of black sand, bordering the sea. The sand was black in most seacities, since it was the worn away grains of the dimatough used to build the original island. But before I landed I knew I'd made the wrong choice. The beach was maybe fifty feet long by twenty feet deep, and, what was worse, it was bordered on all sides by high, shining, black dimatough walls.
A frantic finger on the controls failed to get the flyer to lift. All I could do was land as gently as I could.
Not gently enough. I lost power entirely and dropped the last six feet, with a force that jarred pain through my head and made my teeth hurt.
Before the pain subsided, I was unbuckled, and kneeling on the floor, searching for the spot that would open the compartment where I kept my weapons. If I was very lucky, they'd merely fired on me out of panic, and they wouldn't pursue me.
I didn't believe in luck. Most people who did were dead. Like Paul.
Finding the slightly raised combination pad by touch – something impossible if I hadn't known it was there – I tapped my combination and the secret compartment on the side of my seat slid open. I dove in, coughing against the smoke suddenly filling the flyer cabin, and found two burners, by touch, before my brain informed me that the smoke must be due to the electrical trouble in the flyer, and that if I stayed around to look for the long distance weapons I was going to either choke or roast.
So, instead, staying low – smoke rises – I crawled to the control panel and punched the emergency door opening button. The door slid open partway, the smoke poured out of the flyer, clouding my view of the outside, and I thought if I just walked out and there was anyone ambushing me, I would likely get shot.
So, instead, I threw myself out at ground level, and landed in a roll that took me to the side, and partly under the flyer, burner in hand.
Before I'd stopped rolling I knew I'd made the right decision, as a burner ray flew by above me, probably in response to indistinct movement in the smoke.
Which meant not only had I been followed, but my pursuers had anticipated my movements and "followed ahead". Not exactly difficult, since I'd been maneuvering on a crippled flyer, but also not precisely easy, since I'd got here as soon as I could.
That type of precision and organization seemed to speak of an official organization, the sort that governments could put in play. On the other hand the Usaians had managed to survive despite being outlawed in ninety percent of places around the world.
I scooted further into the shadow of my flyer, and located three spots where, even through the spoke, the light shone unnaturally, probably on the surface of flyers. Three of them, damn it. And me alone and with a winged flyer.
When all else fails, try razzle dazzle. Razzle dazzle, followed by sufficiently fast firepower can sometimes work.
So I spoke loudly, trying to keep my voice to "young woman" and "Confused" and using as close as I could to the broad Sea York accent on Glaish, "Who are you? Why have you shot my flyer?"
Right after I spoke, I rolled sideways, and predictably, a burner ray shone through where I'd been. Whoever was after me was serious, and cared very little for whether they'd be pursued for killing me. So – the Usaians?
But a throat was cleared near one of the shining areas, and a voice said, "Claire Briand, do you wish to surrender?"
My real name shocked me for a moment. Who could have my real name? My identity as Natasha Borodin had been laid so deep, I doubted even local authorities could have gotten it, much less the Usaians.
The only people who could know it were—
My own people, the Internationals, or as we called ourselves, the inties. And if my own people were after me–
I started to open my mouth to say I'd done nothing that I needed to surrender or be punished for, and then stopped. If they'd come to arrest me, lawfully and normally, they'd have shouted what I was supposed to have done, and my name, and asked me to surrender, before shooting at me.
If they had come at me with killing force, what I'd done or hadn't done were of no consequence. Someone wanted me dead.
I crawled forward a little, careful to keep in the shadow and the smoke. Right now, in a place this size, surrounded by hostiles, I had basically chance zero at surviving. Unless, of course, I managed to make the smoke far more intense, which would give me cover to—
I wasn't sure to what, since right then my only options seemed to be to swim out to sea and drown. From my mental map of the place before landing, those straight dimatough walls extended on either side of the little cove and my chances of being able to swim the couple of miles before the next island before my arms gave out were next to none.
There were rumors that back in the twenty first great great great great grandad had been bio-enhanced by his parents. But I suspected if he'd been enhanced at all, it had been for intelligence and maybe for some physical coordination and ability, since he'd been a policeman, like everyone in the family time out of memory. I very much doubted he'd been enhanced for long distance swimming, and I certainly hadn't.
But right then, I needed smoke so I could have a chance of not getting shot while I decided whether to die by drowning.
Unfortunately I was a peacekeeper, not a flyer mechanic. I had no idea why my flyer was smoking. According to regulations, all the stuff in there was supposed to be non-flammable, from the circuits to the inner furnishings.
Well, the circuits certainly weren't, I told myself. I had a brief, mad idea of shooting the power-pack, but that was followed by the certainty if I got past the housing I'd cause an explosion that would wipe out all life on this cove. So, it remained…
I could shoot the other flyers in the same place as mine, but supposing that they weren't made of the same sadly flammable, and probably illegal materials nothing would happen. And supposing they were, all that would happen would be stranding enemies here with me. Oh, and pissing them off.
Damn it, what I needed was cover, and then a way out of here. In desperation, I realized I'd crawled almost all the way back to my front door. I doubted I was visible where I was, in the shadow of the flyer, but I could see the two nearest flyers, one on the right, and one to the left of me, each of them official vehicles, designed to carry more than one person. There were four men near one, and two near the other. Right.
I shot an arm up into the open door of my flyer, and fired on hot and wide dispersal. As I rolled back behind my flyer, two shots found places where I'd been, and I cursed because I'd exposed myself for nothing, and the flyer's interior turned out to be regulation non flammable.
Then there was a sound like "fwoosh" and a series of crackles, and thick, acrid smoke poured out of the interior of my flyer.
There were coughs and the sound of people scurrying.
One of the coughs came from near me. Very near. Almost touching. On my right. I pointed my burner at it, at the same time I looked.
There was a man crawling on the ground, near me, and at my turning to him, he lifted both hands, to show he was disarmed. "I'm here to help," he whispered.
I couldn't see much of him through the smoke, save that he was dark haired, and that there was something like amusement in his eyes. The kind of man who'd be amused with a burner pointed at him would be … like my brother. A little crazy, a lot daring, and not knowing when he was in trouble.
I hesitated, which was stupid, because in such situations hesitation is death.
He said, rapidly, "I was told to tell you Grind and Luck."
This stopped me cold. Grind and luck were the two things that dad said were needed for success. By grind he meant study and he'd said it so often it had become a sort of family joke. I blinked at the man, and said, "Paul?" I knew he wasn't Paul, of course. My brother's hair, like mine, was light brown, not that black shock of hair visible through the smoke. But I couldn't think of anyone else who would have known the family's saying.
He shook his head. "Not here. Will you trust me?"
Two seconds to decide. Anyone who had interrogated Paul before his untimely demise might have got that out of him, even if it was a weird thing to get in interrogation. Then again, shoot someone full of babble juice and you get the strangest stuff.
On the other hand, even if he were someone who had done away with my brother, or someone in contact with those who had, he was just one man. As opposed to the six out there.
I lowered my burner and nodded. He nodded in turn. He'd been speaking in the almost soundless whisper that seemed to have gone unnoticed amid all the coughing and movement on the other side, but of course even whispers were dangerous.
He motioned for me to follow and stood enough to run half crouched through the smoke. I followed, more by detecting motion than by seeing him. At least once a burner ray barely missed me, passing close enough to singe my hair, which told me that the motion had also been detected by my pursuers.
I almost hit a flyer, at a dead run, but the man was there, stopping me, and sticking his finger in the flyer's genlock. It was the battered vehicle that had followed me. The red one.
As the door slid open, my friend or captor pulled me up. He smelled of sweat and soap and was strong enough to lift me into the flyer without seeming effort. I took a deep breath, and he was already at the control panel.
"They'll shoot us as we take off, I'm afraid," he said. "So I'll have to take off fast enough they won't hit us."
The take off tossed me to the floor, and as soon as we gained altitude and stabilized, I came up again. He hadn't taken my burners, which was either a sign that he was not hostile, or a sign that he was stupid. I had my burners pointed at him as I said, "Sons of Liberty?"
I expected shock or fear or something, but he looked around over his shoulder. He had olive skin, an aquiline nose, and dark brown eyes under heavy, straight eyebrows. His teeth, when he flashed me a smile, were white and very straight. "Let's discuss your predicament, instead," he said, not seeming to notice the burner pointed at his head. "Who do you think betrayed you?"
"Who do you think told the authorities of Sea York that you were a dangerous Usaian subversive, in charge of the demonstration of presence tonight, and that you were coming to organize Usaians?"
I blinked stupidly at him. "No one. The people who knew of my mission—" My mouth felt suddenly dry. "The people who knew—" The people who knew included my boss Mark Vanel who had been trying to make our association less than professional, despite the fact that he was married and I was not interested. Had he been upset enough by my refusal to lay a trap for me, and get me murdered by the police of Sea York? Surely no one could be that angry at a refusal?
And then I though perhaps not angry, but scared I'd make it an official matter. But still– "Why would the authorities of Sea York shoot at a suspected Usaian?" I said. "They haven't been made illegal yet. The assembly doesn't vote until tomorrow. That's what the dmonstra—"
"They would if they received a message coded through trusty channels that said that this person about to enter their city was a turncoat peace keeper and was bringing bombs for the Usaians to set off at various locations."
"Yeah," he said. "This could be made worse if someone cracked usaian code for the occasion tonight and got the code name."
"For the event tonight. It's coded "bombs bursting in air.""
"They're going to bomb Sea York."
"No," he said. He'd turned back to the control panel and his hands were flying madly. "No, we're not. We're not that stupid. But it's easy to get hold of just enough information to make it plausible."
I'd caught the shift. I still had the burner pointed at him. "You're a Usaian."
