text:
Food and nutrition assistance programs are an important part of the U.S. safety net. In 2009, the Food Stamp Program (FSP) served about 34 million persons at a total cost of $56 billion and the Supplemental Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) served 9 million people at a cost of $6.5 billion dollars.1 The goal of these two programs is to improve the nutritional well-being and health of low-income families. In the post-welfare-reform era, the FSP increasingly has become the central safety net program in the United States. It is the only program that is universal - provided to all ages and family types whose income and assets make them eligible - and, unlike other cash or near-cash assistance programs, it is adjusted each year for changes in the cost of food. From 2008 to 2009, food stamp caseloads increased almost 20 percent.2
Both FSP and WIC were developed in the Great Society period of the 1960s and 1970s. They were introduced in direct response to policy recommendations highlighting health deficits among low-income individuals that might be reduced by improved access to food. It was further recognized that by providing food at "critical times" to pregnant and lactating women and young children, it might be possible to prevent a variety of health problems.3
Throughout the history of the FSP and WIC, the program parameters were set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture; they are uniform across states. This is unusual, because U.S. states play an important role in setting the generosity of most means-tested transfer programs. Without the state-level variations that economists often use to evaluate transfer programs, the earlier research on FSP and WIC typically relied in some way on comparing program participants to non-participants.4 Recently, this approach has come under question. For example, a number of researchers have pointed out that if pregnant women who participate in WIC are healthier, more motivated, or have better access to health care than other eligible women, comparisons between the children of WIC participants and non-participants could produce positive estimates for the program's results, even if there were none. Conversely, if WIC participants are more disadvantaged than other mothers, then such comparisons may understate the program's impact. 5 Similar arguments apply to the FSP; in fact several studies find that food stamp participation leads to a reduction in nutritional intake. These unexpected results are almost certainly driven by negative selection into the program.6
In a series of studies, my coauthors and I have estimated the impact of these food and nutrition programs by exploiting a novel research design. Specifically, we exploit considerable variation across counties in the geographic rollout of food stamps and WIC. FSP was introduced across U.S. counties over a 15-year period: the earliest programs were established in 1961 and the last ones in 1975. WIC was established first as a pilot program in 1972, it became permanent in 1975, and it reached near universal coverage by the end of the 1970s. The cross-county variation in the initiation of these two programs over time forms the basis for our estimation strategy. This research strategy has also been used to study other social programs similarly rolled out during the 1960s and 1970s, including Head Start, Medicare, and family planning services. 7 Using this county-by-county program rollout, my coauthors and I estimate the impact of FSP on food spending, labor supply, infant health, and adult economic and health outcomes, as well as the impact of WIC on infant health. This article briefly describes that work and possible future work in the area.
Food Stamps and Family Expenditures on Food
One project, with Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, uses the geographic rollout of the FSP to examine how food stamps affect family expenditures.8 Food stamp benefits are not distributed as cash payments, but instead are vouchers which can be used to purchase a wide range of food products. However, the typical economic model predicts that vouchers should lead to the same outcome as a similar sized cash transfer. As a result, depending on consumer preferences, providing in-kind transfers (relative to cash) may have little or no impact on purchases of the actual goods being subsidized. With this background, we examine two aspects of the introduction of food stamps. First, we ask how the introduction of food stamps affects family spending on food. Second, we consider how this change in food spending compares to the change that would have occurred if the benefits were provided in cash, rather than vouchers.
We use data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) from 1968-78 to examine the impact of the FSP on expenditures on food spent at home, meals eaten out, and total food spending. Our strategy takes advantage of the sharp timing of the county-by-county rollout of the FSP, initially constrained by congressional funding authorizations but finally available in all counties by 1975. Specifically, we use a difference-in-difference setting and information on the month that the FSP began operating in each of the roughly 3,100 U.S. counties. Our results indicate that people behave just as the theory predicts: the introduction of FSP leads to a decrease in out-of-pocket food spending and an increase in overall food expenditures. We are not able to determine the effect of FSP on the propensity to eat meals at restaurants, for which we find mixed and statistically insignificant results. Further, we learn that the marginal propensity to consume food out of food stamp income is close to the marginal propensity to consume food out of cash income. Therefore, providing food stamp benefits in voucher form leads to a minimal distortion of the consumption choice relative to what it would be if the benefit were provided in cash.
Food Stamps and Infant Health
In a second study, Douglas Almond, Schanzenbach, and I examine the impact of food stamps on infant health.9 As one of the largest anti-poverty programs in the United States - comparable in cost to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and substantially larger than Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) - FSP's effects are important to understand both in their own right and for what they reveal about the relationship between income and health.
Interestingly, while the goal of the FSP is to increase the nutrition of the poor, few researchers have examined its impact on health outcomes. Thus, our first motivation was to quantify a potential health benefit of the FSP and, in so doing, to broaden our thinking about the benefits of the program. Our second aim, building on the work described above in which we find that the introduction of food stamps represents an exogenous increase in income for the poor, was to provide more general evidence on the impact of income on health. This is an important topic with little convincing evidence to date because of problems with endogeneity and reverse causality.
Again, we used the natural experiment afforded by the nationwide roll-out of the modern Food Stamp Program during the 1960s and early 1970s. We also looked at national Vital Statistics data on births and deaths in order to estimate the impact of FSP rollout on mean birth weight, low birth weight, gestation, and neonatal infant mortality. Infant health is of particular interest for this program because over 60 percent of food stamp households include children, and one-third of them have at least one pre-school age child.
We find that infant outcomes improve with FSP introduction. Changes in mean birth weight are small, increasing roughly half a percent for blacks and whites (averaged among the population participating in the program). The impacts are larger at the bottom of the birth-weight distribution, reducing the incidence of low birth weight among FSP recipients by 7 percent for whites and between 5 and 11 percent for blacks. Changes in this part of the birth-weight distribution are important because they are closely linked to other measures of newborn health.
We also find that FSP introduction leads to a reduction in neonatal infant mortality, although these results rarely reach statistical significance. Finally, we find very small (but precisely estimated) affects of FSP on fertility, suggesting that the results are not biased by simultaneous changes in the composition of women giving birth.
Early Life Interventions and Adult Economic and Health Outcomes
The availability of food stamps also may have an impact on individuals' health beyond infancy. For example, to the extent that improved maternal nutrition improves birth outcomes, later-life health outcomes of children born to mothers receiving food stamps may also benefit.10 In addition, the availability of food stamps throughout childhood may affect adult health and economic outcomes. Almond, Schanzenbach, and I use the county rollout of the food stamp program to specifically examine how availability of food stamps in childhood affects adult health and economic outcomes.11
We use the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and take advantage of its longitudinal structure. With this data, we can start with a cohort of children that we initially observe in 1968, follow them into adulthood, and observe their completed education, earnings, and such detailed health outcomes as general health status, height and weight, presence of chronic conditions, and work/activity limitations. Our results show that in utero exposure to FSP predicts later body weight outcomes, including lower obesity and more "healthy weight" ranges. We also find that in utero exposure to FSP is associated with lower rates of heart disease. Economic outcomes are also improved, with increases in high school completion and total years of education. We are currently extending this work to model one's exposure to food stamps throughout childhood.
Work Disincentive Effects of Food Stamps
The food stamp program takes the form of a typical income support program-it provides some guaranteed benefit that is "taxed" away as a household's earnings and income increase. As such, standard labor supply theory suggests that food stamps should lead to a reduction in work. This result stems from the income transfer nature of the program, as well as the reduction in marginal net earnings from taxing away the benefit. While this predicted work disincentive has been analyzed in other income support programs, such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)/TANF, far fewer studies have examined the effect of the food stamp program on labor supply.
Schanzenbach and I use the PSID and Census to examine the impact of the county food stamp rollout on the family head's employment, annual hours and earnings, as well as family income and poverty. 12 Across all outcomes and samples, our evidence uniformly shows that the introduction of food stamps leads to reductions in employment, earnings, and income. However, the estimates are relatively modest and few of them are statistically significant. Together, these results suggest that there is a small, negative impact on income and work associated with the food stamp program.
The relatively modest size of these effects is perhaps not surprising given the low (for income support programs) benefit reduction rate of 30 percent in the food stamp program. In the AFDC/TANF program, where the work disincentive effects are estimated to be much larger, the benefit reduction rate is closer to 100 percent. 13 To gauge the magnitude of the expected labor supply effects of the food stamp program, we simulate the impact of the program on annual hours worked in our PSID sample using estimated labor supply elasticities from the literature. These simulations yield very similar predictions to those estimated in our sample. We take this as a useful exercise which corroborates our estimates of modest work incentive effects in the food stamp program.
WIC and Infant Health
Another project with Marianne Page and Ann Huff Stevens exploits the variation in WIC program introduction across geographic areas and over time to examine its impacts on infant health as shown in the U.S. Vital Statistics data. 14 We start with information that we collect on the year each WIC office opened across cities and counties. We then use a difference-in-difference model to relate birth outcomes to the availability of WIC benefits at the time the mother was pregnant.
We find that when WIC is made available by the third trimester of pregnancy, average birth weight in the county increases by approximately 2 grams. This estimated effect is driven by women with low levels of education and by women living in high poverty counties-precisely those women who are most likely to be eligible for program benefits. Among women with low levels of education, WIC increases average birth weight by 7 grams and reduces the fraction of births that are classified as low birth weight by 1.4 percent. Using estimates of WIC participation rates, we find that low educated women experience a 10 percent increase in average birth weight for children born to WIC participants. Since we find no evidence that WIC affects fertility, our estimates are unlikely to be generated by indirect effects on selection into birth.
* Hoynes is a Research Associate in the NBER's Program in Public Economics and a Professor of Economics at the University of California, Davis. Her profile appears later in this issue. The research described here was supported by USDA FANRP Project 235 "Impact of Food Stamps and WIC on Health and Long Run Economic Outcomes."
1. Program information available on USDA website, see here and here.
2. See http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/SNAPsummary.htm.
3. For example, see V. Oliveira, E. Racine, J. Olmsted, and L. Ghelfi, "The WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Issues," in Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Report Number 27, USDA Economic Research Service, 2002.
4. For reviews of the literature, see J. Currie, "U.S. Food and Nutrition Programs," in Means-tested Transfer Programs in the U.S., R. Moffitt ed., Cambridge, MA: NBER, 2003, and T. Fraker, "Effects of Food Stamps on Food Consumption: A Review of the Literature," Mathematica Policy Research, 1990.
5. For example, see M. Bitler and J. Currie, "Does WIC Work? The Effects of WIC on Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Vol. 24, No. 1, (2005), pp.73-91, and L. Kowaleski-Jones and G. Duncan, "Effects of Participation in the WIC Program on Birth Weight: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth," American Journal of Public Health, 92(5), (2002), pp.799-804.
6. For a discussion of these studies, see J. Currie, 2003.
7. See J. Ludwig and D. Miller, "Does Head Start Improve Children's Life Chances? Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design," Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 122, (2007), pp. 159-208; A. Finkelstein and R. McKnight, "What Did Medicare Do (And Was It Worth It?)," Journal of Public Economics, Vol, 92, (2008), pp. 1644-68; and M. Bailey, "The Impact of U.S. Family Planning Programs on Fertility and Mortality:Evidence From the War On Poverty and Title X."
8. H. Hoynes and D. Schanzenbach, "Consumption Reponses to In-Kind Transfers: Evidence from the Introduction of the Food Stamp Program," NBER Working Paper No. 13025, April 2007, and American Economic Journal: Applied Economics Vol. 1, No. 4, (2009), pp. 109-39.
9. D. Almond, H. Hoynes, and D. Schanzenbach, "Inside the War on Poverty: The Impact of the Food Stamp Program on Birth Outcomes," NBER Working Paper No. 14306, September 2008, and forthcoming, Review of Economics and Statistics.
10. See, for example, S. Black, P. Devereux, and K. Salvanes, "From the Cradle to the Labor Market: The Effect of Birth Weight on Adult Outcomes," Quarterly Journal of Economics, (2007), and H. Royer, "Separated at Girth: Estimating the Long-Run and Intergenerational Effects of Birthweight Using Twins," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, (2009).
11. D. Almond, H. Hoynes, and D. Schanzenbach, "Childhood Exposure to the Food Stamp Program: Long-run Health and Economic Outcomes."
12. H. Hoynes and D. Schanzenbach, "The Food Stamp Program and Labor Supply."
13. For a review of the research on the work disincentive effects of AFDC, see R. Moffitt, "Incentive Effects of the U.S. Welfare System: A Review," in Journal of Economic Literature (1992).
14. H. Hoynes, M. Page, and A. H. Stevens, "Is a WIC Start a Better Start? Evaluating WIC's Impact on Infant Health Using Program Introduction," NBER Working Paper No. 15589, December 2009.