"My name," he said. "Well, my name of record is Juan Remy. I was named for my grandfather who was chased out of his home in the dead of night, when he was a child. My real name is John Adams Remy. Now if you excuse me a moment, I need to take some evasive maneuvers, or we'll have busies up our nostrils before we even land."
"I could shoot you," I said.
"You could," he said calmly. "But if I thought you were stupid enough to do so, without realizing it would crash land you, I would have disarmed you."
I bit back the "you and whose army?" that rose to my lips, and instead said, "You killed my brother."
"Your– Paul? Paul Briand? No."
The denial was flat and had the ring of truth. I still kept a burner in each hand. If Juan hadn't killed him, someone else had. Someone in the Sons of Liberty. And they might very well be at the end of this flight. Or at least that's what I thought as we dove down and into an underground parking garage.
The ceiling closed behind us, and we were in a small space that looked like a private garage. There were a mop and a broom against one wall, and a pile of tools against the other. But as I stepped out of the vehicle, by the light from the ceiling I noticed the flyer was green.
Juan saw me looking and grinned. "It's a compound in the paint. We have had it for years. Allows us to escape pursuit."
"As you bring disorder and perform acts of terrorism?" I said.
He blinked at me. "Not normally."
"Do you know who killed my brother?"
The "What" had not come from Juan and it was in a very well known voice. I turned to see my brother standing by a door, the light shining behind him, and making his blond hair brighter. He was older, I thought, and not just by the five years he'd been missing. What I mean is he stood straighter, and he looked more… grownup.
He was wearing blue pants and a white shirt, and looking at us with the expression of someone who had come out of greater light into a dimmer place.
"Claire!" he said, at the same time Juan said, "I got her, see."
My brother crossed the garage in three steps to squeeze me in a bear hug. "Claire, damn it, so long, and we were so afraid you'd be dead before we could get you."
"I don't understand– I thought Juan– I thought the sons of liberty had kill— I thought you were dead."
Paul let go of me, "Meet my brother in law, Juan Remy. Come in, come in. We have to get the kids fed and everything ready for the demonstration tonight."
I put my burners in their holsters, as I stumbled into a tidy home, presided over by a dark haired woman and seemingly full of children. Seemingly because once the noise and confusion subsided the apparently multitude of kids resolved themselves into two boys, Paul Revere Briand and Charles Carroll Briand aged 4 and 3 and a little girl Elizabeth Hamilton Briand, aged two.
"I converted, you see," Paul said, shoveling apple sauce into his daughter's mouth, while his wife, Martha, tended to the boys, seemingly ignoring their movement and screams, and managing to make sure food made it into them and not onto their hair and clothes. Mostly.
"I don't see," I said. "By their insistence in taking down all government and promotion of anarchy the Usaians are a force for criminality and disruption in the world. If they took over, in the chaos, their leaders would end up in charge, and everyone else under their heel."
Paul wiped his daughter's mouth and picked her up. Elizabeth peered at me suspiciously, and I wondered what I was going to do about this. Nothing, of course. The Usaians weren't illegal in Sea York. At least not yet. And even if Paul was technically a deserter, I wasn't about to denounce my own brother. I also was having trouble with the idea that Paul could have converted to an evil philosophy. He was happy-go-lucky and far too self confident, but that didn't mean he was hungry for power or willing to cause anarchy.
"Ah, no," he said. "That's what the Good Men and their functionaries say. To say otherwise would mean admitting that the Usaian system, while in use, created more prosperity more widespread than any other in history. And admitting too that what the Usaians wanted was a smaller government, one that took account individual freedoms."
Elizabeth was peering at me through her fingers, and looking like she'd smile if I just smiled first.
"You see," Paul said. "I was betrayed, from inside, as you were. I have no idea who betrayed you or why, but in my case it was someone who wanted my place. Anyway, I ended up in prison in Syracuse, suspected of being a Usaian, which since I'd tried to infiltrate– Well, the Usaians saved me. Mind you they saved me to get information from me, but then Juan and I hit it off, and then I realized that under our system, in the international police, under all the systems in the domains of the Good Men, we have no defense against this sort of maneuver. And in the process I'd found that in the old US, in the system my captors believed in, there was a thing called innocent until proven guilty. There were… protections."
"It must mean a lot of bad people went free," I said. "In fact we learned that the country was sunk in chaos."
He shrugged. "Only at the end, and by that time, they'd given up on their beliefs and system. Yeah, some guilty people probably escaped, but more importantly, innocent people weren't condemned. There was… some protection for the individual. All of the laws were geared to keep the individual safe from an oppressive state."
"But anarchy—"
"I didn't say no state, hon. I said that the state had to be kept in check. They understood the need for a government, but that it should be kept in check."
He looked across at his wife, who was making some sign. "Now?" he asked.
"Now, she said. "Let me have Ellie. You and the boys set them off."
"Them?" I said.
Paul grinned at me. "Operation Bombs Bursting In Air."
I couldn't believe my brother would speak that cavalierly about killing people, but I didn't know what he could be speaking of, either. I followed him and two excited little boys out onto the terrace just outside the room where we'd been. It was a round little space, much like others all around, at the top of the house, used – by the look of the abandoned toys – as a play area.
Paul swept the toys aside, and started setting up cylinders. Juan had come out, as well, and was keeping the two boys back.
"Let them light the fuses," he said, as Paul was finishing up his incomprehensible preparations. "They'll remember it forever."
Paul nodded. He brought out a lighter, and took both his sons forward, and had them both hold the lighter, near a fuse on the ground near the line of cylinders.
Martha had come out, with Ellie. Juan was doing something or other behind us.
"Now," Martha said, looking at a watch. "Now."
Paul guided the boys' hands towards the fuse. The fire caught. There was a fzz sound.
And suddenly the cylinders exploded in red, white and blue light, in a conflagration so violent I jumped back. And bumped into Juan who laughed, and steadied me, before he stood, unfurling and holding aloft a banner in broad red stripes and stars.
Around us, terraces were exploding in light, all over the seacity. There were even some up at the top, from the garden of the chairman of the ruling corporation.
And voices were singing, out of sync, something about "can you see." Juan was singing behind me, and his voice was joined by Paul's and Martha's on "the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there."
I couldn't believe the number of … fireworks? Or the number of flags flying. It must mean fully two thirds of Sea York were Usaians. The corporation couldn't vote to outlaw them, not matter what the pressure brought by the Good Men. If they did, they'd lose all of their productive citizens. Or most of them.
In the dark, I found Paul had put a hand on my shoulder, "You see," he said. "We're not violent. We just want to live according to our beliefs."
"But this belief in… in the power and … and sacredness of the individual is dangerous."
"So it is. For those who want power over other humans. For the rest… well, it's not a simple, easy and clean cut idea, but by its very nature… It's much harder to be a tyrant over those who believe each person is sacred."
"But a central governor, a good one, can create order and—"
"Order," he said. "And stagnation. And injustice. Is order the most important thing?"
"You used to be a policeman," I said. "You cared about order."
"I'm still a policeman," he said. "Here. I care about justice. Order can mean only that a criminal is keeping everyone else under control. Graves are very orderly. Justice is different. It means everyone has equal value under the law, and that no one will be allowed to create order at other's expense." He laughed a little, as though at himself. "Well, that's the theory at least. We try."
"You didn't come to see father before he died," I said.
Paul sighed. "I tried to contact him. I tried to contact you. I couldn't come see him. We are illegal in Liberte, and people there know I've converted. People in the inties know I've converted. My attempts to contact you and dad were intercepted."
"They– Dad died thinking you were dead. They wouldn't let you contact us?"
"No," he said. There was a bitter laugh. "It wasn't orderly. It would create confusion. I named little Charles after dad." He paused. "Well, not the middle name."
Fireworks were still going on from every terrace, and Juan had affixed the flag to the edge of the terrace, and was setting up a second round.
"They said you were going to do a demonstration of power," I told Paul. "That things would explode."
"Well," he said. "To be fair they have." He looked around at the fireworks, with a smile on his lips, but there were tracks of tears down his face. "Even I didn't know it would be these many people. One problem with tyranny is that it isolates you. You're never sure if you're alone. We passed word, to people we trusted. We didn't know how far it reached. Well, I don't think we'll be outlawed come tomorrow."
"No," I said.
"You can go back, you know," he said. "If you wish."
I thought of going back. I'd been betrayed and lied to. That didn't hurt as much as knowing they'd prevented dad from knowing his son was alive and well, or from knowing he had grandchildren. That, that betrayed a lack of concern for … for people, and for what was right and just that meant, to my mind that everyone of these people could at any minute become Mark Vanel. Because all that counted to them was power, and people in positions of power, not the vast masses they had power over. If you weren't important to them, you didn't matter. To anyone.
I cleared my throat. "This… individual thing… I mean…"
"What?" Juan asked. "Everyone being entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?"
"That," I said. "Sounds good. And implausible."
"It is," he said. "Both. But we have… I mean… if you want to study how good and implausible it is…"
"There are classes, and ways to learn," Paul cut in. "And you shouldn't trust Juan. He has three wives and fifteen children in different seacities."
"Liar. It's only two wives and five children," Juan said, in a tone that meant it was no wives or children. He grinned, just as he had when I'd pointed my burner at him. I had a feeling he could be dangerous and not because of multiple wives.
Paul bent and lit the fuse and set off a fresh round of red, white and blue stars. The little boys shrieked and clapped.
Through the haze of smoke and exploding fireworks, the terraces nearby showed fluttering flags, the striking and strange stars and stripes: the symbol of an alien philosophy that might or might not be as crazy as it had been painted.
But my brother wasn't crazy. And I doubted his family was.
I squinted at the waving flags. Tomorrow, I'd learn more.
And here's the link to the inimitable Alma Boykin's story: https://almatcboykin.wordpress.com/2015/07/04/excerpt-pattersons-war-the-new-founders-war/


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I am looking for advice about making a used Leaf purchase. I live in Eugene and plan to drive the car in town < 50 miles a day. I will have a backup Honda CRV for longer trips and camping, etc.
I am wanting to get my feet wet with a EV vehicle and make sure it is something I want before making too big of an investment. If I get into it, I can see selling the Leaf and the CRV in a couple of years and going with a long range EV SUV.
So, I am looking for suggestions about what would year and model Leaf would be the best for my situation: 2-3 years of ownership with best maintained resale value, limited range need, charge at home for 12 hours doable. I do not have a 240 V outlet, but have a 240 line in the garage I can have someone tap into. Unfortunately I will have to store and charge the vehicle outside (one car garage with my wife's in the garage). I am kind of partial to leather interior but it is not essential.
I would like to spend < $10,000. I have followed the forum about canary batteries and was looking at 4/2013 or later in SL trim line. I have read the thread by Leftiebiker about buying a used Leaf and very much appreciate that guidance.
Does anyone have any suggestion for me?


text: Some 200 Arab Israelis began protesting in Lod near the police station against the IDF's military operation in Gaza. The protesters called for an end to the fighting. Meanwhile, dozens of Jewish residents set up an opposing protest waving Israeli flags and chanting, "If you have no loyalty, you have no citizenship."