text:
- Store
- >
- Kitchen Gadgets
- >
- Utensils
- >
- Microplane Artisian Coarse Grater
Microplane Artisian Coarse Grater
per item
Microplane's Artisan Coarse Grater makes small flecks, ideal for salads. It easily grates hard cheeses such as Parmesan and Romano, as well as a wide range of fruits and vegetables, from pears, apples, and coconut to fresh carrots, peppers and ginger. All Microplane® 42000 Artisan Series graters are dishwasher-safe and feature surgical-grade stainless steel blades. There is no attachment for this grater.
|Product Details

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Monitoring/collecting evaluations
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg91609] Monitoring/collecting evaluations
- From: vasil michev <michev at gmail.com>
- Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:10:23 -0400 (EDT)
Is there a way (built-in function) to monitor the steps taken in evaluation or collect sample points without doubling the evaluation time? Tried using EvaluationMonitor with/without Sow/Reap and the results are almost the same, and not using it takes twice less time. here are some code samples: (a fairly common function in physics, with few secs evaluation time) f[m_]:=NIntegrate[UnitStep[3-m-Cos[x]-Cos[y]-Cos[z]],{x,-\[Pi],\[Pi]}, {y,-\[Pi],\[Pi]},{z,-\[Pi],\[Pi]},MaxPoints->1000000,Method- >"LocalAdaptive"]/8/\[Pi]^3 (just the plot) AbsoluteTiming[Plot[f[x],{x,0,1},PlotPoints->10,MaxRecursion->1]] 35.8700000 (simple monitoring) AbsoluteTiming[values={}; Monitor[Plot[f[x],{x,0,1},PlotPoints->10,MaxRecursion- >1,EvaluationMonitor:>AppendTo[values,{x,f[x]}]],ListPlot[values]]] 69.2440000 -> double time, as f[x] is evaluaed twice (Sow/Reap) AbsoluteTiming[evals={}; {plot,evals}=Reap[Plot[f[x],{x,0,1}, PlotRange->All,PlotPoints- >10,MaxRecursion->1,EvaluationMonitor:>Sow[{x,f[x]}]]];Show[plot]] 69.5930000 -> same (Monitoring with Sow/Reap) AbsoluteTiming[evals={}; {plot,evals}=Reap[Monitor[Plot[f[x],{x,0,1}, PlotRange->All,PlotPoints- >10,MaxRecursion- >1,EvaluationMonitor:>AppendTo[evals,Sow[{x,f[x]}]]],ListPlot[evals]]]; Show[plot]] 69.8420000 -> same So, does anyone know how to achieve that? Im usualy dealing with ContourPlot3D's of similar integrals, each of which takes a minute to evaluate, and I do it for a lot of points, there's quite a difference between calculation running for a week or 2 weeks. I know it takes just a few lines of code to do this, but im looking for something applicable to a broader range of functions


text:
How to play
The oldest of two Paralympic football games, 7-a-side features players with cerebral palsy (unlike 5-a-side, which is for the visually impaired). Six outfield players and one goalkeeper compete on a 75m x 55m field.
Whereas the 5-a-side pitch is surrounded with rebound walls, here throw-ins are taken with one hand. Structurally, eight teams are split into two groups with the top two from each meeting in a knockout system. Halves are 30 minutes each; extra periods 20 minutes, with an eventual penalty shoot-out to follow.
There are four classes, from 5 to 8, though each team must have at least one player from class 5 or 6 (the most severely impaired groups).
Men's competition.
5 (Athletes who are the least physically able)
8 (Athletes who are minimally affected)
Gold medals available
Tactics and techniques
With rules only varying slightly from the original FIFA handbook, the concepts are similar to able-bodied football. Interestingly there are no offsides, making it difficult to condense space. Combined with a relatively large playing surface, this often results in open and interesting games.
Another outcome of this is the direct playing style. Without offside rules, strikers can occupy positions right in front of goal, and sharp, precise passes can be played to their feet instantly. This abandons slow build-up play, as spaces are easier to find.
Facts (and phrases)
The first international competiton took place in Edinburgh 1978 at the Cerebral Palsy International Games. Four years later it was introduced in the New York and Stoke Mandeville Games in 1984, and has stayed on the Paralympic schedule ever since.
Holland were unstoppable for a decade, winning gold in 1988, 1992 and 1996.
British stars
Michael Barker. Played with Wayne Rooney at the Everton youth academy, but was hit by a bus as a youngster. Won the golden boot at the 2011 World Cup. Led by captain and goalkeeper Jordan Raynes, the ParalympicsGB team also includes Martin Sinclair, brother of Swansea City's Scott Sinclair.
British chances
Finished bottom of the group in Beijing. There are hopes of improvement, but the 8-1 loss to reigning champions Ukraine four years ago showed they have a gap to bridge.
International rivals
Ukraine, Russia and Holland.
September 1 - 9
Hockey Centre, Olympic Park


text:
Daily Domain Picks 1-14-18
Go Daddy Auction Picks 1-14-18 Powered by ExpiredDomains.com
KidMedia.com aged name that should go for 4 figures.
GirlMart.com not bad for an ecommerce play, memorable.
GolfIndex.com golf ranking website.
ImpossibleTasks.com a blog that posts about great accomplishments.
WebsiteGiant.com no bids, might be worth a spec.
GBHG.com not a bad chip works all around.
Did you know you can try Efty for free? Sign up here
NamePros Auction Picks 01-14-18 Powered by NamePros Marketplace
- SeoCompanyBirmingham.com
- DialNy.com
- LendersChoiceMortgage.com
- DetoxAZ.com
- SanitaryWorks.com
- JVY.info
- V4vi.com
- IOTintegrative.com
- Defeater.org
- KINP.org
- Pixi.chat
- Speed.services
- TrustJoin.com
- VistasGroup.com
- DigitsCoin.com
- SsbbwMingle.com
- HYV.info
- ᴄʀʏᴘᴛᴏ.com (IDN)
- InternetDomainNames.net
- Rebelcoin.org
Disclaimer: All domain investing is highly speculative, you may never sell a domain you purchase. A mention here is not a recommendation or solicitation to purchase, do your own research and stick to a budget.


text:
Taylor Swift is officially turning to pop.
The singer recently released a new single, "Shake It Off," and announced that her new album, titled "1989" (Swift's birth year), will be released on Oct. 27.
The new work will be her "first documented, official pop album," Swift said to fans during a Yahoo live stream on Aug. 18, according to USA Today. During the live stream, the singer also responded to questions posed by users on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
As the live stream took place, the music video for "Shake" premiered on Vevo, according to the New York Times.
Swift said that she wanted to create a song that was like "nothing I had done," according to USA Today. She was inspired to write the song after discovering that "people can say whatever they want about us, at any time. The only thing we can control is our reaction to that."
Her new album is informed by the music of the 1980s, Swift said, according to Rolling Stone, which she called a period of "limitless potential."
"Two years gives you enough time to grow and change; change what you believe in and what's influencing and inspiring you," the singer said of the time between her new album and her last work, 2012's "Red." "I woke up every single day not wanting, but needing, to make a new style of music. This album is a rebirth for me."
The singer told Rolling Stone that she thinks the video for "Shake," which finds dancers around her performing ballet and moshing while Swift herself is unable to do it, expresses her message of being yourself.
"It shows you to keep doing you, keep being you, keep trying to figure out where you fit in in the world, and eventually you will," she said.
The news that "1989" will be Swift's "first… official pop album" seemed to be greeted with a yawn by music industry insiders. "Does anyone still think of Taylor Swift as a country artist anymore?" Rolling Stone contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis asked USA Today. "She's very career-savvy, and I'm sure she and her handlers are convinced she can withstand any potential blowback. And I would agree."
Billboard associate editor Jason Lipshutz noted that "her last album was based in country music, but it had a lot of bubblegum pop in it" in an interview with USA Today. "She's always been a great storyteller, but she's been trying her hand at pop music more and more," he said.
Scott Borchetta, president of Swift's home Big Machine Records, said that he doesn't think country stations will be featuring this new work but that that's okay, according to Rolling Stone.
"Will country stations play a complete pop song just because it's her? No," Borchetta said. "But when she comes to town, her friends at country radio will come and see her… Taylor fans are going to love it."
The singer will perform at the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 24.