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JaNiece Elzy, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor, Reading & Language
Co-Director Reading Recovery/Descubriendo La Lectura Center for Literacy
Programs/Classes Taught:
RLL 561A: Literacy Lessons Designed for Individuals Practicum I
RLL 561B: Literacy Lessons Designed for Individuals Practicum II
RLL 561C: Literacy Lessons Designed for Individuals Advanced Practicum III
RLL 563: Models and Theories of Literacy Development
RLL 566A: Reading Teacher Leadership I
RLL 566B: Reading Teacher Leadership II
Areas of Expertise:
- Early Literacy
- Comprehensive Literacy Models for School Improvement
- Family Literacy - Establishing Effective Home & School Partnerships
- Literacy Coaching & Professional Development
- Prevention and Intervention Designs for Struggling Reading and Writers
Dr. JaNiece Elzy joined the faculty at National Louis University as Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the Illinois Reading Recovery/Descubriendo La Lectura Center for Literacy in Fall 2016. She teaches courses for the Reading Recovery Teacher Leader program, which prepares literacy coaches and reading teachers for literacy leader roles in school districts. As Co-Director of the Illinois Reading Recovery/Descubriendo La Lectura Center for Literacy, she also supports a network of affiliated Reading Recovery and Descubriendo La Lectura teacher training sites in Illinois and Wisconsin.
Before joining NLU, Dr. Elzy served in a variety of roles for school districts in the surrounding suburbs of Chicago, including classroom teacher, literacy support coach, reading recovery teacher, reading specialist, and literacy curriculum coordinator for grades PreK-5.
Ed.D. Reading and Language Development, National Louis University, 2016
C.A.S. Reading Specialist, National Louis University, 2010
M.A.T. Elementary Education, Aurora University, 2006
B.S. Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois - Champaign-Urbana, 2003
Research and Interests:
Dr. Elzy's current research focuses on studying expert teachers' discursive moves in an one-on-one literacy intervention, and how the teacher and students interactions affect accelerated literacy achievement for students struggling with literacy learning.
Dr. Elzy is also interested in studying comprehensive literacy models for school improvement, as well as effective implementation of systems in prevention and literacy intervention.
Elzy, J. (November 2016). "Establishing Effective Home-School Partnerships by Building Capacity". Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Literacy Research Association, Nashville, TN.
Degener, S., Berne, J., & Elzy, J. (December 2014). "Prioritizing Meaning Making During Small Group Reading Instruction". Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Literacy Research Association, Marco Island, FL.
Contact Information:


text:
To access the OBU cable system on your personal TV please complete the following steps:
1. Plug a coax cable directly from the wall jack into your TV's coax/cable port
2. Make sure there is no cable box between the wall jack and the TV
3. Change your TV input to Television/Cable
4. Open the setup menu on your TV and find the option to scan for channels
5. If given the option, choose to scan both Antenna DTV and Cable DTV
6. Once scan is complete you should see up to 85 channels found
7. If you are unable to find any channels, or you only find a small number of channels your TV may be incompatible with our digital system or too old to properly pick up the channels. In that case you may require an additional digital tuner.
8. We have tested one digital tuner with the OBU cable system that is available from Amazon. You can purchase that tuner HERE
Please contact the OBU Tech Team at 405-585-5200 if you have additional trouble getting your cable connected.


text:
73 Years Later, Amelia Earhart Flies Again
Taking after her famous aviator namesake, Amelia Rose Earhart took off Thursday to become the youngest woman to fly a single-engine airplane around the world.
In spite of their nearly identical names — the original Amelia Earhart's middle name was Mary — there is no biological relation. But that didn't stop the modern-day Earhart from pursuing similar passions.
The 31-year-old pilot, a former traffic and weather reporter, boarded her plane in Oakland to embark on her 24,300 nautical mile journey around the globe. Early Monday morning, Earhart took off from Brazil and is now headed for Senegal.
The total trip will take just over two weeks and will cover 14 countries. She will then touch down back in Oakland.
Earhart has been communicating with fans via her Twitter account along the way. Here she is tweeting her enthusiasm before leaving Denver at 7:48 a.m. on Friday:
Day 2 has arrived. KBJC, KAPA, KMIA. #flywithamelia This trip has already set my heart on fire with adventure. Next stop, Tobago.
— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) June 27, 2014
Along the way, Earhart will be awarding scholarships to aspiring female pilots through her charity project, the Fly With Amelia Foundation.
Earhart posed with her co-pilot, Shane Jordan, in front of their plane before takeoff:
Safe arrival in Oakland... thrilled to be just hours away from departing on the 24,300 NM voyage! #flywithamelia pic.twitter.com/TSdtzeX78q
— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) June 26, 2014
Earhart first announced her intentions to make the historic trip in 2013. She began learning to fly a decade ago and earned her pilot's license in 2010, according to her website.
Earhart is accompanied by Jordan alone in a Pilatus PC-12 NG engineered by Honeywell Aerospace. This particular Pilatus can reach 2,500 miles before needing fuel due to the addition of a 200-gallon auxiliary fuel tank to the plane. The original Earhart flew a Lockheed Electra 10E with a twin engine.
The jury is out on whether a single or twin engine is safest for flying. But the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association says that pilots flying with a twin engine may make the riskier decision of continuing to fly even when one engine fails, whereas single-engine planes have no choice but to land.
"The plane I'm flying ... is really safe and reliable, so there aren't any fears on that front," Earhart told Mashable. "I've got all my flight charts and weather tracking on my iPad mini ... so all's good there, too.
"The only thing that possibly scares me is not living up to the legacy of the original Amelia, but I'm trying my best!"
Amelia Mary Earhart was 39 years old when she disappeared on July 2, 1937 somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, along with her navigator, Fred Noonan. Earhart was attempting to become the first woman to fly around the globe.
You can follow Amelia Rose Earhart's flight on her website or on FlightAware. The hashtag #flywithamelia will also connect viewers to Earhart's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, all of which have updates on her progress.
Even when her record-breaking flight comes to a conclusion, Earhart will continue living out her passion for flying. "I'll be focusing my energy full-time on the Fly With Amelia Foundation," she said.


text:
Jaquar showers are designed to deliver a range of experiences, to let you have a shower of your choice every time. Our over head, hand and body showers complement a wide range of shower systems, catering to your unique showering habits, design and installation requirements. Our advanced showers are designed to deliver great precision and consistent water distribution to each individual nozzle. Jaquar showers give you a choice of 4 different flows matching your mood. Whichever flow you chose, you will be assured of an ultimate experience every time.
They provide world class products of highest quality standards. Established in the year 1960 by Mr. N.L. Mehra, are the market leader in bath fitting categories. They a have a vision to become a 'Complete bathing solutions' enterprise. They have now been diversified into many businesses like sanitary ware, water heaters, shower enclosure, concealed cisterns, and wellness range of products like showers, whirlpool, shower panels, steam cabin and spa. They have now entered in the lightning solutions for residential, outdoor and commercial applications. Their lighting solutions offer a wide range of quality products and elegant designs that also provides consultancy, proper installation service followed by post care services. The core philosophy that company believes which had take them to move forward are innovation, performance and commitment. They are been recognised as a renowned and most reliable brand. They have worldwide presence through continuous research and development design.
Some important points about the group-
Global leader in Complete Bathing Solutions for inspired living.
Continuously striving to create value and exceeding customers expectations in quality, delivery and cost effectiveness through continuous product innovation and cutting edge technologies
Its manufacturing plants consist of:


text:
Construction worker fired after making racist comments during public school smudging ceremony
EDMONTON -- Another apology plus a $30,000 donation is going to the amiskwaciy Academy after work crews were heard disrespecting an Indigenous smudging ceremony taking place at a public school last week.
Wilco Contractors Northwest Inc. has also fired one employee and placed an unknown number of others under review who were involved in the Sept. 25 incident.
"We apologize unreservedly to the students and staff who were hurt by these actions. We take full responsibility for what occurred, and we are taking concrete action to ensure this never happens again," reads a statement signed by CEO Art Maat.
"The hurt experienced by the students and staff is front of mind for us, and we hope the actions we are taking demonstrate to them how seriously we take this situation."
According to the public school board, workers were heard swearing, using racist language, and running equipment during a ceremony at Edith Rogers School on Friday.
Wilco had been subcontracted by Sureway Construction Group for the EPCOR dry pond project near Edith Rogers.
Maat said it was possible other jobs could be affected pending the review: "There was a lot of insinuation of things that went on onsite, and we're still determining who was where at what moment."
EPSB called the employees' actions "deeply unsettling and unacceptable."
EPCOR, which had already apologized, issued another statement Tuesday condemning racism and thanking those who spoke up.
"Without their action, this conduct might have gone unaddressed. Their voices mattered," the company said.
Both companies say they have done internal reviews, pausing work on the dry pond over the weekend to do so. Wilco says it will offer staff cultural sensitivity training, too.
EPSB's only update Tuesday was that it was still talking with school families.
amiskwaciy Academy is a program in Edmonton public schools whose academic proThe gramming is framed within an Aboriginal context. Students in the program can join ceremonies, spiritual events like sweetgrass purification, or Indigenous arts.
amiskwaciy means "beaver hills" in Cree. The Cree people used to call what is now known as Edmonton "Beaver Hills House."


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| 8.3°C Belfast
Boyzone have been banned from using the voice of singer Stephen Gately on their next album.
Band member Shane Lynch said a dispute with representatives of the estate of the late singer, who died in October 2009, means they are unable to include new material featuring the Dublin-born star on a 20th anniversary CD.
Lynch (36) said Gately had been working on new material with Boyzone at the time of his death, but there was now a dispute over who owned the rights to the recordings.
"We'd love to use his vocals, but it's not so simple. Apparently, even though we were in a band with him for 17 years, we can't use his voice," he said. "When Stephen died we were in the middle of making an album. The last thing we could have done was continue after losing him. But he is very much alive on those songs."
However, Boyzone hope Gately's representatives will allow them to use a hologram of the singer on their anniversary tour, planned for later this year.
Solicitor Gerald Kean, who represents the Gately family, said his clients "were unaware of any dispute" and had not been contacted regarding the use of Gately's voice on the next Boyzone album, or the use of him as a hologram in live concerts. But sources close to Boyzone have spoken of tensions between the band and Gately's husband, Andy Cowles.
Attempts were made last night by the Irish Independent to contact the businessman, who married Gately in a civil partnership in London in 2006, but he did not respond.
On their last tour, Boyzone members Lynch, Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy and Mikey Graham shared their memories of their late bandmate with the crowd. At another point in the concert they asked the audience to sing the part once performed by Gately on Boyzone hit 'No Matter What'.
Belfast Telegraph


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Odeon Kingston upon Thames
24 High Street,
Kingston upon Thames,
No one has favorited this theater yet
Originally planned and built by an independent operator, the building was taken over by Oscar Deutsch and was opened as one of his Odeon Theatres Ltd. chain of cinemas.
It opened on 3rd July 1933 with Jeannette MacDonald and Jack Buchanan in "Monte Carlo" plus Laurel & Hardy in "One Good Turn", with film star Jack Buchanan attending in person. Seating in the auditorium was provided for 990 in the stalls and 526 in the circle. The proscenium opening was 40feet wide, the stage was 10feet deep and there were 2 dressing rooms. Other facilities in the building were a cafe and a dancehall. In 1934 a Compton 3Manual/7Ranks organ was installed and it had an illuminated console on a lift.
The Odeon was closed on 15th July 1967 with Steve McQueen in "The Great Escape" and Cliff Robertson in "633 Squadron". The Compton organ was removed from the building and installed in Malvern.
It was converted into a Top Rank Bingo Club on 10th August 1967 and this lasted for twenty years. The bingo operation closed on 9th August 1987 and the building was demolished in 1989 as part of the re-development of the area. It was replaced by shops etc.
On 16th January 2008, the newly built 900 seat, Rose Theatre was opened on the site
Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
Great looking building.
Three photos of the Odeon under demolition here:–
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater


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Temporary sticky for Chowfests
Request for addtional forums, features, etc.
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Temporary sticky for Chowfests
I have been trying to keep up with Midwest & Bama Chowfest, but it is hard to do when they drop down several pages. It would be easier to keep up with and for new folks to get interested in if we could sticky them until the event is over. Any other ideas on how to keep up would be appreciated.
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text:
You probably have never heard of misophonia. That said, you would know if you had it. The condition makes eating nearly torture as merely hearing the sounds of other people eating can send patients into a fierce rage instantly.
The condition usually presents itself in late childhood or early adolescence and has been studied very little until now. There is no known cure or way to reduce symptoms.
"This is not voluntary," Marsha Johnson, an audiologist, told the New York Times. "Usually they cry a lot because they've been told they can control this if they want to. This is not their fault. They didn't ask for it and they didn't make it up. They structure their lives around it."
Johnson says she has seen around 1,700 people with the condition, but the prevalence is also little understood.
Do you know anyone who suffers from this condition?
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September 6, 2011
Oh my - I'm pretty sure I have this. In fact, really sure. I've spent most of my life thinking I was nuts or just weird. Thanks for at least giving me a name for it :)
September 6, 2011
I never thought this was an actual condition. Actually, I just thought I was extremely intolerant of others, but only with this issue. And although, never to the point of flying into a rage, hearing people chew with their mouth open, or the noise those people whose chewing actually echoes into their heads, or even the loud gulp gulp when they drink, makes me extremely tense. At work, I have to walk away, or put my headphones on, when my colleagues make these noises. I can't stand it!!!
September 6, 2011
I thought this was just me being extremely intolerant. As I get older it is getting worse. SOmetimes I have to leave the table when my husband or the children are eating because they make me nuts. It is very frustrating because I keep telling myself to lighten up but it makes me crazy.
It is worse when it is just one other person. Turning on the radio helps a lot.


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Following in the tradition of artist editions that aim to encourage a culture of collecting – such as London's The Multiple Store, New York's Aspen Magazine (currently on view at the Charles H. Scott gallery), and Vancouver's own Portfolio Prize – The Edition is an affordable introduction to art acquisition. It is a folio of five contemporary works produced in a closed edition of 15. This is Winsor Gallery's second year launching the Edition. Last year's Edition had five artists that participated and it turned out to be a great success.
Painter Paul Beliveau features his hyperrealist historical and contemporary books in this year's Edition. In the wake of the Vanitas series, the work proposed for Edition II is a tribute to Vladimir Malevich, a tribute to black and white, to constructivism. The occasion lent itself well to play on figurative-abstraction paradoxes through stacked books. What better way to pay homage to one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.
Photographer Colin Smith is also feature in The Edition. An entire room is transformed into a pinhole camera—and thus a projection of the tourist or Road Trip imaginary—in the case of Colin Smith; patterns mimicking those found the natural world are digitally printed on billboard paper and silk crepe de chine.
Works in the Edition 2015 also include abstract forms by artist Allan Switzer who continues to explore and engage with utopian ideals of the 1960's and 1970's. His studio practice develops a methodology utilizing multiple layers of imagery and patterns that attempts to mimic machine made world of digital media. The work Horizon is a distillation and purification of this ongoing exploration.
Known for her bright, slick and visually delicious photography, Dana Claxton features a silkscreen print; entitled "Wild Magic", which speaks volumes on how Indigenous iconography has been consumed by popular culture. Claxton is part of a generation of First Nations artists who employ strategies of contemporary art to address the impact of history on the present.
Last but not least, Andy Dixon's hot pink and turquoise composition is painted with acrylic and oil pastels to create a romantic nostalgic feeling of summer. Andy creates fine work full of vibrant unconventional colour. Andy Dixon makes brightly colored paintings that recall a Fauvist sensibility, with subjects that draw on a range of art historical tropes, like reclining nude females, still lives of flowers, and Renaissance royal portraiture.
Each Edition is beautifully packaged in an archival clamshell box complete with introductions to the artists, their practice, and their piece for The Edition.
Please join us on Saturday, November 21st from 2:00 – 5:00pm for the launch of the second annual Edition, which will be accompanied by an exhibition of works by each participating artist.


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- Classroom Resources | Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
An Exploration of The Crucible through Seventeenth-Century Portraits
In this lesson, students incorporate analyses of characters from The Crucible with examinations of original seventeenth-century portraits of Puritans to create a visual portrait of the character. The project culminates in a "Portrait Gallery Walk" where students present and defend their artwork.
- Parent & Afterschool Resources | Grades 6 – 12 | Activity & Project
Beguiling Billboards: Finding Inspiration along the Road
For this activity, teens study "Pass It On" billboards created by The Foundation for a Better Life either online or on-the-go, and create an original billboard and inspirational phrase for a person of their choosing.
- Classroom Resources | Grades K – 12 | Student Interactive | Writing & Publishing Prose
CD/DVD Cover Creator
The CD/DVD Cover Creator allows users to type and illustrate CD and DVD covers and related booklets for liner notes and other information. Students can use the tool to create covers for books, music, and films that they explored as well as to create covers for media they compose individually or as a class.
- Classroom Resources | Grades 3 – 12 | Calendar Activity |  April 27
Coretta Scott King was born on this day in 1927.
Students do a book report assignment based on a current or past winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Award.
- Classroom Resources | Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Discovering a Passion for Poetry With Langston Hughes
Through a study of Langston Hughes' poetry, students connect his writing to his place in history.
- Professional Development | Grades 6 – 12 | Online Professional Development | Web Seminar
Exploring Intersections between Digital and Disciplinary Literacy: Leveraging Synergies for Deeper Learning
This interactive Web seminar will examine digital practices essential for learning in the disciplines.
- Parent & Afterschool Resources | Grades 3 – 12 | Tip & How-To
How to Start a Writer's Notebook
Writer's notebooks allow children and teens to take in the world around them and document their daily lives. Use these tips to learn how to start a writer's notebook with your child.
- Classroom Resources | Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
I Have a Dream: Exploring Nonviolence in Young Adult Texts
Students will identify how Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream of nonviolent conflict-resolution is reinterpreted in modern texts. Homework is differentiated to prompt discussion on how nonviolence is portrayed through characterization and conflict. Students will be formally assessed on a thesis essay that addresses the Six Kingian Principles of Nonviolence.
- Classroom Resources | Grades 7 – 12 | Calendar Activity |  April 9
In 1939, Marian Anderson was denied permission to sing at Constitution Hall.
Students view Eleanor Roosevelt's resignation letter to the DAR in response to Andersen being denied permission to sing. Students write a letter to a newspaper editor about social injustice.
- Classroom Resources | Grades 9 – 12 | Calendar Activity |  October 9
In 1940, musician and peace activist John Lennon was born.
After listening to "Imagine," students reflect on the lyrics and answer questions. Then, they have a chance to write a stanza for their own song.


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Industry Involvement
DOWNLOAD THE 2019 Sponsor and Exhibit Prospectus
Collaborate. Connect. Innovate.
Industry Participation is Front and Center at the CRS 2019 Annual Meeting! Join us and be part of the premier event in delivery science and technology.
Who You'll Meet
Our 1200 global attendees are delivery scientists, engineers, clinicians, and technical professionals who are experts in delivery science and technology. Their focus spans drug delivery and pharmaceutical science, consumer and diversified products, and preclinical sciences and animal health.
Why You Should Get Involved
Your participation in the Annual Meeting & Exposition places you in direct contact with scientific and industry leaders, investors and business development professionals who are solely focused on the delivery of actives.
Our high-visibility Industry Sponsor opportunities will help you achieve your company's goals, gain visibility and a get a competitive edge to:
- Influence attendees by sponsoring or supporting an Educational Pre-Meeting Workshop.
- Present your research, products, and services with a sponsored Technology Forum.
- Promote your thought leadership with a sponsored Round Table.
- Connect with buyers in our Exhibition Hall.
- Reinforce your company brand with sponsored imprinted items used by our attendees.
- Make an Impression through sponsorship of a networking or social event that attendees will remember.
To learn more about how you can get involved and gain exposure at the Annual Meeting & Exposition, contact Poter Rice at email@example.com or +1.856.437.4750.


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Keep those slippery tops on the hanger with rubber bands! If you're like me, you probably have a stash of rubber bands on hand. Right now I have a bold-colored assortment in a clear jar, and they are getting ready to celebrate another birthday!
Much like humans, rubber bands get stiff with age, and have a tendency to break. I decided to put them to good use before it's too late; you might want to consider doing the same thing. Let me ask you, do you have tops or clothes in your closet that are constantly falling on the floor? Strappy dresses and the like – if placed on a smooth hanger – love to dance in the closet. Finally after they are finished slipping and swaying, they end up in a heap on the closet floor.
Ready to stop this crazy closet mayhem? Grab your steadfast rubber bands and place one on each end of your hanger. You can do it straight up-and-down, or at an angle (like in my picture.) I have found the thicker the rubber band, the better. Put on your slippery piece of clothing and see what happens.
No rubbish – your clothes stay put, and don't slip off. So … put your rubber to the "hanger" and get going. 🙂


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Save the Date: 2 pm Saturday 22 June, spread the word invite a friend.
We are celebrating 20 years of support for women impacted by imprisonment of a friend or family member.
WHERE? St Patrick's Hall Cnr Victoria Rd & Marist Pl Parramatta NSW.
WHEN? 2:00 pm Saturday 22 June 2019.
WHO? Anyone who is thankful for 20 years of Kairos Outside's outreach to Australian Women impacted by another's imprisonment.