text:
Entrance Flooring Systems
|Subscribe to FREE newsletter
|Jun 27, 2016
Making the right choice in an entrance flooring system will maintain your design, add years to your floor's life, ensure a safe entrance and significantly reduce maintenance costs. Entrance mats improve Interior Environmental Quality by stopping dirt from entering the building, improving Interior chemical and pollutant source control. Babcock-Davis' complete line of Entrance flooring systems includes stainless steel grates, roll up grates, rigid grates, mats, and broadloom carpets.
Stainless Steel Grates
Architects favor the sleek appearance, strength and versatility of stainless steel grates. Designed with large open spaces between the rails, they are ideal for scraping debris and limiting transfer within your building. Their strength and durability allow for light vehicle traffic and heavy pedestrian traffic.
Roll-Up Grates
The Roll-up grate with their roll-back easy cleaning feature are ideal for areas with heavy foot traffic and frequent cleaning. The narrow profile requires more frequent removal for cleaning which can easily be accomplished by rolling back the grate.
Rigid Grates
Available with a wide variety of tread inserts as well as plain aluminum tread surface, Rigid Grates maximum the tread surface. Rigid Grates are the strongest grate of their type of the market with a deeper profile to accumulate moisture and allow absorption.
Roll-Up Mats
Thinner than a grate, roll-up mats offer additional flexibility for new and retrofit installations. Due to their thinner profile, they do not require a concrete recess. Available in a variety of treads and spacer bar combinations.
Tread Options
Tread options are designed to aesthetically and functionally enhance the entrance flooring system in stopping dirt and moisture at the building entrance.
- Carpet
- Rugged Scrub
- UltraSorb
- EnvIRONtreadII
- Rubber
- Vinyl
- Aluminum Abrasive
- Vinyl Abrasive
For other relevant searches, you might want to try:


text:
What Type of Container Should You Use for a Pothos Plant?
Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) brings a touch of the tropics with its large heart-shaped leaves and long vining stems. The variegated foliage remains green year-round but most new growth happens in spring and summer. Pothos grows outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 12, but you can grow it in any climate as an indoor plant if you grow it in the right type of container.
Container Features
Almost any type of container works for growing a pothos as long as it has at least one drainage hole in the bottom. This hole allows excess moisture to drain freely so the soil doesn't become waterlogged. Pothos grows best in soil that remains evenly moist and doesn't dry quickly. Clay pots wick moisture from the soil, which can cause it to dry more quickly, so the plant will require more frequent watering in a clay container. Plastic pots retain more moisture so often require less watering, but you must regularly monitor soil moisture so it doesn't become too soggy.
Types of Containers
Pothos produces long vines. You can stake the vines or train them up a nearby support if you grow pothos in a standard pot. Hanging baskets provide another option that doesn't require staking. Instead of climbing, the vines will trail over the edge of the basket and hang down. Plastic hanging baskets with an attached drainage tray work best indoors because they don't dry quickly and the tray prevents water drips. Coir- or peat-lined baskets are attractive, but they tend to dry out quickly and draining water can make a mess indoors.
Container Size
Pot size depends on the size of the root ball. Pothos rarely requires repotting and can thrive in a smaller pot, which also helps prevent the plant from growing too large. Generally, a new pot should be no more than 2 inches larger than the old pot or the root ball. A pot depth of 10 inches supplies enough room for the plant to grow. Only move the pothos to a larger pot if the roots begin blocking the drainage holes or if the plant starts to lift from the soil. Spring, during active growth, is the best time for repotting.
A good potting soil is as important as the right container. Pothos thrives in a soilless, peat-based potting mixture that drains the excess water well without drying out too quickly. Use a sterile potting media to avoid introducing pathogens or pests to the plant. Water the pothos when the top 1 inch of soil begins to dry, and allow the excess water to drain for at least 30 minutes then empty the drip tray. If your pothos becomes top heavy, you can pinch or trim back the longest stems to shorten the plant to a more manageable size.


text:
Inspired by nature, we are developing new materials and sensing devices that can be applied to food manufacturing, healthcare and Australia's biosecurity and defence efforts.
Nature, the mother of invention
A long history of biological sciences has demonstrated nature's amazing capabilities in the fields of engineering, chemistry, and much more.
Developing our understanding of these capabilities is providing the foundation for new knowledge in the development of cutting-edge materials and devices.
Bio-inspired technologies for industry
CSIRO research is helping Australian industries move to a bio-based economy by developing platform industrial and environmental biotechnologies.
The result will be building blocks for industry with the development of new technologies including biomaterials (proteins) from insects and other invertebrates, along with sensory and diagnostic platforms with industrial and environmental applications.
We partner with small and large companies, government and industry in Australia and around the world.


text:
The challenges that go with a child born with a brain injury can provide a lifetime of heartbreak, sadness and frustration for a family. Most families expect the births of their children to occur without complications, but that doesn't always happen.
Brain injuries affect roughly 3 in 1,000 full-term babies born in the U.S., but only half of the cases can be attributed to oxygen deprivation during labor and delivery, according to a report published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Oxygen deprivation a widely known cause
There are a variety of causes for newborn brain injuries, which may occur during and before pregnancy. Oxygen deprivation or birth asphyxia is one of the more widely known. Premature babies typically have a higher risk of being injured by oxygen deprivation.
Lifelong brain damage can occur with just a few minutes of oxygen deprivation, leading to a number of disabilities such as cerebral palsy – the most severe brain injury – and impaired vision as well as psychological difficulties. Oxygen deprivation also may happen if an umbilical cord gets wrapped around the infant's neck, cutting off the child's oxygen supply.
Other causes of brain injury among newborns
But besides oxygen deprivation, there are many other reasons for neonatal encephalopathy – brain disorders in full-term babies. Brain injuries in newborns can be caused by:
- Genetic factors
- Maternal health problems such as hypothyroidism
- Placental abnormalities
- Excessive bleeding during pregnancy
- Infection of the fetal membranes in the mother's body
- A stroke suffered by the baby close to the time of birth
- Infant jaundice
- Physical trauma that occurred during labor and delivery
Ideally, doctors would be more forthcoming when reporting problems that occur while caring for the pregnant woman. Such openness, perhaps, could help identify preventable causes of brain injuries in newborns, and facilitate the road toward solutions.


text:
Tech experts seek ban on robots that can kill
MORE than 100 experts in robotics and artificial intelligence are calling on the United Nations to ban the development and use of killer robots and add them to a list of "morally wrong" weapons including blinding lasers and chemical weapons.
Google's Mustafa Suleyman and Tesla's Elon Musk are among the most prominent names on a list of 116 tech experts who have signed an open letter asking the UN to ban autonomous weapons in a bid to prevent an arms race.
In December, the UN voted to begin formal talks over the future of such weapons, including tanks, drones and automated machine guns. So far, 19 out of 123 member states have called for an outright ban on lethal autonomous weapons.
One of the letter's key organisers, Toby Walsh, a professor of artificial intelligence at the University of New South Wales, unveiled the letter at the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Melbourne.
The letter marks the first time artificial intelligence experts and robotics companies have taken a joint stance on the issue.
The letter reads: "Lethal autonomous weapons threaten to become the third revolution in warfare. Once developed, they will permit armed conflict to be fought at a scale greater than ever, and at time scales faster than humans can comprehend.
"These can be weapons of terror, weapons that despots and terrorists use against innocent populations, and weapons hacked to behave in undesirable ways.
"We do not have long to act. Once this Pandora's box is opened, it will be hard to close."
It concludes with an urgent plea for the UN "to find a way to protect us all from these dangers".
Professor Walsh said artificial intelligence could help tackle many of the pressing problems facing society, but added: "The same technology can also be used in autonomous weapons to industrialise war. We need to make decisions today choosing which of these futures we want." - INM