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Sand pump with Rockwell hardness above 58. It is such a useful wear-resistant sand pump
Product Introduction:
1 Ws Dredging Pump is a new type of sludge pump researched and manufactured by our factory aiming at the dredging and damming of the river and seas.
2. The means is consider to be a treatment of no -pollution to environmental protection, high efficiency and energy-saving
3.Light weight, good wear-resistant, super dredging performance
4.Our Company can select different kinds of material according to different media to meet the dredging requirement.
Product Specifications:
Name: River Sand And Mud Dredger Submersible Slurry Sand Dredging Pump
Number: 1.8.1
Pump Type: Centrifugal
Drive Type: DCZ
Power: Motor / Diesel
Discharge Size: 100-1000mm
Capacity: 180-25000(m³/h)
Head: 25-76(m)
Suction Hopper DredgingConstructional MaterialSand gravel processingBarge LoadingSand Reclamation
Construction Drawings:
Selection Chart for Clear Water:
Performance Parameters:
More Photos:


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The Plan4Health Coalition, a collaboration led by Metropolitan Area Planning Council(MAPC) between MAPC, MPHA and local community partners, is launching the Greater Boston Association of Convenience Stores (GBACS) as a way to improve distribution networks, increase access to healthy foods, and support healthy retail initiatives in the Boston area. As a new membership organization, GBACS will connect convenience store owners with resources and services that support their businesses, with a goal of helping store owners be successful and have a positive impact in their community. Plan4Health integrates seven existing municipal coalitions to increase access to healthy food within Boston's Inner Core region. Project objectives include establishing distribution networks, supporting healthy retail initiatives, and collaborating with grocery stores to promote and feature healthy foods.
To learn more about GBACS or become a member, visit the website at gbacs.mapc.org or attend one of the upcoming informational sessions:
March 16, 2016
Beverly Public Library
Beverly, MA
March 17, 2016
Parlin Memorial Library
Everett, MA
For more information contact Lola Omolodun, (617) 933-0728 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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It can be exciting to jump into the stock market. Depending on your investment goals, there are a wide variety of strategies that you can employ. Regardless of the stocks that you decide to invest in, you should have a basic idea of how this market operates. Continue on for some helpful investing tips that can be a guide to get you started in the market.
It is vitally important that you confirm the reliability of any investment broker before you consider handing over your hard-earned money to them. There are free resources available to help you perform this confirmation quickly and easily. When you have done the proper research into a company's background, you are less likely to become the victim of investment fraud.
Watch the stock market closely prior to jumping in. Before plunking down real money, you can avoid some of the common beginner mistakes by watching the market for a while. Prior to investing, try to follow the stock market for at least a couple of years. By doing this, you will possess more knowledge of how the stock market works. Therefore, you'll have a greater possibility of making some money in the future.
Stocks are much more than the paper that certifies your shares. A stock represents your ownership of a piece of the company that issued it. This can also entitle you to assets and earnings, depending on the debts of the company. You may even be able to vote for the companies corporate leadership.
Before you sign up with any broker, or place any investment through a trader, take the time to find out what fees you are going to be liable for. Learn more about entry and exit fees before signing up. This small fees can quickly add up.
If you own stocks, use your voting rights and proxy as you see fit. You may be able to vote on major changes, merges, and new directors, depending on the companies' charter. There are different options for voting. Some voting can be done by proxy through the mail, and in some cases, it can be done at an annual shareholders' meeting.
One account you should have, is a high bearing account containing at least six months' salary. If you are facing unemployment or an unforeseen bill, it will come in very handy.
When trading stocks, think of them as your own companies instead of just meaningless symbols. Carefully evaluate and analyze a business when determining the value of the stocks you have invested in. You will need time to decide whether or not to invest in certain stocks.
Avoid timing the markets. It has been demonstrated repeatedly that spreading market investments out evenly over longer periods of time will yield superior results. Figure out how much you can afford to invest on a regular basis. Develop the habit of regularly investing your money in the market.
If you desire the best of both worlds, consider connecting to a broker that has online options as well as full service when it comes to stock picking. This way, you can allocate a portion of funds to be managed by a pro and do the rest yourself. This strategy will give you the assistance you need to succeed in your investments.
Don't invest too much in the stock of your company. It is a good thing to show support with stock purchases, but loading your portfolio too heavily with one stock is not a sound investment. It used to common for people to invest mainly in their company's stock, but then too many suffered the fate of losing almost all of their wealth when their company failed.
Steer clear of stock market advice which you did not actively seek. Make sure your broker has your ear; and it's always smart to find another good source for information that you can trust. Don't listen to anyone else. You cannot replace the value of performing your own research, especially if stock-picking and investment advice is being pushed on you by some marketer that gets paid to persuade you.
When investing in stocks it is important to find a method that gives you results and stay with it. Maybe you are seeking companies that have high profit margins, or perhaps you maybe focusing on companies with a lot of cash at hand. Whatever your strategy is, only use it if it's working.
Look at dividend paying stocks first. If your stock declines some, you can get dividends to offset some of your losses. On the other hand, if the company's stock goes up, dividends simply serve to increase your profit margin. Overall, these can also give you periodic income.
Using a constrained strategy is often a good idea. To do so, look for stocks that are not in high demand. Identify the value of under appreciated companies. You will nearly always pay the most money for the most sought after stocks. This cuts into the potential profit margin. Look for lesser known companies that has solid profits, and you are likely to find a much better investment opportunity.
Before selecting a stock, understand how it fits in with your goals. For example, some might be looking to increase earnings with low risk factors while others are looking to increase the size of their portfolio. Whatever your goal is, you need to keep it in mind if you want to carve a path to success.
It is important that you understand the risks that investments carry. No investment comes without risk. You should note that the least risks come from bonds, followed by mutual funds and then stocks. No matter how you choose to invest, you should know the risks. Once you understand the particular risk involved you will be able to invest wisely.
As you can see, investing in the stock market can be fun and exciting. Whether you choose to invest in stocks, stock options or mutual funds, apply the principles you've just learned in order to get some nice returns on your investments.


text: A lot of photographers get intimidated by the thought of using flash for portraiture. Taking that step from existing light with reflectors, creative exposures, and fancy Photoshop plug-ins can be a big one, but once you get the basics down, it can really expand your creative possibilities. Here's a short video that shows how you can take a single inexpensive speedlight (or speedlite, in Canon-speak) and trigger it wirelessly with your camera's pop-up flash. In this video, you'll also notice that I used a shoot-through umbrella to soften the light from the flash. Umbrellas provide an excellent high-quality diffusion, and they are available dirt cheap. I highly recommend this type of setup for jumping into off-camera flash photography. See my gear recommendations for specifics on the gear that I use for portraiture.