text:
Remember me
Forgot password?
Log in with Facebook
Log in with Twitter
Log In
tech & science
social media
Scientists place a GIF image inside a living organism's DNA
Tim Sandle
Jul 16, 2017 in
Harvard researchers have used the CRISPR gene editing technique to put a GIF image file inside a living organism's DNA. This was a proof of concept study to test the limits of DNA storage.
The reason for the research is because DNA data storage is set to become a big deal. This is driven, in part, by major corporations seeking data storage solutions that have greater capacity, avoid obsolescence, be robust, and which will be of a relatively low cost. Just taking obsolescence - DNA from thousands of years ago can be sequenced by scientists; this would make any DNA stored data recoverable after considerable amounts of time. Examples of companies researching so-called exabyte (one billion gigabytes) storage solutions include Facebook, Apple, Google; in addition many governments, including the U.S., are considering DNA storage solutions. There's also a medical research side to these projects, tied up to activities like drug development.
File Photo: Dr. Scott Walper, a molecular biologist in the Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL) center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering advises Ebony Stadler, a biomedical engineering rising senior from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, as she performs an experiment in the lab.
Office of Naval Research (CC BY 2.0)
New research from Harvard University takes the DNA storage concept in an exciting new direction: what if you could keep huge quantities of digital information with you at all times? This would be possible if the information was embedded in microscopic DNA molecules in your skin? The reason why this direction is different is because one trajectory of DNA storage receiving attention is with the use of synthetic DNA (as with
new research from Columbia University and the New York Genome Center
); the Harvard research re-orientates things back to the biological source.
DNA major and minor grooves. The latter is a binding site for the Hoechst stain dye 33258
To test out this possibility Harvard University geneticist George Church has used the gene-editing system CRISPR to insert a short animated image into the genomes of viable
Escherichia coli
bacteria. GIF (
Graphics Interchange Format
) is a bitmap image format that supports up to 8 bits per pixel. The file format is often favored over other image files because supports animations and allows a separate palette of up to 256 colors for each frame.
Microsoft exploring DNA storage solution
For the study, the researchers converted the individual pixels of each image into nucleotides (these are the building blocks of DNA). This was via an emerging
gene editing method called CRISPR
(an acronym for "Clustered regularly-interspaced short palindromic repeats.") It is a relatively new genome editing tool that functions like molecular scissors. The method allows scientists to modify an organism's DNA (in this case, the
E. coli
bacterium, illustrated below).
E. coli magnified 10,000 times using an electron microscope.
Is CRISPR technology set to change biological science?
According to Now Science
, the research group delivered the GIF into the living bacteria in the form of five frames. These were images of a galloping horse and rider by British photographer Eadweard Muybridge taken around 1870. To test out the process, the scientists were able to retrieve the data by sequencing the bacterial DNA. This was achieved with a reported 90 percent accuracy.
DNA as a data storage medium: Progress and challenges
This means it would be theoretically possible for humans to host information in their living cells. This is likely to be more challenging than using synthetic DNA, although the advantages of embedding digital information into a person carries a lot of advantages in terms of portability and data security. There are other sorts of security concerns, however, such as the death of the person carrying the information. This is why some researchers think sticking with bacteria is a better option: some bacteria can survive radiation exposure and extremely low or high temperatures.
The new research
has been published in
the journal
, under the heading "CRISPR–Cas encoding of a digital movie into the genomes of a population of living bacteria."
More about
GIF file
More news from
GIF file
Latest News
Top News
Women on 10 flights from Qatar invasively examined
Mouthwashes may help to inactivate coronavirus
Cases of Leishmaniasis are increasing in the U.S. and in Canada
Second night of clashes in Philadelphia after police kill Black man
Charlie Hebdo sparks Turkish fury with cartoon of Erdogan
New study shows COVID-19 antibodies drop rapidly after infection
Demonstrations in Baghdad take place for a second day
Biden vows to back Belarus opposition in removing Lukashenko
The Palestinian tycoon who sued Britain over 1917 declaration
Op-Ed: Mike DelGuidice releases one of the best singles of 2020
Contact Us
About Us
Investors & Partners
Help & Support
Editorial Guidelines
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
News Links
Latest News
Live Events
News Alerts
GlobeNewswire News
Global Press Releases
DX Journal
DX Institute
copyright © 2020
| powered by
dell servers


text:
About Us
Sharp Homes by the Sea is owned and operated by Real Estate Broker/Realtor, Quinten Sharp. After graduation with a BBA in marketing and management from Baylor University, Quinten moved to Orange County from Houston, Texas in 1986. He actually began selling homes prior to arriving to California. Quinten is assisted by his wife April Sharp who has been in the real estate field since 1994 specializing in real estate marketing and property management. All of our listings are collectively marketed by our Sharp Homes Team associates Ben Corbett, and Patrick Wyllie.
We are located just south of Talbert Ave./In-N-Out Burger at 18090 Beach Blvd. #11, Huntington Beach, CA 92648.


text:
Nerium International is a relatively new player in the world of relationship marketing. It offers an effective and exclusive anti-aging treatment called Nerium AD as well as an attractive business opportunity. If you have a positive attitude and share Nerium AD with sincerity, consistency, and persistence, you will likely soar in this part-time business. Despite my positive experiences thus far, this article explores some of the obstacles I've faced along the way and what I recommend after having experienced these obstacles.
Disclaimer: I am a Nerium International brand partner. This article is based on my personal experiences and observations. It does not necessarily reflect the views of other Nerium International Brand Partners or Nerium International. This article is written for newer team members or those considering joining Nerium International or some other MLM company.
Possible Bumps in the Road
As with anything worthwhile, you will have to put forth effort. If you are looking for a get-rich-quick scheme, look elsewhere. The challenges I've faced have mostly been in the form of me making excuses.
Here are three common excuses I've made myself or have heard others make. I also suggest workaround solutions to get you past the barriers I've faced.
1. I'm too busy.
For most of us, our plates are full. With work and family it is easy for life to get in the way of new opportunities. I've learned that my success as a Nerium International Brand Partner is a direct reflection on the effort I put into it. Also, because Nerium International provides a wealth of resources and training materials, your entry into learning about the business and getting started can sometimes feel like drinking water from a fire hose. How can you fit one more thing in your already busy schedule?
What has worked for me: Be patient. Take things step-by-step. Regularly host or attend gatherings (called "Real Results Parties" or blitzes in Nerium parlance) with friends and Nerium International team members. I find it energizing to hear from other about how Nerium AD is helping people's skin (e.g., "no more acne!") or their finances (e.g., "I was able to buy beds for my children").
Next, be consistent. Carve out time to share and to learn a little each day. As mentioned, Nerium International provides a wealth of resources at your fingertips. You choose how fast you want to grow your business. A mindset shift in knowing that you are helping others live just a bit more comfortably (financially or healthfully) can help you make your new part-time business a priority.
2. I don't want to put myself out there.
Fear comes in many forms. You might fear rejection. You might fear a lack of privacy. Nerium International provides you with a personal website that lists your contact information. Your Nerium International business is driven by your sharing the product with others, so the more you share the product, the more financial results you'll see.
What has worked for me: Start sharing with people you know, like, and trust, and vice versa. As you feel comfortable about sharing that you work with a skin care company called Nerium International, expand your sharing to those outside of your immediate circle. Your website will include the standard contact info such as your name, phone number, and email address. Although you want to leave some sort of way that people can reach you (perhaps your name and email), you can ask Nerium International Customer Support to omit the rest for privacy.
3. I'm not sure I can do this.
Doubt and discouragement can thwart our best efforts. When sharing Nerium AD with others, you'll sometimes encounter someone who is negative from the start. Some will opt not to use Nerium AD after giving it a try. You might not see an immediate return on your efforts, especially in the beginning. Essentially you receive a crash course in resistance and rejection despite your passion for Nerium AD and for the opportunity it provides.
What has worked for me: Stay the course; trust the system. Ask for support from others in your team, or even outside your team. Filter out prospects who are not interested and focus on the ones who are. Give those who are curious one of the many informational resources provided by Nerium International (e.g., DVD, brochure). Put them in touch with your team members who know more about the business or product. It often helps to get those who are interested to a Real Results Party so that they can feel the positive culture of the company and have their questions answered.
Understand that some will opt not to use Nerium AD, and that's totally fine. A Nerium International training CD says to "discipline your disappointment." For me this means continuing to be gracious and helpful, not taking things personally, and moving on. Be grateful that your friend or family member took the time to consider it or to give it a try.
Who knows? By sharing, you've planted "seeds," and interest in Nerium AD may sprout in the future.
Other Notes
While I encourage people to join Nerium International because the opportunity is potentially lucrative, I suggest a different approach for those who are struggling financially or whose spouse/partner might not be fully on board with the idea.
In these cases, my suggestion is for these people to start slowly. Try Nerium AD first and become preferred customer. Next, share the product with others. When you find 3 others who become preferred customers, your product will be free (you just pay $10 or so for shipping). As of this writing, this is called the 3 UR Free program. Certainly, the 3 UR Free program is good for everyone working with Nerium International, but it's a particularly nice stepping stone for those with financial or support limitations.
Positive Attitude and Follow-Through
The most important thing is to remain positive. Surround yourself with happy people who have your back. Be consistent with sharing and following up with those with whom you share. Because Nerium AD is a versatile "one-stop-shop" type of product that works so well, you don't have to engage in hard-sell sales tactics. But, you do need good follow-through to get Nerium AD into people's hands, to be sure they are using it and using it correctly, and to see whether they will consider becoming a preferred customer or Nerium International brand partner.
I am a newbie to MLM and direct marketing, and joining Nerium International has been a simple way to make money part-time. For me, the keys to overcoming the obstacles discussed above have been to 1) find a supportive upline sponsor who was willing to mentor and help me out, 2) follow the system laid out by Nerium International, and 3) "show up" and stay positive.
Yes, success in this business takes effort like any job, and you decide how fast your business grows. The beauty -- pun intended because you'll likely end up with glowing skin if you use Nerium AD -- is that you are leveraging the collective effort of all on your team, and that's a lot of fun.
Related Reading
Success as a Nerium International Brand Partner: A Review


text:
Full text loading...
View Affiliations Hide Affiliations
- The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- Source: The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Volume 4, Issue 6, 1 Nov 1955, p. 1103 - 1113
The Density of Adult Anopheles in the Neighbourhood of an East African Village 1
Previous observations in an East African village had revealed that Anopheles gambiae and A. funestus were almost completely anthropophilic, and that only 5 per cent of the biting population was known to rest outside after feeding. Spray-catching in all the houses in the village was therefore used to ascertain the total size of the biting population. From this figure the total numbers at all stages of ovarian development were estimated.
Spray catches in 119 houses yielded over 27,000 mosquitoes. The total number of A. gambiae and A. funestus was estimated at about 15,000 females of each species. As the area of the investigation totalled 380 acres, the spatial density was calculated to be of the order of 40 females per acre of each species. The outside resting population was estimated at 14–15 females per acre of each species. The annual range of fluctuation in density was estimated from observations on the biting population in an experimental hut, in which catches were made throughout the year. The density of A. gambiae at different seasons was estimated to vary between 2 and 48 females per acre and of A. funestus between 0.5 and 78 females per acre.
These results indicate that the very high rate of malaria transmission in the area is maintained by relatively small numbers of anopheles, and that factors influencing the association of the mosquito with man, and the longevity of the mosquitoes, are of primary epidemiological importance.