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Veteran Services
- Federal Program Benefits
- Military Transcripts and Transfer Credit Information
- Initiating Your GI Bill® Benefits
- Initiating Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Benefits - Chapter 35
- VALOR Act Academic Credit Evaluation Policy
- Massachusetts Benefit Programs
- Massachusetts Veteran Tuition Waiver
- National Guard Tuition & Fee Waiver
- Consumer Information
VALOR Act Academic Credit Evaluation Policy
In accordance with the VALOR Act, students may have their military experience, coursework or training reviewed to determine whether their training or actual job duties are commensurate with the content of courses offered at Fitchburg State University. Fitchburg State uses multiple methods for evaluating military occupation, training, experience and coursework for academic credit, including the ACE Guide to the evaluation of education experiences, CLEP and DANTES (DSST). All military transcripts are reviewed for transferability of credit in accordance with our university-wide policy. A maximum of 60 military credits can be applied to a degree at Fitchburg State. Students are aware of the VALOR Act credit evaluation policy through our website and University Catalog.
Any questions related to the transfer of military credits can be directed to the Registrar, Linda Dupell, at 978.665.4196.


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Guest post by Maia Welbel
If you're working on reducing your plastic waste, you may have at some point opted for compostable single-use utensils or dishware, whether it was for an event you hosted or while grabbing lunch on the go. But are those earthy looking forks and bowls really better than plastic? The answer isn't as simple as you'd think. They actually require a very specific disposal process (they won't become compost if you throw them in the trash!), and some companies even design products with the "eco-friendly" look of compostable materials when in fact, they cannot be composted.
I wanted to find out if and how we should be using compostable utensils and dishware, so I dug up the most important things you need to know, and consulted my friend Jonathan Scheffel, the founder of Healthy Soil Compost (a bike-powered compost pickup service in Chicago!), to get you all the answers. Here's what you need to know about compostable disposables.
What are these compostable plastic alternatives made of?
Single-use utensils and dishware can be made from corn, sugarcane, potatoes, soybeans, wood, bamboo, and variety of other organic materials.
How can I tell if a product is compostable?
Just because a product looks "earthy" or is labeled with environmental imagery, that doesn't mean it's compostable. Companies sometimes label their product as "biodegradable," which is often interpreted to mean compostable. But don't be fooled—biodegradable just means that a material will eventually decompose in the natural environment, it can't necessarily be composted.
Composting is a process in which carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and microorganisms interact under specific moisture and heat conditions to convert organic materials into a nutrient rich substance that can be used to fertilize soil. Non-compostable items in the mix will hinder this process.
To make sure an item is safe to throw in the compost bin, check to see if it is ASTM6400 certified or BPI certified. Both ensure that the product will compost effectively in an industrial aerobic composting facility.
What happens to compostable products if they are thrown into a landfill?
They will decompose at about the same rate as their plastic counterparts. Composting is an aerobic process, meaning it requires oxygen. Since most landfills are sealed, their contents undergo anaerobic decomposition (no oxygen), so composting cannot occur.
Can I throw compostable utensils and dishware into my at-home compost pile?
Probably not. Commercial compost facilities can maintain the ideal composting conditions that allow these products to process fully. Since you have less control over the conditions of your at-home pile, they may not break down. But if you subscribe to a compost pickup service that brings your organic waste to a commercial processing facility, feel free to toss those spoons and plates in your bucket.
What should I do with compostable dishes and utensils if I don't have a compost pickup service?
If you got the product from a restaurant, cafe, or grocery store, they should have a compost bin on site. If they don't, call them out on it!
If you bought them for an event or are using them in your home, search online to find out whether there is an industrial composting facility near you. Findacomposter.com is one good resource for this. Contact the facility and see if you can drop them off.
If none of those are options, simply treat them like any other single-use plastic item—best to avoid them and choose reusable products instead. Don't put compostable products into the recycling bin because most are not recyclable.
Though it seems like a better alternative if you end up sending it to landfill, the bottom line is that compostable products that wind up in landfills are about as bad for the environment as plastic. So there's no good in a food retailer offering compostable products without a place to properly dispose of them.
The takeaways
Compostable dishes and utensils are a great, more sustainable alternative to plastic if they actually land in a compost pile. But given that it's not always easy to access a commercial compost operation, here's what I recommend:
Opt for reusable first. If you can bring your own mug, tupperware, fork, etc. instead of using a compostable or plastic product, that will always be the option with the least environmental impact. Use compostables if there's a compost bin nearby or if you subscribe to a compost pick up service. And if not, choose recyclable products and make sure they end up clean in the recycling bin.
Maia Webel holds a Masters from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, specializing in environmental reporting. You can learn more about Maia and her work here.


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TBT will launch their new season in Dallas with an aptly timed performance of Beauty and the Beast, September 7-10 at Winspear Opera House, and at Fort Worth's Bass Performance Hall, September 29-October 1. The Company's performance will follow the classic storybook tale of Belle, the Beast and his enchanted servants.
Lew Christensen choreographed Beauty and the Beast in 1958 for the San Francisco Ballet's 25th anniversary, and says this about the original production: "The old moral reads that beauty is only skin deep. So, this ballet says, is beastliness. To love is to be human, and it is no less, to humanize."


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Meeting new people and forming meaningful business relationships is the hallmark of the Women's Jewelry Association and its world-wide network of members.
As the most prominent of the many chapters, our New York Metro chapter of WJA is made up of an eager and energetic community who are highly involved in the many facets of our ever-changing industry. We have been able to create an environment to help women and men in the jewelry and watch industries develop personally and professionally through networking, education, and mentoring events.
We hold multiple events throughout each month that range in topics, enabling crucial networking, and at different "hot" venues around Manhattan.
If you are looking to make business connections, stay in-the-know with our industry functions, please join us at our next event (see Upcoming Events tab) or contact us today.
We look forward to meeting you soon!


text: 30.07.14 NanoLumens opens UK sales office DISPLAYS NanoLumens, a manufacturer and marketer of indoor LED display solutions, has announced the appointment of David DaCosta to the position of VP of EMEA and the opening of a new sales and support office in London to serve the region. "With our United States sales and marketing programs now very well established, the time is right for NanoLumens to make a meaningful commitment to the development of the EMEA region," said NanoLumens executive VP of Business Development, Karen Robinson. "We are very pleased to announce that these efforts will be led by David DaCosta, the former chairman of the Limited Space Media Group."Effective immediately, DaCosta is responsible for the development and implementation of all administrative, operational, sales, marketing, and technical support programs for the entire EMEA region. He reports directly to NanoLumens VP of sales, Rick Bortles. "I can think of no more exciting industry opportunity than to assume responsibility for the EMEA market success of this dynamic, forward-looking technology leader," DaCosta said. According to DaCosta, currently within the European part of EMEA there are 27 countries incorporating a mature population of 450 million — a market second in size only to the United States. "It is my principal target and area of responsibility to quickly develop and establish opportunities within this economic block and to represent up to 30 percent of global sales for the company," he said.DaCosta has spent the past decade building digital media platforms in the transport sector for network rail, in the medical sector at primary and secondary health locations, in the leisure sector with national and regional sports stadia, and in retail installing digital networks at primary and secondary shopping malls throughout the UK.Outside of the industry, DaCosta has served on the boards of several public and private organisations. He is the founder of Missing Kids TV, a non-profit organisation set up to invite DOOH networks to participate in assisting law enforcement with immediately broadcasting Amber Alert warnings.The NanoLumens European sales and support office is located at 28 Bolton Street, London. DISPLAYS