text: The new original series Jep & Jessica: Growing the Dynasty will chronicle the lives of Jep and Jessica Robertson as they finalize the adoption process and introduce new baby Jules to their other children -- Lily, Merritt, Priscilla, and River as well as the rest of the extended Duck Dynasty family. The Robertson's parenting skills are put to the test this season as they tackle the same challenges all new parents face including baby blessing ceremonies, showers, diaper rashes, and circumcisions. As always, viewers will get to come along for the ride as the family faces new milestones together with their unique, down-home sense of humor.


text:
Advanced Desktop Locker Pro
Password protect your desktop
Advanced desktop locker pro (adl) is an easy to use desktop protection software, you can lock your desktop with one mouse click. With this software no one can access your desktop or your important files, you can password protect your desktop and display custom message to any one click your desktop, our software record mouse clicks and invalid passwords input to enable you know if someone try to access your pc.
You can password protect adl options, set and change master password of the program easy, advanced desktop locker allows you to create virtual desktop to prevent people from accessing your desktop icons and your private files, you can select from many virtual desktop and you can download more from our website for free.
Advanced desktop locker prevent access to task manager, (ctrl+alt+del), (alt+f4), and more. When your pc being locked to prevent people from closing the locker. You can lock your desktop by many virtual desktop types, you can use transparent locker, color locker and virtual desktop locker, you can customize each type of lockers easy.
With this software no one can access your desktop icons, programs and documents, you will love our advanced desktop locker software.


text:
Hello from Atlanta, where I'm preparing for tomorrow's SQL Saturday and arrived for the great news announcing this year's PASS Summit 2019 Learning Pathways.
These sessions are two or more sessions to provide a more complete learning opportunity for the attendee. I'll be part of two of these pathways:
Technical Leadership: Becoming a Technical Leader with Denise McInerney
Linux for SQL Server Professionals: Empowering the SQL Professional with Linux Scripting
I'm looking forward both to the first, a leadership talk, as we rarely see a focus on how to forge a path in a technical career without often sacrificing our deeper technical skills. This session should be intriguing on how to build our career and build it in a way that makes us successful and still work with what made us passionate about the career to begin with.
My Linux session is going to focus on BASH scripting- how to set up a Linux host properly for more effective script management, how to script in BASH to do more with less code, how to reuse code vs. reinventing the wheel and build scripts that will stand the test of time. It's not about taking away from Powershell, but enhancing your skills to make more of the Linux backbone that is behind Azure and SQL Server 2017, (and soon, 2019).
Do PASS Summit right, get into the pathways.
Tags: Leadership, Linux, Pass, Summit 2019
Full name
Kellyn Pot'Vin
My company
My blog


text:
Wight, Lyman (1796–1858)
Lyman Wight, pioneer Mormon leader and second chief justice of Gillespie County, was born in Fairfield Township, Herkimer County, New York, on May 9, 1796, to Levi and Sara (Corbin) Wight. He enlisted in the United States Army during the War of 1812 and fought in the battle of Sackett's Harbor. After the war Wight moved first to Henrietta, New York, then to Canada and Michigan. He married Harriet Benton of Litchfield, Connecticut, on June 5, 1823, and they had the first of their six children in Centerville, New York. In 1826 Wight moved his family to Cuyahoga County, Ohio, where he converted to Mormonism and was baptized. In 1831 Wight and his family moved to Independence, Missouri, to help establish a Mormon settlement there.
Seven years later, after a small civil war erupted between Mormons and gentiles, Wight and Joseph Smith were among fifty Mormon leaders tried in Missouri for treason and other crimes against the state. The Mormons were allowed to escape, however, and in 1839 founded the town of Nauvoo, Illinois. On April 8, 1841, Wight was elected to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles of the Mormon church and was placed in charge of the Mormon sawmill on Wisconsin's Black River, above La Crosse. In 1844 he traveled the country in support of Smith's presidential campaign. Wight was preaching in Massachusetts when Smith was killed by a mob in Illinois on June 27, 1844. He immediately returned to Nauvoo and then to Wisconsin. Brigham Young was selected to replace Smith as head of the Mormon church and resolved to lead his people to Utah, but Wight refused to accept Young's authority. He claimed that Smith had told him to found a Mormon colony in Texas, on land west of Austin that had been selected by Smith as a possible site for resettlement should the Mormon presidential bid fail.
With some 200 followers, Wight crossed the Red River at Preston on November 10, 1845. They spent the next ten months in Grayson County. In September 1846, they moved to Webber's Prairie (now Webberville) in Travis County, where they met Noah Smithwick. Later that fall they built a gristmill on the Colorado River, three miles west of Austin, but the mill was destroyed by a flood. Wight asked for and received John O. Meusebach's permission in 1847 to found a colony on the Pedernales River, four miles southeast of Fredericksburg. He believed that the German settlers of Gillespie County, with their traditions of religious tolerance and opposition to slavery, would make good neighbors.
The community of Zodiac quickly became a central element in the Gillespie County economy. Within six weeks the Mormons had built the first sawmill in the county, a new gristmill, a temple, a school, and a store. They soon became the principal suppliers of seeds, lumber, and flour to the Germans of Fredericksburg. They also helped build Fort Martin Scott. In 1848 Young sent two messengers to Texas to convince Wight to come to Utah, but Wight, nicknamed "the Wild Ram of the Mountains" by his fellow Mormons for his stubborn independence, refused. He was disfellowshiped by the Mormon church on February 12, 1849. Wight ran for chief justice of Gillespie County in 1850 but was defeated by Johann Jost Klingelhoefer. He was awarded the office in September, however, when he pointed out that his opponent was not yet an American citizen. Wight stopped attending sessions of the county court in June 1851 and in July of that year the county commissioners declared his office vacant. Klingelhoefer, who had by now become a citizen, was elected and installed as chief justice in August 1851.
Later that year, after floods had again destroyed their mills, the Mormons left Gillespie County. They went first to Hamilton Creek in Burnet County. They later returned to Zodiac to recover their buried millstones, the location of which Wight claimed to have seen in a vision. After selling their Hamilton Creek holdings to Smithwick, the Mormons moved to Bandera in March 1854. Wight built a furniture factory there, but in the fall of 1856 he and his followers moved to Mountain Valley, on the Medina River below Bandera. There they established a settlement known as Mormon Camp, now covered by the waters of Medina Lake. Wight performed the first marriage in Bandera County on September 6, 1856, between his son Levi Lamoni and Sophia Leyland. In March 1858 Wight had a premonition of the coming Civil War and resolved to lead his people back to the north. Wight died at Decker on March 31, eight miles from San Antonio on the second day of the journey. He was buried in the Mormon cemetery at Zodiac and his followers scattered. Three of his sons, Lyman Levi, Levi Lamoni, and Laomi Limhi, fought in the Confederate Army during the Civil War.


text:
Enchilada Sauce
To tell you the truth I don't mind the store bought sauces. They are pretty good…..however, I like to make this difficult. Besides it's more fun making your own from scratch. And this particular version can be quite spicy depending on if you keep the seeds or not.
Do yourself a big favour and make this the day before. Let the flavours meld in the fridge before using or freezing. Notice my Canadian spelling on favour and flavour? Must drive you Yanks insane, eh! 🙂
To gain a uniform smooth texture you have to remove the skin. Also, the skin by itself is bitter, don't believe me take some off and give them a munch! So you're going to have to par boil enough tomatoes to equal about 28oz then peel off the skins.
Also, by doing this you don't have to strain the sauce after.
That's right stick them on your burner if you have a gas stove, or on a BBQ. Turn frequently till they have char marks on all sides. When done wrap peppers in foil and set aside for a bit. The internal steam will continue to cook and soften them. When ready to use. With your hand scrape off the burned parts.
- 4-6 Chipotle Pepper or Ancho Leave seeds in for extra heat
- 2 cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock
- 1 28 oz Crushed Tomatoes
- 4 Chopped Red Bell Peppers Roast First
- 4 cloves Chopped Garlic
- 3 tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Thyme
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Dried Mexican Oregano
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Crushed Black Pepper
Blitzed Group
Seasoning Group
- Par boil your tomatoes.
- Roast the Red peppers.
- Put all indigence in the Blitzed Group into a blizter or blender and mix till smooth.
- Add slury into a deep dish pan and bring to a very slow boil (Simmer).
- Add Seasoning Group and stir in and continue to simmer for 20 min.
- In a separate pan make your roux. When does slowly and and whisk in your sauce till all the clumps are gone. Then add everything back into your batch and stir well.
- Continue to cook for another 20 min on low heat. And more thickening roux to adjust to your liking. Taste for Salt and Pepper as well.
You can zip lock this stuff or put in mason jars and left to freeze if you wish.
If you find your sauce to be bitter. Add 1/2 tsp of baking soda or add more sugar.


text:
Our Services
Our counseling services are designed to help you navigate the changing world better, operate more effectively at work, and become happier in your relationships.
About Us
Training, Technology and a Personal Touch
Senior Therapist
Following a successful career in documentary film production, Daniel decided to use his passion for listening to and understanding people's stories for the betterment of their well-being. He is devoted to helping people understand how the narratives that we create of our lives affect our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, and how we can change this narrative for the better. He uses an integrated approach to therapy to work with individuals and couples to see how their past experiences inform the way they think; and how those patterns of thinking can then be changed and accepted to improve their lives and their relationships.
Daniel specializes in working with trauma, depression, and anxiety. He has worked in East Africa with refugees, survivors of torture, and victims of sexually based violence. In addition to his work in Global Mental Health, he is particularly interested in areas of identity, gender and sexuality, self-acceptance and body image. Daniel strongly believes that the most important aspect of therapy is the counseling relationship, as well as in positive psychology and strength-based approaches to therapy.
Daniel has a BFA in Film and Television Production from New York University and an MA in Mental Health Counseling from City College of New York. He is the Student Representative on the board of the New York Mental Health Counselors Association, and a member of the American Counseling Association. He has volunteered with the Ali Forney Center, an LGBTQ+ homeless youth shelter in New York City. He is trained in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Motivational Interviewing, Multicultural Counseling, and Cognitive Processing Therapy.


text:
Reading time ( words)
ZESTRON, the global leading provider of high precision cleaning products, services and training solutions in the electronics manufacturing and semiconductor industries, is pleased to announce that Jigar Patel, M.S.Ch.E., Senior Process Engineer, will be presenting at the SMTA/CALCE LED A.R.T Symposium on November 17th.
Light emitting diodes or LEDs are widely used within modern PCBs in high power, automotive and lighting applications among others. The LED components can be soldered either through a manual or wave soldering processes. For high reliability applications, removing post solder flux residues is critical in order to maintain functionality.
This presentation reviews LED failure mechanisms such as corrosion, electrochemical migration and signal leakage. Polar ionic flux residues can cause corrosion, can enable copper electrochemical migration as well as signal leakage paths on the surface of the PCB in the presence of humidity. Thus, removing flux residues is critical to maintain reliability. Appropriate cleaning agents and equipment types for LED applications will also be reviewed. Customer case studies addressing LED cleaning applications will be presented.
The SMTA/CALCE LED A.R.T Symposium will be held from November 17-19 at the Crowne Plaza Midtown in Atlanta, GA. For more information about ZESTRON's pH neutral process solutions and services, please visit our tabletop exhibit. Our team stands ready to provide comprehensive solutions to your cleaning needs.
About ZESTRON:
Headquartered in Manassas, Virginia, and operating in more than 35 countries, ZESTRON is the globally leading provider of high precision cleaning products, services and training solutions for the electronics manufacturing industry. With seven worldwide technical centers and the largest team of chemical engineers in the industry, ZESTRON's commitment to ensuring that its customers surpass even the most stringent cleaning requirements is without equal.
For additional information and to tour one of our unparalleled technical centers, please visit www.zestron.com.


text:
I've written an essay for Signature — Penguin Random House's online magazine — about the Golden State Killer, and what it was like to find out he stalked my hometown and my childhood neighborhood.
I am relieved and grateful that a suspect has finally been arrested for these heinous crimes.
Growing Up in Santa Barbara While the Golden State Killer Was at Large.


text:
Ozeki VoIP SDK - Product Guide
Did you know?This SDK was used to build:
Ozeki Phone System XE - VoIP PBX Software for Developers Which is a high performance PBX system supporting Mobile and Desktop phones.
It was also used to create Ozeki 3D VoIP softphone. A cool SIP client that allows 3D Video calls.
How to make conference call?
This article is about to introduce how to create a softphone which is able to handle multiple incoming calls, and connect them together. To fully understand this guide, you might need to study the How to accept incoming call article first.
Figure 1 - Client mixed conference calls
What is client mixed conference call?
Conference calling is a basic requirement for VoIP systems. This is because the spread of voice over IP technology increased the wish for digitizing more advanced communication forms like lectures or conferences.
Conference calls are basically made by using client mixing meaning that all the clients can hear anything any of the other clients tells (Figure 1).
How to implement conference call using C#?
The audio conferencing is supported by a special tool in the Ozeki VoIP SIP SDK called ConferenceRoom. It is a MediaHandler that makes all the background work and you only need to add the calls to it - and remove them, when needed.
All you have to do is to create a ConferenceRoom instance, and call its StartConferencing() method after the phone line has been successfully registered. Since now you have a conference room, when an incoming call occurs and that enters into Answered call state, you have to add the call to the conference room with the AddToConference() method, and if a call ends, you have to remove that with the RemoveFromConference() method.
The example softphone of this guide will only create the conference room for the callers, but you could also communicate them using this softphone through microphone and speaker by using the ConnectSender() and ConnectReceiver() methods.
Client mixed conference call in C#
using System; using Ozeki.Media; using Ozeki.VoIP; namespace Conference_Call { class Program { static ISoftPhone softphone; // softphone object static IPhoneLine phoneLine; // phoneline object static ConferenceRoom conferenceRoom; private static void Main(string[] args) { // Create a softphone object with RTP port range 5000-10000 softphone = SoftPhoneFactory.CreateSoftPhone(5000, 10000); // SIP account registration data, (supplied by your VoIP service provider) var registrationRequired = true; var userName = "858"; var displayName = "858"; var authenticationId = "858"; var registerPassword = "858"; var domainHost = "192.168.115.100"; var domainPort = 5060; var account = new SIPAccount(registrationRequired, displayName, userName, authenticationId, registerPassword, domainHost, domainPort); // Send SIP regitration request RegisterAccount(account); // Prevents the termination of the application Console.ReadLine(); } static void RegisterAccount(SIPAccount account) { try { phoneLine = softphone.CreatePhoneLine(account); phoneLine.RegistrationStateChanged += line_RegStateChanged; softphone.IncomingCall += softphone_IncomingCall; softphone.RegisterPhoneLine(phoneLine); } catch (Exception ex) { Console.WriteLine("Error during SIP registration: " + ex); } } static void InitializeConferenceRoom() { conferenceRoom = new ConferenceRoom(); conferenceRoom.StartConferencing(); } static void softphone_IncomingCall(object sender, VoIPEventArgs<IPhoneCall> e) { IPhoneCall call = e.Item; call.CallStateChanged += call_CallStateChanged; call.Answer(); } static void line_RegStateChanged(object sender, RegistrationStateChangedArgs e) { if (e.State == RegState.NotRegistered || e.State == RegState.Error) Console.WriteLine("Registration failed!"); if (e.State == RegState.RegistrationSucceeded) { Console.WriteLine("Registration succeeded - Online!"); InitializeConferenceRoom(); } } static void call_CallStateChanged(object sender, CallStateChangedArgs e) { IPhoneCall call = sender as IPhoneCall; if (e.State == CallState.Answered) conferenceRoom.AddToConference(call); else if (e.State.IsCallEnded()) conferenceRoom.RemoveFromConference(call); } } }
Training guides, simple examples
If you would like to visit the detailed developer documentations, you can learn much more from the Ozeki VoIP SIP SDK Training chapter.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com
Related Pages
Getting started
Downloading VoIP SIP SDK
Installation steps
PBX configuration
Examples with source code
VoIP technology walkthrough
SIP softphone development
Webphone development
Mobile development
Voice recording
Search the manual
API documentation


text:
SERVING SET - terracotta
This handcrafted SERVING SET is the perfect addition to your already existing tableware collection.
This Serving Set was created for both functional and decorative use and is made up of 1x large platter and 1x serving bowl.
Each Marloe Marloe piece is skillfully handmade by artisans in small batches, resulting in one-of-a-kind pieces refined by simplicity and process. Produced from the highest quality Australian stoneware, in-house studio glaze recipes and twice fired to vitrification.
Our tableware will vary from piece to piece resulting in unique and individual creations perfect in their imperfection.
Dimensions: 1x Serving Plate 29cm x 2cm, 1x Serving Bowl 23cm x 4cm
Available in Terracotta


text:
1. Order entry is yesterday, welcome full-blown CX and omnichannel!
To make your online services relevant today, it is essential to go beyond order entry. Many B2B companies have been providing traditional webstores and order entry tools for decades, but are now facing pressure to renew their platforms – new user requirements and business models cannot any longer be managed on outdated platforms. However, going through the transformation is a big effort for most companies.
The definition of omnichannel in B2B is not always quite the same as in B2C, as the customer journey and buying processes of the users are somewhat different. Most successful B2B sales require a lot of expertise, and discussion between the experts, sales reps and buyers. A well-planned omnichannel experience helps your users to work both in online channels and with your experts, making it possible to progress on both tracks simultaneously. Your own salesforce and experts should have the same visibility into the insights of your customer's challenges identified in the online channels.
2. Bringing B2C expectations into B2B online solutions
Although B2B users' needs are very different from those of B2C users, certain features are becoming mainstream today in B2B stores as well. Overall usability, mobile use, and ease of ordering are becoming basics – Alibaba and Amazon Business are also strongly driving B2C-type solutions for B2B users. Do you have a marketplace strategy that helps you compete with Amazon's ordering & fulfillment capabilities?
AI is becoming a reality beyond the hype in B2B. Machine learning can help improve the user experience in many areas, such as chatbots, searching, product recommendations, customer support, and much more. Start small and incrementally increase your capabilities – Google has also recently published a set of AI tools, such as Dialogflow, to make experimenting with "conversational AI" easy to start.
Personalization is also making its way to B2B solutions – the user experience can be personalized in many areas, for example in product catalogs, promotions, communication, marketing material, and so on. AI can be also used to drive personalization.
3. Support your customers in all channels – and experiment
To build a true omnichannel experience, you have to work hard with your data and architecture – reaching a good level of maturity with your digital foundations is not often easy.
As a manufacturer, providing online solutions for your main sales channels, such as distributors and direct sales, is most likely a must today. Once you have laid the eCommerce foundation for your main channels, your next challenge could be to find a way to support your distributor community to sell online for their end customers. Are your distributors already serving their customers via an established eCommerce platform, or could an OEM-provided marketplace help them increase their online business (even better)?
Today, many companies are studying their customers and customer journeys with significant rigor. This helps create the foundation for building online experiences in the right way. Remember, you do not always know what is the right service or solution for your users – you have to experiment and also be ready to fail and adjust to find the right solution. Go agile!
4. Making the transformation is often painful and takes longer than you expect
Many companies operating in traditional industries will face the challenge of their user base changing over the coming years. Millennials are changing the way online tools are used in B2B: online solutions, marketplaces and data available online will become even more prevalent sources for B2B buying decisions.
The revelation is also not to think of the transformation as a one-time development project, but more of a continuous journey. Modern eCommerce is never ready, and thinking it of as a continuous product development activity helps to position your development efforts for the long run.
Finally, eCommerce is all about making more sales and helping your customers run their businesses better – especially in the online channel. All of us working with eCommerce development are ultimately working in sales!
my.metso.com paves way for future Metso online experiences
At Metso, we are also investing in the future success of our distributors and customers. The new my.metso.com online solution is already available to most of our distributors, and more users will have access to it soon. I'm very interested in hearing about your experiences with B2B online solution development – you're welcome to send me a message and we can continue the discussion further!


text:
Polen Seed Co. is an agricultural company that was founded in 1998 in Manisa, Turkey. We deal with different field, and feed crop seeds in Turkey, and internationally for 19 years. At first Polen has concentrated on hybrid seed corn, following with different field, and feed crop seeds, expanding its product portfolio over the years.
~15.000 Tons of Seed Corn
Our state of the art seed processing facility, is built on 38.000 m² land, and expanded over the years to one of the top 3 highest capacity seed processing facilities in Turkey . We continue to invest in new technology to increase efficiency, lower energy consumption, increase quality and respect the environment at the same time. Our warehouses are isolated with sandwich panels, and climate controlled for preserving the seed quality.


text:
Loews Coronado Bay Surf Dog Competition sponsored by Unleashed by Petco held its 8th annual event, benefitting the ASPCA for the second year in a row. We met up with some of the fierce competitors and their owners about the competition, surfing, and giving back!
Visit our friends at Hooplaha for more awesome videos!


text:
The Alaska Life is a website, and community of Alaskans, Passionate about Alaskan experience. Hunting, fishing, cooking, stories, and many other adventures Alaska has to hold!
Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more …
© 2020 The Alaska Life.
Designed by Out of the Sandbox.
POS and Ecommerce by Shopify


text:
Our goal is to provide you with a quick access to the content of the user manual for Acer 5310G. Using the online preview, you can quickly view the contents and go to the page where you will find the solution to your problem with Acer 5310G.
If looking through the Acer 5310G user manual directly on this website is not convenient for you, there are two possible solutions:
Many people prefer to read the documents not on the screen, but in the printed version. The option to print the manual has also been provided, and you can use it by clicking the link above - Print the manual. You do not have to print the entire manual Acer 5310G but the selected pages only. paper.
Below you will find previews of the content of the user manuals presented on the following pages to Acer 5310G. If you want to quickly view the content of pages found on the following pages of the manual, you can use them.
Aspire 5710/5710G/5310/5310G Series
Service Guide
Service guide files and updates are available
on the ACER/CSD web; for more information,
please refer to http://csd.acer.com.tw
Revision History Please refer to the table below for the updates made on Aspire 5710/5710G/5310/5310G Series service guide. Date Chapter Updates II
Copyright Copyright © 2007 by Acer Incorporated. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Acer Incorporated. Disclaimer The information in this guide is subject to change without notice. Acer Incorporated makes no r
Conventions The following conventions are used in this manual: SCREEN MESSAGES Denotes actual messages that appear on screen. NOTE Gives bits and pieces of additional information related to the current topic. WARNING Alerts you to any damage that might result from doing or not doing specific actions. CAUTION Gives precautionary measures to avoid possible hardware or software problems. IMPORTANT Reminds you to do specific actions relevant to the accomplishment of procedures. IV
Preface Before using this information and the product it supports, please read the following general information. 1. This Service Guide provides you with all technical information relating to the BASIC CONFIGURATION decided for Acer's "global" product offering. To better fit local market requirements and enhance product competitiveness, your regional office MAY have decided to extend the functionality of a machine (e.g. add-on card, modem, or extra memory capability). These LOCALIZED FEATURES
Chapter 1 System Specifications Features Operating system • Windows Vista™ Home Premium • Windows Vista™ Home Basic Platform • Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology, featuring: • Intel Core™2 Duo processor T7200/T7400/T7600 (4 MB L2 cache, 2/2.16/2.33 GHz, 667 MHz FSB); or T5500/T5600 (2 MB L2 cache, 1.66GHz/1.83 GHz, 667 MHz FSB), supporting Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology (Intel EM64T) (AS5710) • Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG network connection (dual band tri-mode 802.11a/b/g) Wi-Fi CERTIFI
• Optical drive options: • HD-DVD drive (for selected models) • DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive (for selected models) ® • 5-in-1 card reader, supporting Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), TM TM Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card (xD) Audio • Dolby-certified surround sound system with two built-in stereo speakers (2W) • Dolby Home Theater audio enhancement featuring Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Live, Dolby PRO LOGIC II, Dolby Digital Stereo Creator, Dolby
• 2-hour rapid charge system-off • 3-hour charge-in-use I/O Ports • ExpressCard™/54 slot • 5-in-1 card reader (SD™/MMC/MS/MS PRO/xD) • Four USB 2.0 ports • External display (VGA) port • S-video/TV-out (NTSC/PAL) port • Headphones/speaker/line-out port with S/PDIF support • Microphone-in jack • Headphones port with S/PDIF support • Microphone-in jack • Line-in jack • Ethernet (RJ-45) port • Modem (RJ-11) port • DC-in jack for AC adapter Options and accessories • Acer Xpress VoIP phone featuring A
• Operating: 20%~80% • Non-operating: 20%~80% System compliance • Wi-Fi • ACPI • Mobile PC 2002 • DMI 2.0 NOTE: The specifications listed above are for reference only. The exact configuration of your PC depends on the model purchased. 4 Chapter 1
System Block Diagram Chapter 1 5
Board Layout Top View 11 2233 44 88 99 77 55 66 10 10 10 13 13 13 14 1144 12 112 2 1 JP1 LCD Connector 8 JP2 Mainboard to Button Board Connector 2 JP3 Speaker (Left) Connector 9 JP36 Mainboard to LED Board Connector 3 JP34 Speaker (Right) Connector 10 JP9 PCI Express Card Socket 4 JP4 Internal MIC Connector 11 LED1 Power/Suspend LED 5 U5 South Bridge (ICH7M) 12 LED2 Battery Charge/Discharge LED 6 JP6 Internal Track-Pad Connector 13 JP11 Mainboard to USB Board Connector 7 JP5 Internal Keyboard
Bottom View 11 33 22 88 77 66 99 55 44 10 1100 13 113 3 12 112 2 14 114 4 15 115 5 118 18 8 17 17 17 16 116 6 119 19 9 20 220 0 221 21 1 1 PJP1 DC-in Power Jack 12 JP27 SATA HDD Connector 2 PJP2 Battery Connector 13 U23 North Bridge (945GM/PM / 943GML) 3 JP14 CRT Connector 14 U29 Volume Control 4 JP25 ODD Connector 15 JP28 DDRII Memory Socket 5 JP19' Mini Card (TV-Tuner) Socket 16 JP29 DDRII Memory Socket 6 JP17 MDC Connector 17 U33 Audio Codec Controller 7 JP22 CPU Socket 18 JP30 5-in-1 Card Re
Your Acer Notebook Tour After knowing your computer features, let us show you around your new Aspire computer. Front View # Icon Item Description 1 Acer Crystal Eye Web camera for video communication (for selected models). 2 Power button Turns the computer on and off. 3 Acer Arcade Launches the Acer Arcade application. 4 Wireless communication Enables/disables the wireless function. button/indicator Indicates the status of wireless LAN communication. 5 ® ® Bluetooth Enables/disables the Bluet
7 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which functions like a computer mouse. 8 Click buttons (left, The left and right buttons function like the center, and right) left and right mouse buttons. # Item Description 9 Microphone Internal microphone for sound recording. # Item Description 10 Display screen Also called Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD), displays computer output. 11 Status indicators Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that light up to show the status of the computer's functions and com
# Icon Item Description 1 Kensington lock slot Connects to a Kensington-compatible computer security lock. 2 External display (VGA) Connects to a display device (e.g., external port monitor, LCD projector). # Icon Item Description 3 Ethernet (RJ-45) Connects to an Ethernet 10/100/1000- based network (for selected models). 4 2 USB 2.0 port Connect to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB camera). 5 S-video/TV-out (NTSC/ Connects to a television or display device PAL) port with S-video input.
2 Optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or DVDs (slot-load or tray-load depending on model). 3 Optical disk access Lights up when the optical drive is active. indicator 4 Optical drive eject Ejects the optical disk from the drive. button 5 Emergency eject hole Ejects the optical drive tray when the computer is turned off. 6 Modem (RJ-11) port Connects to a phone line. Rear view # Icon Item Description 1 DC-in jack Connects to an AC adapter. 2 Ventilation slots Enable the computer
3 Battery lock Locks the battery in position. 4 Hard disk bay Houses the computer's hard disk (secured with screws) 5 Ventilation slots and Enable the computer to stay cool, even after prolonged use. cooling fan Note: Do not cover or obstruct the opening of the fan. Indicators The computer has several easy-to-read status indicators. The front panel indicators are visible even when the computer cover is closed up. Icon Function Description Power Lights up when the computer is on. Battery Lights u
Easy-Launch Buttons To the top of the keyboard there are four easy-launch buttons: Web browser, mail, arcade buttons and an Empowering Key " . Press " " to run the Acer Empowering Technology. The mail and Web browser buttons are pre-set to email and Internet programs, but can be reset by users. To set the Web browser and mail buttons, run the Launch Manager. Launch Button Default application Acer Empowering Technology (user-programmable) Web browser Internet browser (user-programmable) Mail E
Function Left Button (1) Right Button (4) Main touchpad (2) Center button (3) Execute Click twice quickly Tap twice (at the same speed as double-clicking the mouse button) Select Click once Tap once Drag Click and hold, Tap twice (at the then use finger on same speed as the touchpad to double-clicking a drag the cursor. mouse button); rest your finger on the touchpad on the second tap and drag the cursor. Access context Click once menu Scroll Click and hold to move up/down/left/ right
|User manual
|Acer 1400 Series
|Acer 2020 Series
|Acer 1800
|Acer 1510 Series
|Acer 1500


text:
Tim Tebow is working on his throwing motion and mechanics with an old friend, new UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone, in Los Angeles.
Mazzone told ESPN he's been working with Tebow twice a day since last weekend and keeping in contact with Denver Broncos quarterbacks coach Adam Gase.
Mazzone has worked with Tebow before. He helped him work on his fundamentals coming out of Florida.
Broncos boss John Elway has said he'll work with Tebow this offseason, but he won't be able to do that for a few more weeks.
Tebow completed less than half his passes but posted a series of dramatic comebacks last season in leading the Broncos to the playoffs, where he threw an 80-yard TD pass to Demaryius Thomas in overtime to beat Pittsburgh.
Tebow was tutored by Mazzone before being drafted in the first round by the Broncos in 2009. NFL players are not currently allowed to work with their own coaching staffs.
Mazzone joined the UCLA staff in January after spending the past two seasons as offensive coordinator at Arizona State. He spent two seasons as wide receivers coach under Eric Mangini with the New York Jets before that.
Mazzone spent 1981 at Boulder High School. In 1982, Mazzone coached quarterbacks and receivers under Leon Fuller at Colorado State and spent five seasons there.


text:
Got an email from a reader and would like to address it publicly here. Brandon writes:
"I have read (Greg) Noonan's book on Scottish ales, but I am not clear on the procedure for caramelizing the wort. I thought you might be able to answer some of my questions.
In the book, he says to lightly caramelize some of the wort. How much wort did he typically use? I have read of homebrewers boiling a gallon of first runnings and reducing it to a quart. Is this too much caramelization or is this similar to what Noonan did?
I have also read that longer boil times do not necessarily increase caramelization but instead increase Maillard reactions, which are two different things. So when making a Scottish ale, am I going for caramelization or Maillard reactions?
Any information you could offer would be greatly appreciated."
Good question, Brandon – and potentially confusing! As I understand it, Maillard reactions do in fact produce pretty much the same results as caramelization, but due to amino acids rather than actual "burning" of the sugars. Maple syrup, bread crusts, milk caramels, etc. are darkened by Maillard reactions, true sugar caramel and the like are by "pyrolisis", or burning. In terms of a Scotch Ale, I think we'd be hard pressed to differentiate – true caramelization should be easy to do, although if a Maillard reaction occurred we might not know the difference among all the other complex flavors in the brew…
What I usually do (and I have a recipe, inspired by Greg Noonan's work, that comes awfully close to a Traquair House clone) is take the first 2 or 3 quarts of runoff (from a 5-gallon all-grain mash with a target OG of around 1080 at least) and boil it in a cast iron pot until it thickens to a syrup-consistency, and almost burns… takes some watching, especially if you are also still monitoring the runoff and sparging the rest of the mash… I will then dilute the caramelized wort with a few cups of ordinary wort and add it into the brew kettle….
I would love to hear from readers with more of a chemistry background, explaining, in layman's terms, the difference between these two processes, and between their results…


text:
Michael Ballé: Lean is the strategy!
By Michael Balle, co-author of The Gold Mine and The Lean Manager - Last updated: mardi, avril 22, 2014 - Save & Share - Leave a comment
The CEOs I know that have visible success with lean don't see lean as something you do when you finally get around to it. They see lean as their strategy.
There is an interesting Ohno comment about visiting the gemba doing more harm than good is work standards are not visible. Certainly, one of the main risks of managing by walking around is focusing on what people are doing right there and then and… doing their job for them. This is a crucial aspect of leadership every army knows about (and trains for): don't manage down, don't do the work of your direct reports because it's easier than doing you own. In times of crisis, particularly, the temptation to take over subbordinates' jobs can be very strong – but how can this end well?
On the gemba, lean leaders look for kaizen. They assume people do their day-to-day job well – if not, well, we've got deeper trouble than we think. But the core contribution of lean is to redefine jobs in terms of :
By looking at the kaizen efforts, the CEO can immediately gauge people's involvement as well as technicality. Kaizen creates a space for discussion about deeper issues without the day-to-day pressure of the business, and very often what occurs during kaizen activities highlights other difficulties about competences for the day-to-day job.
The question then is how, as a CEO can you NOT have time for kaizen? What do you actually spend your time on? Kaizen is the place where your people learn and as you study their countermeasures, you learn.


text:
The Value of Volunteering
The Value of Volunteering
We strive to meet the needs of inmates who express an interest in self-improvement, academic study or professional growth by providing resources and opportunities that allow them to grow and learn.
Volunteers, through their religious or charitable organizations, help inmates and detainees prepare for reentry. One inmate in the Motivation to Change program said volunteers are, "caring, professional and dedicated. Volunteers have made a positive difference in my life. They have helped me stay focused on positive goals and keep love in my heart."
It's the idea of volunteering — that volunteers are personally motivated to help inmates and detainees succeed — that resonates so loudly. To have someone believe in them and their ability to succeed, is often life changing.
One inmate in the Life Principles program explained that the volunteers he has worked with are very informative and knowledgeable. "They are good at offering advice for spiritual growth and changing lives. Volunteers seriously make me think about the direction my life is heading and what I must do to change it."


text:
Back Breathing
What is the best strategy to connect with others through breath?
Back breathing from the Yoga Calm® Curriculum is the perfect partner pose to help foster empathy and compassion for others.
Before introducing back breathing as a partner pose, practice individually. Start in child's pose, resting head on stacked fists. Practice breathing into the back, feeling the ribs expand to the ceiling. Inhale and exhale focusing on inflating the back. From this position, it is almost impossible to breath into the chest or stomach.
In the classroom setting, I would recommend using this activity only after students have built community and trust. Since back breathing feels slightly more intimate than some other partner poses, try using back drawing first to get comfortable with appropriate touch.
During back breathing, the partner gently places open hands on the other's back. I find it helpful to discuss appropriate pressure. Too light and the effect is lost. Too heavy and breathing feels restricted.
While the physical touch is an important component of back breathing, the act of synchronizing breath can have a tremendous impact on building positive relationships. That being said, I always make this activity optional. Students can join the group with a breathing ball to match breath.
Afterwards, have students switch roles so that they can experience giving and receiving. The idea of "supporting one another" can sometimes seem abstract to young children, so having a direct experience can go along way.
As students become comfortable, there is also an opportunity to discuss anatomy. Move hands from low back, mid-back, and upper back with the directive to "breathe into the hands". It is amazing how much surface area the lungs take up in the chest and how, with concentration, you can activate the breath in certain areas.
Back Breathing at Home
Try using back breathing at home with your children or loved ones! I love back breathing with my boys before bedtime. As I place my hands on my son's lower back, we begin to sync long, slow breaths. I even will sometimes use verbals cues like, "inhale… exhale". This strategy is a quick and effective way to connect non-verbally and slow down the body for sleep. I also like to use our Move Mindfully® Blend Essential Oil to encourage an optimal balanced state. View our Peaceful Parenting document for more strategies!
Have you tried back breathing? Would you use it in your classroom? Give it a try with a family member and let us know how it goes. Post a comment!
Be Well,
Stephanie Kennelly


text:
There have been many people and websites that have claimed that college is no longer worth it. Most economists still agree that a college education is needed to find a good paying job, but with the current prices that students are paying for tuition, housing and books it is no wonder that so many people are asking the question. First it is important to understand that a college education is essential if you want to do something that requires that education. The main question is how much is that career worth. Some universities are charging close to a quarter million dollars for a four-year degree.
What You Are Paying For
If you decide to go to a big name school like Columbia University, Harvard or Yale you are paying for the prestige. The truth is that people who attend those colleges and do well in them will have jobs that make the money spent worth it. It is important however to understand that you are not always guaranteed to find a job that will pay you back fast. Everything depends on what your career choice is and how much you will get paid when you get hired. By getting prestige attached to your degree you are tilting the scale in your favor, but nothing is ever guaranteed.
So Should You Skip College?
Now the question that arises when talking about the cost of a college degree is if you should skip college. The simple answer is that you should still attend college and ignore those that say that college is useless. There are people who make a good living even though they never went to college or decided to leave before completing their degree. Those people are the exception to the rule. According to Education-Portal people with college degrees make an average of 38 percent more than those who did not go to college. That means that through your lifetime a college degree will pay off, so what are your options?
The cost of private colleges in many cases is well out of the reach of people, but that does not mean that they will not be able to attend college. You can look at the possibility of getting grants and scholarships. There are plenty of grants and scholarships available to people who need them especially to those that cannot afford to attend a school but have good grades or excel in extra-curricular activities. Another great option is to attend a public school which will cut the cost of college by a great deal. Some of the best universities in the country are public universities. Berkley, the University of Virginia, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia Tech and other great names are Public universities with a lot of prestige.
Creating your Own Prestige
If you are not able to attend one of the better public universities then you should still look into others that can give you a degree. The important thing is to make sure that you create your own prestige. You need to make the most out of your opportunity because in the end when you get your degree you will be creating your own prestige. You will still earn more money than someone without a degree, and you will give a better name to the school you went to. Most people are known for what they do with their career and not for the school they went to.


text:
Police knelt down asking forgiveness from protesters during a meeting in Ukraine's city center on Feb. 24. The gesture will go down in history, along with the deaths of 82 people and 678 injured, 449 of which were hospitalized after the bloody crackdown on Feb. 18.
China's netizens were shocked over the police kneeling and apologizing to the people. In China, people kneel down to the police, not the other way around.
On Feb. 24, Ukraine's interim government issued arrest warrants for former President Viktor Yanukovych and other officials involved in the massacre of protesters.
Ava Krakow, acting Minister of the Interior of Ukraine, announced on Facebook that the council was dismissed and that the former president of Ukraine and many officials were being arrested for killing civilians who protested in the capital Kiev. During the meeting at the city center of Lviv, local policemen knelt down to apologize to residents for their participation in the crackdown, but they said that they were not involved in the violence.
Comments from netizens in China:
"It's shocking!"
"There is hope for a nation that knows to repent."
"Taking orders is OK, but one can always aim the gun an inch higher."
"That is the consequence of picking the wrong side. Kneeling down to get off the hook is rather nice. I think those riot police have enough courage to be real men instead of being cowards in order to save their own skin. They are still valuable."
"Will the day to apologize come to China?"